Chapter 2: Good and Evil Are Both Apparitions

【Essence -1】

【Essence -1】

【Essence -1】

Wherever red light was licked from Li Lin's arm, the muscles on his face would tremble slightly.

It was not discomfort, but great pleasure.

This was the terrifying aspect of the apparition before him: when she consumed the essence of the living, she could make the victim feel euphoria; if their will was not firm enough and they let her do as she pleased, then death by exhaustion of essence was the only outcome.

After the apparition had sucked more than twenty times, Li Lin pulled his arm back.

Although the gowned apparition wore a leather mask on her face, one could still see her expression of loss from her ashen-gray pupils.

"If you keep sucking me, I'll fall ill."

Li Lin shook his hand; he felt a chill in his left arm.

The apparition reluctantly let go of Li Lin's hand, her tongue instinctively licking her lips.

Clearly still unsatisfied.

Li Lin looked at the sky and said, "Alright, I must go home now; I leave the village's safety to you from here on."

The gowned apparition said nothing and made no move; Li Lin simply took it as agreement.

Waving to her, Li Lin turned and left.

The gowned apparition floated above the altar, motionless, watching the man's back.

Li Lin returned home, placed the rice sack he carried in his right hand in the corner of the wall, where another identical sack already stood.

Only the rice in this sack was clearly much less.

Lighting an oil lamp, Li Lin scooped out vivid red rice grains from the other sack, rinsed them twice with well water from the courtyard, put them in a pot, and then kindled firewood to cook the rice.

By now, the sky had grown completely dark.

Firewood burned in the earthen stove, occasionally making crackling sounds.

The entire village was frighteningly quiet; even the sound of wind and insect chirps seemed absent, leaving only the metallic clatter of firewood and the pot lid being lifted by steam.

Such an environment seemed eerie.

Li Lin, however, was already accustomed; he sat nearby, flipping through a book, his expression natural.

Soon, the rice was nearly cooked.

A strip of cured meat hung from the beam; Li Lin used a kitchen knife to cut off two pieces, sliced them into thin strips on a cutting board, and tossed them into the rice pot to simmer.

After another half incense stick's time, the firewood burned out, leaving only wisps of blue smoke.

Li Lin opened the pot lid, looked at the vivid red rice inside, nodded with satisfaction, carried the entire pot into the living room, placed it on the table, and began eating large mouthfuls spoon by spoon.

Before long, a large pot of blood rice with some cured sausage was finished by him, yet his belly did not swell.

He returned the pot to the kitchen, and at that moment, a woman's weeping came from outside the courtyard.

Intermittent, far and near, then the weeping turned into lamentation.

"Xiaohu, ah, Xiaohu, ah, where are you?"

The woman's sharp voice rang through the village, seeming to come from afar yet also from right beside the ear.

Li Lin walked to the window; his house was at a relatively high spot in the village, and through the window he saw a white phantom drifting outside the village, the sound coming from there.

He shook his head, closed the window, blew out the oil lamp, then felt his way in the dark to the bed and sat cross-legged.

As his mind settled into meditation, a string of information began scrolling again in the lower right of his 'vision'.

【Vitality +1】

【Vitality +1】

【Vitality +1】

The blood rice was converting rapidly; previously his face had turned pale from being drained by the gowned apparition, but now his complexion regained its ruddiness.

In meditation, the outside sounds seemed to grow lower and lower.

Finally, they could no longer be heard at all.

By the time Li Lin woke from his meditative state, it was already dawn.

He stretched, reopened the window, and immediately saw Zhao Xiaohu standing outside the courtyard's bamboo fence.

Li Lin walked out and saw that Xiaohu's face was pale.

The other party, upon seeing him, approached and said with a panicked expression, "Lin Ge, last night..."

"I know." Li Lin nodded: "No need to rush; come in first for breakfast?"

"No need." Zhao Xiaohu shook his head, his face deathly pale.

Although he had a full beard and eyes as big as brass bells, looking like a tough man, in substance... he was merely an ordinary youth.

Facing such a world, fear was natural.

"Then let's go solve this problem for you first." Li Lin smiled.

"Thank you, Lin Ge."

Li Lin led Zhao Xiaohu to the bluestone altar in the village center.

Many villagers were already waiting there; upon seeing Li Lin, they immediately surrounded him.

At the front were Uncle Zhao and a woman.

That woman was Aunt Hua, Uncle Zhao's wife, Xiaohu's mother.

"Li Xiaolang, this time we must trouble you." Uncle Zhao clasped his fists and said gratefully.

Li Lin smiled: "It is my duty; moreover, if Uncle Zhao you had not taken me in back then and given me a meal, I would have died long ago. Xiaohu is my brother; his affairs are my affairs."

"Regardless, I must thank you all the same." Uncle Zhao breathed a sigh of relief.

Many villagers around, hearing Li Lin say this, also breathed sighs of relief.

The villagers then made way, and Li Lin brought Zhao Xiaohu to the altar.

At this moment, a brass incense burner already sat upon the altar, with incense sticks and green incense already inserted, while fruits and vegetables were arranged below.

Thus, the altar area appeared shrouded in swirling mist that lingered for a long time without dispersing.

"Go to the altar and kneel," Li Lin said solemnly.

Zhao Xiaohu immediately stepped forward as instructed and knelt before the altar.

At this time, the green mist seemed to take on some substance, vaguely coalescing into a human shape; whether it was an illusion or not was unclear.

Moreover, the villagers felt it growing colder and colder here; unable to help themselves, they rubbed their arms and stepped back a bit.

But in Li Lin's eyes, this was no illusion.

Looking at the Gowned Apparition floating above the altar, he smiled and said, "Xiaohu was raised under your watch; help him out, will you?"

Upon hearing these words, the surrounding villagers felt a certain admiration.

Only a Spirit Hunter would dare speak to an Apparition in such a manner.

In fact, from a Spirit Hunter's perspective, a Spirit Hunter like Li Lin, who was so "unorthodox," was extremely rare.

The gowned woman continued to float, saying nothing.

Li Lin lowered his head and said, "Xiaohu, three bows and nine kowtows."

Zhao Xiaohu immediately bowed and kowtowed, his movements perfectly executed, clearly showing great piety.

"The rites have been received, and the offerings made; what more do you want!" Li Lin asked in a calm tone.

The Gowned Apparition pointed at Li Lin's left arm.

Li Lin furrowed his brow and said, "Next time, I'll let you suck five more breaths."

Only then did the Gowned Apparition nod in satisfaction, then floated to the top of Zhao Xiaohu's head, extended her right hand, swept a phantom shadow across Zhao Xiaohu's body, and pulled out a twisted black line.

This black line writhed, swaying left and right, as if it possessed life.

Meanwhile, Zhao Xiaohu felt his whole body turn ice-cold; his body began to tremble, and his face turned extremely pale.

Uncle Zhao and Aunt Hua watched, looking somewhat tense.

Li Lin smiled and said, "The Tree Immortal Lady has already acted; Xiaohu is fine. Take him home, force a bowl of ginger soup down his throat, let him rest for two days, and he'll be bouncing around again."

"Thank you, Li Xiaolang."

Uncle Zhao first clasped his hands toward Li Lin, then pulled Aunt Hua down to kneel beside Zhao Xiaohu; the two of them also performed three bows and nine kowtows, speaking simultaneously.

"Thank you, Tree Immortal Lady, for intervening to save my worthless son. From now on, our Zhao family will make daily offerings and never forget this kindness."

After speaking, the two pulled Zhao Xiaohu and headed home.

They needed to nourish Xiaohu.

Seeing the matter concluded, the villagers also bowed toward the altar to some extent; regardless of whether they had a problem or not, it was always good to leave some incense debt with the "Lady" who might help them in the future.

Li Lin also prepared to go home; he had not yet eaten breakfast.

At this moment, an old man called out to stop him: "Li Xunshou, please wait; this old man has some urgent matters to discuss with you."

Li Lin stopped.

The old man, leaning on a cane, walked over to Li Lin and said, "Li Xunshou, do you know any Spirit Hunters well?"

(End of this chapter)