Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
Advance chapters available for patrons on Patreon. And a chapter can be sponsored by buying me a ko-fi.
But the Taoist priests present wouldn’t let him have his way. They immediately rushed forward, throwing several lightning-summoning talismans. Several loud bangs then echoed, causing immediate chaos within the temple. The followers of the Xiusheng Sect, bewildered, assumed it was an explosion and began screaming and fleeing outside. The tall, thin man, struck by a lightning talisman and slightly injured, gritted his teeth and, under the protection of the pockmarked man, took off running towards the backyard, clutching the Yin Soldier Token as he ran, trying to summon reinforcements. Outnumbered, he was no match for the crowd and quickly fell into a disadvantageous position, seemingly about to be subdued and have the Token stolen.
But just then, a low shout suddenly came from the high wall of the backyard: “Where are the eight directions? Command my destiny!!”
As soon as the words fell, a chilling wind arose, whipping the curtains covering the statues high into the air, causing them to flutter eerily.
No one expected this turn of events. The Taoist priests present, after their initial shock, immediately began to observe and apply talismans. They were then astonished to discover that one after another, ghostly soldiers were emerging from the surrounding statues!
The devout priests present were immediately enraged: “You dare to raise ghostly soldiers directly in your temple?!”
The tall, thin man, who had just been hit several times, couldn’t help but laugh heartily at his opponent’s anger: “Ghostly soldiers receive offerings from believers, which can increase their strength. What’s wrong with that? Why can’t we raise them here?”
He then turned respectfully to the newcomer: “Master, what brings you here?”
His master, without a doubt, was Zhang Pang, the leader of the Xiusheng Sect. Zhang Pang, with his profound features and ethereal, otherworldly appearance, slowly descended the ladder from the high wall, his every movement like that of a reclusive sage: “If I hadn’t come, wouldn’t you and your fellow disciples have been bullied by this uninvited guest?”
Fellow disciples?!
The Taoist priests present were stunned for a moment. Looking up, they saw the chubby boy from the Xiusheng Sect, who should have been guarded outside, panting as he crawled in behind Zhang Pang. His actions were much more down-to-earth than Zhang Pang’s; as he crawled, he anxiously pleaded, “Master, Master, listen to me…”
His master raised a hand, stopping him, then calmly put his hands behind his back, smiling at the Taoist priests ahead.
The priests stared at him warily: “You’re Zhang, the leader of the Xiusheng Sect? What have you done to the police and fellow Taoists outside?”
Zhang Pang smiled slightly, his aura almost otherworldly. Just as he was about to speak, another untimely voice rang out from the crowd: “Master, Master, look, that pyramid scheme guy is here!”
Zhang Pang: “…”
The tall, thin man: “…”
The Taoist priests present: “…”
Oh right, what otherworldly? This is a pyramid scheme boss! They almost got scammed.
…..
The chubby boy remained anxious: “Master, listen to me…”
When someone pointed at his past scandals and brought them up, Zhang Pang’s composed face twitched slightly, almost losing his composure: “…Don’t worry, everyone outside is still alive and well, but it’s a pity about you.”
As he spoke, the ghostly soldiers he had summoned all left the attached statues and lined up neatly behind him. The Taoist priests present were even more astonished upon closer inspection— they had originally thought that the ghostly soldiers of the Xiusheng Sect were at most just a bunch of wild ghosts, but unexpectedly, they actually looked like a group of legitimate soldiers! These ghostly soldiers wore old-fashioned armor and helmets, each one exuding a strong aura of yin energy, tall and imposing, and radiating murderous intent! There were at least two hundred of them!
The cult leader, Zhang, was clearly very pleased with the shocked expressions on everyone’s faces, and his smile deepened: “Surprised? This is a group of Qing soldiers I encountered by chance in the mountains. After subduing them, I have been carefully supporting them, and with the incense offerings from my followers and various equipment, I have barely managed to raise them to what they are today.”
These ghost soldiers were all truly powerful and fierce warriors in their lifetimes, killing without hesitation. Zhang Pang had always been extremely proud of this trump card of his. Every piece of armor and every long sword on these ghost soldiers was the result of his meticulous craftsmanship.
Before he could finish speaking, that untimely voice rang out again from the crowd ahead: “…Since you’re already putting in so much effort, why don’t you equip them with guns? Even an air rifle would do. We’re in the age of firearms now, even raising ghosts needs to keep up with the times, right?”
Zhang Pang: “……………………”
The two Taoist priests: “…………”
In all his years, Zhang Pang had never heard such a nonsensical and embarrassing remark before. So his face finally turned cold: “Who’s been babbling on?”
Tuan Tuanyi met his gaze and paused, “Huh? Everyone’s silent, it’s so awkward for you to keep talking.”
Zhang Pang was silent for a while, and when he saw that the three young people in front of him were oblivious to their own mortality, his eyes turned completely gloomy. Unfortunately, his body had suffered a backlash from the substitution and hadn’t fully recovered, so he couldn’t fight. He glanced at the Taoist priests in front of him, too lazy to waste any more words, and simply addressed the group of ghost soldiers: “I have prepared a good marriage for you! Take them down, and you can win the heart of a beauty!”
Upon hearing this, the group of ghost soldiers became excited and turned into a bunch of baboons. The Taoist priests present immediately realized that this was Zhang Pang’s method of subduing them, and the reason why he had invited his followers to hold this mass ghost marriage today— it turned out that the girls sent by his followers were a benefit he used to bribe his subordinates!
Knowing there was potential for gain, the ghostly soldiers indeed prepared to attack. The Taoist priests present stared warily at the gleaming ghostly blades in the soldiers’ hands and their aggressive demeanor. However, Tuan Tuanyi, from their own camp, muttered under his breath, “Damn, they’ve been ghosts since the Qing Dynasty, it must be over a hundred years now! No wonder they fight so fiercely at the mention of girls, they must have all been going crazy.”
The Taoist priests were speechless.
“…… Can you guys be serious for once?”
This was clearly impossible. Tuan Tuanyi then disruptively addressed the ghostly soldiers, “Don’t be fooled by him, this guy’s a pyramid scheme operator, he talks a lot of nonsense. In modern society, we all talk about freedom of marriage. Does he think he can just give you girls like that? What if the girls don’t want them? Besides, whether there are even girls is another matter.”
The ghostly soldiers were stunned and all turned to look at Zhang Pang.
Seeing the morale of his troops crumbling, Zhang Pang couldn’t tolerate it. So gritting his teeth, he said, “Watch closely! You are all elite soldiers of my Xiusheng Sect, why belittle yourselves?!”
With that, escorted by his disciples, he quickly approached the long table piled high with birth dates and times slips of paper from believers.
“Not good!” The Taoist priests present stirred again. “He’s going to summon a ghost!”
The ghost soldiers, having probably guessed he wanted to summon a girl, waved their sharp blades and howled excitedly. How could the Taoist priests dare let Zhang Pang have his way? They immediately stepped forward to interrupt, but the ghost soldiers were so desperate for a girl that they didn’t need Zhang Pang’s command; they took the initiative to stop them, and a fierce battle erupted between the humans and ghosts!
Amidst the occasional booming sounds of battle behind them, Zhang Pang remained completely calm. He fiddled with the slips of paper in the box, lit an incense stick, and began chanting a soul-summoning incantation.
As incense smoke curled, the air in the open space in front of the bill began to distort. Moments later, one chaotic phantom after another became clearer.
The figures were both male and female, but the focus was on the women!
There were women! The female ghosts were here!!!
The ghost soldiers, glancing back between battles, hadn’t even gotten a clear look at their faces before becoming instantly excited, as if injected with adrenaline, eager to demonstrate their power before the female ghosts. Their momentum surged, catching the previously evenly matched Taoist priests completely off guard.
Seeing this, Zhang Pang couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction. His gaze then turned to the female ghosts ahead, who had indeed noticed his valiant ghost soldiers. With these female ghosts joining his ghost army, his trump card would undoubtedly become even stronger!
At the same time, his chubby little apprentice suddenly tumbled and crawled towards him from the battlefield, repeatedly crying out, “Master! Master! Listen to me…”
Zhang Pang had heard him repeat this phrase ever since he rescued him, but he hadn’t had time to hear the whole thing before due to the urgency of the situation. Now, seeing his disheveled state, he frowned and shouted, “What are you trying to say?! You’re covered in dirt and in such a panic, stand up straight! You’re not behaving properly!”
The chubby boy was already frantic. After stopping, he stamped his feet and blurted out, “Master… Quickly, take these female ghosts back! Take them back!!!”
Zhang Pang, bewildered, frowned and said, “What nonsense are you spouting?”
Before he could finish speaking, the same voice that had choked him twice before came again from the side: “Master!!! Master!!! Female ghosts!!! It really is a female ghost!!!”
Zhang Pang was stunned by the excitement in the voice. Turning around, he saw that it was indeed the same group of young men from before. The tall man who had spoken was even more excited than his own hundred-year-old, single ghost soldiers upon seeing a female ghost.
He was wondering what this man was so excited about when, a second later, the handsome young man with slightly curly hair beside him nodded steadily: “Quickly notify Uncle Shen and ask if they’re ready.”
The tall young man nodded quickly, took out his phone, dialed a few words, and carefully placed the phone on the ground.
Zhang Pang stared at the phone, still in a call: “?”
The Taoist priests, who were frantically fighting the excited Yin soldiers, couldn’t help but turn around and shout, “Fellow Daoists Wei, what are you doing standing there!”
The next instant, a terrifying light suddenly shone before their eyes, a light like fireworks, neon lights, or the sun’s explosion, so intense that they dared not look directly at it, fearing it would blind them. It took a long time for everyone to recover from their dizziness and look around. At the same time, they were astonished to find that another group of Yin soldiers had appeared in the already crowded Xiusheng Sect Taoist temple. The Yin soldiers’ attire was strikingly opposite to Zhang Pang’s Qing soldiers— black suits, crisp trousers, gleaming leather shoes, and neatly styled hair. They stood in neat rows, each holding a vibrant paper rose, a flamboyant scene reminiscent of a male lead’s first appearance in an idol drama, even more shocking than the Qing soldiers. The Taoist priests stared at them, and the domineering background music involuntarily echoed in their ears. The group of female ghosts summoned by Zhang Pang had never seen such a spectacle before. Their attention was instantly drawn back from the Qing soldiers, and they began to involuntarily cast alluring glances at the new, unfamiliar male ghosts.
Everyone: “…???”
The Qing Dynasty ghost soldiers also gradually calmed down, standing frozen in place, staring at the group of female ghosts who were intently watching the new men in suits: “???”
In the midst of the stunned silence, Tuan Tuanyi cheered to his employees, “Brothers! For your lifelong happiness, fight back!!! Charge!!!”
The ghost soldiers, who had been single for over a hundred years, panicked completely. They abandoned their weapons and opponents, throwing themselves into the fray and charging towards the female ghosts. No way!!!
Zhang Pang was utterly dumbfounded. He tried to stop them, but how could he possibly hold off hundreds of ghost soldiers, especially with the backlash from the attack? No ghost soldiers paid him any attention. Their wives were about to be stolen; what was the point of fighting? What was the point of fighting at all!
Chaos reigned. The chubby boy, his face contorted with despair, squatted on the ground, wailing under his master’s stunned gaze: “Master, we’re doomed! You wouldn’t listen to me just now because you were trying to show off! Look at them, all dressed in suits and flashy clothes, playing music! Our sect’s ghost soldiers are so unsophisticated, and we don’t even have permanent positions. How can we possibly compete with them?!”
The author has something to say:
Taicang Sect Ghost Soldiers: “We have permanent positions! Stable salaries!”
Xiusheng Sect Ghost Soldiers: “………………”
Taicang Sect Ghost Soldiers: “We even have houses! In the city center of a first-tier city!”
Xiusheng Sect Ghost Soldiers: “……………………”
Xiusheng Sect Ghost Soldiers [removing their armor]: I quit!
Guys, ads are my only source of revenue, so please do not turn on the AdBlock when you are accessing this website…. Thank you, this would be a great help…
You can buy me a ko-fi and sponsor a chapter on: https://ko-fi.com/midnightrambles
Or become a Patron or access advance chapters on: https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=45665005
If you support me, I would be able to provide more chapters….
Previous • Table of Contents• Next
