The artificial lake had been specially designed, so although the ground was damp, it wasn't muddy at all.
Ghost Doll, dressed in a long black gauzy dress, moved forward one step at a time with stiff, mechanical strides.
Not far away, both The Blistered Fatty and the tall man carrying a body bag witnessed this scene.
Then, a hoarse, cold voice echoed from the fatty's mouth.
"Wait!"
His words fell, but Ghost Doll ignored him completely and continued walking toward the Drowned Ghost.
Chen Xuan, standing in the distance, didn't even glance at him.
Seeing this, The Blistered Fatty's expression changed, darkening slightly.
"Mister, thank you for helping us deal with that Corpse Water, but we at Shenyu Technologies have been preparing for this Drowned Ghost for quite some time. Please, do us a favor."
The tall man also spoke with a chilling tone.
"Shenyu Technologies is willing to pay a generous price—as long as you're willing to name it."
Suddenly, Ghost Doll stopped in front of the Drowned Ghost.
Only then did Chen Xuan tilt his head slightly and glance their way.
"Name a price, huh?"
The Blistered Fatty brightened and quickly nodded. "Exactly. As long as you ask, Shenyu Technologies will not be stingy."
"Alright then," Chen Xuan nodded casually. "A hundred tons of gold. How's that?"
The expressions on both The Blistered Fatty and the tall man turned dark.
"Are you joking?"
Earlier, they'd been trapped beneath the lake by the Corpse Water, but they'd also seen Chen Xuan take care of it.
That was precisely why The Blistered Fatty had remained polite.
Had it been anyone else, he'd have long lost his patience.
After all, the name Scalding Ghost wasn't for nothing.
"Joking?"
Chen Xuan chuckled instead. "Do I look like I'm joking?
What? Can't afford it?
If you can't, then get lost. Next time, don't go around telling people to 'name their price.'
Don't embarrass yourself when you can't back it up."
As his words fell, Ghost Doll raised both arms and was about to wrap them around the Drowned Ghost.
"Enough talking! Let's restrain the Drowned Ghost first—everything else can wait!"
The tall man's eyes flashed coldly—he clearly wasn't interested in wasting more time.
The two of them had come on a mission. If they couldn't bring the Drowned Ghost back, they wouldn't be able to answer for it.
"Got it! I'll hold off that Ghost Doll—you restrain the target!"
The Blistered Fatty nodded in agreement.
He raised both arms, and with a sharp pull, tore open his sleeves, revealing terrifying arms covered in blisters and corpse spots.
Each blister was about the size of an egg and visibly pulsating, as if alive.
With a grimace of pain, The Blistered Fatty dug into his own flesh, bursting all the blisters.
Instantly, searing pus gushed out and vaporized into a thick steam that surged toward Ghost Doll.
Even a Malevolent Ghost would lose mobility when tainted by this steam.
Meanwhile, the tall man—his face pale and corpse-like—began a charge with the body bag in tow.
His strides were slow at first, but they grew faster and heavier with every step, causing the ground to quake.
From words to action, only a few seconds had passed.
In that brief moment, the steam enveloped Ghost Doll.
Her raised arms suddenly stiffened—she seemed to be affected.
The Blistered Fatty's eyes lit up. His ability had always been especially effective against Malevolent Ghosts.
It had never failed on a mission.
Just give him ten seconds—no, five—and his partner would have the Drowned Ghost completely restrained.
However—
The smile on his face froze instantly.
Ghost Doll, who had seemed immobilized, paused only for a second before her arms moved again and fell forward.
"No! Liu! Quick!"
The Blistered Fatty didn't know exactly what was happening, but his instincts screamed that it was nothing good.
Boom boom!
The tall man's charge reached its peak—he moved like an evolved zombie, sprinting madly.
But Ghost Doll was too close.
After just a few steps, she effortlessly placed her hands on the Drowned Ghost.
Buzz!
A strange ripple of energy pulsed outward.
Right before their eyes, the Drowned Ghost began to shrink rapidly—
As if it were being forcibly absorbed into Ghost Doll's body—
Until it vanished completely.
"Impossible!"
The Blistered Fatty cried out in shock.
Disappeared into thin air?
How was that possible?
Not only had his ability failed to affect Ghost Doll—
She could even easily restrain a Malevolent Ghost?
A profound sense of danger radiated from her form.
Even the dullest mind would realize how powerful Ghost Doll was.
And the man wearing the bloodstained ghost mask—Chen Xuan—
Had never once tried to stop them.
As if he'd known all along they'd fail.
Or maybe—he simply didn't care.
No matter which it was, The Blistered Fatty understood one thing:
Their mission had failed the moment the Drowned Ghost disappeared.
Forcing a laugh, he turned to Chen Xuan.
"Haha, misunderstanding. We were just worried you might not be able to restrain a Malevolent Ghost properly. After all, if not handled, it might revive again."
He spoke while slowly retreating.
"Didn't expect your ghost to absorb it directly. Saves us the trouble.
We won't disturb you further—farewell!"
"Yes, farewell!"
The tall man, once fierce and intimidating, changed his attitude faster than a Sichuan opera face change.
With only that one line, he turned and dragged the body bag away.
But—
After only a few steps, they heard Chen Xuan's calm voice behind them.
"Wait."
Their bodies froze.
"You're leaving just like that? Isn't that a little disrespectful?
Or… do you really think you can escape from my power?"
His calm voice now sounded like the tolling of a death bell—
And made both their hearts tremble.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。