Chapter Seventeen: Free-Range

“Go catch ghosts,” Zhao Qian said seriously.

“Catch ghosts?” I furrowed my brow. If it were before, I might have scoffed at that, but after everything that happened in Xiaoyi Village, it’s hard not to believe now. In fact, I still have one in my pocket.

However, catching ghosts is a matter of life and death, not like washing dishes or carrying bricks. Of course, the money earned is far beyond ordinary jobs—you can tell just by the Audi Zhao Qian drives now.

“Yeah, catch ghosts,” Zhao Qian answered with absolute certainty.

“You know Taoist magic, don’t you? Why don’t you catch them yourself? Why involve me?” I was puzzled. From what I’d seen of her skills before, driving away wandering spirits should be no problem, and according to Hai Lao, her family is probably a Taoist lineage with authentic magical knowledge. So why call in an outsider to catch ghosts?

It must be more than just catching ghosts.

“I can’t do it... You saw it yourself. I’m only a half-decent Feng Shui master. When it comes to dealing with fierce ghosts like today, I’m powerless. Besides, something serious happened at home that only a great master can handle. That’s why my father sent my brother and me to ask your grandmother, the Immortal Zhou, to come out of retirement,” Zhao Qian shook her head with a bitter smile, looking at me with hope.

“So, your grandmother passed away, and that’s why you came to me? Haha, let me tell you, I never really learned a single technique from her. The fierce ghost I handled today was something I just received from her legacy. I don’t understand anything about catching ghosts; you better find someone more skilled,” I tried to dissuade her. After all, my knowledge of my grandmother’s magic was limited to books I read as a child. If I were to catch ghosts, I’d probably just release a little fierce ghost to deal with them.

Zhao Qian fell silent. After a while, her eyes turned red. “You’re lying to me...”

“I’m not lying. Before attending that funeral, I had never seen a ghost. The spirits in Xiaoyi Village were my first. That’s because I have my grandmother’s Tōng Yīn talisman,” I said, seeing she was about to cry. I immediately reached into my pocket and took out the talisman, now faded and barely legible, and handed it to Zhao Qian.

If I hadn’t taken it out, I wouldn’t have known it had probably lost its power.

“Watch out! Someone’s ahead!”

Just as I turned to hand her the talisman, Zhao Qian suddenly shouted.

I slammed on the brakes, but when I looked ahead, there was only the deep, silent night—no one in sight.

“You’re seeing things! There was definitely someone there!” Zhao Qian hurriedly got out of the car and ran forward to see if someone had been hit.

She checked under the car but found no sign of a collision. Just as she was about to look up, she froze—there seemed to be a pair of feet walking behind the car...

Startled, Zhao Qian looked around. The surroundings were empty; mountains on the left, a cliff on the right. The road curved down the slope, a place prone to accidents, but no one should be there.

I frowned, watching Zhao Qian from the car. At that moment, suddenly, my wife’s older sister tugged on my sleeve. I turned my head—and nearly soiled myself!

A woman dressed all in white, her face covered in blood, sat in the back seat. Blood dripped from her eyes and mouth. She had already twisted her fingers into several joints and was reaching to touch Yu Xiaoxue, who was sleeping soundly beside her.

But something on Yu Xiaoxue’s body suddenly snapped, and the woman shrank back sharply.

It was Yu Xiaoxue’s Tōng Yīn talisman!

Only then did I realize my own talisman was still in Zhao Qian’s hand. I immediately opened the lid of the soul urn in my pocket, but at that instant, the white-dressed ghost turned her head. Her pupil-less eyes stared at me, then she lunged at me.

“Possession!?” I felt a wave of terror. I thought of Zhang Kaifu’s tragic fate and never imagined today would be my turn!

From the moment the ghost grabbed me, I felt a chilling cold, like my soul was being sucked out. Almost instantly, I lost control of my body!

Why couldn’t my wife’s sister protect me? I struggled to think.

“Idiot.”

I heard my wife’s sister’s voice entering my ear from nowhere, and suddenly I regained consciousness.

My body was back under my control, but I still felt freezing cold, trembling all over.

Looking carefully, the white-dressed ghost was being dragged out of my body by the little fierce ghost I kept, like a dead dog by the hair. Then, the little fierce ghost opened its mouth, full of sharp teeth, and bit off half the white ghost’s face!

The white fierce ghost writhed like a twisted venomous snake, struggling and snapping its jaws at the little fierce ghost. But the little one showed no mercy—it bit off the entire head and swallowed the white ghost like jelly.

Then it turned its terrifying black eyes toward me, wearing a look like it was picking its next victim.

I felt a chill. Could it be that I hadn’t fully controlled this fierce ghost either?

I took out the soul urn, and the little fierce ghost immediately bared its teeth, looking fierce and ready to devour me just like it devoured the white ghost.

My face soured. I prepared to recite the command spell to reprimand it, since we had a contract.

The little fierce ghost refused, chattering angrily in ghost language, turning its head in a sulk, ignoring me completely.

I didn’t understand and thought it was upset because I gave the Tōng Yīn talisman to Zhao Qian.

“You don’t want to go back?” I asked, annoyed.

The little fierce ghost nodded and grinned.

I felt it must be suffocating locked inside the soul urn all this time. If I locked it up again now, it might cause even bigger trouble. After all, it looked like a little girl. So I pretended to be stern and said, “Remember, don’t lay a finger on my friends, not even touch them.”

The little fierce ghost nodded vigorously, then floated over and stretched out its thin hand.

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

I watched in fear as it happened, unable to move, until it fully lay on my shoulder, arms around my neck, its head drooping by my ear!

Do you know me that well?! I seethed inwardly, but it acted as if it belonged there, like it was returning to its own nest.

Fortunately, it was weightless; otherwise, I would have been exhausted.

Worried it might bother others, I gritted my teeth and pretended it wasn’t there, sitting back in the driver’s seat and deciding to let it be.

Outside the car, Zhao Qian had witnessed me release the little fierce ghost and saw it finally perch on my shoulder. She didn’t dare get in; her ghost-exorcising tools were in the trunk, so she watched helplessly.

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Only after I dealt with the white-dressed fierce ghost did she come running in. “Brother Tian! Are you okay? It’s all my fault for taking the important Tōng Yīn talisman from you!”

“I’m fine... ah... achoo!” I suddenly felt dizzy and feverish, as if catching a cold.

That fierce ghost almost succeeded in possessing me. If the little fierce ghost hadn’t pulled me out in time before possession was complete, I’d probably be checking into the hospital’s morgue.

“That ghost was powerful. Without a Tōng Yīn talisman, I wouldn’t have even seen it. It’s not an ordinary spirit,” I breathed heavily and started the car.

“Brother Tian, don’t you have any protective items? Like tortoise shell, consecrated white jade, or something? With those, you could avoid them, and they wouldn’t dare to bother you,” Zhao Qian said, rummaging through the glove box and pulling out cold medicine, hurriedly handing me a bottle of water.

When she gave me the medicine, she glanced clearly at the red-clad little fierce ghost on my shoulder. Her hands trembled, she swallowed hard, and nearly burst into tears.

“I’ve never seen a ghost before. How would I have those things?” I said. I understood that I was naturally heavy with yin energy, attracting fierce ghosts, but until now, my wife’s sister kept them at bay. This time, something must have weakened her, maybe because of what happened with grandmother.

I didn’t dare say more and swallowed the medicine, giving the bottle back to Zhao Qian.

She took the bottle and glanced again at the red-clad little fierce ghost. The little ghost, sensing the attention, turned its head coldly to look at her.

Zhao Qian’s teeth chattered in fear.

“Don’t scare her! She can see you. If you scare her again, I’ll lock you back up!” I scolded, and the little fierce ghost turned its head away and continued to cling to my neck.

Zhao Qian relaxed, but when she was about to put the water back, her cheeks flushed mysteriously.

I immediately understood: the bottle was already opened, and obviously, Zhao Qian had drunk from it. In a moment of panic, we had inadvertently shared a kiss.

“You might have a stronger yin aura, which easily attracts those things. When we get to the county, you should stay at my place. The feng shui there was arranged by a master, and I’ve buried many talismans to ward off evil. Those ghosts won’t dare come near. Besides, Yu Xiaoxue is a single girl—you can’t let her stay alone in a hotel. The things you attract are so dangerous; even if they can’t harm you, they might hurt Yu Xiaoxue,” Zhao Qian said, her face still warm with blush.

“You also saw the one on my shoulder. I’m afraid of disturbing your family,” I said awkwardly. I knew the Zhao family was large, and with the suitcase and the red-clad fierce ghost on me, I couldn’t just show up at someone’s home.

But Yu Xiaoxue was a concern. My talisman was almost useless now, and Yu Xiaoxue had just had the white ghost sitting beside her. I either had to keep her far away from me or protect her properly.

“It’s... it’s okay. That’s your spirit you’re keeping. Besides, I live alone, not with my family. My elder brother just returned from the army and spends his days with rowdy friends, bringing all kinds of people home. That place is noisy and unlivable. You and Yu Xiaoxue can stay at my place. Consider this an invitation from a friend, okay?” Zhao Qian looked at me expectantly.

Since she had come this far, I couldn’t refuse. I said, “Alright, as a friend’s invitation. But about that ghost-catching job you mentioned—I haven’t agreed. You saw what happened; I almost got possessed.”

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