One divination a day, a trainee celestial master

In the dimly lit basement, a terrifying scene is unfolding.

The skeleton, held aloft by the female ghost in the wedding dress, no longer had the strength to struggle.

His eyes, which had been rolled back due to suffocation, were now bloodshot with extreme terror. He could clearly feel his very essence being pulled away, bit by bit, by the cold, ghostly hand gripping his neck!

If Jiang Shou and Xia Qiu were to turn around and look at this moment, they would definitely be horrified by the sight before them.

This arrogant and wicked Taoist priest from the Luoyin Sect, who committed numerous evil deeds in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, is visibly withering away!

First, the flesh on his face collapsed rapidly, as if drained of all moisture by a pump, the skin clinging tightly to his cheekbones. Then, all the life force and essence of his arms, torso, and legs flowed continuously through the female ghost's arms into the dazzling crimson wedding dress.

The most terrifying thing is that the evil cultivator's soul, which had been tempered for decades, was also being drained and devoured by the female ghost bit by bit, just like nourishment!

"Help...help..."

The skeletal figure's withered lips trembled, uttering a desperate cry for help.

However, Jiang Shou had no time to pay attention to the tragic scene behind him.

"Team Leader Xia, retreat!"

After saying that, Jiang Shou squeezed out the true essence in his body and suddenly activated the core of the [Yang Qi Lantern Talisman] he was holding in his fingertips.

"Imperial Edict!"

The yellow paper flew into the air and burst into flames instantly.

"boom--!"

A burst of brilliant golden light, extremely yang and strong, vast and pure, suddenly erupted from the ashes, instantly sweeping across the entire passage shrouded in yin energy!

The black and red aura shield that Bai Gusheng had forcibly condensed with his life essence was now weakening and fluctuating violently because Bai Gusheng was being frantically drained of his life essence by the female ghost.

Under the direct impact of this vast golden light!

"Crack... Bang!" The seemingly indestructible aura shield crumbled instantly, like a piece of glass struck by a hammer, turning into wisps of black smoke and dissipating completely!

A way out has been found!

The burst of pure yang golden light not only dispersed the evil aura in front, but the vast aftershocks of true essence also swept backward like a tsunami, affecting the wedding dress ghost and the white bone spirit in the air above the magic array.

"Ugh~~"

Bathed in the pure, radiant golden light, the ghost in the wedding dress suddenly turned around. She raised her wide red sleeves to cover her face and let out a low growl for the first time.

His voice was low and hoarse, filled with a painful roar!

The scattered golden light fell like raindrops onto her bright red wedding dress, scorching her and producing wisps of blue smoke.

The female ghost was clearly extremely wary of the scorching heat of this pure yang fire. She no longer cared about absorbing the white bone in her hand, and loosened her grip.

With a thud, Bai Gusheng was released and slammed to the ground. A moment later, he began to struggle to get up.

The ghost in the wedding dress, like a phantom, transformed into a red afterimage, dodging left and right in the corner of the basement, avoiding the scattered golden light.

Jiang Shou's desperate attack to break through the evil aura barrier and escape unexpectedly allowed the old monster Bai Gusheng to survive and take his last breath.

But Jiang Shou didn't look back at all.

"Walk!"

Seeing that the passage had been cleared, Jiang Shou grabbed Xia Qiu's wrist, and the two of them quickly ascended the dark steps, moving so fast that their feet barely touched the ground.

……

In a short while, the two rushed to the top of the stairs and arrived at the heavy oak hidden door.

At this moment, the hidden door, which had been forcibly locked by Bai Gusheng using magic, had been broken open by the special police outside, leaving a tiny crack.

There was chaos outside, mixed with shouts and commands.

A huge hydraulic unlocking device is struggling to reach in from outside the gap, trying to widen the door opening.

Jiang Shou stretched out a hand, grabbed the edge of the hidden door, and, using the remaining power of his true energy, seemingly casually pushed it to the side.

"Creak—Boom!"

As the door was pushed open from the inside, the resistance vanished instantly. The two burly SWAT officers who were leaning forward and bracing against the hydraulic clamps outside the door lost their balance due to inertia, cried out twice, and suddenly tumbled headfirst down the stairs through the open door!

Jiang Shou reacted swiftly, using both hands to firmly support the chests of the special police officers, holding these two burly men, who weighed over 300 pounds combined, to their feet.

The two special police officers, still shaken, steadied themselves and looked up.

"Team Xia!"

Upon seeing Xia Qiu being pulled behind Jiang Shou, the police officers outside burst into excited shouts.

The deputy captain of the criminal investigation team rushed over, pulling the two still-dazed SWAT officers up while sweating profusely and anxiously asking, "Captain Xia, are you alright?! What's going on down there?!"

"No time to go into details!"

Xia Qiu shoved Jiang Shou's hand away and stepped out of the secret passage. Her bright face was now filled with solemnity and lingering fear as she sternly issued her order:

"Quickly! Evacuate the people in the hall immediately! Everyone, leave this villa immediately! Including those in the yard!"

The deputy captain paused for a moment, then said, "But Secretary Zhao and those county leaders are still here..."

"I said everyone!" Xia Qiu said, each word distinct and her eyes icy cold, leaving no room for negotiation. "Anyone who dares to obstruct official business will be handcuffed and taken away immediately!"

Seeing Xia Qiu's alarmed expression and smelling the pungent stench of blood emanating from the secret passage, the deputy captain instantly realized that a horrific murder had occurred in the basement.

"Yes, sir! Groups one and two, clear the area immediately!"

Under the tough stance of the criminal investigation team, armed with real guns, chaos erupted instantly in the mourning hall on the first floor of the villa. Those usually aloof political and business figures, as well as Zhao's relatives and friends, though full of complaints and grievances, were all ruthlessly driven out of the door by the police.

In less than ten minutes, the once crowded hall was completely cleared out.

A large number of police officers set up long yellow cordon nets around the villa.

……

noon.

The bright autumn sun shone down without reservation on the gate of the villa in the northern suburbs.

Jiang Shou and Xia Qiu stood side by side in the sunlight, breathing in the fresh air. The oppressive feeling, as if they had just escaped death, finally dissipated somewhat.

The two looked at each other and remained silent for a long time.

"What should we do?" Xia Qiu asked, breaking the silence as she looked at the sealed villa gate.

"I don't know," Jiang Shou replied crisply and confidently, his hands in his suit pockets.

Xia Qiu was taken aback by his aloof attitude, a hint of surprise flashing in her peach blossom eyes: "Aren't you a Taoist priest? Or some kind of abbot! Shouldn't dealing with this kind of thing be your area of ​​expertise?"

"It's not that... I'm doing this part-time. As for the abbot, I'm currently in my internship period." Jiang Shou spread his hands and blinked innocently.

"..."

Xia Qiu looked at the handsome man in front of her, who had been displaying his might like a war god in the basement just now, but was now spouting nonsense and admitting defeat. She was so angry that her teeth itched, and she couldn't utter a word for a long time.

Seeing that she was really getting anxious, Jiang Shou sighed and dropped his joking expression.

"Sigh, to be honest, I'm really not confident I can handle that thing."

Jiang Shou turned to look at the eerie villa, his expression turning grave: "If that old monster is drained of her power, her resentment and magic will definitely surge. She's a real, vengeful ghost in red. I do have a secret [Resentment-Resolving Talisman] that I can try to break the soul-locking spell on the three girls. Once their souls are free, perhaps... we can see if the underworld officials will follow the rules and come up to guide them to the underworld."

"Then what are we waiting for? What should we do?" Xia Qiu asked, as if grasping at a straw. "How can we stick the talisman on to break the spell?"

Jiang Shou stroked his chin, pondering seriously for a moment: "My plan is... we'll go down again, then persuade that ghost in the wedding dress to sit down calmly and talk things out. Then I'll ask her if she's willing to lay down her butcher's knife, accept the help of this talisman, and go to the Pure Land..."

Xia Qiu: "..."

Xia Qiu looked at Jiang Shou's earnest expression and couldn't help but twitch at the corner of her eye: "Do you think... a vengeful ghost in red who was just tortured to death, forced into a ghost marriage, and now wants to suck people's souls, would agree to 'sit down and talk things out' with you?"

"Well... logically speaking, it would definitely crush my skull with a single claw." Jiang Shou spread his hands very sincerely, "That's why I said I didn't know what to do."

The two fell silent again.

Xia Qiu glanced at the dark window on the second floor of the villa, somewhat worried: "What if she finishes killing people downstairs and then rushes out?"

"Probably not." Jiang Shou glanced at the bright sun overhead. "It's noon now, when the yang energy is at its peak. Although this wedding dress ghost is fierce, she's still a newly formed ghost and can't run out under this blazing sun. Besides, she just absorbed the soul of the skeleton and needs time to digest and stabilize her form in the extremely yin array in the basement."

Jiang Shou paused, his tone turning heavy: "But... after sunset, the yin energy rises. I'm not sure if she'll break down the door and run out. What if she gets into the county town..."

Xia Qiu remained silent for a moment, but her years of experience fighting on the front lines allowed her to quickly make another tactical consideration.

She pointed to several high points around the villa: "I'll immediately arrange for several SWAT snipers, armed with heavy-duty rifles, to guard the entrance. After sunset, if she dares to rush out, we'll just shoot her to physically send her to her death. What do you think?"

Jiang Shou was stunned for a moment when he heard about this proposal, which had a distinctly modern aesthetic of violence.

He turned his head, gave Xia Qiu a complicated look, and said quietly:

"Yes, you can try it."

Jiang Shou pointed to the balcony on the second floor of the villa and kindly reminded him, "However, I suggest you don't just guard the main entrance on the first floor. You need to set up more anti-aircraft firing points."

Why?

"Because she doesn't have Newton's worries," Jiang Shou calmly stated a fact. "She can fly."

"..."

Xia Qiu took a deep breath, turned around and walked towards the edge of the cordon.

"I'll go and inform the bureau chief first, and have him consult his superiors immediately."