Da Hei's appearance was completely unexpected by the master and disciple. Coupled with Da Hei being a ghost king, its power was amplified in the darkness. With me distracting them, they were caught completely off guard.
Da Hei was the first to strike. It didn't attack the old man directly, knowing he was difficult to handle. Instead, it lunged for his disciple.
As the young disciple turned, he was met with a gaping maw. He immediately abandoned controlling me and hurled his soul bell at Da Hei.
Da Hei ducked, easily evading the bell, and then lunged downwards. The young disciple cried out in fear. If that bite had landed, he wouldn't be able to stand to urinate for the rest of his life.
The young disciple wasn't defeated. Just as Da Hei was about to bite a critical spot, he used his forward momentum, twisting his waist and thrusting his thigh into Da Hei's mouth.
"Ah, you damn dog, let go!"
A crisp "crack" echoed, and he immediately fell to the ground, clutching his leg and screaming. Da Hei had broken his thigh bone.
"Ah, my leg, the dog broke my leg!" The young disciple no longer bothered with the soul bell controlling me; he just held his leg and wailed.
All of this happened incredibly fast. From me speaking to Da Hei biting, to the young disciple collapsing and howling, it took only two breaths.
By the time the old man reacted, his main assistant, the young disciple, was already pinned under Da Hei's paw. Da Hei's dog eyes glowed with a faint red light, signifying its ghost king status, and it barked ferociously at the old man.
"Ghost King?" The old man's eyes turned cold. He glanced at me, "I didn't expect the disciple of the renowned Yin Gua Master Zhang Da Nian to keep a ghost. If it were anyone else, they'd be in a panic, but you're unlucky to have encountered me."
As the old man finished speaking, he reached for his back, and a small bell, purple-red and then black, appeared in his hand. The bell was palm-sized, and its appearance made me feel dizzy, the murmuring sound accompanying it.
This must be the thing that lured souls. Remembering my previous experiences, I quickly warned Da Hei, "Da Hei, be careful of the old man's bell. It can capture souls."
The old man paid no attention to my warning. He chuckled, "Don't you think it's too late?"
The old man shook the bell in his hand vigorously. Da Hei, who had been standing like a mighty general with the young disciple under its paw, suddenly looked confused. Although it quickly shook its head to dispel the murmuring sound, as the old man continued to shake the soul bell, its moments of clarity grew shorter.
After two breaths, the red glow in Da Hei's eyes vanished, replaced by confusion. At the old man's command, "Good dog, come here," it trotted over obediently, even nuzzling his thigh affectionately, looking completely pleased.
"Da Hei, Da Hei... wake up! He's an enemy, not your master..." No matter how I called, Da Hei didn't respond. Perhaps my loud voice disturbed it, as it even barked at me twice, its powerful ghost energy nearly injuring my spirit.
"Kid, you don't need to call. No ghost can escape my soul bell, not even a ghost king." The old man's lips curled upwards as he spoke to me, while he helped his disciple up and applied medicine from his personal stash.
"You... are you the Ghost Controlling King from Jiangxi?" Hearing him say that, a warning from my master flashed through my mind – someone I should never provoke.
No one knew the lineage of the Ghost Controlling King, but there were whispers that his sect originated from the Jiangxi corpse-driving tradition. However, with modern society favoring cremation over burial, their primary source of income had vanished.
But the Ghost Controlling King was a genius in his field. He found a new path, transforming the corpse-driving techniques into ghost control, which earned him a formidable reputation in the Jiangxi region.
His ghost-driving skills were no less than those of Maoshan, and in Jiangxi, he was practically an emperor. No one dared to offend him, as those who did met unknown fates, dying without any visible injuries.
"Oh? You've heard of my name? You have some discerning eyes, kid." The old man didn't deny it, directly admitting he was the Ghost Controlling King. This sent my heart plummeting.
I wasn't sure of his true strength, but my estimation placed him no lower than Hu Si Xi. Da Hei was slightly stronger than Bai Ling Er at that time, but before the Ghost Controlling King, it had no power to fight back. While there was an element of counteraction involved, it still indicated his immense strength.
It was like a child leading a large horse; the horse could easily throw the child off with a shake of its head, but an adult wouldn't be affected. Da Hei was now the large horse, and the Ghost Controlling King was its owner.
What could I do? I was now like fish on a chopping block, utterly incapable of resisting the Ghost Controlling King. Even if I wasn't captured by the soul bell, I likely wouldn't be his match.
As I pondered how to resolve this predicament, the Ghost Controlling King's disciple suddenly spoke, "Master, this kid is cunning. I say we just make him an idiot. That way, it'll be undetectable, and even Zhang Da Nian won't be able to deduce anything."
The Ghost Controlling King shook his head, "You don't understand Zhang Da Nian. That old fellow might seem to only care about money, but if he were to use his deductions against you, even I, your master, would have a very difficult time. Let's not do that."
Hearing this, I breathed a sigh of relief. If I were turned into an idiot, I'd rather be killed outright, even if it meant my soul was scattered, than become foolish.
However, the Ghost Controlling King's next words utterly bewildered me, turning my heart into a block of ice in the Arctic.
"After I get the information I want, I'll have the Da Hei dog he raised bite him to death. That way, there's no karma, and it has nothing to do with me. This is the true purpose of ghost control. Do you understand?"
The disciple, enlightened, nodded with joy, "Thank you for your guidance, Master." Although he had been reprimanded by his master, his eyes shone brightly, as if he could set me ablaze and roast me.
The Ghost Controlling King nodded, pleased with his disciple's flattery. He approached me and said, "Kid, are you going to tell me everything truthfully, or should I use my methods?" Before I could answer, he added, "Let's use methods! You're more cunning than a monkey, and I don't want to be caught off guard." As he spoke, his eyes brightened again, and the soul bell in his hand, as he shook it, emitted its seductive murmuring sound once more.
I tried to recite the calming mantra, to prevent myself from falling into a stupor, but the seductive sound was pervasive, appearing everywhere in my body, making it impossible to resist.
Just as I was about to succumb, a dog bark brought me back to clarity. Da Hei, who had been lying obediently at the Ghost Controlling King's feet, suddenly lunged and bit the wrist holding the soul bell, snapping it with a "crunch."
Simultaneously, Da Hei's voice echoed in my ears, "Run! Zhang Da Biao is coming with your physical body."
Hearing this, I didn't dare to delay. Feeling the controlling power on my body dissipate, I turned and sprinted towards home.
"You damn dog, I'll skin you alive and make you bask in the sun forever..."