C22 Borrowing Soldiers

Zombies certainly exist; otherwise, there would be no zombie movies. But zombies aren't as close to us as you might think. It's not as simple as a corpse being pounced on by wild cats and coming back to life; that would be nothing more than a false alarm.

True zombies are created in cursed lands, where corpses are buried deep underground and steeped in the earth's energy over many years. Legend has it that zombies are invincible, impervious to ordinary weapons. Moreover, they're said to develop supernatural powers after extensive cultivation. But these are just tales. If zombies were really that formidable, how could Zhou have sliced off a piece of flesh so easily?

Armed with this zombie flesh, I felt my odds of dealing with the Old Ghost improve significantly.

I returned to the village chief's house with the zombie meat. Thankfully, Wang Dali had been well-behaved and hadn't touched my chest. I found Bai Xiaoxiao and asked her,

"Xiaoxiao, there were no protective spells at the Taoist temple. Why didn't you come in with me?"

I've always found it odd that Zhou's Taoist temple, devoid of any protective spells, seemed to repel ghosts. This was true both during his life and even more so after his death, defying the natural laws of sorcery.

At the mention of the Taoist temple, Bai Xiaoxiao turned deathly pale, giving me a forlorn look before finally saying,

"Being near that place makes my soul feel uneasy, as if I've encountered a ghost..."

I was somewhat at a loss. You are a ghost, so why the fear of seeing one? However, I could somewhat understand Bai Xiaoxiao's feelings; that Taoist temple must be a sinister place for spirits, especially since Zhou was no saint in life.

Wang Dali, puffing up with bravado, showed off his muscular physique and declared,

"Wang Xu, shall we head back to the woods now? I'm all set! Anyone who dares to mess with my sister will get what's coming to them!"

I shook my head and replied,

"They're already dead; you can't kill them again. We still need to prepare a bit more. I need your help. Go gather some items from the village. Meanwhile, I'll take Xiaoxiao with me to seek out some reinforcements."

I whispered into Wang Dali's ear, detailing the items I needed to collect. Instantly, his complexion shifted—first to an ashen white, then to a fiery red akin to a monkey's rear.

"Wang Xu, you... I never pegged you for this kind of person, Wang Xu. These are the same items you asked for in your note last time, aren't they? You really want them?"

I nodded, reaffirming my request:

"Yes, absolutely! And I need three times the amount listed on that note!"

Wang Dali's jaw was set, his fists clenched so tightly they popped. The veins on his temples throbbed visibly; he was clearly wrestling with his conscience.

Bai Xiaoxiao glanced between me and Wang Dali with innocent curiosity, not yet grasping the gravity of the situation.

At last, Wang Dali unclenched his teeth, released his fists with a sigh, and called out,

"Mom! Mom! Could you come here, please? There's a little... urgent matter. I need your help..."

Bai Xiaoxiao, still naively enthralled by the drama, was eager to keep watching. I quickly pulled her away; this spectacle was no longer ours to witness.

I gathered several offerings and took Bai Xiaoxiao back to the Earth Temple. The previous offerings for Earth Granny had vanished, whether consumed by deities or pilfered by mischievous children, I couldn't say.

I arranged the new offerings and lit a stick of incense for Earth Granny. As the smoke swirled, she manifested once more.

"I've seen the Ghost Market in the western woods. Why haven't you intervened?" I inquired with due reverence.

By all accounts, in addition to reporting the mortal realm's state to the Heavenly Court, maintaining peace was part of the Earth deity's duty. Operations like the Black Ghost Market should fall under Earth's purview, yet for years, there seemed to be no inclination to act...

My respectful tone belied the challenge in my words.

A flicker of irritation crossed Earth Granny's visage. After a tense pause, she floated three words back to me:

"Beyond my control."

Her admission sent a chill through me. Earth deities are the grassroots of the divine hierarchy, subordinate to both the Heavenly Court and the Underworld. Her inability to intervene suggested that the old ghost had powerful backing. Reflecting on the Soul Devouring Prison within the Ghost Market, it seemed likely that the old ghost was an agent of the Underworld...

The land is a domain of the Yin God. What consequences would arise from offending the Underworld... well, that goes without saying.

"But you can handle it!" the Land Granny added, her voice now laced with slyness.

I furrowed my brow, finally realizing why she had been so eager to show me the way initially. The old ghost's ghost market might have the Underworld's protection, but it was clearly a thorn in the Land Granny's side, a problem waiting to happen. She was intent on getting rid of it.

But she couldn't do it herself; the old ghost's superiors would never stand for it. However, if a human sorcerer were to take action... then she would be off the hook. The Underworld might control the land, but could it really govern the eccentric sorcerers among the living?

It seemed I was being used as a pawn, yet I had no choice but to continue on this path of destroying the old ghost. Whether it was to rescue Wang Lele or to prevent the old ghost's retaliation, there was no turning back for me.

"Alright, if you say I can handle it, then I'll take on this task. But there are too many malevolent spirits in that forest; I can't face them alone. I'd like to borrow some troops from you. Is that possible?"

When I mentioned borrowing troops, the Land Granny went quiet. Be it the Mountain God, the Land, or the City God, they all commanded a contingent of Yin soldiers and ghostly envoys to aid in their duties and keep the lesser demons at bay.

Yet, if the Land Granny were to deploy her forces, it would be nearly the same as her directly meddling in the affair, hence her reluctance.

I pressed on:

"I'm not asking for much, just a hundred or two hundred Yin Warriors to hold the line. I'll have a strategy to handle the old ghost when the time comes, and I assure you, it will be done thoroughly."

By 'thoroughly,' I meant that the soul would be utterly dispersed.

After a long pause, the Land Granny finally replied,

"Our village is small, and your grandmother doesn't have many soldiers to spare. I truly can't lend you any. But I'm kind-hearted, so I'll go to the City God and borrow two hundred Yin Warriors for you. I hope they can achieve the clean slate you're promising…"

I nodded, unconcerned with the specifics of how she intended to borrow the troops. As long as we had soldiers, it didn't matter to whom they belonged. The incense had just finished burning, and I left with Bai Xiaoxiao.

As we departed, Bai Xiaoxiao occasionally hopped about, clearly excited:

"Wang Xu, Wang Xu, was that Grandma Land we just saw? She's so beautiful~"

I was taken aback.

"Oh? You can see her?"

Bai Xiaoxiao nodded, then animatedly described to me how Grandma Land was such a stunning woman that even she, a ghost, was left in awe. But in truth, she was describing a young girl not much different from herself.

What puzzled me the most was that even with my Yin-Yang Eye, I couldn't see Grandma Land. How was Bai Xiaoxiao able to see her true form? Do white ghosts possess such a capability?

"Seeing the true form of the land? How did this young girl manage that?" I wondered to myself.