Chapter 125: Rainy Encounter, Yin-yang Ghosts
As that grayish Ghost Money completely burned away,
in the pouring rain, a Path strangely appeared out of thin air before everyone’s eyes.
The Path wound and twisted, growing darker the further in it went, and at the end of the dim Path, a three-story Republic of China Style Building faintly appeared in the Darkness, like a mirage or a blurry Projection from afar, unclear to see, but one could still make out a cracked Wooden Plaque above the Building’s main entrance.
The Wooden Plaque had several large characters crookedly written on it:
“Ghost Hotel.”
After feeling the terrifying Supernatural behind him disappear, Jiang Shan, who was sprinting along the Path, turned his head to look.
That muddy Ghost Street had vanished without a trace at some point.
In Jiang Shan’s view, behind him was an Endless Graveyard, countless grayish Coffins without a trace of color sticking straight up from the Grave Mounds.
The Weirdness scene made even Jiang Shan feel a chill down his spine; he frowned and scanned the surroundings before thinking to himself:
“The same entry method as the Ghost Post Office, but the Graveyard behind me looks so much like Luo Qian’s ‘Endless Graveyard’? Could this Ghost Hotel also be a Supernatural Land left behind by a Ghost Wielder from the Republic of China era?”
“If this place was really created by Republic of China Ghost Wielders, then what is the deal with the Ghost Shopkeeper? Who is bold enough to let a Ghost with Wisdom serve as the Person in Charge of this Ghost Hotel?”
The underlying logic of Ghosts never changes.
A Ghost Wielder capable of creating a Supernatural Land would certainly know this.
So the strangest thing to Jiang Shan was that this seemingly man-made Ghost Hotel was controlled by a Ghost with Wisdom.
“Could there have been an Unexpected Change when this place was created?” Jiang Shan couldn’t help but think.
As for a Ghost that helps people?
This was just like Pan Jinlian voluntarily giving medicine to Wu Da.
The implication was self-evident.
“Dong dong dong~”
Jiang Shan, who had caught up to Qin Xi and the others, frowned as he watched the group knocking on the door; he quickly stepped up to the tightly shut main door of the Ghost Hotel.
Called a main door,
it was actually just a man-high, two-men-wide dilapidated Wooden Door covered in Bloody Handprints.
“These Bloody Handprints are almost identical to the Bloody Handprint on the paper the Ghost Cabinet gave me—could there be some connection between the Ghost Cabinet and this place?”
After glancing at the handprints on the Wooden Door,
Jiang Shan unhesitatingly kicked toward the Ghost Hotel’s main door.
“Bang~!”
The Wooden Door was kicked open hard by Jiang Shan; logically, with such force, the door should have flown out, but the Hotel’s main door merely swayed creakingly in mid-air a few times before slowly closing again.
Under the dim, yellowish Lights, Jiang Shan’s figure entered the First Floor Hall.
A casual glance revealed an old Republic of China era style and architecture everywhere in sight; the floorboards on the ground were worn, peeling, and cracked, seemingly about to rot away.
“Hm?” Jiang Shan furrowed his brows; he felt the Ghost within his Body being Suppressed to a certain degree—not severe enough to fully affect him, but he could feel it.
Ghost Domain could be used!
It seemed this place could Suppress Ghosts to some extent, provided the Ghost’s Terror Level wasn’t high.
In comparison,
the horror of that place with no Supernatural at all, only pouring Ghost Rain, became even more apparent.
Without any warning signs, it could intangibly Suppress the Dead Face Ghost.
Since Ghost Domain could be used, Jiang Shan gained some confidence; he then slowly walked deeper into the Building.
The First Floor was not complex: a somewhat empty Hall, dim yellowish glass lamps overhead unable to fully illuminate the area, making it Chilling and oppressive; the wooden floorboards underfoot were slightly Softened, the Wood inside mostly rotted, with a lingering musty smell.
Walking a short distance further into the center of the Hall, Jiang Shan saw a wooden reception desk.
Its surface was wrapped in a sheepskin, with some dried bloodstains and snow-white Fat remaining on the sheepskin,
and not only that,
several “Coins” were placed on the counter’s sheepskin—these Coins had a very peculiar shape.
They were neither round nor square,
but oval-shaped, slightly transparent, though their form was similar.
But Jiang Shan saw at a glance:
These were no Coins at all!
They were pieces of living human Fingernails ground into Coin shapes!
“The Ghost Shopkeeper is in the shadows behind the counter; we can’t see it clearly now, but as soon as we pick up the Coins on the counter, it will emerge from those shadows!?”
Qin Xi, standing nearby, spoke up just in time, but before he could finish, he seemed to see something terrifying, instantly breaking into a cold sweat.
His gaze turned terrified toward Jiang Shan.
A dazzling Silver Light shot out from Jiang Shan’s body, directly illuminating the entire Hotel Lobby.
Under the overpowering Ghost Domain,
the Ghost Shopkeeper hiding behind the counter’s shadows was revealed in full view.
“What is this Silver Light? He… he attacked the Ghost Shopkeeper?!”
The team members looked at the Ghost Hotel filled with “Silver Light” in shock; they had considered many possibilities, but never imagined Jiang Shan would directly attack the Ghost Shopkeeper.
Just over ten days ago,
more than twenty “Monsters” like them who Controlled Ghosts had attacked the Ghost Shopkeeper together,
but the outcome was that not a single one survived.
It was said everyone present died, not even sparing those watching the spectacle in the Hall.
“Qin Xi, what do we do? Think of something quick, or we’re all dead here!”
While Jiang Shan observed the Ghost Shopkeeper’s changes, the Middle-aged woman in the team anxiously looked to Qin Xi.
“Attack!”
At a certain moment, Qin Xi suddenly roared.
“Ah?”
Seeing the Captain already acting, the remaining three in the team were puzzled.
But at this moment, they had no choice but to steel themselves and launch an Attack on the Ghost Shopkeeper.
Instantly,
a Chilling aura filled the Hotel’s First Floor Hall.
Just seconds ago, the sweating Qin Xi hesitated briefly before making a decision,
Since Jiang Shan had attacked the Ghost Shopkeeper, they in the Hall, liable to be caught in the fallout at any moment, absolutely could not sit idly by.
Joining forces to Suppress the Ghost Shopkeeper might give them a Ray of Hope.
Watching the team’s bizarre Attack methods, Jiang Shan said nothing, instead staring fixedly at the Old Man in the black Robe behind the counter.
“The Dead Face Ghost can’t Devour the Supernatural on its Body—in fact, the Dead Face Ghost’s own Supernatural is disappearing, feeling like it’s Devouring its own Supernatural. Could ‘Rebound’ be this Ghost’s Ability?”
Noticing the anomaly, Jiang Shan furrowed his brows; he stopped urging the Ghost Characters and Blood Ghost, instead standing quietly in place to test his guess later.
The reason he attacked the Ghost Shopkeeper immediately upon entering was simple:
Under the Ghost Domain’s Silver Light, Jiang Shan saw that the Ghost Shopkeeper looked exactly like the Ghost that bought the Withered Finger from him in front of the Ghost Stall last night!
Moreover, he noticed the Ghost Shopkeeper’s right hand was also missing a Finger.
One in black Robe,
one in white Robe.
How could two identical Two Ghosts not make Jiang Shan feel Dread.
Plus, since clashes between Supernaturals only lasted seconds or minutes, striking first to seize the initiative was especially crucial.
Suddenly,
a Woman’s painful Scream echoed through the Hall.
“Ahhhh~!”
