479 Ashes to Bone

one floor parking lotMy brother hadn't come back yet, and I immediately felt a chill. A female ghost lying on the ground tugged at my pant leg."Holy crap!" He immediately jumped back into the elevato...Bai Wu Chang's sinister sneer startled me.

I took two steps back, touching the nameplate that hung on my flesh. After this nameplate was found, it had been taken away by Jiang Qiyun to find Emperor Qinghua. It seems to have gained some new functions.

Petty demons and underworld officers belong to the jurisdiction of Emperor Beitaidi. Attacking someone who possesses a divine seal is a grave transgression, and even a small demon wouldn't be ignorant of this.

Either he was fearless, or he was forced to be cannon fodder.

Another little demon disappeared into the darkness. My brother chased after him, and I worried he might slip up, so I immediately rushed over to grab his arm: “Brother, don’t chase! Be careful!”

"We can't let him get away!" He unwillingly pulled me along as we chased after him for a few steps.

Suddenly, my feet felt like they were on air, and I and my brother both lunged forward.

"Shit!" He reacted quickly, grabbing me and shielding my head. We tumbled down several flights of stairs, crashing against the cold wall.

Here, it was pitch black. My brother pinched a five-element fire tactic and conjured a talisman to ward off evil.

As the black mist dissipated, a faint glimmer of light illuminated the stairwell.

This is the prohibited underground third floor, with warning slogans painted on the walls. The gate below is tightly shut, and an old police barricade blocks the entrance.

"Is this the nest Did they purposely lead us here" My brother rubbed my head and asked, "Little Qiao, are you hurt"

"No, I think I heard something..." I covered my ears and shook my head.

That sound was so faint, like a laugh or a song. Were the bones in here playing tricks

This voice... is it a woman

She has been buried here for hundreds of years, and in the last decade she has frequently absorbed blood and energy and devoured souls. She should be very powerful.

Footsteps came from the stairwell, and Xi Lingzhou also ran over with us.

Her current appearance is terrifying, like a woman who has been disfigured all over. Apart from her eyeballs which have white in them, her whole body is covered in tiny red dots and swollen red patches.

"Here" she asked, her voice a hoarse whisper.

I nodded, and she immediately pulled out a small bottle, sprinkling a circle on the ground. Then, facing the closed door below, she sat down cross-legged.

Jiang Qiyun once said that folk customs like this are different from our "Dao." They have their own ways and methods of dealing with things, without much sect restraint, and are very diverse.

The sounds in my ears grew clearer, like a mournful song being sung.

“…Iron horses trample the land, mountains and rivers washed in blood, loyal thoughts burn with hot blood, a heart filled with regret…” I cocked my ear to listen to those mournful verses, and softly repeated them.

My brother suddenly grabbed my wrist, and it hurt so much that I jumped.

He pulled me back to the corner of the stairs, our backs pressed against the wall. I followed his gaze.

She...

She floated up!

Like a piece of human skin hanging on a clothesline, it drifted up from the ground, its toes almost leaving the surface. It hung there so faintly, so ethereal.

I swallowed nervously. She hadn't a clue what it was, yet she insisted on trying to communicate with it

She's really…really quite capable.

This guts are too fat! This fearless ferocity is truly unique, and it's easy to intimidate souls with it.

Everyone is afraid of death, and ghosts use this to frighten living people, and then when the other party's spirit collapses, they achieve their own goals.

However, this tough way of contacting spirits is truly bizarre. Other witches who get possessed are careful to protect themselves, and after each successful attempt, they'll put a peach wood plaque or a string of beads on their hands for protection against evil spirits, while also showing off their abilities.

Xi Linzhou had nothing in her hands except those incomprehensible rivet decorations. It seemed that she didn't care about "fame" at all.

She hung her head, her voice reaching our ears: "Such a powerful wizard... to be able to... reach here... even the little demons of the underworld have been dealt with by you"

Xi Linzhou's original voice wasn't gentle at all, it was a bit rough. But this time, she used this low, deep voice to say such soft and weak words, which felt a little strange. My brother shivered, probably finding it cloying.

“I only want to retrieve what rightfully belongs to me. All those who died here were burdened by karmic debts. I have not harmed a single innocent person. Two esteemed individuals… could you please show mercy… and allow me to cultivate into a celestial being Once I achieve this, I will surely do many good deeds to repay my karmic debts…”

She spoke to us softly, begging for mercy. I secretly glanced at her toes, which were gently "tapping" on the ground—what kind of person is so alluring

My brother spoke up, “That… how should we address you”

The other party was taken aback. Probably hearing too many things like "You monster" she wasn't used to being asked her name all of a sudden.

"......Hehe... I have no name, I was murdered and buried here.... Used to make a complete skeleton.... Over time, I can hardly remember who I am anymore..." Her voice sounded a little lost.

“You don’t need to understand. We are not those kind of demon-slaying wizards, just a little kindness — though you best not try to harm us. Since you've appeared, you must know that your resistance is ultimately futile, so you led us here, right” My brother said to her.

She let out a long, low sigh: "I never expected someone this formidable would target me... This young lady... I beg you, spare my life..."

Me

She said to me, didn't she

I said, "No matter how many karmic debts those who died here have, it's not up to you to judge them. Harming others is ultimately harming others, and you can't escape responsibility... But what do you mean by gathering a complete set of bones Tell me everything you know, maybe you'll receive leniency."

This female ghost wasn't the kind driven by love or revenge, a restless spirit who died with regret. I thought to myself, if she were honest and cooperative, I would help her find peace.

She let out a long, mournful sigh. "I can't leave here... because my head was nailed to the bone box. The one who used this secret art is long gone, so I stayed with that nameless skeleton for centuries, merging with the remaining resentment, and then one day..."

"I was awakened by a man who said I could cultivate by absorbing blood energy, so I set this trap and he taught me how to do it…"

“I’m puzzled why he would help me… Later, I vaguely felt that he was the descendant of the wizard who beheaded me back then… Such a big scheme… Such a long time… I wasn’t interested in their affairs, but I couldn’t bear to just disappear like this. I also want to cultivate into a Earth Immortal—”

My older brother raised his hand to interrupt her: "Wait, wait, you need to be more clear. What exactly are you You want to cultivate into a celestial being"

She giggled softly and said sweetly, "Master... what do you think I resemble~"

My brother rolled his eyes. Xi Lingzhou said there was a fox spirit here, so this woman must be—til I reached Jiang Qiyun's side. He was standing there, gazing at the moon in the sky with his hands clasped behind him.Late spring, early summer.Unknowingly, I've walked with him through four season...