Misdirection

Zhou You chose the path on the left for two reasons.

First, the path of the White-Clad Ghost was the easiest to navigate. The path of the Eyeball Ghost on the right was far too dark and the terrain was in terrible condition, while the Pious Ghost was located at the very end of the road, which would have doubled the distance he needed to run.

Second, among all the ghosts, the Eyeball Ghost would kill him the moment he turned his back, and the Pious Ghost was even worse—it would decapitate him the moment he looked at it. Only the Skin Peeling of the White-Clad Ghost required a certain amount of activation time.

Taking everything into account, this was the best choice. The only issue was the uncertainty of whether triggering the White-Clad Ghost would also trigger a spatial fold—but judging by the result, Zhou You had bet correctly!

The figure of the White-Clad Ghost was no longer in sight, but an enraged howl erupted from behind him. A bone-chilling aura, as if seeping into his very marrow, began to permeate the air. However, Zhou You did not stop; he sprinted out of the three-way intersection and, without a moment's hesitation, turned and ran in another direction.

His goal was simple.

It was the old lair of Gui Po!

The howling behind him clung to him like a maggot on a bone. Even without seeing the creature's face, the shrill, resentment-filled sound told him that if he were caught this time, the fate awaiting him would be hundreds of times more terrifying than "Skin Peeling."

Yet, he showed no signs of fear. Whenever his speed dropped, he simply used his knife to slice open his own arm. Only after his entire arm was drenched in blood did he finally arrive in front of that shop.

The shop at night possessed an even stronger ghostly aura than during the day. Zhou You didn't bother knocking; he kicked the door open, grabbed the handle, and pulled it shut with all his might!

A few seconds later, the persistent chill behind him finally dissipated. It seemed the old woman hadn't been lying; this house really did have the effect of masking one's presence from the monsters.

However, the enraged entity did not intend to give up. Even after hiding inside, Zhou You could still hear its relentless, mournful wailing.

"Well, at least I can catch my breath now. I've certainly lost a lot of blood along the way..."

Zhou You shook his head with a bitter smile, but just as he looked up, he suddenly saw a pair of eyes.

A pair of eyes that were aged, furious, and seemingly eager to tear him limb from limb.

Yet, facing such eyes, Zhou You suddenly smiled.

"Oh my, isn't this the proprietress? You haven't closed the shop this late? You really are hardworking. Oh, by the way, have you eaten yet?"

The other party ignored his enthusiastic greeting entirely. Instead, she ground her teeth and said, word for word:

"I believe I told you already? Don't bring me any trouble. And yet, you actually lured that thing over here, and even led it right to my doorstep! What exactly are you trying to do!"

The smile on Zhou You's face remained unchanged, and his tone even grew a bit more familiar.

"Proprietress, let's not be so harsh, shall we? What do you mean 'on purpose'? I ran into that thing by accident, and with nowhere else to go, I thought I'd come to your shop to take shelter. You're such a kind soul, surely you wouldn't turn me away?"

Hearing this blatant provocation, Gui Po revealed a ferocious grin. Her fingernails, twisted and elongated like withered branches, immediately wanted to teach this arrogant brat a lesson—

But upon seeing that still-composed face, her movements suddenly halted.

Wait, this guy is acting completely differently than he did during the day. When things are abnormal, there must be a demon at play. So, has this guy... set some kind of trap for me?

Gui Po scanned her list of enemies in her mind at lightning speed, but she couldn't match any of them to the man in front of her.

In the end, she simply gritted her teeth and pointed a finger at the door.

"Get out! This shop isn't serving you anymore. If you're smart enough to leave now, I might just let this matter slide!"

Who would have thought?

The man grinned and said slowly, "And what if I don't leave?"

Gui Po was so angry she laughed.

Under these repeated provocations, she stopped thinking about her enemies—after all, Zhou You couldn't flip the world upside down inside her shop, and she could settle the score for his schemes later—could a mere human really ride on the head of a Gui Po?

So, she spread her palms, which had turned into sharp daggers, and sneered.

"Then don't bother leaving at all. My legs have been a bit busted lately and I was just thinking of getting a new pair. You might as well leave your body behind... consider it compensation!"

However, just before she was about to strike, a crisp ringing sound suddenly echoed.

The next moment, as if a pause button had been pressed, all movement ceased.

Gui Po stopped her claws mid-strike, stiffened, and stared toward the outside.

At some point, the wailing had stopped. At this very moment, behind the shop's door, a faint sound of weeping had begun to rise.

—The "Faceless Ghost" was right on their doorstep.

Seeing this, the proprietress suddenly looked up and stared daggers at Zhou You.

"What exactly did you do??"

"Actually, it's nothing much."

Zhou You smiled, then unhooked the bell that could disturb the monsters from his wrist and spun it casually with his index finger.

"This is just a little precaution of mine, to prevent you from getting too impulsive during your menopause. But don't misunderstand, I'm doing this purely for self-preservation. I really mean no harm."

The proprietress didn't reply; she just stared fixedly at the spinning bell. After a long while, she finally spoke. "What do you want?"

"It's always easier talking to a smart person." Zhou You stopped his hand and said with a mocking smile. "What I want is simple. You should have items that can help one avoid these creatures, right? I really don't want to lose my internal organs or anything, so may I ask... could you lend them to me on credit?"

The look in her eyes instantly turned murderous, but looking at the bell that could be rung at any moment, she could only grit her teeth, reach into her stall, pull out a piece of human skin, and throw it at Zhou You.

"Fine! You've got what you wanted. Take this and that thing outside won't be able to kill you. Now get out!"

However, Zhou You didn't move.

He casually stuffed the skin into his coat and said:

"I said 'those' creatures, so please, be a dear and give me everything."

"You damn it... don't go too far!"

"Don't make me laugh. Can I be more excessive than you, taking advantage of someone's weakness and using them as spare parts?" Zhou You shook the bell, and faintly, a crisp ringing sound could be heard. "The remaining two, please take them out. Otherwise, I don't mind perishing here with you—I'm just an unknown nobody, and you're a treacherous merchant like Gui Po. No matter how you look at it, I'm the one making a profit, aren't I?"

More than ten seconds later, an eyeball and a stick of incense were thrown over.

"Now... are you satisfied?"

"Satisfied, of course, I'm satisfied. I didn't expect you to be so generous, thank you very much." Zhou You smiled brilliantly. Just as Gui Po thought he would finally leave, he suddenly remembered something and raised his injured right arm again.

"Right, one last thing. I got so many injuries on my arm rushing over here. Do you happen to have any ointment you could spare?"

This time, Gui Po couldn't even be bothered to get angry. (She) looked at Zhou You, as if trying to engrave his figure deeply into mind, then casually tossed over a few small boxes.

"That's all. If you ask for anything else, I'd rather perish together than let you live. You can get lost now."

Only then did Zhou You put away his smile. (He) didn't turn around but simply retreated backward, only straightening up when reached the doorway.

Then.

(He) suddenly put the bell back on wrist and shook it hard.

The next moment, a shriek that was not human suddenly rang out.

"What the hell are you doing!! I clearly satisfied your demands, do you want to die this badly!!!!!!"

But Zhou You just raised the Blood-Stained Knife and pointed it at his own heart, then said with a smile.

"I'm quite used to death. It's no big deal to me, but as I've already made an enemy of you, I won't give you any more chances to get in my way."

"Of course, the main reason is."

Zhou You slowly plunged the blade into his own chest.

"--As a pure entertainment seeker, I genuinely want to smash your shop."

Immediately after, accompanied by a piercing shriek, that figure in White-Clad rushed in!