Chapter 57

Hu Guangyong's mansion.

Sun Ran smiled and said, "Brother Wen Chang, I observe that the fierce creatures here seem to be targeting you."

In just half an hour, he had successfully become close friends with Yang Tingyong, addressing each other as brothers. Of course, they were not real brothers, just a polite form of address among scholars.

Yang Tingyong wanted to rely on Sun Ran's abilities, and he also admired Sun Ran's transcendent demeanor. The earlier discomfort in his heart had been completely dispelled by Sun Ran's skills.

Now his thoughts had changed. In his eyes, Sun Ran was not just a Taoist; his knowledge was profound, worthy of being called a scholar. If he was a scholar, it was normal for him to be a bit arrogant. He was very willing to associate with such a charming person.

Now, hearing Sun Ran's words, Yang Tingyong was startled, his brows furrowed, and he asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Sun Ran explained, "Hejing County was originally a peaceful place. All the turmoil began after the owner of this mansion, Hu Guangyong, committed suicide in prison, didn't it?"

"Yes," Yang Tingyong nodded in agreement.

Sun Ran continued, putting on a mystic act, "A person has three souls and seven spirits. After death, the soul lingers in the mortal world for forty-nine days, visiting all the places they once knew. Last night, I saw Hu Guangyong's soul here."

He spoke with such conviction that if not for Bai Tingxuan being with him all night, she might have been fooled too. Now, seeing Sun Ran act so seriously, she naturally wouldn't expose him, just listening with a smile.

Yang Tingyong was immediately shocked, his expression panicked as he looked around, as if trying to find Hu Guangyong's soul in the dark corners of the mansion.

"Is this true? His soul is still here?"

Sun Ran's words were mostly true, and the concept of souls was not uncommon in folklore. Yang Tingyong naturally feared it.

"It's not that serious. I have already sent his soul to the netherworld for reincarnation. I had a brief conversation with Hu Guangyong, and he told me the truth. He harbors resentment towards you. Have you done something to wrong him?"

These words immediately struck a chord with Yang Tingyong, who sighed deeply, "Indeed, I was at fault. When I heard he was involved in a murder, with clear evidence, he still dared to defy me. In a fit of anger, I had him imprisoned. Later, it turned out that there was another culprit. Hu Guangyong had already died because of me, which is truly regrettable."

He sighed again and asked, "What did Hu Guangyong say to you, Brother Chang Qing?"

Sun Ran was waiting for this question and smoothly delivered his prepared response, "Hu Guangyong harbors resentment and lingers in the mortal world, obsessed with revenge. But as a ghost, he has no power to interfere in the human world. So, he sacrificed his entire family to summon these creatures. Whether it's this haunted house, the wild boar spirit in the mountains, or the water monster in the Wenxu River, they all serve the same purpose: to target you."

Yang Tingyong still had some doubts about Sun Ran's explanation, but the thought of being the target of these creatures still shocked him. His face turned pale and then green, his emotions fluctuating wildly.

After a while, he calmed down and grabbed Sun Ran's hand, "Brother Chang Qing, save me!"

This was not an official request but a genuine plea. He was truly afraid, and regardless of whether it was true or not, he wanted to find someone who could deal with the creatures.

"Of course," Sun Ran said calmly, withdrawing his hand and pointing to Bai Tingxuan, "My junior sister, Xuanyi, and I are from the same school. She is skilled in Taoist arts. She will protect you from now on."

He had to go and deal with the creatures and couldn't stay with Yang Tingyong all the time. With Bai Tingxuan there, he felt reassured.

Yang Tingyong, however, looked doubtful, clearly not fully trusting Bai Tingxuan's abilities. In the Ming Dynasty, women were generally considered less capable, and there was a saying that "a woman without talent is virtuous." He now only trusted Sun Ran.

Sun Ran raised an eyebrow at Bai Tingxuan, who understood and said, "Sir, please do not doubt. Watch my sword."

With that, her eyes flashed with a golden light, and the Qingping Sword appeared in front of her.

"Go."

Bai Tingxuan pointed at a stone in the courtyard, and the sword shot out, piercing through the stone and returning. It repeated this ten times before flying back to Bai Tingxuan and disappearing.

After a while, a breeze blew, and the stone, weighing over a hundred pounds, suddenly crumbled into pieces.

Yang Tingyong was speechless, and the distant constables were also shocked, with some running away in fear.

Sun Ran smiled, "What do you think of my junior sister's skills? Can she protect your family?"

Yang Tingyong never expected this gentle and elegant woman to have such powerful skills. Seeing it with his own eyes, he was convinced and said, "Certainly, she can."

He stood up and bowed to Bai Tingxuan, "Forgive me, I did not recognize your true abilities."

Bai Tingxuan quickly stood up and returned the bow, "Sir, there is no need to worry."

With such a powerful protector, Yang Tingyong felt a great relief, becoming much more relaxed. He smiled at Sun Ran, "Wen Chang is just a commoner. Hearing matters of life and death, I lost my composure. Brother Chang Qing, please do not mind."

Sun Ran smiled and nodded, thinking that Yang Tingyong had a good demeanor and broad-mindedness. It was no wonder that someone who could become a VIP with a lot of money was not an ordinary person.

Having arranged for Yang Tingyong's protection, Sun Ran considered the next task: dealing with the creatures.

Before he could speak, Yang Tingyong asked, "Brother Chang Qing, what is your plan for dealing with the creatures?"

Sun Ran replied, "Naturally, we will deal with the water monster first, then the boar spirit. The water monster controls the Wenxu River, the source of irrigation for the county. It is like controlling the county's fate, so it must be dealt with as soon as possible."

If the water monster caused a flood, destroying the fields and leading to a poor harvest, Yang Tingyong's position would be at risk. Even if he didn't lose his job, avoiding punishment would be a stroke of luck.

Yang Tingyong agreed, nodding, "Brother Chang Qing, your concerns are valid. I will fully cooperate."

At this point, the timing was right, and Sun Ran made his request.

"Brother Wen Chang, last night I repelled the ghost here. It will surely inform the water monster and the boar spirit, and they will come to test the situation. The water monster is closer to Hejing County, so if it comes to test, it will be the water monster first. I will eliminate it in one go. However, my battle with the water monster may cause chaos in the Wenxu River. Sir, please quickly evacuate the people along the river to avoid innocent casualties."

At this moment, his demeanor was still calm, but his words carried a sense of determination, implying: I will go and slay the monster, and the commotion might be significant, but I will not fail, and the result will be the monster's demise.

Because of the creatures, Yang Tingyong had seen many exorcists and several groups of maintainers, but none of the Taoists had ever shown such confidence.

With such powerful Taoist arts and a transcendent demeanor, this was definitely a great master!

Yang Tingyong was also deeply moved, his expression solemn, "If so, I will thank Brother Chang Qing on behalf of the people of Hejing County."

He felt that even if this Taoist couldn't eliminate the creatures, he would certainly try his best, and the idea of punishment was no longer relevant.

He turned to the constables on the veranda, "Did you hear the Taoist's words? Hurry and evacuate the people!"

The constables ran off to carry out the order.

However, just as they left, another constable ran in, panting and shouting, "Sir, it's bad, the Wenxu River is rising, rising, rising... the water level is rising!"

The constable was incoherent and panic-stricken.

Yang Tingyong was shocked, his whole body trembling, and he turned to look at Sun Ran.

Sun Ran smiled slightly, "Perfect timing, I will go and deal with it." He turned to Bai Tingxuan, "Junior sister, protect the sir's safety."

Bai Tingxuan nodded.

Sun Ran then used the Wind Bridge spell, leaped into the air, and a strong wind carried him up into the sky, heading towards the Wenxu River.

Yang Tingyong was amazed to see Sun Ran fly up from the ground, thinking, "This Taoist can actually ride the wind, truly extraordinary."

Concerned about the safety of the county and curious about Sun Ran's exorcism skills, he said to Bai Tingxuan, "Taoist, I would like to go to the city wall to watch the battle, what do you think?"

Bai Tingxuan was also worried about Sun Ran and nodded, "Good. Sir, please go ahead."