I understand the reasoning, I just find it hard to believe that Chen Ge gets away scott-free from such dangerous scenarios, or that many of the powerful ghosts there just capitulate to him easily. The simplest example I can give is the battle between the gluttony ghost and the 4 red specters. Despite all the damage they did to her, even the female dullahan and the red high heels were on the verge of getting crushed by the gluttony ghost before Chen Ge intervened. Translate that to the battle between the Shadow and Zhang Ya.... shouldn't the Shadow be inflicting some major damage to Zhang Ya as well? She (Zhang Ya) just seems to waltz through battles with Dr. Gao and the Shadow. I am slightly annoyed because in all the reading and observing I have done of successful people, I have never seen anyone succeed on a linear scale. There will always be ups and downs on their journey to incredible success - Steve Jobs, Jack Ma, Warren Buffet, Deng Xiaoping, etc. There will be COSTS that have to be paid. Watching Chen Ge cruise along so easily so far, while interesting in its own way, gets tired after awhile. There should be some cost to Chen Ge will all his successes and victories. What is the impact of his body temperature dropping? Only shortens his lifespan? Is there an impact or a cost to attaching a Red Specter to him as replacement for his shadow? How about the cost / impact of him not having a shadow for a few years? Maybe I am projecting too much of my own life, experiences and observation onto Chen Ge....
We still have tons of chapters left, so it’s not too late for the author. And Chen Ge started off with lost - his parents. Now it’s about him trying to get them back
well he already suffered back when he was kid, and again when his parents went missing and his Haunted House almost closed, so maybe we will see him suffer some setbacks at 4 star scenario. Edit: btw anyone tried this series? https://www.novelupdates.com/series/the-tale-never-ends/
Chapter 676 (prepare for TL / DR): Battle of Li Wan Town is over. The double team from Dr. Gao and Zhang Ya was too much for the Shadow. Shadow tried to curse Chen Ge before he got destroyed, and might have gotten a drop in. Zhang Ya tanked the curse attempt by the Shadow against Chen Ge, and was using her gluttony ability to absorb the curse, but not sure if she was able to clear Chen Ge of the little bit of curse that got into him. Shadow self imploded to inflict damage against Dr. Gao and Zhang Ya. Not sure whether it was just this minor avatar that was destroyed and the main fetus was safe and sound in the 4 star scenario. The Shadow's implosion dealt a lot of curse damage to Dr. Gao and Zhang Ya. Dr. Gao lost an arm, while half of Zhang Ya's body got burned (including part of her face, which pissed her off a lot). Dr. Gao and Zhang Ya started battling each other. They both got a piece of the heart of the Shadow (that's why I said I am unsure if the Shadow got away or not which would mean the Fetus is a completely different entity). Xiaobu is returning to Chen Ge with Men Nan and Lao Zhou. Her power level is not below the Gluttony Ghost. Dr. Gao immediately retreated. Zhang Ya retreated back into Chen Ge's shadow. Before she did that, she tied a string along the wrist of the Female Dullahan (she was originally eyeing the Tunnel Female, but Chen Ge speculated she did not do it because she could be too injured). The string might have the same effect as Ruined Face - a way to wake Zhang Ya up while she is recuperating from her injuries or digesting the heart of the Shadow. Poor Female Dullahan! Chen Ge tells Xiao Bu that while she is now free, the Fetus may come for her. Before Xiao Bu could reply, the Female Raincoat arrived with Xiao Bu's arm and Tong Tong. Female Raincoat placed the arm and Tong Tong near Chen Ge / Xiao Bu and then left. Before leaving, Chen Ge asked whether she had found her child. The blood on her raincoat formed a sentence on the floor stating: She will stay on in Li Wan Town to look for her child, and once she has found him, she will look for Chen Ge then." My next speculations: 1) Arc should end in about one to three chapters. 2) Dr. Gao definitely not on Team Chen Ge. 3) Chen Ge will definitely need Xiao Bu and Coffin Village Female Specter on his team. In terms of power levels, Zhang Ya is first, Coffin Village Female Specter is second and Xiao Bu should be third (not sure how powerful Giant Spiderboy is). That's the only way to face a 4 Star Scenario. 4) I have a feeling the half-red boy ghost on the 11th floor is Red Raincoat's son. I also believe that once Red Raincoat has found her child, she will join Chen Ge's team. 5) I believe that Chen Ge will recruit Giant Spiderboy by using Xiao Xiao's special ability to soothe his soul. 6) I can't wait to read more about Smiling Mushroom Headed Man and Red High Heels. Red High Heels is Chen Ge's first special ghost passenger on the 104 bus. Smiling Mushroom Head Man seems like a very special entity, possibly a ghoul, one that has absorbed a curse power into his own body. And who knows..... he might even have links to the School of the Afterlife! (or else how is Chen Ge going to unlock access to that damn scenario?). 7) Not to sound morbid or silly, but I am glad that Zhang Ya didn't get out of the battle with the Shadow / Dr. Gao unscathed. It would be incredibly dumb to give such a big build-up to the danger of the Shadow only to have Zhang Ya just steamroll him easily. At least now it is believable that the Shadow is dangerous and not a pushover. 8) If the Shadow was able to leave the remnant of a curse inside Chen Ge, then that is also good. Going after such dangerous scenarios should not come without a cost. Overall, quite a good arc. The novel is turning into a bit of a battle novel though, so just mentally readjust your minds.
Thanks, now I can start reading again. I think Spider boy is stronger than Xiao Bu considering that he manage to fight the shadow multiple times while main reason for Li Wan Town to be 3.5 is maybe due to the door running wild. Btw did they mention about the Red House? Nah not yet, was hoping someone here have before I start reading it
I am honestly not sure if Spiderboy is stronger than Xiao Bu. Spiderboy was able to repel the Shadow through use of his special ability, but when it comes to pure brute strength, Chen Ge never seems to mention Spiderboy. Chen Ge would often mention the Coffin Village Female Ghost as being the strongest Red Specter he had ever met before Dr. Gao's and Zhang Ya's power-ups. He would also mull a lot about Xiao Bu's inherent strength (and this is an incomplete Xiao Bu.... she was missing 3 parts of her body when Chen Ge called her the equal of the Gluttony ghost). They did not mention about the Red House or if they did, I missed the reference in the MTL. However, more hints were dropped about the door in Chen Ge's Haunted House... and apparently, it might house one of those beings greater than red. I hope the writer spends the next arc or two consolidating Chen Ge's gains and tying up several loose ends. Now is not the time to plunge headlong straight into the 4 star scenario; Chen Ge needs SERIOUS backup before he goes to face a being of that power level (and the Shadow in Li Wan Town seems to be only a minor avatar). Plus, it is about time he sorts out the incomplete scenarios in Coffin Village, in the Underground Morgue, the White Dragon Tunnel, etc.
Yea I guess, the only thing Spiderboy going good for him is that his door is portable and the problem is that he is weak outside of the tunnel. Well, Chen Ge still has that burning house mission he can do before he goes tackling the 4 stars scenario
Spiderboy also has that special silk. Not sure what kind of damage or ability it does. But he doesn't seem to control blood fog like Men Nan or Xiao Bu. As for burning house mission, why do I have the feeling the door pusher is now already gone....
Chapter 677 came early, woohoo. Seems the Smiling Man has disappeared. Xiao Bu is unable to control the door fully. She cannot leave with Chen Ge. Xiao Bu is like Men Nan, can only open the door one minute a day. Informed Chen Ge that once she has control of the door, she will look for him and is willing to become his shadow. Chen Ge asked Xiao Bu to watch out for Red Raincoat and protect one another. Bai Qiulin's "redness" expanding. Chen Ge checking out the "living" folks. Some of them have agreed to join the Haunted House as new "living" employees - e.g. Scissors / Murderess. Burn Doctor's condition is not good. Jia Ming and Student Bei have escaped. P.S. No mention of Fan Cong, Red High Heels or that family yet.
Chapter 678: Scissors (Jian Dao) will join Chen Ge's Haunted House. Burn Doctor's situation is bad. Not sure how it will be treated. Drunkard is second generation rich, will head back to hometown to meet family first. Fan Cong found, worried about brother. Li Zheng still unconscious. Chen Ge and Scissors coordinating stories to present to police. Jia Ming and Northern boy are working together. They have found and cornered the family of 3. New revelations: the son in the family of three is actually a product of the experiment by the fetus. The mother is the vessel used in the experiment to determine how much curses and negative emotions a living human can sustain. The experiment produced "two" results - this boy, and the mini avatar that the Shadow used in Li Wan Town. Jia Ming told Northern boy that the Shadown had withdrawn the curse and emotions from the boy after the experiment was successful, but there was bound to be traces of the curse left that would lead to the actual location of the sacred fetus. Thus, they pressed the family to "cooperate" with them. At the end, Jia Ming said that he knew the location of another door in the Eastern Suburbs and led the motley bunch out into the blood fog. - My Speculations - 1) Many possible routes from here. Shadow could still be in Jia Ming and taking this opportunity to capture a vessel or sacrifice. Trace of Shadow could be in the boy and could be a secondary antagonist to Chen Ge in the future. Or this boy is how Chen Ge unlocks the location of the Fetus trial mission. I am guessing definitely the last one. 2) I am hoping the Smiling Mushroom Man is waiting to ambush Jia Ming and Northern Boy at whatever door they are heading to in the Eastern Suburbs. This would be the trigger for a cooperative relationship with Chen Ge. 3) Alternatively, maybe Jia Ming will walk right out of the door of White Dragon Tunnel... and right into Spiderboy's waiting mandibles 4) Still no sign of the Red High Heels. Is she with Chen Ge, with Smiling Mushroom Man, or has she escaped somewhere? 5) Do you think we will get one more chapter tonight?
I thought he gave her to the Smiling Mushroom Man at the top of Fan Cong's building in the red world....
well that other "door" might be the 3 star scenario burning house. seirously tho, Chen Ge should teach Xu Wan and Gu Feiyu about the ghost so that they can protect themselves incase an enemy tried to use them, like for example on what happened with Gu Feiyu on the Hearse.
The thing is, to open a door, you need a door opener. Is Jia Ming a door opener? Is the burning house door opener under the control of the Shadow? An ally of the Shadow? Is a piece of the Shadow still in Jia Ming? How come he is acting so weirdly and not like the person who contacted his wife on the Haunted Hearse? More importantly, how was the Shadow, as Li Zheng, able to fight Dr. Gao, without letting Jia Ming know that the Shadow was IN Li Zheng's shadow? A lot of unanswered questions actually...
Chapter 679 is out: Quick summary since I am not at desk. 1) They left via the door. The Hearse is missing, is should still be inside the red world. 2) Fan Cong will stay with Chen Ge for time being. Brother status still unknown. 3) Everyone sent home; Chen Ge now on the way to police station with Li Zheng. 4) Li Wan Town trial mission completion rate is 94%!!! 5) Special item from the trial mission allows Chen Ge to open Haunted House branches in other towns and cities.
I still like that chapter where Chen Ge's parents plotted for years to have little cloth to be CHen Ge's shadow and the Shadow plotting to become Chen Ge's shadow and Chen Ge is just like...... pulls out Exodia (Zhang Ya). Also finally caught up with the raws :/ And I still want more
Chapter 680: Should officially be the end of the Li Wan Town arc. Scenario can be unlocked. It is a very big scenario, so option to open it given. Chen Ge received many special items due to rescue of 4 innocents. Some of those items have really strong powers. Fan Dade was involved in a car accident, but fortunately only lightly injured. Captain Yan strongly hinted to have a special background. Due to multiple staff injuries, difficulty of scenes have been reduced, so more people are passing the scenes. Chen Ge looking forward to building the town as the "next level" scene. - My Thoughts - 1) I think before Chen Ge tackles School of Afterlife, we will see several mini-arcs. 2) Mini-arcs for the theme park should include opening of the Water Scene, the Tunnel scene and building up of the Li Wan Town scene. 3) Chen Ge still has to return Men Nan to the Third Ward and the Female Tunnel Ghost to White Dragon Tunnel (though he might just recruit the Spiderboy right there and then). 4) Recovery of the Haunted Hearse is needed, and finding out the other lost people may also be a mini arc on its own. 5) I wonder whether Smiling Mushroom Man will become a "special visitor" to Chen Ge's theme park..... In conclusion, this was a massive arc, from Chapter 616 (Big Rain) to Chapter 680, with at least 20 "double chapters". For all we know, the 4 star trial missions might be 100 chapter arcs. Wonder when the first 5 star trial mission will appear....