Chapter 115: Besieged by Spirits

"That dead wretch Qiao Dong is almost right in front of you; he is about to kill you, ha ha ha!" Ling Tian stared at the man from the Ministry of State Security and burst into laughter. He truly had not expected that Qiao Dong's ghost would help him deal with this man; he had originally intended to handle it himself.

"You—you are talking nonsense!" Although the Ministry of State Security agent tried to put on a brave front, his body trembled. He felt a chilling presence drawing ever closer.

Ling Tian channeled his Yin-Yang Arts, keeping his eyes fixed on Qiao Dong's ghost. The spirit glared at him viciously, but did not dare to approach. Ling Tian sneered at it; he held no regard for such a spirit. If he did not fear century-old vengeful ghosts, why would he fear a newly formed one like Qiao Dong?

Qiao Dong’s ghost cast a hateful glance at him before turning back to the agent. There was no other choice; if he could not find a substitute to take his place, he would be dragged to the underworld by the Yin Envoys. Given the sins he had committed in life, he would certainly be cast into a vat of boiling oil—the eighteen levels of hell awaited him.

A cold smile played on Ling Tian’s lips as a brilliant idea struck him. While the impact would be significant, it would work in his favor. Fortunately, his mastery of the Yin-Yang Arts had greatly increased; although still at the Profound Stage, he had reached the advanced level, allowing him to manifest certain extraordinary abilities.

With this in mind, he called out to the crowd: "Everyone, I know there are many things you do not believe, but this world truly contains existences beyond our knowledge. If we focus our energy, we can perceive and see them. That dead wretch, Qiao Dong, is currently seeking a substitute to avoid arrest by the Yin Envoys. The man who claims to be from the Ministry of State Security is quite unlucky; he is saturated with Yin energy and has been targeted. Watch closely and see how this man is killed by a ghost, so that no innocent person is blamed."

Curiosity is human nature. Once Ling Tian spoke, everyone focused their attention on the agent. Some believed him, while others did not, yet they stayed to watch the spectacle, thinking Ling Tian was merely up to some trick.

Ling Tian smiled; the time was ripe. Although they were outdoors and bystanders had been cleared away, many who were unrelated to the affair remained at a distance to watch. The more people there were, the better—this would ensure the events of the day spread far and wide.

Ling Tian secretly channeled his Yin-Yang Arts, sending strands of Yin energy to envelop the Ministry agent, simultaneously shrouding Qiao Dong’s ghost along with him.

When the Yin energy reached a certain density, Qiao Dong’s ghost became visible to everyone. At that moment, the spirit had its hands clamped firmly around the agent’s throat. The man struggled desperately, but it was futile—how could a mortal hope to overpower a ghost?

"Ah! A ghost!"
"Ghost, ghost!"
"Fire! Shoot!"

Instantly, the entire street and the area around the Night Xiaoyao club descended into chaos. Seeing this, many scattered in terror, fearing they might be snatched by Qiao Dong to serve as his substitute. After Ling Tian’s warning and the confirmation of their own eyes, most were gripped by dread.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
"Rat-tat-tat!"

Gunfire erupted. The police and soldiers who were armed could no longer restrain themselves. The soldiers, in particular, could not simply flee, as that would be a breach of discipline. When someone shouted to fire, many raised their weapons and shot toward Qiao Dong’s ghost.

Alas, the ghost was immune to bullets. The rounds passed straight through his incorporeal form and struck the Ministry agent instead. The poor, unlucky man, even if he hadn't been strangled to death by Qiao Dong, was now riddled with holes by the gunfire.

Among those firing were the soldiers brought by Song Xiao, the police from Wei County under Zhang Xin’s command, and many officers from Jin Province.

Ling Tian was not idle. It was not his style to let such chaos go to waste. He manifested needles made of pure energy in his hands and shot them into the people he found disagreeable—such as Xu Shaobai, the head of the Jin Province police, several minor leaders of the Jin Gang, and various menacing-looking gang members and officers. He struck over a dozen people in total.

Those hit by Ling Tian collapsed one after another. Others fell in the ensuing stampede as the crowd panicked. While the chaos was absolute, most of those trampled suffered only injuries; few died, as these individuals were accustomed to fighting and possessed strong instincts for self-preservation.

The men struck by Ling Tian died, and their ghosts appeared before the eyes of the crowd. Some spirits were dazed, unaware they had perished, while others realized what had happened and immediately turned into malevolent ghosts, seeking substitutes of their own.

The people surrounding these ghosts fell into further disarray. The police and military were bewildered; with over a dozen ghosts appearing, opening fire would only cause more casualties. "Run!" Aside from the police and soldiers, everyone else fled in every direction.

When those without weapons had largely escaped, the malevolent spirits gathered together, glaring at the remaining police and soldiers. Led by Qiao Dong’s ghost, they could not find ordinary people and thus fixed their gaze upon the armed men. However, the guns held by the others made them instinctively afraid—a lingering fear from their lives.

Moreover, these police and soldiers were filled with potent Yang energy, making them difficult targets.

Suddenly, all the ghosts turned their attention toward Ling Tian. Ling Tian was wreathed in Yin energy and unarmed. Though they knew he was a dangerous character, they perceived this as the perfect opportunity to strike. All the ghosts drifted toward him in unison.

"Brother Tian!" Zhang Damazi grew anxious at the sight. Though their acquaintance was short, Ling Tian had treated him well and was close to Song Ziyue; he did not want to see Ling Tian come to harm.

By this time, the remaining police and soldiers had ceased firing, knowing that bullets could not kill ghosts. If they fired now, Ling Tian would surely be killed in the crossfire. Zhang Xin and Song Xiao ordered their men to hold their fire and instead pointed their weapons toward the Jin Province police, preventing them from shooting at Ling Tian.

"Zhang Damazi, Song Xiao, don't worry. I will be fine," Ling Tian shouted to reassure them before turning to face the dozen or so ghosts.

The spirits stared at him with hateful eyes. They knew exactly how they had died—it was at the hands of Ling Tian. They sought vengeance, and seeing him shrouded in Yin energy, they assumed it was the perfect time to strike. They had no idea that Ling Tian’s state was merely a result of his cultivation.

"Give me your life!"
"Return my life!"

Amidst the chilling wind, the ghosts wailed and lunged at Ling Tian. The onlookers felt their hair stand on end. Zhang Damazi had already called Song Ziyue, and she arrived just in time to witness this scene.

"Ling Tian!" Seeing him besieged by ghosts, she was frantic and moved to rush toward him, but was held back by Zhang Damazi and Song Xiao. They would not let her throw her life away.

"Yue'er, don't come over! I can handle this! Trust me!" Ling Tian flashed a confident smile and nodded firmly at her.

Seeing the composure in his eyes, Song Ziyue felt a slight sense of relief. She realized she had to trust him; she knew that rushing in would only be a burden. After all, she was not the type of girl to let emotion cloud her judgment.

Ling Tian looked at the ghosts and decided to give them a choice. "Don't be so impatient. Wait quietly for the Yin Envoys from the underworld, and you might still have a chance to be decent ghosts. If you are ignorant and insist on opposing me, there is only one outcome: your souls will be scattered into nothingness!"

"Return my life!"
"Give me your life!"

The malevolent spirits ignored his warning. Ling Tian’s aura of Yin energy was exactly what they craved; they pressed close, reaching out to claim his life.

At that instant, a wicked smile curled Ling Tian’s lips. His aura shifted, and all the pure Yin energy instantly converted into pure Yang energy, surging outward to attack the spirits.

"Wooo!"
"Ah!"

The ghosts shrieked in agony. Ling Tian’s pure Yang energy was the bane of their existence, burning the Yin-saturated spirits like a raging fire.

The sound of ghostly wailing was already hair-raising, and the sound of them being attacked was even more terrifying, making everyone wish they could flee a hundred thousand miles away. Yet, driven by curiosity, they endured their fear and continued to watch as Ling Tian subdued the ghosts.

Song Ziyue watched him without blinking. Once again, she was convinced that the man she had chosen was truly extraordinary. She had never heard of anyone who could suppress ghosts.

Before the astonished eyes of the crowd, the ghosts gradually faded away, their souls truly scattered. The shrill cries ceased, and everything fell into silence.

Stillness. Even the wind seemed to have stopped. The crowd remained stunned for a long time. Ling Tian stood alone in the night, looking somewhat exhausted. A dozen ghosts, all harboring deep hatred and intense obsession, had proven harder to deal with than the century-old vengeful spirit he had encountered at Li Youran’s house. If not for his strengthened Yin-Yang Arts, he would have suffered greatly.

"Ling Tian! Are you alright?" Song Ziyue ran over, her heart aching as she saw his pale complexion and weakened state.

"I'm fine. The ghosts have been scattered; you don't need to worry," Ling Tian said with a weary smile, stroking her hair. Song Ziyue had left in such a hurry she hadn't worn her wig, and her long, flowing hair was enchanting.

By now, the police and soldiers had approached. The coroners brought by both sides were still present, and they began their work on the dozen corpses lying on the ground. Though the events were bizarre, with so many dead, there had to be an accounting.

In truth, everyone was puzzled. There had only been one ghost, Qiao Dong, and later the Ministry agent had died—whether strangled by the ghost or killed by the crowd, it was only two. How had so many others ended up dead in such a confused manner?