Chapter 165

The villagers of Huangya Village could no longer remember which generation had built this "village temple."

In everyone's memory, it had always been there, beneath the earthen cliff, since they first began to remember things.

It had once been somewhat dilapidated, but in recent years, under the temple's protection, life in the village had improved.

That was why they rebuilt it, giving it its current grand appearance.

When the bailiff's father died, the villagers didn't know what tricks the ghost lords had used, but Huang Achuan's spirit remained in the temple, becoming a ghost temple attendant.

His job was to serve the ghost lords.

That stage was never meant for opera.

When the ghost lords wanted to eat people, the villagers would find a way to drug and deliver some traveling merchants to the temple.

This place was very close to Xiao Yu Shan, and merchants traveling to Xiao Yu Shan often passed through the village.

Among the ghost lords were some who enjoyed watching living humans being torn apart; the ghost temple attendant Huang Achuan would strip them alive on the stage for the ghost lords' amusement.

Then he would distribute the flesh and blood among the ghost lords.

Over the years, five hundred or three hundred merchants had been killed this way!

Merchants traveling far from home often died abroad, and no one ever came to investigate.

Later, even when the ghost lords weren't hungry, the villagers would pick out merchants who looked easy to overpower, drug them, and kill them outright.

All the money and goods the merchants carried went to the ones who carried out the killings!

Some of the ghost lords preferred women, and since it was hard to find them from outside, Huang Achuan would lead the village's wives and daughters past the stage.

Whichever woman a ghost lord favored, Huang Achuan would lead her to a private booth beside the stage.

The hairs Xu Yuan saw on the bed in the adjacent room were left behind by these women after their encounters with the ghost lords.

The entire village, old and young, had grown accustomed to it.

Moreover, they no longer felt humiliated—they felt honored.

Because if a ghost lord favored your woman, your family would surely receive benefits in return.

Those not chosen might even go home and beat their wives:

Why are you so ugly? Can't even catch a ghost lord's eye?

Why do you eat so much? Your waist is thicker than a water barrel—how could a ghost lord possibly want you?

The ghost temple attendant Huang Achuan spoke without reservation, spilling every vile deed of Huangya Village like beans poured from a bamboo tube!

The officers of the Purification Office shook their heads in disgust.

These crimes could not be excused by the excuse of "wanting to survive here."

Shi Bading roared, drew his great sword from his back, and struck with all his might.

The ghost temple attendant Huang Achuan was instantly shattered into nothingness by the overwhelming surge of blood qi and malevolent energy!

He had never deserved to walk the Yellow Springs Road.

This blow utterly annihilated his form and spirit, leaving not a trace in either the yin or yang worlds.

Bailiff Huang Chengwei stood frozen beside them, mouth agape; laughably, he had only ever witnessed the ghost lords' incomprehensible powers, unaware that cultivators of the Seven Sects possessed even more formidable methods!

Only when the ghost temple attendant vanished completely did he suddenly shudder and scream in anguish: "Father—!"

Shi Bading glared at Huang Chengwei; had Xu Yuan not seemed to intend to spare him, he would have already cleaved this man in two with his sword!

Xu Yuan sneered and turned toward the temple entrance: "Stop screaming—your father is utterly annihilated, but another father has arrived!"

"Arrived?!" Shi Bading gripped his great sword tightly, battle-lust blazing: "Are those evil ghosts returning?"

Outside the temple, dark shadows suddenly appeared.

Their faces were indistinct, standing there with chilling stillness.

The door gods blocking the temple entrance had alerted them that something had happened inside!

But they had never intended to enter through the main gate.

……

Inside the temple, Bailiff Huang Chengwei's eyes blazed with intense hatred!

"The ghost lords have returned!"

"Your black-skinned dogs' doomsday has come!"

To Huang Chengwei, these ghost creatures were invincible, the most terrifying evils in this world.

But Xu Yuan was too tired to move.

He had fought a fierce battle with the temple of Pingtian Society earlier today and was still far from fully recovered.

Xu Yuan pulled over a stool and sat down, ordering: "Di Youzhi, you take command."

"Your servant obeys."

"If even one escapes, you'll be punished with three days on guard at the yamen gate; if two escape, six days. Understood?"

For a full-ranked inspector to be punished with guard duty at the yamen gate was a great loss of face.

Fellow officers would inevitably mock him every time they entered or left.

Especially someone like Qin Ze, that "good brother," who would surely make extra trips to the yamen gate just for the sake of teasing...

"My lord, rest assured—not a single one will get away!" Di Youzhi patted his chest in pledge.

Di Youzhi began deploying his men.

No sooner had he finished than a gust of chilling wind swept through the temple with a "whoosh."

All lanterns and candles were extinguished, plunging the temple into darkness.

Immediately, ghostly fire lanterns appeared out of thin air, slowly rising.

White paper lantern shells emitted a ghastly green glow!

The temple's interior transformed: the center became a stage built of piled bones.

The eight-legged table was set out.

Bowls, chopsticks, and the teapot each settled into their places.

The doors of the four private rooms creaked open a crack.

Twenty spirit tablets, topped by ghost-fire lanterns, floated to their respective positions; each flipped over to become a name card and descended.

Village head Huang Chengwei raised his voice, shouting hoarsely: "The lords have returned to the temple—"

"Please, my lords, take your seats!"

"Henceforth, this humble one shall take my father's post and continue to serve the lords!"

"We hope the lords will show us favor!"

These ghostly beings also varied in size and strength.

On the altar table in the temple, the highest few spirit tablets were positioned within the private rooms.

The rest were each on the eight-legged table.

As the village head Huang Chengwei's hoarse "announcing the hall" concluded, gusts of cold wind followed the guidance of the name cards, each taking its seat.

In the four private rooms, a chill wind whooshed through the door cracks.

Around the eight-legged table, two on each long bench.

But two old ghosts sat on empty air and landed squarely on the ground.

Their bench had been pulled away by Lord Xu.

Ghostly beings dislike having their feet on solid ground, so these benches and tables were a foot higher than those used by humans.

When seated, their legs dangled in the air.

With all of Huang Chengwei's ghost lords in position, Di Youzhi barked: "Begin!"

He personally dealt with one old ghost in one of the private rooms.

Through that door crack, he suddenly spat "Pah!"

The spittle, like raindrops and hailstones, flew into the room and ignited with a boom upon hitting the ground.

Every drop was a fireball!

This was a technique taught by the Filth-Cleansing Bureau; for Dan Xiu of insufficient skill, it could expand the range of the Fu Zhong Huo in their abdomen to the maximum.

Di Youzhi did not know where exactly the old ghost had hidden after entering the private room, but with a hundred or so spittle droplets flying in, there were a hundred or so fireballs.

Enough to cover the entire room.

At the same time, the Golden Orb rose; if the flames burned and the old ghost tried to escape, he would deliver another fierce blow.

"Aaaah—"

A piercing ghostly wail immediately echoed from the private room.

Struck by seven or eight spittle droplets, the old ghost was immediately engulfed by the Fu Zhong Huo, burning in unbearable agony, yet it could neither be slapped out nor smothered.

It was on the verge of being burned into a wisp of blue smoke!

(End of this chapter)