Chapter 397: Ghost General Conspiracy, Player Conference
Chapter 397: Ghost General Conspiracy, Player Conference (End of Volume )
Xiao Jie didn't expect that the other party would be so proactive and eager to find someone to occupy the Soul-Suppressing Pass.
However, he was not too happy. It was obvious that they were looking for someone to take the blame. If that was the case, they couldn't be in a hurry to take over the Soul-Suppressing Pass. Once they took it, it would become a burden for the Longxiang Kingdom.
Or to be more precise, it is the burden of the Second Regiment.
If Zhenhun Pass is in danger in the future, won't Longxiang have to take over? Otherwise, if he loses land under the rule of Longxiang Country, he will lose his Kingly Way Value.
This Soul-Suppressing Pass is not easy to defend. If the Yin Tide only came once a week, it would be fine, and the players in the guild could also gain experience points. But we are afraid that some special plot events will happen, just like the sudden Yin Tide last time, and the incident where the four ghost generals gathered together.
All signs indicate that things are not peaceful in Ghost Mist Ridge.
"Old General, has anything special happened outside the city recently? Are there any special ghosts? For example, ghost generals of the underworld?"
The old lieutenant sighed and said, "I've heard from some returnees that there is a gathering of yin energy in the north of the ancient battlefield, strange phenomena are happening frequently, and there are also large numbers of ghosts. Unfortunately, the Zhenhun Pass has limited manpower, so we can't go over to investigate.
I have already issued a mission to the returnees to investigate the cause of the gathering of the Yin energy, but several groups of people have gone there and none of them have brought back any news. "
Xiao Jie nodded, "If Longxiang Nation wants to gain the support of Zhenhun Pass, does it have to do something to prove its strength?"
The old lieutenant nodded and said, "Of course, seeing is believing. I have only heard about what your Longxiang country did in Luoyang Plain. I have to see it with my own eyes to confirm whether it has the strength to take over Zhenhun Pass.
Besides, I am only a captain of Jingwu Army, and matters like this still need the decision of the commander-in-chief.
But don't worry, little brother. The general has been ill due to overwork and has been bedridden for several months. He has not come out to take charge for a long time.
I still have a say in all matters big and small at Zhenhun Pass. If Longxiang Kingdom really wants to gain the support of Zhenhun Pass, it won't be difficult.
You just need to do some simple tasks, such as exploring the general's tomb, destroying the resurrected ghost general, destroying the ghost Buddha in the Dharma King Temple, expelling the drought demon entrenched in the mass grave, and oh, by the way, it would be best to figure out the strange phenomenon of the gathering of yin energy...
Once these things are done, I will naturally join you in the fight."
It’s such a simple task... Xiao Jie was speechless. He thought it could be so easy. Doesn’t it still require boosting popularity?
It seems that this popularity value should be part of the game's internal mechanism and is not so easy to bypass.
Even if these NPCs want to find someone to take over, they must meet the corresponding conditions.
Apart from being able to kill monsters and level up, there aren't many benefits to be gained from Zhenhun Pass. Among the many maps in Fengyin Prefecture, the priority for capturing it should be very low, so we can only do it perfunctorily now.
"Don't worry, old general. I will report this to my country's ruler."
It is impossible to take over, so let these NPCs take over first.
The old lieutenant was looking forward to it. "Then I will wait and see. Young brother risked his life to save his companions. I can see that you must be a hero worthy of trust."
Boom! As the two were talking, a strange thunder suddenly sounded in the distance.
"Look!"
"Damn, it appears again!" someone exclaimed.
Xiao Jie looked in the direction where the thunder came from, and saw the ancient battlefield in the extreme north. Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and a vortex of yin energy rose into the sky. Green lightning flickered in it, and it seemed as if the earth was shaking in the roar.
The lightning did not have the dazzling momentum of natural thunder and lightning, but instead carried a sense of evil.
However, Xiao Jie could see clearly that the location of the vortex of Yin energy was clearly the place where they encountered the four ghost generals. It seemed that something was really happening in that place, causing such a big commotion.
He called over the two players on the wall.
"Have you ever seen anything like this before?"
"I've seen it before. There's a wave of this every one or two days."
“It happened several times.”
"Five times."
"Yes, yes, this is the fifth time."
Five times?... Xiao Jie pondered in his heart that the four ghost generals must want to do something, and this strange phenomenon was most likely a sign that they were in the process of doing something.
If we don't stop them, I'm afraid they will probably succeed in the end...
However, he did not intend to check it out. The strength of the Four Ghost Generals was not comparable to the mountain kings of the Black Wind Mountain. It was possible that all the people the master had gathered would be wiped out.
These few people are not strong enough, so it would be safer to gather the entire guild together.
So I won’t join in the fun in the short term.
I just don't know what those four ghost generals are doing.
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At this moment, in the north of the ancient battlefield——
Judgment (Ghost General of the Underworld): "Damn it, failed again! This immortal seal is really troublesome. I can't open it after spending so much effort." The ghost general of the underworld said angrily.
In this abandoned farmland, a huge depression has been dug out.
At the bottom of the pit, a huge stone plate with a diameter of more than ten meters suddenly appeared. There were circles of runes and spells engraved on the stone plate.
In the middle of the stone plate, there are seven stone grooves arranged in the shape of seven stars.
Obviously, this is another immortal relic that needs spirit stone talismans to open.
However, the ghost generals have no habit of collecting spirit stones and talismans. They can only rely on the netherworld spells they have mastered to use the power of magic to forcibly break the seal.
However, although the ghost generals can use the underworld spell, they are not professional spellcasters after all. The four of them are helpless against the immortal seal. Even if the power of the four ghost generals is combined, they are unable to open it.
The strange phenomenon of the gathering of Yin energy was created during the four people's experiment.
Looking at the intact seal at this moment, the four ghost generals were speechless.
Evil Shadow (Ghost General of the Underworld): "No matter how difficult it is, we must keep trying. As long as we open this gate of hell, my army from the underworld will invade the world of the living again."
Jue Gu (Ghost General of the Netherworld): "That's right. Without those immortals getting in the way this time, we can definitely turn this world into a paradise in the netherworld."
Lingmie (ghost general of the underworld): "Alas, it has been many years since we felt the nourishment of the Yin energy of the netherworld. The longer we stay in this world, the more power we lose."
Judgment (Ghost General of the Underworld): "Then keep trying. What does it matter if it is the seal of the immortal? It has been three thousand years since these seals were put in place. I am sure that there is not much immortal power left. If we try a few more times, we will surely succeed. Then -"
"Hehehe, if I were you, I wouldn't be so confident." A voice suddenly interrupted the conversation between the four ghost generals.
The four ghost generals all showed surprised expressions. The seal was surrounded by ghosts summoned by the four and resurrected corpses and ghosts.
Who could get here without making any noise?
The four ghost generals looked carefully and saw a black shadow slowly floating out from the darkness.
This person could be vaguely seen as a human wearing a black cloak, but his entire body was shrouded in darkness, like a drifting ink stain floating in the air. He looked more like a ghost than the four ghost generals. The four ghost generals saw the black shadow, but did not relax their guard.
Instead, they raised their weapons.
Evil Shadow (Ghost General of the Underworld): "You, a returnee, think you can fool us? I can see through your identity at a glance."
Jue Gu (Ghost General of the Netherworld): "That's right, you think you can get away with just being the incarnation of the Netherworld? It won't be that easy."
The black shadow was not nervous at all. "Haha, I have no intention of hiding anything. Yes, I am indeed a returnee, but we returnees are not a monolithic group. Each returnee has his or her own goals and pursuits. I am sure you have noticed that I am practicing the Netherworld Spell. With my current level of cultivation, I will be able to cultivate the body of a ghost after practicing for a while, and then I will be no different from the ghosts.
If the gates of hell are opened and the world is purified by the aura of the underworld, the underworld spells that I practice will naturally become more powerful.
So don't worry about me, I'm here to help."
Lingmie (Ghost General of the Underworld): "Do you have a way to open this seal?"
“That’s right, but I won’t do this for nothing. If you want me to help you open the Ghost Gate, you must teach me all the netherworld spells that you know.
Not only that, once the Ghost Gate is opened, it will surely cause a shocking event. By then, the Soul-Calming Pass will certainly be prepared, and the returnees from Fengyinzhou will also gather here. By then, even with the army of the underworld, it will probably be difficult to capture the Soul-Calming Pass.
As long as you are willing to teach me the netherworld spells you have mastered, I will not only help you open the gate, but I will also have a way to prevent the returnees from Fengyinzhou from supporting the Soul-Calming Pass in a short period of time."
The four ghost generals looked at each other and quickly discussed.
Although the person in front of me is a returnee, he somehow looks quite pleasing to the eye.
Moreover, those returning home are indeed a trouble. Zhenhun Pass is easy to defend but difficult to attack. If the garrison is sufficient, the army will be blocked under the pass, and no matter how many troops there are, it will be in vain.
The four ghosts looked at each other and said, "Deal, when do we start?"
The black shadow smiled and said, "It's not the right time yet. Please wait patiently for a few days. When the time comes, I will come to open the door. As for now - send me the task first."
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Xiao Jie did not stay in Zhenhun Pass for too long and soon led his men away.
There is no need to seize this place yet.
However, it is still necessary to pay attention to it. According to the background setting, this is an important gateway to protect Fengyinzhou from the destruction of the undead army. Back then, the army of the Longhua Empire cut off the army of the underworld and isolated the battlefield by building the Zhenhun Pass.
Although there are ghosts everywhere in Fengyin Prefecture nowadays, overall it is not too scary, and at least the people can still live.
If the Zhenhun Pass were to be lost, countless undead souls would flood into Fengyin Prefecture, and that would be disastrous.
Xiao Jie was just thinking about it when a private message from Long Xing Tianxia came.
Long Xing Tian Xia: How is it? Did you receive the money?
Yin Yue Sui Feng: Got it. By the way, I found some bad signs in Zhenhun Pass. It seems like something bad is going to happen here soon. When are we going to occupy this land?
Long Xing Tian Xia: This matter is not urgent. For now, our main focus is to seize the territories where the six towns are located. After all, we can collect taxes there.
Only with taxes can you build an army. Once you have an army, you can consider seizing these military strongholds. Otherwise, even if you get them, there will be no one to guard them. You can't just rely on a few hundred players.
Xiao Jie thought so too.
This game allows for the collection of taxes. After occupying Luoyang Town, Xiao Jie studied the territory splash system and was surprised to find that he could collect commercial taxes from merchants in the town.
Players can decide the tax rate freely, and the level of the tax rate directly affects the price of goods.
For example, if a bottle of medium-sized golden wound medicine is sold by a merchant for 100 wen, and if a 5% business tax is collected, the store price will increase to 150 wen, and the extra 50 wen will become tax revenue for the Longxiang Kingdom.
Of course, the higher the business tax, the higher the prices. Prices that are too high may cause players to go to other towns to level up and replenish supplies, and may also cause dissatisfaction among city residents, so a good balance must be struck.
Currently, the default tax rate for all merchants in Luoyang Town is 20%. This number will be maintained for the time being. The more players spend, the more taxes they will pay.
One of the great benefits of joining Longxiang Nation is tax exemption, which means you can buy elixirs, repair equipment, etc. at a much lower price.
In addition to commercial taxes, agricultural taxes can also be collected. In relatively peaceful maps like the Sunset Plains, there is arable land outside towns and in various villages, and there are NPC farmers cultivating the land. Depending on the level of the land and the crops, various crops and ingredients can be harvested, and these can all be taxed.
The agricultural tax was also decided by Xiao Jie. A low tax rate can increase the population reproduction rate, but of course the money collected will be less.
A high tax rate will naturally result in more money being collected, but the increase in the peasant population will also be reduced. If the agricultural tax is too high, the popularity of the people may decline, and it may even lead to the people's livelihood being miserable, triggering plot events such as peasant uprisings.
Therefore, Xiao Jie is currently also following the default tax rate arrangement. According to the current tax rate, it is not difficult to collect several thousand taels of silver every month.
Although a large part of the cost will be consumed by the upkeep of the army and the maintenance of NPC affairs officers, a lot of surplus can still be obtained.
In the map where the Six Towns are located, because there are human towns, there will naturally be players spending money in them, which can generate a steady stream of tax revenue.
You can also collect agricultural taxes from NPC farmers, which can be said to be a huge profit.
In contrast, high-risk maps without human towns offer little benefit.
Although there are some traveling merchants and supply points that can collect taxes, because it is a death game, there are very few players who go to high-level maps to adventure, so naturally there are not many people who go to consume, and no taxes can be collected at all.
Yin Yue Sui Feng: I understand. But I still think we should pay attention to it. If Zhenhun Pass really falls, the entire Fengyin Province will be flooded with corpses, so I plan to arrange a few people at Zhenhun Pass to monitor the dynamics of the ancient battlefield for a long time.
Once the Soul-Rising Pass falls and the undead army floods into Fengyin Province, those towns may still be able to be defended, but those villages that have just been recovered will probably be completely submerged by the tide of zombies.
Anyway, there are players from Longxiang who are leveling up and fighting monsters in Zhenhun Pass, and they can also monitor it and get some reward points. Naturally, many people are rushing to take this job.
Long Xing Tian Xia: Feng Yinzhou is under your responsibility, so it’s up to you to decide.
However, the most urgent task is to unify the players of the two states. I plan to hold an offline player conference and call all the players from Fengyin State and Beiming State for an offline meeting.
This way we can attract as many players as possible to join our guild, and even if they don't join, we can still engage in face-to-face business cooperation.
Can you come along? We can also get together offline and keep in touch.
At the same time, we discussed the next development strategy. Although we can chat online, I feel that offline discussions are more intuitive.
Xiao Jie thought that this was a good idea.
Things on the Internet are virtual after all. Everyone works hard in the game just to have fun in real life. It is a good idea to share what you have with each other.
If we can gather together offline and organize an event, then cooperation in the game will naturally be more convenient.
It is not easy for ordinary people to do such things, but now that Long Xiang is in charge of two states, with his reputation as a dragon traveling the world, he can really get a lot of support.
Xiao Jie thought about it and felt that it would be nice to meet everyone offline.
Yin Yue Sui Feng: I will definitely be there.
(End of Volume 5)
(End of this chapter)