The Zhou Mansion

Within the Earth God Law Domain. Fang Ming sat at the head of the table, while a Yin Soldier reported the news.

"…So, they gained nothing and just left?" Fang Ming asked expressionlessly as he listened to the Yin Soldier's report.

"Precisely!" This Yin Soldier was an old subordinate of Xie Jin, always quick-witted, which was why he was assigned to surveillance. He added, "After the Taoist Priest bid farewell to Madam Zhang, Steward Zhang escorted him back to the city. I saw it with my own eyes."

"Hmm, this venerable one understands. You may go, you've earned a merit." A cold glint flashed in Fang Ming's eyes as he spoke again.

"Thank you, Lord!" The Yin Soldier retreated.

"Heh heh…" Fang Ming rose and paced a few steps, sneering inwardly. That White Crane, though its cultivation was shallow, couldn't possibly be unable to detect even the most basic Yin Soldiers. And yet, it had found nothing despite no special concealment on my part. This is quite intriguing.

Thinking further about Steward Zhang escorting him back to the city, he chuckled. As expected of someone experienced, trying to use the county town's human way fortune to conceal things. But it still can't hide from fortune!

Fang Ming meditated on himself. He saw red and white qi gathering above his head, converging in his seal, filling more than half of the Golden Seal. Around the fortune, a layer of golden light shimmered, slowly seeping into his natal qi. The red in his natal qi gradually grew, showing signs of purification. And not far away, the gray-black qi was getting closer and closer. The purification of his natal qi to red was naturally a good thing. Fang Ming's current natal qi was only red and white, which was just right for a true eighth-rank divine position. However, if he were to ascend further, red and white natal qi would be somewhat unsuitable. Now, with human way merit, his fate was being slowly altered, which was a great thing.

It was a pity that the gray-black qi was approaching, indicating that the White Crane had discovered something and reported it decisively, otherwise it wouldn't have come to this. But even if White Cloud Temple was located within Wuzhou, once the message was sent, it would take time for them to discuss, decide on a person, and then travel here.

Fang Ming could only use this time to elevate his divine position and strengthen his power, thereby minimizing disaster and loss, and preparing for what was to come.

Since he had a plan, he naturally executed it without hesitation.

Three days later, in the document room of the Anchang County yamen.

A clerk frowned upon seeing a document. He picked it up and walked to a desk, saying, "Clerk He, according to the news from the patrol office, a belief called the Earth God has inexplicably appeared in the north of the city and is developing rapidly. Based on reports from the mole in the north of the city, dozens of people have already come to believe in it, praying and kowtowing daily. It's quite strange. What do you think, should we submit this to the clerk of records, and then to the County Magistrate?"

The clerk of records was responsible for coordinating the various officials in the yamen, and many daily reports passed through him. The clerk of records, on the other hand, was more in charge of the documents of the six divisions, considered a level above the clerk of records, and already held an official position. Behind the desk sat a young man, but he was wearing the official robe of a clerk of records and had a certain bearing. He took the document and examined it carefully, his eye twitching inadvertently.

"Matters of spirits and ghosts like these are not for us to interfere with. Even if we report it to the County Magistrate, we'll have to wait for the Ghost Suppression Cao Division to return before we can handle it. We don't need to find trouble for ourselves. File this document and send it to the Ghost Suppression Cao Division!" He Dong said, narrowing his eyes.

"Yes!" People in the public service were naturally wary of meddling in others' affairs, especially when it involved ghosts. Wasn't there a risk of retaliation? The minor official had only asked casually and immediately agreed to handle it according to He Song's suggestion.

Five days later, at night.

A figure appeared at the gate of Anchang County town. It was a youth, dressed in official robes, with deep, dark eyes that seemed to emit light, capable of drawing in one's soul.

The city gate was already closed, but there were still soldiers on patrol. However, they seemed to see right through this youth.

Fang Ming looked up at the red and white interlaced fortune net, let out a cold laugh, and took a step, passing through the city gate and entering the city.

The fortune net seemed to ripple slightly, allowing Fang Ming to enter without obstruction.

Fang Ming laughed heartily, "As expected… the plan is feasible."

"It was worth all the divine power and effort I spent to finally gain over a hundred believers in Anchang County."

"Heh heh… Although I can't forcefully break through this fortune regulation yet, the fortune regulation is also the convergence of the fortune of all people. My believers are also part of these people. As long as they believe in me, they can open the door from within and let me in, haha…"

These past few days, Fang Ming had been expending a large amount of divine power to spread his faith in the county town.

The northern part of the city was mostly inhabited by the poor. If they prayed silently every day, they could enjoy blessings every night. This news spread quickly. Although not everyone believed it, there were always a few who would try.

After accumulating for several days, at the cost of depletion, he had gained over a hundred ordinary believers.

These hundred-plus believers were also part of the city protection fortune, which could influence the regulations. Since no one was presiding over the county town's fortune regulations, it gave Fang Ming an opportunity. It was like holding a mass meeting where a hundred people supported a proposal, and the others did not object. According to the mechanism of fortune's operation, it could pass.

Now, as long as Fang Ming did not do anything outrageous in the county town, he could continue to act here without being blocked.

At this moment, in his divine form, even the night watchmen and the watchmen could not see him. He swaggered to the south city and arrived in front of a very imposing mansion.

Two stone lions at the entrance were majestic and imposing, their eyes seeming to emit fierce light. If placed outside the city, ordinary ghosts would not even be able to approach the mansion.

The main gate was vermilion, with a plaque above bearing the golden characters "Zhou Residence." Although it was night, there were still gatekeepers. Of course, they dared not stay outside the gate due to the curfew, but they could guard inside to prevent any emergencies late at night.

A red light flickered, passing through the barrier and by the gatekeeper, who looked to be in his forties or fifties. He had pulled over a stool and was dozing off drowsily.

Fang Ming focused his gaze and saw that above the Zhou Residence, under the county town's regulation net, there was another layer of dense white qi guarding it. Above the white, strands of red qi were forming. He couldn't help but nod. This Zhou Family was indeed powerful in the county.

One must know that the fortune of a large residence was different from that of an individual. Individual fortune was easy to raise, but once a large residence's fortune spread out to cover the entire clan, having dense white qi with strands of red indicated it was a wealthy family among the rich.

According to He Yuqing's previous account, Prefectural Aristocracy families usually had red dwellings, meaning the entire family's fortune was pure red, which was terrifying. If calculated by strength, a Prominent Clan Family could mobilize manpower and resources comparable to the entire Anchang County. No wonder they had the ambition to rebel during times of chaos; it was all due to their strength.

However, there were not many Prefectural Aristocracy families in a province. According to the rules, only three types were widely recognized. First, they must be supported by hereditary noble titles of Earl, Viscount, or Baron; second, each generation must produce officials of the fifth rank or higher; and finally, those who had fallen from the ranks of the world's great aristocratic families.

As for the original Aristocracy families, they were yellow dwellings, with the entire family's fortune being yellow, signifying great wealth and prosperity. When united, they could even contend with the imperial family in secret. They were also renowned throughout the world, with many famous scholars and experts emerging from them. In times of chaos, they were terrifying forces capable of pacifying more than half a province with a single proclamation. In Fang Ming's understanding, they were very similar to the Yuan family at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

As he observed, the layout of the entire Zhou Residence was very harmonious, with no conflicts with its fortune. It even seemed to subtly assist it. Fang Ming's heart tightened, knowing that a feng shui master must have been invited to arrange it.

After a while, he moved to the backyard, where the Ancestral Hall was located in the center, occupying a significant area. It was built as three halls, and people were always guarding the surroundings, constantly changing incense and offerings. Amidst the swirling incense smoke, a faint scent of sandalwood could be detected, light and refreshing, yet intoxicating. He knew it was high-quality incense sticks, something Fang Ming had never had the pleasure of experiencing!

These three halls were enveloped by a layer of red and white fortune qi. Red accounted for more than seventy percent. In terms of quality, it was even superior to Fang Ming's current state, but the quantity was insufficient. After all, the entire Zhou family had at most a thousand people, while Fang Ming's current believers had already reached nearly two thousand, supported by the Yin Soldier Military Qi. As long as he paid the price, he could break through, but this would inevitably provoke the county town's human way regulations, and the consequences were unpredictable!

Fang Ming's visit was naturally not for battle. He spoke, "Is the Ancestral Spirit of the Zhou Family present? The Earth God of Qingxi Township, Fang Ming, has come to pay his respects!" As he spoke, he used his divine power, causing a ripple in the fortune above his head, transmitting his voice into the hall.

After a while, a faint voice came from within: "This old man has been confined here for many years. I never expected anyone to come and visit. It is truly a great joy! Please wait a moment, esteemed guest, and allow this old man to tidy himself up." There was a slight tremor in the voice, indicating the speaker was very excited, which pleased Fang Ming.

After a long pause, another voice came, "A distinguished guest honors my humble abode. Unfortunately, I am bound by restrictions and cannot welcome you from afar. I apologize for any lack of courtesy!" As soon as these words fell, an opening appeared in the red and white fortune qi enveloping the hall, just large enough for one person to pass through.

Fang Ming's power was superior to this ancestral spirit, so he was not afraid of any tricks. He walked in leisurely. This ancestral spirit, however, did not seem to realize that the fortune of the ancestral hall was his last defense, and he let Fang Ming in so easily. Did he not understand the implications, or did he have other plans?

Upon entering the hall, Fang Ming saw an old man with a white beard, dressed as a scholar, with an ancient face and eyes shining with wisdom. He bowed again and said, "I am Zhou Si, the eighth-generation Patriarch of the Zhou Family. After my death, I received sacrifices and became an ancestral spirit. It has been several hundred years now. Please forgive any lack of etiquette!"

Fang Ming smiled and said, "Not at all! I have come to visit today with an important matter to discuss!"

"Since it is an important matter, please… uh, sit on the ground. My apologies, there are no daily necessities here, I have neglected my guest!" Zhou Si stopped halfway through his sentence, looking rather embarrassed. As an ancestral spirit, he naturally could not interact with worldly objects and could only wander within these three halls. In normal times, he probably sat on the ground, often unkempt.

To be honest, Fang Ming was greatly surprised that this ancestral spirit, who had been imprisoned for hundreds of years, without even a chair or bed, and had to watch his family offer sacrifices that he could not partake in, could still maintain normal thought and courtesy. In his opinion, such a life would drive anyone mad in a short time.

He looked around and couldn't help but say, "Mr. Zhou is truly poor and simple!" With a wave of his hand, tables and chairs appeared, along with some food and wine.

"Hmm!" Zhou Si stepped forward and touched them, only to find he couldn't pass through. Instead, he felt solid objects, and his eyes widened like copper bells.

"Heh heh... Just a minor trick. Mr. Zhou, please sit. Shall we dine together?" Fang Ming smiled, not responding to Zhou Si's questioning gaze.

Zhou Si's face flushed, but he still sat down. Fang Ming poured the wine. Zhou Si took a sip, his eyes growing moist. He almost shed a tear but held it back. After exchanging toasts with Fang Ming a few more times, he finally relaxed and began to eat and drink.

Zhou Si's movements were elegant, but he ate quickly. In a short while, he had finished all the food and wine.