Chapter 77 Landlord

The Enslaving Ghost led the four of them to an imposing courtyard house.

This residence was far more refined and spacious than the dilapidated mud houses in the village; with its blue-brick walls and towering wooden beams, it stood out starkly in this eerie village, truly befitting the only Landlord in this place.

However, it did not lead the four of them inside, but continued along the path outside the courtyard. Before long, a bustling construction site appeared before their eyes.

There were already over a dozen mud houses behind the construction site, and the current one had its mud walls rammed up to half their height, with several Field Ghosts dressed in coarse cloth clothes standing on the walls.

Field Ghosts are vengeful spirits from paddy fields and rice paddies, mostly people who drowned or worked themselves to death in the fields. They roam the field ridges at night, tripping people, causing them to wander in circles, or wailing during the rice-planting season.

These Field Ghosts were all villagers who had been invited by the Landlord to ram the mud houses.

"You must finish ramming this mud house within today. Do you understand?"

The Enslaving Ghost's words were not just for the ghosts on the wall, but also a warning to Gu Ye and the other three.

"Alright, start working."

"Alright, get to work, all of you. No slacking off!"

It glared fiercely at everyone before turning and leaving the construction site.

The moment the Enslaving Ghost disappeared at the intersection, the expressions of the Field Ghosts on the wall changed instantly. They all turned in unison to look at Gu Ye and the others, their murky eyes bursting with greedy, bloodthirsty light.

"Such fresh flesh and blood..."

"Let's just slaughter them for an extra meal; I haven't touched meat for several days."

"These people are helpers found by that petty one; killing them rashly won't be easy to explain."

"Hmph, lucky for them..."

Gu Ye was speechless upon hearing this. Is it really appropriate to discuss how to eat them so loudly right in front of them?

With a slight glance, he saw through that these Field Ghosts were only at the Bronze Rank Seven or Eight level, and a string of question marks couldn't help but pop up in his mind.

With only this much strength, who gave them the courage?

The other two also had dark expressions, but neither intended to make a move.

The other two Examinees also had dark faces and twitching mouths, but they were wary of the village rules and dared not act rashly.

At this moment, one of the Field Ghosts saw the four of them standing still and was suddenly furious, shouting sternly:

"What are you four still staring at! Are you looking for death? If you really want to die, you might as well die by our hands; at least we'll give you a quick end!"

The Field Ghost licked its lips, its greedy gaze sweeping over them, and the other Field Ghosts joined in with jeering laughter.

"Looking for death!"

Luo Yuerou stepped forward, her aura suddenly sinking. A cold, bone-chilling pressure swept out like a tidal wave, instantly enveloping the entire mud wall.

"Kneel!"

A soft shout, carrying an irresistible majesty.

The Field Ghosts' hearts sank suddenly, as if they were being pressed down hard by an invisible giant hand. Their limbs went weak uncontrollably, and they knelt to the ground one after another with "thumps." In their eyes looking at Luo Yuerou, only extreme fear remained; they didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

Gu Ye was also slightly surprised.

This was the first time he had seen such a strong and sharp side of Luo Yuerou.

The two people on the side also had their expressions change drastically after feeling Luo Yuerou's pressure, subconsciously taking two steps back to stay away from them, while Gu Ye felt nothing at all.

Only Gu Ye stood in place, his expression as usual, as if that pressure didn't exist at all.

"Forget it, it won't be too late to slaughter them after we figure out the Landlord's strength."

Gu Ye stepped forward and gently pressed Luo Yuerou's arm.

Luo Yuerou withdrew her aura and swept a faint glance at the Field Ghosts:

"Then I will spare your lives."

The Field Ghosts were scared out of their wits and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Thank you for not killing us, heroine!"

"Get to work!"

Gu Ye waved his hand, and the Field Ghosts, as if granted amnesty, hurriedly grabbed the wooden pestles and stone rammers, burying their heads and working frantically, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Gu Ye turned to look at Luo Yuerou and smiled: "Let's start too, so we don't have trouble when the Landlord comes later."

Luo Yuerou nodded slightly. The two picked up the ramming tools from the ground, climbed up another mud wall, and, imitating the Field Ghosts, filled the formwork with mud mixed with weeds, ramming it down heavily, pestle by pestle.

Seeing that no fight had broken out, the other two looked at Gu Ye and the other with a hint of fear. Although they knew that fighting was not allowed in the village, Luo Yuerou's aura was too astonishing, making them feel psychologically afraid.

The two agreed to pick up their tools, climbed to another wall, and began ramming the mud.

Time passed bit by bit, and several mud walls were nearing completion, but the Landlord had yet to show up.

Luo Yuerou leaned close to Gu Ye's ear, her breath soft, and whispered: "Do you think that Landlord will actually come today?"

"He definitely will." Gu Ye's tone was firm, "This house is his property; he must personally inspect the quality, it's impossible for him to ignore it."

Just as he finished speaking, a figure slowly walked over from the end of the path.

The person was dressed in luxurious clothing, wrapped in silk, and had a fat, bloated figure, forming a stark contrast with the tattered Field Ghosts in the construction site.

It was the Landlord of this place.

Several people instantly fell silent and stopped their movements.

The Landlord's fat face was full of smiles. He circled the mud walls twice, nodding repeatedly: "Haha, well done, you all deserve a reward!"

Under the puzzled gazes of Gu Ye and the others, he gently clapped his fat hands.

The void behind him suddenly cracked open a pitch-black fissure. A team of exquisitely dressed maids filed out carrying huge wooden trays. The "food" on the trays made people's hearts tighten—

There were blood-dripping, carefully cut internal organs; trembling, soft meat resembling human brains; and round, slightly pulsing dark red orbs.

Gu Ye and the four others' expressions changed slightly, feeling a wave of discomfort. Luo Yuerou even frowned slightly, suppressing the churning in her stomach. This was her first time seeing such an eerie and horrifying "reward."

But the Field Ghosts on the wall instantly had bright eyes, trembling with excitement, and kept wiping the drool from the corners of their mouths.

"Ten days! Finally, it's time to eat! And it's so sumptuous!" "Just smelling it is irresistibly fragrant!"

A Field Ghost turned its head nervously to look at Gu Ye and the others, with a mournful face:

"They... they won't fight us for it, right? We can't beat them..."

The other Field Ghosts also became nervous instantly, looking cautiously at Gu Ye and the four.

At this moment, Gu Ye was quietly observing the Landlord below; he was full of flab, but his aura was very deep.

Willow Crab was not on him, and Gu Ye could not observe what realm the Landlord was in, so he split a sliver of his mind into his sea of consciousness.

"Night Dwelling Phoenix, can you see what realm the Landlord in front is?"

"Don't bother her with such trivial matters, be careful she gives you a cold shoulder again." Willow Crab's cautious voice immediately rang in Gu Ye's mind.

Before the voice could finish, Willow Crab suddenly screamed, and Gu Ye's eyelids couldn't help but twitch.

Under Willow Crab's constant begging for mercy, Night Dwelling Phoenix let him go.

"Told you to stop being a smartass!" Gu Ye teased.

"Hehe~~ What do you know, this is called strengthening muscles and forging bones."

"Stop babbling, let Master Liu take a look first."

Gu Ye synchronized his vision with Willow Crab, and Willow Crab finished observing in a few seconds.