Chapter 27: The Evil Ghost

Feng Hua knew that Xu Daoyan was no ordinary person, and what he said could be trusted.

It seemed that these were the ghost soldiers Xu Daoyan had subdued. After a brief moment of thought, he made his decision: "Very well, then we will camp in Shiyun Town for a day and set out tomorrow!"

"This isn't a good idea. If we return late, we might face trouble!" someone immediately objected.

"No problem. There are no urgent military matters, so we can afford to wait. No more arguments," Feng Hua said firmly, and no one dared to say more.

"We will wait for you in town. Meet us at the hour of Chen tomorrow!" He looked at Xu Daoyan, without further ado, showing his trust in him.

"Thank you, Uncle Feng Hua!" Xu Daoyan was very grateful.

He pulled the reins and galloped alone toward the western part of the town. The sound of hooves on the stone pavement was crisp, drawing the attention of many townspeople.

"Who is that young general? I've never seen him before."

Xu Daoyan rode his horse to a humble house on the western edge of Shiyun Town. The area was quite remote, almost like a wasteland. The ground was no longer paved with stone but was a mix of earth and stones. Melted snow and mud mixed together, and the frequent foot traffic made it quite dirty.

In front of this house was a new grave, with a tombstone that read "Zhang Gong's Tomb."

The wooden door creaked open, and an old woman with a pale face appeared, accompanied by a beautiful young woman and a child under ten years old.

Xu Daoyan quickly pulled his horse to the side, pretending to be surveying the area, and moved further away.

The old woman glanced at him, saw no threat, and walked to the grave, lamenting, "Old man, I know you died with regrets. Rest in peace. Your state makes it even harder for us to live."

Xu Daoyan slowly rode his horse, his ears keen, allowing him to hear from a distance. Clearly, something had happened to the Zhang family.

After the old woman, the young woman, and the child paid their respects, they returned inside. Since it was daytime, Zhang Chao could not come out.

Although Zhang Chao had reached the realm equivalent to a third-rank person, he was still a ghost. The western part of the town was sparsely populated, but it was still daytime, and the town had a strong yang energy, which would harm him if he came out.

Xu Daoyan also wanted to know what had happened. No matter what, he needed to find out first. He settled his mind a few miles away and listened for any information.

Inside the house.

"The seventh day of mourning hasn't passed yet. Once it does, things should get better. Don't worry, grandmother," Zhang Chao's wife said softly.

"That's true. I'll cook his favorite dish for him. My son is missing, both in life and in death. He was always worried about this. We have no choice," the old woman said, deeply saddened by her son's death. Although there was a war compensation, it could not console the loss of a living person.

At this moment, Xu Daoyan saw a Taoist in a yellow robe knock on the door: "Is anyone home?"

The old woman opened the door and quickly bowed: "What can I do for you, Daoist?"

"I passed by and sensed a restless spirit. Is this new grave yours?" The Taoist was a middle-aged man, not yet forty, and had reached the lower rank of a fifth-rank person.

"Yes, Daoist, you are truly skilled. My old man has been dead for a few days, but he's not at peace, thinking about his dead son. He causes trouble every night, and we can't sleep!" Zhang Chao's mother was helpless.

"Perhaps I can perform a ritual to calm the spirit. What do you think?" The middle-aged Taoist looked serious.

"That would be great, but rituals are expensive. I'm afraid we can't afford it!" Zhang's mother looked worried.

"Hehe, it's free. It's my duty!" The middle-aged Taoist's words earned him some respect from Xu Daoyan. There were still good people in the Taoist community, as the old beggar had said.

Zhang's mother was even more grateful. Zhang Chao's wife and son came out, thanking the Taoist repeatedly.

The middle-aged Taoist drew a peach wood sword and waved a yellow talisman, which suddenly caught fire.

"Heaven and earth, by the power of the law, restless spirits, go to the next life. Born as a person, die as a ghost, different paths for the living and the dead, reborn in a new life!"

Xu Daoyan frowned, sensing no qi fluctuations. Was this just a charade? He had seen the old beggar exorcise spirits before.

Suddenly, the middle-aged Taoist's body shook, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, staggering back a few steps, frightening Zhang's mother.

"Daoist, what's wrong?" Zhang's mother asked, startled.

"Your old man is too attached to his son. His will is too strong. I was just attacked by his backlash. I'm afraid I can't help," the middle-aged Taoist sighed.

Xu Daoyan's eyes turned cold, feeling disdain: "Putting on a show, I want to see what you're up to."

"What can we do? What should we do?" Zhang's mother was surprised by the severity of the situation. She also wanted her old man to reincarnate and find a good family.

"There is a way!" The middle-aged Taoist suddenly said.

"Please tell us, Daoist." Zhang's mother asked urgently.

"I need to take this young lady to my temple. There is a spirit altar there. She was your son's closest person in life. I will use her aura to summon Zhang Chao's spirit and bring him to meet his father. This will calm your old man's restless spirit," the middle-aged Taoist said solemnly, making it hard not to believe him.

"Then I will go with you." The beautiful young woman agreed without hesitation, hoping for peace for her family.

The middle-aged Taoist's eyes flashed with a cunning light, and he sighed, "Thank you, young lady."

Hoofbeats echoed as Xu Daoyan rode his horse toward the scene. The middle-aged Taoist treated him as a passerby, stepping aside to let him pass. Suddenly, Xu Daoyan kicked him in the leg, sending him flying.

The Taoist landed on the ground, breaking several bones, his clean clothes now covered in mud and snow. He spat out a mouthful of blood, mixed with pieces of lung, his face turning blue. He glared at Xu Daoyan and shouted, "You're asking for death!"

"Get lost!" Xu Daoyan roared.

The power in his voice made the middle-aged Taoist shudder, realizing Xu Daoyan was not someone he could contend with. He left a threat, "If you have the guts, wait for me here. I'll make you pay!"

"I'll wait for you here!" Xu Daoyan held his lightning spear, his tone calm. He hated these fake Taoists who pretended to be divine and wanted to eliminate them all.

The middle-aged Taoist's eyes turned fierce, and he crawled away.

Zhang's mother was startled and retreated to the door with Zhang Chao's wife. She trembled and asked, "Young general, what are you doing?"

Xu Daoyan dismounted and bowed to Zhang's mother, "Madam Zhang, I am Zhang Chao's superior. I came here to fulfill his wish. That Taoist was putting on a show. He probably saw that Zhang Chao's wife is beautiful and wanted to take her to his temple to do evil. Don't believe him."

Zhang Chao's wife was shocked, her face pale, "What, is that true?"

Xu Daoyan nodded, "Yes, I believe the harassment you've faced recently was his doing."

Zhang's mother had no choice but to trust Xu Daoyan. She asked, "What was Zhang Chao's wish?"

"You'll know tonight. Go inside and stay there. No matter what happens outside, don't come out, understand?"

"Understood, young general." Zhang's mother quickly led Zhang Chao's wife and child into the house.

Xu Daoyan mounted his horse, holding his lightning spear, standing on the road. His armor glinted purple in the sunlight.

He waited from morning until evening, when dusk began to fall.

The Taoist had told Xu Daoyan to wait, but he still hadn't shown up. Zhang's mother opened the door and said, "Young general, come in for a meal. You haven't eaten all day!"

"No problem, I'll eat later. Madam Zhang, go inside." Xu Daoyan's senses were extremely sharp, and he was alert to everything around him.

Xu Daoyan's warhorse, clearly a veteran of battles, sensed an enemy and snorted, stomping its front hooves.

The middle-aged Taoist appeared, followed by a young Taoist, both riding horses, but their horses lacked the majesty of Xu Daoyan's.

Seeing Xu Daoyan's attire, the young Taoist's eyes widened in surprise, "Who are you?"

"I was just passing by and saw this Taoist putting on a show, so I taught him a lesson. Is he your lackey?" Xu Daoyan spoke bluntly.

"That's him. I was going to offer the widow to you, but this kid ruined it!" The middle-aged Taoist added fuel to the fire, clearly driven by lust and wanting to use the young Taoist to kill Xu Daoyan.

"Hehe, with no background, you dare to attack a disciple of the Heavenly Ghost Sect. What a bold move, truly reckless!" The young Taoist sneered and immediately attacked.

From his waist, a ghost-binding bag opened, and three evil ghosts emerged, their terrifying cries making the widow and child inside the house tremble.

These evil ghosts were people who had been extremely wicked in life, refusing to reincarnate and being tamed by cultivators, making them extremely vicious!

Xu Daoyan saw the three evil ghosts, with their green faces and fangs, looking very fierce. Each was at the peak of the upper rank of a fourth-rank person. The young Taoist was clearly not an ordinary person, but since Xu Daoyan had decided to eliminate them all, he would not back down!