12: Ghost Puppet

The black mist arrived suddenly and spread with extreme speed. In the blink of an eye, it had already risen to the waists of the two men and permeated the entire multi-story ship.

The black mist carried a bone-piercing chill, as if it could freeze a person's very soul. Hong Yu couldn't help but be startled and was about to resist. However, a glance from the corner of his eye revealed Pang Hu standing obediently in place without moving. Following his example, Hong Yu also gave up resisting.

Accompanied by a "ding-ling-ling" sound, the black mist suddenly contracted. Immediately after, two semi-transparent human figures appeared on the deck of the ship.

The figures were two Palace-attired Women, identical in appearance. Both had high, cloud-like hair buns, each adorned with a pair of Golden Hairpins with Dangling Ornaments on the left and right sides. The woman on the left wore white, the one on the right wore black. Both wore wide-sleeved, long skirts decorated with Tassels.

Both women had beautiful features, but their faces held no expression whatsoever. Particularly striking were their eyes, which lacked any whites and were completely black. They floated in the air without touching the ground, emanating an eerie Aura.

"Senior Sister's Ghost Puppet." Recognizing their identities, Pang Hu respectfully cupped his hands. "Dare I ask, what instructions does Senior Sister have, that she would send both Lady Chen Yu and Lady Wild Goose Descending together?"

"Our Master commands you to quickly retire to your rooms and rest. If anything arises, simply activate the Formation within the room." The woman on the left spoke indifferently, her tone icy and devoid of any emotion.

"Understood." Pang Hu agreed readily, then said to Hong Yu, "Just pick any room on the first floor of the ship to stay in."

The woman on the right was clearly much more expressive. Covering her mouth with a delicate laugh, she said, "Our Master also said that before arriving Inside the Mansion, no one is to disturb her without important matters. Moreover, you'd best not casually activate the Formations in the rooms. Although serving you is our duty, This servant girl has always been lazy by nature. If I am disturbed, I will get quite a headache."

Her voice was sweet, and hearing it evoked a sense of alluring charm, making one's heart feel ticklish and itchy.

Hearing this, even the usually fierce Pang Hu showed a hint of fear. He immediately agreed repeatedly and quickly strode towards the rooms inside the ship.

Hong Yu also gathered his wits and was about to walk forward after randomly selecting a room when the Wild Goose Descending on the right suddenly moved. She rushed forward and tightly wrapped herself around Hong Yu, her face filled with an intoxicated expression.

Seeing this, Pang Hu ran even faster, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.

Feeling the woman's arms emerging from her sleeves and the slightly cool yet delicate touch of her arms wrapped around his neck, Hong Yu couldn't muster any other thoughts at the moment. He could only force a smile and ask, "Dare I ask, what is the meaning of this, young lady?"

Wild Goose Descending ignored him. A powerful killing intent emanated from her entire body, yet her face still wore that intoxicated expression as she said, "Why do you carry our Master's scent on you?"

Feeling this undisguised killing intent, Hong Yu was greatly alarmed. Cold sweat almost instantly surged out, and he instinctively gathered his spiritual power, preparing to act.

But an even more despairing scene unfolded. The spiritual power within his body was completely uncontrollable, as if frozen solid. Moreover, even his body was slowly beginning to slip from his control.

Wild Goose Descending lowered her head, took a deep breath near Hong Yu's neck, and then said softly, "Young Master Hong Yu, if you don't answer This servant girl soon, I'll have no choice but to devour you alive, then extract your soul to refine into a Lamp Wick, letting you suffer the pain of soul-burning for all eternity."

Her tone was coquettish, but the content of her words sent chills through one's entire body. Internally, Hong Yu felt as if ten thousand 'grass mud horses' were stampeding through his mind.

Damn it! You're just a maid, why are you so vicious!

Even your Master didn't touch me, how dare you?

Simultaneously, his brain worked rapidly, thinking of how to answer to survive this crisis.

Before he could speak, Chen Yu on the left, who had been watching this scene coldly, spoke up, "Little sister, stop messing around. Come down at once."

Hearing this, Wild Goose Descending instantly transformed into a plume of black smoke and reappeared beside Chen Yu. She simply stared at Hong Yu, though her eyes still brimmed with undisguised killing intent.

"Do you know why our Master didn't kill you before?"

Hearing this, Hong Yu's heart skipped a beat, and his mind went completely blank. He had originally intended to find a random excuse to brush it off, but he never expected they seemed to know everything!

Then why didn't they come out to save their Master earlier?

Wild Goose Descending watched Hong Yu's increasingly horrified expression with a smile, the curve of her lips deepening. "How did you avoid Shu Wangnian's remnant soul and learn the Cultivation method of the 'Dragon Phoenix Yin Yang Art' from the Jade Slip?"

"And how did you remove the Master's top-grade Spiritual Artifact Robe from her body?"

"Even if the Master had no spiritual power at that moment, the Robe's automatic protective function was active. How could a mere Cultivator at the Qi Refining Stage like you possibly undo it?"

"Not only is our Master interested in you, but even my sister and I are very curious."

"How about this? Let me probe your Divine Soul. I promise nothing will happen as long as you don't resist. But if you show the slightest intention to resist, don't blame me if you turn into an idiot."

Damn it! This crazy woman is still relentlessly trying to get my life! Hong Yu cursed inwardly while slowly saying, "There was also a skeleton in the Secret Realm at that time. When I took the clothes from it, I somehow gained a Cultivation Technique in my mind."

"As for the Robe issue, I'm not too clear either. Perhaps my body is somewhat special."

"Oh? What's so special?" Wild Goose Descending asked nonchalantly.

"I once took a bottle of skin tempering pills from Mountain Master Pang's room. As far as I know, an ordinary Qi Refining Stage Cultivator needs about half a year to refine just one skin tempering pill. Yet I consumed over a dozen at once and refined them all within a single day. I don't know if that's the reason."

Hong Yu was talking nonsense, not knowing how much these two individuals—or rather, these two ghosts—would believe.

Hearing this, Chen Yu rushed forward and grabbed Hong Yu's wrist. A yin-cold energy flowed through his body for a cycle before she released his hand and muttered to herself, "He doesn't seem particularly special... But Physiques vary greatly from person to person. Even the many special Physiques recorded Inside the Mansion cannot claim to be exhaustive. Could it be some new type of special Physique?"

After saying this, her eyes lit up, and she continued, "An unknown Physique does indeed hold some research value. However, since the Master has forbidden us from harming you, she likely has other plans for you later."

Having said that, Chen Yu pulled Wild Goose Descending, and the two women instantly transformed into a plume of black mist and vanished, leaving only a slowly dissipating voice in the air: "Return to your room immediately."

Hong Yu didn't dare delay. Letting out a sigh of relief in his heart, he quickly walked towards the rooms on the upper deck. Only after entering a random room located in the middle did he finally relax.

He should be safe now.

He had experienced far too much this day, leaving him utterly exhausted in body and mind. At this moment, all he wanted was a good sleep.