Yin Shou Shu

Chapter 406 Blood Feud
In the dimly lit room, Ran Qing's face was gloomy.

He looked at the red landline in front of him and listened to Li Hongye's voice coming from it.

This cold, sinister voice maintained a clear and rational mind, unlike the madness of those resentful demons.

But this Li Hongye was too unfamiliar to Ran Qing.

In his memory, Li Hongye was a sunny, playful, and lovely kind girl.

He always thought that Li Hongye was a pitiful and innocent victim.

On the night Aunt Liu passed away, Li Hongye, a malevolent spirit, spared Ran Qing's life. Later, when Ran Qing was summoning the spirit, Li Hongye guided her to find the Destiny Tablet, which became an important asset for Ran Qing.

Without the life master's tablet, he couldn't have completed the Ghost Refining Technique in the Jar so quickly.

In the ensuing events, Li Hongye twice issued crucial warnings and saved Ran Qing.

Even when Ran Qing found the Ghost King's Coffin and paid for her life, the evil ghost with the same personality and memories as Li Hongye was still playful, gentle, kind and lovely when facing Ran Qing.

At that time, Ran Qing never imagined that Li Hongye was the mastermind behind everything.

Little did he expect that all this kindness was meant to guide him to open the Ghost King's coffin.

The real Li Hongye was cruel and vicious, with a deep mind, lurking in the shadows and orchestrating everything.

She murdered her kind and honest adoptive father and took over the revenge plan after her mother's death, expanding upon her mother's revenge scheme.

Originally, Li Hongye's mother only resented Ran Jianfei.

However, everything Li Hongye did after her mother's death not only led to Ran Jianfei's death, but also put the ghost-raising man and the entire Yue Zhao on her death list.

Now, ghostly mist shrouds Moonlit City, and this city will soon fall into the underworld, following in the footsteps of the ancient Luo Kingdom thousands of years ago.

Although Moonlit City is not large, it must have a population of several hundred thousand, right?
Even so, Li Hongye was still not satisfied.

She even wanted to use the Ghost King's corpse to create a blood corpse, so that more people would be buried with her family...

Hearing Li Hongye's voice on the landline, Ran Qing took a deep breath and suppressed the turbulent emotions in her heart.

He stared at the red landline and said, "...What exactly do you want to do, Li Hongye?"

"Your enemies are all dead, why don't you stop?"

"You're not satisfied with just killing all the ghost-raisers; you also want to drag the entire Moonlit City into the underworld."

"You want to use the Ghost King's corpse to nurture and refine blood corpses, and release them out to kill even more people?"

Ran Qing tried her best to remain calm and control her tone.

After saying all this, he took a deep breath, a hint of pain flashing in his eyes: "Why did you do this? The Li Hongye I know shouldn't be like this..."

Ran Qing is still trying to awaken Li Hongye's conscience.

They tried to dissuade the girl from her tragic death.

However, after he finished speaking, the only response from the landline was the sinister laughter of the female ghost.

There was a hint of mockery in that laughter.

"...You know everything, Ran Qing."

"But how can you be so sure that the Li Hongye you knew before was the real me?"

"Don't forget, you and I are sworn enemies..."

At this point, the female ghost let out a sinister laugh.

She seemed to be mocking Ran Qing's foolishness, her laughter filled with excited madness.

Like a madman who has been suppressing his emotions for too long, now he can finally let it out; the excitement is completely out of control and he can no longer restrain himself.

She laughed sinisterly and mocked Ran Qing's naivety with a maniacal laugh.

"...Do you know how I felt when I first saw your face?"

"Ran Jianfei's only son!"

"It's like God sent you to me."

“I found a little opportunity to get close to you, and you immediately clung to me like a stray dog ​​starved for love.”

"You've had a great time these past two years, haven't you?"

"I'm trying really hard to cooperate with you and cater to you."

"Unfortunately, Ran Jianfei, that stray dog, is too cunning. He hid himself very well and even abandoned his own son."

“You know nothing about him except where he lives, so you can’t be expected to do anything.”

"But luckily you're innocent enough that with a little effort I can tame you completely."

"Do you know what my mom told me about you?"

Inside the landline, the female ghost's sinister, chilling laughter pierced Ran Qing's heart like a sharp sword.

She said, "As long as I can keep you and maintain our close relationship, I will play hard to get even if you take advantage of me."

"As long as we can maintain our close relationship with you, we will have a chance to kill Ran Jianfei sooner or later."

“Your father is cunning and difficult to deal with. If you want to kill him, you only have one chance. We must investigate everything thoroughly and make full preparations. We absolutely cannot fail.”

"If he fails, given Ran Jianfei's personality, he will definitely hide far away and never have another chance to take revenge in this lifetime."

"So I kept dealing with you, waiting for you, and even mentally prepared myself to be like a dog on top of me."

"But it's a pity you're so innocent. You wouldn't even dare to take advantage of me or sleep with me, let alone touch my hand or say you like me."

"Once I accidentally touched your finger, and your face turned as red as a monkey's bottom... Hahahaha..."

At this point, Li Hongye laughed even more wildly and unrestrainedly.

Ran Qing's embarrassing moments have now become a weapon for her to ridicule and hurt Ran Qing.

Upon hearing the voice from inside the machine, the corpse-driving Taoist priest fled in terror, not daring to stay and listen any longer.

It had only just begun, and the female ghost on the other end of the phone had already uttered such terrifying and shocking words.

If you keep listening, who knows what she'll say next?

This is the altar for those who walk the path of the dead.

The corpse-driving Taoist priest Liu Fang did not want to be silenced by the enraged spirits of the spirit medium.

As the corpse-driving Taoist escaped the house, Zong Shu, who was standing nearby, also subconsciously wanted to leave.

But as soon as he took a step, he turned around abruptly and made a decision.

Stop listening!

Zong Shu said with a face full of resentment, and walked quickly toward the landline.

He raised his hand to hang up the phone, not wanting the female ghost on the other end to continue harming Ran Qing.

However, just as Zong Shu reached out his hand, Ran Qing stopped him from the side.

In the dim light inside the room, Ran Qing's expression was blank, and her eyes were frighteningly calm.

He said to Zong Shu, "No need to hang it up, let her talk to her heart's content."

Ran Qing stared at the red landline phone and said expressionlessly, "If these are her true thoughts, if she has been compromising and dealing with me for the past two years, then let her say as much as she wants, let her express all the resentment she has been suppressing in her heart."

"I want to know just how much she hates me, how much she hates the world."

Ran Qing spoke calmly.

Faced with Li Hongye's vicious and sharp sarcastic words, an ordinary person would have been ashamed to the point of wanting to disappear.

But Ran Qing remained unmoved, her calmness terrifying.

He stared at the red landline and said, "Is there anything else you want to say? Say it all at once, and I'll listen to it all."

Ran Qing's calm response abruptly silenced the excited laughter of the female ghost on the landline.

She seemed disappointed by Ran Qing's indifference.

After a few seconds of cold silence, Li Hongye's voice, which had become icy cold and devoid of any emotion, finally came through the phone.

"...Who told you I hate you?" "Ran, you really do like to be delusional."

The female ghost's voice suddenly turned cold and sinister, no longer mocking or resentful, but distant and wooden.

The next second, the phone automatically hung up, and the dial tone of a disconnected line filled the room.

beep - beep - beep -

The red landline emitted a sharp beep, and the call was abruptly cut off.

The female ghost, who had just been excitedly mocking and ridiculing Ran Qing, suddenly left in the next second.

Seeing this, Ran Qing expressionlessly raised her hand and pressed the redial button.

He was eager to know how many more chilling words could still escape from Li Hongye's cold mouth.

However, after pressing the redial button, all that came through the landline was the operator's cold voice.

"Hello, the number you dialed is not in service. Please check and dial again..."

"Sorry..."

The operator's voice, broadcasting back and forth between Chinese and English, signaled that Ran Qing's redial had failed.

With a blank expression, Ran Qing dialed the number again.

But this time, the call still couldn't get through.

Not only did no female ghost's voice ring out, but the corpse-driving Taoist's superior could not even be contacted.

Ran Qing frowned and put the phone away, this time dialing Teacher Jin's number.

When the dial key was pressed, the operator's cold, emotionless voice came from the landline.

"Hello, the number you dialed is not in service. Please check and dial again..."

Ran Qing hung up the phone and dialed Old Sheepskin's number, even though Old Sheepskin had already left Yue Zhao.

But when the phone rang, the operator's cold voice still came through the landline.

"Hello, the number you dialed is not in service..."

Ran Qing took out her phone book and dialed the numbers one by one.

However, all the phone numbers dialed were invalid.

Even the emergency numbers, ambulance numbers, and fire numbers—special numbers that can be dialed even when the bill is overdue—were all disconnected when Ran Qing dialed them.

This landline phone has clearly lost its ability to make external communications.

Unable to contact any outside telephone.

Upon realizing this, Long Zongshu was somewhat alarmed.

"...Oh no! We can't make the call. How are those reclusive masters hired by Bureau 769 going to contact us now?!"

"Moreover, Li Hongye may already know that those people are coming to Yue Zhao to help..."

Zongshu instantly realized the worst possible outcome.

Ran Qing silently put down the phone, stared at the red landline, and said expressionlessly.

"It seems she wants to starve us out."

"We can't make calls, we can't step out of the ancestral altar, we're stuck here."

"We might starve to death in this concrete building before the ghostly mist even drags Moonlit City into the underworld."

Numerous pale, ghostly figures lurked and wandered around the cement house.

Those terrifying ancient demon soldiers were clearly targeting Ran Qing and his companions.

Among them is even the flying zombie that Ran Jianfei turned into after his death...

Now that things have come to this, there's no doubt about it.

Ran Jianfei's death at the Laro mine is definitely related to Li Hongye.

As for Ran Jianfei turning into a flying zombie after his death, it's highly likely that Li Hongye did something to cause it.

Li Hongye's family is also a lineage of corpse-refining families.

Turning the dead into zombies was a skill passed down from her ancestors...

Ran Qing walked out of the main room and told Mo Li and the Corpse-Driving Taoist that she couldn't make the phone call.

The corpse-driving Taoist priest panicked when he heard that he couldn't make the phone call.

"That's it!"

“When people from the Xuanmen sect outside Zangke come to Zangke, they are already influenced by the ghost realm of Wujiang, and can only use half of their full abilities.”

"Now Li Hongye knows they're coming and will set traps in advance, and we have no way to warn them... We're doomed! What do we do now?!"

The corpse-driving Taoist priest was extremely anxious.

Mo Li, whose emotions had recovered, was concerned about something else: "The food in the refrigerator, plus the noodles in the cupboard, if we eat them sparingly, should be enough to last us for three days... After three days, we'll be starving."

Mo Li stared at the surrounding mist and said, "Perhaps we can make a sound and attract the neighbors nearby, and ask them to buy us something to eat."

"But I'm not sure if the ancient demon soldiers will still refrain from harming ordinary people once living people get close."

"And whether the sounds we make can be heard outside..."

This cement building, located halfway up the mountain, stands right in the city center.

The surrounding area is an old shantytown with a diverse population, filled with all sorts of tenants and local residents.

Park Road, not far from the foot of the mountain, is one of the main roads in the city, with cars and people coming and going every day.

But the few people in this bustling city were now like isolated islands in the fog. The living people were moving around not far away, but they dared not, and could not, call on other living people to help them.

After a few seconds of silent contemplation, Ran Qing said, "Three days is enough."

"I will dispel the death aura from my body in these three days, write enough talismans, and then go directly to the Wujiang Ghost Realm to find Li Hongye."

Ran Qing said expressionlessly, "These ghost soldiers were released by her, and the Ghost King's corpse is with her."

"If we deal with her and take the Ghost King's corpse, she can use the Ghost King's corpse to release the ghost soldiers, and we can use the Ghost King's corpse to lure the ghost soldiers back."

Ran Qing had a clear mind and had already planned to go find Li Hongye.

We're just proceeding according to the original plan now, and there's no need to make any changes.

However, the corpse-driving Taoist priest felt uneasy after hearing Ran Qing's words.

"...You're going to find Li Hongye? There are two blood-soaked corpses next to that girl!"

"She can also lure evil spirits from the ancient kingdom of Luo to attack us."

"She has no living soul, so we can't get rid of her quickly. What are your plans to do with her?"

The corpse-driving Taoist stared at Ran Qing suspiciously and said, "You little brat, don't go throwing your life away... I think it's safer for you to use your ability to navigate the underworld to lead us out!"

"You ghost walkers must have some hidden skills. You might not be able to deal with that female ghost, but you can definitely escape from here safely, right?"

As soon as the corpse-driving Taoist finished speaking, a sudden churning occurred in the fog outside.

A gaunt-faced, solemn, and wealthy-looking middle-aged man dressed in a black robe that resembled a burial garment walked in.

He stared at the four people present, his gaze sweeping over them.

Finally, their gaze fell upon Ran Qing.

"...Can I buy a knife on credit?"

The knife seller who appeared once before Aunt Liu passed away has reappeared.

"The Blade of Life and Death will be delivered within ten days."

Almost identical words drifted into Ran Qing's ears.

(End of this chapter)