"General's Tomb... General's Tomb..."
Early in the morning, after finishing his training, Zhang Kui walked around the courtyard with a frown.
Last night, the Fox Demon gave a warning, which made him vigilant.
Although the Fox Demon was responsible for his predecessor's demise, its words and actions didn't seem deceitful.
Nearby in the training ground, a bunch of burly men with bare chests were panting heavily, manipulating stone rollers and hammers.
Each one was muscular and sweaty, the sight reminiscent of bodybuilders in a modern gym.
Zhang Kui slightly raised his chin,
"Do any of you know if there's a General's Tomb nearby?"
The strongmen were taken aback and shook their heads.
"Brother, never heard of it."
"Hmph, a bunch of ignorant fools…"
Zhang Kui snorted, "Go, bring Teacher Li here, I heard he's the most knowledgeable."
"Yes, Brother!"
Teacher Li, whose full name was Li Boqian, had passed the scholar examination over a decade ago but never advanced further and eventually became a teacher at the local Mengxue.
He had just finished breakfast and was getting ready for class when a group of muscular men rushed into the courtyard.
Leading them was Niu Er, who cupped his fists,
"Teacher Li, our Brother invites you."
Li Boqian furrowed his brows.
Seeing this bunch of ruffians, he immediately knew they were Zhang Kui's men and felt displeased in his heart. Stroking his long beard, he calmly said, "I have matters to attend to, I am unavailable... ah..."
Before he could finish speaking, two of the strongmen came up and lifted him before he could resist, screaming loudly amidst the dust as they rushed towards the Zhang Family.
When Zhang Kui saw Teacher Li being carried in like a chick as he was drinking goji berry tea at home.
Suspended mid-air, Teacher Li's face was pale, his lips trembling,
"What a disgrace to the learned, what a disgrace to the learned…"
Zhang Kui held his forehead with a look of helplessness,
"This bunch of fools."
He initially thought his brain was all muscle, only to find that even after coming to this world, his subordinates are all a bunch of blockheads.
However, he would not apologize. Scholars from the County Government Office to the scholars of Yutang County all looked down on him, so he couldn't be bothered with these pretentious people.
Zhang Kui casually waved his hand,
"Someone, bring tea, and also carve ten catties of meat to send to Mengxue, just say it's for Teacher Li to support the poor students."
This scholar sought a good name; if you gave him money face-to-face, he would put on airs as if you owed him something. This method hit Teacher Li's weak spot instantly.
Teacher Li's complexion slightly improved, and upon seeing Zhang Kui's giant-like physique, he felt intimidated and suppressed his fear as he stammered:
"Why did you... bring me here?"
Zhang Kui also didn't bother to hide,
"I got news that there's an evil spirit in a nearby General's Tomb ready to harm Yutang County. I wanted to ask you about it."
Encounters with evil spirits were nothing new; the Qian Dynasty experienced countless cases every year, some so terrible they were frightening.
Whenever such things happened, the Court would post notices in various places, reminding the public to take precautions.
Perhaps this external pressure was one reason why the Qian Dynasty lasted over a thousand years.
Li Boqian was also taken aback, then shook his head,
"Impossible, this place is of cultural splendor..."
While speaking, he glanced secretly at Zhang Kui,
"Though occasionally, there might be an accident or two, no general has ever emerged from here."
Hearing this, Zhang Kui frowned,
Could Hu Meiniang be deceiving him?
It doesn't make sense...
While he was pondering, Teacher Li's eyes suddenly lit up, "Oh, I remember now... To speak of it, there is indeed a 'General's Tomb' locally..."
His lips curled into a mocking smile,
"Over a hundred years ago, a local rascal entered the palace as a eunuch, named Li Yan."
"This person was cunning and malicious, adept at currying favor and became a favorite in the inner palace in no time, then tricked the reigning emperor into granting himself the title of Right Feather General, becoming a laughingstock."
A eunuch?
Zhang Kui was stunned.
When thinking of what might be in the tomb, he immediately thought of a zombie.
Could it be a zombie without any balls?
Zhang Kui couldn't help but laugh.
Seeing Zhang Kui laugh, Teacher Li laughed along.
"That eunuch Li Yan came back and built roads, hoping to bring honor to his ancestors, but the people of Yutang County were almost laughed to death by surrounding counties. How could they let him enter the ancestral hall?"
"His eunuch grave in the wild went unvisited, scorned by everyone, children would defecate and urinate on the tomb, even when I was a child..."
Teacher Li stopped speaking, his face turning stiff.
Zhang Kui chuckled:
"Without any balls, building roads but not allowed in the ancestral hall, and defecated and urinated on the tomb... tsk tsk, the resentment must be significant."
Teacher Li's face shifted, then he dryly laughed: "No matter, it's just a century, it won't amount to anything significant. I'll find Magistrate Liu to request the Astronomical Bureau to deal with this threat."
After saying that, he hurriedly turned to leave.
Watching the old man's hurried departure, Zhang Kui touched his chin, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
The Astronomical Bureau's suppression of evil spirits was well-known to him. Though from time to time horrific events occurred, at least the world hadn't descended into chaos due to demons and spirits.
But one thing remained puzzling.
He had witnessed Hu Meiniang's prowess last night; demons capable of transformation were no ordinary beings and could easily handle him.
Even if that Eunuch Li became a zombie after practicing the Sunflower Manual, his Tao cultivation was less than a hundred years, so why would Hu Meiniang imply that the entire Yutang County would suffer?
The more Zhang Kui thought about it, the more wrong it felt.
Just then, Niu Er walked in from the entrance, bent down, cupped his fists:
"Brother, most of the pigs at the pig farm were bitten to death by 'Grand Marshal', we've been a bit short these days, I'll lead some brothers to the countryside to buy pigs tomorrow."
Zhang Kui nodded, then had a second thought, "Wait, tomorrow I'll lead the team, all brothers are to go."
Niu Er was taken aback, "But our stall..."
Zhang Kui waved his hand, "A break for a day or two is no big deal!"
Although he hadn't reached the realm of "The cicada senses the coming of autumn before the wind does," he felt inexplicably worried.
...
Meanwhile, Teacher Li hurried to the backyard of the county government office, "Brother Liu, Brother Liu, I have urgent news!"
County Magistrate Liu Changfeng was stroking his long beard, contentedly picking up a brush, "Brother Li, great matters require calm, come, first take a look at this 'Mountain Stream Travel Painting' of mine."
"Oh, Brother Liu, let's get through this disaster first..."
Teacher Li wasn't in the mood for romance, he quickly recounted the matter.
"Hmph, Butcher Zhang?"
County Magistrate Liu Changfeng frowned upon hearing the name,
"This person spreads demonic words to confuse people, surely with ill intent. Brother Li, pay no mind, let's see what trick he's playing?"
"Brother Liu, you don't know..."
Teacher Li hurriedly shook his head, "Though Butcher Zhang is coarse, he's never been known to lie. This matter must be true; please seek the Astronomical Bureau's help soon."
County Magistrate Liu Changfeng immediately looked displeased,
"To stir up the Astronomical Bureau for baseless rumors, what if it ends up as a wild-goose chase? Should people laugh at the county being overrun by demons and ghosts?"
Teacher Li persuaded a few more times, and Liu Changfeng impatiently waved his hand.
"Enough, enough, I'll take care of this matter myself!"
Teacher Li breathed a sigh of relief,
"In that case, I shall take my leave..."
After Teacher Li left, County Magistrate Liu Changfeng coldly snorted and tossed his brush on the table.
Having just been transferred here, he was ambitious to achieve something meritorious, but Yutang County had been peaceful for a long time and was stable, making it hard to find an excuse. So, he set his sights on the market-dominating Zhang Kui.
However, to his astonishment, both the subordinates of the county office and the local gentry analyzed the advantages and disadvantages, advising him to abandon this idea.
A dignified County Magistrate unable to deal with a butcher?
This had practically become Liu Changfeng's heart demon; ever since, he felt averse whenever he heard the name Zhang Kui.
Thinking of this, Liu Changfeng flicked his sleeves and strolled into the inner room, where he sat down, sipping tea and shaking his head,
"My wife, that Butcher Zhang is spreading rumors again, saying there's some evil spirit planning to disturb our county. Isn't it laughable... Oh, only my wife understands me..."
The room was empty...
......
Night gradually descended.
The cold moonlight poured onto the old bluestone slabs of the county town, with only a few large houses having lanterns gently swaying in the night breeze.
Inside the Zhang Mansion, it was pitch black by now.
By all rights, Zhang Kui should have married and settled down at his age, but he remained single.
There were many reasons, like the group of muscle-bound brothers under him who brandished weapons and made the mansion seem like a bandit nest.
And his social status, though wealthy and imposing, aristocratic merchants showed respect on the surface but secretly looked down on him.
Zhang Kui also had high standards, insisting on marrying a well-educated and beautiful young lady.
If you ask how the predecessor dealt with this issue?
Well, girls from nearby brothels avoided him on sight...
Of course, the current Zhang Kui wasn't thinking about any of this, lying in bed, fully engrossed in studying his system skills.
In his past life, he misunderstood the Earthly Demon 72 Transformations, thinking it was just Sun Wukong's seventy-two changes.
But in reality, the Earth Demon 72 Techniques encompassed everything from Stargazing and Geomancy to Ghost-Exorcising and Divine Communication, from Alchemy and Meditation to Body Fixation and Invisibility, including all the Daoist skills he had heard of.
As for Sun Wukong's well-known art of transformation, it was just one of them.
Though complex and varied, Zhang Kui, after careful analysis during this time, divided them into several categories.
First was Self-Cultivation Skills.
Such as the Guiding Skill, Eating Skill, Stone Boiling Skill...
Most of these skills were passive skills. For example, the Eating Skill would refine low-level herbal pills once activated, while the Stone Boiling Skill involved metal pills, advancing to learn more advanced pill formulas successively.
What intrigued him the most was the Pot Heaven Skill; leveling it would open a Jiezhi Space of one cubic meter.
Next were Attack and Destruction Skills, along with related auxiliary skills. Such as the Demon-slaying Skill he currently needed most, followed by Body Fixation, Invisibility, Transformation Skills, etc...
The remaining two categories were the Five Elements Skill and Divine Ghost Skill.
Apart from the Five Elements Escape Skill, the Five Elements Skill included Summoning Wind and Rain, and Spewing Fire and Freezing Ice.
The Divine Ghost Skill encompassed Ghost-Exorcising, Divine Communication, Inviting Immortals, and more.
It could be said, mastering all these skills would make one a bona fide Land Immortal.
No wonder Sun Wukong bragged with old monkeys after graduating from Bodhi Ancestor:
"Since I heard the Dao, I possess the seventy-two Earthly Fiend Transformation Skills; the Somersault Cloud has great Divine Power; skilled in Invisibility and Escape, Raising and Capturing Skill; there's a path to heaven, a door to earth; stepping through sun and moon leaves no shadow, entering metal and stone unhindered; water cannot drown, fire cannot burn. Where can't I go?"
However, reaching such a state undoubtedly required time accumulation, and activating many powerful skills now was unwise.
For instance, the Transformation Skill at level one only allowed facial alteration but consumed 5 mana per second, and he only had 20 points, not more efficient than makeup.
And Summoning Wind and Rain or Soaring Clouds and Mist, their per-second consumption was in the hundreds; not something to consider for a long time.
As for the Demon-slaying Skill he was eager to learn, its description is as follows.
Demon-slaying Skill (Level 1): Active Skill
Skill Description: Condense Evil into Gang, can empower weapons and body, causing damage to both tangible and intangible beings like gods, demons, and ghosts; consumes 2 mana per second.
Many misunderstand Gang Qi as nothing but the external release of True Qi, but it actually involves interaction with the energy of the heavens and earth under the influence of True Qi and spirit.
Evil Qi in itself is sharp and fierce; condensing it into Gang naturally allows damaging these beings, with its lethality increasing with the level of Evil Qi, unrestricted by the level of the Demon-slaying Skill.
Each level up in the Demon-slaying Skill further refines the Gang Qi.
2 mana fits perfectly with the replenishment from the Guiding Skill, meaning activating this skill indeed provides a measure of self-defense.
"Damn, better find some small monsters to slay," muttering, Zhang Kui turned over and gradually fell asleep...
Faint voices echoed outside the courtyard wall.
Bang! Bang!
"The weather is dry, be wary of fire!"
The watchman passed by his door, with a tobacco pipe tucked behind his waist, limping, occasionally coughing.
The old man slowly walked over the bluestone street,
"Cough, cough, why is it foggy tonight..."