After everyone hurried to get everything ready, Daoqing handed Qu Nanzhu a yellow talisman to use as kindling in a moment.
Qu Nanzhu took the yellow talisman, glanced at the sun, and casually tossed it away.
Daoqing, who had just returned with a lighter, looked utterly bewildered. "Senior?"
The next second, everyone saw the yellow talisman burst into flames in midair. The blaze was clearly beyond what a single sheet of yellow paper could produce, instantly setting the slope sprinkled with mugwort powder alight.
Gasps rose all around.
[I feel like nothing could shock me anymore.]
[I've completely accepted it, okay? This new worldview has just been forcibly shoved into my brain.]
[Spontaneous combustion without a flame? I can do that too. Seeing God Qu lights a nameless fire inside me.]
[That had better stay inside you.]
[I came in to see something this cool. Is this a special effects show?]
Daoqing hadn't expected Qu Nanzhu to know this trick either. The lighter in his hand instantly lost its appeal.
The mound still needed to burn for a while, so Director Li called everyone over to eat first.
The guests took the opportunity to chat with the livestream viewers.
There were three camera feeds in total: the three Celestial Masters shared one, the women gathered in another, and the men in the third.
They answered viewers' questions as they ate.
Su Liyun: "It's real, not scripted. We only found out what we'd be doing after we arrived."
Lin Qianyu: "It felt a little cold inside, gloomy and lifeless. There wasn't a sound. I didn't even dare speak loudly."
Zhao Lin: "If I don't want to help, I won't. It's dirty and heavy. I don't have the strength for that."
Zhou Mingzhong: "I never expected to experience something this thrilling at my age. Some elders in my family really believe in this. I suppose I was neutral, but now I'm a complete believer."
Bai Shiyu: "I'm willing to take Master Qu as my master!!!"
Luo Wenxi: "Maybe I've watched too many fantasy dramas. When Master Qu lit that paper talisman just now, I actually accepted it right away."
Lu Luqing: "It's incredible. It feels like my entire worldview has changed. The masters are very capable, professional, and patient. I'm looking forward to this afternoon's task!"
Daoming happened to overhear this from nearby and couldn't help warning him, "I'd advise you not to get excited too soon."
Seven pairs of eyes immediately shot toward him.
Daoming swallowed a mouthful of food and gave them advance warning. "This afternoon, we're clearing the yin energy out of the house. You'll have an important task."
Hearing that only made Lu Luqing more excited. His eyes shone as he asked, "Could you tell us about it in advance, young master?"
Daoqing interrupted, "Eat first. You'll find out after lunch."
And so all seven of them focused on eating, both eager and afraid of what would happen that afternoon.
Chen Xun brought Qu Nanzhu two mandarins during lunch, then retreated into the car to keep watching the livestream.
Everyone finished eating around one, and Director Li suggested they rest for another half hour, leaving the livestream running.
Outside the large villa surrounded by yin energy stood a makeshift canopy, filming equipment scattered in small clusters, and a dozen or so people spread sparsely around.
Daoqing and Daoming weren't in the habit of taking afternoon naps, so they used the time to prepare what they would need shortly.
Once everyone woke up, Daoming announced the afternoon's task-catching ghosts.
The seven guests were bewildered and shocked.
"Catching ghosts? Us?"
"We don't know how! We can't even see their shadows!"
"No, I'm scared."
Daoqing held up a hand for silence. Once they quieted down, he said, "Don't worry, everyone. Those are all problems we can solve. In a moment, Daoming and I will open your Yin-Yang Eyes and give you tools for catching ghosts."
"Also," he added, "since you're all ordinary people who have never undergone any introductory training, even with your Yin-Yang Eyes opened, you'll only see blurry ghostly silhouettes. There's no need to worry about being frightened."
"Is anyone too scared and wants to withdraw?" Daoming asked, holding the tools.
The people who had been crying out in fear just moments ago now looked at one another, but not one of them wanted to withdraw.
[Um, if they withdraw, can I take their place?]
[Girl, you sure dare to dream.]
"Since no one wants to withdraw, let's open your Yin-Yang Eyes first."
The seven guests lined up to have Daoming open their Heavenly Eye.
Lu Luqing was first.
He felt cool willow leaves brush over his eyelids, a chill seeping into them. When he heard Daoming say it was done, he opened his eyes.
He blinked and felt nothing unusual.
He was just about to ask when Qu Nanzhu, standing beside him, patted his shoulder and gestured toward the villa.
"Look over there."
Lu Luqing looked over and was rendered speechless by the sight before him.
The others reacted the same way.
What should have been a bright place bathed in sunlight was now entirely shrouded in black mist, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.
Remembering what the young Celestial Master had said that morning, Su Liyun asked in disbelief, "Master, is this what you've been seeing all along?"
Qu Nanzhu said, "A little more clearly than you. What you're seeing should look like black mist, but I see black threads."
[What? What are you talking about? I can't see anything!]
[This is killing me, this is killing me! Can't you open Yin-Yang Eyes for the camera too??]
[Aaaaaah, I'm squirming in bed from impatience!]
Lin Qianyu asked blankly, "So are we going straight inside in a moment?"
It had been fine that morning when she couldn't see it, but now that she could, she simply didn't have the courage to step inside.
The others were much the same.
Daoqing and Daoming came over with large handfuls of braided mulberry silk, speaking as they handed it out.
"Don't be scared, don't be scared. You have jade talismans on you. This yin energy can't affect you."
"This mulberry silk is for catching ghosts. You can use it to capture them all without hurting them. Each of you should collect a willow switch in a moment too. If any ghosts misbehave, whip them."
Lu Luqing carefully accepted the magical tool the Celestial Masters handed him and asked in confusion, "Didn't you say we'd be clearing the yin energy out of the house this afternoon? Why do we have to catch the ghosts first?"
And they had specifically emphasized doing so without hurting the ghosts.
The others had the same question.
Daoming explained, "Not all ghosts harm people. Some haven't found the path to the Yellow Springs themselves, and the Underworld's ghost officers haven't had time to collect them yet. Those ghosts lingering among the living instinctively stay in places with strong yin energy to keep themselves from dissipating."
"As for this house, there are at least a hundred ghosts living inside. We didn't open your Yin-Yang Eyes this morning because we were afraid they'd frighten you. Now it's your turn to frighten them."
?
Just listen to what you're saying.
Lin Qianyu couldn't believe what she'd heard. "Over a hundred ghosts?! Do we have to catch them all?"
Daoqing nodded and gave them an "I believe in you" smile. "You can do it. Once you've caught them, the Celestial Master Bureau will send them all to report to the Underworld. We've checked. None of them harm people. At most, a few are mischievous."
"Let's try to finish before six!"
And so the seven of them were forced to take the initiative and walk into the villa wreathed in black mist.
As soon as they approached, they saw ghostly silhouettes drifting everywhere. Lin Qianyu was so frightened that she clutched Daoqing's sleeve tightly.
With a smile that didn't reach his eyes, Daoqing rescued his precious sleeve and said, "Go on. We'll follow you with Master Qu. You'll be perfectly safe!"
Watching the ghosts drift back and forth, they asked shakily, "Aren't you going to catch them with us?"
Daoming smiled. "If Master Qu made a move, there'd be nothing left for you to do."
This was a task designed in cooperation with the production team in the first place. Otherwise, even without Qu Nanzhu doing anything, they could easily have sent the ghosts on themselves right there.
Qu Nanzhu nodded cooperatively, went outside, and dragged in a folding lounge chair. Setting it in the middle of the hall, he offered them encouragement. "Go ahead. I'll stay here and watch over you."
The guests: "..."
The viewers: [...]