Chapter 13
Perhaps it was a deep-seated love turned to hate? Whatever the reason, Jin Youqian also noticed the white shadow.
“Damn it, don’t run!” He chased after it without hesitation.
Wenge was shocked. Jin Youqian had been cowardly until now, his bravest moment being a sarcastic remark before they saw the faint light emanating from the white ghost. How could he be so bold now?
Fortunately, Jin Youqian quickly reverted to his familiar form. After only two or three seconds, Jin Youqian, already some distance away, looked back while running, saying, “Master, I’ll—”
Seeing Luo Wenshu still standing where she was, not having moved an inch, Jin Youqian’s voice trailed off, and his feet stopped. In the bustling illusion, Jin Youqian stood awkwardly, wishing he could disappear.
“…Not chasing?” His voice was laced with embarrassment.
“No need to chase. It can’t escape.” Considering him a valuable client, Luo Wenshu refrained from laughing.
They had lost the white ghost’s aura outside the gatehouse because it had entered this special small world. After entering, Luo Wenshu didn’t rush to find it; she observed the illusion. Now that it had revealed itself, she didn’t need to search.
“Let’s go,” she said, taking Luo Xingyu’s hand, and calmly walked through the crowd in the illusion, her pace unhurried, as if she were taking a stroll.
On the other side, the white ghost—despite being a ghost itself—acted as if it was being chased, frantically fleeing. Jin Youqian and the driver had returned; the woman and child beside them were clearly not from here.
The white ghost wasn’t an unintelligent specter; on the contrary, it was quite clever. A short while ago, it had lured Jin Youqian here, intending to bring him into the ghost realm at midnight for a sacrifice. Unexpectedly, the man was a coward despite his height. It had no choice but to improvise a bracelet to deceive him.
Just as he was about to pass through the gatehouse and enter the ghost realm, he had retreated again! It was infuriating.
Running, was he? Let’s see how far you can run!
Then ensued a chase scene. Oh, no, he actually escaped.
The deity in that temple had long since perished, but the faint light still protected humanity. Once Jin Youqian entered, the white ghost could no longer harm him, which is why it attacked them frantically in that final stretch. That place wasn’t affected by the illusion, meaning cell phone signals would be restored, and Jin Youqian could contact the cultivator who gave him the amulet.
Speaking of which, the white ghost was furious. The supposed “end of the Dharma age,” with its depleted spiritual energy and fraudulent cultivators, was a lie. How did Jin Youqian obtain a high-quality protective amulet so easily?!
It had been unlucky; even trying to get a meal had been difficult. It had simply grown tired of the ghost realm and wanted to venture outside, only to encounter a fatal accident!
Normally, lesser ghosts would collect souls; they were easy to fool. But why were there Yama’s messengers disguised as lesser ghosts?!
It had fled as soon as things went wrong, but it was still noticed. It had managed to escape, but the cost was too horrible to contemplate.
The white ghost thought, I’ve suffered so much, it’s not too much to have a human snack, right? But… never mind.
It just wanted Jin Youqian to leave as quickly as possible. This ghost realm had only recently formed, and it was responsible for guarding it. If anything went wrong, the consequences… just thinking about it sent chills down its spine.
Reality defied expectations. Soon after returning to the ghost realm, the white ghost sensed living people entering. It was faint because it was severely injured, its power reduced to a tenth, weakening its control over the ghost realm.
The white ghost frantically prayed it wasn’t Jin Youqian. That coward’s amulet was already shattered; he might have backup. It didn’t want to face Jin Youqian’s powerful backer! It hoped it was ghost hunters or anglers. It wasn’t about preference; at this time of night, only such people would be out in the wilderness.
It cautiously investigated the situation…
Damn it!
The worst-case scenario unfolded. Jin Youqian, looking like a beggar, stood among local “people” and illusions. In the ghost realm, living beings were like lights in the darkness, easily seen. There were four living people: Jin Youqian and the driver, the pale woman, and a thin child.
But how was this possible?! Today’s experiences had taught the white ghost not to be deceived by appearances.
Look at Jin Youqian; despite his appearance, his aura had changed. What could have caused such a change in such a short time? Only one answer: his backer had arrived!
It was time to run! The white ghost fled, concealing its aura.
“Should be safe…”
It hid in the center of the ghost realm, where it could manipulate it using certain tools. Unless a Yama’s messenger arrived, no human cultivator could defeat it. But it wouldn’t resort to this unless necessary. It was badly injured and could be backlashed. The tools in the center had special uses.
“How did I end up like this?!”
The white ghost was furious. If it hadn’t been for that accident, it wouldn’t have encountered a messenger disguised as a minor ghost, wouldn’t have been injured, wouldn’t have tried to trick a coward for a snack, and wouldn’t have been scared away by his supposed backer!
Suddenly, a calm voice came from behind, “You’re hiding here conveniently. It saves me a trip.”
The white ghost’s fur stood on end.
“How did you find me?!” It darted to the edge, tensely staring at the woman.
“You led me here, of course,” Luo Wenshu answered calmly.
This only intensified the white ghost’s fear. It had been cautious and used the ghost realm to hide its presence. Yet the woman had arrived right after! Even top cultivators couldn’t do that so quickly in a ghost realm! What kind of monster was this seemingly ordinary woman?
The white ghost was nearly frantic. A sense of danger, comparable to encountering the disguised messenger, overwhelmed it. It wanted to flee, but couldn’t.
“Nothing is impossible,” Luo Wenshu looked at the terrified white ghost. She had intended to make some extra money, but discovered something special.
“You’re not the domain master,” Luo Wenshu said.
Luo Wenshu sensed the white ghost’s injuries, and even uninjured, its cultivation wouldn’t be enough to create a ghost realm. But it had been controlling it. This suggested the domain master had delegated authority.
But Luo Wenshu had reached the center, which was equivalent to stepping on the domain master’s grave. Yet, the master hadn’t appeared.
Luo Wenshu had a suspicion: This ghost realm might not have a domain master. Normally, the domain master comes first. Her guess seemed illogical, but exceptions exist.
“This ghost realm doesn’t seem naturally formed,” Luo Wenshu said, her tone certain despite the word “seems.”
The white ghost trembled. Luo Wenshu knew she was right.
“An artificially created ghost realm…” Luo Wenshu hadn’t expected this. Even in her world, this was serious. The Xuanmen (Taoist sects) and the Underworld would be highly concerned.
Luo Wenshu wondered how the White Yama handled its territory. First, she encountered special water ghosts, now an artificial ghost realm!
She only thought about this. She had just placed Luo Xingyu under someone’s care, and had used the convenience of the Human Walker Seal to reach the suburbs. Reporting this would be inappropriate.
Suddenly, a chilling scream echoed.
“Die!”
The white ghost, no longer timid, radiated black resentment, its face contorted. The center of the ghost realm transformed; the wind howled, resentment filled the air. Countless resentful spirits formed a barrier, wailing and screaming at Luo Wenshu’s group.
“Holy… crap!” Jin Youqian reverted to his cowardly self, instinctively clinging closer to Luo Wenshu.
Luo Xingyu and Wenge were calmer. They trusted Luo Wenshu; they could only trust her. If she couldn’t protect them, they were doomed.
Luo Wenshu created a spirit barrier, blocking the spirits. The white ghost didn’t stop, using a special tool: a bloody bone that made people’s hearts pound.
Suddenly, a shriek pierced the space. A teenage girl in a blood-red dress, with bloodshot eyes, appeared.
“Kill them!” the white ghost screamed.
The girl looked at Luo Wenshu’s group, a slow smile spreading across her lips.
Luo Wenshu frowned. This girl was a powerful ghost. The spirits intensified, frantically clawing at the barrier. Maintaining the barrier consumed spiritual energy, and Luo Wenshu’s body was ordinary. Her face paled, and she swayed, about to collapse. A spirit’s head squeezed through the barrier. The girl pounced.
“It’s over…”
“Mom…”
Luo Wenshu sighed, “Don’t be afraid.”
She collapsed.
The white ghost laughed, “I thought she was powerful…”
But countless spirits were instantly dispersed. The girl was grabbed by the neck. The hand’s owner looked like the unconscious woman but much younger.
“How is this possible…” The white ghost nearly dissolved.
“I said, nothing is impossible,” Luo Wenshu said, snapping the girl’s neck and tossing her aside.
“Soul projection…” The white ghost muttered, then screamed, “No, no! Your soul, your body…”
“You can die now,” Luo Wenshu said calmly, launching a spell.
The white ghost screamed, shattering into tiny fragments. Luo Wenshu turned to the surroundings, “Just in case, you all die too.”
She cast a complex spell, powerful spiritual energy sweeping the space. Spirits vanished without a scream. This was a one-sided massacre. After meticulously checking for any remaining spirits, Luo Wenshu turned to the remaining three.
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