With the destination nearing, I let out a long sigh.
A tearing pain emanated from multiple places on my body.
But compared to the prospect of dying with little lamp oil left,
The pain in my flesh seemed insignificant.
Soon, we arrived at the foot of Old Huang Mountain.
From afar, I spotted the abandoned Second Factory.
That was where Master sealed the "Red-skinned Fire Ghost."
I glanced a few times, seeing we were close to the shop, and nudged Lao Mo:
"Lao Mo, we're here!"
Lao Mo, jolted by my nudge, startled awake:
"Huh, we're, we're here?"
Uncle Master, sitting in the passenger seat, also opened his eyes and stirred.
Before long, the taxi stopped at the entrance.
Uncle Master paid and got out.
Daylight had broken.
Only a little over ten hours remained until the fox spirit that sustained my mental energy vanished.
Uncle Master closed the car door and spoke directly to me:
"Xiao Qin, first, let's go to your shop. Get that purple bone vine out."
I nodded and replied, "Mm," then led Uncle Master and the others towards the shop.
At the same time, I said:
"Uncle Master, while I was sleeping in the car just now,
Master had another dream about me."
"Oh? That old idiot dreamt about you again, what did he say?"
Uncle Master's eyes widened in surprise.
Lao Mo and Xiao Mei also looked up at me.
"He probably just wanted to confirm if my death curse was lifted.
I told him about the ghost lifespan money.
He said there's a Red-skinned Fire Ghost sealed at the Second Factory.
If there's no other way, go to the Second Factory.
He also said you should know something about this matter..."
I relayed Master's words faithfully.
Upon hearing this, Uncle Master frowned slightly.
Lao Mo, unfamiliar with the "Red-skinned Fire Ghost," pressed:
"Master, I saw Uncle Nine's movies before.
I know of a Red-robed Fire Ghost that wears a red tunic.
What is this Red-skinned thing?
And it's sealed at the Second Factory?"
As he spoke, we arrived at the main entrance.
I bent down, retrieved the key from the gap under the door, and opened it.
Uncle Master sighed:
"That's a fierce vengeful spirit, with red skin all over its body.
It's likely how it looked when it died.
And it can control fire, very formidable.
Regarding this Red-skinned Fire Ghost, I do indeed know about it.
It was sealed by your martial uncle ten years ago, by himself.
He was severely injured then, causing his cultivation to greatly diminish.
The blood-red scar on his neck was caused by that ghost..."
Entering the shop, Uncle Master began recounting some past events concerning the Second Factory's Red-skinned Fire Ghost.
Uncle Master said that ten years ago, he was invited by an out-of-town client to view a feng shui site.
Coincidentally, during that period, the Second Factory had a fatality.
A woman with a very Yin horoscope was brutally burned to death in a boiler.
She became a vengeful spirit after death, causing considerable disturbance at the Second Factory.
Seven or eight people died in succession.
It even made the news then, attracting significant social attention.
But the situation was too bizarre; normal means couldn't resolve it.
It was the spring planting season, the Second Factory had immense production pressure and couldn't afford to stop operations.
The entire factory was in turmoil, and more lives were lost.
Later, the Second Factory sought out my Master.
Although my Master knew that ghost was fierce,
With people dying one after another right under his nose, how could he tolerate it?
As a Bai School Taoist, he had to intervene.
Therefore, without waiting for Uncle Master to return, he went alone.
After a difficult battle, Master was heavily injured, and his cultivation was greatly reduced.
A large gash was also inflicted on his neck.
Finally, he sealed the ghost in a dry well outside the Second Factory's boiler room.
He himself was hospitalized for over half a month.
Uncle Master said he had visited that place, and the Red-skinned Fire Ghost's Yin fire was too potent.
Within a single night, all the trees around the dry well withered and died.
Even now, a ghost-suppressing stele is placed there.
The dry well that sealed the vengeful spirit has also been bricked up, until this day.
After hearing all this, we couldn't help but gasp.
I had heard from Master before that his highest cultivation reached the peak of Zhen Guang.
Higher than Uncle Master's current Taoist cultivation.
But when I became his disciple, his cultivation was only at the middle to late stage of Xuan Dan.
It seemed this battle caused his cultivation to drastically decline.
In that case, the Red-skinned Fire Ghost's cultivation must have reached at least the Dao Shen realm.
"If my Master's cultivation was greatly reduced due to this battle,
Then this Red-skinned Fire Ghost's cultivation might have reached the Dao Shen level.
It can be considered a Red-clothed vengeful spirit."
I said gravely.
Lao Mo gasped:
"Holy shit, Red-clothed level, this isn't child's play."
So far, the highest-level vengeful spirits we had encountered were Yellow-clothed.
We hadn't encountered any Red-clothed ones yet.
Uncle Master nodded beside me:
"Correct, Red-clothed level.
The problem now is, ten years have passed.
No one knows how much this ghost has grown.
If none of us were injured, we wouldn't fear it if we joined forces.
But the issue is, after the Black Demon Palace expedition, everyone is injured and has endured a bumpy journey.
If tonight, we encounter this Red-skinned Fire Ghost again,
The level of danger is unimaginable..."
Uncle Master was also very worried.
Because this vengeful spirit was truly extraordinary.
However, my lamp oil was almost depleted.
Without capturing vengeful spirits to extend my lifespan and replenish my lamp oil, it was also a path to death.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, I narrowed my eyes.
Certain wicked thoughts began to form in my mind.
I was practically at death's door, so why bother with restraints and rules?
Why not just go to some desolate place, casually catch a dozen wandering spirits, quietly kill them, and steal some lifespan to replenish my lamp oil and save my life first?