Chen Mu sat on the rooftop, clutching the forty-one Zuming Talismans, restlessly uneasy until dawn.
He stared at the Inner City all night and did not see a single ghost. But that faint, chilling sensation couldn't fool anyone.
Not until the sun was high overhead, and the scorching heat of noon dispersed the coldness.
Only then did Chen Mu jump down from the rooftop.
As he walked to the door, his figure paused, and the hand reaching to open it drew back.
"Wait a bit longer," he murmured.
The entire Nanyang Prefecture City was unsettlingly quiet.
For three consecutive days, Chen Mu hid at home and focused solely on increasing his proficiency.
The Heavenly Serpent Shape Cultivation Technique improved rapidly. His Shape-shifting Technique also broke through to Second Rank, allowing him to adjust his height and build.
But none of this could keep Chen Mu happy for long.
No matter how he changed his appearance or height, the ghosts didn't recognize faces. They dared to gnaw on anyone alive.
...
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At noon on the fourth day.
A sound of gongs reverberated from the streets.
A sense of relief washed over Chen Mu. The paper effigy immediately floated up to the wall, and he saw two soldiers in black tight suits.
The men carried long swords at their waists and held copper gongs, striking them and calling out.
The gist was that Shangguan Ji had lost all humanity, summoning evil spirits to wreak havoc in Nanyang Prefecture City, leading to the fall of the Inner City.
Chao Tianwang of Liangyue Prefecture happened to pass by, couldn't stand the injustice, drew his sword to assist, drove away Shangguan Ji, and saved the city's populace.
Now Chao Tianwang was conscripting troops, offering Salary Silver and generous resettlement fees to anyone who joined, first come, first served.
Chen Mu listened intently, the rest were praises for Chao Tianwang's martial arts and character, and various derogations of Shangguan Ji.
"Is that the Chao Tianwang who slaughtered Liangyue Prefecture City?"
"Shangguan Ji? Heh... This Chao Tianwang is probably the real one who lured the ghosts into the city," Chen Mu felt a chill in his heart.
"Doesn't the Inner City have an Evil-Repelling Mirror?" Chen Mu wondered.
"Liangyue Prefecture couldn't have fallen just like that, could it?" Chen Mu felt a surge of terror.
Only one in ten remained in the Inner City, now food for the ghosts. Goosebumps couldn't help springing up on him.
"So ruthless!"
...
As evening arrived at the Jian'an Gate in the south, Chen Mu stood in the shadows of the city wall.
Looking up, the sunset stained the sky, blood-red like blood.
Not a single patrolling soldier was on the city walls, the city gates wide open, yet no one dared to leave.
The usually bustling gateway was now eerily silent.
Chen Mu looked down through the crenels of the city wall.
Within a few hundred meters outside the city lay hundreds of scattered corpses.
These dead bodies were withered, their faces frozen in horror, terribly gruesome.
At that moment, the Zuming Talisman in his chest warmed slightly, sending shivers down Chen Mu's spine.
"How dare he?!"
South Market, Chunfeng Pavilion.
Within the main hall of the first floor, the lighting was dim, the fragrance of wine overflowed, and the sounds of joy and laughter were endless.
In Nanyang Prefecture's Inner City, one out of ten remained alive, bodies piling up like mountains.
Those who went to help deal with the corpses had frightened several to madness.
Outside the city, Ghosts posed a threat. Bigger families and wealthy gentry were in a state of panic.
But for ordinary people in the Outer City, it didn't have much impact.
Ghosts only wreaked havoc in the Inner City, with almost none in the Outer City.
The city had not been closed for long, and with the merchants relying on stock, business in both the South and North Markets was booming.
The entertainment industry, like Chunfeng Tower, was also thriving.
Chen Mu sat in a corner, with a little paper figure busily working in the shadows.
The dancer on the stage was a dancer named Qiu Ying, with a curvaceous figure, each good in their own right, just like Yu Tao from the North Market.
Chen Mu appreciated the performance while trying to gather information.
Those who came here to indulge themselves included not only wealthy heirs but also many whom they didn't typically see in the past.
These people had dark and rough skin, not born into high status.
But each was tall and strong, prime candidates for military service.
In the past, they could only drool at the entrance, deterred by the high spending.
Now, after aligning themselves with Chao Tianwang and having received a substantial amount of Salary Silver, they immediately came to Chunfeng Tower to indulge.
For three consecutive days, Chen Mu visited Chunfeng Tower every night to listen for news.
During the day, he would walk through the streets and alleys, seeking out those who had enlisted to gather information.
"Anyone with Bone Transformation gets to be an instructor upon entry."
"Each person first receives a settling-in fee of two thousand silver."
"Then there are five Dragon Transformation Pills. Alternatively, you can choose one Dragon Transformation Pill and one Shape Cultivation Technique."
"If you're of the Marrow Transformation Realm, aside from the limitation to choose one Shape Cultivation Technique, every other benefit is doubled!"
"Those of the Wandering Soul Realm even get to directly negotiate with Chao Tianwang, with even higher terms."
Chen Mu remarked to Jie Jia with a contemplative face, "He's really splurging."
Jie Jia nodded calmly.
"Looking at this pattern, it's not much different from the Startling Swan Gang's Tangshan Camp."
"Looks like they're also recruiting people to head north to find the Thousand Mechanism Token."
"His rewards are not easy to take," Chen Mu still couldn't make up his mind.
At that moment, there were soft footsteps outside the door.
Chen Mu and Jie Jia exchanged a glance.
"I'll go stay for a few days," Chen Mu said, picking up his plate and running off.
Jie Jia followed right behind, hands each holding two plates of food as he climbed over the wall to leave.
As they leaped and dodged, not a drop of soup was spilled!
Bang!
The wooden door was kicked open with a single blow.
"Search!"