Chapter 394: Fellow Daoist, Please Wait

"Ghost Mother?!"

Leng Qingxuan's fingers trembled, and he nearly dropped his folding fan. Even the Butcher ghost shrank its head back.

That two mere words could frighten a high disciple of Maoshan to such an extent gave me a new understanding of the Ghost Mother's terrifying nature.

"Do you dare swear upon your Dao heart that you truly saw the Ghost Mother break free?" Leng Qingxuan's tone turned solemn.

"What does swearing upon a Dao heart mean?" I held my teacup, suddenly feeling that discussing such a lofty topic in the Adult Shop was inappropriate. I gave a dry cough. "I can guarantee that the last place the Ghost Mother appeared was the Qicun Maternity and Children's Health Center. You can investigate it yourselves. You should be able to find some clues."

Leng Qingxuan pursed his lips and stayed silent for a long time before speaking. "A while ago, when a fellow Daoist from the Miaozhen temple and I first arrived in Jiangcheng, we indeed felt Yin energy surging. We feared a great disaster was about to occur in the city, but we never expected it to be the Ghost Mother. It seems I need to send a message to my master."

"You still haven't said what realm the Ghost Mother is in. Is she much stronger than a Fate Ghost?"

"A Fate Ghost touches upon the profound, but its combat strength is weak. The Ghost Mother is different. She can command hundreds, even thousands, of Infant Spirits. She herself is nearly immortal and indestructible. Given another few decades, she could likely rival an entire sect of the Profound Gate Daoist Sects single-handedly!" A hint of fear hid in Leng Qingxuan's eyes. "Right now, having just broken free, she should be at her weakest. Her strength is roughly at Upper Vehicle Grade C. If she is given time to rest, recover, and harmonize with the Infant Spirits, it won't be long before she reaches Upper Vehicle Grade A!"

I didn't know how terrifying an Upper Vehicle Grade A ghost was, but I knew the horror of a peak Upper Vehicle Talisman. Back then, that thunder talisman was so damaged it could only be used once, yet it still summoned an explosive thunderclap from the clear sky. The resulting uproar was so massive that half of Jiangcheng could hear it.

"If the Ghost Mother isn't eliminated, she will become a grave threat." I agreed with Leng Qingxuan aloud, but my mind turned to Wang Yu. 'The Ghost Mother entrusted her child to my care. Does that mean I belong to the side of the Profound Gate Daoist Sects, or the Ghost Mother's side?'

Humans and ghosts walk different paths, but I also had irreconcilable conflicts with Profound Truth Dao, one of the great Profound Gate Daoist Sects. That left me in a dilemma.

"Forget it. I'll take it one step at a time," I muttered, lowering my head.

Seeing me like this, Leng Qingxuan thought I was frightened out of my wits. A flash of disdain crossed his eyes. "Rest assured. Though the Ghost Mother is terrifying and beyond what someone of our level can handle, as long as my master steps forward, he will definitely subdue her and uphold Maoshan's prestige."

When he uttered the name Maoshan, his tone carried incomparable pride. Even that evil ghost, temporarily elevated to Lesser Vehicle Grade C, puffed out its chest, as though serving as a ghost servant to a Maoshan disciple were an immense honor.

"You've misunderstood me again, but whatever, think what you want." I didn't want to get tangled up in an argument with Leng Qingxuan. It was rare to meet a Maoshan Yin Master, and I ought to take this opportunity to ask for more guidance.

I softened my tone, rolled up my sleeve, and placed my left hand in front of me. "Daoist Priest Leng, I inadvertently acquired a few ghosts. I don't know their grades, so I was hoping you could help me appraise them. As for the million merits, we can easily negotiate that."

"I cultivate the Dao at Maoshan. Ordinary ghosts won't catch my eye, and besides, what good things could there be in the mortal realm? I still urge you to return to the mountain with me as soon as possible. Do not remain viewing the sky from the bottom of a well in this tiny Jiangcheng." Leng Qingxuan spoke earnestly. He took a palm-sized incense burner from his pocket, placed it in front of him, and planted three thin sticks of incense inside. "Your ghost art is only at the beginner level. The greatest taboo is summoning spirits and calling ghosts when the sun is high in the sky. One misstep, and you'll suffer a backlash from the ghosts. This Rice Altar Incense Burner, paired with Soul Blessing Incense, will greatly reduce the pressure of summoning ghosts. Seeing as we might be fellow sect members in the future, I'll lend you a hand."

The thin incense was lit. A refreshing coolness spread through the room, and even the sunlight didn't seem quite so scorching anymore.

The Butcher ghost Leng Qingxuan had summoned stood still before the incense burner. Absorbing the incense seemed to offer it immense benefits.

"My time is limited. You may begin." Leng Qingxuan waved the sleeve of his blue Daoist robe at me and nodded.

Honestly, seeing him draw talismans and bite his finger to summon a ghost made me feel a bit embarrassed.

I gently brushed my Yin energy against a Ghost Ring Jade Bead. A sinister wind blew past, and the Seductive Ghost, Wang Yuchun, appeared, lying on her side on the floor. She was incomparably charming and beautiful, her waist graceful as she casually flexed her lower leg.

"Solidified Yin energy, unafraid of sunlight—Lesser Vehicle Grade D." Leng Qingxuan looked at Wang Yuchun's features. "To retain her allure after death is quite rare. We can barely classify her as Lesser Vehicle Grade C, but her combat strength is so abysmal that she's worse than a Lower Vehicle Grade A ghost."

He pointed his folding fan at Wang Yuchun, and the Butcher ghost made a lunging motion, terrifying the Seductive Ghost into fleeing around the room.

"This kind of ghost is indeed rare, but to a cultivator, she brings a hundred harms and not a single benefit." Leng Qingxuan looked at me pointedly. "I will call you a fellow Daoist for now. This ghost can provoke impure desires. If you wish to pursue the Dao, it would be best to seal her away."

"Your words make sense, Daoist Priest Leng." Channeling my Yin energy, I released the ghost from the second jade bead—the Filthy Ghost that Number Five, Tian Teng, had turned into.

The moment the fat-headed, large-eared Tian Teng appeared, he drew the Butcher ghost's attention. The two seemed evenly matched; neither could do anything to the other.

"This ghost is somewhat interesting. Even after becoming a ghost, his entire body still exudes a foul stench. I can't quite see through him. His grade is at least Lesser Vehicle Grade D." Leng Qingxuan opened his fan and began fanning himself, his pride already taking a slight hit. "Not bad, two Lesser Vehicle ghosts. Fellow Daoist's luck truly makes me envious."

"Only Lesser Vehicle Grade D?" I thought about it and figured it made sense. After all, I had exchanged him for just three points; he couldn't be too heaven-defying.

"What do you mean 'only' Lesser Vehicle Grade D? I, a direct disciple of a Maoshan Yin Master, only have... forget it. I have matters to attend to, so I won't stay here any longer. I came this time, firstly, to recruit you into Maoshan, and secondly, to warn you. The people of Profound Truth Dao might make a move against you. That Lu Jin has average cultivation, but his senior brother, Lu Chen, is a formidable figure. Be careful. If it gets too dangerous, return to the mountain with me. If you have the status of a Maoshan disciple, they won't dare touch you easily."

"Thank you for your concern, Daoist Priest Leng." Regardless of how he had acted before, for Leng Qingxuan—a chance acquaintance—to warn me about Lu Jin meant his nature definitely wasn't bad.

"A million merits is no small sum, and many eyes are fixed on Jiangcheng. I have said my piece. Farewell!"

Leng Qingxuan was just about to retract his Butcher ghost when I stopped him. "Fellow Daoist, please wait. I have one more yin soul here. It has a violent temper and refuses to be tamed. Every time I summon it, I get the feeling it's about to lose control. Could you help me appraise its grade?"

"There's more?" Leng Qingxuan rolled his eyes, suddenly feeling a bitter taste in his mouth. "I am very busy. Hurry up."

I didn't waste any words and directly released the Desire Ghost.

The Desire Ghost looked exactly like Number Nine. Number Nine in the Death Game had been a psychopathic serial killer who only targeted women. He was shrouded in Yin energy and possessed an incredibly heavy murderous intent.

Just looking at his tragic death was proof enough—he had been buried in the middle of a pile of corpses. Aside from me and He Bo, this man likely had the most blood on his hands.

I didn't know why the Underworld Live Show had named him the Desire Ghost. Perhaps this ghost possessed some special ability waiting for me to unearth.

A ferocious Yin wind kicked up. The Seductive Ghost and the Filthy Ghost retreated to the sides. The light in the room suddenly dimmed as an emaciated middle-aged man appeared in the center of the room.

He was covered in unhealing wounds. His features were twisted in agony, and his gaze carried murderous intent no matter what he looked at.

"Daoist Priest Leng, it's this guy." I patted the dazed Leng Qingxuan, but he showed no reaction at all. His eyes were locked dead onto Number Nine.

The Soul Blessing Incense wafted through the room. Number Nine took several deep, satisfying sniffs. His mouth split into a grin as he licked his lips at the Butcher ghost.

Clad in leather armor, the Butcher ghost had been enhanced by Leng Qingxuan using Maoshan Daoist Arts. Although it was afraid, it bit the bullet and stood guard in front of the Rice Altar Incense Burner.

The two ghosts faced off for a few seconds. Then, something unimaginable happened. I wasn't controlling him at all, nor had I given any orders, yet Number Nine leaped out and landed directly on top of the Butcher ghost's head.

His ten fingers plunged into the Butcher ghost's skull like knives. He was trying to rip the evil ghost's head clean off!

"Come back!"

"How dare you?!"

Leng Qingxuan and I shouted at the same time, but Number Nine was simply too fast. By the time Leng Qingxuan cast the talisman in his hand, Number Nine had already torn off one of the Butcher ghost's arms and leaped aside.

Clutching the Butcher ghost's arm, he chomped down on it with massive bites. Even I, his master, felt my heart pound in horror at the sight.

"All of you, come back!" Channeling my Yin energy, I recalled all three ghosts into the Ghost Ring. Looking at the exasperated and furious Leng Qingxuan, I felt rather embarrassed. "Fellow Daoist, this was an accident."

"Lesser Vehicle Grade B, maybe even Grade A! You hid your strength so deeply!" Heartbroken, Leng Qingxuan recalled his Butcher ghost into its talisman. "I underestimated you. It is I, Leng Qingxuan, who had eyes but failed to see Mount Tai. Farewell!"

With a sweep of his large sleeve, he marched out the door.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait!" I hurriedly chased after him, only to find that Leng Qingxuan's figure had already vanished down the street. "You forgot to take your incense burner..."