[Fantasy] A Eunuch Breaks into the Inner Palace (Complete) - 14

In Chapter 4 of Episode 4, the gentle and charming wife is

caught up in the growing affairs outside the palace. Li Xiaomin has been busy finding new homes for the women, buying maids and dogs, leaving him with almost no time to stay in the palace. Left with no other option, he has Aunt Feng possess a zombie, impersonating him in his palace residence for future checks. Every morning, his double only needs to make a quick trip to the imperial kitchen to ensure he's still in the palace before making an excuse to go shopping and hiding somewhere undetected.
Meanwhile, his real body is busy with various tasks or cultivating alone in the palace's prime grounds or dark forests, trying to catch up on his progress lost due to illness.
One day, after cultivating in the palace's prime grounds all night, he returned to his residence for a short nap during the day. Thinking of the beauties outside the palace, he left to visit them.
Consort Yun's residence was a little closer, so he went there to take a look. He saw that Consort Yun and Lan'er addressed each other as sisters, and Consort Yun respectfully served Lan'er with the deference due to a younger sister. He was overjoyed and embraced the two women, comforting them gently.
In the afternoon, Li Xiaomin woke up from his nap, released the two beauties from his arms, mounted his steed, and rode towards the residence of Consort Xiao and her daughter.
Upon entering the mansion, he saw that it was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers everywhere. The newly arrived maids, under Han Xin'er's direction, were hanging up red ribbons and pasting large red double happiness characters on the four walls. He wondered what they were doing.
Li Xiaomin was puzzled, so he grabbed Han Xin'er and asked, "Is there some happy occasion today?"
Han Xin'er covered her mouth and laughed, "Master, today is your joyous day, how could you forget?"
"Me? Joyous day?" Li Xiaomin was puzzled, and before he could ask further, he saw Han Xin'er rushing off to decorate the mansion. He could only go into the back hall full of suspicion, wanting to find Consort Xiao and ask her for clarification.
Consort Xiao was nowhere to be found; he couldn't find her anywhere. Instead, he bumped into Qingling in the study, sitting at her desk, propping her cheek with her hand, staring blankly into space.
Li Xiaomin walked over, bowed, and asked in confusion, "Sister Qingling, what are you doing? What's going on in this mansion?"
Qingling was lost in thought, her heart filled with sorrow, when she suddenly heard his voice. She hurriedly stood up, wiped her tears, and smiled, "The groom has arrived! I wonder what I should call you from now on?"
Li Xiaomin asked, puzzled, "Why do you all say that! What happy occasion is there tonight?"
Qingling looked at him with a half-smile and said calmly, "Why do you ask me, Father? Today isn't your wedding with my mother..." "A joyous occasion?"
Li Xiaomin was startled and exclaimed, "Who said that! I'm getting married, how come I don't even know?"
Qingling lowered her head and sneered, "Is it getting married? Miss Yueniang came to say so, it seems to be taking a concubine!"
Li Xiaomin immediately understood and shouted to the sky, "Yueniang, come out here!"
In the air, shadows flickered, and a beautiful woman quietly appeared beside them, kneeling on the ground, covering her mouth and smiling, "Master, why did you call me here?"
Although Li Xiaomin was grateful in his heart, he had to pretend to be angry on the surface and shouted. "Speak! How dare you speak such nonsense and bewitch people while I was away?"
Yue Niang hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, feigning panic, and said in a coquettish voice, "Master, it was Yue Niang who dared to do this. Seeing that you and the Princess were in love but could not be together, I had a foolish idea and boldly tried to bring you and the Princess together. Besides, the Princess and the Princess had both sworn to stay by your side for life. I couldn't bear to see you two break your vows and suffer divine retribution, so I made this decision. Please forgive me, Master!"
Qing Ling heard... When she brought up his own situation, remembering the vow he had made, he felt both ashamed and angry. Knowing he couldn't stop his mother's marriage to Xiaominzi, he flicked his sleeve and coldly laughed, "Father, there's no need to scold Yueniang anymore. I will definitely keep my vow. Whenever you want my body, just say the word, and I will comply!"
Watching her turn and disappear into the study, Li Xiaomin stared blankly for a long time, then sighed inwardly, knowing that his relationship with her would rarely return to its former harmony.
However, since Yueniang had already arranged the marriage, he couldn't refuse her kindness. Therefore, Li Xiaomin reluctantly put on his groom's attire and prepared to attend the wedding Yueniang had prepared for him.
As Han Xin'er helped him dress, Li Xiaomin looked at her delicate face and couldn't help but reach out to touch it, teasingly saying, "Xin'er is getting more and more beautiful! In a few days, once your mistress gives the word, I'll take you into my room as a maid!"
Han Xin'er blushed deeply but dared not reply. She hurriedly helped him put on his bright red wedding attire, looked him up and down, and saw that her master looked even more dashing and elegant in
his bright red wedding clothes, with an added layer of joy. She was both shy and happy, and knelt on the ground, respectfully saying, "Master, the auspicious time is approaching. Please come to the hall." Li Xiaomin smiled and stroked her smooth black hair, then stepped out. When he arrived at the hall, he saw a group of maids gathered below, curiously watching their new master and mistress get married.
Looking at the room full of pretty maids, Li Xiaomin was overjoyed. He waved his hand and said, "A reward! Today, each of you will receive an extra month's salary. Use it to buy candy!"
The maids laughed and knelt down to thank their master for his generous reward. Their monthly salaries from their new master were already quite high, several times more than their previous masters. Now, receiving an extra month's salary right away, they were secretly delighted. Following such a wealthy and generous master, their future would be much better.
Li Xiaomin sat in the hall, slowly sipping his tea, his heart pounding with anticipation, eager to see Consort Xiao in her bright red wedding dress.
After an unknown amount of time, the auspicious hour finally arrived. The head maid announced loudly, "The auspicious hour has come! Please invite the newlyweds to the hall!"
Soon after, Han Xin'er helped the bride, gracefully walking up the steps. The bride wore a bright red wedding dress embroidered with colorful phoenixes in gold thread, and a phoenix crown, covered by a large red veil. Although her face was obscured, Li Xiaomin immediately recognized her as the stunningly beautiful Xiao Shufei, with whom he had spent many days and shared a close bond.
Li Xiaomin suppressed his joy and stood up to greet her, but the maid blocked his way, handing him a large red silk ribbon to prevent any improper actions by the groom during the wedding.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Li Xiaomin could only suppress his itch and, following the instructions of the head maid, held the ribbon, watching Consort Xiao's slender hand hold the other end. His mind was adrift, he no longer knew where he was, but simply followed the maid's chanting, kneeling side-by-side with the beauty, kowtowing to heaven and earth, and then exchanging vows as husband and wife. Facing the beautiful woman in her bright red wedding dress, he bowed with heartfelt joy.
No matter how many times he had reluctantly bowed to beauties before, this time, he bowed with complete satisfaction; no other bow had ever felt so pleasant. After
the ceremony, it was time to escort them to the bridal chamber. The maids, however, all ran up, giggling, to bow and offer their congratulations to their new master and mistress.
Li Xiaomin grabbed the beautiful woman's hand, which she tried to pull away, and held it tightly. He waved and laughed, "Today is my joyous day! Everyone will receive a reward, and each will get an extra two months' salary. Now, go and have a couple of celebratory drinks!"
The maids giggled and kowtowed in thanks. Thinking that their master would receive three months' salary with his wedding, they were all overjoyed, wishing their master would marry many more times.
Li Xiaomin, holding Xiao Shufei's smooth, white hand, chuckled and led her towards the bridal chamber. It was the largest and most comfortable bedroom in the entire mansion, allocated to Xiao Shufei. She had already stayed there for several days; today, it would become their bridal chamber.
In a corner of the hall, Qingling hid behind a screen, watching Li Xiaomin, dressed in a groom's suit, lead his mother, also dressed in a bright red wedding gown, into the bridal chamber. Tears welled in her beautiful eyes, and she bit her lip so hard it almost bled.
Li Xiaomin, at this moment, couldn't care less about anything else. The maids were new and wouldn't dare disturb their master's room anyway. He only silently prayed to chase Yueniang away, preventing her from peeping, thus committing the act of "the newlyweds rushing to bed, the matchmaker thrown over the wall."
Xiao Shufei sat on the bridal bed, her heart pounding. Thinking of marrying this handsome young man, younger than her daughter, she felt utterly ashamed. She didn't know how she would face this former eunuch, now her husband, and how her daughter, who had always liked him, would react to their relationship. But as a weak woman in this male-dominated world, she could only let fate blow her around. What other choice did she have but to resist its dictates?
Li Xiaomin paced back and forth in the bridal chamber, the light from the bright red candles illuminating the room illuminating the bride sitting gracefully on the new bed. He couldn't help but succumb to his love for her, but with Han Xin'er serving in the room, he refrained from rushing forward to grope her.
Han Xin'er, blushing, served from the side, watching her mistress on the bed with envy, hoping her mistress wouldn't forget her earlier words.
After a moment of stunned silence, she suddenly remembered her duty, carrying a tray, and knelt before Li Xiaomin, asking him to lift the bride's veil.
Li Xiaomin smiled, gently patted her hair, picked up a thin red stick from the tray, and walked towards Consort Xiao. Standing before her, he smiled and said, "My wife, your husband has come!"
He used the stick to lift the veil, revealing a stunningly beautiful face. This radiant beauty was a hundred times more beautiful than Li Xiaomin remembered, leaving him speechless with admiration.
Consort Xiao lowered her head slightly, her cheeks flushed red with shyness. Her beautiful eyes were lowered, and she dared not look up at the young man before her.
Li Xiaomin, however, was not about to let her go. He put down the thin stick in his hand, reached out and lifted her smooth, jade-like chin, carefully examining her shy eyes. Seeing that she was as beautiful as jade and incomparably beautiful, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Indeed, you are as beautiful as a fairy. To have such a divine couple as my wife is truly my blessing!"
Consort Xiao looked shyly at the young man dressed in his wedding attire before her, recalling all the past events. She felt a mixture of shame, joy, and sorrow, and her eyes involuntarily reddened slightly.
Han Xin'er approached carrying a tray, saying sweetly, "Please, Master and Mistress, drink the nuptial wine!"
Li Xiaomin pulled Xiao Shufei up, led her to the table, and sat down. He picked up a wine cup, took Xiao Shufei's hand, placed the cup in hers, and casually touched her hand. He then picked up another cup and said with a smile, "Wife, let's drink the nuptial wine!"
Although Xiao Shufei was shy, she had no choice but to link arms with him and drink the wine. Although it was a weak wine, it made her face even more rosy, making Li Xiaomin's mouth water.
Since they had already drunk the nuptial wine, there was no point in keeping a third wheel. Li Xiaomin secretly gave her a wink, and Han Xin'er understood. She curtsied, giggled, and left the room. Carefully closing the door behind her, she leaned against it, her heart pounding with excitement at the thought of how her master would treat his mistress that night.
Inside the room, Li Xiaomin didn't care whether Han Xin'er was eavesdropping outside. He just chuckled softly, bringing his face close to Xiao Shufei's jade-like cheek, making her blush to the point of tears. Then he reached out and lifted her from the chair, kissing her delicate neck as he walked towards the bed.
Xiao Shufei tilted her head back, moaning softly. Under Li Xiaomin's kisses, waves of heat rose from within her, making her body burn. She was filled with both longing and fear for what was to come that night.
Just as she had expected, Li Xiaomin placed her on the bed and, without a word, began to undress her. Before Xiao Shufei could even react, his bright red wedding dress had been quickly removed, revealing her undergarments.
Li Xiaomin, drooling, secretly placed his hand on her breasts, feeling their softness. Even through the clothes, it was intoxicating. Just as he was about to strip her naked in one go, he suddenly saw the beauty slightly open her eyes, her cherry lips part slightly, and she softly called out, "Husband!"
This sound was more moving than any celestial music. Li Xiaomin felt every pore on his body tingle with pleasure, and he quickly leaned in to listen, excitedly asking, "Wife, what do you want to call your husband for?"
Consort Xiao's jade-like face flushed, and she whispered, "Husband, let me help you undress!"
Li Xiaomin was overjoyed. He got up and stood by the bed, watching the beautiful woman get off the bed, her face flushed, and help him remove his bright red wedding robes. Her soft little hands touching his body made his excitement rise higher and higher.
Like any gentle and considerate wife, Consort Xiao carefully helped him remove his clothes, slowly kneeling on the ground to remove his trousers. Looking at the erection on his underwear, she felt shy, but she couldn't stop. She slowly removed his clothes, leaving only his underwear, but she dared not remove any more.
Li Xiaomin chuckled softly, reaching out to pull her soft, delicate body into his arms. They got into bed together, and in a few swift movements, he stripped her naked, revealing her breasts. He placed his hand on her soft, full breasts, feeling their fullness and suppleness, their elasticity like that of a young girl, changing shape with his movements, filling him with immense pleasure.
Admiring the exquisite body beneath him, Li Xiaomin grasped Xiao Shufei's hand, guiding her to remove his underwear. He then pressed himself against her, slowly becoming one with her.
Xiao Shufei lay naked on the bed, embracing the slender body of the young man on top of her, her brows slightly furrowed, breathless from the gentle penetration of his hardness within her.
Slowly raising her beautiful eyes, Xiao Shufei gazed at the young man's handsome face and smiling eyes. She felt both shy and happy, knowing she was now his. Two streams of tears, uncontrollably, slid down her cheeks, landing on the wedding pillow embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water.
For the next few days, Li Xiaomin stayed in his new home, spending his days embracing Xiao Shufei, seemingly wanting to release all the pent-up feelings he had accumulated for her.
This stunning beauty, though more than twice Li Xiaomin's age, looked remarkably young. Gentle and kind, she believed in obeying her husband after marriage, relying entirely on him and considering him her lifelong master. She served him wholeheartedly, enduring any shameful acts he asked of her, only gritting her teeth and closing her eyes to comply, all for the sake of pleasing her husband.
With such a gentle and beautiful woman serving him, Li Xiaomin was naturally overjoyed and reluctant to leave.
There was only one thing that prevented him from fully satisfying himself: during their lovemaking, Consort Xiao, though gentle and compliant, always gritted her teeth and endured it desperately, biting the corner of the blanket or pillowcase, refusing to utter a single sound of lust. She was probably afraid her daughter or maids would hear, making her feel ashamed.
However, this gave Li Xiaomin an opportunity. Every day, he used every means to tease and ravage her, driving her to the brink of death several times. Watching her still struggling to endure without crying out amused Li Xiaomin;
he was both surprised and amused. On this particular day, after several rounds of lovemaking with Consort Xiao, her body was as soft as cotton, and she lay naked on the bed, silently weeping, unable to move any longer.
Li Xiaomin was doing well. These past few days, he had been diligently practicing his immortal arts, using Consort Xiao as his furnace, and his immortal power had greatly increased. He was now radiant and even more handsome, and incredibly vigorous in bed, making Consort Xiao both love and fear him. While serving him, she was excited and happy, but also afraid of not satisfying him enough.
Seeing that Consort Xiao had no strength left to continue, Li Xiaomin couldn't force her. He got out of bed, covered her snow-white body with the blanket, gently kissed her shyly smiling cheek, dressed himself, and went out to drink some porridge to replenish his strength.
In the courtyard, he unexpectedly encountered Qingling, who was leaning against a flowering tree, looking lost in thought. Seeing him, she didn't dare to dodge, her beautiful face filled with embarrassment and anger.
Li Xiaomin hadn't expected to run into her here either. These past few days, he had been hiding in his room making love with her mother, while she had also stayed inside, refusing to come out. Therefore, since becoming her stepfather, he hadn't seen her at all. Now that they were together, he couldn't help but feel awkward.
However, Li Xiaomin was no ordinary man. He brazenly stepped forward, bowed, and said with a forced smile, "Sister Qingling, your little brother greets you!"
Seeing his obsequious and cheeky manner, Qingling was both amused and annoyed. She covered her face and scolded, "Why are you still like this? You've already... why are you still calling me sister!"
Li Xiaomin bowed deeply to the ground and said seriously, "Sister, when I was at my loneliest, you taught me to read and write, and gave me warmth. No matter what, Sister Qingling will always be my good sister in my heart, my closest person!"
Qingling covered her face and spat, "You're talking nonsense again! I ask you, have you practiced calligraphy these days?"
Li Xiaomin thought to himself, "These days, I've been diligently practicing on your mother's body every day. How could I have had time to practice calligraphy? Are you saying this to find an opportunity to punish me, to avenge the deep hatred I have for your mother?"
He didn't care about Qingling's punishment, as long as he could expose... This awkwardness was to be forgiven, so he said with a bitter face, "Yes, I have neglected my calligraphy practice these past few days. Please punish me, sister!"
Qingling really wanted to find an excuse to vent her anger. Seeing him deliver himself to her door, she scolded him, "Calligraphy is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind. Why aren't you practicing your calligraphy properly? What are you doing here?"
Li Xiaomin said with a grin, "Sister, I came to ask you to teach me calligraphy! Without you by my side, I have no energy to practice!"
Qingling's heart stirred upon hearing this. She lowered her head, sighed, and said dejectedly, "Mother's calligraphy is better than mine. Go and learn calligraphy from her!"
Upon hearing this, Li Xiaomin felt indignant: "Your mother has been helping me practice, and now she doesn't even have the strength to hold a brush. You want to add to her burden? Where is your filial piety?"
But he dared not say such things to Qingling's face, so he could only grab her sleeve and plead with her. Unable to resist his persistent nagging, Qingling could only angrily tap his head with a finger before pulling him towards the study.
Once inside, Qingling first ordered him to grind ink, then instructed him to write five hundred large characters as punishment for his neglect of calligraphy practice.
Li Xiaomin obediently nodded in agreement and began writing. After long and diligent practice, his writing was now quite respectable.
Seeing that he remained humble despite having the upper hand, Qingling's resentment gradually dissipated. Standing beside him, watching his improved calligraphy, she couldn't help but nod in approval. She held his hand, guiding him on which strokes he had written incorrectly and how to correct them. After the five hundred characters were finished, their relationship had become much more harmonious, reminiscent of the warmth they had shared in the palace.
At lunchtime, Han Xin'er invited them to dine, looking at Li Xiaomin with surprise and admiration for his ability to navigate social situations so skillfully.
Consort Xiao sat weakly at the dining table, patiently waiting for her young husband to come and eat. To her surprise, she saw her daughter enter alongside him. Startled and embarrassed, she hurriedly stood to greet him, but the exertion of bed had left her legs weak, and she nearly fell.
Li Xiaomin, quick-witted and agile, rushed forward to support her, instinctively giving her buttocks a light pinch. Suddenly remembering Qingling was still beside him, he immediately withdrew his hand, glancing guiltily at Qingling, fearing her anger.
The elegant and refined woman who had entered beside him seemed oblivious, walking to the table and sitting down, smiling calmly, "Mother, Xiaomin, Xin'er cooked such delicious food today, why aren't you eating?"
Li Xiaomin, overjoyed that she wasn't angry, hurriedly agreed, helping his frail wife to the table to eat together.
Consort Xiao's face showed both surprise and embarrassment. Seeing her daughter's indifferent expression, as if she had already let go of the events of the past few days, she was secretly delighted. She dared not say anything more, only smiling as she accompanied the two of them for their meal.
This time, the relationship between the three of them became much more harmonious, gradually resembling the gentle scene they shared when Li Xiaomin and Qingling finished their lessons in reading and writing in the palace.
However, they all made sure not to mention their current awkward relationship. Li Xiaomin respectfully addressed Qingling as "Sister," and Qingling unceremoniously called him "Xiaominzi" or "Xiaomin." Only Consort Xiao dared not call him by his name, nor could she address him as "Husband" in front of Qingling. Her words to him were always vague, avoiding any formal titles. Li Xiaomin chuckled inwardly, secretly fondling her beautiful legs and fragrant body under the table while eating. Although Consort Xiao was shy and frightened, she dared not escape her husband's caresses, and could only force a faint smile, allowing him to flirt with her right under her daughter's nose.
The most noble woman of the Tang Dynasty sat high on her magnificent throne, a captivating smile playing on her beautifully shaped lips, exuding an air of authority as she calmly looked down at the handsome young man kneeling before her.
Li Xiaomin respectfully finished his bowing, and heard the beautiful woman above gently part her lips and say, "No need for formalities!" He then rose and carefully stood to the side.
A gentle, melodious voice, yet tinged with a hint of authority, reached his ears: "Raise your head, let me take a good look!"
Li Xiaomin obediently raised his head, carefully observing the beautiful woman above. She was dressed in the solemn and magnificent attire of a Tang Dynasty empress, which accentuated her bright eyes and white teeth, making her extremely beautiful. Beneath the gorgeous robes, her sensual figure was faintly visible, which aroused Li Xiaomin's lust, stirring a feeling that a eunuch shouldn't have for the empress
. Beside the throne was another seat, occupied by a cheerful and beautiful woman who appeared to be in her early twenties, just like Empress Zhou. Her youth and beauty were no less than that of the beautiful woman Li Xiaomin kept at home
. Li Xiaomin recalled his passionate encounter with Consort Xiao that morning, the scene of her sweating and limp body, and secretly fantasized, hoping that one day his wish would come true, allowing him to take these two most noble beauties of the palace into his bed, making them, like Consort Xiao, sisters in arms, serving him, this outstanding eunuch.
He thought back to the erotic novelists he had written on websites—which of them dared to be as bold as him, standing before the empress and the imperial concubine, daring to plot to get them into bed? Thinking of this, Li Xiaomin couldn't help but feel elated, exclaiming that he was the progenitor of fantasy novels in this world. He
imagined living here for thousands of years, until the internet developed, and then all the novelists would worship him as their patriarch. Empress Zhou, sitting at the head of the table, watched the handsome young eunuch's bright eyes darting around, his dark pupils constantly shifting, seemingly lost in thought. She couldn't help but chuckle, smiling slightly, "Sister, is this the little eunuch you mentioned who knows magic?"
Consort Qin, sitting beside him, bowed slightly and respectfully replied, "Yes. Your Majesty, don't let his young age fool you; he has cultivated for many years. If it weren't for his help last time, Changping would likely have met a tragic end."
Empress Zhou raised an eyebrow, looking at Li Xiaomin with interest, and smiled, "Oh..." "In that case, I must look at you with new respect."
Li Xiaomin hurriedly knelt down and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I dare not accept such praise. I have been favored by the Emperor for generations and am a servant in the palace. If Your Majesty has any orders, please give them, and I will serve you faithfully!"
Empress Zhou nodded and smiled, "You are quite clever. Indeed, I summoned you here because I have something for you to do."
Although Li Xiaomin did not know what she wanted him to do, he guessed that she wanted to use his knowledge of immortal arts to assign him some difficult tasks. He immediately agreed, saying that no matter how difficult the task, as long as Your Majesty gave the order, he would go through fire and water without hesitation, even at the cost of his life.
Empress Zhou was amused by him and covered her mouth with a coquettish laugh. A charming aura emanated from her jade-like body, and her majestic temperament instantly dissipated, making her extremely alluring. This made Li Xiaomin's eyes sparkle, and he hurriedly lowered his head, not daring to look too much, lest he be seduced by this sexy empress and reveal his true colors, which would be very dangerous.
Empress Zhou laughed for a while, then her smile faded, and she regained her dignified and imposing demeanor, saying calmly, "While you were in the palace, did you hear anything about ghosts outside?"
Li Xiaomin shook his head, replying nonchalantly, "I've been busy managing the imperial kitchen every day and haven't paid attention to such matters."
Empress Zhou sighed softly, "Since you don't know, let me tell you. A few days ago, the Crown Princess's uncle, the Imperial Censor Wan's family, suffered a great calamity, attacked by a group of evil spirits, and all the men in the family were killed; next, the Prefect of Wangling's family encountered ghosts, and my distant nephew was unfortunately killed by them, and all their property was looted. In the past few days, the homes of wealthy families throughout the city have been haunted, not only killing people but also looting their property. Families throughout the city are suffering terribly. The whole of Jinling is in a state of panic, and some people have already fled Jinling with their children to seek refuge with relatives and friends in distant places!"
Li Xiaomin was greatly shocked upon hearing this. He knew perfectly well the first two things, having personally led the ghosts to do them; but the more he listened to the latter, the more something seemed amiss. When had he ever done these things? Could it be that his own ghost guards had carried out these sleight of hand without his knowledge?
He silently called out to Yue Niang and Lin Li, asking them for an explanation. Lin Li hurriedly ran to the ruined palace to inquire with the two generals, then returned to report to his master using telepathy. He said that in the past few days, all the ghost guards and the two women, Feng Shuang and Feng Niang, had been protecting Princess Lingbao in the palace while she cultivated. Apart from the ghost guards responsible for protecting the mistresses, the other ghosts, both high and low, had not left the palace and were naturally unaware of this.
Seeing his bewildered and surprised expression, Empress Zhou sighed, "Don't even mention your surprise; even I, at first hearing of this, couldn't believe it. Back then, under the protection of the immortal masters of the Guishan Sect, how could such strange things have happened? Who knew that unforeseen events could occur, the Guishan Sect suddenly suffered a great calamity, and chaos ensued. His Majesty, upon hearing these strange tales, was greatly frightened, fell slightly ill, and is now bedridden. Our Great Tang is now teetering on the brink of collapse, with no day of peace in sight."
As she spoke, she herself felt... "I shouldn't have spoken of such important national matters to this young eunuch," she coughed lightly, then said seriously, "Now, I wish to appoint you as a ghost-catching sorcerer, to leave the palace to capture ghosts and suppress demons, a fifth-rank official position. Are you willing?"
Li Xiaomin knelt down before her with a thud, respectfully saying, "Your Majesty's command is my duty. Furthermore, to receive such an official title from Your Majesty is truly a great favor, and I will dedicate myself to serving Your Majesty with utmost loyalty for the rest of my life!"
Empress Zhou smiled and nodded, then said, "Danyang..." Wang Lixiong also invited a Taoist priest, claiming he could exorcise ghosts and subdue demons. However, that old Taoist priest exuded a sinister aura, his eyes gleaming with an evil light, which disgusted me at first sight. You, going out of the palace to suppress the evil spirits, will certainly not lose to him, will you?"
She spoke in a calm tone, the implication of which Li Xiaomin understood. He respectfully kowtowed and said, "I understand, Your Majesty. Please rest assured, I was sent out of the palace by Your Majesty the Empress on this mission, and I will certainly not disgrace Your Majesty!"
Seeing his understanding, Empress Zhou smiled. With a wave of her jade-like hand, she said calmly, "Go. I'll first give you five thousand taels of silver to purchase all the necessary items for the ritual. If any evil spirits cause trouble anywhere in the future, I will send someone to notify you to go and suppress them. If you need anything, just go to the head eunuch of the inner palace. As long as it's available in the palace, you can use it. You must do this well, understand?"
Li Xiaomin respectfully kowtowed to this new mother-in-law to express his gratitude, then kowtowed to another beautiful mother-in-law beside him to say goodbye, and carefully left the room.
Watching his graceful figure disappear into the distance, Empress Zhou frowned slightly, turned to Consort Qin, and said gently, "Sister, do you think this little eunuch can complete the task?"
Consort Qin looked worried, shook her head, and smiled bitterly, "Your Majesty, I don't know. I'm just worried that his cultivation is insufficient, and he won't be able to defeat so many evil spirits, and will instead lose his life."
Empress Zhou sighed softly and said calmly, "Prince Danyang is aggressive, using the power of the Yinshan Sect to plot to seize the throne. Unfortunately, we don't know any immortal cultivation sects, and we can't find any strong allies for the time being, so we can only temporarily rely on the power of this little eunuch. He is originally a palace servant, and his whole being belongs to the royal family. Even if he loses his life for the royal family, it is only right. Sister, don't worry too much."
Consort Qin lowered her head and remained silent, but a soft sigh escaped from her lips.

Chapter 5 of Episode 4: The Great Array of Ten Thousand Ghosts.

Feng Dazhu was a blacksmith.
To be precise, two hundred years ago, he was a blacksmith.
At that time, the Feng family's blacksmith shop was one of the best in Jinling City. Even the army often ordered large quantities of weapons from their shop, allowing the Feng family's blacksmith shop to rapidly develop into a large enterprise.
But all of this changed drastically after a general came to their shop and saw their beautiful wife.
That day, when he saw his wife's corpse lying in the room, he rushed out in a rage to fight his enemies, only to be surrounded by a group of soldiers who had been waiting in the wings. They arrested him and the blacksmith's apprentices, imprisoned them, and accused them of possessing weapons and plotting a rebellion.
The official in charge of the trial was a friend of the general. Without any explanation, he convicted them of treason and, instead of executing them in the autumn, secretly poisoned their food, killing him and fifteen apprentices in their death row cell.
He was originally a wronged ghost, not yet of his full lifespan. His resentment soared after death, transforming him into a vengeful spirit. Leading a group of unjustly deceased disciples, he broke through the spells cast by the sorcerer in prison, stormed into the general's residence, and, in a fit of rage, killed the general's entire family of dozens, even the officials who had presided over the case. He was a ruthless killer, earning a place among the most notorious ghosts in Jinling City.
Such heinous crimes were unforgivable even for a vengeful ghost. From then on, Feng Dazhu dared not report to the underworld. When his lifespan ended, he still lingered in the human world, wandering with his disciples, gathering many followers, and occupying a small territory in the city. He stole food and enjoyed the offerings of incense, occasionally fighting with other ghosts, but dared not kill again, lest the underworld notice and send out ghostly soldiers to wipe out their wild ghost organization.
That night, for some reason, Feng Dazhu felt uneasy, as if some voice was calling to him from afar, compelling him to move in that direction.
He sensed something was amiss and secretly resisted the urge to leave his territory, unaware that his disciples were quietly slipping away one by one.
When he finally noticed, the last disciple was drifting aimlessly outwards. Feng Dazhu was shocked, realizing his men were under a spell, and he didn't know if they would ever return.
His mind wavered, and he too was instantly bewitched by the spell, drifting out of his territory in a daze towards the south of the city. He drifted until he reached the mass grave south of the city, where the spiritual energy brought him back to his senses. Looking around blankly, he found himself within a massive array, surrounded by countless ghosts, some of whom were familiar faces—powerful figures who had dominated Jinling City, accompanied by their henchmen. They stood bewildered, unsure of what had happened.
This formation, covering a vast area, was shaped like an octagon, taking advantage of the terrain of the mass grave. Countless ghosts were trapped within it, crammed together, one next to the other. Although some conscious ghosts tried to escape, they couldn't. The moment they reached the edge of the formation, black energy surged towards them, sealing them back inside.
Feng Dazhu sensed danger and frantically searched the formation, gathering dozens of his subordinates and speaking with familiar gang leaders. They searched everywhere for the key to breaking the formation and for the expert who had set it up.
Before long, a thin, withered old Taoist priest appeared in the center of the Bagua formation, perched atop a hill. He looked around at the countless ghosts trapped within, and laughed loudly, "Excellent! Excellent! Truly a prosperous place in Jinling! A mere summons brings tens of thousands of wandering ghosts to report! It's laughable that the fools of the Guishan Sect are so ignorant, sitting on a mountain of treasures without even reaching out to pick them up. They're practically begging for food while holding a golden bowl! Foolish, utterly foolish!"
Feng Dazhu, of course, knew the Guishan Sect's reputation; it was a Guishan Sect sorcerer who had cast the spell to suppress them. Fortunately, it was just a lowly apprentice of the Guishan Sect, lacking in magical power. Even so, the spell had trapped Feng Dazhu for many days before he finally broke free. Therefore, he always held the Guishan Sect sorcerers in both respect and fear. Now, hearing the old Taoist priest's disrespect for the Guishan Sect, and realizing that he had clearly set up the formation to lure him here, he was filled with anger and fear, unable to guess the origins of this treacherous Taoist.
Upon hearing the Taoist's words, the more lucid ghosts all turned furious, roaring as they lunged at him. However, the Taoist seemed prepared; a wall of iron and bronze seemed to have been erected around him for dozens of feet. Once the ghosts reached that arc, they were all repelled, their spirits violently shaken and suffering considerable injury.
The Taoist lightly flicked his whisk and smiled serenely, saying, "Listen up, you little ghosts: I am Dong Kui Zi, an elder of the Yinshan Sect, a Taoist priest invited by the Emperor of the Great Tang! Today, I have been ordered by the Emperor to subdue you. Do you have any objections?"
Seeing the Taoist's power, Feng Dazhu realized he was clearly no match for him and remained silent in thought. One of the vengeful ghost leaders, whom he knew well, flew into a rage, shouting, "I refuse! I refuse! You wicked Taoist, you have no good intentions! You want to trick us into becoming your ghost slaves? We'd rather die than submit!"
Dong Kuizi's face darkened. With a flick of his finger, and without any visible movement, a flame erupted from the ground beneath the vengeful ghost's feet, instantly transforming into a raging inferno that engulfed the ghost and several wandering spirits beside him. Amidst the screams and shrieks of the ghosts, in a mere instant, the fire dissipated and the spirits vanished, leaving not a trace.
Dong Kuizi's display of skill terrified the tens of thousands of ghosts scattered across the mountainside. They huddled together, trembling slightly, staring at him with fearful eyes, no one daring to utter a word.
Dong Kuizi smiled slightly. He had painstakingly set up this Ten Thousand Ghosts Formation; the spirits within it were now at his disposal. With a mere thought, the true fire of hell could erupt from the formation, burning away any unruly ghosts.
He pointed and said in a deep voice, "This immortal master possesses great magical power. Now that I have come to Jinling, I shall restore peace to the people of Jinling! You should surrender quickly, lest this immortal master's wrath cause you all to be burned to ashes!"
The ghosts looked at each other in bewilderment. Finally, Feng Dazhu mustered his courage and stepped forward, cupping his hands and asking, "May I ask
, Master, what do you require of us little ghosts?" Dong Kuizi smiled and pointed to a circular formation shrouded in black light not far away, saying, "As long as you enter that formation, you will become my loyal subordinates. I will treat you like brothers and sisters, and will never mistreat you!"
Feng Dazhu looked at the formation, which was located near the center of the Bagua formation. Black mist permeated the formation, obscuring it. He wondered what lay within and remained silent in thought.
One of his disciples, seeing Dong Kuizi's skill, felt intimidated and approached him, whispering, "Master, why don't you let me try?"
Feng Dazhu pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Alright, you go first, be careful!"
The disciple agreed, flew out, and bowed to Dong Kuizi, saying, "Immortal Master, this humble one wishes to enter the formation and give it a try!"
Dong Kuizi frowned slightly, somewhat displeased that only a lowly disciple had entered the formation, but still chuckled, "Very well, since you are willing to be my loyal subordinate, I will treat you well!"
The disciple bowed again and floated into the black mist. With a muffled groan, his spirit was quickly absorbed into the formation, undergoing nine cycles of reincarnation, and slowly floated out. His spirit had turned black, his face was blank, and he slowly floated towards Dong Kuizi, standing behind him, silent and motionless.
Feng Dazhu was astonished. He stared intently at his disciple and suddenly cried out, "Xiao Diao! Has your spirit been washed away?"
Xiao Diao slowly turned his head, looking at him expressionlessly, and said in a sinister tone, "Master! The Immortal Master's power is boundless. Master should surrender as soon as possible, lest your soul be scattered and you be unable to reincarnate for eternity!"
Feng Dazhu was both angry and afraid, trembling all over. He looked angrily at Dong Kuizi and said in a trembling voice, "Master, you want us to surrender to you, so why did you wash away my disciple's spirit, turning him into an ignorant and mindless puppet ghost!"
Dong Kuizi's face darkened, and he shouted, "Nonsense! How could you little ghosts understand the wondrous methods of this Immortal Master! If you surrender to me, there will be many benefits in the future! Why don't you surrender quickly!"
He swept his whisk, pointing it at the wild ghosts in all directions. All the ghosts showed anger on their faces, but none of them dared to argue with him. They all remained silent, using silence to express their protest.
Dong Kuizi waited for a while, but seeing no ghost respond, he grew angry and shouted, "Now that you're here, you have no choice! Wind, come!"
He flicked his whisk, pointing to the Xun position. A sudden gust of wind arose there, blowing the ghosts trapped in the Xun position of the Bagua formation wildly, screaming in agony.
At first, the wind blew erratically in all directions, but later it took a direction, blowing nearly a thousand fierce ghosts in the Xun position towards the dark circular formation. Although the ghosts fought back with all their might, how could they withstand the power of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Formation? They were blown one by one towards the formation by the wind. Only a few powerful ghosts managed to withstand the fierce wind and drift away, avoiding falling into the Cleansing Spirit Formation carefully set up by Dong Kuizi.
Nearly a thousand ghosts, amidst their unwilling screams, were sucked into the Spirit Cleansing Array one by one. Soon after, they silently floated out, their bodies as black as charcoal, landing behind Dong Kuizi, silent and still, resembling rows of clay and wooden sculptures.
The ghosts in the distance watched in terror, fleeing in panic, but were blocked by the Soul-Locking Array of Ten Thousand Ghosts, unable to escape. A mournful wail echoed across the mass grave.
Dong Kuizi laughed heartily, his heart filled with inexplicable excitement. So many ghosts were locked within his array; this time, his gains were considerable. Indeed, it was a renowned auspicious place and burial ground; the fact that so many ghosts in Jinling City had not yet reincarnated there was far beyond his expectations. This unexpected joy was enough to make him extremely grateful.
Thinking of this, he secretly congratulated himself on his arrangement. Although he arrived a little late, after arranging affairs within his sect, he rushed to Jinling and successfully made contact with Prince Danyang, Li Xiong. The two hit it off immediately, and using Li Xiong's influence, they orchestrated several ghostly incidents in Jinling. This allowed him to successfully obtain the status of a sorcerer from Li Yu, enabling him to use the army's power at this mass grave to set up such a massive formation under the guise of suppressing ghosts. If it weren't for the fact that his sect's experts were all injured in the battle against the Guishan Sect's dying counterattacks and had to return to recuperate, this good fortune might not have fallen into his lap.
However, his senior brother, who arrived a little earlier, died mysteriously, which made Dong Kuizi somewhat suspicious. He wondered if he had faked his death to take the abducted imperial concubine to a secluded place for his own pleasure.
He had even exhumed the tomb of Consort Xiao, who had been赐死 (forced to commit suicide), only to find it empty. The corpse was nowhere to be found; now, he suspected it had been secretly taken to his cave by his senior brother, who was obsessed with creating zombies , and refined there.
Thinking this, Dong Kuizi couldn't help but sneer inwardly. A mere high-quality zombie plus a beautiful woman as a vessel—how could that compare to himself? He had only borrowed a little power from the Southern Tang army, yet he had obtained tens of thousands of ghost slaves to command. Such strength was beyond the reach of his fellow disciples.
Now, he had driven away the troublesome Southern Tang army, leaving only his trusted ghost slaves, all devoid of their minds. Once the ghosts locked in the Ten Thousand Ghosts Array were refined by the Spirit Cleansing Array, his strength would become immense! At that time, controlling Jinling City with the power of ten thousand ghosts wouldn't be impossible!
Just as he was laughing wildly, overjoyed, the sky suddenly changed. A massive bolt of lightning struck him from the sky, crashing down on his head with a deafening roar. Dong Kuizi was instantly obliterated, leaving only a large crater where he had stood.
The ghosts, seeing this, were both shocked and delighted, and began to scramble towards the outer edge of the Ten Thousand Ghosts Formation, desperately trying to escape. However, although Dong Kuizi had vanished, the Ten Thousand Ghosts Formation remained intact. Despite their frantic efforts, not a single ghost managed to escape.
From the crater, a groan suddenly emanated. A withered, black hand, like a bird's claw, emerged from the crater, slowly crawling out along the edge. The ghosts stared in disbelief; it was a emaciated body, completely blackened, resembling a destitute African refugee.
The black man struggled to his feet, holding a whisk with all its bristles gone. He opened his mouth, revealing yellowed teeth, and said with difficulty, "Where did this junior come from, daring to ambush this immortal master?"
On a distant hill, a white figure slowly approached. The ghosts looked on in surprise, only to see that the person was a handsome young man, about fourteen or fifteen years old, with white teeth and red lips, extremely handsome. Yet, his body was filled with immortal power, so strong that it astonished the ghosts.
Holding an ornately decorated folding fan, he moved with effortless grace, slowly ascending the mass grave and stepping effortlessly into the Ghost Array. Reaching the front, he lightly opened his fan and calmly smiled, saying, "It's me!"
Dong Kuizi glared at him with ferocious eyes, staring intently for a long while before hissing, "Who are you? Why did you ambush this immortal master?"
Li Xiaomin lightly fanned himself twice with his fan and smiled, "I am a ghost-catching sorcerer personally appointed by the Empress and bestowed with an official title by the court. Because of the haunting in Jinling City, I have come to suppress the vengeful spirits. After extensive investigation..." "I have discovered that all the recent ghost incidents in Jinling City were orchestrated by you. I,
the sorcerer, have a heavy responsibility and have come here to arrest you and bring you to justice, so as to put the people of the city at ease." Dong Kuizi was furious. He didn't bother to explain that he hadn't committed the first two cases. He brandished his black whisk and coldly shouted, "You audacious brat, how dare you provoke me! Ghosts, seize him!"
With this roar, hundreds of fierce ghosts appeared in the air behind him. These were all powerful ghost slaves that he had refined over many years, carefully selecting the best and worst. Each one was armed with knives and clubs, and their ferocious appearance was terrifying.
He pointed his whisk forward, and the hundreds of fierce ghosts roared in unison, each raising their spiritual knives and charging forward, intending to knock Li Xiaomin to the ground and carry him up to be dealt with by Dong Kuizi.
Li Xiaomin was fearless and sneered. Behind him, three hundred ghost guards appeared with a roar, each with a murderous look on their faces and a forest of swords. They looked at the hundreds of fierce ghosts charging towards them and sneered.
The hundred or so fierce ghosts, all rendered mindless by Dong Kuizi's refinement, showed no fear upon seeing the overwhelming numbers of the enemy ghosts. They roared and charged forward, heading straight for Li Xiaomin.
Li Xiaomin waved his hand, and three hundred ghost guards surged forth like a whirlwind, swiftly and fiercely attacking the horde of ghosts, hacking and slashing.
A deafening clang filled the air. Both sides wielded their spiritual blades, fighting fiercely until the sky darkened and the sun and moon lost their light.
The nearly ten thousand ghosts bound nearby, witnessing the immense power of these fierce ghosts, far surpassing their own, were stunned and filled with terror.
General Sha, wielding a giant hammer, roared and charged into the horde of vengeful spirits. With a ferocious swing of his hammer, he shattered a spirit's soul, sending it flying. The spirit opened its gaping maw, sucking in the shattered soul, its energy surging. It charged forward, its hammer pounding, crushing countless spirits beneath its blows.
On the other side, General Zeng was not to be outdone. His spirit blade flashed, its sharp blade slicing several charging spirits in half at the waist. The spirits screamed in agony as their souls were scattered, allowing the ghost guards who rushed in to reap the benefits, vying to stuff the spirits into their mouths to aid their cultivation.
The two generals, each leading their personal guards, charged in from the left and right flanks, instantly breaking through the spirit formation and slaying countless spirits. The vengeful ghosts, devoid of their senses, refused to retreat despite witnessing their companions' tragic deaths. They fought desperately, only to be surrounded and brutally killed by the ghost guards who had cultivated for three hundred years. They were all struck by the spiritual blades and vanished into thin air.
Behind them, Dong Kuizi, dressed entirely in black, was horrified. He hadn't expected the enemy to be so powerful, with so many vengeful ghosts among their subordinates, even more formidable than his own ghost slaves. He had thought that apart from the Turtle Mountain Sect, his sect could dominate the Southern Tang Dynasty, but who knew that Jinling City held such hidden talents and such formidable opponents? Cold sweat broke out on Dong Kuizi's forehead.
Logically, this was his Ten Thousand Ghosts Formation; with a mere thought, hellfire would erupt from the ground, engulfing the enemy's vengeful ghosts in flames. Unexpectedly, the young man was cunning. He seemed to have recognized the formation he had set up and, taking advantage of his momentary lapse in attention, destroyed the key part of his formation with a bolt of lightning. This rendered the Ten Thousand Ghosts Formation only able to lock up nearly ten thousand ghosts, but unable to unleash its offensive capabilities, and even the Cleansing Spirit Formation could no longer be controlled freely. Now, with insufficient manpower and no time to set up another formation, he couldn't help but secretly lament his predicament.
But now that they were already engaged, there was no retreat. Dong Kuizi had no choice but to swing
his whisk and shout, "All of you, charge! Kill all the enemy ghosts, and you'll be free!" The nearly one thousand ghosts newly refined by the Cleansing Spirit Formation, having just lost their intelligence, rushed forward in a chaotic frenzy upon hearing his command. Relying on their superior numbers, they surrounded the three hundred ghost guards, waving their ghostly claws and scratching at them.
By this time, most of the hundred or so fierce ghosts from before had already been killed by the combined efforts of the ghost guards. This fresh force entering the battle did not change the situation on the battlefield. The vengeful ghost, having cultivated for three hundred years, paid no heed to these newly arrived little devils. General Zeng, leading the charge, brandished his broadsword and charged into the horde of ghosts. His blade flashed across the sky, and with a series of hissing sounds, countless ghosts were cleaved
in two by the spiritual blade, their limbs scattered and vanishing into the air. Seeing the situation turning against him, Dong Kuizi thought angrily, "Truly, a tiger fallen into the plains is bullied by dogs! If I hadn't fought those scumbags of the Turtle Mountain Sect to a draw, and if my power hadn't been restored, I wouldn't have given a damn about a junior like you! Fine, I'll retreat for now, and return to take your life when
I'm fully recovered!" Having decided to flee, Dong Kuizi said nothing more, turned, and ran. However, the lightning strike had caused a surge of electricity within him, preventing him from fully utilizing his spiritual power. Therefore, his running was unsteady and he couldn't run very fast.
As he ran, he remained cautious, fearing another lightning strike might strike him. Little did he know, that single flash of lightning had already exhausted Li Xiaomin's abilities; his rudimentary Five Thunder Orthodox Technique was no longer capable of striking down a second bolt.
As he fled for his life, suddenly, a handsome young man appeared before him, sneering, "Yinshan bandit, where do you think you're going! Where are all your fellow disciples? Why are you alone here?"
Dong Kuizi was terrified but refused to back down, pointing at Li Xiaomin and shouting, "Boy! You're finished! My Yinshan Sect is full of talented people. I'm just here to scout ahead. Once my disciples have rested and are ready to come to Jinling, we'll make sure Jinling is overrun with ghosts!" With that
, he raised his whisk handle and brought it down hard on Li Xiaomin's head, intending to smash his skull with the small whisk!
Li Xiaomin smiled slightly, his crystalline blade meeting the attack head-on. With a deafening roar, Dong Kuizi was sent flying backward, letting out a surprised exclamation. He was astonished that Dong Kuizi, despite being injured by the Five Thunderbolts Technique, still had the strength to retaliate.
However, this power was insufficient to truly wound him. Li Xiaomin swung his sword, closing in on Dong Kuizi like the wind, thrusting his blade forward, the tip aimed directly at his throat.
Dong Kuizi gritted his teeth, raising his long-time-used whisk, parrying and attacking fiercely, engaging Li Xiaomin in a fierce battle.
Behind them, three hundred ghost guards slaughtered the mindless ghosts like cutting melons and vegetables, quickly wiping them out. The remaining tasks were cleaning up the battlefield, absorbing the lingering spiritual energy to replenish their own resources.
As the screams of the ghosts behind him grew weaker, Dong Kuizi felt a surge of fear. He knew that his old and new subordinates were almost all dead, while the enemy before him grew stronger with each battle. He feared he would not fare well today.
He gritted his teeth, unleashed a powerful attack, forced Li Xiaomin back, and leaped backward, shouting, "Behold this immortal master's ultimate move! Ten Thousand Ghosts Explosion!"
He formed hand seals and chanted incantations, about to use his last bit of control over the Ten Thousand Ghosts Formation to cause all the locked ghosts to explode, using the powerful impact to injure the ghost soldiers who had broken into the formation. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept from behind, and two frost-like swords pierced through his back and through his chest.
Dong Kuizi's incantation abruptly stopped. He looked down in disbelief at the spiritual blades protruding from his chest, let out a painful groan, and from his forehead, a three-inch-tall Taoist priest, completely black, leaped out and flew straight into the sky.
Li Xiaomin, who was right in front, was unwilling to let the spirit escape so easily. He immediately shouted and threw out a talisman. Golden light flashed and streaked across the sky, striking the black man with a loud screech. The black man crashed to the ground.
Before he even landed, General Zeng, who had arrived with lightning speed, swung his broadsword and cleaved the black man in two. He swallowed the upper half into the blood-red demon's mouth in one gulp, then held the lower half, which was still kicking its legs desperately, and respectfully presented it to Li Xiaomin, inviting him to enjoy it.
Seeing the blackened half-body, with its two thin, bony legs still kicking wildly in General Zeng's hands, Li Xiaomin felt nauseous. He
turned his head away, ignoring it, and waved his hand, vomiting, saying, "If you like it, take it yourself!" General Zeng's good intentions were met with a cold shoulder. He awkwardly walked back and saw Feng Shuang and the two women pulling swords from the old Taoist's withered body
. He approached them ingratiatingly, smiling, "Ladies, you two deserve the most credit for killing that thieving Taoist. Have something to eat to replenish your strength!" The two beauties rolled their eyes, stepped aside, and ignored him. General Sha, however, jumped out from the side, snatched the legs away, and laughed loudly, "Thank you for your kindness!" He tilted his head back and stuffed the two legs into his mouth, chewing them with relish.
General Zeng pursed his lips but didn't say anything, only saying, "You owe me one!" He went back to check on his Ghost Guards to see if they were injured.
After counting them, there weren't any missing ghosts. Although there were some damages, they had all been replenished by consuming the spiritual power of the enemy ghosts, so they basically still got a great deal.
Li Xiaomin slowly walked to the top of Wanzang Hill and shouted loudly, "Listen up, ghosts! I am the Ghost-Catching Master of the Great Tang Dynasty. The Empress has ordered me to take charge of the ghost realm of Jinling. Since you are ghosts in Jinling, you should obey my orders and not disobey!"
The ghosts were overjoyed to see that Dong Kuizi was dead, but they were unwilling to obey his orders. Immediately, some ghosts started chattering, "Who are you, daring to speak so arrogantly? We are used to being carefree and will not listen to your orders!"
Li Xiaomin did not force the ghosts to do anything. He laughed loudly and said, "Since that's the case, I will leave! Anyway, you will not cause any more trouble to the people of Jinling City if you are trapped here. Just stay here until the end of the world!"
After saying that, Li Xiaomin floated down the mountain and led his ghost guards away. Only nearly ten thousand ghosts were left sitting in the formation, staring at each other, unable to break the formation with his powerful magic.
Descending the mountain, Li Xiaomin found a general of the nearby garrison and showed him the letter of appointment given to him by Empress Zhou. He explained that he had been ordered by the emperor to establish a magical array to imprison all the evil spirits causing trouble in Jinling City here. He instructed the garrison to seal off the mountain, preventing people and animals from passing through, lest they be harmed by the evil spirits within.
The general, seeing that the letter of appointment allowed him to command nearby officials and troops at his discretion, dared not disobey and agreed to everything. Following his instructions, he erected wooden signs with warning words around the mountain and dispatched all soldiers to guard all roads, completely surrounding the mass grave and prohibiting anyone from passing through.
In the Golden Palace, all the officials stood solemnly. On the throne, however, was not the emperor. Only behind the beaded curtain, a beautiful woman dressed in empress's robes sat quietly.
Because Emperor Li Yu had recently fallen ill due to a series of ghostly incidents and was bedridden, he had appointed the empress to oversee the country and handle all affairs.
In other countries, it was rare for an empress to act as regent. However, in the Southern Tang Dynasty, it was a long-standing practice, occurring from the time of the first emperor, Li Zhihao.
Initially, after Li Zhihao led a rebellion that resulted in the deaths of the Wu Emperor's family, he felt remorse and feared the vengeful spirits of those who sought revenge. He soon fell ill and had little time to attend court. Fortunately, his first wife, the first empress of the Southern Tang, was intelligent and decisive. She personally handled state affairs on his behalf, managing them efficiently and earning the deep respect of the ministers. With her wise methods, she calmed the unsettled hearts of the army and the people, and promoted agricultural production, ensuring the people were well-fed and clothed. This led to the three hundred years of peace and prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.
From then on, whenever a Tang emperor fell ill, he would often appoint the empress dowager, empress, or crown prince to act as regent. Therefore, every empress needs to possess flexible political skills. Empress Zhou of this dynasty, daughter of the current Left Chancellor Zhou Tai, is well-versed in politics and has her father's numerous disciples to assist her. Stabilizing the court when Li Yu is seriously ill is not difficult for her.
As for her son, Crown Prince Li Zhao, he is inherently weak and has never been favored by the officials. Even if he were to oversee the country, he would most likely still listen to his mother and maternal grandfather; it would be better to have Empress Zhou oversee the country directly.
At this moment, Empress Zhou sat behind the beaded curtain, her approving gaze falling on the handsome young man standing in the Golden Palace. She felt greatly gratified, pleased that she had not misjudged him.
Li Xiaomin, dressed in the court robes of a fifth-rank official, holding an ivory tablet, lowered his eyes and humbly said, "Thanks to Her Majesty the Empress's great blessing, I have trapped the tens of thousands of evil spirits causing trouble in Jinling City at the mass grave outside the city using the Spirit-Locking Array. In a hundred days, we will be able to refine these spirits and prevent them from causing further evil. I beseech Your Majesty to issue a decree to completely seal off the mass grave, preventing people and livestock from entering or leaving, lest the evil spirits escape in the chaos and harm the people."
He then sighed softly and said, "However, another sorcerer who came to capture the ghosts, Dong Kuizi, was unfortunately caught in the crossfire..." "He was attacked by a ghost and died a violent death. I hope Your Majesty will give him a proper burial and not leave his body to rot in the wilderness."
Empress Zhou nodded with a smile, her phoenix eyes glancing sideways at Prince Danyang, Li Xiong,
who stood on the platform holding a tablet, his face ashen. She smiled and said, "The sorcerer invited by Prince Danyang was unfortunately killed by an evil spirit and should be given a proper burial. Please handle this matter personally, Prince Danyang!" Li Xiong had lost face in front of everyone, and he swallowed his anger and bowed to accept the decree. A jealous and resentful look shot towards Li Xiaomin. Although he did not know that Li Xiaomin was the one who had killed Dong Kuizi, he still resented him for stealing the limelight and making him lose face.
Li Xiaomin pretended not to see his resentful gaze and stood humbly in the hall, waiting for Empress Zhou's next instructions.
Empress Zhou, gazing at the handsome young man with his white teeth and red lips, felt a slight stirring in her heart. She smiled calmly and said, "Li Xiaomin, you were originally a palace eunuch, loyal to your master, and have rendered great service to the Tang Dynasty. I hereby bestow upon you the title of 'Lingxiu Zhenren,' a third-rank official, with the rank of Changshui Xiaowei, and grant you the first residence of your kind. You are permitted to reside outside the palace. To prevent evil spirits from wreaking havoc on Jinling again, you may select strong men from the Imperial Guard to form a city defense force and teach them magic to ward off evil spirits."
Li Xiaomin was delighted. Not only had he been granted an official position, but he would also have an army to lead, which would greatly benefit his secret accumulation of power.
He knelt and bowed in gratitude, secretly rejoicing that the eunuch emperor was ill, thus sparing him the obligation to kowtow. With
this matter settled, Li Xiaomin rose and stood aside among the officials, receiving numerous gazes filled with envy and jealousy.
The officials of the court submitted their memorials, reporting all matters of state to Empress Zhou for her decision.
Empress Zhou assigned tasks meticulously and efficiently, which secretly surprised Li Xiaomin. He hadn't expected this beautiful woman to possess such excellent administrative skills; she was truly well-suited to govern the empire.
Before long, the officials finished their reports, and the chief eunuch announced the end of the court session.
As Li Xiaomin descended from the palace, many officials came to congratulate him, striving to cultivate a closer relationship. At such a young age, he already held a third-rank official position and was a palace attendant, making him a close confidant of the Emperor and Empress. Moreover, he seemed to be aligned with Empress Zhou; when the Crown Prince ascended the throne, he would undoubtedly be a trusted aide, and befriending him would bring no small benefit.
Li Xiaomin chuckled, chatting and laughing with the officials. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Li Xiong coldly snort, turn away, and retrieve Dong Kuizi's blackened, charred corpse from the palace walls for burial.
From that day forward, Li Xiong feigned illness and stopped attending court, disappearing without a trace; no one knew where he went.
Three days later.
Under the scorching sun, the nearly ten thousand ghosts trapped in the Ten Thousand Ghosts Formation, those with weak spiritual power, could no longer withstand the yang energy contained in the sun, their souls dissipating into the air. The remaining ghosts cried out, scrambling for shade under the trees to avoid suffering the same fate.
Watching his dozens of ghostly companions melt away under the scorching sun, Feng Dazhu felt a pang of sympathy, wondering when such a fate would befall him. Although he had cultivated for two hundred years and possessed considerable spiritual power, being trapped here meant his power was constantly suppressed, and his soul's annihilation was inevitable.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but regret his actions. If he had listened to the young sorcerer and become his subordinate, he wouldn't be in this predicament.
Although the sorcerer, like the old Taoist, harbored ill intentions and wanted to subdue him as a ghost slave, he wasn't as ruthless as Dong Kuizi, who had extinguished the consciousness of all the ghosts who submitted to him, turning them into idiots. Now, he realized that the young sorcerer's intention was merely to enter into a ghost slave contract; he wouldn't necessarily be forced to do anything heinous, and he could have preserved his consciousness, avoiding the agony of his soul's annihilation.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but raise his ghostly eyes and look down the mountain, hoping the sorcerer wouldn't abandon these nearly ten thousand ghost slaves. How could such a massive force be so easily abandoned? Although his three hundred ghost guards were no weaker than these nearly ten thousand ghost slaves, the strength of ghost slaves wasn't measured solely by combat ability.
As if hearing his call, a figure dressed in white, riding a fine horse, passed through the army's defenses and slowly walked towards the mass grave.
Feng Dazhu looked on with great joy and saw that the newcomer had delicate features and a slight smile on his lips. It was the powerful young sorcerer. Overjoyed, he made up his mind that no matter what the other ghosts said, he must first submit to him, lest the sorcerer get angry again and abandon him here until the sun melts all the ghosts.
The horse galloped, approaching the Ten Thousand Ghosts Formation, but then slowed down, standing at the foot of the mass grave, trembling all over, its mane shaking slightly.
Li Xiaomin smiled slightly, made a hand seal, and cast a soul-suppressing talisman into the horse's head. Sure enough, the horse became much more energetic, striding confidently onto the mass grave.
Standing high on the hill, Li Xiaomin looked around and saw nearly ten thousand ghosts huddled under the shade of the trees, looking at him with pitiful eyes. He couldn't help but smile slightly, and was about to speak when suddenly he saw hundreds of ghosts, led by a strong man, rushing towards him. They prostrated themselves a dozen feet away, trembling and shouting, "Master! We lowly ghosts are willing to serve you as our master. We only beg you to save us and not let us stay here
any longer!" Li Xiaomin was taken aback. He hadn't expected these ghosts to be so afraid of the sun; they couldn't even withstand three days of sun exposure. They were far inferior to his ghost guards.
Seeing someone take the lead, the other ghosts dared not lag behind. They rushed out from under the shade of the trees, prostrating themselves on the ground. Shivering from the scorching sun, they desperately kowtowed, begging Li Xiaomin not to abandon them, even if it meant being his ghost slaves for eternity.
Looking at the ghosts' fearful and pleading eyes, Li Xiaomin's heart softened. He sighed gently, "You needn't do this! Since you wish to be my ghost slaves, I have rules here, and you must abide by them!"
The ghosts kowtowed desperately, crying out, "Master! We'll do whatever you say, Master! Please take us away quickly, don't let us melt in the sun!"
Li Xiaomin looked up at the sky, stretched out his hand, and chanted incantations. Soon, the wind and clouds changed; dark clouds drifted in from afar, covering the entire mass grave, blocking the intense sunlight.
The tens of thousands of ghosts finally breathed a sigh of relief, marveling at Li Xiaomin's powerful magic. Even the most unruly and fierce ghosts knelt and kowtowed, willing to serve this powerful sorcerer as their master.
Li Xiaomin, perched high on the hilltop, surveyed the ghosts around him and calmly said, "Since you have pledged your allegiance to me, I will forgive and forget your past transgressions. But from this day forward, you shall not kill or harm any living being without my command. Can you truly abide by this?"
Nearly ten thousand ghosts prostrated themselves and kowtowed, saying, "Master, being a ghost is not easy for us. To avoid divine retribution, we dare not commit murder. Those who did kill in the past did so out of unresolved grievances and for revenge. Now that our enemies are all dead, we are willing to obey your commands and never again..." " We killed them. We only ask that when our master no longer needs us, you can avert our calamities and clear our karma, so that we can be reincarnated without having to find substitutes. If you do so, we will be deeply grateful for your great kindness!"
Li Xiaomin nodded and said, "Of course. When I have mastered the immortal arts and achieved great deeds, if any of you wish to be reincarnated, I will personally chant incantations to clear your karma, so that you can be reborn into a good family in your next life!"
The ghosts bowed gratefully. Although they could not fully believe it, since their master was willing to say this, there was still hope for the future.
Looking at the ghosts prostrating themselves on the ground all over the mountains, Li Xiaomin said loudly, "If you sincerely serve me as your master today, I will let you go back to Jinling. Among you, I will appoint several hundred leaders to command the ghosts and manage the various areas of the city. All matters, big and small, in Jinling must be reported to me, and the leaders will report to the chief leader. From now on, you will be my eyes and ears. Are you willing to do this?"
The ghosts were initially afraid of being subdued, fearing they would become slaves and do dangerous things. Now, hearing that it was just about gathering information, something ghosts were most comfortable doing and there was no danger, they were overjoyed and kowtowed, readily agreeing to report even the smallest squabbles in the gutter to their leaders, who would then report to their master.
At that moment, Li Xiaomin made a master-slave pact with the ghosts, strictly forbidding them from disturbing the people again. He promised to order the people of Jinling to regularly burn incense to appease the ghosts, and the ghosts' job was to hide and eavesdrop on people's conversations, gleaning valuable information. If they obtained important information, they could record it in their merit book. If they accumulated enough merit to meet a certain standard, they could apply to their leader, who would then report to their master and request a sorcerer to perform a ritual to help them pass on to the afterlife. Those who did not wish to be reborn could also use their merit to learn magic from the ghost guards, hoping to one day become ghost immortals.
The ghosts were overjoyed and sincerely thanked their master for his great kindness. From then on, the homes of wealthy families, generals, and officials became gathering places for ghosts. Countless ghosts dreaming of making a name for themselves would loiter there, even lingering during the intimate moments of married couples, hoping to glean information about important court affairs from their whispered conversations. Unfortunately, Li Xiaomin forbade them from entering the palace, nor from his private residence outside, leaving those ghosts who had been assigned to areas near the palace, dreaming of going to the palace to inquire about meritorious deeds, all bowing their heads in sighs

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