GB Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Of course, Bi Qianren wouldn’t pay attention to the ghost’s nonsensical claims. As an assassin, he was skilled in tracking. He took out a guide incense, lit it, and a wisp of green smoke followed the bird’s trail, drifting towards Zhu Jiaji.

Although Zhuge Qingtian wasn’t entirely normal, he was still a fierce ghost. His corpse contained immense baleful energy, which was why the sedan chair he used caused the healthy bandits to die upon touch. If a normal bird were to come into contact with his head, it would instantly be killed by the baleful energy. The reason this bird was unaffected was that it wasn’t a living creature.

Qianren had glanced at it earlier. The bird had blood-red feathers, four wings on its back, four legs on its abdomen, short front legs and long hind legs. Its cry was mournful, as described in ancient texts about the soul-mourning bird. The soul-mourning bird was born from wronged souls and was harmless to living beings. It only wandered around the place of its death, wailing sadly. Therefore, cultivators knew that where there was such a bird, there was an injustice.

Now that the Righteous Path was gaining momentum, the demonic cultivators were all lying low in the Northern Desert, and the world should have been peaceful. This bird had long been extinct in the outside world. Qianren didn’t expect to see one in such a place. He thought, “Zhu Jiaji is just an insignificant mountain town, yet it has gathered so many ghosts. No wonder Master specifically asked me to investigate.”

Mindful of his mission, Qianren silently blended into the night. He used his movement technique to follow the smoke trail.

One of the reasons Qianren was able to become the number one assassin was this technique that allowed him to blend seamlessly into his surroundings, traveling thousands of miles a day. Usually, once he activated this technique, no one could find him. However, today, Zhuge Qingtian followed him effortlessly, worrying beside him, “My wife, do you think that bird ate my head?”

“The soul-mourning bird is also a ghost. It doesn’t eat or drink, it only mourns.”

After replying casually, Qianren’s gaze towards the ghost deepened. Having reached the Nascent Soul stage, he could gauge his opponent’s strength. He had sensed a menacing aura from this ghost that could fight him. Yet, the moment he opened his eyes, that aura was gone. He couldn’t help but wonder what was going on with this ghost.

Ghosts were different from humans. The resentment they felt at death determined their strength. No matter how much time passed, as long as that resentment didn’t dissipate, their strength wouldn’t change, unless they were captured by demonic cultivators and made into slaves. Despite this, ghosts had different abilities based on how they died. Currently, cultivators classified ghosts into three categories based on their common characteristics: wandering souls, fierce ghosts, and ghost gods.

Wandering souls were lonely ghosts without much ability to harm people, which cultivators could guide into reincarnation. Righteous path cultivators would usually send them on their way as a way of accumulating merit. Fierce ghosts were malevolent ghosts filled with resentment, constantly seeking revenge. These ghosts often had unique methods of harming people and posed a great threat to cultivators. Each sect warned its young disciples to be accompanied by their elders to subdue them. As for the three Ghost Gods of the Ghost Domain, his master He Huan had only said one thing: “Before reaching the Nascent Soul stage, those who encounter them will die.”

Qianren had heard that there were demonic cultivation sects specializing in controlling ghosts in the past who had tried to take the Ghost Gods for themselves. The result was that their entire sects were annihilated. It was clear how fearsome they were. Therefore, he didn’t believe the rumors about ghost gods in Zhu Jiaji. He thought that these ignorant villagers were truly fearless, daring to misuse the name of a Ghost God.

The amount of power a ghost could unleash depended on their negative emotions. With Zhuge Qingtian’s personality, Qianren estimated that he could, at most, threaten a man’s chastity, and he wouldn’t dare actively harm people. Although as the man being threatened, he wanted to destroy this annoying ghost from time to time.

As if to confirm his guess, Zhuge Qingtian’s only comment about the soul-mourning bird was, “If I looked that ugly, I’d cry every day too. My wife, you’ve successfully comforted me. Even without my head, I’m better-looking than that bird.”

No, no one was comforting you. Don’t twist other people’s words to have some inexplicable deeper meaning.

Sidelong glancing at this perpetually optimistic ghost, Qianren couldn’t help but doubt, “Are you really a Jinshi? Is the imperial court this careless about selecting people now?”

It was a casual question. Zhuge Qingtian had ignored all the doubts he’d been subjected to along the way, but upon hearing this, he instantly became displeased. He exclaimed, “My wife, you can doubt my character, but you can’t doubt my talent! I will now recite the Sage’s Admonitory Ode for you!”

Qianren didn’t expect him to have such a strong reaction, and naturally, he had no interest in discussing the Sage’s classics. He said, “Forget it. The things the Righteous Path uses to educate the world give me a headache.”

The Righteous Path had been established as the state religion twenty years ago, and the admonitory words were required study material for the imperial examinations. Although Zhuge Qingtian knew nothing about cultivation, he knew a little about the Righteous Path. Finally finding a common topic they both knew, he was reluctant to let it go. He hastily asked, “My wife, you seem like a martial artist who only knows how to wield swords, but do you actually know the Sage’s teachings?”

“My master liked these things and would recite them to me since I was young.”

Mentioning his master, who was clearly a demonic cultivator but wanted to save the world at the cost of his own life, gave Qianren a headache. However, even though his master had taught him various sage classics since he was young, he had stubbornly chosen the path of killing to achieve enlightenment, perfectly avoiding all noble virtues and growing up to be a very pure demonic cultivator.

As Qianren sighed at the fact that he was indeed a born demonic cultivator, Zhuge Qingtian looked at him, thinking that if he had a disciple who he taught the sage’s teachings every day and then grew up to be like this, he’d probably cough up blood. He couldn’t help but sigh, “You really are a rebellious disciple.”

Qianren had been raised by his master and had always treated him like a father. Hearing this, he instantly became unhappy, but getting worked up about it felt petty. He stopped, and casually picked a watermelon from a nearby field and placed it on Zhuge Qingtian’s neck. He sneered, “I think you’re too conspicuous without a head, so wear this watermelon and pretend you have a head.”

Even though Zhuge Qingtian’s thought process was worlds apart from normal people, he knew that a headless ghost wouldn’t blend into the crowd just by wearing a watermelon on his head. This was definitely his wife venting at him. Although he didn’t know what he had done to offend her, he still sighed, “My wife, can you flirt with me in a normal way? I can’t write a poem in response to a watermelon.”

To this, the great assassin who never knew what flirting was and had no one to flirt with simply clenched his fist and replied, “If you say another word of nonsense, I will smash your melon with one punch.”

Fine. Although it was a watermelon, it was still put there by his wife. Now, his wife was also going to get his head back for him. Compared to that woman in the past who took all his silver as a betrothal gift and then tricked him into going to the bandit camp to his death, she was thousands of times better. Besides, wasn’t this green watermelon quite eye-catching? He would surely be the center of attention if he walked through the burial ground with it. No one would be able to ignore his presence.

With his strong heart, Zhuge Qingtian quickly became happy. However, before he could compose a poem to this watermelon to show his wife his talent, a familiar town came into view. He looked at the wooden sign at the entrance with the words “Zhu Jiaji” written on it and stopped involuntarily. He asked somewhat reluctantly, “My wife, this place is not good. Let’s not go in.”

Seeing him like this, Qianren knew that this ghost must have some connection to Zhu Jiaji. He had come here to investigate, so he would not retreat. He asked, “Aren’t you looking for your head?”

“This watermelon was given to me by you, so I’ve decided to wear it every day to feel your gentle affection. Whether I have a head or not doesn’t matter.”

A fierce ghost was originally a spirit, only reluctant to leave their body so that they possess the body. Not having a head would not affect them in any way. However, not having a complete corpse was never a good thing. Zhuge Qingtian was originally so concerned about his head, but now said these words upon seeing Zhu Jiaji, clearly apprehensive.

Thinking of this, Qianren became even more suspicious. He walked forward, “Then you can squat in the melon field. I want to see what gods are hiding in Zhu Jiaji.”

He instantly disappeared into the small alleys in the town. Zhuge Qingtian did not immediately follow him. He frowned, looking at the street, seeming quite worried. However, before he could hesitate any longer, a scream came from the alley. The sound was so wretched that it startled him. He quickly floated over and shouted, “My wife, don’t be afraid, I will protect you!”

Then, he saw the scene of a certain assassin using his foot to pin a patrolling constable against the wall, playing with a dagger, thinking about where to start, to extract information. Qianren glanced at him casually, not caring that someone was watching. He pointed the dagger at the man’s nose and coldly demanded, “Tell me, why are you conducting a ghost god sacrifice here? Who is the ghost god being sacrificed? If I don’t like a single word you say, I’ll peel your skin off first.”

Investigate? Gather evidence? Sorry, that was how the righteous heroes investigated. Grabbing the opponent and torturing them one by one was the method that the demonic cultivators were most familiar with. And Qianren, just happened to be a very pure demonic cultivator, not only indifferent to the codes of the pugilistic world but also extremely skilled in interrogation techniques.

So, as he watched the constable tremble uncontrollably, Zhuge Qingtian adjusted the melon on his neck and instantly relaxed. Hmm, perhaps the villagers here needed more protection than his ferocious wife…

However, he didn’t seem to consider how terrifying he looked with his red clothes and a watermelon on his head. Qianren, no matter how vicious he was, still looked human. The constable who didn’t know about demonic cultivators could barely maintain his sanity. But when Zhuge Qingtian suddenly appeared in his view, he instantly lost it and shouted, “The…the melon…the melon has become a spirit!”

“…”

Seeing that the constable he had caught had passed out, Qianren finally acknowledged a terrifying reality: he and this ghost were completely incompatible!

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