Chapter 17

"Let's go catch a ghost," Zhao Qian said seriously.

"Catch a ghost?" I frowned. If it were before, I might have laughed it off, but after all the things that happened in Xiaoyi Village, it's hard for me to disbelieve now. I still have a ghost in my pocket.

"But catching ghosts is a matter of life and death, not like washing dishes or laying bricks. Of course, the money isn't something ordinary jobs can compare to, as you can see from the Audi Zhao Qian is driving now."

"Right, catch a ghost," Zhao Qian answered with full certainty.

"You know Daoist spells, why don't you catch the ghost yourself? Why do you need me?" I was puzzled. From what I saw of her abilities before, driving away some wandering spirits shouldn't be a problem. Moreover, from what Old Hai said, her family is probably a Daoist spell lineage, and she should know many orthodox spells. So why is she asking an outsider to catch a ghost?

"I guess it's not as simple as just catching a ghost."

"I can't do it, as you've seen. I can only be considered a half-feng shui master. For dealing with such a powerful ghost, I'm helpless. Moreover, something big happened at my home, and only a high-level master can solve it. That's why my father asked my brother and me to invite your grandmother, Zhou Xianniang, to come out of retirement." Zhao Qian shook her head and smiled bitterly, looking at me expectantly.

"So, since your grandmother passed away, you came to me? Ha, let me tell you, I haven't learned any of my grandmother's techniques. The powerful ghost I dealt with was just something I inherited from her recently. I don't know anything about catching ghosts. You should find someone more capable." I tried to dissuade her, as my knowledge of my grandmother's spells only goes as far as the books I read as a child. If I were to catch a ghost, I could at most release the little ghost to deal with it.

Zhao Qian fell silent for a moment, then her eyes turned red. "You're lying to me."

"I'm not lying. Before the funeral, I had never seen a ghost. The spirits in Xiaoyi Village were the first I saw, thanks to the Yin-communication talisman I inherited from my grandmother." Seeing that she was about to cry, I immediately felt in my pocket and took out the Yin-communication talisman, which was already faded, and handed it to Zhao Qian.

"If I hadn't taken it out, I wouldn't have known that my Yin-communication talisman has probably lost its effect."

"Watch out! There's someone in front!"

Just as I turned to hand the Yin-communication talisman to Zhao Qian, she suddenly shouted.

I slammed on the brakes, but when I looked ahead, there was only the silent darkness, and no one was there.

"Strange, I clearly saw someone!" Zhao Qian quickly opened the car door and got out to check if anyone had been hit.

She looked under the car but found no traces of anyone being hit. Just as she was about to look up, she froze: "No, there are a pair of feet walking behind the car."

Zhao Qian was startled and looked around. The surroundings were empty, with mountains on the left and a cliff on the right. The road wound down the mountain, making it a place prone to accidents. How could there be anyone here?

I frowned as I watched Zhao Qian from the car. At that moment, my sister-in-law pulled my sleeve, and I immediately turned my head. This turn almost made me wet my pants!

A woman in a white dress, her face covered in blood, was sitting in the back seat. Her eyes and mouth were full of blood, and her fingers, which were bent in several places, were trying to touch the deeply sleeping Yu Xiaoxue!

However, something on Yu Xiaoxue's body repelled her, and she quickly pulled back.

"It's Yu Xiaoxue's Yin-communication talisman!"

At that moment, I remembered that my own Yin-communication talisman was still in Zhao Qian's hand. I immediately opened the lid of the soul jar in my pocket, but at that instant, the white-dressed female ghost turned her head, her eyes without pupils staring at me, and then she lunged at me.

"Possession!?" I felt a wave of fear, remembering Zhang Kaifu's tragic fate. I never thought I would face such a day!

From the moment the female ghost grabbed me, I felt a chill all over my body, as if my soul was being sucked out, and I almost lost control of my body!

"Why can't my sister-in-law protect me?" I struggled to think.

"Idiot."

As I was thinking this, my sister-in-law's voice somehow entered my ears, and I suddenly regained my senses.

My body returned to my control, but I still felt very cold, shivering all over.

Focusing, I saw that the white-dressed female ghost had been dragged out of my body by the little ghost I kept, and then the little ghost opened its mouth full of sharp teeth and bit off half of the female ghost's face!

The white-dressed female ghost writhed like a twisted snake, struggling and trying to grab the little ghost, but the little ghost showed no mercy, biting off the female ghost's entire head and then swallowing it like jelly.

After that, the little ghost started to stare at me with terrifying black eyes, looking like it was ready to eat me.

I felt a chill. Could it be that I haven't fully controlled this little ghost?

I took out the soul jar, and the little ghost immediately bared its teeth, looking extremely fierce, as if it was about to swallow me like it did the female ghost.

My face turned pale as I thought about reciting the spell to rebuke it, as we had a contract.

The little ghost was not happy and started to chatter in ghost language, turning its head in a huff, as if it was ignoring me.

I didn't understand why, thinking it was angry that I gave the Yin-communication talisman to Zhao Qian.

"You don't want to go back?" I asked, a bit unhappy.

The little ghost nodded and grinned.

I felt that the little ghost was probably bored from being in the soul jar. If I put her back in, she might cause even more trouble. Since she looked like a little girl, I could only pretend to be strict and say, "Then remember, don't touch my friends, not even a little."

The little ghost nodded and immediately floated over, extending her thin hand.

I was startled, thinking she was going to do something, but she climbed onto my shoulder!

I watched this happen with fear, unable to move, until she completely rested on my shoulder, her hands around my neck, and her head hanging by my ear!

"Do we know each other that well?!" I was inwardly fuming, but she leaned on me as if we were very close, acting as if she was back in her own nest.

Fortunately, she had no weight, or I would have been exhausted both mentally and physically.

To prevent her from affecting others, I had to pretend she wasn't there and continue sitting in the driver's seat, letting her be.

Zhao Qian outside the car had already seen me release the little ghost and saw it finally rest on my shoulder, but she didn't dare to come in. Her ghost-catching tools were in the trunk, so she stood there helplessly.

Only after I dealt with the white-dressed female ghost did she run in: "Brother Tian! Are you okay? It's all my fault for taking your important Yin-communication talisman!"

"I'm fine, ah-choo!" I felt a headache and dizziness, as if I had caught a cold.

"Just now, that powerful ghost almost possessed me. If the little ghost hadn't pulled me out before it fully possessed me, I would have ended up in the hospital morgue."

"This ghost is very powerful; it could see without the Yin-communication talisman, not just an ordinary spirit." I took a deep breath and started the car.

"Brother Tian, don't you have any protective items, like a turtle shell or an enlightened white jade? If you have these, not only can you avoid them, but they won't dare to approach you easily." Zhao Qian searched the glove compartment and took out some cold medicine, hurriedly giving me a bottle of water.

When she handed me the medicine, she clearly glanced at the red-dressed little ghost on my neck, her hand trembling, and she almost cried.

"I've never seen a ghost, how could I have those things? I know I have a lot of yin energy, which attracts ghosts, but my sister-in-law has always protected me, keeping them away."

"But for some reason, my sister-in-law had a problem this time and couldn't scare the ghost away. I think it might be because of what happened at my grandmother's place, which weakened her."

I didn't dare to say it directly, so I just took the medicine, drank the water, and handed the bottle back to Zhao Qian.

Zhao Qian took the water and glanced at the red-dressed little ghost again. The little ghost, noticing Zhao Qian's attention, turned its head to look at her with a blank expression.

Zhao Qian's teeth chattered, making a clattering sound.

"No scaring people! If she can see you, I'll put you back if you scare her!" I scolded, and the little ghost turned its head and continued to cling to my neck.

Zhao Qian sighed in relief but blushed when she put the water back.

I knew the problem. The mineral water was already opened, clearly something Zhao Qian had drunk from. In the heat of the moment, we had indirectly kissed.

"You might have a lot of yin energy, making you prone to attracting these things. Once we get to the county, stay at my place. My house has been arranged by a high-level master, and I've buried many items that can ward off evil. The ghosts won't dare to come, and since Yu Xiaoxue is a single girl, you can't let her stay alone in a hotel room. The things you attract are very powerful; they might not hurt you, but they could hurt Yu Xiaoxue." Zhao Qian said, her face still flushed.

"You saw the one on my shoulder. I'm afraid I might disturb your family. I know the Zhao family is a large clan with many people. I have my grandmother's leather suitcase and a red-dressed little ghost with me, so I can't just go to someone else's house."

"But I do need to consider Yu Xiaoxue. My Yin-communication talisman is almost useless, and hers isn't much better. Just now, the white-dressed female ghost sat next to her. I either need to keep her far away from me or protect her well."

"It's fine, that's the one you keep. Besides, I live alone and don't live with my family. My brother just returned from the military and is very busy, always drinking with his friends and bringing people home. His place is too noisy to live in. You and Yu Xiaoxue can stay at my place for now. Consider it an invitation from a friend, okay?" Zhao Qian looked at me expectantly.

Since she put it that way, I couldn't refuse and said, "Alright, as a friend's invitation. But I haven't agreed to the ghost-catching job you mentioned. You saw how close I was to being possessed just now."