I am Jinshan Youxia

It's better to be dead, it's better to be dead.

Zhuge Wolong swaggered ahead. The Ming Dynasty's reign was already over, but recently, first the dragon veins were destroyed, and then the dragon veins of the world were severed. The chaos that followed would probably not end in a few years or even a decade. He was not skilled in magic, so what kind of skill was it to dabble in literature and art in the midst of the chaos and the struggle for supremacy?

One wrong move in observing the qi and feng shui can shorten one's lifespan. If you help someone choose a good burial site or dragon vein, you might die an unpleasant death. It would be better to be beheaded right now.

He never did anything evil in his life. He spent so many years in prison saving people whenever he could. If he can be reincarnated, he will surely be reborn as a human being.

The jailers hadn't been gone long when they all wrapped strips of cloth around their faces, looking as if they were trying to avoid even breathing.

They then joined two other sickly craftsmen, who were given a tattered linen garment and had their shackles removed.

The four artisans, who had fled from the north, disregarded the epidemic and exchanged their final words while changing clothes.

Typhoid fever is not an incurable disease...

Zhuge Wolong looked at the two craftsmen, who had become even thinner after being isolated, and sighed inwardly.

Even if it were a treatable case of typhoid fever, at this stage, it would be beyond saving.

Fortunately, I was soon free from the pain; I'll worry about it in the next life.

The group continued on their way and soon found themselves on the street, where it was quiet and not a sound could be heard.

"Huh?" Zhuge Wolong quickly realized that the path was wrong. This was not a trip to carry out an execution, but a way to lead them out of the county town.

In the county town I lived in before, there was an incident where they encountered evil spirits and sent prisoners from the jail as sacrifices. Could it be...?

His expression changed, and he slowed his pace, trying to find a way to escape.

"Hurry up, stop dawdling!" The jailer behind him saw him slow down and nudged him in the back with his stick without any politeness.

Zhuge Wolong staggered, thinking of more than a dozen ways to deal with the jailers, but his old and severely malnourished body couldn't execute any of them. Even though it was just a light tap, his chest and back were in excruciating pain.

My body is too weak.

He gave a sad smile and followed along, swaying unsteadily.

Soon, they left Guobei County and came to a desolate and gloomy open space. Three women in long skirts stood there talking and laughing. Their skin was pale and their lips were bloodless. They did not look alive at first glance.

"Ladies, this is the craftsman you've been looking for."

The lead jailer bowed respectfully to the female ghost and said, "The old fellow in charge claims to know a little about everything. These two are carpenters, this one is a bricklayer, and this one is a stonemason."

"Why do two of them look like they're about to die?" one of the female ghosts said with disdain.

"Alright, take them all back," the female ghost standing in the center said. "Don't keep the master waiting too long."

The two female ghosts beside her bowed and said in unison, "Yes, Sister Xiaoqian."

"Come with us." One of the female ghosts gently blew out a breath of yin energy.

The four craftsmen followed forward with dazed expressions. Although Zhuge Wolong was not bewitched by the yin energy, he also pretended to be blinded and moved forward with them.

What do these female ghosts want the craftsman to do? He wondered, and prepared to risk his life to find out.

After walking for a while, the two craftsmen suffering from typhoid fever became unsteady. The female ghosts, annoyed that they were walking too slowly, simply waved their fingers and dragged all five of them into the air, flying with them.

Zhuge Wolong was somewhat alarmed when he saw this scene.

If just one female ghost possesses such magical power, how powerful must Sister Xiaoqian in the middle be? And what kind of evil spirit is the 'Master' mentioned by the female ghosts?

Dragged along by the female ghost, they quickly arrived at Lanruo Temple.

Even in prison, Zhuge Wolong had heard of the reputation of Lanruo Temple. There were all sorts of stories about demons and monsters, and the descriptions were extremely terrifying. He had never believed in any descriptions of demons running rampant, thinking they were just hearsay.

But today, he finally saw the real thing.

Female ghosts filled the sky, their shadows eerie and menacing, a scene of chaos and demons. A tall figure stood in the open space, muttering something incessantly:

"You, yes, it's you."

"Don't move around. I'll tell you who to do it, and that's what you'll do. Don't do anything else."

"This beam is clearly the wrong length. I told you it's 2.3 meters. What did you do?"

Zhuge Wolong was stunned for a moment. It wasn't the demons eating people or the conspiracies he had imagined, but rather building a house.

Coupled with the fact that the house is just a skeleton, this conclusion seems quite convincing.

"Master." The female ghost named Xiaoqian floated forward and bowed.

The old man turned his head, his neck snapping with a crack. He looked like a dark-skinned, robust middle-aged man with regular features, a square face, and an air of authority, but his voice was frivolous.

"Xiaoqian, is it them? Why are two of them looking like they're about to die?"

"Never mind, never mind." He waved his hand, and the two craftsmen who had contracted typhoid fever floated over.

Zhuge Wolong looked on, feeling a pang of sorrow.

The old man stretched out his hand, blew gently, and two clumps of brown grass grew from his palm. He gave one clump to each of the two unconscious craftsmen and stuffed it into their mouths.

"Ugh!" The two instantly snapped back to reality, opening their bloodshot eyes with expressions of extreme pain. They tried to howl, but their mouths were pinched shut. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably, showing just how much pain they were in.

Zhuge Wolong was so moved by the sight that he wanted to commit suicide on the spot. To be tortured like that would be worse than death.

However, before he could make a move, the old man reached out again and poked his fingertips into the two people's bodies. Soon, the two calmed down and fell into a deep sleep.

"Even an emperor doesn't lack hungry soldiers."

The master said rather flippantly, "Let them rest first. Xiaoqian, you can take care of whatever they need. We can get back to work tomorrow night."

Chapter 247 Sleeping

Three days later, at Lanruo Temple, in the early morning before dawn.

"Well done."

Zhang Chengyi praised him highly, saying that this scholar who appeared briefly in the movie was truly remarkable.

His understanding of architectural blueprints transcended the limitations of his time; he even deciphered the disassembled diagrams created by the main god's light sphere. He commanded four craftsmen and a group of female ghosts, and in just three days, he gave Lanruo Temple a new lease on life.

"You flatter me, sir."

Zhuge Wolong was dressed in a scholar's robe, his hair and beard were neatly trimmed, and he looked like a refined gentleman. His speech was also elegant and easygoing.

Zhang Chengyi took a few steps, looked at the brand-new temple, nodded, and said, "It's really nice. Tell me what you want, money or whatever. I'll have Xiaoqian send a ghost to take you back later."

The four craftsmen looked at each other with strange expressions, then knelt down together and said, "Master, we want to stay."

"Huh?" Zhang Chengyi was taken aback.

Zhuge Wolong bowed and said, "My lord, let me speak."

"In these chaotic times, we are all alone and helpless. If it weren't for your summons, sir, we would probably be dead in prison."

"I can never repay your kindness, sir. I only hope to stay and serve you."

"Loyalty, huh?" Zhang Chengyi uttered a nonsensical joke, then laughed to himself.

Zhuge Wolong remained hunched over, not straightening up.

"Wait, are you serious?" Zhang Chengyi glanced at the four craftsmen kneeling on the ground, kowtowing, and said, "I am a zombie, and they are female ghosts. Do you really think this is a paradise?"

The difference between humans and ghosts is no joke. Ghosts are full of yin energy, and contact with them will bring bad luck. If it goes on for too long, you may get a serious illness or even lose your family and your life.

He could understand why the five people felt that the eerie Lanruo Temple was easier to get along with than the chaotic world outside, but he didn't plan to take the female ghosts with him when he fell asleep. He didn't know what the female ghosts would do without his control.

What if a living person says something wrong, and the female ghost goes berserk and kills someone?

When the power difference is too great, it's difficult to get the living person and the female ghost to communicate on an equal footing.

Zhuge Wolong said respectfully, but with a hint of helplessness, "Master, even if we leave Lanruo Temple, I'm afraid we'll have nowhere to go."

Ghosts are terrifying, and being with them is very risky. But if they go out, they will definitely be captured again. And then, in order to spy on Lanruo Temple, what will the people outside do to them? It's obvious.

Moreover, two people who were on the verge of death were cured, and their fate will certainly not be better than being among ghosts.

The most terrifying thing is always the human heart.

Zhang Chengyi glanced at the five people who hadn't hesitated at all and said, "You can stay, but I won't take care of you." He didn't have the habit of keeping burdens around.

“Anyway, there’s plenty of open space around here, you can stay wherever you want.” He pointed to the spot where he had previously harmed the tree demon and left it barren, and said, “Nothing can grow from here to twenty miles away.”

"Since you've worked for me, if you need anything, just say so now, or you'll miss your chance."

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhuge Wolong looked up and reported a series of things.

Seeds, farm tools, implements, grains, bedding, herbs...

Zhang Chengyi complained, "You really don't hold back." He had just said he would follow him, but now he's making demands without any hesitation.

"Xiaoqian, did you write it down?"

"Yes, sir, it has been noted down," Nie Xiaoqian replied from the side.

"Prepare the things for them tomorrow." Zhang Chengyi yawned, looked at the female ghosts present, and said, "I'm going to take a nap. I won't take you with me this time. Don't bother the living."

"If you want to be reincarnated, then go ahead."

"Xiaoqian." He beckoned, and when Nie Xiaoqian came over, he handed her the water bottle from his waist and said, "If you encounter an enemy you can't defeat, smash the water bottle on the ground."

He filled it with liquefied corpse poison, and when it landed on the ground, it instantly sprouted a lot of corpse poison grass.

It's a way to save your life.

"Understood, sir." Nie Xiaoqian took the kettle, her expression as cool and aloof as ever.

After giving his instructions, Zhang Chengyi ignored the female ghost and the living people, and returned to the underground pit of Lanruo Temple.

He activated the corpse energy to its maximum, and the evolved state appeared. This time, he didn't try to withstand it, since there was no benefit in doing so anyway. The lightning reappeared.

I originally planned to go find Yan Chixia and Zhi Qiu Yiye, but after thinking about it, they've only been reincarnated for a few years and are probably still just little kids. It's better to wait until they're older before going there.

Moreover, he struggled so much against Pudu Cihang and couldn't crush him. He should hurry up and become stronger so that he can make the world revolve according to his will.

Twenty years...that's a long time...

Zhang Chengyi adjusts the gears, a process that takes twenty years in the blink of an eye.

-----------------

The first day the master was away.

Nie Xiaoqian felt a little uncomfortable. The union of souls and spirits was not only good for zombies, but also gave a sense of security to ghosts who had no soul and always felt empty inside.

Most of the female ghosts who did not choose to be reincarnated believed that since they could live like humans and enjoy the extraordinary powers of ghosts, there was no need to be human again.