[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-after-the-sky-fell":3,"chapter-after-the-sky-fell-after-the-sky-fell-chapter-159":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","After the Sky Fell",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2281015,4462,"Chapter 159","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-159",159,"\u003Cp>158. Chapter 158: Ghost Constable\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost constable spoke, its hollow eye sockets fixed on Li Yi as if he were already an enemy; behind it, ten government office runners wielding black water-fire staves advanced with pale, lifeless faces, expressionless and striding forward, their forms shifting like a gust of dark wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re different from other ghosts—you have your own consciousness? What did you mean just now by ‘ghost gods collecting lifespans’? So all the lifespans your kind harvest from the living are handed over to the ghost gods behind you? What kind of evil ghost god steals a whole city’s lifespan each month to sustain itself?” Li Yi narrowed his eyes, unafraid of the ghost constable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He held the knife coin, and with the Guidance Technique enhancing him, he might yet fight these ghostly beings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kill this mortal.” The ghost constable did not answer Li Yi’s question; instead, it issued the execution order in a hoarse voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant, the ten government office runners lunged forward, their pale faces twisted into grotesque snarls, their hollow eyes locked onto Li Yi as if he were their sworn enemy; they swung their water-fire staves and struck hard at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You demons and evil spirits, aiding tyranny, stealing the yang lifespans of the living—you deserve to die.” Li Yi roared, channeling qi through his feet; his tall, muscular body instantly surged toward the nearest government office runner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dodged the insubstantial water-fire staff and punched with a fist radiating brilliant light, striking the ghost runner directly on the head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost runner’s head shattered into fragments, becoming a headless ghost; it convulsed a few times before collapsing to the ground, its body rapidly dissolving into black yin energy that merged into the surrounding air, utterly dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One punch killed a ghost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a sight was unprecedented; the remaining runners froze, sensing danger emanating from Li Yi, and hesitated, unwilling to advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lead ghost constable’s face turned ashen with shock: “You… you can fight ghosts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you killed so many people you’ve mistaken me for a soft target? Enough talk—I’ll slay you all today, sparing the world future tyranny.” Li Yi roared, then dashed past the runners, charging straight at the ghost constable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost constable’s ashen face darkened with rage; seeing this living man dare defy him, he drew his ghost-headed greatsword. Instantly, a chilling wind surged, the temperature plummeting, and he swung the phantom blade straight at Li Yi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi’s spiritual sense warned him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost-headed greatsword in the constable’s hand posed a grave threat—if struck, he would suffer severe injury, not to his body, but likely to his soul, as his master Zhao Ge had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relying on his quick reflexes and his glowing vertical pupils locking onto the ghost constable, Li Yi narrowly dodged the blade, then seized the moment to unleash a punch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost constable, sensing the danger in Li Yi’s fist, hastily retracted his sword and floated upward, vanishing into the air to evade the attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All of you—attack! Kill this living man!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost constable knew he couldn’t defeat Li Yi alone and refused to risk himself, ordering his runners to press the assault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though these runners possessed some intelligence, their spiritual power was low; despite their fear of Li Yi, they could not disobey the constable’s command and charged forward with pale faces, raising their water-fire staves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi had no choice but to deal with the runners first. He carefully dodged their staves, then swung his fists, using the immense energy field from the knife coin and Guidance Technique to kill several ghost runners; each corpse dissolved into yin energy, leaving only a black water-fire staff behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With several runners dead, the watching ghost constable grew both shocked and furious, desperate to swing his greatsword and end Li Yi’s life—but feared Li Yi’s fists might kill him too, so he hesitated, paralyzed by caution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi had observed the ghost constable for a long time; he knew the constable would not dare attack if he seemed too dangerous. His only option was to lure him in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let this plan work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi deliberately left an opening, letting one runner’s water-fire staff strike his arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chilling, unnatural pain surged through him; his arm’s blood and qi ceased flowing, his meridians blocked, leaving him weak and limp, as if he needed to sit down and rest immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So this is what it feels like to be wounded by a ghost?” Li Yi’s expression changed slightly, but he staggered backward, feigning defeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, the ghost constable, hovering above, rejoiced; he charged down with his ghost-headed greatsword, slashing at Li Yi with terrifying speed, aiming to kill him while he was vulnerable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Yi was not truly outmatched—he had faked it, waiting for this exact moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the ghost constable fall for the trap, Li Yi’s vertical pupils blazed; he exploded upward, qi surging through his body like thunder, launching himself like a beast, his fist blazing with brilliant light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To kill ghosts, a punch doesn’t need great force—only speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the fist shadow flashed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost constable had no time to react; his chest was struck, and he screamed as he tumbled from midair, crashing heavily to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, Li Yi closed in and delivered four rapid punches, striking the ghost constable’s limbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a blink, the constable’s arms and legs were shattered by the glowing fists; the physical damage caused him unbearable agony, and he howled in torment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the ghost constable’s durability was high—he still lived, and surrounding yin energy gathered, his severed limbs showing faint signs of regeneration, leaving Li Yi astonished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Li Yi immediately seized the ghost constable by the throat, lifting him up, then retreated swiftly to avoid the other runners’ attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All of you—stand down, or I kill him.” Li Yi threatened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop!” the ashen-faced ghost constable shouted urgently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The few remaining runners with water-fire staves froze instantly, standing motionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ashen-faced ghost constable then spoke: “Mortal, I don’t know how you’ve managed to fight us, but you cannot kill me. I am a servant of the Yin God, tasked with this lifespan harvest. Kill me, and the Yin God will not spare you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your life is in my hands—whether I kill you depends on me. If you don’t want to die, answer truthfully: who were those ghosts that broke into my home? Were they harvesting yang lifespans?” Li Yi’s palm glowed brighter, squeezing the ghost constable’s throat as if ready to crush it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Y-yes, they’re lifespan harvesters. Every first night of the month, the ghost gods collect lifespans—everyone must give up a portion, no exceptions.” The ghost constable, terrified, spoke quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it done with that bamboo? If there’s a way to take, there must be a way to return—how do you restore the yang lifespan?” Li Yi pressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ghost constable, desperate to live, blurted: “That’s the ghost bamboo used for harvesting. Blow through the other end into a living person’s mouth—their harvested lifespan returns to them, restoring part of it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Restore part?” Li Yi’s eyes narrowed, his gaze fierce: “What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Returning a living person’s lifespan is easy to take, hard to restore—there’s loss. Each glowing segment of the ghost bamboo equals one month of yang lifespan; a full bamboo equals one year. But when returned, the living person gains only six months—half is lost.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So the lifespan harvester took one month from Rong Niang? Even if returned, she’d only regain half a month? Is that right?” Li Yi’s voice was icy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Yi’s terrifying gaze, the ghost constable hurried on: “You can use others’ yang lifespans to make up the loss—you don’t have to return the same one. The lifespan harvesters carry many ghost bamboos. Steal those turned white—one equals one year of yang lifespan, granting six months to a living person. You have the power to kill ghost gods—steal a little each first night, don’t overdo it, and no one will know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So this is how your ghost gods survive—by devouring the yang lifespans of people across the Four Seas and Eight Provinces, forcing them to live only fifty years.” Li Yi’s fury erupted upon learning the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ashen-faced ghost constable rasped: “This has been the law for a thousand years—since ancient times. The Yin God is powerful, and the ghost gods above him are stronger. No one dares resist. Kill me, and the Yin God will hunt you down—you’ll die horribly. Let me go, and I’ll treat this as if it never happened. I’ll give you ten years of yang lifespan as compensation—how?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let you go, and I’ll be marked by the Yin God. Kill you, and there’s no witness.” Li Yi’s vertical pupils blazed; he activated Guidance Technique again, his palm blazing with light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the immense energy field, the ghost constable shrieked in agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, as Li Yi clenched his hand, the ghost constable exploded with a loud bang, dissolving into a chilling yin mist that drifted into the heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the ghost constable dead, the few remaining runners froze in terror and scattered, fleeing in all directions, afraid they’d be killed next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi would not let them escape; he surged forward and, using the knife coin’s properties, slaughtered every last runner without mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since I’ve killed the ghost constable today, I might as well finish the job—kill all the lifespan harvesters and reclaim the yang lifespans. Rong Niang, Zhao Qian, my master—they’ve lived for years across the Four Seas and Eight Provinces, their lifespans stolen countless times. Today, I’ll reclaim it all. Better to enrich those close to me than to feed those ghost gods.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking this, Li Yi immediately strode toward San Yang City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered something and looked down at the fallen ghost-headed greatsword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the ghost constable’s weapon—still intact after death. Perhaps useful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how to pick it up was the problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This reminded him of the hanging spear in his home—also illusory, untouchable by ordinary people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But perhaps, with Guidance Technique, he could try.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi activated Guidance Technique, channeling cosmic energy from within; as his palm glowed softly, he reached out and grasped the ghost-headed greatsword—now firmly held in his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though a bone-chilling cold surged through him, he felt he could endure the influence of this underworld weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. With a weapon, I can act more easily. And I still have the yin horse in my room—why not ride it? It’ll make movement faster.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Yi returned to the house and led out a yin horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a thunderous neigh, Li Yi mounted the yin horse, ghost-headed greatsword in hand, charging out of the estate, smashing through ghosts and vengeful spirits blocking his path, heading straight for the lifespan harvesters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, the heavens had changed—the yin horse was no ordinary steed; it lifted Li Yi, the living man, into the air, soaring several zhang high, moving faster than ever before, truly miraculous.\u003C\u002Fp>",1838,"2026-06-20T01:26:56.586Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","fc66dc4e31f251e5c14dbeb30b12cac8fb11de98647911aa898d710bcff8b8e0","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-160","after-the-sky-fell-chapter-158",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-the-sky-fell-cover.jpg"]