Chapter 130: Chapter 130: Setting Off, Feast Approaching, Absurdity Everywhere_1
After that day’s conversation with Wang Linchi, the Exam Ghost disappeared. He claimed he wanted Linchi to return to the Righteous Path of ’studying’, but it was all probably a pack of lies. After all, he was afraid that Linchi might turn on him. The idea of being turned into a ghost sigil didn’t sit well with him either. He had probably just guessed it, accidentally let it slip, and then had to deceive Linchi as a last resort. That’s why he escaped afterwards.
Linchi didn’t bother much about this; he had never been fond of the Exam Ghost in the first place. However, he hadn’t expected an unexpected surprise: the Ghost Sigil Method had been transformed into a Soul Forging Method named the Power Ghoul Soul Forging Method, though it only went up to the Mountain Copper Level. The Black Iron and White Porcelain Sections of the Power Ghoul Soul Forging Method were nothing special, but at the Mountain Copper Level, it could cultivate Copper Skin and Iron Bones. This was interesting. Among all the Soul Forging Methods he had gathered, this one seemed to be the strongest for refining the physique. It was a shame that Linchi couldn’t cultivate it unless he decided to switch to the Power Ghoul Soul Forging Method, but it could be adapted. With this section, he wanted to see if, through cultivation, he could advance his physique to the Mountain Copper Level ahead of time. However, this matter was ranked low on his list of priorities.
He was also considering whether he could transform the Ghost Sigil Method into the Power Ghoul Soul Forging Method by hand, instead of relying on the Secret Realm. Under normal circumstances, when in the hands of Awakeners like them, the Ghost Sigil Method would be transformed into a Soul Kind or Soul Skill. Despite producing the same result, their natures were completely different. If it became a Soul Kind or Soul Skill, it would still have gone through the Secret Realm’s processing. But if he made it personally, then it would be fully under his control.
I need to select a suitable Ghost King from the Longevity Banquet to conduct research on the Ghost Sigil Method. Wang Linchi thought. Regular ghosts are beneath my notice, so choosing a Ghost King would be ideal.
At this point, they were already on their way to the Longevity Banquet. The group didn’t travel together but scattered, planning to regroup once they reached their destination to avoid detection. Naturally, Linchi was accompanying Chen Wen.
"You let the Exam Ghost escape. How will you enter the Longevity Banquet then?" Chen Wen asked on the way.
"I have my ways," Linchi didn’t reveal much.
He had been with the Exam Ghost for a while and had thoroughly studied it, short of dissecting it for physiological research. Thus, he had gathered enough detailed information to disguise himself as a ghost. It wasn’t unheard of for ghosts to take human form. After all, most ghosts were formed from human deaths, and only a small portion were exceptional ghosts.
Chen Wen stopped persuading him at this point. He could see that Linchi had his own abilities, but he didn’t know what those were. At first, he truly thought Linchi planned to sacrifice himself to write the story. Now, it seemed Linchi had his own motives. Therefore, he decided not to get too involved. Without knowing Linchi’s true intentions, whether good or evil, it was better to treat him merely as an ally.
"What about you? Why do you want to kill the Ghost King?" Linchi casually asked.
"No particular reason. It’s just seeking revenge—a grudge between nations and families," Chen Wen casually dismissed, then asked, "What about you? You’re not just here to see the Longevity Banquet, are you?"
"Of course not. I’m not just going to attend the Longevity Banquet, but also to personally pick a Longevity Fruit," Linchi said calmly. This was his way of revealing his intentions and setting the stage for future cooperation.
By now, both parties had guessed that the other’s identity was not ordinary.
"Just picking it? You’re not going to eat it?" Chen Wen found it unbelievable. He thought Linchi would at least say he would eat a Longevity Fruit, but he only intended to pick one.
"I won’t eat it. That thing is made from humans for ghosts to eat. If I took a bite, wouldn’t my mouth be full of human blood?" Linchi retorted.
Indeed, he had no intention of eating the Longevity Fruit. It made him queasy.
Upon hearing this, Chen Wen fell silent.
"There aren’t many people who think like you do," Chen Wen seemed lost in thought but did not elaborate further.
Of course, it wasn’t that Wang Linchi thought this way purely out of principle; it was because he had ample resources. If he were so poor that he couldn’t even afford cultivation, how could he afford to be so picky? It was merely a matter of different perspectives.
"The Longevity Banquet is about to commence. Has the number of ghosts nearby increased?" Wang Linchi changed the topic abruptly.
"Not really. There have always been ghosts everywhere; you just saw few of them," replied Chen Wen, his gaze fixed on a faint yellow mist swirling not far off.
The yellow mist coalesced into a woman dressed in yellow. Just as she was about to greet them with a smile, her head instantly exploded.
"These things truly have no sense at all, smiling at us on sight," Wang Linchi shook his head; he was the one who had made the move.
This ghost was known as the Yellow Father Ghost, adept at shapeshifting into smoke, a child, a woman, or various animals. He was fond of women and would reveal his large yellow teeth and laugh at those he disliked. Anyone he laughed at would either perish or be severely injured. It was quite similar to Medusa, except Medusa turned those who saw her to stone, whereas anyone the Yellow Father Ghost laughed at would suffer calamity. Though Wang Linchi’s spiritual power was immensely strong, his physique was still inadequate. If he were truly laughed at by the Yellow Father Ghost, he would definitely be injured.
Upon witnessing this scene, Chen Wen looked at Wang Linchi in shock and relaxed the grip of his right hand, which had been placed on the hilt of his blade.
"You’ve acquired a Ghost Pattern?" asked Chen Wen.
"Pretty much," Wang Linchi replied vaguely, then went to pick up the Soul Kind that had condensed from the Yellow Father Ghost.
From this, it seemed there were no subsequent events related to this ghost, unlike the Banyan Tree in the Ghost Village. The reason it hadn’t produced a Soul Kind was partly because one hadn’t dropped, and partly because this incident was part of the Longevity Banquet, just like the Rooster Crow Temple incident. Only after the White Wind Arhat returned to his rightful place did he receive the ultimate reward: the Legendary Level Soul Seed · Buddha Palm First Style.
"Just a piece of clothing?" Wang Linchi mused after picking up the Soul Kind and checking again. The Yellow Father Ghost had only left behind a ragged yellow dress. What a pity it wasn’t a Soul Device. After all, it’s just a Gigantic Secret Realm, not a super-gigantic one, so the spoils are limited.
Wang Linchi now understood why Yan Ming King loved to fight: the rewards from events took too long to obtain, with no indication of progress. Conversely, slaying monsters was much simpler. Killing enemies not only dropped Soul Kinds and Soul Devices, but there was also a chance to loot Soul Forging Methods and Soul Skills from their bodies. However, Wang Linchi wasn’t inclined towards fighting, so naturally, he acquired less.
If it were Battle-type Awakeners from the Court, they would just need to kill, kill, kill; there would be no need to complete any missions. The reasons were plain and simple: they possessed Soul Devices that could form parties or materialize entire teams at the same location. This trivialized the difficulty of any mission to that of a single person’s, despite it being attempted by a group. Thus, all they needed to do was slay. The Ghost King of the Longevity Banquet was formidable. But could they withstand hundreds, if not thousands, of Mountain Copper Level Awakeners and dozens of team-leading Mithril Level Awakeners? Perhaps they might even break off the Longevity Tree Branches.
"It was a piece of clothing to begin with. The Yellow Father Ghost was fond of yellow, and perhaps this attire was left by its previous victim," Chen Wen also examined the yellow dress. It was a woman’s dress, so he inferred that the previous victim was female.
"But we’re not wearing yellow and aren’t women. So it can’t be that it hates us and intentionally came out to set us up, can it?" Wang Linchi casually tossed the yellow clothes on the roadside and grumbled mockingly.
"Humans and ghosts cannot coexist," Chen Wen didn’t explain further, but said this instead.
"Right, probably out of hunger," Wang Linchi didn’t dwell on it much but switched the topic. "I wonder how many will make it."
They hadn’t been out of the city for long when they encountered the Yellow Father Ghost. They still needed to journey for two more days and would probably encounter even more on the way. Although Chen Wen mentioned ghosts being everywhere, their numbers had significantly increased during the Longevity Banquet, leading them to encounter ghosts more frequently.
Ghost Kings from every region hold Longevity Banquets, just at different times. It’s said that the Longevity Tree Branches are situated at different positions across regions, hence they ripen at different times. If picked too soon, there would either be no fruit or unripened ones; if picked too late, they will be overripe or already fallen. Consuming unripened or overripe Longevity Fruits is harmful. Not only do they fail to increase lifespan, but they can also be detrimental. Unripened ones are poisonous, and overripe ones, if ingested, actually reduce lifespan. So, the timing is crucial.
Furthermore, a flurry of ghostly activities could be expected. Ghost Kings can consume the Longevity Fruit to extend their lifespan by a hundred years. Other ghosts don’t have this privilege, but the humans attending the Longevity Banquet can feast heartily. It was kind of like gatecrashing for a hefty meal; they couldn’t do much else anyway. Their strength was a limiting factor, and the success rate of winning any wagers was too low.
Actually, Wang Linchi was quite puzzled. Why was such a significant event like the Longevity Banquet announced so openly? Given that it involved lifespan, shouldn’t it be conducted discreetly?