A Top Scholar in Everything-Chapter 896 - 882: The Gong Beater Returns

Withered Zen Master's smile was so pure that it made people want to punch his teeth out. Baiyu instinctively felt that staying to watch might reveal something undesirable, possibly even give him a sty, but curiosity is a difficult interest to control.

"Then I'll take my leave first, Withered Zen Master. I'll come to visit you again tomorrow."

Baiyu calmly suppressed his curiosity.

In terms of courting death, he absolutely wouldn't involve himself; he wanted to live a bit longer. The Withered Zen Master nodded without trying to keep him.

Baiyu descended the stone steps slowly.

Unlike going up the mountain, when coming down, the feeling of resistance underfoot was gone, it felt very light and carefree. Presumably, this was the handiwork of Withered Zen Master.

Soon, Baiyu reached the foot of the mountain.

Long Potian was waiting there, and upon seeing Baiyu descend, he immediately approached and asked, "So, Brother Yu, did you find anything out? Is that Withered Zen Master normal or not?"

Clearly.

He was very curious about Withered Zen Master too and even held out hope that Withered Zen Master could have a way to leave this city.

His current state was very delicate.

Although his body had been destroyed by Mad Monk, his soul was infinitely strong, and his consciousness remained clear. If he could find a way out, perhaps his family could enlist someone from the holy Purple Crystal School to save his life.

Many of the Extraordinary have ways to survive spiritually, detached from their physical form.

Although difficult.

Yet not entirely without hope.

Staying here would be a dead end, even worse than death.

"Didn't find anything out, not enough time. Climbing the mountain took most of the day, and Withered Zen Master always loves to speak in riddles."

Baiyu recalled and suddenly felt something was off.

Even if climbing up took a long time, it shouldn't be that after asking a few questions it was already getting dark.

The time was unreasonably short.

"Could the time flow on the mountain be different from below, or was it some other reason I didn't notice?"

Baiyu thought to himself.

But he didn't plan to leave the Withered Zen Mountain area tonight. Withered Zen Master needed to appease the spirits at night, and Baiyu certainly didn't want to miss such a scene. He chose not to stay on the mountain because there were too many oddities, and he wasn't confident.

But at the foot of the mountain.

Baiyu felt confident enough that, at least in a critical moment, he could save his own life.

Soon.

Long Potian and Baiyu found an inn, or what might be called a guesthouse. Although the innkeeper was also a ghost, he seemed quite rational, not consumed by madness. Of course, what happens at night is unclear.

The currency in this city was Copper Coins engraved with the words "Heaven and Earth Treasure." Baiyu had obtained one by killing the dumpling shop owner and found several dozen more in Mad Monk's temple.

Who knows how many people Mad Monk had harmed.

The purchasing power of one Copper Coin was astonishing; one coin could pay for a week's lodging for two.

"Remember, never go out at night, no matter what's happening outside, don't open the door. I see you're new here, you probably don't know the rules, so I'm kindly reminding you. No matter who it is at night asking you to open the door, don't respond."

The innkeeper earnestly advised the two.

Baiyu nodded, took the room key, and went upstairs. The two occupied neighboring rooms, with Long Potian in the room next to Baiyu's. As for why they need a house despite being ghosts, Baiyu wasn't quite sure either.

Perhaps their mindset hasn't changed?

But in this city, most ghosts retain their earthly habits without change.

Otherwise, inns and restaurants wouldn't exist.

Long Potian seemed exhausted from the day's journey and was still grieving over his lost life; he soon fell asleep. But Baiyu had no intention of sleeping; he blew out the candle in the room and sat in the dark, starting to feel the night's differences.

Compared to the daytime clamor, the night was extremely peaceful.

Almost no sounds could be heard.

But Baiyu knew beneath this peace lay stormy dangers, and it was precisely because of the night's peril that kept the spirits from appearing outside, hiding inside their homes.

Time kept passing.

Baiyu sat on the bed motionless like a statue.

Bang!

Boom boom!

Suddenly, in the quiet of night, the sharp sound of a gong rang out. Baiyu instantly shuddered; this gong sound was the sound of the Gong Man!

"At the midnight hour, beware the flame. Flesh is flammable, bones are hard to burn."

...

The sound of the gong kept ringing.

And the Gong Man kept repeating these words.

As if it had an eerie magic power.

Baiyu quietly approached the window, and through the gap in the window, he saw the Gong Man walking forward, striking the gong, but behind him was actually a troop of skeletal remains. Baiyu carefully counted; there were at least thirty skeletons.

The whole street was silent, with only this bizarre procession advancing.

The Gong Man walked a distance, suddenly stopped at a house, and then with a bang, he used the stick in his hand to open the door: "Here is your final resting place, return now, dust to dust, ashes to ashes, the past no longer matters."

After he said this, one skeleton stepped out of the group and walked into the house.

As it entered the room, flesh rapidly grew on the bare bones, a spectacle of resurrection and fleshly transformation played right before them. Baiyu's entire being felt unsettled seeing this.

This flesh growing scene was extremely disgusting; inch by inch, flesh buds grew on bones, spreading rapidly, finally forming a face with densely packed flesh buds that looked extremely Cthulhu.

Baiyu watched the scene quietly without making a sound.

He didn't know if he was discovered at this time by the Gong Man whether it would result in even more terrifying consequences. After sending the skeleton into the room, the Gong Man used his stick to knock on the door, closing both doors tightly.

Afterward.

He continued leading the skeletal troop down the street, ringing the gong and gradually leaving.

This eerie scene placed another layer of mystery over the city.

The Gong Man was a subordinate of the Shadow Emperor, so everything he did should be the Shadow Emperor's intention. That is to say, the resurrection of these skeletons was the Shadow Emperor's doing!

"Looks like what Withered Zen Master said is true, the Shadow Emperor won't let the ghosts in this city die..."

Baiyu thought to himself.