Wu Jing had been cowering at the rooftop door, watching the entire ordeal unfold.
The moment he heard my words, his face turned ashen.
He had never even considered killing a ghost.
He stammered, "Ah! I, I, me?"
Old Mo impatiently retorted, "Didn't you hear us swear? Who else would it be? Do you really want us struck by lightning? Or do you want this old ghost released to prey on others elsewhere?"
The Qing Dynasty ghost, Pu Sui, whose neck I held, was thoroughly panicked. "Two Daoist masters, two Daoist masters, you, you cannot go back on your word..."
"You talk too much!" I said coldly, tightening my grip on his neck. I channeled my Daoist energy to suppress his spiritual core, preventing him from playing any tricks. Ghosts don't need to breathe, but with my grip and the suppression, his soul felt tormented, his body as if it would burst. He could only stare wide-eyed, letting out guttural sounds of discomfort.
Wu Jing hadn't moved yet. Old Mo yanked him by the collar from the rooftop entrance, "What are you dawdling for? It's just a ghost, not a person. Killing him will earn you merit. Who knows, it might even restore some of the years you've lost." With that, he released Wu Jing, who stumbled to my side, still carrying the Qiankun bag filled with ghosts.
"Mr. Wu, put the bag down for now. Pick up the peach wood sword and stab him a few times with your eyes closed!"
Though terrified and trembling, Wu Jing wasn't a fool. He understood his predicament. He swallowed hard, his gaze fixing on the ghost I held, a flicker of killing intent igniting in his eyes. He muttered, "Kill, kill him, kill him..." He set down the Qiankun bag and reached for the peach wood sword.
The old ghost, through the corner of his eye, watched Wu Jing with sheer terror, his body quivering, shedding straw fragments. "You, you dare!" the Qing ghost rasped, trying to threaten Wu Jing.
The sound made Wu Jing flinch again, but Old Mo clapped him on the shoulder, "Don't be afraid, he can't hurt you! Think about it, he's the one who cost you ten years of your life. Ten years, that's a decade of your lifespan. If you don't kill him, those ten years are truly gone..."
Wu Jing gasped, his resolve hardening. He gritted his teeth, "Damn it, I do dare!" He yelled to embolden himself, gripping the peach wood sword and plunging it towards the ghost. Constrained by my hold, the old ghost had no power to resist, only able to watch Wu Jing's attack. He muffled "uh uh uh" sounds.
With a tearing sound, Wu Jing's peach wood sword pierced the old ghost Pu Sui's abdomen. "Ah..." the ghost shrieked in pain. His straw-filled face contorted, his body convulsing violently. The straw stuffing began to loosen and fall away.
Old Mo continued to urge him on, "Don't stop, stab him a couple more times. For righteousness, for justice. For your life..."
Wu Jing's eyes reddened, a surge of blood rushing to his head. He tightened his grip on the sword and shouted, "Die, die, die!" He thrust the sword into the ghost's abdomen several times. Each strike caused the ghost to shudder, emitting wisps of dark, malevolent energy. He wailed in pain but was powerless to struggle. With the final stab, the ghost I held exploded with a bang, showering the area with straw fragments.
This ghost, Ai Xin Jue Luo Pu Sui, met his end at Wu Jing's hand. We, too, had kept our promise and managed to trick him out of two Human Essence Longevity Pills. Old Mo and I watched the dissipated ghost with calm detachment, feeling no great triumph or excitement. Perhaps it was due to our experience. We felt only a slight sense of relief. I casually brushed my hands.
Old Mo looked at the panting Wu Jing. "Alright, the judgment of righteousness is complete. You did well." Hearing this, Wu Jing deflated like a pricked balloon, sinking to the ground. Old Mo produced a pack of cigarettes and offered one to me and Wu Jing.
Wu Jing, still catching his breath, didn't speak but fumbled with his lighter, clicking it uselessly several times. His hands trembled too much; he was still too shaken to calm down. For an ordinary person, the first kill of a ghost would likely be a disturbing experience. I lit his cigarette for him and said, "Don't have any psychological burdens. Killing these things is no different from slaughtering chickens. It even adds to your merit and will bring you blessings." Wu Jing nodded without a word.
At this moment, Old Mo produced the two Human Essence Longevity Pills. "Old Qin, take a look at these!" I took the pills with the cigarette in my mouth. They smelled fragrant, but they didn't activate the Life Gathering Inscriptions on the purple bone vine. After a brief examination, I handed them back to Old Mo. "Seal them with talismans. These things might not be as good as the old ghost claimed. They could have side effects. Let's have Uncle-Master take a look when we get back."
Old Mo grunted and carefully sealed the Human Essence Longevity Pills with a talisman. After finishing our cigarettes, we headed downstairs.