The three of them laid out quite a bit of supplies outside—sour food, fruit, seasonings, and the like.
At first, all was calm, but as the scent began to drift through the air, some of the tiger's accomplice ghosts could no longer endure it and cautiously came over to lick at the food.
More and more accomplice ghosts gathered. Seeing this, the three swiftly headed for the house where the Zhanji Tiger was.
According to the plan, Chu Danqing and Da Bao hid first. Once Guo Ming reached the courtyard, he began to wail loudly, "Brother Chu, Brother Chu!"
Chu Danqing's scalp went numb. Listening to him, he almost thought he had truly fallen in.
Movement came from inside the house. The enormous tiger-shaped shadow donned Human Skin, then rushed out in a bizarre posture and hurriedly asked, "What happened?"
"Abbot, Brother Chu wanted to draw some water, but slipped and fell into the well."
Upon hearing this, Zen Master Yinke's face filled with astonishment. "This is a dry well. Where would there be water?"
Then, as though recalling something, he cried out, "Not good!"
He rushed over somewhat disheveled, thrusting his head into the well to see clearly.
The next instant, Chu Danqing and Da Bao charged out, and the three of them shoved together.
The two of them were nothing special, but Da Bao's Strength attribute was high. Caught completely off guard, Zen Master Yinke was pushed straight in.
Chu Danqing reached out and grabbed the Human Skin. An entire sheet of skin slid off as smoothly as silk.
The multicolored ferocious tiger wrapped within the Human Skin had not seemed large at first, but it swelled as it slid down into the well. By the time it hit the bottom, it had already returned to its original form.
Staring up at the two by the wellmouth, it let out an earth-shaking roar.
The shockwave formed by that Tiger's Roar made Guo Ming unable to stand steady. Fortunately, Chu Danqing gave him a hand.
Da Bao moved swiftly as well, hauling over two huge stones in succession and stacking them over the wellmouth. The roaring immediately became muffled and weaker.
"Da Bao, kill the accomplice ghosts." Chu Danqing gave the order decisively. Da Bao's 9 points of Agility erupted in an instant as he charged at full speed toward where the accomplice ghosts had gathered.
Chu Danqing and Guo Ming did not dare linger either, quickly following after him.
The Zhanji Tiger would need some time to get out. They could not remain there for long.
Elsewhere, Chu Danqing held the Human Skin in his hand and asked, "Talk. What's going on?"
Zen Master Yinke's Human Skin fluttered in his grasp, yet did not utter a word.
"I know you're alive. If you don't speak, I'll burn you first." Chu Danqing threatened.
The data provided by Scrutiny Technique identified it as Zen Master Yinke rather than an accomplice ghost. That meant the real Abbot still remained, even if only his Human Skin was left.
Otherwise, the name it gave would have been accomplice ghost.
"Why must you press me so hard, Benefactor? I merely wished to cling to life." A helpless voice came from the Human Skin.
"Speak. What is beneath the dry well, and why was the Zhanji Tiger so frightened?" Chu Danqing went straight to the point.
The Zhanji Tiger certainly was not afraid that Chu Danqing had truly fallen to the bottom and cost it a meal. There had to be some other secret beneath the well.
"I never expected that Benefactor already knew it was a Zhanji Tiger." The Human Skin replied before continuing, "Each time the Zhanji Tiger eats someone, it throws that person's skull into the bottom of the well."
"It seems to be feeding some fierce creature."
Chu Danqing's expression darkened. "This is your temple. You have been worn by the Zhanji Tiger more than once or twice. How could you not know what lies below?"
He did not believe Zen Master Yinke was anything good. He had surely committed acts of Serving as an Accomplice to the Tiger.
In truth, Chu Danqing already had a faint suspicion. He suspected it was the Middle Corpse Stumbler.
But on second thought, the Middle Corpse Stumbler ought to be on the Zhanji Tiger itself.
That was why he was puzzled about what could be at the bottom of the well, something capable of throwing the Zhanji Tiger into such panic.
"I do not know that. Why not go down and see for yourself, Benefactor?" Zen Master Yinke acted as though neither oil nor salt could get through him.
Seeing this, Chu Danqing could only roll him up, take out a bundle of thick hemp rope from Storage Space, bind him into a tube, and tie it to his waist with the rope.
With that attitude, he definitely knew why. He simply refused to say it.
So Zen Master Yinke still had value.
Chu Danqing was rough with his hands, making Zen Master Yinke howl and repeatedly beg him to be gentler.
A Constitution of 1 was truly low. Chu Danqing's earlier handling had rubbed the Human Skin raw and torn it.
"You practiced wicked arts in life, which is why you became a Skin-Painting Ghost after death." Guo Ming sneered, then said, "First coat you in a layer of lard, then hold you one inch above a candle flame and roast you."
"Then douse you with cold water. I guarantee a Skin-Painting Ghost like you will wish you were dead!"
Once Guo Ming spoke, Zen Master Yinke stopped crying out. Clearly, this method truly worked on him.
"Perfect. I have candles, lard, and clean water." As Chu Danqing spoke, he took out the corresponding items from Storage Space.
Judging by the look of it, he intended to try the method at once.
"Wait!" Zen Master Yinke was truly afraid now. "The thing at the bottom of the well is indeed connected to my temple."
"It is not difficult for me to tell you, but first you must kill this Zhanji Tiger and avenge my South Mountain Temple."
Chu Danqing did not refuse. "A deal."
After saying that, he put the items away.
"Before that, tell me what weaknesses the Zhanji Tiger has." Chu Danqing could wait to learn the truth beneath the well.
Killing the Zhanji Tiger was the urgent priority.
Without the threat of the Zhanji Tiger, Guo Ming's breadth of knowledge would provide plenty of ways to make Zen Master Yinke talk.
"An aberration lurks in the tiger's mouth. It was transformed from one of the Three Corpses within the human body, and its name is Stumbler."
"Only by first eliminating that thing can you kill the Zhanji Tiger."
"Next is its left hind leg. Before the Zhanji Tiger became a spirit, it was caught in a hunter's trap. The injury has remained crippling to this day," Zen Master Yinke hurriedly said.
When Guo Ming heard the words Three Corpses, a look of surprise appeared on his face. He seemingly had not expected to encounter the Three Corpses here.
From his expression, it was clear that he knew their origins.
"I already knew that. Tell me something I don't know. It is nothing more than the Way of Peace plotting in the shadows." Chu Danqing had no intention of concealing it.
Zen Master Yinke then tried to bring up killing the accomplice ghosts first, but before he could finish, Chu Danqing punched him and made him shut up.
"The Stumbler of the Zhanji Tiger was formed through the Three Corpses Severing Method in the Human Volume of the Book of Great Peace. I do know one weakness."
"My father once had ties with people from the Way of Peace and learned of a restraining incantation. It was recited during the Three Corpses Severing Method and could unsettle the Three Corpses."
"The incantation is not difficult, only forty characters. I can pass it on to Brother Chu." Guo Ming spoke.
Chu Danqing was utterly astonished. Just what sort of background did Guo Ming have? How did he even know this?
Still, he was not worried that Guo Ming harbored ulterior motives.
Guo Ming had gone to such lengths to injure himself, sacrificed his servants, and pretended to be unconscious in a snowdrift. What was it all for?
If he truly had been injured, yet did not flee and instead went with someone of unknown background to kill the Zhanji Tiger, would that not be simply courting death?
"Good. Then I'll accept without further ceremony." Chu Danqing did not decline and agreed at once.
Before you continue