Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 169
Instead of saying they were in a book, it would be more accurate to say they were in a den of ghosts.
As the Shadow Ghost that had swapped bodies with Xiao Zhao was exposed, the meeting room instantly filled with the wailing of countless ghosts.
The lights on the ceiling flickered on and off, mirroring the darkness outside, where there was no moonlight. The atmosphere was reminiscent of a ghost story, particularly one about vengeful spirits who died unjust deaths.
Indeed, the room was filled with eerie, overlapping apparitions and countless chilling voices that seemed to recount their tragic lives, wishing to vent all their resentment on the few people present.
When these ghostly qi lunged at Chang Qing, he used his sword to fend them off. However, when the mass of spirits was split into smaller forms by the sword’s power, they brushed against his face and body, leaving a stinging sensation. When Chang Qing touched the affected areas, his fingers were sticky with red.
He was a practitioner, and if these ghostly qi could inflict such harm on him, one could only imagine what they would do to ordinary people.
Xiao Zhao’s body and shadow were torn apart. While the shadow was protected behind Dong Zhi, the body faced even more aggressive ghostly qi. Shadow Ghosts came at them from all directions, trying to devour the shadow behind Dong Zhi. Dong Zhi formed a barrier with his sword, surrounding Xiao Zhao’s shadow, preventing any ghostly qi from approaching.
He threw talisman fire which multiplied and illuminated the area, driving back and annihilating the malevolent spirits, leaving the rest to flee in every direction.
Xiao Zhao sat on a nearby sofa, his head slightly bowed. His mouth was stretched into an exaggerated smile, but his eyes emitted a chilling green glow.
Dong Zhi and Chang Qing knew that this wasn’t Xiao Zhao, but a ghost possessing his body. The real Xiao Zhao had been banished into the shadow, and if they allowed this ghost to continue possessing him, Xiao Zhao’s vitality would soon be extinguished, and his soul would be lost.
“Why aren’t you trying to kill me anymore?” Xiao Zhao chuckled eerily. The chilling sound almost made Dong Zhi want to cover his ears.
Chang Qing approached menacingly with his sword. “Do you think I won’t do it?”
“I can destroy this body before you kill me, ensuring he never returns!” the ghost retorted menacingly.
Dong Zhi quickly intervened, trying to negotiate.
“My friend, possessing Xiao Zhao’s body won’t help you. He’s a single guy, and moreover, he’s a police officer who constantly faces danger. Why would you want to occupy such a body? How about this: You return his body, and I’ll help you cross over to the other side.”
The ghost snorted. “Cross over? So I can be reborn? Can you greet King Yan and promise I’ll be reincarnated into a wealthy family next time? Otherwise, I’m not going!”
Dong Zhi sarcastically replied, “Why not just ask to be reborn as the son of the US president?”
The ghost glared. “Can you make it happen?”
Dong Zhi was at a loss for words. “Brother, every world has its own rules. If I could do what you’re suggesting, why would I be here catching you? Wouldn’t it be better for me to just kick back, relax, and live the easy life of a trust fund kid?”
The ghost’s voice suddenly soared several pitches, becoming even more shrill. “Why is it that some people are born with everything they want, while I can only be looked down upon and overshadowed by others? They don’t have to put in any effort; they can just rely on their family’s connections to get into a good university. Growing up in a poor family, what could I possibly do? Did I ask for this? Why is it so unfair? Why?”
A thought flashed through Dong Zhi’s mind, and he blurted out, “You are Su Huan!”
The ghost suddenly fell silent.
Taking advantage of its momentary daze, Dong Zhi quickly said, “Su Huan, do you know that you were murdered? Your husband, Deng Bin, has been taken in as a suspect. If we can’t find evidence to exonerate him, he might be convicted of murder!”
Of course, Dong Zhi was just spouting nonsense, but his goal was to get a reaction from the ghost.
As expected, the ghost chuckled sinisterly. “Then let him die!”
The voice was filled with deep resentment, making it hard to believe these were Su Huan’s true feelings. According to what Dong Zhi knew, while the couple often had disagreements, it hadn’t escalated to divorce, let alone murder. If it were true that Su Huan’s desire for Deng Bin’s death stemmed from him slapping her on the street on the day of her demise and this desire remained unchanged even after her death, that would be quite an exaggeration.
However, the ghost’s response confirmed that she was indeed Su Huan, Deng Bin’s wife.
Dong Zhi asked, “Fine, let’s say you two had a broken relationship and you deeply resent Deng Bin. But you were murdered. Don’t you want to find the real killer? Do you remember how you died?”
Su Huan, or rather, the spirit possessing Xiao Zhao murmured, “How did I die?”
It sounded both like a question and a rhetorical one.
She seemed lost, trying hard to recall.
“Deng Bin liked me, pursued me. He came from a wealthy family, and being with him was prestigious. Friends envied me for marrying into wealth. But after marriage, he changed. He felt my family’s poor background tarnished his reputation. Whenever my parents visited, he would show his displeasure. Eventually, they stopped coming… When we attended banquets, his friends felt I was lucky to marry him. I even overheard some women gossiping about how I clung to Deng Bin and how my educational background was a disgrace to him. Could I choose the family I was born into?”
Su Huan’s expression shifted, revealing anger and bitterness.
“Deng Bin himself wasn’t academically gifted. If not for his privileged birth, would he have had such a smooth life? If I was born into a family like his, would I even care about Deng Bin?”
“Every month after receiving my salary, I send half of it home. With what’s left, I have to pay rent and buy food. I also want to purchase luxury products like Dior, Givenchy, and La Mer, but I can only afford them once or twice. For the rest of the month, I have to be frugal and save on meals. But those women! They aren’t as pretty as me, yet just because their parents are wealthy, they can afford the most expensive skincare products. They travel around the world every day, watch shows in Paris, ski in Switzerland. The makeup that costs me a month’s salary, they can buy half the store’s stock of handbags without batting an eye…”
Tears rolled down Xiao Zhao’s face, looking somewhat comical but also revealing the deep despair within.
“This world is so unfair. I resent it so much!”
This sentiment expressed by Su Huan wasn’t unique. Many people might grumble about life’s unfairness but would move on and work hard. However, Su Huan, being exceptionally beautiful, was constantly judged based on her looks and family background, which only amplified her sense of injustice.
“You know the world is unfair. I saw your body in the hospital. Despite being dead for over 24 hours and frozen, your beauty was still striking. Do you know how rare such natural beauty is? I’ve seen celebrities like Han Qi and Hui Yiguang without makeup, and they weren’t much more beautiful than you. So, what about those less fortunate in looks and unable to afford surgeries? You always focus on those better off than you, but have you considered those worse off?” Dong Zhi retorted.
Su Huan gave a bitter smile. “What’s the use of being beautiful when you have no power or influence? Being beautiful and poor is even scarier. I was once harassed by thugs when I was in school, and I was too terrified to attend for months. My parents couldn’t do anything except accompany me to school. If I had Deng Bin’s family background, would those thugs dare approach me? You can’t possibly understand! I resent being born poor. I resent all the injustices!”
Chang Qing suddenly said, “I can understand.”
The dim and eerie light cast a large shadow on Cheng Qing’s face.
“I’m half-demon, with the bloodline of a monster. When I was younger, I couldn’t control it; my appearance would sometimes reveal my nature. My mother was actually afraid of me, which is why she fled far away to work in the South. Back then, I often felt hatred—hate that she gave birth to me in the first place. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have to face all this. So, I also hate all demons; they shouldn’t exist in the first place. Once I’ve exterminated them all, incidents like this will never happen again,” Cheng Qing said calmly, as if narrating someone else’s story. “But just now, I suddenly realized that maybe I don’t hate her as much as I thought. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have appeared before me.”
Su Huan’s expression changed, remaining silent, making it hard to figure out what she was thinking.
Dong Zhi sighed and finally said, “The notion that all people are born equal is bullshit—an intoxicating illusion. Some are born intellectually challenged, some are geniuses; some are beautiful, some are ugly. And let’s not even talk about family background. But since you are born, you have to strive to live. You can’t go back to the womb, can you? Look at yourself; you’ve tormented yourself into this state. Are you happy?”
Su Huan started laughing. “Happy? Why shouldn’t I be? If I’m not having a good time, I don’t want anyone else to either. If I can drag someone down with me, I’m absolutely thrilled! And this book can give me everything; whatever I want, I can get it here!”
As they spoke, the shadow of Xiao Zhao began to tremble more violently, its color gradually fading. Dong Zhi became anxious.
He almost extinguished the hope that Su Huan would voluntarily leave Xiao Zhao’s body, as she was full of resentment and wouldn’t heed any advice.
They had no choice but to resort to force.
He gave Cheng Qing a look, indicating they should subdue Su Huan and force her out of Xiao Zhao’s body.
Su Huan, having turned into a vengeful spirit, was extremely perceptive and immediately sensed their intent. She let out a chilling laugh and suddenly lunged—not at them but at the table.
A pair of scissors lay on it.
She was going to commit suicide!
If she couldn’t have it, neither could anyone else!
Dong Zhi, not knowing if Su Huan was originally so extreme or had been influenced by the book, was sure he couldn’t let her do it. With a thought, he already had his Changshou Sword in hand, flashing like lightning.
Cheng Qing also acted, thinking his movement was fast enough, only to find Dong Zhi was faster. His sword light flickered and arrived in front of Su Huan, knocking the scissors away and blocking her path. Cheng Qing arrived just in time to trap Su Huan from both sides!
Dong Zhi used a Sunlight Talisman, aiming it at Su Huan. She let out a wail, and a dark mist rose from her head. A massive figure appeared behind her and swallowed the mist.
Cheng Qing turned around sharply to see a black jiao twisting its body. The jiao transformed into a child’s shape since the room couldn’t accommodate its large size. Kan Chaosheng had awoken at some point, waiting to coordinate from behind them.
After swallowing Su Huan’s spirit, his expression soured, and he spat it out.
“Yuck, how could something taste so bad?”
Just then, the ground shook violently, a black fissure appearing at the center of the room and expanding quickly, sucking in everything. Su Huan’s spirit was the first to be drawn in, followed by Xiao Zhao’s trembling shadow. Dong Zhi acted quickly, grabbing hold of him as both were inevitably sucked in.
The fissure finally closed, leaving the room in a dark void, as if a book had been shut, locking everything within, never to return.
But Dong Zhi and the others didn’t end there. They all heard a massive water sound.
Not the sea, not a waterfall, but a waterspout connecting heaven and earth, sucked them in. They spiraled in mid-air uncontrollably, all except for Kan Chaosheng.
For him, water was second nature. If a jiao drowned, it would be the biggest joke since the creation of the world. He roared lowly, transforming into his magnificent original form, caught Dong Zhi with his mouth, and flew out of the waterspout’s range.
Cheng Qing, dizzy from the spinning, without thinking, threw Xiao Zhao toward the black jiao and grabbed the jiao’s tail to fly out.
“Damn it, don’t grab my tail. It’s for steering!” Kan Chaosheng roared.
Before he could regain his composure, several gigantic creatures charged straight at them. At first glance, these creatures looked similar to Kan Chaosheng’s original form, but Dong Zhi was immediately startled to realize they weren’t water jiaos but real dragons. In front of the might of the dragons, Kan Chaosheng trembled out of instinct, losing control of his body, and accidentally flung Dong Zhi and the others away.
Dong Zhi quickly summoned his Changshou Sword, managing to stabilize himself mid-air, and grabbed onto both Xiao Zhao and Kan Chaosheng, who had transformed back into a big yellow cat.
“Just look at yourself! Isn’t it just a dragon? After all, you’re almost a fully transformed dragon yourself!” Dong Zhi scolded in anger.
The cat, soaked and looking like a drowned rat, meowed angrily at him, though it was unclear if it was arguing or just putting on a show.
A dragon’s roar resounded, causing everyone to shiver slightly. An inevitable sense of fear welled up within them. Dong Zhi had seen a dragon before, but it was a bone dragon and was dead. Now, in front of them, was a living, breathing dragon.
The might of a dragon dominated the four seas, and all creatures bowed before it. Dong Zhi suddenly realized that this saying wasn’t just about the majestic appearance of a dragon. Perhaps Kan Chaosheng’s earlier fear was involuntary, for Dong Zhi felt the same now. He knew he should muster up courage, but fear automatically surfaced in his mind.
However, not everyone felt this way.
Not far from them, someone was battling a silver dragon. The silver dragon roared and spiraled, spewing water that transformed into massive tidal waves. These waves were enough to change the expression of any creature between heaven and earth. However, the person moved effortlessly amidst the massive body of the dragon, seemingly leisurely, without being at a disadvantage.
After watching for a good five or six seconds, only one thought crossed Dong Zhi’s mind. ‘Damn, my master is the coolest person in the whole world!’
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