Chapter Five: Tit for Tat

Memories surged into Shi Jun’s mind like a tidal wave: he recalled their first encounter at the Green Mountain Asylum, when Chi Shang was exposed by Hu Hai’s Spirit-Reverting Finger, revealing his true form—the very same ghastly appearance before him now, neither human nor ghost. Usually, Chi Shang took the guise of a handsome young man, and after so much time together, Shi Jun had nearly forgotten his original face.

“How could it be you?” Shi Jun, stunned to his core, never imagined Chi Shang was involved. Both shocked and furious, he exclaimed, “Chi Shang, I trusted you so much, yet you played me for a fool! If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, how long would you have kept deceiving me? Even if you don’t see me as a friend, why hide here harming others?”

Chi Shang stared at him, visibly surprised, then fell into thoughtful silence. The black mist on his body swirled, gradually reshaping him into the familiar youth. Seeing Shi Jun’s unwavering gaze, he laughed and spoke slowly, “Why, does it strike you as strange? I don’t see it that way. Mortals fret daily over trivial matters, forcing smiles for the sake of others. I merely help them break free from unnecessary burdens within their hearts—didn’t you just witness it? These people sought death of their own accord; I never lifted a finger. Besides, leaving such useless things in the world is no different from a swarm of ants, living without purpose. In my view, self-destruction is the most fitting end for them. Don’t you agree?”

Shi Jun regarded Chi Shang coldly, sensing he was stalling for time. Yet Shi Jun was in no hurry, responding with a chilly smile, “To my mind, your talents are rather limited. All this time among mortals, you’ve learned little, yet you try to discuss spiritual bondage and life’s meaning with me? Don’t waste your meager brainpower. Have you ever heard how we mortals deal with those who slaughter innocents and act cunningly?”

Chi Shang drew a deep breath, aware that the earlier skirmish had cost him dearly—even his spiritual power now ran sluggish. He had hoped to delay, to either summon allies or quietly gather strength for a counterattack, but after just one round, he was soundly defeated, his energy depleted to such a degree! Panic flashed across his face, but he forced a smile: “Slaughter innocents? To me, a few dead mortals are no different than you squashing ants. Do you apologize to ants when you step on them? Speaking of which, I’m curious—how is it that a mortal like you knows the arts of the Netherworld?”

Shi Jun was startled—something was wrong. How could Chi Shang not know his origins? Unless… He studied the man before him carefully, realizing though he looked nearly identical to Chi Shang, his brows lacked Chi Shang’s calm, replaced by a wicked gleam, a fierce gaze, a demeanor as if he bore enmity toward all the world. Shi Jun quickly demanded, “Who are you really?!”

No sooner had Shi Jun finished speaking than a figure rushed from the left—it must have been drawn by Chi Shang’s earlier cry for help. Shi Jun leapt back, alert and ready.

Yet when he saw who it was, he froze: another Chi Shang stood before him.

And then Lu Qing, Wang Li, and Mei Jue arrived as well. Lu Qing patted her chest with relief, exclaiming, “You’re alright! Thank heaven, I was worried sick!”

“Why did you come here alone?” Wang Li hadn’t noticed Shi Jun’s adversary behind him and complained, “You could have let us know, we could’ve watched out for each other!”

Shi Jun thought, How would I tell you? Should I say I followed you here because I was tracking you all? So he just smiled, “But you’re here now, aren’t you? I’m fine.”

Mei Jue, standing behind Chi Shang, glanced at Shi Jun, nodded with a slight frown, but said nothing. She looked around, suddenly spotting the man who looked so much like Chi Shang, and cried out in surprise, “Fourth brother?!”

Chi Shang and Wang Li turned at her voice. Wang Li hurried to the young man’s side, squatting down and asking, “Liang Yan, what happened to you?”

Chi Shang’s mind was sharp, and in an instant he surveyed his surroundings thoroughly. Pointing at the wounded man lying in a pool of blood, he sneered, “Third brother, isn’t it obvious? He must have been with second brother all this time—this haunted place is their doing.”

The one Wang Li called Liang Yan blinked, glared at Wang Li and Chi Shang, and grunted. He turned to Mei Jue and said irritably, “Sixth sister, second brother told you over and over not to tell these two fools anything about us. Why didn’t you listen?”

“I…” Mei Jue looked timidly at Liang Yan and lowered her head.

“What nonsense!” Wang Li, who had intended to examine Liang Yan’s injuries, straightened up angrily when he heard this, “You’re becoming more useless every day, always following second brother, learning nothing good, just creating vengeful spirits for him to consume. What does it do for you? You’re happy to be his pawn—utter fool! Yes, little sister told us everything, but you can’t blame her; she’s looking out for you!”

Liang Yan shot Wang Li a glance and retorted, “Looking out for me? As if I care.”

“Third brother, why waste words on him?” Chi Shang snorted coldly, “Let’s find eldest brother and let him handle it.”

Liang Yan frowned at this, “Don’t use eldest brother to pressure me! He’s been with us these past few days. Chi Shang, even if we grew from the same branch, I am still your elder brother; you’d best not get ahead of yourself.”

Chi Shang looked at Liang Yan with disdain, “Is that so? I doubt eldest brother knows what you’ve been up to. We’ve investigated—leave so many clues, do you? If you’re so bold, I’ll invite eldest brother to see your handiwork. Who knows, maybe he’ll suddenly change his ways and you won’t have to worry about being scolded or punished.”

“You!” Liang Yan was so furious he could only spit and turn away.

Listening to the siblings’ exchange, Shi Jun finally realized: Liang Yan and Chi Shang were twins, all six siblings born from the Spirit Severing Grass, probably transformed from the same branch and leaf—hence their identical appearance, which had fooled him into mistaking Liang Yan for Chi Shang. It seemed the siblings had longstanding grudges; Wang Li, Chi Shang, and Mei Jue were close, while Liang Yan sided with their second brother, and the eldest was the linchpin of the group.

While the siblings argued, Lu Qing bent down to examine the bloodied man on the ground, frowning as she told Shi Jun, “His injuries are serious—we must get him to a hospital or he won’t make it!”

Wang Li snapped at Chi Shang, “Ignore that brat! We’ll deal with it once we find eldest brother!”

Though Chi Shang and Liang Yan were at odds, blood was still blood; despite their differences, he didn’t wish death on his brother. Seeing the carnage, Chi Shang felt uneasy—clearly, their guardian would not let second brother off the hook easily. He worried about what to do, absent-mindedly making a sound while watching Shi Jun, who stood impassively.

At that moment, two figures appeared behind Shi Jun.

The newcomers included a tall, broad man in his early thirties, imposing and dignified, dressed in black robes with hands clasped behind him. Though he stood casually, he seemed like a conqueror gazing down from the summit of the world, exuding an awe-inspiring aura.

Shi Jun immediately thought of the phrase “Strength to lift mountains and spirit to cover the world,” recalling the day when the Ancestor of the Yellow Springs met him in the guise of Monk Chan Zhen atop Shura Mountain. He silently admired, What a formidable man!

Beside him was a man of delicate features but short stature—a dwarf. Though he carried some elegance, standing next to the giant he seemed little more than a servant or attendant. His expression was odd—a smile that never quite reached his eyes, always tinged with cruelty. His clothes were bizarrely colorful, reminding Shi Jun of venomous caterpillars, making him quite uncomfortable.

These two were the eldest and second of the Six Ghost Spirits: the Moon Ghost King and Devourer of Spirits.

“Eldest brother!” Upon seeing the tall young man, Chi Shang, Wang Li, and Mei Jue cried out in joy and rushed forward. Chi Shang anxiously asked, “I heard from second brother you were injured—what happened? Are you better now?”

Wang Li shouted, “Who dared harm you, eldest brother? Tell me and I’ll deal with them!”

Devourer of Spirits snorted coldly, “If eldest brother and I couldn’t handle them, do you think you could, Wang Li? Perhaps you should be eldest brother next time.” His eyes swept the room, landing on Shi Jun, then on the fallen Liang Yan and the unconscious bloodied man, clearly startled. He ignored Wang Li’s glare and demanded of Shi Jun, “Who are you?”

Chi Shang quickly introduced him, “Eldest brother, this is my new friend, Shi Jun.” Knowing Shi Jun’s identity as a Netherworld Enforcer would provoke his brother, he didn’t mention it outright, but instead addressed Shi Jun, “Sir, this is our eldest brother—the Moon Ghost King.” He signaled Wang Li and Mei Jue quietly.

The Moon Ghost King seemed unconcerned about Shi Jun’s identity; he merely glanced at him and uttered a noncommittal sound, then turned to Liang Yan and asked with a frown, “Fourth brother, what happened?”

Liang Yan glared at Shi Jun with hatred, gasping, “What else? I owe it all to this so-called friend of fifth brother!”

Devourer of Spirits took advantage of the conversation to help Liang Yan up, then tried to dispel the curse with his spiritual power, but no matter how many seals he formed, nothing worked. His expression grew darker; he stood and shouted at Shi Jun, “You’re bold! Daring to trouble the Six Ghost Spirits!”

Wang Li, not understanding Chi Shang’s signal, saw Devourer of Spirits insult Shi Jun, and with Moon Ghost King’s displeasure as well, quickly interposed himself, glaring at Devourer of Spirits, “Eldest brother, you must know, we escaped this time only thanks to the Netherworld Enforcer. Without him opening the Netherworld token, we’d still be trapped! He’s our benefactor!”

Moon Ghost King was taken aback as if noticing Shi Jun for the first time. He gazed intently at Shi Jun, saying nothing, while Shi Jun met his gaze, cold and unyielding.

“Oh, I remember now!” Devourer of Spirits exclaimed, “Eldest brother, this Netherworld Enforcer must have been sent by the Nether Emperor to capture us—no wonder he struck hard and injured fourth brother!”

“That’s not it, eldest brother!” Chi Shang, seeing the truth couldn’t be hidden, cried, “Sir is a Netherworld Enforcer, but not here to harm us! Liang Yan and second brother killed many mortals in the hills, turning them into vengeful spirits for second brother to absorb. Sir came to investigate!”

Devourer of Spirits retorted, “He must have been sent by the Nether Emperor—how else could he track us here?”

“Nonsense! If you hadn’t killed so many mortals, would he have followed the trail here?” Wang Li countered, then pointed at Lu Qing, telling Moon Ghost King, “Eldest brother, we met Devourer of Spirits outside—he almost didn’t spare my friend!”

But Moon Ghost King was unmoved by Wang Li’s words. He walked over to Liang Yan, checked his injuries, and said sternly, “Enough! Quarreling over an outsider only brings shame to brothers.” Then, facing Shi Jun, he scrutinized him and said coldly, “I don’t care who you are, but I will not let you go unpunished for injuring fourth brother. Prepare yourself!” He pushed Wang Li aside and raised his left hand, ready for battle.

Shi Jun was surprised by Moon Ghost King’s cold pride, unwilling even to ask for reasons before fighting. It angered him. He was about to act when he saw Chi Shang, Wang Li, and Mei Jue’s awkward faces, and hesitated, considering whether to explain everything. Suddenly, a gust of wind arose.

A flickering green light shot through the air, exploding into countless meteors that enveloped Shi Jun in icy brilliance.

Shi Jun had already activated the Ice Shield, so he didn’t dodge, instead focusing his energy on protecting himself.

A flash of white light—an invisible crescent shield appeared before him just in time to block the sudden attack. The meteors, unable to penetrate, fell as tiny sparkles along the shield’s surface.

“Second brother! What are you doing?” Three voices shouted simultaneously—Chi Shang and Wang Li on Shi Jun’s side, Moon Ghost King on the other, confronting Devourer of Spirits.

Devourer of Spirits shrank back, forced to laugh, “Eldest brother, when dealing with the Nether Emperor’s lackey, do we need to fight fair? I say we all attack and finish him off!”

“Nonsense!” The same three voices objected.

Moon Ghost King continued, frowning, “I’ll handle this myself. Is it your opinion I’m incapable?”

Devourer of Spirits, intimidated by Moon Ghost King, retreated several steps before forcing a smile, “Eldest brother, fourth brother’s injuries are severe… I only meant to help you settle things quickly so you could tend to him.”

Moon Ghost King’s expression softened, but he said no more, turning back to Shi Jun and readying himself for battle.

“No, eldest brother!” Chi Shang, seeing Moon Ghost King’s resolve, grabbed his arm, pleading, “Can’t we talk it through? Please, don’t rush to fight!”

Devourer of Spirits, lurking at the side, sneered, “Fifth brother, I wonder what reward the Nether Emperor gave you to make you serve him?”

Chi Shang replied angrily, “Sir saved us from the token! I just don’t want us to be ungrateful.”

Moon Ghost King glanced at Chi Shang and Wang Li, his tone grim, “Back when the Nether Emperor saved us from our pursuers, were we not grateful? And what happened after? Whether or not he released us from the token—if you trust him, it’s only because you seek something. He injured fourth brother without cause; if I show mercy, who knows what regrets may follow? Third and fifth brothers, our freedom is hard-won; I will not let anyone take it easily.”

Shi Jun, observing Moon Ghost King’s aggressive stance, grew angrier. He recalled Chi Shang’s praise for this brother—how he was strong, upright, and noble. But now, he seemed merely a reckless brute, unable to discern right from wrong. Perhaps years of imprisonment by the Nether Emperor had made him paranoid.

Then again, considering Moon Ghost King’s position, it was only natural—mortals were as ants to them, and Shi Jun was merely an ant with some skill, who’d harmed his brother. He laughed coldly, “This Moon Ghost King, you overestimate yourself! I respect your freedom, and releasing you from the token was not for any gain. But whatever I say now, you won’t believe me. If you insist on fighting, so be it!”

Chi Shang and Wang Li tried to intervene, but Moon Ghost King’s face darkened, “Third and fifth brothers, if you don’t wish to oppose him, I won’t force you—watch from the side. But if you interfere, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” He then barked at Devourer of Spirits, “You stay put—this is mine to handle!”

Wang Li, frustrated, said, “Eldest brother, if you insist, I have nothing more to say. But I don’t understand your favoritism toward second and fourth brothers!” He moved aside, sulking.

Chi Shang shook his head and joined Wang Li. Mei Jue, torn, glanced between Moon Ghost King and Shi Jun, then quietly moved to stand with Chi Shang and Wang Li.

The two adversaries faced each other like rocks amid a raging tide, both battered by the other’s overwhelming aura. Their bodies stood tall, unmoving, even their eyes never blinking.

After a tense silence, Moon Ghost King, worried for his brother’s injuries, was first to act.

As his explosive power was unleashed, Moon Ghost King’s hair stood on end, the air around him churning, and he seemed a wrathful ancient god enveloped in blinding white light.

Countless azure dragons, manifestations of his surging spiritual power, coiled around him and launched at Shi Jun from every direction. At the same time, a massive curtain of water rose before Moon Ghost King, forming a shield entirely of water-based energy.

Shi Jun, having learned many water spells from the Ancestor’s booklet and from Chi Shang and Wang Li, recognized these techniques immediately. Yet in Moon Ghost King’s hands, the simple “Water Dragon Wave” and “True Water Shield” were vastly more powerful than anything he’d seen.

He dared not slacken, fully activating the Ice Shield and forming seals for his signature “Spirit Binding Technique.”

Instantly, moisture vanished from the air. The earth-element field of “Spirit Binding” clashed with the water-element field of the “True Water Shield,” causing an unexpected mutation. The attack, blocked midway, diffused into a thin yellow mist, enveloping Moon Ghost King’s enormous shield, and soon merged with it, transforming into muddy sludge that splattered across the ground. The source of this mutation was Shi Jun’s growing spiritual power.

Moon Ghost King was startled—his defense dispelled in one move. Earlier, he had witnessed Shi Jun easily withstand Devourer of Spirits’ sneak attack and had grown wary, knowing he could do the same, but now he had to reassess Shi Jun’s abilities. Thus, he had started cautiously, deploying both offensive and defensive water spells. Yet his defense crumbled before Shi Jun’s unknown technique, forcing him to regroup and prepare for the next move.

Shi Jun, having broken the defense with “Spirit Binding,” was unable to attack further. Moon Ghost King’s “Water Dragon Wave” was powerful, and the azure dragons created by his spell were difficult to resist.

The Ice Shield’s barrier dimmed under the dragons’ onslaught, its surface dented and battered. Luckily, Shi Jun’s counter-spell, “Three Feet of Ice,” activated, covering the dragons in thick white scales of frost, freezing them solid no matter how they twisted and thrashed. Some dragons shattered under their own weight, falling and splashing water everywhere.

After several exchanges, it seemed the two were evenly matched, but in truth, Moon Ghost King’s strength far surpassed Shi Jun’s. Only with the aid of his artifact and the “Spirit Binding Technique,” which countered water spells, and Moon Ghost King’s caution did Shi Jun manage to hold his own.

Devourer of Spirits, watching from the side, disliked the stalemate and secretly devised a poisonous scheme to break it.