Chapter 172: The Skin’s Persistent Itch and a Midnight Visitor

After bidding them farewell, I found myself gasping for breath, panting incessantly. I felt as though my Qi and blood had been completely drained once more, and a subtle itch began to spread across my skin.

This had recurred so many times now that even I was beginning to sense something was amiss. Why did my skin always itch, and even wrinkle, whenever my Qi and blood were depleted?

Although these two symptoms often appeared simultaneously, their resolution wasn’t entirely the same. When Yi Zhiqiu transmitted vital essence to me, my skin would absorb it first before it permeated my body.

The most crucial point, one I had never forgotten, was that this skin wasn’t mine. It had been stripped from Xia Yubing by the Painted Skin Ghost and then draped over me. Because of this, I constantly feared what anomalies might arise from skin that wasn’t originally mine.

It seemed I truly needed to take a Qi and Blood Supplement to replenish my vitality. As for whether Mo Qingyan’s supplement or Bai Yue’s Silkworm Centipede was more effective, I couldn’t say for certain. What I truly needed to consider was which one I dared to consume.

As I wearily rode the elevator back to the eleventh floor, I heard what sounded like a man’s cry, seemingly emanating from Ms. Liu’s apartment. ‘Could it be the rich man’s voice?’ I wondered. ‘They’re really going all out.’

I dragged my weary body back home, retrieving two containers of medicine. One held red capsules, the other, shriveled centipedes. I had no idea what ingredients Mo Qingyan’s medicine contained, but as for Bai Yue’s centipedes, to be honest, I didn’t dare eat them just by looking.

While I knew centipedes could be used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, I simply couldn’t bring myself to eat them. Just the thought of touching them made goosebumps erupt on my skin.

In the end, I meticulously examined the capsules with my Qi-Gazing Art, confirming they contained pure Qi and blood. With nothing else present, I ultimately chose the capsules.

According to Mo Qingyan, these capsules couldn’t be twisted open; they had to be swallowed whole. If the capsule was opened, the Qi and blood would instantly dissipate. I had no idea how they were made with such an effect.

Moreover, they were incredibly pure, as if the capsules contained nothing but Qi and blood. When I picked one up, it was so light that I could barely feel its presence in my hand.

After a moment of hesitation, I swallowed the capsule. A surge of Qi and blood rushed straight to my stomach, then rapidly diffused throughout my entire body. The fatigue and emptiness from martial arts practice were quickly replenished, yet the subtle itch on my skin still persisted.

That night, I was plagued by a nightmare. In a world of absolute darkness, I could only perceive my own body. As I lifted my hand and gazed at it, I saw my skin peeling away, much like bandages unwrapping, layer by layer.

What was revealed beneath was raw flesh, intricate with veins and nerves. Blood still flowed, and muscles still twitched in a grotesque dance.

“Ah!” I cried out, propping myself up in bed. The room was shrouded in dimness, and only then did I realize I had been dreaming. The abrupt awakening left me with a pounding headache and blurred vision.

“Phew! What kind of nightmare was that?” I wondered, reaching for the water glass on my bedside table and taking a few sips. I then got up, intending to use the restroom.

But as I walked into the room’s corridor, I sensed something was amiss. It was an intuition – someone seemed to be outside my door. Not daring to be careless, I released the Golden Bee Gu while making my way to the master bedroom.

The candles in the Fragrance Pavilion were already burning with an eerie green flame. This indicated that Xia Yubing’s parents had grown vigilant, confirming a genuine danger. However, the door to the Fragrance Pavilion hadn’t opened yet, meaning they hadn’t made their move.

The Golden Bee Gu flew out the window, observing the hallway from outside the building. It indeed saw someone standing at my doorstep: Fia. She was still wearing a white dress, her head bowed, standing motionless at my door.

Anyone looking out would surely be startled by her. It was even possible that if I peered through the peephole, an eye would be staring back at me from the other side.

I checked the time: half past twelve. Logically, she should be wandering the hallway right now, so why was she at my doorstep? ‘Could it be as that madman said,’ I wondered, ‘that I learned something from the graffiti? Or did I perhaps see her new graffiti last night, thus guiding her to my door?’

Fia stood motionless at the door. If not for the Golden Bee Gu’s ability to sense the Qi and blood of a living person emanating from her, I would have certainly believed she was already a corpse.

Time ticked by, second after agonizing second. I didn’t dare make a single move, terrified of making any sound that might provoke a reaction from her. Though I couldn’t comprehend how such a small girl could possibly break through a steel security door, I just had this persistent feeling that she could.

This feeling was incredibly difficult to endure. Especially under such intense stress, I started to feel an urgent need to urinate. I had originally intended to use the restroom, but now I dared not go, forced to clench my legs together and hold it in.

As I held my urine, locked in a standoff with Fia outside the door, I felt as though every minute was an eternity. Even though there were two ghosts in the master bedroom, I still felt that only here did I possess a modicum of safety. At least Xia Yubing’s parents wouldn’t harm me.

Finally, when the clock struck one, Fia punctually turned and headed downstairs. I let out a breath of relief, feeling as though a little bit of urine had already leaked out.

I first went into the restroom to relieve myself. Meanwhile, I mumbled to myself, ‘What exactly caused Fia to stake out my doorstep? Could it really be that I looked at her graffiti again?’

My tightly strung nerves, once relaxed, immediately gave way to extreme exhaustion. However, the recent fear and the nightmare made me toss and turn in bed, finding it difficult to fall asleep.

After a long time of tossing and turning, I finally succumbed to sleep, utterly spent from extreme mental fatigue.

The next day, on my way to school, I encountered Xiao Qing. She looked at my dark circles with concern and asked, “Brother Xiao, are you alright? You look terrible.”

“Last night, I had a nightmare where my skin was peeling off layer by layer,” I explained. “And when I woke up, a girl was standing silently at my doorstep. It scared me so much I couldn’t sleep a wink all night.” I always told Xiao Qing the truth; there was no need to hide anything from her.

“Um, that skin was left by the Painted Skin Ghost, wasn’t it? There won’t be any problems, will there?” Xiao Qing asked, a hint of worry in her voice. “Perhaps we could go ask Senior Sister Mo?”

“No need,” I replied, feeling the lingering, subtle itch on my skin. ‘I know a solution,’ I thought, my mind immediately going to Yi Zhiqiu.

“As for that little girl, Brother Xiao, you said before that she was just sleepwalking, right?” Xiao Qing mused optimistically. “Perhaps she just happened to walk to your doorstep?”

“I wish that were the case,” I admitted. “But I have a distinct feeling she’s coming specifically for me.”

“But as long as she can’t break through the door, Brother Xiao, there’s no need to be scared, right?” Xiao Qing added. “At most, you just need to avoid going out between midnight and one o’clock.”

“Um, what if she *can* break through the door?” I questioned. I had always had this feeling that if she truly wanted to come in, she absolutely could.

“Then, then there’s no need to be afraid!” Xiao Qing exclaimed. “Brother Xiao, your home has protective talismans, you harbor ghosts, and you’re protected by two Gu insects and magic artifacts. It’s practically an impenetrable fortress, completely foolproof!”

Although I really wanted to thank Xiao Qing for comforting me, I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was subtly jinxing me.

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