When I returned to the old house west of the village, I stopped, gazing at the pitch-black interior that resembled a ghostly realm.
Frowning, I looked at Old Ghost, "Didn't you say you needed my help with something? What are we doing here?"
I instinctively felt a sense of dread towards the old house west of the village. Both times I had been there had been fraught with peril. This was no "peaceful" place.
I had managed to retrieve Sun Chuang's soul from within during the day, but it had also attracted Wang Jun and his gang of tomb raiders. If Zhang Dabiao hadn't accompanied me, I would have been buried on the spot by Wang Jun and his crew.
Old Ghost didn't answer my question. Instead, he smacked his lips, a hint of worry on his face, "Why are there so many people here today? You're lucky, kid."
I was stunned. If old people talk nonsense, do old ghosts also talk nonsense?
I glanced at Old Ghost, then at the dark, desolate land before me. I couldn't see "many people" at all. Was Old Ghost losing his mind?
"Old Ghost, have you gone senile? There's nothing here, where are the people?"
If I were an ordinary person, Old Ghost's words might have scared me. But I was an Yin Gua Master, highly sensitive to the presence of Yin energy, yet I felt no abnormality.
Old Ghost rolled his eyes, "What do you know, kid? Sometimes what your eyes see isn't the truth."
With that, Old Ghost swept his right hand across my eyes. I felt a sharp pain, as if pricked by a needle.
"Old Ghost, what are you doing? Don't think I'm afraid of you just because Big Brother Zhang isn't around."
While rubbing my eyes, I took out the bone-piercing nail that Zhang Dabiao had given me before I left.
"Kid, don't move."
Old Ghost seized my right hand, which was holding the bone-piercing nail, and snatched it away. Simultaneously, a chilling coldness spread from my wrist into my body, making me feel as if I had fallen into an ice cellar. My body went numb, and I instantly lost consciousness.
I regretted it immensely, wishing I had agreed to help Old Ghost earlier. Now, I might even lose my life.
In the time it took to speak, the needle-like stinging pain in my eyes vanished. At the same time, a coolness spread over me, making me feel so comfortable I almost moaned.
"Don't look so pathetic. Hurry and open your eyes to see if there's anything unusual."
Old Ghost released his grip on me and gave me a slap.
Instantly, the numbness in my body disappeared, as if everything had been an illusion.
"How did this happen?"
I looked in astonishment at the once pitch-black wasteland. It was now brightly lit and bustling with people. Countless shouts and curses filled the air. Compared to moments ago, it was like