"Then please, go ahead!"
The great figures present exchanged glances, all smiling broadly. They gave one another a light salute, then went their separate ways.
Someone strolled up to the city gate tower. Looking out at the dark, mist-shrouded surroundings, he sighed softly and sat cross-legged. He had chosen the very spot where the two Ghost Altars had already begun to press Imperial Capital City into a tilt.
He lowered his head, counted on his fingers, then suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a tiny figure. It fell toward the outskirts of the city, growing larger against the wind until it struck the ground as a giant.
The giant burrowed into the earth, then emerged again, shouldering one corner of the city and slowly lifting it up.
Someone else found a spot and lit a furnace. A kettle on top had come to a boil, steaming and hissing. He took a palm-leaf fan and waved it over the kettle. The steam drifted into the sky, becoming thick, dark clouds that swiftly swept south.
At the same time, some people burned incense, some worshiped the gods, and others issued orders to the masters under their command.
All manner of strange arts were brought to bear, some conspicuous, some subtle, each with its own marvels.
Meanwhile, the National Teacher had already arrived at the Hu Family's old residence. Outside it, members of the Qingyuan Hu Family, the Ren Family, the Bai Family, and other former Ghost Walker clans waited with hearts full of apprehension.
Just then, the National Teacher, dressed as a Daoist, came down the alley with a smile. "Old Mr. Hu, it's been a long time."
The second patriarch of the Qingyuan Hu Family was startled at the sight of him. "National Teacher?"
Dong Xuan, the National Teacher, smiled