The Glutton Ghost was enormous in size, yet her heart was incredibly small—like a blood-red gemstone, crystal clear and utterly flawless.
"Such an ugly monster possesses such a pure heart."
Chen Ge reached out to take the Glutton Ghost's heart. He wanted to examine what exactly a red-robed ghost's heart was made of, but the instant his fingertips touched it, a tidal wave of negative emotions surged into his mind.
Every vein on his body bulged outward. An indescribable hunger roiled through his brain, making him feel as though he wanted to devour himself.
"So hungry!"
A hysterical voice tore from Chen Ge's throat. He stumbled back several steps before regaining his composure.
"How many ghosts and living people has this thing consumed?" Gasping heavily, drenched in cold sweat, he clutched his hand and resolved never to casually touch anything belonging to a red-robed ghost again.
"The Glutton Ghost's heart is consumption—unlimited, frenzied eating." Chen Ge finally understood why Xu Yin hadn't simply devoured the Glutton Ghost's heart. This thing was far beyond what an ordinary ghost could hope to control. "Back when we killed Xiong Qing, Xu Yin gave Xiong Qing's heart to Bai Qiulin. I wonder if Bai Qiulin has been affected by Xiong Qing at all."
Sensing Chen Ge's gaze, Bai Qiulin assumed he was needed and walked over, dragging the near-death boy behind him.
Unlike Xu Yin, the only part of Bai Qiulin's body stained with blood was his heart.
"Lao Bai looks perfectly normal. Maybe it's because Xiong Qing was too weak to have any real impact on him." Chen Ge opened the comic book and stored the hospital-gown boy inside, planning to interrogate the boy about Xinhai Hospital after the trial mission was complete.
After dealing with the boy, Chen Ge turned his attention to the heart in Xu Yin's hand.
He could tell that Xu Yin was already under tremendous strain just holding the thing. If he were to swallow it, things would definitely go wrong. Besides, Xu Yin hadn't shown any intention of consuming it—he didn't want to devour someone else's heart. He wanted to find his own.
"What do we do with it?"
The Glutton Ghost's heart was the most important harvest from this battle. It contained everything about the Glutton Ghost; possessing it could even allow one to cultivate another red-robed ghost who controlled the desire of gluttony!
It was far too valuable. Even the Shadow and Dr. Gao would be tempted.
"Xu Yin has to split his focus to resist the negative emotions inside the heart. If we run into danger, it'll hamper his performance."
They were in a perilous situation, and Xu Yin was Chen Ge's most critical combat asset. Having him carry the Glutton Ghost's heart was a waste.
"Who else can withstand those negative emotions?" Chen Ge had Bai Qiulin try, but after only a few minutes, his expression had already turned unnatural—clearly affected by the gluttony desire, showing signs of losing control.
"Can I really give away something I've already got my hands on?" The Red High Heels would probably covet the Glutton Ghost's heart, and gifting it could build goodwill—but Chen Ge felt it would be too great a loss.
"The gap in rank is too vast. An ordinary ghost that swallowed this heart would have its soul scattered to nothing. Only a red-robed ghost could endure that gluttony desire."
Chen Ge stared at the still-beating heart in Xu Yin's hands. The blood-red heart had been buried deep within the flesh mountain, untouched by any curse.
"Xu Yin carrying it is a burden. The only option left is to let Zhang Ya try." He called Xu Yin over to the candlelight and had him place the Glutton Ghost's heart onto his shadow.
Ever since entering Liwan Town, Chen Ge's shadow had been gradually changing. It was only when he'd frantically screamed Zhang Ya's name moments ago that he'd realized it.
He didn't know what Zhang Ya was after, but he trusted she wouldn't harm him.
The candlelight fell upon Chen Ge's body, and eerily, the shadow it cast took the shape of a woman.
Chen Ge silently regarded his shadow. Xu Yin, however, was unwilling to approach it. Only after receiving Chen Ge's permission did he set the Glutton Ghost's heart onto the shadow.
Strangely enough, the moment the gem-like heart left Xu Yin's hand, it began to beat violently. Soon, a woman's figure materialized above the heart.
Chen Ge had seen this woman before—in the shop owner's room. She was his mother: the Glutton Ghost's true appearance.
"So she still had a trick up her sleeve." Cold sweat broke out on Chen Ge's forehead. If he'd let one of his employees devour this heart, that employee very likely would have become a second Glutton Ghost.
The woman's wailing grew weaker and weaker, until she finally melted away into droplets of blood that fell upon Chen Ge's shadow.
His shadow was like a bottomless pool. The blood droplets landed, sent out ripples, and then vanished without a trace.
Once the Glutton Ghost's heart had completely dissolved, Chen Ge's shadow turned even darker, and the woman's silhouette gradually became clearer.
His heartbeat began to quicken. Chen Ge didn't know why, but as he stared at his shadow, he had the distinct feeling that on the other side, a woman was reaching out toward him.
If he took that woman's hand, he might be dragged into the shadow and remain with her forever and ever.
"Zhang Ya?"
A name surfaced in his mind. The shadow's hair drifted outward in every direction—that was likely her response.
"She seems to have grown even stronger…" Chen Ge had been constantly improving the strength of every employee in his Haunted House, but after all that effort, he'd discovered that all of his subordinates combined still couldn't match Zhang Ya. What left him even more speechless was that the gap only kept widening. "Maybe that's just talent."
In the morgue beneath the Jiujiang Forensic Medical School, Zhang Ya had been injured, but she'd also absorbed something from Dr. Gao's wife. Her subsequent battle with the Shadow had yielded the same result. After that, she'd forcibly seized a few drops of Dr. Gao's blood, and now she'd devoured the Glutton Ghost's heart. How powerful would Zhang Ya become? Even Chen Ge couldn't say.
"I'm not someone who likes to rely on others, but at this point, I don't seem to have a choice."
The corner of his mouth curved upward involuntarily, and Chen Ge's gaze shifted to the Headless Woman and the Red High Heels. "If you don't obey, I'll just eat you both."
The Red High Heels lay on the ground like an ordinary pair of shoes. The ghost inside had probably exhausted too much of her power and run into problems—after all, during the fight with the Glutton Ghost, she'd single-handedly borne three-quarters of the blood vessels and had been the one to deliver the final devastating blow, giving Chen Ge his opening.
"A drop of kindness repaid with a gushing spring—I won't make things difficult for you. After the mission is over, I can take you back and build a small-scale attraction specifically for you."
Chen Ge had witnessed the terrifying power of the Red Heels' curse. Using a cloth as protection, he picked them up and placed them on the counter.
"Now it's your turn. You chased me down an entire street just now, so I'm going to need an apology." Chen Ge had Xu Yin, Bai Qiulin, and Men Nan keep watch on the Headless Woman before he dared to approach her.
The Headless Woman seemed to hold a grudge against men. She didn't even glance at Chen Ge and the others.