Chapter 423 – Ghost Hand?

In the Netherworld, Tu Su was still trying to establish contact with the Qingqiu Fox Kingdom.

In Tianshi City, Yan Yunyu, Si Ye, and Ji Lingsha had already begun taking action.

Whether by transporting supplies, utilizing their divine offices, or targeting specific groups of people, they each employed their own methods to gather faith for Mu Lin.

And due to their actions, various changes began to emerge among the refugees and ordinary soldiers both inside and outside Tianshi City.

…

The rampage of the Mother of Nest Worms and the descent of demons and monsters had caused the Agricultural Militia to lose vast stretches of land.

As they retreated, the humans living on those lands naturally followed—those who did not retreat, or could not retreat, mostly ended up as food for the worms and demonic monsters.

In their haste, many refugees were unable to take all their belongings with them.

Although, even if they had brought these things, they wouldn’t have lasted long anyway.

In feudal times, ordinary people had little surplus grain to begin with.

With no food in hand and few jobs available for them in Tianshi City, many refugees could only sit despairingly outside the city walls.

It was only because Tianshi City occasionally distributed porridge and relief grain that they managed to survive.

However, Tianshi City itself did not have much grain, and they needed to ensure the combat effectiveness of the Agricultural Militia—both Zhang Hemiao and Sheng Cang clearly understood that if the Agricultural Militia ran out of food and could not eat their fill, even before they starved to death, the tide of worms would swarm in and devour them all.

Unwilling to face such a fate, even though they knew hunger was rampant outside the city, they had no choice but to let it be.

Under these circumstances, many people outside the city had already resorted to eating dirt out of hunger.

The desperate scene also led to constant riots outside Tianshi City.

But in recent days, the situation had begun to change.

“Sister, get up, don’t sleep anymore. Someone in the southern part of the city is preaching about King Yama, the City God, and the Nether River Ferryman. It’s said these great deities govern our souls after death and will judge us based on our actions in life.”

“Hmm…”

This call indeed roused a sallow-faced, skinny girl with yellowish hair.

Hearing that her soul after death would be governed and judged by King Yama, she felt a sense of fear.

But soon, she weakly shook her head and said:

“Brother, I have no strength, so I won’t go. Hah…”

“If He governs our souls after death, then let’s wait until we die… to, to pay our respects to Him.”

The girl’s hunger left her unable to even finish a complete sentence, needing to catch her breath halfway.

In such a state, she naturally had no mood to listen to the teachings of King Yama or the City God.

Just as the girl was about to lie back down, her brother’s urgent voice sounded in her ear again.

“Don’t sleep. I’m not in the mood to listen to any teachings either, but it’s said that while preaching, they also distribute eggs and thin porridge. As long as we go and listen, we can get food!”

“Really?”

“Of course it’s true. I’ve already gone to check—they really set up pots, cooked porridge, and there are eggs nearby…”

Before her brother could even finish speaking, the girl had already forced herself to stand up.

“Then let’s hurry, in case the porridge gets finished…”

Eggs and thin porridge held great power, especially in times of famine. With these two items, Ji Lingsha instantly drew countless people.

Later, upon learning that eggs and porridge were available daily but required them to attentively listen to the teachings and undergo regular assessments, the displaced people who had lost their homes naturally had no objection to hearing Ji Lingsha’s palace maids preach the doctrines of the Netherworld.

Beyond the ordinary populace, Ji Lingsha also gathered the younger orphans, establishing an orphanage.

The instruction here was stricter, but the food was better.

The little yellow-haired girl awakened by her brother also entered the orphanage.

It must be said that children’s nature is indeed pure. Upon learning that Mu Lin had helped her, she became his devout believer that very day.

“Thank you, City God, thank you, King Yama… Xiaoyu will pray for you every day… The eggs are so delicious…”

…

Backed by Prince Liang’s Manor and commanding the Void-Crossing Ship, Ji Lingsha brought in vast quantities of grain from the Southern Province, sustaining many lives.

As for Chu Lingluo and Si Ye, though they could not procure supplies, their authorities were the easiest for spreading faith.

People always need to sleep. Because the Netherworld had been established beneath Tianshi City, the Other Shore Flowers here easily influenced the soul spirits of humans in the Yang World.

Thus, under Si Ye’s guidance, besides weaving some fairy-tale dreams, Chu Lingluo also created Illusion Realms that rewarded good and punished evil.

In those Illusion Realms, evildoers suffered various punishments, while the virtuous were granted reprieve.

Through these Illusion Realms, Chu Lingluo deeply engraved the Netherworld and its Authority into the soul spirits of many, making them understand and deeply revere the Netherworld.

This sense of reverence was also a form of faith power.

Si Ye: “Lingluo, don’t feel troubled. We are doing this to help your beloved Mu Lin, and it is also for their own good… Only by rewarding good and punishing evil can humanity develop stably and orderly.”

…

Ji Lingsha and Chu Lingluo both had their gains. As for Yan Yunyu, her situation seemed the least favorable.

But it must be said, she truly lived up to being the most capable among the three women. Despite her unfavorable circumstances, she ingeniously gathered a group of believers—fanatical ones at that.

Moreover, these believers were exceptionally powerful.

Among the countless displaced people outside Tianshi City, there was also a group who were ostracized.

And Yan Yunyu sought out precisely these people.

  ”Boom!”

“Still alive? If you are, come out for a moment.”

Looking at the filthy, dangerous, and utterly Anomalous house, Yan Yunyu had no intention of entering.

Standing outside the door, she directly used her Mana to shatter the gate.

This action made the tormented humans inside the house unable to restrain their agitation any longer.

“Woman, you’re looking for death!”

“Looking for death?” This made Yan Yunyu laugh. “I have no such thought. I’m here to save you.”

“Save me?”

Hearing this, the person was stunned for a moment, but soon burst into laughter—wild, yet wretched laughter.

“Hahaha, save me? No… I’m beyond saving. No one can save me…”

“Clank, clank…”

Before the person could finish speaking, accompanied by the sound of chains, Yan Yunyu wrapped chains around his body.

“What are you doing?”

The sudden attack left the man bewildered and suspicious, prompting him to shout out a question.

Ignoring his confusion, Yan Yunyu calmly replied, “Whether you can be saved isn’t up to you—it’s up to me.”

As she spoke, her tone shifted from cold arrogance to playful amusement:

“You must have felt it by now—the Forbidden Power within you has been sealed.”

“Huh?”

Her words first stunned the man, who had seemed on the verge of madness, but his expression quickly shifted from shock to wild joy.

“It’s gone, it’s really gone! The pain in my body has lessened, the incessant, maddening whispers in my ears have vanished… I’ve become normal again. The Forbidden Power has disappeared.”

Indeed, the people Yan Yunyu sought were those tainted by Forbidden Power.

Corrupted by this power, they endured daily torment and were shunned by everyone else.

While Forbidden Power was an immense trouble for others, Yan Yunyu happened to have a way to suppress it.

The Avici Chains she controlled were a fusion of extraordinary abilities: Divinity – Silent, Source Rune – Stabilize, Da Luo Vast Heaven Qi, Primordial Chaos Yuan Gang, Central Wuji Sha, and more.

Though these chains couldn’t completely eradicate the Forbidden Power within these individuals, they could temporarily seal it or suppress it using Silent Divinity and Da Luo Vast Heaven Qi.

For these outcasts, this was already invaluable.

Previously, they had felt as though Death itself were chasing them with a scythe, ready to claim their lives at any moment.

Now, with the ability to suppress the power, they could live a little longer—a prospect that brought him immense satisfaction.

However, while he was satisfied, Yan Yunyu was not.

Unlike Chu Lingluo, she wasn’t one to do favors for others without expecting something in return.

Thus, as the man before her reveled in his excitement, Yan Yunyu stated plainly:

“Your Forbidden Power hasn’t disappeared—it’s merely been suppressed by me for now. If I release the seal, it will flare up again. Conversely, as long as I wish, I can seal the Forbidden Power within you for a long time.”

As she spoke, Yan Yunyu willed the chains to retract.

However, by her design, only most of the chains withdrew.

A small segment remained wrapped around the man’s arm.

This remaining chain formed a ring resembling an Ouroboros—indeed, it embodied the essence of the Ouroboros.

Everything Mu Lin knew could be shared through the True Spirit Karma Diagram. Since Yan Yunyu had helped him greatly and even shared his bed, he harbored no ill will toward her. Consequently, part of the Ouroboros’s essence had been integrated into the Avici Chains.

This principle of infinite cycles made it exceedingly difficult for anything bound by the chains to break free.

Yet, Yan Yunyu had deliberately left a switch in the chain before her.

This allowed the cultivator tainted by Forbidden Power to unleash the power by activating the switch.

As long as he rewrapped the chain afterward, the outbreak of Forbidden Power could be suppressed once more.

This arrangement also brought the man a sense of relief—while Forbidden Power was terrifying, in this era, lacking strength was an even greater tragedy.

Now, he could both seal the Forbidden Power and unleash it in times of crisis, which was the best possible outcome for him.

However, this person also understood that Yan Yunyu’s actions could not be purely out of goodwill. Therefore, he spoke frankly, “Tell me, what do you want me to do?”

“Clever fellow.”

After praising him, Yan Yunyu calmly said, “What I want you to do is simple: sincerely worship the City God, King Yama, and me, the master of the Avici Chains.”

“Additionally, I will form a team to fight for Brother Mu… that is, King Yama. You and others will be soldiers under my command.”

“In return, I will free you from the troubles of the Forbidden Power and enhance your strength.”

“Excellent terms. I agree.”

The swift response made Yan Yunyu smile.

“Good. Now, your first task is here: go and find others who have been tainted by the Forbidden Power. I will bestow upon you the Sacred Chains and grant you a new life.”

(End of Chapter)