Ghost (II)

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper gave a wry smile. "If you're asking me a question, how could I dare say I don't have time? Even if I really didn't have time, I would have to say I did."

The shopkeeper came over, nodded, and said, "I have time now. You're the only customer, so I'm quite free."

The previous guests had all been driven away by the bounty hunters. Nobody dared to come in, and he was quite helpless. Luckily, Fanxin had given him so much money; otherwise, he would have suffered a huge loss today.

"Okay, sit down! Don't be afraid of me, I won't target ordinary people, I only target the Navy, pirates, and bounty hunters." Fan Xin Fanxin comforted the boss when he saw that he was scared.

"Oh, is that really true? I heard you're a pirate," the shopkeeper said somewhat uncertainly.

"Hehe, most pirates are indeed vicious, I don't deny that. But some pirates are different from what you imagine. They don't rob or bully ordinary people; they only target those who attack them," Fanxin said. "That's how I am. If you don't target me, I won't target you either, hehe."

"Oh, I see." Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper nodded slightly. He sat down in front of Fanxin with trepidation and said, "Ask away! If I know, I will definitely tell you."

Fanxin Xin nodded and said, "Why is your island called Onigashima? Is there some kind of origin to it?"

"This?!" Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper broke out in a cold sweat. He glanced around and whispered, "This is a taboo on this island. You can't say it, absolutely not, or I'll be taken away by a ghost."

"Hmm, what do you mean by that?" Fanxin asked, puzzled.

"I don't know either," the shopkeeper said. "This island wasn't originally called Onigashima, but ever since a hundred years ago, every fifteenth of the month, it becomes eerie, filled with black mist that sends chills down your spine. More importantly, many strange creatures move with the black mist. If you hide in the cellar, you're fine, but if you're on the street, they'll grab you."

"This phenomenon has persisted for a hundred years and has become deeply ingrained in people's minds. Therefore, everyone calls this island Onigashima and has forgotten its original name."

"Haven't you explored them? What exactly are those things?" Fanxin asked.

"How could we dare? Many powerful beings have tried, but they all mysteriously disappeared. The Navy also sent people here, but those Navy personnel either vanished or went mad," the shopkeeper said. "So, since then, no one has dared to explore further."

"Once the 15th arrives, everyone will hide in the cellar and do nothing. They'll only come out after the 15th."

"Oh, I see. So today is the 10th of the month?" Fanxin asked.

"You're asking this because you want to..." the boss said, sounding somewhat uncertain.

"Yes, I'm going to go explore it," Fanxin Xin chuckled and said.

Upon hearing this, the boss's expression changed, and he said, "No... don't go! It's very dangerous; you'll be taken away by a ghost!"

"I'm very strong, don't worry! I'll be fine," Fanxin chuckled and said.

He was quite confident in his abilities. Although he couldn't defeat Vice Admiral and Admiral, he had no problem dealing with anyone below the Vice Admiral.

"Well... alright then!" the shopkeeper said. "Today is the 14th, and tomorrow is the 15th. The ghosts won't come out until after midnight tonight."

"Oh, perfect! Then I'll go explore tonight!" Fanxin Xin grinned and said.

"Well... then be careful!" Seeing that Fanxin wouldn't listen to his advice, the boss had no choice but to let him be.

After finishing lunch, Fanxin immediately left the restaurant. He found a place to stay temporarily, had the robot watch over him, and then went to sleep.

Because his operation starts at midnight tonight, he won't be able to sleep all night. So, he can only catch up on some sleep now.

The robot did not object and kept watch over Fanxin in the room.

Time passed by unnoticed.

That evening, Fanxin entered Wolf Valley and spoke with Li Kecheng, explaining that he had something to attend to and couldn't train that night. Li Kecheng didn't say much upon hearing this. Fanxin had always been very hardworking, and he believed that Fanxin must have encountered some trouble; otherwise, he would never have given up on cultivation.

After receiving Li Kecheng's approval, Fanxin no longer hesitated. He opened the window and jumped out.

There was no one outside; the road was quiet.

The surroundings were shrouded in black mist, obscuring everything. Fanxin even faintly heard ghostly cries, chilling sounds that sent shivers down his spine.

"Master, is that really a ghost?" the robot asked.

"No, but I don't know what it is either?" Fanxin shook his head immediately upon hearing this.

Ghosts are also souls, and he was an expert in souls. He used his Soul Perception things and didn't detect any soul fluctuations. Therefore, he was certain that this was definitely not a ghost.

However, this phenomenon looked so real, like a ghostly procession, that even he didn't know how to explain it.

"Then what should we do? Should we continue exploring?" the robot asked.

"Of course, now that we've made the decision, how can we back down so easily?" Fanxin Xin nodded and said, "However, we need to be careful. There's definitely a hidden danger here. If we're careless, we'll be in big trouble."

Many experts and naval personnel have been here, so this place must be extraordinary; otherwise, they wouldn't have suffered such heavy losses.

"That's true, let's go!" The robot nodded, saying nothing more. It took out a long spear and walked ahead.

Fanxin followed behind, glancing around as he walked.

Soon after, Fanxin and the robot encountered many strange things—people and animals, all of which looked terrifying and were covered in blood. Even if they weren't ghosts, they would probably be frightened.

Fanxin Xin found it hard to bear, let alone ordinary people. Only then did he understand why they were so afraid.

With Fanxin caution, he slowly approached the blood-soaked creatures. Reaching them, he touched them, wanting to test what they were.

To his surprise, his hand passed right through it without any resistance.

"Hmm, could it be an illusion?" Fanxin Xin frowned slightly. These things were not physical entities, but rather illusory ones. He wondered how they were made, as they were far too realistic.

"I am a physical entity," the robot suddenly said.

Upon hearing this, Fanxin immediately went over. He came to the robot's side, touched the person the robot was holding, and said, "Yes, he is indeed a physical being. How is this possible? Why are some of them illusory while others are real?"

"I don't know either. Ah, he's turned into a phantom again," the robot suddenly said.

Fanxin tried again and found that the person had become an ethereal being, and he could no longer touch him.

"It seems someone is manipulating things behind the scenes," Fanxin said.

"Hmm, so what should we do?" The robot nodded, agreeing with the idea.

"Let's take a closer look! I also want to figure out what kind of ability this is; it's so strange," Fanxin said. After saying that, he continued forward.

The robot immediately followed.

As they continued onward, they indeed encountered countless such people and violent acts; they all looked extremely miserable, as if they had been tortured.

Neither Fanxin nor the robot felt any fear, because they believed in their own strength.

Fanxin, leading the robot, headed against the direction in which people and animals were moving; that should be the source. Only when they reached the source could they understand everything.

More than an hour later, Fanxin and the robot arrived at a mountain peak on the east side of Onigashima and stopped.

They came here because they discovered that the bloodied people and animals all came from here. To find out what was going on, they had to go inside the mountain.

After resting for a while, Fanxin and the robot decided to head into the mountains.

However, just then, a voice suddenly rang out, shouting, "This is my territory. You are not allowed to enter. Do you understand?"

"Hehe, you're the one who orchestrated all this, aren't you!" Fanxin Xin chuckled and said.

He knew someone was manipulating everything in the shadows, but he didn't know who that person was.

"So what if I am? Why are you meddling in other people's business?" the owner of the voice retorted, clearly displeased.

"I'm just curious. Come out, let's meet. As long as you don't hurt anyone, I'll leave," Fanxin said with a smile.

His reasons for exploring were twofold: first, his own curiosity; and second, his concern that this guy was harming people everywhere.

"Hmph, who knows what you're up to! Kid, you'd better leave, or I'll make you regret it." The owner of the voice was furious and unwilling to see Fanxin.

Upon hearing this, Fanxin said, "Since that's the case, then I'll have no choice but to force my way in. Don't blame me, okay?"

"Trying to break in? Heh, come on then. I don't know why you're so bold, not afraid of ghosts at all. But finding me won't be easy. I'll show you what it means to be powerful." The owner of the voice said arrogantly.

"Really? Then come on, let me see!" Fanxin Xin laughed and said.

"You just wait!" The owner of the voice snorted softly, and then fell silent.

Fanxin smiled and exchanged a glance with the robot. Then, he immediately led the robot inside.

At first, they had a smooth journey, but then their troubles began.

They suddenly noticed that the mountain was changing; the mountain, which hadn't been very high before, had now become much taller and larger. And although they had already climbed some distance, they were now back at the foot of the mountain.

What made them even more devastated was that the spot where they were standing, which had originally been at an angle, was now vertical. Fanxin and the robot were falling.

"Holy crap, no way!" Fanxin saw herself falling and was on the verge of tears.

They finally made it to the top, only to be back to square one soon. How tragic!

"Heh, come on, I'll play you to death. Just pretend you don't know anything, why did you have to ruin my plans?" the voice said unhappily.

"Hmph, I won't admit defeat. Just you wait, I'll definitely come looking for you and catch you," Fanxin said unhappily.

"You can't get through, because you're about to be suppressed," the voice said.

"Hmph, words are no proof," Fanxin retorted.

"Meteor Fall!" The owner of the voice shouted loudly without answering him.

Moments later, countless meteorites rained down from the sky, hurtling towards Fanxin. If Fanxin couldn't escape, he would definitely be crushed under the meteorites.

"Damn it, what kind of ability does this guy have?! He can actually control meteorites, this is terrifying!" Fanxin's expression changed immediately when he saw countless huge meteorites falling from the sky and landing right above his head. If those meteorites hit him, even if he was physically strong, he would be dead.

He immediately donned his Flight Armor and began to dodge. The robot also took to the air and followed behind Fanxin.

As they flew, they attacked, breaking the meteorite into smaller pieces, thus reducing its threat.

"It's useless, you can't finish them off. Heh, let's see how long you can last." The owner of the voice chuckled and continued to create meteorites. Countless meteorites fell from the sky, covering the entire sky, and they could no longer see the sky.

"Damn it, how could they play us like this?" Fanxin was furious. With the other side constantly creating meteorites, even if he worked himself to death here, he couldn't keep going.

"Hmph, who told you to cause me trouble? I have no grudge against you, you're just being nosy. I naturally have to punish those who cause trouble." The owner of the voice said, "Don't worry, after you die, I'll erect a monument for you. State your name! Otherwise, I'll have to erect an unmarked monument."

"Pah! I won't die here. You think you can kill me? That's impossible." Fanxin snorted and shouted unhappily.

"That's not necessarily true." The owner of the voice snorted lightly and said, "The meteorite has arrived, and the Heavenly Fire will be here soon. Hope you like it."

After speaking, the owner of the voice immediately created heavenly fire again. Countless fireballs fell from the sky and headed straight for Fanxin, blocking all of Fanxin's path.

His Fanxin could no longer fly upwards; it could only fall downwards. Otherwise, he would be burned by the heavenly fire.

However, even if he did this, he would only be temporarily safe; the real crisis would not be over. When he landed on the ground, his crisis would be complete. At that time, heavenly fire and meteorites would engulf him. He would have nowhere to hide.