My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion-Chapter 43: Revised - 32 Demon Extermination Day

The voice fell, and everyone was startled.

The common folk surrounding the stall froze in place, expressions of shock and confusion written across their faces. The Taoist, however, was the first to react, his face darkening as he said:

"Daozhang, I see you too are someone of the path. How can you spew such slander?"

Yin Weiyin chuckled coldly, saying little. She formed a hand seal with one hand and began to step in the罡步 pattern—three steps, nine movements—a foundational technique allegedly passed down from Xia Yu, the Lord of Mountains and Rivers.

As she chanted softly, her movements aligned with her sword. The Peach Wood Sword in her hand seemed to come alive, slithering forward like a snake, striking straight at the Taoist. Chen Yi caught a glimpse of faint glimmers but couldn’t make out the full picture.

The Taoist, seeing her authentic罡步, paled and stumbled backward in panic, yet the Peach Wood Sword pursued him relentlessly, shadowing Yin Weiyin as if it had a life of its own, directly thrusting toward him.

When the sword touched the Taoist, he reacted as though branded by hot copper. His coarse Taoist robe instantly tore apart, revealing raw, glowing red skin beneath, which quickly blackened and crumbled bit by bit.

Yin Weiyin took a step back, sheathed the Peach Wood Sword, and turned to leave.

The Taoist’s body appeared scorched by a raging wildfire, his skin rapidly peeling away. His face grotesque, he let out a guttural howl but was too consumed by pain to move. Eventually, his soul was scattered, dissolving into the air. Around them, the common folk were struck dumb with terror, until the pungent stench hit their noses.

One by one, they lowered their heads to find the source of the smell. The so-called talismans they had held as treasures began dissolving, turning into a sticky mass of horse dung. Chaos erupted instantly—for who could have guessed these allegedly powerful talismans were merely manure?

Having already distanced himself, Chen Yi observed the scene somewhat stunned.

Yin Weiyin casually explained to him:

"The dung ghost—a spirit ranked as #1326 in the Hundred Demons Thousand Ghosts Chart, born of individuals who died carrying feces in their mortal lives. These creatures disguise themselves as Taoists, mages, or scholars, using flowery words to sell fake talismans, prayer beads, and books, swindling people out of their silver." ƒrēenovelkiss.com

Min Ning heard about this ghost and frowned slightly, feeling instinctively repulsed.

Yin Weiyin, however, seemed indifferent, her tone devoid of personal judgment as she introduced them.

"Let’s go. I’ll escort the Immortal Lady back to her residence."

Chen Yi raised the lantern and began walking.

The unexpected early arrival of Demon Extermination Day had indeed caught everyone off guard. Chen Yi just wanted to accompany Yin Weiyin back and then hurry home.

Still, Chen Yi wasn’t overly concerned about Yin Tingxue’s safety. After all, his home was adorned with door gods Yu Lei and Shen Tu, zombie-blocking thresholds, and safety-ensuring couplets.

He simply didn’t want to stay out in the streets for too long. Who could guarantee what kind of ghosts they might encounter?

The darkness veiled the entire Capital City, transforming it into a grim ghost domain.

They continued walking forward, and just as they were about to turn a corner, a voice suddenly broke through.

"Dead ghost, weren’t you yearning to make merry with the Water God?!"

"Come, look at me! I am now the Water God!"

Chen Yi turned back, only to see the river channel faintly echoing scolding and cursing voices. Beneath the water’s surface loomed figures resembling drowned corpses, luring him to take a few unwitting steps closer.

A handful of men, having just exited a brothel, seemed to hear the same voices. In an instant, their faces turned pale as snow, yet as if bewitched, they staggered toward the river and glanced downward.

Suddenly, water surged upward, revealing ghastly pale hands that burst forth and dragged the reveling brothel-goers into the depths. The men thrashed about in the water, screaming for help, yet the hands multiplied, pressed them deeper, and drowned them all. Gradually, no bubbles rose from the riverbed—they were all dead.

"The Jealous Woman Water Spirit!"

Yin Weiyin drew in a sharp breath.

"Run—this one is beyond control!"

Having studied these entities through game lore, Chen Yi recognized the monster—the Jealous Woman Water Spirit—spawned from women who drowned themselves out of jealous despair. The origin lay with a woman named Madam Duan, a victim of her husband Liu Boyu (a Jin scholar), who penned lustful verses fantasizing about the Water God. In fiery vengeance, Madam Duan drowned herself and transformed into a spectral Water God-like figure, chastising Liu Boyu for his betrayal: "Why not join me in the water?"

Most Jealous Woman Water Spirits were born similarly from jealous suicides.

The three quickly hastened away from the water’s edge. Min Ning’s pallor betrayed her stress—though not her first encounter with Demon Extermination Day, she usually stayed safely indoors, relying on peachwood charms to avert the scourge of spirits.

As they crossed a street, distant cries of panic echoed, punctuated by chaos. The sudden arrival of Demon Extermination Day had shattered the city’s order, leaving mayhem in its wake.

Turning a corner, the trio abruptly halted, seeing an isolated scholar standing eerily in the street. The surroundings were deathly quiet—devoid of humans, even spirits.

The silence was profoundly unsettling.

The scholar regarded the trio, bowing slightly before asking:

"Do you believe in ghosts in this world?"

As his words fell, a sinister wind howled fiercely, unrelenting.

Yin Weiyin couldn’t immediately discern the scholar’s origins and refrained from acting rashly, furrowing her brows as she pondered.

Before Yin Weiyin could determine his background, Chen Yi declared outright:

"You are a ghost!"

The scholar’s face turned ashen, his eyes filled with terror. Gradually, his expression faded into emptiness, and his body, along with his clothes, dissolved into a putrid black liquid that seeped into the street, vanishing without a trace.

Yin Weiyin froze momentarily, then glanced at Chen Yi with an approving gaze, as though admiring a clever spouse.

"You spotted his nature at once, recognizing him as the spirit formed from the ghost that frightened Jin’s Ruan Zhan to death. But you haven’t trained in the Dao; could you possess Heavenly Vision?"

Yin Weiyin teased with a smile.

"If you have Heavenly Vision, then you must be either a celestial or a buddha."

Chen Yi shook his head and replied:

"I just happened to recall it. I read it in historical records—Ruan Zhan of the Jin dynasty didn’t believe in ghosts, debating the subject with a guest. Unable to refute him, the guest revealed his ghostly identity and scared Ruan Zhan to death."

Yin Weiyin praised:

"Yue Chi has such a keen memory—you truly should follow me to Taihua Mountain to study the Dao."

Min Ning overheard their exchange, her face clouded with confusion. She didn’t understand half of what they said. Though literate, she was no scholar; the Four Books and Five Classics were all foreign to her.

To avoid awkwardness, she simply nodded faintly as the two conversed.

Just as the scholar ghost dispersed, footsteps echoed loudly across the streets. In the distance, shadows emerged. Chen Yi raised his lantern and saw hordes of zombies hopping along with outstretched arms, moving in unison. The chilling gusts of阴风 swept past continuously. At the zombies’ core stood a commanding figure in armor, wielding a great blade—a Ghost General!

"We cannot linger here!"

Yin Weiyin exclaimed urgently, pivoting toward a narrow alleyway.

Chen Yi raised his lantern and darted after her, with Min Ning following closely.

The alley twisted labyrinthine, its walls and tiles covered in moss. They walked for the length of half an incense stick but found no exit.

The阴风 around them grew denser, inciting unease in their hearts.

Leading the way, Yin Weiyin grew increasingly wary, gripping the Peach Wood Sword in one hand and performing the Golden Light Body Protection Technique with the other. The pervasive darkness resembled dense fog, swirling as Chen Yi’s lantern flame flickered.

Following closely behind, Chen Yi cast a glance further into the alley ahead and froze. His gaze halted, his limbs stiffened.

A deep blue face appeared unnervingly; three heads perched on its shoulders. Its silk garments were stained and defiled, and an overwhelming stench of decay permeated the surroundings. Its lifeless, vacant eyes bore no trace of vitality.

An Asura—a being with one face and three eyes or three heads and six arms. This particular Asura was on the brink of death, exhibiting the ominous "Five Signs of Decline" associated with celestial demise!

Yin Weiyin’s breath faltered, and she froze on the spot.

Asuras are neither godly nor ghostly—at their zenith, resembling deities; in decline, resembling specters. Upon death, they often fall from grace entirely, plunging into the Ghost Path!

And an Asura descending into the Ghost Path becomes a Ghost King. To confront such a being, even Taihua Mountain would need to summon true masters for resolution.

Cold sweat formed on the white-robed female crown’s forehead, betraying a rare sense of dread. She dared not act rashly, let alone wield her Peach Wood Sword or step in罡步. Behind her, Min Ning grasped her blade with sweating palms at the sight.

The moss on the walls around the Asura began to wither. The space behind it turned ink-black, utterly devoid of life. The creature stood rigidly, emitting an increasingly intense stench of corruption and despair.

Unlike the two women’s fear...

Chen Yi’s lips curled into a smile.

Why, you ask? Because he had read the strategy guide.