The Interrupted Ritual
An unknown Ghost Bride would be his first legitimate wife.
"Hahaha! A talented man and a beautiful woman, a perfect match indeed!"
Friends and relatives surged forward to congratulate them, presenting gifts and offering auspicious words to Li Mo and the Ghost Bride.
Things like, "May you live happily ever after for a hundred years, and may you soon have a noble son."
Li Mo himself was indifferent, even though he knew—
Humans and most ghosts lack reproductive isolation, after all, most ghosts were human before they died.
But being dead, they lacked the physical conditions for reproduction.
Unless a ghost could restore most human physiological functions, it could never bear children with a human.
As for taking responsibility?
What a joke. Li Mo had no intention of getting romantically entangled with a female ghost.
Once he regained control and extracted the information he needed, he'd point the Bizzare Handgun straight at this ghost woman's head. Humans and ghosts walk different paths.
Li Mo showed no emotional change. His eyes were empty, as deathly still as the bride beside him, devoid of any feeling.
But peeking from the wall, Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo were anxiously gritting their teeth and wringing their hands. If not for their limited vocabulary, they would surely have burst into a beautiful rock symphony of curses.
"Mmph mmph!!"
"Damn it!"
Faint muffled sounds came from the wall. The last rays of the setting sun spilled onto Shigure Kira's pure white hair cascading to the ground, the upper part still retaining large patches of ice blue.
For some reason, Shigure Kira felt incredibly agitated, wanting to rush in and tear that female ghost in two.
Literally tear that ghost apart by hand.
After a brief wait, Li Mo's body started moving on its own again. He took the Ghost Bride's hand and walked towards a small courtyard.
Vibrant red cloth hung everywhere along the path, strung between the trees.
Pagoda trees?.
Li Mo recognized the tree species instantly, identical to the ones he saw on Mount Taixuan, though these weren't as large, only about seven or eight meters tall at most.
What normal person would plant Pagoda trees, known for their heavy yin energy, in their own yard?
Li Mo fell into thought. Or perhaps...
Did this family intend to arrange a ghost marriage from the start?
Thinking this way, everything connected.
The wife died on their wedding night, leaving the husband heartbroken.
He firmly believed his wife hadn't truly left, that her lingering attachment remained in the world, refusing to dissipate.
Even if she became a vengeful spirit, she would stay by his side.
Day and night, he yearned for her, eventually learning from somewhere about the connection between Pagoda trees and ghosts.
So he took an unorthodox path, planting ghost-attracting Pagoda trees in the courtyard.
Using the nature of the Pagoda trees, he could summon his wife who had become a vengeful spirit. But the price was heavy.
He attracted not only his wife but also other Bizzare entities symbolizing misfortune and death.
The moment the husband took that first step, he doomed his family to ruin and separation.
The outcome was obvious: the husband died before the ghost marriage, and the disaster even implicated the entire town. This explained why everyone in town was strange; they looked alive but followed certain Bizzare rules.
When Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo blocked the procession earlier that day, Li Mo had noticed – the townspeople weren't living humans.
Looked at this way—
The deceased husband, due to his deep love, must have suffered contamination from an unknown Bizzare entity before death, becoming a ghost himself after dying.
Then he entered my body, wanting to complete the ghost marriage he yearned for in life.
As long as the ghost marriage remained incomplete, the Bizzare phenomenon would continue indefinitely.
However...
Li Mo still had doubts. Could something existing only in legends be replicated in reality? Becoming an undying ghost after Bizzare contamination was understandable.
Summoning spirits with Pagoda trees could also be explained as attracting the attention of vengeful ghosts.
But how did a normal, wealthy family get entangled with Bizzare entities?
The probability was incredibly slim, so small that Li Mo had to ponder the reason. A normal person's life is fleeting, just a few decades following a fixed pattern. Encountering something Bizzare was practically impossible.
Contamination wasn't something one could simply choose; often, the living didn't even qualify for contamination.
The only tentative explanation was that Immortal Jingwei was contaminated before her death and left traces of it during her travels through Shenzhou, and this family happened to stumble upon it.
Snapping back from his thoughts, Li Mo found himself already in a small room.
A bed draped with embroidered red covers, adorned with auspicious flower and bird patterns. The walls were covered with large "囍" (Double Happiness) characters cut from red paper.
On a table sat two small cups and a pot of wine.
"Husband, let us..."
The Ghost Bride held Li Mo's hand. They sat shoulder-to-shoulder at the sandalwood table. The Ghost Bride stood up, picked up the wine pot, and filled the small cups before both Li Mo and herself with clear wine.
Crossing cups? (交杯酒 - Jiāo bēi jiǔ; A traditional wedding ritual where the couple cross arms to drink wine).
Li Mo had heard of it.
But that wasn't important. What mattered was – he could move?
Being able to move meant the ritual had ended, and the ghost controlling his body had left.
But why... was it still so lively outside, without any change?
Li Mo glanced out the window. Many children's heads popped up over the wall, their eyes filled with undisguised anticipation as they peered in.
When adults noticed, they dragged them down, grabbed willow switches, and whipped their bottoms fiercely, leaving behind red marks of childhood discipline.
This wasn't the scene of a concluded ritual.
He could move.
But the ritual hadn't ended.
"Ah, my apologies, I was careless. I'll close the doors and windows right away."
The Ghost Bride noticed the onlookers outside preparing for the spectacle. She hurriedly closed the main door and windows, drew the bright red curtains, and returned to Li Mo's side.
Li Mo took a deep breath. He now had two choices.
One: Leave, interrupting this ghost marriage.
The departure of the ghost controlling his body might not be good news. If even it didn't stay, perhaps the Ghost Bride had already changed into something else.
Regaining control might be a signal – if a living person continued, they might encounter unknown horrors.
A ghost marriage involved both parties actively forming an inseparable bond. Being tied to the Ghost Bride forever seemed like a bad deal.
Moreover, the Ghost Bride before him could very likely transform into a true Bizzare entity at any moment and go on a killing spree.
Even if she appeared perfectly normal now.
But leaving now, disrupting the ritual, the backlash probably wouldn't be pleasant either.
Two: Continue, completing this ghost marriage thoroughly.
There were risks, but also potential benefits.
Li Mo glanced at the window. Moonlight couldn't penetrate, but he hadn't expected help from [Kiana] anyway.
After all, there was no [Mei] this time to help restrain [Kiana]. Summoning the complete [Kiana] would mean death even if he wasn't already dead; he'd die, be dragged back, and die again.
"..."
The complete [Kiana] couldn't be summoned. Like last time, using a special medium might work.
Like the blood message professing love that dried quickly under the moonlight, limiting the duration. As long as [Kiana] didn't use Time Lock on him during that period, it would be fine.
No, I'm not dead right now. If [Kiana] appears, she'll kill me, then lock down uncontrollably. Restart would be useless.
Or, [Kiana] might just lock the time of the entire world, leaving Li Mo to experience endless despair, completely unable to resist.
Where could he find a suitable special medium?
Forget it. I might not need [Kiana].
With the Bizzare Handgun, Bizzare Coin, and Restart as his trump cards, Li Mo felt he could observe a little longer. As long as he could still move, he had means of escape.
"Husband, drink the wine."
The Ghost Bride linked her arm with Li Mo's. Li Mo cooperated, entwining his arm with the Ghost Bride's slender, soft one, finally bringing the wine to his lips.
After this, the Ghost Bride sat gracefully upright on the bed, hands folded neatly on her rounded, slender thighs, quietly waiting for her husband's attentions.
It had finally come to this step.
Li Mo calmly gazed at the face faintly visible beneath the red veil. He slowly reached out and gently lifted it.
The familiar voice, combined with the impossibility of her being here, made Li Mo extremely curious about the Ghost Bride's identity.
If the her down here is her, then who is the her up on the mountain?
"..."
Li Mo clutched the red veil tightly in his hand. A familiar face appeared before him.
A complete woman, someone he knew he had forgotten many times.
"Changle."
Li Mo's pupils contracted slightly. He stared in disbelief at the person before him. He hadn't made eye contact with her before leaving, so he hadn't forgotten her this time.
"Husband? What's wrong?"
"...Nothing. It's my first time. What should I do?"
Li Mo didn't show too much abnormality, offering a perfunctory reply, trying to probe her thoughts.
His mind, however, was racing.
The Ghost Bride was Changle. This overturned all his previous assumptions.
It wasn't some story about a husband trying to summon his wife turned vengeful spirit.
The night before coming down the mountain, Changle had revealed her identity to Li Mo again: a princess of the dynasty, ascending the mountain to seek an audience with the Immortal, praying for blessings of peace and prosperity for her country.
Did she lie to me?
"..."
Li Mo wasn't sure. After he had saved her so many times, would Changle still choose to deceive him?
There was no reason.
So, there were two possibilities: one, Changle herself didn't know she was lying; two, she was hiding something more important, something she absolutely couldn't tell anyone.
Looks like I need to get back up the mountain quickly.
Only by confronting Changle face-to-face could he understand what was truly going on.
"Comb my hair for me, Husband. Just like before."
Changle smiled gently, rising and walking to the nearby dressing table. A brand-new bronze mirror reflected her entire figure.
In reality, her eyes seemed somewhat melancholic. She neither denied nor confirmed the name Li Mo had uttered.
Li Mo picked up the comb on the table. Just as he was about to comb Changle's hair, he noticed—
The figures in the mirror had no skin. Including himself.
Lumpy, uneven flesh writhed all over their bodies. Without the covering of skin, the exposed human tissues looked utterly terrifying.
Li Mo clearly saw the flesh, tissues, and thread-like blood vessels crawling like earthworms all over his and Changle's bodies inside the mirror.
"..."
"What is it, Husband?"
"It's nothing. You look beautiful... in the mirror," Li Mo lied through his teeth.
But Changle was delighted, so happy she laughed. In the mirror, the lower jaw made of churning flesh moved, the smile chilling.
Li Mo lowered his gaze to the real Changle.
Draped in phoenix coronet and embroidered robes, her red skirt trailed elegantly.
She wore magnificent tassels, exuding grace and nobility.
Her lips were rosy red, her brows like dark feathers. Every glance held a myriad of charms.
The contrast between the two was immense.
Perhaps for women in ancient times, their wedding day was when they looked their absolute best in their entire lives.
Except the image in the mirror was truly disturbing – not just Changle, but himself too.
Li Mo chose to ignore the reflection, patiently removing Changle's phoenix coronet and combing her hair.
Time ticked by. The sunset faded, its afterglow vanished, replaced by silence and dimness.
Pinpricks of starlight flickered in the sky like scattered diamonds, obscured by clouds that veiled the already faint light.
Outside the window was boundless darkness.
Only the eerie red light continued to permeate the mansion, where people celebrated endlessly, their laughter loud and fervent.
Once all preparations were complete, Changle returned to kneel on the bed. She removed the heavy red wedding robe, revealing a bashful expression, her face flushed crimson as she looked at Li Mo, seemingly yearning for something.
"Husband..."
Changle called out, turning her back, leaving only her dudou (肚兜 - traditional Chinese bodice/undershirt), a scene full of allure.
The only light in the room came from a single candle on the wooden table. The dim light cast upon Changle's large expanse of snow-white skin, making it look incredibly tempting.
However, the smooth, fair back and the ample curves below failed to arouse any interest in Li Mo. The image he saw in the mirror was very likely reality – a sight that would only induce nausea...
Coupled with Li Mo's current lack of feeling towards intercourse, his face showed no trace of desire.
But what needed to be done, still had to be done.
Li Mo said nothing more, walked over to Changle, grasped her small, crossed wrists firmly with his large right hand, and pressed her onto the bed.
Changle turned her face sideways, her vibrant red lips trembling, forming a smile so wronged it evoked pity.
Human lust meant nothing to Li Mo now.
However, as Li Mo made this move, Changle's face seemed to change, becoming asymmetrical.
Li Mo didn't dare meet her eyes, keeping his gaze mostly fixed on her delicate collarbones and the large white mounds beneath them, peripherally noticing the discordant appearance of the two sides of her face.
Changle took the initiative, wrapping her arms around Li Mo's neck, pulling his head towards her chest, a satisfied smile gracing her face.
"Husband, tonight..."
Changle pulled Li Mo's head lower, sticking out her tender pink tongue, licking her red lips and pearly teeth, determined to engage in a deep kiss with Li Mo.
Reality presented an enchanting, beautiful picture.
But in the bronze mirror on the table, it was another terrifying, grotesque scene.
Here it comes again...
Li Mo found his body immobile once more, completely at Changle's mercy.
No, it wasn't a ghost controlling my body when I joined the procession at dusk. I didn't trigger any rules either.
Li Mo's earlier suspicion was confirmed.
He had been extremely cautious since entering the town, doing nothing out of the ordinary.
If even he had triggered a rule, then Shigure Kira, Saori Tsuruyo, the ghosts in town, or even the martial artists who climbed the mountain before him should have triggered it long ago.
Why he was chosen remained a mystery, but Li Mo now understood why he couldn't control his body's movements.
He couldn't move from joining the procession on horseback through the three bows until entering the bridal chamber. He regained control after entering, then lost it again during the act of consummation.
The reason was simple—
Only during specific parts of the ritual are corresponding actions forcibly imposed.
The brief recovery upon entering the bridal chamber was because that phase wasn't fixed. One could drink the crossing cups first, remove the veil first, or even chat with the bride or get straight to the point.
The initial part was free, but once things moved to the bed, there was only one objective: union.
In this situation, the Bizzare rules of the ritual wouldn't allow the participants any other action, naturally stripping them of their freedom.
Li Mo tried to break free, but the rules were absolute. His resistance seemed pale and laughable.
Changle's smile grew increasingly bizarre, the two halves of her lips looking like they belonged to different people, uneven.
Just as the luscious lips drew near, the pink tongue about to pry open Li Mo's mouth, a commotion erupted outside the door.
Several crisp, loud gunshots shattered the night's silence, followed by chaotic voices from the courtyard.
With a loud bang as the door burst open, two figures appeared in Li Mo's field of vision.
"Big Brother, we're here!" Saori Tsuruyo shouted, following behind Shigure Kira.
However, upon seeing the scantily clad Changle on the bed sticking out her tongue, and Li Mo leaning over, seemingly about to commit an indecent act, Saori's quick mind momentarily crashed.
The consummation ritual was broken. Li Mo regained his freedom, abruptly sitting up and pushing Changle aside.
A painted skeleton, vile flesh and blood– how could he let that defile his body?!
Li Mo had no desire to do that kind of thing with what was, in reality, a disgusting pile of fetid sludge.
"My previous judgment was wrong. We need to leave here now."
"Kira...?"
As Li Mo spoke, he turned and specifically observed Shigure Kira's abnormality.
Her hair now flowed down to the ground, pale and bright like moonlight, but the hair on top remained its original sky blue, unchanged.
Her pretty face was contorted in anger, her pupils flashing with an eerie red light.
She wasn't looking at Changle on the bed, but glaring fiercely towards the pitch-black mountain peak.
This appearance was clearly influenced by [Kiana].
Li Mo didn't quite understand why [Kiana] had chosen Shigure Kira specifically, rather than Saori Tsuruyo or someone else.
"Husband, who are they?"
"Husband, are you leaving?"
"Husband... don't go..."
Ignoring Changle's pleas, Li Mo quickly fled with Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo.
The instant they left the room, a human skin emerged from beneath the flesh of Changle's face—a skin that didn't belong to her. It spread rapidly, swiftly engulfing Changle.
Her eyes stared lifelessly at the departing Li Mo.
So close.
Just a little bit more...
She could have become his wife, and they would never be separated.
She didn't understand. She had clearly blocked all mediums from entering the room, so why did the ritual still fail?
To enter the room, either the number of Bizzare entities outside had to exceed those inside, or a living person had to enter.
That girl who broke down the door possessed strong Bizzare characteristics, yet she was genuinely alive.
She didn't understand, so she chose hatred.
Abandoned, yet again.
Meanwhile, as Li Mo and the others fled, they were spotted by the people of the mansion.
Initially, seeing Li Mo emerge so quickly, they laughed heartily, mocking his speed.
But then they saw Li Mo holding onto two women.
They instantly realized something, shouting filthy words like "adultery" (偷情 - tōu qíng) and "adulterer and adulteress" (奸夫淫妇 - jiān fū yín fù), grabbing makeshift weapons and chasing after Li Mo's group.
Spending his wedding night having an affair with two random women instead of consummating the marriage with his bride?
What face would this bring upon their mansion!?
Li Mo and Shigure Kira weren't afraid. If they wanted to, this group could never catch them, and even if they did, they couldn't win a fight.
"Big Brother, sorry, I couldn't stop Captain. We were waiting outside just fine, but Captain Shigure Kira suddenly rushed out, broke into the courtyard, and then kicked down the door."
Saori Tsuruyo explained the whole sequence of events to Li Mo.
Li Mo didn't scold them. He just grunted "Mm," and said, "You did well. The outcome is good."
"My earlier judgment was severely flawed. This ritual wasn't the original one; it was twisted. If it had dragged on, I likely would have died in there."
"You arrived just in time."
It was close.
Li Mo couldn't feel fear or panic, but instinct told him that if he had actually kissed her, or been kissed by Changle, the consequences would have been severe.
"Big Brother!"
"What is it?"
"Look."
Saori Tsuruyo stopped. Puzzled, Li Mo stopped too, following the direction Saori pointed.
The people from the mansion, who had been cursing loudly and chasing them madly, instantly halted. They transformed into zombie-like beings, facing Mount Taixuan, shuffling forward slowly, step by step.
The mansion itself flickered, becoming indistinct, as if about to vanish from the world at any second.
Li Mo grabbed Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo by the waist with each hand, no longer holding back, and shot forward like a cannonball.
Less than fifteen seconds later, they were clear of the mansion.
"Before, when we followed the procession, after they entered, this place would disappear quickly. But this time, after you entered the picture, Big Brother, the mansion didn't disappear. It's only becoming unstable now."
Saori Tsuruyo observed the strange phenomenon, recounting their previous experience.
Li Mo replied, "The ritual stopped, so this place will disappear. If we hadn't left before it vanished, we likely would have disappeared along with it."
"But ghosts don't die. Humans do. After death, they get contaminated and become new ghosts."
"Let's go. Let's see what's happened in the town."
Li Mo quickly checked his phone. The time had reached 9 PM, past the 7-9 PM.
If nothing unexpected happened, the town should have undergone some changes. The truth he sought might lie within them.
"Ugh... my head feels so full, so dizzy."
"What just happened? I feel like..." Shigure Kira tapped her head, complaining of a headache.
Saori Tsuruyo glanced at Li Mo, waiting for an answer.
Li Mo's face remained expressionless. Shigure Kira's state was both unexpected and expected.
Li Mo turned to Shigure Kira and said seriously:
"Avoid going out at night in the future. Try to avoid being exposed to moonlight."
"Of course, if we're not in the same world, do whatever you want."
Shigure Kira was confused, but what the heck, might as well agree first!
"Okay, no problem! So what should we do now? Saori and I stayed in town for three months, and the town at night wasn't any different from usual."
Li Mo's voice was cool. He narrowed his eyes slightly, staring thoughtfully towards the back side of Mount Taixuan.
Though the human eye could see nothing there.
His Bizzare, clouded eyes, however, could capture sights unseen by the living.
"Today is July 1st, the start of the seventh month."
"Is there a problem with July?" Shigure Kira asked, puzzled.
"July 15th is the Zhongyuan Festival in Shenzhou. If I had to make a comparison, it's like everyone in this entire town could turn into ghosts and attack anyone within sight, even if you haven't triggered their killing rules.".
"You need to understand, these aren't just individual Head Ghosts. Each ghost's abilities are different."
"If your chance of survival near a single ghost is 20%, then near a swarm of ghosts, the survival chance is practically zero."
After hearing Li Mo's explanation, Shigure Kira felt like she had needles pricking her back.
"Hiss... Then what do we do? We can't possibly handle this! Let's just leave early. As long as the ghosts don't leave the town, it should be fine."
Li Mo didn't answer.
If all the ghosts truly stayed within a fixed small area, he could rest easy.
But the problem was, Bizzare phenomena spread, just like cancer cells—once they run rampant, it continues until death.
Once the contamination escapes its container, it becomes unrestrained, spreading with extreme speed.
Running away isn't an option. They could only brace themselves and find a way to contain or seal it.
The Seven Swords of Taixu had said that once the incomplete ghosts met their corresponding human skins in the Forest of Human Skin, they would fully revive, liberating all the vengeful spirits hanging in the Pagoda Tree Forest of Human Skin.
Moreover, last year, the incomplete ghosts had already found the path to the Forest of Human Skin.
This year, they only needed to wait until the Zhongyuan Festival to enter the forest, retrieve their skins, and complete themselves.
Returning to the town, the streets were crowded with "people."
The townsfolk, who should have been resting after sunset, were now all outside, dragging their families along. Their faces were pale, eyes vacant, as if their souls had been drained. Step by step, they slowly moved towards the same direction.
The lively people and bustling town from the daytime had abruptly transformed.
"Gloomy Guy... They... how did they become like this? They were fine during the day... No, wait, this didn't happen during the three months we stayed here before. Is it just because it's July now?" Shigure Kira asked uneasily.
Li Mo thought for a moment and decided there was no need to hide it from Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo.
They had helped him quite a bit during the funeral incident at St. Freya High School; they weren't burdens.
Telling them part of the truth wouldn't hurt.
Li Mo: "Yes. Starting today, every night after 9 PM, the people in town will turn into this ghostly state."
"They might not seem threatening now, but the closer it gets to the Zhongyuan Ghost Festival, the more dangerous they'll become."
"Right now, they've only just reawakened and might not have killing capabilities yet. But it won't be long before they regain their original forms."
"There's a Pagoda Tree forest on Mount Taixuan, filled with hanging human skins. Once the flesh corresponding to a skin meets it, they will merge, reviving a complete ghost."
Saori Tsuruyo: "Big Brother, you mean, no matter the cost, we must stop these ghosts from going up the mountain?"
"Once they reach the mountain, hundreds, maybe thousands of ghosts will fully awaken...?"
Li Mo: "Yes. At that point, even I, facing such numbers, would be powerless to handle it."
Shigure Kira: "Huh? It's that serious? Then how do we stop them? Since they aren't killing people now, shouldn't we find a way to deal with them immediately? Isn't there an old saying in Shenzhou, 'Strike your enemy when they're down'?".
"Let's dig a big pit now and bury them all! Destroy the path up the mountain, see how they get to the Forest of Human Skin then!"
Li Mo: "...Ghosts don't walk like humans. They don't need to touch the ground at all; doing so is just a habit from when they were alive, not a necessity. Burying them is even more impossible, unless you can find something similar to that Black Coffin to completely suppress them."
"But Bizzare items like the Black Coffin are equally precious, and they suppress too few. Finding one would be like trying to put out a burning cart with a cup of water – utterly inadequate.".
Shigure Kira: "So we can only watch them go up the mountain? Wait, I remember you seemed to say 'flesh corresponding to the skin'. These ghosts might not necessarily be the right flesh. Once the Ghost Festival passes, the ghosts in town will return to normal. We don't need to deal with them at all!"
"We just need to guard the entrance to the Pagoda Tree Forest of Human Skin and prevent the flesh from entering. We don't need to bother with the town ghosts!"
Li Mo: "Indeed. But you can take out your phone and take a picture. See if it can recognize their faces."
Saori Tsuruyo: "Big Brother, we already tried that earlier today. It couldn't scan them."
Li Mo: "That's normal."
"I found a clue about the truth during this ghost marriage, concerning the identity of everyone in this town."
"The phone can't recognize their faces because they don't have faces, not even skin. What we see is just an illusion."
"Their 'faces' are only writhing flesh, without skin. Whether it's day or night, you'll never be able to recognize them."
What the bronze mirror showed of Changle confirmed this point.
Everyone in town is the flesh corresponding to the skins in the forest.
They were actually already dead.
Whether it was Changle or the group Li Mo encountered while climbing earlier.
They were Human Skin Ghosts from the very beginning, simply unaware that they weren't complete living beings, which is why they didn't possess complete Bizzare rules yet.
Shigure Kira: "Huh? Then what do we do? We can't kill them, and we can't stop them..."
Shigure Kira was frantic, not expecting the situation to be this severe.
But when she saw Li Mo's calm face, her panicked heart suddenly settled down.
Saori Tsuruyo: "Big Brother... you actually have a way, don't you?"
Li Mo: "...Yes. And it's a permanent solution.".
Before Shigure Kira could feel relief, she wanted to ask what it was, wanting to act quickly before the town ghosts fully recovered. But in the next second, she realized another serious problem.
What's the cost?
How could there be no cost?
Shigure Kira's smile vanished. She glanced sideways at Saori Tsuruyo, who pressed her lips together, opening her mouth several times as if to say something, but always stopping herself.
Both knew exactly what kind of person Li Mo was. If there were truly an easy way to handle the Bizzare, why would he still be hesitating here?
Not acting immediately meant one of two things—
First: Now wasn't the right time. They had to wait for the opportune moment to strike them all down at once.
Second: The cost was unbearable. Li Mo was weighing the options...
"I will handle this matter."
"I am here. Nothing will go wrong."
"Keep moving forward. The town after today begins is very dangerous. We need to reach the summit of Mount Taixuan before tonight."
Mount Taixuan was equally dangerous, but at least it had a relatively safe shelter: the Room.
Li Mo walked at the front, avoiding the topic of dealing with the Bizzare entities.
Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo, unusually, kept their heads down and remained silent the whole way.
The three soon stepped onto the Taixu Heavenly Path.
Unlike with Changle, Li Mo continuously explained the rules of the mountain to them, patiently and in great detail.
He clearly stated the taboos for specific times, what should be done, what shouldn't be done, and what could be done.
Especially the Eye Contact rule, which Li Mo emphasized repeatedly.
"When you first reach the summit, do not make eye contact with the Seven Swords of Taixu. They... have become true ghosts. Although they won't attack during the day, they will kill at night, especially newcomers."
"As long as you don't make eye contact with them, you will be able to see the true scenery of Mount Taixuan."
"Then, naturally, you won't eat the feast provided by the Seven Swords, because it's all corpse meat."
"Also, remember the precautions for the Room. Remind yourselves often."
"Additionally, do not get injured. This is the only rule whose consequences I am uncertain about."
Saori Tsuruyo: "Big Brother, does that mean we can't make eye contact with you either?"
Li Mo: "Yes. If I make eye contact with you, I might completely forget you. Without objective evidence, I might kill you."
"But rest assured, I have already left objective evidence. Although I don't think I will forget you, if that situation does occur, you need to remind me immediately."
Shigure Kira: "No wonder you refused to make eye contact with us before. So that's why."
"That rule is too biased! Why does it only make you forget us, not us forget you?"
Li Mo: "Do you really want to forget me?"
"No, I just feel... it's very unfair to you," Shigure Kira muttered.
"Meow..."
"After all, you... Mmph!"
Before Shigure Kira could finish, Li Mo instantly clamped a hand over her mouth, shouting sternly, "Close your eyes immediately! Absolutely do not open them!"
Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo hadn't processed what was happening, but out of unconditional trust in Li Mo, they quickly squeezed their eyes shut, even shallowing their breaths.
Suddenly, the three heard a strange sound nearby, like something falling from a height onto the ground.
"Meow..."
The second piercing cat cry was finally heard clearly by Saori Tsuruyo and Shigure Kira.
Only then did they realize a ghost had arrived.
Having learned his lesson last time, Li Mo chose to close his eyes directly this time. The reason was simple: Granny Cat-Face possessed partial human intelligence.
Even if he kept his head down, she would devise a countermeasure.
Last time, Li Mo had forcibly gouged out his own eyeballs to avoid assimilation.
"Meow..."
The third cat cry sounded, accompanied by a bone-chilling, creepy gust of wind.
Thump... thump... thump... Heavy footsteps sounded, close, very close.
Li Mo stood in front of Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo. He could sense more clearly that a ghost was standing right before him.
He wasn't sure if it was standing or lying down now.
So Li Mo didn't peek. What if he looked down and found Granny Cat-Face lying on the ground, head facing up, and their gazes met?
He'd have to gouge out his eyes again.
But in the current situation, Li Mo needed to ensure he was in optimal condition, especially for probing Changle later on the mountain.
Li Mo wanted to see what strange changes occurred in the Changle on the mountain, given that the ghost marriage below had been interrupted.
Was her face still a normally symmetrical human face?
"Meow..."
A fourth meow echoed. Li Mo felt a sharp pain in his chest. His left arm, influenced by [Mei], instinctively shot up and tightly grasped something.
Then, a sharp pull.
Crack!
Granny Cat-Face's arm was torn off.
The three humans and one ghost remained in a standoff. But the respite was short-lived; countless footsteps approached from behind, growing closer...
The swarm of ghosts from the town was arriving.
After some recovery time, their rules had more or less regained some strength.
A single rule might be negligible, but when such a quantity of rules overlapped, even fragmented ones could easily kill Li Mo's group.
Behind him, Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo grew even more tense. They were well aware ghosts were coming from behind. If they didn't leave quickly, they'd be pincered.
Granny Cat-Face wasn't drawn to the Forest of Human Skin, indicating she was more complete than the town ghosts – an independent entity.
Li Mo reached into his bag and pinched a cold coin.
Tossing this coin could easily get him out of this predicament.
All ghosts would be attracted to the coin. Until the Bizzare rule on it faded, Li Mo would be safe.
No... it's not time to use it yet.
Li Mo put it back. There was only one Bizzare Coin; using it here was too wasteful.
Against a ghost of this completeness, the Bizzare Handgun couldn't fully suppress it, but it could weaken it into a fragmented state.
A ghost locked onto a target generally wouldn't switch targets.
However, there was an exception: the judgment logic of fragmented ghosts wasn't fixed. If multiple attackable targets appeared, they might contradict themselves.
Of course, if already attacking, they would prioritize killing the locked target until it died before moving to the next.
But what if it couldn't kill the locked target after repeated attempts?
"Give me the phone, unlocked."
Li Mo held out his hand to Shigure Kira.
Shigure Kira, eyes still closed, fumbled quickly. Relying on muscle memory from countless times powering it on, she blindly unlocked the phone and immediately handed it to Li Mo.
She didn't understand what Li Mo wanted the phone for. To use it as a brick to smash the ghost in front of them?
Even if it was for light, the light would illuminate them.
Ghosts aren't attracted by light itself, only by the people illuminated by the light.
Saori Tsuruyo was also confused, though she understood light in darkness slightly better than Shigure Kira.
In her understanding, light in darkness was akin to a ghost's gaze. Scan the environment – environment isn't a target. Scan a person – person is a target, thus attracting attention.
In other words, as long as the light illuminated a lockable attack target, the ghost would be attracted.
Could it be...
Li Mo took the phone. After a flash of light appeared before his eyelids, he tossed it behind him.
The phone's light illuminated the zombie-like ghosts behind them. At that exact moment, Li Mo drew the Bizzare Handgun and fired several shots ahead.
He only holstered it after the blue-purple flames ignited.
Soon, Granny Cat-Face in front began re-evaluating. The target she had locked onto, Li Mo, conflicted with the hundreds of ghosts illuminated by the phone.
Her rule logic compelled her to kill Li Mo. However, Li Mo, with his eyes tightly shut, didn't meet the conditions for being killed. There was a process, but no result.
The final conclusion couldn't be outputted.
Error, error, error...
This interfered with Granny Cat-Face again and again.
Finally, she turned her attention to the ghosts behind the three.
Thump... thump... thump...
Footsteps sounded from beside Li Mo, growing more distant, passing Shigure Kira, then passing Saori Tsuruyo, without stopping for either.
Because Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo weren't people in Granny Cat-Face's memory, but Li Mo was.
"Meow..."
Another cat cry came from further behind them.
Immediately followed by the thump-thump-thump of falling objects. The black cat corpses fell from somewhere unknown, landing in front of the flesh-ghosts.
"Meow..."
"Meow..."
After the three meows, the chilling aura gradually dissipated. Only then did Li Mo slowly open his eyes.
"Crisis averted. Let's go," Li Mo called out softly.
Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo kept their eyes closed, moving forward cautiously.
Li Mo: "You can open your eyes, but don't look back. That ghost is right behind us."
Shigure Kira: "Oh, okay! You scared me to death!"
"What exactly happened just now? Why did I hear so many cat meows, and the sound of things falling from high up?"
Li Mo: "Let's tentatively name that ghost Granny Cat-Face. Call her whatever you like. Her killing rule is eye contact. The meows are omens, marking the progress of her kill."
"Once you make eye contact with her, your body will be assimilated into a ghost identical to her, and your consciousness will gradually dissipate."
Saori Tsuruyo: "What an unexpected ghost. If you don't know the rule, a normal person's reaction would be to observe, but one look turns you into the same kind of ghost... Terrifying."
"But, Big Brother, I have a question. Why did it stop attacking us? A ghost's attack usually isn't easily interrupted. Why did it give up?"
Li Mo: "Because its targets aren't just humans, but also other ghosts. It can assimilate other ghosts into itself."
Li Mo stated calmly. This key piece of information was also obtained at the cost of a life.
Before his previous death, Li Mo had stabbed a military knife into his own heart beforehand, pushing open the Room's door just before dying.
Inside were five small, dark figures – undoubtedly, all assimilated.
Setting aside whether the people on the mountain were Human Skin Ghosts or not, even if they weren't, there was at least the Portrait Ghost, which was definitely a genuine ghost.
One MANTIS operative had been invaded and replaced by the Portrait Ghost.
But when Li Mo entered the Room later, he didn't find the Portrait Ghost.
Meaning, the Portrait Ghost had been assimilated.
That's why Li Mo dared to assert that Granny Cat-Face's targets included ghosts as well as humans.
Saori Tsuruyo understood instantly after hearing this. "So that's why Big Brother borrowed Captain's phone, using the light to illuminate the swarm of town ghosts behind us, making Granny Cat-Face switch targets."
Li Mo replied coolly, "Yes," in a faint, indifferent tone.
Shigure Kira: "But why did you shoot Granny Cat-Face? Couldn't you just throw the phone?"
Li Mo: "It's troublesome to explain. Ask me again when there's time later."
Shigure Kira: "Mmph... Okay. Wait! Then why did you use my phone?!"
Li Mo: "..."
Saori Tsuruyo: "..."
Shigure Kira: "Why are you both silent at a time like this!!"
"Uh, Captain, don't be angry. Let's get up the mountain first. Ascending the mountain is the primary goal," Saori Tsuruyo persuaded.