"Sun of a bitch, what is this smell? Why is it so foul? Was I tossed into a cesspool?"
I was awakened by a pungent stench, a smell like someone had microwaved durian with feces, or perhaps deep-fried stinky tofu in hot oil… My stomach churned violently.
*Gag—*
I retched several times, almost spitting out my gall, before feeling a slight improvement, perhaps having adapted to the odor!
I shook my head and found myself still lying on the ground. The surroundings were a mess, and I still clutched the Tiger Kui Seal, which emitted a faint black glow in the darkness.
Seeing it was not lost, I breathed a sigh of relief.
I got up from the ground and sat down heavily. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my phone. The screen was shattered, but thankfully, I could still check the time. I discovered I had only been unconscious for less than half an hour.
"That's strange. Zhang Ge and Ling'er didn't come back even after hearing such a commotion. Could they have run into trouble?"
After a moment's thought, I dismissed the idea. Zhang Ge was an old hand, far more skilled at dealing with malevolent spirits than I was. As for Bai Ling'er, she was even more formidable; meeting a Ghost King wouldn't put her at a disadvantage. Perhaps they were just delayed by something.
Looking in the direction Sun Chuang had fled, I felt a pang of unease. Fortunately, the fellow had been scared off. If he had doubled back, not only would the Tiger Kui Seal have been stolen, but my own life would likely have been forfeit.
Staggering to my feet, I felt an emptiness within me. My Xuanyang True Qi was depleted to the thickness of a needle.
"Looks like it'll be a while before I can cast any divination."
Stumbling into the courtyard, I pushed open the door to the冥堂 (Míngtáng - Hall of the Deceased). The scene before me startled me. Manager Xue sat in a chair near the door, his head lolling on the armrest, his life uncertain. Zhang Sao was in the same state.
This sent a chill down my spine. Had some evil spirit broken in and captured their souls, leaving them in a vegetative state? If that were the case, how could I explain it to Manager Xue's family, or to Zhang Dabiao?
I quickly took two steps forward and felt for Manager Xue's breath near the door. He was still breathing; he wasn't dead. The yang fire on his shoulders was still present, meaning his soul hadn't been captured. He had likely just fainted. Zhang Sao was the same.
I surmised that the powerful shockwave from the Fox Soul Ghost General breaking through the door might have knocked them unconscious, or perhaps they were simply terrified by the sight of so many Yin souls. In any case, anything was possible. I would only know the specifics once they woke up.
Seeing they were unharmed, I breathed a sigh of relief and sank into a nearby chair. Although my body hadn't suffered significant damage, my mind was filled with countless questions.
How could Fifth Gege, who had been residing in the semi-yin realm, suddenly contact me through the Tiger Kui Seal? Had she been hiding within it all along? And what was her purpose in doing so? Was it to prevent the Tiger Kui Seal from being stolen, or to monitor me for my own protection?
And how did Sun Chuang suddenly become half-human, half-ghost?
If I called him human, his abilities were clearly beyond those of a living person. He could attack with Yin energy ghost hands and even transform his body, growing four legs.
Was this even human?
He was like a new type of 'Transformer'!
While Sun Chuang's transformation might be somewhat understandable, given that he was led away by a red fox in Molu Village, some changes were to be expected.
But what about the black space that appeared when the Fox Soul Ghost General was about to extract my soul? And who was that shadowy figure?
His words were not only obscure but also profound, similar in content to the white fox skin, yet different. It seemed that shadowy figure was trying to convey some secret techniques to me.
However, looking back now, I could only recall the shadowy figure. I hadn't remembered a single word he spoke. The more I thought about it, the more the shadowy figure began to fade. Yet, I felt as though my mind had gained something, though I couldn't quite recall what it was.
"Could all of this be related to the white fox skin? Or that old monk?"
As I pondered the situation, Manager Xue beside me let out a muffled groan.
"I… I fainted?" Manager Xue patted his head, shook it a couple of times, and then asked me.
I shrugged, saying I had no idea and that I wanted to ask him the same question.
Manager Xue frowned, trying hard to recall something. But before he could, he suddenly covered his nose and stared at me blankly, "Mr. Song… did you fall into a cesspool? Why do you smell so bad?"
"Fall into a cesspool?" I looked at Manager Xue as if he were an idiot. What was wrong with him? Had the shockwave from the Fox Soul Ghost General breaking through the door been too strong and hit his brain? If it had, it would indeed be troublesome.
Thinking this, I reached out to touch his head, to see if there was any wound. But he stood up abruptly and ran out the door, only to start retching as soon as he stepped outside.
"What… what is going on?"
Looking at my arms, which should have been fair, I saw they were now dark and covered in something that looked like oil, reflecting a slight sheen under the light.
Subconsciously, I brought my hand to my nose and sniffed.
"Ugh… what is this ghastly smell?"
I immediately spat out a mouthful of bitter water. It was then I realized my entire body felt sticky and emitted a disgusting stench, making me want to jump into a river and wash myself.
In the bathroom, I used two bars of soap before managing to wash off the oil-like substance. The entire bathroom was filled with the foul odor, and the wastewater I flushed out was as black as ink. I figured washing in a river would have even killed the fish.
Only when my skin was almost raw did I feel the stench finally dissipate. I changed into clean clothes and threw the black, sticky garments into the trash. The smell was so potent that it even knocked out the rats that had been rummaging through the garbage.
As I prepared to return to the door, I saw a figure staggering towards me from a distance. I called out to ask who it was, but the figure didn't answer. Instead, it reached out a hand towards me and then collapsed.
I rushed over and saw that it was Zhang Dabiao.
"Zhang Ge, you…"
His clothes were tattered, revealing multiple burnt patches of flesh. Furthermore, there were numerous claw marks on his body, from what, I didn't know.
I called Manager Xue out from the courtyard, and together we carried Zhang Dabiao inside. After a brief examination, we found that his injuries were all superficial, with no major wounds.
His breathing was steady; he had likely just fainted.
Just then, Zhang Sao also woke up. Seeing Zhang Dabiao lying on the bed, his life uncertain, she clutched her head and slumped to the ground. Fearing she might faint, I quickly said, "Zhang Sao, Zhang Ge has just fainted from exhaustion of his true energy. His life is not in danger…"