The man inside the coffin wore a vivid red robe. He turned his handsome face, his eyes devoid of eyeballs nevertheless locating Qin Yu with perfect accuracy.
He climbed out and approached Qin Yu, running icy fingers over his cheeks inch by inch. His expression was entranced, as though he were touching a priceless treasure.
“You haven’t disappointed me. This face truly is exquisite!”
“I swear I’ll take excellent care of this skin and keep it beautiful forever.”
Bai Guisheng’s chilling voice echoed through the cavern, brimming with malice. As he spoke, he considered how to peel away that perfect face without damaging it. Unconscious, Qin Yu knew nothing of what was happening.
Just as Bai Guisheng reached his sharp nails behind Qin Yu’s ear, ready to begin, an immense, invisible force struck him. Black fissures spread across his handsome face, blood spilled from all seven facial orifices, and his body buckled under the pressure, dropping to its knees.
He roared furiously, “Who’s there? Who dares ruin my plans?”
Crash!
The moment he finished shouting, his body flew backward into the stone wall. Every joint was driven deep into the rock, pinning him helplessly in place. Even with all his strength, he couldn’t break free.
Clad in black robes, Yu Lancheng appeared out of thin air. He lifted the unconscious Qin Yu—yes, by the collar—and carefully inspected his… face.
Good. No unwanted marks.
He lowered his head to Qin Yu’s neck and sniffed lightly. Finding no unpleasant scent, he relaxed his brow.
At the sight of Yu Lancheng’s sudden appearance, shock and fury filled Bai Guisheng’s cracked face.
“You!”
This same man had ruined his plans last night. Now he had appeared again!
“You recognize me?” Yu Lancheng’s brilliant crimson eyes swept over Bai Guisheng and immediately turned away, his disgust undisguised. “You’re so ugly you offend my eyes.”
Nor did he stop at saying it. He flipped Bai Guisheng over and forced him face-first into the wall.
Fuck! Could this man be any more unreasonable?
Embedded in the rock, Bai Guisheng demanded bitterly, “Why? Didn’t you want to kill him last night, too?”
Yu Lancheng gently gathered Qin Yu into his arms and brushed a stray lock from his forehead, looking for all the world like a caring master cherishing his beloved disciple.
“A-Yu belongs to me. I may do whatever I please with him. You aren’t allowed so much as a touch.”
“If you touch him, you cease to exist.”
Boom.
The sound of shattering stone rang out once more.
Before Bai Guisheng could protest, his body and soul were crushed to dust together, erased from the world forever.
“Hmph. Couldn’t even withstand a single blow.”
Yu Lancheng brought the unconscious Qin Yu to the entrance of Qu’an Village.
“Now, enjoy all the loving care your master has in store for you.”
Darkness enveloped the entire mountain range and spared none of the surrounding villages. Countless ghosts escaped their confinement and roamed freely, devouring people.
When Liu Yunbai, Jiang Fu, and the others returned to Qu’an Village, cries of anguish filled the air.
“Are they reaping what they sowed?”
“Serves them right. They tried to get us killed.”
“Good and evil receive their due in the end. They brought this upon themselves. There’s no reason to pity them.” Liu Wanrou clung to Jiang Fu’s arm. Though she spoke of just deserts, her face bore a sorrowful, reluctant expression.
To everyone else, she appeared to grieve for the villagers while refusing to impose her own kindness on others, rationally keeping her compassion in check.
That was what Jiang Fu liked most about her: she was kind without losing her reason and knew how to make the most advantageous decision.
“They deserve their punishment. Don’t grieve for them. Let’s find a way out of here first.”
Hearing that they intended to leave, Liu Yunbai ventured, “Leave if you want. I’m staying to continue the trial.”
She had said it?
Had that inexplicable restriction disappeared?
She cautiously took another step. Meeting no resistance, she immediately raced toward the headman’s house and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Her words reminded the others that the Qu’an Village assignment was their trial. They couldn’t leave yet. Leaving now would mean failing the mission, and failure would cost them a great deal of cultivation resources.
At the village entrance.
Qin Yu awoke amid ghastly wails. The first thing he did upon opening his eyes was rush aside and empty his stomach, listening to the system announce his mission rewards between bouts of vomiting.
【Congratulations, Host, on successfully preventing the female lead from sacrificing herself for love and damaging her spiritual root. Reward: 4,000 points and one seventh-grade Primordial Spirit Pill.】
【Host’s current point balance: 4,000.】
“At least all that time in the front-loading washing machine wasn’t wasted.”
Looking around, he discovered he was at the entrance to Qu’an Village.
“Was that black hole a shortcut back to the village?”
The system thought, …Should it tell its host what had happened after he passed out?
Better not.
【The sacrifice has failed, and the ghosts are out of control. Hurry and investigate the unknown plot, Host!】
“Ah, my mystery gift package!”
Qin Yu sprinted toward the headman’s house.
The evil spirits he had imagined surrounding it were nowhere to be seen. Instead, the house was unnaturally quiet.
Was no one inside?
He pushed the door open and thoroughly searched the house and its surroundings, but found no one.
“Did they die outside, or did they run away?”
【Friendly reminder: Host, you should probably run first.】
“What do you… Holy shit!”
Qin Yu was wondering why the system had suddenly told him to run. Then he looked up and saw vengeful ghosts packed around the headman’s house. They stared at him like dogs that had gone without food for three days and nights eyeing a meat bun. Terrified, he took to his heels.
When had so many vengeful ghosts gathered in the courtyard? He hadn’t noticed a thing!
Awoooo—
A horde of ghosts chased close behind him. Along the way, other ghosts in the midst of attacking people abandoned their prey and joined the pursuit.
He ran from one end of the village to the other, the horde behind him growing larger by the moment. He felt worse than if he’d swallowed a fly.
“System, what the hell is going on?”
【Host, you can open your robe and see for yourself.】
Qin Yu immediately pulled his robe open at the chest.
“Fuck! What are these weird scribbles on my pecs and abs?!”
【Host, I do know what pecs and abs look like.】
“Ahem. That’s not the point. Tell me when someone drew a Yin-Gathering Talisman on me!”
No wonder those ghosts had chased him relentlessly. To them, he was practically an entire imperial banquet!
【Host, think back to who has been near you.】
“Someone who’s been near me…”
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