CG - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

It was almost six o'clock. Wu Gu had recovered her spiritual power and forced out the corpse poison. The wound on her shoulder blade was raw and red again, the flesh no longer the blackish-purple it had been before. Five claw marks, varying in length up to thirty centimeters, tore the skin and flesh open. Just looking at it made Wei Jinzhi ache. "Let's go to the hospital for a check-up," she said. "I'm worried it might leave something nasty behind."

"It's fine. A little medicine will do."

Wei Jinzhi fetched the first-aid kit and began treating the wound. "Don't rush headfirst into danger like that again. I'd rather spend more money hiring other Celestial Masters than see you get hurt."

Wu Gu finally remembered she was here on a request. She hadn't returned for the night and worried Song Yang might be anxiously running around. "Sister Wei, can I let out the female ghost I brought back today? Her name is Chang Yiqing, and she has a daughter. She's a friend of a friend, you could say."

"Of course."

Wu Gu brought two fingers together and drew a talisman in the air before Wei Jinzhi's eyes, opening them to the spirit world. Only then did she take out the Small Jade Pot. Chang Yiqing appeared in the living room, holding her daughter. The black markings on her face had faded considerably. The surroundings were unfamiliar, but she remained calm, waiting quietly for Wu Gu to speak.

Wu Gu said, "I'm sorry. I should have taken you back to the university to see Song Yang first, but I was injured and had to come here to recover. I'll take you there at dawn tomorrow. By the way, the spiritual energy here is very strong. I'll draw a soul-condensing formation for you in a bit so you can recover faster. If you don't mind me asking, how did you end up like this? Song Yang told me you've never harmed anyone."

"You're too kind, Little Tianshi. I haven't even had a chance to thank you for your great help." Yiqing put her daughter down and added, "Baobao, say thank you to this sister." Her daughter, who was only four or five, was shy around strangers but still managed a timid thank you.

Wu Gu frowned. "She's so young. Why didn't you send her for reincarnation?"

Chang Yiqing said, "It was my fault." She and her daughter had died instantly in a car crash. At the moment of her death, she hadn't realized it, focused only on holding her daughter and running for help. No longer human, she had no physical body and felt no fatigue or drowsiness. She just kept running until nightfall, when she finally noticed something was wrong. That was when she met Lu He, and it was thanks to him that she learned how to be a ghost.

"So you ran too far and missed the ghost messengers when they came for your soul." Wu Gu thought for a moment. You couldn't really blame Chang Yiqing for that. "And after that?"

"Later, I heard that the Tianshi Association would disperse wandering ghosts, so I cultivated diligently to protect Baobao. Two weeks ago, Baobao wanted to go to the amusement park. I took her, and that's when things went wrong." Her level of cultivation was a great boon to powerful ghosts, but it was still far from enough. "I refused to devour living souls, so it grabbed Baobao to force me to comply. Lu He fell into its trap while trying to save me."

That wasn't all. Many of the weaker ghosts inside the walls had initially been used as hostages. After the ghosts being threatened were devoured, the remaining weak ones were kept inside as fodder. "By the way, Little Tianshi," Chang Yiqing asked, "did Song Yang mention Lu He?" She figured that if Song Yang couldn't find her, she would have gone to him.

"I happened to see him being dispersed by three Daoists. Song Yang was there, too. It was after she told me about the changes in Lu He that I agreed to her request to find you."

Lu He had been trapped by the powerful ghost while trying to save her. Racked with guilt, Chang Yiqing had done everything she could to help him escape. "How could that be? He could have hidden himself. Is Song Yang all right?"

"Song Yang's fine. She was the one who noticed something was wrong at the amusement park. Otherwise, I wouldn't have found you so quickly."

"She's so reckless. There's a Soul-Liberation Formation down there. Any ghost that's even slightly weak would be sucked in just by passing by."

Wei Jinzhi, who was sitting on the sofa, said, "Song Yang was just too worried about you. As for Lu He, I suspect that after he escaped, he resorted to devouring living souls to increase his power and save you. I heard three people on Dongle Road fell into a coma in a single day and still haven't woken up. That must be why the Celestial Masters came after him."

That powerful ghost didn't increase its own power by devouring living souls; it used them to feed cultivated ghosts like Chang Yiqing. But it only ever dared to lure out a single soul or half a spirit at a time, afraid of causing a major incident that would attract the Tianshi Association's attention. Lu He must have been truly desperate to resort to such a tactic.

But that powerful ghost was certainly resourceful. It was an expert at finding shortcuts and knew how to handle different ghosts with different methods. For the ghost that possessed people, it tricked him into willingly absorbing human essence. For those like Chang Yiqing, it exploited their weaknesses with threats and temptations. Of course, its ultimate goal was always the same: fatten them up, then devour them.

Chang Yiqing was filled with grief. "It's my fault he's gone. Originally, I and the other ghosts who had been forced to devour living souls were waiting inside the Soul-Liberation Formation to be refined. But today, it suddenly started consuming us before the process was complete. To protect myself, I copied its methods and started devouring other ghosts. I don't remember anything after that, not until you woke me, Little Tianshi."

"No wonder you'd already become a Vengeful Ghost when I found you," Wu Gu said. Spurred on by a mother's love, Chang Yiqing had been able to run with her daughter in her arms until late into the night after she died. This suggested that, to some degree, her soul power was far stronger than average. She was more gifted than most, whether for righteous or deviant cultivation. If the situation hadn't been so dire, she likely wouldn't have become so frenzied as to lose control of her own spiritual consciousness.

Wei Jinzhi considered this. "Perhaps your power surged so dramatically that the powerful ghost couldn't subdue you right away. And since Wu Gu arrived at that moment, it had no choice but to flee outside to assess the situation. I imagine the reason you didn't leave was that you were looking for your daughter."

She was right. The moment Wu Gu used the evil-vanquishing talisman drawn in blood, the powerful ghost had felt the searing burn of immense righteous energy. It was deeply unsettling, even from a distance. Otherwise, it never would have abandoned Chang Yiqing, whose power alone could have pushed it over the threshold to becoming a Ghost King.

It had fled in a state of great frustration. Knowing that the appearance of a zombie would attract powerful figures from the Tianshi Association, it had possessed the body of a dead child to conceal itself. But the moment it got outside, it spotted Wei Jinzhi and was overcome with joy. For a moment, it forgot its movements were restricted, which gave Wu Yong the opening to kill it.

Unaware of what had happened during the day, Chang Yiqing looked worried. "You must be careful, Little Tianshi. That ghost was on the verge of becoming a Ghost King. In the end, this is all my fault."

Wu Gu gestured toward Wei Jinzhi. "Don't be afraid. Her bodyguard killed it. I think you should be more worried about yourself right now. In your current state, you won't be able to reincarnate even if you go to the Underworld."

Wei Jinzhi didn't understand. "Why not?"

"She's burdened with sin. She'll be severely punished and sent to hell."

"That's all right, Little Tianshi. As long as Baobao can be reincarnated safely, I'll be content."

Baobao, who had been quiet until now, hugged her mother and sobbed. "I don't want to leave Mommy! Mommy can't leave Baobao behind!"

"Be good, Baobao."

Wu Gu's heart went out to them. Ultimately, Chang Yiqing was quite innocent. People say that your lot in life depends partly on luck, and Chang Yiqing's was just abysmal. Wu Gu might not be the best at helping the living, but she knew a thing or two about helping ghosts. She said, "If you're willing to wait, there might be a way. But I can't guarantee it will work."

"Please tell me, Little Tianshi."

"First, I'll find a way to purify the malevolent Yin Qi you gained from becoming a Vengeful Ghost. Then, the best thing would be to find a Celestial Master with some standing in the Underworld who is willing to take you as a disciple and form a pact with you. You'd have to accompany him to exorcise ghosts and avert disasters, which carries some risk, but you would also share in the merit he accumulates. The only problem is, where am I supposed to find a Celestial Master like that for you?"

A gentle smile touched Wei Jinzhi's eyes. Watching Wu Gu rack her brain for a solution, she saw her kindness on full display—she always did her utmost to help every ghost she encountered. She asked, "Does the Celestial Master have to accept the ghost willingly? If I pay him to do it, does that count as willing?"

"It does." Wu Gu turned to look at her. "But no, that's not right. I'll think of another way." Why didn't Master have any other disciples? she thought. All those years and he never took on anyone else, leaving me all alone.

"Stop thinking about it. Anything that can be solved with money isn't really a problem. Besides, I owe you a great deal for what happened today. It's only right that I help Miss Chang."

Wei Jinzhi's logic was always unassailable. Wu Gu couldn't find a single counterargument, so she just pressed her lips together and dropped the subject. Chang Yiqing felt very awkward and said, "I could try sending a dream to my family."

Wei Jinzhi said, "You passed away many years ago. If you send a dream to your family now, they'll most likely assume it's just a product of their own grief. Most people wouldn't believe them if they tried to explain it. Please, Miss Chang, don't worry about it. I'm sure you can tell I'm not an ordinary person. Just think of it as me doing a good deed to accumulate karma for a better next life."

Wu Gu suddenly grew agitated. "It won't come to that! Sister Wei, don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you! As soon as I find a way, I'll help you dissolve all that Yin Qi."

"All right. I'll be waiting."

Having been pestered by Song Yang for the past year, Chang Yiqing had become somewhat acquainted with the topic of same-sex affection. She watched the way the two of them looked at each other—one gaze tender and lingering, the other anxious and worried. She subtly raised a hand to cover her daughter's eyes. "It's getting late," she said. "Little Tianshi, just give me a talisman to conceal my malevolent aura, and I'll find a place to cultivate on my own."

Wu Gu nodded, took out a sheet of talisman paper to draw on, and sent Chang Yiqing on her way. Wei Jinzhi then invited her to sit back down on the sofa. "While you were inside," she said, "I questioned that haunted house employee. What he said was mostly consistent with what you just heard, except for his own involvement."

It turned out the man had been working for the powerful ghost, bewitched by its promises of eternal life and wealth. He had lured many homeless people there for the ghost to possess and drain of their vital energy. It would always leave them barely alive before tossing them out, but those with weaker constitutions had too much energy drained and would die within a few days. The deaths of the homeless rarely warranted an autopsy and were usually ruled as natural, so the haunted house never attracted police attention.

Wu Gu mused that the ghost was surprisingly cunning, understanding that it could accomplish much more by manipulating humans. If it had applied such skills to a righteous path, it might have even been recruited for a position in the Underworld.

Wei Jinzhi continued, "I also asked him about the zombie. He said the ghost made him spend a large sum of money on a talisman and then told him where to dig. He didn't know what the purpose was, though."

Seeing the earnest way Wei Jinzhi was waiting for her explanation, Wu Gu narrowed her eyes. "You're really curious, aren't you?"

Wei Jinzhi, having been seen through, smiled. "Mm-hm."

Wu Gu laughed too. "That ghost was desperate to become a Ghost King and was rushing things. Zombies are unnatural creatures, brimming with malevolent energy. It brought the zombie in but used a talisman to keep it suppressed because it wanted to absorb that energy for its own cultivation, without having the zombie wake up and fight it."

"It was certainly a meticulous schemer," Wei Jinzhi commented. "It must have been a very ambitious person when it was alive." Wu Gu nodded and yawned. Wei Jinzhi took her hand and led her upstairs to her room. "Everything's ready for you. Go take a shower, and I'll warm up a glass of milk for you to drink before you sleep."

Wu Gu no longer tried to refuse Wei Jinzhi's meticulous care. She knew that even if she tried, Wei Jinzhi would have some reason to make her accept. Besides, a part of her was quite happy to be looked after by her. So, she just said, "Okay."

Wei Jinzhi waited for about forty minutes before knocking on Wu Gu's door. When Wu Gu opened it, she was wearing the pajamas Wei Jinzhi had sent for and holding the Soul-Piercing Bell. It was the first time Wei Jinzhi had seen the artifact up close, and she was curious. Stepping inside, she gestured to the bell. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm checking to see if it's damaged." Wu Gu explained, "That zombie was immensely strong. It kept pulling and yanking on the bell every time it got a hold of it. I was worried it might have broken the red cord."

Wei Jinzhi set down the glass of milk. "Did you use this the first time you checked me for Yin Qi?"

Wu Gu nodded. "You could feel it?"

"What's it called?"

"The Two-Instrument Soul-Piercing Bell."

"May I touch it?"

"Of course."

Wei Jinzhi picked up the bell. It wasn't large, but it was exquisitely crafted, with intricate patterns etched into its body. She lifted it and gave it a shake. It chimed, the sound a little muted but pleasant to the ear.

"It likes you," Wu Gu said.

"What?"

"It won't ring for anyone but me. The fact that it rang for you just now means it likes you."

As if to confirm, Wei Jinzhi gently shook the bell again. Its muted chime seemed to answer her. She was delighted to be accepted by one of Wu Gu's possessions. Her gaze shifted to the hexagonal cone at the other end. The point was sharp, and each of its faces was engraved with minuscule runes. She couldn't identify the material of the red cord connecting the two pieces; it felt like a thickened fishing line. "What is this made of?" she asked. "It feels very strong."

"It's thread spun from snake skin sheds that have been boiled in medicinal herbs. Twelve strands are twisted into a single cord, which then has to be soaked in fresh chicken blood for a full year before it can be used. The more spiritual the snake, the more durable the shed skin."

Wei Jinzhi handed the Soul-Piercing Bell back to her. "It must be a huge hassle to replace if it breaks, then."

"Yeah. But I can use something else as a temporary replacement until I get back and switch to a new one. Master made a lot of these cords before he passed away and kept them in a cabinet. Thinking back, he was probably worried I'd wear them out too fast. I know how to make them myself, but finding the right snakes in a big city is a pain."

"If you need help finding some, just let me know. Now, finish your milk and get some sleep." Wu Gu obediently drank the rest of her milk. Wei Jinzhi took the empty glass from her. "Good night," she said, before leaving the room. Wu Gu flopped backward onto the bed, wondering why the milk had tasted so sweet tonight.

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