Chapter 9, the strength of the Headless Ghost
"Break this piece of wood," Li Si commanded
At this moment, a drop of crystalline liquid fell from the beam onto the edge of the bed beside Li Si. Li Si seemed to sense something, unconsciously scratching his face with his right hand, then lowering his hand, continuing to sleep peacefully.
Spirit Level: Low-level Spirit
He looked at the smooth cut on the wood and couldn't help but touch his own neck. He felt a chill rush to the top of his head, and goosebumps rose on his neck
The Decapitator: Born into a family of officials, he was not valued at home nor known to outsiders, as he was the result of his father's drunken liaison with a servant. Within the household, he was bullied by his elder brother and relatives. Although the servants did not dare to mistreat him, they looked down upon him, which led to his enduring resentment towards his father. When his father was implicated in corruption and his family was exterminated, in order to help his eldest son escape, his father had his tongue cut out, forcing him to disguise himself as his brother. In prison, he longed for his tongue to grow back so he could tell others that he was not his brother. However, until the moment he was beheaded, his tongue had not yet grown back. Yet one day, his tongue began to grow, longer and longer...
Li Si was not afraid at all, after all, the Headless Ghost had already signed a contract with him, and could not cause him any harm. He looked thoughtfully at the uneven wounds on the Headless Ghost's neck
Suddenly, Li Si seemed to have thought of something and looked towards the ability known as "Ghost Blows Out the Light," where a line of small text appeared
Li Si walked towards the kitchen, picked up a piece of firewood as thick as a fist from under the eaves, and said to the Headless Ghost following him: "Wrap your tongue around this piece of wood"
As soon as the words were spoken, a dead bluish-green shadow flashed by, and a tongue wrapped around the piece of wood that Li Si was holding, moving with such speed that it startled him. He steadied himself and looked closely, only to see a wet, dead bluish-green tongue coiled around the wood, and surprisingly, the edges of this tongue were extremely thin, resembling a blade.
Ghost Blows Out the Light: When a person turns around, their head will follow behind the person. When the person stops, or when he catches up to you, his head will rest on your shoulder or on your head, extinguishing your true fire and weakening your vitality.
Blur: The fundamental ability of ghostly entities, which cannot be attacked by mundane weapons
Current status: Contracted
Subsequently, Li Si attempted to use the half remaining axe to engage with the Headless Ghost, only to discover that the axe could not reach him. It was as if the Headless Ghost were made of air, completely unattainable.
Li was thinking about being stared at by the headless ghost yesterday, and he suddenly turned sharply to the left, which caused one light to go out. However, that doesn't seem right; if only one light went out, the ghost would not be able to kill him
With this thought, he walked into the kitchen, took out the axe, and commanded the Headless Ghost: "Break this knife."
Li Si focused his attention on the three characters "Duan Tou Gui", and immediately a line of small text appeared.
Looking again at the skills of Blurring and Long Tongue
He recalled the information from the long tongue just now, which could roll up and kill humans, ghosts, and monsters
Taking a deep breath, Li Si calmed himself down; this piece of wood could not possibly measure the true power of this long tongue
A flash of dark green light flickered, followed by a piercing cutting sound. The upper half of the hatchet in Li Si's hand fell from the air, striking the bluestone slab and producing a crisp collision sound
The executioner also felt that this knife had killed too many people, bearing heavy sins, and that sharpening the knife would only increase his guilt. Therefore, he preferred to strike a few more blows while executing rather than to sharpen the knife. It is said that when a certain gentleman was beheaded, a blade-less general's sword was used, and the beheading involved more than thirty strikes, leaving future generations pained by the suffering he endured
The headless ghost's vacant gaze turned towards Li Si, with its head slightly tilted to the left.
Li Si understood why a headless ghost possessed the ability of a long tongue. He sighed inwardly for the past of the headless ghost, recognizing it as a tragic fate. At the same time, he was secretly astonished by the ruthlessness of its father. Even a tiger does not eat its own cubs, yet this father treated his child's life as if it were mere grass.
At this point in the test, Li Si has gained a general understanding of the strength of the Headless Ghost. This type of ghost is essentially insurmountable for ordinary people; encountering it leads to a dead end. The only way to survive is to keep one's true fire burning and not give the ghost any opportunity to take advantage. However, who would have thought that a ghost would set its sights on him and remain vigilant at all times
Li was lost in thought, and the effects of the alcohol he had consumed earlier began to take hold. With a flicker of his mind, the Headless Ghost transformed into a beam of light and entered the Dead Jade. He then walked into the bedroom, collapsed onto the bed, and fell into a deep sleep. Before long, the sound of his snoring filled the room, and he slept soundly. He had developed a certain level of self-defense capability, and today he had also gained 2 points of soul value for free, in addition to possessing a protective talisman. For various reasons, he fell asleep without any defenses.
Of course, it is only effective against lower-level spirits; when encountering higher-level spirits, one can only wait for death
Low-level spirits: the lowest tier of spirits, capable of attacking humans, other spirits, and demons. The higher the soul strength, the easier the attack. They cannot invade those with strong yang fire. Current soul strength: 20
Long Tongue: A long tongue entwined with resentment can ensnare and kill humans, spirits, and monsters
Upon reading the last of this text, Li contemplated the rural legends that suggest a person possesses three true flames. If these true flames are extinguished, one becomes vulnerable to the invasion of malevolent spirits and the entanglement of ghostly entities
After gaining a general understanding of the Headless Ghost, Li Si also has a certain awareness of his current strength, recognizing that the contract item is powerful while he himself is quite weak
Abilities: Ghost Blowing Light; Virtualization; Long Tongue
Li Si looked at the decapitated ghost, estimating that the neck had been slashed more than ten times. It is hard to imagine that such a small child, only seven or eight years old, was beheaded, and moreover, had been slashed more than ten times. If one were to change places, one could only imagine the immense suffering endured.
Li Sixin's thoughts stirred slightly, and the information about the Headless Ghost suddenly appeared in her mind
Li Si seemed to have heard a "crack" sound, and saw the face of the exquisitely carved child gradually turn a deathly pale, with the uneven wounds on the neck becoming visible, revealing the spine and blood vessels through the wounds
He shook his head, deciding not to dwell on these distressing matters, and focused his attention on the four words "lowly ghostly entity" that lingered in his mind. A line of small text appeared.
With a whoosh, a sound of wind was heard, and the piece of wood in Li Si's hand was instantly severed. A section of wood flew into the air and then fell to the ground, producing a crisp sound
This is attributed to that talisman. This talisman not only protects oneself, but also allows one to actively engage with demons and monsters, which can also be harmed by oneself
He recalled a rumor he had heard while on Earth, that in ancient times, executioners did not sharpen their blades, as there were no blacksmiths willing to assist them in sharpening. They believed that the executioner's axe was a tool of sin, stained with human blood. They feared that touching it would bring bad luck and harm to their families
He intends to visit Master Zhang's house in a few days to assess the depth of the supernatural presence there and see if he can resolve the issue. As for these few days, he wishes to recuperate his body a bit. This is because he has realized from today's encounter with the fox demon that he possesses a certain degree of harm against ghosts and monsters.
Soul Body Strength: 20
The Headless Ghost
He suddenly understood; so it was like this
If the contract had not been swiftly signed with the Headless Horseman yesterday, he would likely have to move his head again