Chapter 221: Volume 1, Chapter 221: I See Your Hall of Impression Is Dark (9)

Jiang Zhi had her hands in her pockets and said, "He gave us a ride, so I'll give him a talisman; anyway, all those spare talismans are useless lying around."

Actually, when she got on the vehicle, she saw the driver's brow shrouded in a black aura, an omen of terrible bad luck.

She briefly calculated with her fingers and figured that, due to his physical exhaustion, on his way home he would be tempted and possessed by petty ghosts.

Helping out isn't a bad thing.

Wang Xiaolin thought it made sense, nodded and said, "Exactly, why didn't I think of that?"

The station bustles with people coming and going; it's where yang energy is strongest.

She stared at the jade bracelet on the young man's wrist, smiling, and said, "We have no money for the ride, Xiao Lin bro; that bracelet is worth quite a bit."

Wang Xiaolin covered the bracelet and stepped back: "Xiao Zhi, you know, this is something my mother left me; I intend to give it to my future wife."

Jiang Zhi's face showed an expression as if the sky were about to fall.

Wang Xiaolin fidgeted and said, "Actually… I have a little bit of private savings."

Jiang Zhi held out her hand.

Wang Xiaolin wanted to cry but had no tears: "I only have a tiny bit."

Saying that, he fidgetedly produced a ten‑yuan bill.

Jiang Zhi took the ten yuan, ripped down the paper posted on the utility pole in one go, walked to the nearby phone booth, and placed a call.

"Yes, it's me. All right, I'm at xx Station; come pick me up here."

Having said that, she hung up.

Wang Xiaolin leaned over to look at the paper in her hand.

It read that the Song family was seeking a Daoist exorcist; interested parties should call the number above, with food, lodging, and travel expenses covered, direct to Jiangcheng.

"Wow, Xiao Zhi, how did you think of that?"

They no longer needed to pool money for the trip to Jiangcheng.

Jiang Zhi returned the change from the phone call to him.

"Senior brother, I'm hungry."

Wang Xiaolin went to a roadside breakfast stall and bought her several buns; they squatted by the road eating the buns, and their identical Daoist robes attracted the attention of passersby.

Soon a black Bentley pulled up beside them.

A sturdy man stepped out of the car, wearing sunglasses, exuding a strong presence, and walked up to them.

Jiang Zhi: "It was me who made the call."

The sunglasses man sized her up, his expression doubtful.

The girl before him looked just barely of age; she hardly seemed like a master capable of exorcising ghosts.

Jiang Zhi grabbed Wang Xiaolin and pulled him forward, saying, "He is my master, a professional exorcist with twenty years of experience."

This young man actually had a bit of masterly bearing; his Daoist robe gave him an otherworldly air, detached from worldly affairs.

As long as Wang Xiaolin didn't speak, his demeanor was no different from that of their master.

"Fine, you all get in the car." The sunglasses man said that and opened the car door for them.

They got into the car and headed for Jiangcheng.

Having not slept all night, Jiang Zhi lay down and fell asleep immediately.

Wang Xiaolin wasn't sleepy; every now and then the sunglasses man glanced at him, making him restless, and he endured without speaking.

The sunglasses man spoke: "Master, which sect do you belong to?"

Wang Xiaolin cleared his throat, lowered his voice, and said, "Chengyun Dao Temple."

The sunglasses man had never heard of that temple, but masters hidden in deep mountains and old forests are common nationwide, so it wasn't surprising.

He then glanced at the girl sprawled asleep beside him, utterly lacking any image, and his eyes sank.

Indeed, the gap between master and disciple is really quite large.

The car arrived in Jiangcheng after just over an hour; Jiang Zhi still hadn't slept enough, was awakened to get out, and her spirits were low.

"Xiao Zhi, sleep more tonight; exorcising ghosts is urgent now," Wang Xiaolin comforted.

They followed the sunglasses man to a detached luxurious villa; many people stood at the gate, all having come to exorcise ghosts after seeing the notice.

The sunglasses man said, "Everyone, if you can wake my young lady, you will receive one million yuan."

Upon hearing this, the crowd instantly erupted in an uproar.

The sunglasses man raised his hand to signal quiet, then added, "If you can exorcise the ghost haunting my young lady, you can earn another million."

Together, that totals two million.

Wang Xiaolin had no concept of money; his expression was calm, even a bit dull.

Jiang Zhi was exhausted to the point of drooping eyes, showing no reaction.

The sunglasses man observed their reactions, and his expectations for Master Wang Xiaolin grew.

Upon entering the villa, a chilly yin aura swept over them; several people immediately lost heart, nervously glancing around.

Jiang Zhi closed her eyes; when she opened them again, she saw a thick black aura emanating from a certain room on the upper floor of the villa.

"This tree is planted wrong; planting it at a northwest angle gathers yin," said the long‑bearded master.

The few masters behind, unwilling to be outdone, followed suit and began muttering as well.

Jiang Zhi and Wang Xiaolin, who had little presence, fell to the rear.

"The ritual bell hasn't sounded." Wang Xiaolin picked up the bell and said doubtfully.

Jiang Zhi tugged at the corner of her mouth: "That thing isn't a ghost."

Wang Xiaolin asked, "What is it then?"

Jiang Zhi said nothing; dark circles under her eyes, her brows and eyes heavy with fatigue, she fought off drowsiness, took out a talisman, and handed it to him.

Wang Xiaolin looked at the talisman; it was a medium-level talisman capable of breaking illusionary realms.

Illusionary realm? Is there an illusionary realm here?

Jiang Zhi kept yawning, several times.

Ai Donggua Master up front couldn't stand it anymore, and angrily said, "If you want to sleep, just get out; a woman coming to exorcise ghosts will only get in the way at the crucial moment."

He clearly looked down on female exorcists.

Jiang Zhi said indifferently, "You'd better worry about yourself; you're so weak, if an evil spirit possesses you later, don't harm others, Ai Donggua."

Ai Donggua was furious, stopped his steps, and wanted to give her a piece of his mind.

Mojingnan suddenly said, "We've arrived."

Ai Donggua could only suppress his anger and gave her a fierce glare.

Jiang Zhi couldn't be bothered to look at him, and rubbed her tired eyes.

Mojingnan was talking about his young lady's matter.

The first time the abnormality was noticed was a month ago; she returned from her trip, shut herself in her room every day and never came out, the servants often saw her talking to empty air, which frightened them greatly, and they all quit.

The night before, she fainted at the doorway; she went to the hospital and underwent all tests, but nothing abnormal was found. She lay down on the bed and fell asleep, yet never woke again, as if she had become a vegetative state.

The flamboyantly dressed master asked, "Where did you go on your trip?"

Mojingnan said, "Approaching South."

The scenery there was picturesque, with many famous spots; the most famous was the Approaching South Insect Forest, where countless fireflies glittered at night like stars across the sky, making it a popular check‑in spot for couples.

Chang Huzi Master stroked his beard and said, "He must have provoked something unclean in Approaching South."

Ai Donggua dismissed it with a glance, saying, "No need for you to say that; given how things are, he must have provoked something unclean."

Chang Huzi Master didn't want to argue with him, turned his head, and spoke to the other master.

The flamboyantly dressed master said, "Let's do this: we'll each limit our exorcism to half an hour, and we'll draw lots to decide who goes in first."

Everyone had no objections.

The first person to draw the lot was Ai Donggua; his smile squeezed onto his chubby face as he strutted proudly into the bedroom.

The other masters were waiting in the living room.