Chapter 70: The Terrifying Red‑White Twin Demons

As they approached, they could see the hall was shrouded in darkness.

Yet just moments ago, looking from outside, they could see flames inside the house.

It seemed that after they entered, an unseen figure extinguished the fire, hiding in the shadows and watching the five strangers.

"Keep moving forward, ignore that thing; we have only one goal."

After Li Jun surveyed the interior, he did not focus here and intended to continue forward.

"Creak~"

However, just as they passed the front door and reached the front path, the previous house emitted a door‑closing sound.

Strangely, the moment the door shut, flames suddenly appeared inside, and a silhouette was reflected on the window by the firelight.

Unexplained, Li Jun and Liu San felt an uneasy sensation.

Fortunately, that ghost seemed not to intend an attack, likely because they had not triggered the Killing Rule.

They pressed on.

In the second house of the village, they saw another person seated on a wooden rattan chair.

The person's features were indistinct; although seated upright, his head was twisted 180 degrees to face backward, presenting a thick‑haired back of the skull toward the group.

The corpse was already decaying; the hands on the chair bore corpse stains, the legs were unusually stiff, and a foul stench wafted from the house.

As if it had been dead for many days.

"Another ghost," Li Jun glanced at the corpse, his heart sinking.

The eerie firelight, the reflected silhouette, and the twisted‑head corpse confirmed at least three ghosts within moments of entering the village.

"If all these things awaken, then we—" A Hong showed unease.

"Come to think of it, I seem to recall something," Han Mo suddenly said.

"Liu San, you remember, right? When we were in Da Chang Shi, we met a Ghost Tamer called Ghost Lantern."

Liu San, of course, did not forget that memory.

"You mean the firelight just now was the revived Ghost Lantern of that Ghost Tamer?"

"Speaking of it, that fellow was called Zhong Shan, right? He vanished in the Ghostly Servant's Ghost Domain."

Hearing that, they all turned toward the first house; the silhouette inside remained motionless, seemingly watching them, giving a chilling feeling.

"And that reversed‑head ghost too—among the Headquarters' rookie Ghost Tamers, I recall one codenamed Ghost Backturn," A Hong added.

Their successive remarks quickly led everyone to judge how many ghosts they had just encountered.

They were all Fierce Ghosts revived from previously slain Ghost Tamers.

For unknown reasons, these ghosts seemed suppressed, showing no movement.

But a ghost is still a ghost.

Even if still now, it doesn't mean they won't suddenly move later.

"Find the Ghost Coffin. According to Huanggang Village's records, the Ghost Coffin is in a house in front of the village," Li Jun said, looking ahead along the village road.

It wasn't far, roughly a thousand meters away.

But passing each house and seeing what's inside made the heart race.

Fortunately, not every house contained anything; some were empty.

Soon, they arrived before a house.

It was an old brick‑tile house; the hall was dim, yet a vague silhouette stood inside, apparently watching them from the shadows.

"A hanged corpse."

Li Jun's eyes flickered; he saw a corpse hanging from the beam in the dim hall, feet off the ground, swaying slightly.

"That rope"

But immediately, seeing the straw rope around the corpse's neck, Li Jun's heart sank again.

It was the Ghost Rope once held by Yang Jian; it had been forcibly taken when they encountered a Ghostly Servant at the training base.

"It's the same one," Li Jun noted, seeing the other end of the straw rope bound with gold, confirming it was the genuine Ghost Rope, not a derivative.

"The Ghost Rope Yang Jian held is in a revived state; without other ghosts suppressing it, the rope would launch indiscriminate attacks. Yet why is it so calm this time?" Li Jun frowned slightly.

He had obtained information about the Ghost Rope from Yang Jian.

"Is it because of that corpse?"

Finally, Li Jun fixed his gaze again on the corpse hanging midway under the beam.

Perhaps it wasn't a corpse at all, but a genuine ghost.

The Ghost Rope and this ghost formed a subtle balance.

At this point, Li Jun recalled several earlier rooms.

"Many ghosts here seem to have reached some strange balance, which is why they haven't attacked us,"

"Perhaps it's because they are revived Ghost Tamers," Han Mo said.

"After all, aside from that batch of rookie Ghost Tamers, the later deceased Ghost Tamers generally commanded two or more ghosts."

"In such a case, the revived Fierce Ghosts on these bodies reaching some balance is understandable."

"Indeed, I've seen Ghost Tamers who commanded two ghosts killed by Fierce Ghosts; their revival is very slow," Liu San added.

"I think the two ghosts fight for control of the corpse after the Tamer's death,"

While they spoke, in the village—

Zhang Hao had already lost control of himself.

The clash between the Ghostly Servant and Ghost Paint began; as the Ghost Domains collided, even Zhang Hao lost his grip on the Ghostly Servant's Ghost Domain.

After all, Zhang Hao was never a Ghost Domain controller; he was merely seizing the Ghostly Servant's control over this Ghost Domain.

After Ghost Paint invaded this Ghost Domain, Zhang Hao's control over the Ghostly Servant's Ghost Domain vanished, and the Ghostly Servant triggered further emergency responses.

Ghostly Servant tries to counter the Ghost Painting's Ghost Domain by repeatedly Restarting, but the gap between them is too large.

Ghost Painting has now revived to its strongest state, while the Ghostly Servant has only just revived and hasn't captured any ghosts.

In this situation, the Ghostly Servant's Ghost Domain is being split into pieces by the Ghost Painting, and the Fierce Ghost beside Zhang Hao is also being divided.

It is well known that the Ghostly Servant is actually a Ghost Domain, and the Ghost Domain is the true Ghostly Servant; the Ghostly Servant within the Ghost Domain is merely a ghost Spirit Phenomenon.

As the Ghostly Servant's Ghost Domain is divided, his body also begins to fall into a divided state.

The Fierce Ghosts seized within the Ghostly Servant's body are separated one by one as the Ghost Domain is divided, as if being dismembered.

Realizing that it has been dismembered, the current Ghostly Servant is continuously Restarting itself, trying to return to an intact state.

Unfortunately, the Ghostly Servant whose Ghost Domain strength is suppressed by the Ghost Painting cannot successfully Restart in front of the Ghost Painting.

Conversely, as the Ghostly Servant repeatedly Restarts itself, the time of the Ghost Domain becomes chaotic, the Ghost Domain turns uncontrollable, and falls into a continual Restart process.

Even if the Ghostly Servant could Restart its own Ghost Domain without limit, it cannot cleanse the Ghost Painting's erosion of its Ghost Domain.

And Zhang Hao, along with these controls, gradually loses control over the Fierce Ghosts that died within the Ghostly Servant's Ghost Domain.

When Zhang Hao realizes the Ghostly Servant's Ghost Domain has been Restarted, the Ghost Bride proactively controls Zhang Hao, grabs him, preventing the two from being separated by the Ghost Painting's Ghost Domain like the Ghostly Servant.

The situation seems to be evolving into a worsening scenario.

However, Zhang Hao shows no worry; he simply holds the Ghost Bride, kneeling and sitting motionlessly atop the Coffin.

First, after the Ghost Bride sensed the Ghost Painting, she instinctively controlled his body, both to seek the Ghost Painting and to prevent them from being split apart.

Second, faced with this situation, Zhang Hao has no recourse.

Zhang Hao cannot think of a way; even if the bride wants to seek the Ghost Painting and forcibly controls his body, there is no way to proceed.

After all, the source of the Ghost Painting has not appeared, and the bride cannot perceive the Ghost Painting's exact location.

Moreover, wherever they try to go now, they will quickly return to the spirit hall because the Ghostly Servant's Restart of the Ghost Domain brings them back.

In the end, they can only stand in place and wait.

At least according to Zhang Hao's thinking, once the Ghost Painting successfully invades the Ghostly Servant's Ghost Domain, he and the Ghost Bride should be able to see the Ghost Painting.

Although time inside the Ghostly Servant's Ghost Domain constantly Restarts, time outside the Ghostly Servant's Ghost Domain does not change because of his Restart.

And while staying in this spirit hall, Zhang Hao and the bride can at least maintain control over the Ghost Coffin.

As the Fierce Ghosts in the Ghostly Servant's body are split out, Zhang Hao, though he has lost control of the Ghostly Servant's Ghost Domain, can feel his control over this spirit hall strengthening.

The Ghostly Servant is now fully battling the dismembering Ghost Painting and has no strength left to resist Zhang Hao's invasion.

Moreover, from another angle, the Ghostly Servant letting Zhang Hao invade itself can also obtain Zhang Hao's Ghost Power, enhancing resistance to the Ghost Painting.

After all, the Ghostly Servant and Zhang Hao are a Puzzle, but the Ghostly Servant and the Ghost Painting are not a Puzzle.

Just as Ghost Eye is a Puzzle of a headless Ghost Shadow, and Ghost Hand is also a Puzzle of a headless Ghost Shadow, yet Ghost Eye and Ghost Hand are not the same Puzzle.

Li Jun and others now arrive at a Road in the middle of the Village; before them stands a residential house, dim and pitch‑black inside, eerily silent.

According to the information, that is the house where the Ghostly Servant resides, also the spirit hall housing the Ghost Coffin. "Finally arrived, proceed with caution."

Li Jun looks at the pitch‑black spirit hall ahead, his eyes full of vigilance.

Although Huang Gang Cun remains the same as before, its layout has changed, costing them considerable time.

Li Jun holds a paper covered with many lines; it is a hastily drawn map.

On the map, the white patches indicate house locations, while the black lines split the originally contiguous white into many small pieces.

If one ignores the black lines representing Roads, the white areas form a shape like a Coffin, only white.

And these Roads that divide the Ghost Domains are far from safe.

Because this Road belongs to the Ghost Painting's world. Above the sky, a gray, ash‑like substance drifts down, accumulating on the ground to form the village's Road.

The gray‑white pavement shows signs of eroding the surrounding houses, yet when approaching the dim, pitch‑black house it strangely vanishes, as if swallowed by the darkness and unable to spread further.

A subtle Balance has formed between the Ghostly Servant and the Ghost Painting.

But this Balance cannot persist indefinitely.

If someday the Ghost Painting's Killing Rule is triggered, the fragile Balance will instantly shatter, and Li Jun, Liu San and others may face a nightmare.

Huang Gang Cun is now extremely dangerous; each house no longer houses villagers, but is haunted by a lone true ghost.

The front house's main door stands open, inside is pitch‑black, fingers cannot be seen, as if all light has vanished.

"Let's go." Taking a deep breath, Li Jun slowly steps forward toward the house that the darkness signifies as a spirit hall.

"Tap tap tap!"

Accompanied by Footsteps from outside, several people walk in.

"Again?" Zhang Hao slowly lifts his head, seeming to have anticipated the newcomers.

"Clack!"

In an instant, Li Jun, upon entering the spirit hall, immediately kneels without any reaction.

Kneeling Death; being forced to kneel triggers Certain Death.

Because Zhang Hao has been kneeling on the Coffin facing the spirit hall's doorway, Li Jun, the moment he steps into the spirit hall, triggers the Kneeling Death rule and collapses to the ground.

Simultaneously, because his collapse triggers Kneeling Death, two Certain Death attacks arise, causing Li Jun to die directly within the Ghost Domain.

"Li Jun!"

Seeing Li Jun kneeling on the ground, his face brimming with tears, Han Mo exclaims.

Li Jun is the only one among those present who possesses a Ghost Domain; his death deals a massive blow to the team.

However, soon Han Mo stops worrying about Li Jun.

Because when he looks toward the direction of Li Jun's kneeling, he sees a white and a red, and beneath a white silhouette a Red Coffin.

"Ghostly Servant, Red and White Double Evil!"

Liu San's expression turns grave as he slowly utters a few words, causing everyone's faces to change.

Suddenly, Ah Hong lets out a startled cry.

However, the moment they spoke, a pale green glow suddenly ignited inside the room; it was the firelight emitted by Ghost Fire.

Li Jun's Fierce Ghost revived; logically, a Ghost Tamer killed should not revive this quickly.

Especially a Ghost Tamer like Li Jun, who commands two ghosts, should not be like this.

But Han Mo knows this is because Li Jun was subjected to Ghost Summoning.

After Li Jun was killed, there should have been a period where the two ghosts inside his body contested control.

However, with the Ghost Summoning of the Red and White Double Evil, Li Jun's corpse skipped that stage and revived directly.

Moreover, under the Ghost Power of the summoning, Ghost Fire, just revived, displayed an extremely terrifying assault.

The four were simultaneously ignited by the pale green Ghost Fire.

Ah Hong felt the flame on her body, and a makeup case instantly appeared in her hand, beginning to touch up her makeup.

As the makeup on her face kept changing, soon she transformed into the appearance of an old person.

Zhang Hao had never seen this old person, but even from the Supernatural Aura emanating from Ah Hong, he could guess the old one's unusual nature.

Because this intensity, compared with Zhang Hao together with the Ghost Bride now, is not far off.

Meanwhile, Liu San, at the moment Ghost Fire burned, lost the ability to act.

The Liu San appearing here is not the real one, just a duplicate; facing the Ghost Fire revival that specifically burns Supernatural, he cannot make any useful resistance.

On the contrary, Han Mo and Xu Yiping can still act in this bizarre flame, dispelling the Ghost Fire burning on them.

However, Zhang Hao seemed to have anticipated this.

When Ah Hong, having made herself look like an old person, attacked Zhang Hao.

On the spirit hall's Ceiling, a White Curtain hanging in midair dropped, covering Ah Hong's face.

From the auras of both sides, the Terror Level of the White Curtain is not high.

It could not at all stop Ah Hong, now made up as a terrifying old person, yet oddly, as the White Curtain covered her face, she lost the ability to move.

After the White Curtain covered Ah Hong's face, it kept winding around her, quickly enveloping Ah Hong entirely, and began to sway.

As the White Curtain swayed, occasionally a face flashed within it, but that face was hollow, lacking features, extremely bizarre.

Soon, as the White Curtain stopped, the spirit hall contained only a hanging blood‑stained White Curtain, with no sign of Ah Hong.

Perhaps only the makeup case, fallen on the Ground, its bright red hue, proves Ah Hong's existence.

"Ah Hong!"

Han Mo, having just cleared the Ghost Fire from his body, discovered that Ah Hong also fell.

His anger burned, yet he was powerless.

Because after dealing with Ah Hong, Zhang Hao turned his Gaze toward him.

At the moment Han Mo had just finished clearing the Ghost Fire from his body, a cup of blood‑red wine splashed toward him.

Simultaneously, a breeze seemed to pass through the spirit hall; beside the Coffin, a bronze basin for burning paper had several unburnt paper coins flutter up, their ash falling onto him.

Since then, the five‑person squad has already lost four members.

Xu Yiping's eyes widened in terror as he watched it all; this Red and White Double Evil was too terrifying, truly the most terrifying and bizarre Fierce Ghost he had ever seen.

He did not, like Han Mo, intend to attack Zhang Hao the instant he escaped.

After witnessing the deaths of the four, Xu Yiping immediately ran outward.

However, as he stepped out of the spirit hall, his whole body suddenly felt a dizzy whirl.

As his Gaze kept spinning, he quickly saw a headless corpse standing before him.

"Is that... me?"

It seemed a long time had passed before a thought slowly emerged in Xu Yiping's mind.

"How can my body have no head?"

He could not quite understand; perhaps the separation of head and body affected his senses, slowing his thoughts.

"Bang!"

The sound of a head hitting the Ground echoed, and the headless corpse immediately fell to the Ground.

Without the headless corpse's obstruction.

It could be seen that the previously blood‑stained White Curtain now seemed as if someone were inside, holding a pair of scissors, dragging a Paper Person slowly toward the back hall of the house.

"Fourth time," Zhang Hao blurted out four words.

This is Zhang Hao's fourth time seeing Li Jun and the others; unsurprisingly, each time they arrive here, the group is annihilated inside this room.

However, soon they will, due to the Ghost Domain's area‑wide Time Restart, revive again.

Of course, they are not able to reach this room successfully every time.

Ghostly Servant is battling Ghost Painting, and although the Ghost Domain continuously restarts, any change during the Ghost Painting versus Ghostly Servant confrontation will cause Li Jun and the others to make a different choice from the previous time.

Sometimes they are attacked by Ghost Painting when they reach the outside; other times they go to other parts of the Village and are killed by other ghosts.

Ghost Painting's Ghost Domain is so bizarre that taking one step makes the location appear somewhere else.

Because of that, the moment they entered, Zhang Hao thought of all their possible tactics.

Such as the White Curtain being able to wipe Ah Hong's makeup off.

It was only when Ah Hong arrived the second time that Zhang Hao thought of it, and only during the third time would he attempt it.

Otherwise, the old person Ah Hong disguised herself as would indeed be a considerable trouble for him.

(End of Chapter)