Chapter Eighty-Four: No Time to Lose

Forcing a smile as an unknown entity caressed the back of his head, Ye Dong’s eyes flashed coldly. Suddenly, he thrust his rusty dagger backward! Yet, contrary to his expectations, the blade met nothing. He rolled across the ground, tumbling several meters away, and when he looked back, there was nothing in or around the pitch-black doorway.

“What just touched me?” Ye Dong’s brow shot up as he turned to Huiyan.

Huiyan, equally baffled, exclaimed, “Where did that ghost go just now? Why is it gone?”

“A ghost?” Ye Dong staggered back a few steps, his voice trembling uncontrollably. “A ghost?”

Huiyan, seeing his shock, was even more surprised. “Dong, aren’t you someone who’s seen ghosts before? Why are you so scared now?”

With a clatter, the dagger slipped from Ye Dong’s hand and fell to the ground. He clutched the back of his head, still trembling as he muttered, “A ghost? A ghost?”

Sensing something amiss, Huiyan and the others hurried over. “What’s wrong? Did the ghost do something to you?”

Ye Dong’s face was ashen, his eyes wide with terror. “My mother once told me…”

“What is it?” The group looked at each other anxiously. “What did your mother say?”

Tears brimmed in Ye Dong’s eyes as he stammered in dread, “She said that if a ghost ever touched the back of my head, I’d be forced to eat filth in the underworld!”

“What?” Liang Lingzhi was stunned. “Seriously? Just one touch from a ghost and you’re doomed to such a fate? Then for anyone who’s been touched by a ghost, wouldn’t they have to eat filth for the rest of their life?”

“No!” Ye Dong and Liang Lingzhi felt the world spinning around them, everything distorting, so much so that they could no longer tell who was who.

“Damn it!” Unable to bear it any longer, Nian Xue grabbed Ye Dong and Liang Lingzhi and tossed them straight into the black doorway!

She spun around and glared fiercely at Xiao Bao and Da Chun. “Are you going in by yourselves, or do you need my help?”

Faced with her uncompromising stance, Da Chun murmured, “Though the road ahead is winding, and the world full of hardship, the path we must tread is one we cannot avoid.”

He extended his hand. “Brother Xiao Bao, after you!”

“Well said, well said!” Xiao Bao grinned, nodding. “Memories are sweet, the road ahead is tough. Better to find a companion, and travel the world hand in hand!”

He clasped Da Chun’s hand tightly; they exchanged a smile and strode boldly through the black door.

With a wry smile, Huiyan followed them in.

Inside the black doorway.

“Ye Dong, wake up! Once we master our arts, we won’t have to go to hell, and you won’t have to eat filth!” Liang Lingzhi’s words struck Ye Dong like a bolt of lightning, snapping him out of his despair.

“Yes! Yes, you’re right!” Ye Dong came to his senses, pointing into the darkness and cursing, “You rotten ghosts, trying to toy with us—don’t push your luck!”

“Is your flashlight broken?” Da Chun demanded as Liang Lingzhi’s newly purchased flashlight flickered erratically.

“Impossible! I bought this yesterday!” Liang Lingzhi shone the beam onto his own hand, but the flashlight seemed perfectly fine.

Suddenly, a withered hand appeared, palm out, covering the beam of light, then vanished into thin air!

“Ah!” Startled, Liang Lingzhi flung the flashlight to the ground. “That hand appeared again! It covered my flashlight!”

Terrified, the group huddled behind Ye Dong. “Dong, you’ve got experience—what should we do now?”

“What else? Pick up the flashlight.” Steeling himself, Ye Dong bent down and picked it up. “See? Nothing’s wrong.”

“Aaah!” Liang Lingzhi shrieked, slapping the object from Ye Dong’s hand. “That’s not a flashlight—it’s a severed arm!”

“What?” Ye Dong looked down. Sure enough, what had fallen was a dismembered arm, and the flashlight that Liang Lingzhi had dropped was lying not far from it!

“Playing tricks, are you?” Angered by the ghost’s mischief, Ye Dong bit his finger and chanted rapidly, “Infernal flames consume evil, Samadhi fire destroys demons, thunder within, the thunder god’s name concealed, by law, let it be done!”

With a drop of his blood, the true Samadhi fire blazed forth!

With a muffled boom, the darkness was instantly illuminated by roaring flames!

“Monsters, if you don’t want to die, stay close to your master!” Ye Dong shouted, and with a sweep of his finger, the Samadhi fire consumed the severed arm, leaving not a trace behind.

“Well done, Ye Dong!” Huiyan, witnessing his prowess for the first time, couldn’t help but praise him.

“Heh, this is nothing—I’ve got plenty more tricks up my sleeve!” Ye Dong grinned proudly. “We have to keep our wits about us. Don’t let the ghosts take advantage of our fear!”

Emboldened by Ye Dong’s display, Liang Lingzhi and the others felt their courage returning. “Let’s all turn on our flashlights. If these ghosts dare mess with us, we’ll cut them down—one comes, one dies; two come, we’ll take them both!”

“Let’s go!”

“Right!”

“Damn, there’s something squishy here!”

“Don’t touch it! Ouch, there are traps everywhere!”

“Ah! I got shot in the butt!”

The peals of laughter from Chen Yao watching the surveillance footage were interrupted by the ringing of his phone.

“Hmm? It’s Old Monk Jingxin. Why’s he calling me?” The caller was none other than his old friend, the venerable Master Jingxin, who had helped put Xueting’s soul to rest.

“Brother Jingxin, how have you been?” Chen Yao greeted him with a chuckle.

“Rihu, let’s skip the pleasantries. Your apprentice Wenxing is injured!” There was urgency in Master Jingxin’s voice. “I’m sending you our location—dispatch someone immediately!”

Chen Yao’s heart clenched. “What? Wenxing is hurt? What about Hengxing?”

“Hengxing’s all right for now—he’s watching over Wenxing. I’ve drawn a Vajra Demon Subduing Circle to keep them safe for a day. I’m about to go after the villain myself. Send help as soon as possible!” With that, Master Jingxin hung up; things on his end sounded dire.

“Brother Jingxin? Brother Jingxin!” Chen Yao gripped the phone, his expression so grave that no one nearby dared say a word.

He quickly performed a divination with his fingers, and his face darkened further. “This is bad! Very bad!”

Officer Li, who hadn’t seen Chen Yao look so troubled since the orphanage incident, asked in a low voice, “Brother Chen, is there anything I can do to help?”

Chen Yao shook his head. “This is extremely dangerous. You all stay here and oversee Ye Dong’s training. I need to head out right away!”

He glanced at the Infernal Blade in his hand, murmuring, “Is the fire of hell finally about to erupt?”

“I’ll leave this dagger with Nian Xue for safekeeping,” Chen Yao said, putting it down before leaving at once.