Chapter 3

003 Puzzling

It turned out that the female ghost's real name was Lan Meijiao, and she was actually born in the Song Dynasty. She had been kidnapped by a villain and, rather than submit to his advances, she committed suicide. However, she only realized after death that those who died violently could not reincarnate, so she became a wandering spirit, drifting for a thousand years.

Zhan Yi listened to Xiaojiao's story and observed her expression, a hint of doubt rising in his heart. Xiaojiao claimed to have been so virtuous in the face of the villain, but why did her expression always seem a bit frivolous? Moreover, the flicker in her eyes made it hard for Zhan Yi to understand.

However, he did not voice his doubts, as he felt that Xiaojiao had come to him so late at night for more than just telling her story. So he feigned sympathy and said, "Sigh, I never expected your story to be so tragic. It's truly a pity."

"Sir, your sympathy truly moves me," Xiaojiao said, her eyes flashing with a bright light, then she sighed with a touch of melancholy.

"Xiaojiao, I apologize. At first, I thought you were a malevolent ghost, so my attitude towards you wasn't very good. But I don't understand why you would come to this place," Zhan Yi said, though he was drinking, he never relaxed his observation of Xiaojiao's expression. He thought that if this female ghost truly had such a tragic past, she wouldn't speak so calmly.

"Sir, there's no need to apologize. After I died, I became a wandering spirit, but heaven had mercy on me, and I met a traveling high monk who guided me onto the path of cultivation. After nearly a thousand years of cultivation in the mountains, I had achieved some success. However, I offended the ghost king of the mountain and was expelled. I had no choice but to run to this courtyard, which is an extremely yin place, very beneficial for my cultivation. But I didn't expect that even though I tried my best to avoid it, I still caused trouble for the people here," Xiaojiao said softly.

Zhan Yi listened to Xiaojiao's words, and his heart stirred. The more she spoke, the less her story seemed true. From her actions today and the disarray in the rooms, Zhan Yi could vaguely understand what had happened before. Yet Xiaojiao claimed she had tried her best to avoid it.

However, Zhan Yi was not foolish enough to ask if her story was true. He felt that Xiaojiao's story was not yet complete, and the important part was yet to come. So he asked with a hint of confusion, "I see. But why did you appear to me tonight, Xiaojiao?"

"Sigh... Sir, you don't know. I appeared because I admire your bold and generous nature. Moreover, I am about to dissipate, so I also wanted to find a confidant," Xiaojiao sighed, her eyes misting over.

"Dissipate? Why? Didn't you say this place is extremely yin and very suitable for your cultivation?" Zhan Yi looked at Xiaojiao's sad expression, which seemed genuine, and felt a wave of confusion.

"Yes, I was cultivating here peacefully, but a few days ago, I encountered an old Taoist at night. He insisted I was a malevolent ghost and wanted to use me to create an evil artifact. He injured me with a magical weapon and took one of my souls. If I can't retrieve it within a month, I will surely dissipate," Xiaojiao said, her eyes becoming increasingly sorrowful.

"Ah, which Taoist is so wicked, to actually injure you? What are you going to do now?" Zhan Yi asked, his face showing concern.

He already felt that this was what Xiaojiao wanted to tell him, and she likely wanted his help. However, he did not want to agree immediately and decided to see how she would react next.

"Sigh... Sir, you don't know that throughout history, cultivators have generally seen us wandering spirits as evil beings. Only a few transcendent individuals truly understand that ghosts, like humans, can be good or evil," Xiaojiao said with a tone of great resignation, as if she had seen through the world.

Zhan Yi listened to Xiaojiao's words and was unsure whether she was good or evil. But then he thought, why not use this opportunity to ask for the Taoist's location? If he found the Taoist, wouldn't he know if Xiaojiao was good or evil? With this in mind, he said with a bold expression, "That's not hard. Xiaojiao, tell me where the Taoist lives. Don't worry, I'll go and retrieve your soul for you tomorrow morning."

Xiaojiao's eyes flashed with a bright light, but she quickly shook her head in panic, "Sir, you mustn't. The Taoist has been cultivating for a long time and is very powerful. You are no match for him. I am grateful for your understanding, but I must find a way to retrieve my soul on my own."

"Will he attack me? I am a human, not a demon or ghost," Zhan Yi said dismissively.

"Sir, I appreciate your kindness, but you don't know that the Taoist practices evil arts and has a magical whisk made from the blood of a mother and child, called the Mother-Child Soul-Stealing Whip. His cultivation place is filled with captured souls. Even if we work together, we cannot defeat him," Xiaojiao seemed to understand Zhan Yi's thoughts but quickly rejected them.

"What? He actually uses the blood of a mother and child to create a magical weapon? That's too evil. No, I must do something about this evil Taoist. Xiaojiao, tell me where he cultivates. I can't fight him openly, but I can sneak in when he's not home and retrieve your soul. He can't possibly carry it with him all the time," Zhan Yi said, seeing a glimmer of hope in Xiaojiao's eyes despite her refusal.

This made him even more conflicted. Xiaojiao's expression didn't seem like a lie. Could the Taoist really be a bad person? He had to find the Taoist as soon as possible and figure out if he was good or evil. If everything Xiaojiao said was true, helping her wouldn't be a problem. If not, he could have the Taoist subdue the female ghost.

"Sir, I won't tell you. Even if you know, don't go. You are not a cultivator and don't know how dangerous it is. You could easily lose your life," Xiaojiao refused again without hesitation, but the hope in her eyes seemed to grow stronger.

"Xiaojiao, don't worry. I won't do anything without a plan. Your story is already tragic enough, and now you are being bullied by an evil Taoist. How can I stand by and do nothing? I will help you, even if you don't tell me, I will find out on my own," Zhan Yi said, feeling a bit disdainful. This female ghost was too hypocritical. She clearly wanted his help but was playing hard to get. The more she did this, the more determined he became, as he believed she would eventually need his help.

Sure enough, when Xiaojiao saw Zhan Yi's righteous and determined expression, she finally sighed, "You... Fine, I know I can't stop you. But if you really want to go, Xiaojiao will risk her life to protect you. I won't let you come to any harm, even if it means my own dissipation."

"Xiaojiao, I won't let you dissipate. I believe that with a well-planned strategy, we won't have any problems," Zhan Yi raised a cup of wine and drank it in one go, then looked at Xiaojiao with confidence.

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