CG - Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Wei Jinzhi was forcibly brought outside by Wu Yong. The glaring sunlight made her realize just how dark it had been inside. She stared at the entrance, knowing she couldn't go back in and become a distraction for Wu Gu. The situation was more complicated than she had anticipated; she had to quickly come up with a viable plan to ensure Wu Gu's safety. The image of Wu Gu confronting the zombie sent a wave of panic through her heart.

The person in charge, who had been waiting outside, hurried over. One look at her face told him something was wrong, and he didn't dare speak, waiting by the side for instructions. Wei Jinzhi had no time for him. She said only to Wu Yong, "Call the police." She then took out her phone and called a Tianshi friend who was nearby, telling them only that there was a zombie and that they needed to come rescue someone immediately.

Wei Jinzhi's heart was in turmoil, but her face was a mask of calm. She kept her eyes fixed on the entrance, hoping Wu Gu's figure would appear at any second, but the entrance remained an endless darkness. Wu Yong came over and said, "The power lines are fried. It'll be a while before they can get the electricity back on."

"Mm." She glanced at the backpack in Wu Yong's hands. There wasn't much in it—besides a wallet, phone, and some exorcism talismans, there was only a long box placed diagonally, wedged from one corner of the bag to the other. She frowned. "You shouldn't have brought this out. What if she runs out of talismans?"

Wu Yong looked at the bag and stated his honest opinion. "Since Miss Wu gave me the backpack, it means she has the ability to subdue whatever is inside. I don't understand capturing ghosts or exorcising evil, but from the looks of that bell in her hand, it must be a powerful magical artifact." He had been bound by the Soul-Piercing Bell before, so he knew it was no ordinary object.

Wei Jinzhi clasped her right wrist, her fingertips brushing over the skin. She still remembered the sensation of a thin cord wrapping around it that night at the Changshan Villa, and she seemed to recall hearing a bell ring as well. It must have been the same artifact she had just seen. For now, she was powerless and could only hope Wu Yong was right.

Wu Yong had a simple and direct personality. Seeing Wei Jinzhi's worried expression, he hit the nail on the head. "Eldest Miss, Miss Wu told you to trust her. She also said she's very powerful. You should believe that she can come out safely."

Wei Jinzhi nodded, a faint smile touching her lips. "Bring that person over. I want to question him."

Meanwhile, inside, another crash echoed through the darkness—the umpteenth one. Wu Gu had narrowly avoided being crushed by a prop cabinet. The room was a chaotic mess of smashed objects. A few times, she hadn't been able to dodge in time and was struck by a wooden plank. This zombie was frenzied, savage, and immensely strong. It fought bare-handed, even daring to pull at the Soul-Piercing Bell, its skin torn and peeled back without any apparent pain. Whenever it found an opening, it would hurl heavy objects at her. Fortunately, she had managed to toss the unconscious man into the adjacent room while the zombie was entangled, otherwise he would be dead or crippled by now.

The evil ghost, who had been scared silent for a long time, finally spoke up. "Hearing you talk so tough earlier, I thought you were really something. I didn't expect you to be so lame. This is the third lap you've run around this room."

"Do you want me to stick a Shut-Up Talisman on you?"

The evil ghost just rolled his eyes. Did he want to be a spectator here? He said sarcastically, "Then take this Immobilization Talisman off me. You think I want to be here watching you get beaten up?"

Wei Jinzhi had been right—she had already used up all her exorcism talismans. Right now, she didn't have a single offensive weapon. She had tossed her backpack away with such flair, but she'd forgotten to take out her sword. The Soul-Piercing Bell was a defensive artifact, and zombies were notoriously thick-skinned and durable. If she had her sword, she wouldn't be in such a sorry state.

Gritting her teeth, she resolved to act. She raised her hand, recalling the Soul-Piercing Bell that was tangling with the zombie. Using the sharp cone, she cut her right finger and smeared the blood onto the red string in the middle. "Go!" she shouted.

She quickly drew a unique evil-slaying talisman on her left palm with her fingertip blood, a move that consumed nearly half of her spiritual power. While the zombie was restrained by the Soul-Piercing Bell, she ducked, leaped over its head, and slapped the talisman down on its Baihui acupoint. The zombie let out a great roar and suddenly dropped to its knees. After landing, she pressed her advantage, summoning the Soul-Piercing Bell to pierce through the back of the zombie's head and exit between its eyebrows. The zombie crashed to the ground, facedown, and finally stopped moving.

Wu Gu held the Soul-Piercing Bell, not daring to let her guard down. After waiting a few minutes, the zombie finally turned to ash. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily. The running had been more exhausting than the fighting. Though the flashlight beam was dim, it was still bright enough to illuminate the utter devastation of the room. Even after resting for a long while, her limbs still felt weak.

"That move is so powerful, why didn't you use it earlier?" The evil ghost sighed in relief, wishing he could pat his chest, but he was still unable to move. "You even killed a century-old zombie. I never thought someone so young could be so powerful."

Wu Gu didn't have the energy to deal with him. The move was indeed devastating, but it was meant to be used only when she had no other worries. Now, her spiritual power was severely depleted and she was injured. If another strange creature appeared, she might really not make it out.

Seeing that Wu Gu was ignoring him, the evil ghost started talking to himself. "This zombie was a prop for the zombie-themed area up ahead. Why do I say it was a prop? Because I went to see it when I first got here. It was always lying in a wooden coffin with a talisman stuck to its head. I was wondering how a prop could be so realistic. I never thought it was a real zombie."

Wu Gu picked up the flashlight and shone it on the tattered remains of the zombie's clothes on the floor. They were new, made of polyester. This meant the zombie had been dug up, its clothes changed, and then it had been suppressed here. And just now, someone had deliberately released it to attack her. She remembered the faint fluctuation of a formation she had sensed before entering and asked the evil ghost, "Have you heard of any formations around here?"

The evil ghost's attitude had improved, and he told her everything he knew. "I don't know about any formations, but I know there's a basement here. You can get in from the next themed area." Wu Gu stood up to leave, but he quickly called out, "Little Tianshi, please help me."

Wu Gu was puzzled. "What?"

"I know it was wrong of me to absorb the vital essence of the living. If I encounter another Tianshi, I'll inevitably be scattered. Even if I can reincarnate, I'll surely face severe punishment from the judges. But I don't want that either. I'm lingering in the mortal world because of an unfulfilled wish. My soul was too weak, so I had no choice but to resort to absorbing vital essence. But I promise you, I never drain people dry. I've never killed anyone."

Wu Gu said, "After death, every single one of you claims to be lingering because of an unfulfilled wish. Let me ask you: when you were alive, with all your many wishes, how many did you actually fulfill? Is there any living person who has had all their wishes come true? It's just an excuse for your lingering obsessions and the extreme things you do."

The evil ghost opened his mouth but couldn't find a single word of rebuttal. Giving up, he said, "Then just scatter my soul. It's death either way."

Wu Gu looked at him. Using her still-damp, bloody fingertip, she placed a dot on his forehead and then removed the Immobilization Talisman. "Your soul power isn't weak. I'll let you go. Go and heal the people you fed on, then perform one hundred good deeds to atone for your sins. If you manage to avoid being slain by other Tianshi in the meantime, I will open the ghost gate and help you pass on."

"Really?"

"Really. But let me also tell you, I just placed a curse between your brows with my Tianshi blood. If you harm anyone, I will be able to sense it." Wu Gu made a fist. "At that moment, no matter where you are, all I'll have to do is move my finger, and you will turn to dust."

"Don't worry, don't worry! With a chance to reincarnate, how could I possibly pass it up? I've wanted to reincarnate for a long time, but I didn't know any Tianshi who could help." The dark green hue on his face gradually faded as he smiled. "Actually, I regretted escaping the ghost messengers' summons just a few days after I did it. Little Tianshi, thank you."

Wu Gu waved her hand. "It's too early for thanks. Come find me when you've done all that and are still in one piece."

"Right, how do I find you?"

"I call you dumb and you won't admit it. I already told you I left my blood on you. When you're finished, just focus your thoughts and try to sense me, and I'll be able to summon you." She waved her hand again. "Of course, don't think you can cut corners; I'll be able to tell. Now go, I don't know if there's more danger ahead." As she spoke, she was already walking toward the fourth room.

The evil ghost shouted from behind her, "Then be careful, Little Tianshi!"

When the evil ghost flew out of the building, Wei Jinzhi's yin-yang eyes were still active. She ran out from the adjacent area and shouted at the empty air, "Wait a minute."

The evil ghost saw her and floated down with a cheerful smile. "What can I do for you?"

"Where's Wu Gu?" The ghost gave her a look as if he didn't know who she was talking about. She added, "The Little Tianshi who immobilized you."

"Oh, oh, oh, so her surname is Wu! She's fine, just a little injured. She should be in the zombie-themed room by now."

"She let you go?"

"Yeah! She told me to do more good deeds, and as long as I'm not killed by other Tianshi, I can find her to help me pass on. She's so nice."

"Then you should leave quickly. The other Tianshi will be here soon." The ghost's face paled with fright, and he vanished with a swoosh. Wei Jinzhi looked around. He really was fast.

The amusement park manager, who had witnessed Wei Jinzhi's entire conversation with thin air, wore a look of utter horror. He turned his head, only to be startled by Wu Yong staring coldly at him. He quickly made a zipping motion across his lips and covered his eyes with both hands. Even the usually expressionless Wu Yong felt the corner of his mouth twitch.

Wei Jinzhi asked, "What's wrong with him?"

"Probably scared out of his wits." Wu Yong changed the subject. "That person confessed everything." The effectiveness of an interrogation depended entirely on whether Wu Yong wanted to conduct one, and today was the day he had wanted to interrogate someone more than any other time in his life.

"Good. Let's wait for Wu Gu to come out first."

Standing at the entrance to the basement, Wu Gu thought, Since I'm already here, I might as well go down and take a look. If things get bad, I can just use the Soul-Piercing Bell to cover my escape. With that thought, she was already descending into the basement. As expected, there was a formation inside—a Soul-Liberation Formation. No wonder Song Yang had felt a pulling force from so far away. It was likely that all the weaker ghosts in the vicinity had been sucked in by this formation.

The basement was about half the size of a classroom, and the entire room was encompassed by the Soul-Liberation Formation. An altar stood in the middle. As Wu Gu drew closer, she saw that the memorial tablet on it was broken, its pieces lying on either side. Not good, she thought. The big ghost escaped.

Suddenly, a dense ghostly qi assailed her. She dodged to the side, the Soul-Piercing Bell ready. It was a female ghost with disheveled hair, her eye sockets pitch-black voids. A web of black lines covered her pale face. Her consciousness was frenzied; she had already become a Vengeful Ghost and was waiting for the right moment to attack. Wu Gu held the bell in her hand and tentatively called out, "Chang Yiqing?"

The female ghost trembled slightly. Wu Gu pinched the cone and threw the bell end out. The Soul-Piercing Bell formed an arc like a bridge, the bell hovering just above the ghost's head, trapping her and preventing her from moving. With three sharp rings, she called out again, "Chang Yiqing." This time, the ghost's reaction was much stronger. She rang the bell and called the name again. After doing this five or six times, the female ghost gradually began to awaken.

Chang Yiqing came to her senses, looking extremely weak. "Who are you?"

"Song Yang asked me to come save you." Wu Gu took out the Small Jade Pot from her pocket. Luckily, the item was small, and she had instinctively stuffed it into her jacket pocket. "Get in here. I'll take you away."

Chang Yiqing shook her head, laboriously forcing out a single word. "Daughter."

Wu Gu had a good memory and recalled Song Yang tearfully mentioning raising a child alone, so she understood what Chang Yiqing meant. "Where is she? I'll help you find her."

Chang Yiqing pointed to the wall behind her. Only then did Wu Gu notice another formation on the wall. She pinched the bridge of her nose, mentally scolding herself. If she kept being this careless, her master would probably rise from the dead just to smack her. She moved closer to carefully observe the formation's patterns, then infused the Soul-Piercing Bell with spiritual power and poked the formation's eye. The light flowing through the patterns immediately went out.

With a great whoosh, a crowd of ghosts poured out. They were all very weak but conscious. Before she could spot a child among them, she heard a cry: "Mama!" She turned to see Chang Yiqing hugging her wailing daughter, thanking Wu Gu through her own tears.

A noise came from above, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. In the blink of an eye, the weak ghosts that had just emerged scurried back into the wall. Only Chang Yiqing, holding her daughter, remained standing by Wu Gu's side. A moment later, Wei Jinzhi appeared on the basement stairs, accompanied by five or six other Tianshi. Seeing Wu Gu, she rushed over and checked her from all sides. "Are you badly hurt? Does it hurt?"

Wu Gu's cheeks immediately turned pink. "Sister Wei, I'm fine. They're just minor injuries. I'm used to it."

Her words only made Wei Jinzhi's heart ache more. Hu Chen came over and asked, "Is she the one you were looking for?" Hu Chen was a prodigy among the younger generation of the Hu Family Tianshi and also a friend of Wei Jinzhi. He glanced around and clicked his tongue. "There's a lot of dirty stuff in this wall." He then looked at Wu Gu's side. "And here are two evil ghosts, one big and one small."

Wu Gu took a step forward, shielding Chang Yiqing. Fortunately, she had earlier concealed the dense, overflowing resentment coming from Chang Yiqing, preventing the other Tianshi from realizing she had become a Vengeful Ghost. "I'm taking them with me," she declared. She held up the Small Jade Pot to Chang Yiqing. "You two get in first." With Wei Jinzhi protecting her, Hu Chen wouldn't dare to act rashly.

Before entering, Chang Yiqing hesitated and asked, "What about Song Yang?"

"She's fine. I told her to stay at the university and not wander off. We'll talk when we get back. Get in first." Reassured, Chang Yiqing entered the jade pot.

Hu Chen pouted from the side and turned to the other Tianshi. "I say we just scatter the ones in the wall."

"No," Wu Gu said. She had already checked them. The ghosts in the wall were all weak and hadn't harmed anyone. Scattering them would be too cruel.

Before Hu Chen could respond, Wei Jinzhi asked her, "You can tell me whatever it is you want to do."

"I want to help them pass on."

Hu Chen let out a scoff. "There are so many of them. Can you even manage?"

Wei Jinzhi said, "But isn't the great Master Hu here?" Her words left no room for argument. "I know that performing a deliverance is hard work for all of you. And although you are my friends, I, Wei Jinzhi, am not one to take advantage of my friends. For this deliverance, I will pay each of you at the highest market rate. I'll have to trouble you all."

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