The Next Stop

"What is a ghost? Don't you know what a ghost is?"

The word "ghost" means "to return." All living beings must die, and after death, they must return to the earth. Those who die but do not return are called ghosts. Getting a "ghost" ticket means that you were supposed to die but didn't, and you could have been reincarnated long ago.

That's just how the world is. If a person can't rise to the top in one step and isn't willing to die, then they'll just become a ghost.

Song Dayou casually sat down next to the 'ghost'.

The 'ghost' glanced at him sideways, and with a hint of disgust, moved further into the seat, cowering timidly in the corner by the window of the carriage, looking rather pitiful.

Zheng Zetian squinted at the 'ghost', then looked at Song Dayou, who was completely unaware.

Should passengers only seek help if they "discover" something ghostly...?

"If that's the case, why let the 'ghost' get on the vehicle? Wasn't this shadow cloak personally distributed by the town's guardian?"

Everyone was wearing shadow-covered raincoats, and Song Dayou paid no attention to his disciples' gazes. He took out his arithmetic book, leaned back in his sofa chair, and began flipping through it as he spoke.

"Oh, most of the passengers going up and down the Moshan section are 'ghosts,' and there are many great demon gods and Devil Embryo sealed in the mountains. There are also many strange and wonderful things brought by the giants from the Beyond Heavens, each dividing up their own territory. If you accidentally step into one, you will die. Therefore, the Moshan people and Moshan Mountain Ghosts living in the Five Sons Peak need to rely on the railway to travel in and out of the mountains."

And you saw it in Lou Guan City too, right? The Grand Master has a method to bring people back to life after beheading. Those severed heads were transported to the mountains by train.

However, generally speaking, 'ghosts' travel on special trains at night, and also have their own carriages during the day, so they are not grouped with 'humans'. These rules are just in case, as are these shadow pills, all to prevent 'ghosts' from losing their willpower and being stimulated by the smell when sitting together, thus losing control and eating 'humans'.

Of course, some of these "ghosts" are indeed from outside, sneaking up here to smuggle themselves into Moshan. After all, Moshan is the only place in the world where Devil Embryo can move freely in broad daylight, and perhaps they can even find the method of evolution.

The leader was magnanimous and had the world in his heart, giving everyone a chance, even ghosts. Therefore, even if a 'ghost' was occasionally found to have sneaked in and was exposed, he was simply taken to a special carriage by the Railway Warden. Everyone behaved well and rarely caused trouble or injured anyone.

Of course, some people died during the trial operation, but that was mainly because the 'people' on the train didn't follow the rules and courted their own demise. Who else can you blame? Now that Ying Suo has repeated the important points three times and increased the fines tenfold, there haven't been any major incidents on the railway line in recent years.

So even if you really encounter a 'ghost,' there's no need to be overly alarmed."

Zheng Zetian glanced at the 'ghost' huddled in a corner.

"Oh well."

If that's how Ink Bamboo Mountain calculates it, then the 'ghost' really isn't a big deal. That ginseng spirit was only dealt half Thunder Talisman, and this ghost seems to be about the same size as him now... it shouldn't need half a talisman to kill it, right?

So Zheng Zetian sat down opposite the 'ghost', took out an apple, stared at the 'ghost', and started crunching away at it.

The other party didn't cause any trouble; they just huddled together, looking out the window at the towering, dark walls in the distance.

"Good morning, passengers. Welcome to Ink Bamboo Mountain Railway Institute. We hope you enjoy a smooth journey."

This train has departed from Moshan North Station. Next stop: Shenzi Peak. Passengers who wish to disembark, please take your belongings and prepare accordingly.

Attention all passengers: After this train enters the Moshan section...

Amidst the cloak's nagging, the train began to move, crossing the railway bridge over the Ruoshui moat and slowly entering the Moshan Tunnel.

The train was shrouded in fog, a hazy gray, and most of the light was blocked by the towering mountains. Although there were candles in the carriages, it was immediately plunged into darkness outside, a pitch-black darkness where you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, as if the tunnel had no end and you couldn't see anything at all.

Of course you can't see them. Some things, even just a glance at them, are enough to turn a 'person' into a 'ghost'.

The journey was uneventful.

The 'ghost' didn't cause any trouble, so Song Dayou on doing practice problems on his own, and Zheng Zetian was even more determined.

Unlike normal naughty kids who can't sit still and make a fuss, he ate while practicing his Qi cultivation. He ate about two apples, two pears, four plums, and ten chestnuts before Ying Suo spoke.

"Next stop, Shenzi Peak. Next stop, Shenzi Peak. Passengers getting off, please prepare in advance."

Attention all passengers: After this train enters the Moshan section...

Song Dayou closed the arithmetic book in his hand and stuffed it into his cloak.

"When Master comes up later, he will sit with us for a while, and we will get off at Fuzi Peak."

The Moshan section has Five Sons Peak. After Fuzi Peak, it's south of Moshan. Crossing the Moshan section takes about an hour. We definitely can't leave the car in the mountains after dark."

"Oh."

Zheng Zetian glanced at the 'ghost'. What's wrong? Not getting off the bus? Wasn't he trying to illegally cross into Moshan? Or was he being stopped?

The train slowed down, Zheng Zetian could vaguely see the platform outside by the lamplight. It looked similar to the previous Moshan North Station, but there was a wall and barbed wire outside, making it look like a fortress. There were even beacon towers on the walls, and many crossbowmen and armored puppet soldiers were on guard. He wondered what they were guarding against.

Zheng Zetian frowned; he didn't seem to see anyone get on the bus.

This vehicle has departed from Shenzi Peak. Next stop: Shengzi Peak...

The train slowly started moving, Song Dayou's master, Qingtingzi, did not board.

Zheng Zetian looked at Song Dayou, Song Dayou remained silent for a moment before standing up and opening the car door.

"You stay in the carriage. I'll go out and check."

Zheng Zetian pointed to the cloak.

"Master, Ying Suo said we're not allowed to go out. More than three times!"

Song Dayou waved his hand.

"It's alright, it's alright. Your master has roamed the battlefields of Yushan. Even eight demon princes couldn't kill me when they lay in ambush. What kind of situation haven't I seen? Although I'm not 'Heaven' yet, I'm at least 'Big', right?"

Besides, I'm just going to check on the Railway Warden. It's alright, it's alright. I'll definitely be back before Shengzi Peak arrives at the station."

Then Song Dayou left, closing the carriage door behind him.

Zheng Zetian remained silent for a moment, then, under his cloak, he grabbed the Supreme Thirty-Six Divine Thunder Fire Banner and pulled out the Divine Azure Haze Smoke Net from his waist pouch.

However, the 'ghost' didn't react; it remained curled up in a ball, perhaps asleep.

Zheng Zetian waited for a while, but heard no sound.

He didn't think Song Dayou was courting death.

After all, not only the shadow cloak, but also the carriage and passenger compartments are covered with rune restrictions, making it impossible to hear, see, or perceive anything. The six senses are blocked, and the Divine Sense is obscured, turning all the passengers into blind, deaf, and mute people. Only in this way can they pass through places like Mo Mountain without being harmed.

However, such measures are actually because most passengers are just lambs to the slaughter; if something happens, they're just waiting to die. It's safer to know nothing at all.

On the contrary, cultivators, having embarked on the path of defying the heavens, must take their own lives into their own hands. Since they have the strength to protect themselves, they will definitely fight against fate and will not pretend to be deaf and dumb and obey orders.

Zheng Zetian waited a while longer, until the announcement of "Next stop, Shengzi Peak..." was made, but Song Dayou still hadn't returned. Even after the announcement of "This train has departed, Shengzi Peak, next stop, Xiangzi Peak..." was made, Song Dayou still hadn't returned, and no one else had boarded the train. Zheng Zetian knew that something must be wrong.

So Zheng Zetian stood up, saw that the 'ghost' was still not moving, and then opened the door to the private room and went out.

Standing in the carriage corridor, Zheng Zetian glanced around and realized that Song Dayou had gone ahead to find the Railway Warden, so he also walked forward.

It was found in just a couple of steps...

The Railway Warden was sitting with his legs crossed in the transfer carriage where he had just boarded and alighted from the train. He had taken off his high heels, rubbing his heels, and even his collar was pulled down, revealing a patch of white skin—probably because his chest felt too stuffy. When he saw Zheng Zetian approaching, he was too lazy to get up, so he just stood barefoot on the carpet, grinning and showing two sharp canine teeth.

"Oh, passenger from the 'Sky' section, what can I do for you? The dining car is not running on the Moshan section. If you're hungry, please bear with me. I'll come and serve you when we reach Moshan South. Oh, I almost forgot, here's your service, meow~~"

... Just provide the service, why add a "cat"?

Zheng Zetian: "When Shenzi Peak was at the station, my master came out to look for the garrison commander. Did you run into him?"

The town guard scratched his ear. "Your master? I haven't encountered any other 'heavens,' meow?"

Zheng Zetian: "It's not 'heaven,' it's 'person.' We boarded the bus at Moshan South."

"Oh, it's a person..." The garrison commander was taken aback, then jumped up. "A 'person'?! Didn't I tell you so many times that 'people' shouldn't leave the carriages in the Moshan section?! You're really making trouble for me!"

The garrison commander, not even bothering to put on his shoes or button his clothes, rushed up behind Zheng Zetian, yanked open the door, and stared into the carriage aisle.

"You didn't run into him on your way here?"

Zheng Zetian shook his head. "No, did no one get on or off at Shenzi Peak and Shengzi Peak stations?"

The garrison commander frowned. "Not only is there no 'human' here, there isn't even a 'ghost'... Could it be...?"

She suddenly slammed the carriage door shut, then opened a hidden door on the side of the carriage, revealing a puppet-like mechanical figure.

The agent is the kind of puppet who sends telegrams on the platform. He looks like a clothes rack, with a bunch of shadows in his hands. He also wears a hat on his head, which is the same style as the guard hat, except that on the brim is an iron plate with the word "ink" engraved on it.

The Railway Warden placed his "Heaven" gold badge on the head of the mechanical puppet, activating it. He then put on his "Ink" iron badge, took a deep breath, and opened the carriage door again.

With a loud bang, a dense aura of malevolence, like a torrent of water, rushed out from the other side of the carriage door, making Zheng Zetian's robes flutter loudly.

Zheng Zetian peeked inside. This time, the other side of the car door wasn't the normal carriage, but rather a pink, fleshy tunnel resembling the intestines of some giant creature, wriggling around. This was probably the normal main body...

"Waaah, Shenzi Peak is out! He's already missed his stop! I hope he's still alive, otherwise I'll lose my entire month's performance bonus..."

The cat-eared guard, her face contorted in pain and her voice trembling with tears, took one of the three leather lanterns hanging behind the door and stomped into the intestine-like mass of flesh, her bare feet sinking deep into it. The flesh was quite soft, and when she stepped into it barefoot, it soaked and sank right up to her ankles. Not only did it ooze a foul-smelling viscous fluid, but the flesh would also twitch from time to time, and the burst pustules would gush out large clumps of thick, yellowish-green liquid, splattering all over the Railway Warden's thighs and sticking her stockings to her body.

Oh, so you have to wear a miniskirt? That's a very reasonable design...

"Hey! I'm going to find your master. Don't wander off when we get there and cause trouble again!"

The garrison commander pushed Zheng Zetian, who was peeking in, out of the carriage. He then slammed the carriage door shut, and at the same time, a strong wind blew up. The murderous aura that had just poured out was instantly drawn back into the crack of the door and dissipated like smoke.

As soon as the wind stopped, Zheng Zetian immediately opened the carriage door and took a look, only to find that the other side of the door had returned to normal carriages and aisles.

Zheng Zetian had no choice but to wait for a while. When the message "The next station Xiangzi Peak..." came out, the Railway Warden did not return. The Mechanical Puppet wearing the "Tian" character hat stood up, opened the train door, got off the train, and went to the platform to guard it.

At Xiangzi Peak Station, still no one, or even ghosts, boarded the train.

Two more stops until we leave Moshan. If we don't do something, I'm afraid my master, Song Dayou, might just disappear without a trace...

It's better to rely on yourself than on others.

Zheng Zetian thought for a moment, then looked at the Mechanical Puppet beside him wearing a hat with the character "Tian" on it.

Do you need that "Ink" character badge to get into the "Ghost" carriage...? No, the "Ghost" can probably get in too. In fact, given the train's design, if the "Ghost" wanted to board, it should go over there...

So he Door Opening, and to the sound of "Economy class, please continue forward," he entered the carriage and returned to his original compartment.

Sure enough, neither Song Dayou nor Qingtingzi were there, but the 'ghost' was still sitting there.

Zheng Zetian walked up to the 'ghost',

"Fellow Daoist, I need your help."

The 'ghost' did not react at all.

Zheng Zetian took off his hood and pulled out a piece of ginseng.

"Open the door for me, and I'll give you this blood food."

Perhaps attracted by the scent of the ginseng's blood, the 'ghost' turned its head to look at the ginseng, then at Zheng Zetian.

"Don't go! Something terrible has infiltrated."

Judging from the voice, it's a child too.

Zheng Zetian placed the ginseng in front of the other person.

"So you're afraid to stay in that carriage? Then why don't you get off?"

The little devil said timidly.

"I... I used to cultivate the Purple Haze... I heard that the best place to cultivate is Xiezi Peak, that's the next stop... I don't want to get involved in your karma..."

Then they heard the cloak say,

This bus has departed from Xiangzi Peak. Next stop: Li Family Village. Passengers who wish to disembark, please take your belongings and prepare accordingly.

The little devil was shocked. "Huh? Huh! How could this be! Isn't Moshan section supposed to Five Sons Peak? Where did this Li Family Village come from?!"

Zheng Zetian remained expressionless.

"Didn't you say something extraordinary had infiltrated? What do you think they're doing here? As for Li Family Village, I heard it's where the Grand Master is in seclusion."

The little devil trembled like a leaf, shouting, "The Giant! The Giant!"

Zheng Zetian said calmly, "If you don't help, you might not even reach Xiezi Peak. If you help me open this door, who knows, the Grand Master might take care of you when you cultivate in Mo Mountain in the future."

The young man hesitated for a moment, but clearly didn't want to offend the tycoon, so he grabbed the ginseng, started gnawing on it, and left the private room.

Sure enough, the 'Gate of Hell' opened smoothly.

The kid simply opened the door; of course, he wouldn't go in together. He just stayed at the door, carefully watching.

"Be careful, those things are beyond the capabilities of the guardian immortal."

Of course, something that even ghosts fear can't be simple. But the fact that it managed to get something from outside all the way to Li Family Village, that white... leopard, deserves to have its wages docked.

Zheng Zetian draped himself in the Divine Azure Haze Smoke Net, made a hand seal with his right hand, and was about to enter the room when he thought for a moment before entering. He turned back, opened the wardrobe in the side door, touched the shadow cloak in the Mechanical Puppet's hand, found one for 'humans', opened one of the pockets, took out a pill, and put it in his pocket.

Five thousand taels it is. When it comes to life, don't be stingy with money.

Then Zheng Zetian wrapped his Dao Breath in Dao energy and stepped into the tunnel of flesh and blood. He found that with the Heavenly Azure Clouds and Mist protecting him, he could walk on flat ground without being stuck to the flesh and blood, which made him feel a little more at ease. After all, the Railway Warden was probably used to it. Zheng Zetian still found the stench quite disgusting.

But when Zheng Zetian closed the gate to the underworld, he was surprised to find that only one of the leather lanterns behind the door remained.

There were other passengers on the bus...

Zheng Zetian shrugged, held up a lantern with his left hand, made a hand seal with his right, wrapped himself in a veil of smoke, and walked deeper into the 'ghost' carriage.