Vengeful Soul Entwined

Er~, Lu Shaolin was slightly taken aback. In his mind, that Gate-Breaking Saber lot had already been sentenced to death.

Yet now they wanted to invite him to meet.

"No need. We belong to different camps; our paths differ, so we cannot plot together!"

Lu Shaolin shook his head and refused.

"Brother Lu, won't you at least hear the conditions my society offers?"

Liu Bao continued.

"What conditions? Giving me half the New Wharf profits?"

Lu Shaolin said with a smile.

"This..."

Liu Bao was left speechless for a moment.

"Life and death are decreed by fate, wealth and honor lie in heaven! Everyone relies on their own abilities!"

Lu Shaolin said in a deep voice. With a flick of the reins, he rode away.

The main reason was actually Lu Shaolin's own principles. He did not agree with the Little Knife Society's methods.

Gambling dens and brothels were not a problem in his eyes, but the Little Knife Society lent usury loans and forced decent women into prostitution. That was something he could not accept!

He rode all the way to Ping Mountain Martial Hall, spending twenty taels of silver to obtain the martial hall's cultivation manual and memorizing the Martial Dao True-Intent Diagram of the Stonewall Art.

Then he went to Four Seas Martial Hall, spending fifty taels of silver to obtain the cultivation manual and six jars of medicinal oil, and memorized the Martial Dao True-Intent Diagram of the Golden Body Formula.

After putting away the cultivation manuals and medicinal oil, Lu Shaolin casually found a noodle stall and settled his lunch.

Once he had eaten, he rode straight for Panshan Village.

After returning home, he planned to study the manuals, feast heavily, and raise his strength. Dong Jia's cooking at home was excellent, and there were also prepared clothes for him to wear after his body size changed.

When he arrived at his front door, Lu Shaolin dismounted. Just as he was about to knock, his neck suddenly went cold. He reached up to touch it, but found nothing unusual.

He shook his head and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

It was still Dong Linger's crisp voice.

"It's me, Lu Shaolin!"

Lu Shaolin answered with a smile.

Hearing Lu Shaolin's voice, Dong Linger ran over and opened the courtyard gate, smiling as she poked her head out.

But the instant she saw Lu Shaolin, her eyes flew wide open. With a face full of terror, she dropped to the ground.

She scrambled up, then ran into the room while crying out for her sister.

In Dong Linger's eyes, a female ghost in red was clinging to Lu Shaolin's back. Her skin was deathly pale, her hair hung in disarray, and her bright-red, slick tongue was coiled around Lu Shaolin's neck. Her two eyes stared at him with venomous resentment!

Lu Shaolin touched his face. What was going on? It was not like he had been disfigured!

Shaking his head, unable to understand the little Lolita's chuunibyou antics, Lu Shaolin led the Black-Mane Horse into the courtyard.

After tying the reins, he saw Dong Linger hiding behind Dong Jia. She peeked at him, then immediately ducked back behind Dong Jia, her body trembling and her eyes filled with extreme terror.

Dong Jia was somewhat frightened as well, but she bit her red lip and said to Lu Shaolin, "Young master, could you stand under the sunlight?"

Lu Shaolin was utterly baffled. Looking at the two sisters, he said, "Why are you both acting so strangely today?"

"Young master, stand under the sunlight first!"

Dong Jia's tone grew heavier.

Er, Lu Shaolin smiled helplessly and walked to the sunlit edge of the courtyard.

Dong Jia turned to look at Dong Linger. Dong Linger glanced at Lu Shaolin and shook her head at Dong Jia.

"Young master, we want to go check the vegetable plot. Come with us!"

Dong Jia said.

"It's broad daylight. You can just go yourselves!"

Lu Shaolin waved his hand and walked toward the house.

"Young master, please take us there!"

Dong Jia said in a deep voice, completely unlike her previous gentleness.

"Let's go, then!"

Lu Shaolin turned around and walked out of the courtyard.

Dong Jia pulled Dong Linger along after him.

When they had walked around two hundred meters from home, Dong Jia looked at Dong Linger. "Where is that thing?"

"It's hanging from the big tree by the entrance."

Dong Linger quickly glanced back, gripping Dong Jia's hand tightly as she spoke.

In her eyes, the female ghost in red was hanging upside down from a branch. Her long tongue passed through her hair and dangled to the ground, while her eyes stared fixedly at Lu Shaolin.

"What are you talking about?"

Lu Shaolin could not make heads or tails of it.

"Young master, let's keep walking forward. Walk where there is sunlight!"

Dong Jia said solemnly.

Seeing her expression, Lu Shaolin understood that something major might have happened and nodded.

The three of them kept walking until they reached the fields. Only then did Dong Jia stop. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at Lu Shaolin and said, "Young master, a Vengeful Soul has entwined itself around you!"

"A Vengeful Soul entwined around me? How do you know?"

Seeing that she did not seem to be joking, Lu Shaolin asked in a deep voice.

"Young master, Ling'er can see Vengeful Souls. When she was little, she saw them twice before. She told us, but we did not believe her and even said she was lying. Later, the people she spoke of all died for no clear reason. Only then did we learn that she had been telling the truth!"

Dong Jia explained.

"Ling'er saw a Vengeful Soul on me?"

Lu Shaolin's brows furrowed tightly. Could Dong Linger be one of those people born with Yin-Yang Eyes?

"Yes, young master. She is clinging to your back, with her tongue wrapped around your neck. It's so terrifying!"

Dong Linger said, her voice trembling.

Hearing this, Lu Shaolin recalled how his neck had suddenly felt cold earlier.

"What does she look like?"

"She is wearing red, with a very long tongue and loose, disheveled hair."

A long tongue, red clothes!

Wasn't Li Ping's wife wearing red when she hanged herself? Had she turned into a ghost to seek revenge on him?

A flash of Killing Intent passed through Lu Shaolin's eyes. He had killed Walking Corpses before. Why would he fear a ghost that had only just taken shape?

Having only just formed, she was at most a White-Rank Vengeful Soul. She had no intelligence, only obsession, and could only harm people by absorbing their yang energy.

She was also afraid of sunlight. No wonder the sisters had wanted him to stand beneath the sun!

"Wait here. I'm going to get the horse!"

Lu Shaolin said softly.

"Young master, don't go. Let's just leave! It's still waiting in the tree by the entrance. We can come back in a few days!"

Tears spilled from Dong Jia's eyes as she pleaded.

"It's not that simple. It has set its sights on me. Even if I leave now, it will find me tonight. Don't worry. Today, I'll make it scatter into smoke and ashes!"

Lu Shaolin comforted her softly.

After saying that, he rushed straight home.

When he reached his front door, his neck indeed turned cold again.

Lu Shaolin's hairs stood on end. Anyone would feel uncomfortable knowing a ghost was clinging to their back.

He led out the Black-Mane Horse, locked the courtyard gate, and rode toward his family's fields.

When he came within fifty meters of the fields, Lu Shaolin stopped and looked toward Dong Linger.

Dong Linger shook her head.

Lu Shaolin squeezed the horse's flanks, and the Black-Mane Horse trotted over to the two sisters.

Dismounting, Lu Shaolin first lifted Dong Linger onto the horse's back. Then he took Dong Jia's delicate hand and helped her up as well, before finally leaping onto the horse himself.

Fortunately, Dong Linger was slender, and Dong Jia was tall and lean. Otherwise, the three of them likely would not have fit.

Lu Shaolin flicked the reins. The Black-Mane Horse gradually accelerated into a run, heading straight for the county town.

He would first arrange for the sisters to stay at an inn, then go to the External Affairs Hall and ask how Vengeful Souls were dealt with. If he could handle it, he would do so himself. If not, he would seek out the Demon Suppression Bureau.