A saintess? She's just a bad woman.

Page 172

Having only known each other for a short time, it was impossible for feelings of liking or love to have developed. Whether it was a misperception caused by dependence or attachment, she couldn't figure it out for the time being, but this worry was definitely real.

She rarely worries about others.

The burning frame continued to radiate heat, forcing those around it to back away to avoid being burned. The red thread on Saint Karina's wrist extended into the painting, serving as the medium between Ye Shiyu and Shirai.

The importance of this line is beyond doubt; if it is loosened or broken, Ye Shiyu will be in danger.

The battle between the two demons was exceptionally fierce. To them, the scene in the painting was also a reality of another dimension. The plants, stone lanterns, eaves, and pillars in the garden, along with other objects, were affected by the battle and were blasted away by the powerful air currents.

The servants scattered in a panic, shouting "There's a ghost!" and hiding in a safe corner to observe.

A modern-style Ming Dynasty female ghost clashes with a female ghost from the Republic of China era; neither is willing to back down, and both aim to take the other's life.

Devouring demons of the same level greatly benefits the recovery and enhancement of one's abilities.

The oil painting ghost's weapon is a sickle used for chopping wood.

The two sides clashed, their sharp forces sparking as they rubbed against each other. Once inside the painting, Ye Shiyu launched a fierce attack, giving the painting ghost no chance to catch its breath.

With each step forward, the scissors are swung down using the momentum of the forward tilt.

The seemingly cumbersome weapon wielded with effortless grace in her hands. Since the monster possessed combat abilities far exceeding those of ordinary humans, Saint Karina wouldn't be surprised if it used a gas cylinder as a weapon.

Ye Shiyu's skills were not limited to carrying gas cylinders; she used the scissors in her hand to smash the Western-style clock tower built in the garden, and the stacked stone bricks crumbled from the foundation.

The gray bricks exploded and fell into the lake with a "plop, plop" sound.

The calm lake surface began to ripple from its center, and silt, aquatic plants, and green vines emerged from the dark water. Dozens of murky tentacles surged toward Ye Shiyu.

The tentacles were numerous, blotting out the sky and the moon. Recalling the image of the dead, bespectacled man being pierced through the torso, Saint Karina felt a chill run down her spine, her hands clenching tightly in unease.

He pinched the red thread with his left fingertips, as if only by doing so could he feel a little better.

The Oil Painting Demon has taken at least a dozen lives, and with the nine people here, she's more than capable of significantly increasing her strength. Ye Shiyu hasn't harmed anyone since waking up, so whether she can defeat the Oil Painting Demon is another question.

Xiao Yang and she shared similar concerns.

"Um... Saint Karina, are you sure your ghost can get us out of here? I'm so scared. If I can get out of this awful place, I'll never work at the library again..."

"I'm not sure either. I only met Ye Shiyu yesterday, and today I've encountered a ghost. My luck is unbelievable. The two ghosts are of the same level, so it all depends on the individual's ability."

The world outside the painting has no effect on the battle inside, which is gradually intensifying.

The silver scissors severed the tentacles time and again, preventing any of them from getting close to Ye Shiyu and touching her body. The area around her became the only pure land, while the magnificent garden was set ablaze by lanterns overturned by the servants, turning into a sea of ​​fire.

The painting and the interior were ablaze, and the dark, chaotic room was made brightly lit by the firelight.

Saint Karina glanced at the wound on her finger and seemed lost in thought.

The black book absorbs her blood to enhance its activity and restore its power; Ye Shiyu should be able to as well. Both this book and Ye Shiyu are essentially of the demonic kind, although this is just speculation and hasn't been confirmed.

Try it and you'll see how effective it is; don't overthink it. Trading physical weakness for a chance to live is a worthwhile trade, since your body can recover gradually.

He pulled out his keys from his pocket, found the mini folding knife, popped out the blade, and forcefully sliced ​​open the skin of his left palm. A shallow red mark first appeared on the thin skin, and a burning pain spread from the mark to his entire palm, bringing a feeling of soreness and tearing.

"I hope she can defeat that ghost."

The bleeding left hand grasps the red thread, the wound and the red thread overlap, blood soaks through the red thread, the red light becomes dazzling for a moment, the blood flows along the red thread and enters the oil painting.

The red lines became conduits for blood transport, and the sensations of tingling, itching, and numbness gradually overshadowed the pain.

Ye Shiyu naturally accepted the power brought by the blood, finding a glimmer of hope to reverse her decline. The oil painting ghost, which had absorbed the lives of a dozen or twenty living people, was slightly stronger than her. The longer the battle lasted, the more power it consumed, and entering the oil painting world invisibly accelerated the depletion.

Other demon tamers couldn't wait to begin the process of reconciliation after the contract was formed; women like Saint Karina, who were aloof from women, were rare. The more difficult a demon tamer was to reconcile with, the more interesting she was; sooner or later, I'd have to seduce her.

"The feeling of fresh blood is really nice, although it can't compare to holy water."

The silver scissors swam in the night, like nimble ribbonfish. Wherever the silver light passed, the tentacles, carrying an aura of decay and death, shattered into countless fragments, falling like snowflakes.

The frame was burned to ashes by the blue-green flames, and the canvas began to burn. The power of the painting ghost was weakened, and it could no longer maintain its normal human form. Thick paint flowed from its peeling skin, and vibrant colors exploded from its cracked surface.

Those are real oil paints.

Red paint streamed down his face, like tears of blood. The world of oil painting was crumbling; those outside couldn't get in, and those inside couldn't get out.

"You're just... luckier than me. If I had also encountered a demon tamer willing to nourish me with their blood, you would never have been able to..."

"Sometimes luck really matters. But it's okay, you will become a part of my strength in the future, and together we will witness this wonderful era."

The two blades of the scissors joined together and pierced through the back of the oil painting ghost. What flowed from the torn opening was not disgusting flesh and entrails, but still viscous paint.

Gardens and lakes, servants running about, even the distant artificial hills and the moon have melted away. Everything was created with paint, and ultimately, it all returns to its original state.

Ye Shiyu picked something up from the pile of mixed-color paint and gripped the red thread around her neck tightly. Before the false world completely collapsed, she successfully used the power of the red thread to return to reality.

Although they were covered in paint and their clothes had been torn in the process, the fact that they had won was undeniable. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground.

The haunted oil painting was burned down to just the last corner, which happened to be the small part where the desperate woman stood on the boat looking back.

Saint Karina picked up the tattered canvas and burned it completely to ashes with a lighter.

The first rays of dawn tore through the darkness, and the sky outside the French windows gradually brightened, marking the end of the long night.

"It has ended?"

Santa Karina tried to push open the library building doors to let in the fresh air.

It was already the second day, and the rising sun had not yet cast its scorching heat. The morning temperature in Tianying City was very cool, and a gentle morning breeze passed through the gaps in hair and clothes, drying the cold sweat on my back.

Several elderly people, dressed in white Tai Chi uniforms, stretched their waists to soothing music as they did their morning exercises. Office workers who had gotten up early for work hurried across the road, and middle school students bought breakfast from roadside stalls and ran towards the arriving buses...

The mundane routine made her feel incredibly at ease.

A faint smell of blood and burnt paint lingered in the air of the library. Most of the bookshelves and books remained in the distance, some damaged.

The wall of paintings in the second-floor atrium was the most severely damaged, but only one painting hanging outside was burned. It was an Impressionist painting called "The Runners," painted in 1930 by a French painter who lived in Kyushu.

The painting had traveled to many places before being donated to the Tianying Municipal Library by the daughter of a deceased collector two weeks ago. Since the painting arrived at the library, strange things have been happening one after another, and today marks a significant leap forward.

Santa Karina reported the incident to the Changhai District Police Station on behalf of the library. Since the municipal library falls under the jurisdiction of the Changhai District police, reporting it to the Central District headquarters would likely result in a slower response time.

The supervisor who came to relieve the staff in the morning was so frightened by the terrible scene before him that his legs went weak.

The oil painting ghost was quite an artistic ghost; he used a rope as thick as half an arm to strangle several people, hanged them, and hung them under the library's plaque.

The other end of the rope was tightly tied to the metal frame supporting the three-dimensional lettering, making the scene particularly eerie from a distance. Some of the people who went missing recently were found hanging from doorways, half of the others were stuffed into the walls, and the other half were still missing.

In the hallucinations created by the oil painting ghost, a plaster statue that can kill appeared. In many crime-themed works, there are also plots where the murderer turns the corpse into a plaster statue, and the corpse is very likely to be encased in it.

"Xiao Yang, I'd like to trouble you to take me to the plaster statues in the museum. There are still a few bodies that haven't been found."

"I... I don't dare to go."

The survivors, including Xiao Yang, were resting in the reading area. Everyone was exhausted, their bodies almost completely drained, and they had no mind to think about anything else but to savor the peace of being alive after the ordeal.

The replacement administrators were either scared away or didn't know where the plaster statues were; only Xiao Yang could help.

She was extremely timid, and kept saying that she wanted to resign from the curator immediately, with a few tears still hanging from her red eyes.

"Little Saint, I don't want to see any more dead people... Please, don't force me..."

"I'm sorry, I didn't consider your feelings just now. You should rest first, I'll go by myself."

Santa Karina had no choice but to give up and go to the lounge to bring back a case of bottled water to distribute. Although no one had an appetite for breakfast, everyone needed a drink of water.

After everyone else had their water, she leaned against a pillar and drank half a bottle, as thirsty as a refugee who had just walked out of the Sahara Desert.

"Today's class... never mind, I'll just skip it."

Having just survived a near-death experience, who would have the mind to attend a few water classes?

Since entering university, Santa Karina had not asked for leave. She found the counselor's contact information in the class group and called him. She also posted a photo on QQ of the corpse hanging in front of the library, the mess inside, and finally attached a photo of her body with bruises.

There wasn't much blood on the clothes, but it was enough to illustrate the seriousness of the situation.

The counselor was quite startled; her sleepy voice suddenly became alert.

"I understand. Take a good rest these few days, finish what you need to do before coming to class. Remember, don't spread what happened in the library in the class or school group chat, so as not to cause panic."

"Thank you, teacher. I won't tell anyone."

That being said, the news had already spread throughout the school. Paranormal events were being reported on the online forums and message boards of various universities in Tianying, with some even providing photographic evidence. The school's ability to cover it up was simply unacceptable.

The appearance of ghosts is not a rumor; those in this city who still harbor wishful thinking will eventually find out the truth.

Great, I don't have to go to class today.

After explaining what happened to the police, I'll have a hearty breakfast, then get a good night's sleep, leaving tomorrow's problems for myself to deal with tomorrow.

Santa Karina went to the warehouse and got a roll of tape. She then wrapped it around the library entrance, placing the "No Entry" sign in front of it to create a temporary cordon.

Some onlookers stood a short distance away, taking pictures; the corpses had become their main topic of conversation. Several people had hanged themselves in front of the city's best library; it was a horrifying sight for anyone who saw it.

She moved a stool over and sat by the door, yawning several times. Seeing the flashing red and blue car lights, she immediately perked up.

Police officers from the Changhai District Police Station arrived at the scene immediately after receiving the report, less than half an hour after the call was made. Several police cars were parked in front of the library, immediately becoming the focus of everyone's attention.

"Which of you reported the incident?"

A young woman with short, dark gray hair and light gray eyes stepped out of the car. Santa Karina saw the ID hanging around her neck and immediately went to greet her.

"it's me."

"I am an investigator from the Tianying City Ghost Countermeasures and Defense Department. Tell me everything you know."

The investigator wasn't in uniform, dressed casually, so it was probably a last-minute assignment. The other officers were in civilian clothes and uniforms, and everyone looked rushed.

Professional security tape was set up to seal off every entrance to the library.

Santa Karina followed the investigator into the lobby and, along with the other eight people, recounted the entire incident. The investigator's hands flew across the pages, jotting down the clues he had gathered, before his gaze settled on her, sharp as a hawk's.

The Ministry of Ghost Countermeasures and Defense emphasized the need to recruit civilian ghost tamers, and that any discovered ghost tamers must be reported immediately so that they can be brought under the government's control.

The investigator knew she was different from everyone else the moment he saw Saint Karina's eyes.

"Are you a Ghost Tamer?"

"I'm."

"When did this happen?"

"yesterday."

"Leave me your contact information first. Don't rush off later, I'll make a call first, and I still have some questions for you afterward."

"Ok."

After receiving the note from the investigator, Saint Karina wrote down the phone number and nervously returned it, wondering if a ghost tamer would have to go to jail for raising ghosts.

In some places, people with superpowers are not well-received and easily become objects of government suspicion and public rejection. If Tianying has no place to stand, he might as well leave as soon as possible.

The world is vast, there will always be a place for those who control ghosts.

The investigator led her to the lounge and locked the door. The atmosphere suddenly turned tense; Santa Karina gripped her right wrist, her heart pounding.

"You...what do you want to do?"

A young woman alone in a room with her partner, a civil servant with a government job, who is carrying a gun and a knife, is most likely a demon tamer. It's unrealistic for her to win.

There's an inexplicable connection between those who control demons and those who control them, similar to animals recognizing each other by scent. Saint Karina was certain that this efficient and decisive woman also wielded a demon of considerable power.

She instinctively took two steps back, preparing to call Ye Shiyu for help.

"Don't be nervous, Miss St. Karina, I'm not trying to cause you any trouble. The reason I called you away alone is because of my superiors. My superiors are the unit I work for, the Ghost Countermeasures and Defense Department, which was only established two months ago. We usually just call it the Defense Department for convenience."

"so?"

"The defense department retrieved surveillance footage installed around the library and discovered that you skillfully manipulated the contracted ghost to fight against the red-clothed vengeful ghost that appeared in the library, and methodically led the other survivors to escape."

The Ministry of Defense desperately needs someone like you. After all, there are very few Ghost Tamers capable of contracting with red-clad vengeful spirits; most can only contract with low-level ghosts such as vengeful spirits and ordinary vengeful spirits. We're short-handed on the front lines fighting evil spirits. Are you interested in becoming an official Ghost Tamer?

"That's it..."

Saint Karina was stunned for a moment, then realized that the investigator's purpose was to recruit the official Ghost Tamer organization.

The investigators were determined to recruit her as an official and launched a more aggressive seduction campaign, much like a member of a pyramid scheme.

"Becoming an official Ghost Tamer has many advantages, such as a stable income, enjoying national statutory holidays, which is much more comfortable than working in a factory and wasting your life. It's very relaxing when there are no missions, and you get triple overtime pay for working on weekends and holidays. You also get five social insurances, housing provident fund, and all the benefits of a state-owned enterprise."

How much is your monthly salary?

Income is always the most important topic for the poor. They consider jobs with more money, but pass on jobs with less and look for other options.

"The base salary for trainee Ghost Tamers is 20,000. There are additional mission subsidies for solving cases. During the mission, food, lodging and other expenses are covered. The base salary for formal Ghost Tamers is 50,000 per month, and they enjoy more benefits. I can't go into details right now, I'll send you a document later."

"Ok."

Hearing that a Ghost Tamer could earn tens of thousands a month, Saint Karina suddenly felt a surge of excitement.