Chapter 33: Master, you can catch ghosts? That is simply wonderful.

The moment Zhang Yugui had rushed over earlier, Su Chen sensed a faint trace of yin energy clinging to him. Now that he was standing close, the presence of that energy was even more pronounced.

Hearing his request, Su Chen pondered for a moment. "Peace talismans... they won't be of much use to you."

"What?"

"These are low-grade peace talismans. They can only deflect a single instance of harm before they are consumed," Su Chen explained, then gave him a meaningful look. "But you... the yin energy on you is too heavy."

He paused, then added, "Your forehead is darkened, and your palaces for parents, children, and marriage are all dim. It must have latched onto your family as well, hasn't it?"

Zhang Yugui shuddered. "It? Master, do you mean to say I... I really have provoked that thing?"

Forgetting all about the talismans, he grabbed Su Chen’s hand. "Master, you must help me, you must save my family!"

Huang Zhongxiong, watching from the side, asked curiously, "Boss Zhang, what 'thing' are you talking about?"

Su Chen wanted to invite Zhang Yugui to sit down and talk, but the latter looked around nervously and gave a strained laugh. "Master, could we... could we step aside to speak?"

It was clear he didn't want others to know.

Su Chen nodded. "Wait a moment while I pack up my things."

"I'll help you."

After stowing the table and chairs inside the hardware store, the sharp-witted Huang Zhongxiong quickly found an excuse to pull his aunt away.

Zhang Yugui led Su Chen out of Chunming Street, where they boarded a Santana at the corner. Only then did he explain with a bitter face.

"Master, my house has been in total chaos lately. First, my daughter suddenly fell down the stairs and broke her leg. Then my wife cut off a finger while chopping vegetables. My father tripped while watering the flowers and suffered a deep gash on his head. Then my two sons were playing by the pond, fell in, and nearly drowned. Later, when my mother was combing her hair, she had some kind of fit and tore out a huge chunk of it, taking the scalp with it. It’s not just them; my younger brother’s family is in the same boat. Every day someone gets hurt, every day we’re rushing to the hospital. I’m truly terrified."

"After my wife’s accident, I knew something was wrong. I’ve been running between hospitals and searching for masters. I’ve hired everyone in Cuicheng that I could find, but nothing works. Just now, my brother A-Ming visited my home and said your peace talismans were effective, so I hurried over, afraid that if I were any later, someone else would get hurt."

Su Chen sighed. "It involves blood—this seems quite malevolent."

He then asked, "Boss Zhang, do you recall how you might have provoked it?"

Zhang Yugui’s expression soured further. He scratched his head, tried to recall, and then shook it blankly.

"Master, I... I haven't done anything out of the ordinary lately. It’s the same old routine: drinking, chatting, eating, and occasionally visiting the construction site."

"The construction site?"

"Yes, the one in the front pocket area. We're building the Emerald Residential Complex, and I’m the contractor. You know it, right, Master?"

Su Chen thought, *I have no idea.* He had only been in the city for a few days, mostly sticking to Chunming Street. However, there were several construction sites near the station, and there were likely many throughout Cuicheng.

Seeing Su Chen remain silent, Zhang Yugui laughed awkwardly. "Master, this definitely has nothing to do with the site. I know the rules. There were a few graves on that plot, but I found their descendants, paid them compensation, and even hired a master to choose an auspicious day to relocate them. Everything is absolutely fine."

"Besides, if there really were a problem, wouldn't the accidents happen at the construction site first? How could they start with my family?"

Su Chen arched an eyebrow. "That is hard to say."

"If you want a temporary fix, I can draw some mid-grade peace talismans for you; they can withstand ten instances of harm. If you want a permanent solution, I need to visit your home. It would be best to lure it out and ask it questions. If there’s a misunderstanding, we can resolve it. If not, then I must eliminate it to prevent it from harming others."

The merit energy he had received earlier had raised his Dao cultivation by a level. Dealing with an ordinary vengeful ghost wouldn't be a problem. Before, he couldn't even draw mid-grade talismans, but now he could manage one—though he would need a ten-minute break between each.

Zhang Yugui’s eyes lit up. "M-Master, you can capture ghosts? That’s wonderful! I definitely choose the permanent solution. Of course, Master, I also need those peace talismans. Look here..."

Su Chen reminded him, "Mid-grade ones are more expensive. One hundred and fifty per talisman."

"No problem, I want..." Zhang Yugui counted on his fingers. When Su Chen heard him include the nannies and drivers, he gave a subconscious nod. "Seventeen, is that okay?"

Even though he had braced himself, Su Chen’s face darkened when he heard the number. Seventeen talismans, ten minutes each—that would take three hours. It was already getting dark. If he spent three hours here, he wouldn't get back to Liangshan until ten or eleven at night, and then he would still have to hike back over the mountain.

Seeing Su Chen silent, Zhang Yugui asked cautiously, "Master, is it... that I can't buy that many at once?"

"It’s not that. I have to draw them on the spot. To seal my Dao energy into the talisman, I need to rest for ten minutes after each one. It will be too late by the time I finish, and I’m worried my family will be concerned."

Zhang Yugui understood, then whispered a suggestion: "Master, why don't I send someone to your house to tell your family right now? Would that work?"

Su Chen waved his hand. "No need for that trouble. Does your home have a telephone, Boss Zhang?"

"Yes, yes!" Zhang Yugui reached into the front seat and pulled out a "Big Brother" mobile phone the size of a brick. "Master, you can call from this. What is the number?"

Su Chen raised an eyebrow. He had forgotten about those. It was said those cost twenty or thirty thousand, plus six or seven thousand for the connection fee. Even his landlord, Lin Jingyu, didn't have one. This boss was truly wealthy.

Su Chen recited the number, and the call connected quickly. The village clerk, Chen Hong, answered with a lazy voice, but when she heard it was Su Chen, she perked up. She agreed to pass on the message and added, "Ah Chen, everyone in the village says you’ve made a fortune lately. You should help your brother Zhong out, too."

Chen Hong’s husband, Su Jianzhong, was Su Chen’s cousin. Su Chen gave a dry laugh and brushed it off with a few vague words.

After hanging up, Zhang Yugui said with a grin, "Master, is your brother looking for work? I’m short on hands at the site..." He stopped halfway, gently patting his own cheek. "Look at my mouth. Master, with your skills, I am just showing off my axe in front of Lu Ban..."

Su Chen handed the phone back. "Boss Zhang, let's go."

"Right, right. Brother Zhao, let's drive!"

Zhang Yugui lived in a three-story brick house, not the old-fashioned red-brick style, but a small red building with distinct Nanyang characteristics.

Just as the car pulled to a stop, a child came rushing out of the building. He stepped into thin air, and it looked like he was about to land face-first onto a broken piece of porcelain on the steps.

"Xiao Qiang!" Zhang Yugui shouted and lunged forward.

But no matter how he stretched out his hands, he was still over a meter away from the boy. Just as he closed his eyes, unable to bear the sight, Xiao Qiang’s body suddenly froze in mid-air.

Looking closer, he was tilted at a nearly forty-five-degree angle.