Misguided practice of sinister cultivation techniques: Slander! The problem lies with you all, not me!
Chapter 150 - 141: Skirts Ghost (Subscription Requested)

Chapter 150: Chapter 141: Skirts Ghost (Subscription Requested)

At night, Duan Yun and Shen Ying talked about the eerie woman they saw at dusk.

Duan Yun couldn’t help but ask, "Is there any explanation for the woman in the green dress?"

"The witch Xiong Jiapo who bites off fingers, and the Beautiful Ghost who beheads people, haven’t you heard of them?" Shen Ying spoke somberly.

In the night, a single light shone like a bean at Yuzhu Villa, which, paired with Shen Ying’s tone, created a truly eerie atmosphere.

Duan Yun knew a bit about Xiong Jiapo; the story was told in both Yun State and Yu State, with numerous versions, all tinged with horror.

The most widely circulated version is that Xiong Jiapo is actually a demon that looks very much like an old human lady, fond of wearing embroidered shoes and floral scarves, disguised as an old woman!

Moreover, she likes to eat the soft and tender fingers of children, the sound of chewing fingers as crisp as biting into beans, which is quite terrifying.

Therefore, "Xiong Jiapo" is actually similar to Duan Yun’s moniker; if a child is disobedient and won’t stop crying, the adults in these two states often say, "Xiong Jiapo is coming."

There are many stories about Xiong Jiapo; some say it’s just a highly intelligent bear, since bears are good at imitating humans – they may fail to trick adults but can easily deceive children. While others say it’s actually a creature that looks like a human, as for what Xiong Jiapo really is, no one can say for sure.

According to Shen Ying, the Beautiful Ghost who beheads people is likewise shrouded in mystery.

In any case, over the past few centuries, there have occasionally been bizarre cases of beheading murders.

It is said that the perpetrators are often beautiful female ghosts, who look soft and fragile and easily bullied, but in a blink of an eye, they can sever your head.

At dusk, what Duan Yun and Shen Ying saw – that strange basket – was actually a tool for beheading.

If that hunchback hadn’t possessed his own cunning tricks, his head would probably have been cut off by now.

Like Xiong Jiapo, there were also many stories about the Beautiful Ghost; some say it’s the transformation of a woman’s wronged spirit, specifically seeking to sever the heads of lecherous men and heartbreakers. But in the Martial World, a more widely circulated legend is that there is a Ghost River in this mortal realm, where the Big Black Sky Ghost Mother resides.

The Big Black Sky Ghost Mother loves to give birth; her male offspring will never grow up and are called "little demons," fond of plucking out the tongues of the overly talkative and eating them raw, while the female offspring can mature in a night and become Beautiful Ghosts, who delight in beheading people.

The little demons deliver the leftover human tongues into the Ghost Mother’s River, while what the Beautiful Ghosts present are human heads.

There’s a saying that if you encounter a river filled with human tongues and heads, then you have seen the Ghost River. If the Big Black Sky Ghost Mother in the river gazes upon you, no matter your gender, you will give birth to a ghostly child.

Duan Yun exclaimed in surprise, "Is that the rumored ’stare that impregnates’?"

Shen Ying nodded, "It’s a bit like the trick of Old Demon Duan, who curses every woman he fancies to fall and be shamed. A clever coincidence of methodology."

Duan Yun was speechless for a moment before saying, "So, is this Beautiful Ghost an actual ghost or not?"

Based on his observation today, he found it difficult to imagine any woman being able to swallow a person with her dress, and that person being a hunchback with considerable skills.

Yes, that hunchback placed in the Martial World, with that sneaky move of his, would at least be a second-rate master.

Sadly, he was eerily swallowed up just like that.

Shen Ying shook her head, "Whether it’s the Big Black Sky Ghost Mother or the Beautiful Ghost who beheads people, just like Xiong Jiapo, it’s hard to say for certain what they are."

"Because, those who have seen the Beautiful Ghost will soon become dead people."

The night grew deeper, and a gust of wind made the lamp flicker. Duan Yun couldn’t help but shiver and asked, "Has there ever been an exception?"

"There has. In the Martial World, there was a person called ’skirts ghost,’ a survivor who lived after encountering a Beautiful Ghost.

It is said that he lost three fingers during the encounter and rudely boasted about it, quite satisfied with the moniker ’skirts ghost.’ And no one dared to underestimate him, because aside from him, there were no survivors from a Beautiful Ghost’s hands."

Shen Ying spoke with confidence about these secrets of the Martial World while rookie Duan Yun listened with great interest.

"Did this person not say whether the Beautiful Ghost was human or a ghost?"

"No."

Duan Yun couldn’t help saying, "The two of us saw the Beautiful Ghost at dusk, isn’t that very dangerous?"

Shen Ying pondered and said, "I remember she didn’t look at me, could it be that she looked at you?"

Duan Yun recalled those details, thinking, "It’s like she did look, but also like she didn’t."

Shen Ying nodded and said, "Then you could try taking on a challenge."

"Challenge what?"

"Challenge becoming the second ’skirt’s ghost.’"

"Damn it, her glance alone is a threat to my life, this Beautiful Ghost holds such a grudge? Won’t I have trouble sleeping tonight?" Duan Yun grumbled.

At that moment, Shen Ying warned, "Let me say this first, don’t think about using this opportunity to claim you’re scared and attempt to live in the same room with me, then try to take things even further."

"I..."

"Don’t even think about it, to think is to make a mistake."

Saying that, Shen Ying went back to her room and shut all the windows and doors.

Duan Yun: "Damn it..."

The night passed without incident; Duan Yun even slept well, thanks to having Panda Dabai guard the door.

Sleepy-eyed, Duan Yun woke up and, as usual, got out of bed to pee.

He stepped over Big White who was snoring at the door, sleeping soundly, and couldn’t help doubting the reliability of having the panda on watch.

The outhouse Duan Yun used was Yuzhu Villa’s old outhouse, or rather, because Xiatou Ying did not want to share an outhouse with these smelly men, she dug a new one exclusively for women, leaving this one as the men’s outhouse.

The men’s outhouse was consistent with the style of Yuzhu Villa, featuring a rustic and casual look; even the bamboo curtain at the entrance was something Shen Ying added because she couldn’t stand it being too open when she first arrived.

Right now, the bamboo curtain was pushed to one side.

Duan Yun continued walking, but suddenly, he felt something was off.

He clearly remembered that after using the outhouse last night, he had put the bamboo curtain down.

The Murong brothers were not around, Shen Ying used the women’s outhouse, Big White, and Little Grey always ran wild, so it could be said that he was the only one using this outhouse. Then who put up the bamboo curtain?

Beautiful Ghost.

The first reaction in Duan Yun’s mind was this.

And the next instant, he felt a chilling sensation, goosebumps all over his body.

The outhouse walls were worn from age, with several holes at the top, which Duan Yun and the Murong brothers jokingly called "fart holes."

Because the outhouse stank, the gases that came out from these holes were equally foul, just like passing gas.

And at this moment, within one of those holes, an eye was staring intently at him.

From this angle, the eye looked as if it was set within the hole, making it hard to imagine what state the person inside was in to squeeze their eye to this extent.

Or perhaps, he wasn’t sure if it was a person inside at all.

What exactly is the Beautiful Ghost? Nobody in the Martial World knew.

Duan Yun couldn’t help but remember Shen Ying’s words and secretly thought, "Do I really have to challenge becoming a ’skirt’s ghost’?"

He silently clenched his sword finger, walking toward the bamboo curtain of the outhouse.