Chapter 22: Hatred

The Emperor’s envoy was truly loyal, still preoccupied with such matters at a time like this.

As he spoke, he drew out the Yin Soldier Ghost Talisman and bellowed, "Make way!"

A sudden gust of wind erupted from the talisman, and squads of ghosts clad in shimmering silver armor charged out. These were the imperial ghost soldiers. Though they were vengeful spirits just like the local county ghosts, they were far more elite, for imperial ghost soldiers were often the heroic spirits of those who had died on the battlefield.

As these two hundred ghost soldiers appeared and formed their ranks, their ghostly aura coalesced into a single force. Though few in number, their momentum seemed poised to overwhelm the thousands of wild spirits present. After all, the wandering spirits in the wilderness were little more than a disorganized, motley rabble, mostly consisting of weak and resentful ghosts, with true vengeful spirits being a rarity. Any truly powerful ghost group would have long since seized a place of abundant yin energy to establish a ghost domain, rather than suffering as wanderers in the wild. Thus, it was no surprise that the aura of two hundred imperial ghost soldiers could suppress thousands of common spirits.

In truth, Wang Zhenling had never expected these wild ghosts to resolve the problem entirely. It was enough that they had caused such immense chaos—it had even exceeded his expectations. No one had imagined that the Imperial Guards would be so utterly incompetent.

"It is nearly time for me to act."

Just as Wang Zhenling was about to move, a sudden turn of events occurred. A powerful, icy wind swept through, dropping the temperature in the inner courtyard by over ten degrees and causing everyone present to shudder involuntarily.

Fog rolled in once more, and countless ghosts appeared from nowhere—ragged, blood-stained, and wreathed in malevolent energy—cutting through the mass of resentful spirits.

"Servants of the court, heh, servants of the court! We have finally found our chance for revenge!" the lead ghost laughed loudly. "Kill them! My sons, the time for vengeance has come!"

At his command, hundreds of wild ghosts charged forward. While the two hundred imperial ghost soldiers had no trouble holding off the disorganized rabble, they could not withstand this new wave. These ghosts seemed to harbor a deep-seated hatred for the imperial court and attacked with ferocious intensity.

The leader of these ghosts, in particular, possessed a degree of sentience, marking him as at least a fierce ghost—a formidable entity. He charged at the forefront, tearing through the imperial formation. The ghostly energy in his hands manifested as a heavy blade, and none who stood before him could withstand even a single strike. The ghosts behind him were equally fearless, throwing themselves forward with such savagery that even when they lacked weapons, they would gnaw at the imperial soldiers with their teeth, determined to drag them down into oblivion. Such ruthlessness left not only the imperial ghost soldiers reeling but also struck terror into the hearts of the living onlookers.

"These are condemned spirits! How have they not been suppressed? How did they escape the Ghost Prison?" The Emperor’s envoy turned ashen.

The imperial court established city god ghost prisons specifically to suppress sinful ghosts. More importantly, they were meant to imprison those who harbored resentment against the throne. As the saying went, what land did not contain its share of innocent ghosts? In a court as vast as theirs, with so many officials, the abuse of power and the killing of the innocent were inevitable. Even the innocent ghosts had to be suppressed in the Ghost Prison to maintain order. However, for various reasons, some ghosts would inevitably escape or evade capture, remaining filled with hatred for the court. Such occurrences were not unheard of, yet the envoy was now convinced that the local officials were incompetent for allowing such a large group of condemned spirits to roam free.

He decided that upon his return, he would report this to the Emperor and hold the local ghost officials strictly accountable. With this thought, he released the two Imperial Forest ghost soldiers granted to him by the Emperor for protection. While ordinary ghost soldiers were merely vengeful spirits, these Imperial Forest soldiers were fierce ghosts, equipped with armor and weapons imbued with the imperial mandate, making them exceptionally powerful.

As soon as these two appeared, they blocked the ghost leader. Just as they were about to combine their strength to slay the leader in a few swift moves, a sword flew from the darkness outside the courtyard—like a strike from the heavens—piercing the chest of the Emperor’s envoy.

"Splutch..."

With a soft sound, the flying sword punctured his chest, curved through the air, and vanished into the night. Everything happened too suddenly; no one had expected that the moment the envoy sent away his protectors, he would be assassinated.

Chaos erupted in the pavilion: "The envoy is dead! The envoy is dead!"

Having used the technique of controlling objects with his primordial spirit to slay the envoy, Wang Zhenling did not linger. Without even checking the aftermath, he turned and rode his sword away. The blade was a common one, plucked from the pavilion during the chaos, but at the Spirit Elder realm, one’s primordial spirit could manipulate objects. Wang Zhenling’s spirit chamber was five inches deep, far exceeding ordinary experts of his level, so this was not difficult. However, carrying the five- or six-pound sword for seven or eight miles with his primordial spirit proved quite taxing.

Wang Zhenling found a rugged mountain gully and discarded the sword. Once cast aside, it would be truly difficult for anyone to find. By removing the weapon from the scene, he had destroyed the evidence, ensuring no expert could find a trace of his involvement.

Freed of the heavy burden, the speed of his primordial spirit surged as he headed toward Danling. A Spirit Elder’s primordial spirit could typically manipulate objects weighing twelve to fourteen pounds, though only for short periods—much like how a person could lift heavy weights but could not hold them indefinitely. Wang Zhenling’s limit was around thirty pounds, but the strain of carrying the sword had been significant.

"If I reach the Spirit Treasury realm, I will be able to manipulate over a hundred pounds. That will be truly formidable..."

As he thought this, Danling County came into view in the distance.

Two or three days later, news of the envoy’s death reached Danling. Though it caused a stir, no one suspected Wang Zhenling. The pavilion where the envoy died was hundreds of miles away, beyond the borders of Xiami Commandery, and had nothing to do with Danling. Furthermore, many county officials and guards had personally seen Wang Zhenling reading and admiring the moon in the county office on that very night. Instead, it was said that the envoy had encountered a ghost tide and been killed by the spirits.