Ghost King 016

The name "Dongshan Cemetery Co., Ltd." was now practically known to every ghost in the vicinity.

After all, even those old-timers thick with resentment had been beaten into submission by the thugs from Dongshan Cemetery. The key thing was, they had connections up top, so beating ghosts was a waste of effort—if you didn't know your place, they'd beat you and then have the ghost guard come lock you up and haul you away.

Relying on the connections of the Judge of the Dead, Fang Zhiyi expanded his influence at lightning speed. The fierce spirits under his command covered almost every district in City A. Now, no matter where something stirred, he'd be the first to know.

This was also a good thing for Ah Da. The fierce spirits under Fang Zhiyi's control were busy with their own territories and had no time to harm humans. Whenever a new fierce spirit emerged, the ghosts from Dongshan Cemetery would immediately snuff it out and bring it back.

Even the efficiency of registering ordinary spirits had increased several times over. Back when Ah Da held this position, there were always stragglers. But now, Ah Er, who had taken over the job along with a new ghost guard, lived a cushy life. When the registration day came, all they had to do was wait at Dongshan Cemetery—the ghosts would line up and come forward on their own.

A young Taoist was dozing off beside a coffin. His master had mentioned that fierce spirits seemed to be causing less trouble lately, and no one could figure out why. But to make a living, even he had taken to presiding over funeral rites.

Still, presiding over funerals was exhausting—you had to endlessly chant sutras to guide the deceased, keep an eye on the candles, and remember every step of the ritual.

Just as the young Taoist was about to fall asleep, a chilling wind blew past, as if it had pierced right into his bones. He shivered, snapped upright, and the moment he opened his eyes, he froze.

A fierce spirit with a terrifying face drifted past him, poked its head into the crack of the coffin that hadn't been fully sealed, and after a moment, dragged out the soul of the deceased old man. The two ghosts exchanged a few words, and the old man obediently followed the fierce spirit out the door.

The young Taoist gaped at the scene.

Was this right? Right in front of him? Were fierce spirits this brazen nowadays? And as a fierce spirit, why wasn't it harming people? What business did it have messing with other ghosts?

But before his muddled mind could figure it out, the fierce spirit suddenly stopped right in front of him.

"What the hell are you looking at?"

Along with those words came two slaps.

Fierce spirits didn't hit hard, but the insult was overwhelming. The young Taoist was completely dumbfounded as he watched the two ghosts walk away.

For the rest of the funeral, his mind was full of question marks. Was there any point in holding the ceremony now? The soul was already gone!

Normally, the job of presiding over funerals was handled by seasoned practitioners—whether Taoists or spirit mediums, they rarely took such gigs, so no one had noticed anything amiss. And this was his first time earning money from it.

The more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. When he went back, he immediately told his master about it.

His master was equally baffled.

But soon, he recalled the recent rumors about fierce spirits disappearing.

To be safe, the master and apprentice snagged another funeral gig and lay in wait that night for the fierce spirit to show up.

When the clock neared 2 a.m., a fierce spirit indeed drifted in slowly.

The master's narrowed eyes snapped open as he watched the ghost standing at the courtyard gate from a distance.

"Master, Master... this isn't the one I saw!"

"Don't talk! No matter which fierce spirit it is, we have to destroy it!" The master, getting worked up, had to admit—he hadn't seen a single fierce spirit in a whole month, which had even made him doubt his own expertise.

But then the fierce spirit suddenly turned and left.

When the two chased after it, it had vanished without a trace.

"Strange! Strange!" The old master paced back and forth in the funeral hall, hands clasped behind his back.

What the hell was going on?

An hour later, another chilling wind blew in, and both master and apprentice turned to look at the door.

Another ghost they hadn't seen before walked in.

It didn't even spare them a glance. It went straight to the coffin, reached in, and yanked the soul of the deceased out. This blatant disregard shocked the pair again.

"Apprentice... do I look weak to you?" The old master pointed at his own nose.

The apprentice looked him over: "No, Master, you look like an immortal with an air of wisdom..."

But as he spoke, the ghost had already reached them.

"How dare you—" The old master began to speak, raising a hand in motion while he opened his mouth, but the other ghost was quicker.

"Slap!"

"Slap!"

Master and apprentice both covered their cheeks, faces full of disbelief.

"What the hell are you looking at?" Fang Zhiyi tugged at the ghost soul behind him and left.

"Master! See? It not only disrespects me, it disrespects you too!" The young apprentice started yelling.

But the old master, who had also been slapped, clamped a hand over his apprentice's mouth.

"Can't mess with him."

The apprentice's eyes widened in shock.

This ghost is nothing like the one we faced before... This, this... The yin energy it suddenly unleashed just now, it’s at least a Ghost King! the old master said with deep concern. I’m afraid the storm is coming... Contact the others in the sect, quickly!

Liu Xiaohua stood firm in front of Qin Shaoqing, blocking his path. Qin Shaoqing frowned. Little girl, move aside.

Liu Xiaohua shook her head. No! You can’t hurt Grandpa Liu!

Liu Sandao looked at the Daoist master with some fear. He should have left earlier—who would have thought this master would barge right in!

It’s a ghost, not a human. Little girl, step aside! Qin Shaoqing slowly raised his peachwood sword, and with a single tap of his finger on the blade, the sword emitted a faint yellow light.

Liu Xiaohua remained stubbornly in his way. Liu Sandao suddenly felt a pang of shame—here he was, being protected by a child like Liu Xiaohua.

None of you understand what’s at stake! Qin Shaoqing said abruptly, his gaze turning fierce.

In the past few days, he and his junior sister Li Chenxue had barely spoken. Then a girl named Tang Nuannuan showed up. He always felt something was off about her, but when he urged Li Chenxue to be cautious, Li Chenxue accused him of seeing everyone as a villain.

After that, Tang Nuannuan spent all her time with Li Chenxue, who grew colder toward him by the day. Yet the faint ghostly aura on her didn’t escape his notice. After some investigation, he discovered that Tang Nuannuan had actually hired a Daoist master to capture a small vicious ghost and kept it in her home. The three of them—two humans and a ghost—spent their days together!

Originally, he planned to find a chance to deal with the situation. But just as he was about to lecture them sternly, the protective formation Tang Nuannuan had set up in her room broke for some reason. The small vicious ghost suddenly turned hostile, attempting to attack them both. Thankfully, he was able to strike it down in time.

But...