Chapter 126: Chapter 126: At the Village Entrance, the Ring Head Knife Kills_1
The big-bearded man’s name was Chen Wen, a name that didn’t match his physical appearance. From their conversation, Wang Linchi inferred that Chen Wen came from a respectable background, likely a scholarly family at the very least. As for why he had become a wanderer, Wang Linchi also managed to glean some insight.
Most people wouldn’t choose to become Wanderers. The majority were either neglected members of branch families, people on the brink of survival, or simply local ruffians and hooligans.
If one could lead a comfortable life, who would willingly leave their hometown to roam?
Romantically, they were called Wanderers; more harshly, they were vagabonds.
Chen Wen’s current state was much like that of a vagabond. He made a meager living by exorcising ghosts for people he encountered on his travels, but genuine cases were rare; there simply weren’t that many ghosts around.
Take the town they were currently in, for example. It had been several years since a ghost sighting. The last incident was ten years ago, involving the Ghost Banyan Tree. After it wiped out the entire village, it had gone dormant, and by now, people had almost forgotten about it.
If ghosts were truly rampant, could humans have survived this long? The world would have become a ghost realm ages ago.
"Even though you’re physically fit, you’ll still lose your life if you follow me." Chen Wen stopped. Wang Linchi had been following him for four hours and had kept pace the entire time, which was enough for Chen Wen to grudgingly acknowledge him.
"You have a better life ahead of you. Why risk it?"
"You could be reading books or enjoying the scenery. Surely there are more interesting things to do than chasing ghosts."
Chen Wen was earnestly trying to dissuade Wang Linchi, hoping the allure of a comfortable life would make him give up the idea of following.
"I don’t think so. I find ghosts more interesting." Wang Linchi recalled the city massacred by the Rebel Army. Without sufficient strength, any desire to read books or enjoy scenic outings would only lead to becoming one more corpse among countless others.
"..." This young master is truly stubborn,
Chen Wen thought, finding him hard to sway."Alright, you can follow me, but you’ll have to pay." He finally gave up trying to persuade Wang Linchi and decided to ask for money instead.
He could only promise to do his best to protect him; Chen Wen couldn’t offer more than that.
"Here." Wang Linchi produced another large silver ingot and handed it over. To him, gold, silver, and jewels held no real value.
It was much like how the Dajing Court tried to placate Black Iron Level Awakeners with money. Those Awakeners weren’t fools. Soul Kinds and Natural Treasures could be exchanged for money, but how much money could truly replace a Soul Kind or a Natural Treasure? The two were not equivalent.
Thus, such worldly wealth held little significance to him.
Chen Wen observed Wang Linchi intently. He had just seen Wang Linchi reach into his robes and casually produce such a large silver ingot.
The question was, how did he do it? His clothes didn’t look like they could hold something that large.
After a moment of hesitation, Chen Wen decided against asking.
"Let’s go." Having received the money, Chen Wen became decisive.
His eagerness to leave stemmed from a desire to avoid trouble. Wang Linchi had flashed his wealth earlier, undoubtedly attracting the attention of local Wanderers or, more accurately, thugs. They had been walking through town for a while and were surely being tailed. Wang Linchi producing an even larger ingot would certainly draw more eyes. What might happen next was obvious. Wang Linchi didn’t object and quickly followed Chen Wen away. However, it seemed they were too late.
At the town gate, a thin, sharp-faced middle-aged man was fawning over a burly figure. Behind them stood a dozen or so others, armed with an assortment of blades, spears, and clubs.
"Friend, you’re out of line. This territory..." the burly leader began, his eyes fixed greedily on Wang Linchi.
Two silver ingots, one large and one small—that’s enough for me to live lavishly for a good while! As for killing two outsiders, as long as it’s done outside of town and they clean up the mess, no one will stand up for them.
The leader continued to bluster, his message clear: hand over the money, and they might be allowed to live. However, the leader wasn’t foolish enough to resort to blatant insults. He knew that a man like Chen Wen, who had clearly traveled extensively and survived, coupled with his imposing physique, would be a dangerous opponent. If Chen Wen fought seriously, they might not win, and if he went all out, they certainly couldn’t withstand it.
"If you’re done talking, then get out of the way." Chen Wen shrugged off his backpack and drew a Ring Head Knife.
The blade was well-maintained, its polished surface gleaming coldly.
This display instantly intimidated the thugs. The sheer size and heft of Chen Wen’s Ring Head Knife were on a completely different level from their own weapons. A blow from it, even with the back of the blade, would be devastating. And judging by Chen Wen’s demeanor, he had no intention of using the back of the blade.
"Hmph, this is..." The burly leader, knowing he couldn’t back down now, tried to bolster his courage by invoking his local standing.
But before he could finish, Chen Wen closed the distance. With a single, swift motion, he raised the Ring Head Knife and lopped off the leader’s head. Blood erupted like a gruesome fountain.
Chen Wen, clearly experienced in such matters, deftly sidestepped the spray, avoiding being splattered with blood.
"M-Murderer!!!"
"Run!"
As the headless corpse toppled, the leader’s remaining cronies scattered in terror.
"There’s no reasoning with these local ruffians," Chen Wen explained to Wang Linchi. "Only this method silences them quickly."
Wang Linchi nodded. Just one death. He had witnessed entire cities massacred; this was trivial in comparison.
The two quickly departed from the town entrance. Not long after they left, the headless corpse was discreetly removed.
"Is that the knife you use to kill ghosts?" Wang Linchi asked.
Chen Wen shook his head. "No, this just makes the job cleaner, more efficient."
"Then what do you use?" Wang Linchi asked, his curiosity piqued.
Chen Wen hesitated before replying, "You don’t need to ask, and you don’t need to know. It’s... not something from your world."
"Are you referring to some method that’s excessively cruel or agonizing?"
"And you’ve experienced it yourself, so you’re warning me not to seek it out," Wang Linchi deduced instantly.
Just as people in the previous Gigantic Secret Realm had relied on Buddhist incantations to create specialized armaments against all sorts of demons, devils, ghosts, and malevolent spirits, this world also had its methods for combating ghosts. The problem was, these methods were often terrible, perhaps involving great suffering.
"Yes." Chen Wen didn’t elaborate, not because he was being stingy or secretive, but because he recognized a certain trait in Wang Linchi’s character. He worried that Wang Linchi might be drawn to pursue such a perilous power. If it wasn’t absolutely necessary, one shouldn’t meddle with such an ominous force.
"I see. So, where are we headed next?" Wang Linchi asked.
"To Xian Village," Chen Wen stated succinctly.
"Xian Village?" Wang Linchi’s expression turned peculiar. Of course, I know Xian Village. That’s the ghost village I burned to the ground.
"That’s right. My information indicates Xian Village became a ghost village because it was targeted by a Ghost King. The inhabitants were massacred and their bodies used to cultivate a Longevity Catalyst. It’s due to mature in about three days."
"If we want any leverage over that Ghost King regarding entry to the Longevity Banquet, we need to secure that Longevity Catalyst. It will force the Ghost King to be wary," Chen Wen explained calmly, not withholding this critical piece of information.
"And what if the Longevity Catalyst is... gone?" A chill ran down Wang Linchi’s spine. He had burned the entire village, including the Ghost Banyan Tree. As for the Ghost Face Bugs, they were long since reduced to ash.
"Then we’ll have a serious problem. They’ll resort to a large-scale massacre to create a new Longevity Catalyst as quickly as possible."
"The Longevity Catalyst isn’t some mystical object; it’s cultivated from humans." Chen Wen frowned. Why is he asking this?
"I understand. So, what exactly is this Longevity Catalyst?" Wang Linchi pressed.
"It’s a type of incense, a special kind. When burned, it can induce the Tree of Immortality to lower its Longevity Tree Branches. The higher the quality and greater the quantity of this incense, the better the Longevity Tree Branches that descend, and consequently, the more Longevity Fruit they will bear." Since Wang Linchi was collecting such tales, Chen Wen elaborated.
Of course, this wasn’t some great secret; many humans and ghosts were aware of it. That was how he had managed to gather this information.
"Understood. If they decide to carry out a mass slaughter, do you think they’d target the town we were just in?" Wang Linchi asked further.
"No, that town has too few people. It wouldn’t suffice." Chen Wen gave Wang Linchi an odd look. Why is he dwelling on such unlucky subjects? Besides, who could possibly take the Longevity Catalyst? It’s nurtured within humans, but during the process, those humans transform into a unique type of ghost. Ordinary people can’t defeat them. Even I wouldn’t be confident in dealing with one.