Cult Leader

As the supervisor, Si Ming could only watch and record the process; he couldn't interfere.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Everyone recognized the voice as Zu Jiangchun's. Although they were surprised that she would come to visit so late at night, since they had already exchanged favors, they had no reason to turn her away.

"Ugh, this island is so boring! There's nothing interesting about it at all. It's more rural than the countryside, like a village that hasn't even entered industrialization yet. Several places don't even allow women in! Enough already! No wonder there are beggars on the island; they don't even have True Qi charging station!"

Zu Jiangchun vented her frustrations at length. She couldn't possibly say these things to her own subordinates, as she needed to maintain a reliable image as the young master. However, there was no need to put on an act for Si Ming and Murong Qing, who already knew her background.

Anyway, let's do something fun!

Si Ming asked, "What do you want to do, play cards or mahjong?"

"That's so boring. I've come all the way to this island to play cards. It's not like I'll die if I don't play cards... And I'm not bragging, but if our Liu School claims to be second to none when it comes to gambling, no one dares to claim to be first. It's just too pointless to bully newbies like you who don't even know how to cheat."

Zu Jiangchun spoke with righteous indignation, showing no shame whatsoever for cheating.

"So what are you planning to do? I'd rather not play the phantom thief with you; there's probably nothing worth stealing on this island... The most valuable thing is probably that High Antiquity relic you brought."

"Becoming a phantom thief is just a hobby for me, not my profession. Moreover, we wanderers also have the principle of 'three things we don't steal from and five things we don't rob'—we don't steal from ordinary people, we don't steal from the elderly and weak, we don't steal from people who are doing legitimate business, and we don't rob the 'elderly, weak, sick, disabled, and young'."

Zu Jiangchun glanced at the pitch-black night outside the window, where only occasional lights flickered in and out of sight, as if shrouded in a thick fog. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She clapped her hands and exclaimed, "That's it! The setting is so nice, let's tell ghost stories!"

Si Ming noticed that Murong Qing seemed to tremble slightly and asked, "Are you afraid of ghosts?"

"Of course not! What's so scary about such ethereal things? They don't even exist. Confucian School says that the Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits. Besides, I've even witnessed miracles. A mere ghost can't scare me at all."

Murong Qing explained at a very fast pace, but this unusual behavior only drew a questioning look from Si Ming.

She hesitated for a moment, then gave up and said, "Okay, I admit it, I'm a little scared. Yeah, just a little bit, not like those girls who scream at the slightest sound when they're walking at night. Don't confuse it with that."

Si Ming became even more curious. If it were Earth without supernatural powers, it wouldn't matter, but in this world with martial arts, what was so scary about ghosts? Humans should be more terrifying than ghosts, right? Just like those mobile games he played in his previous life, weren't ghosts just the exclusive possessions of Onmyoji?

If there's love, even warships can be boarded, let alone mere ghosts.

When questioned, Murong Qing could only reply, "Aren't ghosts, these intangible creatures, generally untouchable by fists, palms, swords, or knives? I'm a little bit helpless against these dangerous beings that can't be subdued by force."

Si Ming complained, "Your desire to conquer is too obvious. I have a feeling that if you ever encounter ghosts, their fate will be miserable."

Zu Jiangchun enthusiastically urged, "Since you're afraid of ghosts, then you should tell ghost stories even more. Once you get used to it, you won't be afraid anymore. When you encounter difficulties, you should face them head-on, and when you have weaknesses, you should find ways to overcome them. You can't keep running away from things."

It was clearly a superficial attempt at persuasion, but Murong Qing surprisingly receptive to it. She was always one to stand up for Qi Ingestion, preferring to face challenges rather than run away. Her competitive spirit was ignited, and she declared, "Then let's do it!"

Si Ming thought for a moment and decided to use a less frightening story to help her adjust a bit, so he volunteered, "Let me go first."

Zu Jiangchun and said, "Oh, welcome, welcome." She then turned off the lights in the room, only drawing back the curtains to let the moonlight from outside illuminate the space, making the eerie atmosphere even more intense.

Si Ming deliberately lowered his voice and said, "In a remote village, there's a straight street lamp along a narrow path. Strangely enough, accidents often happen there. Not long ago, a young couple accidentally crashed their bicycles into it and died instantly. One night, five-year-old Xiao Ming... five-year-old Xiao Gang and his mother were passing by there on their way home when Xiao Gang suddenly said, 'Mom, there are two people on the lamppost.' His mother quickly pulled him away, frantically warning him, 'Children shouldn't talk nonsense.'"

Murong Qing asked, a mixture of nervousness and anticipation, "Could it be that Xiao Gang is different from ordinary people, and has the ability to see ghosts?"

She had clearly read some supernatural novels, otherwise she wouldn't have known the related terms.

Si Ming felt that if he stopped here, the other person probably wouldn't be able to sleep all night, so he continued, "The news spread quickly, and everyone in the village knew about it. Everyone deliberately avoided that streetlight. One day, a reporter came to interview Xiao Gang and asked him to take him to the place where the car accident happened. Xiao Gang generously led the reporter there. The reporter asked him, 'Can you still see those two people?' Xiao Gang nodded. The reporter quickly asked, 'Where?' Xiao Gang pointed upwards."

A sound of swallowing saliva echoed in the room. Ignoring the stares of others, Murong Qing anxiously urged, "And then, what did Xiao Gang see?"

Even He Qichang, who wasn't particularly interested in such matters, couldn't help but concentrate and listen attentively, waiting for the final outcome of the story.

Si Ming said quietly, "Following the direction Xiao Gang pointed, the reporter looked up and saw a sign hanging on the utility pole that read, 'Traffic safety is everyone's responsibility.'"

Murong Qing: "..."

He Qichang: "..."

"This isn't a ghost story at all!"

Zu Jiangchun roared loudly.

Si Ming argued, "Anything that can scare people is a ghost story. Although the ending was a bit out of place, the build-up was excellent, and the atmosphere and suspense were all very well done. How can you say it's not a ghost story?"

"It's less about scaring and more about deceiving people; this is clearly a joke! I thought it was a pot of dumplings, but when it was served, it turned out to be a pot of glutinous rice balls. Although they're both wrapped and filled, they're obviously not the same food."

Zu Jiangchun was too lazy to argue and waved her hand, saying, "Forget it, who's next to speak?"

Liu Qingqing appeared at the window and raised her hand, saying, "I'll do it."

"..."

Zu Jiangchun suddenly fell silent, her face quickly shifting from calm to a turbulent expression. She roared at the top of her lungs, "Ghost! Aaaaaahh...

Chapter 169 Cult Leader

After Si Ming and Murong Qing introduced Liu Qingqing's identity, Zu Jiangchun calmed down, though she couldn't help feeling lingering fear.

"That ghost story was really great." Si Ming gave Liu Qingqing a thumbs up.

"I haven't even said anything yet," Liu Qingqing said with a hint of helplessness.

"There's a realm in Swordsmanship called 'no sword in hand, but a sword in heart.' Although you didn't tell any ghost stories, you've already revealed the core of them. Even literary masters who have studied ghost stories for decades can't reach this level. The saying 'no moves are better than moves' describes this realm," Si Ming said, trying to deceive him.

"Something feels off." But Liu Qingqing couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

Zu Jiangchun and asked, "This kind of elusive skill, did you learn assassination techniques?"

Liu Qingqing shook her head. "I studied archery."

"What a pity..." Zu Jiangchun suddenly lit up, her whole body radiant. She grabbed Liu Qingqing's hand and said, "Come on, join the Liu School with me! It's such a waste that someone with your talent isn't a phantom thief. With this once-in-a-millennium talent, you can become an excellent phantom thief in just three years, no, just two years. And in the not-too-distant future, you will become the greatest phantom thief in history!"

Liu Qingqing said somewhat reluctantly, "Stealing is indeed a somewhat..."