Chapter Three: The Plan to Rescue Liang Lingzhi

The female ghost collided with the power of the talisman, instantly revealing her true form: hair disheveled, face deathly pale. This sight jolted Ye Dong out of his dazed state in terror. “You! Who are you?! Where… where is Ya Yi?!”

The ghost ignored Ye Dong and shrieked as she rushed toward the door.

“Trying to escape? No chance!”

Nianxue’s talisman spun deftly between her fingers, pointing directly at the ghost.

Ye Dong cried out in astonishment, “Who would have thought Nianxue was such a fierce priestess!”

The ghost, well aware of the talisman's power, spun around and tried to hide behind Ye Dong, hoping to use him as a shield to escape.

“It's useless! This ‘Ghost Confinement Spell’ wields supreme power. If you’re not afraid, try running into it again—I guarantee your spirit will be severely damaged!”

Having suffered once already, the ghost hesitated, darting about the room to evade capture. Though Nianxue had ten years of cultivation, her heart was too kind; she could never bring herself to strike ruthlessly. The room quickly descended into chaos.

Growing impatient, she cursed, “Fiend, stop wasting time! A life is at stake—tell me where you’ve taken Liang Lingzhi’s soul!”

The ghost sneered, baring blood-red teeth. “He brought this on himself! If he’d had no evil in his heart, how could I have tempted him?!”

“There is a path for the living and one for the dead! As a spirit, you should have accepted reincarnation, not lingered to commit misdeeds among the living! If you run again, I’ll subdue you with the ‘Disaster Dispelling Spell’!”

The ghost, drifting in the corner, demanded angrily, “Why do you stop me from punishing the wicked?”

Nianxue rebuked her sternly, “It is not for ghosts to judge the living! There are laws for men and paths for spirits—how dare you take justice into your own hands?!”

The ghost, powerless before the Ghost Confinement Spell, threatened, “If you back me into a corner, you’ll never recover Liang Lingzhi’s soul!”

“Stubborn creature!”

Nianxue’s anger flared at the ghost’s threats. “Boundless Heaven and Earth, Borrow the Power of the Cosmos! Ghosts and monsters, lose your courage; evil spirits, be stripped of your form. Expel disaster, restore the righteous path! By order of the law, act now!”

With a sharp bite to her finger, she smeared blood over the talisman, which ignited without flame, transforming into a massive, invisible character for “expel,” casting a net of force upon the ghost.

Facing this net, the ghost trembled—there was nowhere to hide. She wailed, “Why?! Why do you all want me dead?! The truly evil walk free, yet even after death, you hunt us down! I refuse! I refuse!”

The final cries of “I refuse!” were filled with such anguish that they echoed in Ye Dong’s mind.

“Aaaah! I refuse! I refuse!”

Trapped by the talisman’s power, the ghost’s body burst into flames. Her agonized screams filled the room as her spirit’s strength visibly ebbed away.

Moved by her suffering, Ye Dong pleaded, “Ghost, surrender quickly!”

“Bah! You so-called cultivators, all aiding the wicked—you’ll die miserable deaths! When I reach the underworld, I’ll tell every judge in the Ten Courts of Hell to cast you all into the Abyss of Suffering!”

Hearing this, Ye Dong shouted to Nianxue, “Nianxue, her words suggest she has suffered a great injustice!”

Even Nianxue was struck by the ghost’s refusal to yield despite her torment. Reluctant to let her suffer further, she sighed, “Enough, enough!”

With a gesture, Nianxue released her spell. The ghost, as if a great weight had been lifted, collapsed to her knees, gasping for air. Through tears, she cursed, “Don’t feign pity! I don’t need your crocodile tears!”

Seeing her face streaked with tears and her body marred by spectral burns, Ye Dong’s heart softened further. “Are you all right? Is there anything I can do for you?”

The ghost glared at Nianxue, still breathing heavily as she grumbled, “Not at all. Who would have thought this wretched girl was so skilled at such a young age!”

Nianxue looked at her and sighed, “This is your own doing. I’ve spoken kindly, but with a soul at risk, I had no choice but to subdue you.”

The ghost spat, “You broke in without warning. Even a ghost would be frightened out of her wits!”

Ye Dong finally realized: even ghosts can be scared by people.

Nianxue explained, “The situation was urgent. If not to save someone, I would never have used such force. Please, tell me: where is Liang Lingzhi’s soul?”

The ghost snapped, “Don’t even think about it! You so-called cultivators only help others to earn your own merit! I suffered terribly when alive, and after death, who ever helped me?!”

She raised a pale hand, trying to float out the door, but her injuries were severe. She managed barely a meter before collapsing.

Ye Dong rushed to catch her, but too late. Without thinking, he dropped low, trying to cushion her fall with his body.

But she was a spirit, and Ye Dong had no spiritual power—he couldn’t touch her. Man and ghost crashed to the floor together.

The ghost was startled by Ye Dong’s attempt to shield her. “You fool, don’t act the hero. You’re not even thinking.”

Though she said this, her eyes scanned Ye Dong, checking if he was hurt.

Others might have missed these subtleties, but Nianxue saw it all.

Ye Dong rubbed his backside and his head, saying, “I’m not pretending to be kind. I just didn’t want your soul to suffer more injury. Are… are you all right?”

A warmth rose in the ghost’s heart. “Seems this boy really is good-hearted.”

Ye Dong stood up. “Think about it: if you truly harm Liang Lingzhi, you’ll become a vengeful ghost, doomed forever. Then all the cultivators will hunt you down!”

The ghost was taken aback, as if struck by a sudden realization. “Why would I ever think of killing someone?!”

Nianxue guessed, “You’re likely blinded by resentment, controlled by your hatred. Did someone really cause your death?”

The ghost’s eyes reddened, staring at Nianxue, then turning to the window, gaze filling with bitterness and venom as she recalled her fury.

“That’s right. I was murdered.” She added, “And I’ll tear them to pieces!”

Seeing the depth of her obsession, Nianxue frowned. “As a cultivator, if you truly died unjustly, I will help you.”

The ghost sneered, “You only say that to make me tell you where Liang Lingzhi’s soul is.”

Nianxue and Ye Dong exchanged a glance. Nianxue raised three fingers in oath. “I, Chen Nianxue, swear that as long as I live, I will do everything in my power to help this ghost before me punish her wrongdoers. If I break this vow, may I be struck by lightning and obliterated, condemned by heaven and earth!”

Having sworn, she asked, “Do you believe me now?”

The ghost was moved. “That’s a fierce oath.” Gritting her teeth, she asked, “Will you really help me find the one who wronged me?”

“I will.”

The ghost, hearing Nianxue’s resolute reply, was both startled and overjoyed. Tears streamed down her face as she wept and laughed at once, a sight that tugged at the heart.

Ye Dong thought, “She must have suffered terribly in life. What a pitiful soul.”

After a long while, the ghost finally said, “Liang Lingzhi’s soul is wandering above the basketball court at Xincheng No. 1 High School.”

Nianxue was astonished. “What’s he doing there?!”

Ye Dong’s heart warmed. “That court is our old haunt. Back in the day, he and I, along with four others, forged a deep brotherhood there.”

The ghost gave a bitter smile. “Liang Lingzhi is such a fool. As I was about to drain him dry, he started talking about the bond you four shared, swearing that whoever lost his innocence first would be the leader. In a nostalgic mood, he insisted on taking me to see the basketball court. His sentimentality moved me, so I let him go.”

Relieved, Nianxue smiled. “Good thing you still had a bit of conscience and didn’t make an irredeemable mistake.”

Ye Dong clenched his fists, eyes red. “That idiot, always so scatterbrained! There’s no time to lose—let’s go bring him back! Thank you. What’s your name?”

The ghost, seeing Ye Dong’s tears of gratitude, hung her head in shame. “I’m the one who hurt him. Why thank me? My name is Xiaoting.”

With Liang Lingzhi’s whereabouts revealed, Nianxue was finally at ease. She took a folding umbrella from her backpack and opened it. “Your spirit is wounded. Rest here for a while.”

Xiaoting hesitated, but Ye Dong encouraged her, “Trust Nianxue. She’s truly good.”

Xiaoting nodded, lips pressed tight. “Thank you,” she murmured, and her spirit slipped into the umbrella.

After putting on his jacket, Ye Dong hurried downstairs. He hailed a taxi and, with Nianxue, sped toward the basketball court at Xincheng No. 1 High School.

“Driver, stop here.”

He didn’t have the taxi pull up to the school gate, but stopped at the roadside instead.

After getting out, Nianxue asked, “Why stop here?”

Ye Dong grinned. “If we climb the wall here, we’ll be right at the basketball court—saves time.”

By the faint glow of a distant streetlamp, the two became “wall-climbers.” Ye Dong glanced around and called softly, “Idiot… idiot, can you hear me?!”

Nianxue interrupted, “Are you stupid? If he could come just because you called, what would I be needed for?!”

Ye Dong gave an embarrassed laugh. “You’re right.”

Nianxue took a small straw doll from her pocket and handed Ye Dong her backpack. “I’ll summon Liang Lingzhi’s soul. Stand guard and don’t let anyone disturb me.”

After witnessing her duel with Xiaoting, Ye Dong had full confidence in Nianxue’s skills and obeyed without question.

Nianxue arranged a ritual circle and chanted softly, “By the ancestors’ decree, the vajra stands at both sides. Across a thousand miles, the lost soul is summoned home!”

Ye Dong watched curiously, eyes fixed on the straw doll. When nothing seemed to happen for a long time, he whispered, “The straw doll isn’t moving.”

Nianxue put the doll down and said, “Soul-calling is easier than exorcism. Normally, I could do it with ease. But I used up my energy on the Eye Concealing Spell to save you, then fought the ghost. I need to rest.”

Ye Dong nodded. “So the Eye Concealing Spell is that draining? Why not teach me the calling spell? Maybe I can try?”

Nianxue considered. “Fine. As his childhood friend, it should be easier for you. I’ll teach you the incantation. Remember, your mind must be clear and sincere. Only then will it work.”

Ye Dong carefully memorized the incantation and steps, then took the straw doll and recited, “By the ancestors’ decree, the vajra stands at both sides. Across a thousand miles, the lost soul is summoned home!”

After several dozen seconds, nothing happened.

Ye Dong muttered, disappointed, “I’m still a virgin, you know. Come on, give me a break, idiot!”

Nianxue thought for a moment. “Let me teach you a simpler spell. Since you’re still pure, you should be able to channel the power of the talisman.”

Ye Dong nodded, then, following Nianxue’s instructions, chanted, “Heaven’s gate opens, earth’s gate opens, across a thousand miles the pure child brings the soul. Lost one, Liang Lingzhi, if you hear my call, return swiftly, return swiftly!”

As Ye Dong finished the incantation, the straw doll in his hand began to tremble…