Strange Ghost's Night Raid

Night!

Silver-white moonlight shone over the land. Apart from the chirping of a few insects, the forest lay in utter silence.

Drip!

Suddenly, a faint sound, so slight it was almost imperceptible, came from somewhere nearby.

A terrifying creature hunched its body as it crept through the darkness.

As the creature appeared, an eerie aura gradually spread through the forest night.

It was a Strange Ghost—a robust, powerfully built Strange Ghost over three meters tall.

Its nostrils twitched slightly, as though it had caught some peculiar scent. It suddenly grew exceptionally excited and raced toward the southern side of Niujiao Ridge. Though its heavy body struck the ground, it made almost no sound.

After traveling several thousand meters, the Strange Ghost raised its head, its scarlet gaze piercing the darkness as it confirmed something.

Several hundred meters away, a wooden cabin stood silently, faint dim light seeping from within.

The Strange Ghost slowly opened its mouth. Catching the scent of living humans, the feeding instinct embedded in its genes was awakened.

It lowered its body and approached the cabin in an eerie posture.

On the top floor of the cabin, a Ghost Ridge Palace disciple stood watch. He was one of the disciples who had followed Meng Dongge.

The night wind swept over him. He yawned, tightened his clothes around himself, and could not help cursing, "This damned weather—it isn't even winter yet. Why is it already so cold?"

The disciple did not notice that while he was complaining, a terrifying, bizarre Strange Ghost had already silently climbed up the outer wall of the cabin and reached his back.

Its enormous mouth, split all the way to its ears, opened wide. Rows of fangs within were like tiny daggers, saliva dripping down in drops.

The disciple touched his head, secretly puzzled. "Is it raining? What rotten luck."

But the next moment, when he subconsciously looked up at the sky, all he saw was a blood-filled maw snapping shut.

In a single bite, the disciple's head vanished, chewed up and swallowed by the Strange Ghost.

Blood spurted several meters from the headless corpse, like crimson fireworks blooming in the black night, adding another measure of terror and killing intent to the darkness.

The smell of blood was far too conspicuous. Among the disciples sleeping in the cabin, someone had a gu insect extremely sensitive to blood, and it was now warning its host from within his sleeve.

"There's movement."

"What a thick stench of blood."

"This is bad. Something happened."

Uneasy voices rose from inside the cabin. Oil lamps were lit, weapons were drawn, and Meng Dongge rushed out with four Ghost Ridge Palace disciples.

The instant they stepped out of the cabin, a massive figure leaped down from the roof.

"It's a Strange Ghost!"

The disciples were struck pale with terror, their frightened cries ringing into the sky.

Meng Dongge's face darkened as he gritted his teeth. "Don't be afraid. We have five people—more than enough to kill this beast."

Several Ghost Ridge Palace disciples summoned swarms of gu insects. Now, they could only steel themselves and charge in.

"Attack!"

With a loud shout, Meng Dongge knew that tonight would most likely not end peacefully.

This was unlike the Strange Ghosts they had ambushed and hunted in the past. The Strange Ghost before them was in perfect condition.

Once they clashed, no one knew how many would die.

Meng Dongge was furious at his rotten luck tonight. He had actually run into a wandering Strange Ghost.

From beginning to end, Meng Dongge never considered that this Strange Ghost had been lured here by someone.

At the foot of the mountain on the southern side of Niujiao Ridge.

Atop a treetop swaying gently in the night wind, Su Jie sat cross-legged, watching the flames and explosions rising from the distant cabin. Listening to the wild howls and furious roars from there, the Strange Ghost's enraged bellowing, and the despairing screams of humans on the brink of death, he clicked his tongue. "Impressive! They've even used Fire Poison Cockroaches for self-destruction. This is a completely life-or-death style of fighting."

Gu Weinan stood beneath the tree, rubbing the arms that had broken out in goosebumps from nervousness. He could not help asking, "Brother Su, when do we make our move?"

"Don't rush. It's only one Strange Ghost. I believe Meng Dongge and the others can still deal with it. It's not yet time for both sides to be wounded."

Su Jie was in no hurry at all, allowing the Strange Ghost to wear them down a little longer.

"Good deaths. Let you have a taste of what it feels like to be slaughtered by Strange Ghosts."

Compared to Gu Weinan's anxiety, Chen Yun was exceptionally excited. The crazed smile on her face did not fade for a single moment.

The battle lasted even longer than expected. Only after nearly twenty minutes did the distant fighting finally cease and fall quiet.

"Our turn to take the stage."

Su Jie leaped down from the treetop and calmly led Gu Weinan and Chen Yun forward.

After advancing only seven or eight hundred meters, they saw the burning cabin, fallen corpses, and insect carcasses scattered everywhere.

Meng Dongge's group, which had previously numbered six, was now down to only four, and they were injured as well.

One disciple was the most severely wounded. His body had been split in two at the waist, blood and organs spilling freely. His upper body was still struggling to crawl across the ground, not yet dead.

This disciple also knew he could not be saved. He cast a pleading look toward Meng Dongge.

"Give him a quick death."

Meng Dongge shook his head. Just as he was about to have someone end this disciple's suffering, he suddenly heard some abnormal sounds. He whipped his head around and shouted, "Who's there? Come out!"

Rustling crawling sounds rose from the forest. Several pale arms burrowed out of the darkness, their severed ends raised high, their five fingers spread as they crawled like spiders, entering Meng Dongge's field of vision.

The disciple who had been cut in half was closest. Several pale corpse hands immediately seized him, gripped his head, and forcibly twisted it three hundred and sixty degrees on the spot.

The sound of snapping bones was especially distinct in the dark, silent surroundings. It helped bring an end to his suffering.

"Enemy attack."

Meng Dongge's expression turned wary. By the dim moonlight piercing the darkness, he saw a hair-raising sight.

Su Jie, Gu Weinan, and Chen Yun emerged from the darkness, surrounding them in an encircling formation.

"Fellow Daoist Meng, we came here to kill you. There's no need to be nervous."

A kindly smile hung on Su Jie's face. Several pale corpse hands scuttled swiftly over, climbed up Su Jie's trouser legs, and finally slipped into his wide sleeves, vanishing from sight.

"Fellow Daoist Su, what is the meaning of this? How have I offended you, for you to strike at us so ruthlessly?"

Meng Dongge's eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment, as though he truly knew nothing at all.

"Stop pretending, Meng Dongge. You killed my younger brother and my husband. Today, I'll make sure you go down and keep them company."

Chen Yun glared at Meng Dongge with boundless venom. Her hair hung loose and disheveled, ugly stitched wounds covering her face. She looked like a terrifying female ghost that had crawled back from hell.

"It was the Strange Ghost that killed your brother and husband. What does that have to do with us? I even went to save you yesterday."

Meng Dongge hurriedly defended himself, still unwilling to admit it. He even shouted at Gu Weinan, "Fellow Daoist Gu, don't you believe me either?"

Gu Weinan's gaze was complicated. "Fellow Daoist Meng, we've already discovered the matter of the Dragon Gall Grass. You encountered the Strange Ghost tonight because I buried Dragon Gall Grass near you."

At those words, Meng Dongge fell silent for several seconds. His expression returned to calm as he asked, "When did you discover it?"

Meng Dongge stopped pretending. His secret had already been thoroughly exposed, so there was no point in keeping up the act.