Chapter 78: The Astonished Spirit Masters of the Lighthouse Nation

No one knew how much time had passed when a fleet suddenly surrounded the ship. A group of uniformed individuals boarded, their gazes sharp and their presence as unsettling as that of eerie creatures. Most wore transparent jars at their waists, each containing a shrunken, bizarre being. Judging by the badges on their chests, they were Ghost Tamers from the Lighthouse Nation.

As they set foot on the ship, the sight before them left them utterly astonished. Not long ago, they’d received an emergency call reporting an attack by a supernatural entity. Given the immense profits these wealthy passengers brought to their country, the authorities had dispatched a fleet at once. Yet, it was clear they had arrived too late.

“My God, look at this place—what on earth happened here?”

“From what we can tell, only one Class B supernatural entity was involved, but it has already fled. There are twenty-seven human survivors.”

“What? Twenty-seven people survived an attack by a Class B entity? Bring them here—I want to question them.”

The lead Ghost Tamer was clearly shocked. A Class B supernatural entity was not to be underestimated, even in the Lighthouse Nation; for anyone to survive such an encounter was nothing short of miraculous.

Soon, three trembling survivors were brought before him.

“These three are the only ones still coherent enough to speak.”

Blood covered every inch of these people. With a single glance, the Ghost Tamer read the truth in their eyes, but he did not press them. Instead, he asked, “What happened here?”

At these words, the three nearly collapsed in terror. How could they possibly tell the truth? That they’d slaughtered one another until none remained?

Seeing their distress, the lead Ghost Tamer approached and whispered, “Go on, tell me. If you don’t, we’ll never know what happened here.”

Indeed, only they knew what had transpired. Each survivor’s hands were stained with blood, and none would dare confess. Since that was the case, it was better to stick to the same lie.

“It was the Dread Wraith!” one finally blurted.

“Yes, that’s right! The Dread Wraith disguised itself as one of us and carried out a merciless massacre!”

“That entity is the stuff of legend—it only appears on ships…”

Hearing their tale, the lead Ghost Tamer pondered for a moment and chose to believe them.

He waved his hand in the air, summoning a translucent screen before him and began to record:

Supernatural Entity: Dread Wraith
Level: B
Threat Rating: C
Means of Attack: Disguises as a human, kills through conventional means
…

After finishing, he let out a long sigh of relief. “Thank goodness Dr. Ruan Changhong and his family were under our protection throughout and spared from this disaster.”

…

It was just as Xiao Zi had anticipated; this was precisely the outcome he desired. Soon, tales of the Dread Wraith would spread throughout the Lighthouse Nation. Anyone setting foot on a ship would live in terror of him, feeding him a wealth of fear.

As for Xiao Zi, he had long since left that ship and arrived in a new land: the Desert Nation.

As its name implied, this was an independent country swallowed by endless sands. It was said that, once upon a time, it had a tangled relationship with the Lighthouse Nation, but after its oil was depleted, it was completely abandoned.

The country boasted sixteen cities of varying sizes, with two principal ones: Ox City and Calf City. With a population just shy of a million, these two cities alone accounted for over three hundred thousand—proof of their importance. Levels of civilization were comparable to the neighboring Model Nation, but lacking the support of a major power, the Ghost Tamers here were far weaker. The supernatural entities, too, were unimpressive—maintaining a sort of fragile balance.

At present, Xiao Zi was in Ox City, whose strongest defenders were merely a Class B Ghost Tamer and a Class B supernatural entity. Neither posed any threat to him. He was set on weaving a tale of terror here, shrouding the nation in fear.

The country’s poor internet connectivity meant that to spread terror swiftly—without attracting the attention of neighboring states—he had to focus on what captivated the locals most.

What did the people here care about? According to Xiao Zi’s observations, what fascinated them most were those with real skill.

And what did “real skill” mean? Not Ghost Tamers, nor supernatural entities, but gunslingers.

The faster the draw, the greater the glory!

Just like in those Western movies—the quicker the gunslinger, the higher the praise.

To create such a legend, no one was more suitable than Wang Hui. As long as Wang Hui’s name gained fame here, the spread of fear would follow naturally.

Wang Hui now wore a jacket, a revolver at his hip, swaggering along with an insufferable expression on his face. At first glance, he truly looked like a fledgling cowboy.

He strode straight into a bar. Passersby stared at him with odd, indescribable expressions.

“Boss, didn’t I say? Dress like this and you’ll fit right in,” he boasted.

Xiao Zi remained silent, for he’d heard the muttered words of those around them: “What a fool.”

But that didn’t matter. What did was that tonight, Wang Hui had come to this bar to provoke a well-known gunslinger—Jessam.

He threw the doors open with a dramatic crash, making sure all eyes were on him. He strolled over to the bartender, still wearing that insufferable smirk.

“One bottle of vodka. Just give me the whole thing—I’ll smash the neck and drink straight from the bottle.”

“We don’t serve alcohol here,” the bartender replied flatly.

“Oh?” Wang Hui chuckled, glancing back at the patrons. “Then what are they drinking? Milk?”

The bartender leaned in, eyes narrowed. “To be precise, we don’t serve to impostors who pretend to be Daxia men and put on airs.”

“Hah? How do you know I’m not from Daxia? On what grounds?”

“I’ve seen Daxia men. There’s no trace of their wild defiance in your eyes.” He wiped a glass. “Kid, this isn’t the place for you. Every man in this bar has a name for himself. Best leave before you get hurt.”

“Not nameless, huh?” Wang Hui feigned confusion, glancing at the gunslingers. “So you’re all that tough?”

His arrogance quickly enraged the other patrons. These gunslingers, usually proud and aloof, now wore expressions of barely contained fury as their hands hovered over their holsters, ready to draw at any moment.

But Wang Hui wasn’t finished. He turned back to the bartender. “I’ll bet you a gold coin—not one of them dares lay a hand on me.”

Even as the words left his mouth, he heard the rustle of movement behind him and immediately began focusing the energy Xiao Zi had granted him.

A showdown was imminent!