Outside the hotel lobby, the autumn air was crisp and the sun shone brightly. Gentle sunlight streamed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a golden glow over the interior.
But Qin Yue could only hear her own heavy breathing.
Ma Guniang was standing very close. Although she had a smile on her face, it felt entirely unnatural. Her glassy eyes remained completely still, possessing a somewhat eerie clarity.
She looked like an exquisitely crafted doll, but upon closer inspection, she carried a trace of inhuman coldness.
“Forget it, forget it.”
The green-clothed Female Ghost curled her lips upward and tilted her head slightly, yet her pitch-black eyes remained locked onto Qin Yue.
“You little children are so boring. You get terrified after just a bit of teasing, and talking to you is quite dull. Although you are a bit clumsy with your words, girl, you make up for it with diligence. I haven't seen you in days, but I can see that you are already on the verge of condensing a sense of qi.”
“I must thank you for gifting me the 《Small Twelve Bone Forging Method》 last time, Senior Ma. As for the firefighter who saved those people, he has fully recovered now and has officially joined our Special Investigation Section.”
Steeling herself, Qin Yue pressed on.
“Senior Ma, you said I reek of the stench of the Underworld's hungry ghosts—what does that mean?”
“The Underworld has the road to the Yellow Springs and the Yin Yang Road. The boundary separating the mortal realm and the Underworld is the Yin Yang Road. The living can walk on it to descend into the Underworld, and dead ghosts can do the same, crawling through the Gates of Hell into the mortal realm.”
Ma Guniang seemed to be in a good mood and slowly explained.
“There is a class of evil ghosts within the Gates of Hell who committed too many sins in life. After death, they enter hell to be punished, turning into hungry ghosts. Their throats are as narrow as the eye of a needle, their bellies burn like fire, and they love to devour souls and flesh. The scent on you... actually reminds me of the fishy stench of hungry ghost blood splashing when I used to slay them in the past.”
Qin Yue's heart pounded wildly. She felt as though she had grasped onto something, but she couldn't quite put it into words.
Before Ma Guniang's arrival, she had been preparing to participate in the Yellow River Trial.
While this Yellow River Trial was ostensibly an official assembly held by the authorities for disciples from various northern families to exchange pointers and compete, it was actually a contest for the families to vie for the qualification to enter the Western Xia Imperial Tombs.
Not long ago, a large number of black, dog-like monsters had suddenly appeared in the Western Xia Imperial Tombs. They were impervious to swords and spears and possessed immense strength, forcing the authorities to rely on heavy firepower to suppress them.
However, brought out along with these dog-like monsters was a type of glowing plant.
Upon analysis, researchers discovered that this plant was unprecedented and did not belong to any known plant species on Earth. Its cells were extremely active and likely contained large amounts of taxol-like substances. Its extracts had been proven effective in treating cancer and tumors.
The authorities speculated that changes similar to those at Qingmeng Mountain in Xixiang might have occurred beneath the Western Xia Imperial Tombs, causing the underground plants to mutate. The black, dog-like monsters were also likely related to this change.
The authorities had dispatched several teams to explore the underground palace, but all had ended in failure, with many comrades sacrificing their lives in the process.
Therefore, out of sheer necessity, the authorities had decided to cooperate with the various families to jointly explore the Western Xia Imperial Tombs.
But for Ma Guniang to appear here at this specific juncture... Could it be related to this Yellow River Trial? Had she come for the anomalies in the Western Xia Imperial Tombs? If she was also after the things inside the Imperial Tombs, could they perhaps ask for her assistance—
Just as Qin Yue was about to ask, a sudden jolt went through her heart. Her sixth sense screamed in frantic warning, cutting off the words she was about to say.
She saw Ma Guniang's eyes slowly roll, as if she had guessed her thoughts, a half-smile playing on her face.
“I'm tired.”
She did not mention the previous topic at all, her tone utterly flat.
A damp, cold breath escaped the green-clothed Female Ghost's mouth. The moment it brushed against Qin Yue's hair, it instantly froze into a lock of ice—
The hotel lobby, which had been peaceful and windless just a moment ago, suddenly grew inexplicably dark, as if covered by a gray filter.
An anonymous, sinister wind swirled through the room, and a layer of stark white frost instantly formed beneath Ma Guniang's feet.
An invisible pressure weighed heavily on her. Qin Yue felt her stomach churn in waves, and she had to grit her teeth to keep from losing her composure.
“Very well. Everything you need has been prepared. Please follow me.”
Only then did the temperature in the air return to normal. Looking again, Ma Guniang had reverted back to that smiling young woman.
But Qin Yue was not deceived by appearances. She silently led the way, taking Ma Guniang up the elevator alone. Until they stepped into the penthouse presidential suite, she did not commit any further breach of etiquette.
Ma Guniang seemed very satisfied. She floated all the way into the room, no longer paying any attention to Qin Yue behind her.
...
Qin Yue stared at the tightly closed door. Only when she felt that uncomfortable, gloomy coldness slowly dissipate did she place her hand on the weapon at her waist and cautiously back away. It wasn't until the elevator began its descent that she finally let out a heavy sigh, her strength completely draining away.
Seeing Qin Yue emerge, the officers of the Special Investigation Section immediately surrounded her, asking anxious questions. She merely shook her head with a look of exhaustion.
“First, notify the hotel management that no one is allowed to go up and disturb the penthouse suite. Have our own people deliver three meals a day. Do not make contact, and avoid any communication. In addition, notify the local person-in-charge of the Xiaoning District and tell them they must take this seriously to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings. Cancel all surveillance and tracking; remote observation is enough.”
She had been too reckless this time!
To think she had been naive enough to believe that the patience of a supreme being was something that could be casually tested.
From the moment the other party had actively revealed herself until just now, her demands had not been met.
Therefore, she had felt offended.
How could she have taken it for granted that Ma Guniang would be willing to act as a thug for the authorities?
Was it based on that 《Small Twelve Bone Forging Method》 from before, or that unwarranted title of “little demon suppressor”?
An inhuman existence like her was completely unrestrained, acting purely on a whim. Even her gifting of the spirit medicine last time was likely nothing more than a passing act of kindness.
The prestige of the authorities simply carried no weight in front of such inhuman creatures.
Fine beads of sweat suddenly broke out on Qin Yue's forehead.
—Although her every action was indistinguishable from a normal person's, at her core, she was fundamentally different from humans.
This Ma Guniang of unknown origin had previously shown goodwill to the authorities.
Yet, Qin Yue still could not guarantee that she harbored absolute goodwill toward humanity.
Therefore, during their interactions, even the slightest mistake could offend her and bring about a fatal disaster.
With the matter resolved, the other guests in the hotel remained completely oblivious, unaware of what had just transpired. Everything seemed to return to normal.
It was as if Ma Guniang's anger just now had been nothing more than a passing cloud.
Yet the foreheads of those in the know were drenched in sweat. Only when they confirmed that the danger had passed did they let out a massive sigh of relief.
Although the authorities had intentionally concealed the matter of the Mountain Lord of Nanyun, her travels had been so grand and noisy that she had stirred up the southwest region for an entire month, making it difficult for anyone not to know.
While the authorities currently chose to tolerate her existence by default, many privately opposed it strongly, believing that humans and non-human creatures could never peacefully coexist.
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