Hungry Ghost Resurgence Requires Sacrifice!

The study door was ajar, the candlelight steady, and a faint scent of sandalwood lingered.

"Why didn't my Spiritual Vision detect anything unusual earlier?"

Yang He frowned. Since his Spiritual Vision surpassed 10 points, it had been almost infallible, yet today he'd been stumped at the yamen.

He looked around, then covered his left eye, which was marked with tiger stripes.

The study reverted to its former state as a dilapidated storeroom.

"It seems I can't be reckless just because of my Spiritual Vision. Once the tiger stripes spread to my eyes, they alter one's perception through sight."

If Yang He had used his pupil ghost in conjunction with his Spiritual Vision, he likely wouldn't have been affected.

But fortunately, he hadn't opened his pupil ghost. Otherwise, no matter how many times he visited the yamen, he probably wouldn't have found the study.

"Heizi."

Yang He's expression brightened, and he patted the Black Cat's backside.

Meow~~

The Black Cat wisely crouched by the door, staring at the unmoving wooden dummy in the darkness. Its unique half-ghost, half-cat nature meant it didn't need to blink.

The wooden dummy was now on all fours, appearing no different from a tiger at first glance.

"Let's make haste. I don't want to accommodate a Chāng ghost. If I end up within the imperial system because of this, I fear I'll be bound by rules everywhere."

The tiger stripes had spread to his waist, but they were still relatively orderly. When they covered his entire body, it would coincide with the rising sun, and the Chāng ghost within the wooden dummy might break free.

Yang He pushed open the main door, feeling the yin and dampness of the study.

He went to a wooden shelf and took out a book, only to find its texture extremely strange and its weight only a tenth of a normal book.

The title read "Great Yin Scorching Jade Refinement Method."

Yang He frowned, a vague sense of foreboding washing over him.

He quickly flipped through the book, only to find every page blank.

"What's fake can't be real. A whole night wasted?!"

Yang He clutched his left eye. The book in his hand vanished, and the study transformed back into a storeroom, with only useless sundries on the wooden shelf.

Stubbornly, he took out book after book, but they were all illusions, indicating that the study was also a manifestation of Head Constable Sun's thoughts.

Yang He couldn't help but feel disappointed, but it made sense.

Even if the yamen had cultivation methods, they wouldn't be openly placed in a study. Head Constable Sun was dead, not stupid.

"I'll have to make a long-term plan, or find a way to pry information from Grandmaster Taiyi."

Yang He shook his head slightly and turned to leave the study.

His only consolation was that Head Constable Sun's character was likely upright. His recruitment of numerous Chāng ghost constables was probably a subconscious response to sensing danger.

"Wait a minute. I've handled over a dozen books, but why isn't there any Inner Elixir Art that the old man mentioned?"

"Could there be something hidden?"

Yang He hesitated for a moment and then examined the information of the sundries on the wooden shelf one by one.

Most were tools for the yamen's daily repairs. However, a rolled-up tiger skin was an exception, confirming his guess.

[Tiger Ghost Skin] [A yin object derived from the skin of a tiger ghost. Its contained yin qi has completely dissipated and cannot be used for artifact refinement, but a trace of life force still remains.] [Tiger Ghost Skin can be exchanged for 1.9 Spiritual Vision.]

Yang He immediately untied the rope binding the tiger ghost skin. Except for the missing head, the fur and skin were exceptionally intact, and it still felt warm to the touch.

But no matter how he looked at it, it was just an ordinary yin object.

In fact, since it couldn't be used for artifact refinement, its only value was in being exchanged for Spiritual Vision.

After a long hesitation, Yang He noticed that the information about exchanging the tiger ghost skin for Spiritual Vision had changed.

[Tiger Ghost Skin can be exchanged for 1.8 Spiritual Vision.]

"Could the tiger ghost skin be related to Head Constable Sun? When the life force finally disappears, it means Head Constable Sun has breathed his last."

Yang He pondered for a long time, but no method seemed to work.

At this moment, he vaguely heard cheers from the market entrance. It seemed there was new progress in dismembering the century-old Treasure Fish, and the stench was intensifying.

The smell made Yang He want to gag. Seeing this, he no longer hesitated.

Although he could come back tomorrow night, Head Constable Sun's current condition would worsen each day, possibly even leading to madness.

Crack.

A sliver of pupil ghost opened on the back of Yang He's hand, drawing in the surrounding yin qi.

The pupil ghost expressed deep terror, staring at Yang He with a resentful gaze. If it had a mouth, it would likely be spewing profanities.

A chilling yin wind blew from the depths of the yamen.

Yang He watched from afar with his Spiritual Vision, ready to retreat at the slightest sign of trouble, while the pupil ghost shivered and burrowed into the flesh.

Only the Black Cat, ignorant of danger, yawned and stretched lazily.

Yang He's heart pounded like a drum.

However, the commotion from deep within the yamen quickly subsided, and the surroundings returned to peace.

It turned out that a pupil ghost in the weak ghost stage was just a minor character, posing no threat.

He channeled yin qi into the tiger ghost skin. Immediately after digesting it, the skin began to absorb external yin qi on its own, its fur becoming smooth and lustrous.

Next, bloody writing appeared on the tiger ghost skin.

'I am Sun Qi, who are you?'

Yang He was stunned for a few moments, then hastily found a brush in the illusion.

'Head Constable Sun, I am a constable from the Peibai City yamen.'

'I am Sun Qi, who are you?'

Yang He thought to himself, "This is likely the residual spiritual intelligence of Head Constable Sun. Tonight is not the day he awakens, so his consciousness is completely gone."

He tentatively began to write, 'Head Constable Sun, what is a marvel?'

'Ghosts also have lifespans. After death, they transform into marvels.'

Yang He's lips felt dry. No wonder marvels existed in the form of plants, animals, and beasts, and then humans consumed them to cultivate ghosts.

'Head Constable Sun, after an evil ghost revives, how can one avoid going mad?'

'Sacrifice.'

The bloody word "sacrifice" exuded a strong sense of resentment.

Yang He's face flushed. He had finally touched upon a corner of the Main World, and the revival of evil ghosts was likely unique to it.

'Head Constable Sun, how should one sacrifice when an evil ghost revives?'

'Sacrifice a portion of one's body and integrate it with the revived evil ghost; if one does not sacrifice a portion of their body, the revived evil ghost will occupy the entire body.'

'Sacrifice!!!'

Yang He's mouth was dry. He carefully recalled his only two encounters with revived evil ghosts.

Song Zhi's chest and abdomen were already occupied by an evil ghost from a previous revival. At that time, his appetite had completely overwhelmed his will, making him seem more like a hungry ghost.

The coachman was different.

The coachman Yang He saw with his own eyes had a missing right arm.

The right arm was not truly missing, but rather had fallen into a different layer of hell, becoming a ferocious hungry ghost.

Although the hungry ghost's right arm was ravenous, it had little impact on the person himself.

"This is... sacrifice."

"The coachman sacrificed his right arm, giving up a portion of his body in exchange for control over the hungry ghost."

"Song Zhi did not sacrifice a portion of his body, and as a result, he became prey to the hungry ghost, likely... having completely transformed into a ghost."

A chill ran down Yang He's spine, and sweat instantly soaked his clothes.

"Damn it!"

"Could the century-old Treasure Fish be Song Zhi?!"

"If some marvels originate from this, could they be living people consumed by the revival of evil ghosts?"

Yang He believed that marvels like the Treasure Fish were formed from the death of hungry ghosts.

But a Treasure Fish with human hands and feet was absolutely not!