Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The Fengdu Ghost City in Chongqing was known as “Fengdu” during the Sui Dynasty and has a history spanning nearly two thousand years.

In Taoist tradition, the true ghost city is called “Fengdu,” the seat of the Netherworld, which naturally does not exist in the mortal realm. Because the two cities share the same name and pronunciation, rumors and misinformation have led people to mistake the modern-day Fengdu for the Taoist city of the dead.

Fengdu is the site of many supernatural occurrences that align with the Ghost City legends. This is because, while it is not the Ghost City itself, it serves as one of the entrances to it.

Zhu Neng leaned one hand on the counter, struggling to widen his squinty eyes.

“Strange. I’ve been in Chongqing for so long, yet this is the first time I’ve heard that. You just said it’s ‘one of’ the entrances. Does that mean there are other ways to enter the Netherworld?”

I nodded.

“Besides Fengdu, there is another entrance at Mount Tai. That is the true entrance to Fengdu; the one here in Chongqing is just a small opening. It’s like the difference between a main gate and a side door.”

The *Classic of Mountains and Seas* records that “within the North Sea lies Youdu.” A tombstone from the Eastern Han Dynasty even bears the direct inscription: “In life, one belongs to Chang’an; in death, one returns to Mount Tai.”

Ancient emperors traveled to Mount Tai to perform sacrifices to Heaven. It wasn’t just a ritual for the heavens; it was a way to communicate with the celestial courts above and the underworld below, announcing their imperial status to the entire universe.

Zhu Neng listened with amazement, shaking his head as he pointed at Jiang Haoyan.

“Listen to that, just listen. What do you college students even know? You only know how to study books until your brains go soft. Useless. Someone like our Sect Master Qiao is truly cultured. College students these days… no knowledge, no physical stamina. If you ask me, the country shouldn’t have so many universities. It’s more practical to go out and work early.”

I fell silent for a moment.

“To be honest, I’m also a college student.”

Zhu Neng immediately broke into a fawning smile.

“The Sect Master is truly promising! High cultivation and attending university? You must be at a prestigious school, right? Not like young Jiang here, attending some Nanjiang University. I’ve never even heard of a diploma mill like that.”

Jiang Haoyan let out a snort of laughter.

“Boss Zhu, we’re classmates. Qiao Moyu and I are in the same class.”

Zhu Neng certainly had a knack for conversation-he had managed to kill the mood several times in just a few minutes. Jiang Haoyan and I left the Zhu Family Shop and headed back to the same hotel we stayed at yesterday, planning to wait until after dark to head to the Ghost City to scout for information.

As soon as I entered the room, I felt something was off.

We were staying at the Lijing Hotel near Jiefangbei. This hotel is famous for its excellent service. Before heading out, I had specifically asked the staff to tidy the room.

But now, the teapot on the side table by the floor-to-ceiling window was overturned, and a large puddle of water stained the floor.

Jiang Haoyan frowned at the sight.

“What happened? I’ll go call the staff to come clean this up.”

I shook my head.

“Forget it. We’re just going to take a nap before heading out. It’s hot out; if we open the window, it’ll dry in no time.”

I flopped onto the bed, cushioning my head with my hands as I stared blankly at the ceiling.

Once this summer break was over, I would be starting my sophomore year. Freshman year was just basic courses, but sophomore year would be packed with specialized subjects. Both the difficulty and the study time would jump to a whole new level; I couldn’t afford to keep slacking off like this.

I sighed.

Back when I was young and ignorant, I chose to major in Financial Management, thinking I could learn to manage my own wealth and handle assets worth tens of millions. I never expected that I’d forgotten the rule of ‘keeping nothing out of a thousand.’ After all my hard work to make money until now, I’ve only managed to save 58,763 yuan.

With such a small amount of money, I can’t even afford to buy decent spiritual tools. It’s enough to make anyone weep.

“Qiao Moyu, I just looked it up. The Ghost City is just a tourist attraction now. Are we going to Fengdu later?”

I nodded, then shook my head.

“After the Three Gorges Dam began impounding water, most of the original Fengdu County was submerged. The one on the mountain now is just for tourists. The real entrance is in the Yangtze River.”

“I’m exhausted. Stop talking. We’ll rest for an hour and then head out.”

Jiang Haoyan said, “Fine, go to sleep. I’m going to take a shower.”

Wash, wash, wash. Is he Pan Jinlian? Taking three showers a day. I curled my lip and turned over.

I had woken up too early this morning, and the summer afternoon was particularly conducive to drowsiness. I lay on my side facing the floor-to-ceiling window, my eyelids heavy. In a half-awake state, I felt like the puddle of water on the floor moved slightly.

The white gauze curtains were drawn, and the bright white light seemed to be filtered through a soft halo, making my vision a bit blurry.

I closed my eyes, but my heart suddenly jolted.

The sleepiness vanished instantly. I slowly opened my eyes a crack, and a bizarre scene unfolded.

The puddle on the floor was slowly bulging upward, as if an invisible giant hand in the air was kneading the water. First, it was a lump like dough, then it gradually took on the shape of limbs. Finally, a transparent head emerged from the body.

The Water Man stood there, shaking its head and swaying its limbs.

I pursed my lips as everything clicked together in my mind.

Li Yuan hadn’t lied. The person he saw that day was this Water Man. Even when they chased after it, the Water Man hadn’t left; it had simply turned into a puddle and stayed under the tree to observe them.

The puddle we saw under the window when Jiang Haoyan and I entered Li Zhu’s house was also it.

In fact, when Li Zhu died, the Water Man had stayed at the scene, admiring his hanging corpse and excitedly listening to the villagers and police discuss Li Zhu.

The Water Man slowly approached me, spreading its hands as if to choke my neck. With my eyes closed, I could smell the fishy stench of river water.

Just as it reached my bedside, I snapped my eyes open, sat up, and glared at it with fury.

The Water Man was startled, freezing with its hands still outstretched, staring at me.

“Fuck you, you dead pervert!”

I grabbed my pillow and slammed it against the creature with all my might, then rolled off the bed and lunged toward the cabinet to grab my bag.

The pillow hit the Water Man and passed right through its body, landing on the floor with a wet thud. I pulled the Seven Star Sword from my bag, whispered an incantation, and stabbed at the Water Man.

To my shock, the Seven Star Sword also passed right through the Water Man’s body. When I pulled it back, the creature was unharmed, while the copper coins of the Seven Star Sword were covered in water stains.

The Water Man looked at me with eyes full of disdain, then reached out and tightly choked my neck. It was incredibly strong, and I couldn’t break free for a moment.

This was trouble. This thing was unexpectedly difficult to deal with.

I was being choked to the point of breathlessness. I raised my knee and delivered a hard strike to its crotch, but there was still no reaction. Instead, the knee of my pants got soaked.

I got even angrier.

“You dead eunuch, I’ll kill you!”

With my neck still in its grip, I swung both hands wildly to strike it. One of my swings knocked a vase off the dresser.

With a loud crash, the bathroom door burst open a second later, and Jiang Haoyan rushed out with an anxious expression.

“Qiao Moyu, what happened?”