Cause and Effect

As the ghost slave entered, a gleam flashed through Wang Ye's eyes. He moved in an instant, slashing his ghost blade ferociously at the ghost slave.

At the same time, a ball of energy burst out from the muzzle where Mao Yong'an's head was, smashing into the ghost slave's body with a rumble.

Accompanied by a loud bang, Wang Ye rapidly retreated, his eyes filled with vigilance.

The ghost slave's body kept trembling, the tattered flesh and blood hanging off its bones fell to the ground, but the bones themselves were unharmed, extremely tough.

Wow, this guy is too meaty!

Mao Yong'an was somewhat astonished. He disassembled his arm cannon, put it back in his backpack, and took out two strange talismans.

It looked like he was preparing to flee.

Strangely though, after being attacked, the ghost slave showed no intention of retaliating. Emptiness filled its eyes, which oddly erupted with a fanatical gaze, like the most faithful devotee. It walked to the Buddha statue at the center of the altar, step by step, then kneeled down with palms together.

Wang Ye warily retreated two steps, silent, but his body firmly standing at the doorway, ready to retreat at any time.

The Buddha statue's eyeballs kept rolling, radiating sacred golden light despite the gore.

The bloated belly of the ghost slave kept undulating, as if something alive was inside. Finally...

A hole ripped open in its belly, and an infant crawled out from the ghost slave's stomach, with innocent, unworldly eyes and a smile. It crawled onto the ghost slave's body and bit down.

The ghost slave didn't move at all, just piously looking at the Buddha statue.

More and more flesh and blood fell off its body as the infant grew at an eerie speed.

It ceaselessly chewed the blood and meat chunks in its mouth until the ghost slave completely became a skeleton, and the infant grew into a youth.

Wang Ye's expression grew heavier and heavier.

Familiarity seeped from the youth's features.

Looking at the corpse of the old monk on the ground and the youth with palms together reverently kowtowing to the Buddha statue.

Rebirth!?

Wang Ye slowly retreated to the doorway with Mao Yong'an closely following behind.

The smiling expression had vanished at some point, replaced by solemnity as he silently watched the Buddha statue.

"What do you make of this?" Wang Ye softly asked.

Mao Yong'an shook his head. "I'm not sure. The Buddhist clan's things have always been bizarre, but I sensed a threat to life from that thing, you should know what I mean."

Wang Ye was astonished. This Daoist's life-saving methods were inexhaustible. Even now, Wang Ye still couldn't determine if the guy in front of him was Mao Yong'an's true form.

After all, without sufficient strength, Dao City wouldn't have let him out to gain experience.

But now...

This Buddha statue actually threatened the strength of Dao City's young Daoist?

Wang Ye was even more wary of the Buddha statue.

Just then, the youth slowly kowtowed three times to the Buddha statue.

One kowtow...

Two kowtows...

Three kowtows...

With each kowtow, blood mist rose from the youth's body into the Buddha statue.

After the third kowtow, the youth had aged.

In his aged state, his face was identical to the old monk's.

The old monk laboriously stood up, turned around, and gazed at Wang Ye. He sighed lightly, "The thirteenth offering was still not perfect after all. You and I, of the Buddhist clan, have a karmic tie."

As he spoke, a strand of energy from the Buddha statue flowed into the old monk's body.

Then, magnificent golden light radiated from the old monk's body and a powerful pressure swept toward Wang Ye.

Wang Ye grunted and took a step back.

His skin faintly shimmered with a layer of golden light, then the small wooden fish in his pocket gently shook.

Hmm?

The old monk sensed it briefly, then withdrew the pressure, seeming thoughtful.

After a long while, he slowly said, "It doesn't seem to be time to resolve this karmic tie yet."

As his words fell, a crack strangely split open in the air, filled with darkness and terrifying aura.

The old monk respectfully held up the altar and strode into the crack.

As the old monk entered, the crack slowly disappeared.

Only the rich bloody smell lingered in the air.

Wang Ye and Mao Yong'an exchanged a look, both filled with contemplation.

"What was that offering for?" Wang Ye murmured softly.

Mao Yong'an shook his head. "I'm not sure, I can go back and ask my elders."

"Thirteenth time, so that means this kind of situation, this old monk has already offered sacrifices thirteen times? He's died thirteen times?" Wang Ye pondered.

Mao Yong'an nodded in agreement. "That should be the case. Perhaps even more ordinary people have died."

Wang Ye and Mao Yong'an fell silent again, gazing at the empty hut for a long time before silently leaving.

Outside the barricade tape, the thick fog gradually dissipated, and Wang Ye and Mao Yong'an's figures appeared in everyone's sight.

"Success?"

A hint of joy colored Liu Qian's face.

Wang Ye neither confirmed nor denied it. He looked back deeply in the direction he had come from, "Go take care of the aftermath. I'm a bit tired, I'll go back and rest first."

Exhaustion showed on his face as he left with Mao Yong'an.

Disappointment flashed across Liu Qian's face, but she quickly cheered up again and entered the scene with Wang Qiang and the investigators.

At the room entrance, Wang Ye parted ways with Mao Yong'an.

The hair strands wedged in the door crack had once again mysteriously vanished.

He sighed helplessly, not even bothering to feel wary anymore. Wang Ye pushed open the door and entered.

Mao Yong'an softly knocked on the door. The old woman, neatly dressed with a benevolent smile, opened the door and welcomed him in.

"You must be tired, eat first."

The old woman carried over a bowl of piping hot rice and dishes, her voice affectionate and caring.

Mao Yong'an didn't even glance at the old woman. He went straight to his room, flopped on the bed, and casually took out a scarecrow from his pocket.

Soon, the scarecrow assumed his appearance, smiling as it walked out of the bedroom and sat at the dining table. It stuffed finger after finger into its mouth under the old woman's expectant gaze.

At that time...

It was still early dawn.

Bizarre atmosphere filled the room.

Wang Ye returned to his room, smelling the faint perfume and spotlessly clean floor of the living room, increasingly helpless.

With a sigh, he went to the study, turned on the computer, and opened the file storing the surveillance videos...

Then Wang Ye's pupils suddenly contracted.

The files...

Were all deleted.

And in the folder, a document had been created at some point.

Opening it, there was only one line of text inside.

Hello.

Seeing the text in the document, a chill rushed through Wang Ye's body!

Was the one who entered his room human or ghost!

If human, which organization did they belong to, and what was their aim!

And if they just wanted to secretly look around, why tidy up his room!

But if it was a ghost...

That would be even more terrifying.

Just what kind of existence was this?