Trembling with fear, I cautiously approached the doorway and peered outside. What lay before me was a long, narrow tunnel, with walls of neatly laid blue-gray stone. The walls had oil lamps spaced at intervals, though they were all extinguished. Scattered across the floor were shoes and belongings, presumably left by those who had ventured into this underground palace before—possibly including Xiao Xi and Mo Xi.
"This underground palace is vast, almost as large as the entire village," Yan Xiaoning explained, her voice calm but solemn. "It was built by the Ghost Sect decades ago as a base for raising ghosts. However, internal strife turned it into an ownerless and deadly place of horrors."
Her mention of the Ghost Sect piqued my curiosity. After the Feng Lan incident, I had tried to ask her about the Ghost Sect a few times, but she had always evaded the topic, as if it carried some deep taboo. Now, I couldn't resist interrupting.
"Just tell me—what exactly is the Ghost Sect?" I asked as I stepped out of the doorway and began making my way down the tunnel.
Yan Xiaoning went silent for a moment. Then, with a sigh, she said, "Fine. If I don't tell you, you'll figure it out eventually. The Ghost Sect isn't some typical martial arts group—it's an extremely evil offshoot of Mao Mountain practices, specializing in ghost manipulation and ghost-on-ghost combat. It has existed for many years. Originally, they used ghost-raising techniques only to vie for the sect leader's position. But as the sect splintered, they turned their powers toward fighting over a village called Juehu Zhai."
I frowned. "Why would anyone fight over a place like Juehu Zhai? Isn't it just an abandoned village?"
Yan Xiaoning sighed again. "Decades ago, when the Ghost Sect was defeated and driven into hiding by Mao Mountain's orthodox disciples, they retreated deep into the mountains. Fengmen Village was initially their ideal refuge, but it was already occupied by a Corpse King. Left with no choice, they targeted Juehu Zhai—a place as uniquely suited for raising ghosts as Fengmen Village."
She continued, explaining the grim history of Juehu Zhai. Originally named Juehu Zhai, meaning "Noble Household Village," the name symbolized prosperity and success. The village's feng shui was exceptional, with four surrounding mountains and a river flowing from the west. However, when the Ghost Sect arrived, they severed the river's flow and erected cursed stakes in the land, corrupting the feng shui. This act transformed a place of abundance into a land of death. Men became frail and infertile, and women who conceived gave birth to ghostly offspring.
Within a few short years, the once-thriving village was reduced to ruins, earning its grim new name: Juehu Zhai, or "Extinguished Household Village."
"Wait," I interjected, "you're saying they turned the whole place into a ghost-raising site? Why would they go to such extremes?"
"To connect its leylines to Fengmen Village," she explained. "The leylines acted like ghost veins, producing ghostly energies that made the village perfect for raising powerful spirits. But it also cursed the land. That's why no children could be born there."
As the story unfolded, I began to understand why Yan Xiaoning had tried to keep me away from this place. The Ghost Sect's infighting eventually led to their downfall, and they reached an agreement to abandon the village. However, they left behind deadly ghost arrays in the underground palace to protect the secrets within. Rumors of a Ghost King's tomb—a burial site for the Ghost Sect's strongest practitioner—had lured many to their deaths.
"Are you telling me we're standing on top of the Ghost King's tomb?" I asked, my voice trembling.
Yan Xiaoning scoffed. "If it were that simple, the place would've been raided long ago. The tomb is protected by ghost arrays, and anyone who enters is as good as dead. Even seasoned ghost-hunters avoid this place."
Her words sent shivers down my spine. Despite my fear, I couldn't help but ask, "How do you know all this? Don't tell me you're…"
"I'm a Ghost Yihei," she admitted with a smug tone.
"What's your rank? And why are you hiding in my body instead of ruling the ghost world?"
"I'm above Ghost Commander level, but I've hit a bottleneck. Reaching the Ghost Empress rank could take centuries. Plus, the ghost world is cutthroat—if you lose a ghost duel, you're dead for good. That's why I bailed. When my master pushed me into a ghost duel, I ran and found you—a dumb, unlucky human to use as my shield."
Her candid confession left me speechless. Before I could respond, the sound of footsteps echoed from behind. The temperature dropped, and a chilling presence crept up my spine.
Turning around, I saw a woman in a white dress holding a baby, slowly approaching from the darkness. Her long, disheveled hair obscured her face, but she looked eerily similar to the figure in the rocking chair earlier.
"It's her," Yan Xiaoning whispered. "The one who lured you in earlier. She's an Old Fushou Ghost—far more dangerous than Feng Lan."
"What's an Old Fushou Ghost?" I asked, my voice barely audible.
"An ancient ghost that has endured at least two cycles of death and rebirth. The baby in her arms is a Fushou Child, a spectral infant she birthed herself. Even ghost fetuses can't compare to its power."
"Damn it, I hit the jackpot!" I muttered, panic rising. "What do we do now?"
"Run, you idiot!" Yan Xiaoning shouted.