Set a Small Goal First

The sun was bright, under the Old Locust Tree.

Yu Qi'an was sitting by the well, eating watermelon.

Li Chu walked over and saw that his Master ate watermelon with such an Immortal Bone Structure, his sleeves rolled up, his seeds spat out, all exuding an indescribable aura.

"Hey, want a piece?" Yu Qi'an said with a chuckle.

"Thank you, Master." Li Chu also sat down.

Yu Qi'an looked at Li Chu, thinking that his disciple ate watermelon so handsomely and dashingly, his head ducked, his mouth wiped, truly possessing his former style.

He stroked his beard and said with a smile, "What thanks are needed? These fruits were sent by that Miss Li yesterday. She came looking for you, I was just the one who benefited."

"Miss Li?"

"Her name is quite obscure, I forgot it. Just a girl with a very slender waist, long legs, full chest and round hips, a great figure."

Li Chu shook his head, unable to recall.

"Oh, she has a mole on the left side of her chest," Yu Qi'an added.

"Huh?" Li Chu was even more confused.

"Right, she also left fifty taels of silver."

"Li Xinyi." Li Chu immediately remembered: "She's a disciple of Facing Heaven Pavilion. We handled a Weird Case together before. That fifty taels is the Bounty I'm owed."

As he spoke, he blinked again.

Did Li Xinyi have a mole on the left side of her chest?

No, his confusion was why such a small matter as delivering money would be handled by Li Xinyi. Previously, Zhou Dafu would directly send a minor Constable.

And she should have returned to Hangzhou Prefecture long ago.

Yu Qi'an said at the opportune moment, "She seemed to have other matters to discuss with you, but seeing you weren't here, she had to leave."

"Oh." Li Chu nodded.

Yu Qi'an ate another piece of watermelon, wiped his mouth, and glanced up at Li Chu: "Aren't you going to ask her what it was about?"

"If it's important, she'll come again," Li Chu shrugged indifferently.

"Sigh." Yu Qi'an looked at his disciple and sighed with disappointment.

"Master, I do have something I wanted to ask," interrupted by Yu Qi'an, Li Chu almost forgot his original purpose.

"Oh? What is it?"

"I have a doubt. If there's a group of ghost creatures, and they stay peacefully in one place, and humans don't disturb them, and they don't harm people. In that case, can I eliminate this group of ghost creatures?" Li Chu asked earnestly.

"Aren't you already doing that?" Yu Qi'an retorted.

For the past year, Li Chu had been leveling up by fighting low-level monsters on Ten Li Slope. Although he didn't know the purpose, he was aware of this action.

"But these ghost creatures have higher cultivation and have already gained sentience, unlike the Lantern Monster," Li Chu said.

Yu Qi'an thought for a moment and replied slowly, "Heh heh, as cultivators who walk the jianghu, there's a saying that has always been passed down: demons can be taught, devils are difficult."

Li Chu leaned forward, assuming a posture of humble inquiry.

"It means that among demons, monsters, devils, and ghosts, these four types of evil things, there are actually differences."

"Demons are formed by the cultivation of all sorts of living beings, a sublimation of life. Demons themselves do not possess good or evil; those who do good are good demons, and those who do evil are bad demons. Good demons can be educated and guided, just like the little fox that comes to pay respects every day. We can coexist peacefully with them. Only bad demons need to be eradicated."

"Monsters are strange creatures born of heaven and earth. In essence, they are no different from birds and beasts. Similarly, if they behave themselves, then humans should not disturb them."

"Because they have their own Great Dao to follow."

"Their own Great Dao..." Li Chu murmured, seemingly in thought.

"As for devils, they are formed by other living beings becoming demonic," Yu Qi'an's expression turned slightly serious. "Once they fall into demonic ways, it's hard to turn back. If they are allowed to survive in the human world, they will inevitably cause great bloodshed and slaughter, and must be eradicated."

"Ghosts are also formed from the Yin Souls of other living beings. Due to various reasons, they did not embark on the Reincarnation Road and remained in the human world. But no matter the reason, this is not the path they should be on. From the moment they are born, they have already strayed. Therefore, no matter the circumstances, eliminating ghost creatures is equivalent to helping them return to the righteous path."

"For devils and ghosts, one can eliminate them without asking about their righteousness or evil; encountering them means eliminating them. It is precisely because of this that eliminating ghost creatures is called 'saving' them, and saving them can accumulate merit. Regardless of whether they have sentience or not, it does not count as killing."

"So, the standard for judging whether to kill or not is whether the living being is on the righteous path, is that right?" Li Chu asked.

"You could say that," Yu Qi'an nodded with a smile.

Li Chu seemed to have gained some insight and also nodded.

Watching Li Chu get up and leave, Yu Qi'an muttered to his retreating back, "I wonder which ghosts are so unlucky."

That night.

Liu Family Ghost Building.

Last night's commotion seemed to have no effect here; the atmosphere was still as peaceful and eerie as ever.

But as a figure clad in an Azure Daoist Robe slowly approached, the scene gained a touch of aesthetic beauty.

Actually, Li Chu had been thinking recently that the experience points provided by the Lantern Monster were decreasing. If only there was a new, slightly higher-level leveling spot.

But he was unfamiliar with places far away, and there might be trouble.

The appearance of the Liu Family Ghost Building perfectly met his needs.

Few people, many ghosts, and close to home.

Moreover, it seemed that the ghosts here could appear out of thin air. If that were the case, they would likely be endless.

It was practically prepared for him to level up.

His only concern was that these ghosts had been living here peacefully. If no one courted death, they wouldn't go out and harm people. Would it be inhumane for him to come here and kill them to level up?

Yu Qi'an's words today had resolved his concern.

He wasn't leveling up, nor was he killing these ghosts. He was delivering them, helping those who had gone astray onto the right path.

It was a great and noble act, like a doctor saving lives or a teacher educating students.

"I'm destroying you for your own good."

Of course, there would be some pain during the process of healing or learning.

But he promised it would only hurt for a moment.

After one moment of pain, they could start a new life.

With such noble intentions, Li Chu walked into the Liu Family Ghost Building again.

At this moment, the light of righteousness shone upon the ghost building.

He followed the sequence, starting from the first room and knocking on the door: "Excuse me, is there a ghost here?"

Strange yiya yiya sounds came from inside, indicating there was.

Li Chu pushed the door open and saw a ghost dressed as an Actor, wearing a spring shirt with flowing sleeves. It was impossible to tell if it was male or female.

Seeing Li Chu enter, it sang in a high-pitched voice: "Pain, pain, pain, gently push the young master, gradually hear trembling sounds, slightly surprised by the surging red~"

Li Chu listened and felt that this opera-singing ghost was a bit indecent.

But he still said very politely, "Hello, I'm here to deliver you. It might hurt a little, please bear with it for a moment, and it will be over soon."

The opera-singing ghost seemed to understand his words and wanted to physically express its objection.

But Li Chu didn't give it a chance.

Chii--

A Sword Light flashed, and the yiya yiya tune still echoed in the room, while the Ghost Body vanished into thin air.

Delivery successful.

Li Chu felt he had become even more noble.

Correspondingly, he was one step closer to level seventy-two.

Walking out of the room and looking at the full four-story pavilion, Li Chu felt he could set a small goal first.

He would reach level one hundred first.

Three hundred li northwest of Yuhang Town.

White Bone Mountain, Corpse Hiding Cave.

Two hoarse and dull voices sounded again.

This time, a clear sense of panic was evident.

"That Little Daoist Priest is back! He's going door to door, looking for ghosts and killing them one by one! In just one night, he cleared out the entire ghost building!"

"What! You couldn't do anything about him?"

"If you saw the way he draws his sword, you wouldn't say such foolish things."

"We have to do something! Otherwise, on the day Our King breaks the seal, both of us will be punished!"

The other voice fell silent for a moment, then spoke again.

"I'm praying. Praying he doesn't come back tomorrow."