“After all these years, General, have you ever thought about going back?”

“Of course I’ve thought about it. I think about it all the time,” the captain ghost replied. The ghost's expression was complex, a mix of bitterness, sorrow, and helplessness intertwined. Yet, despite it all, no tears fell. “But Yidu is thousands of li away from here. It’s hard enough for the living to make the journey. I’ve only recently become a ghost—how could I possibly find my way back?”

“I see...” Song You stood in place, gazing up at the crescent moon on the horizon. After a moment of contemplation, he said, “Thinking about it, back when Lady Calico and I were in Yidu, we were once helped by both you and your wife. Thanks to the two of you, we were able to establish ourselves in the city. If you truly wish to return and see her again, I’d be willing to lend you a hand.”

“You’re willing to take me back to Yidu?”

“I do plan to return to Yidu someday, but that might not be for another ten years or so. While you’re a ghost and can be easily carried along, ten years is still a long, lonely wait for you.”

“I’ve already waited over ten years—I’m not afraid to wait ten more,” the captain ghost replied without hesitation. He seemed to recall some old tales and added, “As long as you can take me back to my hometown, even if you have to trap me in a gourd for ten years without letting me out, I’d still agree.”

“Wouldn’t that be worse than spending ten years in prison?”

“I’d do it willingly!”

To endure more than a decade of solitary darkness, just for the chance to return home and reunite with his wife, was a sentiment that could only evoke deep sympathy.

Song You said to him, “The love between you and your wife is truly touching. But there’s no need to go to such lengths. With my help, you can make the journey back on your own. If everything goes well, you could return to Yidu and see your wife again in just two months.”

“What?” The captain ghost seemed so surprised he could hardly believe it. “Sir, are you speaking the truth?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t lie about such a thing,” Song You replied with a smile. “Consider it my way of repaying the kindness I received from you and your wife.”

“What kindness was that?”

“You’ll understand when you return.”

“Sir, this kindness of yours is a tremendous one, as vast as the heavens. No matter how much my wife might have helped you in the past, it cannot compare to the grace you've shown us now.”

“If you feel indebted,” Song You said, “once I enter the city, introduce me to General Feng and General Chang. Although the Thunder God will likely descend to handle matters here eventually, who knows when that will be? In the meantime, I can explain the stakes to the two generals and persuade them to behave themselves for the time being.”

“Understood!”

“Come find me afterward,” Song You instructed, then turned and began walking forward.

The group of ghosts dispersed behind him.

As he approached Turtle City, the shadowy silhouette of the place became clearer.

The city’s perimeter was likely three or four li around, with walls over four zhang high and more than two zhang thick. The main gate was long gone, leaving only a hollow, empty archway. The moonlight was faint, and as he stepped through the opening, he was enveloped in pitch darkness.

Yet, upon passing through the archway, the scene changed instantly.

He could suddenly hear the murmur of many voices nearby.

During the day, when flying over Turtle City, one would see a burned and abandoned ruin, with roofless, doorless houses. But now, everything seemed restored to its former state. ȓ𝒶ƝộВÊ𝓢

Inside, every house and courtyard had wooden doors and tiled roofs. The plaques above the doors were still intact, and lanterns hung at the entrances, emitting a ghastly pale light.

Ghosts wandered the streets—some clad in armor, others dressed in plain clothes. When they noticed a cat striding confidently inside, they couldn’t help but cast curious glances her way. The cat, in turn, raised her head and met their gazes with equal curiosity. Then, looking behind the cat, they saw a man and a horse strolling calmly in behind her.

All the ghosts, regardless of what they had been doing, immediately stopped in their tracks. Whatever conversations they had been having fell silent. Every single one of them turned to stare directly at the newcomers.

A moment later, murmurs began to spread quietly.

“It’s a human…”

“It’s a Daoist priest!”

“Why is he here? Could he be here to exorcize us?”

“Quick, report to the generals!”

“This Daoist looks a bit familiar...”

“Don’t act rashly!”

Song You listened to the whispers but did not slow his steps.

Song You paid no mind to their murmurs, continuing his stroll at a leisurely pace. He looked around casually, as if he were visiting an ordinary market town during the day.

The ghosts parted to make way for him.

At night, this earthen city seemed completely restored.

Inside the walls, there was a horse path running around the perimeter. Inside, there were not only military camps and officers' residences but also a mill and a stable, resembling a fully equipped military fortress.

Though Song You had been to the military camp at Caotou Pass, he had never before entered such a complete military fortress. Naturally, his eyes were filled with curiosity.

This reconstruction was evidently the handiwork of the ghosts here. It was quite impressive, actually. Considering that the ghosts had only been dead for a decade or so, the skill they displayed was worthy of respect.

After walking for some time, a group of ghost soldiers blocked his path up ahead. It wasn’t exactly an ambush; rather, a group of ghost soldiers had gathered, led by another ghost wearing a captain’s armor, standing there as if waiting for him.

As Song You approached, the lead captain ghost stepped forward, bowing respectfully. Glancing at the calico cat in front of Song You and the jujube-red horse behind him, the captain spoke with a hint of anxiety, “We didn’t know you would grace us with your presence. Forgive us for not welcoming you sooner...”

Song You was momentarily taken aback by the gesture, but he returned the salute. “General, I am unworthy of such a grand gesture.”

“Immortal... have you come to suppress us?”

“You misunderstand,” Song You said with a smile. “I merely heard that there is a ghost city here, filled with the heroic spirits of soldiers. Not knowing the reason behind it, I came by out of curiosity. No need to be nervous.”

“Ah...” The ghost in front let out a sigh of relief.

Although their numbers were great, they had only just heard of this man's reputation a couple of days ago. He had subdued a massive Demon King in Hezhou and even moved a mountain. They were merely a group of ghosts who had been dead for only a few years or a decade. Faced with an immortal capable of such feats, what strength could they muster against him?

If they were truly at peace with themselves, it might not be a problem.

The heroic souls who sacrificed their lives for the nation would likely receive a bow and a few words of concern even from the emperor himself. If the acting were convincing enough, he might even shed a few tears. Those with a clear conscience would naturally feel no fear.

However, the ghosts in this place couldn’t manage such composure. With guilt weighing on their hearts, uncertainty crept in, and with it came fear and unease.

At some point, Tang An appeared behind the group of ghosts.

However, it seemed his rank and authority were not as high as that of the captain ghost who had spoken earlier, so he simply stood there quietly without saying a word.

"However, on my way here, I did hear some things from people at the Grassland Festival, so I decided to stop by," Song You said, seemingly ignoring Tang An entirely and addressing only the captain ghost before him. "May I ask which general is in charge of this city? Is there some trouble at hand?"

“To answer you, immortal, there are two generals in the city—one surnamed Feng and the other surnamed Chang. Both are highly skilled and command great respect. Most of the ghosts in the city follow their lead.”

“I am not an immortal, just a humble mountaineer from Lingquan County in Yizhou. You, General, are a heroic soul who fought for your country. Such respect from you is far too much—just call me 'sir,'“ Song You said as he raised his hand and bowed in salute to the captain ghost before him. “As for General Feng and General Chang, might I trouble you to introduce me to them?”

“Hmm...” The captain ghost suddenly looked troubled, glancing around nervously. After a moment, he finally said, “I dare not deceive you, immortal. General Feng and General Chang—they’ve both disappeared.”

“Disappeared?” Song You was a bit surprised.

At this point, Tang An stepped forward, cupping his hands respectfully. “Sir, I just heard that both General Feng and General Chang left with their close followers last night. It seems they went toward the Grassland Festival. Upon hearing that you had arrived here, they realized their wrongdoings and were terrified you might destroy them.

“So, General Chang fled during the first half of the night, and when General Feng found out, he ran off during the second half.”

“…” Song You couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation.

On second thought, it made perfect sense.

At the bonfire gathering at the Grassland Festival last night, Song You had indeed noticed a ghost dressed as an officer—someone with a bit of cultivation skills.

This morning, upon waking, Song You once again heard Lady Calico mention that during the night, some minor ghost had been wandering the mountains and ended up on the peak. The moment it saw Lady Calico, it was so frightened that it fled. Hearing this, Song You even offered her a few words of praise.

Now it seemed likely that the ghost at the bonfire gathering was General Chang or one of his subordinates. He was a hot-tempered ghost, quick to resort to violence, even killing local officials on a whim—fitting the round-faced ghost’s description of General Chang.

At that time, he only saw a Daoist and a young girl—there was no sign of Lady Calico or the jujube-red horse. Still, he must have sensed something was off. After investigating further, he realized it was the very Daoist who had subdued the Demon King of Hezhou.

Aware of his own murderous intent and the grave sins he had committed, and knowing the precarious status of ghosts, he was struck with fear. Without any hesitation, he fled in the dead of night.

A decisive move, indeed.

Although General Feng was highly skilled, he lacked the courage and resolve of General Chang. When he saw General Chang flee, he too grew fearful of the “divine immortal’s” potential wrath. Whether he sent someone to investigate afterward was unknown, but in the end, he decided to run off as well.

“Sir...”

“Let it be. If they’ve fled, so be it. This isn’t something I should be handling anyway—it’s the responsibility of the Thunder Division. Since the Thunder Division’s legitimate gods have already taken notice, let the Thunder Gods deal with it,” Song You said with a wave of his hand.

𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

The world was vast, but there were few demons or ghosts who could escape once they caught the eye of the Thunder Gods.

On one hand, it was possible that the Thunder Division’s legitimate gods were currently preoccupied with the great northern demons and could not spare the time, so they intended to issue a warning first, urging them to behave and wait until the situation was resolved to thoroughly investigate and handle matters properly.

On the other hand, the Thunder Division’s legitimate gods might also be aware of their unique status and, considering their past transgressions, was unwilling to casually eliminate them, let alone impose collective punishment and end the matter with a sweeping execution.

Strangely enough, he almost felt like the kind of awe-inspiring presence described in legends—those who could intimidate demons and ghosts with just the mention of their name.

But what was even more intriguing was this place itself.

At first, it seemed there must be some hidden mystery here to attract so many people who ended up as ghosts. However, it now appeared they had all gathered from various parts of the border.

In the past couple of years, the State Preceptor has been collecting wandering souls. Knowing full well that there were many ghost soldiers here, instead of capturing them, he issued a decree allowing them to take refuge in this place. Clearly, it was not simply that there were too many ghosts to capture—there must be other considerations at play.