An icy chill coiled around Hu Jiu's neck. The sensation of suffocation came and went in an instant. He kicked his legs twice in a most undignified manner, then lay still.
The White Sash vanished, and Hu Jiu's body fell to the ground with a thud.
The White Sash on the tall man was the true form; the others were all supernatural manifestations derived from it.
Seeing that everyone nearby was dead, the somewhat short and stout man immediately urged, "That fierce ghost has vanished. I'm afraid someone accidentally tamed it. We have to kill him quickly, before the new ghost tamer gets familiar with his ability! We can't find the ghost tamer, so we can only kill every living person in this area indiscriminately and make the ghost revive again!"
The tall man twisted his neck in irritation. "Wei Xiyuan, is running your fucking mouth all you're good for? You sound like you know exactly what to do, so why don't you get your hands dirty and help?"
The man called Wei Xiyuan sighed. "The fierce ghost inside me is about to go out of control. Zhou Long, you don't want to face it after it revives when I die, do you?"
Zhou Long sneered. "Cut the crap! We released a fierce ghost in a crowded city center and then went on a killing spree. We did it together, so don't think you can dodge responsibility just because you didn't do the killing yourself!"
Wei Xiyuan was momentarily at a loss for words. His voice grew a little weaker. "Little Zhou, you and I are grasshoppers tied to the same rope. Don't be so suspicious all the time. If we don't handle this properly, neither of us will come to a good end."
Zhou Long said nothing more, but his expression was unusually grim. The two headed toward where there were living people, their figures gradually receding into the distance. They failed to notice that a corpse lying on the ground suddenly rippled like water and, in the blink of an eye, turned into a living person.
The Mirage Ghost's core ability was to create Phantoms. Just now, Hu Jiu had covered himself with a Phantom and played dead. He had originally planned to ambush and kill the two ghost tamers, but their conversation had caught his attention.
The Mirage Ghost had been released on purpose!
Hu Jiu wasn't surprised. In his previous life, Chu Shan's experience taming the Mirage Ghost had practically been a display of protagonist halo, and his subsequent growth had gone smoothly as well. There had been all sorts of speculation about it in supernatural circles, and Hu Jiu had heard no fewer than five versions of the conspiracy theory.
A Phantom covered Hu Jiu again, and he blended into his surroundings like a chameleon, quietly following the two ghost tamers.
He heard no more useful information, however. After all, people with working brains didn't readily shout their secrets aloud as if they feared others wouldn't hear them.
Just as Hu Jiu's patience was running out and his urge to kill was growing, Zhou Long and Wei Xiyuan suddenly stopped. A strange man in a black trench coat, with a backpack on his back, had blocked their way.
Festering wounds covered the man's face and hands, constantly oozing putrid, nauseating bodily fluids. He was obviously a ghost tamer as well. Surprise flashed across Wei Xiyuan's and Zhou Long's faces. "Lu Rui? What are you doing here?"
Lu Rui didn't answer. He simply pointed at the corpses littering the ground and angrily rebuked them. "Wei Xiyuan, Zhou Long, you two have really gone mad. You attacked a city and caused such a huge commotion. Have you thought about how this will end? Headquarters won't let you off."
Zhou Long shook his head, unconcerned. "Ghost tamers are short-lived to begin with. I might already be dead before headquarters catches me. We're only doing this to survive. The chance to stay alive is right in front of me, and no one can stand in my way!"
Wei Xiyuan added, "Someone promised to tell us a way to extend a ghost tamer's life if we get this done. Lu Rui, for the sake of our old friendship, why don't you join us? We'll share the method with you afterward."
The two played off each other, trying to bring Lu Rui aboard their pirate ship.
Unfortunately, Lu Rui wasn't buying it. "I don't know who promised you the moon, but aren't you afraid that after you commit an unforgivable crime, they'll burn the bridge once they've crossed it and discard you as cannon fodder?"
Zhou Long was getting impatient. "Don't think you're the only smart person in the world. Of course we've thought of the same thing you have. But do we have any other choice? Our fierce ghosts are going to revive anyway, so we might as well go all in! This has nothing to do with you, so why do you insist on stopping us?"
"Because this is my hometown, and my friends and family all live in this city!" Lu Rui said through gritted teeth, staring coldly at the two men. "I suggest you get lost, or don't blame me for getting rough!"
Wei Xiyuan's expression darkened, and Zhou Long also made a move as if to fight. Yet... they never actually came to blows, standing in place and trading verbal attacks instead.
Ghost tamers consumed their own lifespans when they used their abilities. Zhou Long could easily strangle large numbers of ordinary people with supernatural power, but he was unwilling to clash with another ghost tamer. Whether he won or lost, the cost would be too great, and he didn't want to be worn down to death. Unless it was necessary, he wouldn't use his ghost's power at all.
Did ghost tamers who started major fights over minor matters think their lives were too long?
Hidden nearby, Hu Jiu listened to an earful of nonsense, his mood souring. His finger crooked slightly, and a strip of bloodstained white silk suddenly dropped from midair and lunged at Lu Rui's neck.
Lu Rui was shocked. He immediately used the Corpse Oil he had tamed, dodging the White Sash while attacking Zhou Long.
Zhou Long was equally startled. "Let me explain. I didn't do it..."
But Lu Rui didn't believe him at all. With a flick of his hand, droplets of oil oozing from his wounds flew straight at Zhou Long's face.
Zhou Long was seething with anger, but he had no choice except to counterattack. Strips of bloodstained white silk appeared out of nowhere, shielding him.
The Corpse Oil landed on the White Sash and instantly corroded it until it snapped. Quick to react, Lu Rui stepped forward and seized the true form of the White Sash around Zhou Long's neck.
Zhou Long's expression changed drastically, and he roared at Wei Xiyuan, "Come help me!"
But Wei Xiyuan quickly retreated several steps. "Brother Zhou, I'm sorry, but my ghost is on the verge of going out of control. I can't use it even once."
With that, he turned tail and ran without looking back.
Zhou Long was nearly driven mad with rage. Wei Xiyuan had an honest, good-natured face and was always spouting sweet words, yet when it mattered, he wouldn't lift a finger. The bastard had to let him down!
"Lu Rui, that really was a misunderstanding! Don't be rash, or you'll trigger the fierce ghost's revival!"
Lu Rui froze for an instant, and in the blink of an eye another White Sash lunged at his face. Rage immediately flared in him. He drove the Corpse Oil's supernatural power with all his strength, his eyes full of murderous intent!
Even jumping into the Yellow River couldn't wash Zhou Long clean of suspicion, and the situation left him no room to explain. His reason was gradually affected by the fierce ghost. It took only a few short seconds for his restrained counterattacks to turn into a reckless, all-out fight.
In a battle between ghost tamers, a few seconds were enough to decide the outcome.
The Corpse Oil was more terrifying by a degree. Zhou Long couldn't withstand it. A drop of oil landed on his arm, instantly eating a festering, foul-smelling wound into it, which spread rapidly.