Chapter 49: Evil Meets Its End – The Police Make Arrests

Note: Don't Forget to join my Patreon.com/flokixy to get access to +40 Advance Chapters I have to stop if there is no support In a remote mountain village, inside the most luxurious self-built house at the entrance of the village, an eerie scene unfolded. A young man with a pale, ashen face stared intently at a photograph of a girl enshrined on the wall. A sinister smile twisted his lips. "Don’t worry," he murmured to the photo, "in two days, you’ll be here to keep me company." His feet didn’t touch the ground—he wasn’t alive. If Yao Yao were present, she would have recognized him immediately as the man who had entered into a ghostly marriage with the destined woman. The thought of soon absorbing enough yang energy to overcome his fear of daylight and truly possess the woman made his grin widen uncontrollably. "Xiao Sheng, come eat!" At that moment, a middle-aged woman called out from the dining area. The man responded with a faint "Alright" and drifted over. At the dining table sat a middle-aged couple. They barely batted an eye at their son’s ghastly appearance. The woman even placed incense sticks into his food and drink. Seeing this, the ghostly figure dove into his meal with gusto. Wisps of food essence and incense smoke were devoured by him in an instant. Though ghosts could not consume regular human food, they could feed on offerings and incense. Once consumed, the food became devoid of nutrients for humans. Those with weak constitutions who ate it might suffer from yin energy clashes, leading to symptoms like diarrhea or abdominal pain. As a ghost, his eating speed was far faster than when he was alive. In no time, he had gorged himself, a look of deep satisfaction spreading across his face. Seeing her son’s hearty appetite, the middle-aged woman smiled warmly. "Thank goodness for the master! If it weren’t for him, how could we still be sitting here chatting like this?" "You’re absolutely right!" the man, Xiao Sheng’s father, nodded in agreement. "Once we drain all of that woman’s yang energy, our son will be able to stay with us forever." Though things were different now, what did it matter? As long as he was still their son, that was all that counted. "Mm-hmm, I won’t go anywhere in the future. I’ll stay home to take care of you both, and I’ll bring that woman along to serve you too." The ghost, Xiao Sheng—his full name was Gao Sheng—spoke slowly, his words drawing wider smiles from the middle-aged couple. Gao Sheng had become like this two months ago when he died in a tragic accident during a trip. His death had been filled with regret and unwillingness, causing his soul to linger as a yin spirit. Terrified of being captured by underworld officials, he had hidden away. When his parents came to claim his body, his spirit followed it back to their hometown. There, he watched helplessly as his corpse was cremated. Without a physical form, he grew weaker by the day. Just as his yin energy was about to spiral out of control and attract the attention of ghost hunters, a wandering Daoist priest arrived at their home. The priest claimed he could resurrect their son—for a price. Money was no object for the Gao family. Gao’s father owned a factory in another city, earning hundreds of thousands annually. Upon hearing there was a way to bring their son back, they eagerly agreed. To arrange a ghostly marriage, birth dates and astrological signs needed to match. So, they began searching within the village. Their generous dowry drew significant interest. In the closed-off rural community, people were ignorant and superstitious. No one cared whether the groom was alive or dead—in fact, some families preferred it that way, as it meant no husband to serve. Many brought their daughters’ birth information forward for matching. However, not everyone qualified. Even among those who matched, Gao Sheng rejected candidates he deemed unattractive or uneducated. After exhausting the village pool without success, they prepared to search elsewhere. That’s when Old Huang, a notorious gambler from the neighboring household, suddenly appeared with his daughter’s birth details and photograph, offering her for the ghostly marriage. Gao Sheng was immediately pleased with the girl’s picture. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also a university student. Her birth chart matched perfectly. Overjoyed, the Gao family finalized the arrangement and handed over 500,000 yuan in dowry on the spot. During the ghostly wedding ceremony, the Daoist advised bringing the bride closer geographically to increase the chances of success. Fearing the Gaos might demand a refund if the ritual failed, Old Huang seized the opportunity to deceive his daughter, using the excuse of her late grandmother’s passing to lure her back. Everything proceeded smoothly. Through the ghostly union, Gao Sheng’s condition improved significantly. The Gao parents dreamed of a future where their son and daughter-in-law would dutifully care for them. After lying low for a couple of years, they planned to adopt a child, ensuring their family line continued seamlessly. Immersed in these fantasies, they laughed aloud. But before their laughter faded, they noticed Gao Sheng suddenly leap from the sofa as if doused in boiling oil. He scurried under the table, his eyes wide with terror as he stared into empty space. "Huh? Xiao Sheng, what’s wrong?" Gao’s mother frowned, puzzled by her son’s sudden behavior. Gao Sheng couldn’t form coherent words. A chilling, spectral gate slowly materialized in the air. From it emerged Xie Bi’an, clad in the robes of Bai Wuchang—the White Impermanence. His gaze swept through the room and instantly locked onto the trembling figure in the corner. A cold, mirthless smile curled his lips. "You’ve been quite the elusive one. My search has finally ended." "Who... who are you? What are you doing here?" Gao’s mother exclaimed, startled by the sudden appearance of the spectral figure. "You can see me?" Xie Bi’an raised an eyebrow, his dark pupils boring into hers. He quickly discerned the truth and sneered. "So, someone from the Daoist sect opened false eyes for you two. How bold—and foolish—of you!" Ordinary people shouldn’t be able to see spirits unless born with the ability to perceive yin and yang. However, such individuals were rare. Practitioners of the Daoist arts cultivated techniques to detect ghosts, including ocular powers that could grant temporary sight of the supernatural. These "false eyes" allowed ordinary people to glimpse the spirit realm—but seeing wasn’t always a blessing. It often invited trouble. If one encountered a malevolent spirit or vengeful ghost, sudden death was a common outcome. The Gao parents had obtained false eyes solely to see their cherished son. "Mom... he’s... he’s Bai Wuchang!" Gao Sheng finally managed to choke out, though his terror remained undiminished. He hadn’t expected one of the two legendary Impermanences—Bai Wuchang, Xie Bi’an—to come for him personally. In the underworld, many spirits served as wandering Impermanences, but only two held divine status. And now, one stood before him. Earlier, Gao Sheng had leapt up because he sensed his marital bond snapping. At that moment, the steady flow of yang energy from the ghostly marriage vanished completely. With Bai Wuchang arriving at this critical juncture, Gao Sheng knew without a doubt why he was here. "It seems you understand there’s no escape. Come with me," Xie Bi’an said curtly. He harbored no sympathy for spirits attempting to prolong their existence by draining the life force of the living. With a flick of his wrist, a soul-binding chain materialized, coiling tightly around Gao Sheng. The overwhelming force nearly obliterated his spirit entirely. For ghostly entities, these chains represented an insurmountable law-like suppression. Gao Sheng was powerless to resist. Desperate, he screamed toward his parents, "Dad, Mom, save me! I don’t want to go to hell! I don’t!" "Let go of my son!" Gao’s mother shrieked, lunging forward in rage. But Xie Bi’an merely chuckled. A powerful, invisible palm strike slammed into her, sending her flying backward over ten meters. She collapsed, unconscious. Seeing this, Gao’s father panicked. Before he could decide whom to rescue, Xie Bi’an dragged Gao Sheng into the spectral gate, which promptly vanished. Stunned, Gao’s father struggled to comprehend how their once-happy family had fallen apart so abruptly. What shocked him further was the sudden arrival of several police officers bursting into their home. Without explanation, they arrested both him and his unconscious wife. Their reason? "Someone reported that you promoted feudal superstitions. You’ll need to accompany us to the station for investigation." Only when seated in the police car did Gao’s father begin to process what had happened. Beside him in the vehicle, he spotted Old Huang, similarly handcuffed and bewildered. As for who had reported them—it was none other than the destined woman herself. Having nearly lost her life at the hands of these three, she ensured they wouldn’t escape justice easily.