Even Yan Shouyi held his breath at this moment, daring not to make a sound in the pit.
If they were discovered by the patrolling Ghost King, they would likely have no good end. If Yan Shouyi's grandfather were here, he might be able to exchange pleasantries with the Ghost King, but Yan Shouyi's cultivation was clearly not yet up to that level.
Yan Shouyi couldn't understand why such a terrifying scene of a hundred ghosts parading at night would occur at Shanghang Art School. Hadn't the Nine Dragon Subduing Evil Array been set up here?
Aside from the woman who had temporarily fainted, the other three were trembling with fear. Long Feicheng, in particular, was so terrified when he accidentally glimpsed the sedan bearers that his soul nearly departed his body, and he began to tremble all over.
While the sedan bearers might not have been as terrifying as the female ghost and ghost infant in the girls' dormitory, their combined presence was unspeakably eerie, exuding an immense oppressive force.
Sensing Long Feicheng's fear, Yan Shouyi gently squeezed his shoulder, signaling with his eyes that as long as they remained silent, they would be fine.
He then looked at Lin Zitong. Lin Zitong's reaction was much better than Long Feicheng's, but it was clear this was her first time encountering such a situation, her eyes filled with both fear and curiosity.
Yellow paper fell like rain onto the muddy ground, quickly merging with the earth.
The entourage, playing suonas and singing and dancing, gradually moved further away, eventually seeming to disappear into the back mountains of Shanghang Art School.
Only after it seemed that all was quiet did Yan Shouyi heave a sigh of relief and say in a low voice to Long Feicheng and Lin Zitong, "They must have gone far. We're safe now."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Zitong suddenly seemed to see something and lunged towards Yan Shouyi.
They rolled a few times in the mud before stopping. Yan Shouyi peered closely and discovered a small ghost crouching by the edge of the pit, its face ashen pale.
The little ghost wore a red bellyband, its face a deathly white, cheeks flushed a vibrant red, and its eyes were entirely white, with pupils like vertical silver needles.
In its hand, it held a catapult made of sinew, firing not pebbles, but shattered bone fragments!
Lin Zitong's action of protecting Yan Shouyi was precisely to dodge the little ghost's projectile!
"Are you alright?" Yan Shouyi asked Lin Zitong with concern.
Lin Zitong coughed weakly, and strands of Yang energy escaped from her brows. Yan Shouyi quickly turned her over and saw that her shoulder bore a dark mark from the little ghost's catapult. The little ghost's catapult was no ordinary object; it seemed capable of harming one's soul. The escaping aura from Lin Zitong floated before the little ghost, which flared its nostrils and inhaled deeply, drawing the essence into its body, a look of ecstasy appearing on its face.
"This little ghost uses its catapult and human bones to harm souls; it's already filled with malevolent energy. It's not something good!" Lin Zitong said weakly.
"Damn it… can you still stand?" Yan Shouyi asked.
"Yes…"
Yan Shouyi helped Lin Zitong to her feet. Lin Zitong stared at the little ghost and said, "Such heavy malevolent energy. Where did it come from?"
"Most likely, it followed the procession of a hundred ghosts parading at night," Yan Shouyi said gravely.
They had been cautious to avoid entanglement with the Ghost King's entourage, yet they were still discovered by this little ghost.
Furthermore, the heavy malevolent energy on the little ghost indicated it was far more terrifying than the ghost infant in the girls' dormitory.
Seeing that Yan Shouyi and the others were not afraid of it, the little ghost clapped its hands gleefully, hopping and skipping, emitting a strangely distorted laughter as if performing some ritual.
Long Feicheng, startled earlier and now mocked by the little ghost, felt a surge of anger. He grabbed a shovel and charged forward, taking off half of the little ghost's head with a single strike.
"What are you laughing at!" Long Feicheng cursed.
To his surprise, the little ghost, having lost half its head, felt no pain and only laughed even harder.
Long Feicheng: "…"
He fell silent, realizing the little ghost was difficult to deal with. He immediately dropped the shovel and ran back towards Yan Shouyi and the others, shouting, "Brother Yan, save me!"
In a flash, the little ghost reached out and grabbed Long Feicheng's wrist.
However, at that moment, a golden light flashed from Long Feicheng's body, flinging the little ghost several meters away. A hint of annoyance appeared on its face.
"Ghost Exorcism Incantation?" Long Feicheng realized it was Yan Shouyi's incantation that had saved his life.
The Ghost Exorcism Incantation also bought Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong time. As Long Feicheng ran towards them, they also ran towards the little ghost.
"Zitong, Five Ghosts Fighting Evil Incantation!" Yan Shouyi shouted.
Lin Zitong immediately understood. She shook the soul-calling bell in her hand and chanted, "Throughout the seasons and eight festivals, born from prosperity. Without inner cultivation, spirits become external evil essences. Nine ugly spirits, I know your names. Five ghosts fighting evil, heed my command. Hurry and depart, do not linger. Haste, as per the law!"
From beneath the ground around the little ghost, five black shadows suddenly emerged. The shadows appeared human-shaped, but their bodies could bend like pythons.
The five ghostly shadows instantly coiled around the little ghost's limbs and neck, immobilizing the ferocious little ghost!
Yan Shouyi rushed to the little ghost, leaped up, formed a gesture with one hand and an open palm with the other, and struck the little ghost hard on the forehead!
"Spirit of the Horn and Dipper, divine essence of Jia and Yi. Wave and dance, clouds and thunder swiftly rise. All demons, with knowledge of your names, dissolve in lightning. Cut heads a thousandfold, prune forms ten thousandfold. Those who follow me live, those who defy me fall. Deviate slightly from my command, and it is as defying the highest purity. Haste, as per the law!"
As Yan Shouyi's incantation concluded, a thunderclap erupted from his hand, seemingly illuminating the night.
The thunderclap directly penetrated the little ghost's body, spreading from its brow towards its body. The little ghost's body seemed to become transparent, and even a mortal like Long Feicheng could see the patterns of the palm lightning erupting within it.
Directly struck by the palm lightning, the little ghost was heavily wounded, unable to move from its spot.
Only then did a look of terror appear in its eyes. The living beings it had thought to be prey, it never expected to possess such abilities, instantly rendering it powerless to retaliate!
The little ghost panicked, became afraid, but could not utter a plea for mercy.
Yan Shouyi had no intention of giving the little ghost such an opportunity. A fierce look flashed in his eyes. He took out a Taoist talisman, which burned and transformed into a soul-severing blade. With one strike, he decapitated the little ghost!
The little ghost's head rolled to the ground like a ball, its eyes filled with regret and hatred.
"I, a descendant of Lu Ban, do not typically kill souls, but you are an exception," Yan Shouyi said with a cold expression, then stepped on the little ghost's head.
With a slight application of pressure, the little ghost's head shattered like a glass ball, and then, along with its body, it dissipated into a wisp of smoke.
The desolate cries of the little ghost seemed to linger over the construction site, but they soon vanished.
Long Feicheng sat on the muddy ground, still shaken, ignoring his now-soiled backside, and gasped for air, "Brother Yan, what exactly was going on just now?"
Yan Shouyi shook his head and first went to Lin Zitong's side to check her injuries.
"It's fine. Just a minor superficial wound and some soul damage. It's nothing serious. I'll write you a prescription, and you'll be recovered in a week," Yan Shouyi said with relief.
Lin Zitong looked at him with a half-smile, "I only sustained minor injuries, and you chopped off that little ghost's head?"
Yan Shouyi: "...It was filled with malevolent energy and clearly did many wicked deeds. Not killing it would eventually lead to disaster."
"But you, as descendants of Lu Ban, are supposed to avoid karma. Killing it will surely entangle you in some karma," Lin Zitong pressed.
Yan Shouyi retorted angrily, "What if I just didn't like it?"
As if having elicited the answer she wanted, Lin Zitong smiled in satisfaction and added, "We coordinated quite well just now."
"It was okay."
Feeling somewhat sulky that Lin Zitong was leading him by the nose, Yan Shouyi turned to Long Feicheng and explained:
"Zitong and I were patrolling the area just now, and we stumbled upon the procession of a hundred ghosts. Fortunately, we were quick-witted enough to hide, but we still encountered this little ghost… What happened on your end? Why was Huang Shihui here?"
Long Feicheng was taken aback by this question. He pointed at the unconscious girl and said, "You mean that's Huang Shihui? I… I dug up a coffin just now, and she crawled out of it!"
A coffin?!
This chilling statement made Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong raise their vigilance.
How could a living person be buried alive in a coffin?
Moreover, based on Yan Shouyi's earlier discovery, it seemed Huang Shihui had only recently been buried before they arrived.
It was possible the murderer was still nearby!
This final conclusion sent a shiver down Yan Shouyi's spine. He quickly said to Long Feicheng, "This place is not safe to linger. Let's get Huang Shihui to a safe place first!"
RUMBLE!
Before one crisis could pass, another emerged. The excavator parked at the construction site, which had been silent all along, suddenly started up!
It raised its massive bucket and mercilessly swung it towards the unconscious Huang Shihui!
Yan Shouyi's pupils contracted: "It's going to kill her!"