Chapter 257: “Sacrifice” and “Freedom”

Seeing the cart-puller’s indifferent attitude, the plump woman felt her anger surge.

Indeed, when the power gap between two sides was overwhelming, knowing in advance wouldn’t have made much of a difference.

After all, in their eyes, the only one who could stand against that man in white was their master.

But their master was currently unavailable, and in their powerless state, knowing about a formidable enemy would only add to their psychological burden.

“Forget it. In any case, when spreading corruption tonight, remember not to harm anyone with your powers… Someone at that level shouldn’t go back on their word.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Yang Wang, who had been listening for a while, suddenly asked,

“Who… are you people?”

“Seal him up. Don’t kill him—he might come in handy as a hostage later.”

“Got it.”

The cart-puller smacked the clay jar, and Yang Wang’s soul flickered before dissolving into wisps of black smoke, which flowed back into the jar.

Meanwhile, the plump woman continued,

“Although I was appointed by the master as the leader, the decision to sacrifice our cultivation must be made collectively.”

“My suggestion is—rather than dragging this out, we should take the risk tonight. Sacrifice our cultivation and summon the master!”

At these words, the boat cabin fell into a deep silence, so quiet that their faint breaths were the only sound.

“Lustful Ghost… you do realize that without our cultivation, we’ll have nothing left, right?” The cart-puller chuckled.

Lustful Ghost nodded. “Of course I know. But if we fail this, we won’t just lose our cultivation—we’ll lose an opportunity.”

The cart-puller raised an eyebrow. “What opportunity?”

Lustful Ghost paused before answering, “Freedom.”

A simple word, yet the other three chang ghosts collectively sucked in a sharp breath.

They stared at Lustful Ghost in disbelief, as if to say—”You’re already a chang ghost, and you still dream of freedom?”

For a chang ghost, life and death depended solely on their master’s whim. Even their thoughts were not private—if the master wished to know, it would take only a moment.

Typically, a chang ghost either died in the line of duty or perished alongside their master.

To them, freedom was a meaningless fantasy.

After all, turning someone into a chang ghost, nurturing them with spiritual power, and further enhancing their cultivation required an enormous investment of time, effort, and resources.

Their current strength was largely due to their master’s painstaking efforts in raising them.

The stronger they became, the less likely their master was to set them free.

Conversely, if they became too weak, their master might simply erase them out of irritation—after all, who would want to sustain useless retainers who only consumed power without contributing?

“You’re dreaming.”

The butcher, usually the most hot-tempered among them, spoke with an unusual calmness, tinged with mockery.

Lustful Ghost wasn’t surprised by their reactions. She simply smiled and said,

“You’re worried that without our cultivation, our master will discard us—or worse, kill us outright.”

“But have you considered—if our master succeeds this time, their cultivation might reach the level of the Flood Dragon Emperor?”

“At that stage, our usefulness to the master will be greatly diminished.”

“With or without our cultivation, we’d still be insignificant ants—one slightly bigger than the other, but ants nonetheless.”

“However, if we willingly sacrifice our cultivation—without being ordered to—to help the master succeed, then at the very least, we’ll have rendered a significant service.”

“And when that time comes, if we ask for freedom, why wouldn’t the master grant it?”

“A token of gratitude versus a lifeline in dire need—you all know which one carries more weight.”

As her words settled, silence returned.

But this time, there was a flicker of hesitation on their faces.

After a long pause, the opera-clad youth, who had been sobbing and wailing all this time, unexpectedly spoke in a serious tone,

“Lustful Ghost makes sense. If we truly have a chance at freedom, then even if we lose our cultivation, we’re not incapable of rebuilding it.”

His agreement was like a catalyst, further inflating the thoughts already brewing in the cart-puller and the butcher’s minds.

“Offering up our cultivation isn’t out of the question, but it should be our last resort. Let’s observe the situation tonight first.” With that, the butcher stood up and walked out of the cabin.

Seeing this, the cart-puller also got up, saying as he walked out, “Sacrificing our cultivation should be our trump card.”

Among the four chang ghosts, two were ready to make the sacrifice immediately, while the other two suppressed their yearning for freedom.

It wasn’t a matter of right or wrong—one side was simply more aggressive, while the other was more cautious.

“Fine, let’s leave it at that for now. As long as we’re all willing to sacrifice our cultivation, whether sooner or later, our master will descend.”

“Once the master descends, that white-robed man will no longer be a threat…”

With those parting words, the plump woman also got up and left, her figure gradually fading into the misty rain…

…

That night, Yanhuo Alley came alive once again. The plump woman continued to dance diligently on the stage, stirring excitement among the audience below.

However, unlike the previous night, a group of seven or eight young men in embroidered robes had gathered in one corner of the main hall.

Under the guidance of Yu Ling, the renowned courtesan, they were reading the Dao De Jing…

A courtesan leading a reading of the Dao De Jing in a pleasure district—no matter the era, it was a jarringly out-of-place sight.

“Gentlemen, while reading the Dao De Jing, you must not look at the women on stage. Otherwise, the scripture’s power will be greatly diminished.”

With a wave of her sleeve, Yu Ling added playfully, “You’re all men of wealth—surely you wouldn’t want to lose money just for stealing a glance, would you?”

At these words, the men—who had been holding the scripture in their hands, reading aloud while sneaking glances at the performers—shuddered and quickly shifted their gazes back to the text.

Similar “study sessions” were unfolding all across Yanhuo Alley.

Leading them were former courtesans, all sharing Yu Ling’s sentiment—they did not wish to see West Corner Village descend into sheer debauchery simply because of one person’s influence.

Gu Ning’an strolled through the alley, witnessing these scenes unfold. He couldn’t help but admire Yu Ling’s remarkable ability to organize and adapt.

Earlier, he had merely told her that human desires were universal—once basic needs were met, people naturally sought pleasure. However, if indulgence in pleasure led to financial loss or illness, that desire could be suppressed or even replaced.

From just that one conversation, Yu Ling had devised countless ways to frame the message… Phrases like “impotence,” “financial ruin,” and “sudden death” flowed from her mouth one after another.

She even rallied a group of courtesans to “preach and teach,” significantly slowing down Lustful Ghost’s soul-devouring activities…