The Evil Ghost Had No Form; the Writer's Thoughts Gave It Shape

Chen Cuo's eyes widened as he stared at the old, withered hand. Goosebumps rose all over his body!

"Ah!"

The next moment, a tearing pain ripped through his head, and Chen Cuo could not hold back a scream.

Talisman Paper fluttered before his eyes.

Enduring the pain, he watched the talisman paper on his forehead drift down and burst into flames, turning to ash in an instant! Then a violent urge surged from deep within him. His eyes shifted to the figure before him, and he wanted to tear Zhou Youzi to pieces!

"Roar!"

A savage ghost thrust its head out of the pitch-black vortex, its face blue, its fangs bared, its mouth gaping wide!

It gripped the edges of the vortex with both hands and forced them apart, on the verge of breaking free!

The roar jolted Chen Cuo back to his senses. Fear swept over him as he wondered why he had entertained such a thought.

At the same time, the vortex abruptly tightened, making the ghost shriek. Its hideous mouth stretched wider and wider, and a long scarlet tongue shot out toward Zhou Youzi!

"My lord, step back!" Zhou Youzi flicked his sleeve, sending a stack of talismans flying. They lined up in midair, one after another, as vermilion symbols rapidly took shape upon them. "This Evil Ghost was originally formless, dwelling in the words written and read by men. Your thoughts gave it a complete shape. Now is the time to subdue it!"

Chen Cuo retreated again and again until he reached the wall.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Ahead of him, the Evil Ghost's tongue struck like a spear, piercing the talisman paper. To Zhou Youzi's astonishment, it plunged straight through his chest. Blood burst out!

With a muffled groan, the Daoist collapsed!

"That's it?"

Chen Cuo stared blankly, unable to make sense of what he had seen.

After all, Zhou Youzi had seemed thoroughly prepared. Yet the ghost had run him through in a single exchange and left him sprawled on the floor. What kind of plan was that?

Whoosh!

After piercing the Daoist, the Evil Ghost General drew back its tongue. Then its bell-sized eyes swiveled, and its bulging pupils fixed on Chen Cuo!

Chen Cuo went cold all over and found himself unable to move again!

"You... I... mine..." the Evil Ghost mumbled. Blood-red light blazed in its eyes, and its crooked mouth curled into a grin! It looked ready to lunge at Chen Cuo!

The Evil Ghost's will took solid form in Chen Cuo's mind—

Greed!

You are me, and I am you!

It was a greed that wanted to take Chen Cuo's place!

Chen Cuo knew he was in trouble, but he had nowhere left to retreat. Cold sweat poured down his face.

I can't just wait to die! Daoist Zhou, you really are unreliable. You drew the Evil Ghost out, then went down yourself. What am I supposed to do now? This ghost seems closely tied to me. By the rules of this, there ought to be some restriction on it. Think! Think!

As he racked his brain, the Evil Ghost reached out with both hands and tore violently at the black vortex. With a series of creaks, the vortex yielded more easily than before. The ghost ripped most of it open like a damaged doorway and pushed half its body through, skin stretched over bone, thin as a stick.

Chen Cuo panted and scanned his surroundings, desperate for something he could use to defend himself.

But Evil Ghost thrust out its hands. They suddenly lengthened and reached for Chen Cuo!

In his panic, Chen Cuo instinctively touched the Gourd at his chest with his left hand and raised his right hand to shield himself.

The next moment, a faint light shone from his body.

"Aaargh!"

Evil Ghost screamed and snatched its hands back!

Chen Cuo looked up, puzzled.

Then he heard a voice—

"My lord! Don't be afraid, and don't let your resolve waver! Otherwise, nothing will hold this ghost back!"

Chen Cuo froze. Then he heard another shout: "Go!"

He snapped back to himself and turned. A golden light flashed in the fallen Zhou Youzi's hand, revealing a seed. It instantly stretched into a Long Sword, flew through the air, and stabbed straight at Evil Ghost!

"Roar!"

Evil Ghost roared and struck again with its tongue!

But the Golden Light Long Sword pierced the tongue and shredded it!

Evil Ghost shrieked, pulled back its hands, and swiftly retreated into the black vortex. The Long Sword followed it inside. Howls rang out from within!

Pop!

With a soft crack, the black vortex burst apart and vanished.

"Phew..."

Chen Cuo let out a long breath and slumped against the wall. The chill left his body, and he felt warmth again.

The cold in the room dissipated, and the light returned to normal, as though none of it had happened—except that Zhou Youzi, blood at the corner of his mouth, was struggling to rise from the floor.

"Daoist, was that Evil Ghost from the story? He..." Chen Cuo had started over to help him, but stopped halfway, wariness on his face. "He seemed to bear me nothing but ill will."

"Naturally!"

Zhou Youzi noticed Chen Cuo's reaction but paid it no mind. He got up, wiped the blood from his mouth, and sat cross-legged beside the bed. Taking a porcelain bottle from his robe, he poured out a pill and swallowed it before saying, "That Evil Ghost looks like a monster, but it is the essence born of Human Thought. It could even serve as the catalyst for establishing a Dao-root Origin within the Incense Way. If a cultivator who specialized in Incense cultivation came here, or some household deity or Earth Spirit descended, or even a ghost returned from the Netherworld, they could capture and refine it. Their cultivation would soar at once, and they might even break through a bottleneck..."

Good grief. That hideous thing is a prize everyone wants a bite of? Chen Cuo marveled inwardly. But no sooner had Zhou Youzi finished speaking than a series of thunderous crashes erupted beside his ears, like mountains collapsing and the earth splitting open. He jumped in fright.

Then the sounds vanished.

"What's wrong?" Seeing his reaction, Zhou Youzi hurriedly asked, "You must stay calm. Your Mind Thought mustn't swing wildly again, or if Evil Ghost returns, it will be hard to stop."

"You didn't hear that, Daoist?" Chen Cuo steadied himself, surprised. Then he remembered that something similar had happened the day he wrote "The Painted Skin."

Could that have been a warning?

Zhou Youzi looked him over. Seeing that he was unharmed, he said, "Don't be afraid. Evil Ghost is the essence of thought, but it was born from you. By rights, you're the one best suited to consume and refine it. Unfortunately, you created it by accident and have no method to draw it in."

A method to draw it in and refine it?

Chen Cuo made a mental note of that. Since Zhou Youzi showed no intention of elaborating, he did not press him. Instead, he asked, "You said earlier that Evil Ghost was originally formless and only took shape because my will outlined it. Was that why you had me recall what it looked like?"

"Exactly!" Zhou Youzi nodded. "Evil Ghost was originally nothing but thoughts arising in people's minds from written words. It had neither form nor substance and was scattered through their hearts and memories. Its only medium was the story as it spread from person to person. In that state, there was no way to catch it. So I stirred your emotions and had you recall and outline it yourself, giving Evil Ghost a definite shape."

He drew a deep breath, and some color gradually returned to his pale face. "Now it seems you really were the one who brought Evil Ghost into being. You're the true author of that story!"

Chen Cuo touched his forehead. At last, he understood why Zhou Youzi had attacked him without warning.

"Please forgive me, my lord. Your mind is linked to the Evil Ghost's. If I hadn't caught you by surprise, he would have known beforehand and could have resisted." Zhou Youzi apologized, then changed tack. "But the reverse is also true. The Evil Ghost is now like duckweed without roots, not yet a true individual. The only way for him to escape that state is to seize the master's place by devouring you!"

A chill ran through Chen Cuo.

Zhou Youzi's face darkened. "Only by taking your standing, your opportunities, and your place can he break free and be reborn. It also fits the tale of The Painted Skin, making it an act in accord with human thought. He might even enter the second step of the path to the Dao directly: Transcendence, shedding the mundane and gaining a Dao-root Origin!"

Chen Cuo had been turning over the strange events of the day he wrote the story. Those words startled him.

"Devour me? But..." He remembered the ghost's greed and knew the threat was real. He hurriedly said, "Daoist, your powers are profound. That golden Long Sword destroyed the Evil Ghost in one strike. Surely he couldn't have survived?"

Zhou Youzi shook his head and sighed. "I thought this Evil Ghost had only recently formed, so his Dao Attainment should be shallow. I made a prompt decision to eliminate him before he could establish himself, which was why I asked you here to talk. I never expected him to have grown so powerful in such a short time!"

He glanced at Chen Cuo.

"I know little of the Incense Way, but judging from what happened, perhaps your story was so compelling that it resonated with too many people. Without anyone realizing it, the Evil Ghost took root in many hearts. Though born only recently, his Dao Attainment is already profound—more than I can handle!"

At that, Zhou Youzi gave a bitter smile.