Yang He shuddered, instantly realizing how terrifying the Beast Tamer's methods were.
He had previously thought Song Zhi had already fled Jialiang Water Town. Now, it seemed that Song Zhi's fate had been sealed the moment he advanced to the Hungry Ghost stage.
In the schemes of those two Evil Ghost cultivators, Song Zhi was bound to die.
The candlelight flickered faintly, and the surroundings were utterly silent.
Though there were no ghosts or monsters in the yamen, Yang He still felt a chill run down his spine. "Human hearts truly are more terrifying than ghosts."
"They are currently wary of Head Constable Sun, so they should not act without restraint. But that will not last long—perhaps only two or three months."
Yang He steadied himself and picked up the brush to write again.
'Head Constable Sun, what are the benefits of a ghost's revival?'
Song Zhi had revived because he could not satisfy the hunger of the Hungry Ghost within him, but the coachman clearly understood the pros and cons. It felt as though he had done it willingly.
'Yin energy is scarce, and the path to immortality has already been severed. Only by becoming ghosts can we sense the yin energy within boundless Hell and continue cultivating.'
Yang He sucked in a cold breath. Head Constable Sun had also used boundless Hell to describe that bizarre real world. That said it all.
Only then did he realize that the Main World had never entered an era of dwindling Dharma. Rather, all the yin energy needed for cultivation was concentrated in boundless Hell.
"The First Layer of Hell is filled with ghosts and monsters, while the Second Layer of Hell has Thousand Mile Ghost Corpses hanging in midair. Ninety-nine percent of the yin energy is cut off between humans and ghosts by window paper, so revival is the only path to cultivation."
After the coachman's Hungry Ghost right arm fell into the First Layer of Hell, it was equivalent to breaking through window paper by another means, allowing it to absorb the yin energy of the First Layer of Hell.
Once one advanced to the Fierce Ghost stage, a second revival became necessary.
Otherwise, there would be no hope of further cultivation.
Yang He shivered, a trace of confusion rising in his heart.
He continued writing. 'Head Constable Sun, what are the conditions for a second revival?'
'Abandon more of your body.'
As cultivators cast away more and more of their bodies, they would inevitably become incomplete. Of course, the more incomplete they became, the more terrifying their strength.
Yang He's breathing grew heavy as he could not help questioning himself.
Do I... need to revive?
If he did not revive, it seemed he could only rely on the Lore World.
Yang He did not want to become neither human nor ghost, but he could not be certain whether he would compromise in the future. Fortunately, he did not need to make that decision so soon.
"I have Spiritual Vision. I can see truths that can only be glimpsed through revival, and I can travel back and forth through the Lore World. There is no need to rush for now."
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle~~
While Yang He was distracted, the temperature inside the room suddenly plummeted.
The yin energy radiating from the tiger ghost skin was boiling. A little flesh could be seen growing from it, while the wooden mannequins outside also began to stir restlessly.
The black cat bared its teeth, reminding Yang He to leave as soon as possible.
Yang He forcibly suppressed his stray thoughts.
'Head Constable Sun, do you know a method for containing a second ghost?'
'I am Sun Qi. Who are you?'
'Head Constable Sun, do you know a method for refining yin artifacts?'
'I am Sun Qi. Who are you?'
Yang He asked several questions in succession, but every response was unnaturally rigid. This proved that Head Constable Sun's condition truly could not be optimistic.
He tried the names of every book in the illusion until he reached Inner Elixir Art.
'Head Constable Sun, do you know the contents of Inner Elixir Art?'
The response unexpectedly fell into a brief hesitation, after which large passages of text emerged.
'The elixir is the Ghost Dao; only containing two ghosts is the Dao. The Dao alone has no counterpart, thus it is called an elixir. Heaven gains one and becomes clear; Earth gains one...'
Yang He's eyes widened. It truly was a method for containing a second ghost.
Inner Elixir Art was not very long, and it seemed faintly incomplete. He could only force himself to memorize it through his experience of two lifetimes.
By now, the tiger ghost skin weighed twenty or thirty pounds, and bones had begun growing inside it.
Yang He did not exchange the tiger ghost skin for Spiritual Vision. This item was likely Head Constable Sun's last hope for survival. There was no need to covet Spiritual Vision and cause Peibai City to lose the yamen's protection early.
After repeatedly confirming that he had memorized Inner Elixir Art correctly, he hurriedly let go of the scalding hot potato, grabbed the black cat, and ran for his life.
Just as he was about to move away from the study, Yang He looked back.
Inside, a headless figure sat at the table flipping through books. It was clearly the remaining consciousness repeating its daily habits.
Yang He sensed no malice, so he slowed his steps.
He still chose to return by the main gate, pretending to be one of the townsfolk whose perception had been confused as he staggered unsteadily out of the yamen.
Yang He carried the act through to the end, stumbling all the way home.
Cock-a-doodle-doo~~
Without realizing it, the morning sun had already risen on the horizon.
Most of the tiger stripes on Yang He's body had faded. He felt somewhat exhausted, but obtaining Inner Elixir Art left him immensely excited.
The moment he entered the side room, he immediately copied Inner Elixir Art onto paper.
According to the records of Inner Elixir Art, it was relatively simple for a living person to contain their first ghost, without needing to worry about backlash. But the second ghost was different. The two would inevitably fight each other fiercely.
Moreover, cultivators had to adapt to the effects of having two ghosts within them.
Inner Elixir Art involved refining the second ghost in one's body into an elixir pellet, placing it within the heart, then gradually refining it as it flowed through the body with the blood.
"What a pity. Inner Elixir Art seems to be missing part of its contents."
"But then again, Head Constable Sun was so obsessed with Inner Elixir Art. Could he be on the verge of death because he cultivated it?"
Yang He thoughtfully pinched the bridge of his nose. Rashly cultivating it would likely lead straight to death.
"Refining an elixir pellet within the body is extremely complicated. The slightest mistake will cause yin energy to erode yang energy, and Inner Elixir Art is incomplete. Unless..."
Yang He narrowed his eyes, a smile curling at the corner of his lips. "Unless an immortal teaches you, how could anyone possibly get started with Inner Elixir Art?"
It did not matter if his alternate identity went mad from cultivation. Trying it in the Lore World was the best course of action.
Just right, the Daoist child had two ghosts inside him.
Yang He tucked Inner Elixir Art close to his body. He lay on the bed, unable to fall asleep no matter how much he tossed and turned, so he simply guided the thin yin energy through a circulating cycle.
Before he knew it, he was half asleep and half awake, his consciousness seeming to leave his body.
When Yang He woke, sunlight streamed onto the wall through gaps in the doors and windows, carrying an unbearable stench with it.
He stretched and casually opened the door.
"How strange. How could there be sun-rain in the third month of spring?"
The blazing sun hung overhead, yet a fine rain fell continuously outside. Water mist rolled across the ground, and more than a dozen bird-bodied Evil Ghosts with human faces could be seen amid the mist.
Yang He noticed the clothes Old Man Yang had put out to dry in the courtyard and hurried outside.
"Old Man won't blame me, will he? Who could have expected sun-rain to suddenly fall? Besides, Jialiang Water Town might not even see it once in an entire year..."
The instant Yang He left the side room, his muttering abruptly stopped.
His pupils shook as he tried to catch the rainwater in his palm.
The rainwater passed directly through his hand.
Yang He's face was full of disbelief. Only then did he discover that he could not touch the water gathered on the ground either. He could not help opening Pupil Ghost and carefully observing the situation.
He quickly realized that the rain was not falling in the present world, but in the First Layer of Hell.
That was right—Hell... was raining!
Over the following days, as the century-old Treasure Fish continued to be dissected, the rain only grew heavier, and the Evil Ghosts in the city became more active.
Before you continue