Chapter 27: Slaying the Ghost Servant, the Tiger Demon Roars at Xu Taiping

"Do you really think this pit can trap me?"

After confirming that it was just a simple pit, the ghost servant's mocking laughter echoed once more, full of disdain for Xu Taiping.

"You can trap this body, but so what? I am a ghost cultivator; I can leave my physical form!"

Amid the ghost servant's sarcastic words, Xu Taiping silently drew the long knife at his waist. Without a sound, he stood by a taut rope, seemingly waiting for something.

Boom!

Suddenly, a gust of cold wind surged out from the pit.

Swish!

Without hesitation, Xu Taiping swung the long knife down, slicing through the rope.

Crash!

The several jars of liquor that had been hanging from the rope fell straight down into the pit. A rich scent of alcohol immediately spread through the air.

"Stone? To crush me with stones? Wait... alcohol! This is alcohol!"

The ghost servant, now separated from its body, suddenly noticed the falling objects and assumed that Xu Taiping intended to crush it with stones. But as the intoxicating smell of alcohol filled the pit, it quickly realized the trap—by then, it was too late to escape.

"Ah!…"

"Who? Who told you that my life force is tied to alcohol? Ah!"

"Could it be... could it be that wretched person? Ah! That wretched person!"

Painful howls and curses echoed in the pit.

The ghost servant's soul, now tainted by the alcohol, seemed as if it had encountered a poison with no cure, swirling in black mist, uncontrollably darting around the pit.

Standing at the edge of the pit, Xu Taiping exhaled deeply.

"If I hadn't known this ghost servant's weakness, I would have had no chance of victory."

Recalling the events, Xu Taiping couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.

Had he not been cautious, had he not spent this time diligently training to break through the freezing period, and had he not prepared the jars of liquor, his journey in cultivation might have ended right here.

"Young man... save me... Just let me possess your body, and I... I can tell you... I can tell you the locations of the treasures I've hidden..."

At that moment, a ghostly face formed from dark mist struggled to emerge from the pit, pleading with Xu Taiping.

"I'll ask you one question." Xu Taiping ignored the ghost servant's plea. "Besides you, who else knows the location of Qingzhu Residence's water spring?"

"Pull me out, and I'll tell you!"

The ghost servant tried to make a deal with Xu Taiping.

"Tell me now."

Xu Taiping shook the jar of liquor in his hand.

"Don't!"

The moment the ghost servant saw the liquor jar, it let out a sharp scream. Its ghostly hands flailed wildly.

"Besides me, no one knows. I only learned it by accident after killing the previous owner of Qingzhu Residence!"

"You're not telling the truth."

"No, I'm telling you the truth, I swear! Please, please put down the jar!"

Xu Taiping tested the ghost servant again and found that it seemed to be speaking honestly.

But even so, he didn't put the jar down. Instead, he removed the seal from the jar.

"Boy, what are you doing? I'm telling the truth, I didn't lie to you!"

The ghost servant, believing Xu Taiping was about to pour the liquor on it again, shouted in a trembling voice.

"I'll ask you one more question." Xu Taiping sniffed the jar before looking up at the ghost servant's soul. "How powerful is the tiger demon you call 'King,' and does it have any weaknesses?"

"This... this..."

The ghost servant hesitated the moment Xu Taiping mentioned the tiger demon, its voice faltering, unwilling to speak.

"If I tell you about the King, I'll... I'll truly be dead!"

The ghost servant's tone was filled with pleading.

"If you don't speak, I'll scatter your soul into nothingness."

Xu Taiping dipped his fingers into the jar, flicking the liquor at the ghost servant while showing it an innocent smile.

"Ah!"

The ghost servant's scream echoed through the mountains.

But even though it screamed loudly, there was no one around to hear.

"Have you made up your mind?"

When the screaming ceased, Xu Taiping dipped his fingers in the jar again, showing the ghost servant another innocent smile.

"The King is the king of all beasts, a spiritual tiger body. Unlike us ghost servants, it has no weaknesses. But half a month ago, it was severely wounded by several disciples from Seven Peaks, and it will take at least three months to fully heal. Because of this, it sent us ghost servants to find blood food for it."

At this point, the ghost servant paused for a moment, looking at Xu Taiping with a hint of disdain. "I'm sorry to say, but even in its injured state, my King can kill you with ease."

"Three months to heal... That matches the time I have to break through to the Open Door realm..."

Xu Taiping frowned and thought quietly.

His expression, however, seemed to suggest he was more concerned about the tiger demon.

The ghost servant, seeing this, felt a surge of hope, its tone shifting to a threatening one as it endured the pain from the alcohol's fumes.

"I advise you to release me, or else when my soul scatters, the King will know!"

Xu Taiping looked at the ghost servant seriously, then suddenly tossed the jar of liquor high into the air. With a surge of energy, he struck it with a palm.

Bang!

The jar shattered in midair, and the liquor rained down like a heavy shower, flooding the pit.

"Ah! You despicable person! Just wait, the King will come for revenge!"

The ghost servant screamed in rage, but Xu Taiping paid it no mind, tossing a prepared torch into the pit.

"My grandfather always said, 'Evil is to be repelled with evil, kindness is to be repaid with kindness. One should never make deals with tigers or conspire with scoundrels.'"

Listening to the ghost servant's scream, Xu Taiping muttered to himself calmly.

Boom!

The torch ignited the dry wood at the bottom of the pit. The alcohol vapor caught fire, and flames erupted, rising more than ten feet high.

Roar!

At the same moment the flames shot up, a furious roar echoed from within them. The flames transformed into the enormous head of a tiger.

"You dare kill my servant?"

The tiger's massive head roared at Xu Taiping.

"I heard that you were severely wounded by several disciples from Seven Peaks, and it would take you three to five years to recover. Is that true?"

Xu Taiping, having anticipated this moment, showed no surprise at the appearance of the tiger demon's illusory form. Instead, he smiled at the tiger demon.

"Nonsense! My injuries will heal in three months at most!"

The tiger demon almost blurted out the words before realizing something was wrong. Its rage flared up immediately.

"How dare you trick me?"