Chapter 057: The Innocent Youth, Jixingchen.

Chapter 057: The Innocent Youth, Jixingchen.

"Are you the same person as him?" Chishen continued his inquiry.

The stench of blood filled the room, and slowly, another bloody message appeared: Yes.

Unlike the previous message, the word "Yes" seemed unstable, its ink dripping downwards.

A look of intense curiosity appeared on Chishen's face, "So the two of you—"

"How can we contain your spectral energy to prevent it from affecting others?" Jixingchen interrupted, not wanting to prolong the conversation unnecessarily.

—— Hang me upside down.

The bloody message transformed from neat to frenzied, with the last character splattered as if violently thrown in blood.

A surge of hostile energy emanated from the corpse, feelings of anguish, murder, and an overwhelming desire to destroy enveloped the room, seeping out from gaps in the door and windows. Just a sliver of this force suffused the living room and restroom, casting them in sheer terror.

A ghostly hand with red nails reached out from a telephone, followed by a head-only apparition of a woman emerging from the television. Her eyes rolled back, revealing stark whites, as she crawled beneath the sofa to grasp another disembodied hand. A ghostly face emerged from a backpack, its mouth gaping towards a ceiling light. The ghost in the kitchen wailed as it retreated, the eyes on the chandelier bled crimson, and a mysterious child pounded on the balcony door, emitting a shrill laugh—

A row of red candles appeared, as if summoned from the ether, lining the outside of the bedroom door.

The malevolent energy pouring from the room seemed to fade slightly, a glimmer of clarity shining in the blood-red eyes of the ghostly apparitions.

Inside the spacious living room, the candles ignited in succession. Their flames, though appearing warm and celebratory from afar, felt chillingly cold up close.

A hand adorned with a golden ring rested upon the ghostly face, pressing it down, and then hoisted up the red-clad female ghost, hurling both spirits into a ring of candles. More candles ignited, isolating each specter. The chilling aura from the candles dispersed the violent energy emanating from the bedroom, causing the ghosts to withdraw their frenzied forms and timidly huddle within the confines of the candle ring.

Amidst the array of red candles stood Bai Wan, draped in a blood-red bridal gown, facing the bedroom door, holding her ancestral tablet, standing still and silent.

She was their guardian.

As the ghostly aura spilled out, Ji Xingchen did not retreat but took a step forward. Almost instantly, the already semi-transparent Ji Xingchen became even more ethereal, seemingly unaffected emotionally by the aura but physically vulnerable.

Chi Shen swiftly positioned himself before Ji Xingchen, his expression uncharacteristically stern: "Get inside."

Ji Xingchen glimpsed the rare seriousness on Chi Shen's usually jovial face, sensing his displeasure. Without a word, Ji Xingchen's form melted like wax into a black flow, sliding into Chi Shen's shadow.

Without reprimanding words, Chi Shen leisurely stood in front of the bed, his eyes deepening as he observed the body atop it.

In a blink, his eyes reverted to their amber hue, drawing the turbulent spirits towards him. He unveiled all his vulnerabilities, presenting himself as a tantalizing treat to the ghosts.

All the restless, violent emotions were irresistibly attracted to him.

Outside the bedroom door, the recently pacified spirits were once again drawn towards something. The red-clad female ghost sniffed and murmured, "So enticing... so delectable..."

Even Bai Wan was momentarily entranced by the intoxicating allure of the soul, almost taking a step but resisting, reminding herself of her brother inside.

A starving ghost, drawn by the allure, clambered to the bedroom window. Its mouth widened, revealing bloodied teeth as it reached out, unlocked the window, and began to slither inside.

Starved to its very essence, the captivating allure of the young man was irresistible. It believed devouring him would satiate its insatiable hunger.

The ghost's head entered first, granting a clear view of the remarkably handsome man inside. A feast so exquisite warranted special care.

The overpowering allure made the ghost oblivious to all else, entranced solely by the young man.

Suddenly, a violent surge of ghostly energy swirled around. Not targeting the starving ghost per se, but in its path, the ghost's head was severed, with the energy continuing to erode its body until nothing remained.

While typical ghostly energies are black, the aura from Ji Xingchen 2 was interspersed with blood-red streaks. This turbulent energy quickly overshadowed the light and engulfed Chi Shen.

So delectable was he that not a wisp of energy escaped the open window, but instead, it all streamed towards Chi Shen. Without flinching or groaning, Chi Shen simply gazed at the serene figure on the bed.

——I'm sorry.

Amid the tendrils of ghostly energy, three frenzied, blood-red characters appeared before Chi Shen, dissipating quickly. The energy became gentle, and Chi Shen could feel its sorrow.

He didn't want to hurt Chishen, or anyone for that matter, but he couldn't contain his overwhelming emotions.

"You don't have to restrain yourself," Chishen said softly, looking down at Ji Xingchen No.2. His voice was gentle and alluring, like a tempting pastry beckoning, "I can handle it. You can unleash it upon me."

A shadowy presence began to spread from beneath Chishen's feet, flowing like water, rapidly engulfing the entire room. In this space, there was no light, only darkness.

The surging ghostly energy became relentless, as fierce as crashing waves, consuming Chishen.

He still stood lazily by the bed. The black, blood-tinged ghostly energy entered his body. He didn’t resist, accepting it fully. As the energy seeped in, Chishen's already pale complexion turned eerily white. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, slipping into his neck that glistened with perspiration. He looked incredibly vulnerable at that moment, yet he slightly lifted the corner of his lips into a smile.

His body appeared to be in pain, but his expression seemed to relish it.

Within the shadow-infused space, a shimmering snow began to fall. It was the dense negative energy freezing the moisture in the air. The snowflakes gently settled, blanketing Chishen and Ji Xingchen No.2 in a sacred layer of white.

The ghostly energy rampaged inside him, seemingly wanting to devour him, but eventually faded away gently as if afraid to harm him, even the spirits turned tender.

Finally, when the tumultuous ghostly energy was entirely absorbed into Chishen, the darkness dissipated, and the bedroom light illuminated once again. Chishen exhaled softly, leaning slightly against the wall.

Ji Xingchen caught him from behind, cradling him close, his gaze falling on Chishen's sweat-soaked neck.

In his current state, Chishen was an irresistible delicacy for any ghost.

"Care for a bite?" Chishen asked with a smirk.

Ji Xingchen averted his gaze, "Let me help you rest."

Ji Xingchen No.2 on the bed seemed to have vented all his emotions. Though still radiating a maddening aura, under Chishen's control, it remained confined to the room.

"I've sweated too much. I need a shower," Chishen remarked.

Enduring the attack of a formidable ghost without defense indeed wore him out, but he wasn't at his limit. At this moment, he felt that a hot bath would be quite delightful.

"I'll prepare it for you," Ji Xingchen responded, ready to leave.

"Wait," Chishen called out, "take a bite first."

Ji Xingchen replied, "...That's not my kind of thing."

Chishen, slightly exasperated, produced an eyeball, "Or would you prefer candy?"

Ji Xingchen glanced at Chi Shen, then at the orb, finally choosing to swallow the orb whole. His body quickly transformed from near invisibility to its original form. Soon after, he hurriedly left to prepare a warm bath for Chi Shen.

Chi Shen watched Ji Xingchen's departing figure with puzzlement. He merely wanted Ji Xingchen to take a bite to replenish his nearly dispersed soul. Yet, Ji Xingchen had remarked about not having 'that kind of taste'... What kind of taste?

He semi-lifted Ji Xingchen No. 2, planning to bind him. At that moment, Ji Xingchen No. 2's face had the pristine hue of frost-kissed skin, lending an almost sacred air to the corpse. Gazing upon that handsome face, a realization hit Chi Shen. The 'taste' Ji Xingchen spoke of... could it be that particular taste?

Chi Shen didn't linger on that thought. He retrieved the leftover red thread he used earlier for suturing a driver and began binding Ji Xingchen No. 2's legs, aiming to hang him upside-down using a method known within the old mansion.

Suddenly, a noise came from the wardrobe. A pale hand opened it, followed by a ghostly face, seemingly waving at Chi Shen in greeting. But upon seeing Chi Shen's actions, it paused and then silently closed the wardrobe, pretending to vanish.