Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 195 Double Kill! You can't just support the rules when they're in your favor.

The time was slightly earlier than expected.

Xing Baichuan followed his attendant Xing Quan out of the penthouse. Since it concerned his private affairs at his residence, he didn't want to lose face in front of his superiors, so he planned to ask after they had gone a little further away.

My mind raced with thoughts of all sorts of unacceptable possibilities, preparing myself mentally to avoid losing control later:
"Although I have many mistresses, and quite a few have had trouble with them in the past, Xing Quan is my trusted retainer. The only reason he would dare to disturb my drinking party with the prince at this time is because something happened at my mistress's residence where I keep my two sisters-in-law."

What could possibly have happened? Could it be that those two couldn't stand the loneliness and got the actor and the pedantic scholar to cheat on me?
Wait! Could it be that my little rascal has secretly gone to sleep in that outer courtyard again?

Thinking of his only son, who was unambitious and spent his days chasing after women, Xing Baichuan couldn't help but feel dizzy.

Especially compared to the second-generation Prince Jinghai I just talked to Wang Bengu about, who is said to have been granted royal power by Heaven and whose ancestors for five generations have been blessed—what glory! What good fortune! How enviable!
For the first thirty years, observe how the father respects the son; for the next thirty years, observe how the son respects the father.

That's what they call raising children to provide for you in old age!

Upon receiving the news, countless fathers in the Great Zhao Dynasty exclaimed, "This is the kind of son we should all have!"

But his only son, Xing Yulang, was quite talented. He had mastered both the Shuiban Orchid Technique and the Hualiu Cike, a celestial official who was a disciple of Liu Sanbian.

He spends his days surrounded by women and has a strong liking for respectable women. His main task as the commander of Zhenhai Guard has become cleaning up his son's messes.

Not only is there no hope of "respecting one's father as a son," but it would be considered a blessing for the Xing family ancestors not to lose their official positions or titles due to his influence.

"It's not that you don't know the goods, it's that you're afraid of comparing them."

Some say that the Prince of Jinghai's heir was actually possessed by an evil spirit, which allowed him to escape the royal ship. But why didn't that evil spirit possess my son?

When the news first broke, he had already given his son a severe beating, just like many fathers do. Now, he felt a slight itch in the copper-studded belt around his waist.

Lost in thought, he didn't realize that he had been walking along the wooden corridor for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, yet he couldn't seem to reach the end.

A faint mist slowly diffused into the air, dreamlike and illusory, bewitching the mind.

In reality, he had already fallen under the control of the Water Rank official, "Fairy Granny" Lin Jinlian, with the "Evil Spirit - Ghost Wall" spell, which distorted his senses and even his sense of space, causing him to get lost even on a straight road.

Xing Quan, Xing Baichuan's trusted confidant, walked ahead of him without saying a word, leading him into the fog at the deepest part of the corridor.

"Huh? Xing Quan, what's going on?"

Only then did Xing Baichuan sense the bone-chilling danger and suddenly wake up.

With a start, she realized that she had just stepped onto another blood-red warship parallel to the flower boat and was standing at the door of the stern cabin.

The two ships sailing side by side were no longer on the Jiulong River, but were going downstream to the open ocean following the route of the "Sending the King Ship"!

The warship beneath his feet was shrouded in a thick red mist, and the texture of its deck was not like wooden planks, but rather like soft, fleshy flesh.

He was, after all, the highest-ranking officer of one of the Twenty-Four Guards, and this obvious characteristic on the battlefield clearly indicated the identity of the person before him.

It was none other than Lin Daoqian, the great pirate known as "Blood-Soaked Boat," who was one of the parties involved in his and Wang Bengu's plot to "use someone else's knife to kill, thus resolving their dilemma"!

Unfortunately, by the time he realized it, it was already too late.

Xing Quan, the trusted confidant walking in front of him, suddenly swelled up rapidly, turning into a tender yellow spider that pounced on him and knocked him to the ground.

The cabin in front of him suddenly transformed into a giant snake head, which opened its abyssal maw and swallowed him whole.

"what--!"

The screams stopped abruptly.

At least half of Bai Shuilang's abilities lie in the guardian spirit generals. After reaching the fifth rank and being qualified to refine temple army ghost soldiers, this situation has developed to its extreme.

One of Lin Daoqian's most powerful guardian spirits is this "Spider-tailed Viper" that is over eight zhang long and nearly thirty meters long!
It appears as a ferocious snake with two horns, but it also has a tail that is about the size of an adult and looks like a yellowish spider.

After being awakened to the demonic ability of "Mimicry," it can blend into any environment and lie in ambush. Its spider tail can transform into someone familiar to anyone, saying things that best suit their desires and luring them to become its food.

The Lin siblings, both at the fifth rank, joined forces and, taking advantage of the situation, easily defeated the completely unsuspecting Xing Baichuan.

After all, who could have imagined that just by showing a hint of hostility, "Wang Fugui" would not only kill his trusted confidant Cai Rong, the "Needle and Pen Craftsman," but also hire someone to kill him, even taking down his superior's superior.
Is this right?
This is very wrong!

The Lin siblings stood on their flagship and looked back at the flower boat opposite.

They discovered that the boat was shrouded in a thick ghostly aura, with many pale-faced shadows appearing, making the entire pleasure boat seem like a den of evil spirits.

It seems that if you stare at it for even a little longer, your soul will leave your body and be forcibly pulled onto the ship.

Lin Jinlian looked away, somewhat worried, and said:

"Miss Shen said she has outside help, and that Wang Bengu can be left to her. She will also be responsible for resisting the backlash from the two high-ranking officials."

But this doesn't seem like the methods of the "Bodhisattva's Curse" at all; it's more like summoning some great evil spirit. I think that ship is no longer in the mortal realm.

This "fairy woman," who was most skilled at dealing with evil spirits, clearly sensed a strong threat from the other side and couldn't help but shudder.

That flower boat, where all the living people had already been transferred away in advance, had indeed been transformed by the [Evil Spirit - Prince Who Patrols on Behalf of Heaven] into a "royal boat" specifically for taking people down below using the rules of killing.

Whether others have someone else is unknown, but he definitely does.

The existence of ghosts, spirits, and evil spirits in this world is real and not unfounded.

Wang Bengu was immediately reminded of the familiar scene of "sending off the Wang boat" before his eyes.

He subconsciously recalled the sea monsters he had plotted to kill one by one during his years as an imperial inspector, and which he had then used to fill the sea hole with the royal ship.

At that moment, he suddenly saw the last person he had killed, and the one he remembered most vividly, and couldn't help but scream in shock:
"It's you, Prince Jinghai's heir, Wang Cheng!"

On the surface, he appears to be selfless and righteous, but only he himself knows whether he has a guilty conscience or is afraid of ghosts knocking on his door in the middle of the night.

In recent days, he has been secretly annoyed and regretful countless times in the middle of the night, wondering why he could not have been more careful and nipped the problem in the bud.
The most crucial problem was that he couldn't figure out how Wang Cheng had escaped from the ship no matter how hard he tried; he didn't believe in the idea of ​​being possessed by evil spirits.

The greatest fear of mankind is the fear of the unknown.

This unsolved mystery naturally brought him a constant stream of fear.

After learning that the Donghai Kingdom had been successfully established and that the second-generation Jinghai King, Wang Cheng, had gained great prestige and influence, Wang Bengu must have felt a sense of relief at the central government's order to transfer him to the Nine Border Garrisons in the interior.

Once he leaves the coast, it won't be so easy for the ruler of the East Sea Kingdom, with whom he has a blood feud, to seek revenge.

But he never expected that just as he was about to leave office, in this deserted place, he would shed his pretense of being a moral gentleman and seek out prostitutes in Yangzhou, when the other party would actually come knocking on his door.

Moreover, he was, after all, a fifth-rank Confucian scholar, possessing pure Yang energy and a harmonious unity with Heaven and Man. His keen senses allowed him to detect the undisguised malevolent aura emanating from Wang Cheng. The more he sensed, the more alarmed he became.
"Is it really an evil spirit?!"

Are you human or a ghost? How can an evil spirit retain its sanity?

He glanced around, trying to find his guards and attendants, as well as Xing Baichuan, the commander of Zhenhai Guard, who was far more capable than him.

But where can you still find their shadow?

Wang Cheng stood up, his black python robe swirling with dragons and snakes, and his jade crown with nine tassels swaying slightly. Except for his two cold, eerie eyes, he was exactly the same as Yang Shen.

If anyone owes him a debt, even without revealing their birth date and time, they will be forcibly locked down and he will quietly come knocking on their door when they are caught off guard or in a weakened state.

The evil spirit is Wang Cheng's shadow, its two sides. Once the target is locked, it can arrive in an instant, even if the target is thousands of miles away.

It would only make sense for him to personally carry out the task of killing Wang Bengu.

As Wang Cheng stood up, the paper figures around him seemed to awaken all at once, slowly turning their heads to look at Wang Bengu, and a cold, bloody sense of oppression swept over them.

The latter stared into the blank eye sockets, which were left unfinished according to the taboos of the "paper craftsman" profession, and felt a chill instantly rise from his heels to the top of his head.

Having finally experienced firsthand how terrifying it was to be sent alive to the royal ship, it's a miracle that the young crown prince didn't go insane.

Despite his initial fear, he finally remembered his status as a fifth-rank Confucian scholar, and summoned a surge of righteous energy within him, urgently chanting:

"Heaven and earth possess a righteous energy, which manifests in various forms. Below, it becomes rivers and mountains; above, it becomes the sun and stars. In man, it is called the vast and righteous spirit, which fills the boundless sky."

However, it was his false sense of righteousness, gained from his numerous evil deeds and self-proclaimed justice, that inspired the true "Ode to Righteousness."

A complex river of righteous energy had just manifested above their heads.

Zheng! Zheng! Zheng!
A sudden burst of the sound of a pipa, reminiscent of the clash of swords and spears, interrupted his recitation.

However, Shen Yueye, dressed in a bright red pomegranate-colored dress with gold trim, sat cross-legged on a small stool next to the throne, holding a pipa made of the Seven Treasures Ruyi Mantra and playing a piece called "Ambush from Ten Sides"!
Behind her, a group of little foxes played instruments and sang, accompanying her.

However, Wang Cheng used the newly acquired secret military manual, "Yangming's Military Training Techniques: Cultivating the Mind and Maintaining Stillness," to curry favor with his senior sister, even "selling" her his insights into military strategy.

Shen Yueye had only trained a few dozen fire fox soldiers, and for the time being, they could only do small tasks such as setting fires.

Now that the fox fur has been infused with military energy, its spirituality has greatly increased. It has formed a band with Shen Yueye, perfectly demonstrating the signature skills of the female assassin, [Bodhisattva Barbarian].

The stirring pipa music even transformed into tangible but intangible soldiers, specifically attacking Wang Bengu's senses, causing blood to drip from his ears and nose.

On the other side of the throne, a ghost dressed as a carpenter raised his hand and beckoned. A drop of blood fell into his hand and was quickly drawn into a talisman with the three characters "Wang Bengu" written on it.

It was placed on the offering table, which was set with melons, fruits, and incense burners, and then quickly weighed down with a peach wood paperweight.

The inscription reads: "The power of Heaven, the power of Earth, and the power of God are as firm as Mount Tai. If you do not submit to my rule, you will surely fall into the Yin Mountain."

It was the carpenter's specialty, the curse spell [Taishan Thousand-Jin Rock] that had almost cost Wang Cheng his life!
The ghost that was setting up the altar was none other than Chen the carpenter, who had sacrificed himself to the wooden figure used in witchcraft and was now only a wisp of his soul.

The most fundamental ability of evil spirits and ghosts is to "patrol on behalf of Heaven," taking evil spirits and ghosts from the land to the vast ocean.

The entire crew of this illusory royal ship consists of enemies who died at his hands and have now become members of the royal ship under his control.

Wang Cheng's fondness for the [Heavenly Treasure Ship - Mirage Cloud Dragon Ship], which could conceal itself and exist in a state between reality and illusion, was also partly due to his desire to try modifying his own royal ship.

Boom!

With a deafening roar, the River of Righteousness was shattered by the phantom of Mount Tai.

Wang Bengu froze on the spot, unable to move even his little finger, forgetting even the most instinctive qualities of a Confucian scholar: "rising to prominence in the literary world" and "sparring with sharp tongues."

at the same time.

Woo woo woo.
A biting, eerie wind swept across the entire royal ship, and all sorts of ghostly figures roared and shoved as they lunged at Wang Bengu, who was temporarily unable to move.

The dark blue handprints left on his body also carried away wisps of yang energy.

The imperial inspector, who had just been pointing fingers at the country and regarding the heroes of the sea as pigs and dogs, gradually turned pale, and the light in his eyes became somewhat scattered.

Having already realized that against the previous ruler who controlled the temple's ghost soldiers, plus a second-generation Jinghai King who was even more sinister than evil spirits, and numerous other ghosts, there was no chance of survival today.

However, adhering to the principle of not letting the enemy have their way, he continued to shout:
"You audacious traitor who dared to assassinate an official of the imperial court! Aren't you afraid that the court will be enraged and your country and clan will be wiped out in an instant?"

We Confucian scholars are officials of the Heavenly Court, the chosen ones of Heaven, and should rule the twenty-four states of China for generations to come. You Tanka people, who are born to be lowly, will be thieves for generations to come!

I, Wang Bengu, am loyal to the emperor and devoted to serving the country and the people. On what grounds do you kill me?
Since you Tanka people claim to share the benefits with the people and defend the borders of the country, you should honestly die for the people.

The court commands you to die, and if you do not, you are disloyal; the people command you to die, and if you do not, you are unjust.

Those who are disloyal and unjust, I will kill without guilt!

The ghost tide parted to create a path, and Wang Cheng strolled up to him.

I had imagined this scene many times and was mentally prepared for this person's true character, but I was still amused by his anger at this moment.

Even now, this hypocrite still insists he's done nothing wrong, spouting righteous indignation and even turning around to morally judge him.

He couldn't help but angrily rebuke:
"The people? The word 'people' you use to refer to has always only meant yourselves!"
You old scoundrel! If you gamble, you have to accept the consequences.

You cannot support the rules only when they are in your favor; you cannot only believe in the law of the jungle when you are in a position of power.

We cannot allow others to go to any lengths only when you are winning!
Why can't it be you who make the sacrifice for the greater good?
Guishan Publishing House destroyed maritime order for its own selfish interests, resulting in the bitter consequences we see today.

What makes you think this calamity sweeping across the East China Sea won't befall you upright gentlemen?

You old scoundrel, you've clearly done all sorts of evil deeds, yet in the eyes of the scholars, you're still considered an upright and incorruptible minister. You're so noble, so remarkable.

But how innocent were the people who died under the swords of the pirates? Under the maritime ban, how could the people of Minzhou, a place with eight mountains, one river, and one part farmland, survive?
I only know that the right path in the world can be summed up in four words: "The world belongs to all!"

Now, Your Excellency Wang, you should first let the Tanka people and the coastal residents taste the bitter fruit of this chaotic world!

"Drowned him!"

Shadows writhed on the pleasure boat, and the evil spirits and demons that Wang Cheng had grabbed and dragged onto the boat piled up like a tide, only to crash down and completely engulf Wang Gu in an instant.

(End of this chapter)