[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele":3,"chapter-the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-chapter-220":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Invincible Female Ghost Is A Bit Of A Hopeless Romantic",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1706408,2180,"Chapter 220: The \"Troup\" of Wildman Ditch","the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-chapter-220",220,"\u003Cp>Lu Yuan felt the cool jade pendant Gu Qingwan had pressed against his chest, and his heart gave an inexplicable jolt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before he could say anything more, the fingers that had hooked his collar loosened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Got it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan replied softly, then turned and pushed the door open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door closed gently behind him, sealing the side hall filled with sandalwood incense and dragonwood scent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was already the latter half of the night, the small hours before dawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhenlong Temple was silent, save for the wind moaning through the pine forest and the occasional cry of a night owl far off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moonlight was blocked by heavy clouds, leaking only a pale dim glow that made the temple buildings appear shadowy and indistinct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The square, which had seemed noisy after the expansion, was now deserted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>like great beasts crouched on the ground, mouths agape, waiting to swallow something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan walked slowly along the bluestone path, his steps uneven. He usually moved quickly here, but tonight he walked unusually slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last place he had to go was, of course, to the old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had walked this path countless times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, even from a distance, he could always hear the old man's thunderous snores, or smell the cheap strong liquor drifting from the window cracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then Lu Yuan would wrinkle his nose in annoyance while planning how to wake the old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today a dull heaviness pressed at his chest like nothing he'd felt before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he had been transmigrated to this world over a year ago, followed the old man traveling south and north, and later settled at Zhenlong Temple,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan had never seen the old man like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Lu Yuan's memory, this makeshift master, though eccentric and drunk most days, had been a decisive, ruthless figure within the Daoist circles beyond the Great Wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even plastered drunk, when real trouble came, he could stumble to his feet and solve it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That had been Lu Yuan's greatest confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like being a child who, whenever the sky seemed to fall, just had to look up and see parents there and feel it was all right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now the ever-drunk old man lay motionless on that hard plank bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The feeling was strange and unsettling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if a child who always cooled off beneath a great tree one day found the tree uprooted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still not grown enough to stand alone, he had to brace himself and face the storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unconsciously, Lu Yuan arrived at the old man's door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door was tightly shut. No snores, no smell of liquor, only a deathlike stillness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several disciples guarded the door, sitting on little stools hugging their knees to nap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the sound of Lu Yuan's footsteps they startled awake and rose to salute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Lu!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan nodded slightly and waved them off, signaling no need for formality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thanks for staying up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm going in to check on Master.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The disciples hesitated, then only nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The abbot's condition is stable, but he hasn't regained consciousness.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan acknowledged this and gently pushed the door open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No lamp burned inside; only faint moonlight filtered through the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room smelled strongly of medicine, with a faint trace of alcohol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xiuye lay quietly on the earthen kang, covered by a thick quilt, his face waxen and his lips chapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His breathing was so faint the rise and fall of his chest was barely visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked like a piece of desiccated wood, waiting silently to rot or to be reborn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan stood at the bedside, watching for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He showed no expression...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In any case he didn't cry, didn't shed little pearls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man wasn't dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was only in a coma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And his condition was stable now; sooner or later he'd wake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So why cry?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan didn't indulge in melodrama; who was he telling? That'd be pure madness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he had thoughts, he'd only mutter them inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood at the kang a long while, saying nothing, making no move—just standing there like a piece of wood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some time, Lu Yuan wiped his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reached out and tucked the quilt tighter around Li Xiuye. His fingers brushed the old man's dry, shriveled hand, icy to the bone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan inhaled deeply, forced down the inexplicable sourness in his chest, then glanced once more at the old man on the sickbed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned and slipped out of the room without a sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door closed again, locking the smell of medicine and the silence inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan reentered the midnight darkness. He had taken only a few steps when he saw two silhouettes waiting under an eave not far off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Xu Erxiao and Wang Cheng'an.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were clearly prepared for a long journey, no longer in their usual casual work clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each wore an indigo coarse-cloth Daoist robe, a wide belt at the waist, and pants rolled high—neat and energetic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Erxiao was stocky, and on his back hung a long peachwood sword sheath wrapped with red silk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the sword was peachwood, its surface glowed with polish, bearing the patina of years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his waist dangled a palm-sized brass compass, its needle trembling slightly with his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most noticeably, strapped to his back was a chest nearly half a person high, bound tightly with coarse hemp rope; it likely brimmed with cinnabar, talismans, ink-waxed thread, copper bells, and assorted small items needed for jobs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Cheng'an was much leaner. His peachwood sword was slightly shorter than Xu Erxiao's, slung across his back and tied with red silk as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His compass looked newer, the face clean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He carried a similar chest that seemed to emphasize finer tools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A probing occult measure of varying lengths poked out from the seam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they saw Lu Yuan, both hurried over. The teasing smiles were gone, replaced by a solemnity beyond their years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Lu.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Erxiao lowered his voice, his throat tight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We've packed everything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Cheng'an nodded and added,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Elder Zhou prepared three fast horses, tied on the back mountain path, ready to go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan looked at the two boys who had aged overnight in his eyes; the sourness in his chest was eased slightly by a steadier feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded once, said little, and then in a low voice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let's go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without more words, the three strode across the silent square in single file toward the back gate of Zhenlong Temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the back gate, Zhou Shouzuo was already waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three sturdy horses pawed the ground and snorted in the night, sensing the long ride ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavy saddlebags were strapped on, with water skins and rations hanging at the saddles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou handed the reins to Lu Yuan and spoke quietly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Senior Brother, the road is long; be careful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll watch over things at the temple, rest assured.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan took the reins, swung up, tightened the restless horse, and glanced once at Zhenlong Temple standing mute in the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at the side hall that still had a light on, and then at the blackened bedroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ride out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a low command, Lu Yuan urged the horse. The black-maned steed shot forward like an arrow out of a bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hooves shattered the stillness on the temple's back mountain. The three horses raced north along the rugged path toward Wildman Ditch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it was late at night, the season had passed the awakening of insects; the spring chill beyond the Great Wall still bit, but early signs of life could no longer be stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Between dead branches and fallen leaves along the mountain road, tiny specks of green appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan rode with a lamp slung to his side, light sweeping past the roadside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a sun-warmed hollow sheltered from the wind by a stream, several old willow trees stood silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were the drought-resistant willows common beyond the Great Wall: thick trunks, bark cracked like an old palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the gray-brown twigs, someone had already sprouted rice-grain-sized buds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These buds were a delicate, pale yellow; under faint moonlight they looked like translucent jade beads timidly clinging to stiff branches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were neither lush summer green nor withered autumn brown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They existed in a fragile yet tenacious state between life and death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mountain breeze passed and the twigs trembled. The buds swayed, seeming to test the still-cold air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching this scene, the heavy oppression in Lu Yuan's chest loosened a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered the winter when he first transmigrated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On this very mountain road the old man had once been half-drunk, riding an awkward-legged donkey, singing off-key as he went.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then the willow trees were bare twigs moaning in the north wind,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>very much like the old man upon the sickbed: aged, withered, seeming ready to snap under snow and wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan suddenly pulled his horse to a halt in front of the willow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reached out and touched a drooping twig.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its bark was rough and cold, but the cluster of buds he brushed carried a faint, real vitality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tree budding was ordinary, yet it hid a profound meaning of the Dao's cycles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Winter may be long and frozen soil hard, but as long as the roots live and a bit of yang returns, life will break free, unstoppable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This applied not only to the old man, but to Lu Yuan himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking Xu Erxiao and Wang Cheng'an on this mission to clear the leftover poison from the Liu Family and restore order beyond the Wall\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>was like coaxing the first tender shoot out during this biting spring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan was no longer the kid who lived under his master's wing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was now the backbone of Zhenlong Temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if his master had fallen and the great tree lay temporarily barren, Lu Yuan had to take the baton and hold up this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Lu, what's up?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Erxiao called back, puzzled at Lu Yuan's sudden stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan withdrew his hand, inhaled deeply, calming the emotions surging within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He jerked the reins and the black warhorse reared, letting out a snort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go! Speed up!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the words were done, Lu Yuan urged his mount and they flew into the deeper night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Erxiao and Wang Cheng'an exchanged a glance, unsure why, but also spurred their mounts and kept close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hooves clattered and startled a few hooded crows from the willow branches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those fresh pale-yellow buds whipped wildly in the wind kicked up by the horses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That flash of green in the dark stubbornly announced life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spring had, in the end, arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three days later, night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blackwind Town, famous beyond the Wall, lay bathed in a dim yellow glow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The town sat at a transport junction frequented by caravaners, hunters, and wandering martial folk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in the small hours, the street still echoed with horse snorts and the shouts of drunkards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three rein in their mounts in front of an inn called Old Bian's.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three gallant Mongolian steeds were breathing heavily, drenched in sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their coats were darkened under saddles; if they ran further they'd collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Here'll do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan swung down, patted the sweat-damp neck of the black warhorse, dug a banknote from his chest, and tossed it to the approaching attendant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Feed them good stuff, groom their coats—don't shortchange them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The attendant nodded repeatedly and hurried the horses to the stable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Erxiao rubbed his sore backside and grimaced,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Finally here. Run another two days and I'd have bloomed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Cheng'an said nothing but quietly loosened his stiff limbs—he was clearly exhausted too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They entered the inn's main hall. Though past mealtime it was still smoky and noisy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Greasy round tables were full of men. The air smelled of cheap liquor, stewed meat, and sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan found a corner by the wall, ordered three bowls of beef noodles and a plate of sauced bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the food came they hungrily ate, replenishing the energy burned over the last three days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the next table, men wearing sheepskin coats tapped knuckles in a gambling game between mouthfuls, talking with slurred breaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan at first paid no attention, but one remark made him prick up his ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I tell you, brother, don't go near Wildman Ditch lately.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A toothless old hunter spoke in a low conspiratorial voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Real creepy!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young horse trader across from him scoffed after a gulp,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What spooky stuff?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn't it just a burial ground? We have many such places beyond the Wall. Can't be scarier than that mass grave, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old hunter glared and stuffed meat in his mouth, voice muffled,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, you don't know!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not long ago, butcher Zhao's son—know him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He was brave and didn't believe in ghost stories. He insisted on going to Wildman Ditch to fetch a few unclaimed heads and strip their clothes and shoes to sell... So what happened?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The horse trader, intrigued, asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What happened?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old hunter belched, squinted, and lowered his voice further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They went in during the day, three of them together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But by night only two crawled out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Butcher Zhao's son vanished!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The two who returned went dumb—only cried and said nothing. They burned with fever for three days; people performed soul-calling rites.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When the fever finally broke, they crouched in a corner all day, muttering strange things...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gaunt man who'd been silent until now put in a thin, sinister voice,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not just that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My second uncle's old man lives by Wildman Ditch. He says lately in the small hours the ditch starts beating drums and horns, like a troupe performing a big show.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But if you follow the sound, you won't find a soul; not even a ghost light.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gaunt man hesitated, scanned the room to make sure no one nearby listened, and continued,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And recently wild boars and black bears avoid the ditch like it's plague.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"On the night Butcher Zhao's son disappeared, someone saw a greenish light floating in the ditch—like a lantern but not really a lantern.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It hovered midair and blinked, like an eye...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the gaunt man's tale ended, the horse trader cursed,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn, got my spine tingling.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He poured himself another cup and tried to calm his nerves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's why they posted notices—stay away from Wildman Ditch...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chatter around their table gradually fell beneath the gambling clatter. Xu Erxiao leaned in and whispered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Lu, is that thing in Wildman Ditch going to fall apart?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Cheng'an said nothing but his eyes darkened with gravity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, the malevolent deity's place of worship would collapse after Liu Xuanyin died and no one maintained it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it happen so fast?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan remained silent. He cleaned the meat off a large bone with gusto, then tossed the bare bone on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rubbing his belly, patting his full stomach, he said with satisfaction,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eat well and rest early.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At first light tomorrow, we'll go into Wildman Ditch and deal with that 'troup'.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Handle it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",2511,"2026-06-06T14:45:54.834Z",1,"novelbin.me","9057b5f294f405e6baea9c989239a8a60bf6ab9c06a5ac4e9cfe1c89c658a2ba","the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-chapter-221","the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-chapter-219",241,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-cover.jpg"]