Chapter 4: Then Quit Acting Tough

Chen Tutu edged toward the window and gently pushed it open. I thought he was planning to scout around quietly, but he just leapt straight out.

Holy crap, that’s a two-story drop—nice skills, man!

Without a second thought, I raised the Judge’s Brush and tossed out a few defensive talismans that wrapped around him. Those were enough to ward off most ghosts.

Watching his fancy move got my adrenaline pumping, so I tried hoisting myself up onto the windowsill. Taking a peek down, I realized it was pitch-black—I couldn’t see the ground at all.

Yeah… forget it. He can do the cool stunts. I’ll use the stairs.

I headed out through the shop’s front door, but Chen Tutu was already gone. The stench of Dark Practitioners grew stronger by the second.

Suddenly, I heard a crackling noise, like an electric spark, from the shop across the street. Startled, I saw a flicker of white light from the far side of that storefront.

“There!” Gripping the Judge’s Brush, I sprinted over.

The closer I got, the heavier that rotting-lilac reek became, until it almost stung my nostrils. When I arrived, I found Chen Tutu standing there, exuding a suffocating aura of cold hostility.

“Hey—” I barely got a word out before something red and snakelike, glowing ominously, slithered out from his shoulder. Startled, I stumbled forward, thinking maybe he’d been hit by some dark arts. Practically tripping over myself, I scrambled to his side.

But once I got a closer look, I realized it was just the Three Spirit Coins spinning out threads of crimson light, merging in midair to form this thick snake the width of a bowl. Must’ve been one of Chen Tutu’s Daoist techniques, so I relaxed.

Right now, though, he was giving off a murderous vibe that made my blood run cold. His eyes glinted like icy blades, staring into the darkness ahead.

Following his gaze, I could see two silhouettes lurking there. Dark Practitioners!

My body trembled. It felt like a spark set my hatred ablaze—rage and excitement flooded me, scorching me from head to toe. My parents’ horrific deaths, my two years of miserable survival, weighed like a giant stone on my chest, always on the brink of crushing me.

Finally—finally—the Chen family’s here, and the Dark Practitioners are here too!

Maybe my hellish life was about to end at last.

Sensing my mood, the Judge’s Brush began to hum in excitement. “Come on out, you bastards! You’re already here—why hide like a bunch of mangy dogs?”

“Heh heh heh… we never expected the Chen and Lin families hadn’t died off completely. Looks like two little pups survived,” a voice chuckled from the shadows. The two figures stepped into the streetlight, one in black, one in red.

The one in black wore a hooded cloak that covered half his face. The lower half was riddled with wrinkles, like dried-up orange peel, tinged gray and radiating a faint aura of death.

That was the source of the corpse-like odor we smelled.

Next to him stood a woman in red. The moment she stepped into the lamplight, I froze in place. She was stunning—chillingly beautiful, but definitely not human.

She wore a long dress of crimson that clung to an elegant figure. Her hair cascaded to her waist like a black waterfall, emphasizing how slender she was. She had a delicate oval face, finely sculpted features. Long brows arched just so, giving her a hint of wildness. Beneath those brows were perfectly shaped phoenix eyes, the corners lifted at just the right angle—at once distant and alluring. Her gaze darted around like a venomous serpent on the hunt, at once seductive and terrifying. A dainty, sharply defined nose sat above seductive red lips. Few women can handle such a bold shade of red, but on her, it was a perfect match. The intense crimson of her mouth raised her aura to an almost untouchable level, intimidating men too much even to contemplate desire—they could only bow their heads.

Such a frosty beauty, and at this moment, her face was terrifyingly cold. Her eyes gleamed red, brimming with tangible killing intent. As soon as she emerged under the streetlight, not only was I rattled, I swear I felt Chen Tutu’s body jolt as well.

Too strong! Her presence pressed down on us like a physical weight, and cold sweat sprang from my pores.

“Aw, come on! First battle and we’re up against this level of freak? Heaven’s out to get me—last time that lightning bolt failed to kill me, so now it’s sending a monster like this to finish the job?” I grumbled inwardly, inching a little closer to Chen Tutu.

“Except for lacking a shadow, she’s basically human now. She’s powerful,” Chen Tutu said quietly, voice still calm but laced with urgency.

“Yeah, I can tell.” I clutched the Judge’s Brush. “So… you got a plan?”

“No plan. Don’t suppose we can back out?” He gave me a sidelong glance, solemn and composed. Under the dim streetlight, with that scarlet snake coiled around him, there was something eerily beautiful about him.

Seeing he was even better looking than me, I silently cursed, “Damn, if you’ve got no plan, why’re you acting so cool?”

The old creep in black seemed to have overheard us. He burst into that irritating “hehehe” laughter again.

“Hehehehe your granny, you old bastard!” I snarled, flicking my brush to string a batch of talismans together like a ribbon wrapping around Chen Tutu and me. “I haven’t even had time to hunt you down myself, and here you come shamelessly showing your face. You in such a hurry to die? Let Grandpa here send you straight to hell!”

With a ghost that strong, there was no point trying to run. Might as well go all-in. I didn’t know how capable Chen Tutu was, but I was sure I could at least drag one of them down with me. Screw my luck—no time to worry about that now.

Stopping the brush’s tip, I unleashed a golden phoenix formed from talismans. Though it made no actual sound, I could almost hear its piercing cry. Magnificent and brilliant, the phoenix gleamed like gold-tinted glass, soaring through the night with an aura of sacred grandeur.

As soon as it appeared, the old bastard’s expression changed. Even Chen Tutu’s eyes widened as he blurted, “Holy crap, that’s badass.”

Getting that reaction made me a bit cocky. I snorted. “How about it, man? Pretty impressive, right?”

He dropped the act, giving a sincere nod. “Yeah, it looks legit—quite the show. Just don’t flop when it counts.”

“Tch, who’re you looking down on? I’ll make that chick and that old fogey kneel down and call me daddy.” I spun the brush again, ready to attack.

“All right, enough talk, let’s go!” Chen Tutu’s Three Spirit Coins flared, and the crimson snake shot forward.