Yin Shou Shu

Chapter 269 We're Brothers
"Kid, your name is Ran Qing, right?"

In the eerie room, the evil spirit on the main seat had a face full of resentment, pain, and fear.

The ghost feast constantly reenacts the agony of its death, which is the most terrifying torment for a vengeful ghost.

However, the ghost's rationality and clarity became its downfall.

The more rational and clear-headed one is, the more intense the pain will be.

With venomous eyes and bloodshot pupils, the demon stared at Ran Qing and said in a hoarse voice, "For the sake of your father Ran Jianfei, if you stop now and go home, I'll spare your life and won't make things difficult for you little brats!"

"If you keep dragging this on with me, I'll be in trouble, and you'll all die too!"

These words were practically squeezed out of the devil's throat.

The amplified fear of death at the Ghost Feast made it impossible for it to maintain its aloof and indifferent composure.

At this moment, its face was filled with resentment and madness, making it no different from an ordinary vengeful ghost.

But what it said surprised everyone present.

Ran Qing's eyes narrowed sharply as he stared at the demon before him and asked, "Do you know Ran Jianfei?"

The demon grinned menacingly: "When I was alive, we were best buddies!"

"When you were a month old, I held you in my arms and gave you a big red envelope with a hundred yuan in it."

"I went when you got your hair cut, but you were just a little kid back then. It rained that day and the roads were slippery, you almost fell into a latrine, right?"

The demon's expression was ferocious yet venomous, filled with uncontrollable madness and resentment, as if it was about to lose control of its emotions.

Another rotting head on its neck was struggling frantically, trying to take its place.

The story it told caused Ran Qing's expression to change slightly.

There is a custom in Zangke of shaving hair. Some children are born with their hair left unshaved until a specific time is set for shaving.

Ran Qing didn't shave her head until she was six years old. Before that, she had long hair and looked like a girl.

This custom of shaving one's head is no less important than weddings or funerals, requiring relatives, friends, and neighbors to gather together for a grand feast.

Ran Qing remembers the grand occasion clearly. The banquet for his shaving of his head lasted for a whole week. Strange and tall spirit banners were planted in the ground in front of and behind the house. Firecrackers went off from morning to night, and there were delicious meals every day.

Many relatives and friends, both familiar and unfamiliar, also came. Many relatives not only came themselves but also brought their friends to show their support.

At that time, in the crowded house, young Ran Qing sat in a chair, surrounded by countless heads watching her get a haircut. Such a spectacle was something Ran Qing had never witnessed before.

The experience of almost slipping and falling into a cesspool on a rainy day was extremely shameful and left a deep mark on Ran Qing's childhood memories.

The evil spirit before me actually said this...

Is he really Ran Jianfei's friend?
Ran Qing stared intently at the vengeful ghost and asked, "What exactly is the purpose of your Ghost Offering Platform? Why do you kill people to raise ghosts? Is Ran Jianfei with you too?"

Upon hearing the ghost's words, Ran Qing's first thought was that Ran Jianfei had been wandering in the nearby mountains.

His mother's body was placed on him by his grandmother using the Ran family's corpse-refining technique, and the grave had not been disturbed. Ran Jianfei should have discovered this after taking the body away, which is why he didn't dig up the grave or open the coffin.

So what was he doing wandering around in the mountains?
Are you looking for the tomb of the ancient Miao king?
Or are they plotting something by being with the vengeful ghost in front of them?
Ran Qing questioned the vengeful ghost.

But the evil spirit on the main seat was sinister and violent: "You brat, you talk too much nonsense! If you want to know, go back and ask your father!"

"Tell him, I am Tao Zhenyong!"

The evil spirit was frantic and resentful; its reason seemed to be slipping away.

Meanwhile, the perpetrator, Phantom, suddenly stood up and angrily shouted at Ran Qing, "Master! Why are you talking nonsense to a dead man?"

"How much longer are you going to wait? When will the fifth dish be served?!"

The power of the Ghostly Feast continued unabated, and Xiong Dacheng's phantom could no longer wait, shouting angrily to urge it on.

Ran Qing dared not delay any longer and quickly struck the small drum to begin the fifth challenge.

As the dull drumbeats echoed, Xiong Dacheng's phantom grinned as it stood up, dragging its broadsword as it walked outside. It was going to chop another piece of the dead man's corpse to bring in.

The dull, thumping sound of chopping meat came from outside.

This time, even before Xiong Dacheng's phantom brought in the body parts, the evil spirit on the main seat trembled at the mere sound of chopping meat outside the door.

It was as if I felt the pain as if I were experiencing it myself.

The fear and pain of death grew stronger and stronger, and with each hurdle overcome, the suffering intensified.

The vengeful ghost stared venomously at Ran Qing and said, "Your last chance to escape is before Xiong Dacheng comes in!"

It issued an ultimatum, giving Ran Qing no chance to inquire or discuss.

The sound of chopping meat outside the door rang out, like a death knell.

The evil spirit on the main seat stared venomously at Ran Qing, while Mo Li and Long Zongshu, who were at the same table, also looked at Ran Qing.

Everyone was waiting for Ran Qing's decision.

Should we continue through the nine trials?

Shall we end here?
In the dim light, Ran Qing's face was unpredictable, revealing neither joy nor anger.

But just then, the chopping sound of meat outside the house suddenly stopped.

The perpetrator's phantom seemed to vanish instantly.

Instead, a dull, slow sound of footsteps could be heard.

thump -- thump -- thump --

The footsteps sounded strange, not like the sound of a living person walking, but more like something heavy bouncing on the ground.

Accompanying this dull, thumping sound was a nauseating stench.

The next second, a stiff, tall, thin figure appeared outside the house, hopping around in a very strange way.

Its face was thin, with dry, wrinkled skin clinging to its skull, making it look like a skeleton.

With a tall, thin figure and familiar facial features, the zombie, dressed in old-fashioned black clothes, hopped into the house step by step.

It tilted its head and looked towards the doorway.

The group of evil spirits outside the door retreated instantly, not daring to approach.

Everyone in the room held their breath instantly, their faces filled with terror.

The zombies... they've really gotten in!
And this zombie looks kind of familiar!

Ran Qing and Mo Li both looked at Long Zongshu.

Sitting opposite Ran Qing, Long Zongshu looked terrified. He stared in disbelief at the zombie in front of him, whose features were remarkably similar to his own, his eyes wide open.

The Dragon Clan Ancestor... This zombie is actually an ancestor of the Dragon Clan.

Judging from the style of the clothes, he should be an elder of the Dragon Clan from the last four hundred years.

However, according to the legends of the Long clan, the more powerful and talented one is, the more similar he is to Long Tian'ao, the first ancestor to settle in Guizhou.

This elder of the Long family was clearly an outstanding person during his lifetime.

But after death, it turned into a flying zombie and was trapped in a coffin.

Long Zongshu stared wide-eyed, seemingly wanting to say countless words of shock, but dared not utter a sound.

His expression at that moment looked somewhat comical.

(End of this chapter)