Chapter 94: Ghost Suppressing City
Two days later, Chen Chang'an and his group finally reached the periphery of the legendary forbidden land—the Myriad Ghosts Cave.
Xiao Ling'er put away the flying boat and explained to Chen Chang'an: Within the forbidden land, the rules are bizarre. It's safer to enter on foot.
At this moment, a yin wind howled around the three. Though it was noon, the sky appeared dim as dusk.
Gray mist enveloped the wilderness, devouring nearly all sunlight.
Chen Chang'an looked up at the sky. Behind the thick gray haze, a dark sun faintly appeared.
Xiao Ling'er tightened her cloak. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly froze—the outline of a city emerged indistinctly in the fog ahead.
The blue-gray city walls crawled with dark-red moss. The three blood-stained characters "Ghost Suppressing City" on the city gate had mottled and faded.
"Strange..." Xiao Ling'er frowned. "Why would there be a city at the forbidden land's periphery?"
"Let's go in and find out." Chen Chang'an took the lead toward the city gate.
The scene inside the city was even more surprising.
The long street bustled with people, livelier than many prefectural capitals.
However, most pedestrians hurried along, and seven or eight out of ten carried weapons.
Chen Chang'an swept with his spiritual sense and discovered over half the city's inhabitants were cultivators, though their cultivation mostly ranged between Object Control and Profound Connection Realms.
"Two fairies, stopping for a meal or lodging?"
A thin waiter darted out from a riverside tavern. Chen Chang'an glanced at him—he also possessed early Object Control Realm cultivation.
He examined him with interest: "Even your waiters are cultivators in this tavern?"
"Ah!" The waiter led them to their seats while laughing, "In our Ghost Suppressing City, everyone is either a relative of those who followed the Ghost Suppressing Army or descendants of the army itself. Most have some cultivation talent. Plus, while the environment here is harsh, spiritual energy is abundant, so cultivators aren't uncommon."
"Ghost Suppressing Army?" Xiao Ling'er's eyes lit up.
...
In a private room on the tavern's second floor, Chen Chang'an lightly tapped a celadon wine cup, listening with great interest to the waiter's account.
Outside the window, the yin wind wailed, making the young man's voice exceptionally clear.
"This Ghost Suppressing Army isn't part of the Great Zhou's Six Pillars military system. Most are prisoners who committed serious crimes yet possessed considerable cultivation. They were exiled here to guard the place for eternity."
Chen Chang'an raised an eyebrow: "Won't they escape?"
"Escape? Where to?" The waiter shook his head. "Under heaven, all is the king's land. Most committed capital crimes. If they dare flee here, the Great Zhou will issue warrants for their arrest—even send troops to annihilate them!"
"I see." Chen Chang'an nodded, then exchanged a glance with Xiao Ling'er. The two默契地 fell silent.
It seemed news here was too isolated. The Supreme Emperor's fall and the dynasty's collapse hadn't reached this place.
"Of course, it's not entirely so." The waiter continued: "To most, this place may be a cage, but to some, it's a pure land."
"Over the years, some clan disciples who couldn't thrive in their families, or cultivators frustrated in their sects, have come here and chosen to join the Ghost Suppressing Army."
"Even..." He lowered his voice, "Hundreds of years ago, a Great Zhou prince voluntarily requested to be stationed here, said to be weary of palace intrigues."
Suddenly, orderly footsteps sounded outside the window.
The two leaned over the railing to look. A team of black-armored cultivators was patrolling the street.
Their leader had the striking character "Ghost" branded on his face, yet possessed Returning to Origin Realm cultivation. Pedestrians scattered wherever he passed.
"See that scarred face?" The waiter pointed to a one-eyed cultivator at the rear of the team. "The 'Blood-Handed Human Slaughterer' who caused a sensation in Qing Province 120 years ago is now just a foot soldier in the Ghost Suppressing Army's Third Battalion."
Xiao Ling'er suddenly chuckled: "Interesting. To lead such a complex army and stand equal to the Great Zhou's Six Pillars, this army's general must be exceptionally formidable!"
Xiao Ling'er suddenly chuckled: "Interesting. To lead such a complex army and stand equal to the Great Zhou's Six Pillars, this army's general must be exceptionally formidable!"
"Of course!" The waiter's eyes gleamed. "Every generation of Ghost Suppressing Army commanders are pinnacle experts of the Heaven-Man Realm. The current commander is even more of a legend—"
"I heard he was originally a discarded disciple of the Celestial Craft Pavilion, expelled for privately forging forbidden puppets. Seventy years ago during the Myriad Ghosts Cave uprising, he led three hundred yin-soldier puppets into the inner cave, and actually..."
His voice abruptly cut off.
At the staircase stood a white-robed figure wearing a bronze mask, its forehead engraved with the blood-red character "Three."
The entire second floor fell silent as a grave.
Chen Chang'an had actually noticed his presence earlier, but being engrossed in the story, hadn't bothered to intervene.
"Commander Three!" The waiter's voice trembled.
"Go down! You haven't violated military discipline, why fear me so?"
"Y-yes, this humble one will prepare food and drinks for the guests." The waiter, as if granted amnesty, hurried downstairs.
The white-robed figure approached, the bronze mask glinting coldly under the dim sunlight.
Then, a metal-grinding voice emanated from beneath the mask: "Two young ladies, quite interested in our Ghost Suppressing Army?"
Though addressing both, his gaze remained locked on the empty space several steps behind Xiao Ling'er, as though someone invisible stood there.
Chen Chang'an gently twirled his teacup, the emerald tea reflecting his half-smiling eyes: "Passably. Mainly interested in the Myriad Ghosts Cave."
The white-robed figure ignored his words, the bronze mask slightly tilting as he stubbornly stared at that patch of air: "And you, sir—"
A sudden aged sigh echoed in the private room.
"Truly worthy of being a Ghost Suppressing Army commander." The void rippled like water as Gray-robed Elder Mo's form slowly materialized.
His withered fingers emerged from his sleeve, tossing out a lustrous white jade tablet: "Show some respect."
The jade tablet traced an arc through the air, caught steadily by the white-robed figure.
The gaze beneath the mask lingered on the ancient "Ji" character for a moment, his sharp aura first congealing, then visibly softening.
"That person's face, this humble servant wouldn't dare refuse." The white-robed figure stroked the jade tablet, his tone now carrying three parts politeness. "Might I ask the identities of these two young ladies—"
Elder Mo's lips moved slightly.
The white-robed figure's pupils abruptly contracted. Then, the mask slowly turned toward Xiao Ling'er as he performed a solemn chest-touching salute: "In that case, welcome to Ghost Suppressing City."
The black iron bracers on his wrists clinked crisply. "I am currently on duty here, temporarily acting as city lord. If you require anything, Miss Xiao, you may seek me at the City Lord's Manor at any time."
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