Was this a savior?

Or...

Aunt Zhang, being a great walking ghost, had seen much of the world and experienced countless things. Yet, at this moment, she was deeply shaken.

She looked at Seventh Aunt, sitting on the sedan chair, full of pride, with a weasel by her side beating drums and blowing horns. Then she looked at Hu Ma, who was supporting her with a smiling face. She felt somewhat lost.

For a moment, I didn't know whether this old lady was saving me, or...

But Hu Ma didn't give her time to say more. He helped her up, lifted her onto the horse's back with a grip at her waist, and led her away with Seventh Aunt outside the village.

The green veils intertwined like a maze, trapping even the surging evil aura of the Five Evil Gods and the bustling little ghosts, yet they walked out with ease, completely unimpeded.

Just as they were almost out of the village, they felt a rolling evil presence behind them, rising endlessly like the night fog.

The Five Evil Gods descended impressively, looking down on no one, but being trapped by the green veils, they were clearly enraged, roaring fiercely, "Since you have come, why only use such petty tricks to trap me?"

"Why don't you take out your drum and let me see the aura of the Mountain God playing the drum again?"

"..."

He laughed loudly while walking around the tent, shouting, "I really thought you weren't afraid of those rules, but since you dare not act, I want to see how you can stop me with the borrowed Mana you have!"

As he spoke, the Five Evil Gods, or rather the Son-in-law Wei, suddenly howled skyward, seemingly shaking the night sky, as wild ghosts all around joined in the cry.

"Hmm?"

As the howling began, Hu Ma and the others, who had just stepped out of the village, suddenly looked up at the night sky.

The fierce wind blew, the clouds scattered, and waves of dark clouds swept through.

At that moment, everyone felt a chill creeping over them, their breath weighted with oppression.

The Five Evil Gods brought this suffocating aura naturally. However, all he carried was confined by the green veils in Yellow Mud Village behind them. Yet now, it seemed to surge incessantly from all directions.

It felt as if beyond their sight, waves of ghost soldiers were gathering, forming a massive evil presence, turning into weapons pointing distantly at them.

"This is not good..."

Aunt Zhang, atop the horse, feeling deeply unsettled, suddenly raised her head and exclaimed, "It's the Evil Ghost's Worship!"

"Oh?"

Hu Ma curiously looked up at her. Her face was full of horror, pale as if someone had painted it white, with red lips. In a way, this made her look more charming.

She pointed to the distance, "It's the Evil Ghost's altar. He's been creating Evil Creation at several places these days just to set up the altar, making his arrival more domineering..."

"..."

Hu Ma squinted his eyes, smiled, and said, "Weren't his altars destroyed?"

"I even helped Seventh Aunt destroy one..."

"..."

Seventh Aunt, nearby, was puzzled for a moment, wondering why she didn't seem to help with something so significant.

But hearing what Hu Ma said, she raised her head proudly, feeling like she did contribute...

"Destroying the altar is useless, the evil presence has already emerged..."

Aunt Zhang thought Hu Ma genuinely didn't understand and urgently explained, "That Evil Ghost is not worshiped in Mingzhou, but he doesn't need people to worship him."

"Where fortune thrives, gods appear uninvited; where evil presence breeds, ghosts come without asking."

"Those places full of evil presence ruined the feng shui, and malicious intent soared. Even without Worship, the Evil Ghost receives their Blood Food..."

"..."

Hu Ma sighed slightly. He had understood long ago that after destroying the Five Evil Altar, the evil presence in Mingzhou didn't dissipate.

To the extent of the Five Evil Gods, though they were Guests who could subsist on incense, they preferred to devour the evil presence. The chaos at those five places, with bandits rampant and deaths everywhere, was natural nourishment for him.

Aunt Zhang's words conveyed this meaning.

In a fortuitous place, gods come without invitation.

In a place of evil presence, evil ghosts have long existed, unbeknownst to ordinary people.

And the Five Evil Gods were so fierce that even killing the Five Evil Envoys didn't matter to them because of this.

"Has it finally begun?"

As the Evil Spirit rose from all around Mingzhou, Old Master Mei was sitting in his yard in plum bossom lane, beside the well. He had lit a lantern by the well, allowing him to see inside.

He watched as the previously clear water in the well turned turbid, and even the goldfish in it seemed listless.

Beside him stood the Black Robed Mage and a few men who looked like government officials, all watching him with anxious faces.

"Don't think the Evil Gods can't be nourished. Without these Evil Gods, nothing can be accomplished!"

Old Master Mei, who usually cherished the fish in the well, now looked indifferent to their dying state and said deeply, "The noble one hides well, and we can't provoke him. But since we can't, surely others dare. Now the Five Evil Master comes to destroy Mingzhou's fate and feng shui; chaos will ensue. Let's see if such a noble can still hide."

The tense official nearby said, "But how long will this chaos last, spreading over several regions?"

"It's only been seven days, but nearly half of Mingzhou is chaotic. Countless people have died, and houses, fields, and granaries have been burned. The losses are numerous. If nothing's done..."

"..."

Listening to his words, everyone gathered at plum bossom lane nodded repeatedly.

They weren't Martial Artists, so they understood the severity of this issue and even felt fear.

Mingzhou was indeed chaotic, but this was just the beginning. The real problem was the destruction: farmlands and homes were lost, and people had died. With no one to farm next year, famine would incite further chaos.

This was a festering abscess, and it was spreading.

They could still control it now. Even so, they had to release stored grains and hire people to suppress bandits. This was equivalent to cutting their own flesh, but it was bearable, after all.

They could gather more lands afterward and, overall, might profit, possibly even more than before.

But Plum Blossom Lane's refusal to let them intervene complicated matters. Delaying until next spring would mean the peasants would rebel!

"Let them be."

Old Mr. Mei, amidst everyone's anxiety, calmly lowered his gaze and said, "Firstly, this evil presence comes quickly and leaves quickly. I am certain of that."

"Secondly, if we need to cut more flesh to fill the void next year, that's fine too. We've had favorable weather these years. We also borrowed the Lady from the Red Lantern Society to suppress the jianghu Paths, accumulating quite a fortune for the big affair. Can't you spare this much?"

"..."

"The big affair?"

Hearing Old Mr. Mei, everyone present was astonished, exchanging glances, realizing what he implied.

"Moreover, if we intervene now, how do we gauge his opinion?"

Old Mr. Mei didn't continue the mysterious topic but sighed slowly, "After all, this evil presence is aimed at him. If he doesn't act, how can we?"

"Heh, even if we did intervene, he might not appreciate it. Since that's the case, isn't inaction better than action? Let's just wait and see for now."

"..."

"But he has acted..."

Someone finally couldn't hold back, whispering, "The Red Lantern Society, the Grass Heart Hall, and even some famous jianghu gangs in Mingzhou have all made their move. Most of the Five Evil Master's men are already dead..."

"Yes, yes..."

Someone immediately chimed in, "If we don't intervene, won't those lawless jianghu ruffians take the credit and gain favor with him?"

"Right, I heard many treasures emerged amidst the chaos, all benefiting those jianghu folks..."

"..."

"If he truly relies on those jianghu men to accomplish something, it clearly shows he lacks ability."

Seeing everyone eager, Old Mr. Mei suddenly sneered, interrupting them, a rare trace of sarcasm on his face, "Quite the opposite. If he possessed such discernment and vision, he wouldn't borrow those jianghu forces."

"At this moment, he should be knocking on plum bossom lane's door. He should be instructing us to act, to help disperse the evil presence over Mingzhou Prefecture and banish the Five Evil Gods!"

"And if he really came, we would obediently bow down to him, doing whatever he commanded."

"..."

"Bow down?"

All present were shocked, feeling enormous pressure. They cautiously glanced at the gate of plum bossom lane, apprehensive that the door might suddenly be knocked.

Yet after waiting a while, the black gate remained silent, unknocked.

"Yes..."

Old Mr. Mei glanced at the door, then sighed, "We're waiting for a chance to bow to him, but he won't give us that opportunity. After we bow and exert ourselves for him, he would find it hard to interfere with what we plan to do later..."

"But since he doesn't come, it means he doesn't consider us at all. Hence, I'll sit here and drink. What happens outside is no concern of ours."

"Haha, the chaos in Mingzhou is the Evil Gods' inborn Worship, requiring official intervention to suppress it. If he won't seek us, then let's see what brilliant methods he has..."

"..."

Everyone fell silent, casting a surreptitious glance at the Southwest sky, where dark clouds were roiling, seemingly about to unleash a thunderstorm.