When the procession reached the General’s residence, Zhou Su knew the parade was nearing its end.“So it just ends like that?”Watching the Headless General’s broad back disappear through the gates, he felt a pang of loss.An opportunity this rich for farming materials—who knew when it would come again?He began tallying his gains.Aside from the White-Bone Dagger he intended to keep, he sold everything else, earning a total of 768 Dusk Crystals.Added to his earlier reserve of twelve, that brought him to 790 Dusk Crystals in all.A perfect haul.Zhou Su’s lips curved unconsciously. Even if he bought out the last item in the Mystery Shop, he would still have crystals left to spare for the next refresh.While he indulged in that pleasant thought, a figure suddenly burst from the Bai family’s mansion. The man wore a servant’s uniform, his face ghastly pale, pupils constricted in pure terror.A living human—clearly one whose identity had just been exposed.He managed only two steps before a bludgeon of execution fell from above, smashing his skull flat. The ghost soldiers who had pursued him glanced coldly at the body, then turned back without a word.Zhou Su’s eyes flickered as they lingered on the servant’s clothes.A mad idea struck him.This Blood Moon rule had already ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) yielded massive profit, but a trial combining high-tier ghosts with relative safety was rare beyond measure.Letting this one slip away would be a waste.“Should I go for one more big score?” Zhou weighed the risk against the reward.The parade, of course, could not enter the mansion. The red-robed official ghost stepped forward again to address the crowd.“You have all worked hard today! Come with me to the Dongyue Tavern for a grand feast!”The vast procession moved toward the tavern. Zhou deliberately slowed his pace, drifting to the rear.When few eyes were on him, he dragged the servant’s corpse into a nearby alley.Several ghosts noticed, but none cared.They weren’t corpse-eaters; they craved souls, not flesh—though some had odd hobbies.Had it been anyone else, one or two might have inquired. But none dared question him.Every ghost had seen his brazen behavior earlier. They knew he was no “spirit” to provoke.Among ghosts, instincts ruled—and the law of the strong devouring the weak reigned absolute.Zhou hauled the corpse into a woodshed out of sight, stripped off its clothes, and hid the body in the shadows.“There are still over two hours left until the Blood Moon ends. Not the time to act yet.”After a moment of thought, he hurried after the procession.——Dongyue Tavern, near the front hall.Chen Zhengkai sat before a table piled high with dishes, his expression miserable.What ghosts called delicacies were, for humans, no different from poison.This, without question, was the Blood Moon’s final test.How could he avoid eating—or at least minimize eating—without arousing suspicion?He racked his brain, but soon relaxed and let out a sigh of relief.He’d spotted salvation.“What’s so great about this slop? Come, follow me to the Red Delight House—the wine there’s actually worth drinking!”Zhou Su appeared behind him, clapping a hand on his shoulder.And just like that, they left—no ghost tried to stop them.Had anyone else attempted that, it would never have worked. But with Zhou Su, not a single ghost dared speak up.In a secluded corner, Zhou placed a hand on Chen’s shoulder.“We’re brothers, aren’t we?”“Of course!” Chen answered without hesitation—freshly rescued, what else could he say?“Good. Then I need a little favor.” Zhou lowered his voice. “I want you to set a fire near the General’s mansion.”“…I just remembered something I left back at the tavern.” Chen started to turn away, but Zhou caught his arm.Chen grimaced. “Brother, do we really have to go that far?”“Don’t worry. If we follow the plan, it won’t be dangerous.” Zhou’s tone was almost gentle as he laid out his plan.Naturally, he mentioned only Chen’s part of it. Anything related to the crimson book, he told no one.“I must’ve owed you a debt in a past life,” Chen muttered—but after a brief struggle, he agreed.They circled the General’s mansion and found a suitable spot behind it: a woodshed packed with dry straw.Zhou withdrew a Lychee-Wood Torch from the blood-red mark on his hand and traded it to Chen. Ordinary fire couldn’t ignite structures inside a ghost domain.——The General’s residence blazed with lanterns and revelry. Celebration laughter drifted from within.Listening to it, Zhou grew restless.He knew impatience would change nothing, yet after waiting more than half an hour, his nerves frayed.Hidden in the dark alley across from the mansion gate, he watched every movement around the entrance.He now wore the servant’s uniform he’d taken earlier—ready to seize any chance to slip inside.His purpose was simple: to steal material from the Headless General itself.A being that powerful—any scrap shed from it would be treasure beyond measure.Normally, attempting to steal from such an existence was pure suicide; approaching it would mean instant death.But this Blood Moon’s unique rules offered a loophole.His plan was simple: at the exact instant the rule ended, he would trigger God’s Theft.Once the Blood Moon concluded and the ghost domain dispersed, the Headless General would have no way to exact retribution.It was, essentially, exploiting a rule glitch.Zhou’s eyes suddenly brightened.A group of servants came pushing wheelbarrows down the road, each piled with baskets of food ingredients.He slipped from the alley and positioned himself at the corner they’d pass.When the front carts went by, he quietly merged in with the last one.He even took care to shield himself behind a tall basket, minimizing his chances of being seen.At first he feared discovery—but soon realized he’d worried for nothing.No interrogation. No suspicion.He entered the mansion with ease.A moment’s thought explained it: low-tier ghosts were driven by instinct, lazy and unfocused. Even with the Headless General’s oversight, the defense was just for show. No one here guarded like a true military residence.The carts reached the kitchen, where servants bustled everywhere.“Hurry it up! Don’t keep the generals waiting!” a butler-like ghost bellowed.Perfect timing.Zhou rejoiced inwardly. He set down the cabbage he was carrying and slipped into the line delivering dishes to the banquet hall.The aroma of roasted meat filled the air. Zhou swallowed reflexively.He was carrying a platter with a whole roast suckling pig—its crisped skin golden and gleaming. The craftsmanship was exquisite.A flicker from his Bewitching Ghost Eye peeled away the illusion.What lay on the plate was no roast pig, but a gutted dwarf.Following the line of servers into the main hall, Zhou’s heart gave a jolt when he saw what awaited inside.The banquet guests were no longer mere spirits—they were true evil ghosts, each exuding terrifying pressure and murderous aura.A red-haired fiend draped in skulls.A demon marquis in an embroidered flying-fish robe.A warlord with six enormous arms.If I’m exposed here…Even imagining it made Zhou’s scalp prickle—but a strange thrill surged alongside his fear.The edge of death had never felt so intoxicating.“Come, let us drink together!”The deep, rasping voice came from the seat of honor.The Headless General again—speaking easily despite its missing head.The gathered fiends roared in response, raising cups filled with blood-red liquor and gulping it down.Zhou, still holding the roast, found himself stepping instinctively toward the General.If he was going to steal from it, he needed proximity—to build “contact value.”“Hey! You there—the one with the roast pig! Where do you think you’re taking my dish?”A shrill voice snapped him back. He hadn’t expected the platter to belong to someone else.He turned toward the speaker.It was a male ghost in a gold-trimmed official robe. From behind, perfectly normal—until it turned its head.Three twisted faces were squeezed together on one neck.“Well now, didn’t expect to see another of my kind here. Little one, what’s your name?” the three mouths asked in near unison, faintly surprised.Zhou hesitated. The term “same kind” clearly didn’t mean ghosts in general—there were ghosts everywhere in this hall.Then he noticed the being’s blood-red eyes, and a pulse of inexplicable familiarity stirred inside him—a resonance of blood.He understood at once.The creature belonged to the Bewitching Ghost lineage—and a high-tier one at that.“So Bewitching Ghosts sense each other’s blood when close.”The hidden information startled him. He set down the roast, ready to bluff his way through.But in the next instant, the other’s pupils twisted—the veins converging into a clover-shaped pattern. That eerie gaze fixed upon Zhou, glowing with spreading bloodlight.“Your aura… feels off.”Zhou’s heart lurched.He might have fused the Bewitching Ghost Eye, but he was no Bewitching Ghost—in truth, he wasn’t even a ghost at all.

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