The Blessed Land Lord God

Wu Xian grew anxious, but Shi Ji remained calm. He still had a clever trick up his sleeve.

Shi Ji used a lighter to singe the end of the large intestine. A strange aroma rose from it, tantalizing the hungry ghost's taste buds. Unable to resist, it lunged forward again—and was baited out once more.

Shi Ji had just started to swing the mop handle when Wu Xian rushed in, drew the Copper Coin Sword, and slashed the hungry ghost twice.

The hungry ghost stared in disbelief at the two wounds on its chest.

"I—I'm hungry. At least let me eat my fill..."

In a shimmer of warped light, the hungry ghost's body melted into a puddle of pus. The gloomy atmosphere inside the Community Canteen brightened considerably.

The matter ended smoothly, but Shi Ji wasn't happy. He felt like a clown for having pitied Wu Xian, and looked at him with a complicated expression.

Heavenly Official—the Blessed Land Lord God!

Shi Ji picked up the incense and prepared to worship the god. Before inserting the Evil Incense into the incense burner, he even asked Wu Xian with concern, "If I take the incense, what will you use to make an offering?"

Shi Ji suddenly felt that Wu Xian was a decent fellow.

The evil spirit had called himself An Xin. He was the hostel's former owner.

"Brother Wu, so you were pretending to be weak to catch us off guard!"

Qi Zhiyong inserted three sticks of sandalwood incense into the burner before a Grim Demon God Statue. He had earned the right to worship after killing an evil spirit lying in a hospital bed.

"But we worry about you, Brother. We don't want to keep dragging you down. Let me worship this statue, okay?"

Wu Xian finished making his offering, and Shi Ji had finished as well.

Shi Ji had a strange expression, as if something had happened to him. But since he didn't seem inclined to explain, Wu Xian didn't press him.

"Mm, I believe you."

As they spent more time together, the three grew closer, and there were even occasional hints of flirtation. He came to believe that both sisters were in love with him.

He loved both sisters, but didn't know which one to choose—or how to avoid hurting the other after he made his choice.

This time, Wu Xian didn't argue. Trying to explain again would have sounded a little disingenuous.

As they spoke, the evil ghost's corpse vanished completely, leaving a stick of Evil Incense on the ground.

Wu Xian spread his hands in protest. "I'm telling the truth."

This was actually his first time entering a blessed land.

The moment Shi Ji inserted the incense, a fog appeared around him. Wu Xian could make out his movements, but couldn't see exactly what was happening.

The two statues were identical. Both wore bright red robes, with deep-set eyes and eerie smiles. Beneath each statue's throne was an inscription.

Wu Xian said goodbye to Shi Ji, then hurried to Mr. Wang's home. He found the Heavenly Official, Kui Xing, Official in Charge of Official Salary Statue and inserted the Evil Incense formed from Mr. Wang.

The two women clung to his arms and pouted. Their four watery eyes softened He Qiong's heart.

He Qiong could barely hide his smile. "Of course. With me here, you'll be safe."

"If I die today, then this is all I'm worth."

Wu Xian quickly waved his hands. "I wasn't trying to fool you. I got this Copper Coin Sword yesterday, when Qi Zhiyong forced me to investigate Room 405. It was there."

The supermarket's underground storeroom.

"But I already let..."

Long Talisman: Empowers an item, increasing its length. If the item is less than one meter long, its length is doubled; if it is longer than one meter, its length increases by one meter.

"All right, all right!"

Worshipping the god so aggressively to seek a blessing carried great risks, but he had to do it for the Great Evil that might attack tonight.

An Xin couldn't bring himself to leave his wife without anyone to care for her, so he had stayed at the little clinic. He even gave Qi Zhiyong three sticks of sandalwood incense and asked him to look after her.

He Qiong came from a wealthy family.

Two months ago, he'd run into Su Huilan after she fainted by the roadside near a milk tea shop. He and Su Huijin had helped her home. After that, the three had bumped into each other a few more times, and before long they knew each other.

The effect of the Yabai Incense was a welcome surprise. What mattered most was the blessing he might receive.

The goods stored here had long since been cleared out. The concrete floor was damp, and the air reeked of mold and rotting corpses. Red candles before the statue lit up the room.

Then, two days ago, the sisters finally invited him to spend the night at Ping'an Hostel and discuss the three of their futures.

This reminded him of the description for the Aged Cypress Incense.

That put Wu Xian at ease.

After the sandalwood incense was inserted, a stream of black Qi emerged from the Grim Demon God Statue and entered Qi Zhiyong's body. In an instant, the blood vessels all over his body turned an inky black.

As for the Filth Talisman, Wu Xian had seen it before. It added filth to an item, and he had no intention of choosing it for now.

"Cough, cough."

Wu Xian pulled three sticks of Aged Cypress Incense from his pocket. "I found these under the pillow. They're perfect for..."

"Ah..."

He stretched out in pain. This was already his fifth time worshipping a god.

At Fuxin Clinic, the bed had been overturned, and the red light flickered ominously.

"Only people who are worth a lot deserve to survive."

"Brother Qiong, you'll protect us, right?"

This Talisman looked rather interesting, so Wu Xian reached into the smoke.

With the statue's protection, no one else could see the three choices that appeared after he worshipped.

Compared with the morning, Qi Zhiyong was much calmer. He wasn't anxious or irritable anymore; instead, he was quite composed.

Shi Ji rolled his eyes, then held the Evil Incense and bowed respectfully before inserting it.

"You bastard, you really were pretending to be weak!"

"Then... all right."

Three talismans lay on the table, each ending in the word "Talisman."

He Qiong held a stick of incense, while the sisters, Su Huijin and Su Huilan, clung to his arms on either side.

But one question continued to trouble He Qiong.

Wu Xian picked up the Evil Incense and handed it to Shi Ji, explaining what it did. Shi Ji had found the place and come up with the plan, and he had washed the large intestine. It was only fair to let him have a bigger share.

The Yabai Incense burned in the incense burner, giving off pale white smoke that wrapped around Wu Xian. It carried a soothing fragrance—not strong, with a faint fruity note if he breathed it in closely.

"Call this your Spoils of War. Just give me one statue."

The two entered the canteen. It was spotless, and the hungry ghost had eaten everything edible. Two statues stood on the table.

Soothing the mind and clearing the head, reducing swelling and dispersing blood stasis...

The pressure that had built up since entering the blessed land lifted all at once. The fatigue from lack of sleep eased, and his body felt a little lighter. Even the old injuries he'd picked up since becoming a detective seemed to be improving.

But Qi Zhiyong didn't agree to his request.

He smiled and stepped back. Though somewhat helpless, he felt a warmth in his heart.

The Sharpness Talisman seemed powerful, but Wu Xian had no weapon he could use it on. Making the Copper Coin Sword sharper wouldn't be much help, and as for the Long Talisman...

Sharpness Talisman: Empowers an item, increasing its sharpness.

Anyway, once he killed the evil spirit, the sandalwood incense would still be his.

Surrounded by the fragrance, Wu Xian felt completely at ease.

But that very night, slaughter erupted, the blessed land descended, and they were trapped here...

Hungry Ghost: The Mahāyāna-saṃgraha, Volume Eight: "Those called hungry ghosts are so named because they seek things from others, as explained in the Abhidharma. They are called hungry because they are always famished, and ghosts because they are fearful and full of dread."