Chapter Thirty-Seven: Possession by the Shadow Spirit

The three of us strode briskly across the playground. I had intended to show some mercy to my classmates, but their bullying had gone too far. We prowled like famished tigers, eyes scanning for unsuspecting lambs.

“Help me!” came a sudden cry from the grass to our left.

Without hesitation, I drew my blade from the ring and summoned the Snow Edge. The distance was negligible—I could reach it in a single breath. I didn’t care who it was; I raised my blade and struck.

To my surprise, the blow missed. I saw a male student pinned beneath another, nearly suffocated. The boy struggling for air was Li Zhaoyang from my class—a nondescript face, unimpressive grades, few friends, almost invisible. The other, fierce and imposing, was also from my class: Huang Qiang, the athletic commissioner, burly and dark-skinned.

I only knew them by name; we hadn’t interacted much, but we shared the same classroom.

Turning to Chen Chen, I saw him hesitate, then nod.

I stepped forward and kicked Huang Qiang aside.

“What are you doing? You really think I can’t take you?” Huang Qiang shouted, sitting heavily on the ground.

“Before the Ghost King appeared, you were the boss of the class. Now things have changed—I need to survive,” I replied.

There was not a trace of pity in my heart. With a single swing, his head fell.

Just then, my phone rang.

“Complete the task, and you can leave with your team’s Redstone Leaf,” read the Ghost King’s message. I took the Redstone Leaf from my ring and held it in my hand.

“Thank you…” Li Zhaoyang murmured as I turned toward the school gate.

“We may never meet again,” I said, leading Chen Chen and Li Zijian out of the school.

I felt as if I had succumbed to darkness—my heart cold and unfeeling, my gaze indifferent… Yet I still possessed a shred of conscience. As we walked, I dialed Second Uncle’s number.

“Hello?” came the familiar voice.

“It’s me, Lin Yao. How have you been lately?”

“Cut the small talk. Meet at the usual place.”

I was taken aback, wanting to ask more, but the call had already ended.

Second Uncle’s “usual place” was the park where he taught me to box that day. Could he already know my situation? But I’d never heard of him fortune-telling.

No matter—I’d find out when I saw him. It was midday; we had reached the school gate.

Reflecting on the past three days, I realized I hadn’t done much—just completed two tasks and spent two days unconscious.

The school gate was open, and I had already returned the Redstone Leaf to my ring.

As I was about to step out, something felt off. I sensed the flow of spiritual energy in the air.

Li Zijian, head bowed, walked straight into it.

“Ouch, damn…” he grumbled, rubbing his head and staring blankly at the empty space in front of him.

I reached out to touch it—sure enough, there was a wall of spiritual energy.

I was still perplexed by the Ghost King’s instructions when Chen Chen spoke up.

“Redstone Leaf.”

I slapped my forehead. Of course—the Ghost King had mentioned carrying the Redstone Leaf, though he hadn’t explained its purpose. Now it made sense.

I took the Redstone Leaf from my ring and held it in my hand. When I reached forward, the barrier vanished, leaving only the flow of spiritual energy visible.

I signaled for the other two to grab my coat, and we exited together.

We made it out smoothly this time. I took a deep breath and put the Redstone Leaf away.

“I’ll head home. Contact me if anything comes up,” Chen Chen said, as taciturn as ever.

“I… I’m going home too. Haven’t been back in days…” Li Zijian called a cab and left. Chen Chen and I parted ways at the fork.

I chuckled at myself and, after orienting myself, ran along the road toward the park.

Running was effortless now; I broke only a light sweat.

…

Less than twenty minutes later, I stepped through the park gates.

From afar, I saw an elderly man seated on a bench, puffing clouds of smoke. It must be Second Uncle Cai Ming.

“I’m late. Got held up,” I said, jogging over and sitting beside him.

“Oh, right, I wanted to ask you—” I began, but Second Uncle raised his hand and struck me from behind.

The blow was powerful, launching me from the bench and sending me sliding across the ground.

I grimaced in pain, eyebrows furrowed, staring at Second Uncle.

He put away his pipe and pointed at me, shouting, “Evil spirit, come out!”

I tilted my head, utterly confused.

Suddenly, I felt a wrenching sensation in my body, followed by suffocation—but it passed in seconds.

Before me, a figure floated—a ghost, unmistakably.

I understood at once.

“Prepare to die!” Second Uncle wasted no time. As the ghost emerged, he dashed forward, drawing his long sword.

With a crackling sound, he cleaved the spirit in two. It dissolved into black smoke and drifted away.

“Get up, you’re fine after that hit,” he said, surprised at how easily the ghost was dispatched, but sheathed his sword nonetheless.

I grinned crookedly, quickly stood, dusted myself off, and sat back beside him.

“How did this happen? You’re a cultivator now—how could you let a petty ghost possess you?”

I scratched my head. I hadn’t felt anything amiss, except an overwhelming urge to kill…

“Whatever happened, I won’t pry. But you must have experienced fear, terror, or a desire for revenge recently…”

His words gave me clarity.

It must have been when I woke up and slew those who ambushed me.

“Humans have three souls and seven spirits. When frightened or shocked, a soul or spirit wavers, giving ghosts a chance.”

“For cultivators, the most important thing is to guard your heart. Even as an ordinary person, if you encounter a ghost but hold firm to your beliefs and preserve your heart, those so-called ghosts can do nothing to you.”

Second Uncle’s words struck me like a bolt of enlightenment.

If Chen Chen was a little encyclopedia, Second Uncle was the upgraded edition.

I took out the Snow Edge and handed it to him.

“Please take a look—I found this in a temple some time ago.”

He examined it for a long while, channeling spiritual energy into his left hand, but the Snow Edge did not absorb it.

He muttered a puzzled sound and fiddled with it, but failed to reveal its true form.

I took the blade back and infused it with a bit of spiritual energy—the blade’s form appeared instantly.

Second Uncle finally understood, taking a deep breath.

“This is a spiritual weapon! You lucky devil!”