11: Naked Ghost Advances

The next morning, when the villagers of Nan Shu Village and Chang Sheng Village met, their eyes were filled with surprise, and heavy dark circles hung on their faces like two dark clouds.

However, the hidden smiles deep in their eyes were like the warm sun in spring, impossible to conceal.

Among the crowd, Wang Houshi was the most excited.

Wang Houshi tucked his dry tobacco pipe into his waist, squeezed to the front of the crowd in a few steps, and clapped his large, fan-like palms against his chest, making a thunderous sound.

“Did you see that lightning last night? It struck three feet above my head!”

He paused deliberately, watching the outstretched necks around him, and smacked his lips in satisfaction, “Guess what? Not even a hole was scorched in my jacket!”

A collective gasp ripped through the crowd, and Li San, who had a limp, hobbled forward with his crutch: “Brother Houshi, are you perhaps bluffing?”

“Why would I bluff you!” Wang Houshi suddenly lowered his voice, pointing a finger skyward, “Lord Chuping’s thunder fire specializes in striking evil, but it also invigorates us Mortals!”

He suddenly shivered, as if remembering some terrifying sight, “That thing that got struck by lightning… Tsk tsk, its scales were so black they reflected people’s shadows, and its hundred-odd fleshy tendrils danced like live snakes…”

Listening to his description, everyone felt a chill run up their spines and couldn’t help but shiver.

“Brother Houshi, did you really see it? Is the monster that terrifying?”

“Of course! I saw it clearly.”

Wang Houshi felt no guilt; after all, besides him, there was no one else there, and this boast would last him a lifetime.

“It was only me yesterday; if it had been you, little brother, you probably would have wet your pants!”

A timid voice in the crowd whispered: “It’s a good thing Lord Chuping protects us.”

This sentence instantly enlightened everyone.

“Oh dear, we were so busy chatting, we haven’t even offered incense to Lord Chuping today.”

“Right, right, right, let’s go, everyone together!”

“I’m telling you, from now on, I have to offer incense to Lord Chuping every day; if I miss a day, I won’t feel at ease!”

*

“The village chief has gathered everyone to build a temple for Lord Chuping!”

With San Wazi’s shout, everyone’s attention was drawn.

The villagers who realized what was happening all went home to grab their tools—knives, axes, saws, trowels, everything imaginable.

They marched grandly towards the village chief’s house, afraid of being even a step too slow.

The people of Nan Shu Village were no exception, following closely behind under the leadership of Fang Youjin.

*

Just as everyone was busily building a temple for Lord Chuping, a hundred miles away, on Black Wind Mountain.

The Naked Ghost was absolutely furious!

Three of the Puppets she had refined were killed again, one was severely injured, and no blood food was brought back.

Three Puppets!

A full three! All of them were painstakingly refined by her, consuming her cultivation.

One Puppet required three years of cultivation, three Puppets meant ten years of wasted effort!

This was truly unbearable!

“Chang Sheng Village!”

“Da Li Village!”

“Ah ah ah ah ah! Blood Fiend! I will flay you alive!!!”

The Naked Ghost’s roar echoed in the depths of Black Wind Mountain, and the vines on the entire mountain trembled.

Now was the most critical moment; she was just a little bit, just a tiny bit away from advancing, how could she be reconciled to this!

“Hmph! Since you’re unwilling to part with the blood food, then the lives of the entire village will pay the price.”

Although the Naked Ghost was angry, she hadn’t completely lost her mind; she was now just a little bit away from advancing.

Previously, due to the Cultivators of Qingyun Immortal Sect, she dared not slaughter humans on a large scale and could only use gentle methods to keep them in captivity.

Just like humans raise livestock.

But now it was different; if she could advance in one go, even the human Cultivators of Qingyun Immortal Sect would be no match for her.

*

Thinking of this, the Naked Ghost’s figure gradually blurred, eventually turning into a mass of black mist and disappearing from where she stood.

Carrying a bloody gale, the Naked Ghost burst into Da Li Village.

In her true form, the Naked Ghost’s massive body crashed through the village paths, surrounded by a swirling, eerie black mist. With a wide-open maw, a powerful suction roared forth, and the villagers were mercilessly sucked into her belly one by one.

“Gurgle gurgle…”

Screams and chewing sounds mingled, sending shivers down one’s spine.

In a short moment, the once bustling Da Li Village was utterly silent, devoid of people, with only scattered debris trembling in the wind, bearing witness to this sudden catastrophe.

After devouring Da Li Village, the black mist around the Naked Ghost intensified.

Her body became even more massive, her bark-like skin now resembling hard scales, and her tentacles twisted and writhed like snakes, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.

“Hahahaha! It’s done!”

“This venerable one has finally succeeded!”

The Naked Ghost laughed wildly, her voice echoing like thunder through Black Wind Mountain.

“Ten years! A full ten years, and this venerable one has finally advanced.”

“Qingyun City, your good days are over!”

“And Blood Fiend!”

After uttering her threats, the Naked Ghost transformed into a black mist and sped towards Chang Sheng Village and Nan Shu Village.

“Once I’ve consumed this batch of blood food, I’ll go to Qingyun City to settle scores with you!”

*

At the same time, the villagers of Chang Sheng Village and Nan Shu Village were enthusiastically building a temple for Lord Chuping.

The villagers of both villages worked together, some felling trees, others building walls, all busy and joyful.

Building a temple! This was a good deed that accumulated virtue!

“Everyone, put in more effort! Lord Chuping protects us, we cannot fail to repay his kindness!”

“The weather is good today, let’s try to get the temple’s framework up before dark!”

The villagers responded in unison, their spirits even higher.

However, as everyone was busy, a dark cloud suddenly drifted across the distant sky, obscuring the formerly bright sunlight.

A chilling wind blew, making people shiver involuntarily.

“Huh, why did the weather suddenly change?” someone looked up at the sky and asked, puzzled.

“Don’t worry about it so much, just get back to work!”

Wang Houshi waved his hand, unconcerned.

However, Fang Youjin frowned.

He vaguely felt something was wrong, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

Just then, a low humming sound suddenly reached his ears.

“Everyone, be careful!”

Fang Youjin suddenly raised his voice, his expression serious.

The villagers froze, stopping their work and looking at him in confusion.

“What’s wrong, Village Chief Fang?” Wang Houshi asked.

Fang Youjin did not answer, but instead vigilantly looked around.

Just then, a rustling sound suddenly came from the distant woods, as if something was rapidly approaching.

“Something’s coming!”

“It’s coming from the direction of our Nan Shu Village.”

Fang Youjin shouted, and the villagers immediately tensed up, gripping their tools.

The next moment, a figure suddenly darted out of the woods, moving at an astonishing speed.

Everyone looked closely and immediately gasped—it was an old woman, dressed in red clothes like blood, and her skin was made of old tree bark!

*

The old woman was hunched over, her cloudy eyes glowing with an eerie light.

She clearly wasn’t right!

“Who are you? Where are you from?” Fang Youjin stepped forward and asked in a deep voice.

The old woman slowly raised her head, a strange smile curling at the corner of her mouth: “Who am I? I’m here to give you ‘gifts’.”

As soon as her words fell, her body suddenly began to twist and deform, the flesh under her skin churning as if boiling, and in a blink of an eye, her figure swelled, transforming into a giant vine ball.

“It’s an evil! Everyone, retreat quickly!” Fang Youjin shouted, and the villagers all fell back, gripping their tools, ready to fight.

Wang Houshi retreated while brandishing the axe in his hand, shouting loudly:

“Quick, run towards Lord Chuping’s statue! With Lord Chuping’s protection, are we still afraid of this evil?!”