Chapter 92: Give Me Some Incense, I'll Give You Ghost Grave Soil

Zhang Hao looked left and right; at this moment, apart from himself and the Dry Corpse Bride, the Fierce Ghosts that were carrying the Ghost Coffin and the Flower Sedan Chair had already become motionless.

The Fierce Ghosts carrying the Ghost Coffin here were somewhat better, after all those four Fierce Ghosts were manifestations of the ghosts inside the Ghost Coffin.

Even if suppressed, they can Restart, but it takes some time to ease.

But the ghosts carrying the Dry Corpse Bride's Flower Sedan Chair lack that ability; they have now lost mobility and stand there motionless.

"Bride, put them away first."

Zhang Hao looked at the ghosts beside the Flower Sedan Chair; with the Fierce Ghosts that carried the chair gone, the chair now has no movement.

Speaking, Zhang Hao also stored the Ghost Coffin into the spirit hall derived from the Ghost Painting World.

"Tap! Tap tap!"

Just after Zhang Hao and the Dry Corpse Bride had put away the Flower Sedan Chair and the Ghost Coffin, a muffled Footsteps sound came from the side of the Spiritual Bus not far away.

From a distance, it was an old woman carrying a flower basket.

The old woman seemed to notice Zhang Hao's presence; her hollow, lifeless eyes glanced this way.

But she soon stopped paying attention to Zhang Hao and the Dry Corpse Bride, and walked straight toward some point on the Road.

"That must be the ghost of Meng Xiaodong after revival, right?"

Zhang Hao looked at the old woman with the flower basket in the distance, judging her identity.

After a brief observation, confirming that the revived Meng Xiaodong was merely a derived Fierce Ghost, Zhang Hao decided to follow her.

Anyway, Zhang Dong's revival is only on the first day, and the Ghostly Mansion seems to have many measures to block Fierce Ghosts, so there's no need for him to enter.

He decided to first observe the situation outside the Ghostly Mansion, which would make subsequent actions easier.

Following Meng Xiaodong, Zhang Hao quickly reached the other side of this Road.

Here, there is also a path that leads deep into this Old Forest, only a bit farther from the ancient mansion.

After Meng Xiaodong arrived at this trail, she walked toward its depths, and Zhang Hao, seeing this, followed without hesitation.

The road was strange, paved with yellow mud, with not a single weed growing on it, and the soil was fresh, as if it had been repaired just a few days ago; perhaps such a road did not exist before.

Zhang Hao looked around; tall trees lined both sides of the road, likely the road originally had trees that were later cut down.

The trees mentioned here are not ordinary trees, but some incomprehensible bizarre Fierce Ghosts.

Upon close inspection, under the bases of those trees along the road, one could still see some fingers or garment hems.

Obviously, beneath those trees are buried one terrifying Fierce Ghost after another.

If all the Fierce Ghosts beneath this forest were to awaken, Zhang Hao conservatively estimates that at least twenty Supernatural Incidents with S‑level Terror Level would occur.

And that's only the damage; the number of Fierce Ghosts in this forest whose Terror Level reaches S‑level is unknown.

"How about we uproot a few trees and take a look?"

The idea flashed through Zhang Hao's mind, but was quickly abandoned.

It offered him no real benefit; he is not a Fierce Ghost with weak Combat Power who needs other Fierce Ghosts to attract human attention for his own schemes.

Abandoning the idea of uprooting trees, Zhang Hao continued following Meng Xiaodong deeper into the forest.

Come to think of it, he recalled that there seemed to be a Fierce Ghost in the Ghostly Mansion dressed in Western bridal attire, though he didn't know if it was related to the Dry Corpse Bride.

But on closer thought, one is a Chinese wedding and the other a Western wedding, so there seems to be no connection.

He kept pondering as they went deeper, and the surroundings grew increasingly dark.

The road was long; he didn't know how much time had passed.

Meng Xiaodong finally reached a cleared fork, and she turned into one of the paths.

The surrounding forest was shrouded in darkness, leaving only a vague outline, while a single yellow mud road stretched forward as if endless.

The old trees around this yellow mud road gradually became sparse, and she then arrived at an open area.

The open area formed a circle, its surface yellow mud, surrounded by dense Old Forest, and no other paths were found.

The end of the road had been reached.

Zhang Hao looked at Meng Xiaodong in the distance; on the empty ground beside her, he saw several graves.

These graves varied in age; some appeared many years old, some seemed from a few years ago, even some newly buried. Each had a tombstone with a name and a portrait.

In front of each tombstone were offerings: a blue‑and‑white porcelain bowl filled with White Rice Bowl.

"Rice, is that the Ghost Rice?" Zhang Hao's eyes lit up, but he did not rush over.

He watched Meng Xiaodong from afar, and only approached to investigate after she left that grave.

First, the rice was placed in a porcelain bowl; the rice looked stiff, as if it had been boiled but not fully cooked.

Behind the rice was a tombstone bearing a Black and White Portrait.

The portrait showed a strange man, who did not look like a contemporary person.

He seemed to have died many years ago, as the clothing in the photo was antiquated, yet his appearance was youthful and rather handsome.

Zhang Hao glanced at the man in the portrait a few times, committing his features to memory.

These portraited individuals are the Seven Elders; having memorized them, Zhang Hao will be able to react faster when he encounters their revived Fierce Ghosts later.

Although the people in the photos may look different from how they appear when they age and revive.

After studying them for a while, Zhang Hao extended a hand to take that bowl of Ghost Rice.

However, as Zhang Hao bent over, the man's eyes on the tombstone turned eerily, following his hand downward.

"Snap~!"

Zhang Hao suddenly withdrew his hand and slapped himself.

"Zhang Hao, Zhang Hao, you know this is the Seven Elders' burial ground yet you reach out to pick things randomly; if that causes the Balance inside to fail and you emerge into incomprehensible terror, what would you do?"

He suddenly abandoned the thought and did not touch the bowl of White Rice Bowl before the grave.

At this moment.

The man's gaze on the tombstone slowly receded, and everything seemed to return to normal.

"How strange!"

Zhang Hao stood up and returned behind the bride, only then realizing what had just happened.

He had unknowingly had his thoughts influenced by the man in the portrait.

Zhang Hao carefully examined the inscription beside the portrait on the tombstone.

The characters were simple, with no honorifics or polite language, just four plain words.

"Luo Qian's Tomb."

"Better to assess the situation first."

This time Zhang Hao did not rush to touch the Ghost Rice, but circled the Graveyard, surveying the other graves.

Continuing to wander, he arrived at the second grave.

In front of the second grave stood a very beautiful woman, long hair reaching her waist, smiling, wearing a Cheongsam; because the Photo was in Black and White Portrait, the color of the Cheongsam could not be discerned.

A bowl of rice was also placed at the grave.

However, this bowl seemed to contain less than the previous one, as if some had been eaten.

"This must be Zhang Youhong's grave, right?"

Zhang Hao felt uneasy about Zhang Youhong's grave and did not want to approach.

In the Seven Elders' plan, Zhang Youhong would be revived during this period and reborn as Hong Jie.

Zhang Hao suspected that the missing Ghost Rice might have been eaten by Zhang Youhong herself inside the grave, and he then walked around a few other graves.

Unfortunately, there was nothing special, only an empty patch of ground where a rust‑stained Iron Shovel stood.

It was not a Supernatural Artifact, merely an ordinary Iron Shovel that had rusted from prolonged exposure.

"Do I really have to fetch those few Incense Sticks to trade for Ghost Rice with whatever's in these graves?"

Zhang Hao walked to the tombstone of the man he had first encountered.

"Elder, I see you are buried in such a Ghost place; this lifetime you probably will never have descendants to mourn and pay respects for you."

"How about this? I'll burn some Paper Money for you, acting as your children to mourn you; in return, give me the bowl of rice in front of your grave, okay?"

"I won't take yours for free; let's make a deal. You have rice here, but no wine, not even a speck of Paper Money."

Zhang Hao crouched before the grave, looking at the Black and White Portrait and said.

"If you find this improper, we could become sworn brothers, no—becoming sworn brothers isn't suitable for mourning."

Zhang Hao said, looking at the Ghost Bride: "Bride, how about I become his kin?"

"Anyway, I recall that Luo Qian seems to have no living relatives, and he still needs to worship Heaven and Earth."

"Moreover, according to human custom of father's legacy passing to the son, it would make sense for me to inherit his Grave Soil ability."

Zhang Hao, of course, cared little for propriety; as a ghost, any benefit made taking a father figure seem fine to him.

The Ghost Bride lowered her head, looking at the crouching Zhang Hao; beneath her red Veil, Zhang Hao could see her flawless delicate chin and vivid red lips.

"How about I try using the Ghost Cabinet to trade with him?" Zhang Hao mused. "If he agrees to let me adopt him as a father, we'll visit the Graveyard next time; if not, never mind."

Though the Ghost Bride could not grasp Zhang Hao's "adopt‑father" logic, she still summoned the Ghost Cabinet.

A red Ghost Cabinet silhouette stood erected at the side.

"Now that you mention it, perhaps we should wait until Zhang Dong is buried here before we adopt."

Zhang Hao took out a sheet of drawing paper and, while writing with his blood, suddenly thought of something.

But he quickly abandoned the idea.

That elder probably couldn't be adopted; perhaps the Ghost Cabinet, having just been placed beside him, was erased.

Zhang Hao wrote again on the paper, "I adopt you as father; as your descendant I will mourn and sacrifice for you, and you give me the Ghost Rice and the Ghost Grave Soil in the Graveyard."

After finishing this crooked script, Zhang Hao placed it on the Ghost Cabinet's drawer.

The Ghost Cabinet's ability is trading; when not controlled, only others can trade with it.

However, now the Ghost Cabinet is controlled by the Bride, so Zhang Hao can use it to trade back with other Fierce Ghosts.

After receiving the Yellow Paper, the Ghost Cabinet automatically closed its drawer.

Soon after, the Ghost Cabinet reopened, and a sheet of paper with crooked writing appeared in the drawer.

"I give you Ghost Rice; you use Paper Money, white Candle, and Ghost Wine to mourn for me."

"What about the Grave Soil?" Zhang Hao said, looking at the note, then turned toward the young man on the Black and White Portrait.

Yet the man in the portrait simply stared at him with a calm, expressionless face.

He hadn't expected that Luo Qian would want a bowl of rice in exchange for his own wine, plus Paper Money and Candle.

Zhang Hao immediately wrote another passage on the note.

"I will command the Ghost Grave Soil."

The Ghost Cabinet took the note and soon reopened.

Zhang Hao took out the note and read, "Give me a single Incense Stick, I adopt you as son, and I give you Ghost Grave Soil."

". Uh."

Zhang Hao looked at this line, realizing that as a ghost he had no emotions; if he did, he might be cursing now.

"What the heck, give you a single Incense Stick? Maybe you want me to light Soul Summoning Incense?"

"I'm a ghost, you know. After I give you a single Incense Stick, you'll probably imprison me in a grave right away."

"Give me what Ghost Grave Soil, just merge me with it, fill my body with Grave Soil."

"Fine, let's just mourn peacefully."

Zhang Hao asked the Ghost Bride to retract the Ghost Cabinet, ending his desire to trade with Luo Qian's portrait.

Zhang Hao guessed that this old fool might be toying with him, and that the portrait still contains remnants of Luo Qian's consciousness.

It's just that Luo Qian probably truly has no offspring, and the portrait is some kind of supernatural creation, affected by the paranormal.

So only the lingering consciousness within this portrait agreed to the transaction.

After all, in the Republic Era people still cared about their offspring and feared that after death no one would pay respects.

Zhang Hao stood up, took out the Wine Jar and a wine cup, poured several glasses of wine, and placed them before Luo Qian's tomb.

This time, when he set the wine cup before the tomb, he was not affected by any supernatural influence.

This should be thanks to the Ghost Cabinet; through the Ghost Cabinet, he and Luo Qian's portrait completed the transaction.

Then Zhang Hao entered the Ghost Domain of the ghost painting, found a copper basin and a lighter, and placed the copper basin before Luo Qian's tomb.

Besides that, the white Ghost Candle obtained last time at Yang Jian's Shang Tong Building also came into use.

Unexpectedly, the white Ghost Candle, which was not left for use in the red room, had to be used first for Luo Qian, that old Bi and the like.

He lit the white Ghost Candle with the lighter and placed it beside Luo Qian's tombstone.

Zhang Hao took several paper copper coins, set them on the copper basin, and began to ignite them, and they started to burn.

"wail!"

The eerie crying began to echo around this cemetery, extremely unsettling.

"Ugh!" Zhang Hao, while crying, suddenly stopped his actions.

Being the only one crying, it felt very wrong.

He immediately summoned those Fierce Ghosts he controlled, dressed in Funeral Clothes, to appear.

As soon as these ghosts appeared, they went behind Zhang Hao, knelt, and began to wail.

The strange wailing echoed over the graves; the cries passed through the cemetery, causing the great trees in Old Forest to rustle, making the Old Forest suddenly feel eerier.

While Zhang Hao was mourning, inside the Ghost's Zhang Dong's Ghost Residence's Interior.

As the clock passed twelve, it became the next day.

After the first day in the ancient house passed without incident, the danger on the second day was clearly doubled, because on the first day no Fierce Ghosts had appeared.

Whether it was wind sounds like crying, the rapid knocking on the door outside, or the darkness deep in the corridor, these Spirit Phenomena did not count as an invasion of the ancient house.

But the second day changed.

The Ghost's traces appeared within the ancient house.

In front of the darkness‑shrouded room on the left corridor, an empty black Taishi Chair stood, and on its backrest a pair of cold, eerie hands could be clearly seen.

Fortunately, the Ghost stopped its steps there.

When the darkness had eroded to this point it ceased; although the main hall was dim, the Heavenly Well area still let in some light.

The people were forced, helplessly, to gather together.

Because the room could no longer be stayed in.

When they first arrived, various Spirit Phenomena had already appeared in the nearby empty rooms; staying longer would surely end terribly.

"Go to the rear hall."

Yang Jian, seeing this, hesitated not at all and acted immediately.

The others felt a chill and followed at once.

After discussion, they determined what they needed to do in this ancient house.

It was to give a funeral to an elderly man who had died in the house, awaiting his seventh‑day soul return.

On the first day they must collect the body, moving the old man into the Coffin.

And on the second day they must keep watch.

Since it is a Wake,

the meaning is clear: they must stay near the Coffin, guarding the dead man's body.

Leaving abruptly, or not being around the Coffin, would be an extremely disrespectful act.

The group arrived at the rear hall.

The surroundings were empty, except a small incense burner in front of the Coffin, holding three incense sticks.

No. It's no longer three, but two.

One incense stick was missing.

Yang Jian instantly noticed the change and immediately thought of Zhou Deng.

"Someone took an incense stick." Ghost Courier Wang Feng's eyes flickered.

"Where did Zhou Deng go? He was seen earlier; why is he gone now?"

Fan Xing looked around and only then realized Zhou Deng was not among the crowd.

"It must be he who stole an incense stick; that guy is a lunatic, even on the bus he dared to rush out and wrestle a Fierce Ghost for a Supernatural Artifact, almost drawing the Ghost onto the bus."

Someone gritted their teeth and said.

Because everything he does is not human affairs.

These three incense sticks have been placed here for two days and none have burned out; everyone knows they are exceptionally valuable.

But no one dares to touch them, fearing that moving them would bring unforeseen danger.

Zhou Deng is a fellow who loves searching for Supernatural Artifacts in Spiritual Realms, so at this moment everyone simultaneously thought of him.

Indeed, it is so.

At this moment the rear door of the ancient house was wide open.

Through the crack he could see the scene behind the house: a forest of old trees shrouded in darkness.

Beside that old forest, a winding little path stretched all the way to the rear door.

Yang Jian and the others, upon reaching the rear door of the ancient house, could still see many footprints, their direction leading from the house toward the path to the rear door.

Among all the living present, only Zhou Deng was missing; one can imagine who would leave through the rear door? (End of chapter)