Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 421 Ghosts and Demons
After passing through layers of miasma, Yuan Er and his companions were greeted by a breathtaking view.

There were flat, open fields with neat houses, and some people were working in the fields.

These fields are planted with many crops, the main grain being a special type of taro grown here, which has a relatively high yield and can be used as a staple food.

A person doesn't need to cultivate much land to support themselves.

There are also some craftsmen and people who know how to weave and make clothes in the village. Everyone here is self-sufficient and can meet their basic living needs.

Some villagers couldn't help but glance at the newlyweds with curiosity when they saw them arrive.

These villagers were pale, but in relatively good health, and seemed to be in better physical condition than the Chu people who had fled here.

Although living in Ghost State can shorten one's lifespan, the villagers can at least live with dignity because they can eat and dress warmly every day, do not have to do much work, and do not have to worry about being exploited by gods and officials.

"Hey, Yuan Er, you've brought so many people with you!"

Some villagers greeted him with smiles, a hint of envy in their eyes.

Bringing people in from outside will earn you a reward from the Ghost King: you'll offer less yang energy and live longer.

Yuan Er risked his life to bring people here, naturally with some selfish motives; he couldn't let them work for nothing.

Yuan Er greeted the villagers with a smile, "These are all my fellow villagers, please take good care of me in the future!"

"Easy to say, easy to say."

From now on, we're all on the same side!

……

Some villagers responded that the Chu people who fled here were those who had no other choice but to flee.

When new people arrive, people can't help but sympathize with those who share similar experiences.

Moreover, the village has rules set by the Ghost King that forbid villagers from fighting each other openly or covertly, which would affect the life and development of the entire village.

Yuan Er had to take people to see the Ghost King, so he didn't have time to introduce the new relatives to the villagers.

The group hurried through the fields and houses, heading towards the foot of a cliff.

Beneath the cliff lies a cave, surrounded by a blood-red mist that obscures the view inside and prevents outsiders from approaching.

Yuan Er led a group of villagers to the outside of the cave and knelt respectfully on the open ground.

The others also knelt down, each one nervous and respectfully bowing their heads, yet unable to resist glancing at the cave from the corner of their eyes.

"Your Majesty, your humble servant Yuan Er has returned with his men. Please take a look..."

Yuan Er spoke softly, his tone filled with respect.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew.

A ripple of crimson yin energy emanated from within the cave.

A burly figure appeared before the crowd.

He had red hair and white eyes, a broad back and a thick waist, and was over ten feet tall. He was shirtless, revealing deep red skin and bulging muscles. He wore animal skin trousers and exuded an imposing aura.

The burly, red-haired demon stared at the crowd, his cold eyes slowly sweeping over them.

Overwhelmed by the imposing presence, the people of Chu quickly lowered their heads, keeping their eyes straight ahead and not daring to utter a sound.

This Ghost King was clearly different from the wandering ghosts they had seen before.

The red-haired demon surveyed the crowd, confirming they were all ordinary Chu people, and a hint of satisfaction appeared in his cold eyes.

The red-haired demon spoke in a low voice, "You did a good job; none of them stayed behind."

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty," Yuan Er said gratefully.

The others were also secretly pleased, but dared not speak.

The red-haired demon said calmly, "Now that you're here, you have to abide by the rules. I don't need to remind you of these things, do I?"

Yuan Er said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I have already explained these rules to them. They all came willingly and are willing to become Your Majesty's subjects."

The red-haired demon nodded slightly, then looked at the crowd. Seeing that many of them were in poor condition and looked weak, he said, "Take them down and distribute some food according to the rules. Let them rest for a few days before coming back."

In a ghost state like this, a living person is very valuable.

It's not easy for new people to come to the ghost village, so naturally, we need to take good care of them in order to provide them with more yang energy.

If we were to take the yang energy from these Chu people now, many of them would likely suffer from insufficient essence and energy, and fall ill because they would not be able to recover in time, thus wasting a lot of yang energy.

Compared to the gods and officials, the red-haired demon knew better how to use these humans to create benefits for himself.

The red-haired demon didn't say much, turned around and walked into the cave, disappearing from sight.

Yuan Er led his men to express their gratitude once again, and then led them to the village to settle the newly arrived villagers.

It was already dinnertime when villagers brought hot food and greeted the newcomers, saying, "Now that we're here, we're all family. Let's look out for each other! Eat as much as you like, there's plenty to go around!"

The villagers who had fled here had their eyes light up when they saw the steaming food in front of them; it had been so long since they had eaten a full meal.

They were all holding large bowls, wolfing down their dinner.

Villagers also approached them, curiously inquiring about what was happening outside.

When people learned that the gods and officials outside were exploiting them excessively, they all felt the same way and cursed them.

A bright moon rises, its pure light shining through the hazy mist onto the village.

The yin energy in the village was much thinner than in the wild, and there were no ghosts or spirits to disturb them, which made the fleeing Chu people feel particularly at ease. There were already some empty houses here, and the newly arrived villagers moved into the houses they were assigned, finally able to get a good night's sleep.

If it weren't for the fact that this place is a gathering place of yin energy, and that no ghosts demand yang energy, it could be called a paradise on earth.

Even with these benefits, the people of Chu were already satisfied and felt that their lives were much better than before.

The night was quiet. In the fields outside the village, Lu Zheng and Qing Wan were checking the crops.

Qingwan clicked her tongue in amazement and exclaimed, "So much grain can be grown here!"

She was somewhat surprised that the villagers of the ghost village could grow so much food here.

After examining the grains, Lu Zheng said, "The grains grown here are slightly cold and toxic, and should not be consumed in large quantities..."

It's not advisable to eat too much, but for ordinary people, having anything to eat is already a blessing... Lu Zheng sighed inwardly, noting that apart from their short lifespans, the people here seemed to live better lives than those outside.

After all, ghosts nurture humans for yang energy; they don't need things like grain taxes.

The villagers here are in good health, which actually helps the ghosts absorb their yang energy for a longer period of time.

The two crossed the fields and walked to the foot of the cliff, outside the cave of the Red-Haired Demon.

Looking at the cave filled with a blood-red, eerie aura, Qingwan couldn't help but ask, "Is someone... oh, is there a ghost? We are scholars traveling far and wide, passing through this place..."

Deep within the cave, a faint light illuminates the cave.

A beautiful, red-haired female ghost sat on a stone bed, breathing in yin energy.

Hearing the sounds coming from outside, the female ghost was startled. She hadn't even known when outsiders had arrived.

The female ghost was the red-haired ghost who had previously appeared before the villagers. She had transformed into that imposing and ferocious ghost to show off her power, and her current appearance was her true form.

The female ghost couldn't help but peek out to check the situation outside, and found a man and a woman standing outside.

Although their auras were not obvious, they were clearly alive.

Her intuition told her that these two were probably quite skilled.

A human cultivator? The female ghost's mind raced, and she immediately became wary.

She then asked quietly, "What brings you two here so late at night?"

Lu Zheng said slowly, "I heard that there are ghosts here who built a village to support the people, so I came here out of curiosity to find out."

The female ghost said, "Since you've come all this way, you've already seen it. Outsiders aren't welcome here. Considering your ignorance of the rules and your trespassing, I won't pursue the matter. Now, please leave!"

Seeing that the ghosts in the cave did not want to see living people, Lu Zheng stopped talking and stepped into the cave, with Qing Wan following closely behind.

As the two entered the cave, the pervasive yin energy around them couldn't get close and dispersed.

The female ghost was startled upon seeing this and quickly manipulated her yin energy to envelop Lu Zheng and his companion.

The dense yin energy transformed into a fierce wind, but it couldn't harm Lu Zheng and Qing Wan in the slightest.

The female ghost's expression changed slightly, as it was the first time she had ever seen something that could withstand the yin energy and gale without using any power.

After confirming the situation, I realized that this was someone I couldn't afford to offend.

A thought flashed through her mind: she wanted to fly away and escape.

However, before the female ghost could make any move, she instantly felt a terrifying pressure enveloping her, as if this pressure could crush her into dust if she made any unusual movement.

The female ghost stood there frozen, not daring to move an inch.

Lu Zheng said leisurely, "Guests from afar are welcome. Now that you've arrived, why do you intend to leave?"

The female ghost's expression froze for a moment, and she couldn't help but say, "You two have come uninvited and trespassed into my ghost cave. Can you be considered guests?"

"Oh, what does that mean?" Lu Zheng asked.

The female ghost remained silent, looking in the direction of the approaching people, and soon saw the two of them arrive.

Qingwan stared at the female ghost, and asked suspiciously, "Huh, why are you different from the one this afternoon?"

The female ghost was startled upon hearing this. Had these two arrived at that time? She hadn't noticed at all.

"Are you a male ghost or a female ghost?" Qingwan asked curiously. "Oh, my name is Qing... well, you can just call me Miss Qing. His surname is Lu."

Qingwan pointed at Lu Zheng, without giving their full names.

The female ghost forced herself to say, "My name is Chi Mei, and I am female."

Some ghosts are born under relatively special circumstances, and initially they are not distinguished by gender.

Chi Mei was originally a wandering spirit in the mountains, not a ghost that was transformed from a dead person. She only recognized herself as a female ghost after she gained intelligence and cultivated to a certain level.

Facing two individuals who were far superior to him, Chi Mei dared not put on airs and answered honestly.

As soon as Lu Zheng had a thought, a tea table appeared.

Lu Zheng sat on the ground while Qing Wan helped him brew tea.

"Sit down, let's have a good talk," Lu Zheng said calmly.

Chi Mei felt the pressure around her disappear, and her entire ghost body felt much lighter.

Even without the oppressive aura, Chi Mei still felt an invisible pressure that prevented her from acting recklessly.

She obediently sat down opposite Lu Zheng and Qing Wan, looking uneasy.

(End of this chapter)