Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 425 Coercion and inducement

The ghost village where Xishan lives is different from other ghost villages. He is not an ordinary ghost either, but follows the path of incense offerings.

There are deities who worship incense and spirits, and there are also ghosts who worship incense and spirits.

Most ghosts who practice the incense-burning ghost path are people whose souls do not disperse after death and are worshipped and offered incense by their clansmen in the ancestral hall.

Such ghosts enjoy the incense offerings from their relatives and descendants, without needing to deliberately cultivate themselves, and can exist for a long time even without any cultivation methods.

Xishan is like that; his ghost village is inhabited by his own people, unlike other ghost villages where the inhabitants are refugees or people who have been bought.

A hundred years ago, due to a great calamity befell his family, Xishan led his clansmen to seek refuge in various places, and gradually built up a village.

After Xishan died, he was worshipped and has been protecting the village ever since.

Their village rarely interacts with other ghost villages, partly to protect their own safety and avoid being disturbed by the outside world.

However, the things that happened in the past are not something that can be told to outsiders.

Xi Shan refused Lu Zheng's cultivation method, feeling it was unnecessary and he didn't want to owe such a young man a favor.

Seeing Xi Shan's attitude, Lu Zheng did not insist. He could tell that Xi Shan was different from other ghosts.

Lu Zheng then invited Xi Shan to sit in Chi Mei's cave.

Xi Shan walked to the side and asked, "I have been dead for many years and have lived here for many years. I know very little about what is happening in the outside world. I wonder what the situation is like in the world today?"

Lu Zheng said unhurriedly, "There are still nine great nations in the world today..."

A human and a ghost entered the cave and discussed matters over tea.

After some time, faint sounds could be heard coming from outside.

Qingwan returned excitedly from outside, followed by Chimei and two other ghosts.

"I've gathered them all!" Qingwan said cheerfully. "Not a single one is missing. I was worried someone might not be home."

As she spoke, Qingwan took out another jade bottle and shook it, revealing three illusory ghostly figures.

These three ghosts are in a sealed state and look somewhat weak.

Qingwan continued, "These three are quite naughty and disobedient, so I taught them a lesson..."

Qingwan chattered away, recounting everything she had seen and heard.

Chi Mei stood aside, keeping an eye on the five ghosts to prevent them from making any unusual moves.

Xi Shan sat there, slightly surprised. These two were really efficient and decisive, bringing the ghost kings of several nearby ghost villages with them.

After listening to Qingwan's story, Lu Zheng looked at Chimei and the two ghost kings who had come with him, pointed to the three ghosts that Qingwan had sealed, and said, "The three of you each choose one to interrogate, ask them about the important information they know, and each of you write one down."

Lu Zheng took out six scrolls of paper with some questions written on them, such as which ghost kings or ghost villages they knew, what treasures they hid, who they usually associated with, and where they found the people...

Seeing this, Qingwan said, "I'll go and keep an eye on them!"

After saying that, Qingwan led Chimei and the other ghosts to another part of the cave.

Before long, six case files were presented to Lu Zheng.

Under pressure, the three sealed demons and the demon king who followed them revealed many of their secrets.

Lu Zheng glanced through the documents, then turned to the two ghost kings who had come to visit, "I'll give you a choice..."

Lu Zheng repeated the conditions he had previously discussed with Chi Mei.

Both ghost kings were stunned after hearing this, never expecting such a good thing to happen.

They had just thought they were going to die.

A ghost king asked, full of doubt, "You're really willing to offer up the Fourth Realm Ghost Path Technique, but what benefit would that bring you?"

Lu Zheng explained, "I cultivate a righteous spirit and study the words of sages. If I were to ignore such a situation, wouldn't I be unworthy of being a scholar?"

He was focused on saving the world, but if he did nothing when he saw these people, what was the point of cultivating his mind?

At the very least, he should do something within his own capabilities.

Upon hearing this, the two ghosts vaguely understood. They had often heard that human scholars always talked about benevolence and morality, but now they had actually met one. This person not only talked about it, but also put it into practice.

Lu Zheng then took out two contracts and two cultivation manuals. "Once you sign the contracts, the cultivation manuals will be yours. Chi Mei has already practiced them. You can judge for yourselves whether they are genuine or not."

The two ghosts couldn't help but look at Chi Mei. No wonder Chi Mei had led the way earlier; it turned out that they had already compromised with this human who cultivated righteousness.

Seeing the two ghosts' gazes, Chi Mei wished they wouldn't sign the contract, so she would have fewer competitors.

The two ghosts weighed the pros and cons and realized they had no other choice. If they refused, they would probably suffer the same fate as the three ghost kings.

Without much thought, the two ghosts signed the contract and received the cultivation technique.

Lu Zheng added, "The other three ghost villages will be taken over by the three of you. As for the other ghost villages, you can try to win them over. I don't need to tell you the specifics... As long as you perform well, you will receive more benefits."

Lu Zheng then took out a small bottle and poured out a drop of thick spiritual liquid.

The elixir emitted a strange fragrance that invigorated even ghosts.

Lu Zheng said unhurriedly, "This is a spiritual liquid that nourishes the soul. It is also a great tonic for ghosts, as it can improve the purity of your souls, making your future cultivation twice as effective..."

The ghosts, including Chi Mei, looked at the drop of spiritual liquid with greedy expressions, revealing a deep-seated desire. Clearly, the liquid was very tempting to them. Lu Zheng put the liquid away again. "Alright, get back to work."

The three Crimson Demons suddenly felt a void in their hearts, and each of them took their sealed Ghost Kings to take over the Ghost Village.

"It's time for this old man to go back," Xishan said slowly as he rose to his feet.

He only wanted to protect his people and had no intention of getting involved in other matters or causing them any trouble.

Lu Zheng respected the other party's choice and escorted Xi Shan out of the cave.

Qingwan watched Xishan walk away and wondered, "Why not let him govern the people here? I think he managed his village quite well."

Lu Zheng said, "Everyone has their own ambitions. He's different from Chi Mei and the others."

In the east, a sliver of dawn was already appearing.

People in the village were already up early working, and wisps of smoke rose from their chimneys, creating a lively atmosphere.

Looking at the commotion in the village, Qingwan couldn't help but say, "This place will be better in the future, won't it?"

"Perhaps," Lu Zheng said softly.

He also couldn't be sure how long this ghost village, which couldn't see the light of day, could exist.

If they were to be noticed by the divine officials of the Chu state, it could very well bring about their annihilation, a thought that is both tragic and ironic.

These ordinary people are ultimately too weak; no matter how many there are, they cannot control their own destiny.

There are too many powerful people in this world. It is too difficult for Lu Zheng to find a way out for the common people and save them from suffering.

"We still have to take things one step at a time..." Lu Zheng thought to himself.

He sat cross-legged at the foot of the cliff. With a thought, invisible vortexes appeared around him, drawing in the yin energy from all directions and continuously absorbing it into his small world.

A large portion of this yin energy was absorbed by the lunar anomaly, while some flowed into various places and merged into the microcosm.

Qingwan, standing nearby, was very envious of Lu Zheng's little world, which could absorb all kinds of energy.

Her small literary palace couldn't do that; absorbing such yin energy would only pollute the literary palace space.

"Hey, the weather seems so much better today..."

Some villagers suddenly found that their breathing had become much smoother than usual, and their bodies felt more relaxed.

The villagers, unaware of what was going on, didn't think much of it. They ate breakfast and went about their work.

Even the villagers who had just arrived in the village were allocated land and began a completely new life.

After some time, Chi Mei secretly returned from outside and reported the situation.

She has taken over the ghost village of the blue-faced demon and told the villagers that she has become the new ghost king. She also lied that she was going into seclusion for a while and told them to live their lives properly and not to wander around.

In a place like Ghost State, for ordinary people to run around is no different from throwing their lives away. It's better to live a miserable life than to die. The villagers don't care that a new Ghost King has come along, and they'd rather Chi Mei stay in seclusion forever.

Chi Mei continued rambling on, "I plan to expand this place further so that it can accommodate more people. When everyone lives here, it will be easier to manage."

Lu Zhengdao: "A large group of people with strong personalities is more likely to be discovered. If we encounter a Chu state official, can you handle it?"

“Uh…” Chi Mei couldn’t help but shrink her neck.

As a ghost, she was terrified of priests and the like.

Lu Zheng said calmly, "I asked you to protect them, not to bring them disaster."

"Understood," Chi Mei nodded quickly.

Lu Zheng took out a small booklet and said, "This contains a health-preserving boxing style. You can give it to the people to practice."

Chi Mei took the booklet, looked at it curiously, and then asked, "Aren't you going to teach them martial arts techniques? If they practice martial arts, they won't be afraid of ordinary ghosts..."

Chi Mei found it strange that Lu Zheng was only giving ordinary people such simple martial arts techniques.

Lu Zhengdao said, "Martial arts require talent, as well as time and resources. Practicing a health-preserving boxing style can strengthen the body and reduce the erosion of the body by yin energy, which is sufficient."

Lu Zheng felt that Chi Mei seemed to have misunderstood something, thinking that he was going to train these Chu people for some purpose?

These villagers are able to live and work in peace and contentment here, so why disturb their peaceful lives?

Upon hearing this, Chi Mei dared not say more. With a thought, the evil energy in the cave gathered around her body and condensed into a large red-haired demon. Then she stepped towards the village and taught the villagers her fist techniques.

Qingwan glanced at the giant demon that Chi Mei had transformed into and clicked her tongue, saying, "It looks a bit like that kind of Dharma form."

Qingwan heard that practicing certain techniques could create a Dharma image, and that some people could use secret methods to invite a deity to possess them and create a divine Dharma image to fight against.

She felt that the ghostly image conjured by Chi Mei had something in common with her.

Not long after, the other two ghost kings returned to report that everything had been taken care of.

Lu Zheng then instructed the two ghosts on how to cultivate ghostly techniques.

The two ghosts were overjoyed to experience the benefits this technique brought them, and their attitude towards Lu Zheng became even more respectful.

(End of this chapter)