The female ghost, as she spoke, extended her claws to scratch at us.
However, it was clear she posed no threat.
Looking back, our previous worries were unnecessary.
This female ghost, apart from her deep obsession, did not control any蛊虫 (gǔ chóng - soul-devouring insects).
At this moment, she was impaled by Old Mo's sword.
Her body flickered, her spiritual energy dissipated, and she was clearly on the verge of soul disintegration.
Yet, in her final moments, she still held a powerful obsession.
In my career, I have encountered quite a few ghosts.
But most vengeful spirits are homicidal.
This particular ghost, however, was not homicidal; she was merely deeply obsessed.
She hadn't killed anyone, merely been "raising pigs"?
Watching her about to disintegrate, I remained silent, making no other move.
Xiao Mei walked towards me, her expression blank.
Old Mo's lips curled into a smile:
"All done! Packing up!"
With that, he theatrically swung his bronze coin sword.
The trembling female ghost.
Suddenly raised her head slowly, gazing at us.
I looked at the female ghost, not feeling any particular joy that she was about to disintegrate.
I simply watched her calmly.
Because my master had told me before his passing that many vengeful spirits, especially those with strong obsessions.
Often had tragic lives in their mortal existence.
Upon death, they transform into vengeful spirits and begin to wreak havoc.
While it is the duty of us Taoists to eliminate them.
Offering salvation, and seeing them off, is an even greater act of merit.
This is why my master said that subduing ghosts is better than killing them.
The female ghost before us had an obsession too profound.
We lacked the cultivation to send her off.
So, we could only slay her and eliminate her.
Regardless of the circumstances, we stand on the side of the living.
No matter how deep your obsession, or how much you suffered in life.
Our primary choice is to ensure the peace of the region.
Secondly, on this basis, we decide whether to help, or fulfill last wishes, and so on.
The moment our eyes met, the female ghost's white eyes suddenly flashed.
In that instant, it seemed a white light burst forth.
Seeing this, I was slightly taken aback.
Before I could comprehend what was happening.
The female ghost's eyeballs suddenly bulged.
The next second, with a "bang," they exploded.
Black, viscous blood splattered outwards.
Although this blood was not blood in the true sense, it turned into black mist upon contact with the ground.
Seeing the blood spray, I instinctively dodged.
Old Mo and Xiao Mei were also startled:
"Damn, what's going on?"
I was also surprised; I had never seen anything like it.
Ghosts on the verge of soul disintegration usually decomposed slowly or turned directly into light. How could their eyeballs explode?
Before I could figure it out.
In our eyes, two large white worms began to wriggle out of the female ghost's eye sockets.
I found it horrifying, my heart chilled.
This was too terrifying.
The female ghost was in immense pain:
"Ah, it hurts, it hurts so much..."
The female ghost was in extreme distress.
"Damn, what is this stuff?"
Old Mo also asked in surprise.
Only Xiao Mei suddenly spoke:
"Those are Soul-Eating Worms, get away from them quickly, don't get bitten."
"Soul-Eating Worms?"
What are these things?
I asked in surprise, but also retreated.
Xiao Mei said:
"They are worms that can eat souls. I've seen them in the mountains."
Hearing that they could eat souls, Old Mo and I were stunned.
This female ghost was truly extraordinary.
We dared not be careless, continuously backing away.
As a result, the female ghost's body began to show continuous bulges.
One after another.
Like blisters, they kept rising from the surface of her skin.
"W-what's going on?"
Old Mo looked at her in astonishment, her appearance was too terrifying and strange.
But it was far from over, those rising bulges would then burst, spewing viscous blood.
And then, white Soul-Eating Worms would emerge.
One after another.
The female ghost's skin blisters continuously burst.
Blood splattered everywhere.
The female ghost was in extreme distress, struggling:
"Ah! It hurts, it hurts!"
She rolled on the ground, convulsing, her mouth filled with agonizing pain.
On the ground, those white Soul-Eating Worms continued to crawl.
Like maggots, crawling everywhere.
But they could only crawl a short distance before turning into black smoke...
These worms had no corpses; only those with opened heavenly eyes could see them.
Upon falling to the ground, they quickly dissolved.
But the three of us dared not approach.
Watching warily.
We had never witnessed such a scene.
After about a minute.
The female ghost's malevolent energy dissipated to a certain extent.
Perhaps she regained some reason.
She looked at us with her blood-filled, empty eyes.
Raising her hands, covered in Soul-Eating Worms and bulges, she trembled and begged us:
"Please, please, kill, kill me.
It hurts so much, so, so much!
Ah..."
After speaking, she rolled on the ground again.
Screaming incessantly.
The worms that crawled out of her body continuously bit her.
But she was in extreme pain.
Seeing this, I decided to grant her wish.
I am not a saint, nor do I aim to save all beings.
However, I do not torture when I kill.
This applies to ghosts as well.
Raising my peach wood sword, I was about to step forward.
Old Mo pulled me back:
"Don't go, there are all sorts of those worms over there, it's too dangerous."
I smiled:
"It's fine!"
With that, I took a few steps forward.
Raising my long sword, I looked at the continuously rolling female ghost and plunged the sword into her forehead.
Going down from here would accelerate her soul disintegration, preventing such agonizing struggles.
"Rest in peace!"
My sword strike was precise.
It pierced the female ghost's head on the spot.
The female ghost's body trembled and froze.
But the female ghost, with her empty, hollow eyes, looked at me.
Exhibiting an expression of release:
"Finally, re-re-release..."
As soon as she finished speaking.
I don't know if I saw correctly, but after she spoke, a faint smile seemed to curve her lips?
Before I could see clearly, the female ghost's body exploded with a "bang" and dissipated into light.
And the Soul-Eating Worms on her body, after the female ghost disappeared, fell everywhere.
Although many decomposed immediately, turning into black smoke.
However, there was one particularly large Soul-Eating Worm.
About the length of a sausage.
With a slight pinkish hue.
It had no eyes, but a mouth resembling a human's.
This worm was located where the female ghost's head had exploded.
After the female ghost disintegrated, it fell to the ground.
However, it did not immediately turn into black smoke.
Instead, it arched its body, attempting to spring onto me.
Naturally, I wouldn't let this worm succeed. The moment it reared up, I swept it away with my sword.
It dissolved into smoke in mid-air, and the smoke transformed into ripples that spread outwards.
And the strange thing was, it was precisely this.
After that thick Soul-Eating Worm was severed by me and turned into smoke.
We felt a wave of dizziness.
The next moment, whether it was a hallucination or an added memory.
All three of us, at this moment, saw some scenes from the female ghost's past life...