85: Murder

Yi Fan had just gone downstairs when, though the street below was noisy, he could still hear voices from above. He could not help but let out a cold laugh. Such a beast deserved no mercy; no matter how many came, he would kill them all.

Back at the inn, he did not go out again. Even supper was brought upstairs by the young waiter.

By midnight, under a bright moon and sparse stars, Yi Fan and the Cursed Ghost rose at the same time and opened the window to look outside. A few miles away, dozens of ghostly auras suddenly emerged.

“So they’ve come after all. Good, no need to wait any longer.”

He had guessed that within these few days the Ghost King would send lesser spirits to seize living people, but he had not expected them to arrive so soon. It was perfect. He would settle them all at once, then continue on his way.

He took out the Demon-Banishing Sword and slung it across his back, tied the spirit pouch at his waist, then leaped out through the window. The Cursed Ghost needed no instruction and followed close behind.

With a few swift steps, he tapped across the rooftops and shot far into the distance. Those inside heard the movement but did not dare come out to look, assuming nothing had happened.

The few miles were covered in no time. By then, the dozens of ghostly auras had drawn even closer to the town, then split into several groups. One of them happened to head toward the Zhou residence, whether by chance or not.

“You go intercept the other spirits. Remember, if anything seems wrong, flee at once.”

Yi Fan ordered the Cursed Ghost to block the others. With these little ghosts’ strength, so long as nothing unexpected occurred, however many came would only fill its stomach.

The Cursed Ghost’s innate power restrained spirits greatly. Ordinary ghosts before it had no chance even to fight back.

Excited, the Cursed Ghost thumped its chest, sprang onto a rooftop, and sped toward the nearest cluster of spirits with hands and feet working together.

Arriving near the Zhou residence, Yi Fan landed and saw the area deathly silent. Aside from the dense ghostly miasma, there was no movement at all. Something stirred in his heart, and he paused to observe a little longer.

Though these were only lesser ghosts and easy to deal with, the Flying Cliff Mountain cultivator, He Buchen, was not very strong either, at most at the third level of Bright Aperture. One or two ghosts might not trouble him, but more than ten would be difficult.

This fellow had been so arrogant in broad daylight. It was the perfect chance to teach him a lesson.

Suddenly, the Zhou residence erupted with a series of firecracker-like blasts, though without any flame. Then came a chorus of ghostly wails and howls. Ghostly miasma surged instantly, cold winds swept through, and the place seemed like hell itself.

Yi Fan quietly vaulted over the wall and saw, in a nearby courtyard, He Buchen gripping a treasured sword in one hand and clutching a spirit pouch in the other. His face was full of panic, utterly unlike the swagger he had shown during the day. All around him swarmed countless ghostly forms. Cries, curses, and even wild laughter rang out from time to time, chilling the blood.

Such commotion naturally woke everyone in the Zhou household. The place was thrown into chaos. More than one servant, fleeing blindly, rushed into this courtyard. Seeing such a scene, they were so frightened their legs went weak; then a blast of yin wind struck them, their eyes rolled back, and they fainted.

He Buchen finally moved. He flung a talisman from his hand, and it burst in midair like a firecracker, sending out a wave of force that repelled the ghostly figures. But he himself rushed toward one of the servants, landing beside him just as the surrounding shadows surged again with cold wind.

Without hesitation, He Buchen grabbed the servant and hurled him outward, straight into the ghosts. A tragic scream rang out, and four or five ghostly beings immediately swarmed onto the servant. By the time the body fell, it was already silent.

Taking advantage of this opening, He Buchen hurled out several talismans in succession, scattering the yin energy and driving the ghosts back. Then, astonishingly, he turned and ran deeper inside.

Yi Fan’s expression changed. He had not expected this man to be so cruel, willing to sacrifice others’ lives to shield himself. With a cold snort, he restrained his own aura and followed after him.

The deeper he went, the more maids and servants he encountered. The ghosts pursuing him scattered at once, lunging toward any living person they found. He Buchen’s pressure lessened greatly, and without even looking back, he continued running inward.

Yi Fan frowned. Though Zhou the magistrate was a brute, these maids and servants were not evil. He stopped, removed a gourd from his waist, and held it in his hand.

He had fashioned the gourd himself when at the Cloud-Capped Temple. On a whim, he had nourished it with spiritual power and carved talismans upon its surface. He had not expected it to work at all, yet it had some effect. It was not a true magical artifact, but for dealing with these little ghosts, it was ideal.

He opened the stopper, tapped the bottom lightly, and, pointing it at a ghostly being, formed a hand seal.

“Take.”

At once, an invisible force drew the surrounding yin energy inward. The ghost startled and tried to break free, but the suction was too strong, and it was instantly drawn inside.

Yi Fan did not stop. He immediately sucked in the other ghosts as well. In the blink of an eye, the yin energy scattered and the spirits vanished. Glancing at the terrified maids and servants, he did not linger, but gave chase at once.

…

Over on the other side, He Buchen was deeply vexed. He had originally planned to leave early tomorrow morning to avoid the Ghost King, never expecting it would come so soon. With no time to think of anything else, he could only lower his head and run. Along the way, whenever he encountered a living person, he flung them behind him to block the ghosts.

But the more than ten ghosts chasing him were truly cunning. Aside from the first wave, which had drawn off a few, the rest, without exception, no longer attacked the living. Instead, they pursued him directly.

He should have left tonight.

A cultivator’s soul was far stronger than that of an ordinary mortal. In the eyes of these ghosts, he was like a lamp in the night, impossible to miss at a glance. If they devoured his blood and flesh, even his soul, it would be easier than ten years of cultivation.

He Buchen gritted his teeth and took out four talismans from his spirit pouch. Their patterns were vigorous and powerful, and a faint glow flowed across them, revealing their extraordinary quality.

If Yi Fan were here, he would recognize them at once as several Lesser Demon-Banishing Talismans, though they were somewhat inferior to his own, at best of middling grade.

“Filthy fiends, die!”

He Buchen was so pained that he trembled. These few Lesser Demon-Banishing Talismans had come from the Maoshan Shangqing Sect. They had cost him more than half his savings to obtain. He had originally meant to save them for another purpose, never imagining he would use them all here.

Thinking of this, his heart ached even more. This deal was simply not worth it. He had merely meant to help Zhou the magistrate capture a little ghost, collect his reward, and then flee to avoid the Ghost King.

Who would have thought it would turn into a losing bargain?

But no matter how much it hurt, his life came first. He flung the talismans onto several walls behind him, and they immediately blossomed with faint light. A few cries rang out, and several ghosts were instantly reduced to ashes. The others faltered, unwilling to force their way through.

Seeing that the ghosts had finally been held back, He Buchen dared not delay. He leaped over several corridors, and just as he was about to vault the wall and escape, he saw a young Daoist standing not far ahead, perfectly blocking his path.

“It’s you?”

“That’s right. It’s me.”

Yi Fan gave a cold snort. He had originally only meant to use these ghosts to teach this man a lesson, but since this fellow was so ruthless, how could he let him leave so easily?

He Buchen’s face turned dark and cold.

“Get out of the way at once. Don’t block my path.”

Yi Fan shook his head.

“What happened by day, I had no wish to pursue. But your conduct is so outrageous, using the lives of living people to shield yourself from ghosts. Since that is how you act, I naturally cannot let you escape.”

Having said that, he did not bother with further words. He flipped his hand and sent out a Palm Thunder. Lightning crashed down in an instant. He Buchen only managed a look of terror before crying out, “You dare?”

The words had barely left his mouth when his body had already turned to charred wreckage, bursting into fragments. Even the ground was blasted open into a deep pit.

Why would I not dare?

Yi Fan laughed coldly. He had not held the matter of the day against him only because he did not wish to invite trouble. But that did not mean he feared it.