novelraw Chapter 182: In Their Eyes, I Am Actually the Evil Spirit
Chapter 182: In Their Eyes, I Am Actually the Evil Spirit
"This Soul-Hooking Register of yours is quite a decent imitation."
"How did you tell?"
"It's far too thick, the weight is also incorrect, and many details rely excessively upon taking things for granted."
The Village Chief pointed at Chen Huangpi's Soul-Hooking Register, saying: "See the fingerprints upon this? The genuine Soul-Hooking Register is a treasure of Yama, not some mundane worldly object; how could it possibly retain fingerprints?"
"Furthermore, this coloration; artificially aging it merely for the sake of making it look old has already caused it to fall into inferiority."
"However, this fake good of yours nonetheless possesses the capability to constrain contracts, so let us sign yours."
After finishing his words, the Village Chief didn't hesitate much, directly signing his own name upon Chen Huangpi's Soul-Hooking Register.
"Tai Yizi."
Chen Huangpi said: "Your surname is Tai?"
"No, this is this old man's self-assumed title."Tai Yizi spoke with a sigh: "This old man is an elder of the Grand Sui Cult, naturally taking this as my title. Aside from this old man, there were also Tai Xuanzi, Tai Xuzi, and several others, collectively known as the Five Tais of Immortals. But those are all affairs of the past, not worth a smile."
Although the words were spoken like this, Chen Huangpi understood clearly.
This Tai Yizi had probably been trapped within this bizarre world for far too long.
Therefore, when speaking, he somewhat lacked restraint and couldn't help himself.
Chen Huangpi said: "Senior Tai Yizi, I am about to take my leave. Merely, the night is long and exceptionally perilous. If I capture the evil spirits, where exactly ought I to seek shelter while waiting until dawn?"
Tai Yizi had also stated, the more spiritual qi one absorbed, the faster that ghost thing would come searching.
If there was a place to hide, it wouldn't be too bad.
Otherwise, they could solely pray for Golden Horn to possess good luck.
Hearing Chen Huangpi's words.
That Tai Yizi slowly spoke: "When you go out, if you see any villagers trapped within a certain specific area, you can take away the key to their home to conceal yourself; that ghost thing ordinarily will not actively enter houses."
"During the night, no matter what sounds you hear, absolutely pay them no heed whatsoever."
"Moreover, when capturing evil spirits, do not approach the ancestral hall within the village."
"The ancestral hall is perilous?"
"Unsure..."
Tai Yizi spoke with a blank haze: "I once ventured there a single time; yet I have completely forgotten exactly what exists within. It's as if that segment of memory, or perhaps that specific period of time itself, was left entirely behind within that ancestral hall."
"Alright, I possess one final, last question: Have you ever seen a fishing rod?"
...
Chen Huangpi left.
Leaving silently and without a trace.
From beginning to end, he absolutely had not revealed himself before this Tai Yizi.
"Huang Er, what percentage of Tai Yizi's words do you believe to be credible/trustworthy?"
"Hard to say..."
The Brass Oil Lamp stated in conflict: "Although that old rat likes to show off a bit, and his eyes aren't particularly good, his conduct and actions can still be considered frank and honest. Merely, those old fossils we encountered previously, every single one of them was more insidious and treacherous than the last..."
These words were indeed the honest truth.
Not even mentioning the distant Chi Xie, just looking at the closer Song Yuzhang.
That old rat was supremely adept at playing treacherous, insidious schemes.
Ultimately, it was still Chen Huangpi who shattered finesse through sheer absolute power, only then managing to kill him.
Otherwise, Song Yuzhang would probably still be living perfectly well within Xuzhou City right now.
And this Tai Yizi, claiming to be whatever elder of the Grand Sui Cult.
And simultaneously a former Immortal.
Having stayed within this damnable place for so incredibly long to boot.
If he genuinely decided to play treacherous tricks, who could possibly guard against him?
"Contract Master, regardless he has already left his name upon the Soul-Hooking Register. Even if he harbors any schemes or calculations, he is utterly incapable of overturning the heavens."
The Life-reaping Ghost sneered: "Even if he ran to the edges of the world and corners of the sea, I am still thoroughly capable of hunting him down."
Although the Soul-Hooking Register was merely the roll-call book of the Underworld Yellow Spring.
It was still nonetheless a treasure of Yama.
An Immortal fallen to the Spirit Transformation Realm possessed absolutely no methodology to evade the constraints of the contract.
The moment he breached the contract, the Life-reaping Ghost would be able to follow the map to hunt him down directly.
Chen Huangpi stated: "There is also Master's fishing rod. Tai Yizi said he has indeed seen that fishing rod, but it solely appears when sacrificing to the River God. Yet by the time sacrificing to the River God occurs, we will be escaping out. I truly do not know if we will possess the opportunity to retrieve it."
Tai Yizi informed Chen Huangpi.
Within this damnable place indeed existed a fishing rod, but one absolutely must wait until the River God Sacrifice for it to show itself.
Because when that time arrived, that little girl would manifest her true essence as fish bait.
Floating directly above her head, a single fishing line would materialize.
Tracing along that fishing line, one would be able to locate the specific location of the fishing rod.
Merely, unlike typical fishing, the bait was on the shore, while the fishing rod was inside the water.
The entire setup was completely reversed.
Tai Yizi guessed that little girl was bait cast down by a certain Almighty Existence, though exactly what kind of entity it aimed to fish, he possessed no knowledge of.
He did not recommend Chen Huangpi to seek out that fishing rod.
After all, with an Almighty Existence casting a rod and dropping bait, if the fish biting the hook wasn't the specific one it desired, the outcome would probably purely be a path of death.
At this moment in time.
The sky's color had already gradually darkened down.
Speaking of which, it was also strange.
This bizarre world within the water indeed truthfully also possessed the sun and moon's existence.
Logically speaking, this place was also a portion belonging to the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
Yet Chen Huangpi was capable of distinctly feeling the sun and moon here were not the genuine sun and moon, neither were they the sun and moon of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and even less were they the sun and moon of the outside world.
Seemingly lacking any differences, yet in reality, incredibly hollow and floating.
Exactly like a reflection.
Unknowingly, after coming out from Tai Yizi's house, Chen Huangpi had already walked within the village for a brief period.
This village wasn't considered overly large, yet along the roadside, he hadn't spotted many villagers.
According to Tai Yizi's instructions, Chen Huangpi had continuously been searching for the kind of villager whose time had been swallowed too much, to the extent of merely being capable of wandering within a supremely minuscule area.
Such villagers were entirely incapable of returning to their houses.
After Chen Huangpi captured the evil spirits, he would be capable of hiding within these individuals' particular houses.
"I need to capture three evil spirits."
Chen Huangpi furrowed his brows saying: "No, speaking accurately, three monks, plus the one Tai Yizi requires; that makes four."
He himself hadn't absorbed spiritual qi, but the Brass Oil Lamp, Life-reaping Ghost, and Golden Horn absolutely were not.
Ge deng, ge deng...
Golden Horn's teeth chattered together, gesturing in somewhat fearful panic: "Huangpi Daddy, did you feel the surrounding temperature seemingly drop abruptly? The sheer cold causes my heart to panic."
Chen Huangpi replied: "I felt nothing."
"Contract Master, I feel nothing either."
"Huang Er, what about you?"
"I also feel a bit cold."
The Brass Oil Lamp carefully stated in a low voice: "However, not nearly as severe as Golden Horn. It ought to be because the amount of spiritual qi I sucked isn't as much as it sucked. The sky is about to thoroughly darken completely; that dead child will probably come seeking Golden Horn tonight. Our time is running scarce."
In reality, within its heart, it also distinctly felt an intensely dense chill.
Even to the point of holding an illusion that its wick was about to be extinguished.
That little girl was the fishing rod's bait.
The fishing rod was what Guanzhu used to fish, but as for precisely what mighty, majestic power that fishing rod possessed, the Brass Oil Lamp held absolutely zero knowledge regarding it.
Because it had fundamentally never even seen that thing before.
At this moment, Chen Huangpi spotted a villager at the mill within the village.
That villager possessed peak Nascent Soul cultivation base.
And was currently pulling the millstone within that mill. After pulling the millstone for a while, he spun around, carrying the ground flour on a shoulder pole, and walked into the barn of the mill.
Within the barn existed many flour vats.
There were also wheat storage pits enclosed by woven mats.
Placing the flour inside the flour vats, this villager once again picked up the shoulder pole and returned to the mill.
Chen Huangpi followed and watched this villager for a long time, yet failed entirely to discover any indication of this villager ever leaving; as if his life had permanently been constrained entirely between these two points.
"This person is so tragic and pitiable."
Chen Huangpi heaved a sigh, speaking: "He probably also felt exactly as if arriving at an absolute immortal paradise right upon initially arriving at this village, merely not knowing the spiritual qi is toxic. Having sucked too much, it led directly to his own time merely retaining such a minuscule scrap."
The Life-reaping Ghost said: "Contract Master, do you sympathize with him?"
"Not entirely."
Chen Huangpi replied: "This person has already become a part of that ghost thing. If I sympathize with him, who will sympathize with me? However, if possessing the capability, I'd oppositely wish to bestow upon him a final release."
Saying so, Chen Huangpi's heart stirred.
From within the void, a tree branch silently extended toward this person's waist, lifting a ring of keys directly out.
"Tai Yizi stated, one will be able to behold those monks following nightfall."
"But right now night has already fallen."
Chen Huangpi felt slightly hesitant: "Perhaps it will require waiting until late, deep into the night. Let's do this: we'll first seek out my house. This saves us from having to toss back and forth anew when the time arrives to capture the monks."
...
There were many houses within this village.
Following nightfall, not a single house held a lit lamp.
Chen Huangpi spent barely any effort searching.
And immediately located his house.
It wasn't because his luck was particularly good, but rather, when passing by that house, the keys within his hand suddenly shuddered.
Pushing open the courtyard door of that house.
Chen Huangpi cast a rough scanning glance. This house was similarly constructed by piling stones and wood. The courtyard wasn't large, the house essentially solely possessing three rooms; the main hall situated precisely in the middle, and the east and west rooms flanking either side.
Lacking entirely any corridors, kitchens, or pigpens.
Everything else completely mirrored the houses the Remnants resided within; lacking any distinct differences.
"Original Family, there is zero spiritual qi within this house."
The Brass Oil Lamp mumbled in a low voice: "I also feel it's not nearly as cold anymore."
Hearing these words, Chen Huangpi cast a glance at Golden Horn.
Golden Horn, who had just been shivering tremendously from the sheer cold outside, had finally relaxed and eased significantly now.
"Huangpi Daddy, just now while outside I dared not speak, but I could vehemently sense something continuously staring at me the entire time."
Golden Horn swiftly gestured: "Furthermore, that ghost ancestral hall; the spiritual qi of that place is the most dense and overpowering, and I even smelled the stench of a decaying corpse emanating directly from within the spiritual qi."
"Pay no heed to that ancestral hall."
Chen Huangpi said: "Tai Yizi was once an Immortal, yet even he possessed zero methods to handle that ancestral hall, and even ended up having a portion of his time swallowed. Much less to speak of us."
Although Chen Huangpi possessed massive confidence that with his current strength, plus the shadow of Yama, he was definitely absolutely stronger than Tai Yizi.
But the feeling that ancestral hall bestowed upon him, from beginning to end, was incredibly uncomfortable.
He absolutely didn't wish to walk over there.
Rather staying within this house felt deeply more comfortable and reassuring to his heart.
However, once Chen Huangpi pushed open the door of the main hall, his complexion instantly grew exceptionally vibrant.
At the deepest inner part of that main hall rested an incense altar.
Upon the incense altar rested an ancestral tablet placed facing backward.
There were even tribute offerings and incense candles arranged below the ancestral tablet.
Looking once more toward the east room and west room, both rooms' doors were thoroughly sealed by bricks and stones, even the cracks entirely slathered with mud plaster.
Seemingly exactly as if some incredibly terrifying, horrific objects were hidden tucked deeply within.
This villager's residence was utterly and completely different from the place Tai Yizi resided within.
The former resembled a tomb.
The latter actually resembled a place for humans to dwell in.
Chen Huangpi said somewhat angrily: "That Tai Yizi is truly going too far! He, holding the position of Village Chief, actually lives significantly better than the villagers! If it were me, I definitely absolutely wouldn't act like this!"
"Motherf*cker, if truly pushed to the absolute brink we'll just fight our utmost entirely to the death against that ghost thing!"
The Brass Oil Lamp also felt disgusted, stating fiercely: "I am the Nine Nether God Lantern! A Gui is a member of the Yellow Spring Nether Race! Golden Horn is the darling of the Yin Land! Chen Huangpi, you are even further a dead person! When precisely have the four of us ever suffered such grievance!?"
"To entirely lack even a bed! Decorated exactly to resemble a mourning hall!"
"Those who don't know might even assume we're terrified!"
"Huang Er, calm yourself slightly."
Chen Huangpi said helplessly: "If that ghost thing possessed the capability to be handled and dealt with, why on earth would I have colluded with that Tai Yizi!? Besides, this house is mine, and I haven't even found it repugnant! What exactly are you finding repugnant!?"
The Brass Oil Lamp still wished to state something.
And exactly deeply amidst this very moment, a bout of rustle, rustle, rustle... noise abruptly resounded up.
"Chen Huangpi..."
"Shh..."
Chen Huangpi made a 'hush' gesture, and then proceeded to search directly toward the direction where that noise originated from.
Following which, he discovered that the sound originated precisely from within the two completely sealed-dead rooms located on the left and right.
Exactly as if someone was dragging their shoes while walking around.
Chen Huangpi snapped upon his Evil Eye.
But bizarrely, his Evil Eye was incredibly incapable of penetrating those two walls, incapable of seeing exactly what thing within was producing this commotion.
His Evil Eye wasn't obstructed by some specific power.
Furthermore, that capability to see through illusions and manipulate all things hadn't suffered any impact.
Yet it was simply incapable of seeing through this house.
"Not right..."
Chen Huangpi's complexion was uncertain, alternating between light and dark.
Clenching his fists, an urge surged to smash apart this wall with a single punch.
Seeing this, the Brass Oil Lamp hurriedly exhorted to stop: "Original Family, do not act! Even if this house is incredibly bizarre and eerie, regardless it still is capable of isolating spiritual qi, and could be accounted as a hiding spot. If you shatter this house into pieces, won't we end up directly crashing fully head-on against that ghost thing?"
"Do not forget, Tai Yizi stated, that thing solely holds Golden Core cultivation during the day, but upon nightfall it becomes entirely, completely different."
Tai Yizi killed that little girl numerous times.
Yet every single occasion resided deeply within the daytime. During the night, he absolutely wouldn't step a solitary half step out his door.
These were words spoken directly from his own mouth.
Chen Huangpi's fists clenched tight and then fully let go, yet that surge of qi within his heart absolutely entirely failed to dissipate.
He was indeed somewhat terrified.
From youth until now, he had fundamentally never encountered a place this sinister and eerie.
Even to the point of being significantly more sinister and eerie than his Pure Immortal Temple.
And precisely in this exact timeframe.
Chen Huangpi suddenly sensed two exceptionally strange auras.
Furthermore, there were people conversing.
"Senior Brother, last night we sat withering upon the shore, not daring to act blindly without thought. Never having expected there to actually exist a dilapidated, ruined village clustered right here! Could it be mortals formerly resided here!?"
"Mortals are naught but livestock, provided there are zero evil spirits then it shall be fine."
"Right now it constitutes daytime, even if there exist evil spirits, currently they probably would definitely remain deeply concealed within certain dark corners, largely not daring to reveal themselves easily. Moreover, the Crosser of Torments' Buddha Dharma is absolutely boundless! Puny trivial evil spirits are naught but earthen chickens and pottery dogs!"
"Huh, inside this village actually exists an ancestral hall? Why was it preserved so impeccably intact/perfectly unblemished?"
"Let's proceed over to take a look, but we must exercise a degree of caution."
Listening to the words of those two individuals.
Chen Huangpi's heart surged with absolute shock, hastily striding to position himself directly beside the courtyard doors.
Tracing through the cracks of the courtyard doors, Chen Huangpi beheld two monstrous entities possessing bulging, swollen physiques, draped uniformly in tattered, torn yellow monk robes, their backs bent and hunching as each individually carried an earthen-colored temple upon their backs. Currently, they stood precisely within the night darkness, walking directly toward the location of the ancestral hall.
Within the temples upon the backs of those two monstrous entities, hid additionally two distinct, horrific, completely malevolent evil objects currently concealed deeply inside.
The Brass Oil Lamp said: "Aren't these precisely those monks? Exactly when did they wholly morph into evil spirits!?"
The Life-reaping Ghost stated: "What place are they proceeding to?"
"Don't you guys absolutely hear precisely the words they are presently speaking!?"
"Contract Master, exactly when have they spoken!?"
Chen Huangpi carried an incredibly complex complexion as he stated: "I heard them state that currently it constitutes daytime! Furthermore, this village is immensely dilapidated and ruined! Obscurely unknown precisely how many years it entirely remained deserted. They wish to head toward the specific location of that ancestral hall since that ancestral hall is impeccably intact and perfectly unblemished!"
"But their daytime, is precisely our night."
"In our eyes, they constitute evil spirits. Then in their eyes, could it possibly be... we are the ones actually constituting the evil spirits!?"