Chapter 195: Chapter 167: Close Encounter

Sang Que couldn’t see, indicating that Wu Renxing, this Gambling Ghost, indeed had reached the Ghost Level. When he doesn’t voluntarily show up to kill, people of insufficient level can’t perceive the existence of the Gambling Ghost.

The Taoist Sect has the Eye-opening Talisman, but it can only let ordinary people see Evil Level existences.

The Deceit Dynasty has many methods and items to deal with Evil Level existences, but once reaching Ghost Level, all aspects seem weak and lack power.

Yuan Gui is an ordinary person and can see Wu Renxing. This is not surprising, as Yuan Gui is causally connected with Wu Renxing turning into a Gambling Ghost, and it was Yuan Gui who personally handled Wu Renxing’s corpse.

The lantern hanging over the entrance of the gambling house is a soul lamp, a regular item used by the Evil Suppression Bureau with many purposes.

The soul candle inside the soul lamp has a certain dispersing effect on Wandering Souls and Evil Spirits. It can assist in visualization, passing the Yin, summoning souls, and checking yin objects.

When the soul candle collaborates with the runes on the lantern, its halo will turn green when it touches a four-layered evil ghost, indicating that the evil ghost is within a zhang of the soul lamp, which is 3.3 meters.

As the evil ghost approaches, the light of the soul lamp will weaken. If it suddenly goes out, then the evil ghost is either in front or behind, and one can only hope for luck.

At this moment, the lantern above the gambling house’s door dims in green and then gradually strengthens, indicating the Gambling Ghost has passed under the lantern.

“Follow me!”

Sang Que put on the mask of the Night Traveler, feeling a warm breeze sweep across her body, dispelling the chill of the night.

She lit the soul lamp in her hand, holding a lantern in one hand and a saber in the other, and walked out from the restaurant’s main entrance.

Yuan Gui swallowed his saliva, his peripheral vision sweeping over Wei Wu and the other three Day Traveling Envoy captains, his scalp tightening, and he hastily followed quickly.

Just for the previous concealment of important information by Yuan Gui, exterminating his entire clan would be sufficient. Now he must atone for his crime, and only if Sang Que successfully captures the Gambling Ghost does he have a chance to survive. Even then, awaiting his entire clan might be exile to the borders and forced labor.

Sang Que didn’t dare to get too close to the Gambling Ghost. Currently, without great danger, she aimed to conserve as much power as possible, thus letting Yuan Gui lead the way, following behind the Gambling Ghost.

In the morning, Wei Wu slaughtered many thugs from the gambling house at the entrance, blood flowing like a river. Sang Que utilitized everything, plunging the Hundred Victory Saber into the blood pool to absorb blood. Now the Hundred Victory Saber in her hand carried a bloody mist like flames burning on the blade, full of Evil Qi.

The light of the soul lamp was also red, illuminating the faces of Sang Que and Yuan Gui. The two of them looked like fierce ghosts of the night, walking through deserted alleys. If someone saw them, they would undoubtedly be frightened.

“It went that way, that’s Changle Lane.” Yuan Gui pointed in a direction.

Sang Que glanced at him, “If you want to live, be smart, stick close to me, and speak up immediately if anything happens.”

Yuan Gui nodded, diligently scanning the surroundings.

The alleys of Changle Lane were a bit wider than Buiyi Lane. The houses by Buiyi Lane were mostly small courtyards, while Changle Lane had many two-entrance and three-entrance mansions. Sang Que heard from Yu Da that some eighth or ninth rank officials of Wangshan City lived in Changle Lane.

The homes they passed still had peach charms on the doors. Peach charms are carved images of the Daoist Lord or Longevity Buddha on peach wood boards, hung on doors to ward off evil spirits.

In modern times, peach charms have been replaced by pictures of gate gods. Though the content differs, the purpose is the same.

“He stopped at that house ahead, that’s Han Shaoming, Han Dianyu’s home. He’s never met Wu Renxing. Every time he came, he only played in private rooms. Why is he targeted?”

Han Shaoming is a major patron of the gambling house, in charge of Wangshan City’s prisons. Yuan Gui, who runs the gambling house, frequently deals with Han Shaoming.

“Ghosts are sometimes fairer than humans!”

Sang Que said lightly, raising the lantern to look ahead. The entrance to the Han Mansion was quite grand, with two stone lions standing. Although she couldn’t see the Gambling Ghost, she could see the two peach charms on the big red door quickly decaying.

“He went inside!”

Yuan Gui called out in a low voice, and right after, his vision blurred. When he focused again, he found himself and Sang Que already in the front courtyard of Han Dianyu’s house.

Yuan Gui was terrified by Sang Que’s method, his face becoming paler, and his eyes filled with fear when looking at Sang Que.

“Where did it go?”

Yuan Gui came to his senses, hastily searching for traces of the Gambling Ghost.

Following Yuan Gui’s guidance, Sang Que used the Evil Mist to shroud their movements, reaching the rear courtyard of the Han Mansion.

…

At that moment, Han Shaoming was hugging a concubine, asleep, unaware of the approaching danger.

Feeling the biting cold wind blowing on his face, Han Shaoming didn’t open his eyes and mumbled drowsily, “Someone, close the window.”

Turning over and pulling the quilt, Han Shaoming smelled a putrid odor. Frowning, he opened his eyes and saw that the beauty in front of him had turned into a corpse with a gruesomely mutilated face, emitting a cadaveric stench.

!!!

Frightened, Han Shaoming jumped straight up from the bed and saw a man in coarse clothing with a dice cup in his hand standing at the bedside, suddenly raising his head.

“Master, what’s wrong?”

From the bed, Han Shaoming’s concubine rose, seeing Han Shaoming standing by the bed, only to find him gone in a blink.

The room was quiet, moonlight casting tree shadows inside, rustling as they swayed.

“Master?”

In the courtyard outside, gray mist stirred in the wind. Sang Que moved Han Shaoming out, splitting him unconscious with a saber in hand.

Before Sang Que could ask Yuan Gui if the Gambling Ghost had followed, the lantern’s light in her hand suddenly turned green; the Gambling Ghost was within a zhang.

Sang Que immediately enveloped the three of them with Evil Mist, retreating ten meters.

However, before she could even exhale, the lantern’s light didn’t revert to red, but suddenly darkened, almost extinguishing.

The Gambling Ghost is so fast!

Sang Que once again used the Evil Mist Instant Teleportation, this time instantly moving outside the Han Mansion’s entrance, the lantern’s light turning back to red, but in the next moment,

Whoosh!

As if someone blew out a breath, the soul lamp in Sang Que’s hand went out.

She had no time to react and was engulfed by a chill, oppressed. The sound of breaking bones came from beside her, Yuan Gui shivered all over, quickly covering his mouth, not daring to scream.

Sang Que stood rigid, through her peripheral vision, saw a shadow standing behind her, bringing a sense of impending assault.

Fortunately, she wasn’t in the rules of the Gambling Ghost’s killing spree, nor was she inside the gambling house; the Gambling Ghost disappeared in a flash.

Sang Que, feeling her body loosen, looked down to find Han Shaoming unconscious with his entire face collapsed inward, his skin intact but facial bones shattered, stretching the corners of his mouth into a sinister smile.

Dead!

A chill swept through Sang Que, a living person having their life taken by the Gambling Ghost in the blink of an eye, even her Evil Mist couldn’t stop it.

The main issue was the speed, faster than when the Fish Woman attacked her, making it impossible to evade or escape; definitely not an ordinary four-layered evil ghost, something strange was afoot.

Gathering herself, Sang Que asked Yuan Gui, “Where’s the Gambling Ghost?”

Yuan Gui, covering his mouth, shakily pointed toward the Han Mansion, indicating the Gambling Ghost had gone back inside.

The Gambling Ghost, when killing, aims to annihilate the entire household before moving on to the next target.

“How many people are in the Han Mansion?”

Yuan Gui took a deep breath, stammering, “Including servants and maids, probably over fifty people.”

Sang Que’s heart sank; could this Gambling Ghost intend to wipe out everyone in the Han Mansion tonight?

Sang Que, preparing to enter with Evil Mist to find the Gambling Ghost, suddenly caught sight of a small figure swiftly darting over the roof of the neighboring estate, quickly vanishing into the Han Mansion.

It was the person she had shot in Buiyi Lane that night with an arrow.

Quick to respond, Sang Que spread the Evil Mist over the spot where the figure landed, a few instant teleportations quickly trapping the figure in the Han Mansion’s small garden.

This time, the person didn’t directly escape; upon seeing the Night Traveler mask on Sang Que’s face, a wave of anger rose in their pupils, stepping out from the dark.

“Is your Evil Suppression Bureau so incompetent that you only know how to wrong the innocent? Do you realize your careless words ruined my years of effort? Breaking someone’s incense lineage is a life or death feud—pay up, or I’ll never let this go with you!”

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