Chapter 211: The Terrible Ghost Curse (Fifth Update, 20,000-Word Explosion Ends)

Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu stared at Fang Yue's back, grumbling as she got up and stomped her foot.

"I'm not eating buns!! And the tail technique I meant isn't the kind you're thinking of—it's definitely not that kind!!"

Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu shouted from behind, but Fang Yue couldn't hear her anymore.

……

"What does the clan genealogy say? Did you find any information about the Wu Yu clan?"

"Yes."

Lin Duoduo didn't beat around the bush; she said directly: "The clan genealogy has only one entry about the Wu Yu clan."

"What does it say?"

"The Wu Yu clan worships the Weird 【Night Rain】, and is rumored to be one of the descendants of the Origin of Ghost Curses."

"Huh?"

"What do you mean 'huh'?"

"No, seriously—just one sentence? That's it?"

"That's it."

Fang Yue grumbled: "That's the same as saying nothing at all."

What does it even mean to worship 【Night Rain】? Is this some kind of religion?

What does worshipping anything have to do with me?

And what are these so-called descendants of the Origin of Ghost Curses?

"I've heard of the Origin of Ghost Curses. Legend says all current Ghost Curses originate from a Transcendence-level Weird called the Origin of Ghost Curses."

"So naturally, the descendants of the Origin of Ghost Curses are skilled in Ghost Curses."

"As for why they worship 【Night Rain】, no one knows—maybe because times changed, and they shifted from worshipping their ancestor, the Origin of Ghost Curses, to worshipping 【Night Rain】."

Fang Yue stared blankly at Lin Duoduo's barrel-shaped figure.

"What? Is there something on my face?"

"No, it's just—you look so serious while making stuff up—it's incredibly convincing!"

"What stuff up? I'm just clarifying things for you since you look so confused."

Fine, Lin Duoduo's explanation was better than being completely in the dark.

But… the Origin of Ghost Curses? No matter how powerful a Ghost Curse is, it still reveals its true form before my system panel.

Saying that, Fang Yue opened his quest panel and scanned his status.

"Status: Ghost Curse 【Back of Hand】, Ghost Curse 【Unknown】."

Fang Yue:???

What's this second Ghost Curse? It wasn't there before!

"Status: Ghost Curse 【Unknown】."

"Name: Ghost Curse 【Unknown】."

"Effect:???"

"Description:???"

"Time:???"

"Note: Powerful, unknown, terrifying, death approaches!"

Fang Yue's pupils shrank; his face turned pale.

What kind of Ghost Curse is this?! All question marks?!

Where's my Analysis Pupil? My huge Analysis Pupil?!

Fang Yue panicked and shouted inwardly.

"Parchment!!"

【Here!】

……Get to work!

【Yes, sir!!】

This guy, seeing me as a wealthy man, is so obedient!

【I, Fang Yue, left Luoye Cun with my team and headed for Mo Cun.】

【Along the way, it was unusually calm.】

【Two days later, we arrived safely at Mo Cun.】

【The Ghost Curse I feared has been lifted.】

【I am safe!】

Huh?

Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh?

How could this happen?

According to the system's description, this Ghost Curse is terrifyingly dangerous.

But why, according to the Parchment, did nothing happen to me?

What's going on here… who should I believe?

Fang Yue's face darkened; he didn't know what to do.

"Parchment, will I really arrive safely at Mo Cun? Will I be in danger after reaching Mo Cun?"

【I, Fang Yue, am still worried about the Ghost Curse's effects.】

【But soon, I realized my worries were unnecessary.】

【Mo Cun is much safer than I thought!】

Alright, since the parchment said so, Fang Yue stopped doubting.

The key is to reach Mo Cun as soon as possible.

As long as we reach Mo Cun, we'll be safe.

After thinking it over, Fang Yue asked again: "When I arrive at Mo Cun… will the caravan still be there? Do they still sell the Acquired Second-Rate Mental Method scripture I want?"

【I am Fang Yue. Two days later, I led the escort team to Mo Cun.】

【At that time, Mo Cun still had the caravan selling goods.】

【I excitedly sought out the caravan, went through quite a few twists and turns, and finally bought the thing I desired.】

【Congratulations, congratulations!】

Got it!

It'll work!

Fang Yue's heart swelled with joy.

Although the parchment said "congratulations," giving him a PTSD-like feeling, this time it might be genuine?

After all, I paid money for this!

Fang Yue hummed to himself.

I have to say, ever since revealing the formidable wealth of those 7 black stones, the parchment has become completely obedient to me.

Could it be… this is the power of money?

Parchment, you've become so corrupt now!

Fang Yue's lips curled upward; beside him, Lin Duoduo merely glanced at him strangely, puzzled by his sudden joy and sudden gloom.

"What's wrong? Thinking about something?"

"Ah, nothing."

Fang Yue's conversation with the parchment was done silently in his mind; when others were around, he usually didn't take out the parchment.

As he rose to leave, Fang Yue suddenly remembered something.

"Oh right."

Fang Yue told Lin Duoduo that the escort team would leave Luoye Cun at noon today.

"So soon?!"

Lin Duoduo froze in place.

"Yes, Mo Cun is nearly here, everyone's emotions are high, and Divine Doctor An can't wait to get home."

"This… alright."

Lin Duoduo sighed, her mood slightly low.

Could it be… something's going on?

Could it have something to do with me?

"There are so many injured in the village—I was hoping to keep Divine Doctor An as a laborer for a while after he recovers."

…Alright, I overthought it.

Time passed quickly. At noon, under blazing sunlight, Fang Yue parted ways with Lin Duoduo and the others.

Luo Shenyi didn't come to see them off—he was now the busiest person in the village.

"Let's go."

Fang Yue gave the Blood Hunter a glance.

He and the Blood Hunter positioned themselves—one at the front of the formation, one at the back—forming a protective shield around the team.

Fortunately, along the village path, this stretch of the journey had become significantly safer.

Fang Yue thought for a moment and put on the Human Skin Mask.

Although the Human Skin Mask consumed little, Fang Yue still hesitated to spend even this much of his lifespan.

But compared to these losses, the strange actions of the Memory-Erasing Apparition before its death were what truly unsettled Fang Yue.

Even though the parchment had assured him this journey would be safe, he still decided to maintain the highest level of vigilance and precaution.

After all, the parchment's predictions were limited to the current course of action—like a butterfly effect; any change would drastically alter the future it foretold.

As the sun gradually sank westward, the entire afternoon passed without incident. Fang Yue relaxed, lowering his guard.

But he didn't know that an invisible thread was tied around his neck.

Following this thread upward, one could see high in the sky—a kite made of human bones—swaying in the wind, following Fang Yue's movements.

In the empty sky, the human-bone kite swayed with the wind; if anyone saw this sight, they would be filled with dread.

In ancient times, countless human-bone kites drifting in the sky were a common sight.

It was the method of the Wu Yu tribe—it was… a terrifying curse!

The first day after leaving Luoye Cun passed quickly.

Aside from some nighttime travel that made Fang Yue uneasy, the rest of the day was calm and peaceful.

They rested overnight at a nearby small village.

The next day, the team, refreshed and energetic, set out again.

Divine Doctor An's condition had clearly deteriorated from yesterday; Fang Yue forcibly placed him on a cart to rest.

Everyone else remained unchanged, but the team now numbered only fifty or so, down from its original size.

Although Fang Yue had solved problem after problem through his own efforts, the team's casualty rate remained stubbornly high.

Fortunately, the final two days of the journey were unexpectedly quiet and peaceful—no anomalies appeared; they simply followed the village path.

This tranquility made Fang Yue, for the first time, feel that the village path was truly safe.

And high above this convoy, the human-bone kite seemed to be slowly descending in altitude.

From its original height of over three hundred meters, it had now dropped to just over a hundred meters.

The human bones and the thin membrane wings seemed to be gradually fusing into one, becoming a thin sheet of paper; the outline of the human bones on the paper had already begun to deform, slowly taking on the shape of a human face... that was Fang Yue's face.

Danger had long been creeping closer, yet the people below remained blithely unaware.

Ahead on the village path the convoy was traveling, there was a black-furred ball-shaped Gui Yi of Black Grade Initial Stage, a little over a meter across.

It sensed the approach of human scent, but just as it was preparing to hunt down this foolhardy human convoy, it suddenly sensed an even more terrifying presence.

It jerked its head up. Though it saw nothing, it felt dread, and its whole body trembled.

Before the human convoy even drew near, this ball-shaped Black Grade Initial Stage Gui Yi rolled itself away from the village path with comical haste, not daring to come any closer.

The same thing had happened once yesterday near the village path.

Only this convoy seemed to naively assume there were simply no Gui Yi haunting the village path.

And under this strange, eerie intimidation, the convoy passed through unimpeded.

But today, a Gui Yi emerged from the trees on either side of the village path, making no move to avoid the convoy.

Its body was milky white, as if composed of resin; its features consisted only of two eyes and a mouth, all hollow.

The Resin Gui first looked up at the human-bone kite floating in the sky, its eye sockets contracting slightly, its expression turning ugly.

Only then did it look down at the convoy below.

After scanning the area once, it furrowed its brow.

Because the person it was looking for was not in the convoy.

"... Not... here?"

The Resin Gui frowned, its body slowly sinking down, merging into the tree branches as if melting into mud.

At the same time, white spray began spurting up from the village path, gushing like a fountain.

"Then... kill... them... all..."

When the Resin Gui's body had fully emerged from the ground, it had already returned to its previous form.

It was a half-meter-tall, white humanoid monster composed of resin.

Its front and back looked exactly alike.

Its hollow eyes made it impossible to tell whether it was strong or weak.

"Stop!!"

Fang Yue was shouting.

He had noticed the Gui Yi ahead!

But he couldn't tell what the thing was.

However, before Fang Yue could make any further move, he saw the Resin Gui suddenly widen its eyes, its whole body beginning to shake.

At first it was only a slight tremor.

Then the shaking grew more and more violent, as if an earthquake had struck.

The resin all over its body quivered as if falling apart.

"... Don't... do this..."

The Resin Gui suddenly looked up in despair toward the sky.

Its jelly-like body, as if unable to bear the pressure, exploded with a boom, becoming white liquid all over the ground.

It was dead.

Everyone in the convoy was startled.

Fang Yue frowned tightly, but couldn't figure out what had happened.

Only a terrible feeling rose in his heart.

He worried that in the next second, he would die as inexplicably and powerlessly as the Resin Gui had.

Fang Yue recalled the Resin Gui's movements before it died.

He looked up at the sky — clear and boundless, the sunlight warm and bright.

Everything looked no different from usual.

"What was that thing... looking at in the end?"

Fang Yue couldn't figure it out. His Analysis Pupil could see Void Gui, and many other things besides, but now there seemed to be something even the Analysis Pupil couldn't see.

And that something might be right above their convoy?

"What's wrong?"

The Blood Hunter had by then rushed over from the rear of the convoy. Fang Yue briefly described what he had seen, and the Blood Hunter's pupils suddenly contracted.

"You just said... that thing was a white little dwarf that looked like resin?"

"Yes, do you recognize it?"

"... That thing is called a Half-Resin Gui, it's... a Black Grade Mid Stage Gui Yi."

Fang Yue:!!!

His pupils contracted, and Fang Yue's face went deathly pale in an instant.

No matter how slow-witted he was, he knew what a Black Grade Mid Stage Gui Yi implied.

And he understood even more clearly what it meant for a Black Grade Mid Stage Gui Yi to have died here without the slightest resistance!

"Parchment!!"

Fang Yue shouted in his heart.

【Here!!】

No...

Fang Yue rode a bit farther ahead, putting some distance between himself and the group, then took the parchment straight out of the game.

He had lost faith in the parchment that communicated directly through his mind.

He needed to see the text appear on the parchment itself.

"I'm almost at Mo Cun—what dangers will I run into!"

【I am Fang Yue. In another half-day's journey, I will reach Mo Cun.】

【But along the way, I suffered a bizarre death at the hands of a mid Black Grade anomaly.】

【I am deeply uneasy, I am very agitated.】

【I appeal to the great and noble Lord Parchment.】

【The great and noble Lord Parchment soothed my emotions.】

【Half a day later, I arrived safely at Mo Cun.】

Safe arrival again?

Then what was up with that resin anomaly earlier?

Why does the parchment only ever say I'll reach Mo Cun safely, and never mention anything else?

Could it be… it's all because of the curse on me?

That unknown curse—could it be of a higher grade than the parchment, so high that the parchment can't detect the danger?

Thinking of this possibility, Fang Yue couldn't help a jolt of alarm, a chill running down his spine.

All this time, he had relied on the parchment too much, trusted it too much.

He had never considered that the parchment could be wrong, or that there might exist something that could shield itself from the parchment's ability to foresee the future—something that outranked the parchment in rules and grade.

No, it wasn't that he hadn't considered it…

But the parchment is a Rain Grade anomaly!

An existence that could deceive a Rain Grade anomaly shouldn't be coming after me, right?! This is supposed to be a newbie village!!

As if sensing Fang Yue's distrust, the parchment began to display text.

End of the 20,000-character explosive update. Subscribe for autumn.

(End of this chapter)