Always Ending Up as an Animal Cub

Under the control of the Great Light, the living dead surrounded the old monk in layers, sealing him off tightly.
On the outside, people could only see the little rabbit fly in but could not discern what was happening inside.
As more than a minute passed, Xiao Hong, the paper figure, couldn’t help but speak up: "Wasn't it just grabbing a prayer bead and running out? Why is Little Rabbit still inside, and there's no movement yet?"

Lu Yuanyou and the others instinctively looked toward the young monk, Fa Chen, standing at the front of the group.
The young monk had never been happy at the temple, and his expression was usually very neutral. No one could tell what he was thinking just by looking at his face.
However, this time, Fa Chen’s face seemed darker than usual.

Officer Liu vaguely sensed something and cold sweat immediately appeared on his forehead.
He kept chanting the incantation but couldn’t speak. He could only take a moment to give Xiao Hong a glance, signaling her to go and check.
Officer Liu was quite handsome, with a look that matched Xiao Hong's aesthetic.

When the handsome guy winked at her, Xiao Hong screamed and slapped away the evil spirit in front of her, shouting as she dashed inside.
Halfway in, she quickly flew back.
"Damn! The old monk woke up and is staring at Little Rabbit! The rabbit’s holding the prayer bead, lying on the ground, unmoving. It feels like its consciousness is being controlled."

When consciousness was mentioned, Xiao Hong instinctively glanced at Fa Chen.
Noticing her gaze, Fa Chen furrowed his brows but said nothing.
Officer Liu shook his head at her, signaling her not to doubt their comrade or fall for the enemy's tactics.

Fa Chen and Little Rabbit shared a telepathic bond, so he had already guessed what had happened inside based on his emotions. However, due to his silence curse, he couldn’t speak it out loud. It was also inconvenient to type in such a situation.
Over the past minute, Little Rabbit’s emotional fluctuations had been intense.
The last time he showed such intense emotions was during his mating season yesterday.

But it was different from what Fa Chen had imagined.
Little Rabbit’s mood was neither the terror of facing a powerful enemy nor the joy of finding help.
Instead, it was a deeply complex, intense feeling that was difficult to describe.
Fa Chen couldn’t tell from his reaction whether the old ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) monk was an enemy or an ally.

He certainly wouldn’t be able to help them.
Earlier, Little Rabbit told him that he was pregnant.
Male rabbits couldn’t get pregnant, so it was probably a phantom pregnancy.

Thinking of Little Rabbit, who was in the false pregnancy period, alone facing the old monk, Fa Chen felt irritated.
Distracted for just a moment, his footwork slowed, and immediately, four or five living dead reached out with sharp claws towards his chest.
Fa Chen threw out a prayer bead to block the attack and quickly refocused.

Worrying in this situation would only make him lose his footing. It was better to push those thoughts aside and focus on getting there to save them.
He understood this reasoning, but still, the irritation was overwhelming.
Especially when he saw another paper figure being torn apart by the evil spirits. Fa Chen’s hand, which was holding the prayer beads, trembled involuntarily for a moment.

Little Green, Little Blue, Little Rainbow, Little Cute.
In less than five minutes after entering, four paper figures had died.
Officer Liu and Lu Yuanyou had also sustained deep, visible wounds.

The shredded paper figures turned into a flurry of pieces, falling from the sky and landing on Fa Chen’s shoulder.
Just moments ago, they were reviewing the route map and practicing combat skills together. Now, Little Blue’s soul had scattered.
Lu Yuanyou, being shorter than both Officer Liu and Fa Chen, had shorter legs as well.

Plus, she wasn’t as familiar with the martial steps, always lagging behind them.
Her position was the weakest, and she often got scratched by the living dead.
When Fa Chen first heard a muffled grunt from behind, he noticed this problem.

He wanted to change the formation, moving himself to Lu Yuanyou’s position so she could take the front. Then, once they were inside the living dead’s ranks, they would switch back.
However, due to the silent curse, Fa Chen couldn’t make a sound. With their backs to each other, his hand gestures were invisible to the others.
Meanwhile, the situation with Little Rabbit was getting worse, and the smell of blood from Lu Yuanyou and Officer Liu was getting stronger in Fa Chen’s nostrils.

The paper figures had already gone mad, desperately striking at the evil spirits.
The room was filled with the shrill cries of the ghosts and the sound of paper figures breaking apart.
When Fa Chen was alone, he could leave at any time, act recklessly, and not have to worry about anything else.

He had no experience cooperating with others and often overlooked things when making plans.
He hadn’t thought of putting the shorter Lu Yuanyou at the front during the formation, so she wouldn’t fall behind.
He hadn’t considered how normal humans’ bodies were different from his, how the room’s yin energy didn’t affect him, but could freeze Liu and Lu Yuanyou, making them sluggish and speechless.

He hadn’t realized that the paper figures’ strength varied, and that he should have grouped them properly instead of letting them rush into the evil spirits’ masses.
Like him, Yu Tong was used to working alone. His only cooperation was with Fa Chen.
Fa Chen was strong and adaptable, and didn’t need Yu Tong’s help.

Neither of them thought about others too much, and when they collaborated, they missed these details.
Fa Chen suppressed his worries, slowed down, and ensured the others could keep up.
At the same time, he quickly gestured to Xiao Hong, throwing several talisman papers to relieve some pressure from the paper figures.

As he looked at the chaotic scene, an idea suddenly crossed his mind.
If he had paid more attention to these people, rather than seeing them as temporary teammates, would he have thought of these things?
If he cared about their well-being as much as he did for Little Rabbit, would he have avoided making such a simple mistake?

Another piece of paper landed on Fa Chen’s body.
His pale forehead immediately showed veins.
He stopped in his tracks, blocking Lu Yuanyou and Officer Liu from moving forward, and made a gesture to them.

Lu Yuanyou was startled and dodged the living dead’s attack while panting: "Are you about to use your big move? Didn’t Little Rabbit say that spell would cause you great harm and could cripple you?"
Officer Liu also reassured, “Being crippled isn’t a small matter. We can still hold on. The paper figures haven’t suffered too much yet. It looks like most of the souls escaped as their bodies were torn apart.”
“Right, currently we’ve only lost two paper figures. If we can hold on a bit longer—wait!”

Before Lu Yuanyou could finish her sentence, a blood wound appeared on her chest from the living dead’s claws.
She gasped in pain and kicked the creature away.
When she turned to look again, she saw Fa Chen had already begun to cast a spell, summoning a deity.

This was a special spell given to Fa Chen by his master, a unique modification from the Great Light temple, something not seen outside.
The spell was meant to summon a powerful ghost by sacrificing part of the body and temporarily detaching the soul from the physical form, turning it into a mighty evil spirit.
The spell was taught to Fa Chen for self-defense. If he ever faced a danger where his soul could scatter, he could use it as an emergency measure.

However, the side effects were numerous.
If luck was on his side, Fa Chen might become truly mute or partially paralyzed.
There was also the possibility that he would never be able to return to human form, stuck as an evil spirit.

If things went poorly, his soul might scatter completely.
Fa Chen had always thought that his master taught him this because he was favored, believing he was smarter than the other monks.
But now, Fa Chen realized he had been overly self-centered.

He was the core of the Six Dust Formation, and his master had only taught him this to ensure he could live a little longer.
His master probably hoped Fa Chen would become disabled, so he could be locked away and used to maintain the formation.
If Fa Chen truly became an evil spirit, his master would not hesitate to kill him and find a new monk to replace him.

In the Great Light Temple, no one would mourn his death or burn incense for him.
This was the first time someone had told Fa Chen that becoming crippled was no small matter. And yet, when facing evil spirits, they pulled him back.
Fa Chen needed time to cast the spell, but Officer Liu, pulling and dragging him, forced him to move back.

Lu Yuanyou took the prayer beads from Fa Chen and moved forward to block the enemies.
The scene grows more chaotic as the tension rises, with the group facing the consequences of their decisions.
“What's happening with Little Rabbit? Xiao Hong, can you still see anything?”

“I can’t see through the blockage!” Xiao Hong shouted from a distance.
The female ghosts who had lost their paper bodies began to crawl into the furniture inside the room, using the objects to crash into people.
Tables and chairs scurried about, and the power strips swung around, hitting people with their cords.

Officer Liu, who had just been struck by an evil ghost, still had a slight daze in his head.
He was protecting Fa Chen with one hand while urging for police reinforcements with the other.
The female police captain’s calm voice was tinged with urgency: “You think we don’t want to get there faster? In this situation, a helicopter would be slower than a car!”

“And do you think the monks and Taoists we hired have ever tried airborne helicopter drops? Xiao Liu, I know you’re anxious, but we’re anxious too. The emergency calls haven’t stopped, and there are many tourists…”
The captain paused for a moment, her voice growing more serious. “Where are you? Why is there such a strong wind sound over there?”
No one answered her question. Officer Liu, holding his phone, turned around in shock.

Fa Chen, who had been sitting cross-legged on the ground, was now lying limp, no trace of life remaining in him.
Under Liu’s stunned gaze, thick black gas poured out of Fa Chen’s body.
A ghost, pale and with fiery red eyes, slowly crawled out.

He wore a bloodstained monk robe, and his lower body was obscured by dark, cold energy, giving the impression that he had no lower half.
The intense chill radiating from him was stronger than all the evil spirits in the room combined.
Even though Liu wasn’t familiar with the supernatural world, he could immediately tell that Fa Chen had turned into an evil ghost—he was terrifying beyond measure.

Malice, resentment, murderous intent, greed…
Liu, who had only gotten slightly closer, nearly lost his sanity from the overwhelming aura of the ghost monk.
Xiao Hong’s startled shout came from afar.

“Holy crap, what the hell is that?! Did he really turn into a demon king?!”
Xiao Hong rushed over, grabbing Officer Liu and pulling him as fast as she could.
Lu Yuanyou, seeing the scene, used her prayer beads to fend off the living dead in front of her. With the help of the paper figures, she quickly pulled away from Fa Chen.

Xiao Hong, frightened, kept muttering “Holy crap!”
“I get it now! Little Rabbit told me before—other than hiding the temple’s presence, the Six Dust Formation also serves to transfer malice.”
“The monks would torture Fa Chen every three days. After each time, the malice they gathered would transfer to his soul.”

“Eventually, their souls would be cleansed, becoming perfect good people. Fa Chen, however, would become completely tainted and turn into a villain.”
Fa Chen’s heart was filled with extreme bitterness.
He had anticipated that after using the spell, he would likely become something even worse than an evil spirit.

So, before entering the room, he had already instructed Xiao Hong.
If he really became the Demon King, there was a high chance he would lose his sanity and attack indiscriminately, regardless of friend or foe.
He had planned to use his trump card, signaling that their situation was dire as soon as they entered.

Maybe the enemy was too powerful, maybe his plan had a flaw, or perhaps both.
He had considered that continuing to fight might result in the complete annihilation of everyone, so it was better to make a desperate gamble.
If it came to that, the paper figures would no longer engage in the battle. The two regular humans should find a corner to hide. Once the battle was over, they could take advantage of the chaos and snatch the prayer beads.

Xiao Hong was holding onto Officer Liu and nervously peering ahead.
The appearance of the Demon King temporarily stunned the ghosts in the room.
They warily watched the ghost monk, occasionally letting out faint growls.

Fa Chen’s surrounding mist had turned from black to red. Eventually, it solidified into blood that continuously dripped from his body.
The strong stench of blood made Officer Liu and Lu Yuanyou's stomachs churn.
Xiao Hong reacted quickly.

Before the ghost monk could go on a killing spree, she threw Liu to the side and shouted, pointing at the old monk surrounded by the living dead: “Grandpa Ghost! Your wife is in there! Anyone who dares to stop you from rescuing her, you can kill them!”
“Your pregnant wife has suffered, and your new best friend almost got killed by them. Can you stand this? Hurry up! Kuku, kill!”
Before she finished speaking, the ghost monk shot forward like a gust of wind, charging through the living dead and heading straight for the old monk.

As the situation intensifies, Xiao Hong and others are fighting for their survival, with the evil forces closing in. The tension continues to rise as they struggle against supernatural powers far beyond their control.
As the Demon King ghost rushed forward, the living dead parted like a wave in his wake, too afraid to confront the overwhelming force that emanated from him. His eyes were filled with a deep malice, and the very air around him seemed to freeze in fear.
The old monk, still motionless and watching everything unfold, showed no signs of reaction as the ghost charged toward him. It was as if he were waiting for something, silently enduring the chaos surrounding him. His fate, however, was now intertwined with that of the demon that had once been Fa Chen.

Xiao Hong, seeing the ghost monk’s relentless advance, shouted again, her voice piercing through the turmoil: “Grandpa Ghost, save your wife! Go!” She pushed Officer Liu forward, urging him to follow.
The group, including Lu Yuanyou, scrambled to stay out of the way as the Demon King ghost slammed into the living dead, tearing them apart with brutal force. His power was immense, far beyond any of their expectations. The sight of the evil spirits being annihilated in an instant was both terrifying and awe-inspiring.
Fa Chen, or what remained of him, could no longer be called a monk. The spiritual essence of the man had been consumed by the very power that had once been used to protect, twisted into something dark and insatiable. His soul, already damaged by the dark rituals, was now an instrument of destruction.

Officer Liu, still holding onto his composure despite the overwhelming situation, nodded at Xiao Hong, silently acknowledging the urgency of the moment. He could see that Fa Chen was no longer the ally they had once known. The transformation had been complete.
"He's gone," Officer Liu murmured, his voice barely audible over the chaos. "We need to focus on surviving."
As they moved cautiously, trying to distance themselves from the battlefield, the room seemed to close in on them. The scent of blood was suffocating, and the temperature dropped rapidly, becoming unbearably cold. The shadows in the corners of the room flickered, as if the very walls themselves were alive with malevolent energy.

"Where’s Little Rabbit?" Xiao Hong suddenly asked, her voice shaking as she scanned the room.
Her question was met with only silence.
Meanwhile, the battle raged on as the Demon King ghost’s rampage continued, his anger and hatred consuming everything in his path. The old monk, now barely a figure in the storm of destruction, seemed to have accepted his fate. His hands were clasped together in prayer, as if still attempting to hold onto the last remnants of his former self.

Lu Yuanyou’s face was pale, the weight of their situation sinking in. "We need to end this, now."
They couldn’t wait any longer. Xiao Hong and Officer Liu, with no other choice but to rely on their last shred of hope, turned toward the shrine where they had sensed Little Rabbit's presence before.
But as they moved, an eerie laugh echoed through the room, causing them to freeze in their tracks.

The old monk’s eyes, once dull and lifeless, now glowed with an unnatural fire.
"Do you really think you can save him?" the monk’s voice was harsh, distorted, and filled with both sorrow and rage. "Fa Chen has already chosen his path. It’s too late to turn back."
Xiao Hong clenched her fists. "We’ll never give up."

With renewed determination, the group pressed forward, dodging the attacks from the remaining living dead, all the while trying to reach Little Rabbit before the worst could happen.
But in the depths of the room, another dark force stirred—more evil than any of them had anticipated.