Bright Eyes Night Vision Sees Ghosts and Gods

"...The assessment begins during the hour of Xu and ends at dawn, during the hour of Mao."

"Everyone will carry a second order Soul Guiding Lamp and conduct patrols across the lake district, bay district, and the thirty-two wharves."

"The assessment consists of pacifying drowned spirits and other wandering souls."

"Pacify ten spirits without using 'Invoking the Gods,' and you will receive a Grade A rating."

"Pacify five spirits without using 'Invoking the Gods,' and you will receive a Grade B rating."

"Pacify three spirits without using 'Invoking the Gods,' and you will receive a third-grade rating."

"If you cannot pacify even one spirit, invoke the gods as soon as possible. Do not disturb the peace of the townsfolk for the sake of your rating."

"Once you invoke the gods, the assessment ends early. Do you all understand?"

"We understand."

"There is still plenty of time to prepare. Go find your own places."

"Yes, Lord Meng."

Once Meng Yun, the Divine Temple's Ceremonial Official, had finished speaking, the minor clerks dispersed to prepare for the upcoming assessment.

Zhao Xing activated Bright Eyes and looked over, only to see a bundle slung across Meng Yun's back.

Inside the bundle was a tiny figure two chi tall.

Its face was rosy, and it held a miniature Crescent Moon Blade. Its expression was stern and righteous.

Its eyes had been closed, but they suddenly opened. It even smiled at Zhao Xing.

Bright Eyes Night Vision Sees Ghosts and Gods!

Before he had even seen a ghost, he had first seen the yin deity worshipped in the temple.

Zhao Xing cupped his hands in greeting, then hurriedly withdrew the spell. Looking again with his naked eyes, he saw nothing but an ordinary Sandalwood Statue on Meng Yun's back.

"Hm? Why has the True Lord awakened?" Meng Yun seemed to sense something and turned to look around.

But Zhao Xing had already shifted his gaze away.

Good heavens, he even brought Earl of East Lake out with him. If any spirits come ashore, with him standing guard, even a cartload of them wouldn't be enough for him to chop down.

At this stage, wandering souls generally posed little threat. At most, they could disturb an ordinary person's sleep, leaving them drained and listless for a few days.

Unless someone deliberately cultivated spirits, but that was a grave crime. Once discovered, they would be branded an Extraterritorial Demonic Person.

Besides, the Divine Temple's Ceremonial Official had brought out Earl of East Lake's divine manifestation. Zhao Xing could jump into a pile of spirits and dance, and they would not dare touch a single hair on his head.

After all, he was the man Earl of East Lake had tried to keep!

"Young master, what are you looking at?" Xu Laoba looked at Zhao Xing in confusion. Why had he suddenly stopped walking?

"Oh, nothing. I thought I saw someone familiar. I must have been mistaken," Zhao Xing casually brushed him off.

"So, should we keep looking around, or go somewhere and get to work?" Xu Laoba could not help urging him.

They had already wandered around for more than half an hour, yet this young master showed no sign of being done.

The money came too easily, and Xu Laoba did not feel at ease either.

Two taels and five qian was no small sum.

"No rush, no rush. Let's eat something first." Zhao Xing walked into a food stall and casually ordered several skewers of grilled meat. "Eat as much as you like. It's all on me. No wine, though—we shouldn't let it interfere with our work."

"Alright, thank you, young master." Xu Laoba did not stand on ceremony. He ordered dozens of skewers in one go. Seeing that Zhao Xing did not react at all, he immediately decided this young master was truly generous. He secretly resolved that tonight, he would not let him return empty-handed.

The dozens of meat skewers, several bowls of rice noodle soup, and four grilled fish cost only one qian of silver altogether. The flavor was authentic, the portions generous, and it was quite the bargain.

Xu Laoba stopped after eating until he was seventy percent full, since he would still need to enter the water later.

Zhao Xing was only barely full, so he ordered more.

Xu Laoba clicked his tongue inwardly as he watched. This young master looks tall and thin, but his appetite is enormous. I'm already seventy percent full, and he has eaten nearly as much as I have, yet he can still eat? Could he be a martial artist?

Though Zhao Xing was not a martial artist, he was at the Gathering Yuan Third Stage. His physical condition far surpassed Xu Laoba's, so naturally, his appetite was much greater as well.

Just as he was eating a grilled fish, suddenly—

"Whoosh, whoosh~"

A gust of wind swept through the stall.

"Hm?" Zhao Xing paused mid-motion. He was highly sensitive to wind, and this inexplicable gust was clearly not normal.

Yin Wind? And it carries some dampness... Has a water ghost come ashore?

One advancement path of the Rising Wind spell was Netherwind Soul Assault, a technique that generally only Military Sima Nong were qualified to learn.

Zhao Xing discerned that this was not man-made Yin Wind. Sensing its dampness, he immediately understood that a water ghost had come ashore.

A drenched ghostly figure was weaving through the street. It wore silk robes, had a fat build, and wandered about aimlessly.

He checked the almanac, but there was no warning. Then he calculated the time. It was nearly Dingmao Hour.

"Wait here and don't go anywhere. I'll come find you shortly." Zhao Xing settled the bill and followed after it.

"Huh? Young master... where did he go?" Xu Laoba was somewhat dumbfounded. Zhao Xing had not seemed to be walking quickly, yet he vanished into the crowd in the blink of an eye. "What a strange fellow."

With Wind Beneath the Feet, Zhao Xing quickly caught up to the chubby wandering soul and walked alongside it.

Bright Eyes Nine Turns could see ghosts and gods, so naturally it could communicate with them as well. After observing for a while, Zhao Xing asked, "Uncle, what are you looking for?"

The chubby wandering soul in silk turned its head. Wet hair clung to its forehead, and its lips were pale. "I'm looking for the road home."

Zhao Xing cupped his hands. "May I ask where your home is, Uncle?"

The chubby ghost muttered, "I am from Junxi. My home is at Jia Manor, south of Dangyou County."

Junxi? Dangyou County? Zhao Xing was still trying to recall where that was when the chubby ghost said blankly, "But no matter how hard I look, I can't find it. I can't find it..."

Only then did Zhao Xing come to his senses. Dangyou County had been a lower county, but twelve years ago, it had merged with another lower county, Pingshan, and been renamed Youshan County.

Of course you can't find it. Even your corpse drifted from Junxi to the south of the prefecture!

So this man had been dead for at least twelve years?!

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Xing continued, "Uncle, do you have something to say to your family?"

The chubby wandering soul nodded. "Yes. I need to tell my wife that I am dead, so they can retrieve my body. And I need to tell her that I packed away some silver and buried it..."

"Buried where?"

The chubby wandering soul suddenly turned its head. Ghostfire glimmered eerily within its eye sockets. "Why should I tell you? You're not my family."

"..."

Fair enough. Perfectly reasonable.

After saying that, the chubby ghost continued wandering aimlessly, muttering, "I am from Junxi. My home is at Jia Manor, south of Dangyou County. I want to go home, but where is my home? I can't find it..."

Zhao Xing was about to try communicating again when he suddenly heard a clear shout from ahead. "Soul, return!"

Then a streak of Golden Light shone upon the chubby wandering soul. The soul stopped muttering and involuntarily walked toward the source of the light.

Others could neither hear the voice nor see the Golden Light, but Zhao Xing could hear and see it. Up ahead stood a figure carrying a Soul Guiding Lamp—it was one of the clerks taking the Divine Temple assessment.

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