IMMFBCG Chapter 27

Before they arrived, Ye Xue had already opened Tan Jiade’s yin-yang eyes (Eyes with the ability to see ghosts) for him.

Tan Jiade noticed that all the ghosts had fled, and hurriedly began looking for the soul of his cousin, Tan Zhenghao. After searching for a long time, he finally found him in the farthest corner.

Tan Zhenghao looked dazed, his soul seemingly absent.

Seeing this, Tan Jiade ran over quickly, calling out, “Zhenghao? Zhenghao?”

Tan Zhenghao looked up at him blankly but showed no other reaction.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Ye Xue was chasing after a vengeful ghost with her sword. Seeing that the male ghost was about to keep running, she casually pulled out a handful of talismans and scattered them. The talismans flew toward the vengeful ghost, aiming to block his escape.

Tan Jiade was about to ask Ye Xue if Tan Zhenghao’s condition was normal when he suddenly heard the male ghost’s frustrated screams.

He looked ahead, and upon seeing the scene in front of him, a feeling of admiration for Ye Xue surged in his heart.

He had seen ghosts chase people, but never people chasing ghosts.

Daoist Ye Xue was truly formidable.

The male ghost dodged the talismans flying at him and shouted in despair, “Chasing me won’t help! I don’t have the 100,000 yuan you’re looking for! Besides, I’ve never harmed anyone, so you can’t just catch me like that!”

Ye Xue paused in her talisman-throwing and looked up at him leisurely, her tone calm as she said, “Big guy, stop pretending. The stench of blood on you is so strong I could almost throw up. Are you seriously going to tell me you’ve never harmed anyone?”

By now, the vengeful ghost had put some distance between himself and Ye Xue. He bumped into other fleeing spirits, but his expression suddenly became cold and composed. He then reached out and grabbed a nearby spirit, shoving it straight into his mouth.

The ghost he consumed screamed in agony, but he ignored it, chewing slowly and deliberately, consuming the spirit bit by bit.

Tan Jiade gasped in horror, muttering, “What the hell…” A shiver ran down his spine.

They were cannibalizing each other!

Even though Tan Zhenghao wasn’t reacting to anything, Tan Jiade instinctively stepped in to shield his cousin’s soul.

The male ghost wiped his mouth and chuckled, saying, “Ah, the negative emotions born from fear always taste so delicious.”

Ye Xue stared at him coldly.

The vengeful ghost glanced back at Ye Xue slowly, speaking in a tone of mock reproach, “Daoist, wouldn’t it have been better if you’d arrived just a few minutes later? By then, all the living souls here would have been consumed by fear. What a beautiful sight that would have been…”

As more souls were devoured, the aura of malice that had been somewhat restrained around the male ghost was released, and his already dark clothing began to turn green.

A spirit that dies wearing red clothes can become a vengeful ghost, but a new spirit’s clothing turns darker and greener the more blood it absorbs.

He had killed many and consumed even more of his kind.

He probably didn’t even remember how many people and ghosts had perished at his hands.

A gust of eerie wind blew through, messing up Ye Xue’s long hair. She casually tucked the strands behind her ear, her face turning slightly pale from the cold.

Her gaze gradually focused on the ghost, her brows furrowing.

The green-clad ghost smiled in satisfaction, seemingly anticipating the fear in her eyes. But instead, Ye Xue hesitated and said, “A green hat? So, you’re into that kind of thing, huh?”

All of the male ghost’s clothing had turned green, including his hat.

His face twisted, and the smile froze awkwardly on his face, turning cold.

He had chosen such a hidden color for this very reason, but every time he devoured another spirit, the color uncontrollably returned to its original form.

The green-clad ghost glared at Ye Xue, his gaze sharp as a blade, forcing a sinister smile. “Daoists do have sharp tongues. Your words are just so…”

Before he could finish, he let out a cold laugh and opened his mouth wide.

A weapon shot out of his mouth, flying straight toward Ye Xue.

He had intended to catch her off guard, but Ye Xue had anticipated the attack. She drew her sword and struck, slicing the weapon in half, and it fell to the ground.

Ye Xue glanced at the tongue, condensed from malicious energy, writhing on the ground. It looked a bit disgusting.

Suppressing her nausea, Ye Xue slapped a talisman onto her sword and stabbed the tongue with force.

The severed tongue stopped writhing and turned to ashes.

“So you’re a hanging ghost, huh?” Ye Xue slowly approached him, swinging her sword in a mock gesture. “Red and green suit you.”

The hanging ghost, now missing a chunk of his tongue, bit down in pain. The malice that had grown from consuming souls began to leak from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

He shot Ye Xue a cold look, sizing her up along with her sword. Realizing he couldn’t take her on directly, he stopped fighting and flew straight toward the students, clearly targeting the living souls near the formation.

The hanging ghost’s aura of hostility grew heavier, creating a magnetic field that drew the surrounding spirits toward him.

He grabbed two ghosts at random and tried to shove them into his mouth, intending to restore his energy by consuming them.

Just as the vengeful ghost was about to swallow the souls, Ye Xue raised her hand, her fingers closing slightly. She summoned back her red net, snatching the souls from his mouth.

The green-clad ghost bit down hard, only to find he had missed the ghosts and bitten his tongue instead. “…”

He looked up, glaring viciously at Ye Xue.

The ghosts, who had been fleeing in terror, were saved by the net. They cried out in relief, thanking her profusely. “Thank you, Daoist! Thank you for catching me!”

Being caught by a celestial master meant they might be sent for reincarnation. But if they were caught by this guy, they wouldn’t even have a chance to reincarnate!

An idea struck Ye Xue. She immediately shouted, “Did you see that? If you don’t come over now, you’ll be scattered to the wind—no spots left soon, so hurry up! First come, first served!”

Of course, she was just bluffing. The red net could easily hold dozens more ghosts, and there were only about a dozen spirits here.

All the fleeing ghosts suddenly stopped in their tracks, staring back at the ghost-killing force that had drawn them in. They immediately halted their escape and rushed toward Ye Xue’s red net, jostling with each other to get inside.

“Stop pushing!” “Who’s shoving me?!” “There’s room over here, move this way!”

The red net was filled with the voices of the ghosts urging each other on. The thick atmosphere of fear dissipated significantly in an instant.

The hanged ghost glared at the net in Ye Xue’s hand, his expression growing more sinister. After a brief hesitation, he stopped worrying about it and turned toward the students’ protective formation.

Seeing his target shift, Ye Xue immediately threw her enchanted sword toward him and shouted, “Stay inside, and don’t come out!”

The Demon-Slaying Sword, imbued with fierce energy, sliced past the ghost’s neck, causing thick green blood to spill out. The violent aura surrounding him erupted, making it almost impossible to see his form.

The sword flew on, driven by momentum, and lodged itself in a distant tree.

Tan Jiade, startled by the scene, quickly grabbed his cousin and tried to retreat into the protective formation. But in the confusion, he tripped over something and fell outside the barrier, landing right in front of the ghost.

Looking back, he realized he’d stumbled over a collapsed camping tent. Frustrated, he shouted, “Who the heck is camping at a mass grave? What kind of idiot does that?!”

Two floating feet appeared before him.

The hanged ghost’s face was covered in green blood as he extended his long tongue and wrapped it around Tan Jiade. He sniffed the air and said with satisfaction, “It doesn’t smell of fear, but I’ve never tasted a soul this clean before.”

Tan Jiade struggled desperately and managed to grab something, slapping it onto the ghost’s face. “Get away from me, ugly!”

The talisman stuck to the ghost’s face, emitting a sizzling sound like meat being grilled—only this smelled more like rotten pork, foul and nauseating.

The light and sparks from the talisman blurred the ghost’s vision, causing him so much pain that he almost released his grip. Furious, the green-clad ghost tightened his hold, determined to swallow Tan Jiade whole and regain his strength.

But Ye Xue had already reached the tree. She pulled out her sword, bit her finger, and let her blood drip onto the blade. “By the boundless and eternal, let all things return to one!”

With a swift motion, she swung the sword, now glowing red with her blood’s power, directly at the ghost. The blade severed his tongue and then pierced through his chest.

Freed from the ghost’s grip, Tan Jiade collapsed to the ground, spitting out green blood and frantically wiping his face.

The green-clad ghost rolled in agony, screaming as most of his tongue had been cut off. He could barely form a coherent sentence and could only let out guttural roars. The malevolent energy around him was greatly diminished.

Ye Xue calmly approached the ghost, pulled the sword from his chest, and planted her foot on his face to pin him down. She pulled out a handful of talismans and threw them around the ghost.

Immediately, sparks flew in all directions.

Tan Jiade, watching silently, covered his nose as the burnt stench intensified. It smelled like someone was roasting the ghost alive.

Ye Xue assessed the situation and said, “The Five Thunder Talisman is fairly effective against malevolent spirits. I should make more next time.”

Having not yet tested many of her newly drawn talismans, she was glad to have this ghost to practice on.

Ye Xue rummaged through her bag for more talismans and casually tossed them onto the ghost.

With a loud bang, the ghost’s green robes were scorched into black ash, only to slowly turn green again after a while.

“The Exorcism Talisman isn’t very effective on malevolent spirits,” Ye Xue noted.

Tan Jiade watched as she continued pulling out an endless supply of talismans, experimenting on the ghost with each one. His eyes widened in disbelief. At this rate, it was hard to tell who was more ruthless—the ghost or her.

It felt like the ghost was being subjected to all the torments of the eighteen levels of hell before even being sent there.

The ghosts trapped in the red net watched in horror at the grisly scene unfolding before them, relieved they hadn’t dared to cross the heavenly master.

For someone who appeared so scholarly and gentle, Ye Xue was somehow more terrifying than the ghost itself.

“Better to die than be humiliated…” the green-clad ghost muttered between choked breaths, blood dribbling from his mouth. Through gritted teeth, he spat, “If you have the guts… just kill me.”

Ye Xue looked at him in surprise and said, “Why would I do that? My ten thousand bucks are on the line.”

The ghost froze. He could feel the blood he had just swallowed rising again.

Ten thousand bucks? What was she talking about? Why did she keep bringing that up every time she saw him?!

After exhausting her stock of talismans on him, Ye Xue finally stopped, pulled out a small bottle, and stuffed the ghost into it. She sealed it tightly with a suppression talisman.

She tapped the bottle, watching the ghost inside struggle, only to be zapped back by the talisman each time. Smiling, she said, “This bottle held one of your kind before. She was much cuter than you, though.”

Though that ghost had an equally annoying long tongue, at least she wasn’t dangerous.

Ye Xue packed the net and bottle separately into her bag, adding another layer of talismans to ensure everything stayed secure.

Standing up, she turned to Tan Jiade. “Alright, let’s go check on your cousin.”

The young man stared at Ye Xue’s actions, his eyes wide with shock. After a few moments, he finally snapped out of it and nodded, “Oh, okay!”

The two of them approached Tan Zhenghao.

Inside the formation, the students were still in a daze, their souls paralyzed with fear.

Tan Jiade sighed as he looked at his brother’s sluggish state. “It’s been like this. No matter how much I call him, he doesn’t respond.”

Ye Xue remained calm. “Don’t worry, he’s just in shock.”

She had come prepared, taking out a soul-recalling bell and gently shaking it. While doing so, she explained to Tan Jiade, “That green-robed ghost you saw earlier gathered all these students together and forced them to tell ghost stories at night. He was using the darkness and their fear to feed off of them. Once their emotions were completely consumed by terror, he planned to devour their souls. His robes would have turned blue then, and when that happened…”

Tan Jiade’s expression grew serious. “If it came to that, even you wouldn’t be able to stop him, right?”

Ye Xue gave him a strange look. “At that point, I’d just stab him with the Evil-Slaying Sword and make him cough up everything he swallowed.”

Human souls aren’t as easily digested as those of the dead.

From the backpack came a slight tremor, likely from the jar containing the ghost, which had probably overheard their conversation and was now trembling in fear.

“…I see,” Tan Jiade muttered. He had almost forgotten that Ye Xue was the kind of person who used evil spirits for practice.

Ye Xue continued to shake the bell, its crisp sound filling the air. Gradually, Tan Zhenghao and his friends began to regain their composure.

After a moment of daze, Tan Zhenghao’s eyes cleared, and in the next second, he cried out in terror, “Help! There’s a ghost! A ghost!”

At his shout, everyone snapped back to reality and screamed in unison.

Tan Jiade was speechless. “Stop yelling! Look at me! Do you know who I am?”

Tan Zhenghao turned toward him, still terrified. “Bro, the ghost got you too?!”

Tan Jiade rolled his eyes. “If you hadn’t been caught, we wouldn’t have come!”

Tan Zhenghao finally noticed the girl standing beside his brother. After scrutinizing her for a few seconds, his face turned pale. “Holy crap! Daoist Ye, you got caught too?!”

Ye Xue: “…”

She handed out a talisman to each of them. “No ghosts here. I’ve already caught them all.”

Tan Zhenghao looked around and realized that the ghosts surrounding them had indeed disappeared.

Ye Xue stuck a talisman onto Tan Zhenghao and asked, “So, why did you guys come to a graveyard?”

Tan Zhenghao looked confused and scratched his head. “Huh, this is a graveyard? We were just here to camp, and then we ran into ghosts…”

“Wait,” Tan Jiade interrupted, raising his hand. “Are you saying that thing is yours?”

Following his gaze, Tan Zhenghao saw the camping tent on the ground. Still oblivious to the gravity of the situation, he nodded, “Yeah, it’s mine!”

Ye Xue couldn’t help but laugh at their conversation, realizing that these students had been fooled by the ghost into thinking the area was a scenic camping spot.

Tan Jiade, glaring at the tent that had nearly cost him his life, clenched his fist and took a deep breath before muttering, “Idiot.”

Tan Zhenghao: “???” Why the sudden insult?

Ye Xue checked the time and told the still-confused students, “Let’s go. I’ll take you all back. Your families are probably worried.”

Tan Zhenghao cautiously walked up to his brother and whispered, “Bro, can we go back tomorrow morning?”

Tan Jiade looked at him, thinking that his brother might have learned his lesson and was now afraid.

But his hopes were crushed by Tan Zhenghao’s next words: “It’s already so late, we might as well skip night classes…”

Tan Jiade took a deep breath, feeling his temper rise.

He turned to Ye Xue. “Daoist Ye, can I punch him?”

Ye Xue handed him a talisman with a smile. “Be my guest.”

Tan Jiade grinned coldly and slowly approached his younger brother.

In an instant, Tan Zhenghao’s pitiful cries echoed through the night.

Clutching his newly acquired black eyes, the high schooler sobbed in misery.

After delivering the students and handing over the ghost to the Daoist Association, it was already 11 PM. Ye Xue held the check from her employer and thought about the ten thousand dollars that would soon be credited to her account. Her mood instantly brightened.

When she arrived at the school gate, she was pondering how to convince the guard to let her in when she looked up and saw a familiar face.

The security guard had been watching TV but looked out the window when he heard footsteps. He paused for a moment, his eyes landing on Ye Xue’s bulging backpack.

With a smile, he was about to say something when Ye Xue quickly responded, “Yes, I just got back from a cosplay event.”

The guard waved her through without a word.

By the time Ye Xue returned to the dorms, the lights were off, and it was unusually quiet inside.

So early? They usually stay up until 1 or 2 AM.

Confused, she unlocked the door.

The sound of the door opening triggered two simultaneous screams of terror.

Gao Lan and He Siqi clung to each other in fear, yelling, “A ghost!”

Ye Xue turned on the lights, and upon closer inspection, she saw her three roommates huddled together in the dark watching a horror movie. They were right at the part where a ghost knocked on the door.

Wei Cainin, looking at her two frightened roommates, shook her head helplessly. “You guys, seriously. You’re more likely to scare me to death than that movie.”

She pulled Ye Xue over to sit with them, asking her to join in watching the movie, and said to the other two, “There are no ghosts in this world. Look at me and Ye Xue, we’re not scared at all. We believe in science!”

Ye Xue glanced at the terrifying scene on the screen and quickly looked away, thinking This is too scary.

Wei Cainin, still smiling, waited for Ye Xue to chime in. “Right, Ye Xue?”

He Siqi looked at Ye Xue and suspiciously echoed, “Believe in… science?”

Having just returned from catching ghosts, Ye Xue nodded solemnly. “Yep, believe in science.”

He Siqi: “…”

Yeah, right.