“Lady Zhi, how did you end up here!”
Constable Zhang was overjoyed and said repeatedly, “This is perfect! Lady Zhi, quickly tell them that I am a living person, not some chang ghost. That hunter is likely long dead and is trying to lure us to our deaths!”
“I don't know who this hunter is, but he is definitely a ghost.”
Nan Zhi spoke decisively, pointing at the red exclamation mark above Chunsheng’s head that no one else could see. “And judging by the Yin energy on him, he’s been dead for at least half a year.”
Chunsheng didn't recognize Nan Zhi. A flicker of confusion crossed his eyes before he shouted to the group again:
“Follow me, quickly! That tiger has become a demon; it’s incredibly strange! This lady is probably a chang ghost in disguise too. If we don't leave now, it really will be too late!”
As he spoke, Chunsheng pointed at the ground and bellowed, “Look! This lady doesn't even have a shadow, yet she says she's not a chang ghost! The two of them must be in cahoots!”
Everyone stared, and sure enough, under the overcast sky and the dim firelight, there was not a hint of a shadow beneath Nan Zhi’s feet!
Constable Zhang was a ghost!!
Was Lady Zhi a ghost too!
The men nearly fainted, their hearts plunging and soaring through a series of terrifying twists and turns.
“Roar—”
At that moment, the tiger in the mountains let out a long howl. The sound shook the forest, startling countless birds and beasts into flight.
“Waaah!” Constable Zhang let out a wild cry, brandishing his official saber and slashing at Chunsheng. “You monster! What kind of sorcery did you use! Give Lady Zhi back her shadow!!”
“You chang ghost! You dare to bite back!”
Chunsheng rolled on the ground, kicking up a cloud of sand that forced Constable Zhang back two steps. Taking advantage of the opening, he retreated to the group's side, grabbed a deputy, and shouted harshly:
“Quick! Follow me! Listen to that sound—the tiger is nearby! If we don't leave now, we won't make it!”
Terrified, the men stopped caring about anything else. They huddled together and followed Chunsheng as he squeezed into the dense forest.
“Wait! I can explain! I don't have a shadow because I'm wearing the 【Paper Skin Garment】. That hunter is the real ghost!”
Seeing the crowd scrambling away with Nan Yi caught in the middle like a little lamb, Nan Zhi hurriedly gave chase—
In an instant.
The fire was extinguished, and the moonlight grew faint.
“Rustle, rustle...”
“Rustle, rustle...”
Vines in the forest seemed to gain a mind of their own. Countless branches fell to the ground like snakes, moving slowly and twisting like specters, cutting off Nan Zhi’s line of sight.
She panned her vision and found withered trees closing in from all directions, pressing down on the group like an overwhelming shroud—
With a strange smile, Chunsheng vanished into the thicket.
Suddenly, Nan Zhi felt her surroundings shift.
Fragrant mist filled the air, and light silk veils fluttered. Red candlelight filtered through faded crimson silk, casting a soft glow on the floor and reflecting an ambiguous scene.
A beauty sat on a bed, her clothes half-undone.
On a golden table, luminous cups were filled with fine wine.
Beside a purple bamboo couch, jade platters were laden with delicacies.
Clusters of purple-red grapes, emerald-green watermelons, and snow-white peeled lychees rolled across the floor, coming to a stop at Nan Zhi’s feet.
She gave one a kick, momentarily unable to tell if it was real or fake.
The deputies stood frozen in place, their faces glowing with a strange radiance. It seemed each of them was seeing a different scene.
“Heh heh heh, Xiaocui, you're so good to me. I'll marry you one day. Can I have a kiss now?”
“So much money! I’m rich!!”
“So much gold!! So much gold! It's mine, all mine!”
“Fine wine! It smells so good! And this roasted meat—I’ve never smelled meat this fragrant in my life!!”
“Look, high-quality silk and tea! If I sell these, I'll be set for the rest of my life!”
“Hee hee hee...”
Through the haze, a woman’s playful laughter rang out. Behind the silk veils, a beauty with snow-white skin and crimson lips appeared, looking utterly enchanting.
In truth, there was no specific scene; everything just seemed to be covered by a thick layer of gauze. The harder one tried to see clearly, the more blurred it became.
The red silk fell away.
Nan Zhi, the only one who remained clear-headed, locked eyes with the female ghost behind the curtain.
The female ghost, who had been posing seductively: “...”
Crap, why is it a girl?
The silent Nan Zhi: “...”
Crap, why is it a female ghost?
“What sharp eyes you have. But where did a little hussy like you come from, daring to snatch food from my mouth!”
The female ghost froze for a moment before reacting. Her expression changed instantly.
“This is the Mountain Lord’s territory! A passing little ghost like you doesn't know what's good for you. You dare ruin the Mountain Lord’s business? I’ll gouge out your eyes and soak them in wine!”
“No, sister, you should at least have some professional ethics. Transform into a handsome man to seduce me! If you don't even try to seduce me, how do you know I won't fall for it?”
Nan Zhi looked pained. Having just heard that chang ghosts could transform into whatever a person desired to lure them, she had actually been slightly looking forward to it.
“Do you have any 185cm pure-hearted puppy-dog college boys? Any rough-and-tumble handsome uncles with stubble and eight-pack abs?
What? None at all? How can you be so unprofessional?
If you're going to do a job, you have to love it. You need to plan according to the client's needs, understand?!
Really, believe me. Don't look at how I say I hate thirst traps; I actually have them all hidden in my private bookmarks to watch in secret.”
“What kind of nonsensical ghost talk is this!”
The female ghost thought Nan Zhi was mocking her. She extended her hand into a claw and turned into a white blur, lunging straight at Nan Zhi—
Nan Zhi rolled on the ground, dodging the strike with incredible agility.
Using her long saber for leverage, she leaped up, chanting an incantation as she slammed her palm against the female ghost’s chest!
“Wind moves first, thunder follows behind. Three thousand thunders descend, a million soldiers of thunder and fire. Let the flames scorch the world and turn the demons to dust.”
“Thunder, come—”
This person was a damn Taoist?!
The female ghost instinctively looked up, but the sky was calm. No wind moved, and no lightning flashed.
Just as she was secretly rejoicing that the other was bluffing, a massive surge of pain erupted from her chest!
Electric light flickered in Nan Zhi’s hand. A thread of lightning followed the strike, slamming solidly into the female ghost’s chest!
【Skill: Five Thunder Protection Curse (Chant the thunder curse to summon heavenly thunder for protection, dispelling evil and warding off all ghosts)】
【(This skill has a certain restraining effect on ghosts and demons. When using the skill, there is a 10% chance of inflicting a deterrence effect on the enemy)】
Thunder techniques naturally had a miraculous restraining effect on demons and ghosts, not to mention that the female ghost had underestimated her opponent and taken a direct hit from this thunder-infused strike!
Her entire soul began to burn from her chest, turning into ash inch by inch like charred wood.
If the female ghost were from the modern era, her first reaction would definitely have been to curse:
What kind of decent person starts a fight by using their ultimate move?!
Shouldn't it be you hit me, I hit you, back and forth testing each other, and only then do we both use our ultimates for a final clash?
How did she run into a blockhead who opens with a thunder technique!
Aren't you afraid of getting struck yourself?!
Where is the respect?
Where is the trust?
The female ghost didn't have time to think further before she wailed in agony:
“Aaaaah! Mountain Lord, save me!!”
As if sensing the ghost's pain, the tiger roared in the mountains. The next moment, an invisible force swept her away—
The chang ghost's illusion dissipated, and the surroundings returned to normal, leaving behind a complete mess.
The vast stretches of red silk from moments ago were nothing but tree shadows in the forest.
The purple bamboo bed was actually a gravestone in a desolate tomb.
As for the fine wine, delicacies, gold, silver, and jade—the former was rainwater collected in human skulls, while the latter was nothing but mud balls and gravel scattered across the ground.
The bewitched deputies were either sitting or lying down with fanatical expressions, continuously stuffing mud balls and human bones into their robes.
Even the delicacies they had seen were transformed from toads and centipedes.
The yamen officers slowly regained their senses. Seeing that the gold in their arms had become human bones and the fine wine had become muddy water, they were struck with horror.
“What’s happening! Where is my tea? Where is my silk?!”
“Where is my gold ingot? Was it you! Did you steal my gold ingot!”
“Urgh—I remember going into a restaurant and eating a bowl of incredibly fragrant meat... Urgh—how did it turn into muddy water!”
“My Xiaocui! My Xiaocui!”
Some were still not fully awake, grabbing their companions and starting to brawl. The scene was incredibly chaotic.
In contrast, Nan Yi looked as if he were drunk, lying face down on the ground with his eyes closed, appearing to have fainted.
Rate on N.U.
