Chapter 56: Ill-Fated Lovers

The chill grew stronger and stronger.

A female ghost dressed in luxurious robes appeared beside Li Lin.

Blood flowed from the corners of her mouth, and her eyes were two whirlpool-like pools.

Li Lin was currently wearing the full set of the Gui-Hiding Cloak.

Combined with his stealth technique, ghosts could not see him.

Yet this female ghost seemed able to sense that he was here.

She wandered ceaselessly back and forth throughout the attic.

Li Lin did not dare breathe loudly.

Because he could “see” the text [Stealth Technique +1] continuously refreshing.

Now, when he used stealth in the wilderness, even if numerous wild ghosts passed nearby, they no longer granted proficiency.

Yet this thing was continuously increasing it.

One could imagine how powerful this thing was.

After a very long time, the female ghost finally left.

The chill in the air also disappeared.

Li Lin still did not move.

He even closed his eyes.

After a while, the female ghost suddenly appeared again and executed a Returning Horse Spear.

After searching the attic once more, she finally left for real.

Only then did Li Lin let out a long breath.

That was truly dangerous.

If he had moved when the female ghost left, he probably would have been discovered.

With a flip, Li Lin departed from the attic.

This place was no longer suitable for staying.

Although the female ghost had not discovered him, her controller had probably already become suspicious of this place.

Sure enough, less than the time of one incense stick later, several members of the Qin Family arrived at the brothel and began searching.

Eventually, they searched the attic as well and discovered traces where dust had been brushed away, confirming that someone had stayed there.

Unfortunately, they could not determine whether the person had been male or female.

After all, Li Lin had not entered the attic through the main entrance.

A new day arrived.

Qin Wu, looking exhausted, came before the main bedroom.

“Big Brother, are you in there?”

“Come in.”

Qin Wu pushed the door open and entered.

Then his expression froze.

Because he saw his elder brother, Qin Feng, standing beside the bed with a sinister expression.

And on the bed lay his “sister-in-law,” nearly naked.

He immediately turned around and prepared to leave.

“No need to go. Come here.”

Qin Wu was stunned for a moment.

Turning back, he saw his sister-in-law’s belly swelling at a bizarre speed.

Then her whole body trembled, and a tiny, horrifying wild ghost was born from her.

These little ghost infants laughed gleefully.

Flying around Qin Feng and the woman, they called out “Father” and “Mother” before gradually fading into the air.

“Secret Rite of Wraith Womb Gestation?”

A trace of reluctance appeared on Qin Wu’s face as he looked at his elder brother.

“Why use it on Sister-in-Law? No matter what, she’s Xiaohuan’s mother!”

Qin Feng snorted.

“The Soul-Guided Murder Tracking Technique didn’t work. This is the only use she has left. Otherwise, why would I marry a common-born woman?”

“What about Xiaohuan...”

“Don’t let him find out.”

Qin Wu nodded.

Several more ghost babies were born from the woman on the bed.

Her body grew weaker and weaker, shrinking from plumpness into skin and bones.

Only a final breath remained.

Qin Feng said,

“It’s disgusting to look at. Take her away and throw her out. Be careful and don’t let anyone else see. You should also be careful. That bastard hiding in the shadows should still be lurking near our Qin Family.”

“Understood, Big Brother. I’ll be careful.”

Qin Wu nodded.

Walking over, he wrapped the bedding around the woman, who had already become something ugly and grotesque.

As though carrying some ordinary object, he hoisted her onto his shoulder and strode out.

The air contained ghost infants invisible to everyone else.

But Qin Feng could see them.

His smile became sinister.

“Children, don’t worry. Tonight I’ll let you go out and play.”

He then pushed open the door and shouted,

“Old Qiu, come here.”

A middle-aged man ran over.

“Your riding skills are the best.”

Qin Wu handed him a letter sealed with a golden stamp.

“Ride at full speed to the capital. Ask Prefect Fang to present this letter to the main family in the palace.”

The middle-aged man accepted the letter.

After cupping his fists in acknowledgment, he turned and left.

At the same time, Li Lin, who was hiding in a tree not far from the rear courtyard of the Qin Family and keeping watch, saw someone carrying a bundle emerge from the back gate.

He recognized the man.

Qin Wu, the second most important figure in the Qin Family.

The man’s expression appeared anxious.

He walked quickly while deliberately avoiding crowded places.

Li Lin dropped to the ground and followed while bent at the waist.

Judging by the shape of the bundle, Qin Wu seemed to be carrying a person.

Li Lin continued following.

Qin Wu carried the person faster and faster.

Upon reaching the sparsely populated outskirts beyond the county city, he actually began jogging.

Holding his red-tasseled spear, Li Lin quickly followed.

Very soon, Qin Wu carried the person into a concealed wooden cabin.

Li Lin also arrived outside the cabin window and listened through the wall.

Qin Wu removed the person from the bundle.

He was extremely careful, afraid of damaging the woman whose body now consisted of little more than skin and bones.

Holding her in his arms, he pressed one hand against the pathways on her back.

With tears in his eyes, he said,

“Yanzi, don’t worry. I’ll definitely save you... Qin Feng threw you away, and I’ve finally gotten the chance to rescue you from his hands. The time when our family of three can reunite is not far away.”

As he spoke, the right hand pressed against the woman’s back emitted a red glow.

Large quantities of blood vitality flowed into her body.

The woman’s body gradually became plump again.

In contrast, Qin Wu’s complexion slowly turned bluish-green.

The woman also slowly woke up.

“Wu-lang, it’s really you...”

Disbelief filled the woman’s voice.

“Thank heavens. I was still able to save you.”

“Don’t help me anymore. Your body is more important.”

“It’s fine. From now on, you can hide here. Once we’ve found all the enemies who came against us, I’ll find a way to kill Qin... Feng...”

The man panted heavily.

He was obviously exhausted.

It seemed saving her had consumed an enormous amount of his vital essence.

Now!

Li Lin smashed through the window with a punch and leapt inside with his spear.

“You are...”

“Ah!”

The man and woman screamed simultaneously and died embracing each other.

One spear.

Two lives.

Looking at the woman lying on the ground, Li Lin realized she looked remarkably similar to the female ghost who had climbed into the attic looking for him the previous night.

“This feels a bit sinister.”

The hairs on Li Lin’s body stood on end.

Didn’t people become ghosts only after dying?

How could this woman switch between being human and ghost?

When night came, wouldn’t she turn into a ghost again and come looking for him?

Li Lin surveyed the wooden cabin.

He found that it was rather well-equipped.

There was a bed, pots, bowls, and kitchen utensils.

Naturally, there was also a fire starter.

Picking up the fire starter, he lit a fire.

Then he threw it onto the bed.

Before long, the wooden cabin was burning.

Li Lin had already departed.

A small fire outside the county city caused some commotion.

However, it failed to attract the attention of the Qin Family.

At that moment, Qin Feng had been waiting in the study for a long time.

Yet Qin Wu still had not returned.

A faintly ominous premonition arose in his heart.

Not long afterward, someone knocked on the study door.

“Family Head, we’ve found Wang Tianyou’s hiding place.”

“He still hasn’t left the county city?”

“We have people stationed at both the city walls and the gates. They can’t escape. Besides, he’s injured.”

Qin Feng was overjoyed.

“Excellent. Gather our men and immediately go kill that thief.”