Hearsay

After returning from a great victory, everyone was naturally in high spirits. Even Xie Jin, who had once been a hunter, found the deep mountain scenery extraordinary—clear mountains, beautiful waters, enough to make one's heart open and spirit refreshed. Fang Ming strode at the front. This time, he did not need Divine Power to conceal himself, and he felt considerably more relaxed. Remembering something, he asked those around him, "Anchang is only a small county. How did Peng Chun gather so many wandering ghosts?"

Aside from ghosts like Guo Sheng and Mr. He, whose fated essence was exceptional, most wandering ghosts perished within seven days. There should not have been so many in a single county. Besides, every village had wandering ghosts, and Wang Liulang had even been able to recruit Yin Soldiers before. This left Fang Ming somewhat puzzled.

Guo Sheng stepped forward and said, "My lord, I know a little about this. Those nearly thousand wandering ghosts were not from Anchang County alone. Peng Chun had gathered them from neighboring counties... For example, this subordinate was a villager from neighboring Anping County."

Fang Ming understood. To stir up trouble, one had to pick the soft persimmon. With Anchang County's Ghost-Banishing Office absent, it was naturally chosen as the target. The other counties either lacked sufficient manpower or had Ghost-Banishing Offices keeping watch, making them unsuitable. Still, wandering ghosts could be drawn in to strengthen one's forces.

After walking several more steps, Fang Ming noticed that although Mr. He remained silent, his eyes were dark and bright, his forehead full and broad. As he walked, he carried an effortless, unrestrained bearing. Fang Ming asked, "I still do not know your great name, sir, nor where you reside." Mr. He sighed, then said, "My name is He Yuqing. I am from the prefectural city and the head of the He Family. I died of illness over ten days ago. But there truly was no room left in our ancestral temple, so I could only come out on my own. I did not expect to encounter bandits and be swept along with them. Fortunately, these two children helped support me, sparing me much suffering." Looking at the two young men following behind him, his eyes revealed appreciation and fatherly affection.

Fang Ming was delighted within and asked again, "Then what does sir think of the affair in Linjiang Prefecture?"

He Yuqing gave a cold snort, his words bursting from between his teeth. "Mere clay chickens and porcelain dogs. Within ten days or a month, they will surely be wiped out!"

"Oh? Why does Mr. He say so?" Fang Ming was startled, but he kept his expression calm as he asked.

He Yuqing stroked his beard and said, "Li Black Leopard was too rampant. The moment he became an Evil Ghost, he immediately moved to slaughter a city, vainly attempting to advance into a Ghost King. He has already alarmed the prefecture, which has dispatched a great army to surround and suppress him. Heh heh, Li Black Leopard had calculated well enough. If he truly became a Ghost King, it would indeed be a fine move. He could surely carve out his own domain and become impossible to contain."

"Unfortunately, one step astray makes heaven and earth apart. The prefecture will not give him another chance to breach a city. Moreover, I fear he has already drawn White Cloud Temple's attention. The day he is reduced to ashes is not far away!"

Fang Ming became interested and asked again, "White Cloud Temple should be one of the Daoist Sects. How strong is it?" He Yuqing gave Fang Ming a surprised look. "White Cloud Temple is a major sect in Wu Prefecture and has received imperial recognition. There are two True Persons within the temple, and its branch temples are spread throughout the land. Most Ghost-Banishing Offices in Wu Prefecture's prefectures and counties are staffed by White Cloud Temple disciples. How could you not know this? Are you deliberately making sport of me?"

Fang Ming smiled awkwardly. "I am a rustic commoner from the wilds, ignorant of the prefecture's great affairs. Please forgive my ignorance, sir." He changed the subject again. "I heard that Li Black Leopard seems to be colluding with a Ghost King from another prefecture, and that they have agreed to form an alliance. What does sir think?"

"Hm?" He Yuqing furrowed his brow, then relaxed it. "A Ghost King establishes offices and government halls, commands ghost armies numbering over ten thousand, and holds the power of life and death. His majesty is profound; none but a True Person can oppose him. Even if he did not take Li Black Leopard as a subordinate and merely agreed to an alliance, he would surely point with his chin and order with his mouth, usurping the host's role. But Li Black Leopard is fierce, valiant, and untamed. He is not one to live beneath another. The two will inevitably clash. When the time comes, they will appear united while their hearts remain divided, and they will surely be defeated one by one. There is nothing to worry about."

Fang Ming clapped his hands and laughed. "Sir's words have cleared the clouds and revealed the sun to me. You truly are a distinguished man!"

He gave another sincere bow and said, "Is sir still unwilling to work for me?"

He Yuqing shook his head slightly. "If you sincerely wish to invite someone, why not first declare your own origins?"...

Fang Ming smiled mysteriously. "It is not that I intentionally concealed my identity. I merely have a small hidden danger that must be dealt with first. Since sir has said so, I shall handle it now. Once I resolve that danger, I will naturally tell you everything I know."

He ordered the party to halt. Although Wang Liulang and Xie Jin did not quite understand, they still restrained their men and passed down the orders. Everyone found an open patch of ground and rested for the moment.

The Yin Soldiers stood in formation, while the other wandering ghosts who had come to submit gathered on the other side. The two groups stood distinct, their boundaries as clear as the Jing and Wei rivers.

Fang Ming walked before the cluster of wandering ghosts, swept his gaze over them, and said, "I came to destroy Peng Chun for the sake of countless living people. In the course of this, some of you wandering ghosts who were swept along suffered accidental harm. It was truly not my intention, and I hope you will understand... Since you have acknowledged me as your lord, you should now perform the great rites of obeisance!"

The wandering ghosts looked at one another. Several wore rather strange expressions, but they still knelt and bowed. "Greetings, my lord!"

Fang Ming looked at the Fortune above the wandering ghosts' heads and revealed a cold smile.

As early as when he accepted his first subordinate, he had discovered that the Fortune bestowed upon subordinates did not appear from nothing. It was drawn from his own Fortune. Yet the Fortune of truly loyal subordinates would naturally gather toward him, their destinies linking with his and supporting his own fate.

Now, as the wandering ghosts bowed, the Fortune of most of them gathered toward him and supported his own Fortune. But several clearly showed signs of departure, and some even sought to attack his Fortune. Looking again at their faces, they all wore expressions of utmost respect.

He had discovered this back at the wandering ghost camp, but he could not speak of it then. Fang Ming had no wish to expose his trump card. Besides, no one would have believed him even if he had said so. If he had refused their submission or even destroyed the traitors at the time, the other wandering ghosts who had sincerely submitted would have been chilled to the heart. They might even have thought Fang Ming was using the chance to silence them, causing another uprising. Though it would not have been impossible to suppress, it would have damaged his merit. Why bother?

Now that they were far from the refugee camp, he no longer feared that they could turn the heavens upside down.

A flash of cold laughter passed over Fang Ming's face, but he did not act at once. Instead, he said warmly, "Guo Sheng, your learning is outstanding, and your heart is pure and filial. I now appoint you as my clerk!"

As soon as these words fell, a stream of white qi separated from the Fortune above Fang Ming's head and entered Guo Sheng's. Guo Sheng possessed a pure red fated essence and swiftly absorbed it. The white qi above his head condensed, and a thread of red Fortune surged from his fated essence in return, supporting Fang Ming's Fortune. Fang Ming saw that the red Fortune above his own head seemed to have increased by a trace, and he could not help nodding. He understood that this was the way of governance: employ men well, obtain worthy talent, and they would naturally support their lord's fate, causing his Fortune to rise.

Divine Power surged forth and enveloped Guo Sheng. Before long, a young man dressed in a clerk's official robes emerged, surprise still seeming to linger on his face. Fang Ming nodded, then separated another thread of Divine Power to stabilize the scattered form of Guo Sheng's elderly mother. Her form had previously been falling apart, and her end had been near. Now it stabilized considerably, her face glowing with renewed vitality and her complexion greatly improved.

Guo Sheng bowed in thanks. "Many thanks, my lord. This servant will die in my lord's service!"

The other wandering ghosts erupted into an uproar at the sight. Fang Ming smiled. He had not done this before because he feared that where there were many people, there were many mouths, and word would leak out. With such divine abilities, he held the lifeline of ghosts in his grasp. So long as they did not wish to devour people, their only path to survival was generally to serve under him. If he had done this within the rift, would the news not have spread like wildfire at once? That would have brought endless trouble. Now they were all his subordinates, and the rest could not escape either. He no longer feared the secret leaking out.

He gave another meaningful look. Wang Liulang understood and invited Guo Sheng and his mother to rest to one side, subtly placing them under protection.

Fang Ming then dealt with them one by one, assigning duties to each of the thirty-odd wandering ghosts and settling them all. By the end, only several people remained kneeling in the clearing. Fang Ming merely sneered without speaking. Xie Jin sensed that something was amiss and placed his hand on his sword hilt. The atmosphere quietly turned wrong.

The people kneeling on the ground were none other than Zhang Tie and several others. They had caught the scent of danger and wanted to make a move, but unfortunately, their bodies could not move at all. Zhang Tie gave a bitter laugh. "I thought I had hidden it very well. How did you discover us?"...

Fang Ming smiled. This was his secret, and he could not reveal it. Sometimes, it benefited one in authority to retain a measure of mystery when commanding subordinates. Thus, he said, "Are you accomplices of the bandits, or are you wandering ghosts?"

Zhang Tie no longer concealed anything. He glared furiously at Fang Ming, nearly wishing to hack him into pieces with his gaze. "Thief! You drove us to attack the bandits, causing our families to die beneath the chaos of battle. What is there left to say?"

"Bold!" Xie Jin drew his long blade and looked toward Fang Ming.

Fang Ming raised his head to look at the sky, saying not a word.

After a long while, he waved his hand. Xie Jin understood, took the lead, and struck. His long blade flashed past, dismembering Zhang Tie and the others into gray qi.

"Alas!" He Yuqing watched the scene and let out a long sigh. Seeing the two young men behind him pale with fright, clearly still shaken by lingering fear, he spoke several gentle words to comfort them and settle their hearts.

Fang Ming came back to himself and walked before Mr. He. "Now that we are all one of our own, I have nothing left to conceal. I am the Land God, overseeing the lands of four villages in Qingxi Township. When I saw Peng Chun gathering Ferocious Ghosts with ill intent, I led my subordinates into the mountains to surround and destroy him. I did not expect to encounter you, sir. Would you be willing to lend me a hand?"

He Yuqing's expression was astonished. He murmured to himself, "A Land God... Why have I never heard of one..."

He bowed again. "Forgive my discourtesy. For the moment, I cannot recall the origin of the title Land God. Might you tell me?"

Fang Ming smiled faintly. "It is nothing much. I was originally an Ancestral Spirit, muddleheaded all this time, having forgotten more than half my memories. I only remembered that I was called Fang Ming. Yet for some reason, I suddenly gained several divine abilities, and my mind gradually became clearer. It must have been bestowed by Heaven. Since I should protect the peace of a region's waters and soil, I named myself the Land God." This was a lie, an origin Fang Ming had fabricated for himself. Yet as he spoke, his eyes were clear and his tone sincere—so sincere that even he nearly believed it.

He Yuqing's expression turned strange. "Your extraordinary encounter is truly unheard of. It is vastly different from the Ancestral Spirits of great clans and aristocratic families!"

"Oh! Sir, please explain it to me in detail!"

He Yuqing thought for a moment and said, "In rural villages, sacrificial spirits are rare. Even where they exist, there is usually only one. You should know this, honored sir."

Seeing Fang Ming nod, he continued, "In the great households of counties and prominent local lineages, their families are wealthy and their incense offerings flourish. The fewest have two or three spirits, while the most have five or six. Any more than that, and they still cannot support them. My family can also be considered a prominent local lineage and has some renown in Wenchang Prefecture. Only because our clan's sacrifices never cease can we support five ancestors. Descendants should not contend with their ancestors; thus, I could only leave and seek my own opportunity."

"As for those great aristocratic families renowned throughout the realm, their ancestral temples gradually develop supernatural qualities and can open up a blessed land. The small ones are as large as a county, while the great ones are as large as a prefecture. I have heard that their produce is abundant, untouched by floods or droughts, almost like paradise. So long as members of the Lineage are entered in the genealogical register, they may go there after death and be preserved for a long time."

"Yet though their ancestors established such a foundation, and their fate is like mountains and seas, it cannot endure daily erosion. Blessed lands still need Fortune to sustain them. Thus, their descendants must serve as officials generation after generation, and they must be principal officials of the third rank or higher, directly receiving the support of the myriad people and gaining the vital essence of millions of subjects. After death, they bring that Fortune to replenish the blessed land, allowing it to endure. In chaotic times, some great aristocratic families have even had their clans exterminated. Later, they invited True Persons to inspect their ancestral temples, only to be told that the blessed lands had been utterly destroyed and their spirits could no longer be preserved. Still, having enjoyed such peaceful blessings for so long, the descendants of great aristocratic families are far more fortunate than lone ghosts and wild spirits like us."

"I have heard that the imperial family's blessed land is as vast as half the realm. It can even contain the hundred officials and armies. Its supernatural mysteries are a tightly guarded secret, and I have not heard them. I have only vaguely heard that the court and the aristocratic families have gradually developed friction over where great officials should belong after death. The two sides contend with one another, fighting over Fortune." Fang Ming was startled. This blessed land was the embryonic form of the Netherworld from his previous life, though it still required the Fortune of humanity for replenishment.

"But between yin and yang, resistance is immense. Blessed lands permit entry but not exit, and their restrictions are even harsher than those upon Ancestral Spirits in villages and counties." Fang Ming sneered. This was like ghosts of the Netherworld in his previous life wishing to linger in the world of the living. It was not exactly a dream, but they would still have to endure countless hardships.

"Thus, in the eyes of true great aristocratic families, the prominent lineages of this world are still merely country bumpkins, unable even to shelter their own clansmen. And those prominent lineages constantly fix their eyes upon the aristocratic families above them, wishing they could replace them. Meanwhile, whenever troubled times come, all the aristocratic families rush toward the throne of the Nine-Five. It truly rises one wave after another, an endless succession." At this point, He Yuqing gave a bitter smile.

Fang Ming seemed to gain some understanding. He knew this intelligence was a secret closely guarded by every aristocratic family. Had he not happened to encounter He Yuqing, the head of a prominent local lineage, how could he have obtained such hidden knowledge?