[{"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-60":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},2263166,4416,"Chapter 60: 59, Life Shell","there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-chapter-60",60,"\u003Cp>59, Life Shell\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pool was dark and deep, the trees lush and verdant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Eryang gripped the sleeve of a woman, his gaze sincere and anxious: “Miss Bai, I never imagined they would falsely accuse us of having an illicit affair!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I only pitied you—you had no elders at home—so I often helped you with chores…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that this has happened, Miss Bai, let’s run away together!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman he held by the sleeve—Bai Pandi—had a face seven or eight tenths like Bai Xiue’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She struggled desperately to wrench free his grip, her powdered face flushed red: “Zhou, Zhou brother, let go of me first!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was nothing between us—the whole village saw that!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You helped me carry water and chop wood; I made clothes and assembled matchboxes to earn money and pay you back—no one from the Bai clan of Jing can slander us—but Zhou brother, won’t you please stop tormenting me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Eryang had never expected such a response from Bai Pandi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He visibly froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Pandi finally managed to pry his hand loose, stepping back repeatedly; in her vivid red bridal gown, she declared firmly to Zhou Eryang: “I will explain this matter clearly to the village elders—Brother Zhou need not worry…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Eryang’s expression darkened. He watched her retreating back and murmured to himself: “Rumors say the Lotus Child’s life, once entangled in love or hatred with another, can weave thought-filaments into lotus stems and fashion a lotus corpse for that person…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, whether you fall madly in love with me or bitterly hate me—it makes no difference to me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Miss Bai.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Eryang suddenly snapped back to awareness, strode forward several steps, seized Bai Pandi’s arm, and dragged her into the deep pool!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He plunged in after her!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A torrent of thought-nourishment flooded Zhou Chang’s spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recalled again the contents of the “Great Mind Elixir Scripture,” those fragmented, twisted Chinese characters rearranging in his ears into clear phrases:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lotus-body, strange lotus-stem divine essence…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The divine essence has not been refined by heaven; the mind-consciousness is chaotic and unempty…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Recite the sudden-coming incantation, and the essence awakens my wisdom and merges with me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sudden-coming incantation, sudden-coming incantation, summon the black deceit and madness—now the heavens and earth are vast…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The content revealed this time by the “Great Mind Elixir Scripture” seemed identical to the last.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhou Chang carefully discerned a minuscule, subtle change within it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to the phrases forming in his ears from the “Great Mind Elixir Scripture,” he locked eyes with the strange lotus-stem divine essence that had taken on his exact features—Zhou Eryang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Eryang’s eyes were filled with illusory, multicolored thought-nourishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It stared fixedly at Zhou Chang and asked: “Who are you? Where did you get this life shell? How dare you come to steal the fortune I painstakingly built?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am not a ‘shell.’” Zhou Chang grinned. “I am the master of all that is mine—I’ve come to reclaim what belongs to me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was fundamentally different from this “Zhou Eryang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the torrent of thought-nourishment radiating from “Zhou Eryang,” it was clear this being had never been Zhou Eryang—he was originally a monk from a temple in the Secret Treasury Realm that venerated the Wealth God.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By chance, he obtained a relic bestowed by the Lishan Holy Mother—the clay coffin cradled in his palms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to that clay coffin, he received from the Lishan Holy Mother a “life shell.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus was born the false identity of Zhou Eryang, the Bai family’s tomb son-in-law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhou Chang had always been Zhou Chang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Absurd!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhou Eryang” laughed bitterly at the words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clearly understood the Lishan Holy Mother’s “life shell” well—he did not believe a life shell could ever generate an independent soul—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whoever you are, trying to steal my fortune, you shall be slain by my incantation!” Zhou Eryang’s lips moved as he chanted a secret mantra: “Om! Be Ya! Sa Wa Na Ye! So Ha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the mantra’s true words, the multicolored thought-nourishment filling Zhou Eryang’s eyes, ears, mouth, and nose churned violently, transforming into golden whirlpools!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brilliant golden light burst forth from each whirlpool, possessing the power to corrupt the heart and mind!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the golden radiance, Zhou Chang suddenly felt the lotus-stem divine essence before him had become the Wealth God—he felt an overwhelming urge to prostrate himself before that golden, radiant Wealth God!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The secret mantra chanted by this Secret Treasury monk was deeply tied to the Wealth God; reciting it granted the Wealth God’s blessing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he also a pawn in the Wealth God’s scheme?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or perhaps a crucial hidden piece?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Threads of thought swiftly slithered into Zhou Chang’s left palm, into the purple-black lips there; black cotton threads emerged from the palm’s lips, and in an instant, he donned the Ghost Shroud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The character “Longevity” embroidered on the Ghost Shroud wriggled faintly, as if about to sprout gaping, bloodied mouths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden light radiating from the whirlpools struck the Ghost Shroud—and was entirely devoured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the pure terror of life and death, desire for wealth meant nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang, clad in the black shroud, seized Zhou Eryang’s throat with his left hand; threads of blood-thought slithered from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. He stared at Zhou Eryang and said: “My turn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dense swarm of blood-thought threads erupted from Zhou Chang’s face, piercing instantly into the lotus-stem divine essence Zhou Eryang’s face, wrapped in layers of lotus-filaments!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each blood-thought thread began to weave through and purge the thought-nourishment of Zhou Eryang within the lotus-stem divine essence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could you—how do you have her lotus-filaments?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damnable! Damnable!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Om! Ma! Ni! Ba! Mi! Hong!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Eryang, his face pierced by blood-thought threads, shrieked in agony!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He frantically chanted the secret mantra, seeking unimaginable empowerment to obliterate Zhou Chang before him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the mantra’s true words, the multicolored thought-nourishment filling Zhou Eryang’s eyes, ears, mouth, and nose coalesced into coins—golden, gleaming cash that covered his face and neck, then spread across his body, as if weaving a suit of armor made of gold coins!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, from the hole in each coin, a pinpoint of brilliant gold spun forth, converging toward Zhou Eryang’s third eye, slowly forming a radiant golden horizontal eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sense of grandeur, mystery, antiquity, and solemnity flowed from the slowly forming horizontal eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang glanced at that eye for only an instant—and the Ghost Shroud on his body screamed with Li Xiamei’s agonized cry!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Filthy corpse-water dripped from the black shroud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That golden eye sprouting from Zhou Eryang’s forehead might represent some terrifying divine banner—the Wealth God, about to cast his gaze upon this place!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That golden eye must not fully form and witness this scene!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang’s heart turned icy. Countless thought-threads flowed through his right palm; his nearly shattered Ghost Shroud instantly transformed into a golden-red python robe!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This four-clawed python robe blocked the golden eye’s power!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the python’s scales on the robe were slowly shedding!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the golden horizontal eye slowly took shape, Zhou Chang unleashed nearly all his thought-threads, driving them into Zhou Eryang’s lotus-body to weave and purge its life-soul nourishment—but even so, his speed was too slow!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this continued, before he could fully purge Zhou Eryang’s life-soul nourishment, the golden horizontal eye would fully form on the lotus-stem divine essence’s forehead!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the dense tangle of lotus-filaments wrapped around the lotus-stem divine essence suddenly stirred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lotus-filaments scattered like a snowfall, linking with each of Zhou Chang’s thought-threads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far away in the pool, the nine-jointed lotus stems swaying gently in the current instantly transformed into nine young maidens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seven young maidens in flowered dresses clustered around Bai Pandi, the Bai family’s matriarch, wearing a red veil and red bridal gown, and beside her, Bai Xiue in plain white robes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The matriarch beneath the red veil slowly rose to her feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Chang blinked—and saw her standing before him, her cold gaze piercing through the red veil, fixed upon Zhou Eryang’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>ps: The Bai family matriarch’s name is Bai Pandi; in the previous chapter she was mistakenly written as Bai Ruyu—this has been corrected!\u003C\u002Fp>",1364,"2026-06-19T18:47:42.084Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","6d7ea5cc352c94b3be71f789f5e39c3a13d7081a3f75d06e8c5166b8041f7644","there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-chapter-61","there-is-a-malevolent-spirit-chapter-59",209,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthere-is-a-malevolent-spirit-cover.jpg"]