Demon Emperor

Chapter 46 The Ghost of the Former Emperor?

It will be dawn.

The mountain was shrouded in a bluish-gray mist, and pine and cypress trees were planted on both sides of the sacred path.

Ruan Hu, supported by the jade carriage and adorned with a twelve-tassel jade crown, was led by a master of ceremonies holding a golden halberd, while black-armored guards stood in formation holding halberds.

"Your Majesty, the black wine is ready."

The Grand Master of Ceremonies stepped forward, holding a lacquered ewer inlaid with seashells. Ruan Hu nodded as the dark wine swayed in the bronze wine vessel.

At the end of the sacred path, in front of a mound made of five-colored earth, the heads of three sacrificial animals are placed, and millet and sorghum are burning.

The air was filled with the aroma of burning pine resin.

The Grand Master of Ceremonies unfolded the bamboo slips and recited the "Rites of Zhou".

"Sacrifice to heaven and earth, using tigers and Yi naked..."

The officials, dressed in crimson robes, prostrated themselves on the ground, and Ruan Hu offered wine three times.

The first cup was poured onto the five-colored soil, the second cup was poured over the bronze tripod legs, and the last cup was poured into the fire, sizzling as it was poured.

Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!

Amidst the shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" from the officials, Ruan Hu looked at the mausoleum without making a sound.

"Didn't show up?"

If things continue like this, this grand ceremony will signify that he is now the true Emperor of the Great Sheng Dynasty, inheriting the Mandate of Heaven for the Great Sheng Dynasty.

Even the late emperor didn't come out to say he was a fake, that he wasn't real, but now he is.

Ruan Hu breathed a sigh of relief.

A surge of joy welled up within him, and he even prepared to make the Great Sheng Dynasty great again.

Suddenly, the tiger god within him stirred.

"Ok?"

Ruan Hu glanced around slightly, but couldn't detect anything wrong.

However, his vigilance was raised to the highest level.

The entire sacrificial ceremony lasted a full day.

However, Ruan Hu's mind was not on the sacrificial ceremony, but rather on observing the surrounding movements.

The divine tiger made several unusual movements; it was certain that something was around, but it couldn't find it.

Later on, he had prepared for the worst.

It is the former emperor in the imperial tomb who appears in the form of a ghost or god.

He even ordered Zhou Kaigu to make preparations, but the thing never appeared.

"Why aren't they out yet?"

"Wait until it gets dark?"

Ruan Hu felt increasingly uneasy, and during this time he made several arrangements in order to guard against changes in the imperial tomb and other places.

Sure enough, as soon as it got dark, there was some commotion.

Ruan Hu and his civil and military officials were preparing to leave.

suddenly.

The flames that had been extinguished in the surrounding bronze vessels suddenly ignited again, one after another.

A figure appeared on the imperial tomb, "walking down" from the Five-Colored Hill, trailing a long dragon robe.

However, in Ruan Hu's view, the other party's appearance was more like floating than walking, and there were no feet or shoes visible under the long robe.

He kept shouting as he walked.

"My son, Ruan Hu!"

"Ruan Hu!"

"Where is my son, Ruan Hu?"

The thing passed through the high platform, floated down the steps and got closer and closer, allowing everyone to see its appearance clearly.

The ministers below were initially taken aback and somewhat flustered.

But when they saw the figure's appearance, they all gasped in surprise and fell to their knees.

"It is the late emperor!"

"It is the spirit of the late emperor manifesting himself!"

"Greetings to the late Emperor."

The thing then drifted down and saw Ruan Hu, who was also dressed in imperial robes.

Suddenly he shouted, "You are not my son Ruan Hu, who are you?"

His eyes were bloodshot, and he seemed very angry: "What kind of monster dares to impersonate my son?"

He shouted loudly, his voice as clear as a bell, so that everyone present could hear him clearly.

For an instant.

Many of the civil and military officials looked at Ruan Hu with strange eyes.

Ruan Hu didn't care who the other party was, whether it was the real late emperor or a fake one, and he didn't care about the gazes behind him at this moment.

He immediately prepared to draw the Emperor's Sword and splatter blood on the opponent.

However, when Ruan Hu tried to move his mind, he couldn't move his body.

"What's going on?" Ruan Hu looked down, staring at himself.

It wasn't that his will was immobile, but rather that the body he had obtained from Ruan Hu was immobile.

Ruan Hu raised his gaze and locked onto the "ghost of the late emperor" again, finding that the other party's eyes were filled with mockery and gleamed with evil light.

This thing is connected to his body by blood.

Ruan Hu immediately understood what was going on.

"Someone is using this thing, with blood as the medium, to cast a nightmare spell on me."

In a trance.

Ruan Hu seemed to see a tall Nuo altar.

On the altar table sits a paper doll dressed in an emperor's robe, being wrapped in hair by a pair of withered hands.

"What powerful witchcraft! I wonder how far away it can be used on me."

Ruan Hu had heard about the different levels of witchcraft from the Celestial Maiden Miaoxiang. The most common witchcraft was to influence people through direct contact with mediums such as sound, light, shadow, and fragrance.

Further up the hierarchy, some shamans can use the most direct means of communication with a person to apply their magic to the person under their spell, even from hundreds of miles away.

However, Ruan Hu is no longer the emperor who was without foundation and abandoned by heaven and the gods.

He is also protected by gods.

Ruan Hu's ever-present sachet of fragrant herbs suddenly emitted a wonderful aroma, and he then heard someone whisper in his ear.

"His Majesty!"

“How can a mortal sorcerer bind the Son of Heaven?”

In an instant, Ruan Hu felt his body relax.

Then, he thrust his sword at the figure in front of him, but the thing dodged it with a flick of its wrist.

He seemed to have no weight, moving several meters away with a single, gentle movement.

The "ghost" seemed to grow even angrier, its eyes glaring and its disheveled hair flying as it angrily shouted down at those below.

"Rebel!"

"You actually murdered your father."

Before Ruan Hu could even mock the "ghost's" stupidity—he had just said Ruan Hu was a demon in disguise—he immediately contradicted himself.

But at this moment, the protective spirit on Ruan Hu's body activated.

Ruan Hu sensed something and turned his head to the side.

Then you will see it.

Thin ribbons, as thin as cicada wings, floated down from behind him and danced in the air.

A captivating face pressed close to her side, and she raised her hand to blow on her red lips.

"call!"

A fragrant breeze blew by, and a strong wind swept around Ruan Hu, making it impossible for people to open their eyes.

The strong wind rushed towards the "ghost" and blew off the dragon robe and imperial attire from its body.

At this, the officials who were kneeling on the ground turned pale and let out screams.

"what!"

"Only the head?"

"Isn't this the same thing from the day before yesterday?"

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, all people finally saw clearly what the "former emperor" looked like.

The robe beneath the head was empty; there was nothing there.

The flying head, its clothes blown away and its true form exposed, was stunned for a moment, then let out a ghostly shout.

It seems like he's cursing someone out loud.

However, at this moment, Ruan Hu's backup plan, which he had been guarding against for any unexpected events, also came into play.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..."

First, a barrage of soaked arrows were shot at the head, forcing it to dodge left and right in a panic, until it could only fly to a high place.

Then squads of soldiers poured in, completely enveloping the area inside and out.

At this moment.

As the flying head impersonating the late emperor flew away, the other flying heads hidden in the imperial tomb also became chaotic.

Then, they rushed out in a swarm and flew into the sky.

Ruan Hu had been preparing ever since he encountered the flying head, and he put it to use immediately at this moment.

A group of soldiers rushed up with fishing nets and threw them into the air.

"spread!"

The team leader shouted, and the soldiers immediately sprang into action.

This time.

A whole area was immediately caught in the net.

The group immediately worked together to pull the flying head down from the sky.

The rest scattered amidst the shrieking.

(End of this chapter)