Chapter 291: Chapter 255: Chaos in the Situation

Qinzhou, outside the East Gate of Wangshan City.

Xiao Liu, holding the dispatch he just received, hurriedly entered the temporary camp set up on the edge of the woods.

Inside the camp, He Buning was discussing various post-disaster affairs with the surviving officials of Wangshan City.

Seeing Xiao Liu, the voices of discussion among the crowd ceased.

“Lord Governor, Colonel, just received an urgent report, all departments of Yunzhou have counter-attacked, the line at Tianliang City has fallen!”

As soon as the words fell, there was an uproar.

Wangshan City had just suffered such a catastrophe, and now Tianliang City has also fallen. It’s hard to believe this wasn’t planned.

Although the Governor of Qinzhou, seated at the head, had a higher rank than He Buning, he could only look to He Buning at this moment, waiting for him to make a decision.

He Buning’s face was solemn, thinking of the Gu Master who escaped from Tianliang City, capable of using Gu on members of the Evil Suppression Bureau, it was likely planned long ago.

The arrangements he made before leaving Tianliang City ultimately failed to take effect.

“Are there any other updates? Speak all at once.”

Xiao Liu swallowed hard before saying, “Apart from Tianliang City, there is chaos on both sides of Qinzhou. These reports were sent through the Five Ghosts of the Taoist Sect. Now, people are panicking in various places and cities, it coincides with the spring plowing season, so none of the cities can send troops to support Wangshan City.”

“Moreover, the three major counties and nearly a hundred villages around Wangshan City have been affected by the earthquake to varying degrees. Houses and fields have been damaged and need rebuilding. Also, the number of strange cases reported recently has increased considerably, and all places are requesting support from the Evil Suppression Bureau.”

Those present felt a chill upon hearing this.

The elderly governor sighed, “Wangshan City still has over ten thousand displaced people, with nowhere to settle, lacking food and medicine. Now with battles arising across Qinzhou, if we can’t settle these people in time, it could lead to unforeseen complications, with far-reaching consequences!”

“Captain He! There’s an urgent matter!”

Qin Ze’s voice came from outside the tent. He Buning cupped his hands towards the Governor, “In matters of this nature, Lord Governor possesses more experience than I do. I request that Lord Governor lead the officials in formulating a plan to settle the people and rebuild Wangshan City as quickly as possible.”

With that said, not giving the governor a chance to decline, He Buning swiftly left the camp, with Xiao Liu following closely behind.

Once outside, they saw Qin Ze, unkempt and bearded, standing there, lost in thought again.

Since that night, Qin Ze searched everywhere but could not find his family.

He then volunteered to lead searches inside Wangshan City, knowing that finding survivors was impossible. The only thing left to salvage was grain and supplies from the Evil Suppression Bureau.

Qin Ze did all this merely hoping to find the bodies. Yet, seven days have passed, and he had found nothing, not even a single related item.

*Cough!*

He Buning made a sound, snapping Qin Ze back to reality, who then restrained his sorrowful expression, “Reporting to the Colonel, the passage to the Evil Ghost Bureau has been dug out, but the situation is not good. You should best come and see.”

He Buning and Xiao Liu’s expressions changed simultaneously, thinking of Cui Cheng and Xiao Wu who were trapped inside, He Buning immediately led Xiao Liu on horseback into the city.

The city was filled with ruins, no house left intact. Those unwilling to leave rummaged through the ruins of their collapsed homes during the day, some gathering their deceased relatives, others searching for valuables and food.

As He Buning passed, even though the horse sped quickly, he still saw many people gathered in one place, hearing words like ’war’, ’escape’, and ’beware of being taken for forced labor’.

Xiao Liu caught up on horseback and said to He Buning, “We too only just received news of the battles, but somehow it’s already spread among the people. Many plan to flee Qinzhou to settle elsewhere, Colonel, should we stop them?”

During the reconstruction of Fengning City, a significant amount of labor was conscripted from surrounding villages and county towns. Now, with Wangshan City in turn, it seems likely they’ll face the same again.

He Buning pondered for a moment, “Too many gathered outside the city could easily lead to chaos. If an epidemic breaks out, it’ll be another disaster. If they can find another way to make a living, that would be good.”

The Ghost Opera Troupe had planned meticulously. If not for the mishaps on Wangshan City’s side, it’s likely all of Qinzhou would now be under the Ghost Opera Troupe’s control.

If the flames of war reach Wangshan City, they won’t be able to protect so many people. Now they can only wait for news from Shengjing, wait for Shengjing to send a new Yin Walking General, and for reinforcements from Jinzhou to stabilize the situation.

The two horses galloped by, leaving clouds of dust in their wake, while the raggedly dressed people bent down to pick through the ruins.

Behind the ruins of the Evil Suppression Bureau, under the cliff, Xia Chan, with her long black hair, parted it into two, pushed aside the surrounding rubble and timber. Digging out the Evil Ghost Bureau from beneath so quickly, it was all thanks to Xia Chan.

Xuan Yu had somewhat recovered, lying on a rock to bask in the sun, while the Black Donkey constantly followed Xia Chan, becoming her mode of transport.

He Buning and Xiao Liu arrived, intending to express concern for Xia Chan, but Xia Chan took her steamed bun and silently sat aside to eat.

Since Sang Que disappeared, Xia Chan has never smiled again, unwilling to speak to anyone. But when help is needed, she always steps up, as if she suddenly grew up overnight.

He Buning sighed painfully. Although he already knew that Xia Chan was not his biological sister, the long time spent together had already made He Buning acknowledge her as his sister in his heart.

“Let’s go down and take a look first.”

He Buning took Xiao Liu down through the dug-out passage.

Xiao Liu was trailing behind. Returning to this place again, sorrow welled up in him, and he seemed to hear Xiao Wu’s final words echoing in his ears.

Upon finding the main entrance to the Evil Ghost Bureau, He Buning realized what Qin Ze meant by “something was not right.”

Logically, after being completely sealed, the Evil Ghost Bureau should have been an integrated structure. However, at this moment, the right side of the main door had been struck by something, causing a crack to form.

He Buning immediately turned sideways and squeezed through the crack.

Inside was a world of darkness. The air was cold and damp with a metallic scent of blood, accompanied by the dripping sound of water.

He Buning lit a flint with a breath. As the fire illuminated, he looked towards the space behind the door, finding only a severely worn Ten Victory Stone Dagger on the ground—it was Xiao Wu’s.

“Fifth Brother…”

Xiao Liu followed him in, squatted down by the dagger. The sorrow he had been suppressing erupted; his shoulders shook, lips tightly clamped to stifle the sound of his sobs.

He Buning was also profoundly saddened, but he had already endured such scenes too many times before.

Raising the flint, he ventured further into the Evil Ghost Bureau. He Buning was shocked to find that all the evil ghosts held inside were gone, leaving only corroded prison doors and desolate cells.

He Buning quickened his pace to survey the surroundings. Indeed, not a single soul left!

In the cell that once held the Gambling Ghost, He Buning found an empty coffin, inside of which was a heavily decayed skeleton, its bones blackened. Judging by the height, it was General Cao.

Continuing deeper, He Buning found another crack. In front of that crack stood another blackened skeletal body.

The corpse gripped a ring-headed saber, the blade piercing through its chest; its mask, official seal, and token had all fallen to the ground beside it.

It was Cui Cheng.

The Zhuangyuan Ghost had fled, and all the evil ghosts held in the Evil Ghost Bureau had escaped.

Apart from the Gambling Ghost, there were a total of sixteen fourth-layer evil ghosts and three fourth-layer jumping corpses, one of which he and Sang Que had subdued at the Purple Cloud Mountain Bandit Village.

He Buning deduced that it was likely during Yu Da’s loss of control that the ghosts within him broke through the ground, combined with the Zhuangyuan Ghost’s forces attacking from both inside and outside, leading to the breach in the Evil Ghost Bureau’s walls and allowing the ghosts to escape.

With the situation as it was, He Buning was powerless. He collected the remains of Cui Cheng and General Cao, and departed from the Evil Ghost Bureau with Xiao Liu.

Once outside, He Buning saw Xia Chan holding onto Xuan Yu, clutching the fallen Evil Suppression Bureau token of Sang Que, crying quietly in secret, which pained his heart.

He also hoped Sang Que was safe and sound, but now, no one knew where she was.

Sang Que’s control of the Yin Child could no longer be hidden; he could only report Sang Que’s death. With his position as a colonel, he severed the connection between Sang Que and the mask. This way, they couldn’t trace Sang Que through the mask.

Her identity was too special. The Yin Child was a minor issue; the other matter would bring her mortal danger, leaving him with no other choice.

Qinzhou was no longer safe. He Buning knew that when the time came, he would have no time to watch over Xia Chan. He had to find a good place for Xia Chan, a place beneficial to her growth.

He Buning thought of someone—the Bell Doctor of Nine Songs, who traveled around healing people with impressive life-saving skills.

Xia Chan was an Evil Person, currently at a critical breakthrough. With the Bell Doctor’s help, it would surely be more effective with less effort.

However, finding the Bell Doctor would require a bit of luck and fate.

“Little Chan, there are many injured and sick at the camp outside the city. Could you help me collect some herbs from the wrecked city pharmacies and bring them over?”

He Buning softly asked Xia Chan, who wiped away her tears, secured the token, and although she remained silent, nodded in agreement.

Taking the location map from Xiao Liu, Xia Chan rode the Black Donkey towards the largest pharmacy in the northern part of the city, with Xuan Yu in tow.

Passing by the site of the former Orphanage, the Black Donkey suddenly stopped, screaming and refusing to proceed.

Unaware of why this happened, Xia Chan mimicked Sang Que’s usual manner, harshly tapping the Black Donkey’s head. Reluctantly, the Black Donkey turned and tread into the ruins of the Orphanage, taking a detour.

Not long after the Black Donkey carried Xia Chan away, a bizarre hand covered in strange fleshy growths suddenly stretched out from the road the Black Donkey refused to pass, brushing aside the wood and stones piled on top…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep