The Origin of the Well Ghost

Chen Mo entered the inner courtyard and met Liu Hao in the main hall.

A middle-aged man in military garb, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, an Embroidered Spring Blade at his hip, sat upright with a rigid posture.

Chen Yin Fu beckoned and introduced him: "Xiao Mo, come quickly and pay respects to Liu Hundred Household Officer."

Chen Mo cupped his hands. "Junior Chen Mo greets Liu Hundred Household Officer."

Liu Hao smiled. "No need for formality. Just call me Uncle Liu."

"Hello, Uncle Liu."

Liu Hao beamed with delight. "Standing tall as a pine, with a noble bearing—truly a fine appearance. No wonder you're the young hero who shot down Liu Mazi and his band of thugs. Brother Chen, with a son like this, bringing glory to your family is a given."

Chen Yin Fu was naturally extremely pleased with Chen Mo's performance and replied modestly, "Brother Liu flatters me. My son is still young. Though he's made some achievements in martial arts, he still needs tempering. I'll rely on you for guidance and care in the future."

Though a humble remark, for Chen Yin Fu's temperament, this was already high praise for Chen Mo.

Liu Hao said, "Of course, of course."

After the pleasantries and small talk, Liu Hao got down to business. "Liu Mazi was a fierce bandit entrenched around Dayin Mountain outside the city. I've sent troops to suppress him many times without success. That he died at your nephew's hands has truly relieved me of a burden."

Chen Mo said, "My Chen Family is just in trade. How could we kill such fierce bandits? It was all thanks to Uncle Liu's careful planning that my Chen Mansion was able to wipe out this gang."

Liu Hao's gaze sharpened, and the way he looked at Chen Mo changed.

This kid wasn't simple.

Soon, Liu Hao narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Your nephew jokes. Wiping out fierce bandits is a great merit. How could I shamelessly..."

Chen Mo said, "What happened yesterday is unknown to outsiders. I've strictly ordered everyone to keep a unified story. Even if, worst case, some careless servant blabbers, I can say I acted on Uncle Liu's orders to suppress the bandits."

Good, good, good.

Truly a son like a unicorn.

Liu Hao's heart raced.

If he could take credit for wiping out Liu Mazi's gang, his standing in the Guard Station would rise. When the Deputy Thousand Household Officer moved up, replacing him wouldn't be hard.

Advancing in the Guard Station depended not just on connections but more on military merit.

Chen Yin Fu now understood Chen Mo's intent, admired it, and chimed in, "Brother Liu, we're close friends. No need for these empty formalities. Everyone knows I'm a businessman, and business circles are full of trouble. Taking out a band of thugs rashly would bring me more headaches. You taking this credit also helps my Chen Family."

Liu Hao still felt a bit embarrassed. "Brother Chen, since that's the case... then I won't refuse."

Next, the three discussed the details of transferring the military merit. Once everything was settled, Liu Hao couldn't stop grinning. "I can't just take your nephew's merit for nothing. If you need anything, just say the word. Anything I can do, I won't hesitate."

Chen Mo had been waiting for that line.

He picked up the teapot, poured Liu Hao a cup of hot tea, and spoke unhurriedly: "To be honest, Uncle Liu, I'm a martial arts fanatic, especially fond of studying techniques. But I've been stuck in the Blood Rush Realm for a long time and haven't gotten the secret manual for Blood Infusion to Qi Transformation."

Chen Yin Fu's heart skipped a beat, thinking to himself that this son was truly remarkable—lying without even a blush.

Liu Hao, however, believed it. "No wonder your nephew reached the Blood Rush Realm at just fifteen. But this is tricky. Though I don't have access to the Internal True Skill at the Guard Station, there are indeed secret manuals for Blood Infusion to Qi Transformation. But those techniques are only passed to officers above the Hundred Household Officer rank. Leaking them privately violates military law—at best a demotion, at worst dismissal."

Chen Mo added at just the right moment, "What if it accidentally got lost?"

Sss.

Liu Hao took a deep breath, sizing up Chen Mo from head to toe.

A talent!

This was a talent!

Others might not fully grasp the implication.

But Liu Hao knew—secretly copying a Blood Infusion to Qi Transformation manual and then "losing" it. Who could say who lost it? The punishment would be impossible to enforce.

Having received favors from Chen Yin Fu first, and then taking Chen Mo's military merit, Liu Hao felt that refusing Chen Mo would make him less than human.

After a long pause, Liu Hao's expression gradually turned serious. "Your nephew is sharp. I'm not afraid of this matter. But if you practice the military's Blood Infusion to Qi Transformation method and use it in the open, if someone finds out, it'll be hard to clean up."

Chen Mo said, "Your nephew has his own plans. I won't implicate Uncle Liu."

He dropped "junior" and went straight to "your nephew."

Liu Hao turned to look at Chen Yin Fu, who lowered his head to sip his tea, pretending not to see.

That old fox... he just doted on his son.

Liu Hao understood Chen Yin Fu's stance and said, "Since your nephew is so obsessed with martial arts, how could I, as your uncle, not help fulfill your wish? I'll have the soldiers take the bandits' bodies back to the Guard Station now, then copy a Blood Infusion to Qi Transformation method. I'll send it over later... no, it'll be accidentally lost."

Chen Mo breathed a huge sigh of relief, barely containing his ecstasy, and cupped his hands to Liu Hao. "Uncle Liu lost it well."

Liu Hao reached out and helped Chen Mo up. "Haha, your nephew is truly a talent. I'll head to the Guard Station first. I'll come back later."

As he left, Liu Hao turned back and said to Chen Yin Fu, "Brother Chen, congratulations. The Chen Family has a unicorn son. The future is boundless."

After seeing off Chen Yin Fu, Chen Mo hurried back to the Eastern Courtyard.

Around noon, Qiulan rushed back.

Chen Mo immediately stopped his training. "Did you see that bastard Xie Dong?"

Sigh.

Qiulan sighed. "The Xie Manor has its gates shut, refusing all visitors. I waited outside for a long time, and only managed to catch Xie Dong's maidservant when she came out to buy supplies. I snuck over and asked—turns out, after we parted ways last time, Xie Dong was grounded by Old Master Xie the very next day for three months. He still isn't allowed out."

Chen Mo was taken aback. "What for?"

Qiulan said, "That night, Xie Dong found out that Ruhua had spent the night with Third Young Master Wei. He flew into a rage, went straight to Spring Breeze Tower, and beat up Third Young Master Wei. Old Master Xie gave him a harsh spanking and locked him up."

Chen Mo sighed ruefully after hearing this.

Xie Dong usually strutted around like a big shot, but in the end, he'd tripped over a woman.

Still, he hadn't gotten out enough.

I'd warned that fool long ago.

Not worth it.

As Chen Mo stood there stunned, Qiulan pulled two crumpled sheets of Xuan Paper from a pouch in her sleeve and handed them to him. "But Xie Dong still keeps his word. He's been thinking about the matter Second Young Master entrusted to him. This is the information Xie Dong sent."

"Dongzi's reliable after all," Chen Mo praised, taking the papers to read.

He'd have been better off not looking. The contents gave him a real shock.

It detailed the origins of Old Master Li's family.

Old Master Li's daughter was originally named Li Hongxi. She'd been a freak since birth, opening her Yin Six Roots the moment she was born. She could see Evil Spirits and possessed unfathomable power.

A single glare from her was often enough to kill someone dead.

Several relatives and neighbors had been glared to death by Li Hongxi.

Fearing the authorities would blame him and bring disaster to the family, Old Master Li took Granny Li and Li Hongxi to live at Blood Ridge Black Market, just to avoid crowded places.

But later, Li Hongxi still wouldn't stop. More and more people were glared or cursed to death by her. Even Old Master Li's newborn son died before reaching a hundred days.

Old Master Li blamed Li Hongxi for his son's death, but Granny Li disagreed and kept protecting Li Hongxi. The couple argued.

Then, on a dark and windy night, while Granny Li was out, Old Master Li suddenly shoved Li Hongxi into a well and drowned her. To prevent Li Hongxi's vengeful spirit from continuing its mischief, Old Master Li begged for a Red Candle from the Red Lantern Society, lit it at the well's mouth, and used it to seal Li Hongxi's spirit.

Later, when the Red Candle burned out, it left behind a lump of solidified Red Candle Wax at the well's mouth, which continued to seal Li Hongxi.

After that, Old Master Li never had another child. Something must have gone wrong—he went mad, filled with regret. Even on his deathbed, he begged others to give him back his daughter.

Reading this, Chen Mo couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking Old Master Li was a ruthless man, willing to lay hands on his own daughter. And how could such a hard-hearted man end up regretting it?

Also, while the information didn't say why Old Master Li regretted it, it was still very detailed. An ordinary person would hardly know so much.

Curious, Chen Mo continued reading.

When he reached the last sentence, Chen Mo suddenly sucked in a cold breath.

—Li Hongxi died twenty years ago! Old Master Li died eighteen years ago!