43: Chapter 43 Midnight Bus

As the rolling shutter was pulled down once again, the hall fell into a peaceful silence.

Lin Ye let out a long breath, walked over to the old fabric sofa, and sat down.

He raised his right hand and examined his index and middle fingers in the dim, yellowish light.

Young Master Lu Changfeng's sword strike was by no means as fragile as it appeared on the surface.

The heritage of a prominent and righteous sect was right there, and the evil-breaking sword qi attached to the lightning-struck peach wood sword was incomparably sharp.

Lin Ye forcefully received it with his physical body, and a faint red mark was shaken out on the pads of his two fingers, faintly transmitting a burning pain akin to being pricked by needles.

The Pure Yang Dao Body operated automatically, slowly devouring that wispy, alien sword qi that had invaded his skin.

A faint sound of clothing rubbing together rang out beside him.

Leng Yue had walked over to the sofa at some unknown point.

She had taken off her oversized black trench coat, and underneath, she was wearing a silk wine-red bathrobe.

The neckline of the bathrobe was cut very low, exposing a large expanse of delicate, mutton-fat-jade-like skin to the air.

Her waist was loosely tied with just a single ribbon, outlining a soul-captivating waist and hip curve.

She did not speak, simply sitting down quietly beside Lin Ye.

A cool fragrance assailed him, and Lin Ye felt his right hand being gently lifted by a cold, soft jade hand.

Leng Yue's movements were gentle to the extreme.

She lowered her eyelashes, ripples of heartache welling up in her deep red eyes.

Her slender jade fingers gently rubbed against Lin Ye's swollen fingertips.

That sensation of ice brushing across scalding skin made Lin Ye shiver involuntarily.

"Husband acts far too recklessly. That sword cultivator's magical artifact was contaminated with centuries of thunder malevolence, and you received it head-on with your flesh and blood, injuring your meridians."

Her voice was like shattered icicles in a cold pool, carrying an unmelting tenderness amidst its chill.

Lin Ye leaned against the back of the sofa, letting her hold his hand while a carefree smile hung at the corners of his lips:

"It is just a little superficial injury, no big deal. We certainly could not let that brat run amok in our shop."

Leng Yue shook her head slightly, disapproving of his bravado.

"…"

"…"

Frost Star puffed out her cheeks, her heterochromatic eyes filled with unwillingness.

She pulled Lin Ye's left hand over, opened her mouth to reveal two sharp little canine teeth, and bit down ruthlessly on the back of his hand.

"Hiss! Are you born in the year of the dog?!" Lin Ye cursed with a smile, yet did not withdraw his hand.

Frost Star's barbed tip of her tongue licked twice over the bite mark she had created.

A strand of extreme cold corpse qi from the Nether Corpse King flowed in along with his blood, helping Lin Ye perform a full-body cold compress on his meridians.

On the right was the gentle peeling of the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, and on the left was the overbearing cold compress of the Nether Corpse Qi.

The ultimate enjoyment of heaven and hell—ice and fire—made Lin Ye let out a long breath, completely relaxing his tense nerves.

In this Age of Dharma Decline, being able to have two top-tier zombies serve him so attentively, this soft rice was truly delicious to eat.

"Ding! Daily quest judged complete; the Host has obtained the Profound-grade true interpretation of the [Lightning Summoning Talisman] drawing technique. Current harem harmony: 50. You are one step closer to unlocking the [Sleeping Under the Same Quilt] achievement. Host, please take care of your kidney essence!"

"…"

The next day, the sun was bright and sunny.

Eleven in the morning.

Fatty Wang scrambled and crawled out of a taxi, his complexion as pale as paper.

Following behind him was a female college student wearing a Jiangzhou University uniform and tied in a ponytail.

The girl was delicate and pretty in appearance, her brows and eyes somewhat resembling Fatty Wang's, but at this moment she was shivering all over, her eye sockets red and swollen as if she had just experienced an extremely terrifying nightmare.

"Yezi! Save me, Yezi!"

Fatty Wang shoved open the glass door, his loud voice carrying a crying tone.

Lin Ye was sitting behind the counter studying the newly acquired [Lightning Summoning Talisman] drawing technique when he was so startled by this shout that the tip of his brush trembled, directly ruining a fine sheet of yellow mounting paper.

"What are you howling like a mourner for so early in the morning? Even I, someone who sells paper figures, am not as unlucky as you."

"Speak, what trouble have you brought this time."

Lin Ye put down the writing brush with annoyance.

Fatty Wang could not care less about bantering; he abruptly pulled the girl behind him to the front and pressed her onto the chair before the counter.

"This is my cousin, Lin Xiaoxiao, a sophomore at Jiangzhou University."

"Yezi, hurry and take a look at her. She bumped into something filthy last night!"

Hearing this, Lin Ye's gaze fell upon the girl's face.

At just a single glance, Lin Ye's expression grew solemn.

A ball of thick, unresolvable black-gray death qi was gathering at Lin Xiaoxiao's glabella, and the yang fires on her shoulders were like a flickering candle in the wind, liable to extinguish at any moment.

Furthermore, around her neck was a clear black strangulation mark, emanating a damp, rotten stench.

"What happened? Tell me in detail."

Lin Ye poured a cup of hot water and handed it to the girl.

Holding the paper cup, Lin Xiaoxiao's hands trembled uncontrollably.

She swallowed a mouthful of saliva and intermittently recounted her experience from last night.

"Last night... after finishing my part-time job in the city, I missed the last subway back to school. To save money, I waited at the platform for the night bus. Just then, Route 404 bus drove over."

Hearing "Route 404", Lin Ye's eyebrows lifted slightly.

There was no such bus route at all in Jiangzhou City.

"I was too tired at the time and got on the bus without thinking much."

Large tears dropped continuously from the girl's eyes into the paper cup.

"There were quite a few people on the bus, but everyone was very quiet, lowering their heads without speaking. Not long after the bus drove out, a thick white fog rose outside..."

"Peering through the bus window, I discovered that the route was not heading back to school at all, but rather driving toward the winding mountain road in the suburbs."

"I got scared and went to pound on the driver cab door, demanding to get off. The driver turned his head... he... he did not have a face at all! It was a completely smooth mask!"

The girl covered her face and cried out in a breakdown:

"Everyone on the bus turned their heads to look at me... their faces were all flat! Someone reached out and pinched my neck, trying to drag me toward the back door of the carriage. Just when I thought I was dead for sure, the protective talisman my brother gave me suddenly glowed..."

Lin Xiaoxiao tremblingly pulled a half-charred yellow paper triangular bundle out of her pocket.

That was a low-tier safety talisman Lin Ye had casually drawn, which Fatty Wang had brazenly begged for and given to his cousin.

The Pure Yang Qi contained within this talisman erupted at a critical juncture, forcefully shaking away those water-ghost-like passengers and letting the girl seize the opportunity to jump out of the window and roll into the roadside bushes, escaping disaster.

Lin Ye pinched that charred protective talisman and rubbed his fingertips lightly.

The talisman paper turned into flying ash, and a chilly, fishy water stench permeated the air.

"Ghost bus, scapegoat baleful aura."

Lin Ye coldly spat out eight words.

This kind of evil entity was usually condensed from resentful spirits who died violently, driving a manifested vehicle.

Wandering at crossroads in the dead of night, they specifically searched for living people with low yang energy to act as their scapegoats.

Once Lin Xiaoxiao got on the bus, she was marked by this group of water ghosts.

That black mark on her neck was the contract demanding her life.

As long as midnight arrived tonight, her soul would be forcibly hooked away to become a new passenger on that Route 404 bus.

Just as Lin Ye was calculating how to solve this ghost bus, the system light screen popped up.

"Ding! Triggered urban legend chained quest: [Midnight Route 404 Ghost Bus]."

[In the corpse-submerged reservoir in the suburbs of Jiangzhou, a bus full of resentful spirits is looking for substitutes. Host, please board this passenger vehicle leading to the Yellow Springs at midnight tonight, and thoroughly deliver this group of fare-evading ghosts.]

[Option A: Entering the Dragon's Lair Alone — Righteously tell Fatty Wang "Leave it to me", and step onto the ghost car all alone. Reward: Lone God of Drivers title.]

[Consequence: Facing a bus full of water ghosts in a narrow compartment, you are extremely likely to be beaten to death by a mob.]

[Option B: Call the Police for Help — Dial the dedicated hotline of The Ninth Bureau and let Deputy Captain Chu Hongyan lead a team to seal the road and inspect vehicles.]

[Reward: Law-abiding Citizen Medal. Consequence: The efficiency of The Ninth Bureau is too slow; Lin Xiaoxiao will not last through tonight.]

[Option C: Family Outing — Bring two peerless female zombies onto the car together, giving this group of inexperienced bumpkin ferocious ghosts a little bit of zombie shock!]

[Reward: Husband Points +300, unlock ten [netherworld currency] (can be used to bribe high-ranking ghost runners or purchase netherworld intelligence).]

[Option D: Turning the Tables — Have Leng Yue forcibly force the ghost bus to a stop with the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, and then have Frost Star freeze the ferocious ghosts of the whole car with nether cold qi.]

Then you and Fatty Wang set up a barbecue stand by the roadside, grilling skewers and drinking alcohol right in front of this group of water ghosts, using Pure Yang blood to write "No Through Road" in four large characters on the car body, making them understand who the true ghost-scaring terror of this street is.]

[Reward: Husband Points +400, obtain special title [Last Bus Nemesis] (deterrence against all transportation-type evil spirits doubled), additionally unlock one [Yinshan Sect peripheral stronghold clue].]

[Consequence: Due to the commotion being too big, it will prematurely attract the attention of the higher-ups of the Yinshan Sect, slightly increasing the difficulty of subsequent quests, but Lin Xiaoxiao's life-demanding mark will be completely eradicated on the spot.]

After reading the options, Lin Ye curved the corners of his mouth into a cruel arc.

Daring to touch his brother's sister? And daring to run an unlicensed black car on his turf?

"Fatty, settle your cousin on the second floor of the shop. There are formations protecting it there, so filthy things cannot get in."

Lin Ye stood up and slung the peach wood sword on the counter diagonally across his back.

"Yezi, do you have a way?" Fatty Wang seemed to have grasped a straw of life.

Lin Ye turned his head to look at Leng Yue and Frost Star, who were sitting idly on the sofa.

"Wives, do not cook dinner tonight."

Lin Ye's eyes flashed with eager battle intent.

"We are going to take a free sightseeing bus."