As the black gas emerged, the talismans carved on the wooden lid quickly faded and disappeared.
Seeing the talismans gone, I grabbed the lid again.
This time, it was incredibly easy to lift the lid open.
After opening the cellar hatch, I saw a figure crouching below.
It was too dark to see anything clearly.
Mo Ting next to me immediately pulled out his phone and shone its flashlight down.
In the dim bottom of the cellar, a little girl was standing.
She had pigtails, her face was pale and bloodless.
Now, she looked up pitifully at the two of us at the cellar opening.
Her grey eyes were filled with fear and sorrow.
"Lingling, it's me, big brother," I called out to the little girl.
Upon hearing my voice, the little girl looked wronged.
"B-big brother, *sob sob sob*..." she cried.
"Don't be afraid, brother is here to save you. Hurry up and come up! I'll take you back to the cemetery," I said, reaching out to pull her.
The little ghost also cooperated, extending her small hand.
It was ice cold, holding it felt like grasping a block of ice.
She was also very light, almost weightless.
With a pull, the little ghost Li Lingling was lifted out of the cellar by me.
"Big brother, Lingling is so scared!" she exclaimed, hugging me tightly and crying.
Although she was a ghost, she was still a child of about five or six, a ghost with an incomplete mind.
However, I now noticed that the little ghost hugging me was missing an arm.
I stroked her head. "Don't be afraid, brother will take you back soon. Are there any other children here?"
Lingling shook her head. "No more. They, they were all eaten by that big bad guy. Lingling's arm was also eaten, *sob sob sob*..."
Mo Ting and I both gasped.
This fierce spirit was truly a menace, preying on children.
Cruel and inhumane, it absolutely had to be eliminated.
I thought this to myself, and Mo Ting was equally indignant.
But for now, he calmly soothed the little ghost, "Lingling is a good girl, you're safe now!"
I gently stroked her hair, hoping to lessen her fear.
But just as I finished speaking, a gust of chilling wind suddenly surged in from outside.
Mo Ting and I both felt a chill down our spines, and the next second we heard a deep, angry roar:
"Hmph! Who dares to touch what belongs to grandpa!"
At these words, Mo Ting and I both jolted, turning our heads sharply.
At the doorway, a middle-aged man had appeared at some point.
He wore a grey cloth tunic, his face was grim, and his dark eyes stared intently at us.
An icy, unnerving aura emanated from him.
Before Mo Ting and I could react, little ghost Li Lingling, who was in front of me, clutched me tightly, crying out in terror:
"B-big bad guy, he's the big bad guy who ate my arm..."
Mo Ting and I raised our eyebrows, surprised by how quickly the man had returned.
Our plan of lying in wait and ambushing was now foiled.
Since we had been discovered, we would have to confront him head-on.
First, we needed to gauge his strength.
If we could win, we would fight; if not, we would flee...
At the same time, I coldly addressed the fierce spirit, "Lingling, I will surely get justice for you."
As soon as I finished speaking, the fierce spirit let out a series of chilling laughs.
"Justice! In this world, the strong dictate justice. You two barely-weaned brats, trying to meddle. It's a good thing I didn't catch any souls tonight; I'll just eat you two to satisfy my hunger!"
He then began to emit wisps of black energy.
His lips curled into a wide grin, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth.
A long, slimy red tongue darted out, licking his teeth, making strange slurping sounds.
His pitch-black eyes bulged, seeming about to pop out of his head.
His entire face looked bizarre and terrifying.
Little ghost Lingling, too scared to look, held onto me tightly.
I could feel her body trembling violently, clearly overcome with fear.
Seeing this, I also felt a tremor of fear, my heart pounding.
However, I managed to maintain my composure.
Only Mo Ting, upon seeing these foul things, did not appear frightened but rather excited.
He raised his peach wood sword and shouted, "Death is like the wind, it always accompanies me! Bring it on! I will ensure you die gloriously."
As he spoke, Mo Ting brandished his peach wood sword, pointing it directly at the fierce spirit.
The fierce spirit's expression darkened, and with a roar, he opened his massive maw and lunged at Mo Ting.
Mo Ting, undaunted, met him with his sword.
Seeing the fight begin, I quickly urged Lingling, "Lingling, find an opportunity to escape. The cemetery is to the east!"
With that, I had no time to explain further or check on Lingling.
Mo Ting and the fierce spirit had already engaged.
In their first clash, Mo Ting was knocked back by a claw, revealing a clear disparity in strength.
Without hesitation, I quickly pulled out an "Opening Sword Talisman" from my pocket.
I formed a sword gesture with my fingers, touched the talisman, and slid it onto the sword, all the way to the tip.
Then, I uttered a low growl, "Open Sword!"
The talisman slid off and ignited with a "boom," turning into a pool of dark green flames before turning to ash.
The peach wood sword, empowered by the talisman's energy, suddenly became warm.
Seeing the fierce spirit lunge at Mo Ting again, I cursed, "Damn it!"
I raised my peach wood sword and charged forward as well...