Chapter 395: Chapter 359: The Grand Performance Begins

The night was deep, the cold moon hung high, in the east of Jianshui City.

The pale, eerie moonlight spilled over the ancient city walls, and the city gate tower exuded an ominous aura. The dark red curtain suddenly dropped, swaying slightly in the wind, as if flowing with fresh blood.

Fire pits were lit, projecting the shadows of gradually gathering opera performers onto the dark red curtain. Their high-pitched vocal exercises echoed eerily through the silent night.

The musicians sat in chairs, tuning their instruments; the strings of the erhu lamented like crying, the gongs and drums sounded muffled and oppressive, weaving a spine-tingling prelude.

The blood crows, already asleep, were startled by the commotion and flew in flocks over the plains outside the eastern city, skimming across the military camps of the Jingzhou army.

The army, initially high-spirited, was now disturbed by these strange tones.

The sharp voices seemed to pierce their souls, sending chills down their spines, making their hairs stand on end, and inexplicably filling their hearts with an anxious restlessness.

“General Qiu, there’s activity over by Jianshui City!”

The Deputy General ran to report at the middle army tent. Qiu Wanjun, over fifty, with half-white hair and beard, sat calmly in the Taishi Chair he was holding a military book. Upon hearing the panicked voice of the Deputy General, he didn’t even raise his eyes, exuding an aura of authority without anger.

“I’m not deaf yet, such a commotion, who wouldn’t hear it?”

The Deputy General, full of trepidation, bowed and clasped his hands, “Please advise, General, should we prepare to confront the enemy?”

Qiu Wanjun, having finished the last page, closed the book, savoring the content he had just read. After a moment, he said, “Follow me to see what kind of monkey show this rabble is putting on! Beat the drums, prepare the army for battle!”

“Yes!”

Dong! Dong! Dong!

The resounding military drums echoed through the sky like rolling thunder, shaking the earth, instantly breaking through the sharp eerie opera singing and music sounds from across.

The yin wind turned into a violent wind, the sound of military flags fluttering, soldiers and generals quickly formed up on the plains, the sound of horse hooves, footsteps, and clashing weapons intertwined, forming an overwhelming force.

“Kill! Kill! Kill!”

The shouts shook the heavens, filled with a majestic aura, deterring any ghostly spirits within hundreds of miles from approaching.

The elite troops from Jingzhou and Jinzhou bore Ten Victory Stone Eight Diagrams Mirrors carved on the front and back of their armor, each carrying two weapons, black iron weapons for killing men, and Ten Victory Stone weapons for slaying ghosts.

Qiu Wanjun, still vigorous in his old age, rode a warhorse clad in iron armor at the forefront of the army formation, followed by two fifth-level Deputy Generals. One was the middle-aged man who had just reported to Qiu Wanjun; he was the Commander from Jinzhou. The other was Daoist Xuanqing from the Purple Cloud Temple sent to assist.

The Buddhist Sect does not partake in killings, never involving themselves in any conflict. In times of great battles, disciples of the Buddhist Sect always stay at the rear to help refugees.

Behind the two Deputy Generals were various Colonels seconded from Jingzhou; there were originally ten, but now only seven remained, all were Yin Walkers.

One was lost on the way, and two, who led the scouts, were supposed to probe ahead of the main army but went missing unexpectedly.

In regions of the Xuan Dynasty outside Jingzhou, fourth-level Yin Walker Colonels could command a state’s Night Travel, but in Jingzhou, where imperial relatives and noble families congregate, at least two fourth-level Colonels stood guard in each city.

In the Xuan Dynasty, in battles between two armies, there were battles between Yin Walkers’ ghosts, and also fights between regular soldiers. Usually, the Yin Walkers would fight with their ghosts first, then once exhausted, regular soldiers would attack and capture the territory.

The evil ghost Qiu Wanjun controlled had reached the sixth level; with him in place, the two Deputy Generals and seven Colonels could use the power of the evil ghost without limitation. If there were any backlash, Qiu Wanjun could use his evil ghost for suppression and intimidation.

The army faced off with Jianshui City in the distance; after the shouts and kills, silence reigned through the wilderness as if time stood still.

Suddenly, the sound of gongs and drums echoed. The dark red curtain on the city wall was slowly drawn upwards on both sides, and a martial artist with terrifying makeup and a long spear leaped out.

Compared to the one Sang Que encountered earlier, this martial artist was inferior in stature, appearance, and aura. The Ghost Opera Troupe could not find the Martial Arts Leader to go on stage, so they had to send someone else to fill in.

The martial artist began with a spear routine, his eyes bright and piercing, leaping onto the battlements of the city wall. The intense gongs and drums began, and a bold, loud tune was sung.

In the dark night, ghost fires burn, Fierce Ghost army battle flags churn.

Ghost Generals clad in black armor cold, Fangs exposed, eyes glaring bold.

Ghost soldiers wield wolf fang clubs, ferocious and fierce, charging forward above.

In the Netherworld, grievances hold, tonight to fight and avenge blood’s toll.

Breaking through the gates of the Two Realms’ divide, slaughtering all evil and treachery worldwide.

The drum and gongs sounds intensified, on the empty plains outside the city, yin wind rose suddenly, mist swirled, ghostly green fires lit up one after another from within the fog, a mighty army of Fierce Ghosts abruptly appeared.

Some with body like withered wood, their skin dry and shrunken, some with swollen chest and belly, with oozing pus, some with heads dangling from their chest, green faces and tusked jaws, each terrifyingly hideous, clad in worn-out armor, wielding bloodstained weapons.

The leading Ghost General stood eight feet tall, calling out with an arm gesture, the whole army charged forward, moving like phantoms, erratic and unpredictable.

With overwhelming momentum they stirred up mist, where they passed by, grass and trees withered, all life vanished.

Such a horrifying spectacle made the soldiers and generals from the two states’ faces tense, feeling a chilling coldness to the bones, yet with the commanders ahead, no one dared move, everyone tensed their bodies, gripping their weapons tightly.

The Fierce Ghost army rapidly approached; the wailing sounds seemed to devour human souls entirely, spreading chaos and despair in people’s hearts.

The horse beneath Qiu Wanjun began to grow restless; Qiu Wanjun, still looking unperturbed even if a mountain collapsed in front, tugged the reins and patted the horse’s head, saying to the yellow-robed Daoist next to him, “Daoist Xuanqing, I rely on you.”

The middle-aged Daoist, exuding an ethereal and vigorous aura, chuckled lightly, “A small matter.”

With a flick of his wrist, Xuanqing pinched out a yellow talisman between his fingers, flicked it, and his entire body faded from atop the horse, leaving only talisman paper ashes drifting in the wind.

The yellow-robed Daoist appeared at the front of the formation, single-handedly facing the Fierce Ghost army about to burst upon him in a breath.

This grand scene, however, was essentially the same as how Qiu Wanjun maintained order, allowing his Yin Walker subordinates unlimited use of the evil ghost’s power. The Ghost Opera Troupe also had high-level supervisors to let their martial artists control more ghost slaves and create a grander spectacle.

The yellow-robed Daoist retrieved a delicate Brass Dao Bell from his waist and gently shook it.

The crisp sound instantly suppressed all the wailing and ghostly cries, like sound waves pushing layer by layer, clearing people’s minds.

At the same time, from the ground before the yellow-robed Daoist, green-black hands suddenly extended upward. Numerous zombies buried preemptively broke through the ground, also dressed in tattered, dirty, rusted armor, carried a putrid stench, and met the Fierce Ghost army head-on.

The two torrents collided fiercely at one point; the zombie’s arms were as hard as iron, one swing shattered the bodies of the Fierce Ghosts.

Zombies opened their mouths to spray a black Corpse Qi, and any Fierce Ghost tainted by the Corpse Qi instantly disintegrated into a wisp of black smoke.

At the front, the Ghost General was valiant and unbeatable, slicing through dozens of zombie bodies with his massive blade, only for other zombies to swarm upon seeing it.

Although the Fierce Ghost army fought valiantly, they were unable to withstand the zombies’ powerful offensive.

In less than the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the Fierce Ghost army was like clay oxen entering the sea, disintegrating into black smoke one after another, disappearing without a trace, yet the zombie army still stood firmly, like a solid wall, guarding in front of the main forces.

“Kill! Kill! Kill!”

Soldiers and generals beat their weapons against their shields, letting out rhythmic shouts, boosting morale tremendously.

However, before these invigorated shouts could subside, Qiu Wanjun and the yellow-robed Daoist’s expressions changed simultaneously.

Before their eyes, the zombies in the front line one after another collapsed, melting into pools of blood; the blood quickly gathered into a lake, and something enormous churned within the lake.

From the distant city wall, the martial artist exited the stage, a clown jumped onto stage, starting to sing with a sly grin.

The battle between the two sides continued!

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