Chapter 122 A Ghostly Encounter in Qingzhou, Frost Moon Slays the Soul…
June 5th, outside Qingzhou City.
The cold rain pattered against the mountain road, and the chilly air seeped into the woods, making it feel like winter, with a cold chill everywhere.
It was unclear when the rain would stop. A woodcutter carried firewood down the mountain. The man carefully made his way along the muddy mountain path, step by step. Unfortunately, the wind was strong, and the cold air blew directly at him. He was soaked to the bone, not to mention the firewood on his back.
The man finally couldn't hold back any longer. He spat on the ground, then wiped his face in the air and said bluntly, "It's unbelievable how it's raining so heavily in June."
"Whoosh~"
Another gust of cold wind blew by, passing through the gaps in the tree shadows, as if someone were talking.
The cold raindrops lashed against the man, who shivered, hugging himself. He felt the wind was terrifyingly cold, and he longed to get home quickly; his wife and children were waiting for him there…
Raindrops blurred his vision. He blinked frantically, wiping his eyes with his sleeve, afraid of veering off onto some unknown mountain path. But the wet mud was too difficult to walk on. He lowered his head, straining to see each section of the path clearly in the cold, rainy mist—
It seemed like it was getting dark, like he had been walking for a very long time, like the firewood behind him was as heavy as a mountain. He bent over, squinted, and walked step by step through the mud, each step leaving deep, damp footprints in the soil.
It's really heavy. At first, it was raindrops, and then it was the firewood behind me.
Too heavy, too heavy. He walked step by step, as if his spine had been broken by the weight of the firewood.
In the end, the woodcutter never managed to untie it.
The sky was overcast, and a light rain was falling. Eventually, even his head drooped.
At the last moment, he thought,
This rain will never stop...
...
"There are no ghosts in this story..."
Qingyu sat on the recliner, slowly flipping through Zhang Xuan's Fengdu Ghost Encyclopedia, which is a collection of ghost stories. The woman said strangely, "Isn't this just about a woodcutter who got caught in the rain, got lost in the mountains, and died? There are no ghosts here."
On the opposite daybed, Zhang Xuan was about to say something, but then he felt something was off. He thought for a moment and said, "Ah!"
On the daybed, Qin Tianshu, sitting opposite Zhang Xuan, was startled by his shout. The scholar looked up speechlessly, "...Why are you so startled?"
Zhang Xuan: "...The story of that woodcutter...Aren't we right here on the outskirts of Qingzhou City...?"
Qingyu blinked. "You, you shouldn't talk nonsense."
Fan Xiang, who was practicing calligraphy at the medicine table, finally looked up because of the commotion they were making. The woman asked in confusion, "What's the story?"
Qingyu turned her head to look at her and said bluntly, "It's nothing, it's just that in the suburbs of Qingzhou City, in June, there was a sudden downpour, and a woodcutter got lost in the mountains, saw a ghost... and died."
Lin Fanxiang: "..."
"Jingle bells—"
The wind chimes rang softly, accompanied by the sound of wind and rain mist. Sitting in the driver's seat, Wen Chuan said, "It's raining."
...
Everyone: "!"
Zhang Xuan: "I...I...I've seen a ghost..."
Qingyu: "Don't talk nonsense! What kind of lousy book is this—"
Qin Tianshu stared intently in Qingyu's direction for a moment, then said, "What Xiao Zhang means is, what's behind you..."
Qingyu sat up in the recliner, and at that moment the woman seemed to straighten her bones. Wasn't there a window right behind her...?
Lin Fanxiang glanced in the direction of the scholar and Zhang Xuan. Outside the window, the rain and mist were misty, and a dark shadow with eerie eyes loomed.
Ah,
"ah!"
Qingyu stood up in an instant, and the woman flipped her hand to create a spiritual array. With a thought, the red array light slashed towards the rain and mist outside the window!
The red light flashed for a moment, but quickly dissipated into the vast rain curtain. The pattering rain grew louder, and the wind rose with it, but nothing could drown out the woman's angry shouts—
"Zhang Xuan! Brother! Xiangxiang! You've teamed up to scare me with a ghost!"
"Seriously! I'll do that again next time!"
Qin Tianshu was the first to laugh. The scholar smiled and waved his fan, saying, "We didn't say anything."
Lin Fanxiang lowered her head and chuckled softly, a rare occurrence for her. Actually, the "ah" she had just shouted wasn't very loud, but because she was close to Qingyu, she immediately shouted back and turned around to wave her hand.
"Don't be angry, don't be angry, it's our fault."
As Qingyu caught her breath, Wen Chuan's concerned voice came from not far away, "Are you alright?"
"fine!"
Qingyu replied, then thought for a moment, and went straight to the swing chair by the car door to swing on it. Hmph, I'm going to talk to Wen Chuan and enjoy the rain!
As she walked along, the vegetables on the bookshelf made a few lazy gurgling noises, as if it were just a normal rain shower.
Zhang Xuan, lying on the daybed, didn't dare to move for a long time. The young man swallowed hard and asked the others, "Didn't you guys really see the shadow outside the window just now?"
Qin Tianshu: "...No."
Zhang Xuan then looked at Lin Fanxiang, who blinked and shook her head as well.
Not far away, Qingyu sat on a swing chair listening to the rain, casually replying, "I was fooled, how would I know... But this rain is really heavy..."
The sky had darkened without anyone noticing, and the rain began to fall gradually, yet also rapidly, as if the wind was too strong and the rain too fast, creating a gloomy atmosphere on the mountain path.
A chill swept into the carriage. Wen Chuan drove the horses carefully, keeping an eye on the muddy road. For some reason, both horses seemed to be losing strength, as if they had been hit by rain, and their legs were trembling.
Wen Chuan frowned for a moment, and the young man immediately stopped his horse, staring intently at his surroundings. He said, "Something really isn't right here."
Zhang Xuan said, "Right, right? I really saw a ghost just now..."
The carriage fell silent in an instant. Wen Chuan got off the carriage, followed closely by Qing Yu. Zhang Xuan and the others exchanged glances and also got off the carriage.
Strangely enough, after everyone got off the car, the rain gradually subsided, becoming light and misty, carrying an intense chill.
Moreover, the sky was eerily dark, like a moonless night. The carriage was still parked to the side. Everyone got out of the carriage. The shadows of the trees swayed gently in the wind. In the dark, dense forest, someone was crying.
In the deep, cold rain, in the quiet forest, they gathered together, intently surveying their surroundings.
To be honest, if she didn't know what it was, or if something unknown suddenly appeared and startled her, Qingyu would be quite scared. After all, no one has ever seen a ghost.
But if she made it clear that there was danger, she wouldn't be afraid anymore. What could she do if a ghost came? She would catch it.
Unconsciously, Qingyu raised her hand to smooth her hair. The woman chuckled softly at the ghostly wailing that seemed to come from nowhere. "How annoying. I got caught in the rain, and my hair is all wet."
Lin Fanxiang smiled gently upon hearing this, saying, "Ghosts can't summon wind and rain. Who knows, their hair might be dry by daybreak."
Qin Tianshu smiled, waving his fan. In the dark, rainy night, the scholar's smile was more eerie than a ghost's.
"Am I seeing a ghost? I'm so scared."
Wen Chuan: "...There are still people in this forest."
...
Zhang Xuan gripped the hilt of the Frost Moon Blade, the young man staring intently at his surroundings, taking one step at a time, listening to the wind and feeling the rain. Suddenly, he felt someone touch him from behind.
The boy didn't turn around, but asked in a low voice, "Brother?"
"It's me."
A cold male voice came, and it seemed that the person had already climbed onto Zhang Xuan's back, slowly and gradually, the cool and icy coldness fell on the young man. It seemed that in just a few seconds, the coldness turned into a heavy burden, and in an instant, it turned into a boulder, a mountain, and a loved one.
Zhang Xuan's face flushed red, veins bulging. The young man didn't draw his knife; he simply stood there, supporting the weight of the person behind him. He walked step by step, bending over, head down, watching the deep, damp footprints he left in the mud.
The rain seems to be getting heavier, and it seems like it won't stop.
elder brother.
Where do you want to go? I'll take you.
elder brother.
Can you say something to me?
It's me.
It's me.
...
It turns out that what the woodcutter couldn't let go of in the end was people.
It turns out that the torrential rain and the persistent dampness were tears.
What a pity, is this what a ghost is...?
Turns out, it's not scary at all.
...
"Whoosh—"
The familiar sound of a blade rang out, and Zhang Xuan snapped back to reality, realizing that the Frost Moon Blade at his waist had disappeared. The young man looked up and saw the aloof girl stubbornly pointing the Frost Moon Blade at him... no, at his back.
Lin Fanxiang gripped the hilt of the Frost Moon Blade tightly, the blade pointing at Ghost Shadow, her eyes fixed on him.
"Get off him."
Finally, the wind rose and the rain fell, the woman's hair fluttered down, her blade flashed with a chilling aura, and with each gentle sway of her dress, her killing intent was palpable—
In the vast rain, the sound of a folding fan closing suddenly came. A white, gray wind rose from nowhere, stirring up countless fallen leaves and dust. When everyone opened their eyes again in the strong wind, the sky was already bright!
The scholar chuckled softly, "How can a ghost's illusion compare to mine?"
He spoke casually, but Zhang Xuan blinked while looking at the clear sky and white clouds. His eyes were blurry, and the young man felt dizzy. Suddenly, someone slapped him hard on the back!
Qingyu: "Xiangxiang!"
Before the woman could finish speaking, Lin Fanxiang brandished her knife with a backhand motion. The cool blade light severed yin and yang, and a dark figure finally appeared in the shadow of the knife amidst the reflection of the cold light!
Under the scorching sun, the sound of wind and snow rose. Wen Chuan lightly touched the scabbard, and the silvery-white blade of Frosty Moon guided him. With a light touch of his sword, the immortal figure had nowhere to hide!
"thump--"
The sound of a heavy object falling to the ground rang out. When I came to my senses, the ground was covered with fallen leaves in the setting sun, and everyone was gathered together. It seemed to be just a simple and peaceful afternoon.
Zhang Xuan was still in a daze when Qin Tianshu hit him on the head with the handle of his fan. "You've been reading ghost stories for nothing!"
It's all a routine, a routine.
The scholar had written countless stories about being possessed by a ghost, being trapped in a maze of ghosts, being unable to move in bed due to sleep paralysis, accidentally entering a ghost horde while walking with others, and hearing ghosts crying in a gloomy graveyard… How come this kid was the first to fall into the trap?
If Doctor Lin hadn't noticed his confusion and immediately drawn the Frost Moon Blade from the boy's waist, revealing a ghostly figure in the flash of the blade, Zhang Xuan would still be nowhere to be found.
Zhang Xuan scratched his head, the boy stretched his back, and then grimaced at Qing Yu, saying, "Sis, you hit me way too hard, I feel like my bones are going to break..."
Just as the scholar closed his fan and broke the illusion, the ghostly figure was lying on Zhang Xuan's back. Qing Yu saw it and slapped it with a palm. The force was so great that Zhang Xuan woke up instantly, jolted awake by the pain.
"That's from being pressed down by a ghost!"
Qingyu said to Zhang Xuan in an annoyed tone, "Do you know how scary it was when the Frost Moon Blade shone on your back just now? That ghost probably wanted to eat you up."
Lin Fanxiang sighed as she stood next to Zhang Xuan. The woman paused for a moment, then pursed her lips helplessly and handed him the Frost Moon Blade.
"Alright, at least this ghost has already been caught."
Speaking of being captured... Qingyu glanced at the dark figure on the ground following the glint of the blade. It was humanoid, with long, messy hair that was huddled together, making it impossible to see its face. It just felt eerie.
Oh, and there are still some frost flowers floating on the shadows, little by little, as if ice is spreading on this ghost's body.
Qingyu: "Wen Chuan, how...do you catch ghosts?"
Upon hearing this, Wen Chuan also showed a rare expression of surprise. The young man spoke frankly,
"I've never caught a ghost before... but freezing it in ice should count as catching it."
Hmm...that's good.
Qin Tianshu: "...When a ghost dies, its soul should be scattered and it can't enter the cycle of reincarnation, but our spiritual energy can't harm it... Xiao Zhang, why don't you try using the Frost Moon Blade?"
Zhang Xuan nodded upon hearing this. The young man, sword in hand, aimed his blade with a flash of silver light and swung it straight down—
Spare his life!
"Wait, wait!"
"What do you want? Hurry up!"
"What do you want now! Hey! Young hero, stop!"
No!
"ah!"
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