131: Ghostly Night

Gu Changsheng bent down and picked up the copper coin.

The coin felt warm and moist in his hand, neither metal nor wood.

It was round with a square hole, and on the back were engraved the three characters 'Sinful Money'.

“Such pure Yin Qi. Was this thing cast from Yin Spirit Crystals…?”

Gu Changsheng turned his head to look at the horizon; the sun was nearing dusk, and the lingering afterglow of the sunset revealed a hint of blood-red light.

He slowly walked down the street, the sounds of hawkers reaching his ears.

“Human entrails soup… Human entrails soup for sale…!”

A one-eyed vendor with a ferocious expression was shouting.

The bone-chopping knife in his hand fell swiftly, making 'thud-thud-thud' sounds on the chopping board.

The chopping board was piled high with chopped meat, interspersed with things that vaguely resembled human fingers, and fresh red meat juice flowed from the edge of the board onto the ground.

Beside him, a fire blazed in the stove, and a black iron pot gurgled with bubbles, emitting a rich meaty aroma.

A breeze blew, scattering the white steam above the pot, revealing a pale, cooked human head inside.

Gu Changsheng’s heart tightened.

He had a vague guess and continued to stroll along.

The bustling Danglu Wine Shop, lively during the day, had not yet closed, and under the dim, lingering lamps, there were still a few drinkers.

However, judging by the wine bowls full on the tables, the liquid was as red as blood.

A strong smell of blood assailed him.

‘Using blood as wine… Exactly what creature’s blood… It’s hard to say…’

As he walked, Gu Changsheng saw human flesh buns, meticulously polished human head lanterns, and twisted, malevolent human-faced shadow puppets… None of these had been present during the day.

‘This Ghost City’s daytime appearance is completely different from after dusk.

There seems to be a precise dividing line.

Moreover… the Yin Qi suppressing my cultivation is gradually loosening its grip…’

Gu Changsheng’s expression grew increasingly solemn.

The Yin Qi that suppressed cultivation, limiting the strength of cultivators, also restrained fierce ghosts and living souls.

Therefore, during the day, these stall owners appeared in the guise of Mortals.

Just now, he had already sensed a fleeting powerful aura within the city.

A Dongxuan Realm Ghost King!

His steps halted, and Gu Changsheng stopped at a noodle stall.

Before him, the white-haired old woman from earlier in the day was facing away from him, rolling noodles on a counter.

“Old woman, you’ve been busy all day, business must be good today…”

Gu Changsheng said indifferently.

“Hmm?”

The white-haired old woman slowly turned around, the flesh on her face seemed to melt and peel away inch by inch, revealing white bones, and green light flickered in her eyes.

The rolling pin in her hand was clearly a human leg bone, polished smooth.

And what was cooking in the pot was not noodles at all, but intertwined black hair and various foul-smelling organs.

As the broth churned, he could even see an almost melted human head, its face a light pink, cooked hue.

“Oh, it’s the young man from earlier…”

Greedy eyes were cast upon him by the old woman.

“Coincidentally, old woman needs your help… This pot is missing some ingredients, could you jump in and give it a stir?

Otherwise, the flavor of this soup base will be greatly diminished.”

As she spoke, the white-haired old woman approached with faltering steps, and coarse black hair grew on the arm holding the human bone rolling pin.

At the same time, her body gradually swelled, her face twisted, and her pupils completely turned a phosphorescent green.

Corpse Zombie!

A type of walking corpse.

Judging by the color of its skin, it was a Black Zombie, one of the five great Corpse Zombies.

Roar—

The Black Zombie let out a strange roar from its throat, then leaped up and pounced.

Bang—

With a single punch, the Black Zombie’s entire body exploded, scattering everywhere.

Gu Changsheng’s expression was calm as he slowly retracted his fist.

He was certain that the noodles he had eaten during the day were ordinary noodles, definitely not some filthy concoction hidden by illusions.

“Is this the rule of the Ghost City…?”

Gu Changsheng’s gaze swept around, the area filled with curses and wails, many stall owners transforming into fierce ghosts and devouring their customers.

There was no trace of the peaceful and harmonious appearance from the daytime.

After dusk, the true face of the Ghost City was revealed.

Gu Changsheng planned to stay for a night and walked into an inn along the way.

The light from lamps fueled by corpse oil cast a soft yet eerie orange glow.

Behind the counter, a pale-faced Shop Assistant was dozing off.

Gu Changsheng approached and tossed the only Sinful Money he had onto the counter.

“I want a superior room.”

“A superior room for just one coin?

Young man, are you looking for trouble?”

The Shop Assistant stepped out from behind the counter, his face grotesque, and foul-smelling green drops of liquid dripped from his body, spreading onto the ground.

He was actually a Water Ghost!

Gu Changsheng didn’t even raise an eyelid, subtly releasing a trace of the Ghost Unaware aura.

“One coin, is that enough…?”

The Shop Assistant showed a trace of doubt, then in the blink of an eye, a fawning smile appeared on his face, and he bowed, saying, “Enough, enough.

Esteemed guest, please come in.”

Gu Changsheng followed the mahogany stairs to a guest room.

‘Sure enough, even with the change in rules, Ghost Unaware is still effective.’

‘Right now, the most important thing is to observe the situation quietly.

See what changes occur in the Ghost City at night?’

Upon entering the room, the Shop Assistant, with a beaming smile, said, “Esteemed guest, if you need anything else during the night, just let me know.”

Having said that, he bowed and was about to exit the room.

“Wait…”

“What else can I do for you, esteemed guest?”

“I need your head for a moment…”

Gu Changsheng pointed a finger, and a streak of Geng Metal Sword Qi slashed through, severing the Shop Assistant’s neck.

With a wave of his hand, a head rested on his palm.

Black Qi surged, and purple ghost fire emerged from his palm, landing on the corpse. Immediately, the Shop Assistant’s body melted into liquid, which then seeped into the head through the ears, nose, and mouth.

After a few breaths, the head floated in the air, its eyes suddenly opening, blood-red.

Head Descent!

This secret technique was obtained from a foreign monk in a ruined temple in the southeast region.

It integrated reconnaissance and defense against enemies.

It was perfectly suited for the current situation.

“Go.”

Gu Changsheng casually tossed it, and the Head Descent floated out the window and onto the street.

The shared vision came through.

He saw a blood-red moon hanging high in the Void Realm, and countless fierce ghosts and living souls wandered the streets.

Tearing at each other, wailing.

A vast aura subtly approached.

A wave of faint fragrance permeated the air, and immediately the fierce ghosts fighting on the street showed expressions of terror, as if they had seen some terrifying existence, wailing and scattering in all directions.

However, a suction force appeared out of thin air in the Void Realm, creating a spiral-shaped white vortex that devoured the fierce ghosts and living souls in its path like a spiderweb.

In the blink of an eye, the street was cleared.

Only then did the aura of that terrifying existence disappear.

“So that’s how it is…”

A hint of understanding flashed in Gu Changsheng’s eyes.

The next day, at sunrise, a rooster crowed.

Gu Changsheng walked down the stairs, glanced at the counter, and his eyes narrowed instantly.

The Shop Assistant, whom he had refined into a Head Descent last night, was sprawled on the table, snoring loudly.

Seemingly noticing the sound of footsteps on the old wooden stairs, the Shop Assistant rubbed his sleepy eyes.

“Esteemed guest, did you sleep well last night?”

“Yes, very well.”

Gu Changsheng smiled slightly and walked out the door.

The sky was just getting light, and many stall owners in the snack street had already set up their stalls.

Among them was the old woman whose head Gu Changsheng had blown up with a single punch.

‘It seems there’s a special power in this world that maintains the operation of the Ghost City…’

In front of the noodle stall, Gu Changsheng sat down gracefully.

He looked at the iron pot, steaming with water vapor, where fragrant noodles were boiling, as if everything after dusk yesterday had been an illusion.

“Old woman, one bowl of noodles.”

“Coming right up.”

…Wiping his mouth, Gu Changsheng stood up and walked with firm steps towards the inner city.

Before long, a temple appeared before his eyes.

On the gilded plaque, the two characters ‘City God’ were carved.