Chapter 253: The Village Guardian

This time, the opera-clad youth had no intention of letting Zhou Zhongtian off the hook.

After all, his “spreading of corruption” had been disrupted! As a diligent chang ghost, how could he tolerate such an insult?

Did people really think that just because he spent his days wailing, he was an easy target?

The opera-clad youth left the villagers to find someone else to hear their grievances, while he himself took off in pursuit of Zhou Zhongtian…

A chilling wind swept through the night.

Hiding inside a latrine, Zhou Zhongtian didn’t dare make a sound.

Yet, the stench assaulting his nostrils and the man grinning foolishly at him were both testing his nerves!

The moment he felt the eerie gust behind him, he had guessed that the opera-clad chang ghost wouldn’t let him go so easily this time.

Zhou Zhongtian was self-aware—he knew he had no chance of defeating a ghost in a fight, and even escaping would require some “technique.”

That’s why he had scouted a spot in advance, choosing the filthiest latrine closest to the chang ghost and the villagers.

Based on his years of experience as an External Agent, highly polluted places had a way of masking the presence of the living. As long as he hid here, at the very least, the ghost wouldn’t be able to “smell” him.

And indeed, when he came here earlier, it had been completely deserted—not even a bird in sight.

Yet now, upon entering, he was greeted by this foolishly grinning man.

The man had a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. His sturdy build suggested great strength, but there was something oddly too clear about his gaze—so clear it felt unnatural.

“Woo woo woo~~~”

The sound of wailing drifted through the wind.

Zhou Zhongtian held his breath and gestured for the man to keep quiet.

The man seemed to understand, nodding vigorously before covering his mouth with his hand.

After what felt like an eternity, the opera-clad chang ghost’s cries finally faded into the distance.

Only then did Zhou Zhongtian lower his voice and ask, “Brother, what are you doing out here in the middle of the night? You should hurry home, crawl under your blankets, and no matter what noises you hear outside, stay put! That crying just now wasn’t from a person!”

The man nodded blankly. “Brother, my name is Yao Wu. There’s a bad person outside—you should leave. I’ll take care of him!”

“Brother Yao Wu, that thing outside isn’t a person, it’s a ghost!” Zhou Zhongtian said helplessly.

Yao Wu nodded again, then pulled out a dung-covered pitchfork from behind him and said seriously, “Doesn’t matter if it’s a person or not. If it’s bad, I’ll drive it away.”

Gulp.

The latrine was cramped, barely enough space for two grown men. So when Yao Wu lifted his “enchanted pitchfork,” its filthy tip nearly poked Zhou Zhongtian right in the mouth.

Zhou Zhongtian swallowed hard and shrank back. “Put that thing away! Don’t point it at me!”

“Oh,” Yao Wu responded, lowering the pitchfork. Then, he grinned. “Are you hungry? I saw you swallow just now… I can take you to find food!”

Faced with Yao Wu’s earnest expression, Zhou Zhongtian was at a loss for words.

Just as he was about to check if he had stepped into any filth, Yao Wu suddenly reached out and steadied him. “You are hungry. But you can’t eat what’s in this latrine!”

“I—!” Zhou Zhongtian’s voice pitched up but then he forcibly swallowed his words.

After observing Yao Wu’s behavior, he could tell that the man wasn’t quite right in the head.

He had encountered people like this before—most had the temperament of children but were generally kind-hearted.

So, he figured he should at least get Yao Wu home first.

“Yao Wu, where do you live?”

“Here is my home.”

“Oh… Where in North Corner Village do you live?”

“I have many homes. Which one do you want to know about?”

“The one you stay in the most.”

“The wooden house at the village entrance—that’s where I stay the most. You don’t have a place to stay? I can lend it to you.”

“No, I just need to take you home.”

“I won’t go back. I have to fight the bad guy.”

“You can’t beat him…”

“Even if I can’t, I have to fight. I am a Village Guardian. If a bad person comes, I must fight!”

Village Guardian?

Hearing this title, Zhou Zhongtian finally understood why Yao Wu was so determined to face the chang ghost.

In many regions of Great Wu, there were people like him—sometimes called Spirit Wardens, Earthly Immortals, or Village Protectors.

Generally speaking, Village Guardians were often seen as foolish or mentally impaired. However, they were kind-hearted, and the villagers would usually provide them with food to sustain them.

According to legend, despite their afflictions, Village Guardians possessed the ability to ward off disasters, shielding ordinary villagers from harm and driving away evil.

It seemed likely that Yao Wu had grown up relying on the generosity of the village, and the villagers had surely instilled this duty in him.

That’s why, when confronted with a supernatural entity, Yao Wu, unaffected by the corruptive aura, instinctively stepped forward to drive away the opera-clad chang ghost.

“Brother Yao Wu—” Zhou Zhongtian was about to speak when the sorrowful wailing drew closer again. He immediately shut his mouth and signaled for Yao Wu to stay silent.

“Woo woo woo~~~ Little brother, you made me search so hard for you…”

“Come on out. I’ve already seen you!”

The eerie voice echoed in Zhou Zhongtian’s ears.

He held his breath, not daring to make a sound—he wasn’t sure if the ghost was bluffing!

Drip.

A cold drop of water landed on his face.

Instinctively, Zhou Zhongtian looked up—

And what he saw was the ghostly pale face of the opera-clad youth, staring right at him!

“Bad guy! Take my pitchfork!”

With a loud, forceful shout, Yao Wu suddenly thrust his dung-covered pitchfork forward!

Squelch!

A deflating sound rang out as three gaping holes were stabbed right into the chang ghost’s face!

No blood spilled.

For a brief moment, the opera-clad youth was stunned—

Then came an earth-shattering scream.

“Woo woo woo~ I’m an opera performer! My face is my most precious treasure! How could you?! How dare you stab—”

Before the chang ghost could finish speaking, Yao Wu dipped the pitchfork back into the latrine to “enchant” it once more—then lunged at the ghost again!

Whoosh!

The opera-clad chang ghost yanked its head back, retreating beyond the latrine doorway.

Regaining his senses, Zhou Zhongtian shoved open the latrine door and shouted, “Brother Yao Wu, run!”

“Oh… I’m coming!”

The Village Guardian didn’t hesitate. He bolted after Zhou Zhongtian, fleeing the latrine.

However—

Behind them, the chang ghost, now with three gaping black holes in its face, stretched its neck like a noodle, its venomous gaze locked onto them!

“Woo~~~”

It wailed once more.

The prolonged, sorrowful cry made Zhou Zhongtian’s vision go black. Blood immediately began seeping from his eyes and nose!

He struggled to draw his blade, but the moment his hand touched the hilt, his strength drained away completely.

At that moment—

Death was closing in.

And he had no strength left to resist…