Chapter 615: Witch
Within only a few exchanges, she completely subdued him.
The man struggled desperately, but every attempt to escape only resulted in another painful lock that forced him back onto the floor.
Only after making sure he was completely restrained did Lana calmly light the oil lamp inside the room.
Warm yellow light gradually illuminated the interior.
The moment she saw the man’s face, her expression remained surprisingly calm.
It was none other than the inn receptionist. Lana sighed softly. "I had already guessed it was you."
The receptionist’s face immediately turned pale. Lana folded her arms and looked at him coldly.
"Now I understand why you insisted on reminding me not to leave my room alone."
She narrowed her eyes.
"You weren’t warning me out of kindness. You were trying to protect yourself. If the authorities investigated later, you would’ve simply claimed that you had already warned me You would’ve made yourself look innocent while escaping suspicion."
The receptionist lowered his head in shame. His lips trembled violently.
"Heroine, please, please spare me. I was blinded by greed. I swear it was only a moment of weakness. I’ll never dare offend you again. I promise I’ll disappear from your sight forever."
Fresh tears rolled down his face as he repeatedly kowtowed.
However, Lana remained completely unmoved. She let out a faint chuckle.
"So, you had plenty of courage when you thought you could take advantage of me."
She slowly tied his hands and feet together with a sturdy rope. "Then be a man."
She tightened the final knot.
"Walk into the police station with your head held high and accept the consequences of your actions."
The receptionist’s face turned completely ashen. Soon afterward, Lana personally escorted him to the local police station.
Fortunately, that station had already been purified several days earlier.
The officers immediately recognised Lana. The moment they learned what had happened, their expressions became furious.
"How dare he! Miss Lana risked her life to save this village, and this bastard actually tried to harm her!"
The officers wasted no time investigating the receptionist.
To everyone’s shock, they uncovered a long list of hidden crimes.
Over the years, he had secretly assaulted several women.
He had also participated in the murders of multiple travelers who had unknowingly entered the Ghost Zone.
Although suspicion had fallen upon him several times in the past, there had never been enough evidence to convict him.
This time, everything finally caught up to him.
The authorities immediately gathered every piece of evidence before reporting everything to the higher officials.
This time, they intended to ensure that every crime he had ever committed was properly punished.
Meanwhile, Lana simply returned to her daily routine.
She continued creating exorcism talismans while helping the villagers remove the remaining traces of ghostly influence.
Finally, on the tenth day, the entire village was completely purified.
Not a single trace of ghostly Yin energy remained. When the villagers learnt the wonderful news, they were overjoyed.
To express their gratitude, they even organised a farewell banquet for Lana, the little girl and Axel.
The atmosphere was completely different from when they had first arrived. Laughter echoed throughout the village.
Children happily played in the streets once more.
Warm lights illuminated every home, while the delicious aroma of freshly prepared food filled the evening air.
Among those who came to thank Lana personally, one man stepped forward.
His name was Liu Tong. He was the village chief. Looking at Lana with eyes filled with sincere gratitude, he bowed deeply.
"Miss Lana, thank you, thank you so much."
His voice trembled slightly.
As the village chief, he blamed himself for everything that had happened.
Although he hadn’t personally caused the tragedy, he still believed he had failed to protect his people.
After remaining silent for a while, he slowly revealed the truth.
"The witch was actually one of my ancestors."
He sighed deeply.
"To be more precise, she was once my grandfather’s sister-in-law."
Lana quietly listened. Liu Tong lowered his head.
"My grandfather wasn’t a good man. He became obsessed with his own brother’s wife. In order to possess her, he resorted to every despicable method imaginable."
His fists slowly clenched.
"My great-uncle eventually died. And afterward, my grandfather finally made his move. Unfortunately for him, he was caught. Rather than admitting his crime, he shifted all the blame onto my great-aunt. The entire village believed his lies. They drove her away, insulted her and treated her like a sinner."
Liu Tong closed his eyes painfully.
"Before leaving, she swore that one day, she would return and make everyone pay."
Sure enough, many years later, she returned. Although she should have become an old woman by then, she appeared even younger than before.
She was unbelievably beautiful. The moment his grandfather saw her, he became infatuated all over again.
This time, he apologised. He even promised to make up for everything he had done.
The woman smiled gently. She acted forgiving.
Eventually, she accepted his apology.
At least, that was what everyone believed.
She later claimed that she had encountered a miraculous opportunity during her years away.
According to her, that opportunity allowed her to preserve her youth forever.
Soon afterward, she began selling a miraculous beauty cream.
She claimed it could preserve youth and make anyone more beautiful.
Naturally, the entire village became obsessed with it. Men bought it for their wives.
Women eagerly lined up to purchase it. Nobody realised that every jar contained ghostly energy.
By willingly using the cream, they unknowingly gave their consent to become vessels for ghosts.
Hearing this, Lana immediately thought of another incident.
’This is almost identical to the Spineridge University case.’
Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. ’Could she have been connected to the GA Organization?’
Before Lana could think further, Liu Tong continued.
"After successfully controlling the villagers, she summoned an extremely powerful ghost. Her original intention was to claim this entire region as her territory."
He sighed bitterly.
"Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to her plan. The ghost eventually developed ambitions of his own. He created a separate faction."