Chapter 171: Old Fellow Meets Old Fellow (Third Update)

The paper men and paper horses surrounding the spirit hall stiffly began to move.

The doors and windows of the paper house opened and shut; inside, something otherworldly and yin seemed to stir, eager to pounce out.

Xu Yuan turned back to see the people of the Quhui Bureau behind him growing thick black hair, their fingers turning black-blue, their nails transforming into claws.

Their eyes were blood-red and hair purple, with sharp fangs piercing through their lips!

They were gradually beginning to transform into living corpses!

But Xu Yuan also felt... a fierce surge of blood energy beside him, rising like a pillar of fire amidst the vast yin qi!

Shi Bading stood up, letting out several muffled grunts from his nose and mouth, like a fierce beast growling.

He gripped the great sword with both hands, twisting his neck; his thick spine crackled from bottom to top with a series of pops, like setting off a string of firecrackers!

"Such evil yin... it is time for me, Old Shi, to step up!"

Xu Yuan immediately smiled.

The weeping for the dead had brought everything into the mortal world!

The band just now hadn't killed Shi Bading; facing such simple ghost soldiers, a seventh-grade Wu Xiu was perfectly suited to counter them!

Shi Bading charged out in great strides, that "pressing forward without retreat" aura appearing on him once again.

"Roar—"

With a single swing of the great sword, rows of paper men and paper horses were severed at the waist!

The sound of weeping for the dead grew even more sorrowful and tragic; the doors and windows of the paper house flew wide open, and waves of pitch-black yin ghosts surged out from within.

Shi Bading charged and struck head-on; all the yin ghosts could not last even a single clash beneath the great sword.

At this moment, if any member of the band were still present, Shi Bading would immediately fall into a desperate situation.

But Xu Yuan had already completely broken the band.

Xu Yuan dragged his blade, following behind Shi Bading.

Having a Wu Xiu hold the front line was truly comfortable!

The weeper for the dead was nearly breaking his voice; hundreds and thousands of yin ghosts surged out, yet Shi Bading was like a heavenly soldier descending, forcibly carving a path through and charging to the front of the spirit hall!

Swish swish swish—

The cloth banners on the spirit hall flew down; all around, a sea of white wrapped and tangled, trapping Shi Bading inside.

Shi Bading let out a mighty roar and slashed with his sword; the cloth banners broke, only to reconnect.

Xu Yuan flashed out, raised the Yin-Yang Guillotine, and hacked straight toward the coffin.

The coffin lid flew up with a "woosh," transforming into a heavy shield that blocked this strike.

Xu Yuan slashed down, pushing the coffin lid backward; upon reaching the coffin, Xu Yuan spat a mouthful of Stomach Fire directly inside!

Inside the coffin, it was dim; one could not clearly see what thing lay within!

As the Stomach Fire burned upon it, thick yin qi surged out from within, resisting the Stomach Fire.

Xu Yuan did not expect a single mouthful of Stomach Fire to burn away this evil spirit—Xu Yuan tossed the carriage outward!

It completely enclosed the coffin inside!

The cloth banners entangling Shi Bading hastily withdrew, grabbing the carriage with many hands and feet, trying to tear it apart.

Xu Yuan let out a long roar, and Stomach Fire erupted again.

If I cannot burn the thing inside the coffin, can I not burn you pieces of white cloth?

Amidst the rolling flames, those cloth banners struggled, twisted, and scattered in all directions to flee.

They were like white pythons splashed with oil and set ablaze.

Shi Bading laughed heartily: "Fighting side by side with Brother Xu is truly exhilarating!"

Xu Yuan smiled, but immediately felt that the thing inside the coffin had begun to thrash about within the carriage!

It was actually trying to smash through the carriage and burst out.

Xu Yuan spat several mouthfuls of Stomach Fire inside, temporarily suppressing that evil spirit.

Turning his head, he saw the people of the Quhui Bureau had gradually recovered from their living corpse state.

Xu Yuan continued spitting Stomach Fire nonstop while waiting.

Mao Dabin, Di Youzhi, and the others suddenly shivered, completely recovering.

Di Youzhi let out a burp, spewing a puff of black smoke.

This was him using Stomach Fire to burn away the yin qi that had invaded his body.

"All Rank Dan Xiu, come help!" Xu Yuan shouted.

Di Youzhi quickly brought six or seven Rank Dan Xiu to join him.

All the Rank Dan Xiu spat fire into the carriage.

The thing inside the carriage was finally suppressed, gradually falling silent.

Xu Yuan spat three more mouthfuls of fire, sealed the carriage, and began to smolder it.

Di Youzhi and the others, exhausted, sat down heavily on the ground.

Xu Yuan stored the gongs, drums, suonas, and other items into the carriage, then urged: "Don't rest; move quickly!"

This funeral troupe was no small matter; since they had appeared, other evil spirits nearby should retreat.

Seize this opportunity to hurry forward and break out of this darkness.

The group struggled to mount their horses; Shi Bading remained at the very front, clamping his legs hard against the horse's flanks: "Giddyup!"

The column rolled away.

This time, they ran another ten-plus li in one breath, encountering not a single evil spirit.

Suddenly, the gurgling sound of water came from ahead; a small river wound its way flowing forward.

Floating in the river water was a baby's head, swollen and pale white!

A strand of gray-white lanugo still hung from its scalp.

The hearts of the Purification Office's members turned bitter: Another one?!

Everyone's current condition is truly terrible.

The contamination each of you suffered in the last battle was severe, and you haven't recovered yet.

If we fight another round… half of us will likely turn into诡变 directly.

The infant's head drifted down from upstream, arriving before them—then suddenly lifted its face, wailing "Wah!"—yet on its swollen, pale, waterlogged little visage, a cruel and eerie smile appeared!

Shi Bading was also forcing himself forward at the very front.

In the previous clash, he bore the brunt and was struck multiple times by the White Funeral Guild's orchestra.

He isn't a Rank Dan Xiu; his wounds don't heal that quickly.

Finally smashing through that vast wave of yin soldiers with sheer brute force was already the last gasp of his strength.

But when has a Wu Xiu ever backed down?

You can die—but your spirit must not lose!

Shi Bading gritted his teeth: Whatever it is, I'll slash first and ask questions later!

But as he took two steps forward, he saw the ghost infant's cruel, cold smile vanish—replaced by terror!

Then the ghost infant plunged swiftly into the water.

The small river gurgled and churned before them, bending sharply as if something was chasing its tail, moving many times faster than before, vanishing rapidly!

Shi Bading had already raised his sword—then the ghost infant took the ghost creek and fled!

Shi Bading stared, bewildered: What just happened?

My blood qi truly does suppress yin ghosts… could I have grown this powerful without even realizing it?

Scared off a ghost infant outright?

Shi Bading snorted, sheathed his sword, and stood firm—feeling his current aura must be as still as a deep pool and as immovable as a mountain, radiating the bearing of a great general?

Xu Yuan recognized it: a fellow townsman.

The ghost infant felt deeply wronged.

It was because I angered this man badly in Ghost Wushan.

This man has an old fox as his backer.

That's why I feared and moved to Little Yu Shan.

How come this guy is still haunting me, chasing me all the way to Little Yu Shan?!

What a petty, vengeful bastard!

Run faster!

The ghost infant ran while glancing back: Will this guy come after me?

The Purification Office's group pressed on, horses galloping as if they were truly in pursuit.

The ghost infant hastily retracted the ghost creek, sinking into the ground—the creek became an underground river, avoiding those people and flowing off in another direction beneath the earth.

Xu Yuan led his group racing across the surface; the ghost infant quietly exhaled in relief.

I can't stay in Little Yu Shan either… I can't go back to Ghost Wushan… The world is vast, yet the ghost infant felt there was no place left for a little infant like him!

The ghost infant truly wanted to cry.

(End of Chapter)