While Zhang Ya was asleep, Xu Yin had protected Chen Ge many times. Back then, both man and ghost had been weak, and every encounter had been a fight to the death for the slimmest chance of survival.
The Vengeful Spirits Chen Ge trusted most were Zhang Ya and Xu Yin. The bond between them had long transcended the distance between life and death.
"Are you sure you want to consume the God of Calamity's black markings?" Chen Ge looked at Xu Yin very seriously. Although Xu Yin was the most suitable candidate, Chen Ge would never force him.
Gaining power meant enduring unimaginable pain.
Just touching the markings had caused Xu Yin's skin to crack over a large area. If he swallowed them, what kind of pain would he have to endure?
The black markings burned his skin. Blood Threads healed the damage just fast enough to keep pace with the destruction. Xu Yin stared silently at the black markings on his fingertips, then nodded.
No one knew what Xu Yin was thinking. Perhaps he felt the pressure brought by the God of Calamity, or perhaps he knew Chen Ge was in a bad situation. The repeated brushes with death had made him realize his power wasn't enough to protect everything he cared about.
He had never said much, but he knew in his heart that he didn't want to lose anything else.
"Don't force yourself." Chen Ge and the other Haunted House employees watched as Xu Yin, standing in the middle of the "crowd," slowly raised his arm and swallowed the God of Calamity's black markings.
The instant the black markings entered his mouth, countless fine black veins appeared on Xu Yin's face and neck. The Heart of the Red-Clothed in his chest pounded wildly.
The pain he