Chapter Sixty: Testing the Waters—Time to Pluck!

The Ma family was furious! To insult the Ma family’s daughter-in-law was unforgivable!

Mobilizing their resources, the Ma family managed to capture the grave robbers. But that very night, an even more bizarre event took place.

In the depths of night, Blind Liu and several other Ma clan members were gathered, discussing how to deal with the grave robbers. Suddenly, a series of sounds emerged—like armor clashing and the formation of troops—echoing through the house. The commotion startled the chickens and dogs into a frenzy.

Then, black mist spread, and all those animal sounds abruptly vanished.

In the end, translucent human figures passed straight through the walls. They were soldiers clad in armor!

These ghostly soldiers exuded a terrifying aura, their presence chilling to the bone, sending involuntary shivers through many. Some even felt their souls being drawn out, as if they were about to be carried away by these specters.

Fortunately, Blind Liu acted swiftly, hastily drawing protective charms with cinnabar, gathering everyone together, and pulling in those Ma clan members who had collapsed, their souls nearly separated from their bodies. He shielded them all. Had it not been for his quick thinking, they would all have perished.

There were not many of these soldiers.

In their midst hovered a small sedan chair. Seated atop it was a strikingly beautiful woman.

She was draped in a robe adorned with colorful phoenixes, wore a phoenix crown, her face was pale and delicate, her eyes bright and spirited.

Without so much as a glance at Blind Liu or the others, this beauty, together with the soldiers and dozens of ghostly figures, passed through the house into the backyard.

Blind Liu narrowed his eyes and led the terrified Ma clan members after them.

Upon reaching the backyard, everyone was dumbfounded.

The backyard was where the two grave robbers were being held.

At that moment, the two grave robbers, battered and bruised from being beaten by the Ma family during the day, cried out, “Help! Save us! Don’t let them take us!”

All eyes turned to them—the ropes binding them had mysteriously fallen away, and they now walked freely amidst the procession by the sedan chair.

After a few desperate shouts, their eyes glazed over, their bodies became translucent like ghostly shadows.

There could be no doubt—the souls of these two grave robbers had been completely drawn away.

If they did not return by morning, they would become nothing more than the ghostly figures flanking the sedan chair.

“These men have committed crimes, daring to offend Princess Mingyang. Your wife, Ping’er, is my chosen maidservant. I have summoned the City God to escort them into the cycle of reincarnation. For now, they shall serve as ghost soldiers for thirty years!” declared the woman.

The crowd erupted in astonishment.

So this was Princess Mingyang—no wonder she sat in the sedan chair. The two grave robbers, for their misdeeds, would serve as ghost soldiers for thirty years!

Ma Qijun wept bitterly; his wife, now chosen as a maidservant, would never again cross paths with him.

As he thought this, Ma Qijun looked up and saw another figure emerge from the red sedan chair—it was his wife.

Her face, streaked with tears, stared back at him with unwavering gaze.

A poignant tale of love between the living and the dead.

“Ghost soldiers borrow the way, mortals must keep clear,” Blind Liu murmured to himself.

This was the story of ghost soldiers borrowing a passage, a small tale within.

Lin Yi pondered: now that the “God-Slaying Manual” had appeared, did it mean he could take advantage and profit a little? Perhaps by dispersing this mid-tier mysterious-grade cluster of ill-fated energy.

Of course, he couldn’t attack openly. Though only a mid-tier mysterious-grade energy cluster, Lin Yi estimated it was equivalent to a grandmaster’s highest level.

He couldn’t afford to be reckless like Zhang Qiang.

Still, even a mid-tier mysterious-grade energy cluster was somewhat inferior to the Ferocious Tiger Ghost-Head Blade.

The latter was a top-tier mysterious artifact, but Lin Yi wasn’t powerful enough to perfectly control it.

Against this energy cluster, he’d certainly be at a disadvantage.

With these thoughts, Lin Yi’s eyes sparkled as he decided to test the waters.

He rummaged through the “God-Slaying Manual” space, checking the inventory from the Paranormal Investigation Bureau.

Inside the bag of treasures were some cinnabar and black dog blood kits.

Lin Yi took out some cinnabar. Seeing everyone in panic and no one noticing him, he secretly hurled it toward the center of the mysterious-grade energy cluster.

With a “bang,” it struck the eye of a ghost soldier whose head was only half intact.

“Sizzle, sizzle—”

The ghost soldier’s eye was instantly scorched, its already terrifying face contorted further. Its gaze shot toward Lin Yi’s direction.

But with a mere two hundred points of ill-fated energy, how could it possibly identify who threw the cinnabar?

After the searing pain, the ghost soldier was thoroughly bewildered!

Soon, the cinnabar had so disfigured the ghost soldier that even its armor began to dissolve.

Yet, as countless streams of ill-fated energy surged forth, black mist wrapped around it, and the soldier’s form restored itself.

That was of no consequence.

Lin Yi kept an eye on the “God-Slaying Manual,” but whether he hadn’t killed the ghost soldier or some other reason, no messages arrived.

He was disappointed.

In frustration, Lin Yi edged away from the three older men and the lovely widow, moving to the furthest edge.

Cold winds swept through, howling around him. No one noticed Lin Yi, all focused on survival.

There, Lin Yi gritted his teeth and took out a Fierce Fire Talisman.

This talisman was far more powerful than cinnabar.

Lin Yi channeled energy from the “Great Cavern Scripture” into the Fierce Fire Talisman, then hurled it out.

It shone like a miniature sun in the black mist, golden light radiating, and with a “bang,” it struck beside one of the ghost soldiers.

The Fierce Fire Talisman was tantamount to a strike from an A-class vengeful spirit. Combined with Lin Yi’s “Great Cavern Scripture” energy, it was far beyond what these ghost soldiers could withstand.

Even if it was a mid-tier mysterious-grade energy cluster, it was instantly engulfed—“boom, boom, boom”—a blaze erupted within!

Countless ghostly shadows mingled in the flames, their armor-clad forms scorched in an instant.

“Crackling, crackling…”

Nearly a fifth of the ghost soldiers vanished, dozens—perhaps hundreds—perished.

Even the black mist briefly disappeared.

“Low-grade ghost soldiers sealed and collected, reward: fifteen days of cultivation.”

“Low-grade ghost soldiers sealed and collected, reward: fifteen days of cultivation.”

“Low-grade ghost soldiers sealed and collected, reward: fifteen days of cultivation.”

…

A flood of messages from the “God-Slaying Manual” made Lin Yi’s eyes shine!

It really worked!

Though it was just a bizarre cluster of ill-fated energy, the beings within were actual ghosts, so Lin Yi received rewards!

He had successfully profited!

Lin Yi wanted to stand up, but he knew he couldn’t—he had to wait and see what happened next.

If he rushed forward and provoked the energy cluster to attack him as it did Zhang Qiang, it would be disastrous.

Sure enough, there were some ghost soldiers within the cluster with a degree of intelligence.

Their armor clattered, the formation grew disordered, their gazes swept back and forth, searching for the culprit.

But for some reason, the black mist atop the cluster continued along its predetermined path, so the ghost soldiers resumed their formation, though their eyes burned with fury.

Lin Yi understood.

This cluster followed a set trajectory, just like in the stories he knew—it had to complete certain tasks, could not stop.

Why should he be afraid? This was his chance to profit!

Lin Yi stood up at once. Moments before, he had wanted to keep a low profile, but now, with such a golden opportunity, he couldn’t hold back.

Standing tall, Lin Yi burst into laughter.

It must be said, the Fierce Fire Talisman he had thrown earlier was like a bomb, illuminating the entire area.

Everyone had been confused, thinking some expert had arrived. But soon, they realized Lin Yi was the one who had stood up.

The same Lin Yi who had been scolded by everyone, looked down upon by Zhang Qiang, now stepped forward!

The three middle-aged men shouted at Lin Yi, “Young man, get back here! Do you want to die?”

Everyone thought Lin Yi had lost his mind. No one guessed the Fierce Fire Talisman was his doing.

Meanwhile, many people scanned their surroundings.

“We’re saved! We’re saved! An expert must have come!”

“That’s right, a true master is here—we won’t die after all!”

…

Amid the cries, Lin Yi looked back at the three men and said to them,

“Sorry, brothers, I wanted to keep a low profile, but now it’s my duty to slay demons and exorcise evil. I must step forward.”

His words left the three middle-aged men and everyone else utterly bewildered.

The lovely widow’s cries intensified, “It’s over, it’s over! The black mist is too strong, these ghosts are too powerful—someone’s gone mad, Lin Yi must have lost his mind… Will we be next? What misery—my husband is dead, and now I’ll die too… Wait—what, what, what…”

As she sobbed, the widow was struck speechless.

Like many others, her eyes widened as she saw, in the distance, Lin Yi’s hand suddenly produce another Fierce Fire Talisman.

And in his other hand… a whole stack of Fierce Fire Talismans!

Without hesitation, Lin Yi threw another Fierce Fire Talisman.

He channeled energy from the “Great Cavern Scripture,” golden light blazed, flames erupted, and the talisman was hurled into the cluster of ill-fated energy.

Soon, “whoosh, whoosh”—flames roared, fire soared, explosions shattered the night, and dozens—perhaps hundreds—of ghost soldiers were burned away.

This time, before the ghostly figures could be replenished by ill-fated energy, another batch had already been wiped out.

Lin Yi had poured extra energy from the “Great Cavern Scripture” into the talisman, making it even brighter and more devastating.

Another fifth was obliterated.

And in Lin Yi’s mind, the “God-Slaying Manual” messages flooded in,

“Low-grade ghost soldiers sealed and collected, reward: fifteen days of cultivation.”