Chapter Two: A Matter of Urgency

The situation was urgent, and Ye Dong arrived at the paper crafts shop in no time. Seeing him drenched in sweat, Nian Xue asked, "What’s so pressing?"

Ye Dong replied, "It’s like this: I have a close friend named Liang Lingzhi, nicknamed ‘Master of Foolishness’—I think you’ve met him. He’s encountered something strange and ended up in the hospital." He explained the whole story to Nian Xue. Usually carefree and boisterous, Nian Xue’s smile faded; she glanced at the clock on the wall, pondered briefly, then said seriously, "Let’s go. Take me to see him."

Ye Dong hesitated, embarrassed. "Actually, I… I came to see your father."

Nian Xue went to her room and returned with a backpack. "My dad’s out of town. I am his daughter, after all. Let’s go."

"You know magic? We’ve known each other for so long, how come I never knew?"

"Stop wasting time. Hurry up!"

Half skeptical, Ye Dong took Nian Xue to Liang Lingzhi’s hospital room. Liang Lingzhi’s mother’s eyes were swollen from crying—her heart must be aching. Ye Dong comforted her, "Auntie, Lingzhi is blessed; he’ll be alright." Liang’s mother knew Ye Dong meant well and wiped her tears, saying, "You two talk. I’ll step out for some air."

Once she left, Nian Xue approached Liang Lingzhi, took a small eight-sided compass from her bag and examined it closely, then leaned in to observe him, murmuring, "So young, yet his kidney water is lacking?"

Ye Dong, unable to catch her muttering, asked curiously, "Nian Xue, what’s with his strange smile? Did you see anything unusual?"

She ignored him and whispered, "Cover me." With a glance, she signaled Ye Dong to stand behind her, shielding her from anyone outside.

Ye Dong, confused about her intentions, positioned himself to block her thoroughly. Then, to his astonishment, Nian Xue reached her hand to the inside of Liang Lingzhi’s thigh!

Ye Dong’s eyes widened in disbelief. "What… what are you doing!? Taking advantage of him? I’ve known you for over a decade, but I never expected this from you!"

Nian Xue paid him no mind, moved her hand toward Liang Lingzhi’s kidney area, and observed his peculiar smile. She nodded repeatedly, as if confirming a suspicion. "Definitely signs of overexertion."

Ye Dong leaned in, "What are you saying? Don’t think you can fool me by using words I don’t understand to cover up your lewd actions."

Nian Xue retorted, "What nonsense! I suspect he’s had his soul enticed away by a female ghost."

"Female ghost? Soul?" Ye Dong was startled. "His soul was drawn away by a female ghost?"

"Exactly. If you check his underwear, you’ll see his ‘little bird’ looks like it’s just been through a bout of passion—weak and sickly."

Despite his reluctance, Ye Dong’s curiosity got the better of him. He slowly pulled down Liang Lingzhi’s pants and saw that, indeed, his ‘little bird’ looked exhausted, frail as could be.

Ye Dong stared in shock. "Did you just touch his ‘little bird’?"

Nian Xue cursed softly, "Can you focus on the main issue? Look—doesn’t it match what I said?"

"It does look sickly. Like a rotten little cucumber."

Nian Xue scoffed, "It’s a mushroom, not a cucumber."

Ye Dong grinned, "I just wanted to save face for the fool."

Nian Xue muttered, "That explains the odd smile on his face."

Ye Dong was skeptical. "You mean this strange smile is his post-pleasure expression?"

Nian Xue nodded in agreement, then mused to herself, "Why did the female ghost leave him alive, not drain him completely?"

Ye Dong felt a chill. "Drain him? You mean exhaust him to death?"

Nian Xue frowned. "Yes. The ghost took his soul but spared his life. Why?"

She clenched her fists, unable to find a proper explanation.

Ye Dong pressed, "Is there hope for the fool?"

Nian Xue approached Liang Lingzhi, reciting softly, "Heavenly Lord of the Lingbao, comfort his form. Disciple’s soul, five organs in the mysterious darkness. Azure Dragon, White Tiger, protect the ranks. Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, guard the body. Urgent as the law commands!"

After finishing her incantation, she explained, "I just cast the ‘Purification Charm’ for him. It will protect his body temporarily, but my power is limited—it’ll only last one day."

Ye Dong asked, "What happens after a day?"

Nian Xue shook her head, "If his soul doesn’t return within a day, it will lose recognition of its body and become a wandering ghost without a home."

Ye Dong was horrified, holding back his sorrow as he asked, "Is there any way we can save him?"

"If my father were here," Nian Xue said, "he could use the supreme power of the Taiyi Heavenly Lord, open the celestial eye, and finding Liang Lingzhi’s soul would not be difficult."

"But he’s not here!" Ye Dong was anxious.

Nian Xue reassured him, "Don’t worry. As long as I find the female ghost, I’ll know where Liang Lingzhi’s soul is."

"How do you find the female ghost?"

"She seduces men. We just need to let ourselves be seduced."

Ye Dong countered, "Will that work? Is it dangerous?"

Nian Xue looked Ye Dong up and down. "Of course it’s dangerous, but we’re pressed for time. It’s a risk we have to take. By the way, are you still a virgin?"

Ye Dong blushed, covering himself, "Yes, I am. Next time, don’t ask so bluntly."

Nian Xue chuckled, "Good. You offer yourself to her. Better yet, find two more virgins—the chances of being seduced will be higher."

Ye Dong immediately thought of Mu Xiaobao and An Dachun, a pair, one big and one small.

Soon, the two found their candidates.

"What!? You want me, a handsome man, to seduce a female ghost?" Xiaobao was dumbfounded. "I’m a genuine virgin! Handsome men are already rare, and now you want me to risk my life? Aren’t you afraid of divine retribution?"

Dachun shook his head repeatedly, "No, no, I’m afraid I’ll lose my resolve and end up with nothing!"

Nian Xue patiently explained the situation and assured their safety, pounding her chest, "With me here, what’s there to fear? Ye Dong agreed without hesitation."

Though Ye Dong was afraid, he was determined to save Liang Lingzhi. "Now’s the time to test our brotherhood."

Xiaobao and Dachun gritted their teeth, "Fine! Who’d have thought we’d be used as a beauty trap?"

The three of them entered the "Nightly Allure" bar where they had spent that fateful night, while Nian Xue sat at a distance, observing them secretly.

At first, the trio was nervous—after all, anyone would be scared facing a soul-stealing female ghost. Ye Dong said, "Being so tense won’t help. Let’s drink openly; that’ll make her fall for it."

The other two agreed, and after downing several shots, their courage grew. The bar’s hypnotic music amplified their intoxicated mood.

Nian Xue grew angry watching them drink, "These three idiots—drinking away and forgetting the task!"

"Hey there, beautiful, are you alone?" A stylish young man approached Nian Xue with his drink. "Can I buy you a drink?"

Fuming, Nian Xue glared at him, "Drink with your mother! Scram!"

The young man hadn’t expected such a wild response and scurried away.

Turning back, Nian Xue realized one of the trio was missing.

"Oh no! Where’s Mu Xiaobao?" In a moment of carelessness, she had lost track of him. She squinted, searching for his figure.

"Come, beautiful!" A familiar voice rang out. Nian Xue turned to find the drunken Mu Xiaobao behind her with a raised glass.

Her anger flared, "You useless baggage, drunk out of your mind—do you want the ghost to kill you?"

Before she finished, An Dachun staggered over, slurring, "Ye Dong, you’re hiding here?"

"An Dachun’s even worse—mistaking Mu Xiaobao for Ye Dong!" Nian Xue shoved them aside, cursing, "Ye Dong, what kind of friends do you have?"

She looked at Ye Dong, still drinking alone, feeling a bit relieved. "Ye Dong is reliable—no wonder Dad praised him after just one meeting."

Ye Dong, fueled by alcohol, suddenly thought of the departed Yayi, his dream girl who had died unexpectedly.

"Yayi, are you well? I’ve dreamed of you these days." Ye Dong murmured, "Every day in the elevator, I hope to see you again—you know that?"

After a few more drinks, his vision blurred, and he saw Yayi standing before him.

"Yayi!? My dream girl Yayi!?"

"You’re so drunk—it’s not good for your health."

"I… I miss you so much."

"Silly, I’m right here with you."

Ye Dong tried to grab Yayi’s hand, but his grasp found only emptiness.

"Why did you pull away?"

"You little rascal, are you trying to take advantage while drunk?"

Yayi before him was bewitching, and Ye Dong smiled, praising, "Your makeup is beautiful tonight."

"Really? I did it just for you."

"It’s gorgeous—compared to your usual youthful charm, tonight you’re even more radiant."

"Mmm. So, how much longer do you plan to drink?"

Ye Dong was delighted, "Where do you want to take me?"

"We haven’t seen each other in so long—I have so much to tell you."

He took her hand gently. "Then tonight, let’s talk heart to heart."

"Just talk?"

Amid the haze, Ye Dong heard her words whispering in his ear, his resolve melting, desire surging within him. Unable to resist, he led the beauty out.

Nian Xue, seeing the situation shift, hurriedly shoved the other two aside, grabbed her bag, and followed Ye Dong.

Ye Dong got into a taxi; Nian Xue’s heart skipped a beat. "Is Ye Dong drunk, or is he simply overwhelmed by lust? He’s completely off script!"

She didn’t hesitate, flagged down a taxi, and followed his car.

Ye Dong’s taxi stopped in front of a hotel. Nian Xue quickly paid, jumped out, and pulled out her eight-sided compass. Combining the hotel’s location and Ye Dong’s birthdate, she calculated swiftly, her heart sinking. "This is bad! An omen of great misfortune!"

"If you intend harm to Ye Dong, don’t blame me if my sword shows no mercy!" She put the compass away, waited for Ye Dong to check in, then got out of her car. In a low voice, she recited, "Boundless heaven and earth, borrow the power of heaven and earth, the dragon turns to the phoenix, veiling the sun! Urgent as the law commands!"

She hurried to the hotel front desk, handed her library card to the clerk, and whispered, "Police. Please assist with an investigation—which room did the man just check into?"

The clerk, seeing the "police ID," became nervous and quickly replied, "Room B14, 7th floor."

Nian Xue took back her card, entering the elevator with deep breaths. "I never imagined the ‘Veiling Eyes’ spell would have such side effects. If I hadn’t cultivated for ten years, I’d have been exposed!"

She steadied herself, using the ascent to calm her energy. "Ye Dong, you must not come to harm."

She composed herself, took out a spirit talisman drawn by her enigmatic father, Daoist Ri Hui—a "Ghost-Killing Charm" of formidable power.

Her father’s warning echoed in her mind: "Nian Xue, only use the ‘Ghost-Killing Charm’ as a last resort. Never use it recklessly!"

She gritted her teeth, stashing away the charm, then took out a "Disaster-Averting Charm" and a "Ghost-Trapping Charm," murmuring, "If I can subdue her with these, all the better. Only as a last resort will I use the ‘Ghost-Killing Charm’!"

Nian Xue crept up to Room B14, reciting silently, closing her eyes to focus, awakening her body’s potential. She heard heavy breathing from inside, and her heart raced, "Has the female ghost begun to steal his soul?"

She listened closer, hearing the sound of clothes slipping off—her alarm grew. She knocked on the door. "Hello, hotel service."

The sounds inside paused, then Ye Dong’s impatient voice called out, "We didn’t request service, please leave."

Soon after, Ye Dong’s lascivious laughter echoed from inside.

"Hello, hotel service."

"I told you, we didn’t request hotel service!" Ye Dong sounded angry, put on his pants, and opened the door, annoyed. "Please, don’t disturb us!"

Nian Xue suddenly shoved the dazed Ye Dong aside, shouting, "Spirits of the land, take your positions, guard this place, come to my aid! Urgent as the law commands!"

A strange, piercing scream erupted from within! A streak of blue light tried to escape through the window, but was repelled by an invisible ripple of energy, revealing its true form…