Chapter 19: The Restless Spirit

“Memories from a few years ago have indeed changed quite a bit,” Guo Ming said with a wry smile, watching Chu Danqing light a fire inside the old, shabby hut to provide warmth.

“No matter, as long as we’ve found it,” Chu Danqing replied.

Guo Ming said it was about two miles away, but he had actually taken a wrong turn and ended up circling around before finally locating the place.

“This area is safe. You can wait here until the storm passes before heading to Nanshan Temple or descending the mountain,” Chu Danqing suggested.

“I have urgent matters to attend to,” Guo Ming said.

Chu Danqing planned to leave and search for traces of the elusive Zhàn Jì Tiger.

Since he had settled Guo Ming in, there was no need to stay behind to keep him company.

Guo Ming’s expression stiffened at this. “Isn’t that too rushed? We could wait for the storm to subside before going.”

“If there’s urgent business, you must still consider your own safety,” Chu Danqing cautioned.

Outside, the howling wind and snow grew fiercer, causing the hut to creak and groan under the assault.

Even for someone as extraordinary as Chu Danqing, traveling in such a blizzard was perilous, so he offered the warning.

“In the storm, something is approaching,” Dabao spoke, stretching out his sharp claws.

Both men immediately became alert.

Knock, knock, knock—

A knock came from outside the door.

“Is anyone in there? I’m Liu Wu, please open the door,” came the trembling voice of a middle-aged man, shivering from the cold.

Guo Ming’s face brightened. “It’s Brother Liu Wu! Quickly, open the door.”

He rose to open it, but Chu Danqing grabbed him firmly.

“Dabao says he’s not human,” Chu Danqing explained. Though Dabao was intellectually limited, he could distinguish between humans and other beings.

He wouldn’t refer to a person as ‘a thing.’

“That voice... is it Brother Guo?” Liu Wu’s trembling voice outside carried a note of excitement upon hearing Guo Ming.

Guo Ming was now torn—outside was an old friend, inside was a lifesaver—and he found himself caught in a dilemma.

Chu Danqing retrieved the Cold Spring Shadow sniper rifle. He had practiced with it a few times before, not entirely proficient, but capable of firing.

He had no expertise in firearms nor professional training; simply being able to use it was impressive.

There was no response from inside the hut. Dabao seemed to sense it wasn’t a good moment and refrained from attacking.

As time passed, Liu Wu’s voice outside became hoarse, and he began pounding the door forcefully, trying to get in.

Chu Danqing found a suitable position, raised the Cold Spring Shadow, and prepared to fire.

At this moment, Dabao cooperated by opening the wooden door.

The blizzard rushed in, revealing a figure standing at the threshold with half of its head missing.

Chu Danqing decisively pulled the trigger. A chill radiated from the rifle as a cold-shadow bullet sprayed forth, striking the figure instantly.

[You dealt 20 physical damage + 10 ice elemental damage to the target, causing a 5-second slow.]

Seeing the combat log, Chu Danqing understood why the sniper rifle required 5 points of spirit.

Because it was essentially a magic wand disguised as a sniper rifle. Aside from lacking the recoil typical of firearms, its damage was far less than a normal sniper rifle.

Its effective range was only about three hundred meters, but these traits made it very suitable for a novice like Chu Danqing.

After hitting the target, he immediately cast a Scouting Spell.

[Restless Spirit]

[Attributes]

[Health: 11%]

[Mana: 25]

[Strength: 1]

[Agility: 3]

[Constitution: 2]

[Spirit: 5]

[Perception: 3]

Chu Danqing’s eye twitched upon seeing the detailed stats.

One shot had nearly brought the creature to death’s door.

No wonder it was banging on the door outside. With only 1 point in strength, breaking through physically was not a matter of effort but possibility.

It wasn’t that the Cold Spring Shadow’s attack was powerful—it was simply that the opponent was so weak that even the slow effect seemed excessive.

If Chu Danqing’s marksmanship were better, a shot to the vital spot might have killed the restless spirit outright.

“It’s a restless spirit,” Chu Danqing said, lowering the rifle as Dabao extended his claws and finished off the heavily wounded, immobile spirit.

The ghost immediately vanished into dust, leaving nothing behind, and Dabao closed the door promptly.

Chu Danqing was familiar with the concept of restless spirits. A client had once commissioned him to paint a Mountain Lord, requesting a restless spirit as part of the background.

“Liu Wu... was he eaten by the tiger?!” Guo Ming’s face showed horror.

“What seems wrong about that?” Chu Danqing asked in return.

This was a tiger, not a mere wildcat.

“Brother Liu Wu was a seasoned hunter, yet he never expected to die at the hands of such a beast.”

“Back then, he had once hunted a tiger but let it escape. Later that night, a restless spirit disturbed him, which he scattered with an arrow,” Guo Ming said with a sigh.

Hearing this, Chu Danqing became intrigued. “Would you mind telling me more?”

“Of course not,” Guo Ming said, unconcerned. “Perhaps once I finish, the storm will stop.”

He hoped to prolong the story to prevent Chu Danqing from venturing out; with the storm and restless spirits, going out was too dangerous.

“Well, it all began when I...” Guo Ming decided to start from the beginning.

Chu Danqing had no intention of interrupting, quietly listening to the tale.

When Guo Ming mentioned that the tiger’s left hind leg had been injured in a trap, Chu Danqing asked, “So this tiger is a limping tiger?”

“Exactly. This tiger had already gained spiritual power and, despite the injury, abandoned its prey to save itself, limping away,” Guo Ming said, puzzled as to why Chu Danqing suddenly cared about this detail.

Suddenly, Chu Danqing understood: the tiger Liu Wu hunted was the Zhàn Jì Tiger he was searching for.

Zhàn Jì Tiger literally means ‘limping tiger.’

Liu Wu had become a restless spirit in retaliation, having been consumed by the tiger and forced to serve it thereafter.

“Coincidentally, I came to Nanshan under orders from the Lu family to eliminate a Zhàn Jì Tiger.”

“Now it seems this is the one,” Chu Danqing revealed his mission. He suspected Guo Ming could be of assistance.

After all, one who uses the Three Corpse-Slaying Method is the disciple of the Taiping Dao Master and the son of Master Ren Gongdao. To have a spiritually empowered tiger as one of the three corpses was not extravagant.

The other three corpse was rumored to be a unicorn dragon—or perhaps a crocodile or python, still uncertain.

“This cursed beast must be the one,” Guo Ming said. “But it’s cunning, Nanshan is treacherous, and with restless spirits around, finding this beast won’t be easy.”

Chu Danqing pondered how to find it. Watching the storm outside gradually subside, he said, “Let’s go to Nanshan Temple.”

“The monks there live permanently; they might have some clues.”

“Besides, you should have your injuries treated.”