Chapter 442: Night Encounter with Many Ghosts

Maotan Village has two Earth God temples. One is located at the edge of the village, a small two-room structure containing authentic clay sculptures. While not exquisite, it features an altar table and incense offerings—nothing is lacking.

The second temple is situated within the burial ground, a small earthen hut only half a person's height, designed to shield the Earth God statue inside from wind and rain.

The Earth God, however, does not typically reside at the village's edge. He frequently stays in the small temple within the burial ground, making it easier for him to watch over the spirits there.

The Earth God sighed there. He had been guarding Maotan Village for seventy or eighty years. Although his original form was that of a spirit being, not a deity born from a deceased mortal, he harbored a deep affection for the village. Almost every resident, from the eldest to the youngest, had grown up under his watchful gaze.

The villagers, in particular, were good-hearted; their ability to establish a communal burial ground during such turbulent times clearly demonstrated this. Therefore, when a crisis arose, the Earth God felt compelled to intervene within the scope of his powers.

However, he was merely a minor Earth God, with jurisdiction limited to the immediate vicinity of Maotan Village. A recent disturbance in the earth's ley lines had also impacted this area, leaving the Earth God in a state of spiritual enfeeblement. Though seemingly uninjured, he could only utilize seventy percent of his true power.

"Alas..."

The Earth God sighed again. This calamity had arrived too abruptly; even if he were to appear in dreams now to warn the villagers to flee, it would be too late. Furthermore, in such tumultuous times, abandoning Maotan Village, their sole means of livelihood, would likely lead to the entire community becoming forgotten remains by the roadside in a foreign land. There, no one would collect or bury their bodies, and no communal burial ground would offer them rest.

Just as the Earth God was lost in his somber thoughts, the will-o'-the-wisps within the communal burial ground suddenly blazed brighter. This caused the Earth God's heart to tense, and he quickly adopted a dignified stance, turning his gaze towards the cemetery.

"In such times, it is a blessing to have a place to rest in peace. Why are you spirits restless?"

As he spoke, the Earth God gently tapped his staff onto the ground.

"Thump..."

A faint, barely perceptible magical light emanated, causing all the grave mounds to subtly sink. The agitated will-o'-the-wisps immediately dimmed, becoming as faint as embers without fuel.

However, the situation did not unfold as the Earth God had anticipated. He noticed faint, indistinct figures of spirits appearing nearby.

'Oh no, have the spirits here also been influenced by the source of the plague specters, becoming a menace?'

Though alarmed internally, the Earth God maintained a stoic expression as he watched the spirits. He also leaped onto the small earthen temple, a vantage point that barely allowed him to be at eye level with them.

Soon, the spectral figures became clearer. Roughly a dozen spirits stood at the forefront, while countless others lingered at the edge of the graves behind them, making it impossible to discern their exact number.

Surprisingly, the leading figure was a recently interred armored spirit. This reminded the Earth God of the two new corpses Liao Daqiu and the villagers had buried earlier that day.

The Earth God had not paid close attention at the time, but now he noticed a distinction in the armor of the two interred individuals: one wore armor equipped with a heart-guard mirror, suggesting a higher rank.

"We greet you, Lord Earth God!"

Though deceased, their military habits persisted. The two spirits, newly interred that day, knelt on one knee and saluted with clasped fists. Seeing this, the other spirits instinctively followed suit.

'It seems I was overthinking!'

The Earth God subtly exhaled, then spoke calmly.

"What is the matter? What do you seek?"

The leading armored soldier looked up at the Earth God. He had never encountered deities or spirits during his lifetime, and although he had faced some strange phenomena, this was his first time seeing a renowned deity like the Earth God. He noted the god was indeed short.

"May I ask, Lord Earth God, what is this 'plague specter' you mentioned?"

From the Earth God's earlier, slightly flustered demeanor, some astute spirits had discerned that something significant was amiss. Coupled with the Earth God's frequent sighs and glances towards Maotan Village, an obvious sense of worry permeated the air.

The Earth God looked at the spirits with a serious expression.

"Why do you ask about these matters?"

The armored spirit looked at the Earth God. Before he could utter a word, the Earth God could vaguely read a certain answer in his eyes.

Maotan Village was exceptionally quiet that night. Despite a day of strenuous physical labor, Liao Daqiu tossed and turned, unable to find sleep.

"My dear, my dear..."

After calling out twice and hearing only his wife's faint snores beside him, Liao Daqiu ceased speaking. He carefully sat up from the bed, diligently tucking the cotton quilt around her to prevent cold air from seeping in.

Feeling parched, Liao Daqiu donned an outer garment, then carefully eased himself out of bed, slipped on his shoes, and prepared to pour some water to drink.

Upon reaching the outer room, he did not immediately pour water. Instead, he crossed the hall, lifted the cloth curtain of his child's room, and only felt a sense of relief once he saw his son sound asleep.

Although Liao Daqiu was no longer young, his household now consisted of only one child, barely five years old.

This was not due to any inability on the part of Mr. and Mrs. Liao. In fact, their younger son had an older brother who would now be close to thirty—an age when he should have established a family and career—yet there had been no news from him.

The world was in turmoil. Mr. Liao's eldest son had been forcibly conscripted into the army, and nine years had passed without any word from him. Some young men from the same batch who had been conscripted alongside him from the county returned in the second year, reporting numerous casualties, though they were unsure of the fate of their fellow soldiers from the same village.

Mr. and Mrs. Liao firmly believed their son was still alive. Though they often secretly shed tears, their hope never wavered, as they yearned for their eldest son's return. Yet, their hearts felt incomplete. Their second son was miraculously conceived at the end of the third year after their eldest had left, a child born to them in their later years.

Liao Daqiu's encouragement for his fellow villagers to establish the communal burial ground was undoubtedly an act of accumulating merit and goodwill, hoping that Heaven would, in return, allow his eldest son to return home.

Alternatively, it also harbored a trace of his most desperate hope: that if his eldest son met with misfortune elsewhere, someone would collect his body and grant him a peaceful burial.

Every night, upon seeing his younger son, Liao Daqiu would momentarily recall the image of his eldest son sleeping soundly as a child. As he pondered this, his sleeping younger son actually transformed in his mind's eye into his elder son, specifically his elder son when he was small.

Old Liao paused, rubbed his eyes, and looked again; it was still his younger son on the bed.

"Alas..."

Sighing, Old Liao left his younger son's room and returned to the outer chamber. He lifted the inverted tea bowl and picked up the kettle from the table to pour himself some water. However, before the cup was full, he noticed a strange light outside the house, which puzzled him.

He glanced outside but paid it no mind, continuing to pour water. He then picked up the tea bowl and drank. He consumed several bowls in succession, emptying the teapot, yet still felt parched.

'Am I falling ill?'

As Liao Daqiu pondered this with growing unease, the light filtering through the wooden window became increasingly bothersome.

Finally, Old Liao walked to the window, unlatched the wooden pin, and pushed the window open. Immediately, he saw a ghostly green light outside. Upon closer inspection, numerous shadowy "figures" stood densely packed around the house. Each had its head bowed, and their faces were dark and indiscernible, surrounded by an eerie green luminescence.

"Ghosts!"

Terrified, Old Liao screamed and collapsed onto the ground, allowing the wooden window pane to slam shut with a "thud" against its frame.

"My dear, my dear, there are ghosts, ghosts! Wake up quickly!"

Liao Daqiu screamed in terror, but there was no movement from the inner room. Just as he was gripped by panic, a voice drifted in from outside.

"Benefactor, please do not be afraid!"

The voice was clear, calm, and deep, completely devoid of the sinister quality Old Liao had imagined ghosts to possess, which momentarily silenced him.

"Benefactor, we are all those whom you and the villagers have interred over the years. You have bestowed great kindness upon us; we would certainly never harm you, nor would we harm the people of Maotan Village."

Hearing this voice, Liao Daqiu calmed somewhat. He reasoned that since he had established the communal burial ground and helped others find peace in death, he had indeed shown them great kindness. Surely, then, they would not harm him?

"Benefactor, would you be willing to open the door and meet us?"

Upon hearing this, Liao Daqiu hesitated once more. After a long pause, he finally gritted his teeth and slowly moved towards the door. After a brief internal struggle, he ultimately unlatched the bolt and swung the main door open.

Numerous shadowy figures of spirits stood in the courtyard; Liao Daqiu found himself unable to count them all at once.

'So many have been interred over these years...'

Upon seeing Liao Daqiu open the door, the spirits outside all knelt in unison. Witnessing so many ghosts kneeling, Liao Daqiu inexplicably forgot his fear. He instinctively stepped out and raised a hand to stop them.

"Oh, no, please don't! Everyone, please rise, please rise quickly!"

The spirits remained kneeling for a moment before slowly rising. Only then did Liao Daqiu clearly see that the two newly interred soldiers were at the very front. One of them stepped slightly forward and spoke sincerely to Liao Daqiu.

"Benefactor, this region is about to face a great calamity. A type of malevolent entity is manifesting, known as 'plague specters,' which spread pestilence and claim lives."

"What? The rumors in the county say that an epidemic has begun in other towns. Is it truly because of these plague specters? Will we be affected here?"

Liao Daqiu grew tense. Although it was commonly said that ghosts' words were unreliable, at this moment, he was willing to trust these spirits.

"Benefactor, Maotan Village lies directly in the path of the rampant plague specters. We have come for no other reason than to repay your kindness. We have resolved to fight them to the death the moment they arrive, hoping to ensure the safety of you and the people of Maotan Village!"

Although only this one spirit spoke, all the others gazed at Liao Daqiu, their faces shadowy and indistinct, yet their presence was surprisingly compelling to him.

"This..."

"Benefactor, we have already discussed this with the Earth God. There is still a little time. We hope you can find a skilled paper artisan to craft several battle banners for us, and one hundred and fifty weapons. The battle banners should include a commander's flag, as well as flags for the left, center, right, and the front and rear formations. For weapons, we require fifty shields, fifty battle sabers, fifty spears, fifty bows, and as many arrows as possible!"

Liao Daqiu quickly jotted down the details, then silently repeated them several times. Only after ensuring he would not forget them did he look up at the assembled spirits once more.

"Uh, are there any other requests?"

Upon hearing this, a subtle rustling sound rippled through the gathered spirits before they fell silent once more. The leading armored soldier spoke again.

"If possible... we would appreciate another hearty meal as an offering..."