TGCFNM -Chapter 85 Releasing Ghost Fire

Chu Ling raised a hand, and the people behind her immediately stopped in their tracks.

Zhang Dong circled the open ground once, then walked to Chu Ling’s side and said in a low voice, “My lord, it’s all been spread.”

Chu Ling turned around. “Xiao Hua, this place is spacious. Pile them all up here. I am going to exorcise demons!”

Xiao Hua gave an “Oh,” then easily dragged the men over to the clearing, arranging the unconscious, tightly bound soldiers neatly into a circle.

Wan Sanjin praised her, “Little Sister Xiao Hua is amazing—what a perfect circle!”

Xiao Hua grinned proudly and looked around.

Chu Ling glanced at Su He.

Su He gave a slight nod. It had all been sprinkled on their clothes as well.

Chu Ling took a deep breath. Everything was ready—now all that remained was for her to put on a show of spirits and ghosts.

“What are you trying to do?!” A carriage came galloping over.

Chu Ling folded her arms with a smile. Excellent—the audience had arrived.

Gradually, the people inside the restaurant came downstairs and gathered around. The townsfolk outside stood in a circle on the other side, murmuring nervously, too anxious to speak aloud.

The boats on the Xing River also docked one after another, and more and more people crowded over.

An elderly man strode forward. “You must be the newly appointed Magistrate Chu? And the one tied up here—isn’t that our City Defense General Sun—”

Xiao Hua swung her firewood poker. A massive boulder not far from Xing Lake instantly shattered into pieces, cutting off the old man’s words.

“My lord, my lord! I smashed the stone for you!” Xiao Hua ran back cheerfully.

Zhang Dong hurriedly pulled his sister aside. “My lord is handling important matters—stop playing around.”

Chu Ling coughed lightly twice and looked at the old man. “And you are?”

“This is the headmaster of Cangzhu Academy, Headmaster Shu,” Fu Qingyu explained with a smile. “I was wondering why Magistrate Chu hadn’t entered the city yet. It seems you had other matters to attend to.”

“Oh, Headmaster Shu. What were you asking just now?” Chu Ling stepped closer with an innocent expression.

Headmaster Shu took a step back and let out a drunken hiccup. “Hic—nothing at all.”

“You are outrageous!” The person in the carriage finally forced his way through the crowd. “You’re merely a petty county magistrate, and you dare to tie up a military officer? Have you eaten the gall of a bear and the heart of a leopard?!”

“Outrageous!” Chu Ling barked sharply. “You hold no official rank and are nothing but a merchant, yet you dare shout at this official? I’d say you’re the one who’s eaten the gall of a bear and the heart of a leopard!”

“You—you—” Sun Jiabi’s face turned green with fury. In Changzhou, who dared not give the Sun family face? “Do you know—do you know that my eldest uncle is Grand Preceptor Sun of the current court?!”

“Is that so?” Chu Ling looked astonished. “Then call him here to help you.”

Sun Jiabi’s temples throbbed violently; he nearly fainted on the spot.

Chu Ling sneered. “If you can summon him, I’ll step aside. If you can’t, then in this place, I am the highest authority. Do you have a problem with that?”

Headmaster Shu finally couldn’t hold back. “Magistrate Chu, matters should be handled according to proper procedure. Acting with private punishment like this is… inappropriate.”

“Headmaster Shu is correct. As I’ve just arrived, I should naturally follow the rules,” Chu Ling said with a sigh. “But emergencies require flexibility. General Sun Wu is possessed by evil spirits. If I don’t bind him, what if he continues arbitrarily collecting city entry fees?”

The crowd froze. You could explain it like that?

“General Sun is the defending commander of Changzhou, shedding blood for Great Zhou. How can you slander him so recklessly?” Sun Jiabi blustered, waving a hand behind him. “Men! Untie General Sun at once!”

Members of the Sun family immediately sprang into action.

Chu Ling let out a low laugh, her phoenix eyes lifting. “I’d like to see who dares stop me from catching ghosts!”

“Magistrate Chu!” Sun Jiabi shouted sharply.

Chu Ling suddenly lifted her foot and strode toward him. Sun Jiabi refused to yield, his chest heaving heavily.

“Magistrate Chu, in Changzhou, I advise you to—pfft—”

Before anyone could react, Sun Jiabi hadn’t even finished speaking when he was sent flying. Chu Ling had only just withdrawn her foot after kicking him and swept her gaze over Sun’s attendants.

“My temper is bad. I’ve always acted lawlessly. Now that I’ve received an imperial order to temporarily oversee Changzhou’s affairs, anyone who dares obstruct me is defying the imperial command… And that—doesn’t that warrant execution of the nine clans?” Chu Ling said lightly with a smile before turning back. The onlookers instinctively stepped away.

Wan Sanjin cleared his throat and stepped forward. “My lord saw today how silver was being arbitrarily extorted at the city gate and felt deep distress. So he conducted a late-night investigation and discovered that General Sun was possessed by a demon spirit—hence these evil deeds. Our lord has decided to exorcise it!”

Exorcise?

What kind of absurd fabrication was that? Clearly they didn’t want to offend the Sun family, yet they tied the man up and kicked him—there was no logic to it at all.

Headmaster Shu wanted to speak, but Fu Qingyu tugged at him gently and shook his head.

“Our lord is a good official. And indeed, the fees have been getting higher and higher,” Fu Qingyu said softly.

One student protested indignantly, “It’s not like they don’t have homes! They all come into the city—everywhere is overcrowded, and there’s not even enough grain!”

Chu Ling spun around and instantly located the speaker. She sized him up and successfully frightened him pale before saying in a low voice, “They no longer have homes.”

“My lord, the willow branch,” Su He said, handing it to her with a slight nod.

Chu Ling took a deep breath and slowly walked toward the open space. She stepped on Sun Wu’s chest, flicked the willow branch, and shouted:

“Evil spirit! Reveal your true form at once!”

Everyone was stunned.

What was she doing?

But very soon, they understood.

From the bodies of the soldiers, deep-blue flames suddenly burst forth—like ghost fire—flickering faintly yet emitting a chilling aura that struck terror into the heart.

Gradually, more and more ghostly flames appeared, strangely forming a circle.

In the flickering firelight, the onlookers retreated one after another. Some timid ones had their legs go weak; others were already crying in fright.

“W-what is this?” Headmaster Shu was startled out of his wits.

Fu Qingyu hesitated before finally saying, “Magistrate Chu said—it’s an exorcism.”

Headmaster Shu nodded, swallowing hard as he pulled Fu Qingyu a few steps farther back.

Holding the willow branch, Chu Ling circled around the ring once, lightly waving it so the flames leapt in response. Behind her, Su He and Wan Sanjin followed, each carrying a jar obtained from who-knows-where, sprinkling water over the “corpses” lying on the ground.

After one full circle, the water was gone and the flames extinguished. Sun Wu and the others slowly regained consciousness.

Awake they were—but soaked through and utterly weak, as though their bones had been removed. They couldn’t even muster the strength to speak.

Chu Ling hurried forward and “accidentally” stepped on Sun Wu’s abdomen. He couldn’t suppress a muffled groan.

Chu Ling bent down solicitously. “General Sun, don’t worry. The demon spirit has just left your body. It drained your vital energy, which is why you’re so weak now. But rest assured, it’s only temporary. You’ll recover after some rest.”

Sun Wu’s eyes bulged as though they might pop out. He opened his mouth and struggled to say, “You… you…”

“Don’t worry. I will govern Changzhou well. General Sun can rest easy.” Chu Ling smiled and withdrew her foot. “Is there anyone—relatives perhaps? Come take them back home.”