Chapter 280: Wraith (Twenty-Seven) Honor Remains Today

The sound of night watches could not be heard in the Bamboo Forest.

Tang Yu and Lin Chen carried lanterns, walking quickly one after the other.

Under the shifting light and shadows, white pebbles could be vaguely seen; the further they walked, the denser they became, sketching out a path between reality and illusion.

After walking for a while, Tang Yu stopped and looked back at Lin Chen: “This is far enough. You’ve been following me the whole way.”

He feigned anger: “Do you really think I’m not mad just because I’m not cursing? Right now, I don’t want to see a single soul.”

Lin Chen opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but not a single word came out.

He had never been good with words, nor was he particularly quick-witted; he was habitually taciturn and truly didn’t know what to say at this moment.

Or rather, it was inappropriate to say anything to someone who had been calculated against and coerced by the group and was now heading toward their death.

Seeing Lin Chen looking like he couldn’t squeeze out a word even if beaten with three sticks, Tang Yu sighed: “Follow if you want. If I can’t beat the tiger later, I’ll use you as a shield.”

Lin Chen nodded hurriedly: “Mhm, mhm!”

Tang Yu: “…”

The two continued forward in silence, the only sound in the stillness being the “rustle” of footsteps crushing bamboo leaves.

The lantern light barely illuminated a small patch of ground in front of their toes; beyond that lay a vast expanse of thick, almost tangible darkness.

The mist in the forest refracted bits of orange-yellow light, and floating dust formed a fine mesh net—not to repel the darkness, but rather to bind humans within it.

Lin Chen followed behind Tang Yu, moving through the mist. The mountain wind whipped against his face, and even as a spiritual entity, he couldn’t help but feel the chill.

The wind seemed mixed with unavoidable strange noises—the “crunch-crunch” of bones being chewed and the “huff-huff” of a beast’s breathing poured into his ears one after another, sparking terrifying associations.

Tang Yu gripped his saber tightly and moved toward the sound.

The familiar scent of blood tickled his nose, and the thick smell of death crowded around him. Countless white bones lay scattered on the ground, and emerald ghost fires floated lightly, signaling that the area ahead was a forbidden zone for Ghosts.

Lin Chen saw two pools of eerie green fire as large as lanterns light up in the distant darkness. They were positioned two stories high, paired up, and stood out from the surrounding ghost fires.

Those were the tiger’s eyes—cold, fierce, and disdainful of everything.

The massive tiger emerged from the depths of the Bamboo Forest, treading through the mist. Its pitted skin emitted a faint layer of eerie green light; it looked like a ghost, a demon, and an animal, yet the arrogance and playfulness in its eyes were strikingly human.

Step by step, it trod over bamboo leaves, white pebbles, and skulls until it reached the players, looking down at Tang Yu, who stood at the very front.

“Roar—”

It opened its bloody maw and roared at the human who dared to challenge its authority.

“I hope the Eerie Game doesn’t have animal protection laws,” Tang Yu muttered, raising his saber.

The tiger demon, not knowing if it understood his banter, let out another roar. Its sharp claws were raised high and swiped down heavily toward Tang Yu.

The expected scene of flesh and blood splattering did not occur. The tiger’s claws passed through Tang Yu as if through a cloud of air, striking nothing without any resistance.

Tang Yu stood there perfectly fine, untouchable and unharmable.

The tiger demon finally realized something. It eyed the young man before it with uncertainty, and fear gradually began to weave through its pupils.

Tang Yu smiled and flicked his saber toward the tiger’s neck: “Now you know what your grandpa is? Weren’t you quite arrogant before?”

The tiger retreated hastily, but it was too late. Tang Yu shifted his blade and plunged it into the soil, using his arms to prop himself up and flipping onto the tiger’s back.

The tiger sensed what he was about to do and quickly lowered its body to roll. However, Tang Yu struck first, slapping its shoulder blade.

“Bang!”

The smoke clinging to its body dissipated in a collapse. The king of beasts in life and the terrifying demon-ghost in death crashed down. The two pools of green fire in its eye sockets flickered twice and went out, leaving only rising dust and the lingering smoke of ashes that refused to scatter for a long time.

【main quest completed. Please follow the guidance of the Guiding Green Lantern to leave the dungeon.】

【Remaining Guiding Green Lanterns: 5】

【Note: Each Guiding Green Lantern can only open one exit and guide one person through.】

Lin Chen stood to the side, staring blankly as the golden surface of the lantern in his hand faded, a bluish-green hue flickering from the edges.

The tiger demon’s corpse withered away within a few breaths. As a gust of wind passed, the flesh and dust on its surface scattered.

In its place stood only a two-story-tall Scarecrow, tied into the shape of a tiger. It was worn in many places from top to bottom, looking quite old.

Looking around, where were the bones and corpses on the ground?

They were clearly white paper money and half-sections of Paper Effigies, covering patch after patch of the muddy ground!

…In the center of Yanghua Town, amidst the soaring fire, the gates and walls of the Residence curled like charred paper. They were supposed to be wood, yet they were burned into the texture of paper-mache.

The townspeople, fully revealing their true forms as Scarecrows, jumped into the fire one by one. The crackling sounds of burning rang out sporadically, and billowing black smoke circled the flames—it was unclear if it was the ash of grass and wood or the condensation of demons and monsters.

Amidst the black smoke, a figure in green official robes stood tall. It was Meng Fang.

He had no physical form; even as he walked through the karmic fire, he was not harmed in the slightest.

His hem and hair moved without wind. He pointed his right hand at Qi Si, his square face set in a fierce, wrathful expression: “What petty thief dares to destroy the foundation of my Yanghua Town?”

Qi Si had stood bored in the firelight for a long time. Only now, hearing Meng Fang’s words, did he finally let out a sincere laugh: “Foundation? What foundation do you have? It’s fine to fool others, but don’t fool yourself as well.”

After finishing pouring the alcohol, Qiu Xin returned to Qi Si’s side with an empty wine jar. He just happened to hear that incredibly familiar line—the same one Qi Si had used to tease him an hour ago was now being thrown back at the NPC.

Oh ho, talk about learning and applying it immediately.

Meng Fang stood tall with his hands behind his back, staring into Qi Si’s eyes through the smoke and dust, and said coldly: “I studied hard by the window, harboring the ambition to govern the world and benefit the people, wishing only to establish a heart for heaven and earth and a life for the people.

“By the grace of the Sages, I was entrusted with heavy responsibilities. I originally intended to purge the imperial court, but unexpectedly, barbarians invaded our Central Plains and bullied our children. As the great building was about to collapse, I had no choice but to accept the mission in the face of danger.”

The endless black smoke condensed into twisted human faces, crowding and surging together in the firelight. From certain angles, the golden flames reverted to a bluish-green hue, reflecting the deep purple sky in a seductive and eerie light.

Standing under the night sky before the crowd of Ghosts, Meng Fang remained unmoved, his voice clear: “In life, I gathered the remnants of the army to hold Yanghua Town, living and dying with the city and its people; in death, I rebuilt Yanghua Town for those who died unjustly to soothe their souls.

“Praise and blame are never to be listened to; right and wrong will eventually be made clear. I worked tirelessly day and night, and I can say with a clear conscience that I have no regrets.”

Qi Si patiently listened to the impassioned speech, then tilted his head: “Then please explain the situation with that tiger demon in the Bamboo Forest.”

Meng Fang said: “The newly built Yanghua Town is located in a transcendent realm, where it is inevitable to be harassed by demons, monsters, and vermin. To gain a moment of peace, I could only make a deal with that tiger demon, ordering it to protect the perimeter of Yanghua Town.”

Qi Si sighed: “What makes you think that at this point, such a rhetoric can still fool us?

“We’ve also been to the Bamboo Forest. After that tiger demon bites someone, it can leave behind a Wraith as residue. Unlike in your town, where the so-called ‘killed by a Wraith’ townspeople leave nothing behind at all, becoming Nothingness and moving to the east of town—is that tiger demon supposed to eat air?

“And you even put on a show of capturing Wraiths and sending them before the mirror. Is that because you’re afraid they aren’t dead enough, so you add an extra processing step?”

The ghost crowd howled in the firelight. Meng Fang lowered his head in silence, his face half-lit and half-shadowed by the flames, his green hem fluttering in the wind.

Qi Si continued: “Actually, I felt something was off on the first day. What normal town would pile so many corpses behind the Residence?

“Later, I noticed that the townspeople’s identities kept swapping, yet the shadows of a few identities remained fixed in human form. I began to suspect you wanted to use us outsiders to eliminate dissent. Those human-shaped straw bundles were the markers to induce us to act.”

He curled his lips into a bright, radiant smile: “See, with just a light tap on the shoulder, a person can be eliminated. From start to finish, it was all done by the Wraiths. How clean and convenient.

“Our actions truly fit the name ‘Wraith,’ but we weren’t the Wraiths of that scapegoat tiger demon, but yours instead.

“You wanted to maintain the stability of Yanghua Town, so no townspeople besides you could know the truth. They had to be ignorant, unaware, and believe they were still alive.

“Unfortunately, the role of the Scholar is both literate and frequently in contact with outsiders, destined to know more than others. You couldn’t do without such a useful proxy, yet you didn’t want the secret to leak, so you could only silence them in real-time.”

At this point, Qi Si toyed with the Cursed Pendulum and shook his head mockingly: “To be honest, I quite admire those Scholar brothers. They could have colluded with you, yet they chose to dedicate themselves to hinting at the truth to us.

“The first one was stern with us, and while explaining the rules, he drew our attention to you. The second one egged us on to watch the burial, thereby discovering the secret of the townspeople’s identity swaps and noticing the flaws in the ‘tiger demon eating people’ story. The third one simply told us the answer—”

“If one could live freely and as they pleased, who would want to live in a forbidden zone of fear and despair? Whoever harms others is a Wraith.”

Qi Si repeated the Scholar’s words word by word. His playful and sarcastic attitude overlapped with the forceful yet gentle tone in his memory, as if countless people were shouting their heart’s desires in unison.

He wore a smile and asked with mock seriousness: “So, Master Meng, whose Wraith are you?”

In the firelight behind him, a Scarecrow in a green robe, looking like a Scholar, walked and chanted, loudly reciting the poem, ‘What is there to fear in life or death? I only seek the breadth of heaven and earth,’ before being instantly swallowed by the ‘crackling’ sounds of the flames.

Meng Fang closed his eyes for a moment then opened them, saying calmly: “In office, I was loyal to the monarch; in the wild, I seek survival for the people. I have never had selfish motives.”

His eyes reflected the blazing fire, as if through the connection of a similar great fire, he was able to see another time and space from a thousand years ago.

At that time, the army was collapsing like a mountain. Countless generals either died in battle or surrendered. Only he, a mere man of letters, resolutely stepped forward to lead the troops against the enemy.

With defeat certain, he bitterly held Yanghua Town, watching helplessly as morale plummeted day by day and countless commoners fled in all directions with their families.

To stabilize the army’s morale, he gritted his teeth and killed several deserters and some troublemaking refugees. From then on, things spiraled out of control.

Those who dared to retreat were killed; those who dared to flee were killed. No one was allowed to leave the city; everyone had to live and die with it.

Unfortunately, tragedy and integrity could not withstand the disparity in military strength. The remaining troops dispersed day by day, and the defensive line shrank again and again. Everyone knew the city could not be held.

Perhaps today, or perhaps tomorrow, this city swaying in the wind and rain would be breached and become the enemy’s garrison.

Just then, Meng Fang received news of the Royal Army, knowing that another force was protecting the King as they retreated south to recuperate and seek a comeback.

He realized he could do one last thing for the King—clear the fields and burn the city and its grain, leaving no supplies for the enemy.

On the day the city fell, Meng Fang committed suicide with his sword to die for his country. Several loyal personal guards set fires from the four corners of Yanghua Town, doing their best to incinerate the supplies in the city.

In the raging fire, most townspeople who couldn’t escape were burned to death. When the enemy entered the city and found nothing, they slaughtered the refugees to vent their anger.

Meng Fang’s soul wandered through the world, drifting along with all the souls who had died unjustly.

He saw the devastation, saw countless mangled corpses, heard the mournful wailing of Ghosts, and the accusations from the common people.

He seemed to finally wake up from his nightmare. His heart, which had been numbed by days of exhaustion and ignorance, thought for the first time: What sin did the common people commit?

The vast procession of souls wandered everywhere. Some entered reincarnation, some dissipated into Nothingness, and some followed behind Meng Fang, wandering aimlessly.

Just as they had come to Yanghua Town together to escape the disasters of war, they would now search for a place to belong together.

After wandering in a daze for several days, Meng Fang arrived at a Bamboo Forest.

He still had many things he hadn’t figured out and would continue to think about them, but for now, he had to briefly set aside all his thoughts.

He saw a man in red with loose hair sitting lightly on the tip of a bamboo branch. Golden silk ribbons hung from his hem, embroidered with strange patterns on the edges, like the attire of an ancient shaman.

The man’s head was lowered, and his hands were unhurriedly weaving a Scarecrow. He first carefully covered the surface with bluish-green paper to serve as clothes, and finally, he didn’t forget to use his fingertip to dab vermilion on the lips and rouge on the cheeks of the head.

A huge tiger lay at the man’s feet. It seemed able to see or sense Meng Fang, as it kept baring its teeth at where Meng Fang stood, only to lose all movement in a certain instant.

Meng Fang approached uncontrollably, only to discover that the tiger was also woven from straw!

“You’ve come.” The man on the bamboo tip suddenly lifted his eyelids and looked at Meng Fang, as if he had long expected his arrival and had been waiting here for a long time.

Meng Fang was slightly startled and asked, “Who are you?”

The man lowered his eyes and smiled, saying, “I can feel your confusion and see your desire; it is as small yet interesting as your soul.

“Would you like to pray to me? I might be able to fulfill your wish.”

A crimson scroll unfolded out of thin air before Meng Fang’s eyes, with golden vines weaving words upon it.

A violent wind suddenly surged, blowing Meng Fang’s soul toward the man and directly attaching it to the Scarecrow in the latter’s hand.

When he came to his senses again, Meng Fang found himself standing steadily on the ground, with a long, narrow shadow following behind him.

He touched his arm and felt warm flesh and blood.

Humans fear death and crave life, yet the past cannot be changed.

But what if there was a power that could make people lose the memory of death and gain a new life?

What if… everyone could be given a second chance at life?

Meng Fang stared blankly at the blood-colored Contract scroll. As if possessed, he reached out and grabbed the golden quill.

In his haze, he only heard that god-like existence recite malicious words in a compassionate tone:

“You shall remain forever awake, remembering everything. Once your ideals and innocence are exhausted, fear and cowardice will breed greed and ambition.”

“I look forward to seeing your sin; it will be the best nourishment for the rules. I will joyfully taste your pain, for nothing is more fascinating than a tragedy.”