Year Wraith

It could be said that Tang Zhixue's words had thoroughly stirred up everyone in the region.

Originally, none of them had any way out. They could only resign themselves to facing the coming supernatural horrors.

But now someone suddenly claimed he had a way to get through this crisis, and that method was one they themselves had confirmed did not work. How could they not get excited?

Naturally, Tang Zhixue had no intention of keeping it to himself. After gifting Luo Hong a White Melon, he began typing in the regional chat.

[Tang Zhixue: No problem. I'll explain my understanding of the Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra to everyone in a moment. Forget about exchanging resources for it. In our current situation, we should help one another.]

[Tang Zhixue: Of course, everyone should stay cautious too. After all, we can't gamble on human nature, can we?]

[Fang Yunxi: You can refuse payment, but I can't give you nothing. Add me as a friend first.]

[Exactly! Sister Fang is right!]

[True, we should at least give you something. We can't just take it for free, can we?]

[Tang Zhixue: All right, all right, let's stop talking about that for now. It's almost midnight. Let me explain the Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra first.]

[Tang Zhixue: First, "Heaven and earth in their natural state, foul qi disperses." The literal meaning is naturally that the original, natural state of heaven and earth is pure and upright, and all filth and evil qi should dissipate on their own...]

Over the following stretch of time, Tang Zhixue continually explained his understanding of the Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra in the channel. After explaining the entire mantra, he also answered everyone's questions.

Perhaps Luo Hongcai was particularly gifted in this area, for after Tang Zhixue finished explaining, he was the first to successfully recite the Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra, granting his Shelter a temporary purification effect.

The others were much slower. Even with Tang Zhixue constantly answering their questions and those who had succeeded helping out, over two hundred people had still failed by the time midnight arrived.

"I hope they're lucky." Tang Zhixue sighed.

He had already done his best. Those who had failed to recite the divine mantra successfully could now only rely on their own luck.

[The old gives way to the new]

[You-]

[Are you ready?]

The three lines of text flashed past.

A cloud of black qi suddenly rose from the dry branches in the corner and finally settled before Tang Zhixue. A pair of scarlet eyes opened within it.

Shit! The Pure Heaven and Earth Divine Mantra doesn't work on this Year Wraith?!

"Hehehe~"

An eerie, sinister laugh came from the black qi.

"Tell me..."

The black qi suddenly swelled, revealing a huge mouth full of sharp teeth. "Have you banished the year?"

The year? Or evil spirits?

Faced with the black-qi Year Wraith's question, Tang Zhixue instinctively took a step back, his thoughts racing.

He did not understand why the Year Wraith was asking, but the fact that it had not attacked him right away was a good thing for him.

"I..."

Tang Zhixue opened his mouth, but rather than answering directly, he stared closely at the black-qi Year Wraith.

Upon hearing Tang Zhixue speak, the Year Wraith visibly grew excited. It even could not resist sticking out its blood-red tongue to lick the corners of its mouth.

It's looking forward to my answer?

Come to think of it, why does this Year Wraith seem connected to evil spirits?

The custom of giving New Year's Money seems to be about suppressing evil spirits and keeping children safe...

Someone had actually brought this up in the channel long ago, but everyone was dressed in coarse hemp clothing and naturally had no money.

When Tang Zhixue remained silent for so long, the Year Wraith grew a little impatient.

It suddenly darted right up to Tang Zhixue's face. "Answer me! Have you banished the year?"

As the Year Wraith's huge, sharp-toothed mouth opened and closed right in front of him, Tang Zhixue's heart suddenly skipped a beat, followed by an irrepressible surge of anger.

What the fuck! A jump scare too?!

He had to admit, sudden terror was the most frightening kind.

Huh?

Suddenly, through the Year Wraith's open mouth, Tang Zhixue noticed what seemed to be a white mass inside.

But once the huge mouth closed, he could no longer see it.

At this, an idea came to him.

Looking at the somewhat agitated Year Wraith, Tang Zhixue remained motionless and silent, his eyes fixed firmly on its huge mouth.

"Answer me!"

The Year Wraith's shrill, eerie voice echoed through the Blazing Sun Shelter. "Have you banished the year... urgh... ah!!!"

Tang Zhixue pulled a fair, soft-skinned baby wearing a red bellyband out of the Year Wraith's huge mouth.

Hehe~

Holding the constantly struggling Year Wraith, Tang Zhixue grinned silently.

So it was all an illusion. This is your true body!

Tang Zhixue had originally worried whether those sharp teeth would hurt his arm, but there was nothing for it. That brief contact had made him realize it felt like he was touching air. Only after grabbing the thing inside the mouth had he felt something solid.

"Damn you! Let me go!"

The Year Wraith's voice was as shrill and eerie as ever, unchanged by the exposure of its true form.

Maintaining his usual caution, Tang Zhixue still did not speak. He was worried that anything he said would be taken as an answer to its question.

Holy shit!

By the light of the fireplace, Tang Zhixue finally got a clear look at the Year Wraith in his hand.

In terms of its overall appearance, it was no different from an ordinary baby.

But after getting a clear look at its face, he could not help sucking in a breath of cold air.

The eyes and mouth on the Year Wraith's face had switched places, making it look utterly bizarre.

I knew it. How could a supernatural horror look ordinary?

Tang Zhixue quickly suppressed the fear within him.

No matter how eerie and terrifying it was, wasn't he holding it in his hand right now?

At that thought, Tang Zhixue suddenly felt playful.

He grabbed the Year Wraith by both legs and began dangling it upside down, shaking it about.

Heh, that's what you get for scaring me!

Although he did not know how to deal with this Year Wraith, it could not hurt Tang Zhixue now either. At worst, he could wait until dawn.

"Damn you! Answer my question!"

As the Year Wraith's questions kept ringing in his ears, Tang Zhixue shook it even harder.

"Cough, cough~"

Suddenly, a violent coughing sound rang out.

Huh?

Tang Zhixue abruptly stopped moving his hands and picked up a smooth copper coin with a round outer edge, a square hole, and no designs.

[Item: New Year's Money]

[Grade: first tier]

[Description: Place the copper coin beneath your pillow and sleep. Upon waking, you will receive one random reward.]

After spitting out this [New Year's Money], the Year Wraith in Tang Zhixue's grasp dissolved into black qi and vanished amid unwilling howls.

[Congratulations to human Tang Zhixue of Blue Star-Region A9527 for completing the temporary Spring Festival event-Spring Festival · Year Wraith!]

[Use [New Year's Money] to randomly receive one of three rewards.]

[Warning! [New Year's Money] must be used on the same day, and each person may only use it once!]