"Ding! Disfigured Ghost (vicious ghost) killed. Ghost Qi +99."
After the female ghost's head was chopped off, her body collapsed as well, rapidly oxidizing and rotting.
Normally, a ghost wouldn't be killed so easily, but Jiang Chen had infused that last slash with Demonic Power. As his blade severed her head, it also shattered her soul.
Outside, Chen Xue heard the sound of a head hitting the floor. Her eyes widened, her pale fists clenched, and grief and anguish spread across her pretty face.
"He did it to save me!"
"How much courage did it take for an ordinary person to face a vicious ghost head-on?"
Only now did she realize what had happened.
Jiang Chen's seemingly frivolous, exaggerated behavior had actually been his way of creating an opportunity for her to escape.
Chen Xue gritted her teeth, tears slipping down despite herself. She took one long look at Room 502. "I'll avenge you!"
She turned and ran downstairs, but after descending two floors, she seemed to reach a decision. She pulled out the little jade sword hanging around her neck and headed back.
"So be it. Since you died for me, I can't just escape alone!"
Chen Xue entered Room 502 with murder in her eyes.
Then she saw Jiang Chen, whom she had assumed was already dead, crouching on the floor. He was patting a male corpse's face, calling out with an expectant expression, "Wake up, buddy! Haven't you turned into a ghost yet?"
Then his gaze turned thoughtful. "Do you have to wait until the seventh day after death? Never mind. I'll come back for you in a few days."
Chen Xue: "..."
She glanced at the disfigured ghost's remains, surprise filling her beautiful eyes. "So you're a practitioner too. I was showing off in front of an expert earlier."
Anyone who could dispatch an Intermediate Vicious Ghost so cleanly was probably no weaker than she was.
Jiang Chen turned toward Chen Xue and delivered the story he had prepared. "Oh, I don't really know what a practitioner is. I only moved to the big city two years ago. Before that, I always lived with my grandpa. The old man never told me about any of this before he passed away."
"If you don't mind, could you explain it to me?"
He gave her a harmless smile.
Chen Xue paused at his words, then seemed to realize something. "Oh, I see. Your situation is actually pretty common."
"The Nine Provinces have a rich heritage. Reclusive masters live hidden all over the place, and many of their younger generations know nothing about the Unusual Person World when they move to the cities."
Chen Xue gathered her thoughts. "Right now, the Dao Alliance and the Netherworld are the largest powers in the Nine Provinces."
"The Dao Alliance oversees all Unusual Person and Unusual Adepts, while the Netherworld has its own cultivation system. Oh, right, they jointly launched the Underworld App. It should have everything you want to know."
"I'll send you an invitation code."
Since he had saved her life, Chen Xue took the initiative to help Jiang Chen download the Underworld App and register an account. It was an app exclusive to the Unusual Person World, and a special invitation code was required to use it.
"All done. Oh, you can also take a photo of this ghost's remains and submit it through the Underworld App to earn points. Those are the currency used in the Unusual Person World."
"Thanks." Jiang Chen nodded and opened the app. Its interface was red and black, giving it a distinctly underworld feel. There was a dedicated camera feature, and when he tapped it, instructions appeared. He only needed to take a single photo; the Underworld App had its own way of identifying a ghost's rank and awarding the corresponding points.
Click!
The photo uploaded. After a minute's wait, a chime sounded, and Jiang Chen saw that 50 points had been credited to his account.
"The Underworld App has a marketplace, and people also post trade requests on its Unusual Person Forum. You can use points to buy all kinds of magical artifacts and talismans."
"And this blade should just barely qualify as a Ghost Artifact. We practitioners rarely use Ghost Artifacts, but you can sell it to a Netherworld Messenger. They're willing to pay a lot for them!"
Chen Xue explained a few more things, then suddenly glanced toward the hallway. "Right, we should leave first. There might still be another ghost hiding in this building!"
The moment she finished speaking, she noticed the man before her becoming inexplicably excited. "Where is that ghost?"
Chen Xue: "..."
Why are you so excited?
"By my assessment, it's at least a Superior Vicious Ghost, possibly even a top-tier one. I'm badly injured and can barely fight right now. If we rush into a confrontation, our chances of winning are slim."
But Jiang Chen shook his head at her words and said solemnly, "Chen Xue, you're right. We can run, but what happens to the living people in this building after we leave?"
"My grandpa taught me from childhood that with great power comes great responsibility. In a situation this dangerous, I can't abandon the residents!"
"You go ahead. I'll deal with that ghost."
Looking utterly righteous, he stood and walked out, leaving Chen Xue staring at his broad back.
Of course, what Jiang Chen didn't mention was that his Monster Transformation Card had only eighteen minutes left. It would be a terrible waste not to farm more Ghost Qi while he still could.
Besides, he hadn't even used a supernatural ability against the disfigured ghost. With the power of this Monster Transformation Card, dealing with another ghost would surely be more than manageable.
If there really was danger, he would be just like Old Zhang, fleeing faster than anyone.
But in Chen Xue's eyes, the young man's stature suddenly rose. Looking at him, she even felt ashamed of herself. "I have to say, Jiang Chen, you're someone worthy of respect!"
"So be it. You saved my life tonight anyway. If you're taking a risk, I'll go with you."
She followed him.
The two arrived on the sixth floor.
Jiang Chen saw that the door to Room 602 was open. A strong smell of disinfectant drifted from inside, and a small sign by the entrance read [Angel Beauty Salon].
"An unlicensed beauty salon hidden in an apartment building. Zhang Meimei probably had a botched cosmetic procedure here, and her lingering obsession turned her into a vicious ghost after she died."
This was pretty much what he had guessed earlier.
"My investigation led me to this beauty salon. I made preparations inside and waited for Zhang Meimei to arrive," Chen Xue said from behind him. "But just as I was about to finish her off, another ghost attacked me and slashed my shoulder."
"It seemed to want Zhang Meimei and me to wear each other down. It fled after that one attack, and I didn't even get a clear look at it."
Jiang Chen nodded after listening, then went into the salon and searched it, but found nothing.
When he came out, both of them fixed their eyes on Room 601. Its door was shut, and it seemed someone still lived inside.
"This is right next to the place where Zhang Meimei appeared most often. Anyone who could live here undisturbed is awfully suspicious."
They exchanged a glance, walked over, and knocked on the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
Footsteps sounded inside, and shortly afterward, a woman's voice came through the door.
"Who is it?"
It was late at night, so the resident was cautious and didn't open the door.
"I'm from the Public Security Office." Chen Xue stepped forward, took out an ID, and slipped it through the gap in the door.
"Oh, an officer. Is something the matter?"
"We received a report of a violent incident in this building. Please cooperate with our inspection," Chen Xue said.
"Oh, all right, all right." This time, the woman said nothing more, and the sound of the door being unlocked came from inside.
While the woman was opening the door, Chen Xue turned to explain to Jiang Chen, "Before handling paranormal incidents, we can apply for various official IDs through the Underworld App. They make it easier for us to investigate and deal with ghosts."
Before you continue