Rebels Arise from All Sides

The Locust Flower Old Lane wasn't large, and the gong and drum procession soon arrived before Ge Xian's courtyard.

In a daze, he found himself surrounded by ghouls. At the same time, two distinctly different aromas intertwined, drilling straight into his nostrils. Within them seemed to be extraordinary power, stirring up Ge Xian's appetite to the point where his stomach rumbled and saliva flowed from his tongue and teeth. What made him feel greatly disgusted was that this instinctively generated appetite wasn't just for the fragrant rice, but even more so for those strips of raw, smelly meat.

Ge Xian opened his eyes and indeed saw the "Taisui Rice" and "Thigh Meat Slices" within the bronze cauldrons.

He didn't want to look at the meat slices. What truly made Ge Xian raise an eyebrow was that after he stared at the crystal-clear grains of rice for a few more moments, they suddenly turned blood-red. Simultaneously, a strong, unexplainable perception surged in his heart: this rice could not be eaten; eating it would surely shorten his lifespan.

The Taisui Grains could not be eaten; his original body already knew this.

Shortened lifespan was the latest result of his supernatural perception.

However, before he could look further, the male and female ghouls had already swarmed around him. Ge Xian perceived clearly. It was unknown what kind of temperaments these ghouls had in life, but after becoming ghosts, they all seemed to have followed their "Master," their eyes filled with distorted expressions, brimming with a kind of restrained, manic posture.

As in the past, after Ge Xian handed over his money, they let his thigh go.

But as they left, they clearly did so on purpose, their voices drilling into his ears:

"He's quite a wealthy peddler, but his little savings probably won't last him a few more days."

"What should be done with those who repeatedly refuse to give up flesh and have no money to pay the tribute?"

"Master said, they are to be rewarded to us."

"I want to eat his thighs, both legs."

"I want to eat his tender face. Hmph, I've hated pretty boys my whole life."

"They're all crude embryos. Don't get your hopes up, sisters. That kid has already been reserved by us sisters. Look at how fresh and tender he looks; he can at least keep us sisters alive for three days of raw eating without dying. How comfortable that will be."

Clearly, Ge Xian had already been marked as a plaything by these ferocious, distorted male and female ghouls.

He listened to it all silently, then returned to his room expressionlessly.

Only now did he truly enter the state, fully understanding what kind of world this was, what kind of era it was, and gradually adapting to the brand-new identity of "Dayuan Dynasty Peddler Ge Xian."

The original owner also knew of his predicament and already had a plan to deal with it.

Nothing else!

It was precisely the matter of having many family servants and being a multifaceted spy.

He was already someone who had awakened his talent, different from ordinary commoners. Although he couldn't find a Cultivation Path for the time being and couldn't join the sect of an Immortal God, as long as he relied on his supernatural perception to latch onto any organization, he could easily resolve the ghouls' covetousness.

More importantly, he could take this opportunity to get in touch with the cultivation world he so desperately yearned for.

To this end, Ge Xian accepted every invitation that came through different channels, without exception.

Of course, whether you accept it or not, whether you can get rewards and benefits from these organizations depends on what valuable intelligence you, as a "Spy," can provide.

Ge Xian, who has not yet provided any intelligence, can only be considered an outsider.

Oh no!

Not even an outsider, just an insignificant nobody.

"To want to be a Spy, I was indeed a bit reckless."

"But my two talents, Super-Senses and Charm, are indeed very suitable for this line of work."

With this thought, Ge Xian immediately took action.

This peddler usually had two ways of selling his wares: one was to go through the streets and alleys within the county city, selling to the neighbors; the other was to go up mountains and down the countryside, selling to the townspeople and villagers.

Previously, when the Demon County Magistrate surrounded the city with demonic fog, he could only do the first.

Later, the magistrate probably saw that there were many more ferocious rulers around him, so he simply lifted the demonic fog, letting the county residents come and go as they pleased.

Not a single one escaped, and they even spread tales of his benevolent and merciful reputation.

What is "comparing the rotten"?

This is it.

Although he could now leave the city, Ge Xian did not intend to leave this time.

He wanted to find a piece of excellent "Secret Intelligence," and he had to do it within the city.

As he thought this, Ge Xian changed into a brightly colored short jacket, put on his Felt Hat, and hung a special necklace full of Eyeball Runes around his neck. Then, he walked to a corner, picked up his dazzling array of goods, and set off.

Fortunately, his muscle memory was still there; otherwise, this Ge Xian would not have had such a smooth ability.

As he passed a broom tied with Seven-Colored Silk Thread, he seemed to remember something. He hooked his foot, sent it onto the bed, and directly said:

"Sister Bai, I'll have to trouble you to tidy up my humble abode."

"A small token of appreciation, not much but a gesture."

With that, the fellow went out.

As soon as he left, a wisp of smoke drifted, and the charming young woman dressed in mourning appeared. Not bothering to argue about him asking her to clean the room, she asked with a puzzled face, "Appreciation?"

Fortunately, she was also intelligent. As soon as the word left her lips, she happened to see her own Soul Residence lying on the incredibly messy and unsightly bed. Recalling the conversation not long ago, she immediately understood.

Her face flushed with shame, and she spat fiercely, "This Young Man is becoming more and more shameless."

After spitting, the young woman originally intended to endure and not easily fulfill the fellow's wish.

Alas, she was naturally clean and tidy, and within a few breaths, she resigned herself to busying herself.

Meanwhile, Ge Xian had already gotten into character.

Shouldering his load and stepping out the doorway, he took a rattle in hand, shaking it as he began to shout. It wasn't a random shout, however, but a spirited, rhythmic rap that flowed from his lips.

Besides hawking his wares, he also boasted about himself:

"Greetings, neighbors and guests, the Ge Family Young Man is here!"

"I have all sorts of miscellaneous goods and treasures, and can also recite immortal scriptures and understand feng shui."

"I can write essays and draft contracts."

"I specialize in treating cattle and horses, and can cure children."

He swayed, singing with increasing vigor. Before long, he had made several sales. Anyone watching would have no reason to suspect him, seeing him merely as a rather handsome Young Peddler who often attracted the attention of young ladies and pretty young women.

Soon, Ge Xian was swaying along, passing through secluded alleys, and suddenly entered the main street of Qiantang County.

With just one turn, the vaguely bustling scene that had been there moments before solidified into a vivid picture.

What met his eyes was a scene of urban life.

Though it was lively and prosperous, it couldn't compare to the modern commercial streets of his past life.

But the hawkers, the teahouses and taverns, the coming and going of carts and horses... these things completely dispelled the last bit of discomfort in Ge Xian's heart.

He sighed as if resigned, then grinned and shouted "Specializing in treating cattle and children" as he merged into the crowd.

About half an hour later, inside a teahouse in a corner of the main street, the atmosphere was exceptionally lively.

Because the tea was cheap and the place was convenient for moving around, it had attracted quite a few people, including peddlers who traveled from street to street, hardworking merchants, and some rough-looking martial artists.

Whether intentionally or not, among those peddlers, a very handsome young man started things off with a flourish, quickly drawing the group into conversation and the sharing of news.

First, the peddlers and the villagers who had come into the city to do business spoke up one after another:

"Hey, have you guys heard? Thirty miles outside the city, Rouge Town suffered a disaster the night before last. A [Hanging Ghost] of unknown origin broke into the town, and in one night, all hundreds of people in the town were hanged from the rafters. It was truly tragic."

"What's so tragic about that? Horse-Raising Village next to Rouge Town was targeted by a group of savage Wilderness Horse Bandits. They spent several days secretly building a [Fly God Temple] outside the village. On the day the temple was completed, the Fly God demon descended and used everyone in the village, regardless of age or gender, as a flesh-and-blood incubator for its demonic offspring. That scene... ugh."

"That's actually not too bad. At least there was no suffering. Do you know about Fuyang County next door? Their county magistrate, Lu, whether his cultivation went awry or something else happened, he suddenly went mad in the dead of night. He transformed into a terrifying demon with no skin sac, covered in mouths. That night, he spewed poisonous water, surrounded the county city, preventing anyone from leaving, and then began to devour people. The imperial reinforcements only arrived on the third day and killed him. By then, the county's population was less than half."

"Hush! Are you trying to die? How dare you say such things? Don't you think [Ghoul]s don't come out in broad daylight?"

"What's there to be afraid of? Compared to other evil spirits and demons, Magistrate Lu is already a good person. He... he just has a few eccentricities."

As he spoke, to avoid any taboo, the visiting merchants quickly changed the subject.

What they shared were events from farther and broader regions, all rumors about the Rebel Army:

"Ahem, let's change the topic. I've traveled from afar, and you probably don't know yet that the Dayuan Dynasty has another rebel leader. His name is Ni Wenjun. He initially claimed to be part of the Red Turban Army, but later inexplicably gained the support of the legendary [Yin Mountain Ghost Clan]. He commands a hundred ghosts, is extremely brutal, and has successively captured cities like Hanyang and Xiangyang. I heard he even killed quite a few members of the Dayuan Royal Family."

"That's nothing special. Have you all heard of Liu Futong's infamy? He started his uprising very early, rallying under the banner 'Three Thousand Tiger Guards, Reach Youyan Land. Dragon Ascends the Throne, Reopen the Great Song Dynasty.' He intends to restore the Great Song. Rumor has it he has Immortal God support behind him, and not just one. I've heard of at least the [Maitreya Temple] and [Red Lotus Cult] as two major immortal and Buddhist lineages."

"Ordinary, ordinary. Among the rebels, Zhang Shicheng is the most powerful. I heard his bloodline is special, possibly related to the [Dragon Nest]. His army keeps more than one true dragon, capable of summoning rain and manipulating rivers with ease... I heard Hangzhou Road is already in his sights, and he might attack Qiantang County one day."

"These rebels sound like a bunch of opportunists with no real strategy. I come from Chuzhou, which is now occupied by a rebel army. Their leader is called [Zhu Hongwu]. I don't know what mysterious Immortal Gods support him, but I do know his subordinates are full of talent, with prodigies emerging one after another. I fear he is no ordinary person."