Chapter 92: The Power of the People

Everywhere he looked, the entire underground area was illuminated as bright as day by the lamps. Beneath their glow, hundreds of people bustled about, constructing houses. Yes, truly building houses. The ground had been meticulously planned, and they were erecting individual courtyards. Some were already completed, and on the walls of certain courtyards, lines of text had been written.

The light of X shines upon the world, banishing all demons and monsters.
Believe in science, eradicate superstition, achieve the people's great revival.
Do not believe rumors, do not spread rumors; what exists is reasonable, and reason is not a ghost.

Line after line, all written in blood-red, foul-smelling dog blood, yet each character was square and bold. With his sharp eyes, Zhang Kai could see at a glance that even the dense sinister energy of this underground forbidden zone could not penetrate the surroundings of these houses. Some inexplicable force was blocking all abnormal energies from approaching. He could scarcely believe it. Was this the legendary power of the era? No monsters allowed, no ghosts permitted, no superstitions tolerated. Under the suppression of this era’s force, the effect was almost equivalent to taboo powers.

But how had these wealthy folks come up with such a method? Their imagination was soaring beyond the skies. As Zhang Kai walked further, he discovered that the era-characterized scripts and various items were everywhere, all arranged around the entrance. Within the scope of these buildings and objects, not a trace of sinister energy could be found. Even ordinary people could sense the difference clearly.

Looking at all this, Zhang Kai’s mind brimmed with wild ideas. If the entire forbidden zone were filled with these era-featured objects, the forbidden zone would collapse instantly, and the ghosts and evil spirits hiding here would have nowhere left to hide. Just like that, a forbidden zone would be wiped out.

Who would believe such a thing? Indeed, the power of the people was boundless, only lacking the eyes to discover it.

“Brother, look, these are the troublesome spots our people noticed. A few brave workers went in, but they came out raving mad, unconscious and ice-cold. Only prolonged exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet light could slowly revive them. I reckon this is possession by ghosts, and that area must have sinister spirits lurking. You’re the expert—take a look and see if there’s a problem,” said middle-aged Wang with eager concern.

Zhang Kai didn’t need to be told; he had already seen it. In that region, ghostly shadows flitted about, resembling a crowd of refugees herded into a mountain hollow by bandit soldiers, all panicked and lost. Yet, surrounded by the scriptures of the Great Compassion Mantra and the era’s taboo suppressions, these fierce spirits and evil ghosts were as if drugged, weak and powerless, angry but afraid to make a sound.

Watching for a moment, Zhang Kai even felt a pang of sympathy for them.

“Brother Wang, there are ghosts—quite a few, in fact. How about leaving them to me? I’ll handle it,” Zhang Kai said.

Wang was curious. “You can catch them all?”

Zhang Kai smiled. “Perhaps we can collaborate. We’re all after points, and as long as it earns points, we can work together.”

Wang’s eyes sparkled. There were never too many points. He pressed, “Tell me more, brother. If I can help, I’m willing to lend a hand.”

Zhang Kai said, “I plan to create a Ghost City, open to the public, where ordinary people can experience the thrill of meeting ghosts, strengthen their psychological resilience, and even host human-versus-ghost activities to gain experience. It should be highly profitable.”

Wang’s breath quickened. This was not just profitable—it was limitless. Monopoly business! While others were still clueless, the appearance of a Ghost City would be a guiding beacon; people would pay any price to try it.

“Great business, excellent deal! No need to say more—just tell me, what’s the maximum investment you can accept?” Wang looked at Zhang Kai expectantly.

Zhang Kai laughed. “No rush, let me talk to these ghosts first.”

With that, Zhang Kai walked into the area, standing before the crowd of evil spirits. His gaze swept over, and there were at least several hundred sinister spirits, men and women, young and old.

Zhang Kai said, “You all heard what I just said. The era of great change approaches, the time for humanity to remake the world is coming. Your space for survival will diminish. This is an opportunity—cooperate with me, and you will have a sanctuary in this new era, and perhaps more chances in the future. Refuse, and you’ll disappear along with this place. Choose.”

The sinister spirits glanced at one another, silent.

After a moment, an elder ghost stepped forward and looked at Zhang Kai. “How can we trust you?”

Zhang Kai smiled. “If you have some skill, you can sense the aura on me—it’s the scent of the Yellow Springs. Tell me, would someone connected to the Yellow Springs need to trick you minor ghosts?”

The elder ghost asked, “What do you require of us?”

Zhang Kai replied, “Obey. I’ll set rules for you. As long as you stay within the rules, I guarantee your safety. Break them or do what you shouldn’t, and you’ll face consequences.”

“Very well, we agree. We hope you keep your word,” the elder said after conferring with the other spirits.

Zhang Kai smiled and waved. “Come, all of you—into my sleeve.”

The spirits transformed into streams of light, flying into Zhang Kai’s arm and disappearing into his sleeve. In an instant, they were gone.

Only then did Zhang Kai walk out, looking at Wang’s eager face. “It’s done. Now we need a larger space and sufficient safety measures.”

Wang grinned. “Would a film studio be big enough? I can take the lead and work with the local authorities, guaranteeing zero issues. Haha, brother, once this Ghost City project launches, we’ll just wait to count our money! Earning points will no longer be a dream.”

“All right, you take charge of coordination, and we can develop it together,” Zhang Kai smiled.

“Let’s keep going. This place is huge—the further in, the colder it feels. The planning department told me that only this area can be renovated; deeper inside, it’s unbearably cold, with hallucinations, and trouble seems imminent. As an expert, what do you think?” Wang continued.

Zhang Kai looked deeper inside. The underground space seemed naturally formed, yet bore traces of artificial work. It appeared irregular, but the core area was sizable, sloping downward ahead. The developed area was less than three hundred meters; beyond that, there was a steep downward slope, the space extending with a height of less than three meters.

Within, it was dim and heavy with moisture.

Zhang Kai’s mind reached out, instantly perceiving the inner situation.

At once, his face changed.

There were strange beasts inside!

And quite a few.

Damn, could this be a nest for invaders from another realm?