I Went Crazy Killing in the World of Gods and Demons - Chapter 86

Chapter 86

The little girl wailed and sobbed, her face deathly pale as if drawn on papersymmetrical yet eerie.

It didn’t look like a human face, more like a painting.

When a Spirit can no longer maintain human form, its transformation into a vengeful ghost is only a matter of time.

By then, it would either come to crossed blades or require the Ghost Binding Banner.

After some deliberation, Xie Qingling finally nodded at the little girl.

She crouched down, meeting the child’s eyes at her level: “Tell me, which neighborhood do you live in? I’ll take you back to see. Once you see your parents, you must stop crying, alright?”

Hearing this, the girl sniffled hard, tears turning to smiles as she said: “Kind sister, you’re a good person. Finally someone willing to take me home.”

“Only… I don’t live in a neighborhood, and I don’t know what that place is called. When I asked other brothers and sisters, they all said they didn’t know.”

Xie Qingling managed to maintain a gentle smile on her face, though inwardly she was already growing uneasy.

…This didn’t sound promising at all.

But since she’d already given her word, she couldn’t take it back now.

Xie Qingling continued smiling and asked: “Then do you know how to get there?”

“I do.” The little girl stood up, pointing in a direction: “Go that way until you reach a river, then follow it downstream. There’s a wooden bridge downstream, with three willow trees at the bridgehead. Beyond the willows there’s a slopemy home is on that slope, where Mom and Dad are waiting for me.”

Where the girl pointed was a wall, with no path at all.

But there was indeed a river.

That river cut through Future City, about several dozen meters widenot particularly large, with a gentle current.

During holidays, people would go boating on the river to enjoy the night views.

The fees were quite expensive.

However, there were no wooden bridges on the river.

At least within Future City’s boundaries, there were no wooden bridges anymoreonly steel and concrete bridges remained.

Xie Qingling glanced at the little girl, understanding dawning in her heart as she nodded: “Alright, I’ll take you.”

The girl was overjoyed, hopping and skipping as she took Xie Qingling’s hand, wanting to pinky swear that whoever broke the promise would be a stinky puppy for a hundred years.

Xie Qingling pretended not to hear and walked ahead. The girl looked hurt but quickly followed.

Joking asidemaking such pacts with Spirits was just asking for an early grave.

Chai Yuhu’s unfortunate example was still fresh in memory.

Arriving at the scenic area, Xie Qingling rented a small boat and boarded it.

At the other end of the boat, the little girl had already seated herself, obediently waiting for Xie Qingling to take her home.

Of course, to others, the girl was invisiblethey only saw “big spender” Xie Qingling splurging on a whole boat for her own amusement, without any companions.

Renting an entire boat during holidays was terribly expensive.

Some frugal visitors offered to share costs and join her for the night river views.

Xie Qingling smilingly declined: “Sorry, big brotherwe’re fully booked here.”

The elder brother stared at the empty space beside Xie Qingling and felt he had been tricked. He slapped his thigh angrily and said, “Where is it full? If you don’t want me on the boat, just say so! Stop looking down on people!”

Xie Qingling still smiled. She said gently, “Look, there are people everywhere, elder brother. Is your eyesight poor? My boat is truly full of people.”

“You…” The elder brother wanted to say more, but suddenly felt a chill at his feet and a sensation of being secretly watched. Instantly, his scalp tingled. He looked at the clearly empty boat that was called “full,” then at Xie Qingling’s gently smiling face, and belatedly realized something was wrong.

The elder brother’s face instantly turned pale. He glanced panickedly at the “full” boat and scrambled away. “You’re crazy!” He looked back once more, goosebumps rising in the night breeze.

The little girl grumbled, “Sister, you’re so mean. Why won’t you let the big brother on the boat?”

Xie Qingling didn’t answer, silently steering the boat away.

The boat carved a white wake across the river, the waves reflecting the gradually brightening neon lights on both banks, like starlight sprinkled upon the ripples.

The little girl watched with curiosity, trying to catch the reflections with her hands but always failing. She grew frustrated and soon gave up. Turning around, she urged Xie Qingling, “Go faster! My parents will worry if they can’t find me!” Her tone was huffy.

Truly, children were troublesome.

Xie Qingling sailed downstream, on and on, until they were nearly outside the city. The flashing neon lights on the banks grew sparse, and the sky had completely darkened.

“Is your home almost here?” Xie Qingling asked.

“Just a bit further,” the little girl grew quieter.

She sat properly, like a little lady, with none of her earlier irritability.

Finally, Xie Qingling reached the “wooden bridge.”

It wasn’t much of a bridge anymorewhere a wooden bridge once stood, only lonely piers remained.

This was completely the outskirts, desolate and rarely visited, with most riverside buildings abandoned.

Xie Qingling glanced back at the little girl, unable to determine how many years she had been dead.

Though this child seemed young, in terms of generations, she might well be older than Xie Qingling’s ancestors.

“Sister, let’s go.” The little girl obediently took Xie Qingling’s hand and jumped off the boat.

The human and the Spirit passed three willow trees at the bridgeheadthe trees were ancient, dead, leaving only dried stumps.

As the little girl had said, there was a small slope ahead, and her home was on that slope.

By now, Xie Qingling fully understood what her “home” was.

A grave.

Her parents were buried there, though for some reason, the family was separated.

“Sister, look” The quiet little girl suddenly hid behind Xie Qingling, her expression turning timid and fearful, as if she had seen something that horrified her.

Her voice was filled with terror and dread: “It’s them. They block my way home every year. I don’t dare go past.”

Following the little girl’s gaze, Xie Qingling looked over.

That one glance made her feel somewhat dazed, as if she were in a bustling human market rather than a desolate wilderness.

It was a street.

The street seemed endless at first sight, with various stalls lining both sides, each hung with a lantern for illumination.

However, unlike the warm, bright orange lights of the human world, these lanterns emitted an eerie cold blue glow that cast no shadows and illuminated very little space. They not only failed to convey warmth but also made people feel uneasy.

Through the ghostly blue flames, two characters could be seen written on the lantern paper: Ghost Market.

The street was crowded with ghosts. Those running businesses were ghosts, and those coming to trade were ghosts too.

Ghosts coming and going, the ghostly atmosphere bustling and lively, ghost heads moving about.

No wonder the little girl didn’t dare to go home alone and needed someone to accompany her.

Even Xie Qingling, suddenly seeing so many ghosts, had to weigh the situation carefully in her heart and dared not approach rashly.

“Sister, let’s go. You promised to take me home,” the little girl said, shaking Xie Qingling’s hand coquettishly.

Xie Qingling glanced at her, tapped her earpiece, and contacted Ling Fang: “Minister.”

After a moment, Ling Fang’s voice came through the earpiece, slightly breathless as if he were very tired: “What is it?”

“I’ve encountered a Ghost Market. Can I enter?”

“What do you want to do?”

“Just… passing through, sending a child home.”

Ling Fang suddenly coughed violently, then said: “The Ghost Market is an annual gathering for ghouls, their own territory. If you must enter, remember: no matter who calls your name, do not answer. If you attract the attention of ghouls, then choose the most powerful one to kill. That will intimidate the others, and you’ll be safe.”

“Understood.”

Xie Qingling took the little girl’s hand again: “Let’s go. Stay with me and don’t wander off.”

But the little girl wasn’t in a hurry to leave. She looked up anxiously and asked: “Will you protect me?”

“Of course.”

The little girl nodded vigorously, then followed Xie Qingling into the Ghost Market.

[Ghost Market stalls, Ghost Market bustle, Ghost Market ghouls bustling about. Numerous ghouls gathered together, celebrating this annual, hard-won grand event.]

[A Big-Head Ghost squatted by the roadside, pondering a problem it couldn’t solve, its head growing larger and more inflated. A Hair-Eating Ghost perched on its head feeding, while the Big-Head Ghost remained completely unaware.]

[A Long-Tongued Ghost’s tongue was cut off and placed on a meat stall, hanging a sheep’s head but selling dog meat.]

[A Hanging Ghost sold its noose, which could be used to hang around the neck and swing like a seesaw.]

[A Pipa Ghost played a desolate, unheard tune by the roadside, both mourning its departed master and performing to make a living.]

[A Rakshasa Ghost Woman and a Food and Sex Ghost discussed partnering to sell the Rakshasa Ghost Woman. The Food and Sex Ghost consumed lust, the Rakshasa Ghost Woman ate heartsa cooperative win-win situation. They would make the best partners.]

[However, the Rakshasa Ghost Woman’s fearsome reputation was so great that their stall received no customers.]

The little girl’s eyes darted around; the more ghosts she saw, the more she trembled, pressing closely against Xie Qingling’s side while repeatedly calling, “Sister, sister.”

Xie Qingling heard her but turned a deaf ear, continuing to walk forward with her head down.

This street was about to come to an end soon.

It should be safe to pass through.

But…

[The twin blades made from Rakshasa leg bones emit the aura of its kind. The beautiful Rakshasa Ghost Woman casts an admiring gaze at you. It initially thought it had encountered a strong male of its species to pair with, but unexpectedly saw you, a Psychic, in the Ghost Market.]

[Oh Psychic, possessing the most delicious flesh and blood in the world, you are the finest and most nourishing tonic. The Rakshasa Ghost Woman no longer wishes to sell itself. It has conspired with the Food and Sex Ghost, abandoning the first plan, wanting to obtain the butcher stall owner to dismember and devour you.]

[The Rakshasa Ghost Woman is approaching you.]

Xie Qingling: “…”

So it’s impossible to stay low-key after all.

Xie Qingling hoisted the little girl onto her back, letting her rest on her shoulders, then drew Blood Oath.

A graceful figure approached from ahead.

The Rakshasa Ghost Woman was strikingly beautiful and enchantingly charming, captivating enough to draw attentionunfortunately, fatally so.

With a crook of its finger, the butcher stall owner ceased tormenting the poor Long-Tongued Ghost and also began moving toward Xie Qingling.

Trying to surround her?

Too badshe would strike first.

Xie Qingling flicked her wrist and silently recited “Hidden breath.”

The next moment, one human and one ghost, one large and one small, vanished into thin air before everyone’s eyes.

The remaining ghostly faces stared at each other in confusion, completely baffled by what had just happened.