Chapter 120: Name

Zhang Chang’s words echoed in my ears. His voice seemed to carry a strange, unsettling power, conjuring images of my father being berated before the entire village. He was clearly a good man, and certainly no murderer, yet the villagers spat vitriol at him. Even Aunt Gray, who stepped forward to reason with them, was condemned by all.

When the villagers barged into my home, they disregarded all conscience and forcibly dragged Aunt Gray away. Had they not intervened, the outcome would surely have been different. Perhaps Aunt Gray would still be alive; perhaps she would never have given birth to that Yin-born fetus. My father would never have been left vulnerable to the opportunism of Liu the Funeral Master.

"Rational, good-natured people only suffer abuse and harm," Zhang Chang said abruptly. "Become a villain, and no one will dare to bully or hurt you."

"No, don't eat me! Please, let me go! I know I was wrong; I shouldn't have harmed that woman!" The old ghost in my hands had stopped struggling, looking at me with pathetic pleading. "You are a good person, please spare me. Cultivation is not easy; in ten years, I could have been reincarnated. In my next life, I promise I won't hurt anyone. I died so unjustly in this life, too—my woman cheated on me..."

The old ghost’s voice was desperate. My brow furrowed, and my grip loosened slightly. I felt as though Zhang Chang was intentionally manipulating me, and I saw no reason to devour a ghost that possessed sentience. If it truly sought to turn over a new leaf, killing it would be no different from murder.

Just then, a flash of malice crossed the old ghost’s face! He lunged suddenly at my face!

"A young body, and the ability to consume ghosts! Your body, I’ll take it!" The old ghost’s voice was hideously savage, brimming with greed. As he lunged, he tried to force his way into me.

*Possession!*

But for me, it was utterly futile. Furthermore, the old ghost’s actions shattered the pity I had felt for him. I took a deep breath, and the ghost shrieked, instantly begging for mercy again.

Zhang Chang laughed coldly. "This is the end that awaits a good person. You want to spare him, but he wants to kill you!"

The instinct within my consciousness turned even more violent. The old ghost struggled and screamed, eventually devolving into curses. "May you die a horrible death! Using a living body to perform the deeds of a hungry ghost—the Underworld will not let you be! When you reach the Hall of King Yama, you will be gutted and disemboweled, and every ghost you have eaten will come back to life! They will tear you apart!"

I consumed the old ghost entirely. My soul felt full once more, yet this act left me feeling profoundly exhausted.

Because my inner conviction had wavered, it took a great deal of effort to suppress it. I knew Zhang Chang’s words were wrong, yet when my instincts drove me, I felt he was right.

Just then, Zhang Chang smiled and said, "Worldly oppression causes many to lose their original hearts. Living well is far better than living a difficult life. You are a child with great opportunity; I am merely saying things that will benefit you. Whether you listen or not is up to you."

My eyelids twitched, and I forced a smile. I had already grown wary of Zhang Chang.

"You don't know Taoist arts, so if you want to catch ghosts, you cannot use Taoist talismans. I noticed that what you draw are Soul Talismans—a very special kind of seal. They are hard to come by, and few know how to use them."

"Your soul possesses the innate nature of a ghost-eater. If it weren't for the fact that you need my help, I would think you were no ordinary person. At the very least, your past life was not ordinary."

His words made my heart skip a beat; my caution intensified. Without waiting for me to speak, he continued, "The nature of your soul dictates that you don't need to study Taoism to draw talismans capable of destroying any spirit. To catch ghosts, you must rely on external aids."

"The old locust wood jar I gave you can store ghosts; this item here is for catching them." Zhang Chang threw me a rope.

The moment I touched it, a strange, chilling cold surged through me, sending a shiver down my spine.

"No matter what kind of ghost it is, they cannot resist this Thousand-Yin Rope. It is woven from my hair, my wife’s hair, and my own. I practice Yin arts, while my wife once practiced Taoism. My father is the progenitor of Pressing Dragon Mountain; he has lived for countless years and is himself a manifested essence of the mountain. Hair is a leakage of a person's vital energy, and with the balance of Yin and Yang, combined with the essence of great mountains and rivers, even a fierce ghost of a thousand years will have its neck snared by it. The prerequisite is that you must be able to hold on; if you can, the ghost cannot escape. Otherwise, you will simply lose this treasure," Zhang Chang said.

My pupils contracted. "Such an important item, I cannot take it."

Zhang Chang smiled. "You can take it. I am very old now. You heard what I said earlier, didn't you? I have decided to take my old woman to find our great-grandson, and bring back the remains of our son. And, of course, the remains and soul of our granddaughter."

"The heavy responsibility of Pressing Dragon Mountain shall be passed to my great-grandson. As for my son and granddaughter, they will stay here in this old house with us. Besides, I am too old; I cannot endure many more such journeys. You catching ghosts can save you a lot of trouble."

"Although you hate my son, it doesn't change the fact that you once called him grandfather. My granddaughter was your stepmother. In terms of rank, you should call me your great-grandfather."

My feelings regarding Zhang Chang’s words were complex and indescribable. He guided me to become a villain, yet everything he had said and done showed no calculation against me, and this item was truly precious.

"Follow me." As I stood lost in thought, Zhang Chang walked toward the other side—the upstream of the Yin Dragon River.

After walking for over ten minutes, he stopped. "There should be no influence here. The ghosts over there won't dare to come near for a while."

"Your blood is very useful. Put a drop in the water."

I followed his instructions, pricking my finger with a dagger and letting a drop of blood fall into the water. Within a few breaths, my heart began to pound. A pale face slowly emerged beneath the surface. Its eyes were wide, and as it drifted toward the surface, I saw the greed and gloom within them.

The ghost gently inhaled, and the drop of blood vanished into its mouth. Zhang Chang said nothing, and I remained still, my eyelids twitching violently.

Watching a ghost at such close range was not terrifying to me; I simply hadn't expected my blood to be able to summon them. Just then, the ghost’s face did not sink back down but began to move slowly toward the bank.

Suddenly, my feet felt paralyzed. A hand had silently gripped my ankle! It was ice-cold and freezing!

The next moment, a tremendous force yanked me hard toward the Yin Dragon River!

"Do it now!" Zhang Chang shouted, grabbing my wrist and swinging me toward the water.

A surge of incredible power flowed through my arm. My heart hammered as I gripped the Thousand-Yin Rope tightly and pulled upward with all my might!

With a splash, a ghost clad in white was dragged straight out of the water. Fear flashed across its face, but it lunged at me in a savage frenzy. Zhang Chang quickly grabbed my other hand. The locust wood jar was in his grip; he opened it, covered the ghost, and it vanished instantly.

My heart was beating so fast it felt like it was in my throat. The ghost's strength had been unimaginable, yet I had pulled it out in one motion.

Zhang Chang looked impressed. "Don't overthink it. Ghosts rely on Yin energy and possess great strength; that is how they drag people into the water. But your soul is powerful; the strength you use to catch ghosts is the strength of your soul. As long as you are stronger than them, they cannot overpower you."

"Because you consume ghosts, your blood is heavy with Yin energy. Ghosts love people with high Yin energy; they can use your body to be reincarnated, possess you, or even kill you to increase their resentment. A 'good' ghost will not consume blood, so you can rest assured—the ghosts caught this way are never good ones. Have you learned how to use these two items?"

I quickly memorized and digested his words, nodding as I took back the jar.

"This is a Spirit-Raising Jar. There is hardly a second like it in the world, no less rare than the Thousand-Yin Rope. When you want to eat a ghost, just reach in and grab one."

"Catch ten more ghosts tonight before you go back. I won't worry about you anymore."

With that, Zhang Chang turned and headed back toward the stilted house.

The moonlight was cold and indifferent. It was midnight by the time I dragged my weary body back to the grass hut. Li Yue was still fast asleep, and I lay down on the bed, falling into a deep slumber almost immediately.

The moment I fell asleep, I heard a voice, seemingly calling out a name. My heart skipped a beat, but the exhaustion was too overwhelming; I couldn't even open my eyes.