The Dangers of the Jianghu

This doesn't even give me a chance to refuse!

Mo Chuan sighed as he observed the situation.

Having enjoyed the incense offerings at the Fuluan Temple, he naturally understood how pure incense from the Daoist sect could nourish the soul.

For any ordinary ghost, these terms would have been readily accepted.

However, for Mo Chuan, this made the offer less enticing.

In fact, the overly generous conditions made him suspicious.

"May I ask, fellow Daoist, how many years of cultivation does this Headless Ghost have?" Mo Chuan asked cautiously.

"About half a century of cultivation," Chong Shizi replied.

Half a century?

Mo Chuan's mind began to race.

The Xuan Yun Daoist boy had once asked the old Daoist priest at Fuluan Temple how many years of cultivation the Ghost Subduing Talisman could suppress.

The old Daoist had replied, "Anything below a full cycle, it can suppress!"

If that were the case, half a century was definitely worth considering!

"Does fellow Daoist have a plan to subdue demons and ward off evil?" Mo Chuan asked again.

"Naturally! Fellow Daoist, walls have ears. Please, could we step aside to talk?"

Chong Shizi gestured towards the depths of the alley and led the way.

Mo Chuan nodded. Relying on the Sacrificial Dao Furnace he carried, which allowed him to retreat to the real world at any time, he followed closely. He wanted to see what Chong Shizi was up to.

The two, one ghost and one human, walked one after another for about the time it takes half an incense stick to burn, finally stopping at a small courtyard of a residential house.

After they were seated, Chong Shizi took out two magical artifacts:

A bell with a mountain-shaped handle;

A whip with a snake-head handle.

"Dealing with that Headless Ghost won't be difficult. I've already made all the preparations!"

"This is the Three Pure Ones Bell, capable of summoning gods and subduing demons! As long as we lure that Headless Ghost into it and suppress it beneath the Daoist temple's threshold, where it will be stepped on day and night by people, it will only take a year or so to shatter its divine soul and break its obsessions."

"The only difficulty is that it takes time to activate the Three Pure Ones Bell. With your help now, this problem will be easily solved!"

"Fellow Daoist, you only need to use this Soul Binding Whip to entangle the Headless Ghost for two breaths of time. That will be enough for me to activate the Three Pure Ones Bell and accomplish the task in one go!"

"What do you think, Fellow Daoist?"

Mo Chuan's gaze fell upon the Soul Binding Whip. After a moment of thought, he said, "Subduing demons and monsters, and saving people, is the duty of those in the Daoist sect! May I ask when fellow Daoist plans to capture the Headless Ghost?"

Chong Shizi was overjoyed. "The day after tomorrow, the Qingshui County Execution Ground will be executing criminals again. With the blood pouring down, it will only make the Headless Ghost below grow stronger! I think rather than choosing a day, let's do it tonight. If it fails, we'll have another chance tomorrow night."

Mo Chuan replied, "That sounds excellent!"

After the two discussed the plan, they began their preparations.

In reality, there wasn't much preparation needed. The main thing was that Mo Chuan needed to familiarize himself with the power of the Soul Binding Whip beforehand.

Wielding the whip wasn't difficult for Mo Chuan!

As a ghost, he possessed innate magical power.

He could control it with his magical power as if it were an extension of his own arm, able to stretch and bend freely.

After a brief period of familiarization, Mo Chuan learned how to wield the Soul Binding Whip.

He couldn't say he was proficient, but he believed it would be enough to deal with the mindless Headless Ghost.

Most importantly, he, Mo Chuan, could retreat to his main body and escape at any time, so he didn't need to be overly cautious.

Once ready, the two immediately set out.

"Bang! Bang!"

"The third watch of the night, all is well!"

The night watchman walked along the main road, his cries marking the hours, causing the moonlight to ripple and the night to appear vast and picturesque.

Mo Chuan followed behind Chong Shizi, walking through the narrow alleys, remaining silent.

Before long, Chong Shizi stopped.

Mo Chuan also halted and looked forward. His expression turned serious!

At the end of the deep alley, where the main roads intersected, a headless figure covered in blood was lingering by the roadside.

It was hunched over, searching for something along both sides of the main road.

Suddenly, it straightened up, picked up a stone, and placed it on its severed neck. It looked around, its appearance both terrifying and comical.

The next moment, it flew into a rage, snatched the stone off its neck, and smashed it fiercely onto the ground. After a bout of stomping and venting, it bent down again to search for its head.

Ordinary mortals would naturally not see this scene, but if they were to stumble upon it, even with the protection of their yang energy, they would likely fall gravely ill.

If one were frail and weak, a sudden death would be quite possible!

"Fellow Daoist, I have something I don't understand. Logically, criminals are executed at noon when yang energy is at its peak. Even the strongest obsession would struggle to become a ghost. Even if they did, being exposed to the yang energy of the execution ground's workers would obliterate their form and spirit. How did Qian San become a Headless Ghost?"

Mo Chuan asked in a low voice as he looked at the horrifying scene.

"I investigated this matter. It is said that when Qian San was beheaded, it rained heavily, obscuring the yang energy. Coupled with his own unusual nature, he was fortunate enough to achieve a 'bing jie' and become a fierce ghost. For the past ten years, it has hidden itself at the entrance of the execution ground, continuously absorbing the impure blood and essence of criminals. This allowed it to grow in power and cultivate for half a century."

"So that's how it is!"

Mo Chuan nodded, flicked the Soul Binding Whip in his hand, passed the Chong Shizi, and walked towards the Headless Ghost.

The Chong Shizi stopped, holding the Three Pure Ones Bell in his right hand and secretly forming a hand seal with his left, ready to subdue the demon and eliminate the ghost as soon as Mo Chuan bound the Headless Ghost.

At this moment, the Headless Ghost, which had been searching for its head, suddenly froze, slowly straightened its body, and turned to face Mo Chuan.

The cleanly severed neck pulsed with steaming blood, a truly horrifying sight.

"Roar—"

Sensing the ghost's aura, it immediately became agitated, letting out a roar from its belly before charging forward.

Mo Chuan dared not be careless and shot out a talisman from his sleeve!

"Swish swish swish!"

Countless Ghost Subduing Talismans shot out from his sleeve like a curtain of beads, rushing towards the Headless Ghost!

"Ghost Subduing Talismans?"

The Chong Shizi, who had been concentrating his energy to attack with his mind, was dumbfounded at the sight.

He had been in the world helping people for countless years and had met many fellow practitioners. He had never seen any Daoist priest of the ghost immortal path be so extravagant!

These were Ghost Subduing Talismans!

—Ghost Subduing Talismans carved with the power of the 'jie'!

As the saying goes, evil ghosts are easy to find, but 'jie' immortals are hard to come by.

Didn't these talismans represent the accumulated heritage of a Daoist temple?

Also, is this how Ghost Subduing Talismans are used?

Aren't they supposed to be worn on the body to deter evil spirits?

"Crack crack crack!"

Under the Chong Shizi's astonished gaze, the Ghost Subduing Talismans collided with the Headless Ghost.

Like ice hitting hot oil, they crackled and exploded, causing the Headless Ghost to scream repeatedly and almost lose its form.

It was fortunate that this was an exceptionally fierce Headless Ghost.

If it were an ordinary evil ghost, it would have been severely injured, if not killed.

Even so, the Headless Ghost was instinctively startled and turned to escape back into the execution ground.

"Trying to leave?"

This scene invigorated Mo Chuan.

With a flick of his whip, the Soul Binding Whip shot out like a sea dragon, piercing through and entangling the Headless Ghost.

It coiled around it like a giant python, constricting it to death!

"Now!"

The Chong Shizi's eyes lit up. He shook the bell while rapidly chanting:

"The melodious ringing, purifies the ten directions; the rivers and seas fall silent, the mountains and peaks swallow smoke; the flowing bells surge forth, all spirits are subdued!"

"Hurry!"

As he finished speaking, the Chong Shizi suddenly threw the Three Pure Ones Bell.

The Three Pure Ones Bell flew into mid-air, its golden light suddenly fading, transforming into an inverted bone bowl that enveloped the Headless Ghost and even Mo Chuan.

"What are you doing?"

Mo Chuan's angry shout came from within the bone bowl.

"Shameless evil ghost, how dare you impersonate a ghost immortal! Today, I shall use your blood to sacrifice to the ferocious beasts, nurture the poisonous insects, and feed the ghosts to replenish their cultivation."

The Chong Shizi snorted coldly, raised his hand, and the Three Pure Ones Bell spun back into his palm.

"Ten years of honing a sword, and today I have finally refined this supreme magical artifact!"

The Chong Shizi looked at the incessantly vibrating Three Pure Ones Bell in his hand, his eyes trembling with excitement. He cherished it dearly, tucked it into his embrace, turned, and fled into a deep alley, disappearing from sight.