Chapter 75: I Like You

“Let’s do it this way,” Chu Tianfeng stood up. “I’ll help you restore the Spirit-Nourishing Spring first, and later we’ll figure out a way to return.”

The spiritual energy in the Earth’s Core World was abundant, surely filled with rare treasures and precious natural resources—Chu Tianfeng had no reason not to venture there.

But Saya Nishiya herself didn’t know where the entrance was; only after their cultivation improved could they search for the exit, hoping to find some clue.

“Thank you!” Saya Nishiya’s lips trembled with excitement.

“Stand up,” Chu Tianfeng said, walking to the cave entrance and turning to Lü Hui. “I need to go out for a bit. I’ll leave this place in your care for now.”

Lü Hui asked in confusion, “They might still be on the island. If you go out now, it’s too dangerous. Better to wait until dawn.”

Though Chu Tianfeng’s cultivation was not low, the enemy had numbers on their side, and even firearms. Lü Hui couldn’t help but worry.

Chu Tianfeng smiled faintly. “It’s alright. Just look after Du Jingjing.”

With that, Chu Tianfeng leapt out of the cave.

Above the entrance, a small tree grew at a slant. Chu Tianfeng landed lightly on it, tapped its trunk with his toes, and soared again, shooting straight for the cliff top.

Saya Nishiya hurried to her feet, floating after Chu Tianfeng.

Man and ghost moved at astonishing speed, like birds in flight toward the eastern side of the island.

“Wait for me a moment—I want to clean up this place.” Seeing the burly figures occasionally appearing on the island, Chu Tianfeng was greatly annoyed.

Without waiting for Saya Nishiya’s reply, Chu Tianfeng charged at a nearby man.

The man, gripping a pistol, leaned against a tree, smoking.

Chu Tianfeng quietly crept closer and raised his hand, sending out a barrage of ice spikes.

The man was alert; hearing the strange wind, he tried to leap aside and dodge.

But his movements were far too slow—just as he shifted, several ice spikes struck him.

A blood-curdling scream tore through the night, echoing over the whole island.

Chu Tianfeng had done it deliberately, to draw everyone over and avoid searching for them one by one.

Once the signal was sent, the man’s purpose was fulfilled.

Chu Tianfeng cast a spell, his figure swiftly dissolving into a wisp of white mist.

Before the man could comprehend what was happening, Chu Tianfeng’s hand clamped his throat.

A sharp crack!

The man slowly collapsed.

“I’ll give you his soul,” Chu Tianfeng brushed his hands and vanished.

“Thank you!” Saya Nishiya cheered, immediately drifting to the corpse, casting her own spell to absorb the soul.

Soon, chaotic footsteps and low shouts resounded all around.

Chu Tianfeng hid in the shadows, targeting those who wandered alone.

Thus, cries of pain occasionally echoed from the woods.

Saya Nishiya absorbed souls with abandon—not remembering when she’d last had such a feast.

Ordinary souls were weak, beneath her notice; but these martial artists were different—their souls were relatively strong.

A thousand years ago, when the sects clashed, there were many high-level cultivators present. Saya Nishiya dared not show herself.

Later, when most sects withdrew, a few unaffiliated martial artists ventured to the banks of the Anjiang River in search of treasure. Only then did she dare to burst from the tomb, targeting the weaker ones.

Afterward, rumors of ghosts at Anjiang River spread through the martial world. Fearful, martial artists avoided the area altogether, detouring around the river whenever they passed.

Without fresh souls to absorb, her cultivation gradually declined. The Spirit-Nourishing Spring in the tomb also dwindled, nearly drying up.

Helpless, she let herself fall into slumber, waking only once every few decades. The last time had been the millennium year. Not long after, Lü Hui and his companions broke in, stealing the Water-Repelling Pearl, flooding the tomb, and waking her once more.

Chu Tianfeng didn’t fully understand her circumstances, but could guess most of it.

A thousand years of cultivation, and only at the tenth level of Qi training—what hardship she’d endured was plain to see.

Therefore, Chu Tianfeng killed these people one by one, giving their souls to Saya Nishiya as compensation.

Within a dozen minutes, the island’s invaders were nearly wiped out, leaving only a middle-aged martial artist.

He had the highest cultivation—late-stage Transforming Energy, probably the leader, barking orders and directing his men’s defense.

Chu Tianfeng dispatched his two henchmen and left the leader for last.

Late-stage Transforming Energy was nothing to Chu Tianfeng now—like an ant, utterly powerless.

Bang!

Fist met fist.

The middle-aged martial artist was sent flying, blood spraying from his mouth.

Chu Tianfeng followed up, landing another punch!

Suspended in mid-air, the man had no way to brace himself, watching helplessly as Chu Tianfeng’s fist slammed into his lower back.

Bang!

The man tumbled across the ground, finally stopping beneath a tree.

“Name, sect,” Chu Tianfeng asked, shaking his fist as he approached.

“Go on, kill me if you dare!” the man shouted.

Chu Tianfeng smiled slightly, his spiritual sense stirring.

Hidden nearby, Saya Nishiya blew a breath of ghostly air; the man felt plunged into icy cold.

“Who’s there?” he cried in terror.

Seeing his panic, Chu Tianfeng was greatly amused—perhaps keeping a ghost around wasn’t so bad, at least he could call her out to frighten people when bored.

“Sorry, she’s a friend of mine,” Chu Tianfeng crouched down. “Forgot to mention—she’s a ghost, and she just told me she rather likes you.”

Like you, my foot! The man cursed inwardly with every fiber of his being.

“I don’t believe it!” he yelled.

In fact, he believed it thoroughly.

His legs were trembling uncontrollably.

“Saya Nishiya, he says he’s not afraid. Why not eat half his head and see?” Chu Tianfeng addressed Saya Nishiya behind the man.

Saya Nishiya rolled her eyes, but complied, blowing another breath of ghostly air and invading his mind, whispering chillingly, “I like you!”

Another scream, the man looked frantically around.

Chu Tianfeng roared with laughter, “Good—keep going!”

“I’ll talk, I’ll talk!” the man cried, “Just make her leave!”

“Alright,” Chu Tianfeng could barely contain his laughter. “Saya Nishiya, let him off for now. If he’s not honest, you can like him again later.”

Saya Nishiya withdrew her consciousness from his mind, cursing Chu Tianfeng inwardly.

“My name is He Bufan, from the Gold-Seeking Sect,” the man said dejectedly, glancing around. “I came here on the sect leader’s orders to hunt for treasure at Thousand Bird Lake.”

“How many came with you?” Chu Tianfeng asked.

“Counting everyone but Ma Tu, eleven in total,” He Bufan replied honestly.

“Oh?” Chu Tianfeng’s eyes narrowed. “Ma Tu is from your sect?”

“Yes, Ma Tu is our sect leader’s prized disciple—later joined the Special Task Force,” He Bufan explained.

He was badly injured; blood poured from his mouth as he spoke.

“Where is he now?” Chu Tianfeng’s eyes flashed coldly. Good heavens, a mole.

Ma Tu was certainly cunning—brave, too. To go undercover among elite operatives and not be discovered, Chu Tianfeng had to admire him.

If not for Chu Tianfeng’s interference this time, Ma Tu’s plan would have succeeded without fail.

At the time, Fan Youchang died, Du Jingjing was gravely wounded; Lü Hui alone could never have escaped.

The entire scheme was flawless, except for the unforeseen variable—Chu Tianfeng. That was Ma Tu’s fatal mistake.

“He’s injured—sent back to the Special Task Force,” He Bufan replied weakly.

Chu Tianfeng frowned inwardly; Ma Tu returning to the Task Force could spell trouble.

But that was their internal affair, nothing to do with him, and he had no intention of interfering.

“Anything else to say?” Chu Tianfeng rose to his feet.

He Bufan knew his life was at its end.

He shook his head—if he was going to die, he wanted it quick.

But Chu Tianfeng denied him that mercy, turning away and walking off.

He Bufan, thinking he’d been spared, tried desperately to stand and escape.

Yet Saya Nishiya, long displeased with him, pounced as soon as Chu Tianfeng left.

Another wretched scream tore through the night.

Chu Tianfeng ignored it, heading into the woods, dragging out the bodies, searching them for hidden cash, piling them together, and setting them ablaze.

Then, man and ghost continued onward.

Chu Tianfeng swam in the water, Saya Nishiya floated beside him.

“How should I address you?” Saya Nishiya asked, watching Chu Tianfeng leisurely swim.

“Chu Tianfeng,” he replied, rolling onto his back to swim.

Saya Nishiya hesitated, then asked, “Can I follow you from now on?”

After brief contact, her impression of Chu Tianfeng was good—the key was, he killed without hesitation, so by following him she could often absorb martial artists’ souls.

“Of course,” Chu Tianfeng answered without hesitation; he’d always wanted a little ghost companion, and he liked Saya Nishiya as well. “But you must obey my orders.”

“As long as you regularly provide souls for me to cultivate, I’ll do whatever you ask,” Saya Nishiya agreed instantly.

“Deal!” Chu Tianfeng laughed heartily.

“Then there’s no need to restore the tomb,” Saya Nishiya rolled her eyes. “Consider the treasures in there a gift for you. There’s also a Soul-Nourishing Wood inside; help me retrieve it.”

“Alright!” Chu Tianfeng thought, those treasures were stolen by me, not gifted by you.

They moved swiftly, reaching the water’s edge in less than half an hour.

The tomb was deep—much deeper than the cave by the Spirit Spring.

It was about the same size as that cave, circular, around two or three hundred square meters, and over ten meters high.

In the center of the tomb was a pool, in which sat a stone coffin. Inside lay a dried corpse—presumably the former Saya Nishiya.

“That’s the Soul-Nourishing Wood,” Saya Nishiya pointed to a black piece of wood inside the coffin.

Chu Tianfeng knew of Soul-Nourishing Wood; like soul pearls, it could preserve souls, though its function was far inferior and lacked spiritual energy.

Using his true energy, Chu Tianfeng carefully lifted the coffin lid, took out the wood, and gently replaced the lid.

“Thank you!” Saya Nishiya’s figure flashed and slipped into the Soul-Nourishing Wood.

“What should I do with your body?” Chu Tianfeng asked.

Now that the tomb was discovered, archaeologists might come in the future and take Saya Nishiya’s body for research.

A thousand-year-old corpse that hadn’t decayed was as valuable to scholars as a luminous pearl or a Water-Repelling Pearl.

“Burn it for me,” came Saya Nishiya’s lazy voice from within the Soul-Nourishing Wood.