Chapter 23: The Specter within Fufeng Pavilion

It was mid-afternoon, and the sun hung high in the sky, the air so scorching it felt as if it would roast a person alive. It was a strange phenomenon; since arriving in Gutan Village, Lin Yi had never seen rain. Every day was characterized by clear, cloudless skies.

Outside the temple, in the shade of the trees, Gu Chenghu, Lin Yi, and the others were stifling in the heat.

"Qingshan, do you have any water left? Give me some."

Since Lin Yi carried a spatial backpack, Gu Chenghu preferred to keep miscellaneous items with him.

"No more, Captain. It's all gone. I'll go fetch some well water..."

"Don't take the long way. Go to Fufeng Tower; they provide well water for our militia, and try to get some ice to eat while you're at it."

"Alright..."

Fufeng Tower was not far away. Lin Yi snapped off a leafy branch to cover his head and jogged toward it under the blazing sun. At this hour, there was not a single diner inside the tower. Lin Yi found the waiter and explained his request.

"Please, have a seat and wait a moment. I'll go get the water right away."

Perhaps due to the unique construction of Fufeng Tower, Lin Yi felt much cooler the moment he entered, with refreshing breezes occasionally wafting in through the windows. Just as he was about to find a chair to rest, he suddenly felt his heart pound violently.

Could this be... a warning from the Spirit Stone?

Is there a specter inside Fufeng Tower?!

Had the specter that once wreaked havoc in Gutan Village been hiding here all along? Lin Yi was shocked; this was his first time sensing an anomaly from the Spirit Stone. Despite the cool breeze on his face, he felt cold sweat breakout on his forehead.

Suppressing his shock, Lin Yi collected the water and a bit of ice from the waiter and hurried back to where Gu Chenghu was stationed. Seeing Lin Yi rushing back in such a frantic state, Gu Chenghu raised an eyebrow.

"Captain, I felt something wrong at Fufeng Tower just now—a bone-chilling cold. Didn't you say that if a specter were present, the surrounding temperature might drop, and therefore there couldn't be one in the tower?"

After hearing what Lin Yi had to say, before Gu Chenghu could even speak, Gu Shan and the others on duty laughed.

"Qingshan, you're being too jumpy. Fufeng Tower was built on a prime piece of geomantic land, known to be warm in winter and cool in summer. Besides, there's an ice cellar underneath; once it's opened, cold air naturally drifts out. How could a specter be hiding there?"

"That's right, Qingshan. The temple exerts a suppressive force on specters; there's no way one would be hiding nearby..."

Lin Yi looked at Gu Chenghu. "Captain?"

Gu Chenghu knew that Lin Yi was not one to make a fuss over nothing; he must have discovered something. He asked, "Qingshan, tell me in detail."

Lin Yi couldn't explain clearly, as his ability to sense the specter relied on his soul artifact. However, if a specter were hiding in the tower, no one knew when it might erupt. If he didn't speak up, the entire village could fall into crisis.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Yi leaned into Gu Chenghu’s ear and whispered, "Captain, there really is a specter. I can sense its presence at close range. When I entered the tower, I didn't notice anything strange at first, but when I got near the window in the southwest corner of the first floor, I felt something wrong."

Gu Chenghu's eyes widened. "Really?"

"I'm certain. I have no reason to lie."

Though Gu Chenghu was surprised that Lin Yi could sense a specter, he knew that "Borners" possessed special abilities, so it wasn't impossible for Lin Yi to sense one at close range.

"Good lad, you've given me a massive surprise." Gu Chenghu clapped a hand on Lin Yi's shoulder and immediately ordered Gu Shan and the others to spread out and notify the rest. "While I believe you, to verify if the specter is truly hiding there, we need the divine talismans made by that old man, Gu Yuan. Let's go to the treasury."

At the treasury, Gu Chenghu didn't mention Lin Yi's sensing ability, claiming only that he had found the specter's hideout and needed talismans to confirm it. Gu Yuan, whose midday nap had been interrupted, didn't dare to delay. He quickly produced over a dozen "Specter-Seeking Amulets," worth 50 contribution points each. Considering something, he then took out a crimson talisman—an upgraded version.

"Gu He and I used many of these amulets to search for the specter hiding in the village, but we never found a trace. Perhaps the quality wasn't high enough to detect a specter that excels at hiding. Take this semi-divine talisman."

It was clear that the upgraded talisman was on par with the "Demon-Suppressing Divine Talisman," and Gu Yuan looked pained as he handed it over.

After leaving the treasury, Gu Chenghu laughed, "That old miser is usually so stingy; I didn't expect him to be so willing to part with the good stuff when it really matters."

Following this, Lin Yi accompanied Gu Chenghu to the tower. Upon arrival, Lin Yi saw that the first militia squad led by Gu Liehai and the third squad led by Gu Man had already gathered there. Including their own second squad, there were nearly thirty militiamen present.

Lin Yi also spotted the level-nine player from the first squad, Chang Kongkuo. He wore his militia uniform, a bow and a long blade strapped to his back, his face cold and expressionless. As a fellow player in the militia, Chang Kongkuo nodded at Lin Yi in acknowledgment.

Gu Chenghu looked around and asked, "Where is Elder Gu He?"

"He's at the temple, he'll be here soon."

Gu Man couldn't help but ask, "Chenghu, how are you so sure there's a specter in the tower?"

Gu Chenghu didn't intend to reveal Lin Yi's secret and changed the subject. "I have my ways. I got a batch of amulets from the old man; let's split them up and surround the building in batches so the specter doesn't escape."

Perhaps because the gathering of the militia was too conspicuous, many brave villagers from Gutan Village had gathered in the distance to watch. Under Gu Chenghu's instructions, Lin Yi stayed far back, so he retreated into the crowd of villagers. After all, he was a target, and if the specter broke through the encirclement, he wanted to be ready to run in the chaos. However, Lin Yi’s militia uniform was too eye-catching; as he approached, the villagers backed away as if he were a source of danger. Embarrassed, Lin Yi rubbed his nose and returned to the militia.

Seeing this, Gu Chenghu smiled and walked over, handing Lin Yi a "Defense Amulet" worth 80 contribution points. "This is for you. Remember to protect yourself when the fighting starts." Having learned of Lin Yi's ability to sense the specter, his regard for the young man had risen to a new level.

To deal with a specter, one could use talismans or certain rare martial arts. However, in the militia, only about a dozen people had learned such techniques. Gu Liehai and Gu Chenghu split the militia into two groups: those capable of damaging the specter stood in the front to encircle it, while the rest guarded the perimeter to protect the villagers. Lin Yi, whose only attack was the "Heavenly Star Archery," could not harm the specter, so he stood in the rear.

The staff of Fufeng Tower had already been evacuated and checked with amulets; none were possessed. If a specter was indeed inside, it had to be hiding within the building itself.

Soon, the militia began their operation. Four men stood at the corners of the tower and activated the standard Specter-Seeking Amulets. The talismans burned, releasing swirling green smoke that hung in the air for a few seconds before dissipating. Gu Man licked his lips with excitement. "Interesting. There really is something here?"

Normally, if there were no specter, the smoke would dissipate quickly. If there were, it would track the target. But here, the smoke seemed to circle aimlessly before vanishing—clearly, there was something strange about the place.

Gu Chenghu then held up the upgraded talisman. It transformed into a massive plume of green smoke that swirled in the air before diving straight into the tower.

"It's inside! I'm taking my men in; you all hold the perimeter!" Gu Chenghu was relieved; if there hadn't been a specter, he would have lost a lot of face today.

He led his men deep into the tower, tracking the smoke until they stopped before the ice cellar in the basement. Though the cellar was locked, a faint chill seeped out.

"Filthy thing, caught red-handed and you still dare to hide? Let's see where you run now!" Gu Chenghu signaled for his men to spread out, then gripped his "Dragon-Song Blade" and kicked the cellar door open.

*Creak!* The wooden door shattered. Instantly, a black shadow skittered across the floor, then exploded, transforming into multiple smaller shadows that rushed out of the cellar.

The militiamen braced themselves. Gu Chenghu’s blade flared with brilliant light, slashing into the largest mass of shadow with a loud *hum*.

"Ah~!" A sharp, piercing cry erupted from the shadow. It didn't dissipate, but its color faded from deep black to a translucent hue.

Gu Chenghu frowned. "Attack! Don't let these filthy things escape!"

Everyone joined in, mostly using the "Blazing Sun Blade Technique" to strike at the scattering shadows. Outside the tower, Gu Man and Gu Liehai heard the commotion and prepared for battle. Suddenly, several shadows darted out from the basement, scurrying along the shadows cast on the ground.

Gu Man struck first. He bit his finger, drew a strange pattern on his "Qingfeng Longsword" with his blood, and swung, extinguishing a small shadow.

"Is that the Spirit-Binding Technique?" Lin Yi watched from the perimeter. It was said to be a martial art specifically for dealing with specters, though it required using one's own blood to draw patterns on a weapon.

The fighting in the basement was intense, but Gu Chenghu’s team was small, and many shadows managed to escape. On the ground, some shadows were forced into corners by the militia and were compelled to cross patches of sunlight. As they did, they hissed and shrieked in agony, as if being burned by fire.

"Don't be stingy with the amulets! Don't let the shadows escape!"

Gu Liehai moved with agility, leaping into a tall tree and drawing his massive bow. He fired multiple arrows in quick succession, pinning the shadows to the ground like paper pinned to a wall. The militiamen then moved in to finish them off. Within a minute, over thirty shadows were destroyed.

However, dozens more remained hidden in the nearby shadows. Lin Yi noticed Chang Kongkuo had also joined the fray; he moved with speed, easily catching up to a shadow and shattering it with his blade.

Slowly, more and more shadows were destroyed, each leaving behind a pile of ash. This was "Specter Ash," a valuable material. Lin Yi wanted it to upgrade his soul artifact’s monitoring range, but since he wasn't participating in the fight, he wouldn't get a share.

Just as everyone thought the specter was nearing its end, a scream rang out from the perimeter.

"Ah, help me!!"

A black shadow had slipped into the crowd of militiamen and crawled into one man's shadow. It tore violently at the shadow, and as the man's shadow disappeared, his actual arm seemed to be shredded by an invisible beast, vanishing into nothingness. After consuming the arm, the shadow solidified and grew slightly larger.

"Holy cow!" Lin Yi was stunned. So this was the specter's bizarre ability? No wonder the people of Gutan Village avoided specters at all costs; their abilities were like bugs in a system. If you didn't know their attack methods, you were doomed.

"I've found the main body! Surround it and save him!" Gu Liehai was also shocked. This "Shadow Specter" had ravaged the village before, but it had only ever drained life force. The ability to devour human shadows to recover was extremely rare. If this thing escaped now, it would be impossible to catch.

Gu Liehai drew his longbow and fired three arrows in rapid succession. The main body of the Shadow Specter was keen; sensing the danger, it abandoned the victim and dashed away. Even in the sunlight, it hissed and smoked, but it was strong enough to withstand the burning.

"No, it's going to get away!"

"Where do you think you're going!"

Just then, in the blazing sunlight, a divine talisman shot down from the distance, transforming into a three-foot bolt of lightning.

*Crackle!*

The blue lightning flashed brilliantly in the clear sky, instantly striking the main body of the Shadow Specter. A black pit remained in the ground; the entity that had been fleeing was seemingly wiped out completely.