Chapter Twenty-Four: Dong Wei—Could He Be... the Ghost King?!

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“Damn, that’s impressive! Is this some kind of spell or a monster?” Fu Yang stared in shock at the beastly mouth chewing in his palm. But what truly unsettled him was the bizarre aura that surged from his arm to his heart after the beast mouth devoured the faceless ghost right before him.

Why hadn’t he felt this after devouring all those zombies earlier?

Fu Yang wasn’t stupid; with a bit of thought, he understood. “It was all just an illusion conjured by the faceless ghost, not real. That’s why there was no reaction… Wait—Ahuang!”

A cold chill ran down his spine. If this faceless ghost was sent by that terrifying little boy ghost lord in the lumberyard, wouldn’t Ahuang be in danger, lying unconscious alone in the hospital room?

“I have to get back!” Fu Yang bolted off, charging into the hospital room like a madman.

Seeing Ahuang lying safe and sound in the hospital bed, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and plopped into the chair beside the bed. Only then did he notice that the world outside the window was already bright.

“How can it be morning already? It’s only been a few minutes, hasn’t it?”

Little did he know, he’d been trapped in the faceless ghost’s illusion the whole night. If not for his strong fate and iron will, he might have lost his mind before uncovering the secret of the beast mouth in his palm.

He’d either be dead, or a lunatic by now.

“Ugh, damn, that hurts…” Ahuang groaned, finally stirring and opening his eyes. Out of danger, he immediately reverted to his usual rogue demeanor, utterly lacking the air of a cultivator.

“You’re awake?” Fu Yang exclaimed in delight. “I’ll go get the doctor!”

He was about to get up when Ahuang grabbed his wrist. “Don’t shout! If the doctor comes, they’ll make me stay for observation for days… Wait, you—!”

Ahuang’s roguish look vanished, replaced by a grave expression. He stared at Fu Yang with a strange, unfamiliar gaze.

“What’s with that look? Are you out of your mind?”

“You’re not Fu Yang!”

“Come on… If I’m not Fu Yang, then I’m a ghost, right?”

Ahuang suddenly tightened his grip and formed a spell with his other hand. “You are a ghost! Otherwise, why is your body filled with such dense ghostly energy? Only a low-level ghost would dare possess my good brother in broad daylight!”

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With that, he jabbed two fingers, charged with the spell, at Fu Yang’s forehead.

Silence.

“Hey… are you done?” Fu Yang asked.

Ahuang recoiled in shock. “How can this be? The Ghost-Breaking Seal had no effect!”

Then it dawned on Fu Yang—could the ghostly energy in his body be from when his right hand devoured the faceless ghost?

“Looks like I won’t be able to keep Her Majesty a secret after all…”

After some back-and-forth, Fu Yang recounted everything from start to finish. Ahuang listened, dumbfounded.

“You mean that ghost woman, Dong Weike, asked you to offer her sacrifices of livestock?”

Fu Yang nodded.

“Come on. How could a ghost withstand such offerings? Those sacrifices are for ancestors and gods. A mere ghost would be obliterated by the laws of heaven… And what kind of ghost would teach a human spells?”

Seeing his disbelief, Fu Yang grew anxious. He thrust his right hand before Ahuang’s face and waved it. “Look! This terrifying beast mouth in my palm—my Queen taught me that spell! I don’t need to chant or perform rituals like you; I just aim it at a ghost and bam! It’s gone. Awesome, right?”

Ahuang looked at him with a mixture of pity and disbelief. “Yangzi, have you been so jealous of my abilities that you made up your own?”

From Ahuang’s perspective, Fu Yang’s palm looked perfectly normal—no monstrous beast mouth at all.

Yet Fu Yang could see it clearly!

He grew desperate and shoved his palm closer. “Look again!”

“I think you should see a psychiatrist,” Ahuang said.

Fu Yang blinked, then suddenly realized something and burst out laughing. “Damn! So only I can see this thing? That means I don’t need to hide it with gloves anymore!”

Ahuang could only shake his head in exasperation.

With no way to convince him, and since Ahuang wanted to sneak out of the hospital anyway, they simply slipped away together to check on Fu Yang’s apartment.

But as they reached the entrance of the old apartment building, Ahuang stopped dead in his tracks.

Fu Yang nearly bumped into him. “Come on, why are you just standing there? I almost rear-ended you.”

Ahuang’s voice trembled with panic. “No need to go inside. I believe you now.”

Huh?

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Fu Yang was baffled and asked why.

What he didn’t know was that in the years since they’d last met, Ahuang had his own encounters and was no longer just a paranormal enthusiast, but a true Daoist priest.

And as one distinct from ordinary people, Ahuang could see what others could not.

For instance, from Ahuang’s perspective, towering before the entire six-story building where Fu Yang lived was a colossal, black, phantom gate!

The gate stood nearly nine meters tall and six meters wide, emanating an oppressive and eerie presence.

It was tightly shut, its surface carved with countless hideous, terrifying ghosts, packed together like a mountain of writhing spirits. At the summit, seated with commanding presence, was a female specter—her appearance obscured, her figure elegant and unearthly.

Flanking the gate stood two monstrous beasts, their bodies draped in skulls and exuding a savage aura.

Ordinary people, of course, saw none of this. They came and went as usual. Even Daoists with lesser spiritual power would be blind to it.

Only someone like Ahuang could see.

“A ghost… Ghost Gate… It’s the shadow of the Ghost Gate! Dear heavens, what on earth have you gotten yourself into?”

The Ghost Gate?!

Fu Yang was startled by these words.

He quickly looked around, but under the bright daylight, everything seemed perfectly normal.

“Don’t bother. Ordinary people can’t see it. The Ghost Gate’s shadow isn’t some illusion or evil spell—it’s a natural manifestation of power.”

“I’m not entirely sure, but according to legend, when a ghost reaches a formidable level, the Ghost Gate’s shadow appears at their dwelling as a warning to Daoist exorcists: stay away… In Daoist lore, this level is called Ghost King.”

Ghost King! Dong Weike was actually… a Ghost King!

Fu Yang found it hard to believe.

Ahuang, still looking grim, continued, “Anyone who sees such a thing—my master included—would run for their lives. Yet you actually keep her at home like a wife…”

“Shut it! Don’t say that; if she hears, I’m dead.” Fu Yang hurriedly clapped a hand over Ahuang’s mouth. “Since you say she’s that powerful, then watch what you say. She’s my Queen, not my wife!”

Ahuang looked even more mournful. “Yangzi, your tastes are… something else. You’re really playing a role-play game with a Ghost King? What a twisted romance…”

“Screw you!” Fu Yang snapped.

(First update! Old Wu promises to speed up his updates.)