Chapter 13: Saved by a Black Dog

I'm now at level 10, and by the standards of the ghostly hierarchy, I've reached the "Wild Ghost" tier. But it's still no match for Ning Yan, though it seems like she can't use illusions here. Her magic is fierce but not unbeatable! If I want to leave here soon, I'll need some help!

Where the hell are you, Horse-Face?!

Lin Feng ran far off to another courtyard and grabbed a ghost who was trying to flee. "Tell me, have you seen a ghost with a horse face around here recently?"

The ghost shrieked in fear, "N-no! Master, I did nothing wrong after I died, please let me go!"

Lin Feng activated the ash urn, attempting to capture it.

Ding! Capture failed. This ghost has no evil deeds and carries merit.

"You're lucky you're honest!"

He threw the ghost aside, and the others huddled in the corners of the walls, watching him with fearful eyes.

"Listen up!"

Lin Feng cleared his throat, knowing he had to mobilize the crowd. "I'm ghost hunter Lin Feng. That ghost woman died tragically last year and was buried near Yuetan Mountain. I suspect her burial site is your ancestral grave, right? Today, if you help me locate a horse-faced ghostly emissary and assist me in escaping, I'll dig her remains out of your ancestral tomb and release her spirit so she won't haunt you anymore! If not, she'll be here every day, snatching your offerings and incense, and within half a year, you'll be wiped out!"

The ghosts began to gather in groups, murmuring to each other.

An older ghost, around fifty years old and seemingly the leader, stepped forward. "Is what you say true, Master?"

Lin Feng replied righteously, "I'm no Master, but it's absolutely true!"

The leader hesitated but then spoke up, "But the village has strengthened the Five Yin Formation. This place is neither yin nor yang, and there's no way out…"

"Who are you kidding? Ning Yan can leave!"

The leader gave a bitter smile, "This place is behind Yuetan Mountain, which is essentially a graveyard. This used to be a riverside village with dense willow trees called Green Willow Village. After the river route changed, the village was pushed down during land reform, leaving this graveyard. A Daoist from Heaven Tiger Mountain once blessed this place so that the ancestors would be worshiped here and protect future generations. But buried here, we can't reincarnate, nor can we leave."

"Yes, Master," another ghost spoke up. "The ghost woman was buried here by chance. When her ghost powers were weak, I even gave her food. She mentioned being buried near a Chinese scholar tree. Traditionally, locust and willow trees are both ghost trees, but they don't connect to each other. If there's a way out, it must be there, but the locust tree's energy is different from that of the estate, so we can't see it!"

"Exactly, Master! Ever since we were buried, we've only wandered between these graves; we can't go farther. We don't know where the locust tree is!"

"Master, I once saw the ghostly emissary you're looking for on the edge of the estate. He disappeared soon after, rumored to be captured by that ghost woman. If you want to find him, you'll need to locate the locust tree!"

After the leader spoke, a few elder ghosts huddled around, chiming in with additional details.

The locust tree?!

After hearing everything, Lin Feng finally understood. The surrounding mountains were essentially burial mounds. This whole graveyard was only about a hundred square meters, but these ghosts had been confined by the formation, reduced in size, and could only wander between a few grave mounds, unable to venture far.

Lin Feng calculated that, based on their description, crossing the entire estate would take nearly two hours. If he wanted to escape, he'd need to locate the exact spot of the locust tree first. If he exited in the wrong direction, he'd end up circling back.

"Damn it! If I need to find the locust tree, I'll have to ask Mi Shihong! He was the one who buried Ning Yan last year; he should know the location!"

But… Mi Shihong seems to be almost played to death by Ning Yan!

"Everyone, I understand! Until we meet again!"

Lin Feng sprinted back, praying, "Old Mi, you've got to hold on! If you're dead, I'm probably stuck here for good!"

He ran faster than when he'd fled before, and as he approached the courtyard where Ning Yan was, Mi Shihong's cries of agony echoed from afar.

"You wretched woman! Just kill me if you can!!!"

Mi Shihong's body was punctured, and though he was a spirit, the wounds wouldn't close. Large beads of sweat dripped down his forehead. He had no idea what spell he was under, but his face was rotting, and his entire body's ghost energy was futilely trying to heal him, his spirit thinning by the second.

A black smoke shot from Ning Yan's chest and struck Mi Shihong's face, making him howl in agony, while Ning Yan let out a gleeful laugh.

"How's the Soul Shatter Curse? Feels good enough to float away, right?"

"Kill me, you wretch!"

Ning Yan sneered, "Kill you? Why make it easy on scum like you?!"

Just as she finished, a blue light shot toward her head, severing the black smoke connecting her to Mi Shihong. Her mind reeled as a large hand gripped her neck.

"It's you again?!" Ning Yan's head twisted 180 degrees, biting down on Lin Feng's hand.

"Argh—damn it!"

Where she bit him quickly turned into black sludge, decaying at a visible speed.

At such close range, Lin Feng endured the pain, lifted his broken left hand, and drew a bloody line across his forehead.

"Immeasurable Lord…Immeasurable…Eye! See through this world!!!"

The Divine Sight!

Blood-stained blue light hit Ning Yan square in the face. Lin Feng roared as a flash of fear finally flickered in her eyes. She quickly raised her hand to defend.

Boom—

The blue light exploded her entire arm, but she plunged her other hand into Lin Feng's abdomen.

Cough—

Lin Feng coughed out blood, stunned.

Damn it… even my physical body… she can pierce?!

Ning Yan kicked Lin Feng away, and black smoke poured endlessly from her severed arm, showing no signs of healing.

"How can this be…" She watched the ghostly energy flow out like water, her face twisted with rage. Seeing Lin Feng lying on the ground, she slowly closed in.

"I've siphoned off six months of incense offerings to cultivate this ghost energy! And you… you… just die already!"

Ning Yan's ghostly energy gathered around her five fingers, transforming them into dark claws as sharp as steel, aimed directly at Lin Feng's heart.

It's over—

Blood was flowing from Lin Feng's abdomen, and he could feel life slipping away. Seeing Ning Yan's ghostly claws approaching, he had no strength left to resist, so he simply closed his eyes.

Mi Shihong stood by, watching the imminent danger with a helpless expression. If Lin Feng died now, he knew he'd be next. He was filled with deep regret for all the heartless things he had done.

Retribution, indeed!

Ning Yan was reveling in her success, Mi Shihong closed his eyes in despair, and even the ghosts watching from the side turned away, unable to bear the sight.

No one noticed, however, a faint shadow of black light flashed across Lin Feng's body.

At that same moment, Ning Yan's ghostly claw struck something solid.

Splat—the blood sprayed out, but it wasn't Lin Feng's.

What…?

Ning Yan looked in bewilderment at the dark shadow that had materialized before her. The shadow gradually became clearer—it was a black dog with shiny fur, each paw white, and a tuft of white hair that extended backward from its forehead.

Ning Yan's ghostly claw had pierced the black dog's back, causing blood to drip from the animal. Yet the dog's dark eyes remained calm, without the slightest ripple.

The dog glanced down at Lin Feng lying on the ground, then turned its gaze toward Ning Yan, its upper lip curling as it revealed sharp fangs.

"Roar—!"

A low growl shook the whole room like thunder, leaving Ning Yan covering her ears in pain.

"Woof—!"

Ignoring the blood seeping from its back, the black dog leaped onto Ning Yan, biting her neck.

"Ah—!" Ning Yan shrieked in agony, trying to pry the black dog's head off her with all her might.

Boom—

The black dog exploded into shadow, then vanished without a trace.

Clutching her neck, Ning Yan's ghostly energy began to drain rapidly, and her face aged before their eyes. She quickly ignored Lin Feng and Mi Shihong and dashed out.

"Hand over your offerings and incense, or I'll kill you all!"

Her sudden departure left Mi Shihong struggling to process what had just happened.

Where did that black dog come from?

Unsure, Mi Shihong hurried to Lin Feng's side. "Master Lin? Master Lin?"

Lin Feng groaned and opened his eyes.

"Am I dead… or am I not?"

Mi Shihong choked back a sob. "Master Lin! You're not dead! Neither of us is…"

"Rubbish, you're already dead, you know…"

Mi Shihong gave a pained smile. "How can you joke at a time like this? Ning Yan was bitten by a black dog and ran off. She's out there seizing offerings and incense to restore her ghost energy. Please, hurry and put me in your urn! Send me on; I don't want to see her again."

A black dog?

What does that even mean?

But Lin Feng quickly caught onto the main point, his spirits lifting. "Ning Yan's injured? And she's out collecting offerings and incense? This is our chance! Boss Mi, run now! Once she's replenished her ghost energy, we're really done for!"

Run?

Mi Shihong collapsed to the ground, bitterly. "Where could we run to? Even if we make it outside, we don't know how to return from here!"

"Do you know the locust tree where Ning Yan's body was buried last year?"

Mi Shihong paused. "Yes… Chen Qi had it planted later so Ning Yan's remains would be hard to find."

"Go there! That locust tree is the exit!"

Mi Shihong looked surprised. "It's on the western edge of this burial ground. If we know the direction, we can head straight there. But… even if we know where to go, how can we outrun Ning Yan?"

Lin Feng pulled a bicycle out of his pocket dimension and said weakly, "Whether we get out or not depends on your legs… don't let us down…"