Ruan Zhan silently dispelled the barrier and witnessed the greenish red aura above He Fu Gui vanish. He knew the so-called gambling god was no more. The pair of earrings vibrated in his palm, making him feel a wave of nausea. He hurriedly placed them into the black wooden box in his backpack.
He Fu Gui stared blankly at him. His brain finally started working as he felt this might have all been a trap. This guy surnamed Ruan had even prepared a box for the items. But why would he want those earrings? Did he know the secret of the gambling god, and wanted to snatch it? Then how did he win just now? Did he expect the great immortals to be absent and cheat?
Regardless, he couldn’t give up the fruits of his pain and suffering.The horrifying scene that followed him home from the children’s cemetery was something he had carried by himself. How could he let it go?
“Follow him.”He stared at the closed door as he ordered the bodyguards. “All of you. He doesn’t seem easy to deal with. Don’t startle him, just find out where he goes.”
“Will you be fine by yourself?” One of them asked worriedly.
“Why wouldn’t I be?!” He Fu Gui was extremely restless. The sudden onset of his good luck had been a pleasant surprise, but the sudden loss was essentially unacceptable. There was a voice screaming at him to get it back, get it back!
“No one in Jingshi Town dares do anything to me! Go, quickly, don’t let him lose you!”
The bodyguards grunted in agreement and swiftly vanished.
He Fu Gui collapsed limply on the sofa, his body feeling off. The room was too cold. Although it was supposed to be chilly in the winter, this cold seemed to be coming from his bones. No matter how many layers he put on or how strong the furnace, it wouldn’t help unless he lit himself on fire!
From the corner of his eyes he glimpsed a hundred yuan bill on the table. His heart jolted.
Had the guy surnamed Ruan forgotten it? It was the one dropped from his backpack then moment he entered! That was an ill omen. It meant that guy would go bankrupt, unable to keep whatever wealth he obtained. At this thought, He Fu Gui felt a bit of vengeful glee. He couldn’t help but get up and gingerly take the fresh bill. For some reason, he felt this bill was especially cute today. In the past he had always been reluctant to spend large bills. Then, he stopped caring even when he spent stacks of them. Only now did he suddenly have the chance to observe one closely.
With a whoosh, the fresh bill slid along his arm. It actually made a thin cut and a hint of fresh blood seeped out.
He Fu Gui froze. There wasn’t any pain but he felt the pink bill seemed a little abnormal. The blood from his arm caused the color to darken. The bill was also unusually soft, drooping like a piece of silk. It seemed to move in his hand.
Was it a fake bill? It had to be a fake bill, or why else would it be like this!? He raised it up for a closer look.
“Fu Gui.”A woman’s voice suddenly sounded by his ear.
Startled, the fear caused all the blood to rush to his heart. The pressure even caused his heart to skip a few beats as he held his hands rigidly in the air and looked around. There was no one. The door and windows remained still. However, the room was strangely silent. Even his breathing seemed several times louder, sounding coarse and ragged, like a death rattle.
“Fu Gui.”The woman called him again. That voice, that voice was clearly…his wife’s. Had she come running to find him after hearing he got rich? But he had heard that she died! The family that bought her had even come asking for a refund. Then now…
“Fu Gui, give me my life back!”His wife’s voice suddenly turned vicious.
“Where are you? Where are you?” He called in a trembling voice. He was frozen in fear, his body twisted and his hands still holding up the bill.
No one answered him, but his arms started shaking. A peal of cold laughter came from his hands. He Fu Gui instinctively looked over.
The bill he had been holding a moment ago had turned into a noose. Upon it were traces of dried blood and a strand of long hair. It swayed along with He Fu Gui’s shaking hands, seemingly waving at him.
Behind the noose, an ethereal figure floated in the air. Her head happened to be inside the noose as she smiled at him.
“Fu Gui!”She cried out.
“Wife.”He responded automatically, cold sweat instantly soaking his clothes.
“On our wedding day, you told me it’s fine that we weren’t born on the same day, as long as we died on the same day.”The woman said softly, her words gentle but her voice deathly cold. “I died five months ago, why haven’t you come to keep me company. I’ve been waiting for you all this time.”
“Wife, I’ve…really let you down, but, I also really…miss you. Forgive me!”
“Let me down? You mean when you sold me to that person from out of town, and even helped him rape me?” A quiet laugh accompanied her sobs. “You miss me? Well, that’s good. I’ve come for you, so you can come with me now!”
“No!”He Fu Gui screamed. He turned to run but the noose seemed to come to life. It followed him like a shadow, and his desperate flight was unable to shake it off.
With nowhere to run or hide, He Fu Gui collapsed to his knees. “Wife, I let you down. It also…also wasn’t what I wanted. My plan was to buy you back after winning some money, and live happily ever after with you! Really, wife! I didn’t expect you to take it so hard. I was also devastated! I never…I never found another woman, and I swear I never will. There’s only you! Please, let me go! Wife! On account of our marriage, just let me go, wife! Please, I’ll kowtow to you! I’ll kowtow!”He begged as he pounded his head against the floor.
“Our marriage?” The woman laughed mournfully. “When you sold me off, did you think about our marriage? When you drugged me, did you ever consider me as your wife?!”
“I was wrong, I was wrong! Spare me! I will burn more ritual money for you…whatever you want, I’ll burn for you…or hold a grand funeral!”
“I’m so cold by myself. I want you to accompany me, just like when we were newlywed. I want you to warm my bed. Come, being hanged isn’t that uncomfortable. Just hold your breath and it’ll be over soon.”
“No no no no no! Please just let me go!”
“What’s the point of staying in this world? Keep gambling?”
“I’ll stop! I swear! I’ll never gamble again, I swear!”
This time, the woman didn’t speak but merely started laughing quietly. She seemed to find He Fu Gui very amusing.
He Fu Gui’s heart shook as he suddenly recalled having said the same thing many times before. He had never kept his word, and even ended up selling his wife in the end. He felt his blood run cold upon hearing the laughter. An indescribable fear swept over him. Every inch of his surroundings contained an inexplicable chill. He didn’t dare look up. He felt his arm itch and couldn’t help but scratch at it. Something seemed to have bitten him. He looked down and saw the paper cut made by the bill earlier split apart. It didn’t really hurt, but the wound gradually turned into the shape of a mouth that grinned at him. “Fu Gui, give me my life back!”The bloody maw spoke.
Terrified, He Fu Gui screamed and leapt up, running like mad. He cried for help the entire time and had no idea where he was going. Although he had been scared during the gambling luck ritual, he hadn’t been so scared out of his wits. After all, he didn’t owe those things haunting him anything. He had also known those things were just trying to frighten him, and wouldn’t actually hurt him. But this time was different. His wife was here for revenge. She was precisely out to hurt him!
In the blink of an eye, his wife appeared in her original form. Upon her delicate and beautiful face, blood streamed from her seven orifices and a pair of bloodshot eyes glared at him!
He skidded to a halt and started backing up. Behind him was a dark hallway, so long the end couldn’t be seen. On his left was a sturdy wall and his wife approached from the front. Only his right side had a bit of light!
He Fu Gui blindly rushed towards his right! He felt his body get stopped by something for a moment. Then came the sound of shattering glass and something heavy striking the floor. A sky filled with stars suddenly appeared in his vision!
By the time he realized the object that broke the glass and struck the ground was himself, his bulging eyes only registered his wife, who was dressed the same way as on her wedding day. “Come, Fu Gui, what is owed, must eventually be repaid!”
He couldn’t speak as warmth trickled from his head and mouth. He was very scared, not daring to look at that sad, beautiful and frightening visage. Yet he couldn’t close his eyes, and the figure before him was etched upon them forever!
In the distance, his mom and dad stood in the corner, seemingly about to cry. They wore the same expression their portrait had the day he had obtained his gambling luck. Why did he only now feel that their gazes contained pity and sorrow, and not gratification? Why had he only understood now?!
This night, Jingshi Town’s sudden tycoon, the gambler who never lost, He Fu Gui, committed suicide by jumping from a building. Although the hotel only had five floors, he had struck the ground head first and died on the spot.
…….
At the same time on Ironhead Mountain, a person walked upon the barren ridge. He knew no one would be coming up the mountain to move rocks tomorrow, so he was in no hurry as he set up the killing formation. It was only arranged from stones, talismans and small flags, yet it made all the surrounding creatures retreat.
After finishing, Ruan Zhan stood in place as if trying to make up his mind. Yet after a moment, he still took out the earrings from the black box and threw them inside the formation, pointing with his finger.
Like genies in a bottle, the two women in crimson qipao immediately appeared amongst the rocks. As if they had discussed it in advance, the two immediately flew backwards when they appeared. Yet they rammed into an invisible wall after only moving a few meters. The two figures splattered into two red shadows. The shadows were not resigned as they charged around within the formation. From a distance, it looked as if a shadow play was being performed on the dark mountain. It was weird and mournful.
“The one surnamed Ruan, you played dirty!”Seeing that they couldn’t break free of the formation, Ordinary Shoes yelled in rage.
“I learned it from you guys.”Ruan Zhan tilted his chin slightly. He sat on a large rock outside the formation, looking languid and carefree. It was as if all of this had nothing to do with him, and he was merely watching the show. Yet he just happened to be the director for this performance, and held their lives in his hands.
“At least we engaged you in a great battle. Don’t make excuses. If you’re a man, let us out and we’ll settle things!”Three-inch golden lotus said.
Ruan Zhan smiled. “A contest of magic? We already had one two months ago and we already know the outcome. Why do we have to waste our energy? Honestly, I’m stronger today than I was two months ago. Do you still want to try? Why bother?”
“You reckless brat!”Ordinary Shoes almost stamped in fury.
“Unless you want to try using my father’s appearance again? But take a guess if I’ll fall for it again.” Ruan Zhan glanced at the formation, his gaze filled with disdain.
“But we also won’t tell you anything if you interrogate us.”Three-inch golden lotus said.
“At least you’re smart, knowing what I plan on doing.”Ruan Zhan said calmly, seemingly in no hurry. “I have time. Let’s drag things out! Unfortunately, while I can wait for the sunrise, can you?”
“Worst comes to worst we’ll just turn to ashes. Would we be afraid of you?” Ordinary Shoes seemed to have more of a temper and was more emotional, retorting without thinking. Yet Three-inch golden lotus shivered. They were spirits, and despite having cultivated some mana, being illuminated by the sunlight, especially from the direction of the sunrise, was an extremely cruel punishment.
She snuck a glance at Ruan Zhan’s expression and saw profundity and determination beneath the calmness. She immediately understood he would never give up until he got the answers he wanted, and also wouldn’t easily let them off.
“I’m afraid you won’t let us off even if we told you.” She couldn’t help but blurt out.
“I will at least make it quick and painless. Death? It’s still possible to be annihilated after death. It’s also a type of blessing, you know. If you don’t talk, you will soon get a taste of it. Everyone has some cruelty within their hearts. I really want to indulge myself today. Want to give it a try?”
He spoke bluntly and seriously, causing the yakshas to swallow their following words. They had expected Ruan Zhan to come looking for them, and also knew they were no match. The Ruan father and son were each more powerful than the last. They couldn’t handle the father in the past, so they naturally could only flee in the face of the son.
Yet what they wanted to do couldn’t be delayed. It was an opportunity they had finally seized after secretly observing for a very long time. They couldn’t give up, and could only carefully remain on guard. They had expected Ruan Zhan’s pursuit to be swift, but he had unexpectedly bided his time for over two months. They had just relaxed their guard when he suddenly showed up. There had been no advance warning. He had immediately trapped them and then dealt with their pawn He Fu Gui. Then, he placed them within the sturdy strange formation filled with killing intent.
As for what he wanted to know, there wasn’t really any harm in telling him. In fact, telling him might strike a larger blow against Ruan Tian Yi. Not only could they get revenge on the damned Daoist that hindered them, they could also hurt his son. That was probably even more painful for Ruan Tian Yi.
But the most opportune moment had yet to arrive. The matter they were using He Fu Gui for had also not been fully settled yet. Would spilling things now have the anticipated effect? If only they had a little more time. If Ruan Zhan had come two weeks later, their plans could have killed two birds with one stone.
Annihilation? For the sake of vengeance, they had long since made their peace with it! What they feared was not having Ruan Tian Yi suffer the most painful punishment!
Could they speak about the past now? Could they speak about Ruan Tian Yi’s matter?
