How Did I End Up at the Wrong Grave?
Why don't you turn around?!
Hearing the angry shouts from the Big Head Ghost behind her, Feng Xue didn't intend to respond. She simply took out a bag of M&Ms from her pocket, tore open the packaging, and casually tossed it behind her...
"Damn it, what the hell did you feed me... Ugh!"
Hearing the increasingly weak curses in her ears, the spirit carefully turned her head and saw the Big Head Ghost lying on the ground, twitching like a white mouse that had been electrocuted. The black smoke slowly rising from its body showed that it could no longer even maintain its ghostly appearance.
"How do you know he needs someone to turn around before he can attack?" The Ouija board was curious about Feng Xue's judgment, but Feng Xue replied matter-of-factly:
"His Teleportation was clearly abnormal. If he could use it freely, he wouldn't have needed to go through all those fancy tricks beforehand; he could have just bitten me directly. But the fact is, he was both hallucinating and calling my name, and then he pounced on me from behind with his mouth open. It all seemed like he had to follow the rules to activate it. Of course, even if I'm wrong, it doesn't matter, since he can't kill me anyway."
The spirit of the Ouija board was speechless upon hearing this. Looking at the large-headed Big Head Ghost, which was now just a faint shadow, it took out its Little Notebook and wrote the word "death" on it.
In an instant, the Big Head Ghost's body exploded, then turned into Black Mist and poured into the Ouija board's little book.
"What level?" Feng Xue asked casually, and the Ouija board spirit replied with some disdain:
"A ragtag Vengeful Spirit, its curse is very weak."
"Then let's keep it as dog food." Feng Xue curled her lip indifferently, but the Ouija board said quietly:
"Hearing you say that, my two younger sisters will probably be unhappy."
"Where did you learn such slang?" Feng Xue frowned and glared at the spirit of the Ouija board. Before she could utter a line like "It's my fault," she waved her hand and put her back into the Ouija board, then continued walking towards the cemetery.
Anyone who's played classic RPG Game will understand: if you don't encounter anything while navigating a maze, you've probably gone the wrong way.
Conversely, since there are ghosts blocking the way, it must be the destination.
"Although ghosts still lack elements, Tag, or Trait, the characteristics they exhibit have become more regular, increasing the probability that they are derivatives of Phantom Object."
As Feng Xue pondered the operating logic of this world's ghost and monster system, she had already passed through the forest, and the old-fashioned tombstones and graves came into view.
The burial mounds and tombstones here all appear to be made of cement. While this is normal for modern burials, in the Supernatural World, it always gives Feng Xue the feeling that ghosts have been sealed inside the graves with cement.
However, it's fortunate that it's a cement product. If it were a grave made of earth, it would have been recycled by nature long ago if no one had taken care of it for so many years.
"The tombstones all look quite formal, without that perfunctory, mass-produced feel. They shouldn't be the type where everyone died overnight and was buried by the government. But considering the situation in the village down the mountain, there's a clear conflict, like... the ghosts in that village and the ghosts buried in these graves aren't from the same family."
Thinking of this, Feng Xue couldn't help but shake her head, after all, the five little devils were clearly pointing to this grave.
"Let's finish the task first and see what other tricks this game can pull." As Feng Xue spoke, at the very front of the cemetery, in front of the cement tombstone with the words "<xx Village Cemetery>" that were probably blocked by the game and could not be seen clearly at the first few words, she set up an incense burner, took half of the incense she had made, lit it, and put it all into the incense burner. Then she lit a fire in the brazier, threw in a third of the joss paper, and walked in while holding the brazier.
With each step, he would take out several pieces of joss paper, dip them in fire, and toss them into the air with a gesture that would warrant a warning from the fire department in civilized society, all while loudly chanting:
"By imperial decree, your lonely soul is exorcised, all ghosts and demons, and all living beings are blessed."
"Those with heads rise, those without heads ascend; they are killed by spears and knives, or by jumping into water and hanging from ropes."
"Dying in the open or in the dark, dying unjustly or tragically, victims of creditors and enemies, and young men seeking revenge."
"Kneel before my altar, the Eight Trigrams shine brightly, stand on the Kan trigram and emerge, transcend to another realm."
"Whether you are a man or a woman, you bear the consequences yourself; wealth or poverty, you bring them upon yourself."
"May all beings be saved and reborn in a better realm! May all beings be saved and reborn in a better realm!"
Feng Xue had an excellent grasp of the rhythm of burning paper money. When she reached the end of the cemetery, she had just finished scattering all the paper money in her hand. The pieces of paper money, ignited by the flames, rose and fell in mid-air under the influence of the hot air currents, occasionally scattering a few strands of burnt black ash.
Feng Xue counted the number of tombstones, offered incense to each one, and only after paying respects to all seventy-one graves did he get up and open his Game Panel.
What made him frown was that the Optional Quest in the game were not yet completed!
"What's going on? Could it be that the grave-visiting site mentioned in the mission isn't actually here?"
Feng Xue looked up at the mountaintop, only to see that the dark clouds had already pressed down on the mountainside, and will-o'-the-wisps rose in mid-air, gathering behind him like frightened little beasts.
Surprisingly, instead of coalescing into a giant ghost behind him like in a typical horror movie, these will-o'-the-wisps huddled together, looking like they were trembling even though they were just a bunch of flames.
"Good heavens, did I really go to the wrong grave?"
As the dark clouds on the mountain pressed lower and lower, Feng Xue glanced at the few Incense Stick left in her hand, and finally lit one at once, sticking it into the incense burner at the entrance of the cemetery.
Thank you!
"Careful!"
"Waaaaah..."
Various whispers drifted from behind her, but Feng Xue only felt a slight warmth on the titanium crystal ring on her little finger, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up.
"How dare you! His Venerable Lord has graced us with his presence, and you still dare to laugh?"
A slightly shrill voice rang in Feng Xue's ears, but Feng Xue remained calm and said:
"Didn't you say you wouldn't cause me any trouble?"
Hearing Feng Xue's words, seemingly afraid that Feng Xue would bring up the matter of offering incense, the Ghostly Shadow suddenly jumped out and angrily rebuked:
"What do you mean I'm causing you trouble? You visit the graves of these lowly people, but you don't go up the mountain to meet the Venerable Lord. What kind of logic is that?"
"A lowly commoner?" Feng Xue raised an eyebrow, glancing at the churning black clouds behind the Ghostly Shadow. A hint of disdain appeared on her lips. The Coffin Ghost, completely oblivious to the gravity of the situation, eagerly flattered her:
"That's right, this mountain is Venerable Lord Mausoleum. You come to pay homage to the mountain but show no Venerable Lord. What should your punishment be?"
Listening to the other person's lines, Feng Xue thought to herself that he was probably an idiot who had gone crazy from watching too many plays in his previous life, and couldn't help but ask, "Then you made a contract with me, but now you've broken it and gone spies on it. What should your punishment be?"
"What a joke, I just won't..."
Before the words were even finished, the Ghostly Shadow suddenly clutched its throat in pain, and translucent Silver Needle emerged from between its fingers. Just a glance at the cold light emanating from the needle tips was enough to make one's eyes sting.