Chapter 24 Subduing the Female Ghost
A night of turmoil.
The next day, many people in the Chaotic Sect were talking about the sighting of a Silver Dragon in the sky last night, and even the Sect Master, Jiang Yu, sent out several Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Elders to investigate.
But in the end, the investigation came up empty, and they could only assume it was some powerful entity passing by the Chaotic Sect who had briefly exerted their strength, leaving the higher-ups terrified for quite a while.
After a few months, when nothing else happened, the incident gradually faded from people's memory.
Qiongbi Peak was, as usual, tranquil.
Naturally, no one would connect such a celestial phenomenon with a Qi Refining Middle Stage Spirit farmer from Qiongbi Peak.
That day, Ning Daoran took Big Stupid Deer to the Contribution Hall to pick up a simple task that he was due every few months. He felt it was fairly safe now to go down the mountain; staying hidden up in the mountain all the time wasn't really helpful.
...
The Contribution Hall was bustling with people.
Ning Daoran looked up at the treasures available for exchange and suddenly his gaze fixed on one item and couldn't be shifted away.
Spiritual Beast Secret! It was actually a Spiritual Beast Secret!
Someone in the Sect really found a Spiritual Beast Secret from the storage!
It was a technique called "Strengthening Technique", enabling the enhancement of a Spiritual Beast's physical body, a Yellow Grade Middle tier, a basic Cultivation Technique for the training of Spiritual Beasts.
Big Stupid Deer could learn it!
Ning Daoran had always been thinking about finding a Spiritual Beast Secret for Old Lu, and now he finally saw it!
Such an item was probably only needed by Ning Daoran in the whole sect, as all the senior brothers and sisters were busy with their own cultivation and had no time to be distracted by something like a Spiritual Beast.
After all, the Chaotic Sect was not the Beast Taming Sect.
Previously, when Ning Daoran had nothing to do and went up the mountain to listen to his fellow brothers brag, he heard that Qingzhou did have a Beast Taming Sect, just like the Chaotic Sect, a second-class Sect!
It was said that the Sect Master of the Beast Taming Sect had even trained two third-tier low-grade Spiritual Beasts with Golden Core Combat Power, which could even crush the Chaotic Sect in terms of strength.
Unfortunately, a disturbance occurred later, and the Beast Taming Sect vanished without a trace.
It was said to have been wiped out, but those were all hearsay, hard to distinguish true from false.
...
This "Strengthening Technique" requires 100 contribution points from the sect!
Ning Daoran didn't plan to accumulate slowly; taking advantage of this trip down the mountain, he could just pick a task worth 100 contribution points.
"Junior Brother Ning?"
A familiar voice came over, it was Inner Sect Disciple Zhao Lichen, who still worked at the Contribution Hall, handing out sect tasks and exchanging contributions for everyone.
"Senior Brother Zhao, long time no see!"
"Indeed, long time no see!"
Zhao Lichen smiled, "Junior brother has broken through to Qi Refining Middle Stage, congratulations! What kind of task would you like to take at the Contribution Hall?"
"One worth a hundred contribution points."
"Ah?"
Zhao Lichen was taken aback: "Such tasks are quite dangerous. It would be wise for junior brother to reconsider."
"Is that so?"
Ning Daoran looked at the list of tasks on the Jade Talisman, muttering, "A haunting at a landlord's house in White Leaf Town, female ghost with Qi Refining Middle Stage cultivation... completion rewards a hundred sect contribution points.
Brother, this task is quite suitable for me, dealing with female ghosts is my forte..."
"..."
Zhao Lichen looked serious: "Junior Brother Ning must not be careless, these female ghosts and evil spirits are extremely troublesome, sometimes they can directly launch sonic attacks invading the cultivator's brain. Many brothers have suffered from this.
You are currently only at Qi Refining Fourth Level; this task may be a bit too risky."
"Senior Brother, don't worry, I've got this task under control."
Ning Daoran thought to himself, senior brother, you have no idea how strong I am now, let alone Qi Refining Middle Stage female ghosts, even Late-stage Qi Refining female ghosts are probably not a problem for me.
"Alright then."
Seeing Ning Daoran insisted, Zhao Lichen nodded his head and gave him the task Jade Talisman.
"Junior brother, hold on..."
Zhao Lichen took out a Breakthrough Talisman from his chest, "This is a First-tier Lower Grade Barrier Breaking Talisman, it's very effective against female ghosts and evil spirits. Use it if necessary.
If not needed, just bring it back to me, after all, I'm not well-off either..."
"Thank you, Senior Brother, for the Talisman!"
Ning Daoran immediately accepted the gift but quickly took out twenty catties of Green Bamboo Spirit Rice from his Storage Bag and gave it to Zhao Lichen: "Senior brother, please accept this, I grew it myself."
"Ah?"
Zhao Lichen was shocked, "How can this be, junior brother, you shouldn't..."
Eventually, he accepted it, his face flushing red. This was the first time he had received a gift while working in the Contribution Hall, but remembering it was from Ning Daoran, it didn't seem inappropriate.
After all, it was he who had personally driven the bull cart to bring Ning Daoran from a remote and poor village to the Chaotic Sect.
They were more than just ordinary brothers, they were their own people!
...
After taking the task, Ning Daoran immediately took Big Stupid Deer and rushed down the mountain using a Royal Weapon.
Not for any other reason, but to quickly and safely resolve the situation!
White Leaf Town.
A small town located two hundred li southwest of the Chaotic Sect, named for the trees with white leaves that filled the town.
White Leaf Town was situated between Shanyang County and two other county towns and was therefore quite bustling due to being a major thoroughfare.
Ning Daoran, accompanied by Old Lu, slowly walked along the street, flanked by grand mansions belonging to the local gentry.
Finally, they stopped in front of a mansion labeled "Zhang Mansion" and presented a visiting card. Soon after, a middle-aged scholar accompanied by servants came out.
Zhang Cheng, known as Landlord Zhang, was a major gentry of White Leaf Town.
According to the Jade Talisman, this Landlord Zhang had once been a local Scholar, who married the daughter of the Prefectural Governor and settled in White Leaf Town to engage in the silk business, becoming one of the local gentry.
"This is..."
Seeing the disheveled but slightly Immortal-like duo outside, Zhang Cheng hesitated for a moment.
"Landlord, I am a disciple of the Chaotic Sect, here to bring good fortune and ward off disaster for the Landlord."
"I see, little Immortal Master, please come in!"
Just as they entered, a woman walked out from the courtyard, the Second Lady, one of Zhang Cheng's concubines. She looked at Ning Daoran and smiled, "My lord, who is this?"
"The Immortal Master from the Chaotic Sect."
"Oh?"
Second Lady smiled slightly, "That's good news. This evil spirit has been causing unrest; it's best to have it subdued sooner..."
Zhang Cheng's expression turned stern, clearly annoyed by her excess words.
Instantly, Second Lady's expression grew complex, and she quickly said with a smile, "My lord, I'll go make tea for the Immortal Master right away."
"Um."
Zhang Cheng nodded.
Soon, several concubines came out, each beautiful as flowers, but all showing great respect to the master, especially careful with their words for fear of upsetting him.
Moreover, none of these concubines mentioned anything about the female ghost again.
Ning Daoran merely sipped his tea shallowly before he had already scanned the entire Zhang Mansion with his Divine Sense, discovering that the backyard was uninhabited due to a strong resentment surging up from a dry well therein.
It seemed the problem lay there.
"Little Immortal Master."
Zhang Cheng furrowed his brows and said, "That female ghost is very threatening, and she's been seducing the minds of people all day long. You must be careful, Immortal Master, and kill her on sight!
Moreover, these are contributions from everyone in the mansion; if you can subdue this female ghost, all of this will be an additional tribute to you."
With that, he gently pushed a heavy wooden box slightly forward.
A Divine Sense sweep revealed that it was filled with gold bars, approximately three hundred taels.
What a generous offer!
Although mundane wealth was not essential for cultivators, with "ten taels of gold per Spirit Stone," that was thirty Low Grade Spirit Stones, not a small amount for a Qi Refining Stage practitioner like Ning Daoran.
"Um."
Naturally, he wouldn't refuse an extra reward.
Ning Daoran looked at everyone and declared, "I shall dispel the ghost in the backyard, and no matter what happens, none of you come out before dawn."
"Immortal Master..."
Fourth Madam frowned and said, "It's just turning night, and it is said that fierce ghosts are most powerful after nightfall. The previous Immortal Master sealed that female ghost in the well with Talismans, preventing her from escaping. Immortal Master, why not wait until daylight tomorrow to capture her?"
"It's alright."
Ning Daoran slowly stood up, exuding the Spiritual pressure of a Mid-stage Qi Refinery, and proclaimed, "I precisely want to subdue her at her most powerful moment and vent this for your entire family!"
The group of ladies seemed to each have their own agendas, some nodding, others looking down in silence.
Zhang Cheng was momentarily stunned, then quickly said, "Let's follow the Immortal Master's arrangements."
Ning Daoran's Divine Sense continuously swept over the crowd, and he naturally understood that things weren't so simple.
Without minding much, he decided to first meet the female ghost.
...
The backyard presented a scene of desolation.
"Ow~~~"
Big Stupid Deer suddenly nudged Ning Daoran's arm. The place was filled with a chilly breeze, and it felt scared.
"Don't worry, it's just a female ghost."
Ning Daoran patted the deer's head, smiling as he walked ahead. Approaching the dry well, he suddenly heard a sorrowful voice from the depths:
"As a practitioner, you should be undistracted. How can you serve that heartless man's whims? If you take one more step closer, I won't be polite!"
"Come on, let's see how you won't be polite."
Ning Daoran took another light step forward. The moment he stepped forward, the Wood Attribute Magic Power from the Evergreen Technique enveloped the entire dry well massively.
The female ghost in the well let out a pitiful and tragic scream, "So… it turns out you're a Late-stage Qi Refining Immortal..."
Ning Daoran sat at the edge of the well and gently patted beside him, saying, "Come out and talk to me, keep it quiet."
"Yes, Immortal Master..."
A figure in red floated out from the well, sitting beside Ning Daoran.
Her complexion was pale as if she had been dead for many years, but it was faintly discernible that she had been a beauty when alive.
"Tell me, why does your spirit linger, haunting this family?"
"Please discern, Immortal Master."
The female ghost spoke.
It turns out she was the original wife of the middle-aged scholar Zhang Cheng. After Zhang Cheng was nominated on the list, he caught the Prefectural Governor's favor, who even promised his own daughter in marriage.
Discovering this, the original wife acted impetuously in a dramatized ordeal and threw herself into the well, becoming a wandering ghost therein.
Upon learning of this, the governor's daughter realized the man was already married and was so angry that she sequestered herself in her room, turning to Buddhism.
As for Zhang Cheng, a man fond of sensual pleasures, his wealth and number of concubines only grew over the years.
However, this dry well in the backyard frequently haunted, and cultivators called to subdue the ghost all failed until finally, a high-level practitioner from the Chaotic Sect was sought.
Hence, Ning Daoran arrived.
"I understand you are wronged. I'll give you two choices," Ning Daoran said softly. "One is to be dispersed by my sword, or two, you can dissipate your own resentment. However, before that, you may do a small deed, and I can turn a blind eye."
"Thank you, Immortal Master!"
Tears streaming down her face, the female ghost voluntarily dissipated her cultivation, and her form naturally faded into the gentle breeze.
...
The next day.
Ning Daoran dove into the well early in the morning, carrying the female ghost's remains out, and buried them in the nearby mountains.
Before leaving, he collected the three hundred taels of gold promised by Zhang Cheng.
"Thank you, Immortal Master. May your journey be smooth!"
Zhang Cheng, accompanied by a group of ladies, bade him a spring-filled farewell.
As Ning Daoran's Divine Sense swept the area, he noticed a strand of resentment lingering around Zhang Cheng. This strand wouldn't claim his life immediately but ensured he wouldn't live long.
At most a year, surely he would be dead.
And what does any of this have to do with him, Ning Daoran from the Chaotic Sect?
...
Early morning, in the cloudy mists of the mountains northeast of White Leaf Town, a Foundation Establishment presence emitted, a figure shrouded in the mist, barely visible.