Chapter Six: The Ambush

  Dachang Village is located east of Qingyu Village and was also built by migrants who opened up wasteland for cultivation.

  There are 60 households and more than 300 people. Together with Qingyu Village, Qingshan Village, and Yuanhe Village, it belongs to the jurisdiction of Qingxi Township. The villagers in this village are mostly brave and chivalrous, like to make promises, and value their commitments, famous throughout the countryside.

  Fang Ming walked along the road, looking around, and found that there were few wandering spirits on the road, most of them gathered in shady places. He knew that ghosts liked shade, so if he came at night, he would be able to see more. During the day, he could only find more yin ghosts by searching deep into the mountains and old forests. However, it was possible to encounter fierce ghosts, and if they were in Qingyu Village, they would blend in with the local earth and wouldn't be afraid. But here, there might be some trouble.

  But running around during the day, I can always gain something. Calming my mind and examining the ghosts, I realize that ghostly spirits also have a destiny and luck, mostly white energy, but constantly having gray dots attached to them, making them unstable, occasionally with small clusters of energy, also in constant loss, knowing that when the energy is exhausted, the moment of soul scattering will arrive, this time is usually around seven days.

  Just walk a little further and you'll see a good show.

  There were originally ghostly gangs fighting, divided into two waves of ghosts, all bare-handed. One wave had only five or six ghosts, all strong and brave, led by a sturdy man, with fierce moves, and the team leader was quite skilled. They beat the dozen or so ghosts on the opposite side, who wailed and howled, dominating the situation.

  Fang Ming's heart skipped a beat, and he took a closer look. The burly man had thick eyebrows and big eyes, with muscles bulging under his dark bronze skin, exuding an intimidating aura. On top of his head, the white Qi was mixed with red, and there were more than a dozen strands of white Qi swirling around, but surprisingly, they were accompanied by several strands of black Qi, which seemed to be hiding a bloody color, causing Fang Ming's eyebrows to furrow.

  He also studied the aura, knowing that the aura of ordinary people is mostly white, and above that it's red. As for what's above that, he wasn't certain, after all, he hadn't seen it before. The aura of ordinary ghosts has a grayish tint, while the aura of malevolent spirits that devour humans will have a black mist with a hint of blood color, and the more people they devour, the thicker the black mist becomes.

  The fight below has already ended, and the strong man killed five or six ghosts with one punch. The remaining ghosts on the opposite side scattered like birds and beasts, while the other side cheered loudly, creating a lively atmosphere.

  Fang Ming saw this and didn't hesitate, immediately going down to the field.

  In the midst of the flashing white light, a young official slowly walked over, his footsteps heavy and solemn, with great dignity. His face was tense, his eyes moved slightly, and his hands seemed to be signaling something, as if he intended to surround Fang Ming. The strong man clasped his fists in salute and said:

  "Which official is this, and which family has been polite? I don't know what brings you here."

  Fang Ming smiled slightly and said, "I just happened to be passing by and saw that you all have great strength. Why don't you follow me?"

  Dahan sneered and made a move: "I knew you had ill intentions, let's fight!" He pounced first, his aura oppressive. The brothers around him immediately closed in.

  Fang Ming shook his head, and with a flick of his right hand, the Golden Seal of Earth appeared. He stroked it with his left hand, releasing a white light that spread out in all directions, immobilizing the robust man and his subordinates. The big man felt as if he was bound by a thousand pounds, pressed down to half-kneel on the ground, unable to move. Cold sweat dripped down his face as he smiled wretchedly:

  "Very well, then please take me away! However, that matter was done by me alone and has nothing to do with my brothers. I hope the great lord will show mercy and spare them, our family will be eternally grateful!"

  Fang Ming smiled slightly and said, "You must have misunderstood something. However, if you confess to your previous actions truthfully, I might be able to spare your lives."

  The big Han's face changed: "Isn't the adult a person from Cao's family in the county who is forbidden?"

  "You rustic fellow, the highest rank of the Censorate is only ninth grade, don't you even recognize official attire?"

  The big man was shocked and carefully measured himself, unknowingly letting out a sigh of relief, then apologized: "I am ignorant and do not know the greatness of Mount Tai, I have committed an offense, please forgive me, sir!"

  Fang Ming waved his hand and retrieved the official seal, saying: "Hurry up and tell me about your affairs. If there's anything untrue, hmm..."

  Han's heart turned cold and he said: "You dare not deceive me!"

  Let's go through it one by one.

  Originally, Da Han was called Wang Liulang and was a native of Dachang Village. From an early age, he had great strength and was famous in the village, but he also knew how to advance himself. Occasionally, he would go to the home of the village scholar to ask for guidance and learned a few characters. As a result, he was favored by the county authorities and became a soldier, serving as the head of a five-man squad. Under the Great Qing military system, five men formed a squad, with the leader being called the Squad Leader. He also learned some military skills.

  Last month, he died in the battle against bandits and became a vengeful spirit. After wandering on the battlefield for a day, he gathered other new spirits from his village and decided to return home, but unexpectedly, his father had passed away due to an accident a month ago after a dispute with villagers. The strict military rules only became known now, and seeing the murderer getting off scot-free with just a fine made him even more enraged.

  He was also decisive in his killings, immediately gathering his subordinates and waiting for an opportunity to strike when the killer's entire family went out. Among ghosts, they can attack each other, but against humans, they only have one move: absorbing human energy.

  In the village, there was also a small altar, no ancestral spirit, weak protection, he and his subordinates were mostly military souls, more ferocious than ordinary ghosts, so they killed all the families of their enemies, avenging their great hatred.

  One man's energy can make a yin soul stay in the world for a month, and he and his brothers have been living long because of this. They didn't continue to kill people or cause trouble in the village, but instead restrained their subordinates from randomly harming people, while also driving away evil spirits from other places, and even killing several bandits. The village was kept safe, and today they chased away a yin soul that had wandered into the nearby area.

  He didn't know much about the county's affairs, only knowing that there was a Forbidden Ghost Cao Si who specialized in dealing with this kind of murderous ghost, so he had some vigilance and today took Fang Ming as the person from the Forbidden Ghost Cao Si.

  Fang Ming nodded and said: "Since that's the case, then you can be considered to have a justifiable reason for your actions. I won't pursue this matter further."

  "Then he asked again: 'Tell me truthfully, after you became a ghost, how many people have you killed?'"

  "Wang Liu Lang replied: 'There are only three people.'"

  Fang Ming looked at his head and saw that the black air was only three strands, so he nodded and asked other villagers, who were all one or two people around, most of whom were killed were thieves.

  He paused for a moment, then said: "It's just that you're gathering here, it's not a coincidence. I'm short of brave warriors right now, are you willing to join me?"

  Wang Liulang was shocked and thought to himself, "I've heard that in the army, there's a Ghost King who recruits fierce ghosts and evil spirits, establishes a military system, and dominates one side. As soon as he rises to power, an entire prefecture is thrown into chaos and becomes almost ungovernable. Could this person have similar ambitions?"

  Fang Ming looked at his face and knew his intention, haha laughed: "You can rest assured, I am not a wicked ghost, but the heavenly granted Qingyu Village Land God, will not let you go to do evil."

  Wang Liu's expression eased a bit as he asked: "What is this 'divine being'?"

  "One side is safe and peaceful, blessings are bestowed upon the people below, a golden body is formed, imperishable and indestructible, this is what is called a divine being!"

  Wang Liulang finally made up his mind and said: "I am willing to serve you, sir!"

  "Xing Da Li: 'Wang Liu Lang pays his respects to Master!' The surrounding subordinates also bowed down, saying: 'Paying respects to Master!'"

  Fang Ming burst out laughing: "I appoint you as Wu Chang, effective immediately. The rest of you are land temple yin soldiers, under your jurisdiction." As soon as the words fell, a portion of the aura on his head split off and entered Wang Liu's head. Only to see the aura condense into a ball, while everyone else also had a thread of aura. Fang Ming's own golden aura seal was slightly thinner, with a hint of red aura appearing in the rolling white aura, faintly visible.

  With another wave of his hand, divine power surged out and split into six white lines, each entering the body of a different person, except for Wang Liu's line which was slightly thicker.

  After the six people gained spiritual power, they rolled on the ground and when they got up again, their appearance was greatly different. The six people were all without scars, and the gray gas had disappeared. Wang Liu Lang wore a cowhide armor, with a long knife at his waist, calm and composed. His five subordinates were all dressed in military uniforms, each holding weapons, looking at each other's situation, they were all overjoyed, bowing and saying: "Thank you, sir!"

  Fang Ming nodded in satisfaction, knowing that if a few more people were added, they could completely defeat the ghosts of Qingyu Village that night. After all, having or not having armor and swords made a big difference.

  Ordinary ghosts are empty-handed, only when they are promoted to fierce ghosts can they have yin power, understand the changes of yin power, and use yin power to transform objects. When Night Blade Scar Big Han can condense a long knife, it is indeed only one step away from being a fierce ghost, as long as he kills enough people in the village, he will definitely be promoted.

  The armor and weapons under Fang Ming's command were condensed from his divine power, extremely lethal to ordinary ghost spirits. With Wang Liu Lang's military background, he trained the soldiers with military discipline, which would be useful in the future. The yin soldiers and generals all existed due to divine power, each consuming a thread of it every day, halving their lifespan, unable to produce divine power themselves, relying on Fang Ming for replenishment, making betrayal almost impossible, extremely convenient to use. Thinking this far, his chest felt greatly relieved.

  Everyone burst out laughing and said: "Today is a happy day, let's set up a banquet!"

  He then used his divine power to produce tables and chairs. With a thought, the tables were filled with all kinds of wine and dishes, and an open-air banquet was set up.

  This is Fang Ming's unique creation in this world. Ordinary ghosts in this world cannot pass through the sun, and after death, they cannot move a single object in the mortal realm. Even if delicacies are placed in front of them, they cannot eat, with the only exception being that when absorbing human energy, they can feel a slight sense of fullness. Most ghosts cannot bear it, and therefore fall.

  Worshiping the spirits of ancestors is even more pitiful, watching as offerings are made every day but not being able to partake in them. Fang Ming has memories of his past life and knows that gods can also enjoy offerings, so he experiments multiple times and manages to extract the essence from the land's offerings, mixing it with divine power to create a delicacy, occasionally satisfying his own desires.

  At this time, one use, is effective, only to see Wang Liu Lang dare not believe to pick up the wine bowl, left and right look, like holding a treasure. He took a small sip, and suddenly tears came down. Then he lost his image, and together with the soldiers below, they scrambled for wine and robbed dishes, eating with great relish. From time to time, there were farmers from the nearby village passing by, but they didn't see this scene.

  Fang Ming held his wine cup and gazed at the scene of yin and yang separated by a distance, unsure what emotions were stirring in his heart.

  Wang Liu Lang ate his fill and drank enough, then suddenly woke up to reality, hastily gathered the soldiers to apologize to Fang Ming: "The subordinate has lost dignity, I hope the master will forgive me!" After a pause, he said: "The master is all-powerful and great, how dare I not die for the master?"

  Fang Ming waved his hand: "Forget it, follow me back to the village." He knew that Wang Liu Lang was a bit of an airhead and had been a squad leader before, but that was about it. It was pointless to expect more from him, and he didn't take it to heart either.

  As soon as they returned to Qingyu Village, Wang Liulang and others had accepted Fang Ming's appointment and entered his system. They naturally walked into the village, looking around in surprise.

  Then entered the temple of the land, and was even more amazed. At this time, the temple had expanded to twenty mu (about 13,333 square meters). The ghosts were shocked by the divine power of the other party.

  The great hall, Fang Ming sat in the main seat, looking at the rows of ghost soldiers below, knowing that they had all been gathered, and shouted: "Wang Liu Lang!"

  Wang Liu Lang stepped forward and knelt down on one knee: "I am here!"

  "You can stay in the wing room on the right and focus on honing your martial skills, waiting for a great opportunity. Every morning, noon, and evening, go out of the temple to patrol around Qingyu Village, drive away evil spirits, gather information, and if you encounter any ghosts with basic literacy, please invite them to see me, understood?"

  "Take orders!"