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墨書 Inktalez
The eastern horizon began to lighten with the first light of dawn. Bai Zhuo had stayed up all night, and as he finally relaxed, sleepiness washed over him. If it weren't for Tang Baifu on stage making such a loud commotion, he would have already fallen asleep.
"Unfortunately, according to my informants, tonight marks a rare 'Ghost Walk Night,' a once-in-a-thousand-years event. Originally, there were four hundred fifty-six participants in the competition, but now only forty-eight remain. Two hundred sixty-five have died, and one hundred forty-three are missing. Preliminary assessments suggest that those missing are likely on the death list as well, which I find regrettable. The Ghost Hunting Competition does not discriminate between life and death; however, the high number of fatalities this time will undoubtedly deal a significant blow to our Yin Yang Realm in East China." Tang Baifu paused before continuing, "But standing here tonight are the elite of the Yin Yang Realm. Among you, the outstanding will become legends of the Yin Yang Realm, leading efforts to restore order between the realms of Yin and Yang! Now, let us see the results of this Ghost Hunting Competition! Please bring your Soul Sealing Bags to the stage for inspection by our six elders from the Yin Yang Realm."
The more than forty participants eagerly took out their results from the night and formed a long line on stage, waiting for their turn to be examined.
The first person in line excitedly presented his Soul Sealing Bag for Elder Ge and the others to inspect. After passing it around among the elders for a while, they quickly announced the result: "Hong San, two thousand six hundred years!"
"Wow!" The crowd erupted in excitement.
Bai Zhuo frowned and asked the person in front of him, "Brother, how did this person manage to collect so many years? Even if he hunted ghosts non-stop all night, it wouldn't be possible to reach over two thousand! Did he catch a Millennium Ghost Spirit?"
The man shook his head. "A Millennium Ghost Spirit? How could that be! A Millennium Ghost Spirit is something even President Tang and others fear; an unknown Onmyoji would probably be scared out of his wits upon encountering one!" He sighed. "I can only wonder how many fellow practitioners this person had to kill to achieve such bountiful results."
So that's how it is; with so many deaths tonight, most were not caused by ghosts... Bai Zhuo thought of the tragic deaths of the Miaojiang Girls and fell silent.
"Second contestant, eight hundred thirty years!" The second Onmyoji heard his score and dejectedly stepped down from the stage.
In the following rounds, most of the Onmyojis reported scores ranging from one thousand to two thousand years but none surpassed Hong San's impressive total.
"Wang Wei, three thousand three hundred years..." The host announced.
This sent the crowd into a frenzy; it was unbelievable that someone could achieve over three thousand years! Everyone cast envious glances at Wang Wei, who wore a proud expression. Unfortunately for him, the host continued, "Wang Wei, three thousand three hundred years; your score is invalid due to cheating, which severely impacts the rules of this competition. Your Soul Sealing Bag will be confiscated as a warning."
Wang Wei shouted loudly, "Cheating? How could I possibly cheat! Hey! Are you guys out of your minds?"
Tang Baifu glanced at him calmly and coldly asked, "Who was your recommender? From now on, you will be expelled from the Onmyoji Association in East China. The association will no longer protect you, and you will not be welcomed in the Yin Yang Market. You may leave."
Bai Zhuo curiously asked the person in front of him, "Brother, did he really cheat? What's going on?"
"It seems like it's your first time participating too," the man replied. "But didn't your recommender explain things clearly? During the competition period, the association doesn't care how you hunt ghosts or whether you've killed other Onmyojis; life and death are irrelevant. The only rule is that you must not fill the ranks."
“Filling the Ranks?”
“That's right, Filling the Ranks. The results for the Ghost Hunting Competition require capturing ghosts tonight. If someone uses pre-caught ghosts to fill the quota, both the Onmyoji and the recommender will be disqualified by the association.”
At that moment, a figure approached Bai Zhuo, carrying a Sophora Wood Coffin—Zheng Ming.
“Hah, I didn't expect you to still be alive!” Zheng Ming pushed past the person in front of Bai Zhuo, positioning himself directly in front of him, and coldly remarked, “You’re quite lucky, my junior!”
Damn, why does everyone want me dead? Bai Zhuo rolled his eyes and ignored Zheng Ming, feeling uneasy about his coffin. He switched places with another person behind him.
Zheng Ming shrugged and mocked, “I hope our bet is still valid. Looking forward to your first place finish, hahaha!”
“Zhu Cong, three thousand one hundred years... result valid!”
“Wow!” The crowd erupted once more; a valid result of three thousand one hundred years far surpassed Hong San's two thousand six hundred years!
People began to murmur, “Zhu Cong? Tang, Leng, Zhu, Ge... could this Zhu Cong be the young master of the Zhu Family?”
“It’s him! No wonder he’s from the Yin-Yang Family! Unless something drastic happens, his name will definitely be among the top three in this competition!”
Bai Zhuo looked around but didn’t see those two blond foreigners. It seemed Zhu Cong had given them a significant benefit; this three thousand one hundred years result surely had their contributions. “I don’t see Kagura Keiha around either. No way…” Bai Zhuo glanced at Zheng Ming carrying the coffin and thought of something ominous.
“Tang Bao, three thousand eight hundred years, result valid!”
“Wow! Three thousand eight hundred years! Did this guy take some performance-enhancing drugs? So impressive!” “Tang Bao? Is that him? No wonder; he’s President Tang’s grandson. Such results are to be expected!”
As people learned that Tang Bao was indeed Tang Baifu's grandson, their discussions gradually quieted down.
The inspection process was swift, and soon it was Zheng Ming's turn. He stepped forward and produced five Soul Sealing Bags, handing them to Elder Ge.
“Master, how have you been lately?”
Elder Ge shot him a glare and pointed at the coffin behind him while scolding, “My disciple is Bai Zhuo; I don’t have a disciple like you!”
“Surname Bai?” Zheng Ming scoffed, “What qualifications does he have to be your disciple? Just wait, he won’t be your disciple for long.”
“What do you mean?” Elder Ge asked in surprise.
“I didn’t expect him to be so impatient. I merely provoked him a little, and he boldly claimed he would win first place in the competition. So, I made a bet with him,” Zheng Ming said without trying to lower his voice. The elders on stage all heard his words and couldn’t help but laugh. They had naturally investigated Bai Zhuo; this inexperienced rookie thought he could take first place in the Ghost Hunting Competition? What a joke.
Bai Zhuo had excellent hearing and certainly caught Zheng Ming’s words along with the elders’ laughter. He gripped the two Soul Sealing Bags tightly in his hands, his nails digging into his flesh.
Elder Ge glanced at Bai Zhuo, remaining silent as he took Zheng Ming’s Soul Sealing Bag and began to inspect it.
After a moment, Elder Ge’s expression grew increasingly astonished, while Zheng Ming’s smile became more arrogant.
Finally, Elder Ge could no longer contain himself and asked, “How… is this possible? Five thousand eight hundred years! How did you do it?”
Zheng Ming chuckled and glanced back at Bai Zhuo, saying, “Because I am your most proud disciple!”
Elder Ge was unwilling to accept it and re-examined the five Soul Sealing Bags. The result remained five thousand eight hundred years! The other elders rushed to grab the Soul Sealing Bags for inspection, ultimately arriving at the same conclusion. Someone on stage reported, “Zheng Ming, five thousand eight hundred years… result valid!”
“Boom!” The crowd erupted in chaos. An astonishing score of five thousand eight hundred years in one night was unprecedented in the Yin Yang Realm!
Someone questioned, “Isn’t this person cheating? Elders, you must check thoroughly!”
Hong San reacted most intensely; currently ranked third, but with Zheng Ming’s score revealed, Hong San dropped to fourth. He shouted, “Exactly! How could anyone achieve over five thousand in one night? I killed over thirty just to get my current score. How many does he have to kill for five thousand eight hundred?”
A few people near Hong San instinctively took a few steps back, distancing themselves from this murderous maniac.
The host on stage ignored the crowd's doubts and continued announcing, “Zheng Ming, five thousand eight hundred years, result valid. Next!”
“Li Yi, one thousand six hundred years, result valid. Next.”
Finally, it was Bai Zhuo’s turn. He had no idea how many ghosts the Miaojiang Sisters had captured and thought to himself, “Give me a surprise!” He stepped forward and handed two Soul Sealing Bags to Elder Ge.
Elder Ge smiled reassuringly and said, “Bai Zhuo, surviving the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons is already a great achievement. No matter what your score is, you will always be my most proud disciple!”
Bai Zhuo felt a surge of emotion as he nodded heavily and took out two Soul Sealing Bags.
Elder Ge accepted the bags and examined them carefully. After a moment, Elder Ge exclaimed in surprise, "Two thousand eight hundred years! Bai Zhuo, you truly did not disappoint me."
After several elders inspected the bags, the host announced the results: "Bai Zhuo, two thousand eight hundred years, result valid!"
Elder Ge's lack of disappointment did not mean that Bai Zhuo felt the same. Two thousand eight hundred years was still three thousand years short of Zheng Ming's five thousand eight hundred. Bai Zhuo let out a heavy sigh, only to hear Zheng Ming laughing heartily from below the stage.
"Hahaha! Bai, where's your first place? Hahaha, this is truly amusing. If you had any shame, you'd know to roll out of the Ge Family!"
Upon hearing Bai Zhuo's earlier claim to aim for first place in the Ghost Hunting Competition, the crowd erupted in laughter at his current results. "Hahaha, first place? That's hilarious! Do you think the Tang Family and Zhu Family are pushovers?"
Bai Zhuo clenched his fists in frustration, biting down hard enough to break his lip and draw blood. But the reality was undeniable; he had no choice but to lower his head and leave the stage like a defeated dog.
Elder Ge observed him closely and sensed Bai Zhuo's feelings. Suddenly, he thought of something and asked, "Bai Zhuo, these two Soul Sealing Bags are not from me. Where is your own bag?"
At this question, Bai Zhuo's eyes lit up with hope. That's right! He still had a Taotie Ghost! With a score of two thousand eight hundred placing him fourth, if his Taotie Ghost performed well, it might surpass Zhu Cong's three thousand one score and secure him third place! It was important to note that the difference between third and fourth place was significant; unlocking Ghost Marriage would be within reach!
Bai Zhuo immediately raised his hand. "Wait! I just remembered I have another bag here; please examine it, elders!"
The room fell silent. If he could produce a score exceeding three hundred years, he would temporarily claim third place and secure his position in the Yin Yang Realm!
However, Zheng Ming was unconcerned; a score over five thousand was not easily surpassed. He scoffed again, "Hmph, don't struggle in vain. You will always be my defeated foe!"
Zhu Cong watched Bai Zhuo on stage with growing tension, and many others were sweating nervously for him as well.
Bai Zhuo handed over the forgotten Soul Sealing Bag. Elder Ge took it and began examining it closely. Initially frowning in concentration, Elder Ge took a long time before reaching a conclusion.
Other elders urged Elder Ge on, while some in the audience grew impatient and began cursing Bai Zhuo for causing trouble.
Five minutes later, for the first time, Bai Zhuo saw Elder Ge’s expression of extreme astonishment. He watched as Elder Ge trembled while passing the Soul Sealing Bag to the next elder, pressing his right hand against his shoulder as he breathed rapidly, unable to speak due to excitement.
The next elder began with a furrowed brow as well and took a long time to reach a conclusion. After five minutes, he too looked at Bai Zhuo with sheer terror on his face, trembling hands passing the bag to the next elder.
Zheng Ming in the audience sensed something amiss, his eyes fixed intently on Bai Zhuo.
The six elders took at least half an hour to examine the bag. The crowd in the venue had already begun to stir restlessly. Finally, the last elder who was inspecting exchanged several glances with others. Upon seeing their affirmative nods, he stood up excitedly, not even noticing that the chair behind him had toppled over. With a trembling throat, he shouted, "A miracle... this is simply a miracle! I announce that this Onmyoji—Bai Zhuo's effective result is..."
Everyone in the venue held their breath almost simultaneously, curious about the result that could make the inspecting elder exclaim "miracle."
"Bai Zhuo's effective result is—eight thousand eight hundred years!"
"Wow—" "Boom!"
The venue erupted into deafening noise. Zheng Ming smashed his fist down on the table in front of him, his mouth agape as he looked incredulously at the frail figure on stage.
Tang Bao, who was leisurely eating a banana, let half of it slip from his hand and fall to the ground.
Zhu Cong's face turned ashen as he slumped in his chair, unable to speak.
Bai Zhuo scratched the back of his head in confusion, looking bewildered as he muttered to himself, "Huh? Did I hear that right? Eight thousand eight? What's going on?"
At six o'clock in the morning, the sun rose above the eastern horizon. Jingxiu Villa, already picturesque, appeared even more enticing under the first rays of sunlight, with its beautiful mountains and waters.
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