ATEG Chapter 50

Inside the temple, the Earth God suddenly rose to his feet.

He had not intended to leave the Earth God Temple, but now he had no choice.

That ghost hound had already fallen into obsessive delusion, its power greatly increased but its consciousness muddled—it was no longer something Qiaolu Gong could handle.

Among all cultivators in the world, ghost cultivators had the most difficult path, precisely because ghosts were often deeply mired in obsessive delusions. They were different from those who received human incense offerings and became ghost deities without entering reincarnation—they relied entirely on their bone-deep obsessions to resist the pull of the cycle of rebirth and remain in the world as ghost creatures.

These ghost creatures found it very difficult to walk the righteous path of cultivation. Their power arose from obsessive delusions and resentful malice—the deeper their resentment, the stronger their power, yet the deeper their resentment, the further their nature strayed from the proper path.

The Ghost King of Shekou Cliff’s Black Water Pool was one of the rare righteous ghost cultivators, and he taught those ghost cultivators under his command to walk the righteous path of cultivation. However, obsessive delusions were difficult to resolve and resentful malice hard to dispel. If one touched upon a ghost creature’s obsession, they would often fall into fixation and become impossible to communicate with.

Influenced by resentful energy, most ghost creatures’ thinking also differed from normal, making it not only difficult for them to regain clarity but also easy for them to cause massive destruction.

He could not let it enter the town!

The Earth God’s form instantly appeared outside the town, his solid and weighty divine power condensing like a mountain, pressing down heavily upon the ghost hound.

Sensing the Earth God’s divine power, the ghost hound’s eyes grew even more blood-red and turbid, its entire body’s yin energy surging—it actually withstood the Earth God’s suppression for a moment. But having fallen into obsessive delusion, it knew no restraint and would likely dissipate completely before long.

The Earth God remained unmoved. This ghost hound’s consciousness was unclear, driven by resentful malice—it would surely harm people. Even if he destroyed it, there was nothing wrong with that.

The weighty divine power condensed like a mountain, weighing down upon the ghost hound’s head, forcibly pressing it down inch by inch. The ground became thick as paste, leaving the ghost hound with no purchase, gradually sinking into the earth.

More than half the ghost hound’s body was trapped underground, unable to struggle free, with only its head held high, looking toward the sky.

Mu Chao, Mu Chao, they flayed my skin, they stripped my flesh, they threw my bones into the river water.

You told me to wait for you—where are you?

They cooked by the stove and said you should have killed me sooner!

I waited for you for three hundred years, searched for you for five hundred years.

They feared me, they killed me. Now do you also fear me? Will you also kill me?

The ghost hound raised its head and howled, its yin energy suddenly erupting violently. A ghostly light emanated from its body.

The ghostly light shot straight upward, suddenly transforming into a figure clad in brilliant red wedding robes, with slanted eyebrows sweeping toward the temples and phoenix eyes full of authority and malevolence. With a single strike, it scattered the Earth God’s suppression in one exchange.

“Ghost King!” the Earth God exclaimed in shock.

This was the Wedding Robe Manifestation split off by the Ghost King of Black Water Pool. Though not the Ghost King’s main body, it was nearly as powerful as if the Ghost King had personally arrived.

But the Earth God immediately noticed that those phoenix eyes held no consciousness. This was not a Wedding Robe Manifestation personally controlled by the Ghost King, but rather a mark she had left in advance on the ghost hound’s body, automatically triggered when its life was threatened, drawing upon the Wedding Robe Manifestation’s power to descend and save its life.

Though the Wedding Robe Manifestation was not controlled by the Ghost King’s consciousness, it was the one among the Ghost King’s various manifestations with the deepest resentful malice. Its entire body’s yin energy was ghostly cold and frigid—in just the instant of its appearance, it froze the pool-like ground solid and hard. The ghost hound, nourished by the yin energy, struggled forcefully from within and broke free from the ground, leaping over the wall and charging straight into the town.

The Earth God’s divine power surged, and a divine technique urgently pursued the ghost hound, trying to intercept it, but was blocked by a spell from the Wedding Robe Manifestation.

The ghost hound was about to enter Shuigu Town. The Earth God grew anxious. The Wedding Robe Manifestation possessed only part of the Ghost King’s power and was now acting purely on instinct, without the Ghost King’s conscious control—it was no match for him. But during the time he was entangled with the Wedding Robe Manifestation, how much could that ghost hound accomplish in the town?

Yet the Ghost King’s main body seemed to be doing something unknown. Though the Wedding Robe Manifestation had appeared for quite some time, the Ghost King had never noticed what was happening here. The Wedding Robe Manifestation fought endlessly on pure instinct, and the Earth God had no way to communicate with it.

“Ghost King!” While trying to break free from the Wedding Robe Manifestation’s entanglement, the Earth God shouted in a voice like an earthquake.

The Earth God’s voice was like the earth moving, following a mysterious connection from the Wedding Robe Manifestation all the way to the ears of the Ghost King, who was in seclusion in Black Water Pool.

The next instant, the dull eyes of the Wedding Robe Manifestation suddenly became lively.

“Shuigu Earth God?” The Ghost King immediately stopped, her brows furrowing. She still didn’t know what had happened. Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly sensed something and abruptly turned her head, looking toward the direction of the Daqing Mountain range’s spurs.

Within Li Manor, the deity set down the book in his hands, his gaze distant and far-reaching, gazing back at the Ghost King.

……

In Shuigu Town.

The black hound raced like lightning, its entire body’s yin energy overflowing, alarming countless deities. But before they could intercept it, the maddened black hound charged toward the Yun family like wind and lightning.

Yun Ling had not yet fallen asleep. Under the pull of karma, the heart in her chest beat ever more violently. She tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Finally unable to bear it, she turned toward Ding Qin and had just begun to speak, “I…”

Before she could finish, the protective talisman Ding Qin had given her suddenly grew hot and began to vibrate violently.

Yun Ling panicked, “What’s happening?”

Ding Qin suddenly flipped up from bed. “Stay here, I’ll go look!”

Outside the Yun household, the enormous ghost hound’s eyes were completely chaotic, seemingly having lost all consciousness, with only a blood-soaked obsession remaining, following Mu Chao’s traces to pursue her here.

But the talisman with divine power blocked it. That clear, cold power not only failed to restore it to clarity but made it even more enraged.

Ding Qin solemnly raised her hand. With a touch of spiritual essence, her divine power turned yang and harmonious, dissolving the cold ghostly energy. Just as she was about to invoke the Seven Emotion Triggers to try dispersing the seven emotions that clouded the black hound’s consciousness, the black hound suddenly opened its mouth and spat out a dark, ghostly light like a needle, instantly shooting toward Ding Qin’s face.

“Little General! Don’t!” Yun Ling’s heart tightened, and she rushed out from behind the door.

The fine needle refined from pool water broke through only half of Ding Qin’s protective talisman before stopping in front of her and slowly dissipating.

Yun Ling immediately froze, but having already rushed out, the enormous black hound had turned to look at her.

The black hound did not attack her, nor did it howl in rage. Its eyes remained chaotic as it walked step by step toward Yun Ling.

Yun Ling looked at this ghost-aura-shrouded black hound, nearly as tall as herself, and froze in fear on the spot.

The black hound walked before Yun Ling. Its chaotic, unclear eyes looked at her, its throat making a mournful gurgling sound:

“Mu Chao… why…”

Yun Ling’s heart was a chaotic mix of emotions—part fear, part affection; part sorrow, part compassion.

But she didn’t know what to answer. She only remembered some fragments. What had happened to the black hound, why it had become a vengeful demon full of resentful malice, why it persistently came to find her—she remembered none of it.

The ghost hound continued to ask persistently.

Yun Ling’s heart suddenly welled up with unspeakable sorrow. “Little General, how did you become like this?”

“They cooked and ate me. They said you should have killed me long ago.” The black hound’s chaotic eyes looked at her. “Mu Chao, will you kill me?”

“No.” Yun Ling shook her head sorrowfully.

Though she couldn’t remember how Mu Chao and Little General had died, she had a vague feeling in her heart. The bond between Mu Chao and Little General was so deep, and seeing Little General now filled her heart with such sorrow—Mu Chao would never have wanted to kill Little General.

The black hound made several whimpering, mournful sounds. The chaos in its eyes gradually receded somewhat, slowly revealing clarity once more.

Mu Chao said no, and it believed her. As if its eight-hundred-year obsession had been only to find him and ask this one question.

The black hound’s enormous head lowered, nuzzling toward Yun Ling. “They poisoned me. After I smelled it, they stopped bringing food. They flayed my skin, they cooked my flesh, they threw my bones into the river water. I waited for you so long, Mu Chao—where were you?”

Yun Ling suddenly couldn’t stop the tears from falling, reaching out to embrace the black hound’s head. “I don’t remember… I don’t remember…”

……

Outside Shuigu Town, the Ghost King’s gaze fell from afar as she said, “Five hundred years ago, when I was traveling along the Jiuqu River clearing away river demon resentful bones, I happened to pass by an old residence. At that time, it was confused in consciousness, guarding inside and refusing to leave, nearly destroyed by a cultivator summoned by the property owner. After I saved it, I learned it had been guarding there for three hundred years. Only after I awakened it did it understand that mortals had long since died in those three hundred years—the person it was waiting for was long gone.”

“I brought it back and took it as a subordinate. I didn’t expect that during my recent seclusion, it happened to encounter its past obsession. Ghost types are prone to obsessive delusions. I’ve caused trouble for the Earth God.” The Ghost King spoke apologetically.

The Earth God nodded, accepting the Ghost King’s apology. “No harm done. It hasn’t caused any real trouble.”

Living beings that became ghost creatures without entering reincarnation often had grievances and bitter sorrows. The Earth God was ancient and had seen much—it wasn’t beyond his understanding. Since the ghost hound hadn’t caused any losses, there was no need to pursue the matter.

This ghost hound had died miserably, its resentful malice profound. He had originally thought its obsession would be like common vengeful ghosts, certain to kill for revenge, but unexpectedly it had only wanted to ask one question…

The Earth God couldn’t help but sigh inwardly and walked together with the Ghost King toward the Yun household.

Outside the Yun family courtyard, Yun Ling still held Little General, tears streaming endlessly. Though she clearly could no longer remember her life as Mu Chao, those emotions seemed still carved into the depths of her soul, transforming into ceaseless sorrow and tears.

A strand of qin music rose quietly, dispersing and gathering those feelings of rage and sorrow.

Yun Ling gradually separated from those sudden emotions. She looked at Little General close before her and simultaneously felt both affection and fear.

Little General was too close, its fierce head wreathed in ghost qi, its breath bone-chillingly cold with yin. Yun Ling couldn’t help but take a small step backward.

Eight hundred years had already passed. The former General Mu Chao had long since reincarnated countless times. A mortal life was but a hundred years, and personalities often changed—how much more so after eight hundred years of different life experiences through reincarnation?

Little General didn’t move. It raised its head again. “Are you afraid of me?”

Yun Ling hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “I’m afraid, but I… also want to be friends with you.”

……

“Why wouldn’t I be afraid? When I first saved this fellow, it didn’t trust me—I worried every day it would pounce and tear out my throat! But now?” Eight hundred years ago, when someone asked Mu Chao if he was afraid, he laughed heartily and patted the dozing black hound beside him. “Only cowards kill out of fear. I make friends with my fear!”

……

Little General couldn’t help but bare its teeth in a grin.

Reincarnation refines, time washes away, the sea transforms into mulberry fields, and human hearts also change—but some things will never change. 

Within Li Manor, the deity withdrew his gaze and looked at the scroll in his hands.

“…The border was in crisis. King Sui urgently summoned General Mu Chao to defend the frontier. Three years later, Chao was trapped in the city due to insufficient provisions and sent several urgent reports. Harmed by court factions, he received no relief for months and finally perished with the city.”

“Those who scheme and frame others behind their backs shall also become isolated and friendless…”

The deity’s fingertip slid across, and the pages rustled over, covering the page with Qianhao Sanren’s judgment and revealing new text.

“…A branch of the Huai River, there is the Jiuqu River, which gave birth to a Ghost King…”

“…Traveling along the river to gather resentful bones, if encountering ghost types, often taking them under protection…”

Li Chi’s gaze was distant.

Drawn by the pull of karma, the Ghost King hidden in Black Water Pool at Shekou Cliff had already appeared, with imposing presence and formidable strength. Her appearance differed little from what was recorded in the Examination of Mountain and Wilderness Oddities.

Li Chi had already asked Li Feng, and this well-read red fox had never heard of this book. Li Feng had searched through his network of contacts but found not a trace of clues about it.

When he then asked the Manor Spirit Hou Li how this rarely circulated Examination of Mountain and Wilderness Oddities had entered Li Manor, he also had no recollection of it.

Yet this Examination of Mountain and Wilderness Oddities contained many hidden secrets and strange tales. Since even a cultivator as powerful as the Ghost King was recorded in the book with near-perfect accuracy, then what exactly was the identity of its author, Qianhao Sanren?