Chapter 32: Female Ghost Messenger

The group entered the crossing of the cycle hall but went in different directions. Cheng Shan and the others went through various twists and turns, eventually arriving at a quiet and deserted courtyard in the Houde Palace. Dim red lanterns weakly illuminated the scene in front of a corner room, and the previously seen Ghost Messengers of Impermanence were nowhere to be seen, with not a trace of them remaining.

Yang Taizai handed the Wanderer’s Cap back to Cheng Shan, who put it on. He took the lead and walked into the corner room, with Cheng Shan following. She noticed that this was the same corner room where they had first arrived at the Houde Palace. In the room, an old ghost, the “Gatekeeper” they had encountered before, was sitting behind a high table. He glanced at Yang Taizai and then lowered his head, paying no attention to the three as if they were invisible.

Considering that Cheng Shan and the others were now considered “allies of Han Bushang,” Yang Taizai didn’t dare to go out recklessly. He suggested that Cheng Shan wait here, and he would go out to gather information. While speaking, Yang Taizai kept looking at Hong Ying, and Hong Ying understood his meaning. She volunteered, “Anyway, I can’t go back to the Ghost City. I’ll stay with her. You can rest assured and go.”

Yang Taizai nodded and disappeared.

In the room, there was only a dim blue lamp, and the atmosphere was so quiet that one couldn’t hear any breathing. The gatekeeper’s table displayed some molds for talismans, and Cheng Shan took a glance but dared not look around more. She didn’t dare approach the gatekeeper and found a secluded corner herself, leaning against a cold wall, feeling a bit dejected.

Hong Ying stood silently at the door, concentrating on guarding. After a while, her brows suddenly furrowed, and she whispered, “Ghost Messengers are approaching.”

The Gatekeeper, with a big yellow toothy grin, stiffly said, “Houde Palace is on alert, and Ghost Messengers patrol every three hours.”

Seeing Hong Ying’s serious expression, Cheng Shan, at a loss, subconsciously crouched down, adjusted her headscarf, and anxiously held her head. Seeing this, Hong Ying sighed inwardly. Although Cheng Shan concealed her mortal aura, the powerful Samsara True Qi inherited from Han Bushang was becoming stronger, making it difficult to avoid detection by high-level Ghost Messengers.

After contemplating for a moment, Hong Ying decisively said, “I’ll go distract them.” As she spoke, she disappeared.

“Hey?” Cheng Shan watched him disappear, leaving her alone with the old ghost Gatekeeper in the room. Her heart was increasingly anxious. The outside fell into a deathly silence, and the gatekeeper remained motionless. Cheng Shan stared at his hunched back, feeling as if time had come to a standstill.

In the cramped room, the oppressive atmosphere made Cheng Shan feel like her soul was about to leave her body. If this were the mortal realm, Cheng Shan would undoubtedly run out without hesitation. However, in this eerie place, she could only anxiously wait for Yang Taizai and Hong Ying to return, even regretting coming here a little.

There was no news from Yang Taizai and the others for a long time. Cheng Shan, thinking about the Ghost Messengers patrolling every three hours, felt her heart burning with anxiety, almost on the verge of collapsing. Just then, the ground under her suddenly shook, as if experiencing an earthquake. The dim blue lamp, talismans, pens, and other miscellaneous items on the table floated into the air as if drunk, swaying in a bizarre manner. Cheng Shan steadied herself against the cold wall, rubbing her eyes in confusion.

Suddenly, a sharp and cold howl erupted from somewhere—a piercing and chilling sound that resonated, making hearts tremble. It seemed to be far and near, shifting unpredictably, like a massive wave, surging through the entire Houde Palace, shaking the ancient and majestic palace buildings as if they were small boats in the midst of turbulent waves. Accompanying it were the cries of thousands of ghosts, as if wailing in pain or joyfully celebrating, wildly shouting and howling, the sound waves growing even more intense.

Cheng Shan couldn’t help but tightly cover her ears and kneel to the ground, her head throbbing as if countless claws were tearing at her internal organs. Ignoring the fear of the gatekeeper, she crawled forward using both hands and feet, shouting, “Elder, what happened?”

The normally vacant and murky eyes of the gatekeeper unexpectedly lit up a bit. He muttered, “Your Majesty, Your Majesty has left the seclusion!”

The old ghost, who seemed to have been nailed to the rattan chair for many years, stood up unsteadily, floated to the door, and knelt down, shouting, “Supreme existence, respectfully welcoming Your Majesty’s return!” After saying this, he wailed and jumped around, dancing like a madman.

Cheng Shan was both amused and perplexed. It turned out that this sudden ghostly cry and howl were a form of celebration. Unable to do anything else, Cheng Shan had to gather her courage and approach, asking after a while, “Why haven’t they come back yet?”

The gatekeeper stopped and, with a wooden expression, returned to the room. Indifferently, he said, “At such a moment, Ming Yan, the guardian, must be in the Thick Virtue Palace. They might not be able to come back.”

“What?” Cheng Shan was stunned. “What should I do then?”

The gatekeeper didn’t move; only his head turned half around on his neck, facing Cheng Shan with a cold smile. “It’s quite simple.”

Cheng Shan took a cold breath, forced a smile, and said, “Please show me the way, Elder.”

The gatekeeper shook his head and said, “This is the Underworld; there is no way out, only a dead end. Become my apprentice, turn into a real ghost, and I can ensure you’ll be unharmed in the Underworld.” The gatekeeper floated to Cheng Shan, saying, “Such a lively soul, the Yang energy should not go to waste. Why not give it to me?”

Cheng Shan’s heart sank. Without thinking, she raised her hand and sent out a burst of true energy, not caring about the result, and then ran outside. The ghostly cries continued, filling the entire Thick Virtue Palace and making the scalp tingle. Cheng Shan, in panic, maneuvered through the dim corridors and pavilions, avoiding entering any halls or buildings because she didn’t know if they led to a portal to the Underworld. She hoped to meet Yang Taizai or Hong Ying again, not daring to go elsewhere.

After running blindly for a while, by some stroke of luck, she found herself in an empty area. She hadn’t encountered any patrol ghosts or palace guards, perhaps because the Ghost Emperor had returned and everyone had gone to greet him. Cheng Shan stumbled into a long corridor where red palace lanterns adorned the sides, their glow reflecting off the black jade walls, creating a red ambiance.

Cheng Shan leaned against the wall for a moment, catching her breath. She looked up and saw the gatekeeper pursuing her at the end of the corridor.

The hunchbacked old ghost, with bloodshot eyes, approached slowly. Cheng Shan had no choice but to grip her Zidian sword, thinking quickly. Although she knew it was inappropriate to take action in the Thick Virtue Palace, the urgency of the situation made her prioritize survival. Rather than becoming a true ghost right away, she would rather cause a commotion in the palace. However, just as she was about to release her true energy, a white-robed figure with an umbrella hat appeared in front of the gatekeeper, intercepting the attack. The Grim Qi blade hesitated before piercing through the figure’s chest, yet the figure didn’t even flinch.

Cheng Shan was stunned. The Grim Qi, which even Yang Taizai had praised, seemed child’s play against this white figure. Cheng Shan scrutinized the figure, realizing it resembled the wandering ghost she had seen at the Samsara Department.

Surprisingly, the figure spoke in a soft and gentle female voice, “Gatekeeper, she is my target tonight. Do not interfere, or I will charge you with dereliction of duty.”

The gatekeeper sneered, took a step back, and exited the corridor. Cheng Shan understood that this wandering ghost specialized in collecting souls and, if targeted, there was no escape. Instead of running, she turned to face the figure, who urgently said, “How dare you run around here?”

The tone sounded like that of an older sister from the neighborhood, with a mix of anger and concern. Cheng Shan found it strange, and her guard was slightly lowered. She thought, “Since I probably can’t outrun her, I might as well stay put.” She stopped and turned around, saying with a bitter smile, “I don’t dare, and I don’t want to.”

“Where are the two people who brought you here?” the female ghost asked.

Even more surprised, Cheng Shan wondered how this ghost seemed so familiar to her. She honestly replied, “I don’t know.”

“You must come with me immediately. The Ghost Emperor will soon sense the Grim Qi on you,” the female ghost insisted.

Perplexed, Cheng Shan gave up on the idea of escaping. “Who… are you?” she asked.

The white figure floated closer and lifted her head, revealing a clean and delicate female face with only a faint bluish tint in her eyes. Cheng Shan, after racking her brains, couldn’t recall knowing someone like her. Suddenly, the female ghost reached out as if to touch Cheng Shan’s forehead. Cheng Shan instinctively stepped back, and the ghost looked disappointed, saying softly, “Once, I had a mark like yours, though not as beautiful.”