A gifted ability?
Luo Bin had spent so long pondering "Crimson," but this function had never appeared before. Now it had suddenly popped up, leaving him baffled...
He brought up the panel and took a look. The original layout hadn't changed, but four small black characters—"Essence Soul"—had appeared above Modification Value and Spirit Charm.
[Essence Soul: Water Ghoul · Phantom]
This was the first demon I've killed... That qipao-clad female ghost from before could only be called a specter...
Could it be that only demons with physical bodies dropped Essence Souls, while intangible, formless specters didn't?
Luo Bin suppressed his doubts, pulled the Command Blade out of the Water Mountain Ghoul's body, then tossed it with a clang in front of the Duan Gongs. They scrambled backward in fright, collapsing onto the ground with trembling lips...
Luo Bin walked over to the bank of the Li River tributary called the Fu River. The water's surface was calm, but he couldn't be sure what might lurk beneath it.
Still, it made sense that this Water Mountain Ghoul had come ashore to kill people. It was most likely pretending to be the Fu River God, since the cold, foul aura around it was exactly the same as the aura of the crushed clay idol.
Besides that, a faint, fresh fragrance lingered by the river, as if it had seeped up from the water and drifted into the air...
But with so many people watching, it wouldn't be wise to act recklessly. And it was already late. If some "water monkey" suddenly leapt out and dragged him under, even hauling the Maxim to the riverbank wouldn't help.
Luo Bin made up his mind. Once they returned to Ping City, he had to show Chen Tianren his strength and value, get his hands on more precious medicines and supplements, and boost his abilities as fast as possible.
The Ying Shui Ferry was in chaos. Besides the villagers gathered near the altar, many stallholders and vendors from the surrounding area were also beginning to crowd over.
A trace of worry crossed Chen Mansheng's pretty face. She called to Luo Bin by the river, "Y-you... Why are you standing by the river? What if another monster climbs out?"
Luo Bin turned around with a smile. "It's fine. I'm fast on my feet..."
Even so, he didn't dare get cocky. He flickered over to Chen Mansheng and her brother, then gathered his strength and called out in a deep, penetrating voice:
"Neighbors, this River God Festival was nothing but a scam. Come over and see for yourselves what filthy, evil thing the River God you worship really is!"
Over a hundred villagers had gathered nearby and slowly made their way toward the Water Mountain Ghoul's corpse. With a Maxim heavy machine gun still mounted on the distant mound, they were exceptionally well-behaved.
Several teenagers, around ten years old, were shocked. Indignant, they shouted at their parents, "Look at what you've been worshipping! Isn't this just a monster through and through?"
"Ever since the founding of the previous dynasty, we at Ying Shui Ferry have offered livestock and grain at our ceremonies. When did we start sacrificing living people? Which bastard set that precedent?!"
A clear-eyed, brawny man rebuked the elders around him. Several muddleheaded old-timers immediately lowered their heads in shame and silently edged toward the back of the crowd.
The brawny man was a man of deep feeling. His bloodshot eyes blazed with fury, and tears streamed down his face.
The children sacrificed hadn't been his own, but they had grown up under the watchful eyes of the villagers of Dagang Village. "Thank goodness this young man drew the monster out and helped us see just how ugly this 'River God Festival' really was..."
"Thank you, young man..." "Thank you, benefactor!" "If only we'd discovered this sooner. Then the children before wouldn't have..."
Regret and gratitude mingled together.
When Luo Bin destroyed the Water Mountain Ghoul's "divine body" and "incense offerings," then drew it out, the Duan Gongs had already been trembling with fear...
Seeing the Water Mountain Ghoul slain, and the ceremony he had presided over ruthlessly exposed, the old Duan Gong at their head knew his days were numbered. He had survived the chaos of the times and lived high on the hog with his apprentices thanks to his far-reaching reputation for "integrity" and "sorcery."
But after this, his "integrity" had been utterly destroyed. Once the villagers spread the news tomorrow, he could forget about living high on the hog. He might not even make it out of Ping City alive...
Not to mention all the hostile eyes in the crowd fixed on him now.
Would he even make it out of Ying Shui Ferry alive? He didn't know.
He'd have a better chance of surviving if he jumped into the river, but he couldn't stomach leaping in so miserably... It was all the fault of these city folk.
The old Duan Gong glanced at Luo Bin, his fingers trembling almost imperceptibly. Then his gaze locked onto Chen Mansheng, and he hardened his heart. Grabbing the Command Blade, he charged at her.
Luo Bin had his back to the Duan Gong, explaining some basic habits of demons to the villagers. He had learned them from Zhang Huai and Hu Junzhi, two old members who had retired from the Black Sheath Hall...
The villagers were all deeply grateful to Luo Bin. The mother whose son had just returned to her side thanked him over and over.
Meanwhile, Zhang and Hu had put themselves in Luo Bin's shoes, reveling in the self-congratulatory thrill of "showing off in front of everyone" and "rescuing people from danger." As a result, their senses had dulled in the dim surroundings.
Luo Bin patted the boy, who had woken up, on the head. Seeing his slightly listless, frightened state, a trace of tenderness welled in Luo Bin's eyes...
This damned chaotic world... Ordinary people can't even get enough to eat, while demons are fat as pigs. What kind of sense does that make?!
Chen Jing had been jostled to one side by the villagers. When he saw the old Duan Gong charging toward Chen Mansheng with a blade in hand, he immediately roared, "Sis, watch out behind you!!"
The trace of tenderness and compassion in Luo Bin's eyes had only just been caught by Chen Mansheng.
The Command Blade had already arrived, slicing into Chen Mansheng's left shoulder. Blood welled up in an instant, soaking through her white lace blouse.
"You're asking for death."
Luo Bin spun around, swept past Chen Jing, and closed in from the side, grabbing the old Duan Gong's right hand as he gripped the blade.
The old Duan Gong felt a fierce force wrench his right arm out of its socket in the blink of an eye.
Bang!
Then a crushing blow slammed into his abdomen. Blood from his internal organs sprayed from his mouth and nose, staining the damp earth red...
Luo Bin snatched the Command Blade away and smashed the old Duan Gong in the face with a punch, caving it in and knocking him unconscious on the spot.
Shhk—
The next second, the Command Blade stood embedded in the old Duan Gong's abdomen, like an exquisite tombstone.
The villagers around them cheered. "That swindling charlatan deserved to die long ago. Killing him outright was letting him off easy after all the people he's harmed..."
Luo Bin hurried to Chen Mansheng's side. He tore a strip of cloth from his own shirt and bandaged her wound. It was fairly shallow and posed no serious danger.
"Let's head back, Brother Luo. Second Sis's wound isn't serious. We just need to disinfect it when we get back..."
Chen Mansheng had grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth. Under the circumstances, she should have been acting spoiled, but instead she gritted her teeth and said, "I'm fine. It's not a serious injury."
Chen Jing supported Chen Mansheng, and the group climbed into the jeep. They were soon back at the manor.
As soon as they got out, Ji Xuan ran out of the Western-style house and asked with concern, "How was it? Was the River God Festival lively? Did you run into any danger?"
Chen Mansheng climbed out of the car wearing Luo Bin's coat. Hearing Ji Xuan's question, she tensed and didn't know what to do.
But then Luo Bin said casually, "It's fine, Aunt Ji. The River God Festival was lively, and the Second Young Miss and Second Young Master had a great time. The night breeze by the river was just a little cold, and the Second Young Miss is delicate, so we came back early..."
Chen Mansheng's eyes brightened as she looked at Luo Bin. Like a child who had done something wrong and was waiting for an elder to pass judgment, she had instead been let off with an easy cover story by a companion. Her relief at having survived the ordeal was impossible to suppress.
Ji Xuan looked at Chen Mansheng and saw that she was wearing Luo Bin's coat. Only then did she relax. "That's good. Go back to your rooms and rest early. We'll return to the city tomorrow."
After returning to his room, Luo Bin eagerly brought up the panel and began studying the "Water Mountain Demon Spirit Essence."
Before you continue