Chapter 384: Ghost Gate Village (Three-in-One)

On the Great Land of the Ming Dynasty, there are many legends of "Ghost Gate Villages."

The anomalies within a Ghost Gate Village repel other anomalies.

It is as if a small patch of "land beyond the law" suddenly appeared.

But this differs from the land beyond the law, where evil spirits come in all varieties.

Even among the Seven Great Gates, there is no unified explanation for why places like "Ghost Gate Villages" appear.

Moreover, the appearance of such places often occurs in villages near cities, rarely directly within the city itself.

Now, Shi Yang Village shows signs of this.

After nightfall, the Captains on guard were extremely cautious, yet outside the ancestral hall, there was none of the usual nighttime scene where evil spirits of all sizes, whether open or hidden, far or near, passed by from the outside, constantly peering in.

It remained a dead silence.

Even from the distant areas outside the village, no strange sounds were heard.

At that time, they had not realized it, but once reminded by my lord Xu and my lord Xiang, they reacted: this village had already been confined by some kind of anomalous power.

Ghost Gate Villages often have their own "past stories."

And the evil spirits within a Ghost Gate Village are all related to this past story.

The anomalous techniques of the evil spirits, and the various oddities within the Ghost Gate Village, are also closely linked to the "past story."

For Shi Yang Village, it was the gold rush of those years.

Since there would be no other evil spirits in the village at this time, everyone together requested permission: "We will go too..."

Xu Yuan waved his hand: "No need for so many people; too many would only make moving about inconvenient."

Nor did Xu Yuan take Xiang Qinghuai with him; someone still needed to hold the fort inside the ancestral hall. With Xu Yuan absent, everyone would follow Xiang Qinghuai's orders.

Xu Yuan and Lang Xiao Ba came out together, their movements light and agile, making not a single sound, heading toward the river.

They happened to see Zhao Xianze and the other five people, diligently and greedily washing for Jin Sha in the river water.

Their bodies slowly turned golden.

Xu Yuan frowned, noticing a detail: Zhao Xianze's lower body was tightly bandaged... but for what reason?

Apart from Zhao Xianze and the other four, the remaining golden men, once they washed out Jin Sha, simply smeared it onto their bodies, thereby strengthening themselves by a degree.

Xu Yuan's spirit split in two; half remained in the river water, while the other half focused on Lang Xiao Ba beside him.

This was precisely why Xu Yuan had specifically brought Lang Xiao Ba out.

"Do you feel anything?" Xu Yuan suddenly spoke, asking in a low voice.

In Lang Xiao Ba's ears, this sound was like a thunderclap, instantly blasting him awake.

Xu Yuan had already noticed that as he pulled Lang Xiao Ba to watch those golden men in the river, his gaze gradually grew confused, followed by a burning greed flowing from the depths of his eyes!

Hidden within Xu Yuan's question was a sliver of power from the "Hundred Taboos Forbidden" Fate Pattern.

After a Fate Cultivator reaches the Sixth Rank, they can draw out abilities from their Fate Pattern and condense them into "Fate Arts."

Xu Yuan vaguely felt that his Fate Cultivation level had touched the threshold of the Sixth Rank; he only needed an opportunity to advance his level.

Although he could not yet cast Fate Arts, he could already draw out a sliver of Fate Pattern power.

If Lang Xiao Ba had already undergone an anomalous transformation, just like Zhao Xianze and the others.

This sliver of power would hardly serve any purpose.

But since Lang Xiao Ba had merely just been confused in his mind, it was still not too late.

Xu Yuan felt that this promotion in Fate Cultivation was not merely progress in Fate Cultivation practice; it seemed that the levels of the other several arts he practiced concurrently had also risen, creating a "pull" on his Fate Cultivation.

This also seemed to be one path of Fate Cultivation practice.

Fate Cultivation is too mysterious; Xu Yuan has always been exploring it.

Furthermore, since the number of Fate Cultivators is so small, even a high-level Fate Cultivator would dare not claim to fully understand all the secrets of this art.

A layer of cold sweat seeped from Lang Xiao Ba's back: "Thank you, my lord!"

Then, recalling the moment, he said: "Your subordinate... unknowingly fell into a trap. Watching those golden men, greed unknowingly overwhelmed all other thoughts in my heart, leaving me without reason."

Xu Yuan nodded; bringing Lang Xiao Ba out was specifically to use him to further observe and confirm the method of operation of this golden man evil spirit's anomalous technique.

Now it appeared, consistent with his previous judgment, that it acted directly upon the brain through the eyes.

Seeing gold, ordinary people would naturally feel greed arise.

But the effect of these golden men was far more intense; even Xiao Ba, being of the Seventh Rank, could not resist it.

Xu Yuan then said: "You return first. Turn your back to the small river, and absolutely do not look at those golden men again."

Lang Xiao Ba hurriedly said: "Your subordinate absolutely cannot leave my lord alone..."

Xu Yuan waved his hand: "You just return; having your official with me makes it harder to maneuver."

Lang Xiao Ba felt a wave of shame, feeling that he was dragging everyone down.

Xu Yuan smiled slightly: "Do not overthink it; these evil spirits are too anomalous. You have already done very well."

Lang Xiao Ba pressed his lips tightly together and returned without saying a word.

Xu Yuan, meanwhile, watched his back from the shadows, quietly following behind and escorting him all the way back to the ancestral hall.

During this time, several times Lang Xiao Ba slowed his pace, appearing very hesitant and conflicted.

This was within my lord Xu's expectations.

The anomalous technique of those golden men must have already left a "mark" in the hearts of everyone who had seen them.

For example, Lang Xiao Ba was woken by external interference, but this mark would continue to work subconsciously, constantly making him feel greed and want to turn back and look at those golden men once more.

As long as he turned back to look even once, greed would rise again, drowning all his reason.

Lang Xiao Ba held firm and did not turn back.

My lord Xu nodded inwardly in approval; this young man was promising material.

Yet he silently chuckled to himself: I seem to be a bit younger than Lang Xiao Ba...

Xu Yuan turned and walked upstream along the river.

At the edge of the village, Xu Yuan tried to leave, but found that attempting to exit the village caused him to fall into a "ghost wall" state—no matter how he walked, he always ended up circling back.

Xu Yuan secretly gripped the Yin-Yang Guillotine and used his right eye to observe.

In the Yin-Yang Guillotine's vision, the village was shrouded in strange, dusty mist.

Floating within the mist were countless tiny particles, mostly ordinary sand, mixed with a small amount of Jin Sha.

Whether "sand" or "Jin Sha," their color was not pure, but tinged with darkness.

Xu Yuan put away the Yin-Yang Guillotine and returned to the riverbank.

Looking downstream from here, hundreds of zhang away, the Golden Men continued endlessly panning the river.

Their bodies, coated continuously with Jin Sha, had rapidly grown to seven chi in height!

Originally, their tallest had been only six chi.

Xu Yuan released Pi Long, letting it quietly slip into the river.

Pi Long first swam further upstream.

He tested whether it could escape Shi Yang Village through the river.

The result was the same—at the village boundary, it encountered the "ghost wall."

Xu Yuan then directed Pi Long to swim toward the section of the river where the Golden Men were.

The river itself was lifeless and still.

All the previous evil spirits and strange phenomena in the river had vanished.

Just as Pi Long neared the Golden Men, he suddenly saw several small fish swimming through the water.

These fish were entirely golden.

They had also turned into "Golden Fish," just like the Golden Men!

They flicked their tails, dove into the riverbank, swallowed a mouthful of mud and sand, then excreted sand from their rear ends, with the Jin Sha settling inside their bodies and causing them to grow slightly larger.

Zhao Xianze in the river was diligently panning for Jin Sha; now, like the other Golden Men, his hands had transformed into golden basins.

He suddenly noticed a small golden fish swimming beneath his feet.

His five fingers suddenly elongated, piercing the small golden fish with a hiss.

Then Zhao Xianze grabbed the fish and shoved it randomly into his mouth, chewed a few times, and swallowed it whole.

His body instantly grew larger.

The other Golden Men showed no initial reaction.

They continued diligently panning for Jin Sha.

But soon, a second, then a third small golden fish drifted down from upstream, accidentally caught and eaten by the Golden Men—growing faster than panning for Jin Sha.

The Golden Men then began searching the river for small golden fish.

Occasionally, a fish would drift down from upstream.

The Golden Men would immediately pounce—the first to grab it claimed it.

They had long lost their reason and never questioned: if so many people were panning for gold here, the fish should have all been scared away—how could one keep swimming over, one by one?

Of course, these were being herded by Xu Yuan's Pi Long.

Not only herded—Xu Yuan had secretly released a vast net.

This net had been given to him by his stepmother this morning.

It was forged from blended materials: Evil Filth Silk, Fu Family's fishing net, and Spider Woman's spider silk.

The Evil Filth Silk was complex to process, so Lin Wanmo spent several extra days on it.

Unfortunately, it never reached the Fourth Grade, but its level within the Fifth Grade was extremely high—essentially the ceiling of the Fifth Grade.

Xu Yuan quietly used Pi Long to unfurl the net, letting it spread infinitely across the river.

It blocked all the fish in the upper half of the river.

Jin Dan could now achieve this too, but this net retained some residual abilities of the Evil Filth Silk, making it more suitable than Jin Dan.

Every so often, Xu Yuan quietly opened a gap, then used Pi Long to drive a few fish downstream.

The Golden Men had lost their reason, yet grown more greedy.

Hard work panning for gold was slower than simply catching fish.

Soon, the Golden Men stopped panning for Jin Sha entirely, instead fixating on the water, terrified of missing any fish that passed by.

But gradually, the fish became fewer.

Finally, after waiting a full incense stick's time, a single fish drifted down from upstream—one Golden Man lunged for it, but behind it, several others grabbed hold, pinned it in the water, then scrambled to reach it.

Chaos erupted in the river—the Golden Men fought violently over the small golden fish!

…

Inside the ancestral hall, everyone strictly followed Xu Yuan's orders, none daring to leave.

But the village was so small—the constant sounds of fighting from the other side of the stream, the splashing waves… the Captains exchanged glances: What's happening?

Is my lord fighting the evil spirits?

But why has it lasted so long?

Some Captains could no longer hold back—they wanted to go out and assist my lord.

But Xiang Qinghuai stopped them sternly: "No one moves! Do you know why your lord ordered me to stay behind? Don't think I can't see—the greed inside you has already spread!

Once you step out and see those Golden Men, you too will be corrupted by the evil spirits and become one of them!"

Those men examined their own hearts… and were suddenly filled with dread.

It was truly so!

Just now, behind doors and windows, they had watched the Golden Men walk along the village paths toward the river—and at that moment, the seed of greed had silently taken root in their hearts.

……

When dawn was about to break, the river water had become a chaotic mess.

More than a dozen golden figures shattered, then reformed from the gold-water.

But they were slightly smaller than before.

Then all the golden figures suddenly seemed summoned by some invisible force, standing together in the river, gazing eastward for a moment.

Afterward, they stepped out of the river with a splashing sound, following the village paths, each returning to their own home.

Xu Yuan left the Pi Dragon and the Evil Filth Net in the river, returned to the village, but did not go to the ancestral hall; instead, he followed several of the golden figures to the old village head's house.

These golden figures were Zhao Xianze and the other four, plus the second daughter-in-law.

Xu Yuan had carefully observed these golden figures.

They retained human faces.

The whole family gathered together.

When fighting over the small golden fish, they stood united against outsiders and never quarreled among themselves.

After seizing the small golden fish, the family tore off a piece each and shared it.

Xu Yuan thus realized that only the second daughter-in-law had come from the old village head's household.

That meant the others in the old village head's family had not yet been corrupted.

……

The others in the old village head's house hid together in one room, trembling all night.

The old village head and his two sons gripped their chopping knives and axes tightly, guarding behind doors and windows.

As dawn was about to break, a sudden noise came.

Several golden figures crawled back through a hole in the wall.

They peered through the door crack and saw the second daughter-in-law—now transformed into a golden figure!

And behind her were indeed those five.

The old village head's family silently cursed: What are we to do now!

Xu Yuan followed behind; if these golden figures harmed the old village head's family, Xu Yuan would of course intervene.

But after entering the house, the golden figures suddenly stopped, standing there dazed.

They remained like that until daylight.

Their golden hue suddenly faded, reverting to their living forms!

"Wu-wu-wu…" The second daughter-in-law covered her face and ran out, weeping bitterly.

As if her memories still lingered at the moment of her humiliation.

Zhao Xianze and the other four also returned to normal; Zhao Xianze's groin throbbed with agony, and he couldn't help crying out in pain.

His four subordinates rushed forward: "My lord!"

Zhao Xianze pointed at the fleeing second daughter-in-law and roared: "Wretched woman, ungrateful! Kill them all!"

Two of his subordinates immediately chased after her.

Xu Yuan furrowed his brow in silence: Why had they become like this after dawn?

The first four villagers to turn golden had been corrupted during the day.

Why did those corrupted at night revert to normal by day?

Xu Yuan did not act rashly; he waited to see how things would unfold.

The two subordinates rushed out, one of whom was a Wu Xiu.

He carried a large axe.

The second daughter-in-law ran back to her own house; no one was inside.

She threw herself onto the bed, burying her face in the quilt and sobbing.

The Wu Xiu kicked open the door and charged in, swinging his axe at the bed.

Puh!

The axe sliced through the second daughter-in-law's back and buried itself into the bedframe!

Her body twitched several times, blood gushing out—she died without a single cry.

Xu Yuan had a suspicion: "Are these people trapped within this single day?"

Only after tonight would he know if his suspicion was correct.

The Wu Xiu had pulled out his axe and strode off to find others.

But Xu Yuan could no longer stand idle.

The Wu Xiu ran straight into a supple membrane.

He was bounced backward.

He fell to the ground and, seeing Xu Yuan, snarled: "What is your meaning, Master Xu?"

Xu Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, face grim: "Do you truly believe the laws of the Great Ming cannot reach you?"

The Wu Xiu, skilled in framing others, lied: "This woman attempted to assassinate our lord—he is gravely wounded! This entire family must be accomplices!"

Xu Yuan sneered: "Do you really think I don't know what happened last night? Zhao Xianze acted out of lustful audacity—he brought it upon himself!"

Zhao Xianze, supported by two subordinates, stepped out, pale-faced and full of venomous hatred—his expression no longer resembled that of a living man!

"Xu Yuan!" he hissed: "Are you truly going to defend these commoners? Think carefully—how will you answer to Lord An?"

Xu Yuan's thoughts stirred; he began to ponder.

Zhao Xianze, however, believed he had Xu Yuan cornered and sneered: "The Princess Consort was murdered—this is a massive matter! The entire Southern Jiaozhi bureaucracy will be shaken!

You are the Chief of Laws in Zhan Cheng—Lord An could kill you as easily as snapping a twig!"

Xu Yuan was still thinking when a door behind him opened.

The old village head led his family out and knelt behind Xu Yuan, banging their heads hard against the ground.

The old village head said bitterly, "Master Xu, you are a rare good official. Don't throw away your future for our worthless lives. We… are simply destined for this."

Xu Yuan did not turn, nor speak, but suddenly a rope shot out with a hiss.

It moved like a spirit dragon, swift as lightning, darting among the five men of Zhao Xianze and binding them all in an instant!

Zhao Xianze and the others had no time to react.

Zhao Xianze flew into a rage: "Xu Yuan! You truly seek death!"

He would never surrender quietly—his shadow beneath writhed, and from the darkness, spectral soldiers and evil ghosts thrust forth their heads—

But Xu Yuan had already released his sword pellet:

Swoosh—

Five large, good heads crashed onto the yellow earth, kicking up clouds of dust and mud!

Plop!

Blood spurted three feet high from five neck stumps!

The old village head's family screamed "Ah!" and collapsed onto the ground, staring in terror at the scene before them.

What Xu Yuan was pondering was this: if he killed these living men, would Zhao Xianze and the others, now evil spirits, revive tonight?

Zhao Xianze, however, believed Xu Yuan feared An Chengyuan and had been intimidated.

After deciding to test them, Xu Yuan acted without hesitation.

It had nothing to do with the old village head's family behind him.

Xu Yuan knew he was no "Bao Qingtian," but under the rotten-to-the-core governance of the Huang Ming, this lord of mine is a thoroughly good official.

The old village head was the first to recover, stammering incoherently: "L-L-Lord, this… this…"

Xu Yuan waved his hand: "Village Head, do not worry. I will not be harmed."

Outside the courtyard, footsteps approached—Xiang Qinghuai arrived with his men.

He entered first, saw the corpses of Zhao Xianze and the others, immediately retreated toward the gate, and pressed his back against it to block the captains behind him from entering.

"Fall back!" Xiang Qinghuai barked sharply, and the captains all retreated, refusing to enter.

Xiang Qinghuai slammed the courtyard gate shut and stamped at Xu Yuan: "Why did you kill them outright? This cannot be leaked!"

Xu Yuan snorted, glancing at the corpses: "A pack of scum. They died deservedly."

Xiang Qinghuai sighed deeply: "You… I know they've become evil spirits, but how will you prove it to the River Office? You've killed them— they'll never believe you!"

An Chengyuan is surely waiting for a chance to find fault with you!"

Xiang Qinghuai clenched his teeth, thinking of a solution: "Burn the bodies! Deny to anyone that you killed them!"

And make sure your captains swear silence—no one is to speak out."

Xu Yuan had absolute faith in his men.

He had previously dealt with the traitor Lu Xiang, and later established a private treasury to comfort and care for comrades who died in service.

None of them could be bought by the River Office.

But Xiang Qinghuai turned his gaze to the old village head's family, his expression troubled.

The old village head hurried to say: "Master Xu committed this grave mistake for our family. Even if I lost all conscience, I would never betray Master Xu!"

Xiang Qinghuai snorted coldly: "How many in this world repay kindness with betrayal?"

The old village head did not know how to express his resolve, so Xu Yuan grabbed Xiang Qinghuai's arm: "Brother Xiang, don't worry. I did not act on impulse."

Xiang Qinghuai thought he was merely protecting the old village head's family and couldn't help saying: "Little Xu, in our line of work, you can't be too kind."

Xu Yuan waved his hand: "Leave the bodies alone. Let the old village head's family go stay in the ancestral hall. Also, send men immediately to guard the village entrances—no one else must wander in by accident."

"Alright."

Xiang Qinghuai agreed.

Xu Yuan then asked the old village head: "Where did the old man who turned to gold yesterday live?"

The old village head replied: "I'll take you there."

Xu Yuan left the courtyard and called for Lang Xiao Ba and Ji Shuangqiu to join him.

…

Just after noon, a procession emerged from the River Dock, mounted the official road, and galloped toward Shi Yang Village.

At the front rode a colonel from the River Camp.

Slightly behind them rode a man and a woman.

The woman Xu Yuan recognized—Zhu Zhanmei.

The man also wore the official robes of Shanhe, but he was a Chief of Law.

The Chief of Law and the colonel rode closer together; Zhu Zhanmei deliberately kept some distance from them.

Soon, the Chief of Law said to the colonel: "By now, Officer Zhao should have brought Xu Yuan back by noon. But he hasn't appeared. Only two possibilities: either Xu Yuan is defiant and refused orders, or he's incompetent and hasn't solved the mystery yet."

Zhu Zhanmei heard his words dripping with disdain and slander toward Xu Yuan, and faintly furrowed her brow.

The Zhu family secretly aided Xu Yuan, enabling him to secure the post of Chief of Law in Zhan City.

Moreover, with Miao Yu and Zhu Zhanlei closely tied to Xu Yuan, the Zhu family had long regarded him as "one of their own."

The Chief of Law continued: "If it's the former, the general must act—send troops to capture him."

"If it's the latter, it's my duty. I'll solve the mystery on the spot and let him see how the Shanhe Office truly investigates cases!"

This Chief of Law was one of the few best investigators who had come to Zhan City with An Chengyuan.

It was he who deduced that the Crown Princess had sent assassins to kill Xu Yuan twice.

(End of Chapter)