‘Roar!’

A deafening sound came from the darkness, making people tremble.

Then, there was the crisp rustling of leaves being disturbed, like drumbeats urging them to their deaths, pounding on everyone's hearts.

"Y-Your Majesty, th-there are, there are ghosts!"

An old Marquis's voice trembled, pointing fearfully at the woods, his legs giving way as he collapsed to the ground.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound, and saw shadows flitting between the branches.

Their feet didn't touch the ground, their figures were erratic, accompanied by gusts of cold wind, looking every bit like vengeful ghosts seeking lives.

Even someone as composed as Jiang Chen was stunned for a moment by the scene before him.

Although he was knowledgeable and knew in his heart that this was a conspiracy by the rebels, the realistic scene, combined with the eerie background of the mountain forest, made it hard for even the most rational person to avoid fear.

Steadying himself, Jiang Chen drew his Son of Heaven sword and surveyed the surroundings.

He said with authority, "Martial law! This is all a trick by the rebels. Don't fall for it!"

As soon as he spoke, the imperial guards barely suppressed the unease in their hearts, looking around, gripping their spears tightly, extremely vigilant.

Although they were afraid, they were, after all, elites chosen from among thousands, with strong mental fortitude and extreme loyalty.

For these guards, as long as Jiang Chen gave the order, they would dare to venture even into a mountain of knives or a sea of fire. Some wandering souls and vengeful ghosts couldn't shake their loyalty to His Majesty.

Just as the imperial guards were struggling to maintain order, piercing howls suddenly erupted from the forest.

The sound was like a fox calling in the night, or the weeping of a dying person!

Combined with the forest illuminated by the pale moonlight, even though Jiang Chen knew that someone was deliberately playing tricks, he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

At this moment, the clan members and ministers, who had barely managed to maintain their composure, could no longer withstand it, collapsing in screams and trembling.

"Ah! Ghosts! There are ghosts!"

"Your Majesty, protect Your Majesty... These wronged souls are here for our lives!"

"Retreat! There's something wrong with this fog. It might be miasma from the underworld. Retreat!"

The ministers fled in panic, while the imperial guards could barely control themselves, fulfilling their duty to protect the emperor.

The chaotic scene infuriated Jiang Chen. He pushed aside the guards around him, stepped forward, and roared, "Silence!"

"I am the Son of Heaven, immune to ghosts and spirits!"

"Stand still! With me here, nothing will happen!"

Just as the situation was about to stabilize, the wailing in the woods suddenly became sharp, piercing people's eardrums.

Jiang Chen also had a headache, but he stubbornly didn't show it, his stern face grim.

He was the backbone of everyone here and couldn't show any weakness!

Looking at the 'ghosts' constantly flitting through the forest, a cold glint flashed in Jiang Chen's eyes, and he said sternly, "Xu Mu, lead a team and bring the tung oil from beside the altar!"

"Since these guys like to play tricks, I'll indulge them. Tonight, I'll send them to the underworld!"

Xu Mu was still relatively calm, and quickly realized Jiang Chen's intention, but hesitated, "Your Majesty, do you want to, want to set the mountain on fire?"

"But there are so many officials here. This action could easily cause accidental injuries!"

"Moreover, Mount Tai is lush with vegetation. Once the fire starts, it will be almost impossible to control it with manpower. The subsequent Fengshan ceremony will be impossible to carry out..."

Jiang Chen's expression didn't change at all as he interrupted, "My mind is made up. Just do as I say."

After speaking, he glanced at Xu Mu's troubled expression and explained in a low voice, "The tung oil near the altar is used to maintain construction tools. There isn't much of it, and it won't set the forest on fire."

"My purpose is to scare those rebels. If they keep hiding in the forest, it will be difficult for me to wipe them out in one fell swoop."

Hearing this, Xu Mu's eyes lit up, and he rushed off to get the tung oil.

Jiang Chen only glanced at him a few times before shifting his gaze back to the forest.

At this time, the wailing had turned into curses.

"You dog emperor, you harm loyal and good people, you don't deserve to be emperor, come and die!"

"Retribution has come, you dog emperor, you killed my whole family, and left my corpse in the wilderness, I want your life!"

"..."

Countless venomous curses floated in the night wind, constantly defaming Jiang Chen, coupled with the dark shadows hanging in the forest, their limbs twisted.

The clan members and ministers, who had originally been obediently gathered around the altar, were so frightened that their souls left their bodies, and they knelt on the ground begging for mercy.

"Vengeance has its target, and debts have their debtor. I'm innocent! Please, let me go!"

"Grandpa ghosts, as long as you spare my life, I'll immediately build a shrine for you when I get back, and worship you every day. Please don't kill me!"

"..."

Jiang Chen was amused by the absurd scene before him.

He had just reminded these bastards not to fall for the rebels' tricks, and the next moment they had forgotten everything, kowtowing to the rebels.

Very well, every single one of these guys will be kicked out of the court when they return to the palace!

Jiang Chen kept an eye on the movements in the forest while making mental notes.

Just as he was calculating how to purge these useless people, Xu Mu had completed his mission.

The firelight from the burning tung oil illuminated the originally dark forest as if it were daytime.

The sudden change caused the ghosts hanging in the branches to freeze for a moment, and their agile and ethereal movements showed subtle flaws.

Jiang Chen keenly seized this subtle change and decisively ordered a surprise attack, "Form ranks and surround this forest with me!"

"Tonight, I will capture all these evil ghosts. If one escapes, you'll pay with your heads!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The imperial guards responded in unison, their eyes filled with barely concealed excitement, and followed Jiang Chen forward.

At this tense moment, there was a sudden flash in the forest.

Before anyone could react, dozens of blood-colored figures suddenly rushed out.

The leader was an old man with a burly figure and white hair.

However, his white beard was soaked with blood, coupled with the gaping wound on his neck where flesh was exposed, which was extremely frightening, like a deadly ghost!

The path forward was blocked by these blood shadows, and the imperial guards stopped, their pupils shrinking, cold sweat seeping from their backs, and they didn't dare to step forward for a moment.

Seeing the stalemate, Jiang Chen smiled coldly, directly held his saber horizontally, and charged towards the blood-colored old man.

He scornfully sneered, "You think I'm afraid of these petty tricks?"

"Even if you are really a ghost, I can kill you once, and I can kill you a second time! You're just a defeated opponent, not even worthy to carry my shoes!"

The blatant humiliation shocked everyone present.

And the blood-colored old man, who had been silent all along, suddenly raised his head, revealing his true face.

It was the old Grand Commandant who had been beheaded many years ago, Xu Jiaying's biological father, General Xu!

His feet didn't touch the ground, he floated in front of Jiang Chen, and cursed shrilly, "You dog emperor, you slaughtered my entire family, you're a tyrant by nature, today I'm here to claim your life and avenge the blood feud of my Xu family!"