Chapter 71

"Don't panic, everyone, he's my friend, and also a Daoist who came over." Yao Yirong explained to everyone while walking over to me.

"I never expected you to be this capable; I didn't even tell you my cousin's company address, yet you managed to find your way here." Yao Yirong came up to me and gave a pursed-lip smile.

I was dazed. What's going on, your cousin's company? Damn it, I was chasing that tomb lord over here—what does it have to do with your cousin?

For a moment I couldn't tell east from west, and Yao Yirong pulled me to stand before everyone.

Yao Yirong pointed at a tall, slender girl and introduced her to me, saying this was her cousin Taozi.

I glanced over and couldn't help but brighten at the sight: the woman wore a pale green long dress, her cuffs embroidered with light blue peonies, silver threads forming a few auspicious clouds, while the hem was dense with a pattern of blue sea‑water clouds; her every move exuded a gentle grace, and with her tall figure she showed a touch of mature charm.

"Hello……" At my moment of stupor, Taozi's vermilion lips parted slightly and she slowly extended a hand.

"Oh… hello, I'm Chen Hai Sheng." Regaining my composure, I hastily reached out a hand and politely replied.

Including me, there were four people in the room: Yao Yirong, her cousin Taozi, the company manager Tang Zheng who had just yelled at me, and the Mao Mountain Daoist invited by Taozi, whom everyone respectfully calls Master Kong. Perhaps because of professional rivalry, Old Master Kong's gaze toward me always carries a hint of wariness, fearing I might steal his business.

But just after I clasped my hands and greeted Master Kong, he suddenly put on airs, gave a noncommittal hum, and continued his rites at the altar, not even glancing at me.

Thinking of the tomb lord who had fled into the building and whose whereabouts were still unknown, and not wanting to invite trouble by delay, I hurriedly asked Yao Yirong, "Just now a tomb lord ran into your company; I'm here to catch him. Did you see her just now?"

Yao Yirong blinked her eyes and asked curiously, "What is a tomb lord?"

"It's just a cockroach."

As soon as the words left my mouth, Taozi burst out with a puff of laughter, which provoked everyone into loud guffaws; Old Master Kong looked at me with a half‑smile, his eyes full of teasing.

"Really, you should believe me—if that tomb lord gets away, who knows how many people will suffer." Although they didn't take it seriously, I still did my utmost to explain.

"Hah… what's this 'lord and lady' nonsense? Little Daoist, don't try to mystify yourself here to boost your status." Old Master Kong snorted contemptuously: "Just watch how I, the Daoist, subdue demons and eliminate evil—you youngster, take note."

"You…" My face darkened as I prepared to flare up—what kind of Mao Mountain Daoist is this? I haven't provoked him; is it necessary to look down on people like this?

"All right, all right, just focus on waiting for the Daoist to finish the rites before we talk. As for that cockroach…" Yao Yirong gave a puffed laugh, then quickly corrected herself: "No, I mean that tomb lord; after the Daoist finishes the rites, I'll help you catch it."

Seeing that nobody else took it seriously, I simply gave up, crossed my arms and stood beside Yao Yirong to see what tricks Master Kong could pull.

"Hai… the Supreme Elder says: Misfortune and blessing have no doors; they are summoned by oneself. The reward for good and evil follows like a shadow. Therefore the gods who oversee heavenly faults, according to the severity of human transgressions, seize one's lifespan…"

Master Kong settled into a horse stance, brandished his peach‑wood sword in a graceful form, chanted the incantation, and began walking the Yu steps.

Everyone held their breath, eyes unblinking, fixed on Old Master Kong.

…But what is this supposed to be? Although I'm not well versed in Daoist rites, I've never heard of anyone exorcising ghosts by reciting the Supreme Elder's Responsiveness Chapter. And looking at Old Master Kong's Yu steps, though they appear proper on the surface, they're merely empty form—I haven't a clue which Yu step this is.

As everyone knows, Daoists cultivate the five arts—mountain, divination, medicine, destiny, and prognostication. Within the mountain art there are martial exercises for strengthening the body; even a Daoist who knows talismans but not martial arts will at least have practiced basic fundamentals.

As for Old Master Kong, his steps are hollow and weak—you can tell at a glance that drink and lust have drained him. To laypeople his performance may look polished, but I know he has no foundation at all.

In an instant I labeled him…… nothing more than a money‑grubbing charlatan, certainly not a genuine Mao Mountain Daoist.

Thinking this over, I gently nudged Yao Yirong, pointed at Old Master Kong and asked doubtfully, "Is this Daoist the one your father summoned?" I was puzzled—her father is, by all accounts, a member of the Plowshare Witch Sect, so why would he summon such an unreliable Daoist?

Yao Yirong shook her head and said, "Of course not."

I asked her again, "Why doesn't your father come himself?"

She looked at me in surprise and said, "Why would my father come? He can't catch ghosts."

I was stunned; it seemed I had overlooked a question all along—Yao Wenrong doesn't even know her father is a member of the Plowshare Witch Sect, and as for anything about the sect, she knows nothing at all; otherwise she wouldn't still be dazed after Ou Yaofeng placed a spell on her.

As for why her father kept it from her, I have no idea. But since he didn't tell her, I see no need to expose the matter.

"Nothing, just asking casually," I laughed to cover it up, then quickly changed the subject: "By the way, you still haven't told me what's going on—what does your cousin's company do, and why did they summon a Daoist to perform rites?"

Yao Yirong glanced furtively around, then leaned close to me and parted her vermilion lips: "I heard that a female employee died at my cousin's company a month ago……"

Thanks to Yao Yirong's explanation, I finally understood the full story. A month ago a female employee at that company jumped to her death; half a month later someone spotted her appearing in the elevator; a few days after that another female employee, while on night shift, hanged herself at the company. The incident threw the whole office into panic, and employees were all thinking of quitting. To calm hearts, Yao Yirong's cousin summoned this Mao Mountain Daoist Master Kong, hoping a rite would lay to rest the vengeful spirits of those who died at the company.

Although I don't know how much truth there is in her story, I'm certain that if there really were ghosts, this half‑bucket‑of‑water old Daoist would certainly be unable to subdue them.

No sooner had I thought that than the hall manifested an anomalous phenomenon.

A pattering sound interrupted Old Master Kong's chanting; when everyone turned toward the source, they all gasped in unison.

On the right side of the hall lay the employees' workspace, partitioned by some dividers; on the desks sat several computers, all of the desktop‑tower type, quite large.

The pattering sound was indeed coming from one of those spots; needless to say, everyone could tell it originated from a computer keyboard.

Upon hearing the sound, Old Master Kong's expression couldn't help but turn flustered, his hands gripping the peach‑wood sword trembling slightly. Yet with everyone watching from behind, he gritted his teeth, chanted the line "Supreme Elder Laozi, hurry as the law commands," grabbed the rooster's blood from the altar, rushed forward, and splashed it toward the source of the noise.

"Don't……" That move made my heart clench, and I quickly shouted to stop him.

Dousing rooster blood at the sight of a ghost is pure theatrics; although rooster blood and dog blood are supremely yang and thus objects that restrain ghosts, everything has two sides—this talisman that controls spirits is no exception. It works only on some wandering souls; if it meets a ghost heavy with resentment, it not only fails to subdue it but actually provokes the ghost's ferocity.

Moreover, the potency of rooster blood is time‑limited; the rooster blood sitting before Old Master Kong is merely for show, having been left so long that it has coagulated, lost its yang energy, and thus can inflict no real harm on the ghost.

At the instant the keyboard sounded, I saw a long‑haired woman seated at the computer desk, incessantly striking the keys. I thought nobody else in the room could see this but me, and to avoid causing a panic I kept silent.

…But I don't know if it was Old Master Kong's extraordinarily bad luck—the rooster blood happened to land squarely on the female ghost. The sight made me laugh and cry at once; seeing her ferocity provoked, my heart tightened and I rushed forward.

However I was still half a beat late; by the time I reached behind Old Master Kong, the long‑haired female ghost had already pierced his neck, and the splash of rooster blood instantly revealed her form.

What everyone saw was this: a Daoist in yellow robes hung suspended in midair, and then a hand slowly materialized, piercing the Daoist's neck—this hand appeared so abruptly, with no warning whatsoever.

Next, the owner of that hand slowly emerged before everyone's eyes, causing a large crowd behind me to break out in terrified screams.

"Xiao Ling……" That cry seemed to have been shouted by Yao Yirong's cousin Taozi.

Who is Xiao Ling? I don't have time to ponder, but since the female ghost has appeared, I must capture her.