"Haha! Where do you think you're going? After all the trouble I went through to find a ghost, if I let you slip away, how could I still call myself a Ghost Sorcerer~"
Under the cloak of night, Shu Yunwen rode his trusty steed—a second-hand scooter—chasing swiftly along the sidewalk.
On either side of the sidewalk, beneath the bright streetlights, a smile played on Shu Yunwen's face. However, this smile, combined with Shu Yunwen's appearance—clearly in his early twenties yet looking like a fifty-year-old man—seemed somewhat lecherous. If a little kindergarten girl were passing by, she'd surely hide behind her mother, screaming, "There's a bad man!"
That's right, Shu Yunwen's appearance was the standard for those sleazy middle-aged men in movies and TV shows. And precisely because of this, Shu Yunwen had always remained a wizard.
There were a few pedestrians on the sidewalk, and Shu Yunwen carefully maneuvered around them, while they, in turn, gave him a wide berth.
Ahead on the sidewalk, in Shu Yunwen's eyes, a hazy, smoke-like entity drifted forward. Every now and then, this wisp of smoke would coalesce into a human face, casting a panicked glance backward.
That smoke-like thing up ahead was Shu Yunwen's target.
A ghost.
A newborn ghost, freshly created from a recent murder.
Shu Yunwen was a sorcerer, a Ghost Sorcerer from an ancestral lineage.
For their line of Ghost Sorcerers, the primary cultivation and magical arts were all related to ghosts. Moreover, their optimal "tools" for cultivation were these newborn ghosts of murder victims.
When encountering such a newborn ghost from a killing, Shu Yunwen's family possessed a Judgment incantation. Through this Judgment, ghosts who had committed evil in life would have their souls annihilated, while virtuous ghosts would be purified. Then, he could obtain a mysterious and profound power, nourishing himself, enhancing his strength, and also condensing some mystic power to cast simple spells.
Of course, after becoming a Ghost Sorcerer, if one went too long without the nourishment of a newborn ghost's mysterious energy, they would suffer a curse's backlash: their appearance would age rapidly.
This was the main reason why Shu Yunwen, despite being only in his early twenties, looked like a fifty-year-old uncle.
Besides newborn ghosts, Shu Yunwen could also absorb ordinary ghosts of those who died from illness, or ghosts formed from deceased animals. However, the side effect was still the same: he would grow progressively older. This was precisely why Shu Yunwen was relentlessly chasing this particular newborn ghost.
A fifty-year-old uncle's face… He was thoroughly sick of it, alright?
If he didn't absorb a murdered newborn ghost soon, he reckoned he'd be heading into grandpa territory.
This murdered newborn ghost, it was said, was a wanted fugitive. While committing a robbery, he was spotted by a passing police officer, eventually cornered in a small alley, took a hostage, and engaged in a standoff with the police, before being shot in the head by a SWAT team member…
Ghosts of such villains, Shu Yunwen loved them the most!
The ghosts of villains killed, in terms of energy, provided twice as much as the ghosts of good people who were killed.
The scooter accelerated again. The distance between Shu Yunwen and the "wisp of smoke" ahead was now less than ten meters, enough for him to cast an incantation and draw the ghost to him.
Muttering the incantation, after about five or six seconds, the "wisp of smoke" let out a bloodcurdling scream. Nearby pedestrians, hearing the sound, instinctively turned their heads, looking around to find who was making such a racket.
The "wisp of smoke" slowly drifted towards Shu Yunwen, a smile on his face.
Just then, a car from the roadside suddenly veered wildly towards them, ramming straight into Shu Yunwen and his scooter. Instantly, both Shu Yunwen and his vehicle were sent flying, traversing over twenty meters in a moment. He hit the ground first, then the scooter crashed down on top of him, tumbling to the side, its handlebars torn off.
The car continued speeding forward for some distance, only stopping after hitting a utility pole beside Shu Yunwen.
"I was actually flying just now…" Shu Yunwen spat blood from his mouth. His injuries were too severe, his consciousness already starting to fade. Though the "wisp of smoke" was clutched in his hand, it felt like it was about to slip away. "…What a pity, the flight was too short this time. I was hoping to truly experience what flying felt like after mastering my sorcery…"
The BMW's airbags deployed. Three young men, faces flushed and reeking of alcohol, stumbled out from the back seat, dragging out the driver and front passenger—two more drunks.
The driver, thanks to the airbag, was surprisingly uninjured. The shock, however, had sobered him up considerably. Seeing Shu Yunwen lying on the ground not far off, he started yelling loudly:
"What the hell are you doing lying there, playing dead? Trying to scam me? No way! My dad is XXX, I've got connections in the police station and the traffic department, what the fuck are you pretending for! Get your ass up! Scram!"
The surrounding crowd watched from a distance, pointing and whispering.
Someone took out their phone and started recording.
Blood continued to pour from Shu Yunwen's mouth, yet he suddenly felt a surge of strength.
This was the final flicker of life.
The abilities of a Ghost Sorcerer prevented him from dying unconscious. At the very least, he could remain lucid before death.
Opening his eyes, Shu Yunwen looked at the arrogant, drunken youth a few meters away and asked in a cold voice:
"You're so tough, do your folks know about it?"
"Ha! I knew you were faking it!"
The drunken youth remained arrogant.
"You all saw it! He's totally fine!"
"Yeah! Yeah! This guy's totally fine!"
"Is that ketchup you're spitting out? Who do you think you're fooling!"
"Get up and scram! If you don't, believe me, I'll get people to take care of your whole family!"
"…"
Beside the drunken youth, four other equally intoxicated young men joined in the clamor, threatening and cursing, completely oblivious to any wrongdoing on their part.
Shu Yunwen coldly swept his gaze over each of their faces, then said softly:
"Has anyone ever told you, never to offend a sorcerer, especially a dying one?"
As his voice fell, Shu Yunwen suddenly spoke again:
"Ghost Sorcery—Ghost Claw!"
In an instant, a cold wind seemed to sweep through the area. From Shu Yunwen's hand, the "wisp of smoke" shot out, coiling around the utility pole that had been struck by the car and was now teetering precariously. It then violently swung towards the five shouting, drunken youths.
The utility pole, as if aiming, seemed to jump back and forth, successively striking each of the five men on the head, then crashing down on top of them. From the severed electrical wires, current raged, and the bodies of the five men erupted in a shower of sparks, turning into charred remains.
The surrounding onlookers were all dumbstruck.
Some with quick hands had already edited the video and started posting it to their social media feeds.
News of a rich second generation drunk driver hitting someone and cursing them out, only to be immediately struck dead and cooked by a utility pole, would certainly attract a lot of attention.
As for Shu Yunwen, after seeing all five men die, he chanted an incantation, shredding all five of their souls. At the same time, his consciousness began to fade again.
"This time… I'm really going to die, aren't I…"
Slowly closing his eyes, before him was a field of darkness.
…
"His hand moved! It moved! He's still breathing, he's alive, prepare for surgery immediately!"
In a daze, Shu Yunwen seemed to hear voices. The language they spoke, it probably wasn't Chinese, yet he could understand it.
Besides, hadn't he already died? Was this… someone operating on him?
…
"The surgery was successful. Now it all depends on his willpower. If he can wake up within three days, everything will be fine. What a pity, a family of three, and we only managed to save one…"
What family of three?
He was the only one hit, wasn't he?
…
"It's been two days. His brain activity isn't very active; he might never wake up. So, please prepare yourselves psychologically."
…
"Today is the eighth day. Are you sure you want to continue caring for him? This will severely impact your lives…"
…
"The patient's condition is very poor; he needs a second surgery. Honestly, it's remarkable he's held on for two years without dying. We'll do our best."
…
"We're very sorry, we've done all we could. He's experiencing multiple organ failure; his life is at its end. He should pass away in about half an hour. Of course, this might be a good thing for both you and him…"
Died?
What died?
Shu Yunwen strained to open his eyes, taking in his surroundings.
Hazily, he saw a man in pale green clothes, two nurses in white uniforms, a man with a square face and large eyes, a chubby, weeping middle-aged woman, and a chubby little kid… And, the glaring lights.
They were still talking, while Shu Yunwen, with a hoarse voice, managed to utter:
"I… am not… dead…"
Everyone's gaze converged on Shu Yunwen. After a moment of silence.
"Prepare an adrenaline shot immediately! Get ready for surgery again! He's awake! He's awake!"
Then, all hell broke loose.