Simultaneous Transmigration: The Re-merging of 99 Selves

Chapter 56 A Chinese Ghost Story

Upon hearing his other self's words, Zhao Yu's expression instantly darkened.

From the moment he saw the semi-transparent figure, a bad feeling rose in his heart; his situation was probably not going to be good.

But to his utter surprise, the situation was not just bad, it was absolutely terrible.

The other party was not only not human, but had actually become a ghost.

"Dude, which world did you travel to?"

Looking at the semi-transparent ghostly figure in front of him that looked exactly like himself, Zhao Yu asked, "As a transmigrator with the advantage of foresight, you still managed to kill yourself. You're one of a kind."

"Do you think I wanted this?!" Ghost Zhao Yu looked utterly hopeless, crouching down with his head in his hands. "Do you even know where I landed after transmigrating? It was like starting on hell difficulty!"

"Where?" Zhao Yu pressed.

Ghost Zhao Yu raised his head and slowly uttered three words: "Guobei County".

"Guobei County?" Zhao Yu's expression changed, and he immediately understood. "The world of A Chinese Ghost Story!"

He never expected that his other self would actually travel to the world of A Chinese Ghost Story.

That's not some low-level martial arts world like Jin Yong's novels, but a proper world of gods, ghosts, demons, and monsters. There's a thousand-year-old tree demon, the Black Mountain Demon, all sorts of mountain spirits and monsters, and even the sword immortal Yan Chixia who can slay demons with a single sword.

In this kind of world, it's really not easy for an ordinary transmigrator without any cheat codes.

Ghost Zhao Yu nodded with a wry smile and began to recount his experiences.

When he first transmigrated, like all transmigrators, he was filled with excitement, his mind filled with the idea of ​​using his precognitive advantage to learn martial arts and literature, get rich, and rise above others.

He might even marry several beautiful women and reach the pinnacle of his life.

But before he could even lay out his plan, the idle gossip of the people in the county town poured cold water on it.

In this world, besides martial arts masters who can leap across rooftops, there are also fierce spirits and ghosts that can steal people's souls.

Especially when he learned that there was an abandoned Lanruo Temple just three miles outside Guobei County, he instantly became clear-headed.

No matter how powerful a martial arts master is, they are still made of flesh and blood, and their abilities are still within the realm of what a martial arts master can understand.

But those intangible ghosts and monsters are not bound by the laws of physics at all. They can steal souls in an instant, which is something that an ordinary person like him cannot deal with.

What is meant by standing out from the crowd, what is meant by reaching the pinnacle of life? All of that vanished in an instant.

Only three words remained in Zhao Yu's mind: Survive.

He had considered moving, far away from Guobei County, to avoid the troublesome place that was Lanruo Temple.

But then I thought about it again. At least in the original story of A Chinese Ghost Story, Guo Bei County was a prosperous county town, governed by the government, and ghosts and monsters did not run rampant in the town. It was a place where one could settle down safely.

If you leave the county town without permission, who knows what kind of monsters and demons you might encounter in the desolate wilderness?

If Lanruo Temple has the Tree Demon Granny, does that mean other places are peaceful?

After much deliberation, Zhao Yu ultimately decided to stay in Guobei County. As for Lanruo Temple, he would never dare to set foot there even if his life depended on it.

He's not Ning Caichen, and he doesn't have the protagonist's halo. Who knows if Yan Chixia is in Lanruo Temple right now?

Even if Yan Chixia were here, why would anyone protect a complete stranger like him?

He wouldn't dare gamble on that probability.

So Zhao Yu settled down in Guobei County and, with his modern knowledge, started some small businesses, earning a lot of money and living a relatively stable life.

At the same time, he also inquired around the county town, hoping to find a master who knew about Taoist cultivation so that he could learn some self-defense skills.

After all, in the original story, the talismans that Ning Caichen bought in Guobei County, although they didn't stop the tree demon, still made Nie Xiaoqian somewhat wary, which proves that there are definitely knowledgeable people in Guobei County.

Hearing this, Zhao Yu couldn't help but nod: "Your thinking is fine. In this world of gods and ghosts, before you have the ability to protect yourself, it is definitely the safest choice to play it safe and develop stealthily."

"But if that's the case, how did you end up in this state? Could it be that you later felt you had achieved success in your cultivation, and in a moment of impulsiveness, you deliberately barged into Lanruo Temple?"

"How could I possibly have the guts!" Ghost Zhao Yu cried out in protest. "I did find a wandering Taoist priest and spent most of my savings to learn from him how to draw exorcism talismans and house-protecting talismans. But that old Taoist priest only knew a little bit of the basics. The talismans he drew could only drive away little ghosts and had no real power, let alone any ability to cultivate immortality."

"I was originally thinking that when Ning Caichen came to Guobei County, I would try to make a connection with him and see if I could get on Yan Chixia's good side and learn a little bit of his Taoist teachings."

"Then what is this...?" Zhao Yu pointed to his semi-transparent ghostly form, his face full of confusion.

"Don't even mention it!"

Ghost Zhao Yu waved his hand dejectedly: "I was so busy thinking about the demons and monsters outside the city that I forgot that the most harmful thing in this world is never a ghost, but a person! In the original story, there were quite a few wanted criminals in Guo Bei County."

"I made a lot of money doing business, but I got caught up in it and became the target of those thugs in the county. One night, I had just fallen asleep when they broke into the yard and killed me without me even knowing it. They also robbed all the money in my house."

"If it weren't for my deep obsession before I died, and the fact that I had just learned some rudimentary talisman techniques and barely managed to preserve my soul, I would probably have been completely destroyed and died in that world long ago."

In the end, Gui Zhaoyu's voice was full of bitterness.

I didn't die at the hands of the thousand-year-old tree demon, nor at the hands of the Black Mountain Demon, but instead died at the hands of a few villains who plotted to kill me for money. It's shameful to even talk about it.

Looking at him like this, Zhao Yu felt a pang of sympathy.

However, he was still somewhat curious: "Now that you've become a ghost, haven't you killed those villains who harmed you? Have you taken revenge?"

"What revenge are you talking about!" Ghost Zhao Yu's face grew even uglier. "I said I'm a ghost, but I'm different from an old ghost like Nie Xiaoqian who can change shape. I'm afraid of sunlight, as well as exorcising things like black dog blood and roosters."

"You saw it yourself. When I first came over, I thought I was going to be exposed to the sun, so I was scared and quickly hid everywhere. With that little skill, how could I possibly take revenge on anyone?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu sighed and said, "You've suffered, brother. People are treacherous, and you can't guard against everything. This isn't your fault."

"Sigh, I'm a bit unlucky, but becoming a ghost has its advantages too." Ghost Zhao Yu waved his hand, then quickly cheered up again. "At least I don't have to worry about suddenly dying one day anymore. As long as I avoid the sunlight and hide in the county town, no one can do anything to me."

Zhao Yu was speechless for a moment.

He had lived two lives, but this was the first time he had ever dealt with a ghost, and he was even talking to the ghost of another version of himself. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.

Just then, Ghost Zhao Yu suddenly remembered something: "Brother, I remember the setting of Nine-Nine Streams, we can share abilities, right? Tell me quickly, which world did you transmigrate to? How are you doing? Can you find a way to mess with me?"