Old Mo finished off two tall, burly ghost brutes with a punch and a talisman each.
The two ghosts were in agony, wailing incessantly.
Their mournful cries sent shivers down one's spine.
The one sent flying by Old Mo's punch was fortunate; he was merely gravely injured and could recover given time and some essence of moonlight.
However, the male ghost blasted away by the talisman was not so lucky. He trembled all over, his body flickering in and out of visibility.
It was clear he was on the verge of soul dispersion.
With a single display of power, Old Mo had completely intimidated all the ghosts present.
Old Mo then scanned the surroundings with a murderous gaze. Wherever his eyes fell, the lesser ghosts in the room cowered in fear, backing away repeatedly...
Meanwhile, I drew two talismans and flicked them towards the main door.
With my right hand forming a sword finger, I uttered a low incantation:
"Chi!"
The talismans flew forth.
With a *swish swish*, the door was sealed.
Now, not a single ghost could leave.
The ghosts inside the room were all terrified, yet none dared to step forward.
With the scene thoroughly subdued, Old Mo and I ignored the lesser ghosts and turned our attention to the Qing Dynasty male ghost.
Killings intent flared in our eyes.
Old Mo spoke up, "This old ghost is no good; it has harmed countless people. Qin, you deal with it directly."
Old Mo held back, wanting me to add to my Ghost Life Lamp's oil myself.
The male ghost, his tongue pinned, grew even more fearful upon hearing this.
Only now did he understand that he was nothing before us, not even a blade of grass.
He had kicked an iron plate.
How foolish it was to try and trap us by closing the doors earlier.
On the brink of life and death, he displayed remorse and desperately pleaded for his life, his voice hoarse:
"Daoist Master, spare me, Daoist Master, spare me.
This humble ghost had no eyes to recognize the mighty, and I offended you. I hope you will not blame me.
This humble ghost has wandered outside for years, exposed to the elements, cold and hungry, a wandering spirit for a century, with no offerings and no guide.
In this dilapidated house, I found a place to shelter.
But, but I was temporarily deluded and thus set up this hall and this gambling table for lives.
I only, only wanted to increase my power and cultivate my dao.
N-now, this humble ghost knows its mistake, knows its mistake.
Spare my life, spare my life..."
As he spoke, the Qing Dynasty male ghost lost all his previous composure, trembling as he repented.
His words implied that deceiving people for their lives was done out of desperation.
But in essence, he was just trying to gain sympathy.
Seeing his tearless, agonizing cries and pathetic appearance, my heart remained unmoved.
The scene of my master's admonishments upon my initiation flashed vividly in my mind.
"Little Qin, the greatest taboo when facing ghosts is pity or a soft heart; it is a great sin in our line of work.
Once you've made up your mind, never believe a word they say..."
I had given this Qing Dynasty male ghost a chance, and he had refused it.
Now, even if he begged the heavens, it would be useless.
I looked at him coldly, devoid of any emotion.
Slowly, I drew out my peach wood sword.
Seeing me draw my sword, the male ghost grew even more panicked.
"D-Daoist Master, don't, don't.
Don't kill me, don't kill me..."
"How many Life Debt IOUs do you have? Bring them all out!"
My voice was as cold as ice.
In this Netherworld building, with so many living people gambling, I refused to believe he only had Wu Jing's Life Debt IOU.
The peach wood sword, radiating intense yang energy, made the Qing Dynasty male ghost extremely terrified and flustered.
"D-Daoist Master, please don't. This humble ghost, this humble ghost will bring them all out."
As he spoke, he tremblingly raised his hand and placed it on the mahjong table. Instantly, seven or eight Life Debt IOUs appeared.
"Anything else?"
I pressed further.
"N-no more, no more!"
The Qing Dynasty male ghost replied in terror.
Old Mo also jumped down from the table and glanced at the Life Debt IOUs.
He then nodded at me.
Using the tip of his sword, he nudged the brush:
"Don't just stand there."
The Qing Dynasty male ghost, his tongue still pinned, shakily picked up the brush and quickly put Xs on the Life Debt IOUs.
Seeing this, Old Mo took them back, shook them, and a surge of spiritual energy rippled through them.
The Life Debt IOUs ignited with a fiery glow and turned into ashes.
"T-two Daoist Masters, can you let this humble ghost go now?"
The Qing Dynasty male ghost asked naively.
I looked at him and snorted. I couldn't be bothered to waste words. Would I keep such a ghost for the New Year?
Too lazy to say another word, I raised my hand and swung my sword, directly towards the Qing Dynasty male ghost's head.
Seeing this, the Qing Dynasty male ghost's face contorted from terror to ferocity. Black energy surged from his body, revealing jagged fangs as he bit off his own ghost tongue.
Ghost blood splattered, transforming into black smoke.
"Damn it..."
As he spoke, this Qing Dynasty male ghost actually grabbed the peach wood sword I had swung.
His ghost claws hissed and crackled, emitting constant plumes of black smoke...
Witnessing this, Old Mo and I were both shocked. Not only had this ghost bitten off its tongue, but the black energy emanating from its body was actually malevolent aura.
This was a fierce ghost, not of high cultivation but with deeply hidden power, able to deceive both Old Mo and me.
"Fierce ghost..."
I uttered coldly.
Having reached this point, the Qing Dynasty male ghost ceased his pretense.
"Damn Taoists, you won't let me go. Then I'll fight you."
After speaking, he flung away my peach wood sword and opened his blood-soaked maw.
With a roar, he lunged to bite my neck.
Old Mo, now on the other side of the mahjong table, exclaimed in alarm:
"Be careful, Old Qin."
I merely raised an eyebrow, making no move to dodge.
My left hand shot forward, unleashing a surge of cultivation that was even stronger than Old Mo's.
The Qing Dynasty male ghost felt as if Mount Tai was pressing down on him, filling him with dread and panic.
His expression showed disbelief, never expecting my dao cultivation to be higher than Old Mo's.
He didn't even have time to react before my outstretched left hand violently seized his neck.
The male ghost stared at me in terror, letting out gurgling sounds.
I looked at him indifferently, remaining silent.
True qi flowed, and dao energy erupted.
With a squeeze of my hand.
With a *bang*, that Qing Dynasty malevolent ghost was crushed to death by me in front of over a hundred lesser ghosts.
Wu Jing, who had been cowering in fear earlier, witnessed the entire scene.
Although he had heard from Chen Kai that I was powerful, he never imagined I was this formidable.
That Qing Dynasty male ghost was the proprietor of this place, and all the ghosts here obeyed him.
He was the mountain king of this territory.
Yet, I killed him as easily as that, in front of hundreds of ghosts in the Netherworld building...
ps: I managed to write a chapter in Jintang when I had some free time, with no reservations.