Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Did I Just Hit a Nest of Jumping Ghosts With That Strike?!
Lu Yuan had been studying "Celestial Master" for a long ti, though he hadn’t really learned any of the skills.
So far, all he could do was make his palm glow.
However, that was the practical application.
As for theoretical knowledge, Lu Yuan had picked up quite a bit.
The freakishly hopping creature in the courtyard’s long corridor was a Jumping Ghost.
Jumping Ghosts lured people to their deaths to take their place.
Years ago, a family in Shige Village had an encounter with one of these things.
It was unclear how they had provoked it while they were out.
One night, on their way back, they ran into it just before entering the village.
As a result, the Jumping Ghost lured the person away, heading toward the graveyard.
Luckily, soone else from the village was returning late that night and saw what was happening.
They saw the person walking toward the graves, dazed and unresponsive.
Sensing sothing was wrong, they ran back to the village and rounded up help.
The villagers got up, grabbed their hoes and pitchforks, and went out beating gongs and drums to chase it away.
By the ti everyone found him, the man had already dug his own grave and was about to bury himself.
His hands were worn down to bloody stumps from digging, leaving only half a palm and exposed bone.
When morning ca, they had soone from the Guild take a look.
It was then they learned that a person had hanged themselves from an old locust tree in a neighboring village a few years prior.
They had died unjustly, and this Jumping Ghost had co looking for a replacent.
If the man from their village had died that night, the Jumping Ghost would have been freed.
But, thankfully, he was saved.
Later, the people from the Guild chopped down that old locust tree and burned it on the spot.
It was broad daylight, yet a flurry of chaotic shrieks erupted, drenching everyone present in a cold sweat.
The thing before him was also a Jumping Ghost.
The mont Lu Yuan saw it, he shot to his feet.
He imdiately drew the Celestial Master Sword from his back.
Lu Yuan’s action seed strange to Zhao Qiao’Er.
Likewise, the old steward and his group outside the door found it odd as well.
Seeing their lack of reaction, Lu Yuan was a bit stunned. He asked:
"What?
Can’t you see it?!
A Jumping Ghost!! It’s hopping around on the eastern corridor!!"
At Lu Yuan’s words, everyone imdiately looked in the direction he indicated.
But they saw... absolutely nothing!
"Young master... this is no ti for jokes..."
soone couldn’t help but mutter.
But Lu Yuan was completely dumbfounded. ’What the...?!’
’This is impossible!!’
’I know what I saw!!’
’Could it be... because I’ve been cultivating with "Celestial Master"?’
’So I can see things other Travelers can’t?’
Just as Lu Yuan, completely baffled, was wondering how to explain to them that he had really seen sothing...
Zhao Qiao’Er, who was sitting in the middle of the Array, spoke, her voice trembling slightly:
"I see it too... It’s hopping over there..."
At the sa ti, the old steward suddenly shouted in a stern voice:
"Be careful! A Technique has been cast on this creature. It’s no ordinary Jumping Ghost."
"You all hold the corners of the Array. I’ll capture it!"
After saying this, the old steward glanced back at Lu Yuan through the window.
He seed puzzled as to why he, a man whose skills were approaching the level of a Celestial Master, couldn’t detect it right away...
...but Lu Yuan could.
However, now was not the ti to ponder such things.
The old steward looked at Zhao Qiao’Er in the center of the Array and said:
"Madam, don’t look and don’t listen! Whatever you do, don’t let it lure your spirit away!"
With that, the old steward drew the Wooden Sword from his back and charged out.
The old steward hadn’t detected the Jumping Ghost with his eyes.
He had relied on his sense of sll.
Therefore, his aim wasn’t very accurate.
The Jumping Ghost dodged him with a light hop.
But for the old steward to hold such a high position by Zhao Qiao’Er’s side, he was bound to have so real skill.
When his Wooden Sword missed, he spun around and drew the Iron Sword from his back.
As he drew it, the old steward chanted sothing under his breath. The instant the Iron Sword was unsheathed...
...it radiated a golden light.
Then, with one slash, he struck the Jumping Ghost directly.
The Jumping Ghost was instantly split in two.
’Did it work?’
Obviously, it wasn’t that simple.
The two halves of the Jumping Ghost’s body, with a WHOOSH, burrowed away—one into the flowerbed, the other into the wall.
Clearly, this was no ordinary creature like the one from Shige Village.
Just as the old steward was suspiciously looking around...
...Lu Yuan shuddered.
’Shit!!’
’It’s right in front of !!’
The Jumping Ghost had suddenly appeared on the window in front of Lu Yuan and Zhao Qiao’Er.
It hopped and skipped, a ghastly white face occasionally peeking out from under its disheveled hair.
It was grinning sinisterly at Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan’s mind went blank.
’Why do these things love to get right in your face so much!!’
To suddenly appear less than a couple of ters in front of him like that...
...even Lin Zhengying would jump out of his skin!
Fortunately, having cultivated "Celestial Master," Lu Yuan was much stronger than before.
Quickly steadying himself, Lu Yuan gritted his teeth and slashed out with the Celestial Master Sword.
But the Jumping Ghost knew how dangerous the Celestial Master Sword was and dodged it easily.
Chuckling sinisterly, it moved to another window and continued its hopping.
The old steward, of course, saw Lu Yuan’s sudden movent clearly.
Although he still couldn’t see the Jumping Ghost, he imdiately rushed over, wielding both his swords.
But the Jumping Ghost’s target wasn’t Lu Yuan; it was Zhao Qiao’Er, sitting in the middle of the Array.
The Jumping Ghost tried to charge in, only to be repelled by the various Talismans inside the room.
But soon, it returned, laughing sinisterly and hopping about again.
At this point, the Travelers guarding the corners of the Array seed to see it too, and they began swinging their Wooden Swords wildly.
The only one who still couldn’t see the Jumping Ghost was the old steward.
Lu Yuan glanced back at Zhao Qiao’Er in the center of the Array and saw her eyes starting to glaze over.
She looked like she was about to get up and walk out on her own.
"Aunt Zhao!!!"
Lu Yuan’s angry shout instantly brought clarity back to Zhao Qiao’Er’s beautiful eyes.
She looked at Lu Yuan in astonishnt, then rembered what she had just seen.
A wave of fear washed over her.
After shouting Zhao Qiao’Er back to her senses, Lu Yuan faced the two windows in front of him, tightening his grip on his Celestial Master Sword.
’Left, right, left, right, left, right...’
The instant the Jumping Ghost vanished from the left window, Lu Yuan thrust out with the Celestial Master Sword!
And at that sa instant, the Jumping Ghost appeared at the right window.
Lu Yuan’s sword pierced straight through the Jumping Ghost’s head!
Then, like a paper effigy, the Jumping Ghost went up in a PUFF of smoke and burned to ashes.
’Is it over?’
Before Lu Yuan could even feel happy...
...a familiar, sinister laugh echoed out.
The Jumping Ghost had reappeared.
It started hopping and skipping again, letting out that sinister "hehehe" laugh.
At this, Lu Yuan was a little stunned.
’This...’
’This can’t be happening, can it?!!’
’I’m holding the Celestial Master Sword, a nine-tis reward from the system!!’
Of course, Lu Yuan knew he didn’t know any Techniques or Mantras.
In his hands, a super Divine Artifact like this couldn’t unleash its full power.
It was like a small child holding the Heaven-Swaying Sword.
Did that make the child formidable?
Probably any random person with a few clumsy moves could beat the child holding the Heaven-Swaying Sword until they cried.
’But the problem is...’
’I already stabbed it!!’
’I stabbed it, so it should have worked!!’
’This is the Celestial Master Sword!!’
’Even if I’m just a kid, if I genuinely run my sword right through your head, how can you still be alive?’
’Unless...’
’Everything in front of
is an illusion...’
And when Lu Yuan turned to look, his vision nearly went black.
Soti, sohow, the entire room had filled with Jumping Ghosts...
There were so hopping on the cabinets, so hopping on the tables, and so hopping behind Lu Yuan...
Lu Yuan was practically nose-to-nose with one of the Jumping Ghosts.
Its hair was already brushing against his face.
’Holy shit, did my last attack just kick the Jumping Ghosts’ nest?!!’
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