Ghost Stories

Chapter 19

Zhang Xiang laughed loudly and said, "Despicable? Since I have such abilities, why can't I make good use of them? When you see others spending money like water, aren't you tempted? When you see others living a carefree and romantic life, surrounded by beautiful women, aren't you envious? Life is only a few decades long, you should think more about yourself!"

Looking at Zhang Xiang's ugly face, Lin Feng wanted nothing more than to rush up and slap him twice. He said to Zhang Xiang, "Our thoughts are not on the same level. We are completely different kinds of people. We have different paths and cannot work together." After saying that, he looked at Zhang Xiang with an expression of indifference, as if he couldn't be bothered with him.

Zhang Xiang's smile froze, his expression changed, and he said, "I'm giving you face, but you don't take it. Then don't blame me for being ruthless. You're not leaving this internet cafe today!" With that, he pulled out a small device and blew on it. The sound it produced was clanging, piercing, and extremely unpleasant. The few people who had already lost their souls and minds were completely under his control, becoming Zhang Xiang's "soul corpses." Upon hearing the sound, they immediately lunged at Lin Feng.

Although Lin Feng wasn't as skilled as Li Mingsheng, he was young and athletic, so he was quite agile. He knew that finding Zhang Xiang would inevitably lead to a fierce battle, and he wouldn't be easily subdued, so he had already made preparations.

Lin Feng ducked and darted past several "soul corpses," unbuttoning his outer garment to reveal a vest underneath. A large Bagua symbol was drawn on the vest. Lin Feng tossed the garment to the ground, pulled seven talismans from his pocket, and charged forward without hesitation.

Several "soul corpses" immediately rushed forward and grabbed at Lin Feng. However, as soon as they touched Lin Feng, they were burned by the Bagua and let out a strange "squeak," their arms bouncing back as if electrocuted.

Zhang Xiang snorted coldly, thinking it was a trivial trick, and played the three-inch-long flute at his lips even more urgently. The "soul corpses" immediately went berserk and pounced on Lin Feng. One of the "soul corpses" pressed down on Lin Feng's chest. Although its palm was burning from the Bagua light and it was snarling, when it withdrew its hand, it tore a large piece of Lin Feng's vest and left several bloody marks on his chest.

Lin Feng was terrified and quickly stuck the talisman in his hand onto the "soul corpse's" hand. As soon as the talisman touched it, the "soul corpse" immediately stopped moving, frozen in place, and did not respond no matter how much Zhang Xiang urged it.

The remaining "soul corpses" still charged at Lin Feng, baring their fangs and claws. Lin Feng dodged and weaved around the computer, using it as cover to affix talismans to several of the "soul corpses." Only when the "soul corpses" quieted down did he feel relieved and secretly let out a long breath.

Lin Feng glanced at Qi Qi, feeling a bit annoyed. He thought to himself how much he had pleaded with Li Mingsheng to drop the matter, yet she sat there unmoved, completely unfazed. Thinking this, Lin Feng glared at Qi Qi resentfully. Qi Qi, fully aware of his thoughts, shrugged and said, "I think you're perfectly capable of handling these low-level 'soul corpses,' you don't need my help at all." She paused, then added, "Besides, you're a grown man and you haven't asked me to help, how can I just step in and steal your thunder!"

Lin Feng rolled his eyes at Qi Qi's words, thinking that she was making jokes while they were risking their lives, and he almost wanted to curse her out, but he held back. After all, Qi Qi was quite friendly, reminding him of this and that as soon as he came in, and Lin Feng's resentment subsided a little.

Volume 2, Chapter 14, The Head-Splitting Strike (14)

Seeing that Lin Feng had broken through his "soul corpse" without any serious injury, Zhang Xiang clapped his hands a few times and said, "Good, not bad, you do have some real skills, not bad at all. But your little tricks are nothing special, they might fool those lowlifes, but they're useless against me!"

Qiqi, sitting in her chair, clapped a few times like Zhang Xiang and said, "Good, not bad, not bad. But let me tell you, even if he doesn't have any real skills, I will definitely help him if he's in danger. Secondly, what do you think if he rushes up now and does a 'strike the man before the ghost' approach?"

Lin Feng knew that Qi Qi was reminding him and telling him to act without worry, assuring him that she would definitely help him in a crisis and there was no need to be afraid. It seemed that Qi Qi had also realized that Lin Feng was no match for this person.

Lin Feng cracked his knuckles. He was quite confident in his ability to use violence. After all, he was the starting small forward on his university basketball team, so his physical abilities were unquestionable. Besides, Zhang Xiang looked so pathetic; he didn't seem like someone who could withstand a few punches and kicks from him. Lin Feng chuckled. Dealing with ghosts wasn't easy, but dealing with people was much simpler.

Approaching Zhang Xiang, Lin Feng pounced on him like a tiger. In the darkness, he only heard a whooshing sound as his clothes whistled through the air. Then, he was struck squarely in the chest and sent flying backward. It turned out that as Lin Feng pounced, Zhang Xiang used his left foot as a pivot, twisting his waist, and his right foot accurately struck Lin Feng's chest in the darkness. This "tiger tail kick" sent Lin Feng flying, knocking over several chairs.

Fortunately, Lin Feng was physically strong and thick-skinned. He groaned twice as he stood up, rubbing his chest. He thought to himself: "Holy crap, is this for real? This kid actually knows kung fu."

Qiqi, standing beside him, covered her mouth and chuckled, watching him with a smile. Lin Feng clutched his chest and glared at Qiqi, who immediately stopped smiling.

Zhang Xiang then slowly pulled his foot back, standing on one leg. He reached out and dusted off his trouser leg before putting his foot down and saying, "With your skills, you think you can fight me? You're no match for me in Taoist magic and incantations, and you're even less of a match for me in a fight. Why don't you call the beauty next to you to come at me together?"

Listening to Zhang Xiang's mockery, even in the dim light, Lin Feng seemed to sense his disdainful gaze and sarcastic expression. Lin Feng wasn't a fool, and of course he wouldn't blindly attack. He had at least practiced some Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) in college, so he had a basic understanding of fighting skills. But when it came to practical application, he was miles behind Zhang Xiang; he was no match for him, let alone be able to accurately predict and execute a kick in such dim lighting.

Lin Feng grabbed a chair and rushed forward, smashing it down on Zhang Xiang with all his might.

Zhang Xiang immediately executed a double kick, slamming one foot into the chair and letting out a loud "Ah!" before striking Lin Feng in the chest with the other. However, this kick was far less powerful than the previous one, only causing Lin Feng to stumble back a few steps.

It turned out that Zhang Xiang's first kick landed on the chair; if it had been a wooden chair, it probably would have shattered. However, when Lin Feng fell, he felt that the chair was made of steel pipes, so he decided to use the chair to attack him. Zhang Xiang's first kick hit the steel pipes of the chair, and he cried out in pain. The force of his second kick was naturally weakened, which is why Lin Feng was able to barely hold on and not fall.

Zhang Xiang's natural reaction to the pain in his foot was to clutch it, yelping and screaming in agony. Lin Feng wasn't about to let this opportunity pass. Although he couldn't see the exact spot, he could still make a dent in someone this big. He tossed aside the chair Zhang Xiang had kicked so badly it was deformed, rushed over, and delivered a side kick to Zhang Xiang's shin. Zhang Xiang collapsed to the ground with a thud, groaning as he lay there.

Lin Feng cursed "Damn it!" and pressed Zhang Xiang down, saying, "So what if you know kung fu? You think you're Wong Fei-hung? Let's see if your feet are harder than steel pipes!"

As he was speaking, Zhang Xiang, who was lying on the ground, saw that Lin Feng's head was above him and kicked Lin Feng in the head. Lin Feng was stunned and sat down hard on his backside. Zhang Xiang jumped up, rolled over, and ran away, dashing into the office they had visited last time.

Lin Feng cursed, then saw Qiqi laughing hysterically on the side and said angrily, "What are you laughing at? You said you were helping out!"

Qiqi said seriously, "How could I interrupt your martial arts competition and your struggle for the title of the best martial artist in the world? But if you don't hurry up and chase after him, that guy might pull out a cleaver and you'll be in trouble!"

Lin Feng grunted and stopped talking, running towards the office. However, he was genuinely worried that Zhang Xiang might come after him with a machete.

Lin Feng kicked open the office door. It was quiet inside; Zhang Xiang didn't seem to be there. After looking around for a while, Lin Feng figured there shouldn't be any other exit, so he peeked inside. As soon as he put his head in, he felt a basin of liquid splashed on his head, and some even seeped into his mouth. The taste was slightly salty, but mostly fishy, almost making Lin Feng vomit. Lin Feng immediately recognized it as the blood of some animal.

Lin Fengqi felt dizzy and was about to rush inside when a streak of fire suddenly burst forth from the house, only to vanish in an instant. A gust of wind swept through the darkness, and something seemed to rush towards him with a whoosh.

Lin Feng quickly stepped back, left the office, and darted outside, grabbing a chair as he went.

Qiqi remained seated, watching him with great interest.

Lin Feng had no time to pay attention to her; he was nervously watching the office door. Suddenly, a dark shadow flew out from inside, moving with incredible speed and descending upon Lin Feng. Although Lin Feng didn't know what it was, he immediately lay down on the floor, stood his chair upright, and rolled away. The dark shadow instantly enveloped the chair, tightly binding it. The steel-framed chair immediately emitted a creaking sound.

At that moment, Lin Feng felt a sharp pain in his left palm, as the trace of Yin energy He Feng had left him suddenly shot out of his hand. Lin Feng saw a faint, eerie green light disappear into the dark shadow. Lin Feng cried out in disbelief, "He Feng's human skin!"

Volume 2, Chapter 15: Splitting the Head (15)

Zhang Xiang's voice rang out from the darkness: "That's right, it's He Feng's skin. This skin is from someone born on a Yin year, Yin month, and Yin day. After I refined it, it can not only kill people, but also summon vengeful spirits and ghosts within a 10-kilometer radius within a minute of its activation, and they will all attack you together. Let's see how you escape!"

Lin Fengqi shouted angrily, "You despicable scoundrel, come out if you dare, let's fight again!"

Zhang Xiang laughed loudly, a shrill, ear-piercing laugh like an owl wailing at the moon, eerie and terrifying. He said, "Do you think I'm an idiot? I could easily kill you, why bother with all this trouble? Besides, you have an accomplice. But don't worry, after you're dead, I'll enjoy that little beauty to myself. You can go in peace!" As Zhang Xiang spoke, it was as if Lin Feng was already a dead man. However, it seemed he had also realized that Qi Qi was no ordinary person and harbored some fear of her; otherwise, he wouldn't have spoken like that.

As expected, Qiqi raised her eyebrows and snorted coldly after hearing Zhang Xiang's words.

Just as Zhang Xiang was about to answer, shrill cries and screams suddenly came from all directions. Lin Feng cursed inwardly, "This is bad, I'm doomed." Although it's a new society now, and there probably aren't many vengeful spirits or ghosts within a 10-mile radius, he still couldn't handle even two or three. Even with the best of the thirty-six strategies, he wasn't sure he could escape unscathed, not to mention the deadly human skin that was also a troublesome thing.

Lin Feng took all the talismans out of his pocket and looked at Qiqi pleadingly. Qiqi remained seated, watching him indifferently, her face full of smiles. Lin Feng cursed inwardly: Damn it, she just wants to see me make a fool of myself, how heartless. But then again, Qiqi was heartless to begin with, so he couldn't really blame her.

Zhang Xiang slowly emerged from the darkness; no one had known where he had been hiding. He held a bell in his hand and shook it. The empty internet cafe blared with the bell, and the human skin that had been wrapped around the chair suddenly flung open, standing there like a person, sending chills down Lin Feng's spine. The chair that had been wrapped in the human skin was now deformed, a pile of scrap metal.

Before the human skin could even pounce, Lin Feng felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly turned around, sending a talisman flying from his hand. Unexpectedly, it wasn't just one ghost coming from behind, but a whole horde of vengeful spirits. The talisman caught fire before it even reached him, igniting a tiny spark in the darkness before going out.

Even worse, the human skin, following the urgent ringing of the bell in Zhang Xiang's hand, suddenly flew towards him again. Lin Feng immediately darted behind a row of machines and shouted, "Qiqi, are you really going to stand by and watch me die?"

Qiqi remained seated, motionless, simply smiling at herself.

Lin Feng, while fiddling with his computer, tossed the talisman in his hand towards the lone ghost. The ghost, touched by the talisman, immediately emitted a burst of blue light and vanished, as if it had never existed. However, the human skin wouldn't accept the talisman; it was completely useless. Lin Feng yelled, "Qiqi, if you don't help me, I'll yell at you!"

Qiqi still didn't move.

Lin Feng felt a surge of anger, thinking, "I've been good enough to you, and now you're just standing by and watching me get into trouble." He immediately started cursing, "You damned woman, I shouldn't have been so kind as to let you go in the first place!" Oops! He accidentally bumped into a chair.

Seeing that Qiqi still didn't move, he continued cursing, "Damn it, you're kicking me when I'm down, you're so narrow-minded!"

Finding Lin Feng's insults amusing, Qiqi chuckled and said, "Keep going!"

Lin Feng was absolutely furious. What could be more infuriating than this? He was cursing others and they weren't even bothered, but he was the one who was driven half to death with anger? He was jumping around like a monkey, and she was just watching him make a fool of himself.

The human skin flew around his head, nearly engulfing Lin Feng several times. Lin Feng had no time to curse; he could only scramble to dodge. Seeing that a dozen or so vengeful ghosts had surrounded him, and his talisman was gone, the deadly skin was about to fall on his head. Lin Feng sighed inwardly, "Well, it seems I'm going to die here today!" He closed his eyes and awaited death. He could almost feel the sharp ghostly claws reaching for him, and he could smell the stench.

Just as Lin Feng closed his eyes, awaiting death, he suddenly felt a tightening at the back of his collar, and was pulled out by a powerful force. Opening his eyes, Lin Feng saw Qi Qi smiling at him. The group of ghosts pounced on them again, and Qi Qi rushed forward with a soft shout. A blue light flashed in her hand, and with a wave of her arms, the blue light sliced a fierce ghost in two. The other ghosts scattered in terror, seemingly unable to escape.

Lin Feng exclaimed, "Wow!" "It hasn't been that long since we last met, and you've almost become a devil's mother! Wow!"

With a "Hey!" Qiqi exclaimed, "Today I'll show you the power of my 'Bluetooth'!" It turned out that during this time alone, Qiqi had gradually realized she possessed a power that normal people didn't have. She had worked hard to overcome her bloodlust, and then slowly comprehended and figured out many things, becoming a completely different person from the naive girl she once was. Even these few moves were incredibly sharp. This "Bluetooth" was Qiqi gathering the Yin energy within her body, channeling it into her hands to form sharp palm blades, making it exceptionally effective against vengeful ghosts and spirits. Besides, those things were simply not on the same level as her; how could they compare to her, a spirit of Yin?

Lin Feng was overjoyed. Seeing Qiqi blocking the human skin and the vengeful ghost, he said, "Is that 'Bluetooth'? It's clearly 'Blue Claw'!" He then provocatively said to Zhang Xiang, "Hey! Weren't you just going to do this or that to us? Hurry up! I'm waiting!"

Zhang Xiang was shaking the "Soul-Capturing Bell" frantically, but the ghosts were terrified of Qiqi's "Bluetooth" abilities, and those who tried to approach were easily defeated and their souls were scattered. The remaining vengeful ghosts, seeing the situation was dire, immediately ignored the ringing of the "Soul-Capturing Bell" and vanished without a trace.

Lin Feng, who was standing to the side, was dumbfounded. After a long while, he said, "Damn, so these ghosts are also proficient in military strategy! They used the best strategy from the Thirty-Six Stratagems very well!"

Cold sweat poured down Zhang Xiang's forehead; Qiqi's appearance was completely outside his plans. Initially, after Qiqi entered and cast her spell, he indeed couldn't detect any signs of life. Little did he know that Qiqi was the daughter of a demon, devoid of any heart, incapable of sensing life. Until he and Lin Feng began their fight, he hadn't taken this seemingly delicate woman seriously. Later, seeing Qiqi's calm and unperturbed expression, he began to worry, but he remained confident in himself. Little did he know that the "Corpse Skin" and "Soul-Capturing Bell" he had painstakingly crafted would have no effect on her, revealing that she was far more powerful than Lin Feng.

Just then, the "corpse skin" suddenly wrapped around Qiqi, and Zhang Xiang burst into laughter. But his laughter was short-lived; the "corpse skin" tightened around Qiqi, and Qiqi emerged from it as if she were nothing. Zhang Xiang was dumbfounded, while Lin Feng danced with excitement.

However, Qiqi was helpless against the "corpse skin." The skin had been refined by Zhang Xiang with some unknown substance, and it was not afraid of the "Bluetooth" emitted from Qiqi's fingertips, which greatly angered Qiqi.

Lin Feng wasn't in a hurry. He could tell that the human skin couldn't do anything to Qiqi, so he was happy to watch the show.

He was enjoying the show when Zhang Xiang suddenly rushed over, jumped up, and kicked him in the face. Lin Feng never expected Zhang Xiang to have the chance to attack him at this moment. He only managed to utter half a curse, "Your mother," before being kicked to the ground.

Zhang Xiang shook the bell in his hand and pointed at Lin Feng. The "corpse skin" that had been fighting with Qi Qi suddenly flew towards Lin Feng. It happened so fast that Qi Qi couldn't save Lin Feng in time. The human skin draped itself over Lin Feng, tightly wrapping him inside.

Qiqi saw Lin Feng writhing in pain below, but his mouth and nose were covered by skin, preventing him from making a sound. She rushed forward and repeatedly used her "Bluetooth" to grab the skin, but there was no reaction. Qiqi turned to look for Zhang Xiang, only to find that he had already run away!

Volume 2, Chapter 16, "Split Head" (16)

It turned out that Zhang Xiang had already begun plotting against Lin Feng while he was watching from the sidelines. The "Yin Corpse Skin" refining method was strange and complicated, but once refined, it could not only lock a person's life, but even if it didn't wrap around you, it could still slowly absorb your physical strength. When Lin Feng found himself lacking strength, he didn't pay attention, thinking that he had used up his strength in the fight with Zhang Xiang and that he would be fine after resting.

He didn't actually not want to beat Zhang Xiang up, but he simply didn't have the extra energy at the time. Otherwise, with Qiqi constantly battling the "Yin Corpse Skin," Lin Feng wouldn't have let such a great opportunity slip by.

Little did he know that Zhang Xiang had planned ahead and took advantage of his exhaustion to deliver a flying kick.

After Lin Feng was kicked down, he found the "Corpse Skin" rushing towards him from all sides. He had no strength left to dodge, so he could only raise his hands to protect his head. The "Corpse Skin" wrapped around his head and hands, closing in closer and closer. Lin Feng thought he was done for. He hadn't expected Zhang Xiang to be so cunning; he had completely miscalculated.

Qiqi watched anxiously, frantically using her Yin energy to create a "Bluetooth" knife to tear at the "corpse skin," but to no avail. Frustrated, she jumped up and down. Finally, she grabbed the skin with both hands and pulled hard, dragging Lin Feng several meters along without managing to tear the skin off.

Seeing that Lin Feng's struggles were getting weaker and weaker, Qi Qi was anxious but helpless.

Lin Feng found it increasingly difficult to breathe, thinking that he was doomed this time. The image of Xiao Jie Jie's delicate and adorable face flashed through his mind, and his heart ached. Suddenly, he felt the red line on his right palm burning like a red-hot iron bar, searing his palm with pain.

With a thought, a dazzling red light suddenly erupted from his right hand. Wherever the red light passed, the "corpse skin" covering him immediately emitted a pungent stench, then hissed and tore open. The skin covering him loosened further and further until it finally fell to the ground. Lin Feng immediately swung his hand, slashing horizontally and vertically, cutting the piece of skin into several pieces. Wherever the red light from his hand swept across, greenish-blue flames ignited. The flames slowly spread towards the center, finally burning the skin completely, filling the air with that acrid smell.

Lin Feng stared blankly at the human skin that had returned to nothingness, then looked at the faint red light flowing in his right hand. When it wasn't being swung, it was just a dark crimson, much dimmer than when he had been waving it.

He really couldn't understand what was going on. He only knew that the red thread on his hand must have helped him, but why this red thread could turn his right hand into a long knife was beyond his comprehension.

Seeing Lin Feng's dazed expression, Qiqi couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Silly boy, now you know why I haven't helped you, right?"

Lin Feng looked at the long sword that his hand had conjured, then looked at Qi Qi in disbelief and said, "Did you already know I had this strange thing?"

Qiqi nodded and said, "That's not a strange thing, it's a spirit blade, much more powerful than my Yin Spirit Blade. It's a weapon that someone with certain Taoist skills has condensed their life's spiritual power and planted in your body. Vengeful spirits and vengeful ghosts are terrified of it, and it's especially effective against some evil sects' spirit-controlling and corpse-driving spells. Your death aura was entirely blocked by this spirit blade, otherwise you would have died long ago. But now that the blade has been drawn, all the death aura has been absorbed by the blade. In other words, your blade is a blade that combines spirit and Yin energy, making it much more powerful than a simple spirit blade!"

Lin Feng was stunned for a moment, but he finally understood what Qi Qi was saying. Qi Qi said, "How about we give the knife a name? Don't treat it like an inanimate object; it has a spirit. Giving it a name will make it come to life whenever you need it, which is very convenient."

Lin Feng said, "What if my mouth is gagged? Will he not come out then?"

Upon hearing Lin Feng's words, Qiqi almost burst out laughing, saying, "How could Xiao Jie Jie fall for a blockhead like you? You feel the same way!"

Lin Feng nodded and said, "Your knife is called 'Bluetooth,' and I'll call mine 'Crimson Fire'! What do you think?"

Kiki said, "Whatever, but the name is really old-fashioned!"

Lin Feng glanced at her without saying a word, then looked at his right hand and shouted, "'Crimson Fire,' go back!" The dark red blade immediately turned into a red line imprinted on his palm. Lin Feng found it amusing and shouted again, "'Crimson Fire,' come out!" Sure enough, his right hand turned into a dark red long blade again.

Kiki shook her head and said, "You're just like a child!"

Lin Feng called it several times and found it really convenient. From now on, he would no longer be just a half-baked "Special Investigation Department" agent. With this magic weapon, what did he have to be afraid of?

Lin Feng glanced at the chaotic internet cafe, opened the curtains, and called the Special Investigation Department to explain the situation, ordering them to send someone immediately. After hanging up, Lin Feng saw many small black streams darting about in the sunlight. He rubbed his eyes, thinking it was because he had been in the dark for too long and his eyes were still adjusting.

Qiqi saw Lin Feng rubbing his eyes and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lin Feng said, "It's nothing, I just keep seeing a few streaks of black energy darting around!"

Qiqi said, "That's thanks to your spirit knife. You can also see yin energy now, which means you have 'yin eyes' and can see things in the dark world!"

Lin Feng was stunned again and said, "I'm that powerful now?"

Qiqi said, "Your knife is constantly capturing and absorbing hidden energy, storing it within the knife. That's how it becomes powerful, just like you need to breathe air. Even if you summon it, you don't attack it, keeping the energy at its lowest point. Once you attack, you immediately unleash a large amount of energy, never wasting a single bit."

Lin Feng stared in disbelief for a long time before finally saying, "So he's much smarter than me!"

Qiqi smiled and said, "Of course. Alright, I should go now, or you 'Special Investigation Department' people will be in endless trouble whenever you see me!"

Lin Feng suddenly had an idea and said, "Could you come with me to a place where there are two wronged souls who need our help? Please go and assist them!"

Kiki opened her eyes wide and said, "With your spirit knife, you think you can't save him? You must have other intentions!"

Lin Feng scratched his head sheepishly and said, "Hehe, you figured it out. Let's go together. I'll tell you all about it on the way. I believe it will be good for you too!"