Chapter 2442: Separate Paths for Humans and Ghosts

Chapter 511: Humans and Ghosts Take Different Paths

Yang Kai walked out of the house and stood in the courtyard. He looked up at the sky. It was midday, and the sun was high, casting a warm glow on him, making him feel invigorated.

Behind him, the small house emitted faint sounds. It seemed that the little girl was diligently sweeping.

From the corner of his eye, Yang Kai caught a glimpse of a small figure darting out of the room and quickly retreating back inside. He shook his head and chuckled. Although this girl was not very old, she was quite sensible. He wondered how she ended up here and if she was alone.

He scanned the area with his divine sense, but it only reached about ten feet before it was blocked by a strange energy, preventing it from spreading further. This surprised him. He had never encountered such a restriction on his divine sense in his entire life.

He extended his hand and probed the barrier. As expected, an invisible force pushed back.

Intrigued, he intensified his divine sense and slowly extended it forward. His consciousness felt like it was being forcefully compressed by a strange energy field, creating a dull pain in his head. After a moment, he still couldn't break through the barrier.

He retracted his divine sense and focused on the invisible barrier. There was a faint energy fluctuation there, but it was very subtle. It didn't seem like a spiritual formation; it was more like a natural isolation.

Humans and ghosts take different paths. This sentence suddenly flashed in his mind.

Yang Kai frowned and thought for a moment. His expression gradually became solemn.

He looked back at the small house. The girl seemed to be peeking at him from inside. When their eyes met, she quickly hid again.

"Little girl," Yang Kai called out.

The small door creaked open, and the girl tentatively stuck her head out, looking at him with big, curious eyes.

"What's your name?" Yang Kai asked gently.

"Yingmei," the little girl replied in a soft voice.

"Yingmei? How old are you this year?"

"I don't know."

"Don't know? Who brought you here?"

"I don't know," Yingmei shook her head. Her eyes held a trace of confusion and fear.

"Do you have any family?"

Yingmei shook her head again.

Yang Kai fell silent. He could tell that this girl seemed to have lost some of her memories. She appeared to be only seven or eight years old, possibly even younger. It was truly pitiful that she was left alone in such a strange place.

"Do you know where this place is?"

"I don't know."

"Have you seen anyone else here besides me and you?"

"Sometimes I see some big brothers and sisters," Yingmei whispered.

"Big brothers and sisters?" Yang Kai was surprised. "Where did you see them?"

"They live in the other houses."

Yang Kai looked around the courtyard. There were other small houses here, all about the same size as the one he was in. He hadn't paid much attention to them before.

"Can you take me to see them?" Yang Kai asked.

Yingmei hesitated, then slowly shook her head. "Master said we can't go out. Master said we can't meet outsiders."

"Master?" Yang Kai's eyes widened. "Who is your master?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Yang Kai frowned. "What does your master look like?"

"I don't know."

"Then how do you know he's your master?"

"He told me."

Yang Kai was speechless. This girl's mind seemed to be completely blank, except for some ingrained instructions. It was like a blank sheet of paper.

"Has your master ever taught you how to cultivate?" Yang Kai probed.

Yingmei shook her head blankly. "Cultivate? What is that?"

Yang Kai's expression darkened. He had spent the entire night cultivating, and his Qi within his body had grown stronger. It felt like his body was becoming more solid and vigorous. He didn't feel like a ghost at all; he was still very much a human being. But this place felt so strange, and the barrier preventing his divine sense from extending outwards made him feel uneasy.

Humans and ghosts take different paths. This saying kept echoing in his mind. Could it be that this was a place where humans and ghosts coexisted? But then, why was he the only human among them?

He looked at Yingmei again. Her body seemed ethereal, like a wisp of smoke. It was different from his own solid body. Could it be that she was a ghost, and those "big brothers and sisters" she mentioned were also ghosts?

"Yingmei, am I different from you?" Yang Kai asked in a low voice.

Yingmei tilted her head, seemingly trying to understand his question. She looked at him and then at herself. She reached out her small hand and touched his arm. Her hand passed right through him.

She blinked, surprised. She touched him again, and this time her hand stopped at his skin, as if she was touching something solid.

Yingmei was puzzled.

Yang Kai also felt something. When she first touched him, he felt a faint chill. When she touched him the second time, he felt nothing unusual.

"Yingmei, can you try touching the things here?" Yang Kai pointed to the stone table and chairs in the courtyard.

Yingmei obediently walked over and touched the stone table. Her hand passed right through it. She tried the stone chairs, and her hand went through those too. She even touched the wall of the house, and her hand went through it as well.

"Big brother, I can't touch anything here," Yingmei said, looking at Yang Kai in confusion.

Yang Kai's expression became very serious. "What about me? Can you touch me?"

Yingmei reached out and touched his arm again. This time, she could feel the solid sensation.

"Big brother, I can touch you!" Yingmei's eyes lit up. She looked happy, as if she had discovered something amazing.

But Yang Kai's heart sank.

This was too strange. He was in a ghost realm, but his physical body was solid. He could touch everything around him, but the girl and presumably the other inhabitants of this place were like phantoms, unable to interact with the physical world.

Humans and ghosts take different paths. This saying wasn't just a metaphor; it seemed to be a literal description of the situation.

But why was he here? He clearly remembered being pulled into the Six Pleasures Net by Bi Luo, and then entering the Blood Prison in the Blood Array. He had cultivated the Indestructible True Gold Body in the Blood Prison, and then the Blood Array had collapsed, and he had been dragged into a strange space by a red light.

He had been lost in that space for a long time, experiencing a strange sensation as if he was being cleansed by a powerful force. After who knows how long, he had suddenly found himself here.

Could it be that the red light had brought him to this strange place? What was this place? Was it related to the Blood Array?

He looked at Yingmei. Her translucent body was both real and unreal. He could see through her, yet she was standing right in front of him.

"Yingmei, where do you usually sleep?" Yang Kai asked.

"On the bed."

"But you can't touch the bed."

Yingmei looked puzzled. "Yes, I can't touch it."

"Then how do you sleep on it?"

Yingmei shook her head blankly.

Yang Kai frowned. It seemed that these ghost creatures here had some kind of existence that was different from the physical world. They couldn't interact with physical objects, but they could still "exist" on them.

"Yingmei, can you leave this courtyard?" Yang Kai asked.

Yingmei shook her head. "Master said we can't leave the courtyard."

"Has your master ever come to see you?"

"Yes, Master comes often."

"Then what does your master look like?"

"I don't know."

Yang Kai felt like his head was spinning. This girl really didn't know anything.

"Does your master ever bring you anything?"

"Master brings food."

"Food?" Yang Kai was surprised. Ghosts needed to eat?

"What kind of food?"

"I don't know," Yingmei shook her head again. "But it's delicious."

Yang Kai was silent. He was the only human here, and he didn't know what to do. Should he try to leave this place? But with the barrier restricting his divine sense, he didn't even know where the exit was.

He needed to find out more about this place.

"Yingmei, can you tell me more about those big brothers and sisters?"

Yingmei seemed hesitant, but then she said, "They are all very kind to me. Sometimes they come to play with me."

"Where do they play with you?"

"In the courtyard."

Yang Kai looked around. He hadn't seen anyone else.

"Are they here now?"

Yingmei seemed to be looking around as well. After a while, she shook her head. "They're not here now."

"When do they usually come?"

"I don't know."

Yang Kai sighed. Talking to this little girl was like pulling teeth.

He sat down at the stone table. Yingmei stood beside him, her translucent body swaying slightly in the breeze.

"Yingmei, can you tell me about yourself? How did you get here?"

Yingmei thought for a long time, her brows furrowed. Finally, she shook her head. "I don't remember."

Yang Kai looked at her sympathetically. It seemed that her memory was severely impaired.

He decided to try cultivating again. He sat cross-legged and focused on circulating his Qi. Just as before, his Qi grew stronger with each cycle. It was a strange feeling, as if his body was absorbing energy from the surroundings and converting it into his own power.

He cultivated for a long time, and when he opened his eyes, the sun was already setting. The courtyard was bathed in a reddish glow.

Yingmei was still standing beside him, quietly watching him.

"Yingmei, have you been here all this time?"

Yingmei nodded. "Yes, I was watching Big Brother."

Yang Kai smiled. This little girl was very sweet.

"Are you hungry?" Yang Kai asked. He hadn't eaten anything since he arrived, but he didn't feel hungry. His body seemed to be sustained by the cultivation.

Yingmei shook her head. "Master will bring food soon."

As if on cue, a gust of wind swept into the courtyard, carrying with it a strange fragrance.

"Master is here!" Yingmei's eyes lit up.

Yang Kai looked towards the entrance of the courtyard, but he saw nothing.

Then, a black figure appeared out of nowhere. It was a man, dressed in black robes, with a pale face and long black hair. His eyes were a strange shade of red.

He was floating in the air, about ten feet above the ground. His presence emanated a chilling aura.

Yang Kai's heart pounded. This person was definitely not human. He was a ghost! A very powerful ghost!

Yingmei seemed happy to see him. "Master!" she called out.

The black-robed ghost looked at Yingmei with a gentle expression. "Yingmei, has Big Brother treated you well?"

"Yes, Master, Big Brother is very kind."

The black-robed ghost then turned his red eyes towards Yang Kai. Yang Kai felt a chill run down his spine. It was as if this ghost could see right through him.

"So, you are the one who arrived," the black-robed ghost said in a low, hoarse voice. His gaze was filled with scrutiny and perhaps a hint of curiosity.

Yang Kai remained silent, observing the ghost carefully. He didn't know the ghost's intentions, and he didn't want to provoke him.

The black-robed ghost slowly descended to the ground. He was still floating a few inches above the ground, not actually touching it.

He walked towards Yang Kai, his red eyes fixed on him.

"You are different," the black-robed ghost said, his voice still low and hoarse. "You have a body."

Yang Kai finally spoke. "May I ask who you are?"

The black-robed ghost smiled, revealing a set of sharp teeth. "I am the one who brought you here."

Yang Kai's eyes narrowed. "Why did you bring me here?"

"To give you a choice," the black-robed ghost replied. "A choice between life and death."