Chapter 1743: Transaction

Hearing the words "Ghost King," the female ghost Xiao Ying nearby clearly shivered, and the previously aloof Old Madam also looked serious. "The Ghost King is the king of all ghosts. All spirits that haven't entered the Yellow Springs and remain between heaven and earth must obey his commands. He possesses incredibly powerful abilities, and no one dares to defy him."

She paused, then glanced at Zu An. "Your cultivation is high, but you're far from being a match for the Ghost King."

Qiu Honglei looked at Zu An, a trace of worry appearing in her eyes. If such a powerful being existed in this world, it would be too dangerous.

Zu An, however, remained calm. He had been through many perils and was not easily intimidated by a mere Ghost King.

"Are there many ghosts in this world?" Zu An asked curiously.

The beautiful woman paused for a moment before replying, "Years of war have made people cruel and ignorant, which is why demons, monsters, and ghosts run rampant."

Qiu Honglei couldn't help but look at her curiously. "Are you a ghost too?"

"I am a demon, not a ghost!" the beautiful woman snapped. The methods this woman had just tried to use to interrogate her were too malicious, so she wasn't giving her a pleasant look.

"What's the difference between demons and ghosts?" Wei Suo asked curiously, unconsciously touching his skin.

"Are you finished? Are you a question-baby?" the beautiful woman said, a little impatiently, though she still answered, "Demons are born from the essence of heaven and earth. All things in creation can become demons, but it's not easy to achieve. There's also a category of more malevolent demons who cannot absorb the essence of heaven and earth for cultivation, so they resort to absorbing human vital essence and blood. Their cultivation often increases very quickly, but they ultimately become enslaved by murderous intent, completely transforming into monsters of slaughter."

Everyone couldn't help but glance at her. Her elegant demeanor and even the intoxicating fragrance emanating from her clearly indicated she wasn't the kind of demon that absorbed human vital essence and blood.

Zu An mused that the type of demons she described seemed to be spirits evolved from plants, trees, birds, and beasts, which appeared to be a different concept from the demon race in his own world.

At this point, the beautiful woman continued, "As for ghosts, they are generally formed from intense obsessions after a person dies. The souls of those who die a normal death enter the Yellow Springs and are reincarnated through the six paths of transmigration. However, some people die abnormally, or have unfulfilled wishes at the time of their death, leading to strong obsessions that allow them to remain in the human world. Among all obsessions, resentment is the strongest, which is why most ghosts can be called vengeful spirits or malevolent ghosts, instinctively harmful to humans."

The group was startled by this and looked towards Xiao Ying.

Xiao Ying's face flushed under their gaze, and she instinctively hid behind the beautiful woman.

The beautiful woman snorted and explained, "She is a rare, kind-hearted ghost, not like those malevolent or vengeful spirits."

Zu An asked curiously, "Xiao Ying, what is your obsession?"

According to what was just said, one must clearly have an exceptionally strong obsession to become a ghost.

Xiao Ying's eyes reddened. "I want to go home and see my parents one last time."

The beautiful woman added, "She was always filial, but sadly, she died unexpectedly in a foreign land..."

She then briefly recounted Xiao Ying's background.

The group sighed with emotion, never expecting her story to be so tragic.

Qiu Honglei asked curiously, "Then why don't you go home? Is someone holding you captive here?"

The beautiful woman's eyebrows twitched slightly, sensing the implication in Qiu Honglei's words, but she said nothing.

Xiao Ying quickly waved her hand. "It's not like that. Old Madam is actually protecting me. This world is full of all sorts of evil ghosts and demons who devour other souls to grow stronger. I'm so weak; if I leave Old Madam's protection, I'll only be eaten by those terrifying beings."

"If you're so kind to her, why don't you help her return home?" Because of their recent conflict, Qiu Honglei instinctively disliked the beautiful woman.

"Because I cannot leave this place," the beautiful woman stated frankly.

"Why?" The group was somewhat curious.

Although they didn't know if she was a tree demon or a vine demon, given the power she had displayed, she shouldn't be restricted by the characteristics of a tree.

The beautiful woman didn't answer. Instead, she hesitated, and after a moment, she looked at Zu An. "Human, I'd like to make a deal with you."

Qiu Honglei protectively stepped in front of Zu An. "Why only make a deal with him and not with us?"

The beautiful woman said indifferently, "Because I don't trust you. The character he just displayed makes me feel it's worth taking a chance."

Zu An patted Qiu Honglei, signaling her not to worry. "What kind of deal?"

"I'll help you find the companions you just mentioned, and you'll help me do something," the beautiful woman said, looking intently at Zu An. A flicker of unprecedented anticipation appeared in her eyes.

Zu An didn't agree immediately. Instead, he questioned, "But you just said you haven't seen my companions. How will you find them?"

"I am a demon formed from a green vine, inherently close to plants and trees. Since plants and trees are everywhere under heaven, I can ask them to help me search, and I'm certain I'll find them," the beautiful woman paused, then added, "However, this will require me to pay a great price, which is why I need you to help me with something."

Zu An's heart stirred. This world didn't seem small, and trying to find the others blindly might indeed prove difficult. If something went wrong, and someone was missed, causing them to be trapped in this world forever, he would truly regret it for the rest of his life. Having this vine demon's help seemed like it would be much more convenient.

So he asked, "What exactly do you need help with?"

The beautiful woman slowly replied, "Many years ago, through a stroke of fortune, I gained sentience after being enlightened by someone and was named Jing Teng. Because of this, I naturally felt an affinity for humans..."

"Later, I fell in love with a human man. Everything was perfect until he discovered my identity as a demon. Everything changed; he became afraid of me, distanced himself, and later even colluded with my enemies to assassinate me on our wedding day."

As she spoke, her brows were filled with coldness.

Zu An and the others exchanged glances. They hadn't expected her to have such a past, to be betrayed by someone she loved. No wonder she no longer trusted humans.

Qiu Honglei felt a pang of sympathy, and her impression of the beautiful woman improved slightly.

"Since you died, what is going on now?" Zu An asked curiously.

The beautiful woman replied, "Although I didn't believe he would harm me back then, I recalled that the person who enlightened me had spoken of a great calamity I would face. So, just in case, I separated a seed and buried it nearby. Later, when my main body died, the restriction on this seed was triggered, allowing me to be reborn."

Zu An was utterly astonished, thinking that the methods of these demons were truly bizarre, allowing them to be reborn even after death.

The beautiful woman continued, "Unfortunately, after my rebirth, I lost most of my power. I am now extremely weak. Only by finding and merging with my original body can I regain my power at its peak."

"But as I just told you, this world is full of treacherous people and rampant demons. Here, I can still protect myself with some special restrictions left from before. However, once I leave this place, many demons will covet me. They long to devour my power, so for all these years, I haven't dared to leave to search for my original body."

She paused, then looked at him again. "So, what I'm asking of you is to take me to find my original body from back then. With your cultivation, I believe that if we are careful, there's hope we can ensure my safety."

Zu An was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "What you just mentioned about mobilizing all plants and trees in the world to help me find people—that would probably only be possible once you've merged with your original body, correct?"

"That's right," the beautiful woman nodded. "With my current abilities, I cannot achieve that."

Qiu Honglei couldn't help but snort. "You're quite shrewd. If we want to find our people, we first have to help you find your original body."

The beautiful woman smiled faintly. "It's a win-win, isn't it?"

Zu An said in a deep voice, "That's not fair. We can find our people through other means; we don't necessarily need to rely on you. But you absolutely must rely on us."

The beautiful woman shook her head slightly. "You probably don't understand, this world is much larger than you imagine. If you search aimlessly, it will be very difficult to find everyone. But once I regain my power, I will definitely be able to help you find them."

"Definitely?" Zu An was surprised.

"Yes, definitely!" The beautiful woman's tone held a strange confidence, and a hint of profound mystery appeared on her face. "And if you help me, you might receive unexpected benefits in the future."