Lu Zheng immediately turned over and got up, took two steps to the door, and pulled open the bedroom door.
The night was like water, with only a trace of yin energy remaining, proving that a ghost had indeed appeared and left just now.
"Where did this ghost come from?"
Lu Zheng frowned, pondering, "Is it a wandering ghost fixated on me, or is it a subordinate of the Ye Lan King?"
Thinking of what the old Daoist said during the day, Lu Zheng started to suspect if it was all orchestrated by that old Daoist himself.
However, the aura of that old Daoist was really imposing...
A faint yin energy permeated the backyard. Lu Zhengâs eyes flickered, and he finally took out a Qi-Seeking Talisman.
He formed a seal technique with his hands, causing the talisman to vibrate briefly before quickly gathering the ghost childâs cold aura.
Donning his night clothes, Lu Zheng grabbed the Brocade Spring Saber and various talismans, then jumped out of the courtyard. The direction pointed by the Qi-Seeking Talisman was straight to the north of the city.
"The old Daoist is in the west of the city, but the north houses the City Godâs Underworld..."
Daoist Mingzhang had told him that the Tonglin County City God Temple was located in the north of the city, where the Yin-Yang Road to the Netherworld was also situated.
Lu Zhengâs heart grew increasingly uneasy. Following the Qi-Seeking Talisman, he had just reached the city center when the talisman suddenly shook violently, and its effect vanished.
"Hmm? Did the source of the aura disappear?"
Lu Zheng halted, "Did it return to the Netherworld? Could it really be a subordinate of the Ye Lan King? How did he discover my connection to the deaths of Corpse Ghost Su Yi or Cyan Robe Ghost Yan Jie? Could it be..."
Feeling unease, Lu Zheng quickly turned and left the county, heading straight for Peach Blossom Plain.
Arriving at Taohua Village, he found Shen Ying hovering atop an old peach tree, absorbing the essence of moonlight, refining her divine soul.
"Young master!"
Seeing Lu Zheng come, Shen Ying stopped her cultivation with joy and gently floated down.
"Young master, why have you come again?" Shen Yingâs voice was sweet and she looked at Lu Zheng with deep affection in her eyes.
Truth be told, after tasting the sweetness, women often become more proactive and passionate than men. After all, itâs said: thereâs only an exhausted bull, not fields plowed to ruin.
"Itâs good that youâre okay. I thought you might be in danger." Lu Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, then took two steps back, gesturing for Shen Ying not to come closer.
"Whatâs wrong?" Shen Ying was startled by his words.
Lu Zheng proceeded to tell Shen Ying about the old Daoist and the ghost child.
"I donât know if that ghost child is a subordinate of the Ye Lan King. Anyway, be careful.
Additionally, that old Daoist seems quite powerful and can detect the ghost aura you left on me, so letâs keep our distance for now to avoid revealing more."
The ghost child was of less concern, as Shen Ying didnât worry about herself. In the Netherworld of Tonglin County, she feared no one in a one-on-one battle except the Ye Lan King, who was also resisted by the City God.
But an unknown old Daoist who kills upon seeing ghosts made Shen Ying wary.
Who knows how powerful he might be?
If he turns out to be a great power, what if he can destroy her with a snap of his fingers?
In the past, it didnât matter. She had no particular attachment to life and death, unwilling only to let the old peach tree fall into Yan Jieâs hands. But now, having a sweetheart and newfound cultivation techniques with hopes of liberation, Shen Ying doesnât want to die just yet.
"Alright, alright, alright!"
Shen Ying dispersed the passion in her eyes and asked with concern, "Will that Daoist cause you trouble?"
Lu Zheng shook his head, "Why would he trouble me? I expressed disbelief and left in the afternoon, and he didnât stop me."
"Thatâs good." Shen Ying nodded, "Then the young master should hurry back. I wonât leave the village for these days; itâs best to avoid any confrontation."
"Okay, Iâll be going now. By the way, if anyone from the Ye Lan Kingâs side comes again, just call me. Iâve prepared many Exorcism Talismans."
The Exorcism Talismans also harm Shen Ying, so Lu Zheng didnât leave any with her. However, he left fourteen Cold Condensing Talismans, effective against demons, when he stayed at Taohua Village previously.
"Donât worry. Iâve been cultivating the âTaiyin Supreme Grade Soul-Washing Scriptureâ and have made progress. Unless the Ye Lan King himself comes, no ghost is my match. With the Cold Condensing Talismans, Iâm not afraid of any demon either."
Lu Zheng nodded and didnât linger, promptly returning to the county.
Back home, before dawn, he managed to nap a bit.
The next day at dawn, Lu Zheng didnât concern himself with last nightâs events but continued to go with Liu Qingyan to Renxin Hall to learn medicine.
"Lu Lang, you donât look well. Did you not sleep well last night?"
Liu Qingyan looked at Lu Zheng with some concern, "Did something happen last night?"
Lu Zheng shook his head, "No, nothing happened."
"Really?"
"Really!" Lu Zheng nodded, "Itâs just that the old Daoistâs words reminded me of my encounter with the Corpse Ghost, which you know I told you about. Itâs disgusting!"
"So you didnât sleep well?"
"So I didnât sleep well!" Lu Zheng said with disgust, "That old Daoist, stirring up unpleasant memories, truly is inconsiderate!"
Liu Qingyan softly laughed, "Itâs good if nothingâs wrong. If there is, remember you can tell me; I could help too."
"Of course!" Lu Zheng replied sincerely on the surface, but inwardly he was dismissive.
How can she help, with a beauty trick?
Considering the ghost childâs large, white eyes yesterday, whoâs to say it can even see?
Liu Qingyan noticed Lu Zhengâs dismissiveness almost as if she wanted to say something, yet she ultimately held back.
After another busy day at Renxin Hall, in the mid-afternoon of the noon hours, Hu Zhou arrived punctually to help, leaving at around 5:00 p.m.
On the bright side, the old Daoist didnât appear all day.
...
After escorting Liu Qingyan home, Lu Zheng conducted his usual two crossings before lying down on his bed.
"Why did that ghost child appear, and what is its origin?"
"What is the City Godâs Underworld in Tonglin County doing, allowing ghosts to roam the mortal world at night?"
"Damn, it only met me. What if it encountered ordinary civilians? Wouldnât they be scared to death instantly? Isnât such Underworld negligent?"
"Did the old Daoist not appear because he doesnât care?"
As Lu Zheng was contemplating, the air in the room suddenly turned cold.
"What the hell?"
Lu Zheng abruptly turned around to see the ghost child from last night passing through walls and appearing again in his bedroom.
Lu Zheng straightened up, fixed his gaze on the white-eyed ghost child, "Who are you?"
"Jie jie!"
The ghost child grinned, with a mouth that stretched to his ears, revealing a row of white, albeit numerous and sharp, teeth.
"Damn, thatâs disgusting!"
Lu Zheng grimaced too, though only within normal limits.
"Who exactly are you, and why do you come uninvited two consecutive nights?" Lu Zheng asked again.
Having seen two ghosts, one a Corpse Ghost and the other a Ghost General, both capable of thought, speech, and communication, Lu Zheng instinctively assumed the ghost child was the same, prompting him to inquire.
However, no response was forthcoming.
"Jie jie!"
This time, the grinning ghost child didnât leave immediately but instead began to slowly approach Lu Zheng.
Lu Zhengâs gaze sharpened, and he held an Exorcism Talisman in his hand.
Determined to capture the ghost tonight and learn its origin, Lu Zheng was ready.
But as the ghost child floated within two meters of the bed, it suddenly pulled a grimace, then retreated and phased through the wall again.
"Whatâs the deal? It left again? Is it trying to scare me?"
Lu Zheng was dumbfounded for a moment, then quickly reacted, pulling out a Qi-Seeking Talisman to gather ghost qi before leaping out of the window to follow the trail closely.