Free Web NovelChapter 472: Chapter 408: A Fine Bird Chooses a Tree to Perch
Associating the garbage near the sofa, an image immediately flashed through Yang Xiao’s mind: a person who was immobile and extremely obese sat on this sofa and died. But because of their reclusive nature and lack of friends or relatives, the death remained unnoticed for a long time until the body completely decayed and fused with the sofa.
At this thought, Yang Xiao turned to leave, realizing he hadn’t found Wu Peide here, and that this place must be a trap set for him.
However, as he turned and walked towards the exit, he discovered the door was gone. Where the door should have been, there was now a wall with a large picture frame hanging on it. In the frame was the gloomy face of a man who sat there with a sickly and corpulent body, his eyes unsettlingly piercing as they coldly stared right at him.
Yang Xiao noticed the location where the man in the picture frame was seated perfectly matched the position of the sofa, the background aligning with the surroundings littered with trash. On the man’s chest hung an ancient bronze key.
It seemed the person who had rotted away on the sofa was this fellow.
Meanwhile, the room itself began to change. Yang Xiao smelled an unbearable sour stench, and a viscous fluid began to ooze from the sofa. It was the yellow liquid of corpse water, which kept increasing, corroding the trash it touched.
Now Yang Xiao understood why they couldn’t find the body of the person who had previously attacked Wu Peide. It turned out they too had been trapped here and dissolved by the corpse water.
But Yang Xiao wasn’t like him. After all, this was just a variation of "Ghost Hitting the Wall," and Yang Xiao had plenty of experience dealing with such things. He flipped his palm, and the Ghost Lantern appeared in his hand. As the eerie green light emitted, the picture frame on the wall melted like ice, followed by the wall itself, revealing a hidden door behind it.
Near the door was a layer of rotting grease, similar to what appeared on the sofa, still slowly writhing as if it were some kind of living creature.
Yang Xiao, struggling against the revulsion, wrapped his hand with the sleeve of his Drama Robe and pushed the door open. The next second, he left that place and was back in the hallway.
Holding the Ghost Lantern and observing the door from outside, Yang Xiao finally saw the truth. A figure, oozing with rot and thick corpse water, was blocking the doorway. Its obese body fit tightly against the door frame, and on its chest hung only a string, the key was gone.
It seemed that the issue lay with this ghastly figure. Anyone who tried to enter would be drawn into this decaying ghost’s world. Once snared, unless one possessed abilities like his own, they would be dissolved to the bone by the corpse water.
The previous blow with the Human Bone Staff must have also been blocked by this entity, which, in a sense, shared a mysterious similarity with the Soul-Capturing Mirror in Yang Xiao’s hand.
But that was as far as comparisons could go, as this door ghost and the Soul-Capturing Mirror weren’t on the same level. The door ghost was passive; it had to be prearranged and lure in its prey. This was why Wu Peide didn’t flee but instead waited in the hallway specifically for him.
The Soul-Capturing Mirror, on the other hand, worked differently. Not only could it be triggered anytime and anywhere, but it could also teleport short distances instantly and form a space of its own. Additionally, with its tremendous potential for growth, all these were qualities that the door ghost sorely lacked.
In his mind, Yang Xiao gave the door ghost a rating; it should qualify for the Top-Grade Resentment Level, at best it might just make the low ranks of Fierce Grade, hardly noteworthy.
Even though Yang Xiao presently had the ability to break through the restrictions of the door ghost and capture Wu Peide, it was not worth the effort. Moreover, Yang Xiao didn’t want to touch the disgusting creature covered in corpse water.
Not taking the door didn’t mean that Yang Xiao couldn’t enter. With the Soul-Capturing Mirror in hand, he could go anywhere within this area.
Closing his eyes and sensing silently, Yang Xiao soon felt the presence of a mirror not far in front of him. Through the mirror, he saw Wu Peide trapped in the room, who held a cell phone and was still trying incessantly.
But it was useless. The Mirror World blocked everything, and Wu Peide’s calls for help couldn’t get through. With a single thought from Yang Xiao, in the next second, he appeared right behind Wu Peide.
Wu Peide, an old hand in the world of martial arts, shuddered violently as if sensing something and quickly turned around, but before he could react, Yang Xiao swung the Human Bone Staff and struck him with it, sending Wu Peide flying and crashing heavily against the wall.
As Wu Peide lay on the ground with a vacant look in his eyes, clearly dazed from the blow, Yang Xiao took the opportunity of his momentary stupor to draw out the Ghost Duster and, with one move, performed a rite to send him to his rest.
Then, rummaging through the shattered flesh, he finally found an ancient bronze key amid a few twisted fingers.
It wasn’t much, but Yang Xiao had no intention of keeping it for himself, yet he couldn’t let the trip be in vain, as the item could fetch some money at a hotel.
Through several previous transactions, he had gotten the hang of a few things. Low-level Resentful Eyes and equipment could be bought with money, but acquiring higher-quality goods often required bartering. Being someone who believed in planning for the future, he needed to accumulate some assets in advance.
The delay had been substantial, but fortunately, it had not caused any commotion. By the time Yang Xiao returned to the small alley beside Villa No. 5, everything was still quiet.
The rain kept pouring, inadvertently providing Yang Xiao with cover. Holding a black umbrella, he didn’t leave the spot but instead used the power of the Soul-Capturing Mirror three times in a row. Soon after, a figure appeared near the car.
Getting into the car, Yang Xiao immediately changed back into his own clothes. The black sedan sped away, quickly vanishing into the rainy night.
Yang Xiao took the mobile phone handed to him by the driver and connected to Mo Daidai’s call, telling him that he had finished what needed to be done on his end and that Wu Peide was gone forever.
Mo Daidai responded that he had already arranged for someone to take Fu Qingzhu to the Apostles Union and had gathered enough evidence to prove Fu Qingzhu’s innocence. As long as Wu Peide did not interfere, Fu Qingzhu would be fine.
"Is it really that simple?" Yang Xiao straightened up from his seat, finding it hard to believe.
"Of course, my friend. I believe in the power of money," Mo Daidai laughed. "Let me tell you some good news. If nothing unexpected occurs, once the investigation is over, your friend will become the next vice chairman of the Rongcheng Apostles’ Union, taking over Wu Peide’s position."
Yang Xiao took a deep breath, "Now I believe in the power of money. But I have a question and I hope you’ll answer me honestly."
"We’re friends; you can ask without hesitation," Mo Daidai seemed in a good mood. freeweɓnovel.cѳm
"If my operation had failed, would you have had a contingency plan?" Yang Xiao asked with curiosity. "Let’s say I was captured or got away injured."
"Of course, I would. As long as you weren’t killed on the spot, I would definitely rescue you. If something like that happened, you wouldn’t be able to stay with the Patrol Defense Office or Rongcheng anymore, but you could work for me. We would become even closer friends," Mo Daidai asserted confidently.
"Like Tong Han, working for you?" Yang Xiao also smiled.
At this, Mo Daidai sighed, seemingly very disappointed in Yang Xiao, "Sometimes I really don’t understand the way you people think. You act as if before meeting me, you and Tong Han were free. Aren’t you working for the Patrol Defense Bureau, and isn’t she working for the Yu Yuan Sect?"
"In this world, if you want to survive, you inevitably have to choose a place to reside. Why can’t it be with me?"
