"Ferocious?"
Lin Chen's eyes lit up, and excitement flickered across his face. The more ferocious the ghost, the stronger it was—and the more of its source energy he could obtain.
He knew Master Yi Jie's strength. Even injured, a First-order Ghost was no more than a rabble before him, and he could hold his own against an ordinary Second-order Ghost.
If even Master Yi Jie was helpless, it had to be at least a Second-order Ghost—perhaps even a Third-order Ghost. That meant a whole lot of source energy!
"How bold! A mere ghost dares to run wild and harm people? I'll make sure it's reduced to ashes!" Lin Chen gave a cold chuckle.
Master Yi Jie had no reason to doubt Lin Chen's words. After all, he'd seen Lin Chen grind even a peak Third-order Mummy to dust.
With Master Yi Jie at the wheel, the two soon arrived at their destination. Looking at the detached villa before them, Lin Chen couldn't help but marvel.
He wasn't short on money anymore, but a detached villa like this was still beyond his reach!
"Master Yi Jie, your temple's patrons are quite extraordinary!" Lin Chen said, glancing at him.
Master Yi Jie didn't hide the truth. "This patron's surname is Wu. He's the chairman of Wu Corporation."
Wu Corporation?
A flicker of surprise crossed Lin Chen's face. Wu Corporation was well known in Qingzhou. Rumor had it the Wu Family was worth tens of billions. A detached villa like this was nothing to them.
"Damn, I underestimated those monks. No wonder emperors in ancient times liked to seize temple wealth whenever they ran short of money!" Lin Chen marveled inwardly. Just a sliver of wealth from a patron worth tens of billions would be enough to keep a temple thriving.
"Master Yi Jie, Master Lin, please come in!"
As soon as Lin Chen and Master Yi Jie got out of the car, an anxious-looking, middle-aged man hurried over with several bodyguards.
"Benefactor Wu, there's no need to worry. Benefactor Lin is even stronger than I am. With him on the case, Miss Wu's troubles will surely be resolved," Master Yi Jie said to Wu Hongbin.
Perhaps Master Yi Jie's words had worked. The worry on Wu Hongbin's face eased, and he seemed to regain some of the composure and authority of a mogul worth tens of billions.
"Interesting!"
A gleam flashed in Lin Chen's eyes. Master Yi Jie hadn't simply been offering reassurance; his words seemed to carry some special power that calmed the mind.
"Master Lin, I'll be counting on you!"
Wu Hongbin looked at Lin Chen without underestimating him because of his age. After all, even Master Yi Jie acknowledged his abilities.
Led by Wu Hongbin, the group entered the villa and went to Miss Wu's room. A pale-faced young woman lay on a luxurious bed.
"It's her!"
Lin Chen stared at the woman on the bed and couldn't help pausing in surprise. She was the very same woman he'd encountered last night. Who would've thought they'd cross paths again?
Seeing Lin Chen freeze, Master Yi Jie spoke up. "Benefactor Lin?"
"Miss Wu and I are classmates. I ran into her last night and told her she'd encountered a ghost, but she didn't believe me," Lin Chen said calmly.
"Before my daughter passed out, she said someone had warned her she'd encountered a ghost. So I went straight to Master Yi Jie," Wu Hongbin said with a sigh. "I never expected that person to be Master Lin. It's a pity my daughter didn't know any better and ignored your kind warning."
"It's not Miss Wu's fault. Anyone else would've found it hard to believe, too," Lin Chen replied with a faint smile.
A stranger suddenly runs up and tells you that you've seen a ghost. Who would believe that so easily?
Wu Hongbin was only lowering his posture, hoping Lin Chen wouldn't hold a grudge. Lin Chen wasn't about to take such polite words seriously.
"There's no time to lose. I'll—"
Just as Lin Chen was about to act, a bodyguard hurried into the room. He seemed to have urgent news, but hesitated to speak in front of Lin Chen and Master Yi Jie.
Seeing him hesitate, Wu Hongbin's expression darkened. "If you have something to say, say it. Master Yi Jie and Master Lin are no strangers!"
"A man's arrived outside. He says he can cure Miss's illness."
"Interesting!"
Lin Chen paused and looked at Master Yi Jie. "Looks like someone's got their eye on your temple's incense offerings."
Master Yi Jie's expression turned grim. Lin Chen's meaning was obvious. Miss Wu had only just fallen ill, and now someone had shown up claiming he could cure her. What were the odds of that being a coincidence?
Wu Hongbin's face had gone even darker. He'd thought his daughter had accidentally angered a ghost, but now it was clear someone had set their sights on the Wu Family!
"Benefactor Lin, just focus on treating Miss Wu. My temple will handle the rest. We're not easy to bully!" Master Yi Jie said ominously.
"The man's already here. Let's hear him out first!" Lin Chen chuckled. He wanted the ghost, and he wanted the evil cultivator, too. Both meant source energy!
"Very well!"
Master Yi Jie nodded. The group returned to the living room, where a thin, sallow middle-aged man soon arrived with a bodyguard escorting him.
The Sallow Man glanced at Master Yi Jie and said with a faint smile, "Looks like Mr. Wu has already found an expert. But can he actually cure your daughter?"
Wu Hongbin's expression darkened. He had no objection to making friends with extraordinary people, but being taken for a fool was another matter entirely.
His daughter was still in danger, though. If Lin Chen didn't want to provoke the man, Wu Hongbin might have to ask him for help. He couldn't possibly abandon his only daughter.
"What do you want?" Wu Hongbin asked bluntly.
"Twenty percent," the Sallow Man replied with a faint smile.
"You've got quite an appetite. Aren't you afraid you'll choke?" Wu Hongbin said, his face darkening. He'd expected the man to make an outrageous demand, but hadn't expected him to ask for this much.
Twenty percent of what? The Wu Family's assets, of course!
At least two or three billion!
"Since you've already invited an expert, Mr. Wu, you should know that no one but me can cure your daughter," the Sallow Man said with a faint smile. He continued, "And I can guarantee that no one in the Wu Family will ever suffer from this sort of illness again."
Wu Hongbin's face had turned ashen. He looked toward Master Yi Jie and Lin Chen. If neither of them stepped in, he had no choice but to give up a chunk of his wealth.
"Vajra Temple. Yi Jie," Master Yi Jie said, facing the Sallow Man.
"Stinking monk, can't handle it yourself, so you've gone running to your elders?" The Sallow Man sneered, then added, "Just so you know, Miss Wu has half a day at most."
"You..."
Master Yi Jie was furious, but he didn't lash out. The Sallow Man was no weaker than he'd been at his peak, and injured as he was now, he wasn't a match for him.
If he attacked rashly, he'd only bring humiliation upon himself!
"I can't take this anymore. This is the first time I've met someone so damn arrogant—staging his own show and still acting so self-righteous." Lin Chen looked at the Sallow Man and grinned. "The last guy who dared act this cocky in front of me had his coffin boards sold off by yours truly."
Before you continue