Chapter 58: Nine Sons Ghost Mother Map

The three returned to the dormitory where the tall, thin monk’s spirit had previously placed them to rest.

Chu Danqing pretended to go out for a nighttime bathroom break, went out, and opened the Mother of Grievances’ treasure chest.

【You unlocked: Treasure Chest (Excellent Rank), obtained: Nine Sons Ghost Mother Map, Paradise Points ×2900, Paradise Points ×2900】

“Why did my Paradise Points stall?” Chu Danqing wondered, then realized it hadn’t stalled—it had increased by 5800 points.

“The upper limit for Paradise Points from an Excellent-ranked chest is 2900, so it split the excess into another?”

After glancing at it, Chu Danqing’s gaze settled on the Nine Sons Ghost Mother Map.

【Nine Sons Ghost Mother Map】

【Type: Equipment · Accessory】

【Quality: Excellent】

【Durability: 100/100】

【Energy +100】

【Infant’s Grievance (Active): Consume 90 energy points to summon nine ghost-infant spirits to fight for you. Each minute, each ghost-infant requires 1 energy point to sustain. Sustenance ends when energy is insufficient, the spirits are slain, or you cancel. Partial replenishment of numbers is allowed, maximum nine spirits.】

【Mother’s Hatred (Active): When nine ghost-infant spirits are present, consume 100 energy points to summon one ghost-mother to fight for you. Each minute, consume 10 + (number of ghost-infants) energy points to sustain. Sustenance ends when energy is insufficient, the mother is slain, or you cancel. Cannot be re-summoned while active.】

【Equipment Requirement: Spirit 10, Constitution 10】

“This is completely unusable,” Chu Danqing said, delighted to have obtained a summoning item: “Looks like it’s indeed a Fine-rank item that degraded.”

Unfortunately, he couldn’t use it at all.

Leaving aside the equipment requirements, the energy cost alone was astronomical.

Summoning all of them required 190 energy points, plus a continuous expenditure of 28 energy points per minute.

Even with his own energy plus the Nine Sons Ghost Mother Map’s bonus, he couldn’t summon even the mother and one infant.

This wasn’t a skill—it was an equipment effect, impossible to split or use partially.

“I’ll just store it in my inventory for now,” Chu Danqing rubbed his temples. He needed to raise his energy and stats, and also gather the funds to awaken the true spirit of the Nine Sons Ghost Mother Map.

Fortunately, he didn’t need to worry about it until after the next trial.

After storing the Nine Sons Ghost Mother Map in his inventory, Chu Danqing rose and returned.

Guo Ming lay in bed, chatting idly with Da Bao, though Da Bao’s replies were sluggish.

As soon as Chu Danqing returned, Guo Ming shifted the topic to him.

“Brother Chu, where did you get this wild fox Chan? Why is it incomplete?”

“It has methods for taming beasts and summoning spirits, but no foundation in Qi cultivation?” Guo Ming asked curiously.

He hadn’t known this before—Chu Danqing had used Energy Links and Life Links so smoothly, along with many other miraculous techniques.

“It’s called wild fox Chan for a reason—how could it be complete?” Chu Danqing replied, then teased: “You planning to gift me one?”

“Not impossible,” Guo Ming explained. “But teachings aren’t given lightly. All my family’s methods belong to my father—I’d need to write him a letter.”

“Besides, I don’t even know what kind of method suits you. My father must choose.”

At this, Chu Danqing’s smile slowly faded.

He didn’t think Guo Ming was joking.

“This is too precious,” Chu Danqing said seriously.

The faction shop had only one slot, and it cost ten thousand faction contributions.

Ji Zhen of the Ji family risked his life to invite the Three Corpses into his body just for such a legacy—and Guo Ming could get him one with a simple request.

To Guo Ming, it might mean little, but to Chu Danqing, it was different.

“It hasn’t even happened yet—why worry?” Guo Ming laughed. “I’m willing, but my father might not be.”

“I think this is nine out of ten unlikely—I’m just mentioning it.”

Chu Danqing shook his head and refused: “My advice is not to mention it at all.”

He wanted it, but he didn’t want Guo Ming caught in the middle, put in an awkward position.

The more Chu Danqing refused, the more Guo Ming resolved to ask his father to pick a better method for him.

To the Ji family, a legacy was precious—but to Guo Ming’s family, as long as it wasn’t their ancestral inheritance, it was manageable.

With Chu Danqing’s words spoken, Guo Ming had nothing more to say, so he changed the subject and they chatted idly before sleeping.

Only after waking at dawn and eating breakfast did they discuss descending into the well.

The topic from last night was left behind.

“Going down is easy; getting back up won’t be,” Chu Danqing said, staring at the well mouth. The tools once suitable for climbing had been destroyed by the Mother of Grievances.

This well was not shallow.

“With Da Bao, getting you and me in and out is no problem,” Guo Ming said, unconcerned.

“I’m worried that if something dangerous is down there, we won’t have time to retreat,” Chu Danqing said. He’d descended once before and seen nothing.

Even though the Mother of Grievances was dead, better safe than sorry.

“So let the crossbow soldiers go down first to scout,” Chu Danqing thought of a solution.

If there’s no danger, we can descend later.

Guo Ming immediately agreed—he knew the crossbow soldiers’ capabilities and knew they were perfect.

Chu Danqing attached five Energy Links to Da Bao, then summoned the crossbow soldiers.

Da Bao carried the crossbow soldiers down into the well.

Now they only had to wait. Chu Danqing kept watching the crossbow soldiers’ status panel.

His health remained perfectly stable.

After roughly nine minutes, the crossbow soldiers’ figure appeared at the bottom of the well.

This was a timed return, signaling safety to Chu Danqing.

Then the figure vanished—the duration expired.

“No problem. Let’s go down,” Chu Danqing said.

He didn’t really want to take Guo Ming down—but Guo Ming insisted, and Chu Danqing couldn’t refuse.

Bringing Guo Ming had advantages, especially his knowledge—he could be immensely helpful.

Da Bao carried the two of them down, using his limbs as cushions, sliding along the well wall to the bottom.

Chu Danqing, upon reaching the bottom again, no longer felt the bone-chilling cold. It was still cold—but the mental discomfort was gone.

Clearly, as Guo Ming had said, the malice in the well had dissipated.

Chu Danqing was certain: prolonged exposure to malice damaged the body.

The darkness ahead remained thick, impenetrable.

Chu Danqing pulled out a flashlight—strong-beam—and shone it, carving a path forward.

Unlike last time, this time he encountered no anomalies at all.

“This device is exquisite,” Guo Ming’s eyes lit up. “Very convenient for night travel.”

“I’ll give you one later—plus a lighter,” Chu Danqing said casually.

(End of Chapter)