Chapter 98: The Mysterious Mr. Lin [1]

As footsteps echoed, Su Han turned to look outside the door and saw Mr. Su Wu and Steward Mo followed by a middle-aged man around forty years old—this was the legendary Mr. Lin.

Mr. Lin’s face was covered with stubble, his appearance unkempt, hair disheveled, and a cheap cigarette dangling from his mouth.

His clothes were plain, seemingly all secondhand market goods. Strangely, he carried a long object wrapped in cloth on his back, and a wine gourd hung from his waist.

Apart from these, the only thing that struck Su Han was Mr. Lin’s eyes.

Though they appeared vacant, they were profoundly deep, and most importantly, Su Han inexplicably felt a strange sense of warmth and familiarity from those eyes.

“Where’s that kid?” Mr. Lin took a drag from his cigarette, blowing smoke without a care, showing no sign of worry.

Old Master Su Wu pointed to the bed where Yan Yu and Su Yinxuan lay. “They’re in there.”

Mr. Lin glanced at Yan Yu and Su Yinxuan, muttering under his breath, “That brat, hasn’t called his master in months. Owes me five thousand yuan, but isn’t the bond between master and disciple worth more than that?”

“Mr. Lin, what are you talking about?” Steward Mo asked, puzzled.

Mr. Lin cleared his throat twice. “Nothing. So, are there many familiar faces here?”

He then gave Su Han a once-over.

“Not bad, you’ve grown up.”

Su Hanxue spoke bitterly, “Mr. Lin, after so many years, we still have to ask for your help. If you have any way, please save my daughter and Yan Yu quickly.”

Mr. Lin’s cigarette finally burned out. He looked around for an ashtray but finding none, casually flicked the ash onto the expensive carpet and even tapped it with his toe.

Then he reached into his pocket.

Everyone stared intently, expecting him to produce some powerful talisman or magical artifact.

However, Mr. Lin only pulled out a cigarette box, took another cigarette, and placed it in his mouth.

“Hey, where’s my lighter? It was right here just now…”

Steward Mo sighed helplessly and quickly produced a lighter to light Mr. Lin’s cigarette. After taking a satisfied drag, Mr. Lin said, “One possessed by a fierce ghost, the other just a lousy kid unable to control his own power... but it’s nothing, these are small matters.”

With that, Mr. Lin moved a chair and sat beside Yan Yu and Su Yinxuan. Taking a deep breath, still with the cigarette between his lips, he began to chant:

“The supreme, profound, and subtle Dharma, rarely encountered in hundreds of thousands of kalpas. Now that I have heard and accepted it, I vow to understand the true meaning of the Tathagata…”

Shangguan Xin was slightly taken aback and couldn’t help but say, “Isn’t this the Sutra of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva’s Original Vows?”

Everyone else was dumbfounded. This man, dressed unmistakably like a Taoist master, was reciting a Buddhist sutra?

The group exchanged puzzled glances, but Mr. Lin ignored them entirely, continuing his recitation.

As time passed, Mr. Lin’s pace quickened until even Shangguan Xin, familiar with the sutra, could no longer discern the words.

It was an incredibly mysterious sensation, as if every syllable Mr. Lin uttered was meaningless alone, yet together they revealed the essence of the Kṣitigarbha Sutra.

Suddenly, the ghostly face on Yan Yu’s arm turned fearful, ceasing its cries for food. After struggling briefly, it retreated back into Yan Yu’s arm, returning to its original form.

Yan Yu’s tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, as if he had fallen asleep.

“It’s working!” Su Han’s face brightened.

Su Hanxue, however, grew anxious. “Mr. Lin, Yan Yu is fine, but my daughter…”

“Don’t disturb Mr. Lin!” Su Wu barked.

Though worried for his little granddaughter, Su Wu knew Mr. Lin would not stand idly by in the face of death. Silence was the best course now.

Su Hanxue dared not speak further, only watching his daughter with pleading eyes.

Mr. Lin resumed chanting the Kṣitigarbha Sutra. After several minutes, a piercing scream echoed in everyone’s ears, and Su Han saw a red-clad female ghost struggling on top of Su Yinxuan!

It seemed something was dragging the ghost away. The ghost’s face was filled with terror, desperately trying to re-enter Su Yinxuan’s body, but the force was overwhelming. After several struggles, the ghost was forcibly pulled out!

Mr. Lin suddenly opened his eyes, reached out, and effortlessly grabbed the female ghost!

Su Han was dumbfounded. In her eyes, Yan Yu was already quite capable, but even he hadn’t reached the level of catching a ghost barehanded!

Mr. Lin held the red-clad ghost, Xiao Hongniang, and then felt his pockets. “Ah, forgot something again. Hey, does anyone have a box or something? Doesn’t need to be big, any kind of box will do.”

Su Wentao patted his pocket and took out a gum wrapper box. “Mr. Lin, is this okay?”

“Perfect, perfect!”

Mr. Lin took the box, emptied the gum inside, and silently recited an incantation. Su Han watched as the fierce red ghost was suddenly enveloped in a golden light and sealed inside the gum wrapper box!

“Amazing…” Su Han couldn’t help but say.

Mr. Lin snapped the lid shut and chuckled, “Done.”

Ordinary people couldn’t see the scene of Mr. Lin capturing the ghost, only feeling a cold gust of wind.

Su Hanxue looked uncertain. “Mr. Lin, is my daughter really alright now?”

“Not exactly. She’s still young and was possessed by a ghost of such heavy resentment. She’s bound to fall seriously ill later, but as long as you take good care of her, there shouldn’t be any major problems.”

Su Han asked, “What about Yan Yu? Why hasn’t he woken up yet?”

“That brat’s too impatient. Using dark thunder for such a low-level opponent—deservedly unlucky…” Mr. Lin curled his lips and said, “He just needs to rest. Maybe he’s having a sweet dream.”

No sooner had he spoken than Yan Yu turned over on the bed, a lecherous grin spreading across his face.

“Han’er… what are you doing? Don’t lick there… that’s the pee-pee place…”

Su Han blushed furiously. Su Wu and the others were equally embarrassed, but Mr. Lin chuckled knowingly.

That brat, even in his dreams, isn’t well-behaved!

Then Yan Yu shouted, “Qingqing, come over here and help me! Su Han is drunk and insists on licking the toilet!”

…

Su Han silently grabbed a chair in the room, but Su Wentao and Shangguan Xin hurriedly restrained her.

“Don’t stop me! I’m going to kill him!” Su Han roared.

Seeing this, Mr. Lin couldn’t help but boast, “That brat’s been with me all these years and hasn’t learned much real skill, but he sure picked up a lot about chasing girls. Not bad, not bad—worthy of being Lin Xuan’s disciple! Hey hey hey! Little Su Han, beating him is one thing, but using a knife is going too far…”