Chapter 367: Lanninger's Bitterness

Getting caught intentionally also requires a good plan. Lu Shan Jun wouldn't foolishly allow Lan Ningke to directly barge into the Gates of Hell. Even though the ghost would be powerless against the underworld emissaries, an evil ghost intruding upon the Gates of Hell is completely different in nature from an evil ghost being captured from the outside.

Such an act would alert several high-ranking ghost deities and officials in the underworld, leading to a degree of investigation and discussion, which would significantly increase the complexity and time required.

However, if Lan Ningke were to feign accidentally encountering an underworld emissary and then be captured, the matter would be much simpler.

According to procedure, he would be taken directly to the Judge. After a judgment of good or evil, he would be sent to the Office of Punishment for severe sentencing. If he died, it would simply be recorded; if not, he would be taken to the ghost city.

Around midnight that night, Lan Ningke walked outside the city with a somber expression and heavy thoughts. Although he was very nervous, he still had to put on a performance.

Reaching a section of Luoyang Prefecture's northern city wall, the demon ghost floated up, quickly ascending the wall step by step, then leaping into the city.

After looking around, it snuck into a residential courtyard, quickly passing through a door to see a family of two adults and a young child sleeping soundly on a large bed.

Just two steps closer, several wisps of spiritual fire emanated from the sleeping individuals. Waves of heat enveloped the bedside, making Lan Ningke feel slightly uncomfortable.

Lan Ningke did not understand this phenomenon. If Ji Yuan were there, he would know that after a person falls into a deep sleep, they are not affected by factors like fear, causing their inner fire to naturally strengthen.

For cultivators, this state can be described as the primal spirit awakening while the conscious mind rests. Although ordinary people don't possess a primal spirit, a similar situation occurs. Without the disruptive influence of consciousness and emotions, the human body is, to some extent, more resilient against evil entities than when awake. However, if a person is courageous, that also serves as an advantage.

Here, "spirit" refers to products of consciousness such as mental energy, spiritual thoughts, and cognitive processes, rather than the mystical deities truly inherent within the human body.

Of course, this is relative; everything has its limits. Although this spiritual fire annoyed Lan Ningke, it did not significantly affect a demon ghost of his caliber.

Lan Ningke reached out and pressed the male householder's chest, wrapping him in an eerie ghostly aura. After a moment, Lan Ningke stepped back two paces and beckoned.

A shadowy figure floated out from the man's body, subtly connected to him by a faint, almost invisible thread—this was the man's soul.

Lan Ningke then left the house, and the still muddled soul followed along, soon reaching the street.

"Huh, why am I on the street?"

A questioning remark signaled that the householder's soul had shaken off its stupor and become somewhat conscious.

"Oh, we're out for a stroll, of course we're on the street! We agreed last time to go find some fun. It's rare to be out, so let's go quickly!"

Lan Ningke walked over and said with a smile.

The man's soul paused, looking at Lan Ningke. Although he couldn't recognize who was in front of him, hearing his words made him feel as if such an event had indeed occurred, creating the illusion that this person was also an acquaintance.

This is a common state of confusion in human dreams; sometimes, dreams contain many unprompted memories, and one's logic becomes muddled, with self-control also deteriorating.

When the soul left the body, the physical body remained at rest, and the soul's consciousness was not fully awake—it was in a state between dreaming and wakefulness. Otherwise, if the conscious mind awoke, the physical body would also awaken, and under normal circumstances, the soul would immediately be pulled back.

Thus, with just a few guiding words from Lan Ningke, the man, still "dreaming," immediately felt that the person before him was an "unnamed" acquaintance and that there was indeed a "long-arranged" matter.

"Come on, let's go! I've brought money; you just need to come along!"

Lan Ningke urged again, and the man immediately followed.

"Oh, that's great! Let's go, let's go..."

However, when the soul tried to walk, its steps were small and it couldn't move or run properly because its conscious mind and body were still asleep.

So, Lan Ningke stepped forward, directly pulled the man along, and headed straight towards the city wall.

The dreaming man had no doubts that his friend could then lead him to scale walls and rooftops, feeling both excited and that it was only natural.

'Why aren't they here yet?'

Just as they were about to exit the city, Lan Ningke, deep in thought, suddenly heard a series of faint whistling sounds.

The keen senses of a martial arts master made him instantly turn his head and bend down.

A long black shadow swept almost grazing his back.

*Crack*

The city wall beneath his feet rippled like water. The very next instant—

*Crack*

Another crack, and Lan Ningke felt a sharp pain in his arm, causing him to release the man's hand.

"Oh no, oh no, I'm falling, I'm falling!"

Since he had been walking up the wall with Lan Ningke, the man immediately lost his support when Lan Ningke let go. He flailed his limbs wildly but couldn't stop his descent.

"Save me..."

The falling soul experienced immense terror, yet the distant underworld emissaries remained indifferent to its cries.

The next moment, before the soul even touched the ground, it briefly shimmered and, with a whoosh, transformed into a faint streak of light and vanished.

Inside a civilian house somewhere in the city, a sleeping man suddenly shuddered and awoke with a lingering sense of terror.

"Ah... (sighs deeply) ...just a dream..."

The man looked around, seeing his wife and child still asleep. He calmed himself, wiped away some sweat, drank some water, and then lay back down.

Meanwhile, on the vertical northern wall of Luoyang Prefecture, Lan Ningke nervously watched two figures in black robes and tall hats, dozens of feet away.

These two were shrouded in a faint aura of malevolent yin energy, with a hint of green light on their faces, making them appear more like evil ghosts than Lan Ningke himself. Yet, they were genuine underworld emissaries.

One held a long whip, while the other stood with a drawn saber.

"Where did this little ghost come from? How dare you lure a living soul! Where did you learn such demonic tricks?"

"Why bother talking? We'll find out once we take him back."

Hearing this, Lan Ningke quickly leaped onto the city wall and fled frantically out of the city. This wasn't acting anymore; it was genuine fear.

As soon as the evil ghost ran, the two underworld emissaries instantly transformed into blurred shadows of yin energy and leaped out of the city together. One of them swung his long whip.

"Trying to run? Stay right there!"

The long whip, like a spiritual snake, struck at Lan Ningke. He instinctively flipped and spun, striking the whip with both fists and palms, then used the rebound force to continue his escape.

"He's a ghost who knows martial arts."

The other emissary remarked, instantly closing dozens of feet. Just as Lan Ningke dissipated the whip's force and before he could fully register the burning pain in his hand, he caught sight of the other emissary suddenly appearing before him.

As their figures crossed, the underworld emissary silently drew his saber and struck.

*Thud...* "Argh..."

A flash of light from the saber cut diagonally across Lan Ningke's chest, and his agonizing scream erupted almost simultaneously. The searing, tearing pain was bone-deep, utterly unbearable for a ghost.

At the same moment, a whip's shadow instantly coiled around Lan Ningke, binding him as he was already partially paralyzed.

"Hmph, caught him."

"Take him away!"

Lan Ningke was in agony. The pain from the saber wound was unbearable, and the whip felt like a red-hot iron coiling around him, yet he couldn't even scream. Only after they had entered the city for a while, perhaps when they deemed it sufficient, did the burning sensation from the whip subside, giving Lan Ningke some relief.

Lu Shan Jun's demon soul, hidden deep within Lan Ningke's ghostly body, gained a deeper understanding of the underworld's ghost deities. Although the night patrol deities of Luoyang Prefecture were not powerful enough to impress him, against other ghosts, even underworld emissaries of a higher cultivation level might not be their match.

After capturing the evil ghost, the two night patrol deities surveyed the surroundings before taking Lan Ningke to the Temple Quarter.

Stepping across the boundary between Yin and Yang, what appeared before Lan Ningke and Lu Shan Jun was the legendary Gates of Hell, truly resembling a formidable pass. On both sides, there was illusory mist, with only the pass itself clearly visible.

The ghost scribes and underworld emissaries at the pass respectfully greeted the approaching night patrol deities.

The night patrol deities continued without pause, leading a pale and uncomfortable Lan Ningke through the Gates of Hell and deeper into the prefectural hall.

Hidden deep within the demon ghost's soul, Lu Shan Jun silently observed the Gates of Hell. The number of underworld emissaries, both visible and concealed, was significant, and restrictions were in place. It was indeed not a place to be breached carelessly.

The procedure after capturing the evil ghost was much as Lu Shan Jun had anticipated. Lan Ningke was brought before the Civil Judge for sentencing. Since there were no records of him, he was classified as a lonely wandering spirit and condemned based on the severity of his evil deeds.

During this time, Lan Ningke was asked about his name, origin, cause of death, and the crimes committed that night. However, apart from his name and origin, Lan Ningke refused to cooperate with any other questions.

"Heh heh, evil ghost Lan Ningke, transferred to the Office of Punishment to receive six lashes of the prison whip."

The Judge smiled as he finalized the verdict, and a ghost scribe escorted Lan Ningke away.

Lan Ningke let out a deep sigh of relief. He wouldn't have to face the legendary mountains of knives or seas of fire he'd heard about in life; it was only six lashes. That was fortunate.

Lu Shan Jun sneered inwardly at Lan Ningke's attitude but offered no warning. He remained focused on his surroundings, as opportunities to observe the underworld were rare. He also vaguely overheard casual conversations among passing underworld emissaries.

"I heard a distinguished guest arrived in our underworld today?"

"Indeed! We didn't see them, very mysterious. They say the City God personally went to greet them after an emissary reported their arrival."

"They must be someone important. Who is it?"

"That's unclear..."

Hearing such discussions, Lu Shan Jun inwardly rejoiced. This was perfect; the presence of a distinguished guest in the underworld would inevitably divert attention.

A short while later, inside the Office of Punishment's prison, Lan Ningke was chained to a torture rack. A burly executioner stood ten meters away, holding a long whip that glowed with a faint, eerie light.

All around were the screams of ghosts and chilling laughter. Gusts of infernal wind howled incessantly, creating an exceptionally noisy and unsettling environment that agitated the ghosts. Lan Ningke became nervous and panicked.

"Evil ghost Lan Ningke, sentenced by His Honor the Judge and approved by His Excellency the Punisher, shall receive six lashes."

As he spoke, the executioner fiercely swung the long whip.

*Wailing...*

A whistling sound, like the cry of a ghost infant, emanated from the whip.

*CRACK!* "ARGH—UGH..."

The pain felt like being torn apart by five horses. Lan Ningke's consciousness briefly blurred, and he could see semi-transparent light clusters drifting from his body. His body endured alternating sensations of cold and heat, like being pricked by needles and slashed by knives. He could barely withstand just one lash.

"One."

The executioner's cold voice rang out, and he raised the long whip again.

*Wailing... CRACK!*

The second lash landed. Lan Ningke could only convulse, unable to scream. His ghostly body flickered between dim and bright, sometimes greenish, sometimes ghastly pale.

"Two."

'Only the second lash, only the second lash! I'm going to die, I'm going to die! Shan Jun, save me! Shan Jun, help me!'

Lan Ningke's desperate plea was answered. The tearing sensation temporarily stabilized, and the yin energy in his body settled. However, the third and fourth lashes followed immediately.

By the end, Lan Ningke no longer begged Lu Shan Jun for rescue; instead, he wished for release and an end to his suffering with the fourth lash. Unfortunately, he endured all six lashes, and the entire process was more painful than death itself.

Even the executioner was slightly surprised that the ghost had endured. However, since he survived, he was, as per custom, sent to the ghost city.

A ghost carriage entered a sizable ghost city and deposited something onto a desolate street: it was Lan Ningke, unable to even stand.

After a long while, Lan Ningke finally felt a little better. He tremblingly pushed himself up, staring blankly at the surrounding walls, houses, and alleyways.

The place seemed desolate. Occasional ghosts walked by like ordinary people, but none paid any mind to Lan Ningke, who lay there paralyzed.

"Well done. Now get up and find your long-unseen friend, Dong Bicheng. Based on the geomancy of his tomb, he should be in the central-southern part of the city."

Lu Shan Jun's voice rang out, forcing the agonizing Lan Ningke to struggle to his feet, his mind still filled with unease.

Although he was now in the ghost city, Lu Shan Jun would eventually have to leave, and then...

Lan Ningke suddenly felt like crying.

(End of chapter)