He paid no further attention to the Female Hanging Ghost's endless flattery. As before, Zheng Que sat high at the head of the hall and gave no response, his eyes fixed on Qing Li as he watched her aura and every change in it.
Qing Li prostrated herself beneath him. Yin energy surged and howled around her, her clothes snapping as her black hair whipped wildly. The energy surrounding her had grown thick as a tangible substance, swirling and coiling in layers like rising waves.
But the situation did not last long. The yin energy around Qing Li soon stopped growing.
Watching this, Zheng Que furrowed his brows slightly. Qing Li's cultivation was at the fourth level of Tongue-Pulling Hell. After absorbing the yin energy of the four Water Ghosts this time, its density was still at the fourth level of Tongue-Pulling Hell.
The increase from four ghosts at the second level of Tongue-Pulling Hell was far less than what Old Lady Zhao had provided last time!
"Ghosts at the first and second levels of Tongue-Pulling Hell are easy to kill, but they provide Qing Li with too little yin energy."
"Ghosts above the fourth level of Tongue-Pulling Hell should provide Qing Li with much more yin energy, but if I run into one with my current cultivation, I'll be in grave danger."
"The best targets are ghosts at the third level of Tongue-Pulling Hell..."
Zheng Que quickly analyzed the situation. As the black qi between his brows dwindled, he took advantage of Qing Li's prostrate position and immediately used the Ghost Controlling Technique, swiftly drawing her into his palm...
A moment later, as the last wisp of black qi was absorbed by the Life and Death Book, Zheng Que returned to reality. The room was pitch-black, and beyond the mulberry-paper-covered back window, the night was silent and still. It was already the dead of night.
Zheng Que opened his palm and released Qing Li.
After appearing, Qing Li glanced around. Realizing she was no longer in the Underworld, she immediately grew full of herself. She shot Zheng Que a haughty look and began ordering him around. "You little Human Race brat, your auntie is going out!"
Zheng Que looked at her in confusion. "What are you going out for?"
Qing Li gave a cold laugh. Naturally, she was going out to slaughter ghosts so the great person in the Underworld would reward her with more cultivation!
This Human Race brat's cultivation was too low, and when he used the spell he had just learned, he refused to let her control his body. Keeping him around would only get in her way!
Well...
She might as well think of it as keeping a dog that could bark but couldn't work.
With that thought, Qing Li declared, "Your auntie is going out to take care of important business. You little Human Race brat, stay put in the house and don't cause trouble for your auntie!"
Important business?
What important business could there be in Changfu Town?
Zheng Que couldn't help feeling puzzled, but he soon understood.
It was because he had just increased Qing Li's cultivation!
Qing Li had been fully conscious both times she entered the Underworld. From what was happening now, she must have figured out the pattern: as long as she killed ghosts, she could obtain their yin energy...
So she was going out because she thought he was too slow at killing ghosts and had decided to do it herself!
Zheng Que nodded slightly. Qing Li was a Resentful Soul, stronger at night than in daylight, and far more intelligent than ordinary ghosts. If she couldn't win, she knew to run. He probably didn't need to go with her...
So he warned her, "Don't leave town, and don't hurt any ordinary people in town."
Qing Li snorted without replying.
Creak!
The next moment, the front door opened by itself. A chilling night wind howled into the room, carrying its peculiar cold. Qing Li drifted outside, and the door closed behind her on its own.
As soon as Qing Li left, Zheng Que immediately resumed cultivating.
After some time, as the yin energy sank more deeply into his body, he entered the Underworld again.
Nothing here had changed. The Life and Death Book was still open before him.
Zheng Que looked at the records in the Life and Death Book. There were now forty-two names written in it.
He swept his gaze over the forty-two names and began thinking about his plans for the next few days...
After daybreak, he could visit Cui Fugui's home again to check on the Cui family father and daughter.
Then, either tomorrow or the day after, he would have to find time to see the town chief...
Now that his master had left town, he wanted to buy the empty, dilapidated temple outright.
His master had profound cultivation and had stayed in that temple for such a long time. Ordinary ghosts wouldn't dare go near it.
It should now be the safest place in the entire town.
So he would weather this coming tribulation in that temple!
As he was thinking, Zheng Que immediately noticed a new name appear in the Life and Death Book.
"...Zhang Dahua. Native place: Taiping County, Tu Prefecture, Great Li Dynasty... Natural lifespan: thirteen years, eleven months, and three days. Died of illness at the second quarter of the Wu Hour."
Zheng Que paused, then immediately understood: this was because Qing Li had killed a ghost outside!
Not long after the name appeared, a second new name surfaced.
"...Ding Ya. Native place: Taiping County, Tu Prefecture, Great Li Dynasty... Natural lifespan: nineteen years, eight months, and nineteen days. Died of hunger at the beginning of the You Hour."
Looking at the two new records in quick succession, Zheng Que couldn't help feeling surprised. Qing Li seemed to be much more efficient on her own than he was!
After thinking it over, he soon realized what the problem was... He had been focused on going out himself to kill ghosts and help Qing Li improve her cultivation. That approach had been wrong from the start.
As her master, why would he need to do the work himself?
He should let his Ghost Servant seek out ghosts and kill them, helping the Life and Death Book record their names and improve her own cultivation. And she should protect him, too!
That was what every Ghost Servant ought to do of her own accord!
As for him, her master, all he had to do was sit in the seat of the Underworld's ruler and look impressive.
As his thoughts raced, Zheng Que saw another new name appear in the Life and Death Book. "...Qiu Shu... Natural lifespan: fourteen years and three months..."
Zheng Que nodded with satisfaction. Then he leaned back in the Grandmaster Chair with the broken leg, his eyes fixed on the Life and Death Book.
Sure enough, he didn't have to wait long before a fourth new name appeared in the Life and Death Book...
As the Life and Death Book absorbed all the black qi between his brows, Zheng Que returned to reality and continued cultivating.
The night passed quickly.
Early the next morning, dawn shone through the window paper and into the room. Zheng Que finished cultivating and slowly opened his eyes.
All told, six new names had been added to the Life and Death Book last night.
The first few names had appeared quickly, but there had been a very long gap before the last two. He didn't know whether the later ghosts had been harder to find, or whether Qing Li had run into a powerful enemy.
As he was thinking, the front door flew open with a bang, and a gust of chilling wind swept in. Qing Li appeared in the room.
The yin energy around the Female Hanging Ghost was now ebbing and flowing erratically. The thick black haze had faded considerably, and even her body had grown more transparent. She had clearly been badly depleted, and her soul had taken damage as well. Yet Qing Li looked utterly exhilarated, not caring about her injuries at all.
With practiced ease, she hung herself from the crossbeam. She glanced at Zheng Que and immediately declared, "Your auntie needs to rest now. You little Human Race brat, guard me properly!"
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