"The Land of Crow's Cry... a place beneath the underworld, the extreme Yin. There are many similar existences, all destinations after ghosts perish. However, if the Netherworld Cult Master's divine token truly fell into such a place, we wouldn't need to worry."
Guangyao Shousheng Xiantian Zun's expression relaxed slightly. "This speculation has some merit. So many Dharma Realm Lords were eliminated by Yuan Huang and Tai Zong, yet not a single piece of news about the Netherworld Cult Master's divine token was obtained. Perhaps it is indeed in the Land of Crow's Cry, where even Yin spirits and ghosts find it difficult to reach."
"Even with black qi, one cannot invade that land through conventional means. When a ghost dies, it becomes a 'Jian'. When a 'Jian' dies, it becomes 'Xiyi'. 'Jian' are inherently formless ghosts, specifically created to restrain other ghosts. The formless ghosts we have created in this Yin World Dharma Realm are precisely those made using the summoned 'Jian' from last time as carriers."
"Originally, 'Jian' were a method used by the Daoist sect to curb ghosts, because 'Jian' cannot harm humans, only ghosts. They are ghosts that consume and devour other ghosts. But through our methods, these newly born 'Jian' can harm people. Once these formless ghosts become our servants, they will make the Underworld... instill fear in all sentient beings!"
"However, there is a price. 'Jian' can be summoned at will, but they cannot be dismissed. Last time in Guzhou, at the Myriad Longevity Palace, those important ministers, Zhang Bangchang, acted presumptuously, inviting Wu Taiyi, and privately mobilized a large number of 'Refining Form Ghosts'. They used 'Jian' to return souls and attack the celestial demons in the Yang world. This attracted the attention of the Land of Crow's Cry, causing a 'Du Lu Na' ghost to enter the human world directly."
"This was a warning. They can come out from below, but we cannot enter from above. The only path is through the complete annihilation of the soul, and the chance of success is extremely slim. We must use a large number of ghosts as a foundation to find a safe passage into the Land of Crow's Cry."
As the two Yin Emperors were conversing, a high-ranking official returned and reported to them:
"Two Heavenly Venerables! Taiping Town has been destroyed. One human stronghold has been eliminated!"
The minister's tone was slightly flustered and ashamed, but the two Heavenly Venerables were unperturbed, merely nodding faintly.
"It was the Lu family's doing. We knew something would happen from the moment they let those cultivators go and didn't turn them into wish-fulfillment meat cans."
Laihe Tianzun's tone was not good.
Guangyao Shousheng Xiantian Zun smiled and said, "It's alright, it's alright. If Taiping Town is lost, so be it. It was merely a workshop for experimenting with Human-Faced Fog and Soul Molting techniques. With half of the Yin Mountain Dharma Realm in our hands, are we afraid we cannot infiltrate the Yang world and establish a foothold?"
"If we can obtain the other half, this Yin Mountain Dharma Realm, though not a powerful Dharma Realm in the Yang world, in our hands, it is equivalent to a small half of Mount Tai. I believe if it were the eighteen hells, it would be equivalent to at least two or three hells."
"Heavenly Venerable, precisely. Previously, in the 'Waiting for Life Great Hell', Lu Wenhuan was being punished. However, King Chujiang's divine position was seized, and this Great Hell also fell into our hands. Now it is a treasure in your hands, Heavenly Venerable. This person must be won over. We are in a time of great need, and finding a general from the old era is truly not easy..."
"The Lu family was a military family stationed in Xiangyang. They only surrendered to the Yuan army after defending the city for six years, and that was due to a lack of provisions. The ministers who should be punished are those from that time, and he did not truly surrender. Although he later led troops to attack the Great Song, we cannot only see his betrayal, but also his previous loyalty."
"He has always been resentful of Zhang Shun and Zhang Gui's efforts to reinforce him, break through to seek aid, and save him three times before their deaths. His benefactors were killed by the Yuan army. Although Kublai Khan recruited him, it was under the threat of massacring tens of thousands of lives in the city..."
"Now that his soul has returned to the Underworld, he can be summoned for great use. As for those members of the Lu family who made mistakes in Taiping Town, their punishments in hell can be waived. At the same time, tell them that benevolence and righteousness are not wrong. We, the rulers of the Underworld, are different from the past emperors they served; we uphold justice."
"Furthermore, tell them that since they are now deceased, they must fight for the great cause of the Underworld. They should no longer dwell on matters from when they were alive. They have completely severed ties with the human world and are ghost generals who act purely on behalf of Heaven."
"These people are of great use to us! Not only as a supplement to our combat strength, but also, these defeated generals and fallen soldiers are worshipped by the common people far more than we emperors. With their temples, they have a connection, which is like our strongholds in the human world, and they are not easily discovered by outsiders."
Guangyao Shousheng Xiantian Zun fully understood how to elevate a person and win their heart. He had used this method on certain individuals when he was Emperor Gaozong.
Those who are not valued and feel guilty are the easiest to win over. With a little favor, they will consider you a confidant. Then, promote them, and praise them as much as possible. If you find them beginning to defy your will and becoming somewhat uncontrollable, at that point, before you kill them, you must elevate them even higher.
Then, let them fall to their doom.
Laihe Tianzun hesitated, "The Lu family is guilty, which is why I sent them to Taiping Ancient Town as vanguards and turned them into resentful spirits. Now that they have committed a great mistake, yet we are to release them, where is the dignity of the Yin Emperor? In the future, if they repeatedly break the rules, will we not manage them, but instead coax them?"
"Moreover, the justice of the Underworld is merely our justice. What is this talk of fighting for the great cause of the Underworld... If these words are spoken to deceive these ghost generals, are you not afraid that one day they will discover it, and with their conscience still intact, they will rebel? Some things should be made clear. Hiding them is precisely why Yue Fei dared not rebel back then. Otherwise, you would be like Emperor Duzong of Song, confined somewhere and unable to sit in this position of Heavenly Venerable."
Guangyao Shousheng Xiantian Zun's expression immediately turned ugly, but he also knew that Emperor Zhenzong of Song had learned from past lessons. He had almost been killed by his own empress and a few close confidants who had bribed the imperial guards. Although the commander of the imperial guards had not acted due to timidity at the time, Zhenzong was greatly frightened when he later found out, so it was normal for him to have a reactive response to such rebellions.
He was different from himself, yet he looked down on his past actions of murdering Yue Fei, and could not help but reprimand him:
"Heavenly Venerable! Your words are unpleasant! If I hadn't killed him in advance, what if he truly rebelled? Wouldn't I also not be able to sit in this Heavenly Venerable position? Not only that, but I think the country and the dynasty would also be lost."
"Besides, after killing him, I also regretted it. Look now, haven't I refined Qin Hui into a ghost artifact to repay Yue Fei's kindness in saving the nation?"
"Didn't you also almost get killed by the imperial guards back then? What right do you have to criticize me? I call this foresight, which is much better than having the knife about to strike your head and not knowing, surviving entirely by luck! Can this be called the name of a wise and holy ruler?"
Laihe Tianzun had always been weak, and these words rendered him somewhat speechless.
Guangyao Shousheng Xiantian Zun then changed the topic, no longer dwelling on the other's shortcomings. "Our justice is the justice of the world. The Yang world has an Emperor, and the Yin world has a Yin Emperor. Anyone who wishes to rise must have a name. Is this not the great cause?"
"Twenty years from now, when the Li Shanhe enters the world and divides the human realm, for what cause will we fight for the great cause of the Yin world? Naturally, it is because we do not want more people to fall into the Yin world and die tragically. Therefore, we must act before Li Shanhe, seize those cities in the human world, and replace that decadent dynasty."
"How many years has the Ming Dynasty been established? Over two hundred years! Look at the demonic disturbances in its empire! Look at how corrupt the divine generals are! Look at how incompetent the court is! These are clearly signs of an impending collapse of the dynasty!"
"Moreover, after the Tumu Crisis, the Ming Dynasty's fate plummeted. This is something you and I both know. It was already decided then that this dynasty would not last long."
"Let alone any dynasty that has not moved towards its end after more than two hundred years! The four-hundred-year Han Dynasty was even split into two by a new dynasty in between! The eight-hundred-year Zhou Dynasty, the first half enfeoffed the realm, the latter half was the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods; even the Great Tang, its peak lasted only over a hundred years, and in between, there was the Wu Zhou, which changed its dynasty and ruler, and after the An Lushan Rebellion, it took one hundred and forty years to recover. My Zhao Song ruled for three hundred years, enjoying peace and prosperity, and the people were stable. Even with half the country, we could repel the Jin Dynasty. Although Yue Fei was killed by me, when he was alive, along with Han Shizhong, Zong Ze, and others, which of the Jin people did not bow their heads and call out 'Grandfather'?"
"Which of the dynasties that once occupied half the country possessed such might?"
"The Liao, Jin, and Western Xia established dynasties after us, but perished before us! The Yuan Dynasty's arrival was truly a time for earth-shattering change, and our three hundred years, uninterrupted since Tai Zong, is this not enough to prove our legitimacy? Is this not Heaven's will? Is this not the great cause?"
Guangyao Shousheng Xiantian Zun's torrent of words left Laihe Tianzun, who was not good at rhetoric, with no choice but to nod in agreement. He wanted to refute but felt that every word was reasonable, so he shook his head, "Alright, alright. Let's pardon the Lu family's crimes and bring Lu Wenhuan out of the 'Waiting for Life Great Hell' to serve us."
Guangyao Shousheng Xiantian Zun quickly added, stating that they should bring out all the famous generals from the same era as the Lu family generals from hell. Speaking of which, the reason this group ended up in hell was actually because of Wen Tianxiang.
Wen Tianxiang directly called them national traitors, causing them to fall into hell after death and be unable to escape. Such a great scholar with the highest level of righteous qi had such power; with a single word while alive, he could cut off your destiny, and with a single word after death, he could send you to hell forever!
"However, they themselves feel guilty and will not blame Wen Tianxiang. There is one point, however. When you recruit them, be sure to bring two people... This person's sins are too grave. He did not enter the hells controlled by the Ten Yama Kings, but was relegated to the even more terrifying Twenty-Four Fengdu Hells."
"Those who defy Heaven and Earth, betray their sovereign and disrespect their kin, engage in evil practices, overturn nests and stir up trouble, kill living beings, all enter Fengdu Hell."
Laihe Tianzun listened to Guangyao Shousheng Xiantian Zun's admonition and thought carefully, saying, "Emperor Duzong of Song and Jia Sidao?"
"This, Jia Sidao is incompetent. Hanging him up for them to see and win their hearts, I can understand. But Emperor Duzong of Song... being fellow Song Emperors, isn't that inappropriate?"
"He still has a place in the divine temple. He even begged me earlier, asking me to grant him a body, and to give me half of the Son of Heaven's power..."
Guangyao Shousheng Xiantian Zun said with a sinister smile, "Precisely because even the Emperor dares to whip and inflict great suffering upon him, this can demonstrate the justice and great cause of the Underworld! This is a golden opportunity to showcase our image. Heavenly Venerable, you must not be weak; you must strike hard and make a great decision!"
"What Son of Heaven's power! Do you still covet such trivial gains, Heavenly Venerable! Strip his Son of Heaven's power and give it to those important ministers and surrendered generals! They will surely be loyal to the death and fight for the Yin world! The grace of knowing and meeting them cannot be repaid, only by dying again and again!"
"As for Emperor Duzong of Song, this fellow is useless! So many Song Emperors are not even considered for the creation of a physical body, what makes him think he can cut in line! He is not even worthy of pledging loyalty. It is better to give it to the Three Sinful Emperors of Wuyi than to him. He is of the same ilk as Emperor Yingzong of Ming. He can neither conquer cities nor govern the country, nor can he strategize. He even lacks the courage to do many important things."
"Whether a hero, a hegemon, or a villain, no one will look up to him."
"Moreover, back then, Lu Wenhuan, the defender of Xiangyang, surrendered the city when provisions ran out and reinforcements were cut off. When the news arrived, Jia Sidao pretended to lead an army on an expedition. This fellow, timid and fearful, actually held Jia Sidao back from marching. Tell those surrendered generals in hell why they did not receive reinforcements back then... Tell them this directly, without exaggeration."
Laihe Tianzun also understood, and nodded at this point, "So that's how it is... Inferior to King Tianluo..."
A trace of disdain flashed in Guangyao Shousheng Xiantian Zun's eyes.
In fact, what was King Tianluo? He had no achievements during his lifetime. He should have been given to anyone, but not to him. Yet, he could become one of the Three Heavenly Venerables valued by His Majesty Yuan Huang?
The only thing worth mentioning about him was that during his lifetime, he appointed himself Grand Marshal, with Zong Ze as his deputy. Later, with the help of Mr. Jin Han, he became the Song Emperor, and after death, he brought himself to this Yin world... This was his greatest achievement.
If he hadn't received a response from sacrificing to the gods back then, and his talent had been valued by King Tai Zong, he wouldn't have been one of the first three Heavenly Venerables standing here. The important thing was his ability, but unfortunately, it couldn't be taken away.
After all, the three divine positions of the Jade Emperor, and the empty shell of the Jade Emperor, were things that would eventually be separated. Apart from the empty shell to be given to Emperor Huizong, the other three divine positions, which Song Emperor would receive them, was a decision made by Tai Zong and His Majesty Yuan Huang.
Those without great achievements and great abilities, and most importantly, those who were submissive... without these, could they reach this position?
The Three Emperors of Wuyi were bound by chains and had their imperial power extracted because they were unwilling to submit when they descended, until the day they were willing to bow their heads.
And originally, I would not have obtained this position... It is a pity that the fourth emperor, who was supposed to have this position, has already been dealt with.
————————————
Taiping Ancient Town was shattered, and Ji Xiang and a few others returned to reality. They saw Scholar Zhang lying on the ground, groaning faintly. Ji Xiang helped him up. At this moment, Scholar Zhang seemed to wake up from a dream:
"What's going on? I just saw an emperor enter me."
Ji Xiang looked at the bewildered Scholar Zhang and thought to himself that this was the whole story. Those with black qi possessed a second form and spirit, which could be changed at will. King Tianluo had entered Zhang's body and transformed his form and spirit, but now this form and spirit had been scattered, and Zhang's own form and spirit had returned. He was like someone who had just had a dream.
Scholar Zhang was completely baffled, and the other few wandering cultivators had also just woken up from their sleep. They had been knocked unconscious by King Tianluo's magic.
After dismissing the few people and letting them go their separate ways, Ji Xiang took Scholar Zhang back to Wudang Mountain alone.
Then, he placed him before Feng Menglong.
"Daoist Ji, who is this? Is he a relative of yours?"
"No..."
Ji Xiang's lips curled into a smile, "He is a great literary scholar who, like you, couldn't pass the imperial examinations."
Feng Menglong: "???"
Damn it, who dares to compare themselves to the great Feng these days? Do you understand the value of driving away a hundred ghosts and a thousand demons with a single shout, and possessing righteous qi! Even the current Grand Chancellor doesn't have such ability!
"What do you mean by 'scholar'? 'Creation gathers divine splendor' is the meaning of scholar!"
Feng Menglong offered a strong defense, while Ji Xiang told Scholar Zhang, "From now on, you should also write more novels, plays, and the like..."
Zhang Yaofang became anxious, "I didn't study for the imperial examinations to write these useless things! Nor did I do it to become such a useless person!"
Before Ji Xiang could speak, Feng Menglong became agitated again, jumping up with his burly physique and about to hit him, "What do you mean by 'useless person'! Do you understand my abilities as a scholar? The demons and ghosts I've seen and the enemies I've fought in this world are more than the meals you've eaten!"
"Kid, how many times have you taken the imperial examinations? Why are you speaking so arrogantly? You look down on scholars, if you have the ability, then pass the examinations!"
Ji Xiang signaled him to stop. Scholar Feng glared and made a throat-slitting gesture to Scholar Zhang.
Kid, if I see you pass the imperial examinations in the future, you won't have a good time.
Ji Xiang said to Scholar Zhang, "Learn more from this gentleman. He also possesses righteous qi, and it is far superior to yours. Don't be fooled by his slovenly appearance; he is actually very reliable."
"Furthermore, he will soon enter the imperial palace as a great literary scholar. This is not false. If you are willing, I can recommend you..."
After hearing Ji Xiang's self-introduction, Scholar Zhang's attitude immediately changed drastically, and he readily agreed, "Willing, willing! Of course, I'm willing!"
Then he bowed deeply to Feng Menglong, calling him Master and Senior Brother!
Scholar Feng stared dumbfounded.
With your speed of changing faces, and your desire for fame, can you possess righteous qi?
Has Heaven gone blind?
Ji Xiang: "Well, in short, don't go sacrificing to your ancestors. I will give you benefits, and at the same time, I have a request."
"I want to help your son with his illness. If it's suitable, he will become my disciple."
"And the two of you, this time I am going to Joseon, and I will pass by Tianjin Port on the way, so it's just right to send you two to the palace."