Chapter Seventy-Eight: A Piercing Scream

The screams were chilling and strange, enough to make one's scalp tingle. "What kind of ghost is coming this time?" Ye Dong gripped his weapon tightly, anxiety gnawing at his heart.

"Stop!" Lord Wei shot a cold glance inside. After handing out the banana leaves to everyone, he instructed in a low voice, "Later, if anything comes out, don't be afraid. Use these banana leaves to cover your breathing. Understand?"

Ye Dong knew well the purpose of these banana leaves; they were objects of yin, able to effectively block yang energy. Unless the ghost made a deliberate effort to sense it, it would neither see nor smell the living aura of those holding their breath beneath the leaves.

The group hastily took this 'magical tool,' obediently covering their breaths and waiting for Lord Wei's next command.

The agonized cries did not cease, and their proximity to Ye Dong and the others grew ever closer. Hui Yan, though skilled in martial arts, was still a woman; unlike Nian Xue, she had not grown up confronting spirits and monsters. Instinctively, she hid behind Ye Dong at such a moment, knowing he was versed in Daoist arts and could offer protection in times of danger.

"It hurts so much..."

The mournful, eerie screams echoed ceaselessly in the stone chamber, sending chills down their spines. A sinister wind swept through, and the strange arrangement of the chamber made the atmosphere even more unsettling.

Ye Dong, though a practitioner of the Dao, was not immune to fear. He could not afford to reveal his Daoist arts here. His cultivation had advanced rapidly, but he still lacked real experience.

Tap-tap, tap-tap, tap-tap... Weak footsteps approached, followed by the soft rustling of clothing dragging across the floor.

"Keep calm!" Lord Wei repeatedly whispered, "Now is not the time to lose your nerve!"

The excavation workers, without exception, were pale as death, sweat streaming down their foreheads, hands trembling uncontrollably, silently praying for divine protection.

One tall worker, perhaps too panic-stricken, dropped his banana leaf to the ground!

Lord Wei glared at him, signaling urgently to pick it up.

Under Lord Wei's stare, the tall worker grew even more flustered, his breaths suddenly disordered. As he bent down to retrieve the banana leaf, he discovered beside it a pair of white shoes, stained with blood, that had appeared without him noticing.

"Ah!" The tall worker jumped back in fright, involuntarily shouting, "Ghost! There's a ghost!"

"Don't move!" Li Xing tried to keep his voice low, but it was already too late.

Whoosh!

The tall worker, startled and retreating, bumped into an inconspicuous fire totem carved into the stone path!

Before he could react, over a dozen sharp blades appeared under his feet, instantly piercing both feet, flesh and bone scattering, blood flowing everywhere!

"Ah! My feet!" With more than ten bloody holes appearing out of nowhere, the pain was unbearable, and his terror only made him scream louder.

"Stop shouting!" Lord Wei growled angrily.

Suddenly, the tall worker's screams ceased abruptly! Normally, this would be a good sign, but the silence was too sudden. Not only did he stop shouting, but his pain-wracked body no longer made a sound!

"Something's wrong!" Ye Zhonglin sensed danger, tensing up and shielding Hui Yan behind him.

Hui Yan was nervous, staring intently at the tall worker's odd behavior, her grip on her sword ready to draw at any moment.

The tall worker's eyes were tightly shut, his mouth half open in a round shape, arms hanging limp, slowly standing up on his ruined feet.

"What is he doing? How can he stand up in this state?" Ye Dong was deeply unsettled by the bizarre scene. "No matter what happens, I must protect Hui Yan!"

Lord Wei, furious, drew his dagger and slashed at the air in front of the tall worker's mouth!

A tearing sound like cotton cloth ripped through the air. The thing struck revealed its form—a pale yellow stream of energy, its source precisely the tall worker's mouth!

"You monster! Absorbing a man's yang energy!" Lord Wei was about to strike again when a strange cry echoed from the air, and the footsteps retreated into the distance.

"You two, support that useless one!" Seeing the enemy temporarily withdraw, Lord Wei quickly ordered the other two excavation workers to help the half-dead tall man.

Ye Dong frowned. "Was the tall guy just having his yang energy sucked by a ghost? No wonder his mouth was half open—damn, without the Celestial Eye, it would be impossible to guard against!"

"We can't just leave him here," Li Xing said quietly. "He still has his uses."

Hui Yan retorted coldly, "He's already ruined. What's the use? Just throw him out."

Li Xing smirked slyly, "Hui Yan, you're such an amateur. Living people are very useful!"

Lord Wei reached for the tall man's wrist, pried open his eyelids to examine his pupils, then shook his head. "He's done for. Not enough yang energy. Throw him out."

Li Xing seemed disappointed. "That means we're down one." He grabbed the tall man's collar, ignoring the blood pooling beneath his feet, and dragged him out past the stone gate. "Useless dog! Consider yourself lucky!"

As he walked back in, Lord Wei gave the excavation workers special instructions. "If you run into ghosts, don't panic. They're just trying to scare you. If they were really powerful, they wouldn't need to scare you. Got it?"

The workers exchanged glances. "Got it, got it!"

Le Cheng quietly suggested, "We’ve been exposed now. I doubt we can get in smoothly. Maybe we should—"

Lord Wei coughed to interrupt him. "Let's stick to the plan."

Le Cheng understood; Lord Wei didn't want He Wentian and Hui Yan to hear too much, so he knowingly took out three small yellow flags. "Alright, we'll do it your way."

He stepped forward, waving a yellow flag in his right hand. "Spirits of heaven, spirits of earth, reveal the power of the Grand Supreme Lord. Sun full, moon full, both shine round!"

Jingle! The bell in his left hand rang, and he chanted, "Living seek fortune, dead seek relief. The road stretches ahead, each goes their own way!"

After he finished, Lord Wei scattered paper money into the air, handing some to Ye Dong, signaling him to follow suit.

Ye Dong scattered the paper money, and to his surprise, even without activating his Celestial Eye, he could see the ghosts!

"Heavens!" After Hui Yan scattered her paper money, she seemed to see the same vision, whispering in astonishment, "They're smiling at me!"

Ye Dong watched as the ghosts slowly approached. He felt nervous, for these ghosts were nothing like any he'd seen before. Each was covered in wounds, their faces pale as paper, some missing half their face, others lacking eyes, mouths, ears, or noses. None had complete limbs; blood dripped everywhere. These grotesque and terrifying souls smiled at him with eerie grins—anyone would be afraid.

Ye Dong swallowed hard, gripping Hui Yan's hand tightly. "Don't be afraid. I'm here."

He channeled a trace of True Fire, sending warmth into Hui Yan's palm to steady her nerves.

"Once they've picked up the paper money, don't block the way," Le Cheng said, scattering another handful. "Spirits of heaven and earth, road money paid, let those blocking the way move on. Time is short, the sword sharpened, the road stretches ahead, each goes their own way! Go on!"

He flung all the paper money into the air, ringing the bell again. "Go! Don't block the path!"

The ghosts actually obeyed, vanishing instantly. Ye Dong was amazed. "The world is vast; every school and sect has its strengths. It's a pity Le Cheng uses his arts for tomb robbing!"

With the ghosts gone, the group pressed forward a bit. The frightening sound of footsteps echoed again.

"Damn it, still following us?" Lord Wei's gaze sharpened. He drew his dagger first. "Everyone, put down your banana leaves and take out your weapons smeared with chicken and dog blood. Prepare for battle! Li Xing, protect Tian!"

Lord Wei bit his finger, dotting a drop of blood onto everyone's brow and commanded, "This blood lets you briefly gain Spirit Sight. Don't foolishly wipe it off! If you die, I'm not responsible!"

After being marked with Lord Wei's blood, Ye Dong closed his eyes and opened them again, instantly seeing more than ten ghosts in black robes and white shoes, dragging blood-soaked clothes, their hollow, chilling gazes fixed straight at him.

Please comment, vote, and reward!