As cries of sorrow echoed, a figure ran from afar, their voice growing clearer.
"My child..."
She appeared to be in her early twenties, clad in a gray and white maternity dress, running towards the paper effigy with unsteady steps. Perhaps fearing she would frighten her daughter, she did not reveal her ghostly form. Yet, even so, I felt my heart clench.
Her arrival caused the surrounding temperature to drop significantly, and her exhales formed frost.
"Such potent ghost energy?"
While she couldn't compare to Fifth Princess, she was the strongest ghost I had encountered besides her, at least a fierce ghost, and not a weak one.
This was even with her on land; in the water, she might have reached the level of a ghost soldier.
The female ghost stopped about three meters from the paper effigy, just within the Six-Line Yang Xuan formation I had set up. Tears of relief streamed down her pale cheeks. "Child, do you still remember your mother?"
Just as I was about to activate the formation, a voice that both startled and chilled me came from the paper effigy.
"Mother?"
At the word "Mother," the female ghost embraced the paper effigy. The effigy, like an obedient daughter, nestled in her mother's arms. I even saw it tilt its head to glance at our hiding spot.
My head buzzed as if kicked by a mammoth. What was happening? How did the paper effigy suddenly speak? And the female ghost didn't even realize it was a paper effigy?
What in the world was going on? How did the paper effigy suddenly speak?
I rubbed my eyes, absolutely certain that the paper effigy had indeed spoken. Not only could it speak, but it could also jump and run. It only cried with sound, not tears.
Zhang Dabiao, standing beside me, gaped, his eyes wide as bronze bells. "Brother, what's happening? The paper... paper effigy... it's alive?"
I shook my head, indicating I didn't know, as this was not what I had planned. My original intention was to activate the Six-Line Yang Xuan formation as soon as the female ghost approached the paper effigy, and then Zhang Dabiao and I would find a way to pacify her from the outside.
Now, with a haunted guest within the formation, I wondered if the Six-Line Yang Xuan formation could contain both of them.
"What do we do now?" Zhang Dabiao's voice trembled.
I thought for a moment, then gritted my teeth. "Let's ignore the paper effigy for now and focus on trapping the female ghost. We'll find an opportunity to set the paper effigy ablaze." Since I couldn't understand why the paper effigy could speak, I decided not to dwell on it. It was made of paper, and a fire would solve it. Dealing with the female ghost was the priority.
Muttering a spell, I formed the Six-Line divination hand seals. Instantly, a hexagonal light barrier materialized around the female ghost and the paper effigy, trapping them within.
Upon seeing this, the female ghost showed no sign of panic. Instead, she shielded her daughter and looked coldly towards our hiding place. "Who is lurking there? Come out!"
With them trapped by the Six-Line Yang Xuan formation, the heavy stone in my heart finally lifted. As long as she didn't break out of the formation, there was a chance to defeat her.
Zhang Dabiao and I removed the Yang-Suppressing Talismans from our foreheads and walked out boldly.
"It's you?" The female ghost's brow furrowed noticeably upon seeing us, her expression one of displeasure, as if she resented us for interrupting her reunion with her daughter.
"You've seen us?" Zhang Dabiao asked the female ghost, puzzled.
"I have," the female ghost replied indifferently, shaking her head. "Earlier today, I saw you ascend North Mountain. I glimpsed you from the lake."
Indeed, this female ghost's cultivation had surpassed that of a fierce ghost. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to move in the water before nightfall. It seemed trapping her with the formation was a foolish move.
It was possible that Zhang Dabiao and I would both be left here. Seeing that she was somewhat rational, I decided to try and salvage the situation, opting for diplomacy before force, to see if I could persuade her to leave the lake.
"Big sister, we have no ill intentions. We merely wish to discuss something with you."
The female ghost's lips curled upwards. She glanced at the surrounding Six-Line Yang Xuan formation and said sarcastically, "Is this how you discuss matters with me?"
I awkwardly touched my nose to ease the tension. There was no other way. It was primarily because you are too powerful, big sister. This was a necessary defensive measure. I hope you understand.
The female ghost remained silent, watching me coldly, awaiting my next words.
"Could you perhaps relocate and give up that lake?"
As soon as I finished speaking, the previously calm female ghost suddenly became enraged. "Give up the lake? On what grounds?"
With her furious roar, a visible black energy spewed from her mouth, and a layer of frost spread outwards from her, stopping only at the location of the paper effigy behind her.
The frost collided with the Six-Line Yang Xuan formation, causing ripples. However, after just a slight tremor, the formation stabilized. But the color of the Yang Blood Hemp Ropes had faded considerably.
Simultaneously, a nail driven into the formation on the North Mountain side was forcefully dislodged. It seemed that with a few more such attacks, the formation's foundation would be destroyed.
My heart pounded. Although I knew she was powerful beforehand, I hadn't expected her to be this strong. Even if she left the lake, her strength was still beyond what Zhang Dabiao and I could contend with. This made me feel like I had lifted a rock only to drop it on my own foot.
"Big sister, please don't be agitated. We helped you find your daughter, don't you want to see her more? Moreover, you are already dead and should report to the underworld. Wandering in the human realm like this, if caught by the underworld, you will be sent to the eighteenth level of hell. Furthermore, your presence will affect your daughter's fortune."
As expected, upon hearing about her daughter, she reverted to her earlier demeanor, looking at her daughter behind her with affection and gently stroking her hair.
"My daughter will naturally live a happy life. Thank you for letting me see her. Although she is a paper effigy, she carries a trace of my essence, and I can feel that she is living well now. To express my gratitude, you shall die."
As the word "die" left her lips, she tore the paper effigy to shreds and hurled it fiercely at me.
The paper effigy, though appearing light, was imbued with her potent ghost energy, making it seem like a meteorite.
"Careful..."
*Bang—*
Zhang Dabiao shoved me, allowing me to narrowly dodge the attack. I then looked at the spot where I had been standing. A large pit had appeared, surrounded by frost and emitting wisps of white smoke.
It seemed she no longer wished to negotiate. I shouted to Zhang Dabiao, who was already eager to act, "Make your move."
Zhang Dabiao had already gripped his mountain-splitting saber. With a flick of his wrist, he twirled the blade, smearing Yang Blood onto the edge.
"Leave it to me!"
At the same time, I formed a hand seal to control the Six-Line Yang Xuan formation, preventing the female ghost from destroying the formation's foundation. With my other hand, I quickly formed the Heavenly Skill Seal and applied it to Zhang Dabiao.
Empowered by the Heavenly Skill Seal, Zhang Dabiao seemed like a divine being descending from the heavens. He leaped into the formation and engaged the female ghost in a fierce battle. With the suppression of the Six-Line Yang Xuan formation and the enhancement of the Heavenly Skill Seal, in just one round, the female ghost lost an arm.
Black ghost blood sprayed from her severed limb.
"Ah... you court death! I intended to grant you a complete corpse, but since you are ungrateful, I shall tear you limb from limb..."
After her roar, the female ghost revealed her true ghastly form. Her previously gentle appearance vanished. Her entire body was drenched, her gray dress transforming into a blood-red hue from the abdomen downwards, dripping blood.
Her long black hair turned into writhing, serpentine snakes. With a flick of her hair, the snakes lunged towards Zhang Dabiao.
Seeing this, Zhang Dabiao ducked low, then spun around, evading the poisonous snakes. Simultaneously, he raised his mountain-splitting saber, instantly severing the female ghost's hair.
Zhang Dabiao pressed his advantage. As he cut off her hair, the blade shifted from an upward slash to a horizontal sweep, aiming directly for the female ghost's neck. If this blow landed, she would be severely wounded and her strength greatly diminished.
"Take another blow from me..."