Chapter 190: Ghostly Rules

Long before, in the Ghost Shadow Game.

Wu Xian had seen malevolent spirits bound by chains.

The Child-Seeking Ghost Mother and Wang Zhiwu!

The Creed's manual states that if a malevolent spirit bears chains, it is bound by some rule, and must act in accordance with that rule.

Of the three ghosts currently appearing on Wonder Island.

Aside from the Belly Ghost, hidden inside Ren Cha's abdomen and thus unobservable, the other two ghosts both bear chains.

Therefore, Wu Xian boldly speculated.

All ghosts on this island bear chains; though elusive and bizarre, each follows a specific behavioral logic, and only attacks when a rule is violated.

If this is true, then once the rules are understood, whether to kill the ghosts or pin the female ghost down for a photo shoot, neither would be difficult.

But understanding the rules requires time, and countless trials and errors.

Thus, after discussion among the Lotus Juanren, they unanimously decided: the natives could no longer remain hidden in the first-floor lobby—they must be made to move about during daylight.

Only when everyone is active can more intelligence be gathered, for at least seven more ghosts still lurk in the shadows; with only six Juanren, it would take ages to uncover them all.

Yet involving the natives would inevitably increase casualties.

But there was no other choice.

The natives still foolishly believed that if they waited five days, they could safely leave Wonder Island.

But the Lotus Juanren could be certain.

Unless ten malevolent spirits are photographed, not a single person on the island can leave—not even by rowing a boat, and there might even be ghosts hiding in the sea!

But directly telling the natives would be impossible.

So the Lotus Juanren dug up some aged papers, and Wu Xian, as lead author, wrote upon them a blood-letter resembling a dying man's final testament.

The blood-letter's content was the intelligence the Juanren had obtained from the ordination scrolls.

Only embellished with terrifying flourishes.

Tomorrow morning, Wu Xian would hide the blood-letter somewhere, then guide the natives to discover it themselves—only then would they believe it utterly.

Thus far.

The Lotus Juanren's discussion temporarily concluded.

Then came a flurry of activity.

The rooms had been unoccupied for ten years, and dust lay thick everywhere.

Everyone dragged the mattress pads from the bedrooms into the living room, shoved all possible hiding spots for people or ghosts into the bedrooms, then sealed the bedroom doors shut.

The room instantly degraded from a luxury hotel suite to a dormitory—but compared to a mass grave, this place was downright luxurious.

Men and women alike all slept in the living room.

The bathroom doors remained open; everyone consciously avoided impropriety, and if anyone felt too embarrassed, they could close the door—but then they'd bear the risk of any potential attack alone.

One of the Sacred Ground's survival rules: never be alone at night.

This was also one reason Wu Xian and the others left the lobby—the lobby was spacious, but Yan Ting and the others chose to sleep in tents, which amounted to being alone.

After all, no one outside the tent would know what happened inside.

Wu Xian turned around.

He pulled out the Ace of Spades inscribed with the Talisman Crafting Method.

He had originally planned to wait, to find a Law Scroll that enhanced the Talisman Crafting Method, before using it to maximize benefit.

But these unknown malevolent spirits made him decide: boosting his own combat power for survival came first.

Whoosh!

Wu Xian flicked his wrist, and the Ace of Spades in his hand transformed into the Three of Clubs and the Four of Diamonds—both cards bore the names of Law Scrolls.

This startled Wu Xian slightly.

He had intended to first hold the Law Scroll, then make a Rubbing onto the card—but after one Rubbing, the other Law Scrolls were automatically stored within the cards.

He then picked up the Three of Clubs and tested it briefly, discovering that Law Scrolls already stored in the cards could still be Rubbed onto other objects.

This deck of cards had effectively become an automatic Law Scroll storage device.

This was an unexpected boon.

Wu Xian then turned his gaze to the two Law Scrolls.

Treasure Seeking Technique: Guides the Juanren to the location of one treasure. Usable twice.

Fire Bell Incantation: Emits a bell sound, igniting any living person or malevolent spirit who hears it. The flame's power is weaker than the True Fire Incantation. Usable three times.

Wu Xian raised an eyebrow.

The Fire Bell Incantation was a decent offensive Law Scroll; though weaker, it guaranteed a hit, making it highly useful against fast-moving malevolent spirits.

But what surprised Wu Xian most was the Treasure Seeking Technique.

"Find the location of one 'treasure'"—how was this 'treasure' defined?

Was it an item like a longevity peach, or did it refer to statues or spirit incense?

Wu Xian pondered for a moment, then tucked both cards into his clothing—he planned to search for treasure tomorrow during daylight, when he could act alone.

Having completed all this.

Wu Xian turned back, looking at the others.

Most of the Lotus Juanren had their own private routines; the four ordinary people were all in varying states.

Tong Yu'ai's expression was numb and hopeless; Old Lady Liu comforted her nearby; Qian Yunhe lay on the mattress, already half-asleep.

Suddenly, Wu Xian noticed Sun Qian's condition was strange.

So he quietly walked over.

……

Sun Qian was a little deflated.

He had loved daydreaming ever since he was small.

He liked all kinds of fantasy-themed entertainment works, but what he loved most was the type where a loser cheats his way to the pinnacle of life.

He believed he was just like the protagonists in those stories—a fine horse of a thousand li, his talents unrecognized, waiting only for a single chance to soar to the heavens.

But the cold, hard reality kept trying to tell him he was just an ordinary person.

So when he had just entered the Blessed Land.

Sun Qian was overjoyed.

He thought this was his chance; he would seize this opportunity to do something big, just like the protagonists in the novels—grab the chance and prove himself to everyone.

But that terrifying scene in the corridor just now had utterly shattered his pride.

Sun Qian finally realized.

He had overestimated himself, and underestimated the Blessed Land.

With his passion cooled, Sun Qian's IQ returned to the high ground. He noticed that Wu Xian and the others, Lotus Juanren included, were all carefully checking for risks, which meant that inside the Blessed Land, danger could come from anywhere.

So Sun Qian also began watching for anything unusual around him.

Suddenly, Sun Qian noticed that his backpack seemed a little more bulging than before. There was clearly only one book inside his backpack—why was the whole thing puffed up?

A chill suddenly ran down Sun Qian's spine.

He remembered how, just now in the corridor, the ball had suddenly vanished, and the ball-bouncing ghost had come to him asking for the ball. He had been so scared at the time that he hadn't thought it through carefully…

Was it possible that the ball-bouncing ghost's ball was on him?

The moment this possibility crossed his mind, Sun Qian's hands and feet went cold. Trembling, he unzipped his bag—and saw a pair of swollen eyes!

Inside Sun Qian's backpack was, shockingly, a purplish-red, mangled human head!

This human head had lost all its hair, with bruises everywhere—clearly caused by long periods of being bounced. The bloodshot eyes of the head shed tears, looking at Sun Qian with a plea.

"Pl-please… don't give me to him."

(End of chapter)