After hanging up, Lin Chen looked at Xiao Rui beside him and asked calmly, "You heard the options, too. Which one will you choose?"
Xiao Rui was only a First-order Ghost. For the Fatty's sake, Lin Chen could spare her, but she would have to accept proper supervision. She couldn't go on being a lone ghost haunting some deserted grave.
Otherwise, she might be killed at any moment, or someone might threaten her into doing evil again. If she ran into someone else then, they wouldn't care whether Xiao Rui had meant to hurt anyone!
Xiao Rui thought it over briefly, then said, "I choose the first option: becoming an external member of the Demon Suppression Division!"
The second option did offer freedom, but Xiao Rui knew that her strength placed her near the bottom among ghosts. With power like hers, she could be killed outside at any moment.
So after weighing things up, Xiao Rui chose to become an external member of the Demon Suppression Division. Though she wouldn't be a full member, she would at least have the Division backing her, which would make her much safer.
Lin Chen nodded slightly and contacted Xu Fei again, telling him that Xiao Rui planned to become an external member. With Lin Chen's recommendation, Xu Fei naturally had no objection.
They waited there for about half an hour before Xu Fei drove over. He needed to take Xiao Rui to the Demon Suppression Division to register. The Division took even its external members very seriously.
As soon as he saw Lin Chen, Xu Fei got straight to the point. "Lin Chen, what Order is your strength at now?"
Lin Chen had caused quite a stir lately and had even killed a Fifth-order Corpse Ghost. Xu Fei could no longer tell what level Lin Chen's strength had reached.
"Seventh Order, more or less," Lin Chen replied calmly.
"Seventh Order?"
At Lin Chen's words, Xu Fei's pupils contracted sharply. His face was full of disbelief. A Seventh Order cultivator was basically the head of a school.
Of course, that applied to the smaller schools. The head of a powerful school would naturally be more than just a Seventh Order cultivator.
Even so, Lin Chen was so young and already a Seventh Order cultivator. He was more than a match for the top experts of the older generation!
Xu Fei himself was only a Third Order cultivator, though he was fairly well known in his own school and the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division.
"Brother Lin, you're incredible!" Xu Fei exclaimed, full of emotion.
Xu Fei said nothing more. Even his master would have to treat a Seventh Order cultivator with respect, let alone him. They were already on entirely different levels.
Xu Fei took Xiao Rui away, while Lin Chen drove Fatty back to school. It was clear that Fatty was feeling down along the way.
"Fatty, are you okay?" Lin Chen asked, glancing at him.
Fatty looked at Lin Chen beside him and gave a bitter smile. "Old Lin, do you think I'm especially fated to run into demons and ghosts? Why have I been running into this kind of thing so often lately?"
"Then how about visiting a temple tomorrow to pray?" Lin Chen suggested.
"Sounds good!"
Fatty thought it over briefly, then nodded. He also felt that, given his current situation, he really ought to visit a temple and pray.
"Old Lin, you're one of those cultivators. Do you know which temple is reliable?" Fatty hurriedly asked.
"I'll take you tomorrow!"
After thinking it over, Lin Chen decided to take Fatty to Vajra Temple. He could also get Fatty a genuine talisman for protection. With Fatty's luck, he might actually lose his life one of these days.
Fatty was practically his son, and they'd been roommates for four years. He couldn't just stand by and watch him get killed.
Besides, this trip to Vajra Temple would be a chance to learn more about the Cultivation World. After a little thought, Lin Chen decided to go. He hadn't been a cultivator for long, and aside from the Demon Suppression Division, the only cultivators he knew were at Vajra Temple.
"Ah-choo!"
In an unremarkable meditation room at Vajra Temple, Master Yi Jie had been meditating when he suddenly sneezed, jolting him awake.
"It's midsummer. Why is it still so cool up here on the mountain?" Master Yi Jie murmured to himself, then closed his eyes again and resumed meditating.
Early the next morning, Lin Chen took Fatty and drove to Vajra Temple. After nearly four hours on the road, the two finally reached the foot of the mountain.
Vajra Temple was nowhere near as famous as Shaolin Temple, but it had a history of over a thousand years and occasionally manifested its power. The nearby residents had great faith in it, and it was well known throughout the surrounding area and even across Qingchuan Province.
Although it wasn't the weekend, Vajra Temple still had plenty of visitors. Many had come to burn incense and make wishes, including quite a few wealthy families. There were no shortage of million-yuan luxury cars at the foot of the mountain.
Fatty looked over the temple, then turned to Lin Chen. "Old Lin, is this place reliable? Why does it look no different from any other temple?"
Vajra Temple looked just like an ordinary tourist attraction. During their college years, their class had gone on trips to ordinary temples, too.
"Your father's got this. Don't worry!" Lin Chen said with an easy smile. He went straight to a monk nearby. "Young Master, I'm Lin Chen, a friend of Master Yi Jie's. Please let him know I'm here."
The young monk's expression shifted when he heard that, but he still nodded. "Please wait, Benefactor. I'll go inform Master Yi Jie."
With that, the young monk headed for the rear courtyard. A short while later, he returned and led Lin Chen and Fatty inside.
A notice stood in the corridor leading to the rear courtyard: Important temple grounds. No entry for anyone who is not a temple monk.
Fatty stared at the smart lock in surprise. "These monks are pretty modern, huh?"
"Did you think monks shut themselves away from the world and devoted themselves entirely to meditation?" Lin Chen shot him an exasperated look.
Having met Master Yi Jie and the others, Lin Chen knew perfectly well they were different from the monks people traditionally imagined. More accurately, they were cultivators who followed the path of Buddhist Cultivators.
The young monk's mouth twitched slightly at Lin Chen's words. He finally understood why Master Yi Jie had reacted the way he did when he heard Lin Chen was visiting.
But the young monk didn't dare ask questions. Lin Chen knew Master Yi Jie, and he was very likely a cultivator. The young monk was just an ordinary person; he didn't dare get involved in matters concerning cultivators.
Soon, with the young monk leading the way, Lin Chen and Fatty arrived at a meditation room. They pushed the door open and found Master Yi Jie already waiting for them.
"Benefactor Lin!"
Master Yi Jie looked at Lin Chen and smiled. "I apologize for not being here to welcome you, honored guest. Please forgive me!"
"Master, you're too kind!"
Lin Chen smiled casually, then got straight to the point. "I came to Vajra Temple for two things. The first is about my friend here."
"Lately, he's either run into ghosts or come across strange beasts. If I hadn't been there, who knows how many times he'd have died." Lin Chen glanced at Fatty, then continued, "Master, hasn't some evil spirit latched onto him?"
"Benefactor Lin is a cultivator, too. Do you think encountering ghosts and strange beasts means he's been cursed?" Master Yi Jie chuckled.
Before you continue