What Does the Soul Dropping Bell Drop?

Bang!

At the end of the long corridor, the lamplight was dim and faint.

Lin Yuan crashed to the ground. Before his mind could process what had happened, a grim chill had already leaped from his chest like ghostfire.

He instinctively tried to scream, but a shadow flashed before his eyes. Without warning, a point of gray-blue cold light arrived first, shooting straight for Lin Yuan's brow.

Only then came the strange spear-shadow, like a venomous dragon bursting from the sea.

Just as Lin Yuan's brow was about to be pierced clean through, a streak of golden light suddenly sprang from his chest.

It was an Amulet of Evil Warding Armor that Father Lin had obtained from Qiyun Temple. Each one cost ten gold, and even then, only those with fate could acquire one.

Golden light burst outward in all directions. Lin Yuan finally broke free from the crushing fear and blurted furiously, "Heavenly Venerate, save me! Evil-warding armor, protect me completely! Ah—"

Before his cry had faded, the spear-shadow before him indeed paused for an instant, seemingly unable to break through the golden protection for the moment.

And in that instant of pause, Lin Yuan finally saw what had ambushed him—

Right, what exactly was this thing?

It was a tiny figure barely a foot tall, brandishing a small spear two feet long. Its features were somewhat blurred, yet its tiny body carried an awe-inspiring divine bearing.

Lin Yuan was terrified out of his wits. When had he ever seen such a bizarre thing in his life?

Forget seeing it—even in his wildest thoughts, he could never have imagined that such a thing existed in this world!

"Who are you?" he asked in panic.

The other party did not answer. Its long spear merely pressed against the golden light, like a divine weapon about to pierce the chaotic light of heaven, advancing with ferocious momentum.

The golden light of the Amulet of Evil Warding Armor actually seemed to be retreating.

Why?

The evil-warding golden light was actually ineffective against this thing?

Only the armor itself offered a little protection, but its power was limited as well.

Lin Yuan's heart nearly leaped into his throat. It felt as if streaks of white light were exploding in his mind. Blood rushed to his head, and he could only babble wildly, "Since you are unaffected by evil-warding golden light, you must not be some evil thing. You must be a Divine General descended into the mortal world.

"Divine General, spare my life! Though I was born into wealth and rank, I have never committed evil in my life.

"I have been generous and kind to those beneath me, respectful and courteous to those above me. I—I have been filial to my parents... One of my younger brothers has already died. If I die too, what will become of my aged parents?

"Divine General, show mercy! I beg you, spare me!"

The spear-wielding little man neither spoke nor replied, merely pushing its spear forward without pause.

The golden light grew thinner and thinner. Lin Yuan lay sprawled on the ground, utterly pinned down by the other party's inexplicable aura, unable to move at all.

Seeing that pleading was useless, he could not help asking again, "May I ask what exactly your origins are? What grudge have you and I ever held against each other?

"If there is anything I have done wrong, may I apologize to you?

"I—I am willing to offer ten gold... no, a hundred gold! I am willing to offer a hundred gold in exchange for you sparing my life..."

The spear was about to pierce completely through the last thin layer of golden light. The cold gleam at its tip seemed already to have reached Lin Yuan's brow.

At last, Lin Yuan's right hand at his waist moved.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Yuan broke free of the pressure and shook the tiny bronze bell at his waist.

He shouted, "Child ghosts and wronged souls, heed my command! Drop his soul and strip away his life!"

Jingle, jingle—

As the bell rang, hazy black qi shot out like wisps of smoke.

The moment the black qi touched the golden light around Lin Yuan, it gave off a sizzling sound like flesh being roasted over raging fire.

Yet Lin Yuan only forced the bell onward, paying no heed at all to the clash between the golden light on his body and the black qi.

Within the black qi floated several tangled figures dressed like bookboys. The little figures twisted and struggled, shrieking soundlessly, black mist pouring down their faces like springwater. They rushed through the barrier of golden light and charged at the spear-wielding little man.

"Die!" Lin Yuan roared.

"Ah—"

But the savage, exhilarated fury on his face froze there forever.

The black shadows drifting from the bell charged at the spear-wielding little man. Yet at the instant they made contact, what they pounced upon seemed to be nothing but a mass of air.

They could seize nothing. As for dropping the other party's soul, that was even more utterly futile.

"No, impossible!" Lin Yuan let out one final hoarse cry. "How can this be? Even if you are some Divine General... no, even if you are some puppet, the person controlling you should have a soul! How can my Soul Dropping Bell be useless?

"Who exactly are you? You are, are... Chen?"

The black shadows missed their target and passed straight through the spear-wielding little man's body.

At that moment, the little man's spear finally broke through the last trace of golden resistance and struck Lin Yuan between the brows.

The spearpoint thrust forward. Divine power erupted, piercing through a human skull as easily as piercing fermented bean curd. Pfft!

A small spray of blood burst forth.

Lin Yuan's eyes widened. He died with them open.

But that was not the end. At the very moment Lin Yuan's fleshly body died, the twisted black shadows he had previously commanded began trembling in place as one, as though struck by lightning.

Then, all the black shadows turned around together.

They widened their blurry eyes and let out soundless cries.

Among them, only one black shadow was slightly clearer. Had an acquaintance been present, they would have recognized from his features that the shadow looked exactly like Song Yan, Lin Qi's personal servant.

At Shengyu Workshop, Chen Xu was not familiar with Song Yan's appearance. Thus, viewing the scene through the Mud Pill Dao Soldier, Chen Xu did not recognize Song Yan at first.

But now, as the black shadows cried out soundlessly, Chen Xu clearly understood through the Dao Soldier's ears the silent language ordinary people could not comprehend.

It was the speech of ghosts.

"Eldest Young Master, you are dead..."

"Eldest Young Master, you actually died. Now it is our turn."

"Eldest Young Master, your soul is so black. I truly love eating it."

"Eldest Young Master, I am Song Yan. I already told you in detail everything my young master did while he was alive. Why did you still kill me?"

"I hid nothing from you..."

"I merely broke a tea cup, yet you said I had disrespected you, using the tea cup as a metaphor for you. You wanted to gouge out my eyes and flay my flesh to make this evil artifact..."

"This day has come for you too."

"Wuwuwu..."

Ghosts howled, ghosts cried, ghosts wailed.

The black shadows twisted, clung together, shrieked, and pounced upon Lin Yuan's corpse.

Within his body remained a soul that had not yet had time to transform completely into a ghost.

The remnant soul let out screams no ordinary person could hear.

"Hehehe, the arm is mine!"

"The leg, give me the leg..."

"Young Master, your eyes are mine now..."

The ghosts howled without sound.

Only the Wind-Resisting Lantern beneath the corridor swayed in the night, casting layer upon layer of shadows over the flowers and trees beside it.

Two streets away, a young Daoist carrying a compass and walking through an alley suddenly changed expression. He cried in alarm, "Such dense ghost qi and Killing Intent! What happened? This is bad—perhaps a great ghost is about to emerge. Hurry, let's go!"

A short Gray Donkey followed beside the young Daoist.

The Daoist tried to lead the donkey onward, but the stubborn beast chose that moment to kick up its hind legs and retreat instead.

It took the Daoist the strength of nine oxen and two tigers before he finally managed to drag the donkey along.