Chen Yao's actions and the outcome completely surpassed mine and Old Mo's expectations.
Neither of us had anticipated Chen Yao to be so decisive.
She killed the ghost without hesitation, clean and swift.
She didn't seem like a novice Taoist at all, but rather an experienced ghost exterminator.
This was for the best, as it saved Old Mo and me the trouble of providing psychological counseling.
The drowned old woman ghost, her body pierced through, flickered in and out of visibility. Her face showed terror as she looked at Chen Yao, and she spoke in disbelief:
"You, you, you are, are a Taoist priest..."
Chen Yao looked at her and replied coldly:
"Yes, so you've come to the wrong person."
With that, she drew her peach wood sword.
The drowned old woman ghost's entire body collapsed onto the ground, trembling.
Chen Yao glanced at her, then turned back and said:
"Eldest and Second Senior Brothers, you can come out now! I know you're following behind. I've already killed this ghost."
Old Mo and I, hiding behind a tree, had no choice but to admire our junior sister upon hearing her words.
Some people truly possess great talent.
Clearly, this junior sister was one of them. At least in her actions, she was far more decisive than Old Mo and me, and her observations were more meticulous and accurate. More importantly, she had courage and a good state of mind, allowing her to judge the situation effectively.
I had initially thought Chen Yao, being a nurse, might exhibit some "saintly" behavior when facing spirits. But now, it seemed I had overthought things. This junior sister, though young, was fierce.
Old Mo and I stopped hiding and walked out directly.
Old Mo chuckled, "Little Yao, you knew we were following you?"
Chen Yao rolled her eyes at Old Mo, "Of course, I did. Your trip to the restroom was a pretense, while your real intention was to let me face this ghost alone, wasn't it?"
I smiled and nodded, not replying.
Since Chen Yao saw through everything, there was no need for further explanation.
At this moment, I arrived at the bridgehead. Looking at the drowned old woman ghost, whose body was flickering and about to dissipate, I said:
"Old ghost, you're quite something. You've been borrowing fire here for so long, yet you haven't managed to get it."
After speaking, I took out a cigarette and lit it.
The old woman ghost looked at me, her eyes widening. She showed surprise again:
"You, you are, you are the kid the fierce woman protected last year."
The moment I heard "fierce woman," I took offense.
That was Qing Dai, my girlfriend from two thousand years ago. My expression darkened, and I took a step forward:
"You can be on your way now!"
With that, I stomped on the drowned old woman's head.
With a "bang," the drowned old woman ghost instantly disintegrated into nothingness. A wisp of ghost lamp oil flowed into my purple bone vine.
Seeing me kill the old woman ghost, Chen Yao let out a slight gasp. After all, she was still a novice and was somewhat unaccustomed to it.
Old Mo spoke from the side, "Junior sister, don't be nervous. You have to be ruthless with these malevolent spirits. You should have directly chopped off her head just now. You can't give them any chance to breathe."
Chen Yao nodded, appearing receptive to his advice. Then she turned to me and asked:
"Senior Brother Qin, what fierce woman was the old ghost referring to when she said she protected you?"
I smiled slightly, "A very good friend."
I didn't know how to introduce Qing Dai. If I called her a lover, I had reincarnated ten times. So, unsure, I used the word "friend."
Chen Yao, this little lass, was very intelligent, at least more so than Old Mo and I. She sensed the hesitation in my words and didn't press further. She simply said:
"Let's continue walking forward now!"
I grunted and led Chen Yao forward.
After crossing the bridge, we saw a figure in the middle of the road from a distance. Without thinking, we knew it was the beggar ghost, the one asking for money. We hadn't been able to discern whether it was a malevolent spirit or just an ordinary ghost begging for money. If it was malevolent, tonight would be a good opportunity to deal with it.
"Huh! There's another one ahead. There are quite a few road-blocking ghosts around here!" Old Mo said quietly.
I smiled faintly, "If there weren't many, how could our Uncle Master have sent us here?"
"That's true! Let's go take a look and see how he asks for my money!" Old Mo said, striding forward with bravado.
The beggar ghost clearly had no idea that the drowned old woman ghost at the bridgehead had already been killed by us. Seeing Old Mo walk towards him, he remained disheveled, head bowed, holding a broken bowl:
"Kind passersby, spare a couple of coins! I haven't eaten in a long time, I'm so hungry, so hungry!"
Old Mo, with Chen Yao, approached the beggar ghost directly, while I stood behind.
"The money I give, I'm afraid you might not be able to receive it!" Old Mo said with a light chuckle.
The beggar ghost didn't look up, still holding his broken bowl, and let out a "jiejiejie" laugh:
"This old man is just an old beggar, what money can he not receive? As long as little brother gives, this old beggar dares to accept! After all, in this pitch-dark night, it's not easy to find a kind person!"
Old Mo nodded, "Alright, but what if we don't play the role of kind people?"
The beggar ghost cackled again, "The night is dark and the wind is high, this road of ours is not easy to travel. Without the old beggar's guidance, you probably won't be able to pass..."
As he spoke, a cold wind howled, bringing a chill. It also blew some of the beggar ghost's hair aside. Between his strands of hair, a part of a black, pupil-less eye was revealed. Although it was only for a moment, Old Mo and I saw it clearly. Our pupils contracted.
"Malevolent spirit."
This beggar ghost was also a malevolent spirit blocking the road. No wonder he was so audacious, daring to stop us despite our strong yang energy...
I didn't move, and Old Mo didn't rush to kill him. Instead, he smiled and said, "Alright! Since he says we can't pass. Little Yao, give this to him and see if he'll accept it."
Old Mo said this as he took out a triangular talisman from his pocket.
"As you wish, Senior Brother."
Chen Yao, unfazed, took the triangular talisman and walked over. She approached the beggar ghost and tossed the talisman into his broken bowl.
"Hold onto this carefully."
The beggar ghost didn't look at it, but felt its weight with his hand:
"Little brother, young lady, this money seems a bit light!"
Old Mo replied, "Light or not, take a look."
"Alright, let me see..." the old beggar said hoarsely. At the same time, his body, which was bowed to the ground, shifted slightly. He withdrew his hand and slowly raised his head. Gradually, his withered and sallow face began to reveal itself...