Expel Evil Spirits

It really was a ghost; Xiao Jie felt a chill run down his spine.

This kind of invisible enemy was the most unsettling, but Ye Luo seemed quite knowledgeable. Since she said it would be fine during the day, Xiao Jie decided to take her word for it.

"Since you can see it, why don't you kill the ghost—"

Before he even finished, Xiao Jie realized he was talking nonsense. Physical attacks were ineffective against ghosts; seeing it was useless.

"What level is this ghost? How much HP does it have?"

"You want to kill it? Physical attacks are useless against ghosts unless you can find a master who knows magic or possess a magical artifact that suppresses spirits."

"Heh, you don't need to worry about that. Can you just tell me?"

"Level 7, 135 HP. Its name is Ghost Servant."

Only level 7 with 135 HP—it didn't seem that strong. The main trouble was that the thing was invisible, physically immune, and capable of possession.

Ghost Servant? That meant there was someone behind this ghost.

"It has hidden itself, likely scared off by you, but it will probably reappear once night falls."

Xiao Jie thought it didn't matter; daytime was enough. He would just focus on learning Archery and Dog Training first.

Just then, Yang Baichuan walked in carrying a bowl of meat broth. His wife immediately began to wolf it down, looking like a starving ghost reincarnated.

Watching his wife eat with such gusto, Yang Baichuan looked equally pleased.

"Good brother, I owe this all to you. I truly don't know how to thank you."

"Think nothing of it. I only ask that you teach me how to be a hunter."

"Haha, no problem. Let me get my wife settled today, and you can come learn tomorrow."

"Ah, I have to wait until tomorrow? Can't we do it today?"

"Little brother, it's best not to make things difficult. My wife has just recovered; how could I abandon her now? Just come tomorrow, one day won't make a difference, right?"

It makes all the difference, Xiao Jie thought.

He glanced over and caught Yang Baichuan staring at him with a sharp, piercing gaze. His heart skipped a beat.

Damn, this old guy was playing dumb. He clearly didn't trust me and wanted to wait a day to see if the treatment held.

He hadn't expected this NPC to be so calculating.

"Fine, then we'll talk tomorrow."

Xiao Jie left the wooden hut, and Ye Luo followed him out.

"It's useless. Unless you can finish off that ghost, his wife will be possessed again tonight, and he still won't take you as an apprentice tomorrow. But there is another way. If you're willing to spend the money, I can help you gather a century-old ginseng. This herb-gathering quest is likely a threshold set by the designers; after all, they wouldn't let players obtain a powerful class like Hunter so easily."

As if I'd go through all this trouble if I had the money, Xiao Jie thought.

He looked at Ye Luo, an idea forming in his mind. If he wanted to slay the evil spirit, he would likely have to rely on this girl.

Still, he held onto a sliver of hope that perhaps nothing would happen tonight, and he could successfully become an apprentice tomorrow.

"By the way, how come I haven't seen you in the village before?"

"I've been out gathering herbs for the past two days, so naturally, you wouldn't have seen me. This century-old ginseng isn't easy to find."

Xiao Jie was shocked. Was she that capable? Logging out in the wild in this game was extremely dangerous because monster spawns and patrol areas were dynamic. If you were unlucky and logged in right where a monster spawned, you'd be dropped into a pack of mobs and die without even knowing how.

"You spent the night in the wild alone? Weren't you afraid of being cornered by monsters?"

"Heh, no need to be surprised. Although the wild is dangerous in this game, there are some safe spots. As long as you figure out the monster spawn areas and movement patterns, you can find relatively safe locations. Of course, there's always risk, but I had no choice. I had to gamble to get the herbs. Fortunately, it seems my luck wasn't too bad."

Looks like she's an expert too, Xiao Jie thought. "Do you play alone?"

"I am alone now."

The woman's tone was somewhat despondent, and Xiao Jie understood immediately—her former teammates had likely perished.

"Is being a Hunter fun?"

"Of course. With a pet to assist in combat and the ability to deal damage from a distance, it's probably the most suitable class for a solo player."

"Want to team up sometime?"

"We'll see." Ye Luo didn't agree easily.

"Then let's add each other as friends? There are only a few of us players in this village; we should look out for one another."

This time, Ye Luo didn't refuse, and the two added each other.

"See you around, then."

Ye Luo said, whistling, "Let's go, Black Claw."

The dog named Black Claw trotted happily after her.

The next day, when Xiao Jie arrived at the hunter's house, the man was once again wearing a look of deep distress.

"It's over, little brother. In the middle of the night, my wife suddenly went mad again. I've tied her to the bed, but I have no other options. How exactly did you treat her?"

Xiao Jie sighed inwardly. It was exactly what he feared. But fortunately, he had come prepared.

"Master Yang, you cannot blame me for this. Your wife is not suffering from an illness, but has been afflicted by evil; she is suffering from Ghost Possession. Unless the ghost possessing her is destroyed, your wife will never recover. I used a magical artifact to drive the evil spirit away yesterday, but who knew it would be so persistent and refuse to leave her? There must be some deep-seated grudge involved here. Think carefully—have you offended anyone?"

Yang Baichuan shook his head violently. "Impossible. I rarely interact with anyone in the village, so how could I have offended anyone? However, since this is a case of being haunted, it seems I have no choice but to hire a master."

"I must stay here to watch over my wife. Would you be willing to do me a favor, young brother, and go to the prefecture to invite a master here?"

"I have also heard that there is a White Cloud Temple on Azure Cloud Mountain, north of the valley. The Taoist priests there possess quite a bit of magical power. If you could invite one of them, that would be even better."

"As long as you can bring back a master or a Taoist priest, I will certainly teach you everything I know once the task is complete."

System Prompt: Quest [Expel Evil Spirits] triggered. The hunter Yang Baichuan asks for your help in finding an expert to perform an exorcism. In return, he is willing to take you on as his apprentice.

A dialogue box popped up before his eyes.

Option 1: Rest assured, Master Yang, I will certainly help you invite an expert. (Accept quest).

Option 2: Why go through all that trouble? Leave this matter to me. A mere evil spirit—watch me destroy it. (Quest upgrade).

Option 3: This has nothing to do with me. I already treated the illness yesterday, and Master Yang has already promised to teach me how to be a hunter. It would be better to fulfill that promise before discussing anything else. (Attempt persuasion).

It was actually possible to persuade him directly?

Xiao Jie hesitated for a moment, but did not choose option 3. For one thing, doing so would be quite tasteless.

For another, the Hunter Apprentice role seemed to only cover introductory techniques, and there were likely more advanced skills to follow. If he chose option 3, he might miss out on those subsequent skills.

Even if he could learn them, he couldn't spend his days picking ginseng just to level up his skills.

Gathering herbs required increasing Perception, and attribute points were not something to be spent recklessly.

However, going to invite a master or a Taoist priest wouldn't be easy. In this game, the wilderness was crawling with monsters, and as a level two character, surviving the journey there wouldn't be simple.

It would be better to try it himself.

Xiao Jie decisively chose option 2.

"Why go through all that trouble? Leave this matter to me. A mere evil spirit—watch me destroy it."

"Really? That would be wonderful! I am counting on you, young brother." Yang Baichuan was overjoyed. Before, he naturally wouldn't have believed Xiao Jie's words, but after witnessing the exorcism yesterday, he had no choice but to believe.

"Lad, if you can cure my wife's illness, I will not only teach you how to be a hunter, but I will also gift you a treasure from my Hunter's Treasure collection."

System Prompt: You have accepted the quest [Expel Evil Spirits]. Eliminate the Ghost Servant possessing Yang Baichuan's wife.

Quest Rewards: Hunter Apprentice profession, Hunter's Treasure x1.

Not bad. He could change his profession and get a hidden reward; this deal was worth it.

"Rest assured, Master Yang. I have about a sixty or seventy percent chance of success. However, to exorcise the ghost, I need to make some preparations first. I shall take my leave."

Xiao Jie stepped out of the wooden cabin and sent a private message to both Ye Luo and I Want to Become Immortal.

"Come to the hunter's cabin. There's a good opportunity."

He certainly couldn't handle the ghost on his own. He could force the ghost out of the hunter's wife, but to actually kill it, he would need help.

I Want to Become Immortal had the Ebony Sword, and Ye Luo could see the ghost's location. Combined with his own Evil Purging Art to force the ghost out of the body, the three of them working together should be enough to finish it off.