C12 Ghost Coffer

Wu Yi charged over, clutching a jar in his hands. Annoyed, I blurted out, "What the hell are you doing? It's not the time to be hauling out someone's wine jar."

"It's not a wine jar," Wu Yi corrected, "it's used for raising little ghosts." I couldn't help but retort, "Are you kidding me?"

With a forced grin, Wu Yi explained, "I've figured it out. All those people outside were nurtured by Cripple Zhou. That spirit shed we saw was definitely erected for Cripple Zhou. With his death, they've lost their master and are now desperate enough to kill. I bet these are all lost souls that Cripple Zhou kept under control with dark magic. It's less like nurturing and more like imprisonment. No wonder my cousin warned me to avoid Cripple Zhou unless absolutely necessary."

Growing impatient, I asked, "Cut the chatter. What's our next move?"

Wu Yi replied, "We'll have to wing it. Open the door and fall back."

"What are you planning to do?"

He handed me all his yellow talismans and whispered, "If things go south, stuff these in your mouth and make a run for it. Don't worry about me."

Touched, I stepped back behind Wu Yi.

Suddenly, a horde of grotesque living corpses burst in, snarling and snapping. Wu Yi stood his ground, jar held aloft, and declared icily, "Don't you want to be reborn? The Ghost Gathering Jar is with me. Cripple Zhou is dead. If you wish for reincarnation, back off."

I shoved the yellow talisman into my mouth, nearly choking on it out of fear. At Wu Yi's command, the undead at the doorway froze. Wu Yi shot me a look, signaling for me to exit first. I was about to speak when he shot me a stern glare.

I nodded in agreement.

Wu Yi then coldly stated, "So, if you smash the Ghoul Jar, you'll be free, right?"

Standing outside, I listened to the exchange between Wu Yi and the living corpses, my mind racing. A sudden doubt crossed my mind: Was what Wu Yi held truly the Ghoul Jar, or just an ordinary wine jar?

If not for the Ghoul Altar that could release them from their torment, the consequences would be dire...

I hastily expelled the yellow talisman from my mouth, thinking that if trouble arose, I couldn't just stand by. Wu Yi had been willing to sacrifice his life for me; I owed it to him to do the same. As I made my way toward the temple, a chilling hand suddenly grasped mine. Startled, I spun around to find the little girl behind me.

With a soft smile, she said, "Brother, this is their feud, it doesn't concern you. Let's leave."

I protested, "I can't leave; Wu Yi is still in there."

She insisted with resolve, "Leave now!"

An unseen force held me back, rendering me immobile. Just then, a fierce shout erupted from the temple, followed by a harrowing scream. Fearing for Wu Yi's safety, I attempted to rush in, but the little girl's grip on my arm was unyielding. "I have to save Wu Yi; let me go," I pleaded, but she met my gaze with silent determination.

The air was filled with incessant, agonizing screams that seemed to pierce and twist in my heart, raising goosebumps on my skin.

Abruptly, two figures engulfed in flames burst out, followed by a stooped silhouette stumbling forward. My jaw dropped as I recognized him, "Cripple Zhou!"

He was supposed to be dead, wasn't he? Hadn't he hung himself? I turned to the little girl, who watched the scene with an unfathomable calm in her eyes.

The fiery figures continued to burn until they were reduced to ashes. I could hardly believe my eyes; living beings incinerated until nothing remained. I inhaled sharply, reminding myself, "They were never human to begin with. They were never meant to exist..."

Wu Yi emerged, struggling. I dashed to his aid, but inside the temple, dozens of malevolent eyes glared at us, ready to pounce and shred us to pieces at any moment.

I saw that Wu Yi's right arm had been savagely bitten, the flesh torn and bloodied, a ghastly sight. "I'll carry you out," I offered, but he gestured dismissively and said, "Go on your own!"

I looked at him, puzzled, when I suddenly noticed Cripple Zhou's intense stare fixed behind me. Wu Yi had a reputation for dabbling in dark magic, capturing countless lost souls, yet he wasn't entirely malevolent. Fearing for the little girl's safety, I quickly stepped in front of her and said with a steely tone, "Come at me with whatever you've got. If I so much as blink, I'm no man at all. Just leave my sister out of it."

Cripple Zhou looked me over with a mix of surprise and suspicion. Clutching his hook, he pointed at me and declared, "If you're looking for death, I can oblige you right now."

He hesitated, as if restrained by some concern, and then added, "If you don't want to die, then get lost with Wu Yi and make sure I never lay eyes on you again."

Wu Yi, likely due to his injuries, was shivering all over. Clenching his teeth, he asked, "Why are you scheming against us? Have you forgotten the life-saving debt you owe my cousin for saving your mother? If it hadn't been for him trying to save her, my cousin would have..."

"Shut it!" Cripple Zhou interrupted furiously. "In our line of work, there's no room for sentiment. We live in limbo, neither fully alive nor dead. Do you have any idea what it was like for me when I first arrived in Big Ox Village, beaten to a pulp? I've long since seen through the hypocrisy of this world. Do you think I wanted to end up like this? They forced my hand; I refuse to live like a dog, barely clinging to life."

A cold realization settled in my heart; Cripple Zhou had orchestrated everything. But how had he come back to life? When we took him down from the beam, he was already breathless. Could he have staged his own death?

Wu Yi, however, didn't seem to be resurrecting in the slightest. Aside from the menacing aura on his face, he appeared no different from anyone else. His expression fluctuated between dark and light as he scoffed, "Aren't you afraid of dying with no one to mourn you? Nurturing ghosts and spirits is a vile act. When your time comes, and you turn into a ghost, do you really think they'll spare you?"

Cripple Zhou retorted, "I gave you the opportunity to walk away, yet here you are, hounding me and daring to interfere with my plans!"

Wu Yi spat out in disgust, "You truly have the heart of a wolf and the lungs of a dog. My cousin was blind to save your mother, and he ended up half-paralyzed for his troubles. Tsk, tsk, there's no good end for those who defy fate. The state my cousin's in now? That's a preview of your own grim future. You'll die even more horribly!"

Cripple Zhou's expression shifted unpredictably, clearly seething with rage. Fresh blood dripped from his hook, a sickening sight.

Then, a chillingly cold little hand clutched my arm once more, and a ghostly voice whispered, "Brother, let's go!"

As I lifted Wu Yi, his whole body shook uncontrollably. I realized if we didn't get him to a hospital soon, his leg would be beyond saving. I kept a wary eye on Cripple Zhou's hook, thinking he might lash out unexpectedly. Truthfully, I wasn't afraid of a fight with him, but the thought of those ghastly figures lurking behind him sent shivers down my spine. The little girl seemed oblivious to the danger, gripping my arm and following me without a care. I glanced back stealthily every few steps, but Cripple Zhou just stood there, his face obscured.

I ventured to ask Wu Yi how Cripple Zhou had been resurrected.

Immediately after, I regretted it. Wu Yi was so weak, his voice quivering, on the verge of passing out from blood loss. It took us a long while to reach the car. I hastily removed my jacket to bind his leg wound. When I pressed down, Wu Yi howled in pain. "Just bear with it," I urged. "If Cripple Zhou comes after us, we'll need to run again." I couldn't afford to delay, despite Wu Yi's blood making me feel queasy. I fought back the nausea and frantically looked for something to prop up the car.

Exhausted, Wu Yi suggested, "I'll go start the car; you push from behind."

I retorted, "Give it a rest. You're down to one hand and one leg, just take it easy for a bit."

Wu Yi adamantly refused, insisting he didn't want anyone to die alongside him. He suggested propping up the vehicle with a few stones, then asked me to push while he took the wheel.

I must admit, Wu Yi's determination was impressive. Watching him haul his weary frame into the car, I didn't hesitate. I scooped up mud and pebbles, shoving them under the tires. After a bit of effort, Wu Yi suggested we give it a try.

I pushed with all my might, and Wu Yi fired up the engine. After much effort, the car finally budged. It was then that the young girl, who had been standing by, suddenly spoke, "Brother, let's leave. Even if you save him now, he's doomed."

Her words sent a chill through me. I couldn't fathom how a girl of sixteen or seventeen could utter such chilling words. Just then, the car stalled again, and Wu Yi pushed the door open, climbing out slowly.

"You two should leave. I meant to help you, but I never imagined Cripple Zhou would show no loyalty and even drag you into this. She's right; Cripple Zhou spared me earlier because he must have been wary of something." Wu Yi cast a glance at the girl and continued, "He took a piece of flesh from my leg, no doubt for a reason. Cripple Zhou is always decisive. He's probably worried I'd seek revenge, so he left himself an out."

The girl responded coolly, "He has many ways to kill you. The Ghost Grooming Altar contains the flesh and blood of those souls. Cripple Zhou uses it to bind them. Anyone who defies him ends up incinerated, just like we saw, and they can't reincarnate. Otherwise, they wouldn't fear him so much."

Wu Yi was silent for a moment before laughing ruefully, "It's my own fault for not destroying that Ghost Grooming Altar when I had the chance."

"Naive!" both Wu Yi and I were taken aback, turning to stare at the girl. She looked at us with scorn, "Do you really think Cripple Zhou would be foolish enough to keep the Ghost Grooming Altar in his house? The altar, crafted from the flesh and blood of the living, is typically buried in the most yin, cold, and damp places. What you found wasn't the Ghost Grooming Altar; it was Cripple Zhou's lifeline!"