Military Qi

Moments later, Qingxi Township was in sight. The torrential rain seemed to add a touch of melancholy to the world.

Fang Ming looked at the white light barrier enveloping Qingxi Township and smiled. It wasn't as strong as the four villages under his jurisdiction. However, there was a sense of hostility emanating from it, indicating that Zhang Qingyun had already discovered him.

But that doesn't matter. I came here to kill him fair and square. Zhang Qingyun, as an Ancestral Spirit, is confined to the Ancestral Hall. Does he think he can escape?

Fang Ming let out a cold laugh and said, "Attack!"

"Yes!" Wang Liulang accepted the order and shouted, "Form the formation!"

The forty Yin Soldiers, led by their Squad Leader, with Fang Ming, Wang Liulang, and Xie Jin at the core, took their positions in a specific formation. Their long sabers were like a forest, pointing directly at the light barrier of Qingxi Township.

At this moment, in Fang Ming's eyes, a stern, dark qi emerged from above the military formation, accompanied by the sounds of battle. This was not fortune, nor was it disaster qi, but genuine Military Qi. Fang Ming had been cultivating the Yin Soldiers, tempering them through battle, and with Wang Liulang and Xie Jin applying military tactics, it had finally paid off today!

The Yin Soldiers roared in unison, "Kill!" The black Military Qi surged, faintly taking the shape of sabers, and lunged at the light barrier. With a boom, accompanied by a resentful cry, the light barrier shattered, dissolving into scattered light spots. Fang Ming was overjoyed. Although he could have forcibly broken the barrier, it would have consumed a significant amount of his divine power. This initial test of Military Qi had unexpectedly achieved its goal.

He commanded, "Send one squad to blockade the entrance and record all comings and goings. The rest of you, follow me to the Ancestral Hall. Remember, do not harm the civilians!"

The villagers were unaware of what had happened, but the residents of Qingxi Township felt a tremor in their hearts. Their protective fortune was greatly reduced, and they became uneasy.

Fang Ming had now arrived at the Ancestral Hall. In his eyes, red and white qi churned above the hall, with the white qi being slightly more dominant, forming a thin red and white film that enveloped the hall. This was invisible to mortals, but it was the Ancestral Spirit's last defense.

With a wave of his hand, Wang Liulang understood. The Yin Soldiers formed their military formation again, and their black sabers struck the film fiercely. Red and white light flashed, but it held. The black sabers let out a mournful cry, seemingly damaged, and the Yin Soldiers present paled.

Fang Ming let out a cold snort. He extended his hand, and the black Military Saber flashed. When it reappeared, it was in his hand. As the master of the Yin Soldiers, he could naturally command the Military Qi, which was part of the system's way.

Fang Ming wiped the saber with his hand, and it instantly glowed red, flashing menacingly. Fang Ming let out a cold laugh and slashed his saber. The red and black qi clashed with the red and white qi.

Suddenly, a thunderous explosion, like lightning from a clear sky, knocked the Yin Soldiers to the ground. Xie Jin's legs also went numb, but he quickly gathered his qi and steadied himself, managing not to make a fool of himself. Although he didn't have the Qi Observation Spiritual Power at the moment, he could feel that the repulsive force that had been preventing him from entering the Ancestral Hall had disappeared. Fang Ming watched as the black saber in his hand transformed back into Military Qi and returned to the Yin Soldiers. He couldn't help but smile, having grasped a crucial point. Why did those Ghost Kings establish their own administrations and gather ghosts? It was to absorb the qi of countless ghosts into themselves, allowing them to unleash an unstoppable force with a single strike. If a Ghost King fought a True Person one-on-one, their chances of winning would be around fifty-fifty. However, in the midst of an army, they would be invincible.

But this thought flashed by in an instant. The group entered the Ancestral Hall, and at Fang Ming's command, Wang Liulang and Xie Jin led their soldiers into the main hall. Soon, they dragged out a figure.

This was Zhang Qingyun. He was a middle-aged man in a blue scholar robe, surrounded by red and white light, with a hint of black qi. His face was haggard and dejected. The two layers of barriers had been broken, and they were connected to Zhang Qingyun's fate, thus causing him to suffer a backlash.

Xie Jin reported, "My Lord, when we entered, we saw this man lying on the ground, motionless. At first, we thought he was trying to trick us, but we didn't expect him to be such a pushover. You made us needlessly nervous."

Fang Ming nodded and approached Zhang Qingyun, asking, "You first rejected my goodwill and then tried to destroy my temple. Now that you've fallen into my hands, do you have anything to say?"

Zhang Qingyun weakly raised his head and spat out, "Scoundrel..."

Fang Ming did not get angry. He waved his hand, and Xie Jin understood. He grinned and stepped forward, slashing his saber. Zhang Qingyun's head flew off, landing on the ground and bleeding. After a while, it gradually turned into white qi and dissipated, with a hint of black qi in the middle.

Fang Ming ignored it and used his Nether Sight to examine his own fortune. To his surprise, killing the Ancestral Spirit only added a trace of black sinful qi, which was quickly eliminated by golden light of merit. It seemed that repaying grievances with grievances was the rule in this world. They had a feud, and the other party had made the first move. Fang Ming's counterattack and killing, if Zhang Qingyun hadn't provided some protection, might not have even resulted in this trace of black qi.

Lost in thought, Fang Ming entered the main hall and looked at the densely packed Ancestral Tablets, sighing deeply. "The Zhang Family has produced capable individuals. Zhang Qingyun, starting from humble beginnings, managed to reach the rank of Ninth-Rank Official, which was no easy feat. His descendants were diligent and loyal, building this family's legacy. It's truly admirable..."

At this moment, Xie Jin emerged and reported, "My Lord, although Zhang Qingyun had some talent, he didn't understand the times and dared to defy you and become your enemy. Even if he had some merit, it has all been wiped away. The fate of the Zhang Family now rests in your hands!"

Fang Ming smiled and walked to the very center. He saw that Zhang Qingyun's Ancestral Tablet had a crack. A strong Power of Incense and Offerings surged from the crack.

He reached out and grasped the Ancestral Tablet. A large amount of Power of Incense and Offerings was absorbed into Fang Ming's body and transformed by the Divine Position Talisman into wisps of white divine power. After a long while, Fang Ming released his hand, sighing inwardly. As expected of a township's accumulation, it had provided him with over twenty thousand wisps of divine power, equivalent to the sum of the other four villages. Looking at the increased red hue of the fortune above his head, it seemed that advancement was not far off.

Upon exiting the Ancestral Hall, Fang Ming frowned. The gray and black fortune above Qingxi Township remained condensed and did not disperse; in fact, it had increased. His mind raced, and he found the answer. He called out, "Where is Wang Liulang?"

Wang Liulang knelt on one knee, "Your subordinate is here!"

Fang Ming's mind stirred, and a red long needle materialized in his hand.

"Take this needle, find Zhang Huaizheng, and stab it into his heart. After he dies, destroy his soul!" This was formed by Fang Ming using dozens of wisps of red divine power. Stabbing it into Zhang Huaizheng's heart would cause him to bleed to death, and the symptoms would resemble those of congenital deficiency. It wasn't meant to be a perfect imitation, but rather an excuse.

As soon as these words were spoken, a few wisps of black qi appeared above Fang Ming's head, which were quickly purified. The gray and black qi above Qingxi Township rapidly dissipated, leaving no trace.

Wang Liulang accepted the order and said, "Yes!"

Time rewound slightly.

Just as Fang Ming arrived outside the township, Zhang Huaizheng was speaking with Steward Zhang.

They were in the study. Steward Zhang looked around, noticing that a few decorative items were missing. He remembered they were porcelain pieces that his master greatly cherished. He recalled that three days ago, after reporting, his master had flown into a rage, smashing many porcelain pieces. Even he had been kicked a few times, worsening his injuries.

Zhang Huaizheng was not a fool. He knew that with this incident, it was no longer just a matter of incense and fire; it was beginning to shake the foundations of his Zhang Family. If the Zhang Family couldn't control the four villages below, not only would their usual income decrease, but the county government would also view him unfavorably. Several people in the township were eyeing his position, and they all shared the Zhang surname, possessing the qualifications.

Thinking this, cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Zhang Huaizheng had to abandon the idea of immediately retaliating and instead sent out many household servants to gather information.

Today, the results had come in, and Steward Zhang had come to report.

Steward Zhang said, "Master, I have investigated everything. The origin of that Earth God is very strange. He suddenly appeared in Qingyu Village. Qingyu Village was attacked by a ghost horde, and Su Hu from Old Man Su's family led the charge, carrying the temple into the village, thus receiving worship. Later, he had a dream, saying that as long as there was a statue at home, it could be worshipped and protection would be granted, which spread throughout the four villages..."

As Zhang Huaizheng listened, his brow furrowed tighter. He couldn't help but stand up and pace back and forth a few times. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he burst into laughter, looking extremely delighted.

Steward Zhang was confused. Had his master gone mad?

Then, he heard his master say, "I'll write a letter. You take it to the county, buy some gifts, and visit the abbot of White Water Temple. I have some acquaintance with him, and he will surely see you. Give him the letter. If he asks you anything, answer truthfully, understand?"

Steward Zhang nodded.

Then, Zhang Huaizheng sneered, "Heh heh... Although village worship is generally tolerated by the county as long as it ensures local peace, as long as there are no vengeful ghosts or blood sacrifices, and even if there are, it's the Ghost Suppression Cao Division's business, and they're not here now, so there's nothing that can be done. But I know something about White Water Temple. It's a branch temple of White Cloud Temple, and it can report news directly to White Cloud Temple. I don't believe they wouldn't be interested in capturing such a peculiar Ancestral Spirit for examination. At that time, haha..."

The more he thought about it, the more feasible the plan seemed. He was about to say more when his heart suddenly ached. If Fang Ming were present, he would have seen Zhang Huaizheng's protective fortune rapidly draining away, leaving only a trace shortly after. Zhang Huaizheng's face turned pale, but he still said, "There's no time to delay. I'll write the letter now. You ride your horse and deliver it to White Water Temple."

He sat down, and Steward Zhang stepped forward to grind ink. Zhang Huaizheng picked up his brush, just about to write, when his heart suddenly throbbed with pain, his face turning green and then white. He collapsed to the ground, only vaguely hearing his steward's panicked shouts. Before he could hear more, he sank into darkness.

Wang Liulang accepted the order. Although he was a bit unhappy about being sent to do dirty work by his master, he quickly realized that this also represented a closer relationship with his master. He saw the envious look in Xie Jin's eyes. With that thought, his unhappiness vanished, and he moved with incredible speed, arriving at the Zhang Family's residence in just a few steps.

Originally, the Zhang Family still had some protective fortune, and it wouldn't have been easy for Wang Liulang to enter. However, after Zhang Qingyun was eliminated, that fortune quickly dissipated, leaving only a trace after a short while. Of course, it couldn't stop Wang Liulang.

He made his way to the study and happened to hear the last few sentences. Wang Liulang sneered, "You can't be allowed to live!"

He then thrust the long needle into Zhang Qingyun's chest. A flash of red light appeared, the needle vanished, and Zhang Qingyun fell to the ground, dead.

Wang Liulang didn't leave either, watching as the steward called for more servants, who then rushed to find a doctor. The room descended into chaos.

Before long, a semi-transparent figure emerged from Zhang Huaizheng's body. Seeing Wang Liulang, it asked, "Who are you? Why are you here, and what's happened to me?"

Killing intent flashed in Wang Liulang's eyes. He thrust his long saber forward, piercing through Zhang Huaizheng's chest and emerging from his back. Zhang Huaizheng's face was filled with disbelief before he soon dissipated into wisps of gray ash.

ps: Thanks to My Arrogant Er and others for their rewards.