The female ghost had a slender build and graceful figure. In this utterly evil and chaotic place called Mizushima Village, she seemed completely out of place.
Everything around her consisted of zombies and malevolent spirits covered in corpse spots with bloated bodies. She seemed severely ostracized, able only to stand alone in a corner of the village, isolated—like a lotus flower emerging unstained from the mud.
Jason was quite curious and couldn't help taking a few extra looks.
This female ghost's clothing couldn't compare to nobility, but it was already considered elaborate compared to commoners. Most striking was the bamboo basket woven onto her head.
Jason swaggered over. He wanted to ask this female ghost whether she'd been in such a rush while escaping that she'd stuck the basket on her head and couldn't remove it even after death. If so, he'd mock her thoroughly—this female ghost was too stupid.
The female ghost slowly plucked at the shamisen in her hands, its mournful tones heartbreaking to hear.
Seeing Jason approach, she asked in a dreamlike voice, "Have you seen Lord Sakuza?"
What the hell? Communication between spirits differed from that between humans. As a spirit of sorts himself, Jason could understand the female ghost's question, though he certainly didn't know any Lord Sakuza.
He shook his head, examined the basket on the female ghost's head closely, then turned coldly to leave.
The old Jason had killed women too, but since following Bella as his boss, unless circumstances were special, he no longer killed women.
This female ghost looked particularly miserable—there was really no need to kill her.
He wanted to leave, but the female ghost wasn't having it. She flew into an inexplicable rage and drew a sharp, slender blade from the bottom of her shamisen.
Of course, calling it a sword worked too. Two fingers wide, its length fell between a tachi and an uchigatana—roughly seventy centimeters, with a slight curve to the edge.
"How dare you insult Lord Sakuza!" The female ghost lunged at Jason with her blade.
Her swordsmanship wasn't particularly sophisticated—it simply favored cunning. Her blade movements were unpredictable, often delivering killing strikes when least expected. This was a vicious and lethal sword style, combined with agile footwork that incorporated many ritual and dance movements. It appeared graceful and swaying, but was actually filled with murderous intent.
Jason hadn't even figured out what was happening when flashes of white light appeared before his eyes. The female ghost darted left and right as if dancing, her blade glittering like falling cherry blossoms. With a "swish-swish-swish," she circled Jason three times and struck over ten times, cutting down this fierce warrior...
When the ship was present, he'd revive aboard it. When the ship wasn't there, he'd revive back home at Crystal Lake. It didn't take long before Jason emerged from the Flying Dutchman once more.
Resurrection!
Victory didn't make him arrogant, nor did defeat discourage him. Jason wasn't the type to commit suicide after one loss, but getting killed in such a confused manner was truly rare.
This time he focused his attention, determined to take revenge—an eye for an eye. He gripped his machete in a reverse hold behind his back and soon found the female ghost again.
"Have you seen Lord Sakuza?" The female ghost was still playing that gloomy shamisen, her tones increasingly mournful—funeral music through and through.
Jason had abandoned any thoughts of her being pitiful, weak, and helpless. He approached quite cautiously. The female ghost seemed completely unaware of him and asked the same initial question again.
Jason pointed toward the village entrance, meaning that her damned Lord Sakuza was up ahead. He waited for the female ghost to turn around so he could strike from behind!
But he never expected the female ghost to fly into rage again. "You're lying! You're deceiving me!"
Sword light swirled. Relying on her unpredictable footwork and impenetrable swordplay, the female ghost cut Jason down again...
This time the respawn timer was a bit longer—a full minute passed before Jason emerged from the Flying Dutchman.
If he couldn't provoke her, couldn't he at least avoid her?! There were plenty of other undead in Mizushima Village to kill—no need to stubbornly clash with one female ghost.
He turned away when still thirty meters from the female ghost, trying to go around.
But somehow this time the female ghost's circuits misfired. She rushed before Jason like a gust of wind. "Why are you ignoring me? Are you pretending not to see me?"
Jason exploded with rage. You damned woman, so relentless! In all his years at Crystal Lake, he'd never suffered such indignity!
Forgetting about those dazzling sword techniques, his moves were simple and direct—trading injury for injury.
Relying on his thick health and abundant flesh, he forcibly traded blows with the female ghost. You stab me three times, I'll hack you once. Let's see who dies first! I can revive infinitely—can you?!
Unaware of Jason's ordeal, Bella and Triangle Head reached the deepest part of Mizushima Village, where a shrine dedicated to the White Snake stood.
The shrine had long been abandoned. Deep within it stood a heavy stone door. According to Mizushima Village legend, it led to another world—through that door, one could reach the "Capital" that was like heaven on earth.
Before the heavy stone door lay an open area. Even the oblivious villagers of Mizushima were unwilling to come here. A phantom wandered this place—neither living nor dead, never to depart.
The phantom's attire nearly matched its true body: wearing a kesa, Buddhist beads in the left hand, wielding a three-meter naginata in the right, wearing a white monk's hood, with a hannya mask covering the face. This was a rogue monk of esoteric Buddhism. According to ancient local legends, she was called the Yaobikuni—an eight-hundred-year-old nun.
The Corrupted Monk personally guarded the gates to Fountainhead Palace. She'd separated part of her soul and placed it at the cave entrance to Mizushima Village, her duty still to guard—to hold the gate and prevent any outsiders from touching Fountainhead Palace's undead energy.
"How tragic. Kill her." Bella pointed forward. Intrigued by some essence within the Corrupted Monk, Triangle Head swung his blade and attacked.
One was the phantom of the Corrupted Monk's true body, the other a monster born from Alessa's imagination. Both possessed extraordinary qualities, but being merely a phantom facing Triangle Head's fierce assault, the Corrupted Monk phantom quickly fell into disadvantage.
The phantom possessed part of the true body's memories but was ultimately just a phantom. The three-meter naginata swept impressively with enormous attack range. The phantom spun through the air, combining strength, speed, and martial skill. Wielding the blade single-handed, she tried to defeat Triangle Head with rapid attacks.
"Crack!" A crisp sound rang out. The naginata struck with imposing force, but the strength gap was simply too great. Her first spinning attack was blocked.
Triangle Head pressed his advantage, slashing continuously with over a dozen fierce strikes. Finally raising his blade high, carrying rolling killing intent, he brought it down from above in a mighty cleave, splitting the phantom in two.
Before the phantom dispersed into smoke, Triangle Head's blade stirred rapidly within it.
He quickly absorbed part of the phantom's essence. A long string of Buddhist beads appeared around his left wrist. There were no other visible changes.
Not enough! I want more! Through their contract connection, Triangle Head transmitted this message to Bella.
One string of beads couldn't satisfy him. He wanted more.