Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 119 Physical Salvation (Two chapters, 10,000 words each, please subscribe)

Clang!
The spear tip clashed with the blade, producing a piercing metallic clang.

Chen Ye felt a tremendous force coming from the gun barrel, and his tiger's mouth went slightly numb. But the ghost general was not unwell either, and he and his horse were shaken back several steps.

The human and the ghost were evenly matched!

The Ghost General roared repeatedly, wielding his sword like the wind, each strike aimed at Chen Ye's vital points.

Chen Ye, however, wielded his spear with the speed and agility of a dragon, thrusting, parrying, and sweeping with unparalleled skill, mastering the Zhao family's spear technique to an artful degree, maintaining an impenetrable defense while constantly searching for his opponent's weaknesses.

After a fierce battle, Chen Ye seized an opening and thrust his spear forward with all his might.

"break!"

The shot was as fast as lightning, piercing the gap in the Ghost General's breastplate with perfect accuracy.

The Ghost General's movements suddenly froze. He glanced down at the spear tip protruding from his body, and then his entire body exploded into a cloud of black malevolent energy, dissipating into the air, just like a burning newspaper.

"call……."

Ge Kun, who had been rescued, collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, still shaken.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Chen, for saving my life!"

"What exactly happened?" Chen Ye sheathed his spear, reverted to his original appearance, and asked in a deep voice.

A deep sense of grief and indignation appeared on Ge Kun's face, and then he told Chen Ye everything that had happened at the City God Temple.

From the master observing the incense, to the group of men in black storming the temple, and then to the master burning his soul as a warning...

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye frowned.

Without a doubt, Jingxuan, Jingxin, and this Taoist priest are very likely from the same lineage.

Their goal was to transform the entire Zhenhaiwei into a hellish place on earth, thereby achieving their ulterior motives.

Just then, the two of them felt the ground beneath their feet tremble violently again, and then they both looked toward the City God Temple.

The ghostly aura there had become extremely dense, soaring into the sky and forming a huge black vortex.

At the same time, although the Kuru Daoist stationed here was pale, he couldn't help but tremble with excitement when he sensed an extremely terrifying aura slowly awakening behind the stone gate's phantom.

"We're finally going to succeed! When that happens, let's see who in the world will dare to disobey my orders, hahahahaha..."

In the end, the withered and flourishing Taoist couldn't help but burst into laughter, his laughter filled with endless pride and arrogance.
-
"What the hell is that...?" Ge Kun's voice trembled.

Chen Ye's heart sank to the bottom.

He could sense that within that vortex of ghostly energy, an indescribable terror was slowly awakening.

Once it arrives, the entire Zhenhaiwei will inevitably suffer devastation.

Can't wait any longer!
"Go to the General's Temple! It's the second most popular place in Zhenhaiwei after the City God Temple. Maybe it can hold out for a while!"

He grabbed Tie Dan and Chun Yan beside him and said to Ge Kun, "Let's fight side by side and go together!"

The group didn't linger and turned to charge towards the General's Temple.

However, the gray fog around us was becoming denser at a visible speed, and visibility was dropping sharply until we could no longer see people on the other side.

The sounds of ghosts wailing and howling came from all directions. In the thick fog, countless twisted black shadows appeared and disappeared, ready to pounce and devour anyone they could.

"Brother Chen, I...we seem to be lost!" Tie Dan's voice was tinged with tears.

They were clearly running towards the General's Temple, but it felt like they were going around in circles.

A sense of despair, like the thick fog, began to spread in everyone's hearts.

Just then, a dazzling golden light suddenly shone in the distance!

The light was not dazzling, but it carried a majestic and dignified air, like a sharp sword that pierced through the thick fog and transformed into a pillar of light that shot into the sky.

The source of the beam of light is the ever-burning lamp on the top of the General's Temple!
It was like a lighthouse in a dark, raging sea, instantly guiding all the lost survivors.

"It's the General's divine intervention!"

"Quick! Get to the General's Temple!"

However, this light also thoroughly enraged all the ghosts in the city.

"Ow—!"

Countless monsters let out sharp howls and surged out from every corner of the city, rushing madly towards the only place of light like a black tide, attempting to completely devour the survivors before they arrived.

A race against death has begun.

"go!"

Chen Ye's eyes narrowed, he formed a sword-finger gesture in his hand, and the chant of the general's command rang out again.

"Several enemy generals were killed by spears, and soldiers were trampled by horses, their clothes stained with blood!"

The singing was passionate, and the swordplay was powerful!

He was like an invincible blade, forcefully cleaving a path through the horde of ghosts.

Ge Kun, suppressing his grief, took out the few remaining talismans from his pocket, which transformed into fire and lightning to protect the flanks of the group.

The two worked together seamlessly, fighting and retreating, and finally reached the tall gate tower of the General's Temple before the ghost tide could surround them.

Behind them, the temple gate slammed shut with a loud bang.

Immediately afterwards, a huge golden light curtain spread out from the General's Temple, enveloping the entire temple.

Countless ghostly claws slammed against the light screen, emitting a sizzling melting sound, but could not advance an inch further.

Inside the temple, the survivors collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

An elderly man with white hair and beard, dressed in the robes of a temple keeper, stood on the high platform of the main hall. His face was pale as he looked in the direction of the City God Temple in the distance. His voice trembled as he said, "The general's divine sense has warned that a great terror is descending. Once it breaks free of its restraints... we here will not last more than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

At this time, the temple was crowded with surviving people. Cries, prayers, and curses mingled together, creating a symphony of despair.

Chen Ye spotted Lu Dahu, Lu Jinghong, and Qi Nana in the crowd, but Qi Shihao was nowhere to be seen.

"Boss Chen!" Mr. Lu stepped forward anxiously. "Is there any way right now? I'll do anything, even die, if it's of any use to you!"

Although Lu Jinghong behind him did not speak, her clear eyes were full of trust and expectation.

Chen Ye looked around and found that the troupe leader of Mingfeng Troupe and several famous actors were also there, as well as some other familiar faces from other opera troupes, but at this moment they were all sitting in the corner with deathly pale faces.

"Will these ghostly things disappear when the yang energy rises at dawn?" someone asked, clinging to their last glimmer of hope.

"it's useless!"

Ge Kun interrupted him in despair, “The evil formation in the City God Temple has distorted the timing of the seasons, and the yin energy is so strong that it will block out the sun. So even when the appointed time arrives, the sun will not be able to shine into this ghost city!”

Just then, a blood-covered constable rushed in, bringing even worse news.

"Telegrams...telegrams can't be sent either!"

This news became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

This is because it means there will be no reinforcements in the short term.

Inside the temple, there was a deathly silence.

Just then, a loud and energetic shout suddenly came from outside the temple gate.

"Make way! Everyone make way! This is an extremely urgent matter!"

Everyone looked on in surprise and doubt.

Qi Shihao rushed in, pushing a creaking rickshaw, his face glistening with sweat. His dark face shone in the firelight, and a huge oilcloth covered the rickshaw, concealing something unknown.

"Old Qi, you're still alive!" Lu the landlord jumped up first, shouting with surprise.

It turns out that he had visited the Qi family before coming to the General's Temple, but only found Qi Nana and not Qi Shihao. He thought Qi Shihao was probably dead, and he was quite sad about it. He never expected to meet him here again.

"Nonsense, of course I'm alive," Qi Shihao said with a laugh, then smiled at Chen Ye.

"Mr. Chen, look what I brought."

As he spoke, he ripped off the tarpaulin from the rickshaw, revealing something that made everyone's eyes widen in surprise.

Because those were boxes stacked neatly... explosives!
He patted one of the wooden crates triumphantly, grinned at Chen Ye, revealing a set of white teeth: "Boss Chen, ever since I witnessed your skills in Merlin last time, I've realized that all demons and monsters are just paper tigers! This thing is the perfect weapon for subduing demons and monsters!"

"Therefore, as soon as the city was in chaos, I went to the government warehouse immediately and pulled out all these precious items!"

Someone asked him in astonishment how he managed to get through the street full of ghosts.

Qi Shihao chuckled, pulled out a sweat-soaked amulet from the General's Temple from his pocket, and waved it in front of everyone.

"With the General's protection, the talismans, and the fact that I always chose to take back roads and crawl under cars when I encountered ghosts, I managed to get through it all thanks to my quick thinking!"

His words, spoken with a fearless and reckless spirit, actually dispelled much of the gloom in the temple.

Chen Ye couldn't help but laugh, and then gave him a thumbs up.

"Well done, Qi Tou'er!"

Qi Shihao beamed with joy at the praise, but Chen Ye knew perfectly well that the explosives were completely unnecessary at the moment.

These ghosts are endless; they can destroy one place, but not the whole city.

Moreover, the awakening "Great Terror" cannot be shaken by a few boxes of explosives. A solution that can fundamentally solve the problem must be found.

His gaze slowly swept over the faces inside the temple, some filled with fear, some with anticipation, and some with numbness, while the mournful howls of ghosts echoed from outside.

This scene...

Chen Ye suddenly recalled the scene of watching the Mingfeng Troupe perform "Opening Yinshan" at the City God Temple.

Immediately, an incredibly bold, even insane, plan came to mind.

Chen Ye took a deep breath, turned around, and looked intently at the old temple keeper of the General Temple, Ge Kun, and all the colleagues from the Peking Opera troupe present.

"Gentlemen, instead of sitting here and waiting to die, we should fight back."

"Do you dare to join me in performing an unprecedented grand show in Zhenhaiwei, a place where a hundred ghosts roam at night?"

As soon as the words fell, the whole place fell silent.

Everyone looked at him as if he were crazy.

The troupe leader of Mingfeng Opera was trembling, his voice shaking as he said, "Mr. Chen... what time is it? You're not kidding, are you? There are ghosts and monsters everywhere outside, how can we put on a show? Who will perform? And who will we be performing for?"

Chen Ye did not answer him, but turned around and walked to the tall statue of the general. He spoke loudly, and his voice echoed throughout the entire hall!
"Who says nobody watches? These ghosts filling the city are our audience!"

"As for who will sing, it will naturally be us, the surviving members of the Peking Opera world, who will sing!"

"Moreover, we are not singing decadent music for pleasure, but battle songs to invoke the gods and scriptures to deliver demons!"

He turned around abruptly, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping over everyone.

"Instead of sitting here waiting to die, let's gather the will and power of all the survivors in the city, use theatrical performance to communicate with the gods, and sweep away all the evil spirits in this city!"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other, still finding the whole thing too absurd.

But just then, someone shouted, "I think this method is feasible."

It's Ge Kun!
Knowing that it was his idea to use a play to subdue the Ghost King, he immediately echoed.

The old temple keeper of the General's Temple also recalled the miraculous scene when Chen Ye performed "The General's Command" and aroused the general's divine will. He bowed three times to the statue of the god, and when he stood up, his eyes were full of determination: "The general's divine will also approves of this method, so it may be worth a try!"

"I also support Boss Chen!" Lu Jinghong's clear voice rang out. She stepped forward, her gaze firm. "If I had to choose between sitting and waiting to die and taking a gamble, I would choose the latter!"

Driven by them, the will to survive finally overcame the fear.

"Count me in!"

"I'm coming too!"

Everyone responded enthusiastically, expressing their willingness to contribute their share.

“Okay!” Chen Ye nodded. “But we don’t have enough manpower right now, so the first step of the plan is to rescue my master and Manager Deng and the others who are trapped in Guang Le Lou. There are other brothers in the opera troupe there!”

Chen Ye's suggestion plunged the General's Temple, which had just begun to glimmer with hope, into a deathly silence.

Go to Guang Le Lou to rescue people?

Everyone instinctively looked out of the temple.

Although the golden light barrier temporarily protected them, there were endless ghosts outside the barrier, frantically attacking the barrier and making teeth-grinding scratching sounds and venomous roars.

Now, should we voluntarily abandon this only refuge and rush into that hellish place to save people?

What's the difference between that and sending someone to their death?
"Boss Chen, it's not that we're unwilling, it's just that..." The head of the Mingfeng Troupe looked troubled, but couldn't finish his sentence.

Everyone knows that the people in Guang Le Lou are all colleagues in the Peking Opera world, their friends and fellow apprentices.

But at this moment, fear overwhelmed everything.

"You go if you want, I'm not going to my death!" a man in the crowd shouted shrilly. "We'll stay here and wait for the government's reinforcements to arrive at dawn, then we'll be saved!"

"Reinforcements?" Qi Shihao spat a mouthful of phlegm on the ground, walked over, grabbed the man by the collar, and lifted him up with his large, fan-like hand, spraying spittle all over his face.

"Are you fucking deaf? Didn't you hear that telegrams can't even be sent out? The city's been sealed off, where the hell are we going to get reinforcements?!"

Qi Shihao's crude yet blunt words shattered the unrealistic fantasies in everyone's hearts.

The man was so frightened that his face turned pale and his legs trembled uncontrollably.

"But...but there are so many ghosts outside..."

"What's there to be afraid of!" Qi Shihao threw him to the ground, turned around, patted the boxes of explosives he had pushed over, and said with great bravado.

"Boss Chen will deal with those evil ones, and I'll clear the way! We'll blast a bloody path through!"

Ge Kun also stepped forward. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Although his face was still pale, the grief in his eyes had turned into a resolute fighting spirit.

"I haven't avenged my master, how can I live here in disgrace? I'll go with Boss Chen!"

Lu Jinghong also walked to Chen Ye's side without hesitation. Although she did not know martial arts, her choice of sides was an attitude and represented the support of the Lu family.

Seeing that Chen Ye, Qi Shihao, and Ge Kun, the three most capable men, had expressed their opinions, the few surviving martial arts masters and江湖人士 (jianghu figures) in the temple exchanged glances and clasped their fists in greeting.

"Mr. Chen, count us in!"

"That's right, even in death, one should die with dignity!"

In the blink of an eye, an elite rescue team led by Chen Ye, with Qi Shihao and Ge Kun as his assistants, and several martial arts masters from the martial arts world, was formed.

The old temple keeper looked at them with admiration in his eyes. He took out all the cinnabar talismans stored in the temple and handed them to Ge Kun.

"My lords, please be careful. You must go and return as soon as possible!"

Time is of the essence, and there is no room for further delay.

"Open the door!" Chen Ye shouted in a low voice.

The heavy temple door was slowly pulled open a crack, and the mournful roars outside instantly grew louder.

"go!"

Chen Ye took the lead and was the first to rush into that sticky darkness.

The crowd followed closely behind.

The temple doors slammed shut behind them, completely cutting off the light.

……

The long street near Guangle Tower has now become a paradise for ghosts.

Hundreds of ghosts roamed the area, tearing apart the remaining corpses and devouring the flesh on the ground, filling the entire street with a nauseating stench of blood and decay.

When Chen Ye led the rescue team into the long street, they instantly attracted the attention of all the ghosts.

"Ow—!"

In an instant, ghostly howls echoed, and countless pairs of green-glowing eyes stared in unison.

Like sharks that have smelled blood, they swarmed in from all directions, determined to tear these humans who dared to trespass into their territory to shreds.

"Old Qi!" Chen Ye roared.

"Alright!" Qi Shihao grinned, took out a tinderbox from his pocket, lit a bundle of explosives with a very short fuse, and threw it towards the area where the ghosts were most concentrated.

"Try your Grandpa Qi's physical exorcism!"

Boom——!
A deafening explosion echoed through the night sky!
Flames shot into the sky, and the violent shockwave instantly obliterated dozens of ghosts.

The explosion did clear a space, but more ghosts were attracted by the huge commotion and rushed forward fearlessly.

It was clear that everyone was about to be overwhelmed by the ghost tide.

Chen Ye's eyes narrowed, and a thought suddenly occurred to him.

The talent for illusionary art is activated!

In an instant, an invisible wave emanated from him and spread outwards.

The ghosts that were rushing towards them suddenly stopped, and then the greedy green light in their eyes was replaced by immense fear.

Because those tiny humans disappeared from their sight.

Instead, a group of celestial soldiers and generals, clad in dazzling golden armor, wielding golden maces, halberds, and pagodas, standing several meters tall and exuding divine might, appeared!

These heavenly soldiers and generals exuded an aura of majesty, authority, and holiness—a power that ghosts and demons loathe and fear most.

The leading general's phoenix eyes widened in fury, his halberd pointing out to the distance, and he roared like thunder:

"Demon! Surrender now!"

This shout contained immense divine power; the dozens of little ghosts that were nearby didn't even have time to scream before their souls were scattered on the spot.

The remaining ghosts were terrified, letting out shrill screams of terror, and retreated like a receding tide, no longer daring to take another step forward.

Qi Shihao, Ge Kun, and the others following behind were all dumbfounded.

The scene they saw was different from the ghosts. They felt that Chen Ye's figure suddenly became incredibly tall, as if he was covered with an invisible light and shadow. An indescribable pressure emanated from him, and he single-handedly suppressed all the evil spirits on the street!
"What are you standing there for? Let's go!"

Chen Ye's voice snapped everyone out of their shock.

As if waking from a dream, everyone quickly followed in his footsteps, taking advantage of the moment when the ghost was stunned, and rushed towards Guang Le Tower.

　It's split into two chapters now, which makes writing a little easier; otherwise, all I'd have to do is divide it into chapters.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)