Ghost's Lair
"Senior Brother... there's a very fierce ghost outside... it's terrifying," the young man cried out in panic.
A stout, young man clad in a blue Daoist robe slowly approached. His face was round with an abundance of good fortune, his ears large and pronounced.
"Look at you, so inexperienced—what are you afraid of?" the plump man scolded his younger companion. "Do you even know what our temple is for? We are Daoists, exorcists. How could you be so frightened by a ghost? Isn't this shameful?"
"A wandering ghost dares to frighten us at Qi Dao Temple? I will capture it!" He snorted disdainfully and stepped forward.
But as soon as his right foot crossed the threshold, his eyes widened in shock.
"WTF... there's a ghost..."
The plump man recoiled in fear, stumbling backward as his foot caught the doorframe, causing him to fall awkwardly. His face drained of color, more so than his younger companion.
"Don't let the ghost enter! Close the door quickly!" he yelled at the other man.
"Senior Brother... closing the door might not help," the younger man murmured, clearly rattled.
All disciples at Qi Dao Temple practiced a basic technique known as Qi Observation, which allowed them to judge the strength of a ghost. The plump man had just used this skill.
An overwhelming wave of ghostly energy flooded his senses. The sheer ferocity of the ghostly aura left him breathless. This was the first time he had encountered such a formidable ghost—one far beyond their ability to deal with.
Knock, knock, knock...
Mo Lin's voice cut through the silence. "Is anyone there?"
"Damn... this ghost is polite..." the plump man muttered under his breath. At the sound of Mo Lin's voice, his entire body stiffened, sweat prickling his skin. He felt his legs weaken, unable to stand.
A ghost knocking on the door? It was truly a chilling sight. The first time he encountered such an audacious ghost, one that had the audacity to knock on the Daoist temple's door. It was akin to a mouse daring to enter a lion's den.
"Hurry, go get Master Brother!" the plump man shouted.
The young disciple, fearful of wasting time, quickly rushed to fetch Master Brother.
Master Brother, who had been resting in his quarters, immediately stood up upon hearing about the ghost intruder. Grabbing his exorcism tools, he made his way to the courtyard.
"What is this? You're all scared by a ghost? What kind of Daoists are you?" Wan Yu, clad in a yellow Daoist robe, scolded his two disciples. His robe was a clear indication of his status.
"We're Daoists, and we're afraid of ghosts?" he scoffed. "Open the door."
The plump man whispered, "Master Brother, maybe we should just let this go…"
"What are you afraid of? Open the door!" Wan Yu barked.
"It's a very fierce ghost... I'm afraid it might scare you," the plump man grimaced, a pitiful expression on his face.
"Afraid of ghosts? Are you kidding me? Open the door!" Wan Yu shouted with righteousness.
Seven years ago, when ghosts first appeared in this world, he was the first to take action, exorcising spirits, having captured hundreds, if not thousands, over the years.
Afraid of ghosts? It was absurd to even suggest.
The plump man, feeling cornered, reluctantly opened the door.
As soon as Mo Lin entered the courtyard, Wan Yu and the others instinctively took a step back.
"WTF... this... this..." Wan Yu stammered, speechless.
This was indeed a truly fearsome ghost.
In his eyes, this was no ordinary being. This was a ghost, its aura towering with malevolent energy. The terrifying presence filled the air.
It was the first time in Wan Yu's life that he had encountered such a concentrated, powerful ghostly energy.
The strength of a ghost's energy determined its power.
Wan Yu could even feel that this ghost was consciously restraining its energy. If it hadn't, the scene before him would have been far more horrifying.
For the first time in his life, Wan Yu doubted his own abilities.
When he saw Mo Lin, all thoughts of capturing the ghost disappeared.
Having mastered the art of Qi Observation, Wan Yu didn't just see the ghostly energy; he also saw that five other spirits were housed within Mo Lin.
Their gazes locked.
In that moment, Wan Yu's body shook violently, as though his very soul had been seized by fear.
Quickly, he averted his gaze, unwilling to use Qi Observation again.
Well... he had been frightened.
Wan Yu, at a loss for words, stood frozen.
"Master Brother... catch him..." one of his disciples urged.
"Shut up," Wan Yu snapped.
If he could have captured Mo Lin, wouldn't he have done so already?
Such a powerful ghost... how could he capture it?
Would he fight for his life to subdue it?
The truth was that without a prepared formation in place, there was no way to subdue Mo Lin.
"What brings you to Qi Dao Temple?" Wan Yu asked, trying to keep his composure.
"Were you the ones who captured a ghost child recently?" Mo Lin inquired, his voice calm.
"Yes..."
"Well... the child's mother is very anxious. Could you return him to me? I am willing to pay you in Hell Coins," Mo Lin said, his tone even.
Wan Yu's expression darkened.
A ghost had come knocking... and now this audacious spirit was asking him for the child?
This was an insult to Qi Dao Temple.
What did Mo Lin take them for—mere Daoists to be trifled with?
Mo Lin didn't understand why his simple request had caused the Daoists to look so displeased.
He had offered to pay. Wasn't that enough?
"Can you return the child?" Mo Lin asked again.
Wan Yu's heart skipped a beat. This felt like a threat.
A ghost threatening him... How embarrassing would that be if it got out?
"Go and bring the child you captured a few days ago," Wan Yu ordered, albeit reluctantly. He had no choice but to comply.
The disciple obediently turned and left to retrieve the child.
After about three minutes, the disciple returned, holding a gray-black jar sealed with a talisman.
Wan Yu opened the seal on the jar.
A small shadow peered out cautiously from the jar.
A tiny ghost, no larger than a child of seven or eight, stepped out. Upon seeing Wan Yu and the others, it instinctively recoiled, its neck shrinking in fear.
It turned to see Mo Lin and cried out in surprise.
"Master Mo Lin..."
The little ghost rushed toward him.
At the moment it called Mo Lin "Master," Wan Yu knew without a doubt that Mo Lin was no ordinary ghost. He was a ghost of status.
"Name: Xiao Li
Level: Ordinary
Ghost Technique: Perception (Allows the user to pinpoint someone's exact location based on a clue.)"
The ghost's technique was intriguing to Mo Lin, but he had no intention of adding it to his Ghost Record.
It wasn't worth it.
He might keep Xiao Li around—perhaps it could be useful later.
The little ghost recognized Mo Lin. They had met a few times in the Underworld.
"Thank you, Master Mo Lin, for saving my life," Xiao Li said, bowing deeply in gratitude.
"Yin Xiaohua, come out. I've found your son," Mo Lin called out.
Yin Xiaohua appeared next to him, rushing forward to embrace her son.
"Are you alright, my son?"
Yin Xiaohua inspected him thoroughly before glaring at him with anger.
"I told you not to run off! Look at what you've done, getting caught by these filthy Daoists. If it weren't for Master Mo Lin, you'd be doomed! Hurry up and thank him!"
The little ghost quickly expressed his thanks, "Thank you, Master Mo Lin, for saving me."
Yin Xiaohua shot a menacing glare at Wan Yu before disappearing with her son, both entering the long sword in Mo Lin's possession.
"Thanks," Mo Lin said, handing Wan Yu 2,000 Hell Coins before turning to leave.
As Mo Lin walked away, Wan Yu murmured to himself.
"This ghost is surprisingly well-mannered..."
"Master Brother, you're just letting this ghost go?" the plump disciple grumbled, clearly dissatisfied.
"Of course not... I'll get back the face I lost today," Wan Yu sneered.
"Go buy some talisman paper. I'm going to set up an exorcism formation and capture this ghost myself."
"Master Brother, you're mighty... I'll go right away," the plump man answered respectfully.
Mo Lin's visit had been too sudden, and Wan Yu was not confident of capturing him right away, so he didn't dare act rashly.
But that didn't mean he feared Mo Lin.
He was preparing an exorcism formation. With it, capturing Mo Lin wouldn't be impossible.
Today, he would reclaim his dignity.
...
After leaving Qi Dao Temple, Mo Lin ran into Feng Mingyu, who was rushing toward him.
She was out of breath, hand on her waist, chest heaving, sweat soaking her bangs.
"You... are you alright?" Feng Mingyu asked, looking at Mo Lin in surprise.
"I'm fine. It's all taken care of."
"Really? Just like that?" Feng Mingyu had expected Mo Lin to clash with the people at Qi Dao Temple, but that didn't happen. Perhaps she had overthought things.
"Have you eaten yet? Let me treat you to a meal," Feng Mingyu asked.
"Sure, I'm actually quite hungry," Mo Lin replied.
After a busy night, he was feeling famished.
Feng Mingyu led him to a small, humble restaurant on the outskirts.
The place was eerily quiet, with no one around.
The restaurant specialized in stir-fried dishes.
The door was open, and the lights were on inside.
Upon entering, the first impression was one of filth and disorder.
The tables were covered in thick dust, and the floor hadn't been cleaned in who knows how long. The ground was sticky underfoot, and the chairs were equally dusty.
"Why is it so dirty..." Feng Mingyu couldn't help but complain as she walked in.
She had never encountered such a filthy restaurant before.
She couldn't understand how such a place could stay in business.
"Are you afraid of ghosts?" Mo Lin suddenly asked.
The question came out of nowhere.
"Huh... What do you mean?"
Feng Mingyu glanced around warily, unconsciously drawing closer to Mo Lin.
"I'm a Ghost Tamer. I'm not afraid of ghosts," she said, trying to reassure herself.
"Oh... if you're not afraid of ghosts, then it's fine... we've arrived at a ghost's lair," Mo Lin said calmly.
"A ghost's lair?"
The next moment... Feng Mingyu understood