Chapter 2684: Psycho City Lord's Love-and-Kill Rules 07

The doors closed, and Jin Chen set up a barrier.

【Host, the ghosts here seem more normal than those in the outer city.】

Ling Gun Gun finally dared to open its eyes, perched on Jin Chen's shoulder chattering, 【The ghosts in the outer city aren't strong either, and they can't control their deathly appearance.】

Jin Chen hummed, patted its head, 【What is Fu Ling Mirror doing over there?】

He walked to the purple sandalwood table inside the hall, sat down, and poured himself a cup of water.

【Asleep.】

Jin Chen raised his brows in doubt, Ling Gun Gun explained, 【Host, the flow of time seems different; only an hour has passed in the outside world.】

No wonder the National Preceptor in the outside world hasn't noticed yet.

Jin Chen scanned the lifeless side hall, feeling a scorching heat coming from the hundred-treasure pouch in his arms.

His thoughts stirred slightly; he took out the Liuli Pearl, inside which seemed to flow with molten fire, scorching hot.

Recalling the National Preceptor's earlier instructions, Jin Chen forced a bright red blood droplet from his fingertip, letting it fall onto the Liuli Pearl, then circulated his Spiritual Power, slowly infusing it.

The blood droplet merged with the pearl upon contact, light blazed forth, and a phantom appeared.

"Senior Brother!" Chu Jiushan was the most excited, lunging to the light curtain and letting out a long sigh, "Thank goodness you're unharmed."

He curiously asked, "Senior Brother, are you alright? Did you beat the Ghost King up?"

Liu Shuoyue and Zang Huaian: "……"

Liu Shuoyue couldn't help but say, "Shouldn't we first ask whether Elder Jin has been troubled by that Ghost King?"

Jin Chen looked at the three in the light curtain, his expression calm, "It's fine; I'm currently safe. Be extra careful at Ke Zhan, and if unnecessary, try not to go out."

Zang Huaian frowned, feeling from this morning that Jin Chen's calmness was unusually odd, and finally couldn't help but ask, "Elder Jin, do you... know something we don't?"

Jin Chen pondered briefly, "In Ghost City, time flows differently from the outside; two days have passed here, while only about an hour has elapsed outside."

Before he could process it, Jin Chen continued, "The ghost powder I gave you is stronger than what the National Preceptor bestowed; if you truly need to go out to investigate, apply it thickly."

Liu Shuoyue's expression eased slightly, "That's good, Elder Jin; you must be extremely careful in the Inner City."

Chu Jiushan hurried forward, eyes pleading at Jin Chen, "Senior Brother, can you also bring me to the Inner City? I can help you there!"

Since parting from his senior brother, he felt listless, as if his courage had also stayed with his senior brother; alone in this gloomy Ke Zhan filled with ghostly aura, he felt utterly ill at ease.

Jin Chen glanced at him, "No, you stay in the outer city to gain experience; otherwise I'll beat you."

Without waiting for Chu Jiushan to shout again, he severed the connection with the Liuli Pearl.

Jin Chen lifted his gaze to the window; Ghost City had no stars or moon, only endless darkness.

That night he slept extremely uneasily; this Ghost City was constantly draining the vitality of the living.

As dawn approached, Jin Chen grew increasingly tired from sleep; he simply sat up, crossed his legs, focused his mind, and his spiritual sense subtly extended, sweeping over the vast Ghost City Imperial Palace.

What he sensed everywhere was a thick, indissoluble gloomy ghostly aura, far beyond the wandering souls and wild ghosts of the outer city; if a human identity were exposed here, the consequences would be unimaginable.

【Host has a need detected~】

Ling Gun Gun popped up at the right moment, very enthusiastic, 【System Mall limited-time offer! One pack of Thousand-Face Disguise Candy Beans; after consumption, it perfectly mimics the aura of a designated race, with no flaws, duration depending on the environment, no side effects! Originally 8888 points, now only 6888! Don't miss out!】

Jin Chen's mouth twitched slightly, 【Are you getting darker and darker?】

Ling Gun Gun declared righteously, 【Because Host, you've completed more and more tasks, your points have grown richer! Prices follow the market, quite reasonable!】

Too lazy to argue with the little pixiu, Jin Chen still exchanged for one and swallowed it.

A knocking sound came from outside the door.

Jin Chen restrained his aura, walked to the outer room, and flicked his sleeve to open the door remotely.

Standing outside the door was a……skeleton.

A pure white humanoid skeleton; its frame was well-proportioned, each bone gleaming blindingly white, emitting a cold light in the dim darkness.

Its hollow eye sockets gazed at Jin Chen, its jawbone opening and closing with a cheerful voice, "Sir, you are well! I am a minor sent by the City Lord to serve you from now on!"

Saying that, it didn't wait for Jin Chen's response, happily darting inside and giving him a respectful bow.

Jin Chen looked at it silently, extended a finger, and poked the empty space between its ribs.

"Hehehe..." The skeleton twitched as if tickled, its frame shaking, "Young master, you are the City Lord's ghost; you can't lay hands on me."

Jin Chen: "……"

He withdrew his finger, expressionless, and asked, "What's your name?"

The skeleton shook its bald head: "Sir, I still have no name; there are many like me in the City Lord's mansion, all nameless."

Jin Chen glanced at its shining white bones and casually said, "Then let's call you Gu Bai Bai."

【Hehehehe.】 Ling Gun Gun laughed loudly, 【The reduplication family gains another member.】

"Great! Gu Bai Bai likes this name!" Gu Bai Bai happily waved its arms, shyly covering its non-existent mouth with its finger bones, "All my daily effort polishing my bones wasn't in vain!"

Jin Chen decisively shifted the slightly weird topic, "I'm hungry."

"Breakfast is ready!" Xiao Bai immediately responded, striding on its long leg bones with clacking steps to the outer hall, soon returning with a tray.

Jin Chen sat down, picked up his chopsticks, tasted a pastry, then scooped a spoonful of porridge, chewing twice.

He took another bite, then another……no need to try further.

He put down his chopsticks, looked at Xiao Bai, and said, "How can this food have no flavor at all?"

"No flavor?"

Gu Bai Bai supported its hollow skull in thought, then, from some joint seam, took out a tiny bone rod, rubbed it under its eye socket, producing a scratching sound.

Like gypsum powder, white dust drifted down, falling into the bowl before Jin Chen.

Jin Chen's pupils contracted sharply.

He watched the incessantly falling bone powder and couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you afraid of grinding yourself away?"

"Oh, that won't happen." Gu Bai Bai stopped moving, "This is my bone's keratin layer, shed through metabolism; a little bit is fine. I've heard that you… uh… some ghosts like to have this as a seasoning in their food."

Jin Chen silently set down his chopsticks, his appetite completely gone.

He stood up and said to Gu Bai Bai, "Don't follow me; I'm looking for Yin Chaosheng."

Gu Bai Bai's long bony leg, which he had just stepped out with, immediately retracted, and he stood properly, saying, "Oh, okay, young master, please do as you wish."