Shui Hulu revealed a faint smile.
He even benevolently saved a few dying Restraint Officers, ostensibly to prevent deaths that might form a forbidden zone.
But the truth was difficult to grasp.
As the number of beast ghosts decreased, only three Restraint Officers remained with strength to spare.
The rest of the Restraint Officers' bodies had all undergone varying degrees of aberration, lying collapsed on the ground, unable to move.
Originally, aberration couldn't have progressed this far, but having continuously absorbed residual souls for several days, the seeds had long since been sown in their bodies.
Yu Dachuan tried to maintain his rationality, but clearly could only cling to life.
The aberration indirectly affected the soul, filling the heart with craving for more residual soul absorption.
Ren Qing was uncertain and doubtful, completely unable to comprehend Shui Hulu's intentions.
The beast ghosts were growing increasingly terrifying; the copper mirror talismans in the houses barely held on, and the casualties were about to spill outward.
Shui Hulu didn't care in the slightest, he just wore a sinister grin, as if waiting for something.
Only when the situation was on the verge of spiraling out of control did he finally act, instantly appearing before the severely aberrated Yu Dachuan.
The way Shui Hulu looked at Yu Dachuan made no attempt to conceal his thoughts, it was like admiring a fine piece of equipment, filled with satisfaction.
Only then did Ren Qing come to a realization.
Though Shui Hulu's method was quite extreme, it was indeed a kind of artifact refining, similar to the flesh-based artifacts of Wuwei Daoist Altar.
Shui Hulu thrust his index finger into Yu Dachuan's forehead, as though stirring his brain.
"Why..."
Yu Dachuan's expression froze in disbelief. He wanted to struggle and flee, but he had no strength to move.
"The Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts is my opportunity. Where did you get the nerve to meddle?"
A blood hand extended from the meat gourd, with a strange seed resembling a gourd seed at the tip.
It was shoved into the hole in Yu Dachuan's forehead.
Yu Dachuan trembled all over, then began convulsing uncontrollably.
Wan Qi was completely terrified, stumbling and trying to flee from Annan Town, but before he got far, he was entangled by the blood hand.
Even using all his strength with spell arts, he still couldn't break free.
Shui Hulu placed all the Restraint Officers at his side, focusing his attention on Yu Dachuan, eyes filled with growing greed.
From within Yu Dachuan came the sounds of bones expanding; blood seeped from his five orifices.
He let out a weak scream, but his body continued to change. His head buried itself in his chest cavity, and his limbs fell off.
From a living human, he transformed into a flesh-and-blood gourd.
By now, the town had become a chaotic mess. Beast ghosts aimed at the mortals in the houses, repeatedly slamming their bodies against doors.
Ren Qing couldn't help but click his tongue.
With Shui Hulu doing something like this, wasn't he afraid the Restraint Officers' Hall would settle accounts later? At least Song Zongwu would never tolerate it.
Hearing noises from the next room, Ren Qing quickly left the guest room.
Huang Ziwang and the others were already preparing to break out of Annan Town, though they still didn't fully understand what was going on.
How had things suddenly developed into such a mess?
"Don't go out for now..."
Ren Qing stopped them, who knew what kind of madness Shui Hulu was up to now? Leaving the inn might be stepping right into the trap.
Lu Xiaoyu's face was pale; her mind had already turned to mush.
Huang Ziwang was just about to say something when Shui Hulu's unrestrained sinister laughter rang out from outside.
They quickly returned to the room and looked outside through the window, only to see Shui Hulu lifting up the gourd that Yu Dachuan had become.
Then he grabbed Yu Dachuan's skull and twisted it hard, his cranium popped off. Inside was not a brain, but an empty cavity.
"I was born a gourd immortal. Heed my words, come, come, come..."
Shui Hulu gave the gourd a few firm slaps. A powerful suction force manifested from thin air.
Just as the beast ghosts in the town were about to break into the houses, they suddenly froze in place, their bodies uncontrollably hurled backwards.
A hurricane sucked them into the gourd.
Ren Qing and Huang Ziwang stared at each other in astonishment.
Who could have expected that Shui Hulu had never intended to share residual souls in the first place?
All that elaborate setup was simply to refine a vessel for holding residual souls.
So allowing the Restraint Officers to absorb residual souls was just to make their bodies more suitable.
The beast ghosts struggled occasionally, but were soon all swallowed into the gourd. Then Shui Hulu reattached the skull to the top.
He gave the gourd a shake. Shrill wails echoed from within.
Shui Hulu nodded with satisfaction.
Then he looked at the Restraint Officers and said:
"Consider yourselves lucky. But since you've eaten my stuff, you'll have to cough it up."
The Restraint Officers were already nearly scared out of their wits, expressions blank.
The flesh gourd opened its mouth.
The undigested residual souls in the Restraint Officers' bodies were immediately drawn out, pouring from their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths, then absorbed into the gourd.
Their aberrations receded at a visible rate, though traces remained, clearly it was irreversible.
Ren Qing's mouth twitched.
Shui Hulu's behavior didn't leave much room for the Restraint Officers' Hall to object. Strictly speaking, those Restraint Officers had come to the Night Parade of their own will.
As long as he didn't commit wanton slaughter, the Hall wouldn't pursue it too deeply.
At most, he'd offend a few Yin Runner realm experts.
The unlucky ones were the many Restraint Officers who had fought over this opportunity.
Their bodies now bore signs of aberration for no reason, this would severely affect future mutations and advancement to the Yin Runner realm.
After the Night Parade ended, the distant Other Shore Flower field seemed to stir once more.
But before Ren Qing could react, Shui Hulu tossed the Restraint Officers aside and turned to look at the inn, muttering:
"I remember you've imprisoned quite a few residual souls, haven't you..."
The words echoed down the street.
Ren Qing's face darkened. After all, he had harvested the most residual souls, there was no reason Shui Hulu would let him off.
"Old Huang, you two fall back."
"Even if Shui Hulu doesn't dare take my life, help me contact Song Zongwu."
Huang Ziwang furrowed his brow and couldn't help saying:
"Don't rush, now that the Night Parade is over..."
Before he could finish, he suddenly felt a tangible aura spreading out.
With his back to Ren Qing, goosebumps broke out along his spine.
Lu Xiaoyu's eyes were wide in astonishment, her expression one of pure shock, as though facing some terrifying ghost entity.
Huang Ziwang quickly turned to look.
A vast shadow underfoot flowed like black water, merging with Ren Qing. At the same time, his body underwent a complete transformation.
His body swelled to around three meters tall; steam seeped from his pores, a sign of exertion pushed to the limit.
His face was pitch black like ink, and a blurry ghostly visage flickered faintly.
He stomped down with both legs and instantly stepped forward.
Huang Ziwang had thought the sturdy wall would shatter from impact, but instead Ren Qing turned substance into illusion and passed straight through into the open.
Thick clouds blocked the moonlight, Ren Qing felt his strength soaring to an unprecedented peak.
Standing atop the roof, Ren Qing said:
"Senior Shui Hulu, I've already fully absorbed the residual souls. I truly apologize."
His tone lacked any trace of apology.
With Shui Hulu's temperament, there was no way he'd let Ren Qing off lightly.
But given that they were in Annan Town, there was some hesitation to act rashly.
Shui Hulu licked his lips and said with interest:
"I'm quite curious about your technique. How about this..."
He raised his index finger.
A bead of water condensed at his fingertip, and the surrounding air visibly distorted, showing how powerful it was.
Bang!!!
The water droplet pierced the air.
"Let me see what your technique can really do."
Ren Qing's pupils dilated, and he nearly coughed up blood.
The droplet instantly pierced his heart, only the Ghost Shadow blocked most of the force, and the Leather Refiner redirected some of the injury, barely allowing him to hold on.
Half of the Ghost Shadow's body mass was consumed, but thankfully, in the dark of night, it regenerated rapidly and still had strength for another fight.
Ren Qing had no intention of passively taking hits, under the Ghost Shadow's influence, his body surged toward Shui Hulu like black smoke.
Several water droplets were narrowly dodged. He nearly lost the ability to maintain Ghost Shadow possession.
Shui Hulu's expression grew increasingly crazed, even tinged with killing intent.
Within half a meter of him, moisture condensed into countless suspended ice crystals.
Ren Qing clapped the ground with both hands, black mist instantly rising and shrouding his form.
The temperature dropped sharply, frost formed a thin layer on the ground.
Wan Qi was jolted awake from the cold, his mind still dazed. After glancing around, his gaze landed on the black mist.
He vaguely remembered that not long ago, Ren Qing's technique had only been at the Half-Corpse level, yet now, he had reached the Ghost Envoy realm.
Wan Qi had even thought Ren Qing's reputation was undeserved...
A storm of ice crystals fell, blanketing Ren Qing's area.
When the crystals dispersed, there was no sign of Ren Qing.
His charge toward Shui Hulu had been a feint, why fight someone above his level? In truth, he had used an illusion to escape far from Annan Town.
Ren Qing was ready to transform into the Ghost Wolf at any moment.
He didn't believe that with Divine Leg Sutra and Shadow Ghost Technique stacked together, he still couldn't outrun a Yin Runner realm.
Shui Hulu froze for a few seconds.
Seeing Ren Qing's valiant appearance, he had expected a head-on clash, he hadn't anticipated Ren Qing would slink away so quickly.
This was completely unlike Song Zongwu. It piqued Shui Hulu's interest.
Moreover, it looked like Ren Qing still had hidden cards left unplayed.
Shui Hulu showed an amused expression, mist lifted him off the ground.
Just as he was about to pursue, the Other Shore Flower had already completed its transformation.
The flower buds gradually detached from the branches and began to bloom. Their fragrance should have faded, becoming ordinary again.
But what followed was unsettling.
Inside the buds were chunks of flesh and severed limbs, connected by roots and assembled together into a humanoid form.
"Zhang... Mu?"
Ren Qing's breathing grew ragged.
Zhang Mu floated in the center of the flower field like a puppet on strings, his movements stiff, mouth opening as if to speak but unable to utter a word.
Ren Qing felt a burning sensation in his chest and abdomen.
He quickly looked at his skin, irregular lines were spreading across it, just like the Mud River Society's gang leader.
This phenomenon wasn't limited to Ren Qing, nearly everyone in town experienced it simultaneously.
Only Shui Hulu barely resisted the erosion from the unknown forbidden zone, but he could no longer spare attention for anyone else.
"The people take food to reach the heavens..."
All the Restraint Officers exposed on the streets disappeared without a trace.