C12 The Escape of the Ghosts

"Wang Xu, you good-for-nothing! What about the water element? There's not a drop to be found! Without water, we can't even set off a firecracker, much less survive this dire moment!" Wang Dali wailed once more.

The ghosts on our heels glowed a sinister dark green, tinged with a hint of red. Their visages were so ghastly that even the contents of Wang Dali's bathroom would seem handsome by comparison.

Our lack of the water element meant that the Five Elements Great Escape Technique couldn't fully hold them back, allowing them to gain on us. Their claws were inches from grasping us... At that moment, Wang Dali and I were just a couple of steps from fleeing the pine forest. Once out, we'd be safe; these specters couldn't easily follow beyond the trees.

We were so close!

"Dali, do you have any urine?" I asked urgently.

Wang Dali was on the verge of tears: "Wang Xu, the situation is dire, and you're worried about bodily functions? If I had any urine left, I would've peed myself from fear by now!"

Alright, he had no urine. I pressed him further: "Dali, despite the rumors swirling about you and Xiao Feng from the next village, honesty is crucial at a time like this. How far did things actually go between you two? Did you really..."

Before I could finish, Wang Dali burst into tears: "Ask, ask, ask! Why does everyone always ask me? Yes, it's true! Xiao Feng and I were rolling around in the forest since elementary school. Are you happy now?"

Well, that was an unexpected revelation. Wang Dali was more experienced than I thought, but it was clear I couldn't rely on him now...

With determination, I stomped my foot and, in a flash, pulled down my pants. As the ghosts collided with me, a cold shiver ran down my spine, a chilling sensation induced by their eerie presence.

Cackling beneath me, a long-dead ghost sneered with delight. It had made contact!

But I was ready. I took a deep breath, blew a whistle, and with all my might, I exerted pressure below.

Using too much force, I ended up like a burst fire hydrant, repelling all the pursuing ghosts in one go. They scattered, howling in agony—a truly pitiful sight.

This was because they had already been weakened by the elements of Metal, Wood, Fire, and Earth. My urine, acting as Water, completed the Five Elements, and they were subdued by the Great Escape of the Five Elements.

Ordinary urine wouldn't have had such an effect; mine was potent because I had preserved my virginity for twenty years. That's why I had asked Wang Dali if he had ever been with Little Feng. His Yang energy was strong; virgin urine from him would surely surpass mine in effectiveness.

Alas, Wang Dali had lost his virgin status back in elementary school, while I...

After the ghosts were repelled by my urine, I grabbed Wang Dali and we made our escape from the pine forest. The array within should keep the karma-laden ghosts at bay. We were safe at last.

Once outside, Wang Dali gazed at me with reverence and finally exclaimed, "Damn, Wang Xu, you're incredible! They were so fierce, yet you subdued them with just a pee—and from such a distance, too! That's insanely impressive!"

His compliment about my range made me blush. There's an old saying: a virgin can pee three meters against the wind, while a seasoned driver might wet his own shoes. It's hardly something to boast about...

"Enough, stop staring. This is the result of my years of discipline. You'll never manage it in your lifetime."

Indeed... there was no chance now.

Pulling up my pants, I then noticed the only ghost girl, radiating a white glow, peeking timidly from behind a tree directly in front of me. I was completely taken aback.

Despite the divide between the living and the dead, she was still a girl, and quite an attractive one at that. To my embarrassment, I... had a reaction!

The ghost girl had been watching me the whole time, and when I showed a reaction, she quickly ducked back behind the tree. In truth, I was to blame for overlooking her presence and forgetting that a white ghost could move beyond the confines of the array.

After I adjusted my pants, the ghost of the young girl emerged hesitantly from behind the tree, deliberately avoiding eye contact with me. Reflecting on her age at the time of her death, perhaps the scene she witnessed was a bit too shocking for her.

"Ahem, listen... there's no need to be nervous. What you saw is a normal bodily function. Had you not passed away, you would have inevitably encountered it eventually," I said, attempting to explain despite feeling embarrassed.

But the girl looked at me with her large, dewy eyes and said, "I don't need your explanation! The way you peed from such a distance, I could tell at a glance. You're a virgin, aren't you? Relax, we won't judge you for that."

Her words were genuine, her face the picture of innocence, and it felt as though she had plunged a series of knives into my heart. I stared at her, mortified and at a loss for words. Could someone really gain so much understanding after death?

After a long silence, the girl spoke up again: "Why are you staring at me like that? Oh, I know! I've heard from the ghosts below that there are people in the living world who fancy girls like me—small in stature, with small chests, everything small. So that's your type..."

Now I truly understood the saying about being cautious around ghosts.

"Ahem, miss, my name is Wang Xu, and he's Wang Dali. We've been talking for a while, and I still don't know your name..."

The girl blinked and replied, "I'm Bai Xiaoxiao."

I nodded gravely and said, "Alright, Xiaoxiao, you mentioned earlier that you understand what a ghost pact is. Could you explain it to us? It's really important for us to know because of a girl who is very significant to us."

Bai Xiaoxiao looked at Wang Dali and me for a moment before letting out a long sigh, "Sigh... I suggest you give up, or better yet, help that young lady reincarnate sooner. You won't be able to break the ghost pact..."

We were not ready to throw in the towel, so we pressed her for more information. Bai Xiaoxiao then shared, "This forest doesn't just have one ghost market; there are eight, arranged according to the Bagua. The deeper the karma of the items, the more dangerous the market. The one you stumbled into today has the lightest karma...

"I've heard that the ghost market with the heaviest karma is connected to the ghost enforcers. They trade in opportunities for direct reincarnation! There's a formidable old ghost there who specializes in these ghost pacts. He's claimed many lives in the past, though it's lessened in the last twenty years. Your friend may have crossed paths with him..."

Each of the ghosts seemed more formidable than the last, and there was even one that specialized in crafting sinister ghost contracts, which was particularly troubling. Bai Xiaoxiao mentioned that the incidents had decreased over the past twenty years. I recalled that Zhou arrived in our village exactly two decades ago.

So, Zhou must be aware of this ghost market, and it's highly likely he's had run-ins with the old ghost here. But why didn't he simply eliminate the old ghost?

Is it possible that even Zhou is no match for this old ghost? I couldn't shake the ominous feeling creeping over me...

Out of nowhere, Bai Xiaoxiao drifted up beside me. She was quite petite, barely reaching my waist, which made her proximity slightly awkward. She fiddled with my belt and said bashfully, "Um... if you're into lolis, I could... well, you know... but could you..."

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