Subduing Him

Only then did Zhou Si force an awkward smile. "I haven't eaten anything from the mortal world in many years. I lost control for a moment; please don't take offense!"

Fang Ming smiled faintly. "It's only human nature, sir. There's no need to worry."

Zhou Si narrowed his eyes slightly, as if savoring the taste. Before long, he came back to himself and said, "Your methods are extraordinary, sir. May I ask what brings you here?"

"Nothing much. You can see for yourself: though I resemble an Ancestral Spirit, I'm different from one. This was granted to me by Heaven, and I've named it the Divine Way. It can help Ancestral Spirits escape their restraints, and it comes with many other divine arts. I may be unworthy, but I'm willing to help you out of this cage." Fang Ming smiled faintly as he spoke.

"Is that so?" Those words struck like a bolt from the blue. Zhou Si's expression did not change, but his faintly trembling body betrayed what he felt inside.

Zhou Si fell silent for a while before asking, "What consequences does your method bring? I oversee the Fortune of my Lineage. If I leave, will it affect the Zhou Family? And what do you hope to gain by doing this?"

Zhou Si was every bit the seasoned clan head. All three questions struck right to the heart of the matter, and the last was especially blunt.

Fang Ming had thought it all through before coming. "My method turns you into an official of the Divine Way, freeing you from the muddled incense and Fortune. It won't harm you, and you'll be able to move about freely, though you'll need replenishment from then on. As for purifying the Incense and Fire Prayer Power, it will have a slight effect on the protective aura around your Lineage. But your whole clan lives within the city, so it shouldn't put you in any danger. Besides, I can purify your Household's prayer power and turn it into Divine Power, which I can use to protect you."

"As for what I want in return, I want your Zhou Family to worship the Land God. As long as you do, I can protect your people, and even guarantee your family bountiful harvests in all four seasons and peace in your home!"

"This..." Those few short sentences contained so much information that Zhou Si couldn't take it all in at once. Fang Ming didn't press him, simply waiting in silence.

Zhou Qing pondered for a long time before finally saying, "This is a weighty matter. Would the honored god wait a little? I'd like to send a dream to my family's current clan head so we can discuss it together."

"Send a dream?" Fang Ming's eyes lit up. "That method of yours must take quite a toll, doesn't it?"

"Indeed, a considerable one. And after this, I won't be able to use it again for ten years. But this matter is important enough to make it worthwhile." Zhou Si stroked his beard, his voice calm and steady.

"Heh... My Divine Way has a dream-sending art, too, and it costs very little. Why not let me do it for you?" Fang Ming knew he needed to show some real ability to make his offer more convincing, so he volunteered.

"Then... I'll leave it to you, honored god." Sending a dream took a heavy toll. Seeing Fang Ming offer, Zhou Si was happy to go along with it. The current head of the Zhou Family, Zhou Biqing, was a middle-aged man. He fell asleep and found himself before the ancestral shrine, where he saw Zhou Si, looking exactly like the portrait of the eighth clan head. He was already a little surprised, but the young official standing nearby made him faintly suspicious.

"Heh... My descendant, there's no need to doubt. I am indeed your eighth-generation ancestor, the Ancestral Spirit of our time. This is Fang Ming, the Land God of Qingxi Township. He's come to discuss an important matter with me. I have yet to decide what to do, so I called you here to consult with you." Zhou Si found this Dream-Entering Divine Art, which could break through the divide between yin and yang, quite astonishing. With his own method, he'd be lucky to get a few words across.

"The Land God of Qingxi Township? I've heard so much about you!" Zhou Biqing had led the Zhou Family for many years; a dream wasn't enough to frighten him. His earlier suspicion came from rumors that evil spirits could enter people's dreams, deceive them, and drain their vital essence, so he'd been on his guard. Hearing the Land God's name now surprised him all over again.

The Zhou, Wu, Zheng, and Wang families were known together as the Four Great Families of Anchang. Their ties ran deep and their influence spread throughout the county. When it came to news from the townships and villages, they were better informed than the county yamen. As head of the Zhou Family, he'd naturally heard the news that a Land God had appeared in Qingxi Township and become quite famous, attracting plenty of attention. He'd even heard a few other things, vague though they were, which made him pay closer attention.

Now that he'd seen this Dream-Entering Divine Art, and found it quite consistent with the rumors, he bowed to Fang Ming. "Greetings, honored god!" His manner was exceedingly respectful.

Fang Ming waved a hand. "Enough. I want to help your ancestor escape his confinement and, at the same time, gain your family's faith. This is an important matter, so discuss it carefully with your ancestor."

"Yes!" Zhou Biqing still hesitated a little. Here? With Fang Ming right beside them, there were many things he couldn't say. Seeing this, Fang Ming smiled and vanished. His voice carried back to them: "I'll return in half an hour. You can speak freely."

"Ancestor, what do you think..." Even though Fang Ming had left, the entire dream belonged to him. They were only fooling themselves by covering their ears. Zhou Biqing hesitated.

"It's fine. What's there to fear? It's not a bad thing. If we really find something amiss, then even if it costs us our lives, we mustn't bring harm to the family!" Zhou Si was perfectly calm. Zhou Biqing smiled and said, "I was overthinking it..." The two then began speaking softly.

Naturally, they used many coded words and gestures, as well as all sorts of secret questions and answers, to verify each other's identities. It was essential. Even if someone looked exactly the same, they could still be a demon in disguise; they couldn't afford to let their guard down.

Fang Ming didn't eavesdrop. He'd come in good faith, and this would benefit both sides. There was no need to play petty tricks and offend them. He waited out the full half hour before going back in.

Zhou Biqing had finished talking with his ancestor. When he saw Fang Ming, he bowed deeply and said, "My Zhou Family can accept all of the honored god's terms. There is just one more matter..."

"Go ahead. What is it?" Fang Ming was in a good mood.

"I've heard that the honored god has great divine powers and can keep living souls from perishing. If you agree to take in the living souls of my Zhou Family, my whole family will worship you day and night without fail and lay down our lives in your service!" Zhou Biqing and Zhou Si knelt together and performed a grand bow, catching Fang Ming completely off guard.

In this world, when people died, their souls could last only seven days before they scattered. Those born with a strong life force might linger a little longer, but that was all.

Before, there had only been two ways to last longer. The first was to absorb human vitality and become a Ferocious Ghost. But ordinary people couldn't bring themselves to do it, and it meant having to feed every month. The county and townships were all protected, and there were Daoists who hunted ghosts. It was far too dangerous.

The second was to become a ghost cultivator. But that required talent, a method, and resources. It was a matter of luck, and there was no way to extend it to the whole clan.

Until Fang Ming appeared, bringing a third way: using Divine Power to replace what was consumed and let ghosts endure.

If word got out, it would of course cause an uproar. Fang Ming had always been careful to keep it secret. His subordinates were bound by rules and wouldn't blab; even if the news slipped out by accident, most wandering souls lasted only seven days, so it couldn't travel far. Besides, others might not believe it anyway.

But how had Zhou Biqing learned of it—and why was he so certain?

Fang Ming's thoughts raced, and he found the answer. That old fox He Dong must have let it slip. After all, the divide between yin and yang meant ghosts couldn't pass news to the living. Only Fang Ming's Dream-Entering Divine Art could do that.

Before this, Fang Ming had only met the living in dreams himself, so nothing could leak out. The only two exceptions were when He Dong gave He Song advice in person and when Fang Ming had He Dong send a dream to his family as a reward. Fang Ming had kept watch from the sidelines, but there might have been some coded words or glances that let the secret slip.

The Four Great Families of Anchang were deeply intertwined, and He Dong was a hereditary county clerk, head of all the clerks. If those two weren't in cahoots, Fang Ming wouldn't believe it for a second. They'd certainly been in contact behind the scenes and learned the truth.

Once he figured it out, Fang Ming could only smile bitterly. He'd underestimated the wisdom of the ancients, only to be outmaneuvered by his own subordinate. It seemed he'd have to be more careful from now on.

Fang Ming's expression shifted between light and dark. The two Zhou men kneeling before him were equally troubled. Ever since they'd received the news from the He Family, Zhou Biqing had been both shocked and overjoyed. He knew the truth of the matter. In life, he'd wielded the Zhou Family's power and enjoyed such glory. Yet after death, he could exist for only seven days before his soul scattered. There was truly a great terror between life and death, and it had left him tossing and turning, day and night.

After learning this, he'd made inquiries in every direction but couldn't confirm whether it was true. He'd been looking for a chance to get closer to the Land God, and hadn't expected this dream to come along. Even if he wasn't doing it for himself, he had to give it a try for the sake of his whole clan's fortune in the afterlife. From the looks of it, their original fifty-percent chance had risen considerably—to eighty percent.

Fang Ming didn't know that Zhou Biqing's hesitation had let another secret slip, but he no longer intended to hide it. "I can indeed keep ghosts in the mortal world, but you must understand that ghosts consume resources to remain here. I can't satisfy all your wishes by myself!" He had to be clear about this. If he agreed without saying so, he'd have to support every Zhou who died from then on. As long as the Zhou Family survived, their numbers would only increase year after year, leaving him with endless trouble.

At these words, Zhou Si and Zhou Biqing felt their hearts sink.

Then Fang Ming added, "I can take in a few people, perhaps a dozen or so, but I can't support them for nothing. It will depend on how much incense your people offer in the mortal world!"

Hope flared in Zhou Biqing's heart. He knocked his head against the ground and said, "Then we thank you, honored god! My Zhou Family will worship you for generations to come and never betray you! If we break this oath, may Heaven strike us down!"

Fang Ming nodded slightly, then asked, "Aside from the He Family telling your Four Great Families, does anyone else know about this?"

Zhou Biqing started, and a bead of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. He was about to bluff his way through when he saw Fang Ming's stern gaze and his ancestor's warning look. He hurriedly kowtowed and said, "No one else. Only the heads of the four families know. The secret hasn't spread!"

"Good. You must keep this matter secret at all costs. Don't let it leak out!" Fang Ming nodded. Only after he saw that Zhou Biqing was telling the truth did he admonish him, then send him out of the dream.

After withdrawing his divine art, Fang Ming returned to the ancestral shrine with Zhou Si. Zhou Si bowed and said, "Your divine powers are astonishing, honored god. Please help me escape my confinement!" His mind was made up; his words rang with absolute resolve.

Fang Ming nodded and laid a hand on Zhou Si. Zhou Si's expression changed at once.

Red and white light burst forth, mixed with black qi. It poured out of Zhou Si's body and flowed into Fang Ming, where the divine office talisman refined it into wisps of White Divine Power.

A full quarter of an hour passed before the incense resentment clinging to Zhou Si had been completely purged. He was left looking like a newly dead soul, listless and terribly weak.

Fang Ming looked at Zhou Si. His body was much more transparent now, but he was no longer restrained by the prayer-power resentment. Fang Ming nodded, then reached out. Red light enveloped Zhou Si and formed into an official's uniform, while also helping him condense a body.

Zhou Si looked at the official's uniform and touched his own arm. His expression was caught between sorrow and joy. He looked at Fang Ming, bowed, and said, "Zhou Si pays his respects to my lord!" He was formally acknowledging Fang Ming as his master.

Fang Ming nodded. Zhou Si had a pure red natal destiny; he was a talent. "I appoint you my county clerk, effective immediately. Come with me now. We still have three other families to visit!"

"As you command!" Zhou Si walked to the edge of the hall and looked at the invisible barrier that had bound him for centuries. He trembled for a long time, then finally clenched his teeth and stepped steadily across it.

That single step changed everything!