Chapter 726, Who Is the Taoist
"Any more questions?"
Seeing that Lü Changan still hadn't mounted the wyvern, Wu Heng asked.
Lü Changan gave a wry smile. "Isn't this kind of unsafe?"
"It's fine. Just don't jump off," Wu Heng replied, pulling out two wireless earpieces and handing one over. "It's windy up there—use this to talk."
Lü Changan took it instinctively. "We're really flying? The convoy could get us there too."
Wu Heng looked to the side. "Kashu, ride with him."
Kashu jumped off the wyvern. Lü Changan's face twisted.
"No no, too dangerous."
Kashu lifted him by the shoulders and forcibly placed him on the wyvern's back before climbing up himself.
"Let's go—don't forget to guide us," Wu Heng said, patting the wyvern.
The skeletal wyvern launched into the sky with a leap. Wind howled past his ears.
The other wyverns followed closely.
Lü Changan let out a miserable wail as he soared skyward.
Once at altitude and cruising, the ride smoothed out.
Wu Heng said over the earpiece, "Commander Lü, don't forget to guide us."
Lü Changan's voice came through. "Straight ahead—destination's Blue Sky Mechanical Plant."
......
Crumbling concrete walls, exposed rusted rebar.
Garbage piled in corners, shattered windows and walls sealed crudely with iron sheets and bricks.
A crooked sign outside the building read: Blue Sky Mechanical Plant.
Inside the plant, over a dozen people gathered, gnawing on stale rations, sitting in a circle, alert to both surroundings and each other.
Everyone looked terrible—bloodshot eyes, dark circles.
Like they were on the brink of collapsing from lack of sleep.
"Still no new rescue team? Are they abandoning us?"
Everyone turned to look at one person.
If no rescue came and the ghost couldn't be dealt with, they'd all die here eventually.
The man under scrutiny said, "Hang on—Central's gone to get someone who can fix this."
"Who?"
He glanced around and shook his head lightly.
Indicating the ghost might be nearby, so he couldn't say.
The others understood and sighed softly.
"Can it really be fixed?" someone muttered.
At this point, they all understood their situation.
Two teams had already come—the first brought gear.
The second brought Taoists, who performed rituals—but to no real effect.
People kept dying or getting injured—like a never-ending rescue cycle.
The ghost couldn't be stopped, but at least they got supplies.
Now they could at least survive a while longer.
Fortunately, the ghost couldn't kill directly—it only took over bodies to cause suicide or attack others.
As long as they watched each other, they could hold on.
Whoosh~!
Suddenly, a gust of wind roared past the window.
Everyone whipped their heads toward the noise.
"Help me~!"
A terrified voice rang out.
One middle-aged woman turned red-faced, eyes bulging.
"Hold her down!" someone shouted.
Bang~!
Before they could react, she smashed her head against the wall.
Blood sprayed—she collapsed on the spot.
"I—I'm being controlled!" another shouted.
The others quickly restrained him.
"It's me now! Help!"
"Hold me down!"
Chaos erupted.
Possession spread, others scrambled to intervene.
Heavy footsteps sounded outside—drawing closer.
No time to react.
The door suddenly burst open.
Several figures entered.
In the confusion, everyone turned.
Four people.
The possessed individuals flinched, regaining control.
No more signs of possession.
Still wary, they reformed a circle so everyone stayed visible.
"Commander Lü, do we have a solution?" someone asked, hopeful.
Lü Changan turned to Wu Heng. "Can you handle it?"
"I'll take care of it," Wu Heng said and turned to leave, heading around back.
......
The moment Wu Heng entered,
The ghost fled.
His three wraiths gave chase. Seeing no other threats, Wu Heng followed.
In the back courtyard, narrow alleys covered in sludge and moss.
Three wraiths surrounded a trapped, glowing-blue ghost.
"How's it looking?" Wu Heng asked.
"Uncle, it talks!" Xiaoxiao said.
The ghost had no clear face—clearly feral.
It thrashed, trying to escape.
"What did it say?" Wu Heng asked.
"It cursed! Said to let it go!" Xiaoxiao tattled.
It cursed?
That meant it wasn't dumb—it could express anger.
"What level is it?"
"Level 8."
That's squad leader level in the other world.
This ghost leveled fast.
It must've spawned somewhere perfect for ghost growth.
Wu Heng walked over. "Say something."
The ghost, though eyeless, faced Wu Heng—like staring.
It seemed confused.
Why were these wraiths helping a human?
"If you don't speak, I'll let them devour you," Wu Heng threatened.
"Yah~!" Xiaoxiao made a scary face.
Then turned around giggling.
The ghost actually flinched, retreating in panic.
"You'll die! Let me go or I'll kill you!" it growled stiffly.
"That's it?"
"Yeah, it said the same thing earlier," Glenda added.
"Do you remember anything before you died?" Wu Heng asked.
The ghost lunged, but the barrier bounced it back.
Seemed like its intellect wasn't very high—not like Xiaoxiao, who retained hers.
Likely a feral ghost that slowly gained sentience.
"What now?" Glenda asked.
"Open it up. I'll trap it in the Soul Jar as ritual material," Wu Heng replied.
Residual zombie souls could enhance the wraiths.
Semi-intelligent ones made great ritual components.
"Okay," Glenda said, releasing it.
Wu Heng immediately cast [Bone Cage] to restrain it again, then drew the Soul Jar and absorbed it.
"Let's go. Say goodbye to them, then we're done."
"They still owe us payment," Xiaoxiao whispered.
"They still need to trade food with us. They won't run."
"Oh, okay!" Xiaoxiao nodded.
......
They returned to the front.
A dozen people waited.
When Wu Heng entered, everyone stood silently, staring.
These folks were clearly at their limit.
Without help, they'd have lost it in a few more days.
"Where's Commander Lü?" Wu Heng asked.
"Inside talking. Please wait," a middle-aged man said. Then: "Is the ghost gone?"
"Handled. When they come out, you can all leave."
"How'd you do it?" someone else asked.
Everyone looked over.
Not that they doubted him—Lü Changan had said he'd handle it.
Wu Heng had returned calmly, whether he chased it off or killed it—either was fine.
Wu Heng thought, then smiled. "Special ability."
Everyone nodded in understanding.
Esoterica beats esoterica.
Wu Heng scanned the group. "Who's the Taoist?"
Everyone looked toward one man. A bespectacled young man stepped forward. "I have a Taoist license—but my methods didn't work."
Dressed in a dirty tracksuit, he looked more like an exhausted student than a priest.
"What methods did you use?"
"Talismans."