As soon as they arrived at the entrance, a wave of fragrant perfume hit them.

“What a lovely scent!”

The fragrance was perfectly balanced—not too strong or too faint. It carried the delicate, sweet floral notes one would associate with women, yet it was neither overpowering nor vulgar. Upon closer inspection, there was more depth to the scent.

Unfortunately, of the two people walking in, one was a

jianghu

woman, and the other was a cultivator—neither of whom were easily swayed like ordinary men.

“Greetings, gentlemen…” Two women stood at the entrance, one in red and the other in yellow. They had slender waists, full chests, and beautiful faces. As they waved their sleeves, the fragrance became intoxicating.

However, just as they uttered their first greeting, their voices trailed off. “Ah!”

The lantern at the entrance illuminated their visitors' faces.

Both women’s gazes fell upon Heroine Wu. Although her face still bore some signs of wear from traveling, after staying in Changjing for two years, her skin had improved significantly compared to her days in Anqing. Her brows and eyes clearly marked her as a woman.

The two ghostly women at the door exchanged confused glances.

“The guest is a woman?”

“Nonsense!”

Heroine Wu didn’t hesitate, immediately responding, “I just happen to look like a woman!”

“Ah! Even the voice is that of a woman!”

“I just happen to sound like one too!” As Heroine Wu spoke, she tied her horse to a post at the entrance and ignored them as she strode boldly inside.

The two seductive female ghosts exchanged uneasy looks. One of them raised her hand, as if to stop her, but it was more for show given the soft and delicate motion. When they saw that Heroine Wu was determined to enter, the outstretched hand dropped to her side.

“Is this your first time here, dear guests?”

“Yes!” Heroine Wu replied, her demeanor calm, as if she was quite familiar with the place.

“You are a woman, aren’t you?”

“If you say so.” Realizing she could no longer keep up the act, Heroine Wu decided not to argue. “The two of us were traveling by night and saw this inn. We thought we’d come in and stay the night. Is that fine?”

“Well… This isn’t exactly a place for women.”

“Hmm?” Heroine Wu’s eyes narrowed. “Is that so?”

“Alright, you can come in…”

“Then stop wasting time!”

“The guest rooms are upstairs…”

“We’re not in a rush!” Heroine Wu walked over to the large hall on the first floor, found a table, and sat down. “I may need to sleep, but my companion may not. We’ll sit here for a bit first. Call out all your girls so my companion can choose one! He’s a real man, and whichever girl catches his eye, he’ll go with her to her room! I… He has plenty of money!” ṛ

“I’ll get right on it…” The two women replied coquettishly, flashing charming smiles before running up the wooden stairs.

Footsteps echoed from the upper floor, leaving the hall momentarily empty, save for them. Heroine Wu glanced around, while Song You remained calm, looking up to examine the pavilion.

The structure was both ancient and elegant, with intricate carvings and painted beams. Though it was merely an illusion, a closer look revealed its architectural beauty, reminiscent of the charm from the previous dynasty.

A figure approached them and whispered, “Are those two demons or ghosts?”

“Ghosts.”

“How do we exorcise them?”

“…” Song You initially thought of saying he could simply set the place on fire, and that would take care of them. However, after some thought, he turned to Heroine Wu and asked, “What do you think of this pavilion?”

“It must be an illusion.”

Song You explained, “I’ve heard that some ghosts cannot forcibly trap people within their illusions if their powers aren't strong enough. They need people to willingly step inside. Even if there’s some hesitation, one can still pass through it.

“To break such illusions, those within must be made to fall asleep. Otherwise, if there's even the slightest unwillingness, the ghosts can't dissolve the illusion, and they themselves will be trapped.”

Heroine Wu remarked, “That’s quite peculiar.”

“It’s the truth.”

At that moment, footsteps echoed from upstairs.

Heroine Wu lowered her voice again and said, “So what are you suggesting?”

He said, “There are already others trapped in this pavilion, completely absorbed in the illusion and believing it to be real. If the illusion suddenly shatters, it could harm them.”

Song You paused and continued, “We could stay a while longer. If we decide to act, we should wait until they fall asleep and are free from the illusion before making our move. If we prefer not to act, we could go upstairs and rent a room, then place talismans on the door and simply stay awake until dawn. Once the sun rises, the ghosts will naturally dissipate.”

“There's a method like that?”

“It's how common folks break illusions created by ghosts and demons.”

“Sounds quite simple.”

“Most things are, once you know the trick. It’s just a matter of understanding the trick.” Song You paused. “However, if an ordinary exorcist were to come here and try the second method, these ghostly women would certainly find ways to make them fall asleep. It would be a battle of wits.”

“Interesting…”

The footsteps upstairs had already reached the middle of the staircase, and Heroine Wu turned her head to look. Six women descended in a line, each moving gracefully and lightly from the upper floor.

One was tall and slender, her body soft and supple. Another had full curves with a narrow waist to match. One carried herself with poise, like a noble lady. Another was lively, resembling an ethereal spirit from another world. One appeared youthful and charming, just reaching the bloom of adolescence. The last was mature and gentle, in the prime of her allure.

Some wore gentle smiles, others were cold and ethereal. Some had a look of sorrow in their eyes and stirred pity, while others radiated warmth and made one desire to fall into their arms. Some were so gorgeous that one only needed only to cast a brief glance, and it would strike deep into the heart.

In no time, they had all gathered in front of them.

It wasn't just men who admired beauty—sometimes women appreciated it even more. As these women stood before them in unison, it wasn't only the men; even Heroine Wu nearly lost herself in admiration.

Yet Song You remained composed, seeing through the illusion.

“Huh? Huh?” Heroine Wu snapped back to her senses.

She turned toward the woman speaking. Her eyes, once focused straight, were now glancing sideways at the six who had come down from upstairs.

“Which one does your companion favor?” The woman speaking glanced at Song You, and so did Heroine Wu.

However, Song You's expression remained calm, seemingly unaffected. This brought Heroine Wu back to her senses, restoring some of her composure. Though she was still inwardly amazed, she quickly adjusted her expression—after all, she had spent two years in Changjing and couldn’t afford to act as if she was some country bumpkin.

“Sir…”

“I’ll choose for him!” Heroine Wu's eyes darted around. “Are these the only six ladies you have?”

“We have a total of ten, but four are upstairs entertaining other guests.”

“Are those four prettier?”

“Each has her own charm.”

“Then why did they get to choose those four first?”

“Everyone has their preferences.”

“I don’t believe it!” Heroine Wu slammed the table, mimicking Major Lu intentionally making things difficult for Zheng Tu[1]. “Call those six down as well! I want to choose from all of them!”

“How could that be?”

“Why not? You think I can’t afford it?”

“This…” The woman looked troubled. “That would be impossible. We can’t do that.”

“Fine, I won’t make it hard for you. Then I’ll wait until they’re done. Once they finish, call those six down too, so I can make a proper choice.” Heroine Wu said, “Can these ladies dance?”

“This... I’m afraid not…”

“Then send them back up for now. We’ll sit here for a bit.”

“Go, go, go…”

“…”

The two women who had been at the door waved their hands. The six ladies, with expressions ranging from playful to eye-rolling to aggrieved, gracefully made their way back upstairs with light and delicate movements. The two women also left.

Heroine Wu leaned closer to Song You, her face full of curiosity. “Which one do you like?”

Song You just smiled and shook his head.

The white, delicate faces were but a façade for the skeletal remains beneath, and the rouge-painted cheeks of peonies—who’s to say they weren’t instruments of death?

“So beautiful…” Heroine Wu couldn’t help but click her tongue, muttering under her breath before asking quietly, “How’s my stalling going?”

“Quite well.”

“Hehe…”

Before long, the two women at the door returned, each carrying a tray. One tray held small dishes and snacks, while the other had a pot of wine and two cups. They placed the trays on the table in front of them, and one of the women knelt down to pour them both a drink.

“We wouldn’t want to keep you waiting, so please, enjoy some wine and snacks in the meantime.”

“Just leave it there!”

“Very well…”

“And don’t just stand there. Go hurry up those people upstairs. Tell them to finish quickly and send the girls down so we can make our selection!”

The two women exchanged glances once again.

These two were truly strange. The one doing all the talking was clearly a woman, while the man just sat there silently, as if examining the building and the lanterns. Yet, despite their odd behavior, the women couldn’t detect anything that made them seem like skilled martial artists or practitioners, leaving them uncertain.

“Hurry, hurry…”

With another push, the two women gave a soft bow. They didn’t head upstairs, but they didn’t linger in the room either.

Heroine Wu glanced at Song You again. “It’s just dew and peach leaves. It’s harmless, though it might taste like fine wine and delicacies.”

“Really?” Heroine Wu shot a look at the table, appearing tempted to try it. However, she held herself back.

The night deepened.

The people upstairs finished one by one. As they fell asleep, they left the pavilion. Ten women descended the stairs, standing delicately in front of the two. Each had their own unique charm, though four of them still had a flush on their faces—not from the passionate night, but from having just absorbed enough yang energy.

“Dear guests, they are all here.”

“These are all of them?”

“These are all of them.”

“No more hidden away?”

“Of course not.”

“You're not hiding any, are you? If there are, we won’t let you off!”

“Oh, how could we dare…”

“Good, then.” Only then did Heroine Wu turn to Song You and say, “They claim there are only these ten, and I don’t think they’re lying. How will you choose?”

“There’s no one else around now. Let’s take action.”

“Alright!” Heroine Wu, never one to hesitate, reached into her clothes and pulled out a small sword.

Seeing this, the expressions of the two women instantly stiffened.

“You are...?”

With a swish, the small sword was drawn.

“They’re ghost hunters!”

“This is injustice!”

The two female ghosts reacted in an amusing way.

First, they refused to admit it. Then, when they realized they couldn't argue their way out, they claimed they'd never harmed anyone. When told that dozens of people had died, they said those people were willing participants. As the ghostly deception was revealed, they tried to beg for mercy. But once they realized that no matter what they said, the two wouldn't leave, a fight became inevitable. That's when their true ferocity emerged.

“Ahh!” A sharp shriek pierced the air, painful to the ears.

The two female ghosts who had been greeting guests at the entrance were the most powerful, while the remaining ten were just minor spirits under their control. Enraged, they all reverted to their true forms.

Gone were the delicate faces and elegant makeup—now their once fair faces were decayed, their cheeks shriveled, and the beautifully styled hair was reduced to a few strands clinging to their scalp. Where there had been bright eyes and pearly teeth, now there was something even more withered than skeletons. The more beautiful they had been, the more grotesque they now appeared.

The female ghosts lunged at Heroine Wu, and Heroine Wu met them head-on with her sword. She moved with agility, dodging the ghosts’ lunges and bites with precision. Despite their ethereal movements, they couldn’t lay a hand on her.

However, this revealed the weakness of martial artists. While Heroine Wu struck and slashed at the ghosts multiple times in mere moments, her sword was just an ordinary weapon with no divine power. It could not harm the ghosts.

If she were alone, the best strategy would be to stall them until sunrise. But she wasn’t alone—there was a Daoist priest beside her.

The Daoist priest opened his mouth and blew. “

Whoosh…

”

In an instant, flames illuminated the room as if it were broad daylight.

The light gauze curtains, the intricately carved beams, and the dried-up female ghosts—all of it was reduced to mere kindling.

1. Zheng Tu and Major Lu (Lu Zhishen) are fictional characters in

Water Margin

, one of the four great classical novels in Chinese literature. ☜