Chapter 659: Human Sacrificial Pawns
Chapter 659: Human Sacrificial Pawns
The first arrow, aimed at the gatehouse of the Zhang Family, represented the Noble Zhang Family, but it was not so lofty and unattainable.
However, the second arrow was unexpectedly ferocious.
The first arrow, borrowing the resentment from within the City of the Wrongly Dead, was already enough to shake the entire Zhang Family, diminishing the blessings and longevity of the Manchu people. When the second arrow landed on the solitary grave, cries of ghosts and spirits suddenly echoed without end.
The true leader of the Zhang Family had just been startled by the unusual movements of the ancestors in the ancestral hall and hurried over. Seeing the memorial tablets scattered on the ground, he was filled with uncontrollable anger. At that moment, he noticed a patch of dark clouds rolling in from the north.
In an instant, even the sound of his angry scolding was swallowed back into his stomach, and his eyes uncontrollably lost focus: "Where did this kind of vengeful curse power come from?"
Amidst the fear, he also saw figures moving back and forth. Servants from the clan hurriedly reported: "Reporting to the Patriarch, the seventeen pots of white orchids in the clan have withered within an instant... eleven of them."
"Patriarch, something terrible has happened. The bronze divination mirror in the clan has suddenly become tainted. The mirror surface is so cloudy that even wiping it with human blood cannot clean it..."
"Quickly, invite the Black-Headed Master and the Four Great Officials to come and take a look. There are wild foxes howling at the clan's three-generation mausoleum. A few days ago... a few days ago, Fourth Branch Master Rong, who was buried, actually... actually crawled out of his grave..."
"..."
With each report, the patriarch's anger deepened. By the end, his expression even showed signs of fear.
The seventeen pots of white orchids were cultivated to observe the clan's fortune. Over twenty years, they had been nurtured from three pots to seventeen, indicating the prosperity of the Noble Zhang Family's fortune. But in the blink of an eye, eleven pots withered, plummeting like a stock market crash.
The bronze divination mirror was used to counter those hiding in the shadows, plotting against the Noble Zhang Family. When the Nightmare Technique struck, the mirror naturally reflected it back. However, now that the mirror surface was tainted, it had been cursed.
This curse was so powerful that even the extraordinary treasures of the Head Culprit Clan couldn't block it.
As for the grave...
... Unrest in the family home, ancestral spirits in turmoil, could it be that the Noble Zhang Family suddenly faced an impending disaster?
"What audacity!"
He remained calm amidst the chaos, his face darkening. He issued an order: "Hurry, light the lamps! Bring out the imperial lanterns left by the ancestors and light up the seven entrances and twenty-eight courtyards. If they can't be lit, let the young servants swallow the soul-capturing orbs and use their lives to light them for me!"
Lighting lamps in broad daylight was strange, but no one dared to defy the fate of the family.
In an instant, the massive Noble Zhang Family's thousand-acre estate was illuminated by ancient-looking imperial lanterns. Many were lit using their lives, but this bizarre scene was strangely fitting.
Just as the lamps were lit, the noontime sun inexplicably darkened. Dark clouds gathered, and rolling thunder echoed in the sky, as if midnight had suddenly arrived.
Within the pitch-black night, countless distorted ghostly shadows seemed to rage and wail, like a torrent of darkness, eager to break through the walls. Only the lit lanterns in the courtyard prevented total darkness.
However, the vast courtyard of the Noble Zhang Family inevitably fell into endless panic. Doors and gates were shut tight, but they continuously heard fierce knocking from outside, accompanied by howls and cries:
"I am Fourth Branch Master Rong. How dare you, unfilial descendants, not open the door for me?"
"Open the door, open the door! I am the Twenty-First Ancestor. How dare you block me outside? Which servant is inside? I will kill your entire family!"
"..."
The Zhang Family members inside the courtyard trembled in fear, daring not to make a sound. The servants inside desperately pushed against the door with their shoulders, wailing: "Master Rong, Old Patriarch, you... you are already dead. How can you return to the family?"
Neither those inside nor those outside dared to open the door. The knocking outside persisted, and the crowd grew, gathering at each door, incessantly cursing the family's descendants.
"Turmoil in the family, ancestors returning..."
The head of the Zhang Family found it hard to believe: "This can only happen when the clan's fortune is completely suppressed. Where did this vengeful curse come from, daring to enter my Zhang Family to cause trouble?"
He dared not think too deeply, his heart filled with panic. Suddenly, he shouted: "Quickly invite the Black-Headed Master and the Four Great Officials. It's time for those human sacrificial pawns to take effect."
In this world, countless people in various sects, including those noble lords with grand ambitions, knew of the ten earth pulses that controlled the fortunes of the world.
They also knew that these ten earth pulses intertwined at one end with the Noble Zhang Family's estate, while the other end spread across the world, intertwining with mountains and rivers, forming Qi Eyes and Life Gates, like a vast net encompassing the entire realm.
And those born at these Qi Eyes and Life Gates were all blessed with good fortune and prosperity.
There was an elderly man with an exceptionally long life, not a member of any sect, who neither cultivated nor accumulated virtues, nor consumed any heavenly herbs or treasures. Yet, he was the luckiest person in the world, having lived for over 190 years, still walking with vigor, his teeth intact, and his hair black.
There was also a wealthy merchant who rose from humble beginnings, initially a beggar, but later achieving great success in business.
He sold umbrellas on sunny days, grew grains on slopes, transported cotton-padded clothes to the south, and supplied cold noodles to northern families. His business thrived, and even the most bizarre ventures turned highly profitable. Twenty years later, he dominated the region, becoming the wealthiest merchant across several states.
In a certain place, a talented scholar was born, who recognized words at three and understood scriptures at five. He was a prodigy in both knowledge and wisdom, and his words were like flowing rivers. With his strategies for pacifying the people and eliminating bandits, he wrote books with ease, gaining fame far and wide at a young age.
In a village, a woman raised a large, fat pig, but instead of selling it, she used it for breeding. This pig produced twenty litters a year, and soon, all the pigs in the surrounding villages and even in the wild mountains were descendants of this pig's lineage.
However, everything changed in an instant when a noble from the Zhang family, dressed in dirty black robes and missing one arm, rushed over. He lit a yellow scroll and began chanting under the dark night sky, and various transformations began to occur.
The elderly man, who was well taken care of by others, had been locked up in a small house by his descendants to prevent any accidents. At the age of seventeen, he had never taken a step outside, but on this day, he suddenly heard the cawing of crows outside, which made him feel restless and agitated. He couldn't catch his breath, and he died right then and there.
A wealthy merchant was standing by the railing, admiring flowers and feeding golden carps in the pond. Suddenly, he heard someone calling his name from within the pond.
When he looked down, he saw a plump golden carp speaking, "The time has come, the time has come. Consider all the delicious food and drinks you've given me over the years, quickly follow me..."
"This fortune position is not favorable. The noble Zhang family has allowed you to enjoy prosperity to repay debts and ward off disasters. Now that the Zhang family is in trouble, it's time for you to repay the debt..."
"..."
The wealthy merchant, in a daze, followed the golden carp.
Soon after, chaos erupted in the garden as servants cried out, "The master has fallen into the pond and drowned!"
The talented scholar sat under a Chinese parasol tree, reading a book with profound meanings. Suddenly, he felt as if the characters in the book were jumping out, transforming into little people holding hands and fleeing in groups from the pages.
They scattered like refugees, even climbing over the walls and running away. The scholar got up to chase after them but tripped and fell. When he woke up, he felt his mind was empty, and he couldn't recognize a single character.
The pig ancestor was lying in its pen, waiting to be fed before going to mate. However, in a daze, he saw blood everywhere, and countless descendants who had been stabbed came to complain about being brought here by him, only to face the knife. They approached and began to gnaw at him.
On this day, the piercing squeals of pigs echoed through the clouds, and everyone in the village had a terrible nightmare.
Such changes were insignificant when looking at the entire world. There were too many people like this, unaware of the reasons for their prosperity or the sudden troubles they faced.
Only the noble Zhang family heard the news of the seventeen pots of white orchids, which finally managed to survive after twelve pots had withered. The night outside the mansion remained pitch-black, but the knocking and banging on the door had lessened, allowing them to breathe a slight sigh of relief.
However, the Black-Headed Master they had invited was also alarmed, exclaiming, "Great Master, the human sacrificial pawns have helped the Zhang family ward off disasters, but the avenging ghost's resentment remains, and the calamity is yet to come..."
"The human sacrificial pawns have their limits; they can only die one by one. I fear... I fear..."
"..."
There was no need for further explanation. The head of the Zhang family also had no respect for the head of the Ten Doors of Wrath's techniques, but he understood the situation deeply. He took a deep breath and shouted, "This must be the work of the Netherworld! It has to be that vile beast..."
The noble Zhang family not only occupied ten earth pulses of a feng shui treasure land but also buried nails in the Qi eyes and Life Gates that should have been shared with the people. In times of trouble, they could use these to let those with prosperity and strong life force take on the disasters for the noble Zhang family.
As far as the eye could see, there were countless nails, like crossing the river in the belly of a fish. Even the most powerful curses were blocked and rendered invisible.
However, now that the human sacrificial pawns were dying in droves, they could only slow down the Nightmare Technique's progress instead of dispelling it. The magnitude of this calamity was evident.
"Go and ask Old Three. That beast..."
The head of the Zhang family slammed the table in anger, his face contorted. "I only sent a useless person there, and this happened?"
"Hurry and send someone to give him ten lashes. Ask him how he managed to do this!"
"Yes... yes..."
In his rage, he still maintained his rationality. Suddenly, his voice trembled as he remembered something more important. "The most crucial thing is the Dragon's Lair. Quick, send all four Great Officials there. Even if it means sacrificing their lives, they must protect that Dragon's Lair for the noble Zhang family!"
...
...
"Who... who does he claim to be?"
In the Netherworld, in front of the Spirit Summoning Platform, the Third Uncle of the Zhang family finally realized something was amiss.
When even the blood-related monster couldn't harm the Dragon Well Master on the platform, he was already terrified. Upon sensing the endless entanglement of avenging ghosts, his soul seemed to fly away.
"He says his name is Dragon Well..."
Beside him, the patriarch of the Meng family also sensed something wrong and sternly shouted, "That name only appeared once twenty years ago when the Du Clan royalty was killed by nightmares!"
"You've raised him for twenty years, and you don't even know who he is?"
"..."
"But... but..."
The Third Uncle of the Zhang family was restless and sweating. "We specifically asked the State Preceptor, and he confirmed that he is indeed the Iron Guanyin..."
(End of Chapter)
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