Chapter 4 — Rule-Based Horror System: Making the Ghost King Kneel

Bui Thuc’s fierce momentum was instantly suppressed by the golden light, half of his dark aura dissipating into the void. He let out a low groan of pain and dropped heavily onto one knee. My heart clenched tightly in my chest. This old Daoist priest possessed formidable and genuine abilities.

Ha, ha, ha, ha!

Shen Changhai, acting as though he had just found his ultimate savior, sprang up from his chair in ecstasy.

This is Xuanji Daoist Master, whom I spent millions to invite all the way from Mount Longhu! He specializes in dealing with vicious evils like you!

Madam Wang also crawled up from the floor, her face twisted with bitter hatred.

Daoist Master, quickly subdue him! That wretched hussy is no good either, kill them both right now!

Xuanji Daoist Master rapidly formed hand seals, pointing his peachwood sword directly at the center of Bui Thuc’s brows.

Vile creature! Today, this poor Daoist will scatter your soul and annihilate your consciousness completely!

Pinned down by the oppressive golden light, Bui Thuc was completely paralyzed. The mystic runes carved across his body twisted frantically, as if struggling against some excruciating agony. He raised his head to look at me, but within his dark eyes, there was not a shred of fear. Instead, what flickered there was... eager anticipation? The system interface suddenly flashed before my eyes.

[Seventh Rule: The Ghost King is in an extremely weakened state, yet he fiercely craves your salvation. Make your choice within ten seconds.]

[A. Flee alone.]

[B. Kneel and beg for mercy.]

[C. Use your blood to awaken his primordial power.]

I looked at Bui Thuc, who was completely enveloped in blinding golden light, and then glanced back at the gloating members of the Shen family. Run away? Impossible. Beg for mercy? Even less likely. I, Shen Li, have never known how to bow my head to anyone in this lifetime. Without a single moment of hesitation, I bit down hard on the tip of my tongue and spat a mouthful of warm blood directly into the palm of my hand. Ignoring the scorching, burning pain of the surrounding light, I lunged straight into the center of the radiant circle, grabbed Bui Thuc’s head, and pressed my blood-stained lips fiercely against his.

Mm...

Bui Thuc’s eyes widened abruptly, his pupils trembling violently. My pure yin blood flowed across our tightly sealed lips, spilling entirely into his mouth. To a malevolent spirit, pure yin blood was simultaneously a supreme tonic and an ultimate poison. Yet under the system’s jurisdiction, this act was defined as waking.

[Ding! Judgment successful. The Ghost King’s primordial power is awakening...]

Boom! A terrifying wave of black, violent energy erupted outward with the two of us at its epicenter. The golden alms bowl suspended in mid-air instantly shattered into fine powder. Xuanji Daoist Master let out a miserable shriek as he was violently blasted backward, crashing hard onto the ground and vomiting copious amounts of blood. The runes covering Bui Thuc’s body instantly shifted to a deep, bloody crimson, and his pale skin was overlaid with a gloomy, ethereal golden glow. He reached out, his hand firmly grasping the back of my neck as he deepened the kiss. It was freezing cold, domineering, and overwhelmingly possessive. Only when I was on the verge of suffocation did he finally release me with lingering reluctance.

Wife...

He licked his lips, his gaze misty yet dangerously intoxicating.

So sweet.

The members of the Shen family were completely petrified. Even Xuanji Daoist Master had been defeated; their final trump card was utterly spent. Bui Thuc rose gracefully to his feet, pulling me protectively behind him as his cold gaze swept across the spacious hall.

Since you all enjoy formations so much,

He raised a hand, dark wisps of mist curling playfully around his fingers,

Then let us all play a game together.

The rules are very simple,

He pointed directly at Shen Changhai,

Before nightfall, dig out my heart and hand it over. Otherwise...

He snapped his fingers once. Every window and door slammed shut simultaneously. Countless pale, ghostly hands protruded from the walls, the floor, and the ceiling, writhing and clawing frantically within the enclosed space.

Every single one of you shall become nourishment for my growth.

6

The Shen family manor transformed into a living hell in the blink of an eye. Although those pale hands had not yet directly attacked anyone, merely gazing upon them was enough to cause a complete psychological collapse. Shen Dao had already fainted from sheer terror, while Madam Wang clutched her tightly, huddled in a corner and shivering uncontrollably. Shen Changhai’s complexion turned ashen grey as he collapsed limply to the ground.

Inside... inside the ancestral hall...

He finally broke down completely,

The heart is inside the secret chamber beneath the ancestral hall...

Bui Thuc let out a cold chuckle, tightly holding my hand.

Let us go, wife, and retrieve what rightfully belongs to us.

We stepped into the ancestral hall. The atmosphere here was suffused with an immensely heavy yin energy. The offering table was densely crowded with memorial tablets, yet the very center was left entirely vacant, occupied only by a black lacquer wooden box sealed tightly with numerous talismans. Could that truly be Bui Thuc’s heart? Just as I was about to step forward, the system suddenly emitted a piercing, shrill alarm.

[Warning! Warning! High-level dangerous energy response detected!]

[Eighth Rule: The heart is a trap. Once touched, the Ghost King will be completely sealed, and you shall become the new sacrifice.]

I stopped abruptly in my tracks, instantly pulling back Bui Thuc, who was already reaching out his hand.

Do not touch it!

Bui Thuc looked down at me in confusion.

What is wrong?

It is a trap.

I stared fixedly at the black lacquer wooden box,

Shen Changhai did not speak the truth.

At that exact moment, the doors of the ancestral hall slammed shut with a thunderous crash. The memorial tablets surrounding us began to rattle violently, and countless wisps of dark energy poured forth from them, converging into a gigantic malevolent specter. This evil spirit possessed a terrifying green face with protruding tusks, standing three zhang tall and wielding a massive axe capable of splitting mountains.

Heh, heh, heh... We finally waited for you two to arrive.

It emitted a spine-chilling laugh,

Although Shen Changhai is utterly useless, this tactic of luring the dragon into the urn was executed quite well.

So this was the Shen family’s true trump card—an ancestral evil spirit that had been worshipped and nourished for over a hundred years. Bui Thuc narrowed his eyes, pulling me further behind him.

A mere century-old evil spirit dares to run amok in front of this king?

If you were the Ghost King in your prime, I naturally would not dare.

The evil spirit smiled sinisterly,

But right now, you lack your heart, your strength is less than thirty percent, and you just forced yourself to awaken. Are you not currently at your absolute weakest?

He had hit the nail right on the head. In order to shatter the golden alms bowl earlier, Bui Thuc had indeed expended a massive amount of energy. At this moment, his hand trembled slightly, and the dark aura surrounding his body flickered with instability.

Wife,

Bui Thuc said in a low, deep voice,

Later, I will hold him off. You must find an opportunity to escape.

Run? Where could I run? The exits had all been tightly sealed. Besides, abandoning the target I needed to conquer in order to escape was simply not my style. My gaze fell once more upon the black lacquer wooden box. Since it was a trap, where then was the genuine exit? The eighth rule was still flashing frantically on the system interface.

[Hint: True power does not lie within the heart, but rather within...]

Behind those words was a string of garbled error characters. Damn it, it had to malfunction right at the most crucial moment! The evil spirit had already swung its massive axe downward with devastating force. Bui Thuc raised his hand to block it, his dark energy transforming into a barrier.

Boom!

A deafening explosion echoed through the hall, and Bui Thuc was forcefully driven back several steps, a streak of fresh blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Husband!

I cried out in alarm.

Do not come over here!