Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 121 Zhong Kui Slays the Demon, Awaits His Return (Two Chapters, 10,000 Words, Seeking Subscriptions)

boom!
An indescribable, immense power exploded from Chen Ye's body, instantly washing over his limbs and bones.

He slowly raised his head and opened his eyes.

At this moment, Chen Ye's eyes no longer held any sorrow or despair, only a cold indifference and divinity as he looked down upon the evil demons and monsters.

Upon seeing this scene, the maniacal laughter of the withered and flourishing Taoist came to an abrupt halt, followed by a chill emanating from the depths of his soul that made him feel cold all over.

What kind of look is this?
Before he could figure it out, Chen Ye spoke up.

At this moment, the voice is no longer a singing style, but a majestic imperial decree, a law that commands all words.

"By the mandate of Heaven and the Way, I hereby summon the gods!"

"Disciple Chen Ye respectfully invites the Great Emperor of the Three Realms, the Heavenly Venerable of Divine Might and Far-Reaching Suppression—the Holy Lord Zhong Kui, to descend upon your divine carriage and vanquish demons!"

The talent of turning illusion into reality is activated!
The rekindled faith of nearly a thousand survivors in the General's Temple, the burning spirit of Guan Sihai, Tiedan, and all the fellow Peking Opera performers, the accumulated will of the people of Zhenhaiwei over a century...

Everything turned into fuel at that moment, burning fiercely!

Behind Chen Ye, the void distorted violently like ripples on water, and then was ruthlessly torn apart by an invisible force!

A colossal, towering phantom of a deity slowly emerged from the void rift.

The man wore an official hat with a black gauze hat, had a leopard-like head and piercing eyes, an iron face and bushy beard, and a steel beard with each hair like a halberd!

He wore a vermilion official robe, had a sword at his waist, and held a giant brush over ten feet long. His body shone with divine light, and his majesty was so imposing that one could not look directly at him!
This...this is impossible!
The eyes of the Daoist Ku Rong nearly popped out of their sockets; he simply couldn't believe his eyes!

Invoking the gods?

But in this world, there are no true gods descending to earth. Even summoning this ghost from the underworld took him a lifetime of effort to complete.

So this must be an illusion, a trick of this kid's!

Yet that magnificent divine power that made his soul tremble was so real and authentic.

Chen Ye ignored his horror, raised his hand expressionlessly, and pointed at the mountain-like ghost.

Behind him, the phantom of Zhong Kui, the Holy Lord, moved with him, wielding a giant brush in mid-air.

A simple, profound character, imbued with the most powerful and masculine force in the universe, was created out of thin air.

Then the edict transformed into a dazzling golden sword light, traversing the sky!
laugh--!
There was no earth-shattering noise, only a soft sound like a hot knife cutting butter.

The terrifying, mountain-sized monster had no chance to struggle before it was neatly split in two from its head to its crotch.

There was no blood, no pieces of flesh.

The enormous body split open from the middle, and endless black energy howled and churned in the magnificent golden divine fire before finally being completely annihilated and turning into nothingness.

The giant hand that was about to strike was reduced to ashes less than three feet from the stage.

The ghost was slain, and the withered and flourishing Taoist also fell straight down from mid-air, landing awkwardly on the ground.

But he did not give up and wait to die. Instead, he struggled to his feet, a maniacal grin spreading across his face.

Then he took out a strange talisman burning with thick black blood from his pocket and crushed it without hesitation.

"Hahaha...hahahaha, you think this is the end?!"

The withered and prosperous Taoist laughed shrilly, "I am one with it, even if it dies, all its power will return to me, Chen Ye, I thank you for eight generations of your ancestors!"

As he spoke, he opened his arms as if embracing his new life, actively welcoming the still-vast ghostly aura that had not yet completely dissipated!

Then, the boundless ghostly energy seemed to be attracted by some fatal force, and was completely drawn by the broken blood-red talisman, transforming into visible black torrents that surged wildly into the body of the withered and flourishing Taoist.

"Ahhhh——!"

The withered and flourishing Taoist let out a painful yet exhilarating roar, after which his body began to undergo terrifying changes.

Flesh and blood swelled rapidly, bones became dislocated and twisted, and a dark keratin layer grew on the skin...

In the blink of an eye, he transformed from a gaunt old Taoist into a condensed monster over three meters tall, surrounded by resentment and bloodlust, with a terrifying appearance!

His aura at this moment was even more solid and dangerous than that of the giant ghost from before!
"Chen Ye!"

The completely corrupted Daoist Ku Rong felt an unprecedented power within his body. His scarlet eyes were fixed on Chen Ye on the stage, and his voice was like two pieces of sand rubbing together.

"You have repeatedly ruined the plans of my Holy Sect, and even my two good-for-nothing disciples have died at your hands. So today is your death day!"

Before he finished speaking, his figure flashed, transforming into an incomparably swift blood-red afterimage, and with a speed beyond reason, he went straight for Chen Ye's heart!

Despite this fatal blow, Chen Ye's face remained calm and composed.

He watched the blood-red shadow rush towards him, then slowly raised his hand and made a mysterious hand seal before uttering a command.

"You are not a character in this play, how dare you step onto this stage?"

"Heavenly Official's Decree: An investigation of your life reveals heinous sins! Now, with the fire of karma, your body will be consumed!"

The illusion has been turned into reality again!

Follow your words!
The blood-red afterimage suddenly froze in mid-air, as if it were being held firmly by an invisible hand, unable to move.

Then, to his horror, the Daoist Kuru discovered that no physical flames had ignited on his body, but a burning pain originating from the deepest part of his soul caused him to let out a shrill, inhuman howl.

"what--!"

Countless twisted black phantoms erupted from his body; they were the vengeful spirits of all those he had personally killed!

The old temple keeper of the General's Temple, the thousands of followers he sacrificed with his blood, the innocent civilians who died tragically in Zhenhaiwei...

Painful, resentful, and distorted faces kept appearing on his body, tearing and gnawing at him!
This is what it means to be consumed by karmic fire.

The madness and smugness in the eyes of the withered and prosperous Taoist were replaced by endless fear at this moment.

In the scorching flames of karma, he saw his sinful life and all the souls he had harmed, who were opening their arms to drag him into the deepest hell!
The black karmic fire materialized, and under the horrified gazes of all the survivors, the withered and flourishing Taoist, along with all the ghostly energy he had just absorbed, was burned away.

And not even a trace of ash was left behind.

With the culprit brought to justice, the resentment in the world was finally dispelled.

On the stage, the majestic Zhong Kui statue gave Chen Ye a deep look, nodded slightly, and then transformed into thousands of points of light, slowly dissipating.

The divine power receded, and the immense power that did not belong to him faded away like the tide.

Chen Ye's vision went black, his legs went weak, and he could no longer support himself, collapsing to one knee on the cold stage.

Then, extreme fatigue and weakness surged in like a landslide and a tsunami.

But even heavier than the physical weakness was the heart-wrenching grief brought about by the sacrifice of Master, Tiedan, and all his comrades.

He raised his head, his gaze falling on Guan Sihai's already cold and stiff body not far away. His throat bobbed, but he couldn't utter a single word; only tears silently streamed down his face.

The square in front of the temple was deathly silent.

All the survivors watched this scene in silence.

Lu Jinghong and Qi Nana were sobbing uncontrollably, and even the two grown men, Lu Dahu and Qi Shihao, couldn't help but wipe their red eyes.

In this sorrowful silence, the fog that had shrouded Zhenhaiwei all night began to dissipate rapidly.

The first rays of sunlight of the new year pierced through the thick clouds and shone on the stage.

Its daybreak!
At the same time, everyone looked up blankly at the warm sunrise. Although only one night had passed, it felt as long as an eternity.

A moment later, the gates of the General's Temple slowly opened, and the surviving people helped each other out. They instinctively raised their hands to shield their eyes from the blinding light, their faces showing the bewilderment of someone who had survived a catastrophe. When they could see everything clearly, a brief silence was followed by low sobs.

Houses collapsed and ruins were everywhere, with bloodstains and scorch marks mingling on the streets, resembling a scene from hell on earth.

When Chen Ye was helped out, all the surviving people in the square in front of the temple, regardless of age or gender, spontaneously stopped crying and silently made way for him.

Their eyes were incredibly complex, filled with sadness, gratitude, and above all, a kind of awe as if they were looking at a deity.

With his eyes red and his grief suppressed, Qi Shihao immediately began to organize his constables and surviving martial arts masters to rescue the wounded and take stock of the casualties.

As a result of this battle, the population of Zhenhaiwei decreased by 10%.

Behind these cold numbers are tens of thousands of broken families.

The Peking Opera industry suffered a devastating blow, with almost all the troupe leaders perishing.

In a corner of the crowd, Chunyan did not cry.

With red eyes, she found a relatively clean cloth from the ruins, dampened it with water, and silently tidied the remains of her fallen comrades from the Qingchun Troupe.

As she approached Tie Dan, her movements became increasingly gentle.

She carefully wiped away the dried blood and paint from Tie Dan's face, as if he hadn't died, but had simply fallen asleep from exhaustion after the performance.

That strength and composure beyond his years made Lu Jinghong, who was standing beside him, feel a pang of sadness.

Just when the whole city was immersed in despair, Lu the tycoon stepped forward.

He publicly announced that all pharmacies under the Lu family's name would provide free treatment to the wounded, and all affected families could receive a month's worth of free food rations from his grain store.

At the same time, the wealthy Lu family promised that as long as the Lu family still existed, they would definitely fund the reconstruction of Zhenhaiwei.

These words were like a shot in the arm, giving countless people on the verge of collapse a glimmer of hope.

Soon, some of the surviving wealthy merchants and gentry in the city also responded, contributing money and effort to overcome the difficulties together.

In the days that followed, Zhenhaiwei lost all its festive spirit.

Instead of firecrackers, the sounds of coffins being nailed to the ground and heart-wrenching wails echoed through the city.

With the financial support of the wealthy Lu family and the organization of Qi Shihao, the able-bodied men of the city began to clean the streets, bury the corpses, and set up temporary soup kitchens and shelters.

Everyone wore numb expressions, mechanically performing their tasks, their immense sorrow forcibly suppressed in their hearts, transforming into the strength to rebuild their homes.

Inside the General's Temple, the surviving people spontaneously erected memorial tablets for all the fallen Peking Opera colleagues, which were enshrined next to the shrine of General Qin Lie.

Incense burned day and night before the memorial tablets of Guan Sihai, Tiedan, and others.

On the other side of the General's Temple, someone secretly drew a portrait of Chen Ye and enshrined it.

The common people dared not call her by her name directly, and privately referred to her as the Lingxian Bodhisattva.

They firmly believed that it was this fairy bodhisattva who invited the gods, which saved the entire city.

Chen family.

Chen Ye's body has almost recovered. After all, he was not seriously injured, but his qi and blood were severely depleted.

However, Chen Ye's mood was always shrouded in gloom. Guan Sihai's smile before his death and Tie Dan's resolute back were always lingering in his mind.

Finally, he sighed, shook his head, and dismissed these thoughts.

Chen Ye then focused his mind and began to take stock of what he had gained this time.

Name: Chen Ye

[Occupation: Heavenly Official of the Pear Garden (Using heaven and earth as the stage, all living beings as the audience, and all laws as the script. Singing, reciting, acting, and fighting, words become law. Entering the stage with divine power, illusion becomes reality.)]

[Talent: Illusion Becomes Reality - All your theatrical performances, after consuming sufficient willpower, can temporarily transform illusions into reality, turning jokes into decrees, and making the play real!]

[Skills: Insightful Observation Lv10, Stage Presence Lv10, Loyal Judgment Lv10]

His profession had reached its ultimate level, and at the same time, the Other Shore Ark in his sea of ​​consciousness began to flicker, indicating that he could return.

But after a moment of silence, Chen Ye finally decided to stay for the time being.

In any case, we should at least wait until Guan Sihai and the others are buried before making any decisions.

Although they hadn't known each other for very long, Guan Sihai had been very good to him, and Chen Ye couldn't bear to leave him like this.

At the same time, as the yin energy in the city completely dissipated, the telegraph lines to the outside world were finally restored.

An urgent telegram was then sent to Pyongyang immediately.

……

Pingjing, Tianyunlou.

This is the most prestigious theater in Pingjing. At this moment, it is brightly lit and filled with music, as countless high-ranking officials and nobles celebrate the New Year here, forming a stark contrast to the miserable state of Zhenhaiwei.

During the gathering, an urgent telegram from the south was being passed around as a huge joke among the attendees.

"Have you heard? A strange thing happened in Zhenhaiwei in the south. It is said that on New Year's Eve, hundreds of ghosts roamed the city, and it was about to fall. But then an actor went on stage and performed, which invited a god to descend to earth. The god killed 100,000 ghosts with a single sword and saved the city!"

"Haha, which newspaper published this supernatural tale?"

"In my opinion, it's probably something those officials made up to cover up their dereliction of duty!"

Amidst the laughter that filled the room, only Wu Xuan, sitting in the corner, suddenly changed his expression.

Although he has now relinquished the title of Yu Fengxian and performs on stage less often, he remains a towering figure in the Peking Opera world of Pingjing thanks to his extraordinary skills and extensive network of connections, which is why he was invited to attend the banquet.

While others might see this as a joke, he couldn't laugh at all.

Because he knew better than anyone else that Chen Ye's acting was truly divine!

Wu Xuan suddenly stood up, took a few steps forward, and snatched the paper from the hand of a man who was loudly reading a telegram.

His face grew paler and paler as he looked at the telegram, and his fingers holding it even began to tremble slightly.

"Mr. Wu, what's wrong with you? You actually believed it?" the man teased.

Wu Xuan ignored him, only muttering absentmindedly to himself, "It's him...it must be him..."

Just as the powerful and influential people of Tianyun Tower were treating this matter as a joke, another, more detailed document was sent to the palace by fast horse.

The document, written in trembling handwriting, detailed the horrific scene of the night parade of a hundred ghosts in Zhenhaiwei, as well as the miracle of the fairy singer who ascended the stage to perform divine songs and ultimately saved the entire city.

The document was concluded with the joint signatures and seals of hundreds of surviving officials and gentry from Zhenhaiwei.

On the dragon throne, the young emperor remained silent for a long time after reading the report.

The news caused a nationwide uproar.

The news that Zhenhaiwei was in chaos due to ghosts and that a fairy singer could destroy all ghosts was so sensational that it swept across the country like a storm.

Countless eyes were drawn to this city.

Reporters, bureaucrats, practitioners, onlookers... all sorts of people rushed over from all directions upon hearing the news, almost breaking down the threshold of Zhenhaiwei.

But no matter who came or what great benefits they offered, Chen Ye refused to see them.

(End of this chapter)