Chapter 1203: No Use Hiding
A large crowd followed Ma Tianzheng through several streets.
They arrived at a secluded alley, tucked away in a corner not far from the Prince's Estate.
The onlookers were utterly bewildered.
Then they watched Ma Tianzheng murmur something under his breath, addressing a small dirt hole in the corner of the wall. "There's no use hiding," he declared. "This humble Daoist has seen you."
Everyone stood dumbfounded.
Suddenly, from the small dirt hole, a tiny metal hand emerged with a swift, almost eerie motion. It was indeed a very small metal hand.
The Prince of Chu shrieked, "Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!"
The Prince's retainers echoed, "Ah! Ah! Ah!"
The metal hand, of course, belonged to the reconnaissance Heavenly Lord unit...
The Heavenly Lord had always enjoyed "playfully manifesting in the mortal realm," much like the mischievous Monk Jigong. So, when the Heavenly Lord instructed Ma Tianzheng to play along with the prank, he naturally cooperated wholeheartedly.
"There's no use hiding in there," Ma Tianzheng intoned gravely. "This humble Daoist knows you are a monstrous entity, formed from the coalesced vengeful spirits of countless common folk who died within and around Wuchang City. Remembering the bitterness of your lives, this humble Daoist will not blast you with divine artifacts. Simply depart on your own."
The small metal hand at the entrance made a peculiar gesture, as if sneering at someone, then pointed a finger towards the Prince of Chu. A sinister voice hissed from the hole, "It was the Prince of Chu who caused my death. The rebels sought to kill me, and I tried to enter the city, but he refused me entry."
Zhu Huadie cried out, "Ah! Ah! Ah, it wasn't this prince, it wasn't this prince! That was this prince's twin brother! This prince is a good person, this prince is a good person!"
The chilling voice from the hole retorted, "I can't tell! I don't think he's a good person. I'm going to kill him."
Zhu Huadie wailed, "Ah! Ah! Ah! True Master, save me, save me!"
Ma Tianzheng addressed the metal arm with a serious tone, "If the Prince proves himself to be a good person, you wouldn't harm him, then?"
The voice from the hole replied, "Why would I harm a good person? I only kill the wicked."
Ma Tianzheng turned his gaze to Zhu Huadie.
Zhu Huadie instantly grasped the implication. "This prince will immediately undertake good deeds, immediately!"
Ma Tianzheng then turned back to face the hole. "Are you satisfied now?"
"Hmph!" scoffed the voice from the hole. "Ma Tianzheng, for your sake, I shall depart for now... But if the Prince of Chu commits evil, I will surely return to claim his life. Stand aside a little; I'm coming out."
That declaration was truly terrifying. The Prince of Chu and his retainers scattered instantly, scrambling to hide far away.
From the small hole, with a sudden whoosh, a tiny figure shot out.
It was a small, skeletal metal figure, its face smeared with dark mud. Its movements were incredibly swift; in an instant, it darted to the alley's mouth, and with another flicker, vanished without a trace.
Having witnessed the monstrous entity emerge with their own eyes, Zhu Huadie felt utterly numb, and all the Prince's personal guards were equally paralyzed with fear.
Only then did Ma Tianzheng turn back to the Prince of Chu, Zhu Huadie. "The rebels wreak havoc, plunging the populace into misery, and too many vengeful spirits and malevolent ghosts linger around this city... The previous Prince of Chu further failed to act with benevolence and righteousness, oppressing good citizens, causing these wronged souls to harbor deep resentment. They coalesced, and only then did they transform into such a monstrous entity."
Zhu Huadie stammered, "Then... then..."
Ma Tianzheng continued, "It dragged your brother's soul down to the Underworld, where it is trapped in the eighteen layers of hell..."
Zhu Huadie was terrified. "He... he's trapped in the eighteen layers of hell now? My Heavens! Oh, my Heavens! What can be done? What can be done? How can I save my brother, and myself, True Master, you must save me..."
Ma Tianzheng explained, "There are two ways to resolve this calamity. First, as mentioned before, act with benevolence and righteousness, and be a good person. Second, repel the rebels and safeguard peace for this region."
"Repelling the rebels," Zhu Huadie confessed, "is something this prince simply cannot do."
"That you cannot achieve the second task, let us set aside for now," Ma Tianzheng calmly stated. "But fulfilling the first is not difficult at all."
Zhu Huadie nodded vigorously. "That's not difficult! I will immediately offer gruel to the starving, distribute money to the refugees, money! I'll give money!"
From behind a distant wall, the voice of the metal entity suddenly echoed again. "Hehehe," it cackled, "you think distributing money will make you a good person? Who doesn't know the Prince of Chu's estate holds a million taels of silver! Giving away merely thirty or fifty thousand taels won't even make a dent in your wealth. It's like tossing a mere bone to the starving. Do you truly believe that constitutes a good deed?"
Zhu Huadie was terrified: this monstrous entity even knew that his estate held a million taels of silver.
Truth be told, that million taels wasn't even his own accumulation. It was amassed by his twin brother, Zhu Huakui, the ninth-generation Prince of Chu. Zhu Huakui was indeed no good person; during his tenure, he not only beat a circuit inspector to death but also oppressed good citizens and extorted exorbitant taxes.
This was truly ill-gotten wealth.
To save his own life, he dared not hold onto it. Since it wasn't money he had earned himself, distributing it wouldn't genuinely cause him any heartache.
Zhu Huadie quickly declared, "I will distribute all million taels to prove my sincerity!"
Ma Tianzheng smiled. "Excellent."
He turned to the distance. "Vengeful spirit, you heard that, did you not?"
"I heard it... If he truly distributes it all, I will no longer trouble him and will peacefully reincarnate."
"Distribute it all," Zhu Huadie insisted. "Distribute it all immediately, go now!"
No sooner had his words faded than a tremendous roar of battle cries erupted from outside the city's north gate. The rebels were making a show of preparing to attack Wuchang City.
Zhu Huadie jumped again, startled. "This... what in the world are we to do?"
Ma Tianzheng's expression remained calm. "With a million taels of silver, generously rewarding brave men, how could this city possibly remain undefended? In any case, you planned to distribute that million taels. Would it not be even better to disburse it under the pretext of aiding the city's defense?"
Zhu Huadie was ecstatic. "Yes, that's right, we can do that!"
He immediately boomed, "Quick, transmit my order! The Prince of Chu's Estate shall fund this. Any able-bodied young man willing to step forward and defend Wuchang will be awarded ten taels of silver! If the rebels are successfully repelled, another ten taels will be granted. Should misfortune befall them and they lose their lives, their families will receive thirty taels. Furthermore, all common folk who contribute by transporting supplies and assisting in the city's defense will receive silver rewards!"
The moment this command was issued!
Wuchang City instantly sprang to life. The common people, with a collective roar, surged onto the ramparts of the north gate, their heads packed tightly, peering out from the battlements. "How dare these villains trespass upon our Wuchang!" they cried.
Outside the city, the rebel chieftain looked up and suddenly gasped in utter disbelief. "Are you kidding me? So many people?"
Countless common folk on the city walls waved flags and shouted, "Come on, attack the city! Just try it!"
What the hell was there to attack now?
The besieging force's greatest fear was a defending side united in spirit, soldiers and civilians standing as one.
This was what was known as an impregnable bastion.
The rebel chieftain snarled, "Damn it, you all remember this! We'll make you pay later!"
After tossing out a defiant boast to save face, the rebels hastily retreated.
Zhu Huadie let out a sigh of relief. "Phew, the rebels have retreated, but they've only withdrawn, not been annihilated. What should we do if they return next time?"
Ma Tianzheng consulted his divining fingers, a faint smile playing on his lips. "No matter," he said. "Within three days, reinforcements are sure to arrive."
Zhu Huadie was overjoyed. "True Master, you can even predict this?"
Ma Tianzheng smiled. "This humble Daoist serves under Dao Xuan Tian Zun. The Heavenly Lord knows the past five hundred years, the future five hundred years, and everything in between; there is nothing in this world the Heavenly Lord does not know. Here is a copy of 'The Divine Tales of Dao Xuan, Demon Slayer.' I now impart it to you. You should study it diligently every day... you are sure to gain much from it."
Comments