Chapter 176

Chapter 176

"From what I gather, you two were once friends. So, why did she collaborate with Bai Xi Ming?” Zhong Yi suddenly inquired.

Zhang Yao replied, “Over time, Fang Man grew discontented with just crafting dolls. She wanted a perfect, obedient doll, but felt that even those she made infused with human souls weren't truly alive. Thus, she began using actual humans. But she never succeeded, because the first one she set her sights on was Shen Ge.”

Leaning against the backrest of her wheelchair, as if reminiscing, Zhang Yao continued, “Not too long ago... about two or three months back, she found some... live subjects. Bai Xi Ming provided her with a location – a soon-to-be-abandoned building where she could act without restraint.”

"Although she began crafting dolls from living beings, she still couldn’t create a piece that satisfied her. Human souls are delicate; they shatter easily when frightened, making her endeavors often end in failure. Even if she succeeded, the result was far from satisfactory. She started searching the Bai family for more resilient souls. That's when she learned of Shen's whereabouts."

Hearing this, Bai Wan asked, "Does she believe that Shen is the one who can help her perfect the craft?"

Zhang Yao nodded, "Perhaps. I can only observe the unfolding events and infer their intentions from their actions. My assumptions about Fang Man's thoughts are based on her conversations with the dolls. Her approach to Chi Shen might be rooted in such reasons."

"Then why didn't she seek out Chi Shen earlier? Why wait until now?" Zhong Yi questioned.

"Outside, she lacks the upper hand. But in her lair, it’s a different story," Zhang Yao explained. "That building is her nest, filled with dolls and spirits of her making."

Bai Wan looked concerned, "Is there a chance Shen might lose?"

"No," Zhang Yao chuckled, "You must trust Shen. To him, this is but a minor nuisance. If normal spirits are like flies to him, then Fang Man is merely a swarm of them."

——

The heavy darkness in the underground parking began to recede, revealing areas once thought to be obscured by broken lights. Yet, they weren't wholly dark; there were entities there beyond human comprehension, making the shadows even more profound.

From these shadows, humanoid figures emerged—paper men, dolls, plastic toys, all intricately designed.

With a swift motion, Chi Shen's blade gleamed with dark clouds and wind. The approaching dolls immediately turned to ash.

Yet there was more: above him, the sound of scratching nails—something was lurking on the ceiling.

Chi Shen swung his blade again, but this time the dolls didn't turn to ash. They were torn apart, littering the ground with debris.

"Try harder," the woman laughed softly, covering her mouth, "My darlings haven't felt such potent spectral energy in a long time. Please, give it your all."

With the third stroke, the figures were cleaved in half where the blade's shimmer passed.

The woman's laughter grew even more joyous. She no longer bothered to cover her mouth in a bid for grace. She roared with laughter, "Go on, destroy them, and I will show you my most cherished creation!"

Puppets emerged from all shadowy corners—walking, crawling, running. There were young and old, some as tall as a human, others the size of a palm. The ones appearing later were more exquisitely crafted, so lifelike that their movements were fluid, lacking any stiffness or delay—just like real humans.

Chi Shen suddenly halted, tossing the cleaver he held. It clattered as it hit the ground.

The woman's expression shifted.

Chi Shen suddenly chuckled, "I'm done playing."

——

On the rooftop.

Bai Wan inquired, "Is it because there are so many dolls, they're like a swarm of flies?"

"No," Zhang Yao replied, "When I said she could give Shen trouble, I meant she's hard to kill."

Zhang Yao paused briefly, then continued, "Or perhaps, she's already dead. In her relentless pursuit of granting souls to dolls and self-modification, she ceased being human and became a spectral entity. After all, only a spirit could endure the things she did to herself."

"What did she do?" Zhong Yi asked.

Zhang Yao explained, "To make her body more agile, she stitched the hands of a ghost we once encountered—who crafted paper humans—onto herself. To see more colors, she grafted the eyes of various animals. I won't list them all."

"So, she's turned herself into a monster?" Bai Wan exclaimed with a look of surprise.

"Indeed," Zhang Yao replied, "To adapt to the spectral parts, she transformed herself into one. She also discovered how to absorb yin energy and even integrated this power into the dolls she created. This absorption isn't limited to passive yin energies. Even attacks against her can be converted into her own strength."

Zhong Yi looked both unsurprised yet taken aback, remarking with a touch of astonishment, "Though I had my suspicions, it's indeed..."

"Shen is not dead, you needn't speculate," Zhang Yao seemed to know what he was thinking, adding, "He's still alive. He's just learned the spectral ways of attacking."

Bai Wan furrowed her brows, "Then, doesn't that mean Shen can't win?"

Zhang Yao offered a gentle smile, tilting her head slightly, "You should have faith in Shen."

——

It seemed like Chi Shen had given up, allowing the first wave of dolls to approach. As the doll's arms reached out, the woman's face showed a mix of anxiety and excitement, "Have you finally accepted your fate? Will you willingly become my puppet?"

"Of course..." Chi Shen didn’t look at the woman but above her, "Not!"

Just as the doll was about to touch his clothes, Chi Shen moved with blinding speed, leaping overhead to grasp at something in the air—

The woman's ecstatic expression froze instantly, her face blank. Chi Shen's pulling motion lifted her off the ground like a ragdoll. She crashed into a box of dolls and slumped to the ground.

"Found you," Chi Shen smirked, holding an invisible thread. With a swift pull, he exposed the underground parking's ventilation duct.

Inside the duct, there lay a pitch-black humanoid figure with numerous hands and eyes.

The figure let out a piercing scream, distinct from the woman's voice.

"This is the first time you’ve found my true form, hahaha, but what of it?"

The humanoid figure, or perhaps Fang Man, lifted her hand. She held a wooden frame, and with her gesture, another girl in a princess dress appeared in the parking lot. The girl’s voice was sweet and pleasant, harmonizing with that sharp voice, "Do you think you can kill me?"

"You seem to misunderstand me," Chi Shen gracefully landed, brushing off imaginary dust from his hands, "It's not that I couldn't find your real body before. I just didn’t feel like searching. After all, you still have your uses. And if I wanted to, killing you would be simple."

As he spoke, he extended a hand toward his Mo Dao, which instantly dissipated, transforming into a dark mist that infiltrated the young girl's body.

"You—” The girl's melodic voice sounded incredulous, "Is this—"

Boom!

The doll-girl, overloaded with dark energy, swelled and then violently burst. The dispersed energy gathered again, taking the shape of the Mo Dao.

"You don't truly understand me," Chi Shen continued with a smirk, "If I eradicate all your little dolls, who will give in first? Me from exhaustion or you from overexpansion?"

The two remaining human-like eyes of Fang Man widened. After a moment's contemplation, a hand wielding scissors lunged at Chi Shen.

Another lovely girl emerged from the shadows, her youthful voice echoing, "But I won't give up. You'll be my masterpiece. Even if it means overextending, I must have you!"

Chi Shen effortlessly sidestepped, letting the scissors miss its mark. He shook his head, "I want to show you, even as a ghost, I have ways to eliminate you. Though one might take longer, there are many methods to erase our existence in this real world."

Toward the end, Chi Shen's expression turned bizarre and manic. While he seemed to be laughing, half of his face began melting away, transforming into a floating dark mist, revealing an underlying, sinister skeletal structure.

Not just his face; half of his body began to disintegrate too. The dispersing mist enshrouded him, making him appear as a formidable specter.

A sense of impending doom overtook Fang Man. She hurriedly looked towards her stash of dolls and, with multiple hands, summoned them all. Like a swarm of locusts, they all charged at Chi Shen!

Extending the only hand still intact, he brought his fingers together, forming a blade, "Heaven descends, spirits obey, channeling the sun and moon—"

A wind stirred within the underground parking lot.

Its origin unknown, the wind held a piercing warmth, seemingly capable of purging all impurities.

"Ruler of the Three Realms—"