34: Chapter 34 Female Ghost

"Lord Jiang, this humble one... this humble one will take you there," Steward Liu said with a forced smile, revealing a set of large yellow teeth. "But can we hurry? That place... is quite sinister."

Chen Mo glanced at the old man without speaking, silently observing their surroundings.

All the windows in the main hall were sealed shut and plastered with messy talismans. Glutinous rice was scattered on the floor, but some patches had already turned black.

The Zhao family had committed too many wrongful acts; they feared ghosts knocking at their door.

The group walked toward the backyard.

The further back they went, the heavier the chilling cold became.

Arriving by the well in the backyard, Chen Mo stopped walking.

A large stone pressed down on the well opening, with a yellow talisman stuck on top. However, water was seeping out from the cracks in the stone.

It hadn't rained, yet the moss around the well was damp, as if it had just been soaked.

"It's right here..." Steward Liu shrank his neck, pointing at the marks on the ground. "Look."

Chen Mo followed the direction he pointed.

On the bluestone slabs, there was a set of footprints.

They were very small, only the size of a palm—a woman's footprints.

The water stains had not yet dried, reflecting a faint light under the moonlight. The footprints started from the well, step by step, weaving unsteadily toward the covered walkway, finally vanishing at the entrance to Steward Zhao's bedroom.

"Last night..." Steward Liu swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "The Master was sleeping, and suddenly felt his face was damp. When he opened his eyes, he saw... he saw a woman standing by the head of the bed."

"She... she was dripping wet all over, her hair hanging in front, so he couldn't see her face. She just bent over, her face pressed against the Master's face, asking... asking the Master..."

"Asking what?" Jiang Hongli pressed.

"Asking... 'Master, it's so cold in the well. Can you let me into your covers to warm up?'"

"Ah—!"

A young servant nearby broke down upon hearing this, let out a tragic scream, dropped the stick in his hand, and turned to run.

This one run seemed to topple a row of dominoes.

The remaining servants followed suit, and even Steward Zhao trembled, trying to slip away.

"Everyone stop right there!"

Jiang Hongli let out a sharp cry, releasing the Aura of a Ninth-Rank Martial Artist, which made everyone's ears ring.

"What are you running for? If your Yang Qi scatters, you'll attract ghosts more easily!"

Her shout managed to stabilize the situation.

Chen Mo squatted down, extended a finger, and wiped it across the wet footprint.

It was ice-cold, bone-chilling.

And there was a faint, fishy, foul smell, like dead fish and rotten shrimp.

[Detected faint Yin Sha Qi. Long-term contact is detrimental to Lifespan.]

A line of small text, visible only to him, floated before his eyes.

Chen Mo's heart tightened, and he quickly wiped his hand on his clothes. This thing drains Lifespan? What's the point of staying then!

"Lord Jiang," Chen Mo stood up, his expression serious. "This thing is quite fierce. I'm taking payment for a job, but one must be alive to spend the money."

He was subtly suggesting to Jiang Hongli that they should retreat if necessary.

However, Jiang Hongli ignored his hint. She pulled out a compass-like object from her waist and looked at the needle.

The needle spun wildly before finally pointing rigidly at the well.

"Yin Qi is condensed and won't dissipate; resentment pierces the heavens." Jiang Hongli put away the compass, but a hint of excitement appeared on her face. "It's definitely a vengeful spirit. A newly formed one like this is at most equivalent to a Ninth-Rank Martial Artist, and it's mindless, acting only on instinct."

She turned to Steward Zhao and patted her chest reassuringly. "Steward Zhao, I, Jiang Hongli, will handle this matter tonight. All of you go out and find a place with strong Yang Qi. Leave this backyard to me and Chen Mo."

Upon hearing this, Steward Zhao felt as if he had been granted amnesty.

"Thank you, Lord Jiang! Thank you, Lord Jiang! There will certainly be a generous reward after this is settled!"

With that, the fat man displayed surprising agility, sweeping out of the backyard with the steward and servants in a gust of wind, even locking the moon gate leading to the backyard.

"Click."

The sound of the lock clicking shut was exceptionally clear in the night.

Chen Mo watched the tightly closed moon gate, his mouth twitching twice.

"Lord Jiang, is this... burning your bridges?"

"This is called catching a turtle in a jar," Jiang Hongli said confidently, walking to the stone table in the center of the courtyard and sitting down, slamming her red longsword onto the table. "Chen Mo, don't be afraid. This Young Miss practices the 'Red Carp Technique'; my Qi and blood are extremely Yang and firm, which is the best counter for this kind of Yin evil entity. When that thing comes out, I will take the main offensive, and you assist me by covering the flanks."

Chen Mo sighed and walked to a corner, finding a spot with his back against the wall and an open view to stand guard.

"Fine, you are the main force."

His hand rested on the hilt of his saber, but in his heart, he was calculating escape routes.

The wall was three meters high; with his current skill, he could scale it by kicking off the wall for leverage. To the left, there was a large locust tree he could also utilize.

Time slowly passed.

The moon was obscured by dark clouds, and the last bit of light in the courtyard vanished.

Only the flickering, dim yellow light from the wind-tossed lamp on the stone table remained, looking ready to collapse.

The wind stopped.

The surroundings were deathly silent; even the insects stopped chirping.

"Drip."

A light sound.

Like water dripping onto bluestone slabs.

Chen Mo's muscles instantly tensed.

"Drip, drip."

The sound became denser and closer.

The well, covered by the large stone, suddenly moved.

"Creak—"

The heavy stone, weighing several hundred jin, seemed to be pushed by an invisible hand, slowly moving away bit by bit.

The sound of friction was extremely grating, making one's teeth ache.

Jiang Hongli also stood up, gripping her sword hilt. Her red skirt moved without wind, and a wave of heat emanated from her body.

"It's here," she uttered in a low voice.

The well opening was completely clear.

A hand reached up and grasped the well's edge.

The hand was deathly pale, swollen, but the fingernails were frighteningly black and long.

Immediately following, a wet head poked out. The hair hung down like water weeds, obscuring the face, with only water droplets dripping from the ends.

"Hoo..."

The thing crawled out.

It was wearing a red wedding dress, already blackened by water soaking. Its body was twisted, its joints inverted, as if it had been forcibly broken.

It didn't walk but crawled on all fours, like a spider on the ground.

It was very fast!

"So cold..."

A faint voice sounded, like two pieces of foam rubbing together. "Master... why did you push me down..."

"Why..."

The thing suddenly lifted its head.

The hair scattered, revealing a face bloated and deformed from being waterlogged. There were no eyeballs in the sockets, only two pitch-black bloody holes, staring straight at the two people in the courtyard.

"Stop fooling around with ghosts and monsters!"

Jiang Hongli cried out sharply, pushed off with her feet, and rushed out like a ball of flame.

"Look at my sword!"

The longsword left its sheath, a red light flashed, carrying a scorching wave of air, aiming straight for the female ghost's face.

Chen Mo watched from behind and nodded secretly.

This sword strike had strong Aura and speed; worthy of the thorn in the side of the Chief Investigator. It seems this will be a sure win.

However...

Just as the sword tip was about to pierce the female ghost's face.

The female ghost suddenly opened its mouth.

The mouth split open to an exaggerated arc, tearing all the way to the ears.