A vibrant crimson figure gracefully descended. Her blood-red wide-sleeved immortal gown was embroidered with four lifelike phoenixes, from which tiny sparks drifted, shimmering like countless stars. Devices like the Golden Phoenix Hairpin (金凤钗) and the Wide-Sleeved Immortal Gown (广袖留仙裙) are mentioned here.
These sparks dispersed forward, and any that touched the ghostly hair immediately ignited, burning fiercely as if a raging fire had met dry tinder.
As the saying goes, a single spark can start a prairie fire. In the blink of an eye, the torrent of rampant ghostly hair was set ablaze, erupting into a furious inferno.
“Ah!”
The female ghost, hidden behind the hair, let out a piercing shriek. She extended her sharp claws and, without hesitation, severed her own long hair.
Deprived of the black mist’s support, the ghostly hair instantly disintegrated into nothingness.
The female ghost stood at the end of the corridor, her blood-red eyes fixed intently on their side. Her feet remained rooted to the spot, daring not to move even half a step.
Chen Xuanqiu likewise gazed at the suddenly appearing figure. It was a woman clad in a red immortal gown, her head adorned with a golden hairpin, its tassels brushing her ears. Her beautiful black hair was gathered behind her, and her fair, smooth shoulders gleamed like the finest jade, tempting one to bite them. The wide-sleeved immortal gown, a vibrant red, embraced her delicate figure, accentuating her curves. The phoenixes embroidered on the skirt were so lifelike they seemed ready to take flight at any moment.
‘Ancient attire? Phoenixes? Phoenixes were symbols of royalty in ancient times,’ Chen Xuanqiu mused.
Chen Xuanqiu could only see the woman’s back, a strong curiosity stirring within her to catch a glimpse of her face, yet she dared not make a rash move.
After the ancient-attired woman appeared, the surrounding temperature rose by several degrees. The Infant Spirit, wary, retreated several zhang.
At the far end, the female ghost cautiously approached, her feet lifting from the ground as she slowly floated closer.
The ancient-attired woman possessed a slender figure, yet at that moment, she stood like an insurmountable mountain, directly in front of Chen Xuanqiu.
“Whoosh!”
The female ghost moved, vanishing from her spot only to reappear an instant later right before them. Her sharp claws lunged directly towards the ancient-attired woman’s cheek.
The ancient-attired woman deftly evaded the attack, her wide-sleeved immortal gown swirling out to completely envelop the female ghost. Moments later, the phoenix embroidery on its surface erupted into raging flames.
“Ah!”
The female ghost let out a bloodcurdling shriek, her sharp claws frantically attacking the wide-sleeved immortal gown from within. Each strike left black marks, hinting at an imminent tear.
The Infant Spirit moved at that moment, swiftly flying closer. It then unleashed a series of ear-splitting shrieks towards the female ghost trapped within the gown, its visible sound waves repeatedly assailing her.
With the dual assault, the female ghost’s screams grew more agonizing, and her struggles intensified.
Chen Xuanqiu dared not remain at the forefront, so she hastily retreated backward.
“Rip!”
Finally, a terrifying arm tore through the gown, and black mist surged forth in its wake.
In an instant, the female ghost appeared beside the Infant Spirit and, without a word, lashed out with a claw.
“Wuwah…”
The Infant Spirit let out a miserable shriek, a massive claw mark appearing on its small body. Beneath its skin, there was no flesh or blood, but rather black mist, which now began to seep out from the wound like human blood.
The female ghost, having gained the upper hand, showed no mercy. Her fingernails, sharp as surgical scalpels, launched relentless and cunning attacks at the Infant Spirit.
The Infant Spirit let out deep, agonizing wails, desperately dodging the female ghost’s assaults. Yet, the claw marks on its body steadily multiplied, and black mist continuously seeped from its wounds.
Though the Infant Spirit’s expression was fraught with pain, whenever it found a moment, it would let out an unyielding shriek towards the female ghost. Even as its voice grew fainter, it showed no intention of giving up, and the resentment in its eyes only intensified.
Chen Xuanqiu watched, her heart aching deeply. Though they were strangers, this tiny Infant Spirit was willing to sacrifice its life to protect her. She truly had no way to repay such kindness, and a fierce desire to rush forward and tear the female ghost limb from limb surged within her.
At that very moment, the ancient-attired woman moved. She shot forth like lightning, her delicate form, clad only in a red embroidered bra and a sheer skirt, reaching the female ghost in the blink of an eye. Flames rapidly erupted around her hand as she clawed towards the female ghost’s back.
The female ghost, abandoning her pursuit of the Infant Spirit, parried the ancient-attired woman’s hand. Black mist and crimson flames clashed fiercely, like the collision of darkness and light.
With vicious glints in its bloodied eyes, the Infant Spirit swiftly flew closer. Its mouth opened wide, a gaping maw filled with sharp fangs, and it lunged directly to bite the female ghost’s head.
The female ghost had no escape. Her other hand shot out like lightning, seizing the Infant Spirit’s neck and squeezing with the force of an iron clamp, veins bulging on her arm.
Yet, the Infant Spirit remained unyielding, stretching its neck to bite furiously at the female ghost, like a hunting dog spotting its prey.
Seizing the opportunity, the ancient-attired woman extended her other slender hand, her long, flame-wreathed fingers plunging directly into the female ghost’s back.
“Ah!”
The female ghost let out a shriek, her body abruptly stiffening.
At that exact moment, the wide-sleeved immortal gown also flew over, coiling around the female ghost’s body like a python.
“Ah… ah… it hurts!”
The female ghost let out an incredibly shrill scream, the strength in her hand gradually diminishing from the pain.
The Infant Spirit suddenly broke free from the female ghost’s grasp, its gaping maw directly clamping onto the opponent’s head. Its sharp teeth gnashed back and forth relentlessly, like a saw.
With this three-pronged assault, the female ghost’s body began to disintegrate. Black mist fled in all directions, and her struggles grew increasingly feeble.
“Snap!”
The Infant Spirit finally bit off the female ghost’s head in one gulp, then swallowed it whole.
In just a few moments, the black mist shrouding the female ghost completely dispersed, leaving behind only a faint, translucent pure soul.
The ancient-attired woman withdrew her slender hand, and the wide-sleeved immortal gown flew back to her delicate form. She then turned to look at Chen Xuanqiu.
Chen Xuanqiu seized this chance to behold the ancient-attired woman’s face. It was a jade-carved, oval-shaped face, her features delicately enhanced with light makeup. Her phoenix eyes were like water, her red lips like fire. Most strikingly, a grain-sized cinnabar mole was dotted between her brows, standing out vividly. The only imperfection, if one could call it so, was the woman’s complete lack of expression, which lent her an unsettling aura.
The ancient-attired woman did not linger. In a flash, she transformed into a surge of warmth and burrowed into Chen Xuanqiu’s Baihui acupoint.
Chen Xuanqiu carefully sensed it, noticing that while the length of the warm current hadn’t changed, its temperature had significantly dropped. She mused that this must be the result of its expenditure.
On the other side, the Infant Spirit ferociously tore at and devoured the female ghost’s soul, bite by bite. Its tiny body then plummeted directly from the air.
Chen Xuanqiu rushed over. She wanted to reach out and catch it, but then remembered her own constitution and froze.
The Infant Spirit landed on the ground, black mist continuously seeping out from all its wounds, like a punctured balloon.
“Wuwu… Mama… wuwu…”
The Infant Spirit whimpered in pain, its tiny body trembling incessantly.
“Why did you help me?”
A profound sense of helplessness welled up within Chen Xuanqiu. She choked back a sob, murmuring to herself, not truly expecting such a young child to speak.
“Wuwu… because… because you… you testified for Mama… and pointed out those three bad people,” the Infant Spirit surprisingly uttered in a childish voice.
Chen Xuanqiu froze. She understood now: the child was grateful because she had accused the three murderers to the police that day, and thus had intervened to save her repeatedly.
“But why didn’t you save your Mama then?” Chen Xuanqiu asked, her eyes stinging.
“Because… because… Mama… told me… told me to be a good child… and not to hurt others,” the Infant Spirit replied weakly.
Hearing this, Chen Xuanqiu could no longer hold back. Tears streamed down her face like a breached dam.
“W-what… what can I do to help you now?” Chen Xuanqiu sobbed.
“I… I really want to sleep… Sister… could you sing me a song? Mama used to sing to Mingming too,” the Infant Spirit requested, its voice barely a whisper.
“Alright, alright! I’ll sing for you! I’ll sing for you! Twinkle, twinkle, little star… how I wonder what you are…” Chen Xuanqiu stammered, singing and crying all at once.
The tiny Infant Spirit gradually quieted until it was completely silent. The black mist continuously escaped from its wounds, and its body grew increasingly ethereal.
‘Is… is it dead?’
Chen Xuanqiu knelt on the ground, then closed her eyes in anguish, sobbing. She wondered why good people who helped her always met unfortunate ends. First, Dr. Wei and his grandson, and now this tiny Infant Spirit.
“Sister… don’t cry… don’t cry…”
After an unknown amount of time, the Infant Spirit’s voice came again.
Chen Xuanqiu opened her eyes in surprise. She saw that the Infant Spirit’s wounds were beginning to heal, and the black mist was no longer seeping out.
“Are you alright?” Chen Xuanqiu asked, wiping away her tears excitedly.
“I’m much better… I ate that auntie’s head… now I have strength again…” the Infant Spirit explained.
“That’s good! That’s really good!” Chen Xuanqiu laughed happily, unwilling to carry a lifetime of guilt.
“Sister, could you do me a favor? Take me to the police station. I want to avenge Mama,” the Infant Spirit suddenly said.
“Alright! I’ll definitely take you after I’m discharged,” Chen Xuanqiu vowed through gritted teeth. As the saying goes, good is rewarded with good, and evil with evil. Avenging one’s mother was a matter of course.
“However, you must promise me one thing,” Chen Xuanqiu added after a moment’s thought. “Stay in room 305 until then, and don’t harm anyone.”