Screams erupted, one after another, audible even in this bustling marketplace, drawing the attention of Xia Mei and many others.
"What happened?"
Xia Mei looked ahead, seeing a throng of people moving towards the front.
"Let's go see."
Driven by curiosity, Xia Mei and the other two girls exchanged glances, assuming something exciting was happening, as this was a busy area.
Soon.
They reached the crowded spot and, upon looking closer, their expressions changed. The timid JK girl even screamed.
Under their gaze.
The crowd had formed a large circle. In the center lay a headless corpse, its flesh and blood a gruesome mess. The head was nowhere to be seen, and blood splattered everywhere, creating a horrific scene.
This was no mere spectacle; it was a murder. Through the conversations of those around, they quickly learned that the headless body had just fallen from the building nearby.
"Was its head cut off by something? It looks like it was bitten."
The girl in jeans spoke up.
She was studying medicine. After seeing the body, she wasn't as frightened as the JK girl. Instead, she examined it carefully, noticing the severed neck. It didn't look like it had been cut by a blade or anything similar. The edges were ragged, more like bite marks.
Moreover.
These bite marks didn't look like those of an animal, but rather like human bite marks.
The girl in jeans didn't hide her thoughts, sharing her speculation with Xia Mei and the other girl, while also feeling bewildered herself.
"Human bite marks? That's strange. How is that possible? But those marks look primate-like. How could a primate bite off a person's head like that?"
As she spoke.
The girl in jeans prepared to lean closer for a better look.
But at that moment.
Xia Mei grabbed her, her expression serious, and pulled the two of them away.
"Don't look anymore, let's leave here."
"Huh? Let's look a bit more. It's no big deal. We're all studying medicine, this is a good practical opportunity."
"That's you and Xia Mei. I'm studying anesthesia."
The JK girl said, then looked at Xia Mei, her eyes filled with undisguised confusion.
"Xia Mei, what's wrong? Are you scared? That can't be right. You've watched bloody movies before, with even more exaggerated scenes, and you weren't scared."
"I'm not scared of the corpse."
Xia Mei was anxious to pull them away. As she spoke, she glanced at the Buddhist prayer beads on her wrist.
Although the prayer beads looked ordinary, made of sandalwood, only Xia Mei knew they were extraordinary. Wunian had given them to her for protection. Currently, the beads were warm, and Wunian had told her that if the beads felt warm, it meant there were... unclean things nearby.
Coupled with her friend's assessment of the bite marks and the gruesome state of the headless body, Xia Mei couldn't help but have wild thoughts.
It was highly likely.
No!
This was definitely not a murder case. There were ghosts nearby. Not only had it killed someone and eaten its head, but it had also brazenly thrown the body down.
At the thought, Xia Mei's heart pounded, and she instinctively tried to pull her friends away from the building next to where the headless body had fallen.
"Quick, come with me. I'll explain later. Hurry! This isn't a murder case, just come with me."
Xia Mei said urgently.
The girl in jeans and the other girl weren't foolish. Although they didn't know what was wrong with Xia Mei, they followed her and quickly left the scene.
As they moved away from the crowd.
"Xia Mei, what's wrong? Did you see the killer?"
The girl in jeans finally asked.
Xia Mei shook her head.
"I didn't see the killer. That body wasn't killed by a person. It was..."
"Ah!!"
"Ghosts! There are ghosts!"
"Help us—"
Terrified screams, without any warning, erupted from the crowd behind them. Xia Mei's words were cut short.
Instinctively.
Xia Mei and the other two looked back. Their pupils contracted, and their faces instantly turned ashen.
At that moment.
Behind them, the crowd was in chaos, scattering in terror. The scene was a mess, with many people running towards them, trying to escape the crowd. But that wasn't the reason for their terror; it was the figures within the crowd.
There were several figures exuding a chilling ghostly aura. One had half its head shattered, another had half its body mangled, and a third had only skin connecting its jaw. None of them looked remotely alive. They were like wolves in a flock of sheep, grabbing fleeing people at will, biting off their heads and chewing, consuming their yang energy.
This bloody and terrifying scene.
Sent a shiver down Xia Mei's spine, from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head.
It was at this moment that the girl in jeans understood what Xia Mei had meant by her unfinished sentence, why she had pulled them away. It was because there were ghosts!
However.
It was already too late.
Upon seeing the ghosts, besides fear, they immediately turned to run again. But looking around, they saw that everyone, including all the surrounding pedestrians, was terrified.
Looking around.
There were ghosts everywhere, many of them, at least dozens. They had simply appeared, grabbing people and consuming them.
The chaotic scene had transformed into a bloody purgatory. Screams and shrieks of terror filled the air, and panic became the prevailing sentiment. Limbs and severed fingers flew, and blood sprayed out as if it were free, splattering onto the food and signs of the food stalls.
Blood.
Terror.
Chaos.
Horror.
Pervaded the area.
Xia Mei and the others, filled with dread, could only flee with the remaining crowd. Despair was etched on everyone's faces. If this continued, everyone would soon be cornered, eventually devoured by the surrounding ghosts.
...
On the other side.
Some distance away from the marketplace.
There were four people, men and women. They were ghost exorcists from the local Daoway Division, having received orders to go to the marketplace to exorcise ghosts.
"Captain, why haven't they arrived yet? If we don't get there soon, it might be too late."
One of the team members said anxiously, his gaze repeatedly turning towards the marketplace.
Through his eyes, the distant marketplace was shrouded in a dark, oppressive aura, like black clouds pressing down on the sky. Even without being there, the situation indicated the presence of ghosts, many of them, and powerful ones at that.
"Almost there. Just wait a bit longer. Master Wunian has already told me that his friend is coming."
The captain spoke, his brow furrowed with anxiety, but he managed to restrain himself and advise.
"With our abilities, if we go now, we'll die there. There's a ghost king there, and we can't deal with it. Only when Master Wunian's friend arrives will we have a chance. His friend, Zhang Chao, can deal with ghost kings."
He said, looking at his watch, gritting his teeth.
"Let's wait one more minute. If they still don't come, we'll go and save who we can."
They had originally received notification that there were ghosts in the marketplace and had immediately rushed there, blocking the roads leading to it to prevent others from entering. However, it was currently 8 PM, the peak hour for the marketplace.
Despite their swift action to block the roads, many people were still in the marketplace.
For this reason.
They were prepared to sacrifice themselves, to enter the marketplace and fight the ghost king to save people. However, before taking action, they received word from Wunian that his friend, Zhang Chao, was on his way and could deal with ghost kings.
Upon learning this, the captain decisively decided to wait for Zhang Chao to enter together. After all, their strength was insufficient to deal with a ghost king. Rushing in now would be extremely risky, and even if they could save people, they would likely lose their lives and save only a few.
But if they entered with Zhang Chao, it would be different. They could assist, save people, and also defeat the ghost king and other ghosts.
Just as the captain finished speaking.
The captain's peripheral vision caught sight of something, and his face lit up.
"They're here, they're here... Zhang Chao is here... uh..."
As he spoke.
Even though he only managed to say half the sentence, everyone heard it clearly and looked forward together. Then, with expressions of surprise, they all froze.
Ahead.
A taxi had just stopped.
The next second.
The car door opened quickly, and a person rushed out. Recognizing the person's appearance, they identified him as Zhang Chao, the friend Master Wunian had mentioned. Wunian had sent them a photo of Zhang Chao.
However.
While his face was indeed Zhang Chao's, what was that 'thing' he was holding? It looked like a... doll? A toy? A figurine?
"Is he here for ghost exorcism?"
"It seems Zhang Chao is in a hurry too. He didn't even have time to hide his peculiar hobby."
"That... is that an inflatable doll he's holding? It looks a bit familiar."
"You're definitely familiar with it. It's our childhood memory, Balala the Fairies."
"Damn it, it really is Balala the Fairies."
They stared, dumbfounded, at Zhang Chao, who was rushing towards them, holding a life-sized Balala the Fairies figurine.
His hurried movements, combined with the 'thing' in his hand, made him appear like a perverted otaku to them.
While they were in a daze.
Zhang Chao arrived in front of them.
"Sorry, I'm a bit late. There was some traffic, but it should still be in time. Let's go, we need to exorcise ghosts quickly."
Because Wunian's girlfriend was in the marketplace, and many civilians were there, Zhang Chao dared not be careless. His attention was focused on getting there quickly, and he didn't notice their strange expressions.
In response.
The captain quickly nodded.
"Alright, Mr. Zhang Chao, please put that thing down, and let's go quickly. I just sensed some movement from the ghosts over there. We have support staff here, so don't worry about losing it."
He said, looking openly at the Balala the Fairies figurine in Zhang Chao's hand. Seeing Zhang Chao arrive, still holding the figurine, he assumed the urgency of the situation had made him forget about it, so he kindly reminded him.
Even.
To prevent Zhang Chao from feeling embarrassed, and perhaps due to his peculiar habits, fearing he might be too attached to the Balala the Fairies doll, he kindly reminded him that support staff were present to look after his belongings.
As soon as he spoke.
Zhang Chao understood his meaning. He was stunned for a moment, then said.
"Captain Sun, this is not a toy. This is my magical artifact. Without it, I can't deal with the ghost king."
Without exception.
Captain Sun and the others were all stunned. Although they continued to run towards the marketplace without stopping, their faces were uniformly blank, as if question marks were tattooed on them.
At this moment.
Their minds felt like they had crashed, filled with a million questions...?????
What are you talking about?
That thing is your magical artifact? Are you sure???
Inevitably.
They looked at the 'thing' in Zhang Chao's hand. After repeated scrutiny, they were certain it was the Balala the Fairies figurine, and their stunned expressions gradually turned to bewilderment.
Are you serious?
Using Balala the Fairies to deal with a ghost king?
And you can't deal with a ghost king without Balala the Fairies? Are you kidding me?
It was certain.
If Wunian were not present, they would have been unable to resist asking Wunian a question... What's up, Master Wunian, is your friend from the Magic Fairies Castle?
...