182: White powder rouge

"And what if I don't?" Qiu Yanhui's willow-leaf brows furrowed as she let out a cold snort. She swiftly pulled a massive weapon from the storage bag at her waist—a Type 79 miniature anti-tank rocket launcher.

She expertly hoisted it onto her shoulder, squinting as she steadily aimed at the hideous and terrifying Rokurokubi ahead.

"Busybody! Everyone, attack! Tear them all to pieces!" The Rokurokubi was beyond furious, her slender neck twisting frantically as she shrieked hysterically at the group of shivering lackeys behind her.

However, those ghosts and monsters merely exchanged glances. After looking left and right, they unexpectedly retreated several steps in unison, like a receding tide.

"A bunch of useless trash! Are you all cowards who fear death?"

Seeing this, the Rokurokubi gnashed her teeth in rage, her almond-shaped eyes, deep as pools of water, flickering with fury.

"It's just a thick wooden and iron stick pointed at us."

"Big Sis, you don't use the internet so you wouldn't know, but this isn't just some thick stick. This is called a rocket launcher. It's a sharp weapon specifically designed to deal with us... ghosts and monsters!"

The Hitoban explained tremblingly, hiding behind the massive Heavenly Evil Ghost.

"Big Sis, please don't use me as a shield! I'm your distant cousin!"

"The government of Country R bought dozens of these weapons from the Xia Kingdom. My previous boss was unfortunately taken out by a rocket launcher!"

"In this day and age, governments advocate for combining spiritual power with modern technology. Otherwise, Country R would probably have been completely taken over by a Rank Five Ghost King long ago!"

"Hmph, stop talking nonsense. This Old Lady doesn't believe it! Could this thing really be more formidable than that utter fool, 'Tenome'?"

The Rokurokubi was completely unmoved. Instead, she suddenly extended her neck, pouncing toward Qiu Yanhui with lightning speed.

In the blink of an eye, Qiu Yanhui didn't hesitate, her finger decisively pulling the trigger of the rocket launcher... "Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh..."

Accompanied by the sharp, rapid sound of breaking air, a rocket shell, like a meteor burning with rage, trailed a long, scorching tail of flame and sped straight toward the Rokurokubi with the force of thunder.

The Rokurokubi's already hideous and twisted face instantly turned as pale as paper. She widened her almond eyes in sheer terror, desperately trying to dodge the lethal blow.

The rocket shell was simply too fast—so fast that she had no time to make an effective reaction.

A deafening "Boom!" suddenly rang out. A massive explosion shockwave, carrying billowing smoke and raging flames, instantly swallowed the Rokurokubi.

She was sent flying backward by the blast, tracing an arc in the air like a broken kite before slamming heavily onto the ground with a dull thud.

The street was kicked up with dust from the violent impact, and the greenery along the road was left in shambles.

"Shut down!"

The other ghosts and monsters, who had been baring their fangs and acting aggressive, were now scared out of their wits by this sudden scene.

They screamed in panic and scattered in all directions, fearing they would be the next victim.

Qiu Yanhui took this opportunity to retract the rocket launcher in her hand with clean and decisive movements.

Tang Tang pulled several Rank Three Flowing Fire Talismans from her robes, gripping them tightly. Her sharp gaze swept over the Heavenly Evil Ghost, preparing to press the advantage and give the wicked creature a harsh lesson.

A soft, charming female voice suddenly drifted from not far away: "Little girl, would you like some white powder and rouge?"

Qiu Yanhui's heart tightened, and she felt a chill run up her spine. She instinctively stopped and hurriedly turned around to check.

Not far from her, a beautiful woman with a graceful figure, dressed in a kimono, stood quietly. Her makeup was exquisite, her features like a painting, and a faint smile played on her lips as she gently waved her hand to beckon her.

"Who are you?" Qiu Yanhui suppressed her unease and raised her voice in a wary interrogation.

"This one is named Manjusaka, a shopkeeper nearby." The woman nodded slightly, her red lips parting to release a melodious voice that sounded like a nightingale's song.

"Big sister sees your complexion isn't very good. You happen to need a bit of white powder and rouge to touch it up!"

Qiu Yanhui frowned, feeling more and more that something was wrong. Just as she was about to speak again, a strange scent of Bewildering Butterfly Incense wafted into her nose.

The fragrance was rich and captivating; smelling it made one's mind wander.

Suddenly, her head began to buzz, and her vision gradually blurred. At the same time, her legs seemed to lose their strength, swaying involuntarily, and her footsteps became stumbling, making it hard to stand firm.

"Yan Hui, wake up." Tang Tang's face was as calm as water, her eyes cold as ice.

Then, she raised her arm and swung the peach wood sword with a sudden force.

In an instant, sword qi overflowed, crisscrossing until it forcefully carved a bottomless, long ravine into the ground.

The movement was so clean and decisive it was breathtaking, yet even so, it couldn't hide the dense sword intent radiating from her.

Qiu Yanhui trembled from the shock of the sword qi, instantly snapping out of the Bewildering Butterfly Incense's effect. She instinctively slapped her cheeks, trying to recover her senses as quickly as possible. She couldn't help but curse, "Dammit!"

"The more beautiful a woman is, the more dangerous she often is. My Mengmeng is still the most reliable—she can carry sandbags on her shoulders and tear apart ghosts with her bare hands."

Seeing this, Du Wenqing hurriedly spoke up: "I remember now, based on the records about the 'Night Parade of One Hundred Demons' I saw in the headquarters' library."

"This ghost is very likely the 'White Powder Granny' from Country R. Usually, she appears as a kind and amiable old woman, specifically tricking beautiful young girls into applying the white powder and rouge she makes onto their faces."

At this point, Du Wenqing paused, swallowed, and continued: "She claims this powder can make girls even fairer and more beautiful."

"Once a girl actually believes her and applies the powder to her face, something terrifying happens—their entire face skin peels right off..."

Tang Tang frowned slightly, gripping her peach wood sword as she asked, "White Powder Granny? Shouldn't she always stay in the form of an old woman?"

Du Wenqing gave her a helpless roll of the eyes and explained, "Big sister, your thinking is way too outdated! What era is this? As long as it's a woman, who doesn't love beauty? Even if it's a ghost, if she can't change her form, she can at least go get plastic surgery!"

"If a human doctor can't do it, she can find a ghost doctor."

"Besides, Country R is quite close to Country H..."