Chapter 54: Ghostly Dao Soldiers

The Living Dead?

Nie Chuxia stated that her grandfather had never mentioned this.

As they approached the stall, Lin Feng saw a tall, thin man in his early thirties. He had a scholarly air, with deep black pupils, slicked-back hair, and a suit that, while presentable, showed signs of wear. He resembled a down-and-out office worker.

Scanning his surroundings, Lin Feng felt a sudden jolt in his heart. His instincts screamed danger! It was an innate reaction honed through countless fights. Now, as a ghost hunter, his sensitivity to malevolence was heightened—and this man reeked of it.

"Hello, Jiang Yang. You must be Lin Feng?"

Lin Feng was momentarily stunned—utterly shocked. He suddenly realized the world around him had plunged into darkness, even though it was broad daylight. Jiang Yang had somehow stepped out of his own body!

And now, Lin Feng himself was in a spectral state, something akin to a disembodied soul.

"This... is the Mirage Realm?!"

Lin Feng froze momentarily. The use of Mirage Soul Arts required immense spiritual power. Even under the natural reinforcement of daylight, he could manage tricks like the Ghostly Labyrinth at best. But this man could wield such profound abilities with ease—he must have a rare talent!

Lin Feng quickly calmed himself.

"Yes, I'm Lin Feng. Are you from the Northern Sect?"

He shook Jiang Yang's hand cautiously. This man's methods were far too eerie. If he wasn't an ordinary person, he could only belong to the Northern Sect.

Jiang Yang chuckled softly. "You're quite worldly, but still a bit naive. Yes, I'm Jiang Yang, the Soul Bell Disciple, an outcast of the Northern Sect."

The Soul Bell?

The Northern Sect had three branches: Bell, Ritual, and Judgement. The Bell branch specialized in illusions, Ritual was akin to spirit possession, and Judgement dealt with curses. Each had its strengths, and this man was evidently from the Bell branch.

"Jiang Yang, you didn't come here just to chit-chat, did you? Dispense with the Mirage Realm if you want a proper conversation."

Jiang Yang shrugged nonchalantly. "No can do. I heard you're recruiting disciples. Naturally, I have to test your skills first. Otherwise, how could I call you my master?"

Lin Feng laughed. "A Northern Sect disciple wanting to be my student? I may not be part of the Southern Sect, but you people have never been fond of those south of the Yellow River."

Jiang Yang shrugged again. "I said, I'm an outcast."

Lin Feng's expression turned impatient. "And you think you're worthy of testing me? Have you looked in a mirror to see if you qualify?"

Jiang Yang swallowed his prepared retorts, his once-arrogant demeanor replaced by anger. "Lin Feng, aren't you being a bit too arrogant?"

Lin Feng smirked. "Why waste words? A reject of the Northern Sect—I'd think twice about even considering you as a disciple!"

Infuriated, Jiang Yang abandoned the cordial tone. Pulling out a bronze bell, he growled, "Lin Feng, you've forced my hand! I only came to Nanyang to find a temporary refuge, but you've pushed me too far!"

"Enough with the nonsense!"

Lin Feng's hands flared with ghostly green flames as he lunged at Jiang Yang.

Startled, Jiang Yang underestimated the attack until he saw the eerie green fire. His scorn vanished in an instant.

"What Dao technique is this?"

"The Great Blazing Spirit-Binding Hands!"

Lin Feng's offensive was relentless, aiming directly at Jiang Yang's face. Startled, Jiang Yang dodged, his bronze bell ringing incessantly.

"Thousand-Bell Demon Melody!"

A deafening hum erupted in Lin Feng's ears. The air filled with the clanging of countless bells, mingled with the wailing of ghosts. Lin Feng faltered, spitting blood. Jiang Yang laughed triumphantly. "Is your skill limited to clever words?"

Halfway through his laughter, Jiang Yang froze. Lin Feng, already recovered, slammed a powerful kick into his stomach.

Jiang Yang staggered back and split into two figures, then four, rapidly multiplying. Soon, hundreds of Jiang Yangs surrounded Lin Feng. The ringing intensified a thousandfold, maddeningly loud.

"Is this all the great Heavenly Dog of this generation can do? Pathetic!"

Watching Lin Feng clutch his ears and writhe on the ground, Jiang Yang's glee knew no bounds. The Heavenly Dog, legendary as a protector of Maoshan Daoists and said to bridge the realms of life and death, was a figure of myth. Each appearance signaled a turning point between yin and yang, making them near-mythical beings.

To toy with such a figure was a source of immense pride for Jiang Yang.

But Lin Feng refused to lose his composure. He bit his finger, smearing fresh blood on his forehead.

"Boundless Heavenly Honor, Heavenly Sight on Earth!"

Since Jiang Yang was described as a living dead and capable of Dao techniques, Lin Feng was confident he could pinpoint the real body.

Indeed, among the countless clones, one Jiang Yang had the glowing text "Level 23" above his head. Lin Feng smirked.

Jiang Yang's level was three higher than his own, but Lin Feng knew he had more tricks up his sleeve.

"An evil spirit-level Daoist... First time I've seen one since my Heavenly Sight upgraded. Impressive!"

Jiang Yang looked confused at Lin Feng's words. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain as Lin Feng's fist smashed into his face, followed by another punch that clamped onto his forehead.

"You messed with the wrong guy!!!"

Lin Feng's knee drove into Jiang Yang's stomach, doubling him over like a shrimp. Another punch sent him sprawling, his soul trembling. Jiang Yang couldn't comprehend how Lin Feng had located his true body or why his Thousand-Bell Demon Melody had failed.

But what scared him most was the chilling power behind Lin Feng's strikes. Each blow felt like it could shatter his soul.

As Lin Feng pummeled Jiang Yang like a punching bag, he found himself pondering life. Why, as a law-abiding citizen, a model youth, and an aspiring party member, did he keep running into such absurd situations?

Was stepping on others' pride the only way to satisfy their egos? What had he done to deserve this?

"I'm here to recruit workers, not duel with you! Get your facts straight first!"

With a booming punch, Lin Feng pinned Jiang Yang to the ground, shattering him completely. The surrounding darkness cracked like broken glass, revealing the original setting once more.

Uncle He and Old Wang were still seated at the stall, with Nie Chuxia standing beside Lin Feng. It seemed that only a few seconds had passed. The others saw Lin Feng and Jiang Yang staring at each other for a moment before Jiang Yang collapsed into his seat, trembling all over.

"My Mirage Domain... shattered? How... how is this possible?"

Jiang Yang was drenched in sweat, as if he had just been pulled from a river. Cold sweat poured down—an obvious sign of a frightened soul. His face betrayed disbelief at his failure, though he could not deny it. When he glanced at Lin Feng, a flicker of terror appeared in his eyes. It seemed as if Lin Feng had effortlessly shattered his Mirage Domain and his demonic sound. Jiang Yang's ace moves had caused Lin Feng almost no harm and were swiftly dismantled!

"Xiao Lin?" Curator Wang called out, snapping Lin Feng back to reality.

Curator Wang had no idea that Lin Feng's soul had just been temporarily imprisoned by Jiang Yang. Fortunately, Lin Feng managed to break the ghostly mirage and recover himself in time.

"Old Wang, let's avoid hiring people like him in the future. What a mess..." Lin Feng's back was also drenched in sweat. Inside Jiang Yang's Mirage Domain, he had almost lost control. A lapse in rationality at that critical moment could have led to a disastrous outcome—one Lin Feng was not prepared to face.

From the crowd, two young men with cigarettes in their mouths emerged, chuckling darkly. "Senior Jiang Yang, we've been looking for you for a month. Finally found you. The elders want you to return."

The two youths had a sly, mischievous air. Their faces were pale, lips crimson, and an eerie blush adorned their cheeks like powdered rouge. Lin Feng noticed a faint scent of incense and wisps of ghostly energy emanating from them.

More alarmingly, these young men had no shadows!

Jiang Yang abruptly knelt before Lin Feng, then turned toward Curator Wang and Uncle He. "Please accept me! I, Jiang Yang, am willing to become an apprentice at your funeral home! Please grant me a place to stay!"

Lin Feng noticed the fear on Jiang Yang's face intensify when he saw these two figures.

The two young men frowned and sneered. "Senior Jiang Yang, you're the Soul Clock of the Northern Sect. Why demean yourself like this?"

The leader turned to Curator Wang and Elder Qu. "Old man, this person is not someone you can take in—or afford to."

Curator Wang was initially stunned but soon burst into laughter. "I thought my eyes were playing tricks. Turns out they weren't! A couple of paper figures possessed by ghosts. Haven't seen the White Event Dao Soldiers of the Ji family in years. Sorry, but our unit is short-staffed. Since this man wants to stay, you can't take him."

The old curator's words clearly revealed the identities of the intruders. The leader, startled to find a peer in the trade, became less surprised upon realizing this was a funeral home's stall.

"Ah, a fellow practitioner. Since you recognize the Ji family, don't you fear retribution from our elders?"

Curator Wang chuckled. "Go ahead and send Ning Buwei over. Let's see if he dares reprimand me."

His nonchalant reply, coupled with his mention of the Ji family head, made the young men's expressions shift. Uncle He took a leisurely drag from his pipe, exhaling contentedly. "Back in the day, Ning Buwei's paper figures were burned by me—hundreds, if not a thousand of them. He didn't dare utter a peep. And you little ones think you're worth anything?"

The young men's faces turned ugly, pale and malicious. "Old man, I swear, you won't be sleeping well for many nights!"

Their menacing gazes turned toward Curator Wang and Uncle He, only for Lin Feng to suddenly appear behind them, locking his arms around their necks. "Excuse me, gentlemen. I don't know what exactly you are, but you seem to have come to the wrong place. And bothering the elderly's peace isn't a good habit..."

The young men found Lin Feng's grip like iron shackles. They struggled, but to no avail!

Lin Feng turned to Curator Wang. "What do we do with them?"

Curator Wang decided decisively. "Send them to the Seven Stars Palace. Old Master Chu loves studying this kind of thing."

Lin Feng froze for a moment but agreed. Since Nie Chuxia was here, she could deliver them on her way home.

Still, these paper figures were only around Level 14 or 15—merely messengers. The real master was likely still lurking.

"And what about him?" Lin Feng gestured toward Jiang Yang.

From the earlier conversation, Lin Feng deduced Jiang Yang was likely trouble. Being labeled a "castaway" carried significant weight. Moreover, the Northern Sect employing ghostly arts to hunt him suggested he was deeply entangled in some issues. If not, Lin Feng might as well have been born without a brain.

Curator Wang hesitated briefly, but the allure of expanding the funeral home staff overcame his apprehensions. Gritting his teeth, he declared, "Take him in! From now on, he's an embalmer at our funeral home!"