Chapter 37: A Corpse Hidden in the Mud

Yu Yinghua’s mood could no longer be described as mere anger.

For beings like her, while ordinary filth is naturally repulsive, certain specific things hold an equally abhorrent status. Black donkey hooves are like dried excrement; black dog blood is akin to foul diarrhea; and the urine of a prepubescent boy is similar to vomit. Apart from restroom spirits and other "unclean" entities like the Five Filth Gods, most evil spirits avoid such things at all costs. As long as a human wields these filthy items, most spirits—unless they are exceptionally bold—will refrain from attacking, sparing themselves the indignity. After all, evil spirits have their pride; they do not want to be stained by such substances.

But if the filth is actually used and the spirit survives, it becomes a life-or-death vendetta. To put it crudely, Shi Ji’s actions were like squatting on her face to defecate!

Yu Yinghua stared blankly at Shi Ji for two seconds, then lost her mind completely. With a roar, she charged forward, her only thought to turn Shi Ji into "Dead Ji."

*Snap!*

Su Huijin threw a string of prayer beads, striking Yu Yinghua on the forehead, and chanted three times: "Stop! Stop! Stop!"

The talisman imprinted within the beads was the Immobilization Spell. A golden character for "Stop" shimmered into existence. Yu Yinghua’s body froze in mid-air, unable to move despite her frantic struggles. Only her eyes, filled with venomous malice, darted about.

Seizing the opportunity, Wu Xian curled his finger at her. "It’s time to end this."

Wisps of heat gathered at his fingertip, gradually forming a scorching fireball. Previously, his True Fire Curse was only as thick as a finger, yet that was enough to incinerate an ordinary wandering spirit. This reinforced "Precious Grade True Fire Curse," however, was the size of a fist.

*Snap!*

Wu Xian flicked his finger.

The fireball slammed into her instantly, erupting into a blinding conflagration. Her spectral body began to burn fiercely, the radiant light even outshining the beam of the searchlight.

"Zhiwu... Zhi..."

Yu Yinghua’s body exploded like a balloon, evil energy venting and fleeing from the underground warehouse. The remaining bits of flesh turned into streaks of falling fire, shimmering with a dreamlike, crimson glow.

In truth, having been weakened by the dispelling of her magic and the immobilization, Yu Yinghua was already at the end of her tether. Wu Xian didn’t strictly need the True Fire Curse to kill her, but he needed to test the power of the Precious Grade spell to avoid miscalculating when it truly mattered. After Yu Yinghua’s death, the basement became much brighter, devoid of that dark, malevolent atmosphere.

***

Wu Xian wiped the sweat from his brow. To deal with this female spirit, he had used over twenty blade charges from his copper coin spear, one True Fire Curse, and Shi Ji’s "An-gang" blade—which was no longer as sharp as it had been, its toxins dulled—along with a whole bag of black dog blood. Su Huijin had also expended two powerful talismans.

This served to illustrate Yu Yinghua’s terrifying strength. Yet, in this Blessed Land, she was merely an elite monster. How much more horrifying would the life force and destructive power of a "Door-Breaking Great Spirit" be?

Wu Xian suddenly felt a pang of doubt. Even if his plan was executed perfectly, could he really kill a Door-Breaking Great Spirit?

Su Huijin seemed to notice his hesitation. "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and split the spoils, then get some rest so we can execute the plan tonight. I don't want to stay in this Blessed Land a moment longer."

This was the place where she had caused her sister’s death; she wanted to escape as quickly as possible to forget the sins of the previous night. Wen Chao was also eager, having prepared much for this day—it was time to bring it all to an end. Shi Ji held his battle-worn precious blade with a pained expression, looking at Wu Xian with hopeful eyes.

Watching the three of them, Wu Xian smiled, his resolve hardening. This plan was no longer just about him; at this point, he had to go all-in.

The four of them began to divide the loot. Compared to Yu Yinghua’s ferocity, her post-death drops were stingy: only four sticks of Spirit Incense. Three were common grade, and one had a silver stem—a precious grade item. The four of them frowned. Where were the spirit statues? What was the use of just the incense? This harvest barely covered the losses sustained in the fight.

After a brief discussion, Wu Xian took the silver precious incense, and the other three took one common stick each. They parted ways, agreeing to meet that night at the Ping’an Hostel.

***

Shi Ji sneakily found Wen Chao. "Could you help me make a remote-controlled bomb?"

Wen Chao asked suspiciously, "I did prepare some explosives, but they aren't very effective against spirits. What kind of power are you looking for?"

Shi Ji replied immediately, "The power doesn't matter, as long as the remote range is long enough!"

After thinking for a moment, Wen Chao said, "I can help you, but in return, I need some potent filth."

***

Su Huijin found a stack of yellow spirit paper. She drew a circle at a crossroads, placed the paper inside, and lit it, muttering as it burned.

"Sister, I’ve come to send you money."

"I will burn money for you every year from now on. Don’t be stingy on the other side. Once I leave this Blessed Land, I’ll burn ten handsome men for you immediately!"

"If you have a chance to be reincarnated, come into my family and be my daughter. Then we can be together again, and I will treat you well."

The paper burned into black ash. Su Huijin left, feeling as if her heart were lighter. After she left, a strange wind blew, and the black ash in the circle began to creep outward, strand by strand, like a woman’s hair.

***

After the others left, Wu Xian lingered near the underground warehouse for a while. He searched carefully and indeed found no statues, but he did find something else.

He found He Qiong.

Yu Yinghua’s final eruption of power had caused the concrete in the warehouse to churn, bringing He Qiong’s corpse to the surface and revealing a human silhouette. Wu Xian chipped away the outer shell of concrete, uncovering the body.

He Qiong’s state was even more wretched than Lu Yuzhu’s. His face was twisted in terror, and there was little intact skin left on his body. His gaping wounds were filled with concrete, which had already fused with his flesh. In a few days, he would have become a permanent part of the cement.

Wu Xian couldn't help but shake his head. He had quite liked the young man; though a bit dim-witted, he was at least loyal. It was a pity he died at the hands of those two vixenish women.

Seeing that there was still some time before nightfall, Wu Xian began his final preparations. He first went to a men’s clothing store to change into clean, decent attire, then collected some valuables like cash and gold jewelry. Finally, he stuffed the weapons and tools he had brought—which had turned into paper cutouts—into a suitcase.

He had already tested that he couldn't bring useful items from the outside world into the Blessed Land. Could he take things from the Blessed Land back out?

As he was about to return to the hostel, Wu Xian caught sight of a toothpaste advertisement and walked into the shop.