C14 Ghost Shadow

With trepidation, Bai Xiaoxiao and I were led to a solitary door.

The door stood alone, flanked by no walls, resembling a lone wooden post. It gleamed with a metallic sheen, akin to bronze, yet its hue was significantly colder, sending shivers down one's spine.

This door was undoubtedly a treasure from the Underworld, relocated here to conceal something. Indeed, there were secrets hidden within this pine forest!

The towering ghost escorted us to this spot and then spun on his heel to depart. Before leaving, he cackled at us,

"Hehe, little girl, the old ghost is inside. But you can't just waltz in; you must wait for his summons! Use your wits and negotiate some terms with the old ghost. With this person you've brought back, the old ghost might be so pleased he'll grant you five hundred years of spiritual cultivation!"

After the ghost's departure, I sensed that numerous eyes were still stealthily observing us from the shadows. Yet, I believed it wasn't out of suspicion but rather due to the stringent security of the place.

Bai Xiaoxiao, however, seemed utterly oblivious to the surveillance.

"Wang Xu, we're about to face the old ghost. You..."

I understood Bai Xiaoxiao's concern about whether I was confident in confronting the old ghost, but with ears all around, if the malevolent spirits overheard us, they would surely swarm and overpower me. No matter how skilled I was, I couldn't fend off such a multitude of spirits!

In that moment, dignity was the least of my concerns. I dropped to my knees, clasped my head in my hands, and with tears streaming, I cried out,

"Merciful warrior, spare me! I beg for mercy! I wish to live, not to be sold. I yearn to remain in your service, before and behind the saddle!"

My sudden plea left Bai Xiaoxiao bewildered. She started to speak, but I shot her a knowing glance, and she quickly caught on.

Bai Xiaoxiao squinted her eyes and let out a sly smile,

"Hehe, that won't do, warrior. Your father still needs to sell me for his salvation. But as a token of my regret, before I'm sold... I might just claim a kiss!"

Alright, I should have known better than to underestimate this female ghost's audacity. The moment she caught sight of the bulge in my pants, it was clear that she was precociously 'mature'—practically a seasoned pro!

Bai Xiaoxiao wasted no time in tearing at my clothes. Her delicate claws seemed fragile, but they turned out to be sharper than those of a malevolent spirit, effortlessly ripping through my shirt and exposing my chest to the cold air.

"Wow, you've got pecs! You really are one of those 'looks thin clothed, looks muscular naked' types. Come on, let me have a little fun first!"

Imagine a seemingly thirteen-year-old girl, grinning lewdly as she frantically pulls at your clothes, all under the watchful eyes of a group of evil spirits. The situation was so intensely thrilling that I found myself involuntarily reacting...

Bai Xiaoxiao's gaze made it clear she was already excited. Just as things seemed to be reaching a fever pitch, I was about to surrender my purity to an overage ghostly girl. At that moment, the iron door creaked open, and wisps of white mist seeped through the gap, sending shivers down both our spines. The chill was so piercing that even the spirits couldn't bear it.

"Miss, bring that flesh sack inside... You can't devour him yet. He's still pure, and without his essence, he's worthless..." a raspy, eerie voice declared. I didn't need Bai Xiaoxiao to tell me; the voice alone was a dead giveaway that it belonged to an old ghost.

Bai Xiaoxiao couldn't help but laugh, and inside, I was swearing up a storm. Did these ghosts have nothing better to do than study human biology? How did they know I was a virgin as soon as they laid eyes on me?

We squeezed through the door's narrow opening and stepped into the iron gate's frigid embrace, which felt like entering a freezer.

"Old ghost? Old ghost? Where are you?" Bai Xiaoxiao called out cautiously.

But behind the iron door, there was nothing—not even a ghostly trace—just an empty room built of dark green bricks that oozed an eerie chill.

Bai Xiaoxiao and I exchanged glances, both of us thoroughly bewildered. Hadn't we agreed to make a deal with the old ghost? So where was he? What was the point of ushering us into this desolate room that resembled a prison cell?

After Bai Xiaoxiao called out for what seemed like an eternity, a raspy sigh echoed from a corner of the room.

"Ah, such a fine vessel, yet sadly lacking in strength..."

Though we could not see the speaker, Bai Xiaoxiao couldn't suppress a chuckle. The term 'weak' could imply many things: a lack of courage, vitality, or even various deficiencies in traditional Chinese medicine like blood, liver, or spleen. But to Bai Xiaoxiao, 'weak' had only one meaning.

This issue has always been a source of frustration for me. It's a congenital defect I've had since birth. Under normal circumstances, it would have claimed my life at the age of ten, but thankfully, Zhou saved me from death's door. Even so, Zhou could only find ways to prolong my life, not correct the defect. Considering I'm still alive, it's fortunate that my only issue is physical weakness.

It felt as though a pair of eyes in the corner were scrutinizing me, making me uneasy. I did my best to contain my energy, not wanting to pose a threat. Eventually, the old ghost's gaze shifted away from me.

"Little girl, what price do you have in mind for this 'stinky body' of yours?"

The old ghost's voice trembled with a mix of eagerness and excitement. It had been twenty years since he'd last claimed a life. The thought sent chills down my spine, as I could almost picture the torment he would subject me to if I ended up in his clutches.

"All I want is a chance for reincarnation, so my father won't have to sell inflatable dolls in the ghost market anymore," Bai Xiaoxiao stated, sticking to our prearranged plan. Indeed, this was her genuine desire, leaving no room for suspicion.

Meanwhile, as the old ghost spoke, I kept a watchful eye on the corner. I had cleaned off the black substance from my face, but my Yin-Yang Eye was wide open. If there were any spirits lurking there, I would have seen them.

As the old ghost's excitement mounted, I noticed something in the corner wasn't quite right. There was a vague shadow there, and judging by its outline, it resembled a gaunt old man with horns protruding from his head – a fitting image for the name 'old ghost.'

Ghosts typically don't cast shadows, yet there was the old ghost's shadow, clear as day, and not a single ghostly hair in sight.

So, where exactly was this old ghost, known for forging ghostly pacts? And what on earth was that thing lurking in the corner?

Lost in thought, I was jolted back to reality when the old ghost spoke up again:

"Hehehe, little girl, your cultivation is so weak, you can't even scare anyone. How did you manage to capture him? And... he seems to be a practitioner. He must have come to confront me.

Little girl, how did you pull it off?"

We had anticipated many scenarios, but never did we imagine the old ghost would instantly recognize my level of cultivation. Bai Xiaoxiao was completely taken aback. The old ghost's final words were menacing, with an undertone of threat that seemed to probe deep into one's soul.

Bai Xiaoxiao's face turned ghostly pale, her lips quivering, as if she was on the verge of confessing everything. But she wasn't ready yet. If she acted now, the odds were high that the old ghost would overpower her with a single move!

She needed to buy more time.

Bai Xiaoxiao's pallor reached an extreme as the old ghost bombarded her with questions: How did you catch him? How did you catch him? At last, Bai Xiaoxiao let slip:

"He..."