When Chen Yi was mentioned, a trace of bitterness and sadness crept into Lu Ying's heart. She still remembered the time in the Joyful Sect when Chen Yi and Zhou Yitang were holding each other close...

Even though Lu Ying had never asked her master about the relationship between them, she couldn't help but let her mind wander.

She had always seen her master as a motherly figure, but now, after learning about this junior sister's background, an inexplicable sense of unease began to stir within her.

Surely not...

There shouldn't be any connection between the two of them. It must have all been a misunderstanding...

Lu Ying comforted herself with these words, completely unaware.

Among the group of female Taoists, one remained silent. Her appearance was plain, her Taoist name was Qing Yuan, and she seemed lost in thought.

Lu Ying also failed to notice,

a slightly familiar figure walking past the edge of the alley.

......

The scar-faced owner of the house had barely walked a few steps before stopping abruptly. When he looked up, he saw a figure carrying a sword and a knife blocking his path.

For a moment, he froze, his pupils constricting slightly.

Chen Yi, now dressed in Taoist robes, bore a striking resemblance to a Taoist descending the mountain.

Chen Yi strode over and said,

"Shall I drive the ghost away for you?"

The house owner, still reeling from the shock, quickly responded,

"Th-that would be great!"

His eyes darted from Chen Yi's knife to his sword before turning back.

............…

............…

Not long ago, Li Heng had purchased a house, using nearly his entire life's savings.

It had four rooms in total. Past the front gate, there was a small courtyard at the center, and even a second floor you could go up to. Anyone who owned such a house would be satisfied!

Moreover, having a house in the county meant getting a wife soon after.

If a man had a dream for a lifetime, it was actually quite simple: a house, a wife, and a child. But first and foremost, it had to be the house. It was the foundation of stability—a deed that could be passed down to descendants, ensuring that every generation had a home.

To afford this house, Li Heng's father had even emptied out his coffin savings to make up the remaining sum. Li Heng had planned to move in joyfully.

But just days after the happy move, misfortune struck unexpectedly. His father, who had helped him buy the house, became increasingly frail and passed away after only a few days.

Having used up the coffin savings, and being far from his hometown, Li Heng couldn't do much. He had to craft a simple coffin out of thin wood to bury his father.

Li Heng planned that once he saved enough money in the future, he would buy a proper coffin, dig his father out from the soil, and take him back to their hometown with the help of neighbors. To ensure he could find the grave later, he buried his father near the monument stone of Liu Feng County.

On the day he buried his father, Li Heng knelt by the grave and knocked his head heavily on the ground three times. He said to his father that now he had moved into the house, he would work even harder in the future. The first thing he would do once he had money would not be to find a wife but to move his father's remains back to their hometown.

"Father, please wait for your son!"

Li Heng made this vow that day.

Being a man of his word, Li Heng stuck to his promise. Moreover, he believed deeply in the respect owed to the deceased, especially to his own father. With redoubled effort, he worked even harder to earn a living.

He was the leading boat tracker in Liu Feng County, managing over a dozen men, and was himself capable of immense physical labor. Within two to three months, he had saved enough money.

And there was even some leftover money. Thinking about how he could finally take his father's remains back to their hometown, Li Heng's heart swelled with joy. That evening, he used some of the extra money to drink with his brothers.

And since they were drinking, they had to talk about something. What did they talk about? Ghost stories.

The men, emboldened by the alcohol, laughed and bantered as they told their tales:

"What I'm about to tell you is a true ghost story..."

"It's not from my hometown—it happened right here, in Liu Feng County beneath our feet."

"You all know that there used to be a man named Sun. He was also a boat tracker and had finally managed to buy a house. How did he afford it? A bargain! While most houses cost a hundred taels, this one was only thirty!"

"About three or five years ago, Old Sun was thrilled beyond words. Unmarried and living alone, he didn't think twice before moving in. That first night, he slept like a baby."

"Everyone congratulated him and envied him too. Happiness shines on a person—he was brimming with energy and worked even harder."

"But as the days went by, things started to feel... off."

"At first, he felt aches in his waist and back. Only in his thirties, Old Sun often found himself bent over on the ground, panting like a dog."

"Old Sun was a responsible man, not one to visit brothels. So why was he suddenly getting sick out of nowhere? Everyone noticed something was wrong and quickly asked him what was going on."

"Old Sun didn't understand either. He only said that when he went to sleep, he always felt like something was wrapping around him."

"But there was nothing in the house that seemed out of place."

"Old Sun was puzzled. One night, he decided to stay up and keep watch."

"And the result?"

"Morning came, and nothing happened—nothing made a sound."

"Old Sun sighed in relief, thinking he must have been overthinking it due to exhaustion. After a tense night, he got up to use the outhouse."

"He walked to the outhouse slowly, naturally pulling down his pants to relieve himself."

"His house was pitch-black—you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. In the darkness, he vaguely saw something,

like a strand of hair."

"Old Sun continued relieving himself and then looked up in confusion. What he saw made his blood freeze."

"Hanging from the outhouse's beam, a head with disheveled hair was slowly lowering itself, its ghastly eyes staring straight at him!"

"Swish!"

"Old Sun was so scared his urine went back up!"

"And that night, he died on the spot."

That night, Li Heng was startled by the story but didn't take it too seriously.

It was normal for brothers to tell ghost stories and joke around after drinking. Li Heng went home as usual, checked the outhouse, and found nothing there.

"What nonsense those bastards spout!"

Li Heng recalled laughing and cursing that night.

But tonight, for some reason, Li Heng couldn't fall asleep no matter how he tried.

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