“Young master…” Su Yi’s voice grew increasingly seductive.
Lu Zheng spun around, his face still eager, but Su Yi suddenly noticed a dark, thick barrel aimed at her.
“Hm?”
Su Yi froze, the unfamiliar object triggering alarm bells in her mind.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Three deafening shots rang out, and three four-metre-square nets fired from the net gun, wrapping Su Yi’s body tightly with lightning speed.
The binding was so crude, even a rope-art master would be appalled at the lack of finesse.
High-strength nylon ropes, used in modern times for climbing, towing, and hoisting, were among the toughest available. Now, three nets fired in succession, entangling Su Yi thoroughly.
*Buzz!*
The peace talisman in Lu Zheng’s pocket suddenly burned with unprecedented heat.
*Roar!*
A guttural, inhuman howl erupted from Su Yi’s mouth. Her beautiful human skin peeled off like clothing, revealing her true form.
Her body was dark green, oozing pus, with a face bearing ghastly features, literal razor-sharp teeth snapping like blades, fraying the high-strength nylon ropes.
Her hands, though human-like, slashed like sharp blades, cutting through the dense nylon, snapping strands apart.
If left unchecked, the corpse ghost would likely break free in no time.
Terrifying!
And… utterly disgusting!
*Roar! Die!*
A harsh voice rasped from the corpse ghost’s mouth, devoid of its earlier alluring tone.
Suppressing his nausea, Lu Zheng tossed the net gun aside, swiftly pulled back the blanket, and revealed several items on the bed.
Grabbing the Xiuchun blade with his left hand, he gripped the hilt with his right and drew it in one fluid motion.
*Clang!*
The blade unsheathed, its moonlight-like gleam flashing under the oil lamp, dazzling the corpse ghost’s eyes.
Even without sensing it, the corpse ghost knew this was a rare, divine weapon.
No time to wonder how a mere county scholar like Lu Zheng possessed such a blade, the corpse ghost frantically tore at the nylon nets.
In mere moments, its head and one hand were nearly free.
But that was as far as it got.
Lu Zheng stepped forward, using a riot shield to deflect the corpse ghost’s still-weakened hand, then raised the blade high.
“No!”
A short scream, then a flash of white light filled the corpse ghost’s eyes.
A single slash severed its head!
After the strike, Lu Zheng retreated swiftly.
At the same moment, with a *boom*, thick black smoke poured from the corpse ghost’s severed neck.
Lu Zheng dashed to the bed, grabbed a gas mask, and slipped it on in an instant.
The next moment, the corpse ghost’s body and head exploded with a *bang*, filling the room with black smoke.
Simultaneously, the jade seal in his mind quivered, and twelve strands of fortune’s light appeared.
The corpse ghost was dead, its fortune dissipated to the heavens, and the jade seal intercepted several strands.
Without hesitation, Lu Zheng instantly traversed back to the modern era.
…
In the front courtyard, Uncle Li, tucked under his blanket, heard faint noises from the back.
“Youngsters have such energy!”
…
Back in the modern era, Lu Zheng tore off the gas mask and rushed to the bathroom, retching over the toilet.
No surprise, it was revolting!
For someone who rarely watched horror films, encountering a real non-human ghoul and personally beheading it was overwhelming.
*Retch!*
After dry-heaving for a while without vomiting anything, Lu Zheng calmed down, slowly left the bathroom, and poured himself a cup of hot water.
Slumped on the sofa, sipping hot water, Lu Zheng flicked on the TV.
Flipping aimlessly through channels, feeling the fortune’s light in the jade seal, he finally perked up.
Twelve strands in one go, a fortune!
…
Lu Zheng stayed on the sofa all night, then traversed back to the ancient era just after 5 a.m.
Still wearing the gas mask, he noted the black smoke in the room had mostly dissipated.
His bedroom windows had been open all night, and the smoke had drifted away with the breeze.
Still cautious, Lu Zheng opened the door to let the rising sunlight flood in, then sat in the back courtyard.
Soon, the sun rose high, dispelling all gloom.
He could hear Uncle Li and Aunt Liu stirring in the front courtyard, but they didn’t disturb him.
Quite considerate?
Lu Zheng shook his head, stood, and entered the room.
The corpse ghost’s true form and its beautiful human skin were gone. Under the nylon ropes in the room’s centre lay only a floral silk dress, a crimson-gold hairpin, and a pair of embroidered silk shoes.
After some thought, Lu Zheng headed to the west wing.
He suddenly remembered the bundle the corpse ghost had brought last night.
Killing a monster and looting its gear, wasn’t that standard?
Pushing open the west wing’s door, he saw a blue cloth bundle on the table by the wall, though it seemed smaller than last night.
Keeping his distance, Lu Zheng used a stick to prod the bundle open. A wisp of black smoke drifted out, revealing a few items and a water-green silk dress with subtle patterns.
It was the dress the corpse ghost wore when he first saw it.
“One person, no, one ghost.”
Confirming it was safe, Lu Zheng picked through the items from the scattered dress.
A piece of leather, a booklet, and a bronze token.
The leather was covered in tiny, dense script. Though in traditional characters, Lu Zheng could make out some of it.
Especially the title, “Painted Skin,” which he recognised well, having seen it in the titles of those two films in traditional characters.
“Painted Skin Technique?”
“What the hell do I need this for?”
“And this isn’t human skin, is it?”
Lu Zheng hurriedly tossed the leather aside and picked up the booklet.
“*Supreme Yin Soul-Cleansing Scripture*?”
A cultivation technique?
Lu Zheng’s eyes lit up, but flipping through it, he found it incomprehensible.
Damn it!
Finally, he picked up the bronze token.
He’d hoped it was something valuable, but it was just an ordinary token. The front bore the characters “Night’s End,” and the back had a grim ghost face.
Lu Zheng: ⊙_⊙|||
Did I just do something stupid and provoke some major force?
“You corpse ghost, are you brainless?”
If you had a powerful backer, why didn’t you say so? Since you knew I was formidable, we could’ve stayed out of each other’s way. Why didn’t you mention your connections before dying?
You’re screwing me over!
Corpse Ghost: ฺ(◣д◢)ฺ
Did I even get a chance to speak?
Then, Lu Zheng decisively rewrapped the bundle, including the floral dress from the bedroom.
“Uncle Li!”
“Master!”
“Come with me, hire a carriage, we’re going to Baiyun Temple!”
“Huh? What?”
