Mortal Bones

Chapter 22: Dust Seeking Incense, Framed by a Villain and Reduced to Slavery

“Sister, for you to manifest your spirit just to tell me this tale… is there something you need of me?”

Xu Taiping had already guessed the female ghost’s true intentions.

“Your intuition is sharp, young master. This humble one manifested tonight because I have a grave request.”

The apparition nodded repeatedly, her ethereal form shivering.

“I have a blood sister named Liu Zijin. We ascended the mountain together three years ago. However, her talent was peerless, and she was immediately accepted as an inner disciple of the Fifth Peak. We had made a pact—once I passed the outer sect trials next year, I would join her to cultivate on the Fifth Peak.”

“But exactly a year ago, a disciple from the Fifth Peak suddenly arrived at my quarters. He claimed to be my sister’s Third Senior Brother. He said he was passing through on his way down the mountain, delivering a letter from Zijin and checking on my well-being on her behalf.”

“Hearing he was Zijin’s Senior Brother, I naturally dared not show him any slight. I served him fine wine and a grand meal, attending to him for half the day.”

“But after three rounds of wine, that bastard suddenly lost his mind. He ravaged me like a feral beast, stealing my innocence. Afterwards, he threatened my life, forbidding me from breathing a word to anyone. He intended to lock me away as his secret plaything, a vessel for his depraved urges.”

“I wanted nothing more than to end my own life. But he used Zijin against me. He swore that if I did not submit, he would frame her for a heinous crime and see her banished from the Fifth Peak in disgrace.”

“Left with no choice, I surrendered my dignity to him. I prayed only to bide my time until Zijin secured her footing within the Fifth Peak, so I could finally reveal the truth.”

“But just months ago, while he lay in a drunken stupor, I overheard his true scheme. He planned to use my defilement to blackmail Zijin, dragging her down to become his plaything as well.”

“If it were only my own ruin, I could swallow the humiliation. But for him to set his vile sights on Zijin… I would rather my soul shatter than let him succeed.”

“Seizing the chance while he was dead drunk, I drew a blade I had hidden beneath the floorboards, preparing to slit the throat of that shameless cur.”

“Yet I vastly underestimated the cultivation of an inner disciple. The moment a mere sliver of killing intent leaked from my heart, he snapped awake and overpowered me.”

“Furious and utterly humiliated, he tortured me mercilessly. He snapped my neck, tossing my corpse into the deep woods near my quarters. Not long after, my wandering spirit was ensnared by the Chang Ghost, reducing me to its mindless slave.”

Hearing the ghost’s harrowing tale, a heavy, suffocating wrath swelled within Xu Taiping’s chest.

He never imagined that such grotesque evil could fester atop an immortal mountain. Compared to this illustrious disciple of the Fifth Peak, the bloodthirsty Chang Ghost almost seemed like a saint.

Of course, that was assuming everything the female ghost said was true.

“How can you prove any of this?”

Suppressing his rising temper, Xu Taiping fixed his gaze on the apparition.

“To expose that beast, I ignited the only stick of Dust Seeking Incense I possessed.”

The ghost pointed a translucent finger toward the sleeve of her own rotting corpse below, then continued:

“This Dust Seeking Incense comes in a set—one Mother, three Children. Ignite the Mother Incense, and until it burns to ash, every event within the room is recorded within its smoke.”

“To view the past, one only needs to light a Child Incense. The shadows of history will manifest for all to see.”

Hearing this, Xu Taiping nodded imperceptibly.

He had previously seen records of this very treasure through the bronze mirror.

“So, you want me to deliver the remaining Child Incense sticks to your sister Zijin?”

Without waiting for Liu Qingmei to explain further, Xu Taiping cut straight to the point.

“Exactly!”

Liu Qingmei nodded with violent desperation. Her voice trembled, laced with a hollow hopelessness:

“That Third Disciple of the Fifth Peak, Lu Chen… he is rumored to be the nephew of an Elder from the Fifth Peak. The Qingxuan Sect would never punish someone of his pedigree over a lowly outer disciple like me. I harbor no delusions of avenging my unjust death. I only beg that my sister Zijin not fall prey to his venomous lies!”

The moment the words left her mouth, a biting chill swept through the courtyard gates. Her ethereal figure began to flicker, fading like a candle in the wind.

“Young master! Should you ever set foot upon the Fifth Peak, I beseech you, deliver the incense to my sister!”

Realizing her soul was on the verge of scattering, Liu Qingmei’s tone turned frantic. She stared at Xu Taiping with agonizing anticipation, hanging onto her last breath of existence for his answer.

“If what you say is true, I will ensure this Dust Seeking Incense reaches Sister Zijin’s hands.”

Xu Taiping did not hesitate. He met her gaze with resolute conviction and made the vow.

“Thank you, young master!”

Upon hearing his promise, the spirit of Liu Qingmei collapsed to her knees, kowtowing so deeply her ghostly forehead struck the dirt.

“Young master, the Chang Ghost failed tonight, but it will never let this go. It is a terrifying foe, but it is not invincible. During my captivity, I learned it died of severe intoxication in its past life. Alcohol is pure poison to its soul. If you can force it out of its possessed vessel, you might be able to use strong liquor to destroy it.”

Lifting her head, Liu Qingmei rapidly revealed the creature’s fatal flaw.

“The Chang Ghost’s weakness is alcohol? Thank you for the warning, sister!”

A spark of genuine surprise and gratitude lit up Xu Taiping’s eyes. Even without lighting the Dust Seeking Incense to verify her claims, his trust in Liu Qingmei had just solidified immensely.

“Young master… you must deliver the incense…”

The ghost shook her head, her face etched with a final, desperate plea.

“Rest easy, Sister Qingmei. The moment I climb that mountain, I will find a way to place this incense in Sister Zijin’s hands.”

Xu Taiping gave a solemn, heavy nod.

Hearing those words, a faint, tragic smile finally blossomed across Liu Qingmei’s bitter face.

“One last thing! The Chang Ghost serves a demonic tiger spirit. Its power is unfathomable. If at all possible, do not make an enemy of it!”

Just as her silhouette was about to dissolve completely into the night, she hurled out one final, panicked warning.

“A tiger demon?”

Watching the ghostly form shatter into motes of dissipating green wildfire over the corpse, Xu Taiping muttered in shock.

So the old legends of ghosts acting as a tiger’s lackeys are actually true.

Learning that a tiger spirit was the true mastermind behind the Chang Ghost sent a chill down his spine. He suddenly recalled the ancient folklore of ‘aiding the tiger to do evil.’

I might know the Chang Ghost’s weakness, but according to Perfected Lord Ziyang, facing a ghost before breaking through to the Door Opening Realm is practically suicidal. One wrong move and I’m a corpse. It’s better not to play the hero. I’ll report this to the Sect and let the higher-ups handle it.

With that pragmatic thought in mind, Xu Taiping leapt down from his perch atop the courtyard gate.

“First things first, I need to file a report with the Sect. If I drag the corpse of that demon wolf from the mountain over here as proof, there’s no way they can turn a blind eye.”

He muttered to himself while rifling through the bloodstained sleeves of Liu Qingmei’s corpse, eventually extracting a small wooden box.

Popping the lid, he found exactly three incense sticks nestled inside.

As for this Dust Seeking Incense and Sister Qingmei’s tragedy… I’ll light one tonight to verify her story. Tomorrow, I’ll gauge the Sect’s attitude when they investigate the Chang Ghost. If they seem willing to uphold justice, I’ll reveal what happened to her and hand the incense over as evidence.

Xu Taiping stood up, carefully stowing the wooden box into his robes.