Ghost Compendium

"Old Cheng, sit the fuck down for me! What's this all about! We've come this far and you still plan on being a coward?" The trendy youth was so exasperated he almost laughed.

"I'm not joking. If you want to find the Monkey, I won't stop you and can even offer some help, but I won't be going to find him myself."

With that, Old Cheng took a piece of white paper out from the worn pocket of his faded jacket.

He tossed it lightly onto the table.

Everyone leaned in to take a look, and it boldly bore an extremely remote address.

So remote that even many local members of the [Promised Land] in the Capital City couldn't immediately recall where it was.

"Zhen Yuanzi is currently taking care of the Ginseng Fruit at this place, you all can go if you want."

But Old Cheng's next words left everyone in shock.

No one expected the old guy had already figured out the hideout location of the Monkey from the Zodiac!

The trendy youth grabbed the slip of paper and, draping an arm over Old Cheng's shoulder, cheekily said, "You sly old dog, talking about hiding away yet working so efficiently on the side?"

But regarding his enthusiasm, Old Cheng just casually brushed the hand off his shoulder.

He stared at the trendy youth with an extremely grim look.

Until the trendy youth felt somewhat unnerved, Old Cheng finally said coolly, "You'd better be careful. I'm not just referring to your actions but also your everyday speech and behavior."

As soon as he finished speaking, the small monkey toy left in the fruit bowl next to the peach started moving mysteriously.

It turned its body toward the girls clinging to the guests for companionship, slowly making three gestures that many were familiar with—covering its eyes, ears, and mouth.

Symbolizing the so-called "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."

Suddenly—

In the next second, black-red blood oozed from the eyes, ears, and mouths of all the hostesses in the private room, collapsing lifelessly onto the sofa.

Everyone was terrified by the scene.

They didn't understand why Old Cheng suddenly went mad and started killing ordinary people.

Until that little monkey toy finished its rampage, hopped from the table into Old Cheng's pocket, and he finally spoke as he turned to leave:

"Just now you mentioned the words 'Great Transformation' which they overheard. Even though the hostesses wouldn't understand, you shouldn't have said those words. I urge you all again to proceed with caution."

Bang—

After Old Cheng left, the private room door closed again.

But everyone just stared at the corpses on the sofa in silent meditation.

Of course, it's not because dealing with the bodies is troublesome; any of them present could handle it without detection.

The silence was mainly because everyone finally remembered what kind of person Old Cheng was.

The opponent could directly contact the trusted confidant of the [Pioneer]!

At least half of the Artificial Ghosts that appeared in the Capital City were arranged by him.

On the surface, he seemed like an honest man as if he were truly a salaryman, but the blood on his hands was enough to make anyone who knew tremble with fear!

"So, should we still go?" someone hesitated to ask.

"Go! Why not go! Old Cheng already said he won't stop us! That means the [Pioneer] is also permitting this, so why not seize this rare opportunity?!" The trendy youth wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said through gritted teeth.

"That Monkey can't stop us! This time, let's name the plan—Five Finger Mountain!"

......

"Mr. Hou, why didn't Sun Wukong just dig a hole and escape when he was trapped under the Five Finger Mountain?"

Upon hearing such an unusual question, Wu Liang merely furrowed his brows before posing an even quirkier question: "I'm actually more curious about when Sun Wukong was trapped under the Five Finger Mountain if a bug crawled on the sole of his foot, and it itched profusely, how would he scratch it?"

Currently, Wu Liang and Luo Fei were staying in a remote village.

There was no internet signal here, nor were there many people, only a few old folks still living in the village in solitude.

Perhaps after some time when these elders pass away, this village will be completely Forgotten by the world.

After all, their sons and daughters hadn't visited for years, and this place disconnected from the times perhaps shouldn't exist anymore.

Luo Fei's only way to pass the time was to use a diesel generator, somehow procured by Wu Liang, to watch DVDs on an old black-and-white TV, currently viewing Journey to the West.

But even in such challenging living conditions, Luo Fei never complained at all.

Regarding this, Wu Liang would occasionally discuss topics about past life experiences.

It was from these brief conversations that Wu Liang learned about Luo Fei's tragic childhood and even her miserable early life.

"I grew up in an orphanage at some point in the Capital. I was frail and often sick, which made the headmaster dislike me for wasting money. If the orphanage hadn't been right next to the police station, I might have been secretly abandoned as a child."

"Being unhealthy also made me a target for bullying by peers, a torment that continued until the day I became an adult. I thought I could finally leave the orphanage, find a job, support myself, and escape my miserable life."

"Then the Supernatural Calamity struck."

"Fortunately, a supernatural event happened right at the orphanage."

"Unfortunately, it was my birthday that day, and I went out to buy a cake, leaving me as the only survivor from the orphanage."

"Since then, I started a life of hiding, but almost no refuge would accept a frail girl like me."

"Many even eyed my body with ill intentions, planning to abduct me by force either as a tool for venting or as a reserve meal in this apocalypse."

"Ultimately, out of desperation, I hid in the deep mountains, living a self-sufficient life for a year and a half until people from the [Awakening Association] came and discovered me while picking herbs."

"It was then I learned that humans had the Awakened—heroes who could save the world! The original social order was gradually being re-established."

"I thought fortune had finally smiled upon me, but I never expected that the person who brought me back to the [Awakening Association] was named Wu Yeli..."

Listening to Luo Fei telling her life's story with an unchanged expression, including all the torture she experienced in that warehouse,

Wu Liang couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness for this girl.

She really had to fight with all her might just to survive!

No wonder now, in this remote and rundown village, she didn't show any discomfort; it's far better than gnawing on tree bark in the mountains as she once did...

"Mr. Hou, how long do we have to hide here?" Luo Fei suddenly asked while looking at the black-and-white TV.

Upon hearing this, Wu Liang flashed a radiant smile, saying very kindly, "Not for much longer, actually there was already a ghost looking for us last night."

"But I pretended not to notice and let that ghost spread the news of us being here."

"I reckon, soon, those monkeys will be stepping right into my Five Finger Mountain..."