Chapter 36: Ghost Effigy

The bell rang crisply.

Perhaps because there was one more companion tonight, the streets seemed unusually quiet.

The abnormalities had not intensified. The faces in the corridors merely lurked by the entrances, glaring covetously at Zhou You and the monk, yet not daring to advance even a single step further.

One by one, the red lights in the windows went dark.

As a result, on this aging street, only the footsteps of the two men remained.

After walking for quite a while, Zhou You was the first to speak.

“I say, Master... actually, I’ll just call you Monk. It rolls off the tongue better. Weren’t you planning to stop me earlier?”

“What... does benefactor mean?”

Zhou You grinned.

“Come on, Monk. Don’t joke around. You knew perfectly well what would’ve happened to that Security Captain if he stayed behind. Aren’t Buddhists always supposed to value compassion? I thought you’d try to stop me.”

Perhaps because the night affected him too strongly, the old monk’s skin-and-bones frame seemed even more hunched than before.

Only after a long pause did he reply.

“Buddhism does indeed teach that one may lay down the butcher’s knife and immediately attain enlightenment. It also tells of the Buddha converting heavenly demons and heretics, cleansing them of their sins and returning them to the righteous path.”

He paused before continuing.

“But compared to those teachings, this poor monk actually prefers a saying from Confucianism. ”

“’Repay virtue with virtue. Repay wrongs with justice.’ ”

“At the time, I certainly could have helped him. But what about all those innocent people he caused to die? When they were being killed by ghosts, who was there to help them?”

“Therefore, everything he suffers is merely the consequence of his own actions. This poor monk simply chose not to interfere.”

Zhou You fell silent.

Then the old monk asked in return,

“Benefactor, this poor monk also wishes to ask you something. Why do you seem completely untroubled? You already know that you are dead. Why, after learning of your own death, do you remain so carefree?”

Zhou You merely smiled.

“Probably... because I’ve gotten used to dying.”

The old monk was instantly speechless.

Looking at Zhou You’s calm expression, he opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately asked no further questions.

Thus they continued walking.

Before long, the distant crossroads became faintly visible.

“Monk, we’re here. Which route do we take?”

The old monk looked ahead and frowned.

“The thing in the center carries the heaviest resentment. It should be the subordinate whose entire family was slaughtered.”

“The one on the right lurks in darkness. I can vaguely sense a feeling of being watched. That’s probably the son whose eyes were gouged out.”

“As for the left side, the yin energy is overwhelming. Even from this distance I can feel its resentment and hatred. That should be the daughter whose face was skinned off.”

“If we’re seeking fortune and avoiding misfortune, let’s start with the left side.”

With that, the old monk shook the face skin.

His fingernails swept across it, splitting it into two separate halves through the seams of the skin.

“This is the first one. This old monk won’t waste any magical power here. Benefactor, you’ll have to act personally.”

“When we pass it, stick the first piece onto its face.”

“Then when we return, attach the second piece.”

“But remember this above all else. Do not make any unnecessary movements, and do not provoke it. If the face skin fails to attach, both of us will die.”

Zhou You nodded.

The journey continued in silence.

Dozens of minutes later, they arrived at the location of the first Face-Skin Ghost.

But just as they were about to enter its territory, the old monk suddenly extended a withered arm and dragged Zhou You into a nearby shadow.

“Wait!”

“Monk, what are you...”

The monk pressed a finger to his lips.

“Something’s wrong.”

Following his gaze, Zhou You looked over.

His own movement immediately froze as well.

The female ghost was different from when he had encountered her before.

Rather than hugging her knees and crouching on the ground, she was pacing continuously between several streetlights.

In her blood-soaked hands she held a pile of organs and chunks of flesh.

From time to time, she would tear at them violently, as though venting her rage.

Using the streetlights for illumination, Zhou You examined the mess carefully.

Only after a while did he manage to identify a familiar mouth among the mangled remains.

Holy shit, looks like you finally got yours.

Delighted by another’s misfortune, Zhou You immediately wanted to raise a middle finger toward the remains.

But the old monk beside him grabbed his sleeve.

“Benefactor, this situation is wrong. Very wrong.”

“Under normal circumstances, this ghost would never become like this.”

“Someone must have disturbed it earlier and caused it to kill again. Its resentment has spiraled out of control, leaving it in this state.”

“The only question is who...”

“Benefactor? Benefactor?”

Zhou You coughed dryly.

Then he adopted an extremely serious expression and asked,

“So, Monk, do you have any solution?”

The old monk thought for a moment.

Then his expression suddenly became hesitant.

“There is a solution.”

“But I’m afraid you’ll need to make a sacrifice.”

“What kind of sacrifice?”

“...I may need a piece of your flesh.”

“My sincerest apologies. If this old monk weren’t already reduced to skin and bones, I wouldn’t trouble benefactor with such a thing...”

Yet to the monk’s surprise, Zhou You immediately spread his arms without hesitation.

“Which piece? How much do you need?”

After all, I caused this mess. It’s only fair that I clean it up.

The old monk stood there in astonishment for quite some time.

Only then did he quietly answer.

“It doesn’t need to be much. Just over three qian will suffice.”

“The location doesn’t matter.”

“Just try not to let it be soaked in too much blood.”

Zhou You drew out his knife.

Rolling up his sleeve, he selected a spot unlikely to cause severe bleeding.

Without even looking, he sliced downward.

A chunk of pinkish-red flesh immediately fell to the ground.

Along with it came a suddenly widening grin.

“Monk, you don’t have to look at me like that. Yesterday I mutilated myself more times than this. I’m getting used to it now.”

Taking out the Yungu Ointment, he smeared the disgusting, slippery substance onto the wound while asking,

“You’ve got the flesh now. What are you planning to do with it?”

The monk did not answer.

Instead, he picked up the piece of flesh, brushed away the dirt, and withdrew a carving knife from within his robes.

Then he began carving carefully.

Zhou You said nothing more.

He simply folded his arms and watched from the side.

Line after line of Sanskrit characters gradually emerged across the flesh.

Naturally, Zhou You couldn’t read any of it.

He couldn’t spot anything particularly unusual.

Yet for some reason, he felt an odd sensation.

Why does this feel kind of creepy?

Before he could think further, the old monk completed the final stroke.

Then he took out two sticks of incense, snapped them carefully in half, and inserted them into the top of the flesh.

Afterward, he knelt on the ground and softly began reciting scriptures toward the object.

An unbelievable scene unfolded.

Accompanied by a faint chuckle that seemed to come from nowhere, the lump of flesh began changing amidst the chanting.

Skin, fat, and connective tissue fused together, twisted, and reshaped themselves.

Within seconds, it had become a lifelike statue.

And upon that statue was Zhou You’s face.

Only then did the old monk suddenly begin coughing violently, as though the past few minutes had consumed an enormous amount of his strength.

Barely managing to rise from the ground, he solemnly placed the statue into Zhou You’s hands.

“Benefactor, the Ghost Effigy is complete.”

“The rest is up to you!”