WBICDPH Chapter 69

Chapter 69: A Risky Move

Lin Jin frowned slightly. In the end, he let out a quiet sigh and put the Shan Hai Brush back into his ring.

Hua Nanzhi had been staring at him with wide eyes. When she saw he had done nothing but put the brush away, she couldn’t help but ask, puzzled, “Is it over?”

She glanced up at the sky. The gray mist still churned violently, showing no sign of dispersing.

“No,” Lin Jin said. “I didn’t kill her.”

He knew his decision probably looked ridiculous, but he continued anyway. “I don’t think this is her fault. At least not yet. The truth isn’t clear. I don’t have the right to judge her life so quickly.”

Of the three of them in the courtyard, only Lin Jin could see Zhu Eryao. Hua Nanzhi saw no ghost at all—only the legend of a bloodthirsty red-clad spirit who killed without mercy.

Hearing him say this, she was confused. “She’s a red-clad spirit. So what are you going to do?”

“I want to hear your opinions.”

Lin Jin looked at Hua Nanzhi and Xiao Yunkong below the altar. “I know you can’t see her. But please trust me—Zhu Eryao isn’t like other red spirits. Even when I threatened her life, she didn’t resist. She just asked if I was going to kill her. She didn’t fight back. Even when she was trembling with fear, she only curled up and waited to be destroyed.

“Master once said that when a living soul becomes a ghost, most of its memories are lost. What remains is the obsession that drove it to become a ghost. So what they do is half instinct, half extreme resentment. But Zhu Eryao has done nothing. She doesn’t even know how to resist. She only cares about that bead.

“I don’t believe someone like her would harm innocent lives. She must have her own suffering. If I execute her like this, it would be as if she died unjustly a second time.

“So I want to take a risk—see if we can break the formation by resolving her obsession and guiding her to rest. But that will take time. And in our current situation, this decision affects all three of our lives. So I want to know what you think.”

Hua Nanzhi frowned. “I understand. You don’t want to harm the innocent. Neither do I. But… ugh, forget it. I’ve never dealt with her directly, so I can’t judge. If you’re confident you can handle this, then I’ll take the risk with you.”

She cast her vote without hesitation.

Xiao Yunkong, however, thought more carefully. Instead of answering, he looked at Lin Jin and asked, “This is what a cultivator should strive for. You needn’t feel guilty. But this case is full of doubts. It’s been seven years. The villagers aren’t cooperative. And ghosts rarely retain complete memories—only fragments tied to their obsession. Even if we investigate, it won’t be resolved quickly. And we don’t have time.

“So I ask you—do you have a concrete plan to solve this in the shortest time possible?

“I promised my master I would protect you both. I respect your commitment to the Dao. But we cannot act blindly. If you don’t have a solid plan, I won’t allow you to make this move.”

Lin Jin had already considered this.

He nodded, his tone firm. “I do. Half a day.”

“What?!” Hua Nanzhi nearly lost her footing. “Half a day? With all the problems Senior Brother just listed?”

“It’s possible.”

Lin Jin glanced at Zhu Eryao beside him and said three words:

“A Ghost Taming Contract.”

Before Hua Nanzhi or Xiao Yunkong could react, the little dog in Lin Jin’s arms leapt out in disbelief.

Theoretically, beast tamers could form contracts not only with spirit beasts but also with ghosts and demons. But ghosts were far more powerful than beasts. They had their own will and would not submit easily. There had only been one successful case in history—and that had involved a tamer contracting with the spirit of his deceased wife, bound by mutual trust.

Forming a contract required exchanging soul-blood. Without overwhelming strength, if the other party betrayed you during the exchange and shattered your soul-blood, you would die without any chance of survival.

Where did Lin Jin get the courage—or the confidence—to attempt this with a red-clad spirit heavy with resentment?

He ignored the dog’s horrified stare, bent down, and gently placed him on his shoulder before explaining, “During the contract, we exchange soul-blood. Even if Zhu Eryao no longer remembers everything, her soul-blood does. Those memories will be more objective than any story told by others. Once we know her suffering and obsession, we can resolve the problem at its root.”

“Absolutely not,” Xiao Yunkong said immediately. “It’s too dangerous. If she harbors any ill intent during the exchange—”

“Senior Brother,” Lin Jin said softly but firmly, “I trust my judgment. And I trust that she won’t.

“If something goes wrong, I’ll crush her soul-blood before mine shatters. The formation will still collapse. If that happens… I’ll have to trouble you and Miss Hua to apologize to my two masters for me.”

He smiled faintly. “I can’t judge someone without understanding the truth. That would weigh on my conscience. This is my choice. Whatever the outcome, I’ll accept it.”

Silence followed.

That silence was permission.

Lin Jin turned to Zhu Eryao. “I won’t kill you. Will you form a Ghost Taming Contract with me and let me see what happened to you through your soul-blood? If you’ve been wronged, let me know. I’ll help you. And when the truth comes to light, I can guide you into reincarnation.”

“Ghost… Taming Contract?” she repeated softly.

Her pale white eyes blinked in confusion. “Will it hurt? I’m afraid of pain.”

“It won’t.”

She tilted her head. “If I agree, does that make me your servant?”

“No. My friend.”

“Friend?”

After a moment’s thought, she opened her palm and revealed the red coral bead. “If I agree… can I keep this bead?”

Lin Jin laughed lightly. “Of course.”

“Then… what do I do?”

“Nothing. Just trust me.”

He sat cross-legged before her and began forming hand seals, drawing strange runes with the Shan Hai Brush.

Their hair and robes fluttered without wind.

Hua Nanzhi watched anxiously as the small dog jumped down and trotted over to them. She picked him up and sighed. “Looks like you’re getting a ghost sister.”

A ghost sister? As if she deserved that title!

The dog fumed, leaping onto Xiao Yunkong instead, eventually climbing to perch atop his head for a better view.

From there, he watched Lin Jin closely.

Lin Jin’s face had grown pale. Forming a contract with a red spirit exceeded his cultivation level. Normally, a higher-ranked cultivator would mediate. But Xiao Yunkong’s strength was sealed, and Lin Jin had to access Zhu Eryao’s memories firsthand. Even if backlash awaited him, he had to try.

Fortunately, Zhu Eryao cooperated fully. She showed no resistance, even as her soul-blood was drawn out.

They exchanged two drops of soul-blood. Lin Jin marked hers with his imprint and infused her aura into his own.

Nine-tenths complete.

The final step was returning the soul-blood to its place.

But Lin Jin paused. He had to probe her memories first.

Soul-blood was the essence of a being and normally impenetrable—unless marked.

At first, he failed. The disparity in their strength was too great. But suddenly, it was as if Zhu Eryao opened her heart willingly.

The barrier vanished.

Lin Jin felt himself plunge into a vortex. A violent sense of weightlessness struck him.

Resentment. Hatred. Grief. Pain.

Emotions crashed over him like a storm.

He heard crying. Screams. Felt cold, trembling, and the despair of dying.

Thunder roared. Rain lashed.

Then—silence.

The storm calmed. The sea stilled. Sunlight broke through the clouds.

A voice called out behind him:

“Ah Yao!”

The scene shifted.

Outside a small courtyard stood a slender young scholar. And Lin Jin heard a voice—her voice—cry out:

“Brother Wencai!”

She ran into his arms without hesitation.

Memories flickered before his eyes—

Windmills turning in summer fields.

Shy glances during childhood play weddings.

Bumpy ox-cart rides filled with laughter.

Later, white mourning cloth hung in the courtyard. Two coffins side by side. At night, the boy held the grieving girl and whispered that once he earned fame, he would marry her properly.

Years of waiting followed. Watching the road day after day.

Until today.

Zhu Eryao threw herself into his arms, heart brimming with joy.

The sunlight was warm. Her heart raced.

This time, the emotion that drowned him was not hatred—

It was love.

Zhu Eryao loved Zhou Wencai.

It was the pure, wholehearted love of a young girl.

Under that sunlight, without needing to be told, Lin Jin understood—

She truly loved him.