Evil Spirits Arrive

Grumble, grumble...

Suddenly, Jiang Dao felt an intense hunger pang in his stomach, as if he hadn't eaten for three days and nights.

"Hungry, so hungry..."

His eyes turned red as he looked at the bowl of lotus seed porridge prepared on the table. He grabbed the porcelain bowl and drank it all in one go, but the hunger remained. He immediately walked out of the room to have dinner prepared.

Half an hour later.

Jiang Dao sat on a chair, feasting like a starving ghost reborn.

He devoured the freshly baked roast chicken in just a few bites.

He grabbed the huge pork knuckle and finished it in three bites.

He picked up a large basin of meat broth and gulped it down with a tilt of his head.

His terrifying eating posture made the maid, Bi Yu, who was serving him, secretly gasp, almost thinking her young master was possessed by an evil spirit.

Finally!

Jiang Dao let out a satisfied burp, put down the plates, and the hunger in his stomach gradually subsided.

"Bi Yu, clean this up!"

He took out a silk handkerchief, wiped his mouth, and said.

The maid Bi Yu quickly stepped forward to clean up.

"I wonder if I'll be this hungry every time I improve? If so, my eating habits are really too unsightly."

Jiang Dao walked out of the room, his brows furrowed.

But regardless of the hunger, the terrifying strength he possessed was undeniable.

Especially the muscles on his body. They weren't visible under his long gown, but once he took off his clothes, one could see his well-proportioned lines and bulging muscles. His back, arms, and thighs were all filled with formidable power.

He walked around his small courtyard, casually picked up a waist-high staff, and swung it with a whistling gust of wind, smashing it fiercely towards a stone stool on the side.

Crack!

The entire stone stool exploded as if struck by a giant hammer, sending stone fragments flying everywhere.

Jiang Dao was extremely satisfied.

The power of this single move already surpassed Pang Lin's full-strength strike.

And this was just him casually unleashing it.

If he were to use a special move, the power of this staff would be even more terrifying!

Suddenly, his ears twitched, and he heard some sounds.

Jiang Dao put down the staff, walked out of the courtyard, and came to the corridor not far away, looking into the distance.

He saw several young and beautiful maids, rubbing their tears, sobbing softly, and looking very unwilling. They were being led by an old woman towards the Changbai Old Daoist.

Jiang Dao's expression instantly darkened.

That old bastard was harming innocent women again!

But what could his Jiang family do about this scene now?

They could only act as 'accomplices,' letting that old bastard do as he pleased!

Jiang Dao took a deep breath, forcing himself not to watch. Feeling indignant, he turned and left.

Unknowingly, it was already lantern-lighting time.

The maid Bi Yu came to help Jiang Dao undress and prepare him for bed.

Jiang Dao lay on the bed, lost in thought.

He wondered if he would have the same dream again tonight when he fell asleep.

The light was dim, and time passed.

Hengzhou City was exceptionally quiet at night.

Jiang Dao soon fell into a deep sleep.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning.

Jiang Dao suddenly opened his eyes and sat up in bed, his brows furrowed in surprise.

"Nothing?"

Had his nightmare syndrome been cured?

"Could it be because of practicing martial arts? Having sixty years of cultivation within me has made my blood and qi vigorous, scaring away the little ghosts in my dreams?"

Jiang Dao was suddenly overjoyed, feeling that his future was promising.

But then, Jiang Dao heard the noisy sounds coming from the front courtyard. His brows furrowed, and he got up from the bed.

"Bi Yu, what happened again?"

Jiang Dao was getting dressed and shouting.

The door creaked open, and the maid Bi Yu rushed in with a panicked expression. She said fearfully, "Young Master, last night... last night evil spirits came to the mansion. Many of the maids died."

"What?"

Jiang Dao's expression changed slightly, and he quickly finished dressing.

Not long after.

Jiang Dao appeared in the front courtyard.

He saw about ten guards gathered together, all with grim expressions.

All the house servants and staff were also present, looking terrified and murmuring amongst themselves.

The head of the family, Jiang Dalong, had a somber expression. He wore a watermelon-shaped hat and a black short jacket, and was fiddling with two large walnuts in his hands. His gaze was fixed on the several corpses in the courtyard.

The Changbai Old Daoist was meticulously examining the bodies.

Without exception, they had all died horribly, their bodies shriveled and dry, as if something had sucked out their vital energy.

"Father, Master Pang."

Jiang Dao approached from a distance.

"Young Master."

Pang Lin greeted him softly.

Jiang Dalong nodded slightly at him, then turned back to look at the Changbai Old Daoist and said in a low voice, "Daoist, where is this evil spirit now? Is it still in the mansion?"

The Changbai Old Daoist's expression was grim. After quickly finishing his examination, he stood up and sighed, "Master Jiang, let's discuss this in private."

"In private?"

Jiang Dalong's expression changed.

Was the situation really that serious?

He naturally understood what the Changbai Old Daoist meant.

Discussing it in private meant he didn't want others to hear, to avoid causing panic.

In other words, this evil spirit might be something even the Changbai Old Daoist couldn't handle.

"Alright, Daoist, please come with me!"

Jiang Dalong said heavily, leading the Daoist towards the study.

Jiang Dao's expression flickered, and he immediately followed.

A short while later, they arrived at Jiang Dalong's study.

The Changbai Old Daoist took a seat. Jiang Dalong asked Jiang Dao to close the door and not allow anyone to enter.

"Daoist, please speak plainly!"

Jiang Dalong cupped his hands.

The Changbai Old Daoist's gaze was dark as he said, "The Jiang family is in trouble this time. What we've provoked is something even I might not be able to handle!"

"What kind of evil spirit is this?"

Jiang Dalong quickly asked.

"I call it a Spirit Child. It's incredibly bizarre. Wherever it appears, disaster follows. It causes the deaths of nearly a thousand people. What's even more terrifying is that there isn't just one Spirit Child; they appear in groups. Furthermore, behind these evil spirits, there are even more terrifying Great Evil Spirits pulling the strings..."

The Changbai Old Daoist's tone was heavy. "I have traveled all over the Great Enterprise Dynasty and have only encountered Spirit Children twice. However, on both those occasions, nearly a thousand people died. Once, a sect that had been established for three hundred years vanished completely within two days. Another time, half the population of an ancient city perished!"

"What?"

Jiang Dalong looked shocked. "Doesn't this mean my Jiang family is doomed? Daoist, please save the Jiang family."

He quickly cupped his hands in supplication and simultaneously took out a stack of silver notes from his sleeve, stuffing them into the Changbai Old Daoist's hand. "Daoist, if my Jiang family can survive this calamity, we are willing to donate over half of our assets to you."

Jiang Dao was also secretly surprised, wondering if the old Daoist was deliberately trying to scare them or if it was truly the case.

He stood to the side, not daring to speak for the moment.

"Dealing with the Spirit Child itself isn't difficult. The difficulty lies in the existence behind it; it might even be a terrifying force," the Changbai Old Daoist said.

However, his hand uncontrollably grasped the silver notes that were being pressed into it. Judging by the thickness alone, he knew how much silver it represented, and he discreetly tucked it into his sleeve.

"Master Jiang, the Changbai Old Daoist and the Jiang family have a certain karmic connection. Right now, I can only do my best. I can only guarantee your safety for so many days. If it truly becomes impossible, please do not blame me."

"Of course, of course. We only ask that you do your best!"

Jiang Dalong repeatedly cupped his hands.

"Daoist, you just said that there might even be a terrifying force behind the Spirit Child?"

Jiang Dao suddenly asked.

"That's right!"

The Changbai Old Daoist nodded slightly. "Otherwise, I really can't imagine how the Spirit Child would suddenly appear and then suddenly disappear, and after each of their actions, there would be no trace left behind!"

"Then what kind of force are they?"

"That is unclear."

The Changbai Old Daoist shook his head. "Also, the evil spirits have another characteristic: they hide during the day and leave no trace, only coming out to move at night. So, even if we wanted to find them now, we wouldn't be able to!"