A master of comedy!

Chapter 78: Official General

As Zhou Sheng walked out of Qinghe Hall, his brows were furrowed, and he seemed somewhat disappointed.

"I'm sorry, if I had come to the Ghost Market with you before the show started, I might have been able to get the Five-Colored Mica before the people from the General's Mansion."

Yao Taifeng's voice was tinged with apology.

"It's not your fault. The play was about to start, and for people in our line of work, the play is of paramount importance. We can't let the play wait or let the audience wait, no matter what."

Zhou Sheng gently comforted her, then asked, "By the way, does Boss Feng know what kind of background that General's Mansion has?"

Upon hearing this question, Yao Taifeng's eyes flickered, and she quickly said, "You must not be impulsive. The General's Mansion can be described as having connections everywhere in the Ghost Market. Apart from the City Lord, the most prestigious person is that General Chongtian."

"The Great General Soaring to the Sky?"

"Ah."

Yao Tai Feng nodded slightly, and then recited a line of poetry.

"The fragrance of incense fills Chang'an, and the whole city is adorned with golden armor."

Zhou Sheng asked in surprise, "Could it be Huang Chao?"

"Of course not."

Yao Taifeng shook her head and said, "This General Chongtian only calls himself after Huang Chao's poem. He appeared out of nowhere in the Ghost Market more than a hundred years ago. Apart from the city lord, I'm afraid no one knows his origins."

"I heard the old ghosts talking about him back then. They said that this General Chongtian had an extremely strong evil aura and could be called a ghost hero. As soon as he appeared, he tore apart several big ghosts who were famous in the ghost market and caused a great disturbance. In the end, it was the city lord who had to take action to suppress him."

Hearing her words, Zhou Sheng's heart stirred.

More than a hundred years ago, at this very moment, was the time when Li Zicheng, the rebel leader, was defeated and fled to Xunyang, where he was beheaded by his own general.

Could this soaring general be Li Zicheng?
It seems quite possible that a warlord like Li Zicheng, who rose up in rebellion, commanded hundreds of thousands of troops, and nearly destroyed a country, would also have an extraordinary afterlife.

"The city lord greatly admired him and appointed him as the Grand General to command the ghost soldiers here and maintain order in Little Fengdu. Over the years, his prestige has soared to its zenith, second only to the city lord!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Sheng felt a chill run down his spine, realizing that he was no match for this soaring general.

Moreover, he also commands the troops of a city. Although those Yin soldiers are not as powerful as the rampaging soldiers, they are still considered formidable among ghosts. He is not afraid of just a few, but if a large number of Yin soldiers form a battle formation, he will not be able to break through.

"I know you're interested in that five-colored mica. This ghost market is full of strange and wonderful things, and there are countless treasures. I'll accompany you to browse around some more; maybe—"

Just as Yao Taifeng was about to offer some advice, she suddenly heard a powerful horn sound.

hum! ! !
The mournful sound of horns echoed like muffled thunder over the ghost market, accompanied by the sound of uniform footsteps and the scraping of armor like the clanging of metal against metal.

The bricks and stones underfoot were trembling slightly, and the water tanks along the street were shaking and rippling.

The once bustling ghost market instantly parted to make way, and many people lowered their eyes, not daring to look directly at the menacing military formation.

"Say Cao Cao, and Cao Cao will be here."

Yao Taifeng's eyes narrowed, and she said, "The one in the military command tent... is General Chongtian."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Sheng immediately looked over.

Leading the way were thirty-six Iron Tower Swordsmen, arranged in double columns. Their swords formed a dense thicket like a forest of steles, all wearing ghostly faces, their cold gazes filled with murderous intent.

Following closely behind were nine four-wheeled chariots, on which the soldiers' halberds were adorned with bloody human heads.

"Those are either living people who were discovered after infiltrating the ghost market, or vengeful ghosts who broke the rules and were wanted by the authorities."

“Every so often, this general would lead his troops on a patrol, displaying the heads of the dead. Anyone who dared to break the rules, whether ghost or human, would meet a miserable end.”

Yao Taifeng explained in a low voice, and at this moment, Zhou Sheng finally saw the legendary General Chongtian.

The sound of horses' hooves thundered, shattering the long street.

Six crimson-maned horses, clad in heavy crimson armor, moved forward in unison, their vibrant manes like burning flames, pulling a heavy, double-shafted chariot with tiger-headed hooves.

Twelve blood-red iron chains were wrapped around the shaft of the chariot, each tied with an enemy's head, swaying slightly with the chariot.

Over the past hundred years, all the powerful enemies who dared to challenge the Great General's authority—human, ghost, and demon—have now become spoils of war.

Beneath the black iron canopy on the roof of the carriage, a blood-red cloak was fluttering wildly.

It was a majestic figure, as imposing as a fortress, with a robust physique like a towering iron tower, clad in heavy golden armor, sitting with an imposing air and lowered eyes.

Four elite soldiers carried a heavy nine-ringed sea-splitting broadsword, the clinking of the golden rings carrying a chilling air as they walked.

Behind him stood rows of heavily armed and solemnly disciplined soldiers, their spears like a forest and their shields like a mountain. Banners fluttered in the wind, bearing no words, only the image of a fierce tiger—a black tiger with jet-black fur and fiery golden eyes.

That was the general's military flag.

Zhou Sheng immediately looked towards the general, but was suddenly startled.

What he saw was a terrifying face, blue as if in prison, with red markings like fire. Two red eyebrows flew diagonally into his temples, like two unsheathed ghost-head knives. The golden "edict" mark on his forehead exuded a restrained murderous aura, revealing a sinister appearance.

"Don't look at it, that's the mask of the officer!"

Yao Taifeng immediately whispered her instructions, her voice tinged with urgency.

At this moment, Zhou Sheng also recognized it as a mask and felt an indescribable sense of oppression, as if he could hardly breathe.

The chief general, according to legend, was a ghost king subdued by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Also known as the two generals of increase and decrease, even after entering the Buddhist order, his bloodthirstiness remained undiminished. He was known for killing without saving others and was extremely domineering.

This mask seemed to truly contain a trace of the divine power of a high-ranking official, causing Zhou Sheng, who had fifteen years of cultivation, to tremble with fear and feel immense pressure.

"In this ghost market, there is an unwritten rule that you can wear any mask of demons, monsters, or animals, but you cannot wear a mask that symbolizes a deity."

Yao Taifeng quickly explained, "This is because only those who are valued by the city lord will receive the divine mask bestowed by him personally, and only they are qualified to wear such a mask."

"This is not an ordinary mask, but rather a kind of magical artifact, which I've heard has various uses."

Zhou Sheng withdrew his gaze, but at that moment, the soaring general suddenly raised his eyes. Beneath the official's mask, a pair of crimson pupils instantly stood upright, like the eyes of a beast.

The next moment, Zhou Sheng seemed to hear the roar of a tiger.

Roar!
It wasn't an illusion; a real, striped tiger pounced, as large as a calf and as fast as lightning. With a single leap, it lunged at Zhou Sheng.

Even from several feet away, he seemed to have already smelled the stench emanating from that gaping maw.

Exposed?
Zhou Sheng felt a chill in his heart and subconsciously wanted to make a move, but his gaze sharpened and he forcibly restrained himself, reaching out to hold down Yao Tai Feng, who was about to draw her sword.

The sharp tiger claws grazed his cheek, sparks flying, leaving three claw marks on his lion mask.

"what!!!"

A scream rang out as a man with an effeminate face next to Zhou Sheng had half his face torn off by tiger claws, blood splattering everywhere, and his vital energy leaking out.

The tiger pounced on him, biting through his throat like a hunter, drinking the gushing blood, and then dragged its prey back to the chariot, squatting at the general's feet to feast.

It turned out that it was the tiger that the general kept. It had been sleeping soundly in the corner, and its body was blocked by the chariot.

Another living person has been killed.

The general remained silent from beginning to end, and the entire army was as silent as iron, yet everyone was terrified and filled with fear.

There is only one exception.

Watching the departing figures of the ghostly soldiers, the flames in Zhou Sheng's eyes burned even hotter, and a crazy idea suddenly popped into his head.

"Boss Feng, how long does it usually take for the General to inspect the Ghost Market?"

"About two quarters of an hour."

"Doesn't that mean that within these two quarters of an hour..."

Zhou Sheng slowly raised his eyes and said, word by word, "Is the General's Mansion at its emptier right now?"

"You don't mean to—"

"Boss Feng, do you believe me or not?"

“…I believe it.”

"Then tell me where the General's Mansion is."

Zhou Sheng's bright gaze seemed to pierce through his sea of ​​consciousness and land on the tortoise shell and Luoshu that seemed to contain endless mysteries.

I silently recited a sentence in my heart.

"Luo Shu, this time I will not hold back my energy. Let me see where your limits are!"

He's determined to have the five-colored mica!
Even the Great General can't take it away!
……

　Thank you jamesxu-SBZ for the 100,000 donation! You are also the first Alliance Master of this book. Sending you my heart and thank you for your support!

　　As usual, I'll add an extra chapter for the patron, but I can't add more chapters during the new book period. It will be available for purchase on November 1st, and I'll add an extra chapter for you then!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)