Horror Camgirl - Ch. 103: Ghostly Shadows in the Painting
We had barely taken two steps forward when a powerful force pulled us back, as if an invisible hand was yanking us in reverse.
The world spun around us, and we had no idea how long it lasted. When we finally came to our senses, we found ourselves lying on a wooden floor. Overhead, a bright moon hung in the sky, casting a pale glow that painted the world with a frosty white sheen.
“Host,” Tang Mingli extended his hand to help me up. “Are you alright?”
I rubbed my aching shoulder and replied, “I’m fine. But... where are we?”
We found ourselves in a small courtyard surrounded by wooden structures. In the center of the yard, a tall willow tree stood, its branches hanging down like a curtain of emerald green.
A chill ran through me—this place and its decor seemed to be straight out of the Tang Dynasty.
“Are we inside the painting?”
I quickly pulled out my phone and found that the livestream was still running. The screen was flooded with comments.
[Did the host just time travel?]
[Time travel? No, it’s clearly that you’ve been sucked into the painting!]
[If there are beauties in the painting, I’d love to go in too! Maybe I could have some... deeper interactions.]
[You're just asking to die, aren't you?]
[Haven’t you heard the phrase ‘Better to die under a peony flower than to live without passion’? You guys are no veterans if even ghosts scare you!]
Ignoring the bragging in the chat, I adjusted my phone and the camera pin on my chest, smiling wryly. “I have a feeling that this is going to be the most thrilling and bizarre episode of my livestream so far.”
We ventured into one of the rooms. Tang Mingli frowned. “This looks like the room where we saw the ghostly shadow earlier.”
I walked over to the table, picked up a white powder compact, and carefully examined it. “This... is made from human bones.”
Tang Mingli picked up a beautifully crafted goblet. “This too. Legend has it that such cups were made from skulls, wrapped in gold, and embedded with various precious gems. After Emperor Song Lizong’s tomb was raided by Yuan Dynasty invaders, they supposedly turned his skull into a wine cup.”
I made a face of disgust. “Drinking from a human skull... Such a twisted act. Surely, they’re destined for hell.”
Tang Mingli sighed. “In ancient times, many cultures used the bones of the dead to make tools, and some cannibalistic tribes believed that consuming a warrior’s flesh would give them his strength.”
“Alright, that’s enough. I’m feeling queasy,” I said, suppressing a gag.
We left the room and continued down the hallway. The palace was vast, with countless rooms, yet eerily empty. Under the moonlight, it felt ghostly and ominous.
We entered another room that looked like a woman’s boudoir. On the table sat a bronze mirror. I opened a jewelry box and found hairpins made entirely from bones.
Tang Mingli came up behind me. “These are all crafted from the bones of young girls. It’s said that wearing such accessories could preserve a woman’s youth.”
“You sure know a lot,” I teased, putting the hairpin back in the box. But as I glanced into the bronze mirror, I was startled to see a skeleton standing right beside me!
My heart skipped a beat. I whipped around, only to find Tang Mingli’s once-gentle face twisted into a sinister smile.
Without hesitation, I drew my peachwood sword and stabbed at him.
He turned into a shadowy figure, slipping away in a flash. My strike hit nothing but air. The shadow morphed into a skeleton wreathed in black mist and lunged at me with a terrifying wail.
I grabbed a handful of cinnabar powder and threw it at the skeleton. It shrieked as if doused in acid, its bones corroding and releasing billows of black smoke.
Seizing the opportunity, I leaped forward, driving my peachwood sword into its pitch-black eye socket.
A mass of dark energy swirled in its skull. The moment I pierced it, it dissipated with a faint pop.
I withdrew my sword, and the bones clattered to the floor.
[Damn, Tyrant was impersonated by a ghost again!]
[Oh no, is our Tyrant in real danger?]
[You mortals have no idea how terrifying a Dark Strength Martial Artist can be.]
[You’re a martial artist too, aren’t you? But your skills are too weak. Clearly, you can’t see that Tyrant is already at the Transformation Strength level.]
[What?! Are you joking? Transformation Strength Martial Artists are big shots in the martial arts world. At the very least, they serve as protectors for mid-tier families. Why would someone like that become a livestreamer?]
[Haha, can’t you tell? He was just a Dark Strength Martial Artist in his last stream. Looks like he’s gained quite a bit from these livestreams.]
[Host, can I join your streams too? If I could reach Dark Strength, I’d call you queen on my knees!]
Anxiety gnawed at me—where was the real Tang Mingli? Was he captured by the ghost, or still outside the painting?
Tang Mingli, please be safe.
I sprinted down the long corridor until a strange scent made me stop in my tracks. Pushing open a nearby door, I found myself in a dimly lit room.
A bed was draped with sheer curtains, and there appeared to be someone lying beneath the covers.
I approached cautiously, pulling the curtains aside and yanking the quilt away. To my horror, a corpse lay beneath.
The body was that of an old man, his skin dried and shriveled, clinging tightly to his bones. His eye sockets were sunken, yet his face wore an expression of ecstasy, as if he had just experienced the ultimate pleasure.
I pinched one of his bones and gasped. “This man’s bones indicate he was only around twenty-four or twenty-five years old. He died from having his essence completely drained.”
[What does ‘essence drained’ mean? Host, speak normal human language, please!]
[Innocent much? It means... you know... death by excessive indulgence.]
[So, Tyrant is in real danger then?]
Frantic, I continued searching for Tang Mingli. Room after room revealed corpses of men, all of whom had died from essence exhaustion. The female ghost in this painting had drained the life force of countless men over the years, making her incredibly powerful.
“Hehehe...” A girlish giggle echoed through the palace. In this demonic lair, it was both chilling and sinister.
I turned around, scanning the surroundings, straining my ears to locate the source of that sound, and slowly pressed myself against the wall.
Laughter. It was coming from inside the wall!
Crash!
A skeletal hand suddenly shot out from the wall, grabbing my neck. I quickly raised my peachwood sword and severed the arm.
The wall rumbled, and a skeleton with a severed arm emerged from it. Then came a second, and a third. They were all dressed in girls' clothing, their hair tied up into buns, and they let out charming, soft laughter.
This is the real Crimson Skeleton!
I think I've completely lost interest in all beautiful women.
Congrats to the guy in front, you can go become a monk, or even castrate yourself.
The Crimson Skeletons surrounded me, their laughter crisp and clear. The skeletal faces began to morph, turning into stunningly beautiful women, their eyes sultry as they shot flirtatious glances at me.
“Hehehe, come closer…”
So beautiful, I've suddenly regained interest in women.
Already... dealt with.
They're so gorgeous. I'm losing it...
Their laughter carried an alluring power, captivating even the male viewers in front of their screens, driving them to do unspeakable things.
If it were some other guy here, he might actually fall for them, sleep with them, only to be killed by them afterward.
I coldly said, “Too bad—I’m not a man.”
With a single thrust of my sword, I blew off the head of the closest female ghost. The others immediately revealed their true nature, turning back into skeletal forms, their bony hands sharp as blades reaching for my face.
Holy crap, what was I just doing? Was I at a...?! Thank goodness no one saw, or I'd have to call the cops on myself.
Lighting a thousand candles for the dude before me. Thank goodness I'm at home, but now I need to cook an egg to replenish my strength.
Damn it! Me, a peak-level Bright Strength martial artist, actually fell for it—and with my junior sister watching beside me! Now she's gone, and how the hell do I explain this? Waiting online, urgent help needed.
I sprinkled some cinnabar powder while swinging my peachwood sword. One strike after another, I cut down the Crimson Skeletons, leaving the survivors terrified. They fled back into the walls, disappearing without a trace.
Trying to run? Not a chance!
I released my spiritual sense, scanning through the wall. Pouring spiritual energy into my peachwood sword, I thrust it deep into the wall.
The blade pierced through like cutting through tofu, followed by a piercing scream from within. I yanked the sword out, and crimson blood mixed with tendrils of black mist gushed out from the hole in the wall.
After wiping out the Crimson Skeletons, I turned to leave when I suddenly noticed a young man standing in the courtyard.
He was dressed in a robe from the Republican era, with neatly parted hair and glasses, resembling a scholar from an old TV drama. However, his eyes were sunken and his face pale—clearly, a ghost that had been dead for years.
I raised my peachwood sword, watching him warily. He slowly lifted an arm, pointing in a specific direction.
I felt a sudden urge and asked, “Are you trying to tell me my friend is that way?”
Amazingly, he understood and nodded.
I hesitated for a moment before saying, “Alright, I’ll trust you this once. But if you dare deceive me, I’ll make sure your soul is scattered and never reincarnated!”
With that, I ran in the direction he pointed.
To my surprise, I came across numerous men along the way. Some wore clothing from the Song Dynasty, others from the Ming Dynasty, and even some in modern attire. There were quite a few of them.
They all pointed in the same direction, their eyes hollow as they stared at me.
I kept running, deeper and deeper into the palace. Suddenly, I saw a grand, magnificent hall, enveloped in thick Yin energy that sent chills down my spine.
“Girl, that's a Fierce Ghost. Even if it's only a beginner-level Fierce Ghost, with your abilities, you won’t be able to kill her,” True Lord Zhengyang's voice echoed in my earpiece.
I stopped in my tracks, a shiver of fear creeping into my heart.
A Fierce Ghost—so that's what it is!
Comments
Post a Comment