Fortunately, the dead girl didn't abandon me to die; she pushed with enough force that I was sent flying backward. My chest heaved with pain, my vision blurred, and I realized the red string in my hand was still tightly gripping, dragging the little creature toward me! The two of us collided head-on.
The moment the creature touched me, it let out a sharp, piercing screech and scrambled away in panic. I froze for a moment, then looked down and understood why: the hexagram mirror on my chest was still emitting a faint glow. It had been burned by the mirror before and clearly wasn't willing to risk it a second time!
"This can't go on. I can only help you one last time, but I've already used half my energy. You only have two minutes left! Make it count and destroy it!" The dead girl's voice was resolute. The moment she spoke, a cold surge of power coursed through my body.
The pain and numbness in my body were suppressed, and my right wrist regained its mobility. My eyes lit up, and the feeling of strength gave me a strange confidence, as if everything was under my control.
"Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!" The little creature glared at me in anger, baring its teeth. It was clearly desperate.
"Stop dawdling, move now!" The dead girl shouted.
I took a deep breath, stepped forward, yanked the red string, and swung the peach wood sword with my right hand, forcing the little creature to come close! Just moments ago, this would have been impossible, but now I had control!
The creature looked furious, screeching as it lunged for my neck. I yelled to bolster my courage and swung the sword, striking its head with force.
"Crack!" A sharp sound resonated as the creature was sent rolling, letting out a miserable cry and clutching its head while scrambling around. Seeing its state, I paused, then understood: the dead girl's energy had given me the strength to make that hit count.
"Hahaha, Superman has arrived!" I chuckled triumphantly and quickly closed the distance, moving as light as air. I struck it again with the peach wood sword, making it cry out in pain as it darted around, but it couldn't escape the red string's hold—it was now my plaything.
"Use the sealing talisman! Time's running out!" The dead girl's voice was now faint and weak.
I bit the sword between my teeth, freed a hand to pull out a sealing talisman, and lunged to stick it on its forehead. However, without the sword's pressure, the little creature became more aggressive, raising a paw and knocking the talisman from my hand. It fell onto the incense bundle held by Zhu Wantao and was consumed by the flame.
"Damn it! Dead girl, give me a buff!" I shouted, frustrated.
"Do you think this is a game? You have two more talismans, figure it out yourself!" The dead girl gritted her teeth.
I grabbed another talisman, but the creature acted first, tearing it into shreds with its claws, sparks flying and dark smoke billowing from its paws. My anger flared; with my left hand, I seized its neck, then quickly grabbed the last talisman with my right and pressed it firmly against its forehead.
"Buzz—"
As soon as the talisman touched it, the creature froze, its eyes spinning wildly before its whole body went limp, hanging in my hands like a lifeless dog.
"Did I kill it?" I gasped.
"Not yet!" The dead girl's voice was so weak I could barely hear her. "Hurry, use the peach wood sword to pierce its spirit point! Don't let it have a chance to fight back!"
I nodded and pulled the sword from my mouth. But without the dead girl's power, the numbness returned to my right hand, making it difficult to hold the sword steady. I switched to my left hand, placed the creature on the ground, adjusted my stance, and prepared for the final strike.
Just as the sword tip was aimed at its forehead, the room suddenly went dark—the candles had gone out at once!
"Dead girl! What's happening?" I shouted in panic.
"Someone disrupted the Eight Coffins Ghost Suppression Formation!" The dead girl's voice was laced with anger and despair. "Feng Lan has escaped! She's absorbed the ghost fetus's soul and is now even more dangerous!"
"What?!" I gasped, almost dropping the sword.
"No time to explain! Chase after Feng Lan and save your girl!" The dead girl shouted.
I scrambled to my feet and turned on my phone's flashlight. I saw that Xiao Xiang and Zhu Wantao were already gone, and the incense had long since been extinguished, scattered nearby.
A rustling noise came from behind me, and I turned to see a figure in red. It was Feng Lan, holding Xiao Xiang in her left hand and Zhu Wantao in her right. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth as she walked toward the staircase. She looked back and smiled, her cold, menacing eyes freezing me in place.
"Don't be afraid, she just wants to scare you!" The dead girl's voice was barely audible.
I clenched my teeth, forcing myself to stay calm, and charged forward with the peach wood sword. Feng Lan noticed and turned, dragging the two of them down the stairs quickly. I ran as fast as I could, but I couldn't catch up to her. By the time I reached the first floor, her figure had completely vanished into the darkness.
"Northwest corner!" The dead girl called urgently. "She's heading to the Five Ghosts position. Hurry!"
I raised my phone and shone the light into the northwest corner. There, I saw Feng Lan dragging them, slowly disappearing into the shadows of the building.
I ran after her, holding my phone's flashlight and feeling anxious. Although Feng Lan had absorbed the ghost fetus's soul and couldn't fully digest it immediately, if she completed the blood extraction from Xiao Xiang and Zhu Wantao at the Five Ghosts position, the consequences would be catastrophic.
"Hurry, she's already started!" The dead girl's voice was faint, almost gone.
Before I could reach the northwest corner, I saw Feng Lan set Xiao Xiang down. Her mouth opened wide, revealing sharp teeth that gleamed with a cold light as she lunged for Xiao Xiang's forehead. Without a second thought, I threw the peach wood sword with all my strength.
"Whoosh—"
The sword cut through the air, passing just in front of Feng Lan. She startled, stumbling back and unable to continue her attack on Xiao Xiang. When she turned to look at me, her eyes were filled with venomous hatred. My palms grew cold, but I didn't stop.
"Charge! Use the Nine-Colored Lotus Seal to scare her!" The dead girl instructed weakly.
I pushed down my fear, formed the lotus seal with my hands, and shouted, "Demon! Take this!"
Feng Lan glared at me with hatred. She hadn't expected me to charge at her with the lotus seal. In the next moment, she vanished like a shadow, leaving behind a chilling breeze. I tripped and nearly crashed into the wall.
"Why did you use so much strength?!" The dead girl scolded.
"Did she get away?" I panted.
"Scared off by you, but not far. Take them back now. I'm out of energy and will need at least two or three days to recover. Don't come looking for me during that time!" The dead girl's voice faded, leaving only silence.