[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming":3,"chapter-the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-28":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Unorthodox Sword of Ming",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2337233,4570,"Chapter 28: Becoming a Ghost","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-28",28,"\u003Cp>Zhou Wang finished speaking with a smile and fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Zijin, holding the chilled milk custard, froze when he saw his father suddenly go still; after a moment, he timidly extended a finger to test his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun had already risen and told the attendant standing by, “Zhou Wang has passed away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Zijin collapsed to the ground with a thud and burst into sobs; the courtyard was instantly filled with wailing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who had served Zhou Wang closely wept the loudest and most bitterly, sinking to the floor and crying out to the heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were not merely mourning Zhou Wang—they were mourning themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun’s gaze swept over them; the youngest among them was about seventeen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In two months, Pan Yun had grown familiar with him; he was always diligent, had followed Zhou Wang into exile in Yunnan, and upon entering the mansion was immediately entrusted with important duties—promoted to serve Zhou Wang personally at age thirteen for his outstanding performance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had known since last year that he would be buried alive with him; he was only sixteen then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun turned and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the main courtyard, a group of beauties had collapsed weeping on the roadside; the most elaborately dressed among them was a woman in her thirties—she was one of Zhou Wang’s concubines, and without an imperial edict, she too was required to die as a sacrifice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Gong, the principal wife, had also been among them—but she was no longer here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Wang’s funeral had been prepared in advance; the mansion’s stewards immediately produced the prepared items, and the spirit hall was erected at top speed, with officials from the Ministry of Rites assisting and swiftly guiding Zhu Zijin to dress Zhou Wang in his burial robes and place him in the coffin within the spirit hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun walked a full circle around the spirit hall, quietly reciting incantations; the soul, which had been dissolving and departing, slowly solidified, and soon took form, sitting at the head of the coffin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked utterly bewildered; Pan Yun stepped before him, lightly tapped his forehead with a finger, and whispered, “Awaken.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Wang instantly came to his senses, his eyes meeting Pan Yun’s smiling gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Wang: …\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wailing filled the spirit hall inside and out; Zhou Wang stiffly turned his head to look at the body lying in the coffin, his eyes widening in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He—he—he really became a ghost!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a new world, a new understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Wang slowly floated upward, eagerly drifting everywhere—out of the spirit hall, out of the courtyard… then he couldn’t go any further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced back in confusion, then floated gently back; at first he was clumsy, always blown off course by the wind, but gradually he found the trick—like a child learning to walk, he could now drift forward, stumbling but according to his will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drifted to Pan Yun and asked, “Why can’t I leave the Zhou Mansion?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun: “Your Highness, you have only seven days. If you drift out and cannot find your way back, and fail to enter the underworld, you’ll become a wandering soul—easily devoured by outside spirits. This mansion is protecting you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Meow—” Pan Xiaohei alerted her that someone was coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had the sound faded than Xuan Miao pushed the door open, “What are you doing here? The Zhou Wang’s consort has summoned you; Prince Xiangfu has ordered Sixth Madam to be buried alive…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xuan Miao’s voice cut off abruptly; she stared wide-eyed at Zhou Wang’s soul, floating midair and curiously peering up at the rafters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glared at Pan Yun and hissed, “Are you mad?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this world, except for the dead with extraordinary attachments who return as spirits after death, all other ghosts cannot take human form—they remain as vague energy clusters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They slowly dissipate into heaven and earth; some Daoists believe this dissolution is a return to nature, others believe it is the process of descending to the underworld and being reborn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only those with immense resentment or obsession, unwilling to die and refusing to accept their death, naturally awaken as human-shaped entities in another realm, invisible to ordinary people—whom they call ghosts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides natural ghosthood, there is another method: at the moment of death, one can gather the soul’s energy, awaken the person’s former spirit, and thus become a ghost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xuan Miao had captured ghosts and communicated with spirits before, but this was the first time she had seen a human deliberately condensing a soul into a ghost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stepped forward, seized Pan Yun’s arm, yanked her behind herself, and watched Zhou Wang with wary eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Wang: …\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he distributed his estate before death, he had even gifted Xuan Miao a sword—how could it be that after only two hours, he was now treated as an enemy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun poked her head out from behind Xuan Miao and explained, “Don’t worry—he retains all his memories; this soul is solidly formed, not missing a single soul fragment or spirit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Wang’s heart tightened; he floated down and asked, “Can you lose soul fragments?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” Pan Yun said. “An inexperienced cultivator summoning a soul might only retrieve one fragment, while the others scatter across heaven and earth. Such a soul lacks full personality; forgetting memories is the least of it—it may even become violent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I’m not inexperienced,” Pan Yun said. “Though I’m mediocre in other areas, I’m most skilled in arrays, talismans, and soul-summoning. Your Highness, rest assured—you’re perfectly intact.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xuan Miao, seeing Zhou Wang’s vivid expression, relaxed slightly—but hearing Pan Yun speak so casually, she felt a knot rise in her chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was about to speak when the door opened again; Tao Ji rushed in, “Sister, what are you doing in here? The Consort, the Heir, and Prince Xiangfu are quarreling.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Tao Ji spoke, he passed straight through Zhou Wang’s soul; after walking past, he shuddered and frowned, “Why is the yin energy so thick? Your room is far from the spirit hall…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun’s eyes widened; she looked from Tao Ji to Zhou Wang’s soul, then to Xuan Miao, her eyes brightening, “You didn’t see him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji: “See what?” Zhou Wang was right in front of him, waving vigorously, seemingly amused, even brushing his hand across Tao Ji’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji frowned, swatted the air in front of him, and stepped beside Xuan Miao, glancing around, “Sister, do you feel it? The yin energy in this room is unusually heavy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I feel it,” Xuan Miao sighed, bowing to Zhou Wang. “Please, Your Highness, spare my third master—he’s done nothing to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji yelped, leapt three feet in the air, and scrambled to the farthest corner, putting maximum distance between himself and Zhou Wang. “He—he—he became a ghost?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Wang: “If I’m dead, what else would I become but a ghost?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun, too tired to explain, picked up the black cat and walked out—apparently, not all Daoists in this world could see ghosts like Xuan Miao could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun suddenly felt much more confident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She smiled and walked toward the side room beside the spirit hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Consort, Zhu Zijin, and Prince Xiangfu’s family were all there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was summer, and the weather was hot; corpses were typically kept for only three to seven days before being moved elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>!. Read\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether to bury him or not was another matter, but the coffin certainly couldn’t remain in the spirit hall forever—it could be temporarily stored in temples, Daoist monasteries, or other places until imperial edicts arrived or other regional princes sent envoys to pay respects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before then, the burial offerings and human sacrifices had to be prepared during the mourning period—those destined for the tomb would be buried, and those to be moved alongside the coffin would be transported together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Zhou Wang had left a will requesting a frugal funeral with no burial offerings, certain essentials were still required.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, not only Prince Xiangfu, but the eunuchs and Ministry of Rites officials would question Zhu Zijin’s filial piety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone agreed on the burial offerings—but they refused to allow human sacrifices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Zijin said, “My father’s final wish was that no one be buried alive with him. I will not defy his last request.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prince Xiangfu: “This is ancestral custom. Your father goes alone to the underworld—don’t you wish to send servants to attend him, to show filial piety? You only seek to win a reputation for kindness. Clearly, you’re not his true son—you can’t truly care.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Consort: “Fourth Uncle, this is also my wish, and your brother’s. As you said, we never had children, and your brother always believed it was punishment for killing too many men during his early border campaigns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since he held this belief, we treated others kindly, performed good deeds, hoping to earn a biological child in our next life. Neither I nor your brother wished for anyone to die for us. Zhang Physician is here—he knows well that your brother has submitted memorials year after year requesting the abolition of human sacrifice in our mansion. The Heir is merely honoring your brother’s final wish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Physician immediately nodded. “Indeed, this is true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, according to your judgment, is the Heir’s action filial?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Physician paused, then nodded. “To honor one’s father’s wish is filial.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Youjue asked coldly, “Then, Consort, how do you intend to handle the human sacrifices? By ancestral custom, to prevent your brother from being lonely or mistreated in the afterlife, the six concubines should have been sacrificed long ago. Are you and the Heir defying ancestral law by suppressing this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun and the other two reached the side room; she nudged Tao Ji, who stood beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji shuddered and immediately said, “What’s hard about that? Since Zhou Wang submitted a memorial before death, just petition the Emperor again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Zijin nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes—whether to follow ancestral custom or honor our father’s wish, let the Emperor decide. I’ll submit a memorial at once.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Youjue looked at the eunuch. “I fear there’s not enough time—it may delay your brother’s auspicious hour.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eunuch: “This…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Consort glanced at Aunt Qin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Qin stepped forward at once, slipping large red envelopes into the hands of the eunuch and Zhang Physician. “There’s plenty of time, plenty of time. Our mansion will send couriers galloping to the capital. We beg you both to stay a few extra days to handle official matters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This blatant bribery turned Zhu Youjue’s face pale—but… no matter what he said, it would be inappropriate; he swallowed his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Wang watched from the side and sighed, “Fourth brother is good at hiding his feelings. If Second brother were here, the Consort’s words would have made him smash my spirit hall already.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because he was dead, Zhou Wang had become more candid—he now openly criticized his brother in front of Pan Yun and Xuan Miao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Truthfully, fourth brother isn’t bad. I never intended to bring Zijin back, but the Consort began having nightmares, sent people to the capital to investigate… ah, that child suffered terribly. Second brother, that bastard, dumped all the farm work on him, beat and cursed him constantly—his body had not a single unbruised patch. He was raised by me from infancy—how could I bear to let him die?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun found him tedious and stepped away; just then, Prince Xiangfu was attacking Tao Ji, accusing him of poor medical skill, being a Daoist, practicing sorcery, and deceiving the Consort and Heir into acting against propriety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Ji was unafraid and argued fiercely back; only when Zhang Physician intervened did they stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan Yun’s purpose in coming here was to guide Zhu Zijin in writing the memorial, and to subtly influence Zhang Physician and the eunuch—planting a charm so they’d have pleasant dreams that night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The memorial sent by the mansion alone lacked weight; if two imperial envoys delivered it and spoke well of the Zhou Mansion, that would be perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t condense Zhou Wang into a ghost just so he could watch the spectacle—he must contribute to fulfilling his own final wish, hadn’t he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ten lucky numbers for this chapter are those ending in 3; screenshot as proof, deadline until the next chapter updates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2057,"2026-06-20T22:03:57.478Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","864ffb4986725cb0beedc5f938632993ee224d0f485d68b6e024ba911631b16f","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-29","the-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-chapter-27",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-unorthodox-sword-of-ming-cover.jpg"]