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"I have something to tell you."

Xuan De grabbed Xu Guangkun's hand.

"Uncle-Master?"

After Xu Guangkun saw clearly, he let him pull him aside.

"Do you know that your master doesn't have much time left?" Xuande pointed to the old Taoist priest who was secretly watching them. "He's nearing the end of his life. If he continues to act this way, he may only have a few years left. So I want you to help me persuade him."

Xu Guangkun looked in the direction he was pointing, only to find that the old Taoist had already looked away.

"Time is running out?"

He was a little puzzled.

Although the old Taoist priest had gray hair and beard, he could eat and sleep well, and his agility was remarkable, showing no signs of fatigue.

"Did you know that our cultivation method, if perfected, can extend one's lifespan?"

"Know."

"Your master's talent is better than mine." Xuande's expression was a mix of resentment and relief. "However, he is a kind-hearted person. No matter what kind of ghost he encounters, he only saves it and never kills it. Therefore, his magical power has not increased for a long time. I want to advise him..."

He sighed deeply, "But every time I bring it up with him, he tells me to go back to my clan, but..."

Xuande paused, but ultimately didn't reveal the reason, only saying, "So I wanted to ask you for a favor."

As he spoke, he handed a book to Xu Guangkun: "Since you became my disciple, I, as your senior brother, have never given you a gift. This is my token of gratitude."

Xu Guangkun took it and saw that the book was made of soft leather and had only three pages.

There are two characters on the book cover, written in blue ink. Perhaps due to its age, the characters have become somewhat blurred, but they are still legible.

True Words

Xu Guangkun flipped through the pages. The second page read "Hum, Ha," and the third page read "Fix."

"I obtained this from an ancient tomb. It's just a fragment, but it's very effective." After saying this, Xuande patted Xu Guangkun on the shoulder. "It's all yours now."

.....

"Say whatever you want to say, sir." Xu Guangkun returned to the old Taoist's side, smiling as he looked at the old Taoist who was peeking around, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

The old Taoist priest coughed dramatically, then asked casually, "What did your martial uncle say to you?"

"Your martial uncle wants to tell you to stop the ritual." Xu Guangkun's tone was also somewhat serious.

Taoist priests in this world have three methods for exorcising ghosts.

The first step is to disperse them, the second is to exterminate them, and only the third is to offer them salvation.

This ritual, which involves washing away the sins of evil spirits, is the most time-consuming and energy-intensive.

This magical power isn't generated out of thin air; once it's used, it needs to be replenished through cultivation before it can be further enhanced.

No matter what kind of ghost the old Taoist priest encountered, he would perform the ritual of deliverance.

Over time, this cultivation level stagnates.

The old Taoist priest did not explicitly refuse, but said quietly, "Our sect cultivates the Scripture of Saving People..."

Before Xu Guangkun could speak, Xuande couldn't hold back any longer. He let out a cold snort and mocked, "Stubborn and unyielding, unable to appreciate kindness!"

Having said that, he flicked the dust off his hands and rushed into the courtyard in front of him.

We've arrived at the Zhou family's residence in the north of the city.

....

As soon as you enter the Zhou family home, you are greeted by a large and a small child.

The eldest was dressed in fine silk and satin, and ate a lot of rich food. Perhaps because he was weak, he was panting after walking only a few steps, and his forehead was covered with fine sweat.

The boy was dressed in a sharp suit, with red lips and white teeth, and his hair was combed like an adult's. Standing there, he was a handsome young man.

However, there was something off about his gaze; he kept staring at Xu Guangkun's face, making Xu Guangkun feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Could it be Xuande and Daoist Xuanji?"

The fat, middle-aged man pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat, his face beaming with eager surprise. "Please come in quickly, please come in quickly."

As he spoke, he turned to turn around, but as his eyes darted around, he spotted Xu Guangkun, who was avoiding the boy's gaze. "And who is this?"

"This is my disciple, whose Taoist name is Huang Yuan." The old Taoist stepped forward, then said to Xu Guangkun, "Hurry up and greet Master Liu and the young master."

The Taoist sect's Taoist names are based on the principles of Heaven and Earth, and the universe. They belong to the "Xuan" generation, while Xu Guangkun naturally belongs to the "Huang" generation.

Xu Guangkun bowed respectfully, "Master Liu."

"So you are a disciple of Master Xuanji." Master Liu said politely twice and gestured his hand forward.

Upon entering the hall draped with white silk ribbons, perhaps still reeling from the ghost's misfortune, Master Liu hurriedly spoke again.

"That ghost must be the transformed form of that rebellious woman. Please, Taoist priest, quickly unleash your divine powers!" He added through gritted teeth, "Slay this scoundrel! Smash his soul to pieces!"

These words caused the others present to frown slightly, but Xuande remained expressionless. "Junior brother."

The old Taoist nodded, made a hand gesture, twitched his nose, and strode forward.

The old Taoist priest had cultivated Taoism his whole life, and several parts of his body had been transformed into treasures, the strongest of which was his nose.

It's even more sensitive than a dog; to exaggerate a bit, it can smell any danger from ten miles away.

A large group of people arrived at the inner courtyard. The old Taoist priest led them to a side room and asked, "Whose room is this?"

"My third concubine," Master Liu replied.

The old Taoist priest went inside.

The room was small, just big enough to fit a large bed and a dressing table.

The old Taoist priest sniffed intensely for a while, and suddenly tears welled up in his eyes. He scrunched up his face and scrambled out of the room, fanning himself under his nose incessantly.

Xu Guangkun followed and guessed, "Does it smell bad?"

The old Taoist priest couldn't answer and just kept nodding.

"The smell of blood?"

The old Taoist priest shook his head.

"Ghostly aura?"

He nodded and then shook his head.

Before Xu Guangkun could continue guessing, the old Taoist priest finally recovered, took several deep breaths, and glared fiercely at Liu Yuanwai, "It's ghostly energy mixed with photinia flowers!"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at Master Liu.

Master Liu's face first turned pale, then green, and finally flushed red and thick-necked, a truly spectacular sight.

He gritted his teeth and said, "I didn't even step into this room yesterday!"

The group exchanged glances, then looked away, deciding to wisely turn the page.

The old Taoist priest stretched out his hand to Master Liu, "Do you have a photo of your daughter?"

"have."

The photos arrived shortly afterward.

Xu Guangkun looked down and saw a girl with a good figure in the photo, but her appearance was somewhat unappealing.

"What kind of ghost did she transform into?" Master Liu asked.

The old Taoist priest pondered for a moment: "The ghostly aura is nowhere to be found, yet it possesses a human body; it must be a painted skin."

"Are you confident, Taoist priest?"

"Just a little devil." The old Taoist waved his hand. "This ghost should now be your third concubine. Where is your third concubine now?"

"I went out to buy things early this morning," replied Liu, the wealthy man.

"Then we'll lie in wait here."

"Thank you, Daoist Master." After saying this, Master Liu cupped his hands in a respectful gesture. "When immortals clash, we mortals are but a speck..."

Before he could finish speaking, the old Taoist waved his hand again.

After everyone left, the seemingly relaxed old Taoist priest immediately lost his composure, pulling Xu Guangkun aside. "Damn it, it's Painted Skin, it's really fierce!"

Xu Guangkun was surprised instead: "Didn't you say it was a kid?"

"What nonsense! It's a vengeful ghost!" The old Taoist priest said solemnly. "Ordinary ghosts would feel guilty and run away after eating one of their own blood relatives, but this guy has eaten seven people and is still lingering here. You can imagine how strong his hatred is. The more hatred this ghost has, the more ferocious it becomes, especially after eating so many people."

He concluded, "In short, this trip won't be easy. When the fight breaks out, you'd better hide next to your martial uncle, understand?"

.....