Starting from his vigorous old age, he began to conquer Liaozhai.

[This chapter is considered useless; don't read it. The book's stats haven't been good lately, and I thought I'd have to write until 300,000 words without any effort. I've been in a bad state these days, and I didn't expect this to happen again. I only saw it today. I'm not sleeping tonight; the next round of recommendations starts at midnight, so there can't be any useless chapters.]

……

……

……

The 307th year of the Ming Dynasty.

Lanruo Temple, Guobei County.

The Buddha statue was half-leaning, covered in cobwebs. Moonlight streamed through the holes in the roof, casting sparks from the smoldering embers.

Cao Xiong lay on the ground, waking up from his unconsciousness, his forehead bearing the bruises from a fall.

Before his mind had fully cleared, a string of familiar words flooded his head: "Universal Salvation, Guobei County, Lanruo Temple..."

"What incredible luck! I woke up to find myself in the world of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, and even became a down-on-his-luck military household member with the same name as myself?"

The fragmented memories were quickly pieced together. The original owner had encountered a ghost since childhood, and evil energy entered her body, making her weak and unable to practice martial arts.

His mother died early, and his father also passed away unexpectedly half a month ago, leaving him and his adoptive sister to depend on each other.

I'm spending the night at Lanruo Temple to gather herbs in the mountains to raise enough money for the army and avoid military service.

"Hiss~ What a terrible start."

"Cough cough~"

As his emotions surged, Cao Xiong couldn't help but cough.

"His body is really weak, even more fragile than the college students in my previous life."

"Bang bang~"

"Who~"

The sudden knocking made Cao Xiong's heart pound wildly.

"Young master, I am traveling alone to Guobei County to seek refuge with relatives."

"I never expected to get lost. The night is long, and I just happened to meet you, young master. I would like to go in and keep you company."

The sound outside the door was like that of a nightingale, melodious and alluring.

Cao Xiong felt a chill run down his spine. "Why does this plot seem so familiar?"

His eyes were fixed on the blurry, graceful figure outside the door, his right hand gripping the wood-chopping knife tightly.

Try to keep your tone calm.

"Miss, it's indeed inconvenient for a man and a woman to be alone together so late at night."

"You should go to another room."

"Mmm~"

Upon hearing Cao Xiong's refusal, the figure outside the room couldn't help but sob.

The intermittent sobbing irritated Cao Xiong, and a thought suddenly popped into his head: "Open the door, let her in, and take her."

Cao Xiong bit his tongue hard, and a sharp pain shot through him.

But the more he suppressed his desires, the stronger they became, and even vulgar scenes appeared before his eyes.

Just as my reason was about to collapse.

Please select the initial term!!!

Pale gold text appeared out of nowhere, like a lifeline.

"Is this a cheat code?"

Cao Xiong's heart skipped a beat. Without time to think, he gritted his teeth and roared inwardly, "Choose!"

The text before my eyes changed instantly.

[Entry 1: Lustful Wolf (Gray): Weak-willed, unable to resist the temptation of beauty; concentration decreases by 10%, stamina increases by 5%.]

[Entry 2: Unwavering Will (White): Possessing righteousness, one is immune to all evil; concentration increases by 10%.]

[Entry 3: Inescapable Ghostly Calamity (Gray): Beset by malevolent spirits, easily attracting vengeful ghosts, evil spirits, and malevolent spirits; a life filled with misfortune.]

Cao Xiong glanced at it quickly, "Is there even a choice? The other two are clearly dead ends."

"I choose to be resolute."

The phrases "lustful ghost" and "inescapable ghostly calamity" instantly dissipated, while the phrase "unwavering will" transformed into specks of light and merged into Cao Xiong's body.

Name: Cao Xiong

Age: 18

[Cultivation Level]: None

[Entry 1] Strong Will (White): Possessing righteousness, one is immune to all evil, and concentration +10%.

[Fragment]: 0→1

[Technique]: None

In a short while, Cao Xiong's cloudy eyes became clear.

A wisp of black energy slowly dissipated from his body.

The tightness in his chest was gone, his heartbeat was strong, and he felt unprecedented strength in his limbs. He even felt that he could take down a cow with one hand.

The discomfort caused by the time travel disappeared, and this body felt like his own.

"Were the remnants of the original body's soul and evil energy eliminated together?"

"Hoo hoo~"

Just then, a gust of wind blew open the already dilapidated door.

The woman outside the door had tears still clinging to her face, looking utterly pitiful.

At the age of seventeen or eighteen, with fox-like eyes and willow-leaf eyebrows, her youthful face couldn't hide her allure, and her white dress couldn't conceal her voluptuous figure.

Cao Xiong gasped, "Hiss~"

Cao Xiong remained calm, his eyes still clear and sharp. "Miss, there's no need to be afraid. This place is very safe. If you were to enter the room, it might damage your reputation."

Upon hearing Cao Xiong's refusal, the woman's visible panic was so palpable that it evoked pity in the eyes of onlookers.

"Young master, I know you are a good person, but I am really scared. If you let me in, I am willing to give you gold."

As soon as she finished speaking, the woman took out a piece of gold from her bundle, weighing about five taels, and gently tossed it at Cao Xiong's feet.

"Young master, I am afraid of the dark. I only ask that you stay with me for one night."

A surge of impulse rose within Cao Xiong once more: "Let her in; the beauty and the gold are both mine."

Cao Xiong's forehead was covered in cold sweat. He was certain that this woman was a female ghost from Lanruo Temple, and her cultivation was not low. Her words and actions had the ability to interfere with the mind, which was why she could amplify the evil thoughts in his heart.

They could have just killed him, but instead they chose to use such a despicable method as seduction.

Fortunately, he has the "unwavering will" attribute to him, so he will definitely not be affected again.

Cao Xiong went to the gold and picked it up.

He gently squeezed the gold in his hand, thinking to himself, "What a treasure, it's a pity I didn't live to take it."

He threw the gold out the door. "Miss, a gentleman loves money, but he acquires it in a proper way. This gold is the foundation for your trip to your relatives. I'm sorry, I cannot accept it. Please return to your room."

The female ghost stared at Cao Xiong, remaining silent for a long time, her eyes filled with complex emotions of doubt and curiosity.

"You are one of the few good people I have met in all these years. It's a pity you shouldn't have come to Lanruo Temple."

The female ghost showed a struggle on her face, but eventually returned to calm.

She never wanted to harm anyone, but was forced by Yaksha and Granny. Since this person passed her test, she would spare his life.

"That's enough, you should leave now. There is a demon in this temple called Yaksha. It will return before dawn. If you encounter it, you will surely die."

Cao Xiong breathed a sigh of relief; he had finally overcome this hurdle.

A hint of lingering fear appeared on his face. "The young lady is as beautiful as an angel and has a kind heart. I wonder if I can help her."

Upon hearing Cao Xiong's words, a youthful liveliness appeared on the female ghost's face.

She found the man in front of her quite interesting; he even wanted to help her.

Their gaze swept over the armor worn by Cao Xiong, which was unique to military households, and they began to speculate about Cao Xiong's identity.

"I know you mean well, but the Yaksha is too powerful; no ordinary person can withstand him."

Before he could finish speaking, the female ghost was already pressed close to Cao Xiong.

The faint fragrance reignited Cao Xiong's arousal.

"Again?"

Cold sweat trickled down Cao Xiong's forehead, and he quickly took a half step back.

"Young lady, have some self-respect!"

"Hehe~ Young master, don't be nervous."

The female ghost's fingers traced across Cao Xiong's face down to his chest.

"I was just joking with you. My name is Nie Xiaoqian. If one day you reach the Bone Forging Realm, you can come to see me on a moonlit night."

"At that time, you will not only be able to help me escape my suffering, but you will also have a great opportunity."

After saying this, Nie Xiaoqian left the room and disappeared.

Only one secret manual, titled "The Fierce Tiger Stance," remained in Cao Xiong's possession.

Cao Xiong exhaled a deep breath, clenched his fist, and dared not linger for even a moment.

As soon as dawn breaks, the Yaksha will return; if it gets any later, he won't be able to leave.