Chapter 99: Chapter 97 Ghostly Army Attack_1
Chapter 99: Chapter 97 Ghostly Army Attack_1
“Where has Li Xuan gone?” When Jiang Hanyun rode to Confucius Street, her face turned pale: “Where did that guy wander off to this ti?”
She initially thought this prodigal son had genuinely changed for the better, and was set to beco a pillar of their future Liudao Division. But, she hadn’t expected that at a crucial mont like this, Li Xuan would spring such a surprise on her.
Peng Fulai and Zhang Yue glanced at each other and, mustering up courage, replied: “He said he had to use the restroom and would return imdiately.”
Although he would’ve liked to see Li Xuan beaten up by Jiang Hanyun, as one of his closest buddies, Peng Fulai instinctively chose to cover for Li Xuan.
He planned to send a talisman to Li Xuan later, urging him to return as quickly as possible. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be his friend who died, but himself.
“Don’t make things up.” Yue Qianqian clasped her fist over her chest and bowed to Jiang Hanyun: “Xiaowei, Li Xuan had to attend the Duchenghuang Temple, as Master Chenghuang urgently summoned him–”
Before she could finish her sentence, a few people behind Jiang Hanyun chuckled. Peng Fulai and Zhang Yue facepald in despair. This girl was simply too straightforward.
Credit must be given to Li Xuan for coming up with such a ridiculous excuse.
“Running errands for Master Chenghuang?” leered the Fire Raven General Commander Lei Yun, who was patrolling with Jiang Hanyun, “Xiaowei Jiang, your subordinate is sothing else. He has connections that can reach the heavens. If this is true, we are simply helpless, and will have to let him have his way from now on.”
Jiang Hanyun’s expression darkened further. She pointed her riding crop at Peng Fulai and Zhang Yue: “No matter what you do, I want to see him within two quarters of an hour. Relay my ssage to Li Xuan; if he wants to see tomorrow’s sun, then he’d better hurry back.”
She decided she couldn’t condone his actions this ti; she absolutely had to puml Li Xuan!
Jiang Hanyun started hesitating again. Since Li Xuan had deserted his post, should more manpower be sent to guard the Confucius Temple?
“That shouldn’t be necessary.” This was Lei Yun’s assistant, Leng Shuangyun, the Demon Slayer Colonel from Fire Raven City. She voiced her doubts: “Since nightfall, Confucius Street has been the most peaceful with not even one evil spirit appearing. And since it’s close to Colonel Ma’s jurisdiction, he can lend his support here at any ti.”
Her words struck Peng Fulai and the others as odd.
Indeed, they hadn’t encountered a single evil spirit on their side. Yet, the people led by Duwei Liang, who were guarding the Ertou Bridge, had already dealt with three evil spirits after nightfall.
“That is indeed the case–”
Jiang Hanyun was mulling over this when she suddenly felt sothing unusual. She looked up at the bright moon suspended in the sky. Her eyes expressed surprise and doubt: “Lei Yun, did it feel like the moonlight had dimd just now? Could this have been my imagination?”
At that ti, Lei Yun was also startled, looking at the sky in astonishnt, “Indeed, it has dimd a bit. I even noticed that the moon seed like it had been bitten off.”
“I saw that too.” Leng Shuangyun calmly made a judgent: “It should be a lunar eclipse. We just don’t know to what extent? If it’s a total lunar eclipse, I guess our Master Chenghuang will have a hard ti tonight.”
Jiang Hanyun thought to herself, it wasn’t only the underworld that was going to be in trouble now, was it?
※※※※
At the sa ti, outside the Dasheng Pass, a group of fully ard soldiers and four Taoists in violet robes, led by two civil officials in green robes, hastily entered the long passageway of the tomb built by the mountains in homage to the soldiers of the Han dynasty.
The four Taoists were all heavy-hearted, with the soldiers carrying sacrificial offerings moving cautiously in tandem.
anwhile, the two green-robed civil officials up ahead were fiercely arguing as they hurried along. The one in the lead, donning a white bird gown of the 5th-rank official, reproached harshly, “Are all of you from the Qintian Bureau dead failures? So many spell cultivators, including two so-called leading calculators, and you can’t even figure out that there is a lunar eclipse today?”
“How can you bla us? The DaTong Calendar established in the Taizu Era was inaccurate, and our Jianzheng has submitted nurous papers proposing to revise the calendar, but they were all rejected by your Ministry of Rites. Recently, our Jiulong Astronomical Instrunt at the observatory was even tampered with.”
The other green-robed civil official’s rank was slightly lower, but he responded with a cold retort, “Yuanwai Zhuang still has the audacity to accuse our Qintian Bureau? According to the rules, your Ministry of Rites should have perford a ceremony at this tomb of Han dynasty more than ten days ago. In the end, isn’t the mistake yours?”
“We had no choice, ever since Earl Dazong resigned, the position of Shangshu has been vacant, and Nanjing Ministry of Rites lost nearly forty percent of its staff, it’s in chaos — who could attend to this matter? But you in the Qintian Bureau, despite knowing the situation here, did not alert us, that’s inexcusable.”
Officer Zhuang was clearly infuriated. He roared, “Li Changshan! If we manage to avoid any problems this ti, so be it — but if not, I will certainly impeach you!”
“I’ll impeach the whole of Nanjing Ministry of Rites, whether there’s trouble or not. You claim we didn’t inform you? I alone sent seven docunts to your ministry this month alone, and even personally visited recently–”
Officer Li Changshan from the Qintian Bureau retorted frostily. Just then, his expression suddenly changed and he raised his hand to halt everyone: “Everyone, stop!”
Imdiately, Officer Zhuang halted and looked ahead, his face turning pale.
Ahead, the originally teal bricks were now covered in a bloody sheen. The runes inscribed on the bricks were mostly illegible.
A gust of cold wind blew at that mont, inexplicably extinguishing all the oil lamps and torches in the cave, causing everyone’s heart to skip a beat.
“Sothing’s not right! It might be too late–”
Li Changshan looked serious, his hand forming a talisman gesture that caused a burst of fire to appear by his side, re-illuminating the surroundings.
But the view was even more horrifying. The path ahead had turned into a deep, dark abyss. Bloodied hands seed to be reaching out from within.
Simultaneously, a ‘creaking’ sound reached their ears. Cracks began to spread from afar, extending all the way to their feet.
“Retreat, don’t panic! Anyone who dares to move without orders, I’ll have his head!”
Li Changshan’s stern shout montarily halted the pandemonium amongst the royal guard soldiers. He took a deep breath, his expression icy, “Yuanwai Zhuang, it seems we can’t go any further. You must return to the city and seek help from Earl Chengyi’s residence at once!”
“Earl Chengyi’s residence?” Yuanwai Zhuang appeared confused, “But Earl Chengyi has been dismissed and is currently under investigation.”
“Given Earl Chengyi’s character, he won’t just stand by!”
Li Changshan emphasized, “This tomb of the Han Dynasty soldiers was built by the founding Earl Chengyi, Li Lexing, several powerful heavenly-level figures, and Zhonglie Duke Wen. He will surely have a solution. You must seek him urgently. Otherwise–”
His eyes conveyed a glimr of desperation, “All of us are dood!”
The three hundred thousand ghostly soldiers sealed within here might soon break free!
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