Chapter 138: The King's Summons, Yue Lian's Notorious Name

A month is enough time for many things to happen.

During the month in which Zhang Hao and the Ghost Bride formed the Red and White Double Evil and vanished without a trace, the Reality World saw a succession of terrifying Supernatural Incidents and famous figures.

In a city called Florida, a woman in a red evening dress was wandering the city.

"The person called the painter should be in this city, right?"

After a month, He Yuelian had gone from a newcomer who stepped into a Supernatural Incident to a rather famous figure.

She bears a name that feels cruel and terrifying: Ghost Painting Yue Lian.

Not many people in the country know this name.

Because of deliberate censorship, and since most of the older generation of Ghost Tamers have died, apart from those Captains, the country now is basically all new Ghost Tamers.

Even some later Ghost Tamers who know about Ghost Painting learn it through other channels; Ghost Painting no longer exists, now only the Red and White Double Evil remains.

Even though the Red and White Double Evil has been silent and vanished for a month, its reputation in the country remains undiminished.

Abroad, the two characters "Ghost Painting" are famously renowned; this is a reputation truly forged by killing.

Because of Zhang Hao and the Ghost Bride's special nature, the events concerning the Red and White Double Evil have only textual records and no video or Photo.

Even though some foreigners have heard news of the Red and White Double Evil, they have never seen any video or Photo.

After seeing He Yuelian appear, foreigners quickly concluded that Ghost Painting is actually He Yuelian, already under her control.

After all, that face, together with the supernatural techniques she employs, makes it hard for anyone not to believe she does control Ghost Painting.

Abroad there is no censorship of Supernatural news, so He Yuelian's arrival was quickly recognized.

"Hey, look over there—does that woman look like the Ghost Tamer who popped up in the last month?"

On a high building, several men with telescopes observed the surroundings.

Seeing the red‑clothed woman walking down the street instantly captured everyone's attention.

"Let me see," a man said, looking toward He Yuelian.

"Although her skin is very white, looking like a Caucasian's, her facial features clearly show she is Asian."

"And even though this woman is Asian, she is truly beautiful; the rumor that the Ghost Tamer called Ghost Painting Yue Lian is also very good‑looking must refer to her."

"My god, such a premium woman—if I could spend a night of pleasure with her, I'd be willing to die for it."

The two men at first discussed rumors about Ghost Painting Yue Lian, but gradually their talk turned lewd.

"You still stare even though you know she's a big figure!"

A middle‑aged man came out of the house and pulled the two men from the windowside.

"You don't know that this Ghost Tamer codenamed Ghost Painting has the ability to step out of other people's memories?"

"Moreover, it is said this Ghost Tamer is extremely ferocious; the number of people who have died at her hands is somewhere between eight hundred and a thousand."

The people in the room looked like ordinary folk, yet unexpectedly possessed a great deal of knowledge about the Ley Line Circle.

But thinking about it, it's normal; in a situation without censorship, anyone without any source of information would have died long ago.

Even if this city were guarded by a king named the Painter, safety could not be guaranteed.

After all, unlike the country, where the Twelve Captains each handle a nation's Supernatural Incidents.

Abroad, there are thirty‑six kings; in better cases, two or three may share responsibility for a single country.

For countries with small populations and territories, there may not even be a single king.

Beautiful Country is a nation with a not‑insignificant population and land, yet even so, the whole country has produced only three kings.

The middle‑aged man's reminder snapped the two men who had been spying on He Yuelian back to reality, dispelling the desire in their minds.

But all this seemed already a bit too late.

Because even when they came to their senses, their minds couldn't stop recalling that exceptionally beautiful red‑clothed woman just now.

"Another disgusting worm is spying on me? My face isn't for you to see—go to hell!"

He Yuelian, walking down the street, wore an expression of extreme disgust.

Because of her looks and the uniquely exquisite aura from mastering Ghost Painting, she easily draws others' gazes.

At first it was fine; although He Yuelian felt disgust, she could still restrain herself from killing.

But gradually, perhaps affected by the instinct triggered by Ghost Painting Killing Rule, He Yuelian began uncontrollably killing those who triggered her Killing Rule.

Later, as the killings increased, He Yuelian's attitude even grew somewhat pathological.

He Yuelian's figure vanished on the spot, and in the terrified gazes of the men spying from above, the woman from the memory seemed to be walking into reality.

No, that's not right—she truly stepped into reality.

A fair, delicate hand reached out from the memory; with a grasp, the two spying men lost consciousness.

"Y‑You are Ghost Painting Yue Lian!"

The remaining men, seeing their two dead comrades and the suddenly appearing cold‑distant woman in the room, each retreated in terror.

Ghost Painting Yue Lian—a name that sounds ordinary—but in fact, it is among the most ferocious names abroad.

Compared with those kingly Ghost Tamers, this one is a Ghost Tamer who loves killing.

He Yuelian appeared on the rooftop of the building, glancing at the people above.

Accompanied by her slow Footsteps, moments later all the living on that floor had been killed by her.

"Hoo!"

After the killings, He Yuelian went to the window, her eyes fixed on the distant direction, her gaze bearing a slight strangeness.

"People are always trying to peek at my face, but I don't want others to see my face; I only want you to see my face."

He Yuelian murmured, and as the Killing Rule continued to affect her, her mental state had become somewhat abnormal.

At first, after killing, she still felt a bit guilty.

Later, she found that the victims she killed were generally those recalling some sordid thoughts, or staring at her face.

Thus she began to hypnotize herself, believing that her face must not be seen by anyone except Zhang Hao.

After she began to think that way, she discovered that she was no longer affected by the Fierce Ghost's instinctual actions.

Because before the Fierce Ghost's instinct to commit Ghost's Killing could act, He Yuelian had already stepped in and killed those people.

Thus she became even more convinced that no one other than Zhang Hao should ever see her face.

By now, this matter has become the most important thing deep in He Yuelian's heart.

After the killing, He Yuelian stood on the top floor of the building and observed for a while.

"Perhaps I should, like the bride beside Zhang Hao, make something to cover my face."

He Yuelian looked at the dead several Ghost Tamers and couldn't help thinking, but quickly dispelled the thought.

Because after a month she had successfully investigated the location of the King called "the Painter".

She thought she should kill the Painter first, then go find Zhang Hao; perhaps then she could obtain the Red Cap that the bride is wearing.

Inside the city, at the tallest building.

A man holding a paintbrush was continuously adding ink to a canvas.

With each stroke, he quickly painted a city with vivid colors.

Suddenly.

His phone rang; at first the man was a bit impatient, but after glancing at the caller, he set the brush down.

"What's the matter?" the man said calmly, his voice bearing a hint of the dead's coldness.

The voice on the other end seemed to say something, and the man's expression changed quickly.

"What? That woman who rides the Ghost painting has arrived in Florence?"

"And that woman also killed many residents of Florence, right?"

The man quickly hung up, walked to the window and stared at the city; his icy gaze made his thoughts unreadable.

"Ghost painting's driver, a Chinese woman, kills at a moment's notice. Interesting!"

"I'm the Painter, you're a Ghost painting; looks like you're coming at me."

The man's voice was suppressed, without emotional fluctuation, yet one could barely hear his inner displeasure.

"Then let me see who's stronger, you the Ghost painting or I the Painter." As he spoke, a hint of greed flashed in his eyes.

He was an early‑famous Ghost Tamer, having been a Ghost Tamer for two or three years, and now he had become an Abnormal among Ghost Tamers.

Although he still harbored a fear of Ghost paintings, he was not completely unwilling to face them.

When He Yuelian arrived, he was initially startled, but quickly recovered.

He Yuelian wanted the Supernatural Incident on herself; if so, didn't that also indicate that the other's Supernatural Incident could be controlled by her? The thought that she might be able to control the Ghost painting's Supernatural Incident, even as an Abnormal, inevitably stirred excitement in her heart.

Up to now, the Supernatural Incident attached to the Painter's artworks has reached its limit; at least for him, there is no way to further improve.

But He Yuelian's proactive appearance is undoubtedly an opportunity, though it could also be a crisis.

Yet as someone who became a Ghost Tamer early and has survived until now, the Painter possesses his own confidence and pride.

The Painter took the elevator, asked his assistant about He Yuelian's last known whereabouts, and then left the tallest building.

Night, on a street in the northern part of the city.

The streetlamp's light spilled onto the Road, reflecting a long human silhouette.

A woman in a red long dress walked along the street; the Road's sides had few pedestrians, and those present hurried by.

Suddenly, He Yuelian stopped while walking.

In the shadow under the forward light, a ragged, homeless‑looking Painter was holding a canvas and painting.

"That person seems to be painting me."

He Yuelian looked up; the Ghost painting possesses the ability of Ghost's Invasion into artworks, and she could sense that the homeless man ahead was painting her.

He Yuelian examined the homeless Painter and quickly realized he was not an ordinary person.

"Ghost Tamer? Or Fierce Ghost?"

He Yuelian stared at the Painter who was painting, although she had been mastering the derived Ghost painting for some time.

But in fact she hasn't encountered many Ghost Tamers.

Moreover, when a Ghost Tamer has ridden a Fierce Ghost for a while, it is already…

Not to mention those Ghost Tamers who have become Abnormal, who can even discard…

Just as He Yuelian was still judging the other's identity, the surroundings were affected by some phenomenon.

The previously bright light at this moment…

The side alleys leading out of the street vanished, and this seemingly short alley now seemed infinitely stretched.

At this time the Road had no visible end, only an abyssal darkness.

And on this endless Road, a terrifying figure was coming from the narrow path, rapidly approaching at an incredible speed.

In just a few seconds, an elderly woman in an old‑fashioned European dress suddenly stood before them.

This elderly woman's face was full of wrinkles and age spots, her whole body exuding rot and death, like a corpse dug up from a tomb.

Moreover, her black dress was also ragged, like a burial offering just unearthed from the earth.

"Ghost painting's driver, He Yuelian, right?"

"During this time I've heard a lot about you; I heard you've been inquiring about the Painter—are you considering joining us?"

The old woman looked at He Yuelian's extraordinarily beautiful face and said in a deep voice.

"Are you the Painter's subordinate?" He Yuelian looked at the old woman, her gaze icy, and gave no response.

"The Painter's subordinate? You underestimate me, don't you? I'm not his subordinate; perhaps 'ally' is more fitting."

The old woman, after stepping out, did not rush to act, but began conversing with He Yuelian.

After all, the Ghost painting's driver has great potential; joining the King Organization would be a huge help for them.

"So, you are from another King?" He Yuelian also reacted.

"Not bad," the old lady said calmly.

"You're probing the King Organization's information, so you must want to join us, right? You can't possibly expect to take on our entire organization alone, can you?"

As they spoke, a few more people stepped out.

A silhouette suddenly appeared on the roof beside the alley, surrounded by a thick black mist that obscured its features.

It wasn't just that one person.

On a wall near the alley, a black‑and‑white figure materialized, looking like an old projector's image—no substance, only a picture.

Yet the person in that image could affect reality, remarkably, as if truly stepping into the real world.

Then, from a distance, a gaunt old man with a strange demeanor shuffled over; his back was slightly hunched as if bearing some horror, though a close look revealed no foreign object.

He Yuelian's expression grew solemn; judging from their words, the person who had been painting must have been the artist.

"Join us, or die!"

At that moment, from the darkness, the ragged homeless painter emerged.

He indeed wanted to obtain the supernatural from He Yuelian, but he wasn't sure he could keep his body balanced while acquiring the ghost painting's supernatural.

Moreover, he wasn't confident he could face He Yuelian, who wielded the ghost painting, alone, so he ultimately decided to gather some help.

"You want me to join you? Do you even deserve that?"

He Yuelian stared at the group, her face cold and sharp, showing contempt.

"Heh heh heh, worthy of someone who has mastered the ghost painting; you are indeed arrogant, and you have earned that pride."

"But being so arrogant before us will get you killed."

The old lady earlier let out a cold, eerie laugh.

Though she still looked like a living person, a careful look would reveal that the old lady had been severely corrupted.

It was even possible that the old woman was actually a Ghost, possessing little of a living person's consciousness.

Although there was no Supernatural Revival, her mind had been so deeply infiltrated by the supernatural that her behavior resembled a Fierce Ghost.

Yet this phenomenon is not uncommon abroad; many of their senior Ghost Tamers were ruthless individuals who, at the start of the Supernatural Revival, would do anything to survive.

In contrast, domestically, with the Headquarters' pressure, they even deal with those lawless Ghost Tamers.

This results in many mad individuals being unable to survive at home, their potential threats being eliminated early on.

If it weren't abroad, then He Yuelian's logic and way of acting…

The Headquarters' captains would never converse with her; they might have already launched a direct attack.

And abroad, as long as you're not an indiscriminate Ghost's Killing and retain consciousness, they still recognize you as human.

The Kings made their move.

A hand rose from the ground, trying to seize He Yuelian's foot; then a second hand, a third, until the entire ground was covered with countless withered palms.

He Yuelian sensed the oddity of the hands, her expression shifting slightly, and hurriedly used the Ghost Domain to relocate.

Then, beneath He Yuelian's feet, a pair of embroidered shoes appeared.

"Tap! Tap! Tap!"

The embroidered shoes stepped on the withered palms, producing a sound like that of leather shoes.

The suddenly appearing embroidered shoes seemed to carry an extremely terrifying supernatural.

As He Yuelian kept stepping on the withered palms, the old lady nearby also showed a slight change in expression.

"This is a Certain Death attack! Be careful!" the old lady said calmly, retreating backward.

Facing a woman who had mastered the ghost painting, no one was willing to endure her full‑force assault.

"And me!"

Suddenly, the ground at that moment writhed strangely, and a huge pool of murky, foul‑smelling liquid emerged.

When He Yuelian inadvertently stepped into the liquid, the embroidered shoes beneath her instantly became stained with dirty ink, losing their ability to be used for a short time.

"This is a kind of incomprehensible bizarre ink."

He Yuelian's expression shifted slightly; she had thought there were people in the shadows, but didn't expect that the hidden figure's sudden move had already affected her supernatural.

(End of chapter)