Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 420 Oppressive Government is More Fierce than a Ghost

Upon hearing that Lu Zheng and his companion came from Anguo, everyone's eyes were filled with curiosity, and they became less wary.

Lu Zheng said leisurely, "I've heard that Ghost State is a place with many ghosts and few people. I've encountered quite a few ghosts along the way today, but I didn't expect to run into you in the wild. Aren't you afraid of these ghosts?"

The crowd's expressions changed, wondering how they could possibly not be afraid of these ghostly things.

They wouldn't have come here if they hadn't been forced to.

Yuan Er couldn't help but say, "We came to this godforsaken place just to find a way to survive."

Seeing that Lu Zheng and the other man were not scholars from Chu, Yuan Er couldn't help but vent his frustration.

Lu Zheng couldn't help but ask, "What makes you say that?"

Yuan Er said, "There are ghost villages in Ghost Prefecture. If you go there, you can get the protection of ghosts, and your life will be better from now on."

Lu Zheng had heard that there were some towns in Ghost State, but they were mostly places where ghosts gathered. Ordinary people would come here to seek the protection of ghosts? It sounded a bit absurd.

Lu Zheng narrowed his eyes slightly, "Were your lives very difficult before?"

"That's no life for a human being," someone muttered quietly.

"The spring planting season hasn't even ended yet, and the government has already increased the land tax, the offerings to the gods are more than in previous years, and there's also the exhausting corvée labor..."

"This is driving people to their deaths! Nobody can survive anymore, so they have no choice but to flee here. I heard there's a ghost village here. You can farm freely there, there are no taxes, no corvée labor, and no sacrifices to the gods..."

Hearing these people's stories, Lu Zheng couldn't help but ask, "There are villages like this? Who told you that?"

Everyone couldn't help but turn their attention to Yuan Er.

Yuan Er explained, “Three years ago, I was conscripted into a labor service and almost died from exhaustion. Someone told me about Ghost Prefecture. After I finished my service, I couldn’t pay the grain tax when I returned home, and the officials wanted to enslave me. I had no choice but to hide in Ghost Prefecture and found a ghost village. I received the village’s protection, and life has been alright since then, unlike before…”

"This year I secretly went back to the village to see my fellow villagers, and they were willing to come here with me."

Lu Zheng looked at the others, then at Yuan Er, and asked, "No taxes, no corvée labor? Do you live in this ghost village without having to pay anything?"

Yuan Er said, "Lifespan. The yin energy here is heavy, and the ghosts that protect us also need to absorb people's yang energy, so living in the ghost village requires sacrificing lifespan."

"But there you can eat your fill, you don't have to work yourself to death, and there are no officials causing trouble from time to time. At least you don't have to worry about so much. Even if you lose some of your lifespan, it's still better than before. Maybe you can even live a little longer..."

Yuan Er's gaze was deep and unfathomable. "If I had become a slave back then, I'm afraid I would be dead by now."

Looking at the expressions on everyone's faces, Lu Zheng seemed to agree with this idea.

It's unbelievable that these ordinary people have been driven to such a point, preferring to come to this godforsaken place and seek refuge from ghosts rather than continue living on their original land.

Oppressive government is more ferocious than a ghost.

Lu Zheng sighed inwardly, his feelings a complex mix that was hard to put into words.

Upon hearing this, Qingwan frowned, her expression indignant.

However, similar things are not uncommon in this kind of world.

Some people, unable to make ends meet, become bandits; others, in order to survive, sell themselves and their children...

Lu Zheng asked, "What's the current situation of the ghost village you're going to?"

Yuan Er slowly said, "There are more than 500 people inside, all of them refugees. There is a powerful ghost protecting us there. It comes to us every month to absorb our yang energy. There are no other requirements."

"Oh, right, we can't reveal the location of the ghost village without its permission."

"I only went back to bring my fellow villagers here after I received its permission..."

Clearly, the continuation of the ghost village requires the continuous addition of outsiders. After all, the lifespan of ordinary people living here is not long, and without the addition of outsiders, the yang energy needed by the ghosts simply cannot be supplied.

The ghosts who can build ghost villages are obviously quite intelligent and know how to sustain development.

Lu Zheng then asked, "How many ghost villages are there here?"

“This…” Yuan Er thought for a moment and said, “I have never seen any other ghost villages, but I heard that person mention it once or twice. There should be other ghost villages nearby, but they are all very well hidden, and we mortals would not dare to venture in.”

"Although I have lived here for several years, I have not been to many places. It is too dangerous everywhere."

In the end, he was just a mortal. Over the years, he had lost some of his lifespan and his body was not as strong as when he was young. He basically lived a peaceful life farming in the ghost village.

Lu Zheng asked a few more questions.

Yuan Er said everything he could.

Hearing Yuan Er's account, Lu Zheng guessed that the ghost was probably only at the third realm at most, and had quite a knack for winning people's hearts.

At least according to Yuan Er's description, the ordinary people in the ghost village lived a decent life, with no shortage of daily necessities, which met everyone's needs.

The mortals living in the ghost village rarely live more than ten years, and at most thirty years, according to what Yuan Er heard from the villagers.

Even so, many Chu people who couldn't get through the ghost village were still willing to go there.

After all, living outside is a life of constant anxiety. You never know when you might have to perform corvée labor, or when the harvest might be too poor and your whole family might starve.

Those deities and officials wouldn't care so much. If some ordinary people died, there were still many more people alive. It wasn't worth paying attention to at all.

Even though there are so many ghost villages in Ghost State, nobody seems to care.

This is why people like Yuan Er preferred to come here to believe in ghosts rather than worship those gods and officials anymore. Some people couldn't help but complain to Lu Zheng about their past lives and were curious about how the people of Anguo lived.

Lu Zheng then told everyone about the lives of ordinary people in Anguo, which were slightly better than those in Chu, but not much better.

Even so, the people of Chu were filled with longing upon hearing this, but unfortunately, Anguo was too far away and unattainable.

Some people wanted Lu Zheng to check if their children had the foundation for cultivation. If they had talent, they wanted Lu Zheng to take them in.

Ghost State is ultimately not a good place, and these ordinary people don't really want their children to suffer along with them.

Lu Zheng glanced at them and immediately knew that the children lacked the foundation for cultivation. They were all malnourished, had poor innate development, and no spiritual roots, so they couldn't even practice martial arts.

Faced with the expectant gazes of the adults, Lu Zheng could only patiently explain.

Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but feel disappointed, lamenting that their children weren't destined for such a fate.

Seeing this, Lu Zheng took out several more booklets, "Even if you can't cultivate immortality or practice martial arts, reading can still cultivate your character. You can read more of these books; adults and children alike can learn from them, it won't do any harm..."

Yuan Er gratefully accepted the book upon hearing this, saying, "Thank you, Young Master Lu."

He knew how expensive books were, and even if he couldn't understand them, he was happy to keep them.

Someone scratched their head and whispered, "We don't know many characters..."

Yuan Er said, "There are literate people in the village, and I also know some characters. Let's learn to read together sometime in the future..."

Seeing that these people still had some energy, Lu Zheng began to teach them the "Hundred Character Classic," which was simple and easy to understand.

Now, each person only needs to learn a few characters, and later they can all learn them together.

Many people finally fell asleep late at night, but Yuan Er still arranged for people to keep watch.

Outside the woods, ghostly figures drifted about, but no one entered the woods.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

The wandering ghosts and spirits that had been roaming the mountains and fields all went into hiding.

During the day in Ghost State, under the sun's rays, many areas still have sufficient yang energy, which ordinary yin creatures cannot withstand and can only hide in the shadows.

Yuan Er and his group set off early, eating rough bean cakes for breakfast and traveling through the mountains with their families.

Lu Zheng and Qing Wan watched the group slowly disappear into the distance.

The two of them felt it inappropriate to go to the ghost village with Yuan Er and the others, so they chose not to go with them.

Perhaps because he had spent the night with Lu Zheng, Yuan Er felt that his energy was better than before, and the yin energy in the Ghost State was not as cold as before.

"Those two are truly masters," Yuan Er couldn't help but whisper.

The others couldn't help but agree, and were quite envious, feeling that they had been incredibly lucky to meet Lu Zheng and Qing Wan last night.

Having received some kindness from Lu Zheng and the other man, they did not ask for anything more.

From now on, they will have to make their own way.

They traversed mountains and valleys, walking on rugged terrain, but Yuan Er and his companions encountered neither powerful ghosts nor any demonic beasts.

As evening approached, Yuan Er spotted a valley, his eyes lighting up. He whispered, "We're almost there, just ahead. Everyone, give it your all, we won't have to spend the night outside."

Everyone perked up at the news, and even the children quickened their pace.

They didn't want to experience what happened last night if they continued to spend the night in the wild, not knowing what kind of ghosts and spirits they might encounter.

Soon, the group arrived at the edge of the valley, panting heavily.

The valley entrance was filled with a thick, malevolent miasma, and the road was obscured by vegetation.

Seeing this, Yuan Er took out a whistle made of bone and blew it for a while.

After a moment, the miasma surged, and an old man emerged, holding a black stone in his hand.

Wherever the old man passed, the aura emanating from the black stone dispelled the surrounding miasma.

Seeing Yuan Er and the others, the old man asked, "Are they all your relatives?"

Yuan Er nodded repeatedly and said, "Uncle Lin, don't worry, these are all my fellow villagers, people I trust. Take us to see the Ghost King."

The people of this ghost village all call him the Ghost King.

Seeing that these people were still traveling with their families, the old man nodded slightly and said quietly, "Come on, follow me. Don't fall behind one by one. The miasma here can kill you."

Yuan Er quickly called for everyone to follow, and they huddled together as they headed into the valley.

Many people looked uneasy, wondering how the Ghost King would arrange things for them.

Just as Yuan Er and his group entered the valley, two more figures arrived.

Qingwan looked at the valley and couldn't help but say, "It's quite secluded."

(End of this chapter)