Chapter 113: The Vengeful Spirit

Chapter 113: The Vengeful Spirit

Thus, Ye Tian’s blissful life continued uninterrupted. By day, he cared for the two siblings and mined for ore; by night, he remained vigilant, keeping watch over their surroundings. Although no wild beasts had appeared for days, that didn’t mean none were lurking—caution was essential.

“Ah!” As always, precisely on schedule, whenever Eve screamed and dashed out, Ye Tian knew the day’s work was about to begin. “What did you dream about this time?” he would ask upon waking. Each day, the girl, tears welling in her eyes, would offer a different answer.

“Gray, today let’s explore another branch of the mine. I stumbled upon it by chance,” Jerry said. Thanks to Ye Tian’s care, Jerry had recovered fully in less than three days. Now, the two of them focused on searching for the elusive Soft Moonstone he needed, but to no avail.

“This is just a small vein—how can there be a branch?” Ye Tian asked with curiosity.

“Heh, I just found it nearby. I’ll show you.” Leading Ye Tian into a narrow side tunnel, Jerry pressed his face against a rock wall. “Here it is! Gray, feel this.”

Ye Tian reached out and felt a faint breeze emanating from the stone. “Really?”

“Yes, but be careful. The stones here are much more fragile than in the main tunnel. If the vibrations are too strong, it might collapse.” Jerry glanced tensely overhead.

“No problem, watch me!” Ye Tian rolled up his sleeves. “Eve, stay with your brother and don’t come over here!” he warned.

“Oh.” The girl, eager to approach, immediately stepped back.

“Gray!” Jerry called out nervously. “Stay back, it’s dangerous.” Ye Tian pressed his palm against the stone wall and exerted force.

Crack! A narrow fissure appeared.

“Looks promising!” Ye Tian retracted his hand, gathered his inner energy, and sent out a gentle palm strike.

Crack, crack, crack! The fissure widened, loose stones falling steadily. Soon, a deep cavern revealed itself.

“Strange,” Ye Tian frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Jerry asked.

“The wall’s been breached, there’s a cave—but something’s odd.” Ye Tian looked over his shoulder.

“Breached? Really?” Jerry was startled. He hadn’t seen Ye Tian perform any grand gestures; how had it opened so quickly? He hurried over to inspect.

“There’s a cave, brother! Let’s go in and see,” Eve said, curiosity pulling her forward.

“Wait, this cave feels strange!” Jerry reluctantly grabbed his lively sister.

“What’s wrong?” Eve asked, puzzled.

“This cave seems to have been modified,” Ye Tian smiled.

“Yeah, I thought so too. Though it looks natural, it’s definitely been altered—it’s too smooth,” Jerry furrowed his brow. “Gray, should we go in?”

“I’ll go alone. If anything happens, I’ll come out,” Ye Tian considered.

“No way! It’s too dangerous for you alone. We should go together so we can look out for each other,” Jerry insisted.

“No need. I’ll check it out quickly—no more than an hour.” Ye Tian patted Jerry on the shoulder. “You look after your sister outside. Or do you want to come in with us?” He pulled out a magical lamp he had purchased in multiples for just such occasions, then stepped into the cave.

“Gray!” Jerry shouted, ready to follow. Seeing Eve’s eager face, he sighed and pulled Jerry back. “No entry!”

“Why?” Eve protested.

“Who knows what’s inside? I have a bad feeling.” Jerry clenched his teeth. “Let’s head back to camp!”

Ye Tian ventured deeper into the cave. Though the entrance was only about a person’s height, after advancing several hundred meters, the tunnel suddenly opened into a vast, spacious cavern. Even his magical lamp couldn’t illuminate the entire passage.

“Strange.” Ye Tian scanned the surroundings with the lamp. The area bore clear marks of artificial smoothing; the floor was flat and even, without the usual roughness—could this be an abandoned mine?

Yet, the long stalactites hanging overhead suggested water had been dripping for some time—if it were a mine, it must have been deserted for ages.

No wind stirred within the passage. Ye Tian saw no creatures—no insects, snakes, rats, or bats—but he felt a chill creeping in.

“Perfect for summer cooling,” Ye Tian mused with a grin, though no one would trek hundreds of miles just to escape the heat in such a gloomy cave.

Suddenly, a faint whistle stirred by his ear, and the temperature seemed to drop sharply.

“Anyone there?” Ye Tian called out, glancing around.

“Anyone? Anyone? Anyone…” Only echoes answered in the empty cavern.

Hissing noises followed, like rustling fabric. Ye Tian looked down: he wore a tight-fitting suit that wouldn’t flutter in the wind. Glancing up, a white figure lunged at him.

“What is that?” Ye Tian reacted swiftly, dropping low as the specter flew overhead. Looking around, the figure had vanished.

“Could it really be a ghost?” Ye Tian’s heart skipped a beat. He had seen ghost hunters before and always thought them charlatans, but could spirits truly exist in this world?

He quickly rationalized: this world had already shown him many wonders; ghosts wouldn’t be unusual. But how to confront one? Talismans? He didn’t know how to make those.

Wait! Ye Tian remembered his long-unused Eight Trigram Golden Dragon Plate. He fished it from his pouch; the small golden dragon emitted faint light, pointing steadily in one direction before suddenly shifting to another.

“Wow, this thing really works!” Ye Tian scanned the darkness—nothing visible.

The pointer spun rapidly. “Is it broken?” Ye Tian wondered, looking up just as five long claws swiped toward him.

“Hey there!” Ye Tian stepped back; the claws missed. A white figure materialized before him.

“Take this!” Ye Tian swung a whip kick, but missed again.

“No way!” Ye Tian’s face paled. “It’s really a ghost?”

The white figure moved like smoke. Ye Tian kicked the air and heard a piercing scream. Long nails swiped again, but Ye Tian flipped backward to evade.

“Hey, hey, stop! Stop!” Ye Tian rummaged in his bag.

“If you don’t stop, I’ll use my ultimate move!” came another shriek as the spirit lunged, its chilling claws making his skin crawl.

“Take this!” Ye Tian finally grabbed something and held it out. The spirit screamed and retreated swiftly.

“No way—it actually works!” Ye Tian beamed at the Buddhist prayer beads in his hand. “I told you to stop!”

The white specter wailed and curled into a corner of the cave.

“Can it understand human speech?” Ye Tian raised his magical lamp to get a better look. The spirit recoiled, trying to avoid the light.

“This is troublesome. Wait, what about that pearl?” Ye Tian searched again, producing a translucent glowing orb. The cave brightened considerably.

“This luminous pearl is quite useful!” Ye Tian quickly extinguished the lamp. The curled specter no longer trembled and slowly rose.

“Can you speak? Can you understand me?” Ye Tian tried to communicate, oddly excited to encounter a ghost for the first time. The prayer beads seemed to restrain it, so he wasn’t afraid.

The white figure drifted closer like a wisp of smoke. Ye Tian slipped the beads into his pocket and extended a hand.

The spirit hesitated, then slowly stretched out a claw.

Like grasping smoke, Ye Tian felt as if holding something yet holding nothing.

“Who are you?” a female voice echoed in his mind.

“I’m Gray. And you?” Ye Tian responded mentally.

“I’m Isabela,” the spirit replied.

“How did you become a ghost?” Ye Tian asked.

“Ghost? What’s that?” Isabela inquired.

“You are one,” Ye Tian said.

“I’m a spirit,” Isabela corrected.

“A spirit?” Ye Tian was intrigued.

“Please help me. I am in great pain,” Isabela said sorrowfully.

“How can I help you?” Ye Tian asked.

“There is a powerful vengeful spirit. I hope you can destroy it,” Isabela pleaded.

“Destroy it? How can spirits be destroyed? You don’t even have a body. How can I defeat it?” Ye Tian was puzzled.

“Do you have any magical tools?” Isabela asked.

“No,” Ye Tian answered.

“That complicates things,” Isabela said anxiously. “The vengeful spirit is very powerful. Without magical tools, you won’t stand a chance.”

“Wait, I have holy water. Will that work?” Ye Tian asked.

“Yes, but it’s best if it’s blessed by a high priest. That increases the chances,” Isabela said happily. “Where is it? Do you have it with you? I didn’t sense it.”

“No, it’s outside,” Ye Tian said.

“Quick, we must go! It’s coming!” Isabela’s form grew agitated, dispersing like smoke in the wind.

A harsh, chilling laughter echoed, and a blood-red ghostly figure appeared.

“A vengeful spirit?” Ye Tian tilted his head.

Compared to Isabela, the vengeful spirit was more formidable, radiating a crimson glow and appearing as a clear floating man.

“Look at this!” Ye Tian pulled out the prayer beads. Isabela screamed and fled, but the vengeful spirit remained calm, watching Ye Tian.

“Living soul!” the vengeful spirit suddenly spoke. “Such a delicious scent—soul essence.” It grinned. “Give it to me! Give it to me!” Then it lunged at Ye Tian.

“I’m dizzy!” Ye Tian leapt up, kicking off a rock wall and darted toward the exit.

“Ha ha ha!” the vengeful spirit pursued swiftly.

“Gray! Gray!” Jerry’s voice rang out ahead. “Gray, where are you?”

“Run! Run!” Ye Tian yelled, speeding up, his body shooting forward like an arrow.

“Gray! Gray!” Jerry led Eve rushing in.

“What are you doing? Get out of here!” Ye Tian was frustrated. Turning, the vengeful spirit lunged again.

“Take this!” Jerry waved his hand, sending a jet of water onto the spirit. Smoke hissed up.

“Ah!” The vengeful spirit screamed, flipping wildly. “Light magic! Holy water!” It glared venomously at Jerry holding the bottle.

“Run!” Ye Tian turned. “I’ll hold it off. You two escape!”

Jerry didn’t hesitate. If holy water couldn’t stop it, this spirit was no ordinary foe. He grabbed the trembling Eve and dashed toward the cave’s mouth.

“Over here!” Ye Tian swung his hand, releasing a blade of sword energy.

“Ah!” The vengeful spirit howled, pausing in pursuit of Jerry. Ye Tian leapt forward, placing himself between them.

“Looks like sword energy works!” Ye Tian formed the sign of the sword, producing a three-inch blade of energy.

The vengeful spirit floated restlessly, sensing that Ye Tian was dangerous. The enticing scent of his soul made it reluctant to strike outright, so it circled warily.

Ye Tian closed his eyes slowly.

After a moment, the spirit suddenly lunged, its long nails aiming for Ye Tian’s neck.

Ye Tian remained motionless. When the claws were three inches away, the spirit was abruptly lifted and floated high.

Still unmoving, Ye Tian watched as the spirit hesitated before drifting back closer.

Stopping three feet away, the spirit fixed its blood-red eyes on Ye Tian and suddenly swiped fiercely.

A smile curved Ye Tian’s lips as his eyes snapped open. The spirit shrieked in agony, swirling upward as fiery red mist poured from its body.

It writhed and screamed, its red mist dispersing until it became translucent, gradually resembling Isabela.

Then the white spirit Isabela drifted forth and wrapped around the vengeful spirit, their mists intertwining.

Slowly, the mist solidified into the form of a girl about seventeen or eighteen years old, with delicate features like a porcelain doll, though her pale complexion suggested she hadn’t seen sunlight for centuries.

“Thank you!” the girl’s voice floated like a whisper.

“You’re Isabela?” Ye Tian asked.

“Yes, thank you!” She gently floated closer, wrapping her arms around Ye Tian’s neck and softly kissing him.

Cool and soft, it was a strange sensation. It was Ye Tian’s first kiss with a spirit, and he couldn’t help but smile wryly.

Fortunately, Isabela didn’t linger long, then gently held Ye Tian’s neck and asked, “Gray, can you take me in?”