Chapter 139: The Soul-Seeking Decree

A wooden cabin appeared in the depths of the dense forest like a phantom.

The ghosts stared at one another in bewilderment. They had thoroughly searched this area moments ago; the sudden emergence of the cabin felt as if it had simply manifested out of thin air.

"What are you all standing around for? Go and search it!"

At Shinuo's command, the ghosts drifted toward the cabin instantly, terrified that any delay would result in punishment.

Meanwhile, in a secret tunnel, Adai was running at full speed with Wu Qianqian on his back.

"Adai, you can put me down now. I can run on my own."

"No. You... are not... as fast... as me."

Adai’s reply was simple and direct, without a moment's hesitation.

"Fine, but don't you dare slow down." Wu Qianqian pursed her lips.

The tunnel was narrow, damp, and pitch black. Wu Qianqian couldn't help but cling to Adai tightly. "Adai, who dug this secret tunnel? It’s so narrow and dark..."

"Me," Adai replied with a single word.

Wu Qianqian was utterly astonished. "You? How did you manage that? This tunnel looks endless!"

It was indeed remarkably long; they had been running for a great while, yet the exit remained nowhere in sight.

"Just... like that." Adai seemed unwilling to dwell on the past regarding the tunnel.

Two hundred years of walking on eggshells, every day like dancing on the edge of a blade. Excavating this passage had cost him almost every ounce of his spirit.

"Adai, you are truly incredible!" Wu Qianqian said with heartfelt admiration. His resilience left her in awe. Had it been her, she might have collapsed long ago.

"Will they chase us?" Wu Qianqian changed the subject, a hint of anxiety in her tone.

"Yes," Adai answered with certainty.

Given Shinuo’s methods, it was only a matter of time before they discovered the secret passage. This was why he was pushing himself to run with everything he had.

Just then, three branching paths appeared before Adai. Without hesitation, he chose the one on the far right.

The walls of the tunnel were plastered with spirit-suppressing talismans. As they ventured deeper, Adai’s pace began to slow. Veins bulged on his forehead, and beads of sweat trickled down his cheeks.

"I... am not... a ghost..."
"I... am... human..."

Adai gritted his teeth, repeating the mantra over and over, as if struggling against some unseen force. Wu Qianqian noticed his distress, and a wave of unease washed over her.

"Adai! What’s wrong? Don't scare me!" she cried out anxiously.

"I’m... fine..." Adai managed a labored response. His steps were heavy, but he did not stop.

He had endured excruciating pain to place each of those talismans himself. Over the past two hundred years, this was how he had slowly adapted.

After answering Wu Qianqian, Adai continued to mutter to himself as he ran forward. It was almost over; soon, he would finally escape. This was what he had longed for most over the last two centuries.

At the same time, the moment Shinuo stepped into the cabin, he began to play his flute. As the notes drifted into the air, countless specks of light, shimmering like fireflies, began to gather in the room. These specks were fragments of wandering souls from the forest, drawn to the sound of his flute as if they had found their home.

As the melody ended, Shinuo’s gaze pierced through the light. "Where is he?" he asked coldly.

The soul fragments drifted slowly toward an inconspicuous mechanism beside the bookshelf. Shinuo tucked away his flute and sneered, "Compared to me, you are still far too naive!"

Before the words had even faded, he triggered the mechanism. An entrance to a secret tunnel was revealed beneath the wooden bed.

"After him!"

Shinuo chased into the tunnel, with the ghosts swarming behind him. They navigated the narrow passage quickly and soon arrived at the three-way junction. Facing the paths ahead, a flicker of malice crossed Shinuo’s eyes.

"Split up," he commanded. "Take one path each."

The ghosts immediately divided into three groups and scattered. However, almost simultaneously, screams of agony erupted from all three tunnels. Their faces twisted in torment—a pain originating from the very depths of their souls, far worse than any punishment their master could inflict.

"Aaargh..."

"Ahhh..."

The ghosts retreated to Shinuo, writhing in pain. "M-master," a male ghost stammered tremulously, "there are strange talismans in the tunnels... they cause us unbearable pain."

"Oh? Then how did he get through?" Shinuo narrowed his eyes. After a moment of thought, he pulled out his dark flute once more.

This time, he played the "Soul-Seeking Decree." As the haunting melody drifted through the air, the eyes of the surrounding ghosts turned vacant. As if stripped of their ability to feel pain, they split up again and drifted toward the three tunnels. Despite the severe damage the talismans caused them, they pushed forward, driven by the flute’s command.

As the tempo of the music quickened, the ghosts moved faster, as if pulled by an invisible force, closing in on their prey.

Adai, running for his life, suddenly felt a wave of crushing pressure. His steps became heavy, as if he were carrying a thousand-pound weight. Shinuo’s voice echoed relentlessly in his mind like a curse he could not shake.

"Return. Do not defy me!"
"Come back now!"

*Thud.*

Adai’s knees buckled, and he dropped to one knee, his face contorted in agony. He clutched his ears, trying to block out the nauseating voice, but Shinuo’s presence haunted him like a shadow.

Seeing this, Wu Qianqian immediately slid off his back and asked anxiously, "Adai, what's wrong?"

"You... run!" Adai looked at her, speaking with great difficulty.

"Nonsense! We run together!" Wu Qianqian insisted on pulling him up, but Adai dodged her hand.

"Leave... me... alone! They... are... catching up."

"No, Adai, we stay together! I won't leave you behind!" Wu Qianqian refused to yield. Without another word, she made a bold move: she hoisted Adai onto her own back and began to run frantically toward the end of the tunnel.

"Adai, don't worry. We'll be out of here soon."