RoleplayNovel Chapter 8 The Ghost of the Inner City, the Coughing Sound
Chapter 8 The Ghost of the Inner City, the Coughing Sound
The night ends and the day dawns.
The east was beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.
As the rooster crows at dawn, righteous energy descends, and all evils retreat.
This is the time when spiritual energy is at its purest.
Li Qingchen got up early, circulated the Hunyuan Heavenly Secret Technique, and greedily sought spiritual energy from heaven and earth.
Then he meditated and practiced swordsmanship.
Gou Dan quietly came to the courtyard, looking at Li Qingchen's elegant swordsmanship with envy.
"Didn't you drink last night? Why are you up so early today?"
Li Qingchen suddenly spoke without turning his head.
"Ah... Brother Li, I... I don't have the habit of sleeping in late."
Dog Egg scratched his head.
He thought he had made a very quiet noise.
Just then, a small hand suddenly struck his shoulder.
Dog Egg was startled and turned around to see that familiar pretty face.
"Oh dear, Little Grass, what are you doing? You scared me to death!"
"What are you doing sneaking around here? Trying to learn Brother Li's martial arts?" Little Grass snorted.
Dog Egg's thoughts were exposed, his face flushed red, and his heart pounded wildly.
These days, not to mention that learning martial arts is much more valuable than studying literature, learning it by stealing is a major taboo.
If we get caught, it could really cause trouble!
Gou Dan looked timidly at Li Qingchen.
But they found that Li Qingchen's expression remained indifferent, and he was not angry.
Li Qingchen smiled:
"That's exactly what I was thinking. Dog Egg, only after you've learned martial arts and have the ability to protect Little Grass can I leave with peace of mind."
"However, I'm not very good at teaching martial arts, so I plan to take you two to the inner city first, settle down in a safe place, and then make plans to see if we can find a reliable martial arts school."
Li Qingchen confiscated the Chen family's property, and the silver and banknotes he had were enough for Gou Dan and Xiao Cao to live comfortably for several years.
Of course, this is on the premise of not gambling or starting a business.
Upon hearing this, Gou Dan was overjoyed.
In this chaotic world, how many men dream of becoming a martial artist?
For most ordinary people, learning martial arts is an unattainable dream.
I never imagined I would have the opportunity to experience such immense wealth.
Little Grass didn't think that much about it. Her eyes widened, and she said in a slightly trembling voice:
"Brother Li, you're leaving in a few days?"
Dog Egg interjected, "Silly Little Grass, our Brother Li is a chivalrous knight-errant, meant to travel the world, slaying demons and monsters. There's no reason for him to stay here forever."
Li Qingchen nodded; he did indeed have this idea.
The little grass looked reluctant to leave.
Li Qingchen smiled slightly: "It's alright, we'll meet again someday. You two go pack your things first, and we'll head to the inner city in a bit."
…………
Liaocheng, the inner city.
At the city gate, the queue stretched like a long dragon.
"Give me this bowl of water!"
The soldiers guarding the city said with unfriendly expressions.
Dog Egg stared at the pitch-black water in front of him, his face showing reluctance:
"Sir, what kind of water is this? Can't we just not drink it?"
Even the little grass pinched its nose; the water had a strong, pungent, ink-like smell.
The officers said menacingly, "You won't drink, huh? Fine, then..."
Li Qingchen took a step forward, shielding Gou Dan behind him.
He discreetly handed the loose silver to the soldiers with one hand; at the same time, he gently sniffed the black water and chuckled:
"Sir, please don't be angry, we'll drink it now."
Turning to Gou Dan and Xiao Cao, he whispered:
"Don't worry, it's just talisman water."
At the same time, he thought to himself, "Such a thorough search of people entering the city suggests that some evil spirits have infiltrated the inner city."
Li Qingchen tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.
The two little ones followed suit and indeed felt no discomfort.
The officers and soldiers accepted the silver, beaming with joy, and said:
"Alright, young man, I didn't realize you were so savvy. Well, let me give you a heads-up: once you're in the city, pay close attention to the city notices."
"Thank you for the reminder, sir."
And so, the group of one adult and two children entered the inner city without stopping.
……
Upon entering the city, Li Qingchen first followed the instructions of the soldiers, squeezing into the crowd to read the notice.
It's called a notice, but it's really no different from a bounty notice.
The bounty targets include thieves, murderers, and...
ghost.
In this world, there is no clear standard for distinguishing between demons, monsters, ghosts, and monsters.
Their common characteristics are killing and cannibalism.
Demons and monsters are inseparable and are collectively referred to as demons and monsters.
Legend has it that all demons in the world are under the control of the demon god.
They were born with the instinct to eat people, etched into their very being by the demon god.
Even if some demons are unwilling to harm humans, they can overcome their cannibalistic instincts with great willpower.
But when the demon god descends, everything will become an illusion.
No one would choose to form an alliance with a foreign race that betrays them.
It can be said that all demons are the mortal enemies of the human race.
The conflict between humans and demons has raged for thousands of years, an endless battle.
Whenever the demon god descends, all demons unite as one, and the world will face a catastrophe that can be described as the end of the world.
This is also one of the reasons why Li Qingchen is so eager to improve his strength.
The formation of ghosts is mostly related to people's negative emotions.
For example, the most classic examples are resentment and curses.
Most ghosts are deeply obsessed, kill without any reason, and cannot be communicated with.
Fortunately, it has survived the passage of a thousand years.
Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and military strategy—these four schools of thought have long mastered the art of exorcising ghosts and are nothing to fear.
As for spirits and monsters, they are merely wild animals and plants that have gained intelligence.
Although they also harm and eat people, spirits are not controlled by demons and gods, possess intelligence, can communicate, and pose the least threat to humans.
…………
Let's return to the notices posted in the city.
Li Qingchen pieced together the whole story of the ghost story from the snippets of conversation from the onlookers.
In summary...
It's probably a story similar to "a long illness reveals the lack of filial piety at the bedside."
They were from a wealthy family, and the old man had a son late in life, whom he adored.
Unfortunately, the youngest son was born with tuberculosis and coughed from childhood to adulthood.
Coughing up blood is a common occurrence.
In severe cases, it even makes people suspect that he can cough up his heart, liver, and lungs.
The old man only had this one son.
Every night, when all is quiet, hearing the coughing coming from the bedroom breaks my heart.
You must see a doctor!
Ten years later, he had almost lost all his family fortune.
As a result, the illness was not cured, and the youngest son became so ill that he could no longer get out of bed.
The old man hadn't had a good night's sleep; his heart was ice-cold.
Seeing her youngest son being tortured beyond recognition.
Thinking about how he had spent all his family fortune on medical treatment.
The old man, whose mind had long been clouded, thought to himself that rather than suffer in this world, it would be better to die sooner and be free from suffering!
So one dark and windy night...
The old man hardened his heart and prepared to suffocate the child before committing suicide.
It's heartbreaking.
When the youngest son suffocated, he didn't struggle or cry out.
Because he understood from a young age that he was a burden.
My father has done so much for me; he has shown the utmost kindness and righteousness.
I don't blame you.
I just hate it, I hate that I was born with this tuberculosis!
I hate that no one can cure this disease!
Why do others live peacefully and healthily?
I hate that I have to suffer this inhuman pain!
I hate the injustice of fate, I hate...
As the hatred grew, it gradually turned sour.
After a person dies, their resentment lingers and they transform into a sickly ghost.
This sickly ghost doesn't kill people, it just coughs in your ear, its main purpose is pure torture, and it's extremely disturbing.
Every night, when you're sound asleep, you'll hear a coughing sound in your ear.
Day after day, those who are harassed may suffer from neurasthenia in mild cases, or tuberculosis in severe cases.
As expected, the sickly man ended up with a bounty on his head.
…………