Chapter 63: Seeking the Head-No ano em que nasci, cem demônios desfilaram(Velho de Xing'anling)

Having made up my mind, I used both hands to forcefully push against the coffin lid, wanting to see what on earth was hidden inside.

Creak...

The sound of the coffin lid being pushed aside echoed, and I finally caught a glimpse of what lay within.

It turned out to be a headless male corpse.

Who was he?

Why was he here?

Could the soul-镇魂 (鎮魂 - calming/suppressing) talisman pasted on the door have been meant specifically to deal with him?

Filled with a swirl of doubts, I couldn't help but stretch my neck forward to peer inside.

At that very moment, however, a resentful voice suddenly rang out right beside my ear:

"Have you seen my head?"

The headless male corpse inside the coffin suddenly sat bolt upright, two hands covered in corpse spots gripping fiercely onto the edges of the coffin.

His voice exploded beside my ear like a sudden peal of thunder, instantly making my scalp tingle and sending a shiver of dread through my entire body.

I could even feel a chilling gust of wind continuously blowing across the back of my neck, as if his missing head was hovering right there against my skin.

Even though I had been full of confidence in myself just moments before, the hair all over my body stood on end when this scene played out.

It wasn't because I was cowardly, but simply because the whole situation was far too bizarre.

Eighty-one everlasting lamps, eighty-one children's skeletal remains, one massive black coffin, and one headless male corpse.

When a scene like this was pieced together, it was hard not to feel a deep sense of terror.

"Audacious evil specter, how dare you try to scare this Daoist priest! Get away from me at once!"

Out of pure instinct, I let out a fierce roar and prepared to flee the scene.

Yet just as I was about to turn and run, the pair of hands gripping the edges of the coffin suddenly lashed out and grabbed my arms.

At that moment, despair washed over me all over again.

I could feel that the male corpse's hands were icy cold, and the arms holding onto mine were beginning to exert immense force.

He was actually trying to drag me into the coffin with him—what a bastard!

Damn it!

This asshole actually wanted me to be buried along with him!

Without a moment's hesitation, I bit down hard on the tip of my tongue, filling my mouth with blood, and spat a large mouthful of pure boy's blood directly onto the arms that were holding me.

Amidst a flash of white smoke, the creature finally loosened its grip on my wrists.

Seizing the opportunity, I hastily scrambled back to a safe zone.

I jerked my head around to check behind me.

Thank goodness, there was still no head attached to a body!

---

"Have you seen my head? Can you help me find my head?"

That supremely resentful voice rang in my ear once more, stirring up the emotions I had only just managed to calm down.

I could sense that the male corpse's head was terrifyingly close to me, yet I could not see it at all.

Even when I unhesitatingly activated my Heavenly Eyes, there was still no trace of the fellow anywhere.

Where on earth was he hiding?

Doubts flooded my mind once more.

Hearing the male corpse's voice continuously echoing by my ear felt as though my brain was about to shatter.

Seeing this, I decided to go all in.

I immediately began chanting another spell for revealing ghosts—the True Incantation of Revealing Phantoms.

"Across the four seas of the divine land, the Five Sacred Mountains stand vast and grand. Let no fiend conceal its shape, let no ghost elude its shade. Hear this curse and manifest at once! Spirit incantation, reveal thy form!"

After finishing the chant, I searched around the area once more, yet I still could not spot a single ghost.

This inevitably began to panic me a little.

Now there was only one possible explanation: his cultivation level surpassed mine, and he was deliberately keeping himself hidden from my sight.

You see, this was completely different from the minor imp that had appeared in the mutton-fat jade vase last time; although I hadn't been able to locate it at first, once I opened my Heavenly Eyes, I had found it with ease.

However, the situation today was rather unusual. I had opened my Heavenly Eyes, yet I couldn't find him.

I had cast the Incantation of Revealing Phantoms, yet I still couldn't see him.

This could only mean that he was an exceptionally formidable nether-spirit.

Still, I quickly regained control of my composure, knowing that if I actually engaged him in a fight, my chances of winning were slim.

Before I could even finish chanting a spell, I might well have my throat bitten out by his head, which was hiding God knows where.

I certainly wasn't going to make such a losing bargain!

Though I was a successor of the Qingma Physiognomy tradition, I was no fool!

I put on a stern expression and shouted at the empty space, while forming the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Seal with both hands—if this bastard dared to make another move, I would obliterate him completely!

"Quickly tell me who you are! Do you harbor some deep grievance or resentment? Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Even after I said all that, however, he simply kept repeating the exact same phrase:

"Have you seen my head? Please help me find my head, will you?"

"I can help you, but you must manifest your form so we can talk this through properly. Otherwise, the deal is off!"

Although my Daoist craft was inferior to his, my momentum and aura did not weaken in the slightest.

"Have you seen my head? Can you help me find my head?"

He ignored my words entirely, continuing to loop that single phrase over and over again like a mindless resentful spirit, causing my head to buzz incessantly.

This spectacle finally made me realize that something was terribly wrong.

---

I knitted my brows tightly together, sensing a creeping sense of unease.

Since this fellow was capable of evading both my Heavenly Eyes and the Incantation of Revealing Phantoms, it was utterly impossible for him to lack spiritual consciousness.

This bastard simply didn't welcome me; he was deliberately refusing to show himself.

Oh no!

Something bad was going to happen!

My heart skipped a beat as I noticed the tempo of the creature's voice speeding up. It sounded like either a final warning or a prelude to a lethal attack.

Fortunately, I had studied esoteric arts under my grandfather for many years, so my body was abundant with profound yang energy and my spiritual consciousness was rock solid.

If it had been any ordinary person, or even a Feng Shui master with slightly weaker cultivation, they would undoubtedly have fallen victim to his mental onslaught by now.

At best, they would lose their minds and become imbeciles; at worst, they would pass out cold.

I hadn't brought any magical artifacts with me on this trip inside.

If I chose to stubbornly fight him here head-on, my situation would become extremely perilous.

I had to get away from this place of trouble immediately.

As for Liu Qingqing's glabella mark, I would just have to deal with it after getting outside.

"Farewell, sorry to have disturbed you!"

I grabbed the nearby coffin lid and kicked the sitting male corpse hard, sending him sprawling backward.

Then, using both hands with all my might, I slammed the coffin lid back into place.

To be extra safe, I bit my index finger and hastily drew a fresh talisman right across the lid.

Once that was done, I rushed back to the everlasting lamps whose positions in the Gate of Death had been altered, and restored them all to their original places.

As soon as I finished, the massive black coffin holding the headless male corpse was hoisted back up by the chains once more.

Taking advantage of this opening, I sprinted toward the door on the top floor.

I drew a fresh talisman, pushed the door open, and stepped right out.

Upon emerging into the hallway outside, I finally drew a long, heavy breath. By this point, my entire body was drenched in cold sweat.

This place was simply far too terrifying.

Green Luo stood with her arms crossed, staring in a rather dazed manner at me as I emerged from the top-floor room, her seductive red lips looking quite alluring.

I figured that looking as disheveled as I did right now, she would surely mock me mercilessly.

To my surprise, however, Green Luo spoke to me in a slow, measured tone:

"Chen Qiyue, you are strong. I underestimated you. You are young, yet remarkably capable, and truly strong! I admire you."

Green Luo's words left me completely bewildered.

What on earth was this woman playing at?