C16 Innate Disease

"No, if we're trapped here for too long, we're done for, especially you..."

Bai Xiaoxiao scratched her head, clearly puzzled, and said:

"Wouldn't you be the first to go if we're locked up for too long? I'm a ghost; I don't need to eat or sleep, and I don't really mind the cold. But you're human... Even if you don't starve, you could freeze to death, right?"

I looked at this naive child and was at a loss for words for a moment. All I could do was nod helplessly and then tell her,

"Bai Xiaoxiao, you're lucky it was the Zhongyuan Festival just two days ago. On any other day, you'd be a goner!"

Bai Xiaoxiao looked bewildered. After a moment, she seemed to think I was scolding her for not deceiving the old ghost properly, so she came to apologize, even pulling my hand to rest on her small chest... However, this pseudo-loli hadn't developed at all since her death. Touching her chest felt no different than touching her back, save for two small points that were the only distinction.

The rune formation I had set up behind the iron gate was silent, confirming my earlier suspicion. The old ghost didn't want to kill me too easily; he was toying with a mouse on the brink of death. I was still in my human form, and even if all those ghosts and soldiers came in, I could use all my spells to take down a good number of them. But if I were to die trapped here... the situation would be entirely different.

The old man's scheming was terrifyingly deep; he didn't want to shed blood or make sacrifices. Yet here I was, caught in his trap, forced to play by his rules.

"The Golden Cock Life Reckoning Scale can only sustain Wang Lele's life for one day. If we don't deal with the old ghost within that time, Wang Lele is done for. We really can't afford to be trapped! I... Cough, cough..."

I paced the floor anxiously, and after a while, I couldn't contain my coughing, which became uncontrollable.

"Cough, cough... Cough, cough, cough... I... Cough, cough..."

I coughed incessantly, feeling a burning pain in my lungs, my hands trembling, and my strength ebbing away slowly like the receding tide.

The world around me was becoming a blur, and my consciousness was slipping away. Yet, I could distinctly see my skin shriveling at an alarming rate, my soul beginning to dissipate...

Bai Xiaoxiao was panic-stricken. She rushed to my side, desperately trying to sustain me with her feeble soul power, her face etched with deep concern:

"Wang Xu, Wang Xu, what's wrong with you? Speak to me, are you dying? Weren't you going to help save my dad? How come you look like you're going to pass away before he does? What's happening to you?"

She shook me vigorously, hoping to snap me out of my stupor, but I was far too weak to utter a coherent sentence...

My insides were shriveling up, my throat drying out. I could still manage a raspy voice, but soon, I feared it would be as lifeless as deadwood. This sudden turn of events baffled me; by my calculations, I shouldn't have succumbed so quickly. But survival was paramount now.

With great effort, I pointed to the small pouch at my waist and croaked:

"Bottle... Bottle... And..."

Bai Xiaoxiao, as if struck by lightning, frantically searched through my bag. She paid no mind to the talismans that could harm her ghostly form and dumped out every jar and bottle.

With my last ounce of strength, I pointed to a bottle filled with a black liquid that looked like mineral water, then collapsed, drained of energy. Bai Xiaoxiao finally understood what I needed. She quickly twisted open the bottle and brought it to my lips.

But upon opening the bottle, Bai Xiaoxiao's nose wrinkled, and her face fell cold. Clearly, she recognized the scent and what it likely was.

Indeed, the bottle contained the same black, sticky substance I had obtained from processing the green ghost in the pine forest. It was imbued with a potent ghostly essence and the power of the three souls and seven spirits.

Despite my proficiency with this technique, the yield from the green ghost barely covered the bottom of a bowl, highlighting the dismal conversion rate. A whole bottle of this black liquid would require at least thirty lost souls.

Green ghosts carry their own burdens of karma, yet fundamentally, they're no different from white ghosts; they belong to the same kin. Seeing so many of her kind reduced to 'remains' must have been agonizing for Bai Xiaoxiao... If there were any other way, I would have spared her the knowledge that I needed to consume this substance to stay alive. But I was left with no other choice.

Bai Xiaoxiao hesitated for a moment but eventually poured the black juice into my mouth. This oddly scented, dark liquid slid down my throat and into my body, rejuvenating my parched organs and revitalizing my scattered soul and spirit.

After Bai Xiaoxiao administered two generous gulps, my strength returned, and I took the bottle from her to seal it. My previously withered skin regained its normal appearance, and I felt as though I had narrowly escaped death's clutches.

As I organized the contents of my bag, Bai Xiaoxiao watched me with a chilling gaze that made my skin crawl. Finally, she broke the silence.

"Aren't you going to explain? How long have you been drinking that stuff?"

I let out a quiet sigh. Drinking this vile concoction was never my choice; no one would willingly consume such filth. Her probing question hit a sore spot, and I couldn't help feeling aggrieved.

"I've been drinking it for ten years. You've seen what I look like without it—I don't want to be like that..."

Seeing my near-death state seemed to soften Bai Xiaoxiao's demeanor. They say women are creatures of emotion, and it appeared that even this young ghost was not immune to pity. She seemed to let go of her curiosity about the black juice, perhaps realizing that sympathy could be a powerful ally.

"Wang Xu, I understand you had no choice," she said gently. "Can you tell me what happened to you? Why did you end up in such a state?"

I paused, then shared my story with her.

"I was born with an innate deficiency, not in body, but in soul. My soul was so fragmented that there was no hope for a cure. As you know, people with incomplete souls rarely live past ten years; survivors are often left with severe cognitive impairments. At the age of ten, I became gravely ill and nearly perished...

Thankfully, an old scoundrel came to my rescue, teaching me the ways of the Dao and the spell to concoct this potion. The essence distilled from spirits can't heal me, but it can indefinitely postpone the onset of my illness. That's why I'm still alive today, though not without the cost of thousands of lost souls at my hands."

"If you're scared, make sure to leave quickly once you're outside. But I'll still perform the rites for your father's soul," I reassured her.

Bai Xiaoxiao remained silent for a long while before finally drifting over to me and embracing me. The hug was icy, yet it warmed my heart.

"You're already in such a pitiful state, relying on this to survive. How could I possibly leave you?" Bai Xiaoxiao's voice was frail.

Her words moved me deeply, and they also sent a jolt of alarm through me! Bai Xiaoxiao was a ghost; she didn't need to eat. She had been fine just moments ago, so why had her presence suddenly grown so faint? I scanned the room, a cold realization dawning on me. I finally grasped why the old ghost insisted on confining both Bai Xiaoxiao and me in this room.