I Can Travel between Two Worlds-Chapter 160 - 117: Jade Ghost Steals Souls, Dog Skin Puppet!_2
It’s not much worse than the Fake Pill Realm...
Now that the ghost cultivator’s divine soul has delivered itself to his door, Lin Chen starts to counterattack after stabilizing the situation.
About half a two-hour passes.
The Jade Ghost’s divine soul grows weaker and weaker, already battered by Lin Chen to the point of almost falling from the Soul Condensation down to the Soul Gathering (Qi Refining) stage.
At this moment, the Jade Ghost begins to plead for mercy.
"Spare me! Fellow Daoist, spare me!"
"This little ghost lost its mind for a moment and made a mistake... I hope fellow Daoist spares my life, I’m willing to offer all the Jade Marrow..."
Lin Chen remains unmoved, continuing to suppress the divine soul of the Jade Ghost.
Only after its realm completely falls to the Soul Condensation stage does Lin Chen slowly speak:
"You Jade Ghost, what is your background? Why attack me... Speak quickly!"
The Jade Ghost, knowing its life or death rests on Lin Chen’s whim, hurriedly replies:
"I was originally a Jade Ghost nurtured by Jade Marrow... As for appearing at the Zheng Mansion, it’s because my current identity is also Zheng Sanyuan..."
Soon, the Jade Ghost explains its background clearly.
Just as described in the stories Lin Chen had seen.
This Jade Ghost is formed by the scattered souls wandering the mortal realm, naturally nurtured by Jade Marrow.
After the Zheng Family mined the jade, it remained in the Zheng Mansion for several years.
Until one day, it harbored malicious intent, killed Young Master Zheng (Zheng Sanyuan), and devoured his soul.
Since the Jade Ghost originally had no flesh body, after devouring Young Master Zheng’s soul, they essentially merged into one, counted as one person.
From then on, it claimed to be Zheng Sanyuan.
After hearing the Jade Ghost’s introduction, Lin Chen roughly guessed the situation.
So he asked:
"Hmph, Jade Ghosts are originally the essence nurtured by heaven and earth, yet you engage in such soul-stealing deeds, truly ruining your own cultivation!"
"Let me ask you, the Nightmare Technique that befell Miss Nan Lingling of the Celestial Envy Workshop... was it your doing?"
Although the Jade Ghost has some cultivation, it is still young, so it honestly nods and says:
"Yes, it was done by this little ghost... After devouring Zheng Sanyuan’s divine soul, I was influenced and developed affection for Nan Lingling, wanting to be with her in her dreams..."
Lin Chen sneers at this and is about to ask more.
Unexpectedly, the Jade Ghost continues:
"Of course, that’s just part of the reason... More importantly, that Nan Lingling is born with the Yin Vein Ghost Body, an unparalleled physique for ghost cultivation!"
"For the past three years, every time I met her in dreams, my realm and cultivation would continuously improve... If I didn’t seize such a good opportunity to condense a Ghost Pill, wouldn’t it be a waste of heavenly treasures?!"
The Jade Ghost speaks righteously, even with a bit of grievance in its tone.
Lin Chen is stunned by its straightforward confession.
"Well, the matter with Nan Lingling is solved... But what does the skinning incident have to do with this little ghost?"
"The path of ghost cultivation... doesn’t seem to require skinning and blood sacrifice..."
Lin Chen furrows his brow in thought, then asks:
"Then let me ask you, the skinning incident in the city... was that your doing?"
The Jade Ghost nods and admits: 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
"It was done by this little ghost..."
Lin Chen’s brow furrows slightly.
But then the Jade Ghost continues:
"But it wasn’t entirely done by this little ghost alone..."
"..." Lin Chen raises an eyebrow and gives the Jade Ghost a lesson with a clash of divine souls, rebuking:
"Are you still leaving things out? Say everything in one breath!"
The Jade Ghost, pained and frightened, quickly begs for mercy:
"I’ve confessed everything... Spare my life, fellow Daoist!"
"For this little ghost, skinning people is naturally of no use..."
"But a few years ago, I encountered a person who ordered me to skin people for their use?"
"What kind of person?" Lin Chen asks with a frown.
"I don’t know... But from his words, he seems to be from a force called the Puppet Hall..." the Jade Ghost honestly confesses.
Puppet Hall!?
One of the four major Demon Sect forces!
Lin Chen’s heart skips a beat, suspecting he has found the real perpetrator.
So he asks again, "Why does Puppet Hall skin people?"
The Jade Ghost does not hide anything, explaining:
"It’s naturally to refine puppets..."
"That person told me they have a secret technique to eradicate a mortal’s soul, leaving only the flesh body... Then skin the mortal’s body, leaving only the flesh and bones."
"Then skin a black dog, put it on the dead person’s body, and the dog skin puppet refined this way is very powerful, impervious to water and fire, resistant to blades and swords. Even ordinary Qi Refining Stage cultivators are no match..."
Lin Chen has already guessed the whole story after hearing this.
The people of Puppet Hall came to Jade Belt City years ago intending to refine the dog skin puppets and happened to encounter the Jade Ghost.
Thus, they coerced the Jade Ghost to kill and seize souls for them...
Then put black dog skins on the corpses to ultimately refine dog skin puppets.
Thus, the second strange incident in the city is explained.
The sight of someone in the southern part of the city seeing a monster with a dog’s head walking around the city is also understood...
Maybe it’s not a dog’s head, just a person wearing dog skin.
But as night falls and passersby make mistakes, it seems understandable...
"Let me ask you again, since the Black Dog is used to skin and refine puppets... what about the Black Dog Gang in the southern part of the city?"
"The Black Dog Gang is a stronghold of the Puppet Hall... They raise black dogs specifically for the skinning! Tsk tsk, fellow Daoist, you have no idea how bloody the skinning scene is... How many dog skins it takes to refine one puppet!"
Before Lin Chen could finish asking, the Jade Ghost confessed everything in one breath.
Lin Chen frowns slightly upon hearing this.
But according to what the fortune-telling blind man said earlier, the people of the Black Dog Gang also helped drive away the resentful ghosts in Jade Belt City.
So why are the graveyards outside the city haunted again?
Thinking this, Lin Chen asks again:
"Let me ask you again... the haunting in the graveyard outside the city?"
Upon hearing this, the Jade Ghost hurriedly says:
"Fellow Daoist, I know about this! But after I confess everything, can you let me go?"
