Immediately afterward, Daoist Priest Hu hastily retreated. The copper-coin sword in his hand broke, scattering coins across the floor. There was also a clear puncture wound on his shoulder, giving off a scorched stench.
His expression was tense, fear surfacing on his face.
This ghost was so powerful that even the copper-coin sword was useless!
Jiang Nuo, who was examining the clothes in the wardrobe, heard the noise and peered into the dim walk-in closet, offering a kindly reminder.
"Actually, Mr. Wang was trying to tell you that the sword was broken and wouldn't work."
He pointed at the half-sword still in Daoist Priest Hu's hand. It had snapped where the red thread wound around it, damaging its astral energy.
Horrified, Daoist Priest Hu roared, "Why didn't you just wait until I was dead to tell me!"
"That's an option too."
Jiang Nuo raised his brows slightly, amusement in his eyes. "Want to give it a try?"
Daoist Priest Hu: "..." Lunatic!
As they spoke, the Leather Puppet Ghost charged out again.
Jiang Nuo moved in a flash, grabbed the blood-red coat from the wardrobe, and slammed it straight into the Leather Puppet Ghost.
After a piercing shriek, the Leather Puppet Ghost was actually sucked right into it.
But the blood-red coat began shaking incessantly, clinging tightly to Jiang Nuo's arm as though trying to force him to put it on.
Red thread shot from his cuff. Jiang Nuo neatly tore the coat off, wound the red thread around it three times, and stuck a green talisman onto its back.
The blood-red coat shook a few more times before settling down.
Everyone present let out a collective sigh of relief.
Wang Ping finally got a close look at the talisman, but still couldn't identify which school or sect its methods belonged to.
He rubbed his hands together and humbly asked, "Mr. Jiang, the incantation on your talisman seems different from ordinary ones. May I ask which school you studied under?"
Here it came!
The question had finally come.
Jiang Nuo had prepared his answer long ago. He cleared his throat, looking solemn.
"I studied under a nameless old Daoist of the Void Sect. Before me, no one in the sect ventured into the world, so you wouldn't have heard of us."
So that was it. It was actually a secluded Daoist temple.
Wang Ping was instantly filled with respect.
Where are the people who were mocking him earlier? Come kowtow to God Nuo~
Holy shit, so Jiang Nuo really is a proper Daoist! Awesome, awesome, awesome!
Wang Ping cautiously glanced at Si Yan, then had an idea and asked Jiang Nuo, "Our association holds capable Daoist priests in very high regard. Would it be possible to find a time to pay him a visit?"
"Ah... no."
Jiang Nuo refused with righteous conviction. He blinked and said very calmly, "The old Daoist is dead."
"Completely dead. Not even ashes left. What a pity."
Everyone present: "..."
They couldn't hear the slightest hint that he thought it was a pity!
Wang Ping gave an awkward smile and dropped the subject.
Si Yan, however, furrowed his brows slightly. He didn't think Jiang Nuo was lying, but couldn't figure out why.
It was completely dark now. Daoist Priest Hu switched on the lights and grimaced as he pulled a crumpled talisman from inside his robes, sticking it onto his punctured arm.
Enduring the pain, he looked Jiang Nuo over several times, revising his opinion of this young man who seemed capable of nothing but flashy moves.
Xu Tian was nearly scared witless in the corner.
She couldn't believe ghosts actually existed in this world, and were right beside them.
Cold sweat poured from her entire body. Clinging to her mother's arm, she didn't dare take another look.
Old Madam Jiang gazed worriedly at the coat she had never seen before. It was clearly a women's style, further confirming their earlier guess.
"Mr. Jiang, what should we do now? Was this really the ghost that killed our Tongtong?"
She was over seventy and wasn't as afraid of ghosts and spirits as the younger people. As for the ghost that had harmed her own grandson, she wanted nothing more than to see it reduced to ashes.
But Jiang Nuo shook his head. "No. There are others."
Uncle Jiang was shocked. "How can there be more!"
Terrified, he looked left and right. He had only wanted to offer a favor and make some money, since the old madam was biased and wouldn't give him any of her assets.
But he hadn't planned on losing his life here!
"I... I'm not staying with you! I'm going back to my own home!"
Uncle Jiang immediately tried to flee. Hearing him, Jiang Nuo didn't stop him, though Wang Ping did try to talk him out of it.
"It's not safe to go out now."
"I think staying here is the most dangerous option! Move, move! I'm going home!"
Kind words couldn't dissuade someone bent on dying. Wang Ping sighed as he watched him leave, then turned to Old Madam Jiang, who hadn't shown much of a reaction.
"Aren't you worried about your son, Old Madam?"
"Let him be. Ah."
This scoundrel of a younger son had thoroughly broken Old Madam Jiang's heart. Since her eldest son and his wife had died, all her hopes now rested on her two grandsons.
"Since there are still ghosts that haven't come out, what should we do next?"
Jiang Zhong supported his grandmother, his brows tightly knitted with worry.
Daoist Priest Hu once again stepped forward first, raising a hand. "Set up the altar! Summon the ghosts and exorcise them!"
Five minutes later.
All the equipment Daoist Priest Hu had brought was laid out in the courtyard.
Three bowls sat in the middle of the long table, containing rooster blood, realgar wine, and talisman water respectively.
Three incense sticks stood above, with talismans arranged below. Daoist Priest Hu held a Heart-Clearing Bell, and a string of Five Emperors Coins hung around his neck.
He performed the Heavenly Dipper Steps, shaking the Heart-Clearing Bell continuously. The talismans on the table ignited without a flame and drifted into the realgar wine as he muttered an unknown incantation.
Jiang Nuo watched in a daze.
What a thoroughly exhilarating altar-setting ritual.
Is he... doing a shaman dance??
Ah, I don't understand! But it looks so cool! Can he really summon ghosts?
With all that bell-ringing... are the ghosts being summoned, or just coming because of the racket...
Heh... don't talk if you don't know anything. This is a very traditional altar and formation setup! Either way, he's better than Jiang Nuo!
Did the commenter above seriously not watch any of the ghost fight earlier?
After he had danced like this for about ten minutes, the bamboo grove finally began to shake.
Jiang Zhong hurriedly shielded Old Madam Jiang as he backed away, watching their surroundings warily.
Xu Tian was frightened too. She cautiously raised her head to look, glanced at the mirror, and suddenly froze just before looking away.
Her neck stiffened as she slowly turned her head. Her throat felt as though it were being squeezed, yet there was no one beside her, only an empty space.
Suddenly, a cool sensation brushed her neck, as though someone were blowing on it.
"Ah!"
Xu Tian suddenly let out a horrified scream. Eyes squeezed tightly shut, she turned her head and pointed a rigid arm behind the bamboo, screaming so shrilly that her voice cracked.
"A ghost... there's a ghost!!"
With her eyes tightly shut, she didn't see the strange look in her mother's eyes as her mother hurriedly turned at those words.
Everyone turned to look when they heard her, and saw their figures reflected in the mirror that had been placed there that evening.
Only the landscape lights were on in the courtyard, leaving it rather dim and hard to see clearly.
But the number of people was wrong.
Right beside Xu Tian stood a female ghost with her head lowered. Her body was shriveled and emaciated, yet her belly bulged high, as though it were constantly absorbing nutrients.
She seemed to notice that someone had seen her.
Slowly, she raised her head and opened her mouth in a smile.
At the sight, Daoist Priest Hu hurriedly grabbed a bowl of realgar wine and splashed it at her, following it immediately with the rooster blood.
The female ghost, splashed full in the face: "..."