296: Chapter 296 The Ghost-Eating Fang Xiangshi Becomes a Murderer

Thinking back to that scene witnessed on Miwu Mountain.

White Ghost descended from the sky like a deity, shattering the golden bumpa bottle with a single punch, destroying the Formation, and saving everyone.

That figure burning with flames, that earth-shattering power!

Li Dingjian simply could not believe that person could be his nephew Fang Cheng, whom he had watched grow up.

Yet various signs, especially the intensely familiar voice, forced him to doubt.

Hearing his uncle's interrogation, Fang Cheng was already prepared in his heart and replied with feigned ease:

"Actually, it's nothing special. About a year ago, I had a high fever and was burning up in a daze."

"That night, I slept with my head covered, and when I woke up, I discovered that my body seemed to have undergone some indescribable changes."

"At first, I was a bit scared, so I kept it from you all and didn't mention it to anyone."

"Later on, once outside, I encountered a few thugs who wanted to extort me. I couldn't help myself and made a move, and as a result, I sent them Running away in just two or three strokes."

"Only then did I discover that my strength had increased quite a bit, and my speed had also become much faster than an ordinary Mortal."

"After that, well..."

Fang Cheng spread his hands, trying his best to make his expression look sincere.

"I figured that this might be an Opportunity given to me by the heavens, so I started exercising consciously—Running, Push-up, Pull-up, whatever could be trained, I trained."

"My physical fitness improved exceptionally fast, and my strength and speed rose along with it. Then I mastered fire abilities; anyway, slowly, I grew stronger and stronger, turning into what I am now."

Fang Cheng fabricated a lie that sounded somewhat bizarre, but seemed passable enough to explain things.

Li Dingjian listened half-believingly, but did not delve deeply into the details.

What he cared about more was clearly another question:

"What about your mental state then? Have any problems occurred?"

Li Dingjian lowered his voice and pressed on with a solemn expression:

"Have you experienced any hallucinations? For example, when no one is around, hearing noises from unknown sources, or seeing things that shouldn't exist? Or perhaps, having particularly bizarre nightmares at night?"

Fang Cheng's heart stirred slightly, and he spoke half-truthfully and half-falsely:

"In the past, hallucinations occasionally occurred. Later, I signed up for a Meditation training class and learned some skills to control emotions and Focus, which improved the situation a lot and hasn't affected my normal life temporarily."

"That's good, that's good..."

Hearing this, Li Dingjian visibly let out a sigh of relief, but his expression remained serious.

He looked solemnly at Fang Cheng and exhorted him word by word:

"A-Cheng, remember your uncle's words. In the future, once you feel anything is wrong with yourself, especially any mental anomalies—such as your previous condition starting to appear again, or even worsening, and you can't control your emotions—you must tell me immediately!"

"Don't try to tough it out all by yourself, you know? This kind of matter is no laughing matter!"

Seeing that Li Dingjian's attitude was so serious, even more nervous than himself, Fang Cheng's inner doubts inevitably grew deeper:

"Uncle, I remember last time in the hotel, you also seemed to remind me of similar things. Did you know long ago that I might turn out like this?"

Li Dingjian was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke:

"A-Cheng, do you know what the outside world calls people like us... whose bodies show anomalies and who have become different from ordinary Mortals?"

Fang Cheng was stunned for a moment.

This question was so familiar.

Nearly two months ago, Smiling Demon had also brought it up to him in almost the exact same tone.

Li Dingjian continued on his own:

"They call us monsters, demons, fiends—whatever sounds ugliest. According to official terms, the most formal designation is—Paranormals."

"This designation is used to collectively refer to all those who do not come from a Family background, yet possess capabilities exceeding ordinary humans due to various reasons."

He paused, seeming to organize his words so that Fang Cheng could understand more easily:

"These abilities do not arise out of thin air. It is said that as early as the primitive tribal period thousands or tens of thousands of years ago, human ancestors would occasionally produce some... well, you could say lucky ones, or you could say 'the chosen ones'. They acquired mysterious power that Mortals could hardly reach due to various coincidental Opportunities."

"Because they suddenly gained powerful strength, some people had their heads turned, lost their true nature, and turned into monsters that wreaked havoc on regions and committed all kinds of evils."

"However, there were also those who maintained their original heart, relying on this power to slay demons and vanquish devils, protect their tribes, and become legendary heroes and demigods in the Mortal world."

"Those heroic figures in myths used their own Bloodline as a bond to form the earliest clan tribes, leading humanity toward civilization. Their abilities were also passed down generation after generation through their Bloodline."

"However, as time passed, the Bloodline gradually thinned out, and fewer and fewer people possessed extraordinary abilities."

"Yet even so, under certain special circumstances, ordinary Mortals still have an extremely small chance to 'atavize', reactivating the power hidden deep within their Bloodline genes."

"This process is called 'Awakening', somewhat like suddenly clearing the Governor and Conception Meridians in Wuxia novels, but far more perilous than that."

Fang Cheng nodded, clear in his heart.

What his uncle said was largely the same as what Smiling Demon had told him.

It was just that he explained it more carefully and more cautiously.

"Those Families that have been passed down for hundreds or even thousands of years—the reason they can always remain at the top of society is not because their Bloodline is how much nobler than ordinary Mortals."

Li Dingjian continued narrating:

"More importantly, every single one of those families possesses their own inherited 'Secret Realm', as well as special Cultivation techniques, which can help clan members effectively eliminate the mental problems brought by power and stabilize their Heart-Nature after Awakening their power."

"As for us paranormals who lack Family protection and accidentally awakened, the situation we face is much more dangerous. Besides needing to guard against official institutions, we also have to constantly watch out for the problem of our inner powers losing control, and a single misstep could lead to playing with fire and burning ourselves."

"Through your experience in the operation to contend for the golden bumpa bottle, you should have already deeply experienced the difficult plight of us paranormals."

Fang Cheng nodded slightly, then brought up the key issue once again:

"Then does our Fang Family's Bloodline also contain similar anomalies?"

Li Dingjian paused upon hearing this, his expression turning somewhat complex as he sighed:

"The Fang Family... don't look at us as just ordinary folk now; if you really trace our ancestors back to the roots, we were once a prominent existence."

He tilted his head up, looking at Fang Cheng, his voice carrying a hint of distant meaning.

"Speaking of the inheritance of the Fang Family Bloodline, it can be traced back to the ancient clan period. In legends, under the Yellow Emperor, there was a general named Fangxiangshi. He looked extremely ugly, resembling a fierce ghost, but he possessed the supernatural ability to eat ghosts, so he was specifically responsible for annihilating demons and ghosts, and sweeping away plague gods and evil specters."

"Historical records state that he wore a bearskin, wore a four-eyed mask forged of gold, held a ge in one hand and a shield in the other, leading twelve bizarre-looking fierce beasts to clear the path ahead, making enemies terrified at the mere rumor and fleeing in panic."

"In later sacrificial rituals, some people even specifically imitated his appearance to drive away evil and malevolence for rulers, and he was also called the 'Nuoshen'. This Fangxiangshi is the orthodox primordial ancestor of the Fang Family."

"Moving further down, to the Yu Dynasty two thousand years ago, the Fang Family was also a prestigious clan that shook one side, producing quite a few formidable figures. What a pity, extreme prosperity leads to decline, and later it slowly withered away, blending into ordinary folk and becoming completely unremarkable."

"However, even after the decline, within this Fang Family Bloodline, individuals with immense renown have occasionally appeared on and off."

Li Dingjian changed the topic, the previous trace of nostalgic sentiment dissipating, replaced by a long sigh:

"But these people... sigh, without exception, all carried notorious reputations and had their hands stained with blood. They were either master thieves or warlords of chaotic times... In short, they were all vicious fellows by nature who loved to kill and were extremely wicked."

Speaking up to this point, Li Dingjian furrowed his brows tightly, his tone growing even heavier.

"Outsiders think these are just accidental individual cases, not knowing that behind it all, they were influenced by Bloodline power and manifested through genetic inheritance."

"While gaining powerful abilities, one must inevitably endure the backlash brought by the power."

Li Dingjian explained in a deep voice:

"Without the protection of an inherited Family Secret Realm, Bloodline descendants who accidentally awaken find it very easy to fail in controlling the violent and crazy factors hidden within their power, ultimately losing themselves and turning into monsters that only know how to kill, repeating the tragic mistakes of those ancestors in history."

He looked at Fang Cheng, his eyes filled with deep worry:

"Therefore, A-Cheng, you must remember to pay attention to maintaining your Heart-Nature normally. Do not act recklessly just because you possess power, and do not indulge in slaughter. You must understand how to endure and restrain your desires, otherwise... the consequences would be unimaginable, and you might even become the target of public criticism!"

Listening to his uncle's narrative, Fang Cheng's heart experienced turbulent ups and downs, like a giant boulder thrown into a deep pool.

After quietly digesting it for a moment, he finally asked the question that had been troubling him all along:

"Uncle, my dad... how on earth did he die back then?"

Hearing this, Li Dingjian's body stiffened abruptly, and a trace of pain and struggle flashed across his eyes.

He sat there in silence, seeming to consider for a long time, still worried about Fang Cheng's condition.

In the end, he still shook his head:

"A-Cheng, if there were a choice, I hope you would just be an ordinary person and live a safe, peaceful life, because this is also your father's wish."

"As for the truth of his death, now is not yet the time to tell you."

Li Dingjian paused, looking at Fang Cheng with utmost seriousness, and emphasized with absolute firmness:

"You only need to remember one thing: your father... he was wronged, he is definitely not a Murderer!"

The sunlight outside the window was still bright, illuminating the room brilliantly.

The joyful laughter of tourists by the distant lake could also be faintly heard, like the background sound of another world.

Because of this conversation, the atmosphere inside the room turned oppressive and solemn.

It was as if even the air around the two of them felt somewhat heavy.

Li Dingjian did not want this gloomy atmosphere to continue.

Immediately pulling himself together, he squeezed out a smile and stood up.

"Alright, let's not talk about these unhappy things. I just came back and haven't even caught my breath properly."

"How about this, tonight I've booked the best restaurant in town, a private room at Qilin Pavilion. We'll call your mom and your grandpa, and our Family will have a good get-together to welcome you, which also counts as washing away the dust for me."

Hearing this, Fang Cheng immediately reined in his emotions and did not continue dwelling on the previous question.

He then followed him up, seeing his uncle to the door.

Li Dingjian waved goodbye and was just about to open the door to go out.

Fang Cheng suddenly spoke up again:

"Uncle, can you help me pass a message to the professor? I'd like to make an appointment to meet him."

Li Dingjian was stunned upon hearing this: "The professor? What are you looking for him for?"

His complexion immediately grew tense again.

Seeing that he seemed to be overthinking, Fang Cheng revealed a reassuring smile and explained:

"Uncle, don't worry, I just want to ask him for advice on some issues regarding power control and the mental aspect; I won't mess around. After all, he has rich experience in this area and should understand much more than I do."

Li Dingjian pondered for a moment before replying:

"The professor recently has some personal matters to handle and hasn't returned to Dongdu yet."

"If you really want to ask questions, leave this matter to Uncle. When he comes back, I will help you contact him at the first instance and arrange for you two to meet."

Hearing that he still needed to wait, a trace of disappointment flashed through Fang Cheng's heart.

After all, he urgently needed to understand more information regarding the golden bumpa bottle and mental Cultivation to further enhance his strength.

But Fang Cheng didn't show much on the surface, only nodding:

"Alright."

With a soft click, the door closed.

Li Dingjian's footsteps gradually faded away in the corridor.

Only Fang Cheng was left alone in the room, restoring the previous tranquility.

He walked to the window, casting his gaze toward the bright and warm scenery outside.

That warmth seemed capable of dispelling a bit of the gloom in his heart.

After a brief gaze, he turned around, walked toward the sofa in the center of the room, and opened the blue shoulder bag that had been placed beside it all along.

Inside the bag, a ghastly pale mask lay quietly.

The mask had a bizarre shape, and its facial features were ferocious and terrifying.

Especially the two red eyeballs, flickering faintly.

It was as if it had condensed all the malice in the world, perfectly resembling a fierce ghost crawling out of Hell.

Fang Cheng's gaze lingered on the mask for a few seconds, and then he reached out his hand.

His fingertips touched the plaster-like material, and a familiar chill washed over him.

He picked up the mask, slowly yet with utmost firmness, covering his face with it.

When he raised his head once again, everything had changed.

His eyes looked out the window through the two dark red gems inlaid in the eye sockets of the mask.

The entire world was instantly stained with a layer of ominous bloody filter.

The originally bright sunlight also appeared bizarre and uncanny at this moment.

Everything and everyone in his field of vision shed their usual affectionate disguises.

Only a cold, murderous, cruel, and true essence remained.

Yet.

In sharp contrast to the grim and terrifying bloody world.

Was a surge deep within Fang Cheng's heart of nearly absolute peace and calmness.

As if the outside disturbances and inner anxiety were isolated and smoothed over under the shroud of this blood color.

Putting on this fierce ghost mask, he was no longer just Fang Cheng.

It was as if he possessed two faces, bearing two completely different lives.

One side was an ordinary person under the sunlight, yearning for Family affection and love, pursuing a peaceful and happy life.

The other side was a lurker in the bloody darkness, cold, resolute, taking slaughter as his way of survival.

Fang Cheng walked in front of the full-length mirror in the room, gazing at that terrifying fierce ghost.

The 'fierce ghost' in the mirror was also looking back at him.

In those blood-red eyes, there was not a shred of Fang Cheng's usual gentleness.

Only bottomless emotions and a flame-burning will.

This was the power hidden beneath an ordinary appearance, growling within his body, eager to completely break free from restraints.

Although his uncle earnestly advised him to restrain himself, be patient, abide by his duty, and try to be an ordinary person far away from disputes.

However.

Facing the imminent crisis, facing the truth of his father's wrongful death, and the relatives he had to protect.

Fang Cheng did not want, nor was he willing, to passively wait for fate's judgment.

"Perhaps, I can create an identity specifically used for hunting..."

Gazing at himself wearing the mask in the mirror, Fang Cheng muttered to himself.

A 'fierce ghost' roaming in the darkness, a symbol of a Murderer that makes all factions tremble with fear.

In this way, he could both deter potential enemies and better hide another 'Fang Cheng' identity behind the scenes, isolating the danger.

This Inner World filled with blood color might be cruel.

Yet it could also allow Fang Cheng to see more clearly and become more Focus.