"What else do you remember?"
"We’ve forgotten many things; I’ve even forgotten my own name... I only remember that Wang Xueqi and I were friends from a gaming group. Aside from work, she mostly stayed at home. So, we invited her to go hiking with us. We brought her out, but we didn’t bring her back. She vanished completely. To find her, we retraced our steps from that last trip. We walked until we reached that stone cliff. The surroundings there felt somewhat distorted, then the cliff broke, and we all died. After dying, we woke up again on a very long, very dark path. We still remembered what we needed to do: find her and bring her back. Then, after walking for a long, long time, we arrived in the basement of that house we’d seen earlier..."
At this moment, another person couldn’t help but speak up.
"That’s pretty much it. May I ask, are you a Taoist?"
"No, I am... uh, you can think of me as someone who’s here to see you off on your final journey. Think hard, is there anything else you remember?"
"I don’t remember anything else, only the task I needed to do."
All three of them looked blank, trying to recall other matters, but could remember nothing.
Zhang Laoxi sighed and walked over from behind.
"They were just ordinary people. Maybe their physical condition was a bit better than the average person with suboptimal health, and their Souls a bit stronger. But ultimately, they were ordinary people. After their tragic deaths, the last thing they could remember was the task they were engaged in and had not yet completed. The fact that they haven’t dissipated yet is quite lucky for them. In an hour at most, they will completely vanish, and no one can keep them here. You won’t get clear answers from them; they don’t even remember who they are."
Wen Yan sighed, looked at the three of them, and said to Zhang Laoxi, "Old brother, please help see them off."
Zhang Laoxi nodded. He went back to get some things and set up a simple Dharma Altar. Holding a bronze bell, he gently swayed it while chanting the Supreme Salvation Scripture. His deep voice, with its varying intonations, accompanied by the crisp sound of the bell, spread out as an invisible power.
The three Ghosts’ eyes gradually cleared, and their forms also slowly became transparent.
One of the Ghosts, looking at Wen Yan, had a pleading look in his eyes.
"When you find her, can you tell us at our graves?"
Gradually, all three Ghosts disappeared.
Wen Yan was silent for a moment, feeling somewhat contemplative.
"Old brother, is this an obsession?"
"It is, and it isn’t. It’s actually quite common for people who die suddenly, if their Soul doesn’t dissipate and they turn into an apparition, to only remember the last thing they wanted to do. Most ordinary minor ghosts are ; they appear for a brief moment and then vanish quickly. Only a very few can harm people. There are some with deep obsessions, but compared to the total number, they’re also extremely rare. For those with obsessions as intense as a Big Executor Corpse, even if given the means, the chances of one appearing are virtually nil."
So, Fake Mo Zhicheng essentially took an already strong obsession and expanded on it, turning it into a bug. Otherwise, no matter how much time he spent brainwashing, he couldn’t have created a Big Executor, right?
"What do you think?" Zhang Laoxi said. "If it were that easy, a Big Executor Corpse wouldn’t have been unheard of for so many years. He must have been very selective, observing for a long time before choosing this target."
This made Wen Yan breathe a sigh of relief. He had been genuinely worried that Fake Mo Zhicheng could replicate the process and create another one. He had witnessed the terrifying evolutionary speed of a Big Executor Corpse firsthand and couldn’t help but worry.
I’ll definitely have to go to the Water Ghost Domain, but next time, maybe I should bring Uncle along for a bit more security.
He sent the new information to Feng Yao, asking them to conduct a preliminary investigation.
「The next day, the sun rose.」
In the Water Ghost Domain, Lady Lie’s figure silently vanished.
Hundreds of kilometers away in Eastern Yu State, Lady Lie’s figure silently appeared inside a common three-story, self-built house.
She stood there pondering for a moment, then pushed open the door and went downstairs.
On the first floor was a woman in a small suit and a ponytail, wearing delicate makeup. She was eating rice noodle rolls while rapidly browsing her phone.
Noticing Lady Lie’s arrival, the woman didn’t turn around or acknowledge her.
Lady Lie stood to the side and explained why she hadn’t returned the previous day, what had transpired, including her unilateral decision to use Lone Wolf to test the waters, recounting everything precisely.
The woman remained silent. After finishing her breakfast, she finally looked up, her gaze calm as she regarded Lady Lie.
"You did well. Whether they discovered you or discarded the item you sent out of caution, it at least proves they’re worth negotiating with. Their ability to control a Black-haired Zombie and integrate a Foreigner into modern society naturally indicates they possess considerable strength. Such a power cannot be obscure; as long as one investigates, something will definitely turn up. In this era, unless one has never entered human society, it’s impossible to leave no trace at all. Produce a portrait of that Su Yue. I’ll have someone investigate him."
Shortly after, Lady Lie produced a sketch. The portrait depicted Wen Yan with an indifferent expression.
The woman took a photo of the portrait and saved it. She picked up her handbag and headed outside.
"I’m off to work. You continue with your tasks. As for those Demons in the Domain, it would be best if they came, but it doesn’t really matter if they don’t."