Ghost Slave

# Chapter 18: Ghost Slave

Although extremely shocked, Ding Wanyan knew that as a senior sister, she had to maintain composure and restraint. Forcing down her wildly pounding heart, her voice still trembled uncontrollably: "Junior Brother Lei, tell me the whole story from the beginning again."

Lei Dong, without any impatience, recounted the events from start to finish once more. After listening, Ding Wanyan pondered for a moment, then spoke with a somewhat heavy tone: "It's a pity you didn't capture anyone alive. Now that we have no evidence of the Extreme Yin Cave disciples insulting the Ancestor, this matter becomes difficult to handle."

"Senior Sister, actually we do have evidence." As Chen Ge spoke, he pulled out a strange talisman and respectfully handed it to Ding Wanyan: "This Sound-fixing Talisman has a complete recording of all the sounds from that time."

Lei Dong had already learned of this on the way back. Chen Ge was also a meticulous person, knowing that traveling outside would inevitably lead to conflicts with others. He had long ago spent spirit stones to buy several Sound-fixing Talismans, with no other purpose than to prepare for a day like this. No wonder Chen Ge had deliberately used words to provoke the other party into despising the Myriad Ghost Cave and slandering the Myriad Ghost Ancestor before the battle began.

Ding Wanyan took the talisman with some surprise and, guided by Chen Ge, listened to the recording from that time. It matched Lei Dong's account exactly, and the other party's tone was even worse than imagined. Although with her intelligence, she could somewhat detect that Chen Ge had deliberately provoked them, the Extreme Yin Cave disciple had indeed been too arrogant and overbearing.

With evidence in hand, Ding Wanyan felt somewhat more at ease. She directly led them to the deepest part of the Myriad Ghost Cave, outside the Myriad Ghost Ancestor's Cave Mansion. She had them wait outside while she went in alone to pay her respects. After a long while, an old man of considerable age, whose cultivation level the three could not discern, came to call them in.

Including Lei Dong, the three followed the old man nervously into the cave mansion. Although extremely curious about what was inside the Myriad Ghost Ancestor's dwelling, their fear and reverence for the Ancestor kept them obediently walking with heads lowered, not daring to look around.

A slight trembling in his heart reminded Lei Dong of the protagonists in the novels and TV dramas he had read before his transmigration. He remembered those protagonists standing tall and unyielding, acting arrogantly and dismissively toward beings hundreds of times more powerful than them, who could crush them like ants at any moment. He hadn't thought much of it back then, but now it seemed rather ridiculous—he wondered what gave them the right. At least, even having lived two lifetimes, Lei Dong dared not do anything to provoke the Myriad Ghost Ancestor.

The gap between their levels was simply too vast. Just hearing his name made Lei Dong feel an oppressive weight like a mountain pressing down on him.

The old man was somewhat satisfied with the three's caution, meticulousness, and respectful demeanor. At his age and seniority, what he detested most were young people who didn't know their place, acting arrogantly and disrespecting their elders. His originally cold expression softened slightly as he instructed in a low voice: "When you see the Ancestor, you must honestly explain everything clearly, without any concealment. Otherwise, if the Ancestor discovers you are lying, no one will be able to save you."

"Thank you for the guidance, senior. May I ask your esteemed name?" Chen Ge replied respectfully, pulling out a few spirit stones and trying to hand them over.

"You have good intentions, but keep them for yourselves." The old man's tense face relaxed a bit more as he waved his hand: "These few spirit stones are beneath my notice. Your cultivation is still low; you need them more than I do. As for my name, forget it—I am merely a servant under the Ancestor's command."

"Yes, senior." Chen Ge obediently put them away.

Although the old man called himself a servant, no one present truly dared to treat him as a subordinate.

Having said this, the old man spoke no more. He led them for a good while until they reached a hall filled with layers of ghost fire yet exuding a majestic aura. There, the Myriad Ghost Ancestor sat with eyes closed, enthroned on a bizarre chair mostly made of skulls. Ding Wanyan stood cautiously by his side.

Seeing the Myriad Ghost Ancestor, the three dared not show any negligence. They quickly knelt and bowed, speaking in unison with reverence: "Disciples Lei Dong, Chen Ge, Wei Hua pay respects to the Ancestor. May the Ancestor be at peace, and may you soon achieve the Great Nascent Soul." Their demeanor was such that even facing an earthly emperor would not have been so reverent. And indeed, the Myriad Ghost Ancestor was far more formidable than an emperor. Especially in terms of lifespan—even if an emperor knew how to preserve his health, he could hardly live past a hundred. But the Myriad Ghost Ancestor, though not immortal, had three to four hundred years of lifespan.

"Rise." The Myriad Ghost Ancestor's expression was calm, revealing nothing of his mood—whether pleased or angered.

Even though the Ancestor did not exert any pressure on them, after thanking him and standing up, the three found their backs slightly damp with sweat. This man before them not only controlled their future and fate but also held their lives and deaths in his hands. No, to be precise, if they angered him, even dying might not be so simple.

"Lei Dong, tell This Seat the whole story again." The Myriad Ghost Ancestor suddenly opened his eyes and fixed his gaze on Lei Dong.

Lei Dong felt as if struck by lightning, the pressure making it hard to breathe. Yet at this moment, he gritted his teeth, acknowledged the command, and began recounting the entire sequence of events from beginning to end, not daring to fabricate a single word. He didn't even dare hide the items obtained after killing the enemies or the fact that he had used ghost soldiers to devour their flesh and blood.

The Myriad Ghost Ancestor listened quietly, his eyes never leaving Lei Dong's face. After Lei Dong finished, he withdrew his gaze as if nothing had happened. Lei Dong, meanwhile, was drenched in sweat; had his will not been relatively strong, his legs might have given out and he would have collapsed.

"Chen Ge!" The Myriad Ghost Ancestor called his name, his voice somewhat cold: "This Sound-fixing Talisman—did you prepare it in advance? Did you already know someone would come after you? Did you scheme from the start, provoke others into speaking disrespectfully of This Seat, then use this talisman as evidence to come crying to This Seat?"

"Disciple did not..." Chen Ge's face turned as pale as paper. Just as he was about to deny it, he recalled the old man's earlier words. He could only grit his teeth and admit it: "Reporting to the Ancestor, yes. Shortly after joining the sect, this disciple learned that there were frequent frictions between disciples of different caves and mansions within our Yin Sha Sect. Especially when carrying out missions in the wild, various conflicts were inevitable. To be prepared for any eventuality, this disciple bought several Sound-fixing Talismans. Furthermore, this disciple did indeed provoke them with words. However, that Extreme Yin Cave disciple at Qi Refining Second Layer was truly too arrogant, already holding no respect for the Ancestor. Please, Ancestor, see clearly." Chen Ge's voice grew more tremulous as he spoke. He knew full well that his life was no longer in his own hands at this moment—whether he lived or died depended entirely on the Ancestor's whim.

Wei Hua, who had not been questioned, was also trembling with fear. He knew that even if he remained silent, the fates of the three were essentially intertwined.

The Myriad Ghost Ancestor was deep in thought, but to the three, every second felt like an eternity, each passing moment making their hearts sink further.

After a long while, the Myriad Ghost Ancestor's expressionless face showed a rare hint of a smile as he praised: "Good, good. This Seat has heard that the three of you were among the top in reaching Qi Refining First Layer. Your aptitudes are not the best but passable. I didn't expect that you three not only have courage but also cunning. Even under This Seat's pressure, you managed to hold yourselves together, speaking coherently without rambling nonsense. Ghost Slave, you have a good eye for people. Tell This Seat your assessment—are these lads acceptable?"

Hearing the Ancestor's words of praise, the three's hearts, which had been in their throats, finally settled down by more than half. Uncontrollable joy surged within them. They could tell that the Ancestor not only had no objection to this matter but actually appreciated their approach.

"Master, those ignorant Extreme Yin Cave brats truly deserve a thousand deaths. If they fell into this old servant's hands, I would extract their souls, make them into Soul Lamps, and burn them with Nether Fire for ten or eight years before stopping." The old man also showed a hint of relief: "But these lads from our Myriad Ghost Cave did quite well. Not only do they have courage and cunning, but they also act ruthlessly and cleanly—truly rare talents and fine jade."

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