Chapter 3: Honored Guest Arrives

Hearing these words, Li Lin's expression showed slight surprise; then he understood the other party's meaning and asked, "Old Village Head, do you wish to hire someone to eliminate that Apparition wandering outside the village?"

The Old Village Head's surname was Zhang; his beard was gray, his back was bent, and he looked extremely old.

But in reality, he was only forty-two years old!

Old Village Head Zhang nodded in confirmation and sighed, "That Apparition has been wandering outside the village since I can remember. At first, she would come out to call souls only once every few years, but as time passed, she appeared more and more frequently. The last time she called souls was only two months ago. If this continues, I fear that one day she will call souls every night."

"Isn't there the Tree Immortal Lady?" Li Lin said with a smile.

"The Tree Immortal Lady does not concern herself much with affairs," Old Village Head Zhang said with a bitter face. "Sometimes she helps, sometimes she ignores us. Over thirty years ago, our village had at least one hundred households and more than five hundred people; now only thirty-something households and a hundred or so people remain. This is all because of that wandering soul outside."

No one is willing to stay in a village targeted by a wandering Apparition.

As long as there is an opportunity, one will definitely leave.

Over thirty years, the large village of over a hundred households became a small village of thirty-something households, with people dying or leaving.

Li Lin thought for a moment and said, "I have not been a Spirit Hunter for long, nor have I spent much time with my peers in the county town, but if I must say which Spirit Hunters are more reliable, I do know two or three."

"Lord Li Xunshou, could you convey a message for us? We in Tiku Village are willing to pool some silver to hire two or three Xunshous to join forces and destroy that wandering Apparition. At the very least, we can drive it away from the village perimeter."

Li Lin nodded and said, "Old Village Head Zhang, your idea is good, but I want to know how much money the village can raise?"

"Twenty taels of silver!" Old Village Head Zhang asked cautiously, "Is that enough?"

Li Lin shook his head: "With this amount of silver, you cannot even hire half a Spirit Hunter."

Old Village Head Zhang was deeply struck: "How could this be... how can it be so expensive?"

Then Old Village Head Zhang looked at Li Lin: "Lord Li Xunshou, could you possibly..."

Li Lin immediately interrupted the other party: "Old Village Head Zhang, it is not that I am unwilling to help, but I have only been a Spirit Hunter for a little over half a year; I am very inexperienced and my strength is insufficient. Being able to protect the village is already my greatest capability; going further, I cannot do it. At least for the next three to five years, I cannot do it."

"This old man was greedy; Lord Li Xunshou, do not take offense."

"It is nothing," Li Lin said, waving his hand.

Then Old Village Head Zhang left; it was just that one could see his back was even more bent.

Li Lin looked at the Gowned Apparition enjoying 'incense offerings' on the altar; he sized her up from head to toe and couldn't help murmuring, "Your woman's figure is not bad, but you always wear a mask; I don't know if you are beautiful or not."

The Apparition glanced at him, said nothing, and seemed to carry a hint of contempt.

Li Lin felt embarrassed, so he went home to prepare breakfast.

After eating breakfast, Li Lin went again to the side of the country road outside the village and began squatting in the grass.

Seeing a whole row of 【Stealth +1】 pop up, Li Lin's expression was very pleased.

Although his legs went numb from squatting for so long, his strength increasing was the greatest reward for himself, giving him great motivation.

At first, he intended to practice boxing to strengthen his body, but he discovered... he had no talent in that area.

It was not that he had no talent, but rather he lacked a matching boxing manual; if he just flailed his fists randomly, the 'experience' gained was very little.

But boxing manuals are particularly expensive; even a very ordinary 'Arhat Fist' costs several dozen taels of silver to buy.

Let alone sword manuals, sword techniques, or special mental cultivation methods.

As for why Li Lin could discover this method of increasing Stealth ability just by squatting, the actual process was very simple.

There were no public toilets in the village, so he went to the wild fields outside the village to relieve himself.

While squatting, someone happened to pass by nearby, and this 【Stealth +1】 effect popped up.

Then he kept practicing; over the past half year, the results were very good.

Squatting in the grass, whether day or night, passersby could not discover him at all.

But for some reason, Zhao Xiaohu seemed to always be able to find him.

He also found it somewhat strange.

Squatting by the road to gain experience like this, two days passed in the blink of an eye.

At noon this day, he was routinely squatting in the grass by the country road when he saw five people walking over from the country road.

The leader was a young man in tight-fitting clothes; Li Lin recognized him at once. It was Wang Tianyou, who had beaten people in the county town market three days ago.

He led four attendants to the middle of the country road in front of Li Lin.

They did not discover Li Lin in the grass; only Wang Tianyou looked around with some suspicion.

An attendant nearby asked, "Young Master, what is wrong?"

"I feel a chill behind my heart; it seems someone is staring at us."

Hearing these words, Li Lin immediately withdrew his gaze and looked at his own toes.

Then the attendant said, "I heard this village has already been targeted by a wandering Apparition; perhaps that Apparition is watching us from the nearby mountains and forests."

Wang Tianyou also felt this might be the reason, so he nodded and said, "That is possible; then let us enter the village first."

Having said this, the five people left.

After they had gone, Li Lin stood up from the grass and then slowly walked toward the village.

Before he even reached the village entrance, he saw Zhao Xiaohu leading five people walking out of the village again.

After resting for two days, Zhao Xiaohu had become vigorous and energetic again.

Seeing Li Lin from afar, he ran over and waved while shouting, "Lin Ge, these several Lords are looking for you."

Li Lin knew this Xiaohu would lead people out to find him; fortunately, he had already returned, otherwise, if Xiaohu brought people to find him and they saw him squatting in the grass, they would definitely think he was taking a large dump.

If that were truly the case, he would be embarrassed, and they would be embarrassed too.

"I understand," Li Lin said with a smile.

Then he walked a few steps faster, looked at Wang Tianyou opposite, clasped his fists, and said, "We meet again, Brother Wang."

"You are the newly promoted Spirit Hunter of Yulin County, Li Lin?"

"Indeed, it is I," Li Lin continued smiling. "It seems Brother Wang has come specifically to find me; may I ask what instruction you have?"

"I saw you in the market," Wang Tianyou said with a smile on his face, but with little emotion in his eyes. "I also heard from fellow Daoists in the county town that you are very capable."

"I have no special capability; my Qi and blood are just a bit more vigorous."

"This is true capability." Wang Tianyou's smile this time finally held some warmth: "Without having learned any body-strengthening arts or spirit-controlling mental techniques, relying solely on the radiance of your vital energy to protect an entire village—that is great capability. You possess great talent; this is the reason I sought you out."

Li Lin's expression shifted slightly: "Oh, then please come to my humble home for a detailed discussion."

"Very well, lead on!"

Wang Tianyou cupped his hands in a bow and smiled.

Soon, the two arrived at Li Lin's home; four retainers stood guard outside the courtyard, while Zhao Xiaohu had returned home.

For such an occasion, he had no qualification to interfere.

"Your place is truly... simple," Wang Tianyou observed the house and said with admiration: "You are the most austere Spirit Hunter I have ever met."

"You make me laugh," Li Lin said as he served a cup of clear tea: "Please drink."

This tea was picked by local villagers on the mountain and then hand-roasted by themselves.

The taste was quite ordinary, but at least it could be served to guests.

Wang Tianyou took a sip of tea, his eyebrows moved slightly, but he offered no comment on it; only after setting down the cup did he speak: "Brother Li, I wish to slay a Ghost; may I have your assistance!"

(End of this chapter)