CHAPTER 446: CHAPTER 440: GHOST PLATFORM TROOPS

"The direct lineage of the Meng family?"

Hu Ma had asked for Monkey Wine to help investigate the outside commotion, partly to understand the situation better—know himself and his enemy—and partly to avoid blindly stumbling into the One Coin Sect’s affairs, only to run into unexpected trouble and suffer a great loss. But he never expected that such casual inquiries would uncover such significant news. The Tongyin Meng family, one of the Ten Surnames, had suddenly appeared here? If it were just a sword-catching Hall Officer outside, Hu Ma wouldn’t have cared too much; clearing out rebellious troublemakers was their duty, after all. But the Meng family’s appearance here instantly elevated his concern by several levels. The Meng family and the Hu family were sworn enemies historically. Normally, he wouldn’t dare provoke them, but if he accidentally encountered them, he wouldn’t let any of their actions slip by unnoticed. Moreover, this place wasn’t far from Mingzhou, and with his own home in Mingzhou, the Meng family’s presence here was too suspicious to ignore.

He immediately tensed, focusing more intently. He perceived that the green-robed young man of the Meng family, upon hearing the Iron Armor General’s words, replied with a smile, "It seems nonsensical at first glance, but upon closer examination, it’s all fated."

"The One Coin Sect is insignificant; sending two small Hall Officers to disperse them would suffice. Why does the Zhou family trouble you, General, with such trivial matters?"

"They say the One Coin Sect’s unauthorized spread of the Shousui practice displeased the Zhou family. But this minor dharma method is hardly worthy of their attention. Isn’t the real reason because this place is so close to Mingzhou? They fear that if chaos erupts, people from *that* family might seize the opportunity, don’t they?"

"I feel the same way."

"We all know the one in Mingzhou is growing more active. First, he dealt with the Hu family’s Protector God who had defected. Then, he secretly directed others to seize the Divine Incense Distribute position in Mingzhou. Even Zhensui Mansion was stirred by his actions once, alarming people everywhere."

"Who knows what kind of upheaval he’ll cause next?"

"Frankly, the Ten Surnames are reluctant to provoke him at this time. They’re all waiting for him to come to his senses and continue with what was agreed upon in the Stone Pavilion Alliance."

"But we can’t just let him be without keeping a close watch. If we don’t prevent the situation here from deteriorating, it will get out of hand. Not only that, but quelling the unrest around Mingzhou sooner rather than later can also intimidate those ambitious upstarts in Mingzhou, showing them that rebellion is no game and they shouldn’t get involved foolishly."

"..."

"Heh heh..."

Hearing this, the Iron Armor General seemed to understand. This young man from the Meng family was being quite courteous, even explaining some underlying reasons he didn’t necessarily have to, as a form of thanks.

With a slight sigh, he said, "It’s quite interesting. The demon people of the One Coin Sect probably could never fathom that their deaths are unrelated to them or their actions, just collateral damage caused by the one in Mingzhou."

"Amusingly, they might not even know who that person in Mingzhou is..."

"...However, I am here under orders to kill. The reason is simple, and on the surface, justifiable. But you, Young Master, have paid me a visit and requested these three days. What is your intention?"

"..."

The green-robed young man laughed. "It was merely a whim of mine, but it happens to be related to the Demon Corpse you captured."

"Demon Corpse?"

The Iron Armor General was momentarily stunned, then laughed. "That creature was lurking in the forest, holing up in desolate graves by day and sucking human blood by night. I just happened to encounter it and subdued it. It looked like a Demon Corpse, nothing special. How did it catch your eye, Young Master?"

The green-robed young man smiled gently. "That’s no Demon Corpse; it’s a Yin General."

The Iron Armor General was taken aback, his expression suddenly turning peculiar.

The green-robed young man continued, "This Yin General, however, seems to have been schemed against by some expert, preventing it from reaching its full potential. Thus, it ended up in this state, neither human nor ghost. But that’s no matter. What Tai Sui hasn’t bestowed upon it, I shall. It can always be nurtured to develop some power."

"..."

Grand Hall Officer Tie Jun’s eyes flickered slightly as he spoke quietly to the green-robed young man, "I’ve heard about Yin Generals before. It’s said that wherever a Yin General appears, chaos is sure to follow."

"The only thing that can subdue it is the General Order. If you say this creature is a Yin General, then the General Order..."

"..."

"That’s why I asked for three days."

The green-robed young man chuckled, "This Yin General hasn’t matured, and the General Order is missing. If I’m not mistaken, someone has taken it. To complete my arrangement, I need to find a way to retrieve that General Order."

"Then..."

The Iron Armor General hesitated but still asked, "Why bother with such trouble? Can we not just lead people into the town, find the person, and demand it directly?"

"Or trace it to its origin. The General Order should be where the Yin General came into being. How difficult could it be to find it then?"

"..."

"That won’t do."

The green-robed young man shook his head gently. "To be frank, General, before I met you, I had already visited that small blood food mine where the Yin General appeared. However, I didn’t enter because I saw a mark on the mine."

The Iron Armor General was slightly startled, "A mark?"

"Yes."

The green-robed young man smiled, "It’s a mark left by someone even the Ten Surnames are reluctant to provoke. I observed along the way and saw he left marks even in the surrounding villages."

"From these marks, I could tell that this person also went into Shima Town."

"It is precisely because I knew he was in Shima Town that I asked you, General, to grant me these three days. Otherwise, if you had charged in directly, you might not have gained any advantage."

"..."

Hearing this, the Iron Armor General’s expression changed dramatically. "Even the Ten Surnames are wary of this person? Is there such an expert in Shima Town?"

"It’s not necessarily fear, and his abilities might not even be that great."

The green-robed young man shook his head slowly and said softly, "It’s just that these people have peculiar origins. We must show them some respect to prevent them from causing trouble at our ancestral halls. So, we give him face first, allowing him time to leave."

The Iron Armor General listened, his expression turning peculiar again. "What if he doesn’t leave after three days? Or what if the General Order is indeed with him, or he instigated someone else to steal it?"

"Then he’s courting death."

The green-robed young man said indifferently, "People from their kind are not supposed to take sides. Once they do, any special consideration for them is gone, and killing them will bring no repercussions."

The Iron Armor General couldn’t suppress his curiosity and probed, "Who exactly are these people, to have such a special status?"

The green-robed young man looked at the Iron Armor General and smiled. "General, haven’t you heard? That beyond the Ten Surnames, there is another surname, and beyond the Ten Paths, there is another path?"

A thought struck the Iron Armor General, and he blurted out, "The State Preceptor?"

"Heh heh..."

The green-robed young man refused to elaborate, merely smiling. "In any case, allowing these three days gives him sufficient face."

"The General Order is easy to steal, true, but it’s not something just anyone can keep hidden. Possessing the General Order doesn’t automatically grant control over this contingent of ghost soldiers. While the Yin General is still unrefined, it might be susceptible to the Order’s control, but once the Yin General is fully cultivated..."

"A vicious weapon can harm its wielder, and fierce soldiers can turn on their commander. To think one can hold onto the General Order then... well, it depends on whether they have the fate to suppress such a fierce entity."

"..."

Even the Iron Armor General’s expression grew somber as he listened. The green-robed young man, however, leaned back leisurely and sighed, "It can’t be helped."

"Only by using this Yin General to establish a Ghost General Platform here, commanding twenty thousand ghost soldiers, can I keep an eye on that person in Mingzhou. This will make things more convenient when our Meng family eventually attends to matters in Mingzhou, wouldn’t you agree?"

"The Stone Pavilion Alliance concerns the great plan of the world!"

"That person in Mingzhou learned his lesson from past setbacks and has become far more ruthless and decisive. But letting him continue his rampage in Mingzhou is not a viable solution. Surely, every Path understands that we cannot continue to indulge his willfulness, correct?"

"My Meng family, acting for the sake of the world, intends to go and have a discussion with him."

"If he can see reason and agree to continue with the Stone Pavilion Alliance, that would be for the best. If he’s unwilling, well, there are many people in the world with the surname Hu. It doesn’t necessarily have to be him to be the master of Zhensui Mansion."

"..."

"As for other disciples, whether they acknowledge our stance or not, it wouldn’t do for them to cause trouble at such a critical time, would it?"

He spoke with a gentle smile, but his gaze suddenly shifted. It landed in Hu Ma’s direction, causing even Hu Ma’s heart to skip a beat, only to realize the young man was merely looking at the gu insect lurking in the shadow of the oil lamp on the wall.

"Hmm?"

As the young man spoke, the Iron Armor General also suddenly became aware and roared angrily, "How audacious! Daring to eavesdrop on our conversation!"

With a fierce growl, he reached out to grasp the gu insect.

"No need."

The green-robed young man chuckled, gently raising a hand to block the Iron Armor General’s grasp. He smiled, "There’s no need. This is a Mother-child united heart gu. Even if you crush it now, everything it overheard has already been transmitted."

"It’s just that this gu was so exquisitely crafted that even I only noticed its presence after it had been here for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea."

"However, anyone capable of refining such a gu should not be an ignorant fool. Since he has heard our words, let him consider how to act. I trust he won’t choose to go against the current."

"..."

"..."

At this point, their voices gradually faded. Hu Ma’s vision blurred, and he slowly regained full consciousness. A new firmness settled in his eyes as he realized the strangeness of the entire affair.

Could this be the most direct manifestation of fate? As a descendant of the Hu family, I was merely staying put quietly in Mingzhou, yet I’ve already affected the survival of the One Coin Sect, hundreds of miles away... I never would have thought that the calamity in Shima Town was actually caused by me... And I certainly didn’t expect that what appeared to be a tribulation for the One Coin Sect was, in reality, a setup orchestrated by members of the Ten Surnames specifically to deal with me...