For ten years I practiced Gu poison in Southeast Asia; all living beings revered me as a deity.

Straw Ghost.

This is the name Luo Feng gave to this ghost.

He didn't know what the ghost's true form looked like, but the way the ghost killed people this time was basically closely related to the "scarecrow".

"...Those killed by the 'Scarecrow' will also be assimilated into the Scarecrow."

Both he and Aransh gradually transformed into scarecrows as they were killed.

The floating, fluttering straws and straw dolls are all "medals" used by this evil spirit to kill.

This ghost doesn't need to do anything himself; he can kill people simply by using these "mediums."

Furthermore, Luo Feng also discovered that the Straw Ghost's abilities possess a certain ability to bewitch people, that is, to influence people's perceptions.

Both he and Alan were unconsciously influenced by the straw dolls when they appeared, and would subconsciously pick them up.

"However, it seems only the first person to see it will be affected. Perhaps it can be interrupted by external force. If we are prepared, it should be possible to avoid it..."

This effect is a kill on first sight.

Aranshi was infected when they first met.

When he entered the cabin a second time, he was prepared, and neither of them got into trouble.

Back at the temple, Luo Feng completely let his guard down, only to be startled by the appearance of the scarecrow. He panicked and a thought flashed through his mind, seemingly a voice urging him to pick up the scarecrow.

"There's one more thing, which is a bit troublesome."

Luo Feng sighed softly.

He felt that this "straw ghost" was clearly being manipulated to target him and Alan.

After all, the Straw Ghost's methods of killing were too targeted.

"This is deliberately hindering us; it doesn't seem like the behavior of a ghost, it's more like human behavior..."

Luo Feng and Alan Shi came here to help Kelong Village solve the crocodile problem.

They already knew that someone was behind this, which is why they came to Mobona, the local witch doctor.

However, someone took the opportunity to kill them in order to stop them.

"Alan and I are both outsiders. If we were villagers, our movements would be quite conspicuous. If someone were to spot us beforehand and then use the power of the demon to kill us, it would be very easy!"

Thinking of this, Luo Feng sighed and leaned back on the sofa.

This probably proves one thing: an enemy who has mastered a demon of the highest level is hiding in Kelong Village.

He checked the "reward" again; the reward for the Reincarnation Gu Mark was new Gu material.

[Reward: You have obtained a "Straw from the Straw Doll", type "Grievance", level "D+", which can be used to synthesize and refine Spirit Gu.]

The reward was somewhat abstract, but Luo Feng still summoned this straw and examined it carefully in his hand.

"It really was just a straw..."

After he finished speaking, he was suddenly moved.

That's a signal from the natal Gu artifact, also known as the Curse-Binding Lamp.

Luo Feng quickly looked at the kerosene lamp shaped like a lantern, and the flame inside flickered slightly.

"What do you mean?"

Luo Feng carefully observed the lamp flame, his eyes filled with doubt.

He felt that his lamp, his natal Gu artifact, was filled with a kind of hunger, as if it were yearning to obtain this straw.

"That's interesting."

He got up, opened the glass shade of the oil lamp, and put the straw into the flame.

Chi!

The straw, as if absorbed, turned to ashes with a hiss after being lit by the flame.

The flames grew slightly larger, and he could faintly hear sharp cries.

Luo Feng looked at the lamp again with surprise, and some corresponding information appeared in his mind.

It turns out that his natal Gu artifact, the Curse-Binding Lamp, can absorb not only living souls but also a power called "Residual Filth".

Residual filth is the trace left behind after a ghost, curse, or supernatural power is released. This trace is considered a kind of filth, hence the term "residual filth".

For example, the accumulation of a demon's own power will leave its curses and filth on various materials. Most of the gu materials he obtained in the past, which were related to karmic debts, were items mixed with filth.

The Cursed Lamp can also absorb impurities and transform them into its own power. This is a rather strange supernatural property. In fact, the power of this lamp can even cleanse and suppress all kinds of impurities.

"This 'straw' can be absorbed by the lamp after it burns. So, to put it another way, does this mean that the power of the lamp can also suppress the straw ghost?"

The thought startled Luo Feng.

Correct!

This is the direction.

If one could bring their natal Gu artifact into the cycle of reincarnation, wouldn't that be enough to fight against that straw ghost?

This sudden flash of inspiration unexpectedly pointed him in the right direction... However, how could he possibly do it?

Luo Feng frowned and fell into deep thought.

……

……

A certain street in Chiang Mai's old city is bustling with activity every day because it's near tourist attractions.

Regular customers include students from nearby universities. The shop owners, who are usually quite laid-back, don't open their doors to do business until around eight or nine o'clock every day. Although it's a tourist city, the pace of life here is not fast.

In a restaurant on a street corner, a man and a woman are eating Neapolitan-style pasta, enjoying the flavors of chili and shellfish.

"Isn't it delicious? I just discovered this restaurant."

"tasty."

The woman, who had put the noodles into her mouth, uttered this thought for what felt like the umpteenth time.

"I didn't know there were shops like this in Chiang Mai?"

"That's right, the owner of this restaurant is Japanese. He also studied cooking in Italy and France. Because of my work, I often travel around Chiang Mai and hear a lot from other people. Plus, I eat out frequently, so I know quite a few good restaurants..."

The man smiled as he picked up the menu, looking for dessert, wondering if he should order some ice cream or something.

"Yeah?"

The woman smiled slightly, just as she was about to say something, when suddenly the man's phone rang.

He glanced at it and found it to be a completely unfamiliar number.

"Hello, who is this?"

"..."

There was no sound from the other end of the phone, and then the call was disconnected.

"Is this some kind of ghost?"

The man was quite puzzled.

"Did you talk about other work during your date?"

The woman made a joke.

"No, this must be some kind of spam call?"

The man smiled, then suddenly his face contorted in pain. He clutched his chest and collapsed to the ground.

The woman was startled and then gasped.

The man fell to the ground, his face showing signs of pain.

Tourists and guests dining at the outdoor tables of this restaurant were stunned by the sudden scene.

"What happened?"

Before the shop assistant could arrive, a young man came over, knelt down, and carefully examined the man.

"Does this look like an acute illness?" the young man called out to the customers in the store.

"Call an ambulance immediately!"

The shop assistant who rushed over quickly put the plate on the table and took out the phone.

Does your boyfriend have a history of heart disease? Does he usually experience symptoms such as chest tightness or chest pain?

The young man quickly asked the woman who was standing to the side, who was in a daze. She was crying as she reached out to touch the man.

The young man quickly stopped her.

"Don't touch him. If it's a heart attack, you can't move his body unnecessarily."

He quickly asked, "Has your boyfriend ever complained of pain in his left shoulder and jaw, teeth, heaviness in his left upper arm, dizziness, and nausea?"

The woman shook her head, completely bewildered.

"never mind."

The young man sighed, loosened the collar of the fallen man, and began to press his hands together against the man's chest, repeatedly pressing to try to stimulate the heart and revive him.

Unfortunately, the man's heart did not respond, so this emergency measure was probably meaningless, and the woman beside him cried out in pain.

"Get out of the way!"

The sound of an ambulance came from not far away, and several medical staff rushed over and lifted the man onto a stretcher.

The customers and shop assistants nearby comforted the woman, and the young man silently left the crowd.

"If we faked this man's death as an acute heart attack, it would be very difficult for others to find any flaws."

There were no cameras nearby, so there wouldn't be any recordings... Young man, no, Luo Feng was confident that no one would notice his presence. Most of the people at this restaurant were tourists, so it wouldn't be easy to track him down.

"Killing people with supernatural powers, that's really easy..."

At the same time, Luo Feng also sensed that the Cursed Lamp had absorbed another living soul after the man's death.

"Most importantly... we got his phone too."

While pretending to be rescuing someone, he also secretly took the other person's phone.

Even if someone notices this afterwards, they will only assume that the phone was lost in the chaos.

Luo Feng deliberately showed up in order to steal the other party's phone.

As for the man's cause of death, only the most skilled forensic pathologist could find, through autopsy, a strange mark resembling an infant's handprint on the body's heart...