"G-Ghostly people..." Hui Zi's face turned pale. "Qiao Fei, are you sure?"
"Almost certain," Qiao Fei replied, gently rubbing her forehead as if recalling an unpleasant memory.
"What are Ghostly People?" Ning Fan had never heard this term before, but he could sense the pain in their voices.
After composing himself, Hui Zi explained to Ning Fan what Ghostly People were.
Soul Servants were formed by the gathering of souls, attaching themselves to weapons and being released or recalled according to the wielder's will. Lin Chuan had previously told Ning Fan about these souls - they must have endured great suffering before death.
Therefore, Soul Servants were inherently unstable entities. They simply needed a vessel to inhabit.
But before becoming Soul Servants, these souls were... human!
So, even after becoming Soul Servants, the best vessel for them was still a human body!
Of course, under normal circumstances, no one would willingly offer their body to a Soul Servant.
Unless... they were desperate!
Lin Chuan had mentioned that after prolonged interaction with a Soul Servant, when the compatibility reached a certain level, a specific weapon was no longer needed to trigger the Soul Servant.
At that point, the Soul Servant would enter the host's body.
However, like when attached to a weapon, the Soul Servant would remain in a stable state!
But this was only if the Soul Servant had been "tamed."
If it hadn't been fully "tamed" and was forcibly absorbed into the body...
That's when one would become a Ghostly Person!
The body's control would be seized by the Soul Servant!
"So, Brother Chuan now... is no longer Brother Chuan..." Ning Fan finally understood why they were so agitated. "He... has become the 'Butcher'?"
'Butcher' was the name of Brother Chuan's Soul Servant.
No one answered him.
But the silence was the most truthful answer.
"Will Brother Chuan still remember us?" Ning Fan felt a lump in his throat.
The events of that day, pieced together from various clues, had mostly come to light.
After Da Zhuang's death, Lin Chuan had given instructions to Qiao Fei and left the cave.
He returned to the Misty Forest alone to seek revenge against Su Bei.
Lin Chuan caught Su Bei off guard, and Monkey, who had just woken up, witnessed their battle.
Lin Chuan, with only a "Single Soul" level Soul Servant, was no match for Su Bei's "Hundred Souls" level.
With his body pierced by the "Light Arrow," Lin Chuan knew he might die.
What he found hard to accept was that even at the cost of his life...
He might not be able to kill Su Bei!
Su Bei was too strong!
At that moment, Lin Chuan held his long blade, blood continuously pouring from the holes in his body.
As he looked at Su Bei, images of Old Duan, Wang Ye, and Da Zhuang's deaths flashed through his mind.
He wanted revenge.
He was the captain of the Stray Dog Pack.
These little stray dogs relied on him for survival.
People had died, and he felt responsible!
In this line of work, death wasn't unexpected.
Being killed by Aberrant Beasts was a result of one's own inadequacy - taking on tasks beyond one's abilities meant death was deserved, with no one else to blame.
But being set up...
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
At that moment, Lin Chuan must have been laughing.
A bitter laugh.
He sold his body... to the "Butcher."
Even knowing he would become a Ghostly Person, losing all rationality...
He still wanted revenge!
The "Butcher" took over his body.
He exploded with power!
Su Bei was nearly cut down!
That's what happened that day.
"I-I've told you everything I know..." Monkey said, frightened by the oppressive atmosphere in the cave.
But as soon as he spoke, Hui Zi's eyes widened, turning into a mad dog!
"You motherf*cker! If it weren't for you guys, how could Brother Chuan have..."
"Ah!!! You deserve to die!!!"
"Tearing you to pieces wouldn't even be enough to quell my anger!!!"
Hui Zi frantically slashed at Monkey's shadow on the wall. Monkey rolled on the ground in agony, his snot and tears mixing together as he begged shamelessly.
"Kill... me... please..."
Death had become a luxury for Monkey.
No one paid attention to him.
"Let's... go find Brother Chuan!" Ning Fan composed himself and looked at Qiao Fei. "What if we can cure him?"
"Cure? This isn't a disease," Qiao Fei shook her head.
Seeing Ning Fan's persistence, Qiao Fei continued, "My sister... she was a Ghostly Person."
Ning Fan was stunned.
All along, he had thought of Qiao Fei as a woman who didn't like to express her emotions.
Cold, seemingly keeping everyone at arm's length.
He didn't know about Qiao Fei's past, and neither did Hui Zi.
"Qiao Fei, your sister..."
"She didn't voluntarily give her body to the Soul Servant; it was taken from her," Qiao Fei said, clearly reluctant to bring up the topic but forcing herself to explain. "When a person's mental strength isn't enough to control a Soul Servant, there's a chance the body can be taken over."
Ning Fan looked at Qiao Fei, not knowing how to comfort her.
In the Lower City, familial affection was already a luxury.
Ning Fan put himself in Qiao Fei's shoes, imagining how painful it would be if his own mother turned into a Ghostly Person, like a walking corpse.
"Let's go find Brother Chuan!" Ning Fan said again.
"Kid! Don't you understand? Even if we find him, there's no way to turn Brother Chuan back to how he was before!" Hui Zi exclaimed emotionally. "If Brother Chuan doesn't recognize us when we find him, or even attacks us, we..."
Hui Zi couldn't continue. To be precise, he dared not imagine that scenario.
But Ning Fan stood up.
"Wait for me, I'm going to find someone!"
The two wanted to stop Ning Fan and ask what he was planning.
But Ning Fan had already quickly run towards the F27 District.
An hour later, Ning Fan passed through the Ghost Mist Forest and returned to the F27 District.
Familiar with the route, Ning Fan arrived at the Monitors' office building.
The Monitors were all familiar with Ning Fan by now, and many greeted him as he passed.
Ning Fan went straight to the captain's office without knocking and pushed the door open.
In the office, Wen Cai sat in her chair, a hint of worry on her pretty face.
She was stunned to see Ning Fan.
But soon, she put on her trademark seductive smile again.
"Why are you back? Miss your big sister?"
Wen Cai flipped her hair. "You left as if it was a life-or-death farewell! Coming back so soon kind of ruins the mood..."
"Sister Cai, you can extract Soul Servants, right?" Ning Fan interrupted Wen Cai's joke.
Wen Cai paused, raising an eyebrow. "Made enough money?"
Her first thought was that Ning Fan had come to her to extract Wang Ye's knuckle duster and Old Duan's staff.
But Ning Fan shook his head. "Not weapons!"
Before Wen Cai could ask, Ning Fan added, "It's a person! A Soul Servant inside a Ghostly Person!"
The playfulness on Wen Cai's face completely disappeared.
In its place was a serious expression.
"Lin Chuan... has become a Ghostly Person?"
The two wanted to stop Ning Fan and ask what he was planning.
But Ning Fan had already quickly run towards the F27 District.
An hour later, Ning Fan passed through the Ghost Mist Forest and returned to the F27 District.
Familiar with the route, Ning Fan arrived at the Monitors' office building.
The Monitors were all familiar with Ning Fan by now, and many greeted him as he passed.
Ning Fan went straight to the captain's office without knocking and pushed the door open.
In the office, Wen Cai sat in her chair, a hint of worry on her pretty face.
She was stunned to see Ning Fan.
But soon, she put on her trademark seductive smile again.
"Why are you back? Miss your big sister?"
Wen Cai flipped her hair. "You left as if it was a life-or-death farewell! Coming back so soon kind of ruins the mood..."
"Sister Cai, you can extract Soul Servants, right?" Ning Fan interrupted Wen Cai's joke.
Wen Cai paused, raising an eyebrow. "Made enough money?"
Her first thought was that Ning Fan had come to her to extract Wang Ye's knuckle duster and Old Duan's staff.
But Ning Fan shook his head. "Not weapons!"
Before Wen Cai could ask, Ning Fan added, "It's a person! A Soul Servant inside a Ghostly Person!"
The playfulness on Wen Cai's face completely disappeared.
In its place was a serious expression.
"Lin Chuan... has become a Ghostly Person?"