Ch 40: The Malevolent Monster Just Wants To Farm

Pain.

It felt as though his face was being slashed with knives, his body burning as if engulfed in flames, his bones on the verge of shattering. Even when Jiang Lin died in the zombie horde, he had never experienced such agony.

His consciousness wasn’t fully awake, and he could only feebly open his mouth, letting out a silent scream.

In the next moment, the fragile willpower he had been clinging to suddenly collapsed, plunging him into a deep, dark nightmare. Surprisingly, he felt a slight sense of relief.

When he opened his eyes again, he had no idea how much time had passed.

He stood up from the pile of rotting twigs and leaves. An overwhelming hatred surged within his chest, threatening to burst out and tear apart this unjust world. Jiang Lin clutched his chest and silently recited the Clear Mind chapter of the Nine Spirits Technique. After a long while, he finally managed to suppress the dark thoughts gnawing at him.

This was only a temporary solution, and Jiang Lin knew it well. He needed to find a place to properly refine and eliminate these dark thoughts. Otherwise, they could resurface at any moment and affect him.

With this in mind, he focused his thoughts, and two figures—a cold, elegant woman in a black robe and a charming young girl in green—appeared in the misty forest. They were none other than Huaiyin and Qingluo.

As soon as Qingluo saw Jiang Lin, she let out a gasp, and Huaiyin also looked at him with doubt and concern.

Jiang Lin realized that his current appearance might be somewhat unusual. He summoned the faint spiritual energy within this body and conjured a water mirror.

In the mirror, he saw a blurry figure, vaguely recognizable as a thin young man dressed in a tattered green robe. But these details were not the most disturbing part.

The most horrifying thing was that, looking up from the neck, where his facial features should have been, there was only a blank, empty space!

It was truly eerie to behold.

Two words instantly flashed in Jiang Lin’s mind: Painted Skin.

He even thought to himself: “Has the White Bone Spirit turned into a male monster, and now the Painted Skin ghost has become a male ghost too?”

“Daddy,” Qingluo exhaled a breath she didn’t realize she was holding, her eyes wide as she said, “You look really scary like this. Even scarier than a skeleton.”

And she wasn’t exaggerating. While the White Bone Spirit was just a skeleton, its bones, having absorbed a millennium of essence, were white as jade and not particularly terrifying.

Huaiyin still didn’t quite understand what was going on. The aura of this weak ghostly figure was unfamiliar, but its soul’s essence was unmistakably familiar.

“…Sir?” she hesitantly called out.

Jiang Lin wasn’t fond of his current appearance either, so he channeled the little spiritual energy left in his body to create an illusionary appearance for himself. Though it was only a temporary fix, it made him look more presentable.

“It’s me,” he said.

Huaiyin looked around. “What is this place? And why… have you become like this?”

Jiang Lin waved his hand. “I need to find a place to meditate and cultivate for a while. You two will guard me. Huaiyin, if you have any questions, you can ask Qingluo.”

Qingluo chirped confidently, “Don’t worry, Daddy. I’ll keep a good watch over you.”

Huaiyin also assured him, “Please rest assured, Sir. With us here, no one will disturb you.”

Jiang Lin nodded and, without being too picky about the environment, chose a nearby cave and closed his eyes to begin his cultivation.

It took him a full forty-nine days to eliminate the resentment in this body and use the Nine Spirits Art to reconstruct his body and spiritual power. Fortunately, this ghostly body was weak, making it relatively easy to rebuild. Otherwise, his meditation would have taken much longer than forty-nine days.

Finally, the system, which had been inactive for a long time, made an appearance.

It turned out that this was the world of Painted Skin.

However, the story had some differences from what Jiang Lin knew.

Jiang Lin, a young scholar from a remote town, lost his parents in an accident and brought his sister Jiang Jin to the capital to seek refuge with their aunt, who had married into the city.

His aunt was a kind and gentle woman who treated them very well.

His uncle, a fourth-rank official in the capital, had several concubines in addition to his wife, Lady Jiang. He was deeply engaged in his official duties and rarely paid attention to the household affairs, but he never showed any displeasure towards the siblings.

Jiang Lin was grateful to both his aunt and uncle and studied diligently, hoping to one day pass the imperial exams and bring honor to the family, so he could repay their kindness.

His sister was also getting older, and it was time to start considering suitable matches for her. If she had a brother who became a successful scholar, she could secure a good marriage.

Everything seemed to be heading in a positive direction.

But then came that fateful day.

That day, their usually stern and reserved uncle, who had never involved himself in the affairs of the household, suddenly summoned Jiang Lin and Jiang Jin to his study. With an unusually gentle demeanor, he asked them many questions. He even specifically instructed his wife, Jiang Shi, to make new clothes for Jiang Lin and Jiang Jin, ensuring they were well taken care of.

Jiang Lin and Jiang Jin were deeply grateful, regretting only that they couldn’t repay their uncle’s and aunt’s deep kindness.

So when, a few days later, their uncle mentioned that the son of a high-ranking official was having a birthday celebration and had invited young men and women to attend, and asked them to wear their new clothes and go as guests, the siblings didn’t have the slightest doubt.

The location of the gathering was said to be a villa in the suburbs, and their uncle even sent two old servants to drive the carriage and escort them there.

However, an unexpected event occurred on the way. Bandits appeared, killed the old servants, and abducted them to an unknown place.

Even when they were locked up in a dark, sunless dungeon by these unfamiliar criminals, the siblings never suspected their relatives.

In their fear, they even worried that their aunt and uncle must be worried sick about their disappearance.

Until that fateful day.

Jiang Jin was violently dragged away.

Jiang Lin fought desperately to protect his sister, but he couldn’t stop them. He waited in a daze, terrified, hoping that his sister would be brought back.

But what he encountered was the man who had taken his sister away that day.

That man had a black mole on his left eyebrow, a fierce appearance, and looked at Jiang Lin’s face as if he were staring at some precious commodity.

After that, the memories became blurred…

Even though his body had died and he had become a vengeful ghost, Jiang Lin could still feel that bone-deep pain and despair.

He frowned and reached up to touch his face.

Due to the illusion spell, it now appeared normal. But when his fingers touched it, the surface was smooth and featureless.

Because this face, its skin, flesh, and features, had been brutally, bloodily skinned off.

The reason? Simply because he and his sister were too beautiful.

The young scholar, treated like livestock, was pinned to a cold stone bed. Beside him, an executioner with an indistinct appearance caressed his face obsessively, boasting proudly about how his “kind and gentle” uncle had traded him and his sister for some advancement.

Then came the excruciating pain of having his flesh peeled away while he was still alive.

He died, his body discarded in a deserted forest, casually covered with a handful of dirt.

His sister, it seemed, had suffered the same tragic fate.

Why? Why did they do this to him?

His sister was only fifteen!

And his uncle—how could he commit such a heinous act and not suffer any retribution, instead rising in rank and enjoying a prosperous career?

Heaven was unjust!

If heaven wouldn’t bring retribution, then he would bring it upon those people himself!

Endless resentment gathered, but this fragile soul couldn’t withstand the overwhelming hatred. Just as it was about to dissipate, Jiang Lin arrived.

He became “Jiang Lin.”

“So, am I a Painted Skin ghost now?” Jiang Lin asked.

The system responded, “Actually, in the original story, the Painted Skin ghost should have been your sister, Jiang Jin.”

After all, the original soul had been consumed by the backlash of its own resentment, dissipating before it could become a vengeful ghost.

Jiang Lin thought of the timeline and exclaimed, “This is bad!”

Jiang Jin had fallen victim before he did, and after his arrival, he had spent forty-nine days in seclusion.

What had happened to Jiang Jin by now?

Recalling the things the Painted Skin ghost did in the story and its eventual fate, Jiang Lin’s eyes darkened.

He needed to find her, and fast.

He stepped out of the cave, and Qingluo and Huaiyin, who were waiting outside, quickly followed.

“Sir…” Huaiyin had learned a lot from Qingluo.

She realized that they were no longer in their original world.

It was said that when demons and monsters cultivated to the highest level, they could transcend tribulations and break through the constraints of time and space.

Huaiyin knew well that she had committed too many evil deeds to ever hope for such transcendence.

But what about her master?

“Sir, you clearly didn’t undergo a tribulation to ascend, yet you’re able to cross time and space to reach other worlds, even… inhabiting a different body,” Huaiyin thought, finally understanding why the Lord of Black Mountain had such a drastic change in temperament—his very essence had been replaced. But what exactly was he now?

She seemed to have countless questions she wanted to ask, but didn’t know where to begin.

Jiang Lin glanced at her. “If you have something to say, just say it.”

Huaiyin opened her mouth. Out of all the questions she had, she only asked, “Sir, we can’t return to Black Mountain, can we?”

Jiang Lin hadn’t expected that question. He paused before answering, “It seems that’s the case.”

Huaiyin felt a wave of melancholy. Though she was cold by nature, she had still developed genuine feelings over the hundred years she spent at Black Mountain.

She suddenly asked Jiang Lin, “Sir, knowing you wouldn’t return, why did you tell Xiaoqian and the others that you were just going into seclusion? They probably still hold onto the hope that you’ll come back.”

Her tone was almost sharp; it was rare for Huaiyin to question Jiang Lin so directly.

Jiang Lin responded, “I was worried that if I told the truth, others might take advantage of them, knowing I was gone. Setting a hundred-year period might at least deter any threats during that time. As for after a hundred years…”

“I’ve done everything I could to consider their future. Beyond that, they’ll have to rely on themselves.”

He paused, then added, somewhat uncertainly, “Time heals all wounds. After a hundred years… they should gradually forget about me, right?”

Even if they knew he wouldn’t return, it wouldn’t be too painful.

Huaiyin stared at Jiang Lin, her gaze deep. “Do you really believe that, sir?”

Jiang Lin was puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Huaiyin let out a soft laugh. “Even though I’m not the most warm-hearted, I could tell over the past hundred years how much those girls from Lanruo Temple care about you. To put it plainly, even if Xiaoqian, A-yu, and the others eventually find good husbands and have children, those men might not hold as much importance in their hearts as you do, sir.”

“You pulled them out of the mire, helped them see the light, and gave them a new lease on life.”

“They won’t forget you for the rest of their lives.”

Jiang Lin stared at Huaiyin in a daze. “You…”

Huaiyin continued calmly, “I don’t mean anything else by it. If you’d left me in Black Mountain, I definitely wouldn’t have been sad for you. But those girls…”

“Thinking it over, if it were me, I’d rather hear you tell me the truth and say a proper goodbye than to wait in vain for a lifetime.”

After saying that, Huaiyin fell silent.

The atmosphere grew tense.

Qingluo, with her large eyes, glanced back and forth between them.

Trying to lighten the mood, she said, “Daddy, can you…?”

She touched her own face, mimicking his gesture. “Can you restore your… face? The illusion you’re using now, I can see through it when I use my spiritual power. It’s scary.”

Jiang Lin sighed. “…”

He touched his face. Indeed, Qingluo was right. Now that she mentioned it, he felt extremely uncomfortable with his current appearance.

The Painted Skin ghost would flay people’s faces and wear their skin, but Jiang Lin could never do something like that.

He searched through the Jade Space and his eyes settled on a Thousand-Petal Snow Jade Lotus.

This was one of the many spiritual herbs that Huaiyin had cultivated at Black Mountain. The flower was enormous, with each petal as large as a typical lantern.

The Thousand-Petal Snow Jade Lotus had a jade-like texture, a gentle medicinal property, and its entire body could be used as an auxiliary herb to nourish the body.

It suited Jiang Lin’s needs perfectly.

He tore off a petal from the lotus, took out a brush, and began to carefully sketch a face on it, based on his memories. Within just half a cup of tea’s time, the petal revealed a lifelike face, exactly like the original Jiang Lin’s scholar appearance.

Jiang Lin then used a bit of magic to place the lotus petal over his own face, making it fit like the most delicate and precise mask.

He removed the illusion spell and turned to Qingluo, saying, “Take a look now.”

The person who stood before Qingluo had completely changed in appearance.

“Daddy, you look so good now!” Qingluo exclaimed, clapping her hands in delight.

The Jiang siblings were both strikingly attractive, which had unfortunately drawn the attention of their uncle, leading to their tragic fate.

Jiang Lin had a jade-like complexion and a refined demeanor, the very image of the scholarly elegance that was highly praised at the time. His sister, Jiang Jin, was as beautiful as spring blossoms, delicate and charming. Madam Jiang had taken her out to socialize a few times, and there were already many inquiries about potential matches.

According to the executioner’s words from that dreadful day, they were a rare pair of talents and beauty.

Jiang Lin shook his head. It was precisely their looks that had brought disaster upon them.

If they had been given a choice, he thought, the siblings might have preferred to give up their appearance to avoid such a fate.

He said, “This body has a sister who suffered a similarly tragic fate. She has likely become a vengeful ghost by now. I need to find her.”

But he had no clue where to start.

After some thought, Jiang Lin decided to head to the so-called “villa” first.

This was no villa for hosting a birthday party, but rather a place soaked in the innocent blood of countless victims.

Even from a distance, before he reached the site, Jiang Lin could sense the overwhelming aura of resentment emanating from it.

His heart sank.

There was no one guarding the villa. As he walked in, he noticed a thick layer of fallen leaves on the ground, indicating that no one had been here for quite some time.

He stepped forward, the crunch of the leaves under his shoes producing an unsettling, teeth-grinding sound.

There was no one in the villa.

Or rather, no living people.

In the southwest corner, two corpses were buried, likely deceased for over half a month, their souls long dissipated.

Jiang Lin spotted a wandering spirit in the distance, a young woman in a green dress, seemingly still quite young.

The ghost’s aura was faint and weak, and if left alone, it would likely dissipate in a few more days.

Jiang Lin called out to her, and she turned around.

He was suddenly met with a bloodied face, the flesh mangled, and dark, empty eyes staring directly at him.

“Have you seen my face?”

“Have you seen my face?”

She repeated the question dully.

Jiang Lin suddenly realized who she was.

She was probably another unfortunate soul, cruelly murdered, just like the original Jiang Lin.