I don't want to be trained by my senior sister!

Since the roof has been repaired, Fang Xuan will have to sleep in his own room tonight.

The new roof blocked out the moonlight, making the room darker than before.

He is lying on the bed.

But something just feels... off.

It's too quiet.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that the newly renovated house had a... gloomy feeling about it.

The mountain breeze kept seeping in through the cracks in the window.

It's a relatively new house, and I'm not used to living there yet.

Fang Xuan tried to comfort himself by closing his eyes.

"call--"

A slightly stronger gust of wind blew in and extinguished the tiny oil lamp on his desk.

The room was plunged into complete darkness in an instant.

Fang Xuan: "..."

He silently peeked his eyes out from under the covers and blinked in the darkness.

No way... what a coincidence?

It's all psychological; it's absolutely psychological.

But... isn't the wind being a little too sensible?

After all, that's how ghost movies usually go: first the lights go out, then the ghost appears.

Another gust of cold wind crept in through the cracks in the floor, making his ankles feel chilly.

Fang Xuan quickly tucked his head under the covers.

You can't see me, you can't see me...

Based on the theories from countless horror movies he had watched in his previous life, ghosts have no way to deal with people whose heads are covered.

As long as he doesn't look, the ghost can't catch him.

But the chilling feeling didn't disappear; instead, it grew stronger.

The blankets didn't seem to keep me warm anymore; a chill crept into my bones.

Is there really a ghost?

after all.....

No one can kill a ghost.

ahem...

Is there a problem with the feng shui of this dilapidated house?

How come it's haunted after it's been repaired? He feels safer sharing a room with his senior sister.

In the darkness, a pair of eyes suddenly stared at him.

"Holy crap..."

Fang Xuan was startled and quickly covered himself with the blanket.

Then it peeked out again, all sneaky.

But then the eyes disappeared...

......

"Knock knock knock".

He couldn't resist any longer and knocked on Ning Qian's door.

A slight noise came from inside the house, and soon the bamboo door was pulled open a crack from the inside.

Ning Qian stood behind the door, wearing only a thin white undergarment that accentuated her slender waist.

In the dim candlelight, his usually aloof face appeared much gentler, though there was a faint weariness between his brows, as if he had just been awakened.

She looked up at the door, and the candlelight illuminated Fang Xuan's face.

His face was a little pale, and his eyes were somewhat unfocused.

"Senior sister..." Fang Xuan's voice was very low.

"There's...there's a ghost..."

Ning Qian: "..."

"Those who cultivate themselves have nothing to fear from ghosts and gods."

"Evil spirits are mostly born from resentment, and can be dispelled with spiritual power or yang energy. You have already reached the Nascent Soul stage..."

"Senior sister...it's true."

Seeing that she was about to close the door and reason with him, Fang Xuan quickly took half a step forward.

"I'm not making this up, the lights went out by themselves, a cold wind blew in gusts, my ankles were freezing, and I even... I think I saw an eye staring at me."

He omitted the details of covering his head and hiding under the covers.

Ning Qian looked at him for a few more seconds, seemingly judging that he wasn't completely fooling around.

She sighed softly, stepped aside to ask him to wait a moment, went back into the house, picked up the plain-colored coat draped over the back of the chair, and put it on neatly.

He tied his belt and then came out again.

"Where?" she asked, her voice now fully awake.

"In...my room."

Ning Qian didn't say anything more and walked straight over.

Fang Xuan quickly followed suit.

The courtyard was pitch black, with only a faint glimmer of moonlight filtering through.

She frowned slightly.

Fang Xuan followed behind her, cautiously asking, "How is it, Senior Sister? Does it... feel a bit eerie?"

"There is indeed a lingering trace of yin and filth," Ning Qian said calmly.

Fang Xuan knew without even thinking that it couldn't be such a coincidence; this must be the protagonist's opportunity.

He just followed behind his senior sister, picking up treasures as much as possible. Safety was the top priority; he wasn't afraid of ghosts or anything like that.

........

"call--!!!"

A chilling wind, several times stronger than before, suddenly billowed up in the courtyard.

Countless blurry black shadows rushed towards Fang Xuan, who was watching the show from the sidelines.

"A ghost..."

Fang Xuan was startled and instinctively wanted to back away.

The next second, his vision went completely black, and he couldn't see anything at all.

.......

Ning Qian watched from a short distance away.

The twisted black shadows that rushed to within a foot of Fang Xuan seemed to have hit an invisible barrier, emitting a series of shrill screams.

Then, like ice and snow under the sun, it quickly melted away and vanished without leaving a trace.

Moreover, a layer of almost invisible, clear light seemed to emanate from Fang Xuan's body.

The clear moonlight exuded a noble, vast, and magnificent aura, as if it could suppress all evil spirits.

It's not your average protective aura.

A knowing glint flashed in Ning Qian's cool eyes.

To possess a protective spirit item of this caliber, which protects its owner autonomously without requiring activation...

Fang Xuan's identity was far more complex than she had previously guessed—that he was simply the eldest son of a powerful family.

If his surname really is Fang...

It might be the Fang family from the Southern Region...

With such a size, even the Qingyun Sect would probably have to bow down before it.

Moreover, given the terrifying talent he displayed, his status within that family must have been exceptional.

But why would such an important disciple come alone to such a remote place as the Qingyun Sect for training...?

And why are there no traces of protectors?

The only explanation is that he has far more tricks up his sleeve than anyone imagined.

That radiant glow just now was perhaps only the tip of the iceberg.

Such tokens that can instantly summon powerful members of the family, substitute puppets that can spontaneously activate in times of crisis, and even more mysterious means of survival... will inevitably emerge one after another.

As long as the conflict between him and Shen Chen intensifies, no matter which side ultimately prevails, he, a seemingly insignificant and useless person caught in the middle, might be able to find a glimmer of hope.

Upon realizing this, Ning Qian felt as if her heart had been gently pricked by fine needles.

She lowered her eyes, avoiding the moonlight and Fang Xuan's bewildered gaze as he looked around aimlessly.

Exploit, scheme, observe coldly, and wait for the right opportunity to act...

This is her.

"Feel sorry......"

The baseness and scheming ingrained in one's bones can never be changed.

Someone like her will probably never be worthy of his unreserved sincerity...