Quick horses deliver rice, large pots boil porridge.

Purple Qi washes the grain, rice wine intoxicates.

Under the command of the Beggar General, the three major granaries all mix grain washed with Purple Qi to eliminate corpse poison. Then, they divide the area into sections, using flags as signals, setting up large pots, gathering people to eat. Even the pigs and sheep that haven't died are slaughtered and mixed into the porridge, stirred with large ladles.

This is a large project. Not only are the Beggar General's men busy, but even the Bu Shi Niu (non-beef eaters) disciples are helping.

When they can't keep up, they even ask ghosts and deities to help transport grain, turn the millstone, and burn the stove.

This night, not only did the Beggar General's troops have a full meal, but the laborers, the old and weak, and the starving people were also given pot after pot.

For who knows how many people, they haven't had such a full meal since the new year.

Not to mention, although it's porridge and not dry rice, it's all been washed with Purple Qi, and the amount contained within is far beyond what ordinary people can imagine.

Normally, with their fate, they wouldn't even be able to touch this Purple Qi. A single strand would crush countless people.

But this gourd of Purple Qi, divided into the porridge bowls of hundreds of thousands of people, is enough for them to bear.

Even so, it still seems not enough.

"What?"

Even a hundred miles away, in Dongping Prefecture, Changping Wang (King) has 30,000 elite troops stationed there, as well as countless private soldiers from various aristocratic families and clans, scattered around as scouts, inquiring about the details.

With the mixed bag around the Beggar General, they can't defend against these scouts at all. Any movement here has already been grasped by Changping Wang. But hearing this information, he couldn't help but be shocked.

"They're actually opening the granaries and distributing porridge... are they courting death?"

This is all grain that has been used in the Flying Corpse Ritual...

These redundant and terrifying, endless starving people gather and march, you can't kill them all, you can't scare them away.

It's precisely because there are too many of them that Changping Wang doesn't dare to act rashly, even with his heavy troops. That's why he sought help from the extraordinary people in the sect. Chen Family's Da Tang Guan (Hall Official) used the Corpse Ritual to worship the granary, destroying grain and slaughtering livestock.

This move is to let those guys who are green with hunger know: You shouldn't come and rob grain.

Even if you rob grain, you won't be able to eat it.

If you eat it, your intestines will rot, and you'll become a crazy, inhuman monster.

This is a move to strike at the heart, defeating morale before the battle even begins, forcing them to scatter and obediently wait for death.

But if you just see them, one, two, ten, or a hundred, unable to resist eating the grain and turning into crazy people, seeing them in groups, in patches, sitting and waiting for death, it doesn't matter. You can even watch it as entertainment, laughing at these mud-legged fools for being whimsical.

But if hundreds of thousands of people, in a continuous area of prefectures and states, all go crazy, and seek their own death at the same time, what then?

"Hiss..."

"Why does it still feel so scary?"

"..."

"Among that group of mud-legged people, there have been Bu Shi Niu (non-beef eaters) rogue cultivators appearing recently. They're all restless figures from the martial world."

The strategist beside him immediately stepped forward: "When things are abnormal, they're usually demonic. Our army..."

"Absolutely not!"

Changping Wang shook his head, almost without thinking: "Stand ready, observe the changes. Just send people out to tell those gentlemen who have raised private soldiers that they can let their people go and test the waters."

"Our army must be used at a critical moment. Also, since the people in the sect have taken action with unorthodox techniques, we should invite the Chen Family's experts over to find a solution."

The people around him immediately passed the word down, but no one actually moved troops.

There are so many people here, if you don't go, I won't go either.

Anyway, just send a few more scouts to inquire about the situation. If those people really want to collectively seek death, then let them die.

If they don't die, then Changping Wang's 30,000 elite troops are here. He's blocking in front, what are we afraid of?

...

...

"Hehe, once this curse is cast, it's too late."

At the same time, in the redundant army, on a small hill, Laozao Jiu (Rice Wine) faces east with a cold expression, muttering to himself: "Ever since you used this extermination plan, these starving people have had no way out. But they don't understand, if the starving people have no way out, can they have one?"

He sneers as he picks up a bowl and drinks a bowl of sweet and slightly sour rotten rice porridge.

Although the taste isn't very good, thinking that it was washed with the Purple Qi that he worked so hard to steal, he drinks another bowl.

After two bowls, he even feels a little tipsy, and thinks to himself: "How can something that can get you drunk not be wine?"

"Those guys are just arguing with me!"

"..."

"Laozao Ge..."

At this time, someone comes up from the foot of the hill, bringing three more bowls of rotten rice porridge, distributing them as he reports: "After calling out at the Ben Ming Ling Miao (Natal Spirit Temple) for two days, there are a total of seven brothers who are willing to come with us to work."

"There are also four or five who replied, saying they're nearby and will help out at critical moments. In addition, we have some of the Wu Chang Li Family's forces under our command, for us to order around."

"The Bu Shi Niu disciples also have some from the Gua Zi Men (Hanging Character Faction) and Ping Zi Men (Level Character Faction) here, ready to listen to our orders."

"Also, Hong Putaoyi (Red Wine) Sister also said that if necessary, we can burn incense and ask the Zou Gui Yi Men (Ghost Walker Sect) for help."

"But the Zou Gui Yi Men looks at the overall situation and can only provide support at critical moments, so we must use it carefully..."

"..."

"Hehe, there's no need to say that."

Laozao Jiu said: "If we can't get things done, just thinking about support, then we'll lose all face."

"What's more, do you really think that we can defeat the Jiangtou Chen Family with numbers? We need courage."

"Did you arrange the things I told you to do?"

"..."

"Arranged!"

Boluopi (Pineapple Beer) immediately nods vigorously, saying: "Among the Bu Shi Niu Gua Zi Men disciples, there are some who are good at shadow puppetry."

"The Ping Zi Men disciples are best at fanning the flames!"

"When do we start?"

"..."

Laozao Jiu stands up, picks up another bowl of porridge, slurps it down, wipes his mouth, and looks back at the redundant army, his expression slightly沉. He sees lights everywhere, cheers and excitement. For them, this kind of porridge is like celebrating the new year.

He slowly puts down the bowl of porridge and says: "Start immediately when they fall asleep."

A stomach that hasn't been full for a long time starts to feel sleepy once it's filled, especially since this is a rare full meal after so many days, and the porridge also has oil and a bit of alcohol.

In addition, the redundant army has a sense of end-of-the-road revelry, so after eating their fill, they cheer and laugh, and once they're tipsy, they fall asleep one by one.

Since they gathered together, they initially learned from the regular army, with guards and night patrols.

Now, they don't care at all.

Only bonfires are burning quietly in various places.

The Bu Shi Niu Gua Zi Men disciples carry large boxes, come to the small hill, light bonfires, set up frames, and take out shadow puppets, arranging the corresponding plays according to Laozao Jiu's prior instructions.

The name of the play is: Changping Wang is insane, Jiangtou Chen used corpses to worship the grain.

"Laozao Ge, I wrote the play myself, it's guaranteed to stir up hatred, but do you have any ideas on how to project it into their dreams?"

There are many ways to project into dreams in the sect.

But this time, they have to project dreams for the people of the four prefectures and seven states, so they have to think carefully about the method.

Laozao Jiu said: "I know a few methods, but I'm afraid they won't be real enough, big enough."

"Since you asked, do you have a method?"

"..."

Boluopi immediately laughs loudly, ordering the servant beside him to carry a long box. After opening it, there's a row of nine different-sized, exquisite, and beautiful Liuli (glass) lanterns. He smiles and says: "These nine lanterns are treasures I refined."

"They're specially for projecting into dreams, guaranteeing lifelike images, as if in the real world."

"..."

"Good stuff..."

Laozao Jiu naturally knows good things. He knows they're extraordinary just by looking at them. Hearing their function, he also feels it's new. He says: "If your lanterns can only project and can't hurt people, then what's the use? How did you think of refining this strange thing?"

Boluopi smiles and says: "To tell you the truth, I used to paste Gong Zhuang Meiren (Palace-Style Beauties) on these lanterns."

Laozao Jiu doesn't react: "Hmm."

Boluopi whispers: "And they were all Gong Zhuang Meiren who weren't wearing clothes."

Laozao Jiu is stunned: "If they're not wearing clothes, how do I know they're Gong Zhuang Meiren?"

Boluopi said: "They have hair buns..."

Laozao Jiu is stunned for a long time before suddenly reacting. Looking at the nine lanterns again, he immediately becomes excited:

"Damn, I want to play with this too if I have the chance..."

Boluopi immediately thumped his chest and said: "We're brothers in our hearts, don't worry, I'll paste the best ones on for you later."

Seeing that everyone is asleep, a gong and drum sound on the small hill, and a shadow puppet show without an audience begins. The shadows held up by thin bamboo poles are projected onto the painted screen.

There's a general, a master, an extraordinary person, and miserable people. The general can't bear to see babies starve to death, so he begs the master for grain. He's beaten by the master's servants and driven out. The general is angry and becomes a general.

He leads people to rob grain and distributes it to the poor. The general himself dies under the master's blade.

The general's subordinates come back and tell the poor that there's grain to eat. The poor cheer, finally having a chance to live.

The master curses, how can people who deserve to starve eat his family's grain? So he invites an extraordinary person over to chant a spell, summon corpses, and destroy grain, pointing at the people outside the painted screen and scolding: "Our family's grain would rather rot than be eaten by you."

The play is well written.

And unlike regular plays, where the heavens always open their eyes in the end and the evildoers suffer retribution, in this play, the evildoers don't suffer retribution.

The poor must eventually starve to death, and the general must eventually be beheaded.

Scene after scene is performed, and next to it, Liuli lanterns are lit one by one. These lanterns shine on the shadow puppets, with shimmering lights, and the lantern bodies rotate. Then scene after scene is projected into the hearts of the people of these four prefectures and seven states, who are sleeping in their dreams.

So, the expressions on the faces of these people who finally had a full meal begin to twist.

In their hearts, there's already a deep worry about where the next meal will come from after finishing this one.

Now, this worry is stimulated.

And this worry was originally filled with confusion, not knowing exactly why it's like this.

But this time, it's as if someone has brought the answer.

When people are alive, they don't dare to be angry, dare not to speak out. In dreams, are they still so suppressed?

Finally, something is hooked up. Some people start gnashing their teeth, some start sobbing, and some clench their fists in their sleep, and then pinch the thigh of the person next to them.

The person next to them shivers in pain, but in the dream, they see the grinning master pinching their thigh. Finally, they can't bear the pain anymore, so they raise a hand that usually only farms the land and slap it hard towards that face:

"Let go of my thigh!"

"..."

"..."

"The wind is rising!"

On the hilltop, Laozao Jiu looks at the dark heaven and earth. Suddenly, a wisp of cold wind blows. He watches these winds grow from thin to thick, from few to many, watches them gradually form a wind that uproots grass and moves stones. He sees the bonfires tremble and shiver.

He slowly raises his head, with a bit of drunkenness.

Suddenly smashing the bowl in his hand, he jumps up, raises one hand high, and挟holds a talisman between two fingers.

"Thousands point the finger, die without illness!"

"..."

In the Xing Hun (Punishment of Souls) Sect, there's a saying about people hurting people.

In the old days, there was a minor official in the Xing Men (Punishment Gate) who was greedy for money, relying on his small territory in prison, taking people's money to eliminate disasters, and doing countless things to wrong and harm people.

The victims were all poor people who couldn't sue him, but resentment accumulated in their hearts. An capable person passed by and visited, saying that their resentment was too great, which would hurt the harmony of heaven and earth, and might attract ghosts and gods, which would bring disaster to their own homes.

The bitter masters were angry and cursed, saying that they have grievances that can't be redressed, but instead they attract disaster?

The capable person sighed and left a talisman, pasted it on the door, telling them that whenever they feel resentful and angry, they should come and worship this talisman. If there are new bitter masters in the city, they should also be invited to worship. Over time, its spirituality will naturally manifest.

Since then, all those who resented this person came to worship this talisman. After several months, this talisman was suddenly blown away by the wind.

At the same time, the minor official died without illness, dying suddenly.

Some people in the Xing Men took this as a warning and introduced this method into the Xing Men, and later it became a method in the Xing Hun Men.

Laozao Jiu is using such a method, which is the simplest method in the Xing Hun Men.

It's so simple that even Di Gua Shao (Sweet Potato Liquor) doesn't want to use it,嫌because it takes too long to be effective.

But Laozao Jiu doesn't believe in that evil. Is it slow?

When he挟holds the talisman between his fingers and points it at the night sky, the endless陰wind, like trapped beasts, suddenly seems to find a direction and rushes towards this small hill.

The strength and fierceness of the陰wind actually makes the Bu Shi Niu disciples on the mountain feel suffocated and chilled, hastily raising their hands to cover their faces, the talismans in their hands suddenly tearing apart.

"What the heck?"

Not only are everyone on the mountain shocked, but even Laozao Jiu himself is stunned.

"So powerful?"

Then, a look of surprise appears on his face: "I only knew about it theoretically before, but now that I see it, it's really scary..."

"But, it's awesome!"

"..."

He shouts, immediately turning around, pulling out a white banner from his bag. The banner has endless silk threads hanging down, and each silk thread has such a talisman attached to it, waving in the night sky.

Whirr!

Endless talisman papers dance, and the wind around them becomes stronger, as if waves, layer upon layer, sweeping in.

All the talisman papers on the white banner become extremely heavy at this time.

But still, in the blink of an eye, they're about to become unable to bear the weight. There are cracks on every talisman paper.

"Not enough, not enough!"

Laozao Jiu shouts, quickly pulling out several more banners from his bag, flying around his body.

But this陰wind blows over the earth of the four prefectures and seven states, blows over empty cities and towns, blows over desolate wildernesses.

It blows over the groups of poor people gathered in the valleys, ragged and pale, blows over the desolate graves that have been neglected for a long time and are covered with weeds, also blows over the Beggar General's tattered military tents, and blows over the young and strong men who are sleeping while hugging wooden sticks and spears.

So, wave after wave, layer upon layer, endless陰wind gathers towards this hilltop.

Dozens of banners pile up this small hill, making it white, as if countless white ghosts are dancing wildly in the wind.

Every talisman is extremely heavy, and even this small hill seems to be sinking.

"This..."

Boluopi looks at it from the side, his face is surprised and full of admiration for Laozao Jiu, but gradually as he watches, his face changes.

From surprise, it turns into worry, and even panic.

"Not good, we're playing too big..."

He hastily tries to step forward to stop him, but is blown back by one of the talismans on the banner, falling to the ground, and can only shout: "Laozao Ge, let go..."

"This curse is too heavy, too big, you can't control it anymore..."

"..."

A curse is borrowing power, borrowing people, borrowing demons, borrowing the ghost gods of the prefectural lords, borrowing from heaven and earth.

There are curses in the Fu Ling Men (Burdened Spirits Sect), there are curses in the Zou Gui (Ghost Walker Sect), there are curses in the Xing Hun (Punishment of Souls) Sect, and even the Ba Xi Men (Acrobatic Trickery Sect) sometimes chant a curse to scare people.

The methods of using curses are different in each sect, but they're all borrowing power, but now, Laozao Jiu's curse is borrowing the resentment of the people's hearts.

The methods of術法all steal the power of heaven and earth, but you have to be careful, otherwise you will be seen by heaven and invite heavenly punishment.

Jiangtou Chen has the ability to avoid因果(karma) and heavenly punishment, but Laozao Jiu doesn't. This curse is so large that it has far exceeded the limits of the sect, exceeding his current realm. Even the old Laobai Gan (white liquor) of Zhen Sui (Suppress Calamities) Hu Family can't withstand this kind of curse.

What's more, Laozao Jiu is only in the 非人 (Beyond Human) realm?

"Chen Family can unscrupulously use this evil method to destroy grain, but I can't just speak out about it?"

But in Boluopi's reminder, Laozao Jiu suddenly gritted his teeth and said hatefully: "That's not right!"

"I'm not convinced!"

"..."

In the midst of the shouting, the white banners that are spinning and flying around his body are each incredibly heavy, reaching their limit, and even Qing Shuang (azure frost) begins to grow on his clothes.

And on his exposed arms and neck, cracks begin to appear, and even above his head, layers of heavy乌云(dark clouds) appear. It has alarmed heaven and earth, as if an eye is watching him.

Anyone in the sect who feels that someone is watching them from above must immediately stop.

This means that they have committed too many sins and are about to become possessed.

When the Wu Chang Li Family was still around, this sin might not have fallen on them, but first fell on the Li Family's people.

But now, it's directly descending.

But Laozao Jiu is looking askance at the night sky, becoming more angry, and whispering:

"Now is the time!"

"Brother, we're really not as good as the Jiangtou Chen Family in terms of術法. It's the same if we call more people to fight to the death."

"But compared to the Jiangtou Chen Family, we also have advantages..."

"They're not afraid of heavenly punishment, and we're not afraid either."

"Quick, take out your ninth Liuli lantern, shine it on me, I want to say something important to the people of the world..."

"..."

Boluopi sees Laozao Jiu's idea and immediately exclaims: "No, no, this is not in the plan, Old Bro, I haven't shown you my Gong Zhuang Meiren (Palace-Style Beauties) yet..."

"What plan or no plan, when the time comes, sooner or later, it's this shot!"

Laozao Jiu laughs, his figure seems to be getting further and further away from Boluopi: "When we had that meeting, everyone wasn't used to being too pretentious, so we didn't say it very seriously."

"But Hong Putaoyi (Red Wine) Miss had a saying that actually touched my heart."

"We come to this world, we don't leave a name, we don't leave a voice, but we have to leave our mark."

"..."

Boluopi doesn't know what to say, angrily cursing: "The main thing is that you have this opportunity to bring me along..."

"I've been calling you 'Ge' for days, and you're abandoning me at this time..."

"It'll be terrible if you fall into Tai Sui's hands later..."

"..."

But in the midst of the cursing, he still picks up the last lantern, which is also the most powerful and can shine the furthest, and aims it at Laozao Jiu, who is surrounded by white banners.

At this time, the lead clouds above his head are heavy, and the陰winds are rolling in from all directions, layer upon layer, rolling towards the mountain. It's the resentment of the people of the four directions that even so many banners and so many talismans still can't bear.

Laozao Jiu laughs silently, suddenly tearing open his clothes, biting his finger, and drawing a fierce血符(blood talisman) on his chest.

Using his body as a符(talisman), bearing the怨(resentment) of eight directions.

Once this符(talisman) is formed, the endless怨气(resentful energy) suddenly rushes towards his body.

The heavy lead clouds in the night sky suddenly sense it and, facing this resentment that far exceeds the limit, suddenly垂落(dangles down) endless black 雷电(lightning), rolling and surging, striking towards the top of Laozao Jiu's head.

But Laozao Jiu, who can use his body as a talisman, is already laughing at this time, welcoming the endless陰雷(yin lightning) in the sky, saluting with both arms, leading the endless white banners, pointing his fingers like swords, pointing straight at the sky.

"What officials, what Ten Clans, what Tai Sui, I only recognize one principle..."

At this moment, his expression is illuminated by the lightning and fire, turning green, full of ferocity, and with a loud shout, transmitted through the glass lantern, into the dreams of endless people:

"If the heavens don't let me live, I will die together with the heavens!"

"..."

Accompanied by this roar and rolling thunder, his body collapses, but his divine soul has broken out of its orifice, accompanied by the white banners around him, rushing against the sky of yin lightning, pointing straight at the dome of the sky.

Using the curse to replace the heavens, resentment soars into the nine霄(heavens).

(End of chapter)