10: Bewitching Ghost

Chu Jingyu had just opened the gate to the courtyard when the village chief rushed in, looking completely disheveled. He nearly collapsed onto the ground, and it was only thanks to Chu Jingyu supporting him that he managed to steady himself.

"Old Brother Chu, something has happened! Something terrible has happened at the new mine!"

The village chief's gray pant legs were covered in yellow mud, and he had clearly been in a frantic state on his way here. Moreover, this time, none of the young men from the village had accompanied him up the mountain.

Chu Jingyu supported the village chief by the arm and led him into the house, asking as they walked,

"What happened? Is it because of this weather?"

Once they entered the main hall, the warm light inside revealed the deep sorrow and distress on the village chief's face.

"Over at the new mine... something attacked us this afternoon. We don't even know what it was. Erlong and Qinghe have already lost their lives."

"Furthermore, the mine tunnel collapsed, blocking the entrance. There are still over a dozen young men from the village trapped inside. Old Brother Chu, you are the only Contract Master here. I beg of you, please go and save them."

As he spoke, the village chief's knees buckled as he prepared to kneel.

Chu Jingyu was quick to react, catching the elderly man before he could actually prostrate himself.

"Did anyone see what the attacking creature looked like?"

"No one did. They only said they saw a black shadow flash by. Erlong and Qinghe didn't even have time to react before bloody holes appeared in their chests."

By the time he finished speaking, the village chief's face had grown increasingly ashen.

Hearing the village chief's words, Chu Jingyu's brow furrowed deeply. Logically speaking, he had already had the Golden Jade Beast process the mine tunnel in advance.

Ordinary Mortal beasts, sensing the aura left behind by an Uncommon Rank Golden Jade Beast, would naturally steer clear of the area.

Furthermore, anything capable of leaving Mortals completely defenseless could only be a Source Beast of the same Uncommon Rank.

Having made his assessment, Chu Jingyu helped the village chief sit in a chair and brushed the snow from his shoulders.

"Don't panic, Chief. A rescue mission requires careful planning. But why did you come to my home alone? Where is Erzhuang, who usually accompanies you?"

Upon hearing Chu Jingyu's question, the village chief's expression became even more pained. "Erzhuang is also trapped in that cave. I had to come by myself. Lives are at stake, Old Brother Chu. When do you think we can set off?"

Chu Jingyu brought over a cup of hot water and handed it to the village chief. As the chief reached for it, Chu Jingyu's palm flipped over, and with a hand gathering flickers of spiritual light, he struck the chief's chest.

In an instant, a mass of black shadow burst out from the village chief's back.

Simultaneously, Chu Jingyu shouted, "Everyone, get behind me!"

The event happened so suddenly that the Chu Family Members, after a moment of shock, all moved toward the area of the main hall near the square table.

The village chief slumped beside the dining table, his fate unknown.

The black shadow slammed into the doorframe, revealing its full appearance.

It looked like a human male, but its head was hairless and covered in numerous spiked protrusions. Its blue face bore eerie and exaggerated dark gray patterns.

Moreover, it only had a thin upper body; its lower half consisted purely of black mist, resembling a severed ghost.

Chu Jingyu looked at the bizarre creature before him and slowly uttered its name, "Heart-Bewitching Ghost. To think I would have the chance to encounter such a legendary Source Beast today."

The Heart-Bewitching Ghost leaning against the doorframe grinned with its unnaturally wide mouth. "You old man, you certainly know a lot. But I'm curious, how did you see through my disguise?"

Chu Jingyu smiled slightly. The Golden Jade Beast crawled out from the empty ground in front of him, its front pincers slowly moving with a creaking sound.

"It's simple. At his age, the village chief could never have reached my house without someone to support him. Furthermore, there is no such person as Zhuang Er-lang in Fuhe Village. You could only be a fake."

The Heart-Bewitching Ghost warily eyed the Golden Jade Beast waving its pincers on the ground. It was currently only at the Mortal Rank Upper Stage, and the clear difference in rank made it struggle to withstand the pressure the Golden Jade Beast exerted on it.

"Let me leave, and I will have my father spare those villagers. How about it?"

"Father?" Chu Jingyu repeated the word, his sharp gaze seemingly able to peer into the Heart-Bewitching Ghost's very soul.

"What do the lives of those villagers have to do with our Chu Family?"

"What?" The Heart-Bewitching Ghost let out a cry of surprise, then, as if realizing something, it bolted toward the courtyard without looking back.

But as soon as it reached the snow-covered courtyard, a patch of ground in front of it instantly bulged, and the Golden Jade Beast, its body covered in scales, burst out from the earth.

Its cold, glinting pincers attacked the Heart-Bewitching Ghost's lower body from below.

Although it was named the Heart-Bewitching Ghost and possessed the special ability to inhabit the human heart, it was not a true soul body that could be immune to physical damage.

Unable to dodge in time, a chunk of the Heart-Bewitching Ghost's misty tail was instantly torn away, and its floating form immediately crashed to the ground.

The Heart-Bewitching Ghost rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the Golden Jade Beast's second attack.

"If you don't care about the villagers' lives, surely you care about your son's? I have a way to cure the curse poison in his body."

After it said this, the Golden Jade Beast, which was about to attack again, seemed to receive an order. Its attacking pincers stopped right in front of the Heart-Bewitching Ghost's chest.

Chu Jingyu stood by the doorframe, the warm light from the room spilling out around him, leaving only his face hidden in the shadows.

"Oh? And what way is that?" His voice held a hint of coldness.

"Cross seven mountains to the north, and you will find a Spiritual Pool. In the pool grows the Clear Moon Lotus. Eating just one of its petals can remove the curse from your son."

As if afraid Chu Jingyu's patience would run out, the Heart-Bewitching Ghost spoke these words extremely quickly, yet its tone was somewhat strange, making one subconsciously listen intently to everything it said.

"If Your Excellency is afraid of encountering danger, you can take me to the mine and use me as a bargaining chip with my father. My father has a petal of the Clear Moon Lotus in his collection."

"Sigh..." A long sigh escaped Chu Jingyu's chest. "A pity it's all lies."

Before he had even finished the sentence, with a 'squelch', the Golden Jade Beast's pincer cleanly pierced the Heart-Bewitching Ghost's chest.

The Heart-Bewitching Ghost's eyes widened in resentment before its entire body dissolved into blue-black smoke, leaving behind a pale blue crystal on the ground.

Chu Jingyu slowly walked into the courtyard and picked up the blue crystal, murmuring softly,

"Where would a Heart-Bewitching Ghost get a father? They are merely a special type of Source Beast born when the spiritual form of a deceased human is infected by the Origin Qi of heaven and earth."

Although Chu Jingyu was an Intermediate Alien Tier Contract Master, he had rarely fought in recent years. Among the family, likely only Chu Qinhui had experience with such combat scenes.

After the Heart-Bewitching Ghost died, Chu Qinhui's expression remained calm, while Jiang Nian's face was somewhat pale, still showing signs of fear.

Chu Shengfan looked thoughtful, Chu Shenghan's eyes were full of longing, and Chu Shengyuan simply clapped and cheered in excitement, acting as a perfect hype man.

With the death of this Heart-Bewitching Ghost, a new section opened in the Nameless Book belonging to Chu Mu, who had watched the entire battle for free.

[Source Beast Illustrated Handbook]

Upon opening it, Chu Mu looked at the information on the Heart-Bewitching Ghost that appeared, falling into deep thought.