Chapter 14: The Spirit of the Soldier!

Facing the old beggar's question, Xu Daoyan thought seriously for a moment: "I used to think about it a bit, but now I don't want to at all, it's too troublesome!"

"...... Forget it, it's too early to talk about these things with you now. You'll understand in the future. Follow me!" The old beggar felt that talking to Xu Daoyan was like talking to a piece of wood, utterly uninteresting and not at all fun. He waved his hand and said.

Seeing the old beggar walk towards the back mountain, Xu Daoyan's eyes lit up, and his gloomy mood vanished, replaced by excitement. He had always wanted to see how powerful the ghosts in the battlefield cemetery were. At this moment, the attraction of women to Xu Daoyan was extremely weak.

As they passed through the forest, they got closer to the battlefield cemetery. Xu Daoyan felt an inexplicable chill, his hair stood on end, and a cold wind howled, making the leaves rustle. Soon after, a piercing, hair-raising ghostly cry echoed through the air.

Under the moonlight, the battlefield cemetery appeared before them, vast and empty.

Xu Daoyan saw numerous ghosts in tattered armor scattered everywhere. They roared to the sky, absorbing the evil and yin energy of the battlefield, as well as the essence of the stars and moon...

Under the moonlight, in the battlefield cemetery.

"These are the ghost soldiers, they seem very powerful!" Xu Daoyan took a deep breath. The number of ghost soldiers was not small.

"This battlefield cemetery has not been cleaned for many years. They have been left to rot in the wilderness for a long time. Due to the feng shui of this land, the yin and evil energy is very strong, which has naturally led to their current state!" The old beggar led Xu Daoyan into the battlefield cemetery.

Many ghost soldiers saw Xu Daoyan and the old beggar, but they only glanced at them and did not attack. Instead, they continued to absorb the essence of the moon and stars.

"They were warriors in life, and warriors of the Nine Provinces Divine Dynasty. They would not harm ordinary people. Even though they are now ghosts, they still retain their memories from life, so you don't need to worry."

Under the old beggar's guidance, Xu Daoyan slowly walked into the battlefield cemetery. He looked at the old beggar and said, "Why do I feel that my blood and qi are not flowing smoothly, and I feel a bit cold, as if a wind is trying to penetrate my pores and enter my body, making me very uncomfortable? However, my blood and qi can still resist and dispel it. But if I go further, I'm not sure I can handle it!"

"The land here has been a battlefield for thousands of years, with countless people dying here. During the day, it's fine, but once night falls, the yin and evil energy becomes very strong. The wind you feel is called the evil wind. If a person with a weak constitution is affected by the evil wind, they will fall seriously ill. Some people of the ninth rank who come here will die if they don't recover properly. They would think it was the ghosts causing trouble, but it's actually due to their weak constitution!" The old beggar chuckled. It was already quite rare for Xu Daoyan to have this realization.

"Evil wind is the beginning of all diseases." Xu Daoyan suddenly remembered a line from the *Yellow Emperor's Heavenly Canon* and felt enlightened.

"Alright, every warrior who died here was at least of the sixth rank in life. So after they died, they became ghost soldiers with the same strength as in life. Whether you can subdue them depends on your ability!" As he finished speaking, the old beggar suddenly disappeared.

Hearing this, Xu Daoyan blinked, and the old beggar was gone without a trace. He suddenly felt an urge to curse. How was he supposed to subdue these ghost soldiers?

"Hi, everyone..." Xu Daoyan stood there for a long time before saying this.

"Can this kid actually see us?" One ghost soldier was surprised. They had previously thought that Xu Daoyan and the old beggar were ordinary people, but now it seemed they were not.

"Is he here to harm us?" Another ghost soldier was already holding a rusty iron spear, but the spearhead was still sharp.

"He's just a child. We should ask him his intentions. He is one of our people, not a Hun, so we shouldn't kill him indiscriminately." Even ghosts have good and evil. Not all ghosts are evil.

"Kid, why are you here?" A ghost soldier, whose armor was tattered but whose voice was powerful, asked.

"I want to subdue you all!" Seeing the countless ghost soldiers, Xu Daoyan was nervous but said this directly.

The ghost soldiers looked at each other and burst into laughter: "Hahaha..."

"A mere child dares to say he can subdue us."

"Let's drive him away. In the past, a few reckless Taoists came here, and they were all killed. This is just a child, whose mind is not fully developed and who is naive. It's understandable, so let's let him go!" A ghost soldier leader spoke.

"Agreed." Several ghost soldiers stepped forward to drive Xu Daoyan away.

Xu Daoyan quickly said, "Please let me finish what I have to say."

"Let him speak!" The ghost soldier leader had a layer of silver light on his body, which was the essence of the stars condensed on his surface, protecting his soul.

"First, you are all warriors of the Nine Provinces Divine Dynasty, who sacrificed yourselves to protect the people living on the border. I respect you deeply and bow to you all." Xu Daoyan had always known that ghosts and spirits should not be taken lightly. Some ghosts are good and righteous. There is a saying that if you don't do evil, you won't fear ghosts knocking on your door at midnight. This means that if someone does evil, they might be visited by righteous and kind ghosts at night.

These warriors had been dead for many years, and the Nine Provinces Divine Dynasty had never acknowledged them. Now, seeing Xu Daoyan bow to them respectfully, they felt that their deaths were worth it, as they had died protecting the people. Being respected by the people is the highest honor for a warrior!

"I heard from my master that some people, after death, will reincarnate, and their souls cannot control themselves because they have no attachments. Those who become ghosts do so because of unresolved attachments and unfinished business. So they can become ghosts and eventually cultivate to become ghost immortals to complete their goals. Your existence proves that you have unresolved attachments." Xu Daoyan said solemnly.

One ghost soldier looked at Xu Daoyan and smiled, "My attachment is to be buried in peace. We fought and died for the people, but no one came to bury us. Now that I hear you say this, I have no regrets!"

Suddenly, a force seemed to pull him, and the ghost soldier disappeared.

Cultivating as a ghost is extremely dangerous. If they encounter a powerful person, they will be destroyed, with no chance of reincarnation.

Without attachments, it's better to reincarnate and start anew, forgetting this life's memories. If they cultivate to become ghost immortals and then reincarnate, their memories will gradually return as they grow. These are two completely different concepts.

"Kid, what do you really want?" The ghost soldier leader frowned and walked towards Xu Daoyan.

Xu Daoyan's eyes were clear, and he was not afraid. He looked at the ghost soldier leader and said, "I just want to ask if anyone is willing to follow me. I have a ghost-binding bag. If you follow me, I will help you cultivate to the ghost immortal level and complete your unfinished business. Otherwise, staying here in the battlefield cemetery, when will you be able to complete your attachments?"

"I want to kill all the Huns. They brutally murdered my parents and children. I want them to pay with their blood." A ghost soldier said heavily.

"What about you?" Xu Daoyan looked at the ghost soldier leader, who was extremely powerful, at least a fourth-rank warrior in life.

"I am not satisfied. Someone, for their own selfish desires, made us defend this place without sending reinforcements. As a result, all my brothers died here. Fortunately, we fought to the last man, but the Huns still crossed the line. I want to expose that person's crimes and make them pay for my brothers' lives!" The ghost soldier leader's eyes were filled with deep resentment.

"I want to return to Shiyun Town to see if my parents and children are well. But the town is full of people, and I am just a sixth-rank ghost, unable to withstand the strong yang energy. I can only stay here. If I could see my family, I would be content." This ghost soldier was very concerned about his family.

Xu Daoyan understood. Just like himself, a sixth-rank person, if he got too close to the center of the battlefield cemetery, he would not be able to withstand the yin and evil energy and would die.

"I will try my best to fulfill your wishes. Now, I just want to ask, who is willing to follow me? I will do my best to fulfill your wishes. No need for any ghost oaths. I only hope that you will help me with things that do not violate righteousness and do not harm the innocent!" Xu Daoyan promised.

"Alright, I'll believe you this time." For so many years, no one had ever talked to them like this. Ghosts have feelings too, and few people truly converse with ghosts sincerely. The ghost soldier leader was the first to agree.

The boundary between the living and the dead is clear. How could they not see if Xu Daoyan was telling the truth?

Xu Daoyan was excited. He opened the ghost-binding bag and said, "Those who are willing can enter this ghost-binding bag!"

The ghost soldier who wanted to return to Shiyun Town to see his family also entered the ghost-binding bag.

"My home is far in Youzhou City. My mother was critically ill, and I could not return to see her because of the war. I feel guilty, so I want to return to Youzhou City and kneel at my mother's grave to apologize. I don't know if my mother, because of her attachment to me, has turned into a ghost. If that's true, how can I be at peace?" A ghost soldier, who was a fourth-rank warrior in life, was very accomplished. His words made Xu Daoyan, who was also a filial son, feel sad.

"Alright!" Xu Daoyan immediately agreed. However, the space in the ghost-binding bag was limited, and he could not take too many. He had to give up: "One day, when I become stronger, I will definitely help you fulfill your wishes."

At this moment, the old beggar appeared. He looked at the many ghost soldiers with unresolved attachments and said slowly, "Alright, the Nine Provinces Divine Dynasty owes you. Now, I will help you cross over!"

The old beggar recited a true incantation, and his whole body floated in the air. The sound of the great way echoed, and a golden light shone. Lotus flowers bloomed from the ground. One by one, the ghost soldiers with evil attachments had peaceful