Chapter 422: Chapter 360: Amitabha Buddha
The sound of the Ghost Village Chief flipping pages behind him was getting faster and faster. He could finish a page almost every two minutes, a speed that matched Lu Youcheng’s, who was going all out. As time ticked by, amidst cuts being made on his body, the scene Lu Youcheng dreaded most still occurred: the sound of body movement friction sounded again, and this time, it stopped right behind him.
The Ghost Monk had arrived, right behind him. Though he had not moved yet, the pressure nearly crushed Lu Youcheng at that moment.
The Ghost Village Chief’s sutra copying speed was still increasing, and he was about to surpass Lu Youcheng. Running out of blood, Lu Youcheng didn’t have time to think and slashed deeply into his arm again, but the next second he was stunned. No blood flowed out at all.
He could see the red flesh inside the wound, but it just wouldn’t bleed. At the same time, there was a faint chill at the wound, as if the blood vessels were filled with ice.
At that moment, how could Lu Youcheng not understand? It must be the Ghost Monk’s doing, helping the Chief cheat.
In just a short moment, the Ghost Village Chief had finished another page, and the sound of flipping this time significantly agitated Lu Youcheng. Going on like this, he was bound to lose. Lu Youcheng grabbed the knife, like a gambler in desperation, and cut himself three more times, but without exception, no blood flowed from the wounds, only an eerie chill. Lu Youcheng broke down. With the last slice, he fiercely cut his wrist. Blood—that was all he wanted now. He needed to continue copying sutras, to beat the Ghost Village Chief behind him!
But still no blood appeared. He could even see through his wound the severed blood vessels inside. It was too late. Even if blood appeared now, it would be too late. The Ghost Village Chief’s speed was increasing, managing to copy a page of sutra in less than a minute—an impossible pace for him to catch up with.
It wasn’t wise to stay here any longer. Since he had already lost, there was no need to stay and face death. According to the experience Yang Xiao and others had brought back last time, even if the mission failed, as long as major mistakes were avoided and he returned to the ancestral home before the Soul-Attracting Incense burned out, he could survive.
Survival was crucial. He had tried his best. He would bring back any information collected and hand it over to Sui Chengguo. The rest was up to him.
With less than a third of the Soul-Attracting Incense left, it was time to leave. Lu Youcheng put down his pen, pulled out the incense, and tried to stand up. Fortunately, his shadow had not been pinned down, and he could still move relatively freely. He didn’t dare look back. He could only slightly turn his body and head towards the ancestral hall’s door.
After walking a few steps, the oppressive cold enveloping him gradually dissipated. The Ghost Monk behind him did not follow, which confused Lu Youcheng greatly. But the next second, he suddenly felt a warm moisture spreading over his body, as if he were being showered with hot water.
Looking down, the sight on his body froze him on the spot. Fresh blood was flowing profusely from his left arm, where he had rolled up his sleeve, particularly from the wrist wound where blood was nearly spraying out. At the same time, all the previous wounds that had been cut but not bled began to burst open, and the rapid blood loss made Lu Youcheng feel dizzy and unsteady on his feet.
He knew what was happening now, those wounds were previously sealed by the Ghost Monk, but the wounds still existed. Now away from the Ghost Monk’s power, the wounds began to bleed profusely. If this continued, he was undoubtedly going to die from blood loss.
He quickly turned around, his steps unsteady as he walked back, trying to sit back at the table to stop the bleeding and find a chance to escape. But before he could take a few steps, he collapsed to the ground, falling next to the Ghost Village Chief’s table. Struggling to raise his head, he saw a scene that made him despair—there sat the Ghost Village Chief, eyes blank and staring straight ahead, hands frozen on the table holding a sheet of paper, occasionally shaking it, making a "rustling" noise, as if turning a page, while his sutra paper was completely clean, not a single character written.
"I’ve been tricked..."
Lu Youcheng could no longer hold on and crashed heavily to the ground, his face filled with despair. He couldn’t figure out how Quan Doufeng had escaped; his body was clean without a scar. How... how did he do it?
The Ghost Villagers below seemed as if they had been waiting for this moment for a long time, one by one standing up, their hands pressed together in prayer, their heads shaking as the chants grew louder and louder.
"Amitabha, to kill is to pay with one’s life."
"Amitabha, evil debts are repaid with evil."
"Amitabha, the Five Precepts of hell."
In the solemn yet eerie chanting, these ragged villagers bowed their heads, chanting as they tiptoed slowly to encircle Lu Youcheng, quickly engulfing his figure.
In the last moments before his consciousness faded, Lu Youcheng vaguely saw the Ghost Village Chief push through the villagers, his hands pressed together in prayer as he walked towards him.
...
In a room within the Du Family Ancestral Home, Yang Xiao and the others tried everything they could think of to trick the ghost masquerading as Quan Doufeng to leave, but it was futile; the creature was exceedingly cunning and stubbornly refused to budge.
The ghost’s disguise was near perfect. Yang Xiao and his group took turns observing but could not find any flaw. The ghost’s ability to imitate was almost to the pinnacle, perfectly mimicking even Quan Doufeng’s sly demeanor.
They had encountered a master; this was trouble.
Considering the time, Lu Youcheng should have been back by now, but there was no sign of him. Yang Xiao and the others had a terrible premonition; he was probably dead, likely killed by the ghost outside, marking the second person they lost, casting a shadow over everyone’s heart.
Cheng Cha pursed her lips and finally couldn’t hold back, "Sui, I think we should call it off tonight. You shouldn’t go anymore, even if you can dodge the ghost outside, it will be difficult to win without any clues."
Cheng Cha made a valid point. He had been on the mission the previous night and knew its dangers. The three of them had synergized perfectly, yet they were still one step short. Tonight, Sui Chengguo would have to rely solely on himself, which was daunting.
"Sui, he’s right, do not take the risk," Yang Xiao also urged him to give up, preparing fully instead for the Night of the Drinking Precept.
But Sui Chengguo merely shook his head and sighed, "Thanks for your concern, but we don’t have many chances left. We can’t bet everything on tomorrow night."
"Tonight we have already lost two people, and Mi Shu... she’s unlikely to survive either. If tonight is like this, tomorrow will be tougher. While there’s still a chance, I want to give it my all. If we win, that’s great; if we lose... everyone, do not give up." Sui Chengguo made up his mind, his expression firming up, "Success or failure lies with fate. Last night, I owe you all for risking your lives; it would be unfair to you if I fled tonight."
