Chapter Thirty-One: The Power of Soul Guidance

General Huo's words were not an exaggeration. The Jiang family dynasty had already collapsed. Although the person sitting in the wheelchair still bore the surname Jiang, he had gone from being the direct descendant to a remote collateral branch, and in essence, he was still only a name.

The common people certainly didn't care who was sitting on the throne; anyway, it was a hard life, and whether they were only three-tenths full or seven-tenths full, they were still hungry.

Hensheng was momentarily lost. He had come all this way just to find an answer, but Su Zhenzhen had so casually revealed the bloody truth, making him seem too naive.

But if I don't go to the capital, what can I do for those who died because of me?

Jiang Sijin tugged at Hensheng's sleeve. "Let General Huo continue."

Then he looked up at General Huo and said, "Since the old general has spoken, he must already have a plan in mind."

“Indeed, my Huo family army still has five hundred surviving cavalry. Your Highness may wish to start from Shanxian County, first cultivate your own strength, and then compete with the world.”

To everyone's surprise, Hensheng actually walked up to Su Zhenzhen and squatted down.

What do you think?

Su Zhenzhen was a little confused. What was there to think? Admittedly, they might encounter many wronged souls on their way south to the capital, but the atmosphere and plot had already reached this point, and there was no point in going against the grain.

Most importantly, if we use Yamagata as our base, can we ask the viewers to donate some high-quality seeds so that we can eat white rice every day soon?

“Look at you, if you go south, I’ll go south with you. If you stay in Shanxian, we’ll stay in Shanxian.”

Having received Su Zhenzhen's promise, Hensheng felt a weight lifted from his heart.

"Then I will listen to the old general. May I ask where those five hundred surviving cavalry are?"

"When I died in battle, most of my soldiers fought to the last moment. However, the puppet emperor took the throne and, due to the situation in the border region, made overtures to the Hu people, promising them a lot of gold and silver. He also replaced the generals stationed there, and some old, weak, sick, and disabled soldiers were replaced. These people, like me, were loyal to the Jiang family dynasty, and even more loyal to His Majesty. As far as I know, there are about five hundred of them who have not yet died, and they all retired together back then and now live together."

This is much more convenient and less troublesome; as long as you find their place of residence, you can bring them under your command.

"Please show me the way, General."

General Huo stroked his beard and said, "It would be inappropriate for Your Highness to go now."

Huo Yi chimed in, “General, you’re right. Most of our General Huos are proud and have a strong sense of integrity. His Highness the Crown Prince is too weak and frail to be trusted. It would be better to take advantage of our time in Shanxian to learn some self-defense techniques first, and then figure out how to sow the seeds. After all, it’s already autumn, and the winters in the Northwest can freeze people to death.”

He was like a well-behaved elementary school student, doing whatever the teacher told him to do.

Jiang Sijin raised her small hand, "Could we make the coffins first? So we can put the remains of the generals in them. Also, General Huo, do you know where your remains are? I'll use the best wood for you."

Old Man Bai has a lot to say on this topic. "When the news of General Huo's death came, I searched for three days and three nights on the front line while the barbarians were retreating, but I couldn't even find a piece of General Huo's clothing."

It's normal that they can't find him. If it weren't for General Huo, those barbarians would probably have taken advantage of the internal strife in the Central Plains to move south long ago. Now that the emperor has changed and is bowing down to appease them, he's just an old general who died in battle. He's just at the mercy of the barbarians to have his bones crushed and his ashes scattered.

The atmosphere became somewhat heavy for a moment. Su Zhenzhen snapped her fingers and said, "Hensheng, come here."

What a joke! These eight ghosts and one ghost general can chat and laugh here because of their own soul power. It's really heartbreaking.

Su Zhenzhen felt a little nauseous. Please don't! There's nothing in my stomach. If I vomit bile, I'll suffer terribly.

Hensheng obediently sat down next to Su Zhenzhen.

Jiang Sijin was unconvinced and followed him, climbing onto Hensheng's back. He immediately helped her up.

Su Zhenzhen didn't care about these things. The moment Hen Sheng got close, a surge of power flowed into her body. Not only did she not feel nauseous, but her breathing became much smoother.

After the treatment was completed, Su Zhenzhen looked at the eight ghosts. There were two karmic threads attached to them. One was because of General Huo, which was untied the moment they saw him. The other was because the Han Chinese people who were blocked outside Shanxian County blamed everything on these eight people.

The solution is simple: offer sacrifices to the spirits of the dead in the mountain county and state that you were following orders from above. This karmic thread will then be untied.

However, this resentment will also be transferred to General Huo, adding another karmic burden to his life.

However, given the karma he has accumulated, it makes no difference whether he has one more or one less.

Su Zhenzhen carefully explained the pros and cons, "Do any of you eight want to be reincarnated?"

The eight ghosts shook their heads in unison. "We don't want to be reincarnated. We want to protect His Highness the Crown Prince with General Huo."

“Alright. Then I’ll put him away.” Su Zhenzhen pointed at General Huo. “He has worked hard and made great contributions to the people throughout his life, but many people have also died because of his decisions. The cause and effect are entangled and unclear. It would take too much of my power to bring his soul into the world.”

The words were made very clear. General Huo was not one to trouble others, so he immediately told Su Zhenzhen to put him away.

That night, the two elderly people set up a simple bed to sleep on, while Hensheng and Su Zhenzhen meditated together.

He had his eyes closed and was breathing evenly; he seemed to be asleep.

Eight ghosts were scattered in the corners of the house, acting as door gods.

Su Zhenzhen sat in meditation with her eyes closed.

Long, drawn-out breaths followed one after another; only Su Zhenzhen and Jiang Sijin remained awake.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" Su Zhenzhen asked with her eyes closed. She was genuinely curious. She had only undergone genetic optimization and was more resistant to sleep, not become an immortal. Her body was already exhausted from the recent ups and downs.

Jiang Sijin played with her hair, which was still full of resentment. Perhaps because Su Zhenzhen was the only one still awake, and nighttime was a good time for emotions to run high, her tone was not as arrogant as before.

"I don't need to sleep. But you, your eyelids are drooping. You should get some sleep first."

Su Zhenzhen shook her head. If she slept, her mental strength would weaken, and she wouldn't be able to control the eight ghosts.

They have already appeared before the people; if they are not protected by themselves, their souls will easily scatter and eventually return to the world.

If you want to go to sleep, you must first put away the eight ghosts.

However, the storage compartments were full of the old man's belongings, so Su Zhenzhen had to take them out one by one.

Seeing Su Zhenzhen conjure up so many things out of thin air, Jiang Sijin's eyes were truly filled with longing.

"Hey, do you have some kind of magical artifact or treasure? Can I take a look?"