Chapter 120: Morning Joy Fan

Tea houses and wine shops, selling meat and boiling fish.

Although the few narrow and dilapidated gambling dens by the yellow mud road were very filthy, they were also extremely noisy, crowded with people, airtight, and a few idle wanderers who couldn't get a seat were even clinging to the window lattices with their arms, scrambling to peek inside.

After the dice were rolled on the gambling table inside, they felt as if they were experiencing it themselves, sometimes shouting, sometimes cursing, their expressions obsessed.

Carrying poles, selling flowers, weaving mats, blowing sugar.

There were peddlers stepping on filth with both feet, selling rouge and powder from their bundles; a grass-stage troupe was performing a magic trick of growing melons on the ground, attracting a crowd to watch and block the way, with endless cheers;

A few children and a yellow dog were playing under the large weeping willow at the village entrance, their clothes all covered in dust.

Crowded and bustling, the sound of people was deafening...

Looking from this small hill full of grave mounds, the distance looked like a mundane village market, old and young gathered, bustling and lively.

But not to mention the heavy yin-damp atmosphere in the Earth Abyss, even cultivators found it difficult to live there for long.

This prosperous scene of a mortal village, placed in this dark land, was extremely out of place, like a melon in water.

And looking closely, after a careful inspection, Chen Hang also saw a few things that were not quite right.

Although the village market was lively and crowded, everyone's complexion was miserable and pale, and the skin exposed from their sleeves also faintly showed purple-red corpse spots.

And the expression deep in their eyes was also stiff and wooden.

The various laughter and scolding displayed were just painted on the surface.

It was as if various masks had been drawn with fine brushwork on a clay sculpture, looking lively on the outside, but the inside was still the essence of rotten wood and yellow earth.

The small hill where Chen Hang stood was not far from that village, but everyone seemed not to notice this place, as if they were blind to it.

"Looks like I've encountered a ghost village?"

Chen Hang thought to himself.

The origin of the Earth Abyss was unknown.

Some said this place led directly to the boundless netherworld, suppressing a tributary of the Yellow Springs, and was the place of reincarnation for all cultivators in the Xu Du Heaven, guarded by divine soldiers and heavenly generals.

There was also a saying that the Earth Abyss was the accumulation of the barren wasteland of several continents in the ancient era, piled up here.

After all, the divine powers of the great immortals were immeasurable; they could pluck the sun and stars above, and move seas and mountains below; for them to fight and shatter a continent, and then recreate it, was not a difficult task...

But regardless of which type of statement it was, this land had given birth to countless yin spirits and ghosts due to the dense yin turbidity.

The deeper one went, the more dangerous it became...

Yan Ping was, after all, a second-layer Foundation Establishment Daoist, having reached the realm of "Size as Desired."

Even though he was injured by his own Innate Great Sun Divine Light, and had fled all the way without time to heal, he still had some combat power left.

Otherwise, he could not have made Chen Hang chase him for three full days.

But now he was bound on a meat block like livestock, his four limbs all severed, and his life or death was unknown. It was truly miserable.

The situation before him was unclear, and this was the first time Chen Hang had encountered such a scene.

He stroked his sleeve and pondered for a moment before taking a beautifully colored folding fan from his Qiankun bag and holding it in his palm.

This fan was called the "Morning Joy Fan," a gift from Xie Tan of the Flower God Mansion at Floating Jade Lake; although it was a flow of strange and clever skills, it was also ranked among mid-grade talisman artifacts.

The fan face of the Morning Joy Fan depicted twelve beauties; as long as one pinched a Dharma seal, one could summon them, changing them to be no different from real people; within three hours, no matter how they were tossed or used, it would not matter.

After three hours, their forms would fade, and they would return to the fan face.

And even if they died, because a group of divine essence true seals was always stored in the folding fan, one only needed to wait three days, then consume some Embryonic Breathing to manifest the dead beauty again.

The beauties on this Morning Joy Fan were originally used for yin-yang joy; because cultivators often had strong blood Qi and physical bodies, different from the mundane, there was a fear of omissions in the picking battle that could not be whipped.

Therefore, the refiner of this Morning Joy Fan had specially strengthened the physical bodies of the twelve beauties on the fan face.

Almost every beauty's physical body was as hard as gold and stone, yet as soft as clouds and cotton, far exceeding even ordinary second-layer Foundation Establishment—Size as Desired realm cultivators.

If these twelve people rode horses and charged in formation, no matter how peerless the martial general in the mundane world was, they would not be a match for a single blow.

Even without any Daoist arts or profound skills to rely on, they could easily destroy cities and kill generals.

Such combined puppets were just right for Chen Hang to take risks and probe the reality of the ghost village ahead.

He silently recited a Dharma seal, and a moment later, he randomly pointed at one of the people on the Morning Joy Fan.

With a burst of charming light laughter, a wisp of misty spiritual light floated in the air; after a few breaths, the spiritual light slowly landed and spun, transforming into a beautiful woman of a thousand charms.

She stood gracefully under an old tree, her flower-like face delicate, her jade quality elegant, wearing only a thin, cicada-wing-like silk garment, which made her figure even more slender and graceful, with duck-like buttocks and a slender waist.

It made anyone who saw her unable to help but feel a fire in their heart, wanting to hold her in their arms and enjoy her carefully, not caring about anything else.

"This concubine is Chu Niang, I have seen this old master, I don't know—"

"No need for formalities, that ghost village ahead is quite strange, please probe its reality for me."

Chen Hang waved his hand, interrupting the beautiful woman's bow, and said.

"Old master?"

The beautiful woman who called herself Chu Niang had not finished her words, and could no longer speak.

She stiffly raised her head, her apricot eyes filled with disbelief, her heart pounding wildly.

After a long while, she spoke strangely:

"What was the old master saying just now... is this concubine's ears deaf? Can you open your mouth again and repeat it?"

"Probe the reality of the ghost village ahead for me."

Chen Hang swept a faint glance at her:

"Why?"

"..."

Chu Niang was stunned, her small mouth slightly open; for a time, the gaze she cast at Chen Hang was filled with complex colors.

Since this person had obtained the Morning Joy Fan, he had not used it even once; today, having finally taken it out, Chu Niang thought the young man had finally opened his mind and could understand the taste of it.

Unexpectedly.

He summoned her out just to let her go to her death...

And seeing Chu Niang stunned, frozen in place for a long time, not moving.

Chen Hang frowned and said:

"Why are you delaying your departure? Was I not clear enough?"

"No, it's not..."

Chu Niang shook her head, bit her cherry lips, and tucked her cloud-like hair behind her ears with her left hand.

She glanced at Chen Hang, her cheeks instantly flushed, and she nodded, saying delicately:

"This concubine understands, I will certainly do my best, and will not fail the old master's trust."

"After entering the ghost village, if possible, kill the person bound on the meat block first."

Chen Hang had long been accustomed to this kind of gaze and was not moved, only saying:

"I have troubled you."

Chu Niang shrugged her fragrant shoulders, nodded shyly, and agreed.

And just as she walked into the ghost village, the originally bustling and lively market instantly fell silent, as if a drop of thick ink had been dripped into clear water.

Out of place, different from the rest.

A group of villagers instantly turned into the appearance of fierce ghosts and resentful souls!

They swarmed up.

In an instant, they tore Chu Niang to pieces!

Not to mention killing Yan Ping bound on the meat block, she had not even walked three steps in total before she was torn to pieces by the group of ghosts.

That physical body, which even surpassed a second-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator, could not exert any function!

And after the group of ghosts tore Chu Niang to pieces, the various fierce appearances on their bodies also instantly vanished, as if nothing had happened...

The stall owners were still shouting loudly, and the grass-stage troupe continued to perform magic tricks.

Even those children who had just been bleeding from seven orifices and had their stomachs rotten and intestines pierced were now red-faced, continuing to roll into a ball with the yellow dog...

"What fierce ghosts!"

Chen Hang was shocked.

Then, seeing them like puppets, only acting according to predetermined instructions, clearly with incomplete intelligence and unopened minds, a thought vaguely formed in his heart.

At this time, on the Morning Joy Fan, Chu Niang's appearance had already become slightly dim.

Even though he tried to pinch a seal again, it remained motionless, unable to be summoned.

Chen Hang knew that he would have to wait three days before he could manifest her again; after trying once, he stopped caring, just randomly chose another beauty and summoned her out.

Still, she could not walk three steps before being easily torn to pieces by the group of ghosts.

Seeing this, Chen Hang did not hesitate, summoned another one again, and ordered her to walk into the ghost village...

The fourth one.

The fifth one.

The sixth one.

When more than half of the twelve beauties on the Morning Joy Fan had died.

Chen Hang put away the folding fan, slightly lowered his eyes, and pondered.

This group of ghosts was extremely fierce; even if he entered personally, he would definitely not get any benefit.

It was possible that the sound of the fight would attract even more powerful demons and monsters.

At that time, it was possible that his life would truly be in danger...

And he had driven the beauties on the Morning Joy Fan to enter the market just now, but it was not just to let them die in vain.

First, it was to test the intelligence of the ghosts.

Second, it was to capture a wisp of yin Qi from these ghosts, and then use the "Dispersing Scenery and Concealing Form Art" to simulate the Qi signature and deceive them.

"Fortunately, although these ghosts are fierce, their intelligence is extremely low, only knowing how to guard their own one-third of an acre of land; even if one does not enter the village entrance, they will not attract their hostility."

Chen Hang twisted a wisp of ghost Qi captured by the women of the Morning Joy Fan in his hand, operated the "Dispersing Scenery and Concealing Form Art," and after using it several times.

After his own Qi signature had changed to be exactly the same as the market ghosts, with no difference.

He flicked his sleeve and walked toward the group of ghosts with large strides.

Just as he stepped into the village entrance.

An indescribable, treacherous atmosphere suddenly wrapped around his body!

It was as if he had fallen beside a giant beast in deep sleep; as long as he made a slight sound, he could wake it up and see it open its bloody mouth!

Yin winds blew in gusts, passing through left and right, desolate and miserable.

As he approached, the ghosts who were originally bustling all paused for a moment, their nostrils moving, as if they were dogs that had smelled blood.

However, the "Dispersing Scenery and Concealing Form Art" was ultimately not an ordinary profound art; after a few moments of doubt, they stopped moving, ignored Chen Hang, and continued doing their own things.

"Fortunately, these ghosts have low intelligence... and do not harbor hostility toward their own kind?"

Seeing this scene, Chen Hang finally felt relieved and let out a breath.

He walked toward Yan Ping on the meat block, chatting with a few ghosts along the way, but they ignored him, not hearing or asking.

"Old man?"

The owner of the meat shop was a shirtless butcher, about sixty years old, fat and strong, his grey beard reaching his chest, and inside it were dotted with scarlet minced meat, extremely messy.

Hearing Chen Hang's call, he did not raise his head, just continued to rub his two hands back and forth, muttering to himself.

"Truly lucky, to be in this state and still have breath."

On the meat block, Yan Ping, who had been severed of his four limbs, although he had fainted, still had a breath left.

This person had prepared many protective secret treasures; it was relying on these things that he not only fled for three days, but also, at this moment, forcibly hung onto a life.

Just as Chen Hang raised his hand to finish him off completely.

Suddenly, the butcher, who had been wooden, moved his expression, swiftly reaching out his hand, virtually circling Yan Ping's torso like protecting food.

"Blood food for Lord Shanhu, youngster... don't eat!"

He muttered deeply in his throat:

"The young lady in the mansion is getting married, excellent blood food, all for Lord Shanhu!"

He roared like a demonstration, and under this roar, the group of ghosts all turned their heads to look.

Wisps of chilling yin wind blew from unknown sources, cold to the bone! It made one's scalp numb!

Chen Hang's gaze sank slightly.

And seeing Chen Hang standing at the meat block, not scared away by himself, the butcher gurgled deep in his throat.

He stretched out his large hand like a mat, stiffened for a moment, then slowly took Yan Ping's left leg from the iron hook, weighed it, and then threw it at Chen Hang's feet.

"Hey, come eat!"

The butcher whispered:

"Go! Go!"

Countless forest-white eyeballs suddenly turned, the group of ghosts stirred slightly, and in an instant, Chen Hang felt a wave of malice wrap around him.

As if as long as he reached out to touch that severed hand of Yan Ping.

The next moment.

He would be torn to pieces by the group of ghosts!

"Looks like I have to fight my way out..."

Facing this sudden situation, Chen Hang's eyes also revealed a look of solemnity; just as he raised his sleeve and was about to force a move.

A soft sound of string music suddenly rang out in the air, clear and ringing, and waves of fragrance attacked.

"Lord Shanhu..."

The butcher gurgled in his throat, hurriedly covering his face with his hand and lowering his head.

The group of ghosts were all terrified, wailing and screaming, as if their intelligence had suddenly opened, adding some fear.

In a vast and spacious mansion.

Song Rupu, who had failed to escape marriage again, was pressed to the ground by several big ghosts, bound tightly, unable to move even a finger.

"The young lady is the offspring of Lord Shanhu; the son-in-law really doesn't know what's good for him."

A long-tongued ghost dressed like a steward giggled, floated into mid-air, and said:

"You have already made the young lady annoyed; if there is a next time, the young lady will let this old woman put the son-in-law into the cinnabar cauldron and fry him for a while before letting him out."

"I don't want to get married! I don't want to have children!"

Song Rupu cried with a mournful face, struggling desperately on the ground:

"Everyone has clearly become a ghost, how can there still be male-female love? Is this reasonable? How is this reasonable?!" ===== CHAPTER 121 =====