[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-there-is-a-malevolent-spirit":3,"chapter-there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-chapter-42":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","There Is a Malevolent Spirit",{"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},2263148,4416,"Chapter 42: 41、The Hound","there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-chapter-42",42,"\u003Cp>41、The Hound’s Longing\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last sliver of daylight vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the darkness, the fat woman’s thick lips kept splitting at the corners, tearing all the way to her ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside her pitch-black mouth were snow-white canine teeth, slick with saliva.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She thrust her palm forward—her tiger’s mouth clamped onto the man’s neck and lifted his entire body off the ground like a weed pulled from dry earth!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The knife in her other hand was about to plunge into the man’s chest!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, she sensed something, her expression changed instantly, and she abandoned the meat already at her lips—she hurled the thin man out of the shop and slammed the door shut!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fat woman, face grim, turned and walked through the narrow aisle of the meat shop, opened the back door, and stepped into the cluttered backyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Girl! Second Girl! Big Girl!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She let out a needle-sharp scream, her eyes scanning every corner of the yard until they landed on the rusted dog chain beneath the jujube tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chain held only a collar—Big Girl, who should have been tethered in the front yard guarding the “meat,” was now gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fat woman’s face darkened further; her once genial features grew even more vicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She strode toward the backyard—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her arms suddenly bent backward, fingers fumbling behind her back—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Riiip! Riiip!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of tearing flesh echoed behind her!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, Li Xiamei, her waist-length hair wild as straw, clad in a pitch-black funeral robe, her belly swollen, burst into the backyard with wild laughter, gripping a long, pointed knife like a whirlwind!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang seized the gray, stiff figure frozen before him and pulled it into his arms; his dagger grazed the figure’s clothing as he thrust it forward!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaaah—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A woman’s piercing scream erupted instantly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The person in Zhou Chang’s arms trembled slightly; she turned her head, her damp eyes meeting Zhou Chang’s dark, still gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before them, the thing Zhou Chang had just stabbed was a black hound draped in curly fur; streaks of variegated xiangqi oozed from the wound, the pure crimson xiangqi absorbed by the ring’s Aoduojie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aoduojie’s barking grew more excited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The curly-furred black hound let out a woman’s scream and retreated, tail tucked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its eyes remained two bleeding holes—despite wearing this “curse-skin,” the wounds Zhou Chang had left on its face had never healed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang slowly retreated, holding the woman, hiding behind a pile of weeds; his footsteps made no sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After screaming for a while, the curly-furred black hound emitted a “Hhhhh” inhale, its nose twitching, relying on hearing and smell to track Zhou Chang’s group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The backyard fell utterly silent once more, save for the pacing steps of the curly-furred black hound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Micro-white, translucent thought-threads covered Zhou Chang’s entire body, sealing his aura completely within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought-robe in his mind, after repeated contact with Bai Xiue, had finally been completed—and grown even stronger than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, the woman in his arms copied him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Threads like lotus filaments instantly scattered around her body, weaving an invisible, colorless gauze robe over her skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes held a smile as she exchanged glances with Zhou Chang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only person who could wield such a technique, identical to Zhou Chang’s, was Bai Xiue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang stared at Bai Xiue, his eyes asking: “How did you get here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Xiue met his gaze, whether from fear or shyness, lowered her head timidly; her body shifted slightly, slipping free from his embrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she turned back to look at Zhou Chang, half her face rippled—Bai Ma’s face emerged from the ripples, her cold gaze locking onto Zhou Chang, halting their silent exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang turned his head, glancing sideways at the black hound pacing outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blind Second Girl must have chased Bai Xiue here; Big Girl was still missing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, we must eliminate at least one quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The longer we delay, the worse the situation becomes for us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang understood the stakes clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the ring’s Kong Dong, Aoduojie whimpered softly, eager to strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tapped the ring, turned to Bai Xiue\u002FBai Ma, and mouthed: “Wait here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, silently, he lifted a bundle of firewood from the pile and hurled it before him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bundle hit the ground with a chaotic clatter!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lingering “Second Girl” let out a cry and lunged toward the fallen firewood!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It moved with blinding speed, its black fur clinging to its body, making it seem like a wisp of smoke!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second Girl’s form darted close to the firewood, sniffing the pile, trying to detect the enemy’s lingering scent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Zhou Chang stood silently before it; his dagger plunged straight into the back of Second Girl’s neck!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ssshh—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade pierced the curse-skin; variegated xiangqi surged out instantly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang’s body collapsed like a mountain toppling, pressing his full weight onto Second Girl—she shrieked in agony, shaking her head, thrashing violently!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with Zhou Chang’s full strength, he couldn’t hold her down!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, she flipped him over!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Zhou Chang didn’t slacken for a second!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One hand gripped the dagger still embedded in Second Girl’s nape; the other seized the curled fur on her chest, stretching the entire skin-tight!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Threads of thought surged from his palm, spreading over Second Girl’s body; black iron thought-threads coiled around her, binding and imprisoning her with fierce force!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ssshh—Hhh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaah! Aaah! Big Sister! Big Sister!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second Girl’s thrashing screams merged with Aoduojie’s devouring xiangqi sounds!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang rolled on the ground, clutching Second Girl!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her stinking maw came close to his neck several times, each time blocked by his elbow wrapped in iron thought-threads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, at one instant, Zhou Chang felt Second Girl’s resistance plummet—he rolled over, straddling the furred hound, and dragged his dagger downward along the ragged wound in her neck—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Riiip! Riiip!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flesh and skin split open!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Torrents of crimson xiangqi poured into the Kong Dong of Zhou Chang’s ring; inside the ring, Aoduojie transformed into a wisp of smoke, slipping along the crimson xiangqi into the torn curse-skin of Second Girl!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaah—Aaah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aowww—Ssshh—Wuuu—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside Second Girl’s curse-skin, a fist-sized bulge swelled up!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bulge scurried like a rat beneath her skin, everywhere it passed, the snarling of rival dogs never ceased!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Second Girl’s resistance grew weaker and weaker!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang’s dagger met no further resistance—it sliced clean through the entire curse-skin!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Variegated xiangqi spilled out like incense smoke scattered by wind, dissolving utterly into the void!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the skin, the once-fist-sized bulge now swelled further, the entire curse-skin inflated as if filled with air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aoduojie, fur bristling, eyes blood-red, nestled against Zhou Chang’s shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>",1111,"2026-06-19T18:47:42.084Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","4fc5f999bfe0359705bc2f3b53a7c755cbf1d80697fe6104cb6a945acb3c94a2","there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-chapter-43","there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-chapter-41",209,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthere-is-a-malevolent-spirit-cover.jpg"]