Chapter 44: Indeed a Great Tonic Part 1

Old Tang shone the flashlight ahead, and Wang Ya clearly saw the paper person transform into a streak of white light that swiftly slashed and wrapped around a black shadow. The shadow resembled a man about 1.7 meters tall, locked in fierce combat with the paper person. The thick Yin Qi emanated from it. The Yin Qi around it was extremely dense, forming a barrier that blocked the Ghost Collecting Bell she had thrown, leaving the bell suspended in mid-air, emitting clanging vibrations.

With the ghost refusing to emerge and the situation unclear, Wang Ya inevitably felt fear in her heart. But now that the ghost was right in front of her, how could she still be afraid? She hooked her pinky around the red rope of the Ghost Collecting Bell and reeled it back. The Seven Ancient Copper Coins were strung on the red rope of the Ghost Collecting Bell, and she hurled it at the ghost once more.

Empowered by the Seven Ancient Copper Coins, the Ghost Collecting Bell smashed through the Yin Qi enveloping the ghost and hurtled straight toward it. The ghost was battling the paper person with its back to Wang Ya. Just as the Ghost Collecting Bell was about to strike its back, it suddenly spun around and punched the bell, sending it flying. The force sent the Ghost Collecting Bell hurtling with tremendous momentum. If not for the red rope wrapped around Wang Ya’s finger, it would have been flung who knows where.

Old Tang shouted loudly, pulled out a piece of talisman paper, and flung it at the ghost while yelling, “Run!” He took the lead, bypassing the ghost and charging ahead.

As soon as Old Tang moved, Huang Qi and Zhang Qingshui followed. Wang Ya didn’t dare lag behind and bolted forward. But just as she took her first step, she sensed a surge of lightning aura in the air, followed by a thunderous crack. Her vision suddenly flashed blindingly white. The piercing light forced her eyes shut involuntarily, and a current coursed through her body, numbing her limbs and nearly toppling her. Wang Ya stumbled but pressed on. Suddenly, she felt a rapid airflow rushing from ahead, fast and fierce like a beast pouncing on prey. Startled, she dodged to the side, barely evading it. Then a chill brushed past her, and something lunged at her again. She swung the Ghost Collecting Bell heavily at the approaching thing, then her palms flipped rapidly as she formed the White Tiger Evil-Breaking Seal and blasted it. With a “carp flip,” she leaped up and slapped her palm at the evil thing closing in again. Her palm solidly struck the evil entity, and the bone-chilling cold nearly froze her bones stiff. The powerful force shook her back three steps before she steadied herself. The evil thing didn’t fare well either, drifting back seven or eight meters.

Suddenly, a hazy green fluorescence lit up the darkness, and Yi Wood Aura surged from the direction of the door.

Wang Ya’s heart tightened in alarm. “Could that retreating demon have circled back?” She glanced sideways with her peripheral vision and saw that Zhang Qingshui’s Azure Vine had somehow grown into a vast canopy, like a garden of green shade, enveloping Zhang Qingshui, Old Tang, and Huang Qi. Ignoring Zhang Qingshui’s side, Wang Ya fixed her gaze on the evil thing in the shadows seven or eight meters ahead. It flipped in mid-air and pounced at her again.

Wang Ya sidestepped, kicked off with her right foot, and slid forward, steadily rushing into Zhang Qingshui’s Azure Vine. She asked, “Why aren’t we moving?”

The big ghost’s pounce missed, and it flipped again toward Wang Ya. Just as it touched the periphery of the Azure Vine, a vine whipped out like a lash, sending the big ghost flying. Immediately after, another whooshing sound came from a vine swinging, flinging a black figure from the left. But soon, the two black shadows lunged back, blocking left and right outside the Azure Vine, trapping them.

Heavy, muffled sounds of massive objects moving came from the direction of those two rows of pillars, like someone pushing enormous stones.

Huang Qi’s face paled dramatically. She said, “There are doors on the pillars—something’s coming out! Vertical Coffins! Each pillar has a Vertical Coffin! Wang Ya, quick!”

Wang Ya’s expression grew grave as she stared at the two big ghosts outside, clad in tattered rags, then swept her gaze toward the twelve pillars in the hall. She said solemnly, “Who said this wasn’t an ancient tomb earlier?” Tell her to hurry? The Yin Qi condensing on these ghosts was nearly substantial—one was already a challenge, two at the door, and who knew what lurked behind. She was certain now: this was an ancient tomb built over a Yin Acupoint. The ghosts here, nurtured by the extreme Yin Qi of the acupoint, were utterly ferocious. Escape? No matter how fast humans ran, could they outpace the ghosts flying from the Yin Acupoint? If her talisman papers hadn’t run out, maybe! Have her bleed to form seals and hold them off while they ran? In her dreams! The ghosts wouldn’t be dealt with before she’d lose too much blood!