Chapter 19: The Past of the Shang Family Head

"How did you know he was a Skin-stripping Ghost?" Tao Yaoye asked, posing a question that Butler Zhang, even until his death, never knew the answer to.

Lu Yang cleaned up the aftermath of the battle, sweeping the Skin-stripping Ghost's ashes into a small pile with a broom. Tao Yaoye, sensing his intention, automatically brought out a dustpan to collect them.

"It's simple, just recall what the parrot said: 'Who are you? Where is Butler Zhang?'"

"When we met Shang Yuan, she deliberately tried to drive us away and keep us from the Shang family."

"This indicated that the current Butler Zhang was no longer the person Young Miss Shang knew, and was extremely dangerous."

"There were three possibilities for Butler Zhang's identity being replaced."

"First, Butler Zhang could have been possessed. But why would an old monster capable of possession stay in the Shang family for so long? If it were me, the first thing I'd do after possessing someone is leave Taiping Township and find a spiritual haven to continue cultivating. Besides, Butler Zhang's talent isn't impressive; possessing the Shang family head would be a better choice than him." Lu Yang put himself in the monster's shoes, thinking empathetically.

"Second, someone could have disguised themselves as Butler Zhang. But that doesn't make sense either. The Shang family has nothing valuable, so why pretend to be a butler? Does he have a servant fetish? Even if the Shang family had valuable things, why not just rob them directly? With his late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, he could crawl through Taiping Township and no one would dare question him."

"The third possibility is a Skin-stripping Ghost. These ghosts love collecting human skins, disguising themselves as humans, adopting their habits, and living among them."

A Skin-stripping Ghost was human in life and became a ghost after death, a type of ghost cultivator. Most ghost cultivators suffer from some kind of psychological disorder.

For example, Skin-stripping Ghosts are most afraid of having their identity exposed. They strive to believe they are human, speaking and acting like people. When they tire of a skin, they replace it and begin a new identity, repeating the cycle.

Lu Yang's explanation was well-reasoned and convincing, causing Tao Yaoye to look at him with admiration. The timid Senior Brother Lu she knew from the flying boat was nowhere to be seen.

She possessed all the knowledge Lu Yang did, but in the moment, she didn't think as extensively as he did. This was a difference in mental agility.

"Keep the ashes safe; these are our proof of completing the mission." Lu Yang produced a white porcelain jar, about two palms high, and collected all the Skin-stripping Ghost's ashes inside.

The Skin-stripping Ghost was an extension of the task, part of the mission. Killing it would certainly yield greater rewards than just finding the parrot.

Outside, a flurry of footsteps approached, stopping abruptly at the door. It sounded like several people had been awakened from their sleep, rushing to the East Wing to check the situation, but hesitating to enter.

The identity of those outside was not hard to guess. Lu Yang chuckled loudly, "Patriarch Shang, please come in. The Skin-stripping Ghost has been slain by me; it's safe here now."

With a creak, the wooden door was pushed open by Patriarch Shang. Behind him stood his wife, young miss, maids, and servants—a total of twelve people, all looking relieved as if narrowly escaping a disaster.

"Many thanks to you two immortal masters for your intervention, slaying the Skin-stripping Ghost, and saving the lives of all twelve members of my Shang family!" Patriarch Shang knelt with a thud, and those behind him knelt too.

Skin-stripping Ghosts are capricious. Once it tired of its butler identity, it was highly likely to slaughter every last member of the Shang family!

"Patriarch Shang, please don't mention it. Slaying demons and upholding justice is what disciples of my Dao-Seeking Sect are meant to do." Lu Yang, startled by such a grand display, quickly helped them all to their feet.

"Please forgive us, immortal masters. The Skin-stripping Ghost was elusive and unpredictable; I truly don't know where it came from."

"Ever since this Skin-stripping Ghost impersonated Butler Zhang, it forbade us from leaving the Shang family. If anyone visited, we were also forbidden from speaking about him. If he discovered us, it meant certain death!"

As he spoke, Shang Yuan, who was nearby, also looked ashamed. She was naturally a gentle young lady from a prominent family; her cold actions in the room earlier were merely a pretense to keep Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye away from danger.

Patriarch Shang continued, "It's a pity that since my retirement to the countryside, all my cultivator's wealth has been converted into gold, silver, and jewels, which are useless to you two. I cannot repay you with them. Please tell me if you have any needs; I, Shang, will fulfill them even if it means selling off my entire estate." Patriarch Shang wasn't just being polite; he genuinely wished to repay their life-saving kindness.

To the Dao-Seeking Sect disciples, his entire fortune was as worthless as scrap metal.

Lu Yang, however, actually had a request.

"I heard you decided to retire from the cultivation world and wash your hands of it after encountering a terrifying life-or-death crisis during tomb raiding. What exactly happened back then?"

Tao Yaoye looked at Patriarch Shang with great interest. Tomb raiding, life-or-death crisis, great terror, washing one's hands of it—these words hinted at a compelling story, perhaps even a great opportunity. What she loved most was exploring the unknown in mysterious places.

Lu Yang wasn't as interested in exploring the unknown as Tao Yaoye was, but he enjoyed hearing strange tales.

Patriarch Shang's eyelid twitched. To be honest, he genuinely didn't want to recall that terrifying past, but his saviors had asked, and he couldn't refuse to answer.

He dismissed everyone, especially dispersing Shang Yuan, who had tried to secretly remain, leaving only Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye.

"What I say today must not be repeated to anyone else."

Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye nodded.

After receiving their affirmative reply, Patriarch Shang began recounting events from twenty years ago.

"Thirty years ago, I, Shang Zhongtian, was quite well-known in the Qi Cultivation stage tomb-raiding world. While not infamous, I was certainly disliked by everyone." Patriarch Shang placed his hands on his hips, reminiscing about his glorious past.

Lu Yang and Tao Yaoye didn't quite understand why Patriarch Shang Zhongtian spoke of this with such pride.

What they didn't know was that fellow practitioners are rivals, and tomb raiders are competitors. Shang Zhongtian having such a reputation naturally indicated his exceptional skill.

"I've always been very cautious with my tomb raiding. I never touched large or ancient tombs. As we say in this line of work, 'Large tombs have ghosts, and ancient tombs have immortals.'"

The 'ghosts' referred to here aren't minor Foundation Establishment stage entities like Skin-stripping Ghosts, but powerful beings that reign supreme among ghosts.

"Qi Cultivators are poor; they give all their valuables to their descendants, so there aren't many burial items to speak of. I never touched Qi Cultivators' tombs; there was no profit in them."

"Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators have some family wealth. After their deaths, they habitually divide most of their assets among their descendants, leaving only a small portion as burial offerings. Even that small portion was enough for me to earn a considerable sum."

"Unfortunately, 'he who walks by the river often wets his shoes.' One time, I was excavating a Golden Core cultivator's tomb. As I dug deeper, I discovered it was a tomb within a tomb. The Golden Core tomb was merely a burial offering, and the main tomb belonged to a Nascent Soul cultivator!"

"According to the rules of our profession, one shouldn't dig tombs that belong to cultivators far above one's own cultivation level. But at the time, I was blinded by joy. I thought I was at the peak of the Qi Cultivation stage; if I really ran, my speed could rival a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Tomb raiding doesn't involve fighting, so rounding up, I considered myself equivalent to a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Digging a Nascent Soul tomb that seemed to have fallen from the sky didn't seem dangerous at all."

"So, I offered incense to my ancestors, prayed for their blessing, and then proceeded to excavate the Nascent Soul tomb."