Chapter 27: The Ghost Devourer

“Senior Mo, she’s a complete outsider; she doesn’t understand any of this,” Xiaoqing said. I, meanwhile, recalled what Mo Qingyan had just said: “It seems that people who survive a ghost attack and gain part of the ghost’s power… are called ghoulized, right?”

“That’s right. Ghoulized individuals vary in strength. Most are born from possession by evil spirits or curses. The essence of a ghoulized person, as the name suggests, is that a part of themselves becomes ghostly,” Mo Qingyan explained.

“Wait… does that mean my body has already become a ghost?!” I stared at my own body in shock, Mo Qingyan’s words terrifying me.

“Don’t panic. I just said, you are still human. Even ghoulized people are still human. Though severe ghoulization may blur the line between human and ghost, you don’t show any signs of that yet,” Mo Qingyan reassured me.

She continued: “This also leads to an important point. The best way to identify a ghoulized person is to see if they carry ghostly energy. When I first examined you, I didn’t detect any ghostly aura, which is why I found it so unbelievable and thought you were still fully human.”

I finally understood why Mo Qingyan had been so surprised when she first saw me. In theory, since I had worn the Painted Skin Ghost’s skin, I should have been ghoulized—but there was no detectable ghostly aura.

“Then why did you later conclude that Xiao Ge is ghoulized?” Xiaoqing asked. I had already guessed the reason: Mo Qingyan had held my hand and examined me more closely.

“Because I later discovered that there is ghostly energy, but it isn’t visible—it can only be felt through touch,” Mo Qingyan explained.

Xiaoqing blinked, then asked: “Why is it so strange? Your glasses can’t detect it, yet it can be felt by hand?”

“Isn’t it simple? Think about the Painted Skin Ghost’s most famous and powerful trick,” Mo Qingyan said with a smile.

“The most famous trick? That would be… wearing human skin, disguising as a person, and harming others! Ah! Now I get it!” Xiaoqing suddenly realized.

“Exactly. The Painted Skin Ghost’s specialty is disguising itself as humans to approach its prey. They’ve been living among humans for so long that even conventional ghost-seeing methods can’t detect them. By wearing the Painted Skin, Luo Xiao naturally gained this ability too,” Mo Qingyan nodded.

I was startled. “Does this mean I’ve become a Painted Skin Ghost too?”

“No. As I said, you are still alive and human. Ghoulized people are human too. Some even willingly allow ghostly energy to infiltrate them to gain supernatural abilities,” Mo Qingyan explained.

“What? But you just said ghoulized people are those who survive ghost attacks, right?” I asked in disbelief.

“Yes, but if someone actively seeks out weaker ghosts, survives their attacks, they can become ghoulized too. It’s risky and unorthodox, but it’s a comparatively simple method,” Mo Qingyan said.

I didn’t know how to respond. People actually go looking for ghosts on purpose? I’d been hunted by a single Painted Skin Ghost, and now I knew I was utterly ignorant about all things supernatural.

“Anyway, back to the question: what is the essence of a ghoulized person? There are strong and weak ones. The weak merely absorb some ghostly energy and gain minor clairvoyant abilities. The strong, according to records, consume part of a ghost’s body and gain its abilities,” Mo Qingyan continued.

“Wait… do you mean I gained the ability to wear human skin because I consumed part of the Painted Skin Ghost?” I asked, recalling the moment it bound me and forced something into my mouth, something resembling flesh.

“Ghosts are abstract and ethereal, so ‘consuming’ in occult studies doesn’t necessarily mean eating with your mouth. It doesn’t have to be flesh or spirit—it could be any part of the ghost,” Mo Qingyan explained.

“But you’re correct. I strongly suspect that when the Painted Skin Ghost was repelled by your jade pendant, you in turn consumed or took something from it. That would explain why it is now so desperate to hunt you down,” she said.

“No way… Xiao Ge is that unlucky?” Xiaoqing and I exchanged incredulous looks.

“According to your account, after being repelled yesterday, it slaughtered a family and today killed a group of delinquents. Normally, Painted Skin Ghosts hide quietly among humans and avoid drawing attention,” Mo Qingyan continued.

“Moreover, a Painted Skin Ghost only gains the full benefits—blood energy, hearts, lungs, and new human skins—by first luring a victim into intimacy before killing them. That’s the most efficient way for it to regain strength and prepare a new disguise,” she added.

“Killing like that… the only explanation is that it’s urgently absorbing energy to recover from injuries. It can’t afford caution anymore, which is why it even appeared publicly at school. It seems its goal is to kill you, regardless of consequences.”

I broke out in a cold sweat. Mo Qingyan’s reasoning made perfect sense. The Painted Skin Ghost had been relentlessly pursuing me, attempting multiple attacks. Its behavior wasn’t simply spite—it had a pressing reason to eliminate me.

Most likely, I had consumed part of it, and if it didn’t kill me, it would remain incomplete, with potentially serious consequences.

That explained its obsessive pursuit and recklessness. If the police hadn’t intervened, it might have attacked me before noon. I had truly been lucky.

“Fortunately, the plainclothes officers took it away earlier, or I wouldn’t have made it here. I just hope it’s caught by the police,” I said, regardless of whether they were experienced ghost hunters.

“Ah… if that’s what you hope, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. It’s already here,” Mo Qingyan said suddenly, making me jump and check for the Painted Skin Ghost nearby. Xiaoqing immediately went on alert.

“Don’t panic. It’s outside and can’t get in for the time being,” Mo Qingyan said, waving her hand over a water mirror. The surface rippled, then displayed a scene.

It was the deserted hallway outside. A figure stood at the center, head lowered. The shape matched my body. Perhaps sensing that we were watching, the Painted Skin Ghost slowly raised its head and gave a sinister, charming smile toward the mirror.