The singing was haunting, as if crying and complaining.
The fog was thick, as if falling into a Ghost Realm.
Zhang Kui wasn't in a hurry. He swung the Greatsword onto his shoulder with his right hand, contemplating the doorway thoughtfully.
It's not entirely true that the Astronomical Bureau is full of worthless people. At least, with the exception of the Three Mountains, Four Caves, and Five Water Mansions, the evil spirits and demon charms within the borders of the Qian Dynasty are hidden in the dark.
After all, from what he heard from some peers, the Court recruited many capable individuals as Guest Ministers, and there are thirteen National Guardian True Men suppressing various regions.
But starting yesterday, ever since I arrived in Qingzhou, it's been nothing but demons and ghosts, with no sign of peace.
What exactly happened here?
Interesting...
"Hmph!"
On the other side, Eunuch Yin snorted coldly,
"Demon ghosts, how dare they be presumptuous..."
"Is everyone dead?!"
As soon as he spoke, over a dozen elite guards of the Astronomical Bureau leapt out from the room, swiftly arranging their long crossbows and swords, their movements as fluid as water.
At the same time, the others were awakened and came out one after another, their faces changing drastically.
"Master Kui, this..."
Li Dong'Er was about to ask when Zhang Kui immediately gestured with his hand and gave her a look.
The girl understood at once, supporting Liu Mao'Er back to the room, first closing the doors and windows, then taking out the Sealing Talismans and slapping them on.
Wu Siyuan's expression was grim,
"I never thought Qingzhou would be this rotten!"
After speaking, he snorted coldly and looked at Eunuch Yin.
Eunuch Yin's face didn't look good either.
"I've lived long in the Capital City, dealing with the hard task of capturing demons. Qingzhou is under Eunuch Liu's jurisdiction. If Lord Wu has the capability, he should go bother him, why vent at me!"
After that, he frowned and said to his subordinates,
"What are you waiting for, useless things!"
"Yes, Duke!"
The officials of the Astronomical Bureau dared not say more, each leaping down from the second floor.
Whizz whizz whizz!
The long crossbows were fired, and over a dozen Talisman Arrows shot toward the eerie red lantern outside the door.
Bang bang bang!
As if fire faced boiling oil, a series of explosions accompanied by a flash of flames occurred.
"Wow, pretty powerful!"
Zhang Kui laughed and praised.
The flames spread out, and the mournful singing stopped as well. Although the red lantern remained intact, it flickered unsteadily.
The leader of the officials furrowed his brows,
"Another round, aim and shoot!"
The others had already reloaded their long crossbows with Talisman Arrows, and upon hearing the order, they took aim again, the arrowheads moving in unison.
Only now did Zhang Kui notice that the front of these long crossbows was equipped with a small Compass, its pointer constantly shaking.
Activating the Tongyou Skill, he immediately noticed a red shadow outside the door. Though it drifted erratically, it was always aimed at by these long crossbows.
Zhang Kui found it amusing.
Though this thing is cumbersome, it at least endows ordinary people with the ability to deal with evil spirits.
The red shadow outside seemed a bit agitated, just as it paused, over a dozen Talisman Arrows arrived in an instant.
Bang bang bang!
Another round of flames erupted.
A shrill scream echoed, and apart from Zhang Kui and Eunuch Yin, everyone else painfully covered their ears.
Immediately after, the black mist suddenly dispersed.
Did it just run away?
Zhang Kui pouted in disappointment.
At this moment, a frightened dwarf servant hiding under the counter ran out with a crying face,
"Disaster has arrived, disaster has arrived!"
The small leader of the Astronomical Bureau was instantly furious, stepping forward to kick the servant over.
"What nonsense are you spouting!"
The servant sat on the ground, face pale, "This distinguished official, you may not know, but that's the banshee from the 'Ghost Opera Troupe'. Every time it appears, it takes a life."
"If resisted, the swarm of ghosts will come, and no one will survive!"
Eunuch Yin snorted coldly,
"You, a mere mortal, how do you know this so well?"
The servant froze, suddenly at a loss for words, stammering, a fine sweat on his forehead.
"Speak quickly!"
The small leader of the Astronomical Bureau shouted angrily,
"Could it be you're in league with demon ghosts, running this shop to harm people!"
The servant was startled, quickly waving his hands,
"No, no, I'm wronged!"
At this moment, an old voice suddenly spoke, "Honorable sir, please don't make things difficult for Sixth. It was I who told him."
"Who?!"
Everyone in the Astronomical Bureau was instantly shocked, looking around.
Zhang Kui raised an eyebrow and looked at the beam.
There, a massive weasel sat, unknown since when, with white whiskers, puffing a dry pipe like an old man.
The officials of the Astronomical Bureau hurriedly raised their crossbows.
"Hold on!"
Eunuch Yin waved to stop them, squinting at the old weasel, "House spirit?"
"The court has issued an order prohibiting worship, how dare you still appear?"
House spirits are akin to the "Family Guardian Immortal" from a previous life.
Rumor has it that some demons form alliances with humans, secretly performing shady dealings to collect money, helping people gather resources for refinement.
After all, the Qian Dynasty is a human realm, and some things demons simply can't openly do.
In the previous dynasty, it was quite popular, many households were worshiping, causing legal chaos and moral degeneration, which eventually led to the loss of the country, so the Qian Dynasty strictly prohibited it.
The old weasel puffed out a mouthful of dry smoke, his eyes showing cunning, "These people are all disabled children I've taken in. I run a legitimate business and have never harmed anyone."
The dwarf assistant quickly scrambled up and anxiously shouted, "The shopkeeper is not lying. If there's any falsehood, may I be struck by lightning!"
Even the deaf-mute big man hiding in the back room had somehow come out, frantically gesturing.
"Hahaha..."
Zhang Kui laughed, "This world is damn interesting. You, old demon, are quite the crafty one. Without you, these people probably wouldn't survive in a place like this."
"This inn might as well be renamed 'Demon Qi Inn'..."
The old weasel blinked,
"Oh, low profile, low profile..."
Faced with such an unusual demon, everyone felt amused, and the tense atmosphere dissipated.
Eunuch Yin also gestured to lower their weapons.
It's just a non-threatening demon. Letting it go is no big deal. From what he knows, some high-ranking officials in the Capital City secretly keep demons, even the Imperial Family...
Eunuch Yin clenched his fist and coughed to stop himself from thinking wildly. His face turned cold as he asked:
"If that's the case, what is this 'Ghost Opera Troupe' you mentioned?"
The old weasel smoked and sighed,
"In the previous dynasty, this area was famous for a group called the 'Huide Troupe.' During a performance, a disaster struck, and no one in the troupe was spared. For some unknown reason, they turned into a den of fierce ghosts, wandering around each place, infamous for over a hundred years."
"A hundred years?!"
Wu Siyuan immediately grew angry upon hearing this,
"Why hasn't the local Astronomical Bureau exterminated it?"
The old weasel chuckled,
"In the past, the 'Ghost Opera Troupe's' movements were unpredictable and bizarre, so the Astronomical Bureau couldn't find them. As for now..."
"What's happening now?"
Wu Siyuan urgently pressed.
Qingzhou was unstable, and the court had long been aware.
Since last year, the deaths of three local key figures had shocked the court, so he had to come here secretly when taking office.
He suddenly had a premonition,
The situation in Qingzhou might be worse than imagined.
The old weasel smoked and sighed,
"It's no harm telling you, my lord. After all, you'll eventually witness it. For now, let's survive tonight first..."
After speaking, he glanced outside into the dark wilderness.
Zhang Kui's face also turned serious.
He could vaguely hear some noises.
Soon, the sounds became clear.
It was the sound of gongs, drums, cymbals, willow flutes, and yangqin, with generals angrily shouting, scholars loudly reciting, and a woman's mournful and resentful voice...
These sounds enveloped the entire inn. Outside, the wind howled fiercely, and the black mist thick like ink.
The people from the Astronomical Bureau were about to act, but suddenly their eyes began to glaze over, and their crossbows, swords, and blades clattered to the floor as they walked toward the door like wandering souls.
"The audacity!"
Eunuch Yin was furious. Like an eagle, he leapt down from the upper floor, his cloak sweeping as the Astronomical Bureau people were sent flying, crashing into walls.
He nonchalantly pulled out a cracked bronze bell from his chest, biting his tongue and spraying blood onto it.
The eerie bell absorbed the blood like a sponge and began to ring.
"Soul-Lowering Bell!"
The old weasel shrieked and vanished in an instant, while others clutched their heads, rolling on the ground.
Zhang Kui gritted his teeth and shook his head.
Even he felt like his soul was being sucked out.
What a strange thing...
Outside was also in chaos, but then the sound of gongs and drums grew even louder, like soul-harvesting demonic music.
Both sides seemed to reach a stalemate. Veins bulged on Eunuch Yin's forehead, blood flowed from his nose, and he spat more blood, shaking the bell with all his might.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud explosion.
Eunuch Yin spat out a mouthful of blood as the bell shattered, collapsing on the ground, staring incredulously at the door.
"Ancient Artifact?!"
Fortunately, the demonic music outside finally stopped, but the black mist continued to surge, seemingly growing denser.
The old weasel reappeared, looked fearfully at the bell fragments on the ground, bowed toward the door, chattering unintelligibly.
After a while, he turned back, his face bitter,
"Ladies and gentlemen, I must say, you are all court officials. If you die, it would surely attract the National Guardian True Man. The other party agrees to retreat today but wants to take one person, to become a new groom for the injured female ghost and replenish her blood."
As he spoke, a pale and bruised woman's hand reached out from the black mist, pointing around before finally pointing at Zhang Kui.
"Me?!"
Zhang Kui was first taken aback, then laughed heartily, jumping down with his Greatsword.
"Many banshees have lusted after my body."
"What makes you think you're so special!"