Otherworldly Merchant

A light flashed from a hidden corner, swiftly striking the soul that had just escaped with great precision. The soul screamed, turning into a mass of dark mist as it perished.

I tried to focus and saw that it was Senior Shu. He was hiding in the dark and launching his attacks. I relaxed as Senior Shu’s plan to kill those souls one by one was working.

I hoped I could hold until the end.

More and more souls ran outside the circular formation. However, as soon as they got out, Senior Shu would attack them.

Although these souls had long lost their sanity, they were still smart enough. They began to hesitate after seeing their friends perish in the blink of an eye, and avoided jumping blindly outside the circle.

Yet, those souls really wore me out when they attacked the formation earlier. Even the simple act of moving my fingers had become a challenge. I had to use almost all of my strength to mobilize the spirit power in my body and support the Fiery Thunderbolt Formation.

While I was pondering, the horde of souls swarmed the Fiery Thunderbolt Formation once more time. Sparks and flames began to flash, and the green flames reached the sky, bombarding those souls just like real thunderbolts striking down from the sky.

Of course, my body also had to endure excruciating pain.

Eventually, there was a large explosion, and the formation cracked. If it weren’t for my strong self-control, I’m afraid I would have gone into shock already.

The formation was left in shambles, and the green flames were gone. The ghosts started swarming in Senior Shu’s direction.

Not good! 

I was desperate. The Fiery Thunderbolt Formation couldn’t even kill half of the ghosts before it was destroyed. The remaining ghosts were still too powerful for us. We were doomed!

I looked at Senior Shu, and his face was aghast as he stared at those souls. Eventually, he gritted his teeth and stormed forward to stop the wave of evil ghosts. He held a spirit talisman in one hand while his other hand was making hand seals unceasingly.

Although Senior Shu’s attacks were very effective earlier, which allowed him to kill the ghosts with one attack each, things were different now. The number of ghosts was too high, and the way they attacked was also special. They directly passed through Senior Shu’s body, and every time they did so, they hurt him. Soon, his movement began to stiffen…

He quickly swallowed a spirit pellet to boost his drained body. However, it was useless as the ghosts outnumbered him to a worrying degree. Senior Shu was like a walking corpse; his face was pale and devoid of expression, while his body was attacking almost by instinct.

His attacks became weaker and weaker, until they were useless. Eventually, Senior Shu collapsed to the ground.

My eyes couldn’t hide the despair I felt. Senior Shu had used spirit pellets to forcefully keep his body running. Even if the ghosts didn’t kill him, it would be hard for him to survive…

The origin essence of a person was limited. If it was used up all at once, there wouldn’t be a chance for revival…

Regardless, Senior Shu still looked at me, and his mouth moved as if he were telling me, “Quick, run!”

Run? I had a bitter smile. With my current condition, standing up was already a problem, let alone running away.

Senior Shu and I looked at each other. I was stunned when I saw his fearless expression.

At this moment, someone gently patted my shoulder. I immediately turned around and saw that it was Li Mazi and Zhang Ai.

I cursed in my head, Damn, why did these two come out?

“Don’t talk.” Li Mazi sobbed as he said, “I’m going to take you out of here.”

Then, he turned around and put me on his back, rushing toward the morgue.

I was freaking out. Why didn't Li Mazi listen to me? Those ghosts were looking for prey, and this guy kindly delivered himself. Since his Yang energy wasn’t concealed, those souls would surely spot him!

Sure enough, the souls stopped wreaking havoc when they saw Li Mazi. All of them turned to look at him. Then, just like a gust of wind, they swarmed toward Li Mazi and Zhang Ai.

I was startled. Even though I felt powerless, I tried to speak, “Run… Run, hurry!”

However, it was too late. The evil wind wrapped around us and turned into a small tornado. Sand and stones were flying everywhere, clouding my vision. Right after, Li Mazi’s body shivered, and we both fell to the ground.

I was already very weak, and when Li Mazi made me fall, I almost died.

Disregarding the pain, I tried to look at Li Mazi.

Li Mazi and Zhang Ai had their eyes half closed; their faces grimaced while standing on tiptoe. A horde of souls had surrounded me already. Although they were covered in flames, I could still see their malicious faces.

“Why did you burn us!” Li Mazi and Zhang Ai screamed in unison, their voices as loud as thunder. The strong sound waves made my eardrums ache.

I didn’t even have the strength to talk. I could only lie on the ground and watch as Li Mazi and Zhang Ai approached.

“Why did you burn us…” The two kept repeating while walking toward me. The other souls also tightened their circle around me. The flame on their bodies exuded coldness that could chill to the bone. My consciousness slowly drifted away, taking me one step closer to going into shock.

At this critical moment, a profound voice came from afar.

“In the dark North, there is fire that comes from the sky. Gold light shines, reaching far and wide. Thunderbolts, go and subdue the ghosts!”

This voice, tone, and even the words he had just recited were quite familiar.

It’s Chuyi’s voice! He also knows the Fiery Thunderbolt Incantation!

I was overjoyed. My blurry consciousness became clearer, and I tried to lift my head to find the source of the sound.

A young man with long bangs over his forehead stood at the police station’s gate. He was wearing a yellow Daoist priest robe and had a long sword on his back. He slowly walked toward us.

His voice seemed to have the power to calm one’s heart. The fear and despair in my heart were gone, and I felt hope toward life again.

All the souls were frightened. They stopped attacking me and turned around, trying to flee.

However, it was too late. A lightning strike fell from the sky and landed on the formation before they managed to escape. The Fiery Thunderbolt Formation was activated one more time, and its flames reached the sky. The sound of thunder resounded unceasingly, and the evil souls screamed in panic.

Chuyi stopped reciting the incantation, allowing the Fiery Thunderbolt Formation to operate on its own. He moved closer to me, then squatted to wipe my face. “Are you all right?”

I felt touched and nodded in response.

Li Mazi coughed and urged him, “Brother, kill those bastards.”

Chuyi slightly shook his head. “They are also miserable. There is no need to eradicate them.”

Then, he stood with pride outside the Fiery Thunderbolt Formation, his cold eyes looking at the souls that were running away. “You are not qualified to negotiate with me. You have two choices… You can either die or reincarnate!”