Chapter 174 Reflection in the underworld, peak of spiritual tide

Author: Traveling from the South

Chapter 174 Reflection in the underworld, peak of spiritual tide

Cangbei County is an inconspicuous border county in the northern border of Daxu. However, due to the military conflict with the Jin Kingdom, this place name occasionally appears in Di Bao.

This is also the greatest understanding that Neizhou scholars have about Cangbei County. Well, it is limited to place names.

However, in other counties in Dingzhou, especially for people in Bei'an County, which is only separated by a mountain, the information about Cangbei County is not only well-known to every household, but most of the gentry and elites also know about it.

There are one county and five counties, with vast land but little development. The people in the county survive by combining farming and nomadic herding.

Without Cangshan Mountain to block the white-haired wind, the climate is much colder than that of Bei'an, and many people's living habits are closer to those of the Jin people.

Except for the county near the county seat, which has more than 200,000 residents, the other five counties are all lower counties with a population of just over 100,000.

Moreover, during the turmoil in recent years, the population has decreased sharply, and perhaps no county can still meet the standard of a lower county. This is also the essential reason why the imperial court lost control of Cangbei County.

In the forty-sixth year of Xiangxing's reign, a once-in-a-century white-haired disaster swept across the grassland, with snow and wind blowing and people dying of hunger thousands of miles away.

The Jin army was forced to move south, and the originally very strong border defense line was easily broken.

Heavy snow blocked the roads and the imperial court's supplies were blocked, causing the border troops to lack food and clothing and to be unable to fight. This was certainly the direct cause.

However, the Cangbei County behind the border army has insufficient population, logistical capabilities cannot keep up, and it is fundamental that it cannot be self-sufficient.

You must know that when Daxu's national power was at its peak, Cangbei County had just been established, and more than a million people had moved there, and countless fertile fields could produce enough food.

However, in recent decades, the remaining land has been gradually depleted, fertile farmland has been converted into pasture, and the population has been greatly reduced. Naturally, it is no longer possible to rely on the power of one county to support the existence of the border army.

In the past, the role of the border troops was not to defend, but to constantly expand border territories and strive for survival space for the central dynasty.

Linyuan County, the northernmost county in Cangbei County, is the dividing point between nomadic and agricultural civilizations.

To the north, it is all grassland, while to the south, you can still see scattered abandoned farmland. The wheat straw left under the ice and snow shows that it has not been completely abandoned for a long time.

The sky and the earth are gloomy, cold and desolate, and the whistling white-haired wind freezes all life.

In the wilderness, all that can be seen is a lonely ghost town, where ghosts gather, wreaking havoc in this vast world.

It's strange to say that it's obviously a Yang world, but here there is a lot of Yin energy, just like ghosts.

The heavy snow has stopped for a long time, and there is still no sunlight in the sky, as if blocked by some mysterious force.

Ten miles further north, a group of armored cavalry surrounded several black-robed shamans, looking at the ghost town from a distance.

The weak sunlight shines on them through the clouds, and moving forward seems to be another world, only darkness without a trace of sunlight.

Their expressions were uncertain, some were angry, some were frightened, and some were full of joy...

When the shamans spoke, all the cavalry automatically spread out. They formed a circle and stood in a position where the voices could not be heard.

These cavalry are well-equipped, physically strong, and decisive and experienced in their actions, making them the elite of the Jin Army.

However, in front of the shaman with extraordinary power, they can only act as human shields and serve carefully with caution in words and deeds.

As big shots, the shamans are naturally divided into different levels. For a long time, the Jin Kingdom family has mastered quite powerful shamanic power.

Therefore, within the Jin Kingdom, there is great emphasis on superiority and inferiority, and the distinction between levels is very simple and straightforward.

A shaman wearing a pure black robe is a monk of the first realm, a shaman with a black robe with sleeves and collar trimmed with silver is a monk of the second realm, and a shaman with a gold rim is a monk of the third realm.

As for going up further, to the Yangshen realm, there must be old vassal states with a long history, but such existences will no longer be bound by any robes.

A black-robed shaman respectfully asked the silver-bordered shaman in the middle: "Qianyan Shaman, do you want to go in to check the situation? The two thousand households trapped inside are protecting the young master of the Anyuanhou family.

I’m afraid I’ll have to give an explanation later.”

Qi Yan frowned, looking at the strange and gloomy Cangbei County area, and said nothing for a long time.

At this time, another black-robed shaman saw this and could only remind him in a low voice: "Sir, Marquis Anyuan is a confidant of the king, and I heard that he is related to a Phnom Penh shaman. We'd better not offend him."

"No, if you go in now, you will die. The Ghost King doesn't care whether we are Jin people or Daxu people. The monk's flesh and blood soaked in spiritual energy will be a great tonic for him."

"Anyuan Hou, I'll go and say it myself. He's not the eldest son. Besides, the king has treated us a lot recently. How can the north pay back..." Qi Yan didn't say it clearly, but several of his subordinates still didn't understand.

Since the leaders are willing to take responsibility, as shamans, there is no need for them to worry too much.

There is no need to risk going in, the shamans are also interested in making comments.

"How many years have passed, the ghost king appears again in the Yang world, and it is still within the territory of the Central Dynasty, which is unbelievable."

"Ghost King, the worst thing you can do if you gather a crowd to become king is that you have the strength of three realms. It's just a matter of time to conquer the county."

"Cangbei County's border troops have withdrawn, and I don't know how long the county can hold on."

Linyuan County has no life, only swarms of ghosts. This is not an isolated case, the other four counties have also gradually fallen.

Nowadays, the entire north and south of Cangshan Mountain have been blocked from traffic, which is why Zhou Bai has to step in to deal with it.

A buffer zone between the two countries can also turn into a mess, forcing the general's business routes to find another way out.

Yes, Chao Qu asked his night messengers to bring him a distress message, which described the situation in Cangbei County very straightforwardly.

Ghosts are rampant and there is no place for living people to stand.

The county town is the last hope of the entire Cangbei County and the shelter for 300,000 living people.

Such a huge breath of life naturally attracted an unimaginable army of ghosts. All kinds of evil spirits and fierce ghosts emerged in endlessly. I felt that this was a real ghost town in the underworld.

During the day, when Yang Qi is at its strongest and ghosts are at their lowest, the intensity of the attack on the city will be much smaller.

Therefore, the county and city are often handed over to the first-level monks of the Taoist corps and combined with a large number of troops to defend. Most of the second-level and real people in charge seize the time to restore their magic power and cultivate their spirits.

Night is the time when ghosts truly attack the city. Their tireless attacks would make even a real person half dead from exhaustion.

However, the superiors among the besieged ghosts would not care about the lives of ordinary little ghosts, and would still drive some little ghosts to die during the day.

This will prevent the main force of the Taoist priests from resting peacefully, and the speed of repairing the county's legal network during the day will also be greatly reduced.

In the endless tide of ghosts, in an inconspicuous place, there is a living person who is calm and composed surrounded by numerous evil ghosts.

Although the ghosts around them could not suppress their bloodthirsty and greedy expressions, they did not dare to make any rash moves. Instead, they would use the corner of their eyes to glance at a strong ghost next to the living person from time to time.

This majestic ghost is the ghost king Youtu, and millions of ghost troops obey him. They have been beheading real people in the city for many days with ease.

"What the devil, what's so good about this living skin? Why did you choose a noble prince? I'm really not afraid that my group of starving men will not be able to hold back." You Tu seemed to be a little dissatisfied with the man in front of him, his tone

The ridicule in it was palpable.

"I have told you so many times that my name is Mo Le, and I am the third rank of Heavenly Demon in Qingxu Holy Realm." The living being was not used to being called Heavenly Demon. He released a burst of coercion that scared the crowd of ghosts to tremble, and then corrected him.

Later, perhaps because of his cooperative relationship with Youtu, Mo Le explained: "What do you ghosts in the underworld know? My body is the son of Marquis Anyuan."

"When I help you destroy this county and temporarily solidify this place into the underworld, I can use this identity to get close to the top officials of the Jin Kingdom, and even gain the authority to control the country's political affairs."

"At that time, the second batch of the main fleet has invaded the mortal world, and the inside and outside should be coordinated. It is logical that the Kingdom of Jin will return to the holy world, and I will also make immortal contributions..."

How can You Tu have so much patience? Hearing Mo Le brag here, he quickly interrupted: "Okay, let's ignore the monks in the city for the time being, and they will be exhausted. But what's going on with the City God?"

"How many times have I told you to use your power to get rid of him and his gods? How come it's almost half a month and the city god is still descending to the underworld to harass us."

Upon hearing this accusation, Mo Le's face darkened: "The County God is the God of the Golden Rule. Even if the current structure of Cangbei County cannot support him to exert the power of the Golden Rule, how can I stop him from traveling to and from the underworld according to his priestly duties."

"You have been wandering around in the underworld for many years anyway, don't you know better than me, a demon?"

"In order for the Yin World of the Tianyuan Realm to return to the Yang World, the Holy World has exhausted all the layout power of the Yin World. Moreover, there are really not ordinary creatures who can intervene there."

Youtu knew that Mo Le was right, but he was upset in his heart. The majestic ghost energy suppressed in his body suddenly burst out, and an angry shout resounded throughout the countryside.

Many ghost generals knew that the Ghost King was angry, and regardless of the ghosts' sluggishness during the day, they drove the cannon fodder to launch a big offensive.

"There are countless flesh and blood in the city. If you break the city and don't seal it, come to me!"

"Eradicate the law, and the living will be lambs to be slaughtered!"

The overwhelming ghost tide surged up suddenly, frightening all the talismans from the city head to fly. Waves of talisman arrows contaminated with talisman water were thrown out mercilessly.

The ghost group suffered heavy losses for a while, and countless ghosts were wiped out in wailing. This death meant that there was no reincarnation and no ghost action.

However, in this situation, Youtu grinned and was in a good mood.

He was happy to use cannon fodder to consume the city's killing methods. Once all the basic talismans were used up, the city's destruction would not be far away.

"Who knew you were so wrong? Not even a single battleship landed in Cangbei. By the way, are you sure that the Daxu court will not come to reinforce you?" You Tu breathed out and was in the mood to continue talking.

"I'm sure we have people from the Ministry of War and the Daolu Department in the capital. Now the imperial court only wants to protect the elite areas. All the border troops in Cangbei County have withdrawn. Do you want to tell them whether they still want us?"

"The group of Taoist priests who came last time were sent by the governor of Dingzhou, and they only picked up important figures such as the county governor."

"Three hundred thousand Guizhou heads have been abandoned by default. How can such a barbaric civilization not allow us to take over the Holy Realm?!" Mo Le said, bragging about the Qingxu Realm with feverish eyes.

Youtu curled his lips and complained silently in his heart, "You are the good guys? Without your help, how could they, the evil ghosts in the underworld, who could not see the light of day, rebel against Yin and Yang."

Of course, he didn't dare to say it out loud, because most of the flesh and blood of living people ended up in his own ghost's belly.

…

On the other side, Zhou Bai led 3,000 demon-defying troops. As soon as they reached Kukou Pass and crossed Cangshan Mountain, they ordered the advance to stop.

Because at this time, he had seen the latest news about "ghost monsters" from the Yuling Heavenly Disk. Similar situations in Cangbei County had occurred in more than a dozen major states in the east, west, north and south.

The places where these ghosts appear are all border counties of large states. There are few humane gods under the jurisdiction, and the scope covers several counties or even one county.
To be continued...