Raising Them Freely

"Go catch ghosts." Zhao Qian said it seriously.

"Catch ghosts?" I furrowed my brows. If this had been before, I might have sneered at the idea, but after experiencing so many things in Little Yi Village, it was hard not to believe in them anymore. Besides, I was still keeping a little ghost in my trouser pocket.

But catching ghosts was a matter of risking one's life. It was nothing like washing dishes or hauling bricks. Of course, the money was something ordinary jobs could never compare with. One look at the Audi Zhao Qian was driving now made that clear.

"Mm. Catch ghosts." Zhao Qian gave me an utterly certain answer.

"Aren't you familiar with Taoist arts? Why don't you catch them yourself? Why come looking for me?" I couldn't help feeling puzzled. Judging by what she had done before, driving away a few wandering ghosts shouldn't have been a problem. And from what Elder Hai had implied, her family was probably an Aristocratic Clan of Taoist arts. She should know no shortage of orthodox techniques. So why hire an outsider to catch ghosts?

This probably wasn't as simple as catching ghosts.

"I can't... You saw it yourself, didn't you? I can only count as half a feng shui master. Just like when we dealt with that fierce ghost today—I had no way to handle it. Besides, something major happened in my family. No ordinary expert can resolve it, so Father told my brother and me to invite your grandmother, Granny Zhou, out of retirement." Zhao Qian shook her head and smiled bitterly, looking at me expectantly.

"So after my grandmother passed away, you came looking for me? Heh. Let me tell you this: I never learned even a single move or half a technique from my grandmother. The fierce ghost I was manipulating was one I'd only just obtained from what she left behind. I know nothing about catching ghosts or anything like that. You'd better find someone else." I extinguished her hopes. After all, my knowledge of my grandmother's techniques stopped at the books of hers I had read as a child. If I were asked to catch ghosts, at most I could release the little fierce ghost and have her deal with them.

Zhao Qian fell silent. After a while, her eyes actually reddened. "You're lying to me..."

"I'm not lying to you. Before I went to that funeral, I'd never even seen a ghost. The spirits in Little Yi Village were also the first I'd ever seen. That was because I obtained my grandmother's Ghost-Passing Talisman." Seeing that she was about to cry, I immediately felt around in my pocket, took out the Ghost-Passing Talisman—which had already faded until its markings were barely visible—and handed it to Zhao Qian.

I hadn't realized it until I took it out, but judging by its current state, my Ghost-Passing Talisman had probably lost its effect.

"Careful! There's someone ahead!"

Just as I turned my head and handed the Ghost-Passing Talisman to Zhao Qian, she suddenly cried out.

I slammed on the brakes, but when I looked ahead, there wasn't a single person in sight amid the utterly tranquil darkness.

"Damn it, there was obviously someone!" Zhao Qian hurriedly opened the door and got out, running ahead to see whether we had hit someone to death.

She checked beneath the car too, but found no trace of anyone having been struck. Just as she was about to raise her head, she froze. Something was wrong. It seemed like a pair of human feet was walking behind the car...

Zhao Qian jumped in fright and looked around. The surroundings were completely empty. There was a mountain on the left and a cliff on the right, while the road curved along the mountain and descended the slope. It looked like an accident waiting to happen. Where could there possibly be anyone here?

I frowned at Zhao Qian from inside the car. Just then, Sister-in-Law Ghost suddenly tugged at my clothes. I immediately turned around—and the moment I did, I nearly pissed myself!

A woman dressed entirely in white sat in the back seat, her face covered in blood. Her eyes and mouth were full of blood too. Her fingers had already bent into several crooked sections, and she was reaching out to stroke Yu Xiaoxue, who was sleeping soundly beside her!

However, something on Yu Xiaoxue suddenly jolted her, and she withdrew her hand with a violent jerk.

It was Yu Xiaoxue's Ghost-Passing Talisman!

Only then did I remember that my own Ghost-Passing Talisman was in Zhao Qian's hands. I immediately opened the lid of the Soul Urn in my trouser pocket. But in that instant, the white-clad female ghost also turned her head. Her pupil-less eyes glared at me, and then she lunged straight at me.

"Possession!?" Terror surged through my heart as I remembered Zhang Kaifu's miserable state. I never would have thought I'd have the honor of waiting for this day myself!

From the moment that female ghost seized me, I felt cold all over, as though someone had sucked out my soul. Almost at once, I lost control of my body!

Why can't Sister-in-Law Ghost protect me? I struggled to think.

"Idiot."

As I was thinking that, Sister-in-Law Ghost's voice somehow drilled into my ears, and I abruptly regained consciousness.

My body returned to my control, but I still felt cold—so cold that my whole body trembled.

When I focused my eyes, I saw that the white-clad female ghost had somehow been dragged out of my body by the little fierce ghost I kept, like a dead dog being hauled by its hair. Then the little ghost opened her mouth, revealing rows of sharp teeth, and bit off half the white-clad ghost's face in one bite!

The white-clad fierce ghost writhed like a twisted venomous snake, struggling incessantly. She even clawed and snapped at the little ghost, but the little ghost showed no mercy. She bit off the other ghost's entire head, then swallowed the whole white-clad ghost into her stomach as if she were slurping down jelly.

Afterward, she began staring at me with her terrifying black eyes, wearing an expression that seemed ready to devour anyone in her path.

My heart turned cold. Could it be that I still don't have complete control over this fierce ghost?

I took out the Soul Urn. The little fierce ghost immediately bared her teeth, her expression ferocious enough to suggest that she might swallow me at any moment, just as she had the female ghost.

My expression turned ugly. I thought about reciting the incantation to scold her. After all, we had established a contract.

The little fierce ghost refused outright. She chattered in ghost language, puffed up angrily, and turned her head away, looking as though she had no intention of acknowledging me.

I didn't understand what was going on and assumed she was angry that I had given the Ghost-Passing Talisman to Zhao Qian.

"You don't want to go back?" I asked, somewhat displeased.

The little fierce ghost looked at me, nodded, and grinned with her teeth bared.

I felt that she had probably been cooped up inside the Soul Urn until she'd gone stir-crazy. If I locked her up again, she might go berserk and cause even more trouble. Besides, she looked like a little girl, so I could only put on a stern act and say, "Then remember this: don't attack my friends, and don't even touch them."

The little fierce ghost nodded vigorously, then floated straight over and reached out her thin, frail hand.

I was startled, thinking she was about to do something. But she actually climbed onto my shoulder!

I watched in terror as it happened, unable to move. Only after she had completely sprawled across my shoulder, wrapped both arms around my neck, and let her head droop beside mine did I react!

Are we that familiar?! I complained inwardly with indescribable exasperation. Yet she leaned against me as if we were old friends, acting as though it were only natural—as if she had returned to her own nest.

Fortunately, she didn't weigh anything at all. Otherwise, in addition to being mentally exhausted, I probably wouldn't have survived physically either.

Afraid that she might interfere with anyone else, I could only grit my teeth and pretend she didn't exist. I remained in the driver's seat and decided to let her do as she pleased.

Zhao Qian had already seen me release the little fierce ghost from outside the car. She had also seen the little ghost finally lie across my shoulder, but she didn't dare come in. Her ghost-catching tools were in the trunk, so she could only stand there helplessly.

Only after I dealt with the white-clad fierce ghost did she run inside. "Brother Tian! Are you all right? It's all my fault for taking the important Ghost-Passing Talisman from your hands!"

"I'm fine... Ah... Achoo!" I felt dizzy and feverish. It seemed I had caught a chill.

That powerful ghost had nearly possessed me just now. If the little ghost hadn't dragged her out of my body before the possession was complete, I probably would have gone straight to the hospital mortuary and booked a room.

"That ghost was very powerful. It could see us even without the Ghost-Passing Talisman. It wasn't an ordinary spirit." I let out a heavy breath and started the car.

"Brother Tian, don't you have anything for protection? Like tortoiseshell or blessed white jade? If you had something like that, not only could you avoid them, they wouldn't dare come looking for you without good reason." Zhao Qian rummaged through the storage compartment in front of the passenger seat, took out some cold medicine, and hurriedly handed me a bottle of water.

When she passed me the medicine, she clearly glanced at the red-clad fierce ghost lying around my neck. Her hand began to tremble, and she swallowed hard. She nearly cried from fright.

"I'd never even seen a ghost before. How would I have anything like that?" I knew that I had an abnormally heavy yin aura by nature, which attracted fierce ghosts. It was only because Sister-in-Law Ghost had protected me before that all spirits and ghosts had stayed away.

But I didn't know why something had gone wrong with Sister-in-Law Ghost this time. She hadn't managed to frighten the fierce ghost away. I guessed it might have been because of what happened at my grandmother's place earlier, which had weakened her vitality.

I didn't dare say that aloud. I simply took the medicine, swallowed it with water, and handed the bottle back to Zhao Qian.

Zhao Qian accepted the water and glanced at the little red-clad fierce ghost again. When the little ghost noticed Zhao Qian watching her, she expressionlessly turned her head and looked back at Zhao Qian.

Zhao Qian's teeth began chattering, clacking loudly.

"Don't scare people! She can see you. If you scare her again, I'll lock you back inside!" I barked. Only then did the red-clad fierce ghost turn away and continue clinging to my neck.

Zhao Qian breathed a sigh of relief, but just as she was about to put the water back where it had been, her cheeks inexplicably flushed.

I realized at once what the problem was. The bottled water had already been opened. Zhao Qian had obviously drunk from it herself. In her moment of panic, we had indirectly kissed.

"You probably have a heavy yin aura, so you easily attract those things. When we reach the county, stay at my house. A master arranged the feng shui of my home, and I've also buried many treasures there that can suppress evil. Those ghosts won't dare come. Besides, Yu Xiaoxue is a single girl. You can't let her stay alone in a hotel room, can you? The things you attract are so powerful that even if they can't hurt you, they could still hurt Yu Xiaoxue." Zhao Qian spoke with her face still glowing warmly.

"You've seen the one on my shoulder too. I'm just afraid she'll disturb your family." I spoke awkwardly. Anyone could tell that the Zhao Family was a large household with plenty of people. I was carrying my grandmother's leather trunk and had a red-clad fierce ghost living on me. I couldn't just go to someone else's home like this.

But Yu Xiaoxue really was something I needed to consider. My Ghost-Passing Talisman had basically lost its effect, and Yu Xiaoxue's was probably no better. The white-clad female ghost had just been sitting beside her. Either I kept Yu Xiaoxue far away from me, or I had to protect her properly.

"It's... it's fine. She's one you raise yourself. Besides, I live alone and don't live with my family. My elder brother just returned from the army, and he has a lot going on. He drinks with his useless friends all day and brings all sorts of people home. His place is too noisy for anyone to live in. You and Yu Xiaoxue should stay with me for now. Can't you just take it as an invitation from a friend?" Zhao Qian looked at me expectantly.

She had already put it that way, so I couldn't refuse again. I could only say, "All right. We'll treat it as an invitation between friends. But I still haven't agreed to that ghost-catching work you mentioned earlier. You saw it yourself—I nearly got possessed just now."