Chapter 212: The Giant Ox-Horned Ghost and the Seizure of the Painting Studio
After returning to Shouyue Tower, Gong Mengbi counted the gains he had made.
A total of seven paintings were obtained, among which the Picture of the Deep Forest was created by the fake painter, whose purpose was to hide his figure so that he could complete the Picture of a Hundred Beauties without being disturbed.
The Wooden House Picture, also known as the Painting Studio Picture, was left by Xue Daoqing. He sealed the place where he painted in the scroll and carried it with him.
The remaining pictures of giant ghost with ox horns, goddess drawing sword, blue dragon, beauty emerging from bath, and hell on earth are not ordinary.
After paying homage to the Goddess of Mount Tai and putting away the picture of purgatory on earth, Gong Mengbi unfolded the other four pictures and hung them on the wall.
With the spirit of Mount Tai's goddess suppressing them, the four images would remain untouched. Gong Mengbi could peacefully admire the painting master's masterpiece and also learn from his own spiritual practice.
The Saint of Painting had a good habit of painting. He liked to write in a corner of the painting when, where, why, and to whom he gave it.
It is written on the picture of the blue dragon. He painted it when he passed by Haizhou and saw the blue dragon making clouds and rain.
The painting of the goddess drawing the sword was created when he saw his friend, the fairy Feihong, dancing with a sword. He originally wanted to give it to the beautiful woman, but for some reason he kept it in his hands and never gave it away.
The picture of the giant demon with ox horns was subdued on the Hengshan Ancient Road. Seeing its ferocity, he drew its shadow and detained its form and spirit, leaving it as a gatekeeper to guard the painting studio.
Gong Mengbi was amazed.
This giant ghost with ox horns looks very fierce. It is the treasure kept by the fake painting saint. It turns out that it was not painted by the painting saint, but caught from outside.
Gong Mengbi stretched out his hand and tapped lightly on the picture of the giant ghost with ox horns. The picture moved like water ripples, and a dark, strong ghost hand with sharp claws stretched out from it.
The ghost hand grabbed Gong Mengbi and was about to hold him in its hand.
But Gong Mengbi raised his hand and covered the Taiyue talisman in his huge palm.
The ghost hand sprang up like a cat with its tail on fire, and cried out in terror, "Taiyue Divine Talisman!"
The huge ghost hand quickly shrank into the painting, as if nothing had happened, and pretended to be dead without making a sound.
"Puchi." The Skull God floated up from the cushion in front of the tablet of Mount Tai Niangniang. Smoke formed his body, and the skull could vaguely see his face when he was alive.
The short, dwarf-like Skull God looked at the towering, mountain-like giant demon with horns and a look of envy and contempt. He snorted and sneered, "You're so grown up, yet you're as timid as a mouse."
Gong Mengbi glanced at him, and he shrank his head and smiled awkwardly.
He respected and feared this fox and would not easily provoke it. This fox was different from the others, it was too cunning.
Gong Mengbi knocked on the giant ghost picture with ox horns and said, "Come out, if you don't come out, I will go in."
The giant horned ghost secretly looked at Gong Mengbi in the portrait. Seeing that he was really about to come in, he hurriedly shouted, "I'm coming out, I'm coming out!"
He emerged from the portrait and turned into the size of an ordinary person, but a little taller than an ordinary person, perhaps able to compete with the Yaksha ghost.
The giant horned ghost stole a glance at Gong Mengbi and asked, "Why do you, a fox, have the Taiyue Divine Talisman on you?"
Gong Mengbi made way for him to see the statue of Mount Tai's goddess. The giant ghost with ox horns fell to his knees and said, "I didn't mean to escape the underworld. The Yue Mansion's divine soldiers were fighting with the Hungry Ghost King, and they got me sucked in. I accidentally found the entrance to the living world through the ghost fog, and that's how I escaped to the human world. Please, goddess, please forgive me."
The Skull God looked at the giant horned demon, who was so tall and mighty, so powerful, yet now looked so humble and pitiful. He had originally felt mocking, but seeing his genuine fear, he gradually understood. How could the Yue Mansion's divine weapons be so terrifying? How could the Goddess of Mount Tai actually possess such majesty?
Thinking of how he had been dozing off on the cushion in front of the statue of Mount Tai's goddess these past few days, he couldn't help but feel worried. "Will the goddess blame me for disrespecting the true God and blaspheming the gods?"
Gong Mengbi's brows suddenly raised, and he said, "You said you found the entrance to the living world in the ghost fog?"
The giant horned ghost glanced at Gong Mengbi and said, "It is indeed the entrance to the world of the living."
Gong Mengbi asked, "Do you still remember where the entrance is?"
The giant horned ghost shook his head and said, "How can I remember? In the ghost fog, there is no up or down, east or west, it's all gray and I can't see anything. I came in from the entrance, and when I looked back, I couldn't find the passage anymore."
Gong Mengbi said in a deep voice: "Write down what you saw and heard as a confession. I will report it to the Yue Mansion."
The giant horned ghost shuddered and said, "I plead guilty and only ask for a lighter punishment."
Gong Mengbi said, "Let's wait for the Yue Mansion to decide. If you write in enough detail and can find the entrance, you might even be able to gain merit and offset your mistakes."
The giant horned ghost immediately said, "I must write down every detail."
Gong Mengbi nodded and asked, "You are the ghost guarding the gate, why did you let that fake painting saint in?"
The giant horned ghost complained, "Although I'm a gatekeeper ghost, I'm only a sixth-rank ghost. The Painting Saint has ascended to heaven, so how can I stop those who have ulterior motives?"
Gong Mengbi showed a surprised expression and asked, "Who is that fake painting master?"
The giant horned ghost sighed and said, "That's the painting saint's self-portrait. Before he ascended to heaven, he painted for himself, putting his own paintings on paper to verify what he had learned, and then he ascended to godhood."
"That self-portrait received his divine spirit, confirming his practice. Gradually, he became naturally psychic, and still considered himself the Saint of Painting. Originally, it wasn't anything special, but three years ago, someone found the Saint's place of ascension and broke into his studio. I was no match for him, and was sealed within the painting."
"They released the Painting Saint's self-portrait and discovered his magical powers. Finally, someone said something that bewitched his mind, causing him to truly believe he was the Painting Saint himself. He desperately tried to be resurrected."
"He is the shadow of the Painting Saint and possesses all that the Painting Saint has learned. If he wants to command us, it will be difficult for us to disobey."
The giant ox-horned ghost outlined a corner of the conspiracy in just a few words, which made Gong Mengbi frown and feel a little worried.
Gong Mengbi asked, "Do you know the origins of the group that broke into the place where the Painting Saint ascended to heaven?"
The giant horned ghost shook his head: "I am just the gatekeeper ghost of the painting studio. I don't recognize those practitioners outside."
Gong Mengbi asked again, "How can the portrait of the Painter be resurrected?"
The giant horned ghost said with a sad face, "I don't know. He usually rolls me up, and I don't know what he does."
Gong Mengbi sighed and said, "Forget it. Just write all this down in your confession."
The giant horned ghost said, "You have the Taiyue Talisman with you, please intercede for me."
Gong Mengbi said, "That depends on whether you have done evil in the human world. You were subdued by the Painting Saint on the Hengshan Ancient Road. What were you doing before that?"
The giant horned ghost said honestly, "Before, I was the king of Hengshan. Demons from all directions offered me offerings, and passers-by also offered me tributes. I lived a carefree and happy life."
Gong Mengbi asked, "No one was killed?"
The giant horned ghost said embarrassedly, "It's been too long, I can't remember clearly. I think I just stopped people on the road and forced them to pay for their passage. I don't think I killed anyone."
Gong Mengbi glanced at him and said, "Write your confession, write it now, don't try to hide it. If you hide it and the Yue family finds out, it will be an even more serious crime."
The giant ox-horned ghost had no choice but to fetch pen and ink and begin writing a confession. It was more like a defense than a confession.
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