Chapter 308: The Strongest Foe Ever

Beside a shelf covered in dust, atop spoiled food where maggots had perished, an abandoned seafood tank full of water reflected the shimmering light from the ceiling.

A woman in red stood in front of the tank, lost in thought.

At the bottom of the tank, a dark green substance gently rippled with the water’s surface, swaying from side to side in the murky depths without showing any signs of life.

Its smooth, viscous, and crystal-clear appearance resembled a children’s toy known as “water baby,” bearing no resemblance to the fragmented organization of a deity-level haunting.

After a while, the Dusk Maiden shook her head helplessly and sighed silently.

“……”

Just then, a surge of psychic energy fluctuation suddenly invaded her perception. Turning around, she saw a dark figure swiftly approaching her in the vast, gloomy space. It landed steadily, revealing a figure draped in a black cloak, and threw a tightly bound girl in front of her.

The girl’s face was pale, her eyes tightly shut, and her brow furrowed, her body twitching occasionally.

Watching the girl, the Dusk Maiden imagined the terrifying scene of her being abducted from her cozy bedroom by the Black Cloak Man, even fainting in fear, and a slight smile curled at the corners of her mouth.

“You’ve done well. You may leave now!”

“Yes,” replied the Black Cloak Man, stepping back into the shadows and disappearing without a trace.

As the Black Cloak Man departed, the Dusk Maiden approached the girl, bent down, and with her slender, razor-sharp fingernails, she sliced through the delicate skin on the girl’s slender neck. A string of bright red blood beads immediately surged forth.

The Dusk Maiden brought her blood-stained fingertips to her lips, licked them with her pink tongue, and showed a look of satisfaction, “High psychic potential? She’s a fine sacrifice indeed!”

“Boom-!” As her words fell, a thud erupted behind her, as if a massive object had struck the wall.

Turning around, she saw that the dark green substance in the tank had begun to move at some point, its fist-sized body striking the glass walls of the tank powerfully, causing a dull sound as cracks spread.

“It seems I was right; mere psychic energy isn’t enough to activate it.”

Murmuring to herself, the Dusk Maiden waved her sleeve, and the unconscious girl floated up, tracing an arc in the air before splashing into the water.

Blood slowly spread from the girl’s pale neck into the water, attracting the dark green substance, which quickly swam up. Granulation tissue burgeoned on its surface, elongating and viciously piercing into the girl’s body, brutally tearing the wound open.

In an instant, blood bloomed like a flower in the water, dyeing the entire tank red.

The intense pain awakened the unconscious girl, who instinctively gasped for air but inhaled a mouthful of bloody, foul water instead. The agony of drowning and being torn apart forced a scream from her, but only bubbles surged from beneath the water.

“Glub glub-!”

Then, through the grimy glass, she saw a woman in red outside the pool, exuding a strange aura, her pupils violently constricting.

Awakening from a nightmare, she found herself plunged into the fear it brought, enough to shatter the psyche of most.

The Dusk Maiden propped her chin with one hand, her gaze playful, as if enjoying a fascinating short play.

The girl’s terror acted like a catalyst, intensifying the erosion of the dark green material. The pool water, stained red, churned violently, as if a cauldron of boiling blood.

Toxins spread relentlessly within the girl’s body, and soon she lost sensation, sinking slowly to the bottom of the pool like a statue.

Yet, she did not die. Instead, her eyes widened in horror as she watched her skin turn a glossy blackish-blue, her gaze gradually growing vacant.

The dark green granulation tissue, like mushrooms sprouting from rotting wood, burst through her skin.

Then, her flesh began to decay, melting like a wax figure and dissolving into the water, revealing stark white bones.

Finally, as her eyes rotted away, her vision plunged into darkness.

Only then did the girl lose consciousness completely, the torment akin to hell finally coming to an end.

A foul smell emanated from the pool, a mass of dark green material nearly filling it.

The Dusk Maiden watched the pool, excitement flickering in her eyes.

“Almost there.”

She muttered to herself, stepping forward, biting her fingertip, and letting her blood drip onto the mass of dark green material, which then absorbed her psychic energy.

Immediately, she felt a subtle connection form with it. With a thought, the dark green mass leaped from the water and landed behind her, unfolding like a semicircular barrier, shielding her form.

Feeling as if she could command the material behind her as easily as moving her own arm, the Dusk Maiden’s eyes grew fervent, and she couldn’t help but laugh out loud, “Ha ha ha! Fantastic, fantastic!”

The dark green material, which had almost no psychic energy fluctuation just moments ago, now possessed fluctuations nearing those of a Class D haunting, after devouring a psychic potential bearer. She found this incredible.

Just as the Plague Taisui had told her, the tissue fragments proliferated from Plague Taisui could grow indefinitely with sufficient nourishment.

If these dark green tissues were planted in a more expansive area with more nutrients, such as the drainage systems rife with hauntings or even the water sources of Hua City… its psychic energy fluctuations would grow terrifyingly, becoming a powerful force in the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts!

As the Dusk Maiden pondered where next to plant these dark green tissues, a shadow flickered behind her, and a Black Cloak Man appeared.

“Lady Witch, the organizers of the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts have started to move.”

“Oh?” The Dusk Maiden glanced coldly at the figure behind her, “Where?”

“The starting point is near the back door of Xingfu Community, the endpoint unknown.”

“I understand, let’s make a trip then!” The Dusk Maiden nodded slightly.

With a wave of her hand, the dark green tissues wriggled into the drainage hole next to the seafood pool, and she vanished into the darkness along with the Black Cloak Man who had come to report.

Near the back gate of Xingfu Community, the deserted street was swept by a cold wind carrying snowflakes. In the distance, a girl in a beige wool coat and short boots hurriedly pushed a cart selling roasted sweet potatoes. She parked the cart in a corner, rubbed her frozen hands together, and pulled a plastic sheet over the cart and its grill.

In spring, she sold peanuts; in summer, ice jelly; in autumn, fried rice; and in winter, roasted sweet potatoes and rice wine dumplings. Gu Qianqian’s night market business never took a break.

Just as Gu Qianqian hid the cart, the voice of the systems echoed in her mind, “Gu Qianqian, are you sure they said to meet here?”

“Yeah, don’t worry, I won’t forget!” Gu Qianqian replied without hesitation. “Is there a problem?”

“Here…” The systems paused, then spoke earnestly, “There’s a very strong haunting here. Although it rarely leaves the vicinity of Xingfu Community, I’ve never seen it, but I know it’s lurking nearby.”

“I know!” Gu Qianqian replied earnestly. “Captain Hairball told me that the haunting in Xingfu Community is one of Lu Yibei’s familiars.”

“What?” The systems was startled and quickly said, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“I didn’t think it was important information!” Gu Qianqian mumbled, feeling a bit wronged. “Didn’t you say before that it’s normal for hauntings like Calamity to have a few familiars? You warned me not to underestimate them and to be cautious of her familiars attacking from the shadows.”

“I thought you already knew!”

The systems was speechless.

How would I know!

Although that woman collects familiars like figurines, full of twisted amusement, she only started gathering them extensively after leaving Hua City. This time, she’s already started in Hua City. Something’s off! Very off!

While the systems was pondering, a loud gong sound suddenly came from behind.

“Clang, clang, clang-!”

Turning towards the sound, a woman in green-clothed attire, with theatrical makeup, holding a suona, led a procession of hairball, denture, eyeball, nightgown, and a dense crowd of hauntings from the shadows.

As they advanced, the woman raised the suona to her lips and began to play.

The sharp sound pierced the air, causing Gu Qianqian’s skin to prickle with goosebumps. The melody, like nails on a chalkboard, was jarring and inappropriate, akin to a musical mishap, making her feel utterly uncomfortable.

Following that, amidst the mournful, wailing tune that seemed to come from afar, a devilish whisper emerged in the notes, gradually revealing a hint of joy. Yet, it still felt unsettling, as if a devil’s revelry was playing right by her ear.

Gu Qianqian was entranced by the music, and it took her a while to snap back to reality. She whispered to the systems, “This is terrifying. Is this some kind of infernal symphony specially composed for the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts?”

“No, that’s the ‘Fifth Love Song of Flowers and Elves,'” the systems replied, its tone oddly stiff.

It had taken quite an effort for the systems to recognize that the haunting was playing an interlude from “Love and Magic Girls.”

“What is that?” Gu Qianqian asked, puzzled.

“It’s… just a theme from a certain mobile game,” the systems sighed, exasperated.

She was still the same… the systems mused, recalling the time Calamity had gathered over thirty familiars just to have enough people for a raid. Truly, it was a display of twisted humor.

“Systems…” As the systems was silently grumbling, Gu Qianqian counted the number of hauntings participating in tonight’s Night Parade and whispered, “There seem to be more hauntings this time, almost double the last.”

“Hmm?” The systems was momentarily stunned, about to say something when it was interrupted by the impassioned voice of the hairball.

“Indeed, there are many more!” the hairball declared loudly. “They are hauntings displaced by those who disrupted the harmony of Hua City’s haunting ecosystem, and it was our great Lady Witch who took them in!”

“In fact, the purpose of our [Love Group] and Lady Witch’s philosophy is to uphold justice, aid the weak, redistribute wealth, and enhance the spiritual civilization of Hua City’s hauntings, creating an exemplary haunting community!”

After the hairball finished speaking, crimson appendages extended from beneath its dense fur, waving as if signaling the hauntings behind to “applaud.”

Amidst a smattering of applause, a massive white banner was unfurled with a flourish by several humanoid mannequins, displaying the hand-scrawled words “Long Live Lady Witch!”

Then, with another soft sound, two plaster statues with sheep heads pulled apart two white strips on either side of the banner, inscribed with “Do Good Deeds for a Lifetime” on the left and “Leave a Good Name for Eternity” on the right.

“Woo-!”

Amidst the mournful, nerve-wracking suona music, the nightgown and hairball emerged from the group of hauntings, holding a photo of Lu Yibei from who knows where.

“…”

Gu Qianqian stared at the new banner and photo prepared by the hairball and the other hauntings, and timidly asked the systems, “Systems, is it just me, or is there something off about their aesthetic?”

“Heh, of course, it’s off,” the systems scoffed. “They’ve set it up like a funeral procession for Calamity. I knew leaving the preparation of parade props to low-tier hauntings would result in this.”

“What can you expect from a bunch of underworld creatures to pull off something from the living world?”

To witness Calamity’s funeral ceremony in this lifetime, even if it’s not real, why does it feel so satisfying? the systems thought gleefully.

“Systems…” Gu Qianqian pouted, shattering the systems’ sense of victory, “But what’s the point? Lu Yibei isn’t actually dead.”

Systems, “…”

Damn it! I wasn’t done enjoying this!

Sometimes, keeping quiet is the best option!

The systems grumbled internally as they heard the hairball shout, “Comrades, let’s move out!”

Then, with the beat of gongs and drums and the blare of the suona, the grand procession of hauntings began their march towards their predetermined destination.

However, they hadn’t gone more than five hundred meters before entering the alley near the back entrance of Xingfu Community when a cold scoff echoed from above.

“Witch? Ha, the world has truly changed. Little fish and shrimp from who knows where dare to call themselves witches?”

Ridiculous! Is this really the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts? It’s more like a funeral procession for the center stage, the Dusk Maiden thought mockingly.

Amidst the scoffing, Gu Qianqian suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

With a prompt from the systems, she swiftly turned her head to look behind her.

At the end of the silent long street, atop a dimly lit streetlamp, stood a bizarre woman in red, her indifferent eyes gazing down with a mocking smile at the corner of her lips.

In the next moment, a piercing shriek erupted from the woman’s lips, unleashing a powerful psychic energy fluctuation.

In the midst of the disorienting shriek, where hallucinations bloomed, the streetlights flickered madly, followed by the explosive sound of shattering glass, as sparks and thick smoke spewed forth.

All the streetlights went out completely, plunging the entire street into darkness.

“Gu Qianqian, watch out!”

In the pitch-black darkness, Gu Qianqian heard the systems’ warning, followed by a terrifying chill that made her whole body tingle from above.

Without time to think, she dropped to the ground, rolled over, and as she got up, she swung the metal rod fiercely towards the sky.

Then.

The dark, heavy psychic energy fluctuation clashed with the scarlet, violent psychic energy fluctuation, creating a loud air explosion that sent dazzling sparks flying in the darkness.

With one strike, Gu Qianqian’s hand was numbed by the shock, and as she felt the fishy psychic energy fluctuation in the air, she realized she was facing the strongest enemy she had ever encountered…