Seeing my master approach, I felt a thousand mythical beasts stampeding through my mind.
He didn't come earlier, nor did he come later. He arrived just as I finished off the female ghost.
Hearing my master's words, I nodded.
"All settled, I poked it to death!"
As I spoke, I wearily raised my hand, displaying the half fox claw in my palm.
Upon seeing the half fox claw in my hand, my master's face instantly contorted in horror.
"This, this is, is this the Xian'er finger?
Little Qin, where did you get this Xian'er finger?
You actually possess such a treasure."
As he spoke, my master's eyes gleamed with disbelief.
I didn't hide anything and directly replied:
"Last night, when I was selling rice, I encountered an old woman with a fox face who tried to 'ask for a seal'.
I told her I was human.
She then broke off a finger and gave it to me, this thing."
"Quick, let, let me see!"
My master's eyes widened, his shock palpable.
I wasn't stingy and handed the fox claw over.
Gu Hui took it directly, examining it under the moonlight.
He muttered to himself, "Xian'er finger, it truly is the Xian'er finger, a good thing, a very good thing!"
Afterward, he looked at me in astonishment and asked,
"You said a fox old woman tried to 'ask for a seal', why didn't you tell me when you got back?"
I looked embarrassed.
"You didn't ask?"
My master sucked in a cold breath and nodded repeatedly.
"True, true! I didn't expect you, kid, to have such deep fortune, to have such an opportunity.
Keep this Xian'er finger safe.
With this item for protection, ordinary malevolent spirits really won't be able to get close to you."
After speaking, he handed the fox claw back to me.
Holding it, it felt cool and smooth.
Though it looked much like ordinary crescent moon stone.
However, this claw had already saved me twice.
If I could meet that fox old woman again, I would truly thank her.
After putting away the fox claw, I raised the Ghost Shou Qian bracelet on my left hand and said,
"Master, when that female ghost was disappearing.
A wisp of white energy entered the bracelet.
Now the bracelet has changed color, what's going on?
Does it mean the lamp oil has increased?"
My master nodded.
"That's right, judging by the degree of color change.
This malevolent spirit should have increased your lamp oil by ten days!"
After speaking, my master, holding his pipe,
struck a match with a "ka ka" sound twice.
He lit the tobacco and took a deep puff...
Upon hearing this, I frowned slightly.
After finally killing a fierce soul, it only increased the lamp oil by such a small amount?
Doesn't this mean that after ten days.
If no new lamp oil is added, I still might die when the lamp goes out?
My master seemed to have seen through my thoughts.
Exhaling a puff of smoke, he continued,
"So, from now on, you will work diligently in my shop.
This way, you will have opportunities to snatch Ghost Shou and replenish your lamp oil.
Only then can you ensure your life lamp does not extinguish, your lamp wick remains undamaged, and you continue to live."
Hearing this, I gasped, feeling a sense of helplessness.
I felt like my whole life would be spent dealing with these malevolent spirits.
I sighed softly; alas!
My master watched me standing there stunned.
He chuckled and patted my shoulder, saying,
"Hehehe! Since the malevolent spirits are dealt with, you can head back!
Actually, this line of work we're in isn't too bad.
The work is free, and the income is decent.
Oh, right, when you get back, sign the contract, and tell me about your experience selling rice last night.
What, you even ran into a fox old woman asking for a seal?"
At this point, I had no other choice.
That contract, I had to sign.
To survive, I could only continue working with Gu Hui.
Without his guidance, even with this fox claw that could assassinate malevolent spirits, its usefulness wouldn't be great.
Nor would I find new lamp oil or snatch Ghost Shou to survive.
I nodded and walked towards Wanfu Hall.
I recounted my experiences from last night one by one to him.
When my master finished listening to my narration, he was quite surprised.
He hadn't expected my process of selling rice last night to be so thrilling.
In his imagination, it should have been relatively smooth.
Although there were some risks, Ghost Shou could only be claimed by oneself; no one else could help.
Secondly, he could also see if I had the courage.
Most importantly, whether I truly had a destiny for the netherworld's sustenance.
Whether it was worth his effort to help me.
To see if I had any value worthy of teaching true skills...
Who knew that my journey would not only be bumpy but also obstructed at every turn.
I even encountered an old fox asking for a seal, a rare and peculiar event occurring once in a century.
In the temple, I was almost dragged out from under the altar by a group of ghosts to be devoured.
He also regarded me with a higher estimation.
For an ordinary person to not break down in such a situation.
And to survive, was truly not easy.
At the same time, he was also very suspicious of me obtaining冥币 (netherworld currency) on the bus.
He asked me to take out the冥币 for him to see.
I fumbled in my pocket, and they were still there.
So I took them out and showed them to him.
But who knew that as soon as my master touched them, he frowned.
With a pinch of his hand, two pieces of冥币 instantly rose with a green flame.
In an instant, they burned into ashes.
At the same time, he spoke to me,
"This money has entered a ghost hand.
The car you took last night was most likely a phantom vehicle.
The driver was probably a dead person.
But you, kid, are lucky, he wasn't some harmful ghost.
Otherwise, once you got on, you probably wouldn't have had a chance to get off."
Hearing this, a chill ran down my spine.
I didn't expect my daytime speculation to be truly verified.
Now hearing my master say this, I still felt waves of lingering fear.
If that car last night had just driven off a cliff or into a reservoir.
I might have truly lost my life, how could I be standing here now.
However, there were two people in the car at the time.
Besides the driver, there was also a woman, was she also a ghost?
She was so beautiful, it was a shame she passed away in her prime...