The black cat was injured and likely couldn’t have gotten far. A few resentful spirits wanted to continue the pursuit, but they were called back by the puppet fog-shrouded specter.
Their mission was to find traces of the filthy head. They couldn’t waste time to avoid attracting more troublesome people.
The puppet fog-shrouded specter was the first to infiltrate the house, carefully searching for any lingering traces. Then, he moved to the lawn at the back of the house, advancing all the way forward. The resentful spirits followed behind him, weaving through the dirt and gaps underground.
Not long after the ghosts had left, Weng Ping Ran received news that Lian Yi had escaped.
“Escaped? Is the news accurate?” Weng Ping Ran quickly inquired, “Lin Jiu said he contacted him at noon, and he was still within the area then.”
“Of course it’s accurate,” replied Gu Xu from the other end of the communication. He was still recovering from his injuries and had been bedridden for several days. “I specifically arranged for people to keep an eye on his residence. He left the area without authorization. What else could it be but absconding in fear of punishment?”
Gu Xu provided Weng Ping Ran with a set of coordinates and directions, urging him to lead people to chase and capture Lian Yi as soon as possible.
During their conversation, Lin Jiu stood behind, listening to the entire exchange, his brows furrowed.
Lian Yi had personally claimed that he wasn’t responsible. But why did he flee? Moreover, if Gu Xu had arranged for people to monitor Lian Yi, they should have noticed him heading to the outskirts as well.
Lin Jiu felt something was off. But if Lian Yi had indeed disobeyed orders and left without authorization, it would be more than just a simple review.
After Weng Ping Ran ended the communication with Gu Xu, he turned to Lin Jiu and asked, “Is there anything you want to explain to me?”
Lin Jiu had been the only one to contact Lian Yi during the day, so Weng Ping Ran suspected that he might have disclosed something.
“Teacher,” Lin Jiu lowered his head, “I just feel that something is odd, and this matter should be handled with more caution…”
“You think he didn’t do it?” Weng Ping Ran countered, “Then what about Elder Zhuo Qing? Wasn’t it also because of him that he died?”
Lin Jiu was left speechless. Zhuo Qing’s death had almost become an incontrovertible fact, and the only one capable of killing him was Lian Yi.
He also knew that Weng Ping Ran initially did not want to get involved. But now that Lian Yi had become a suspect in spreading the plague and had left without authorization, Weng Ping Ran had no choice but to act.
Seeing this, Weng Ping Ran felt both angry and helpless. He said, “Take a few people and search Lian Yi’s residence. You don’t need to worry about the rest.”
Since Lian Yi had already left, his residence was unlikely to hold any clues. This effectively reduced Lin Jiu’s authority, preventing him from further involvement.
Knowing he had made a mistake, Lin Jiu responded quietly, “Yes.”
He turned and hurried downstairs.
On the way to the outskirts, Lin Jiu sent several messages to Lian Yi but received no response.
When he and his team arrived at the familiar front door, he hesitated for a moment before ordering someone to pick the lock and open the door.
As soon as they entered the living room, the compass immediately showed faint activity.
“There are traces of resentful spirits here!” one exorcist quickly noted. “There’s still a lot of residual evil energy… how could this be?”
Another team member, scanning the surroundings cautiously, added, “Maybe he raised ghosts here…”
This rumor had been circulating for a long time. People said Lian Yi had imprisoned Zhuo Qing’s soul and lived in the remote suburbs, rarely going out, probably engaging in other shady activities.
Contact with ghosts was a taboo for exorcists. But even the most absurd rumors seemed somewhat credible when it came to Lian Yi.
After all, he was born with an evil energy, different from ordinary people.
Lin Jiu interrupted them, “Quiet!”
He took the lead in inspecting the entire house, leaving no room or corner unchecked. Besides the faint evil energy detected by the compass, they found nothing useful.
Signs of life had clearly been cleaned up. The bed in the bedroom was neatly made, and the wardrobe was empty.
Lin Jiu went alone to the balcony, where a potted flower sat in the corner.
He remembered this flower. That night, when he had intended to visit Lian Yi, he happened to see him with a young boy.
He wasn’t sure what type of flower it was, but it looked pretty good. One pink blossom had already bloomed, and another bud was showing signs of opening.
This was unusual. With Lian Yi’s constitution, no plant should be able to survive around him.
Lin Jiu squatted down, contemplating whether to take the flower back with him.
Suddenly, he saw the flower in the pot gently move, its branches slowly stretching.
Lin Jiu held his breath in disbelief, thinking he might be hallucinating.
—
The taxi drove all the way to a small motel in the neighboring area.
The driver stopped the car and turned to the two passengers, saying, “We’re here. No traveling at night, sorry.”
After eight o’clock in the evening, it was almost impossible to find any taxis operating. Lian Yi and Nan Deng could only stay in the motel for the night and leave in the morning.
The driver would stay with them until they reached their final destination.
Nan Deng looked out the window, touching the glass with his hand. “It’s raining.”
A light rain had started outside. Apart from them, there was another car parked outside the motel, indicating there weren’t many guests.
Lian Yi got out of the car first, opened an umbrella, and went around to the other side to open the door for Nan Deng.
Nan Deng stepped out, holding a small box in his arms, and saw many ghost-repelling items placed at the motel entrance. The door was covered with a blackboard full of talismans.
He instinctively felt nervous. But Lian Yi lowered his head and kissed his forehead. “Don’t be afraid.”
The room had been booked in advance, and Lian Yi and Nan Deng would be sharing it.
One of the twin beds was used to place their luggage and the small box containing the rabbit head. The rabbit head popped out, hopping around to inspect the place.
Nan Deng sat at the small dining table in the corner, finishing his entire dinner with a spoon.
The food at the motel tasted far inferior to what he was used to at home, but he wasn’t picky.
Lian Yi didn’t eat anything. He sat quietly beside Nan Deng, handing him a glass of water.
Nan Deng drank it all in one go and asked Lian Yi, “Aren’t you hungry?”
“No,” Lian Yi replied, taking the empty glass. “Want to watch TV?”
It was still early. The room had a TV and some snacks.
Nan Deng nodded and was about to speak when he suddenly looked up towards the window.
Because of the rain, it had gotten dark early. He vaguely sensed something in a certain direction, something that seemed to be coming their way.
Lian Yi noticed it too. He stood up, his expression growing colder.
He had anticipated various scenarios after they left. But he hadn’t expected the first to come searching for them would be a group of ghosts.
Nan Deng’s senses had been growing sharper, though he didn’t understand why. Uneasy, he grabbed Lian Yi’s hand. “Something doesn’t feel right…”
To avoid being discovered too early, Lian Yi had chosen more secluded routes. The motel’s location was on the outskirts of the city.
There were few people around, and the motel had good security measures. The roadside was empty with no places to hide, making it a spot that ordinary resentful spirits typically avoided.
There were few resentful spirits and few patrolling celestial masters.
How did these resentful spirits manage to find this place?
Lian Yi looked out the darkened window, his reflection mirrored on the rain-speckled glass.
The rabbit head jumped into Nan Deng’s arms, its furry ears twitching and its nose sniffing carefully.
Lian Yi drew the curtains, led Nan Deng to the bed, and turned on the TV for him. “Don’t worry.”
If the motel were truly attacked by resentful spirits, celestial masters would come. Until the situation was confirmed, he might not need to intervene.
Nan Deng opened his mouth, “But…”
A large number of resentful spirits quickly arrived. The puppet fog-shrouded specter at the forefront emerged from the ground, gazing at the motel.
He raised his hand and flung several black paper talismans. The talismans struck unseen targets, causing the lights inside the motel to go out suddenly, and all communication devices lost signal.
The puppet fog-shrouded specter slowly enunciated, “Make haste…time is short.”
They needed to find the filthy head and the mountain god it was protecting before the celestial masters arrived.
The room plunged into darkness, and the TV was forcibly shut off.
Nan Deng hurriedly hid in Lian Yi’s embrace, hearing the panicked shouts of other guests from the hallway, which only heightened his sense of unease.
Lian Yi had set up a talisman array outside the motel just in time. He hugged Nan Deng and said, “I’ll go check outside. I’ll be back soon.”
In the darkness, Nan Deng couldn’t see his expression, and he clung tightly to Lian Yi’s sleeve. “No, you…”
There must be resentful spirits here, and probably quite a few of them, yet Lian Yi was leaving.
Shouldn’t they be hiding? Or finding a chance to escape quietly?
Lian Yi didn’t explain. He stroked Nan Deng’s hair to soothe him. “I’ll be fine.”
Then he let go of Nan Deng, left the room, and shut the door tightly behind him.
Although Nan Deng was scared, he was more worried about Lian Yi. He wanted to go with him. But when he reached the door, he found he couldn’t move and couldn’t touch the doorknob.
It was as if an invisible wall in the air was blocking him.
Nan Deng pushed hard against it, and a small light shield flickered in front of him, then disappeared instantly.
He quickly withdrew his hand and stepped back.
The light shield just now looked like something a celestial master would use.
Nan Deng tried calling out a few times, but no one responded, and Lian Yi was nowhere to be found.
He had no choice but to return to the bed, sitting on the floor and silently hugging his knees.
The rabbit head hopped over, hesitantly looking towards the door.
The talisman array couldn’t trap it. But since Nan Deng was here and the situation outside seemed off, it decided to stay and guard Nan Deng.
The rabbit head jumped onto Nan Deng’s shoulder, nuzzling his cheek.
Outside, the resentful spirits surrounded the talisman array, attempting to break through.
The puppet fog-shrouded specter waited nearby. Through its eyes, the entity in the underground cave saw everything.
A low, hoarse voice spoke from the disk above the cave, “The filthy head is indeed with him…”
When Lian Yi left, the filthy head followed.
That mountain god must also be with Lian Yi, perhaps they had already met.
The talisman array was reinforced and extremely sturdy. As the ghosts attacked frantically, a cold voice suddenly sounded from the side.
“What are you looking for?”
The fog-shrouded specter turned to see Lian Yi’s tall figure standing in the rain, a Bagua ring rotating in his raised palm.
The voice from the disk paused, “Capture him alive.”
The puppet fog-shrouded specter let out a hiss and commanded the resentful spirits to charge at Lian Yi.
The number of resentful spirits was overwhelming, almost engulfing Lian Yi instantly.
Then, with a loud “bang”, the innermost layer of resentful spirits was violently blasted away.
Lian Yi remained unscathed, his gaze fixed precisely on the puppet fog-shrouded specter in the rear.
The ghost was shrouded in mist, making his face indistinguishable. This was the very ghost Nan Deng had mentioned to him.
All the resentful spirits bore black marks, controlled by the fog-shrouded specter.
The Bagua ring hummed and flew out, piercing through the bodies of the resentful spirits in front and targeting the puppet fog-shrouded specter.
Unable to dodge in time, the mist on the fog-shrouded specter’s right shoulder dispersed but gradually reformed.
He retreated a few steps, attempting to stealthily attack from underground, but was again forced out by the Bagua ring.
The surrounding resentful spirits were densely packed, yet they did not hinder Lian Yi’s actions at all. A ghost that tried to entangle him with its twisted arms was grabbed by spiritual energy and torn in half.
The puppet fog-shrouded specter released more black paper talismans while dodging attacks.
However, these tricks were ineffective against Lian Yi.
The disk in the underground cave continued to glow, its voice becoming deeper and more suppressed, tinged with a hint of envy. “He has indeed grown stronger. Why… why him?”
The real fog-shrouded specter below said, “Once he dies, he will be the strongest Ghost King.”
This batch of resentful spirits had been gathered for a long time, yet they couldn’t advance a single step past Lian Yi nor breach his talisman array.
Gradually, many resentful spirits’ damaged bodies fell, unable to recover immediately.
A glowing winged creature flew hurriedly around to the motel’s back door and entered.
The talisman array did not affect earth spirits. Ren Shi found Nan Deng’s room, broke the lock, and turned the doorknob.
Hearing the noise, Nan Deng thought Lian Yi had returned. He turned to see a little spirit flying into his arms.
Ren Shi sobbed, wiping its tears while trying to say something to Nan Deng.
Nan Deng was bewildered. “Why are you here… what happened?”
Ren Shi was very anxious, gesturing frantically. Finally, it waved its long sword in the air, leaving glowing trails that formed a pattern.
Nan Deng looked closely, recognizing from the ears and tail that it depicted a cat.
He immediately realized, “It’s Hei Mao?” Ren Shi nodded, the light trails quickly dissipating. It then drew two more patterns.
One showed the little black cat surrounded by various strange creatures, and the other showed the cat lying on the ground with a pool of liquid beneath it.
Nan Deng guessed, “It… was attacked and is injured now?”
Ren Shi nodded again, wiped away its tears, and took Nan Deng’s hand, trying to lead him away.
But the talisman array in the room was still active, allowing Nan Deng to only reach the doorway.
“I can’t get out…” He looked at the pitch-black hallway and then turned to the window, noting that Lian Yi hadn’t returned yet.
Ren Shi poked the talisman array with its sword, making an attacking gesture to suggest that Nan Deng try breaking it himself.
“Will that work?” Nan Deng hesitated, then pressed his hands against the invisible barrier and pushed hard.
With a soft “pop”, the talisman array shattered into tiny light particles.
Nan Deng was incredulous, staring at his hands in surprise.
Ren Shi quickly tugged his sleeve and led the way.
The rabbit head hurriedly caught a few of the light particles in its mouth and then jumped onto Nan Deng’s head.
With the glow emanating from Ren Shi, Nan Deng could see the way clearly. He followed Ren Shi downstairs and encountered several resentful spirits rushing toward them at the back door.
Ren Shi swung its long sword, and the resentful spirits were pushed back to a distance.
Nan Deng was even more astonished, realizing for the first time that the little spirit was so powerful.
He stepped out of the motel, looking around. “Wait… I need to find someone.”
The evil energy outside was heavy, and Nan Deng sensed the presence of many resentful spirits.
His body flickered, and he unintentionally shifted into his spirit form.
Ren Shi seemed neither surprised nor curious about this, holding its sword protectively by Nan Deng’s side.
The densest concentration of evil energy was at the entrance to the motel, with some commotion coming from that direction.
Nan Deng hesitated, muttering to himself, “It can’t be”, as he quietly approached.
He just wanted to take a look and confirm that Lian Yi wasn’t there and then he’d leave immediately to search elsewhere.
As he rounded the motel’s greenery, Nan Deng saw a familiar figure standing sideways to him.
The scene was a mess, with the entrance littered with the dismembered limbs of resentful spirits. They weren’t fully exorcised, so they weren’t completely dead; they could still move and emit sounds of pain.
The entire setting resembled a living hell.
Suddenly, a Bagua ring crashed into the ground nearby, leaving a dent and cracks in the concrete and severing a resentful spirit’s arm.
Nan Deng’s pupils contracted, and he felt rooted to the spot as if his feet were made of lead.
He recognized this Bagua ring from the abandoned amusement park that night.
He had been too scared then to see clearly who the Celestial Master wielding the Bagua ring was and had mentioned it to Lian Yi, never imagining that Lian Yi was that Celestial Master.
At this moment, the black mist in Lian Yi’s hand dissipated as he turned and saw Nan Deng.
When the talisman array broke, both Lian Yi and the puppet fog-shrouded specter sensed it simultaneously.
The puppet fog-shrouded specter struggled free from the spiritual art’s restraint, heading towards the motel, only to find himself immobilized after just two steps.
A strong force pulled him forcefully backward. Immediately, the puppet fog-shrouded specter felt a cold sensation at his waist as the Bagua ring cut him in two.
The mist enveloping his body dispersed involuntarily. Lian Yi scrutinized him closely. “Who are you?”
The puppet fog-shrouded specter remained silent, realizing escape was impossible. He voluntarily severed his connection with the main body underground.
Turning completely into smoke, he dissipated into the rain.
Soon after, Lian Yi heard another faint sound.
Nan Deng had indeed broken through his talisman array and come outside.
The rabbit head crouched on Nan Deng’s head, accompanied by a glowing little creature.
Lian Yi recognized them at a glance: the local earth spirit in this area, the lion-man.
He silently put away the Bagua ring and walked towards Nan Deng. However, he noticed Nan Deng’s uneasy expression as he stepped back under the lion-man’s pull.
Lian Yi halted and moved his lips slightly, but made no sound.
He didn’t want Nan Deng to witness this scene, yet he could explain and reassure Nan Deng that regardless of his identity, he wouldn’t harm him.
Nan Deng, still in a daze from learning the truth, felt both lost and uncertain.
At that moment, Ren Shi raised its sword and pointed to a distance behind them.
Under the streetlights, several cars were approaching from the direction of the intersection. Judging by their logos and colors, they were all Celestial Masters.
Ren Shi anxiously pulled Nan Deng, urging him to come with him.
Nan Deng hesitated, standing in place and looking back at Lian Yi.
Lian Yi didn’t move, but he also sensed someone was coming after them.
Nan Deng had reverted to his spirit form now. In the current situation, perhaps it would be safer to follow Ren Shi, with the rabbit head beside him.
Lian Yi murmured softly, “Go.”
Once he dealt with these troublesome people, he would come back for Nan Deng.
The rain continued to fall, and Nan Deng felt a complex mix of emotions.
Hei Mao was injured, Ren Shi was seeking his help, and Lian Yi had concealed so much from him for so long. It was impossible to say he harbored no resentment.
He had been a ghost before, imprisoned in the tower for so long, and almost instinctively feared and dreaded the Celestial Masters.
Since Celestial Masters had arrived and the ghosts on the ground were severely injured, Lian Yi should be safe now, shouldn’t he?
Nan Deng clenched his hands tightly, then turned and followed Ren Shi quickly away.
