Chapter 4: Delivering Dong Xiaoyu

Uncle Nine thought a zombie had come when he heard the shouting. He followed the sound to Zhang Cheng's courtyard and saw over a dozen little ghosts pestering Qiusheng and Wencai. As soon as those little ghosts saw Uncle Nine arrive, they immediately stopped and obediently ran to the corner to stand still.

He saw Zhang Cheng watching the show and immediately understood what was going on. He stepped forward in anger and scolded, "You two brats, are these little ghosts something you can just play with?"

Qiusheng and Wencai were beaten into scurrying away, while the dozen little ghosts clapped and cheered over there.

"Qiusheng, why aren't you going back yet? Do you want to be disciplined by your aunt again?"

"Wencai, you brat, why haven't you put the little ghost jars away? If something goes wrong, I won't be the one to deal with you—your Master's Cane Aunt will."

After Uncle Nine finished disciplining his two disciples, he walked up to Zhang Cheng and said, "Don't mind it, little brother. My two disciples are truly unruly. My apologies."

Zhang Cheng had already disciplined Qiusheng and Wencai, so he didn't dwell on it too much. If it weren't for these two "Crouching Dragon and Fledgling Phoenix" troublemakers, he wouldn't even have had the chance to farm merit.

Small disasters didn't matter; it was enough to prevent the big ones in advance.

Zhang Cheng smiled and said, "Daoist Priest Lin is too polite. If there is nothing else, I will go rest now."

"Very well."

Seeing that Zhang Cheng held no grudge, Uncle Nine felt relieved and immediately returned to his room.

The next morning, Qiusheng's aunt ran over to find Uncle Nine and said, "Uncle Nine, my nephew only got home this morning. As soon as he arrived, he lay down to sleep. Not only that, I see his eyes are bruised and his face is pale. Is something the matter?"

Uncle Nine frowned and said, "That shouldn't be. Usually, wandering ghosts aren't a match for Qiusheng, and I haven't heard of any powerful ghosts lately. Perhaps this wild boy has been out fooling around somewhere."

Qiusheng's aunt said angrily, "Oh, this rascal is truly infuriating! He has no sense of propriety at all!"

Zhang Cheng happened to hear these words and spoke up, "If you walk the night path often enough, you will eventually encounter a ghost. Furthermore, based on what you've said, I suspect Qiusheng has been bewitched by a female ghost; after all, Qiusheng is at a hot-blooded age."

Qiusheng's aunt became anxious upon hearing this and hurriedly said, "Uncle Nine, Qiusheng is someone you watched grow up. You must go take a look."

Uncle Nine was still a bit hesitant, but just then Ren Fa said he wanted to return to town to check on his business, so the group immediately headed back to town.

Zhang Cheng followed Uncle Nine to Qiusheng's house and saw Qiusheng, who looked exhausted and was sleeping like a dead pig. Uncle Nine frowned and said, "This is bad. Qiusheng really has been bewitched by a ghost and had his vital energy drained. How bold! They even dare to touch the disciple of me, Lin Jiuying!"

Having said that, he immediately told Wencai to bring out his gear.

Zhang Cheng immediately said, "Daoist Priest Lin, I suspect that female ghost will come looking for Qiusheng again. Why not just bring Qiusheng back to the Mortuary to keep an eye on him, and deal with the female ghost after we resolve the matter of Old Master Ren?"

Uncle Nine thought about it; the most important thing right now was the zombie. If Old Master Ren were to drink Ren Fa's blood, he would likely turn into a Furry Zombie.

He looked at Qiusheng's aunt and said, "I will take Qiusheng back to the Mortuary in a moment. Once the matter with the female ghost is resolved, I will let him return."

Qiusheng's aunt hurriedly wiped away her tears and said, "Then I will trouble you, Uncle Nine."

In the afternoon, Uncle Nine woke Qiusheng up. Qiusheng looked dazed and said, "Master, why are you here?"

Uncle Nine said angrily, "You brat, you've been sleeping all day! Get up and go back to the Mortuary immediately; we have to deal with a zombie tonight!"

Qiusheng's face fell, and he was very reluctant in his heart. If he went back to the Mortuary tonight, he wouldn't be able to see Xiaoyu. However, cowed by Uncle Nine's authority, Qiusheng could only say bitterly, "Understood, Master."

At dusk, the group returned to the Mortuary. Qiusheng was somewhat absent-minded. After finishing dinner, he tried to find an excuse to leave, but was restrained by Uncle Nine.

Qiusheng asked in surprise, "Master, what are you doing?"

"What am I doing? I am saving you," Uncle Nine said huffily. "Wencai, what are you still looking at? Bring the rope!"

Wencai immediately brought over a bundle of rope.

And Qiusheng was quickly tied to a chair.

Qiusheng looked at himself bound tightly and asked, puzzled, "Master, is this really necessary?"

Uncle Nine said angrily, "You brat, you actually got bewitched by a female ghost. Just wait until I destroy that female ghost!"

Upon hearing this, Qiusheng thought of his master's profound magic and was shocked, saying, "Master, no! Don't hurt Xiaoyu, she hasn't harmed me!"

Uncle Nine turned his head and said to Wencai, "You stay in the room and watch him."

Then he arranged for Master Ren and Tingting to stay in the main hall together.

Zhang Cheng stepped forward and said, "Daoist Priest Lin, let me stay outside and keep watch with you."

Uncle Nine thought that the female ghost might come at night, so he nodded and said, "That works. If the female ghost and the zombie appear at the same time, I ask that you, Ah Sheng, hold off the zombie first. I will come to help you once I have destroyed the female ghost."

After the two discussed it, they waited outside in the front courtyard.

Zhang Cheng sat on a chair and condensed the True Qi in his body into magic power, injecting it into his peach wood sword so that it could be used twice. Afterward, he began to cultivate to recover his True Qi.

Uncle Nine, standing to the side, nodded slightly without making a sound.

At twelve o'clock at night, the moon in the sky was at its fullest. Outside the courtyard, crows took flight and night owls hooted incessantly. Before long, a gust of Yin energy swept in.

Dong Xiaoyu saw the situation inside the Mortuary and hesitated for a moment. She had no choice but to call out from outside, "Brother Sheng... Brother Sheng..."

The voice was extremely ethereal, and within that ethereality carried a trace of sorrow. Zhang Cheng felt goosebumps rise all over him.

Qiusheng, inside the room, heard the call and immediately became agitated, responding loudly, "Xiaoyu, I'm here! Xiaoyu..."

Uncle Nine was furious and shouted, "Where is this wandering ghost from? You're courting death!"

Uncle Nine immediately took out his compass to locate Dong Xiaoyu. The reason he didn't use magic to open his eyes was that he was thinking about the zombie he had to deal with later; naturally, he had to save energy where he could.

Using the compass to find Dong Xiaoyu had a certain delay, so Uncle Nine could only move his intent slowly to determine her position, while Zhang Cheng assisted from the side.

"Whoosh."

A powerful gust of Yin wind blew past, flattening the grass in the field. Zhang Cheng immediately threw out his peach wood sword.

"Ah!"

Dong Xiaoyu let out a startled cry as sparks flashed across her back. The entire ghost was sent flying. Uncle Nine immediately leaped in front of Dong Xiaoyu and thrust his sword down. Dong Xiaoyu retreated immediately, but she fell into a trap and was sent flying by a Ghost-Repelling Talisman.

Qiusheng, inside the room, said anxiously, "Wencai, hurry and untie me! If this goes on, Xiaoyu will die. I beg you, let me go."

Wencai said with a mournful face, "I can't. You've already been bewitched by a ghost."

Qiusheng said urgently, "Wencai, I'm serious. Let me go out and plead with Master; I won't see Xiaoyu ever again."

Wencai's heart softened, so he loosened the rope for Qiusheng. Qiusheng hurriedly ran out and happened to see Xiaoyu covered by Zhang Cheng's Taoist robe. He rushed over and begged for mercy, "Master, I beg you, please spare Xiaoyu!"

Uncle Nine looked at Qiusheng's appearance and wanted to hand the initiative over to him. Zhang Cheng heard a system prompt and instead said, "Why not send her to the Underworld? We can perform a deliverance for her so she can be reincarnated as a human sooner. That is better than being a wandering ghost."

Uncle Nine nodded and said, "Not bad, that is a good idea."

Qiusheng also knew that humans and ghosts walk different paths, so he could only pray to meet her again in the next life if fate allows.

After finishing the deliverance for Xiaoyu, Zhang Cheng immediately received two hundred merit points.

These two hundred merits have truly solved an urgent need; they can be used just in time to exchange for a magic treasure to deal with Grandfather Ren, who could appear at any moment.