Even hybrid monsters have their day

Chapter 144 Passing by?

The headless ghost became somewhat dejected again, its figure flickering erratically. "I don't know where to look. Over the years, I've searched every corner of this mountain, but I can't find my head. I've even been to the village, but I haven't found anything."

"Such a thing can happen?" Geng Miaowan pondered. Logically, in cases like this, the other body parts should usually be found nearby. Why couldn't Zheng Xiuxiu's head be found? "Then where is your body buried?"

"This... I don't know either... Brother Niu said that under normal circumstances, every ghost should wake up next to its own corpse, but when I woke up, I was already in this forest."

This matter does sound a bit strange. Geng Miaowan looked at the headless ghost without saying a word. She suddenly felt sorry for Zheng Xiuxiu. Not only could she not be reincarnated, but she didn't even know where her own body was. She had been wandering alone in this forest for fifty years.

Geng Miaowan looked up at the sky, waved her hand, put away the cage, and said softly, "You can go now."

"You're not going to eat me anymore?" Zheng Xiuxiu asked excitedly.

"You really want us to eat you?" Geng Miaowan asked instead of answering.

Zheng Xiuxiu quickly shook her head, "No, no..."

She called out to Xiaobai, and together with Xu Ruwen, they went into the woods.

Zheng Xiuxiu didn't leave; instead, she followed behind them. Her young voice asked timidly, "Are you... leaving?"

“Yes,” Geng Miaowan replied, “we’re just passing through; we have things to do.”

After a long silence, Zheng Xiuxiu finally spoke, "Could you stay here for one more day?" Receiving a questioning look from Geng Miaowan, she hesitated before saying, "Tomorrow is my birthday. When I was human, I always had many people celebrating my birthday with me. But ever since I became a ghost, no one has celebrated my birthday with me anymore..."

Her tone sounded utterly desolate, and Geng Miaowan slowly stopped in her tracks. Turning back, she was about to say something when she realized Zheng Xiuxiu was nowhere to be seen. The first rays of morning sunlight shone from afar, filtering through the dense foliage and illuminating the spot where Zheng Xiuxiu had just stood.

Before I knew it, it was already dawn.

In the distance, I could see the tall lamppost at the entrance of Qiluo Village again, and the large guiding lamp on top of the lamppost.

"You don't really want to celebrate her birthday with her, do you?" Even now that they're here, Xu Ruwen and Xiaobai still can't understand why Geng Miaowan would stay to celebrate the birthday of that headless ghost.

Don't you think she looks pitiful?

"I didn't think so," Xu Ruwen and Xiaobai answered in unison.

"..." She didn't want to say anything to these two heartless guys.

Although Zheng Xiuxiu is a ghost, and a headless one at that, Geng Miaowan has a very good impression of her. She feels that even though she is a ghost, she can still see the innocence and kindness she had when she was a human in her.

Thinking of how Zheng Xiuxiu had died at sixteen and spent fifty years alone in this forest, she felt a deep sense of sympathy. Besides, it was only for a day. It shouldn't cause any trouble.

Actually, if it weren't for her desire to go back as soon as possible to figure out what exactly was going on in this mission space, she would have even considered finding her way back here so that she could be reincarnated.

Xu Ruwen tugged at his dark gray patched hemp jacket, pulled at the bundle on his back, and touched his rough face, saying with dissatisfaction, "Even if it's for her birthday, you don't have to make me dress up like this."

It's her birthday, why insist on making her some local dishes from her hometown to enjoy?

Geng Miaowan rolled her eyes at him. "Have you forgotten what happened last night? Did you really think the villagers would let us into the village in our original state?"

"That doesn't mean you have to go to such lengths..." Xu Ruwen was still not satisfied with her answer. In his opinion, it was just a birthday celebration. Why did she have to go into the village? And even if she did go into the village, why did she have to go into this particular village? Wasn't this just making trouble for no reason?

Geng Miaowan glanced at Xu Ruwen, who was full of complaints. His once fair skin had turned dark, and his thick eyebrows and sharp eyes gave him a unique air. Although he wasn't as handsome as before, he still looked like a righteous and resolute man.

Demons are naturally beautiful, and fox demons are among the best. Xu Ruwen couldn't bear to have his face "ruined" like that.

Seeing his face contorted with despair, Geng Miaowan chuckled and said, "Don't look so sad. It's just a change in appearance. I'm not much better off than you."

Geng Miaowan herself looked like an ordinary woman, with a slender figure and gentle eyebrows and eyes. She looked just like an ordinary fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl. Apart from her eyes, which still showed a bit of intelligence, there was no trace of her original appearance left on her body.

As the two talked, they arrived at the village entrance, where the early-rising villagers were already busy with their tasks.

They had only caught a glimpse of it at night and hadn't thought much of it, but now that they were getting closer, they realized the village was of extraordinary size. Next to the guiding lamp was a tall archway with the three large characters "Qiluo Village" engraved on it.

They were driven out by the villagers when they got here last night.

On the other side of the archway is a wide road. Although it is not a modern cement road, it is entirely paved with bluestone, neat and impressive, and extends to the village several hundred meters away.

As soon as they crossed the archway, an old man walked over from the side, stopped them, and asked, "Who are you? What are you doing here?" There was a hint of wariness in his eyes as he looked at them.

"Ah, us?" Before Xu Ruwen could figure out what to say, Geng Miaowan smiled and said, "We're just passing through."

Xu Ruwen glanced at her secretly and said in his mind, "Are you an idiot? This place is surrounded by mountains on all sides, there's no way out, how could you possibly pass through here!"

Geng Miaowan was stunned for a moment, secretly regretting that she had forgotten about this. Sure enough, the old man looked at the two of them strangely and asked with suspicion, "Just passing by?" He was obviously thinking about what Xu Ruwen had told her.

Her expression remained unchanged, but a thousand thoughts raced through her mind. Finally, she smiled kindly and said, "We're just passing by. My older brother and I are traveling and we're just passing through this place today, so we thought we'd come and take a look. We just want to learn about the local customs and culture."

Upon hearing Geng Miaowan's words, Xu Ruwen was completely awestruck. He had never seen anyone lie so fluently, let alone so effortlessly. (To be continued.)