In the end, Feng Bingwen reasoned with him and appealed to his emotions, and persuaded Mr. Liu to return to Qingshan County. He always believed in reason and did not use any forceful means. He simply offered bribes and then earnestly invited him to come. Only then did Mr. Liu agree.

By the time everything was settled, it was already deep winter. Snow was falling heavily, and the world was covered in silver. All living things lay dormant, waiting for spring to arrive.

As the snow fell heavily, Feng Bingwen had already trudged through the snow and arrived in Yongcheng once again. When he entered the Li family mansion, the most virtuous family in the city, he found the mansion filled with joy and celebration.

The reason is simple.

Despite her advanced age, the elderly lady miraculously became pregnant again. Moreover, not only the elderly lady, but also the several concubines of the eldest master of the Li family, who were full of energy as if they had been reborn, were also pregnant. Now, the Li family was showing signs of prosperity.

Therefore, even in the dead of winter, the entire Li mansion was filled with joy. Even the unrelated stewards, servants, and maids would show genuine smiles, because when the masters and ladies were happy, the money they casually gave them was enough to feed them for months.

However, in stark contrast to the festive atmosphere throughout the mansion, in a secluded courtyard in the back of the Li family mansion, which was kept extremely clean and tidy, the lush vegetation and the scarcity of human presence added a touch of eeriness.

"Being born into the right family is truly a skill!"

In front of this gloomy and cold courtyard, Feng Bingwen appeared. After looking around, he couldn't help but sigh.

Although it is called a small courtyard, it is much larger than ordinary houses. It has pavilions, ponds and everything else. It is small but complete, far superior to ordinary houses.

This was the treatment that Young Master Li could enjoy after being abandoned, but for him, material possessions were no longer of any importance.

Feng Bingwen glanced around, walked into the courtyard, pushed open the door and entered the room. He immediately saw a "person" lying on the bed, looking withered, thin and frail, as if he had entered his eighties.

If someone were unaware of the situation and saw this person, they would think he was a terminally ill old man. They would never imagine that just over a year ago, he was a vigorous, lecherous, and audacious playboy who dared to have sex with ghosts.

"Ha!"

As Li Shaohong lay on the bed, he sensed someone entering. He tried to make a sound, but he couldn't utter a single clear word. His life essence was almost completely depleted, and his blood and life force were nearly drained.

"He's just one breath left!"

Seeing the young master in such a miserable state, Feng Bingwen remained unmoved, nodded, and waited quietly.

The only thing this person was slightly better than a corpse was that he still had a breath left in his mouth, but it wouldn't be long before that breath dissipated.

As winter sets in, the yang energy that filled the world gradually subsides and is replaced by yin energy mixed with coldness. The last breath of life in the throat of the pampered young master on his sickbed also gradually dissipates with the change of weather.

As the sun completely set, a bright moon rose high in the sky, its light, like water, pouring down and spilling onto the ground through the windowpanes, creating a scene of tranquility.

At this moment, inside the room, on the bed, black mist rose, and then a young man with an exceptionally handsome face sat up from the withered, dried corpse.

His complexion was rosy and his spirit was full, just like a living person. It was none other than the peculiar young master Li. At the moment of his death, the curse on his body completely transformed him into a ghost, and not just any ordinary ghost.

At this moment, Li Shaohong, who had finally freed himself from the constraints of his increasingly frail body, showed a look of joy. However, when he stood up and was about to go out to take a look, he saw Feng Bingwen waiting quietly in the room, and his expression immediately changed.

Before he could say anything, the moonlight streaming in from the window gradually changed color, turning from pure white to blood red. In an instant, a bloody stench filled the air, sending chills down one's spine.

This change was just the beginning. Just as Li Shaohong was wondering what was going on, a long and desolate bugle call sounded, followed by the deep, thunderous sound of war drums.

Amidst the booming drums, the sounds of armor clashing rang out, and the once secluded and tranquil courtyard was instantly transformed into a training ground covered with the marks of swords and axes. Amidst the swirling gray mist, a majestic military formation could be seen practicing.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

At this moment, the sound of neat and powerful footsteps gradually approached, and a dark-armored army appeared. The leader was dressed in black armor, holding an iron halberd, and riding a strong skeletal horse whose eyes flickered with eerie ghostly fire. He looked solemn and awe-inspiring.

The sinister-looking Yin general, accompanied by dozens of Yin soldiers, approached Li Shaohong, whose eyes showed panic and confusion. After scrutinizing him from head to toe, he spoke, his voice hoarse and strained, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time.

"Yongcheng, Li Shaohong?"

"It's...it's me!"

Although he was already a ghost, the young master's legs couldn't help but tremble under the gaze of the Yin general.

“Very good. I am the centurion of the Blood Ghost Camp of the Netherworld Army of the Kingdom of No Destiny. You are now conscripted into my army and will be under my command. Quickly take your place in the ranks.”

"Conscription?"

Having been a pampered young master since childhood, he was initially terrified at the sight of this spectacle, his legs nearly giving way. However, upon hearing that these ghostly soldiers intended to recruit him into their army, and specifically to join the ghost army, he inexplicably found the courage to refuse.

"No, I'm not going!"

"You refused to be drafted?"

Underneath the mask, Yin Jiang's expression remained unchanged, and his tone sounded the same.

"Yes, I don't want to join the army. Do you know who I am? I am the son of the Li family, the richest family in Yongcheng. If you let me go, I can give you..."

"hehe!"

The Yin general riding the Netherworld Horse laughed, though it was a forced laugh. Feng Bingwen, standing beside him, sensed that the man seemed genuinely happy, as if he had seen something he had been hoping for.

"You have no right to refuse. You are a citizen of my Wuding Ghost Kingdom. Refusing to be conscripted is considered desertion, and according to military law, deserters shall be beheaded and their heads displayed to the public!"

As he spoke, Yin Jiang swung his iron halberd and beheaded Li Shaohong on the spot.

The playboy let out a scream as his head rolled several times on the ground, his eyes wide with terror. But after the pain of decapitation subsided, he realized that he was still conscious and could still control his headless body.

He has become a ghost. A fatal wound to a mortal is just an ordinary injury to him. As long as the yin energy continues, his ghostly body will not perish—theoretically speaking.

But before he could even rejoice, he saw Yin, riding the Nether Horse, continue speaking.

"Dismember its ghostly body!"

The ghostly soldiers behind him immediately stepped forward, wielding their weapons, and dismembered Li Shaohong's headless ghost body into eight pieces.

Even so, Li Shaohong did not perish, but he could clearly feel the pain of being dismembered. His head emitted a shrill scream, but no one showed him any pity.

"I will not tolerate any deserters under my command!"

Yin Jiang spoke coldly, looking down at the scattered pieces on the ground.

"Since your will is not strong, then I will make you strong!"

"No!"

Li Shaohong, whose head had been split in two but who was still conscious, let out a scream.

“You can’t treat me like this. I am a human being. My family has been making offerings to the City God Temple every year. The City God will not let you ghosts get away with this.”

“You are already dead. You are now a citizen of the Kingdom of No Destiny. I have conscripted you into the army. Everything will be handled according to military law. No one outside has the right to interfere.”

Yin responded coldly, completely unconcerned about the threat.

Feng Bingwen, watching this scene from the side, finally understood. He had been wondering why this young master, who had raped the Ghost King's maid, had been cursed to become a ghost with profound inner strength and a high potential. Wasn't this a way of fulfilling his wish?

Little did they expect that this was the place they were waiting for. The reason they cursed him to strengthen his foundation in the demonic path was so that he could withstand more punishment.

"String them together, take them back, and hang them on the flagpole in the drill ground!"

After Li Shaohong, whose body had been hacked to pieces, was chained together with an iron lock, the chillingly sinister gaze turned to Feng Bingwen.

"Strange person, have you looked enough?"

"That's it?"

Instead of answering, Feng Bingwen asked a question, pointing to the pitiful-looking Young Master Li. Although he looked miserable, he had a very deep foundation. As a ghost, once the iron chains were loosened, he would probably be back to normal in less than a day.

"According to military regulations, deserters are subject to eighteen soul-ripping punishments, and what you just experienced was only the first one!"

"I see!"

"Human, you seem quite interested in us. Would you like to visit the Ghost Kingdom?"

"You're inviting me into the land of ghosts?"

Feng Bingwen's expression immediately became extremely subtle. In this day and age, are ghosts all so hospitable?

"Don't you dare?"

"Don't try to provoke me. What's the reason for inviting me?"

Although it sounds a bit far-fetched, Feng Bingwen felt that the Yin army in front of him, besides the chilling and deathly stillness that most ghosts have, also gave off an air of order. They were a group of ghosts who followed the rules.

"The young king of my Ghost Kingdom has recently made great progress in his cultivation and wishes to challenge a cultivator of equal strength. You are the cultivator with the deepest foundation I have ever seen. You are worthy to fight the young king!"

"Young King?"

Feng Bingwen suppressed a laugh. As far as he knew, the foundation of the Wuding Ghost Kingdom was Mount Qingmang. If that Ghost King wasn't strong enough, he could have overturned the entire Ghost Kingdom with the Mountain-Moving Cauldron. However, there was no need to say it aloud.

"If you are willing to follow me into the Ghost Kingdom and fight the young city lord, you will be rewarded regardless of victory or defeat. If you defeat the young city lord, you will receive a reward from the Ghost King!"

"Not interested!"

This treacherous general is clearly trying to lure people into a beating, yet he acts all high and mighty, with an arrogant and condescending attitude.

"His Majesty the Ghost King possesses three profound magical abilities: 'Capturing Dragons and Controlling Cranes' for protection and combat, 'Mysterious Soul Divine Light' for attacking the soul, and 'Ten Thousand Trees Bring Spring', a wondrous method that can transform the spiritual body, allowing one to cultivate an indestructible body of ten thousand trees. Even without condensing the Yuan Dan, one possesses the powerful vitality to regenerate severed limbs."

Yin Jiang's words seemed to carry an inexplicable seductive power. He was very confident that it would be difficult for Taoist cultivators to resist the attraction of supernatural powers, not to mention that his master possessed a rare transcendent supernatural power.