Infernal Transformations, the Second Last Wish

Infernal Transformations, the Second Last Wish

What should you do if you accidentally beat someone to death?

For most ordinary people in Weishui, it was a heaven-shaking matter, a nightmare, a dark cloud.

A nightmare enough to ruin an entire life.

But to the ruthless underworld thugs of Southside Old Street's Blackwater Gang, it was as simple as eating and drinking.

Set a fire, burn the body, burn it until even his own mother could not recognize him.

If you did not even know who the corpse was, where would you begin looking for the murderer?

And Wang Hai, whom they had beaten to death, had received precisely such treatment. Once he stopped breathing, they burned him and threw him into the wasteland south of the city.

It was only when a beggar discovered him early in the morning that the authorities were notified. After the autopsy, a Corpse Mover carried him up to Qingfeng Mausoleum.

Though the constables had opened a case, everyone who knew about it knew that it would most likely become another unsolved mystery.

All in all, if not for Yu Chen, no one would likely have recognized the corpse, charred black as it was. Every truth would have sunk like a stone into the sea.

Yet Qingfeng Mausoleum's gravekeeper specialized in speaking for the dead.

And after watching the entire lantern reel, Wang Hai's last wish surfaced as well.

Back when he received six Gold Zhu from a Golden Sun Merchant Guild steward, he returned home.

He had been cautious then. To guard against thieves, he first buried the six Gold Zhu beneath a great locust tree beside his family's ancestral grave, intending to retrieve them once the heat died down, exchange them for silver, and help support the household.

He had not even had time to tell his wife, children, and elders about it. He had planned to surprise them after exchanging the money for silver.

But before the thieves came, the bandits arrived first.

Several Blackwater Gang members took him to Southside Old Street, beat him to death alive, then burned him.

Thus, he died with his eyes unclosed and left behind a last wish.

—But what Yu Chen had not expected was that Wang Hai's wish was not revenge. He wanted someone to dig up the Gold Zhu and give them to his wife, children, and elders.

Smoke-gray words appeared upon the Scripture of Deliverance.

[Ninth-Rank Mortal Wish]

[Unfinished Business]

[Time Limit: Ten Days]

[Reward Upon Completion]

By the Yellow Springs River, Wang Hai's ghost sank to one knee, as though begging.

Yu Chen let out a long breath of foul air and said nothing.

Clearly, Wang Hai's story was another tragedy—a tragedy of an honest man bullied to death by evildoers.

Blackwater Gang. Again, the Blackwater Gang.

Though Yu Chen had never dealt with this so-called greatest gang in southern Weishui, he had seen this gang's shadow in every last wish he completed.

For example, Knife-Face and Big Strong, who had killed that foolish woman, seemed to be entangled with the Blackwater Gang.

For example, the old cobbler's son had lost all his money in a gambling house run by the Blackwater Gang, until the family fortune was scattered to the winds.

For example, the backer behind the Ji Family's Three Brothers' evil deeds was also Blackwater Gang's Ji Sixth Lord.

And Wang Hai before him, who had been beaten alive to death because others coveted his wealth, had likewise been murdered by Blackwater Gang members.

They had harmed countless people!

Yu Chen shook his head, rose to his feet, and put away the Scripture of Deliverance, planning to go out and handle the matter once night had deepened.

As night fell, more than half of Weishui went to sleep.

But beneath that heavy darkness, someone began to move.

At Qingfeng Mausoleum, Yu Chen stood before a battered bronze mirror, staring at himself within it.

His somewhat lean frame was completely covered by a black robe, while a ghost-face mask, half weeping and half smiling, rested upon his face—demonic and still.

—It was the Infernal Ghost Mask in its fully revealed form.

But this was not the end.

The tranquil Infernal ghost face suddenly underwent some kind of change—it melted like flowing water.

It slowly flowed down, covering Yu Chen's neck, body, limbs, and torso.

Its originally pitch-black color gradually faded, becoming the color of skin.

Like a layer of human skin, it wrapped Yu Chen from head to toe.

Then the person in the bronze mirror completely changed appearance.

From a delicate-looking youth, he became an utterly ordinary middle-aged man.

It was exactly how Yu Chen had looked in his previous life.

—Infernal meant all phenomena!

At that moment, Yu Chen finally understood the meaning of those words that had surfaced in his mind when he first obtained the Infernal Ghost Mask!

The Infernal Ghost Mask could transform into all things!

Like the most miraculous disguise art beneath heaven, it could change one's head and face; men, women, young, old—nothing lay beyond its reach!

Of course, Yu Chen had not known at first that the Infernal Ghost Mask possessed such a function.

Or rather, at that time, the Infernal Ghost Mask truly did not possess such miraculous power.

The change occurred after it absorbed "blood."

Earlier, when he killed that silver-white tiger, its blood had been absorbed by the Infernal Ghost Mask, but no change had occurred then.

It was not until recently, when he twisted off the Ji Family's Three Brothers' heads and hot blood sprayed through the air, splashing onto the Infernal Ghost Mask and being absorbed by it.

Only after returning did Yu Chen discover that the ghost-face mask had gained the miraculous power of "transformation."

It could melt into something like "human skin," cover his face and body, and alter his appearance and physique.

Just like now.

Once the Infernal Mask's power of "transformation" was activated, a layer of false "skin" covered Yu Chen, changing him into the appearance from his previous life.

After making these preparations, Yu Chen descended the mountain beneath the cover of night.

Following the route in Wang Hai's memories, he retrieved the Gold Zhu from beneath the great locust tree beside Wang Hai's ancestral grave, then headed to the money shop.

—Though Gold Zhu were also currency in circulation throughout Great Xia, they were exceedingly rare in a small county like Weishui.

If one used Gold Zhu to buy firewood, rice, oil, and salt, ninety-nine percent of merchants would likely be unable to make change, and it would draw far too much attention.

That was why Wang Hai had initially planned to exchange the Gold Zhu for loose silver.

But before he could do so, the Blackwater Gang set their sights on him, and he died on the spot.

And exchanging the money became part of his last wish as well.

Wearing the appearance from his previous life, Yu Chen went to the money shop, exchanged the coins for a pouch of loose silver, and headed to Wang Hai's home.

It was not too late yet.

The lights in the house were still on, and through the paper window, Yu Chen could see the shadows of those inside.

It was the shadow of a woman holding a child.

He could also faintly hear the clear voice of a young child and the weary voice of a woman.

"Mother! Mother! Where did Father go? When will he come back?"

"Your father was invited out by a friend. He'll be back before long."

"Then when Father comes back... will he take me to the market to buy rice cakes?"

"Your father dotes on you so much. Of course he will!"

"..."

Standing outside the window and listening to those words, Yu Chen's nose stung.

—Wang Hai's wife and children still did not know that their husband, their father, the pillar holding up their household, would never return.

With a sigh, Yu Chen waited until the lights went out.

Yu Chen pried open the window and tossed the silver into the room.

By then, Wang Hai's wife, children, and elders had fallen asleep as well.

In their dreams, they waited for someone who would never return.

Watching all this, Yu Chen felt deeply unsettled.

But the dead could not return to life. There was nothing he could do.

He could only hope that the loose silver Wang Hai left behind would allow his whole household to live a little better.

Only after finishing everything did Yu Chen quietly depart.

In some corner, he opened the Scripture of Deliverance. Within the last wish of [Unfinished Business],

Wang Hai's charred ghost shed its filth and returned to its original appearance, then bowed deeply to Yu Chen.

But afterward, unlike the many ghosts before him, he did not fulfill his wish and cross the river.

Instead, he continued wandering along the Yellow Springs River, pacing back and forth, his face filled with hatred and unwillingness.

At the same time, smoke-gray words reappeared upon the Scripture of Deliverance.

[Ninth-Rank Mortal Wish]

[Bone-Deep Hatred]

[Time Limit: Ten Days]

[Reward Upon Completion]

The second last wish!

(End of Chapter)