The Strong Make the Rules
One hundred living people?
To moisten her throat?
Zheng Que was instantly stunned. He had cultivated the 【Ghost Taming Art】, and this female ghost was his ghost servant.
But the tone in which she spoke just now. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she was the master!
Moreover, she had just promised never to harm anyone again, and now she wanted a hundred living people to moisten her throat?
This female ghost was far from honest.
If he dragged her back into the Underworld now, she might act meek and submissive there, swearing oaths and showing great deference, but once she came out, she would likely still refuse to submit.
To deal with such a defiant character and gain complete control over her, the simplest method was to beat her into submission.
Thus, Zheng Que looked at the domineering female ghost before him and calmly replied, “The weak are prey to the strong. Only the strong are qualified to set conditions.”
“If you can defeat me, not just a hundred living people as snacks, but even a thousand or ten thousand would be no problem!”
“But if you lose, you won’t get a single living person, and from now on, you must obediently do whatever I say. How about it?”
The female ghost glanced at him sidelong and sneered coldly, replying without hesitation, “The weak are prey to the strong. An excellent idea! But you, little human, you had better not go back on your word!”
Zheng Que replied indifferently, “I am a righteous path cultivator, always upright in conduct and true to my word. Why would I deceive a mere ghost servant like you?”
“The idea was mine, and I will abide by it.”
“However, this battle is a contest between master and servant. There is no need for a fight to the death, so our moves should stop short of causing fatal harm.”
“Let us set a time limit of one quarter-hour. Whoever is still standing when the time is up wins.”
As he spoke, he had already cut open his palm and smeared his spiritual blood on both fists.
The female ghost’s most formidable technique was that suddenly appearing rope, which could hoist him into the air.
However, she was extremely afraid of the Yang Qi in his spiritual blood. That was her weakness.
Earlier, when he knew nothing about her, he had managed to subdue her. Now that he knew both himself and his opponent, he could certainly do it a second time.
At this moment Yin Qi surged throughout the female ghost’s body, spreading like black smoke and filling the entire room, causing the temperature to plummet. Her long hair moved without wind and her pale dress fluttered wildly, as if she were already poised to strike. Her crimson eyes fixed tightly on Zheng Que, brimming with malice, as she impatiently said, “No problem! This lady agrees!”
“Can we start now?”
Zheng Que immediately responded, “Begin!”
As he spoke, one fist smeared with spiritual blood pressed against the side of his neck to prevent a hemp rope from suddenly hoisting him up. And then, the next moment.
Thud!
Zheng Que saw nothing clearly before a heavy punch landed squarely on his face. His nose stung and went numb, stars danced before his eyes, and amid sudden dizziness and blurred vision he involuntarily staggered back two steps and sat down hard on the floor, gaze scattered and bewildered, momentarily dazed from the blow.
The female ghost showed no mercy. Without using any special techniques, she quickly stepped forward, raised her leg and gave Zheng Que two more kicks.
Crash, bang, thump.
In the blink of an eye Zheng Que was beaten to the ground.
It was still daylight!
How had this female ghost suddenly become so powerful?
Before he could think further, the female ghost grabbed him by the hair and unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks upon his head and face.
As her pale skirt fluttered, a chilling wind swept through the air. The attacks fell like a violent storm, forcing Zheng Que to quickly cover his head with both hands and curl into a ball.
Thud, thud, thud. Bang, bang, bang.
For a moment Zheng Que was utterly defenseless against the beating.
Not crying out in agony was already a testament to his strong willpower.
“Human brat! I want ten thousand living people: young boys and girls, all virgins!”
“Remember, these are what you, the human brat, flattered and fawned over me to offer up willingly!”
“I don’t enjoy killing, so when the time comes, you’ll have to do it yourself. Wash them clean and deliver them right to my mouth!”
“So the deaths of those ten thousand living people will be entirely your doing, human brat. It has nothing to do with me!”
The female ghost spoke triumphantly, stomping hard on Zheng Que’s back. The thought of having an endless supply of snacks ahead filled her with excitement and she stomped down even harder.
Just then, Zheng Que suddenly shouted in a low voice, “Retract!”
In the next moment the female ghost involuntarily transformed into a streak of blood-red light and was drawn into Zheng Que’s palm by the 【Ghost Taming Art】.
The room, which had been noisy just moments before, fell so silent one could hear a pin drop.
Zheng Que climbed to his feet, covered in dust and grime. His clothes were disheveled, his hair a mess, his face bruised and swollen and smeared with dirt. His body was covered in bruises, aching all over. His nose was particularly painful: sore and throbbing, with blood trickling down like a small stream, dripping and staining his collar in patches. He looked utterly wretched.
Fortunately the female ghost had kept her promise, and under the constraints of the 【Ghost Taming Art】 she couldn’t deliver a fatal blow. His injuries were only superficial, and aside from the intense pain there was no serious harm.
Immediately after, Zheng Que tightly clenched the hand holding the captured female ghost and stood quietly in the room.
Time passed. A quarter-hour went by. He glanced around the inner chamber, where he stood alone, and a satisfied smile spread across his face.
This battle: he had won.
In a flash of thought, Zheng Que finally loosened his tightly clenched hand. In the next moment a streak of blood-red light shot out, transforming in mid-air into a young woman in white robes with long flowing hair.
The moment the female ghost appeared, without the slightest hesitation, she prepared to attack again. But then she saw Zheng Que’s composed expression as he said, “A quarter-hour has passed.”
“Just now, I was the only one still standing.”
“You lost.”
Hearing this, the female ghost froze. After a long moment she finally snapped back to reality and pointed angrily at Zheng Que. “That doesn’t count! You cheated just now, human brat!”
Zheng Que remained calm. “Before the fight, the rules were clearly stated. I didn’t break any of them.”
“If you win, you win.”
“If you lose, you lose.”
“Everything else is just an excuse.”
“According to our agreement, you won’t get a single living person. And from now on, whatever I tell you to do, you must do it.”
“Right now, the first thing I want you to do is go capture ten thousand Vengeful Spirits and bring them to me as ghost servants!”
The female ghost stared blankly at Zheng Que, momentarily unable to process what was happening.
Just now, the esteemed one from the Underworld had said that this little human child was pure-hearted, noble in character, and as virtuous as jade and pine.
That was precisely why she had believed his words earlier. But now… how could he be so cunning and deceitful?
And so shameless?!