Chapter 367: Such a Good Ball!

The two were making their way slowly, and this time around, the furball was taking its time. Growing impatient, Ye Wenxin asked, “Is there any way to create more?”

Ye Wenxin had gotten the sweet taste of the furball’s convenience. If she had many of them, it might speed up their search. Most importantly, Ye Wenxin could even use the furballs to find opportunities hidden within this jiangshi city.

Ghost Mother, taken aback by the question, looked at Ye Wenxin with a complicated expression, as if she had said something inappropriate again. This time, Ye Wenxin hastily apologized, “Sorry, did I offend you?”

“Not at all. I just tried, but it seems that one ghost alone can’t produce many.” Ghost Mother shook her head, hinting at something deeper. Despite Ye Wenxin’s abundant Yin energy, there was a limit to how much she could absorb in a day, so she had to give up on the idea.

Seeing Ye Wenxin give up so quickly, Ghost Mother, feeling disgruntled, continued, “Am I not more attractive than a furball?”

Ye Wenxin almost nodded, but quickly realized it was a trap question. She hastily said, “Of course not. You’re the loveliest one in my heart, Gui Gui.” Only then was Ghost Mother appeased, smiling as she continued smashing a few more jiangshi heads.

Xiao Li shivered seeing the incredibly bloody scene, while Ye Wenxin maintained a faint smile, trying to avoid getting splattered by blood. They moved forward, stopping occasionally, until the furball returned roughly an hour later.

This time, it was carrying an arm in its mouth, which startled Ye Wenxin. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the arm belonged to a man, and the hand was holding a jade pendant.

“Alright, can you stop trying to please me and just find the person?” Ye Wenxin took the valuable-looking jade pendant and ordered the furball. The furball shook its head, seemingly trying to convey something.

“It found someone,” Ghost Mother added from the side, interpreting for the furball.

Ye Wenxin quickly instructed the furball to lead the way, and they continued to cut down jiangshi as they advanced, soon arriving at a small abandoned building. Jiangshi crowded around it, as if ready to rush in, and devour the people inside at any moment.

“You two clear out the jiangshi; we have to rescue the people inside.” Upon realizing there were people in the building, Ye Wenxin instructed the two ghosts. Ghost Mother and Sword Ghost, hungry for their next meal, wasted no time, immediately beginning their jiangshi hunt.

As the bloodbath resumed, Ye Wenxin began to feel nauseous. She stood there, holding a small umbrella, watching the two ghosts engage in their frenzied slaughter. Xiao Li, beside her, was wide-eyed and speechless at the sight of the one-sided massacre. He even noticed how Sword Ghost sliced a jiangshi into pieces, as if for sport.

“Grandmaster, these ghost masters are really too brutal,” Xiao Li said, also feeling a bit sick, and utterly perplexed by the ghosts’ enjoyment.

Forcing a smile, Ye Wenxin replied, “You’ll get used to it. At first, I used to—” She was about to maintain her composed demeanor, but as she watched Ghost Mother use the umbrella to smash a jiangshi’s head like a watermelon, she couldn’t hold back and retched.

As a death artist who pursued aesthetics, Ye Wenxin found the ghost race’s way of killing to be very unsettling. If they had physical forms, she imagined they would be ripping the jiangshi apart with their bare hands in a gruesome display.

Fortunately, they were confined within the umbrella sword. One could only strike, the other could only slash, making the scene somewhat more bearable.

After she finished retching, Ye Wenxin covered her nose and called out, “Wang Cuihua, come out.”

The door cautiously opened, revealing Wang Cuihua and the lady from before.

The lady was supporting a man with a severed arm, blood still dripping from it, his face deathly pale.

“What the hell happened?” asked Ye Wenxin, stunned. Looking at the wound, the man had probably cut off his own arm. However, he showed no signs of corpse poison corruption, so Ye Wenxin couldn’t understand why he had done it.

“It was your furball. It suddenly appeared, and this gentleman thought it was a new type of jiangshi. Seeing how it seemed to have some intelligence, he sacrificed himself to ensure his family’s safety.” Wang Cuihua explained with a bitter smile.

Ye Wenxin finally understood. The furball had already found these people, but had lingered for half a day, trying to convey its intentions. The man unexpectedly mistook it for some kind of mutant jiangshi and did everything he could to negotiate. He kowtowed and begged, willing to give his life for his wife and child’s safety.

Though the story was touching, Ye Wenxin couldn’t help feeling iffy about it.

“By the way, Grandmaster, aren’t you very powerful? Can you cure corpse poison?” Halfway through her brief explanation, Wang Cuihua suddenly remembered something crucial and quickly grabbed Ye Wenxin.

At that instant, a current surged from Ye Wenxin’s hand, causing Wang Cuihua to yelp in surprise, suddenly realizing her mistake. Ye Wenxin, mortified, had noticed that her peach blossom aura was trying to contaminate Wang Cuihua, and claim the girl as her exclusive property. If she hadn’t reacted in time, Wang Cuihua would have completely fallen for her.

Ye Wenxin was relieved that nothing happened, when she noticed Wang Cuihua’s face turning pink, and the girl asked, “What kind of spell was that?”

“A self-defense spell. Ahem. Quick, take me to see the child. The longer corpse poison lingers, the harder it is to cure.” Ye Wenxin desperately changed the subject and followed the others inside. The Ying-Yang ghosts, along with Xiao Li, stayed outside on guard, ready to fend off any new jiangshi attacks.

As Ye Wenxin entered the room, she immediately spotted the boy, and her steps came to an abrupt halt.

“He’s beyond saving.”

“Are you serious?”

“It’s already been three days since he was bitten. The fact that he’s lasted this long is a miracle,” Ye Wenxin replied. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to save him, but it was simply impossible.

Even if she forcefully saved him, the boy would become a living corpse. Given the circumstances, it would be more merciful to end his suffering.

Hearing this, the lady burst into tears, blaming herself for arriving too late and causing the child’s condition to worsen. The man, with tears streaming down his face, lamented, “It’s all my fault for not taking better care of Wangcai.”

Ye Wenxin couldn’t muster a smile at the odd name. This wasn’t a game; it was a real world, and a living person was transforming into a jiangshi right before her eyes. Despite having loving parents by his side, there was nothing they could do.

“Regardless, thank you, esteemed cultivators. Without you, my husband and I wouldn’t have been able to see our child one last time.” The lady’s tone was rational, but her words carried a strange weight.

To Ye Wenxin, it sounded less like gratitude and more like a farewell. Wang Cuihua, however, didn’t catch the underlying meaning. She wiped her tears, her eyes full of guilt and sorrow.

As an orphan, Wang Cuihua yearned for the feeling of familial love and care. Yet, as cultivators, they were powerless in the face of such tragedy. This was fate—an unchangeable reality.

Ye Wenxin sighed, having seen the myriad aspects of life countless times, yet she still found herself moved. If Long Qingyue were here, she would likely have some philosophical words to offer. Ye Wenxin didn’t have such words to offer, but she foresaw the inevitable dead end this couple would take.

“Could the two esteemed cultivators please step outside for a moment? I need to bid my son a final farewell,” the lady requested, her eyes red and filled with determination. Ye Wenxin didn’t stop her. She watched the couple kneeling beside their deceased child and gently said to Wang Cuihua, “Let’s go. We should give them some privacy.”

Wang Cuihua seemed worried about the boy turning into a jiangshi, but eventually nodded and followed Ye Wenxin out. The door closed behind them, leaving a profound silence inside.