4 Chapter 4: Isn't this Daoist Priest Fan too cruel!_1

At that moment,

Fan Wu and his party had already arrived at their destination.

"Boss... do you feel that there's something eerily chilling around here? I always... always feel a chill on the back of my neck."

A constable clutched his whistle stick in one hand while anxiously touching the back of his neck with the other, nervously saying, "Is it really appropriate for us to be here in the middle of the night?!"

"Who was it that was acting as if they had chicken blood to drink just now? What's wrong, don't you trust Daoist Priest Fan, or the late Heavenly Master?" Head Arrestor Liu glared at him, "Both Daoist Priest Fan and the Heavenly Master have been honored guests of our Magistrate!"

"Even the Magistrate trusts them completely, and you, a mere constable, dare to doubt? They have real skills, capable of killing demons and devils! They're not the sort who deceive for fame and glory!"

Afterward, Head Arrestor Liu directed his gaze not far ahead.

There was a river, not very wide, but it was deep and the current was rapid; the noise of the splashing water was particularly loud.

Wang Lao Er had just last night...

been dragged into the river.

"Daoist Priest, right here is where Wang Lao Er fell into the water last night," Head Arrestor Liu said earnestly, "Not far across the river is where you suppressed unclean things through your magic a few days ago. That unclean thing must have broken through the Taoist magic you cast and escaped."

Fan Wu knew this place.

Because even from across the river, he could still make out a familiar, crudely built altar.

A few days ago, when strange incidents happened here, the nearby villagers reported it to the authorities.

The Magistrate's office found him just as he was about to run away.

They asked him to set up an altar and perform Taoist rituals.

He had no choice but to comply.

And last night, there were disturbances here again. This time... the people from the county yamen had summoned him once more. No doubt, it was the idea of the Magistrate of Qiulong County.

Moreover, from Head Arrestor Liu's words, it was clear...

they didn't suspect that Fan Wu was a fake Taoist priest.

This was entirely due to his swindler master, who had operated in the area for many years, earning the local people's strong belief in their master and disciple's Taoist magic abilities.

To the extent that now, with the ghost in the river causing trouble again, these people simply thought that Fan Wu had previously showed mercy and let the ghost off.

They didn't doubt at all whether he truly knew Taoist magic.

It seems...

they needed an anti-fraud app.

"Quick, quick, quick! You two, search over there. Don't run so fast, or you'll extinguish the lanterns, then you won't find squat!"

On the side, Head Arrestor Liu was barking orders, "You two go over there. Draw your swords, don't get all flustered trying to draw them when that thing appears."

"You two follow me, let's go over there and take a look, help the Daoist Priest find that unclean thing!"

Before Fan Wu had even done anything, the whole squad of county yamen constables had already taken action.

Some held lanterns, stepping on the muddy river bank, peering into the water.

The bolder ones even stepped into the water.

The icy cold river made them feel a bit cold, but the thought of being backed by the disciple of the Heavenly Master, the highly reputed Daoist Priest Fan of Qiulong County,

gave them no reason to fear!

This was demon-slaying! Some of the younger constables were even a little excited.

It was their first time undertaking such a task!

When they returned to visit Gou Lan and drink, they could brag—I fought demons alongside Daoist Priest Fan!

Watching a group of overly enthusiastic constables, Fan Wu didn't know what to say.

Suddenly.

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He heard Head Arrestor Liu calling out to him, "Daoist Priest Fan! Come over here quickly and take a look; there's a discovery!"

With no other choice,

Fan Wu could only go over.

By this time, he had already silently taken down the Demon-Slaying Sword he was carrying on his back and held it in his hand… He was almost placing all his hope in this sword now.

Fan Wu asked, "What did you find?"

He saw Head Arrestor Liu use his sidearm to lift an absurdly long strand of black hair and excitedly said, "Daoist Priest, look at this hair I found by the river. It's obviously very strange!"

"Didn't Wang Laier vomit up a pile of weird and disgusting hair? Maybe there's some connection! Do you think I'm right, Daoist Priest?"

He dares to lift it with a knife, knowing it might be related to an evil spirit?

This Head Arrestor Liu really thinks Fan Wu can kill ghosts?

And the most important thing is… With the constables from the county yamen conducting a carpet-style search, if they really manage to find the ghost.

How will they handle it?

"…There may indeed be a connection." Facing Head Arrestor Liu's expectant gaze, Fan Wu forced a smile and casually made up an excuse, "Before I left the Taoist Temple, I performed a divination. If we can't find the trail of the evil spirit by the hour of Hai, tonight is not a suitable time for exorcising ghosts."

"Now, there is only the time it takes an incense stick to burn before the hour of Hai. If we still haven't found anything after that time, disaster looms tonight."

Upon hearing this, Head Arrestor Liu's hand trembled in shock.

The long black hair hanging from his sidearm almost fell into the water.

He took a sharp breath, "Such an important matter, why are you only mentioning it now, Daoist Priest?"

Because I just made that up.

Fan Wu replied, "I had no choice; the secrets of heaven cannot be revealed too soon."

Head Arrestor Liu didn't harbor any suspicions and nodded hurriedly, "Then let's search for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, and after that, we'll return."

He hurried off to look for other clues.

It was a pity that no matter how many clues he found, Fan Wu was determined to return to the Taoist Temple after the time of an incense stick burned away.

Even if he couldn't take the silver from True Martial Great Emperor's statue, he would take his own private savings.

And then leave this cursed place overnight!

Just as Fan Wu was planning his escape route in his mind, suddenly, a very ominous premonition struck him abruptly!

Hmm?!

Alarm bells rang within Fan Wu's heart!!

Beneath the turbulent river currents, it seemed as if something was moving at high speed!

The next moment.

An eerie figure burst forth from the water seven steps away from Fan Wu!

It created a water splash several meters high.

Accompanying it… was a strong, repulsive stench of decay.

Fan Wu tensed up, catching only a fleeting glimpse.

He saw the eerie figure, a naked, horrifying green-faced water ghost with a ragged leg shackle around its ankle!

Even though he was several meters away, Fan Wu could still feel a chilling coldness assaulting him!

Blood-red text appeared along with it.

[A water ghost that was once the brothel madam of Gou Lan buried in the river—Life: 234—Power: 5—Skills: Hair Manipulation, Yin Energy Infusion]

A real ghost…

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It's here!

The commotion had also drawn the attention of the constables. When they saw a green-faced water ghost burst forth from the water, they were instantly agog!

A constable shouted in shock, "Ghost... ghost! A ghost has appeared!! There really is a ghost!!!"

"Taoist Priest! Ghost! A ghost has appeared!!!!"

...

Fan Wu was not blind; he had noticed something was amiss even before the constables saw it.

But he didn't expect the green-faced water ghost to be so fast.

He had just seen the attributes of the opponent when the green-faced water ghost had already made a move.

He was supposed to be able to leave after another stick of incense burned down, but they wouldn't even give him that time!

And...

With so many people around, the water ghost had come straight for him first.

What grudge?

What grievance?

In just an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Fan Wu's mind. Almost instinctively, he raised the Demon-slaying Sword in his hand in front of him.

At the same time, tens of thousands of strands of hair from behind the green-faced water ghost's head were already sweeping crazily toward him.

They came at a speed that was astoundingly fast!

Right at that moment, the Demon-slaying Sword in Fan Wu's hands trembled slightly. The swathes of black hair that were about to touch Fan Wu recoiled as if meeting their natural predator!

They retreated even faster!

The ferocious expression on the face of the green-faced water ghost showed a flicker of astonishment and confusion.

It seemed even the ghost couldn't understand what exactly had happened.

Fan Wu, on the other hand, came to a realization immediately.

It appears that the True Martial Great Emperor's Demon-slaying Sword really was effective against demons and devils!

MD!!!

Fan Wu knew he had to take action this time.

Whether it was to maintain his aura of a "Disciple of a True Master" to save his life, or to prevent this ghostly thing from bothering him when it was time to flee, or even for his own life right now!

He had to roll up his sleeves and get to work!

Rage welled up from the bottom of his heart.

Malice grew alongside his courage.

Fan Wu seized this fleeting opportunity.

With one hand, he reached out and firmly grasped a handful of retreating black hair, his forearm muscles tense!

Veins bulged!!

With a yank backward!!

The green-faced water ghost whose power was only slightly higher than his own was forcibly pulled over by Fan Wu in a sudden move.

The distance of seven steps between them was reduced to four!

Fan Wu quickly raised the Northern Black Chariot Gunky Horn Demon-slaying Heroic Sword in his other hand, and the exaggerated size of the 1.9-meter-long sword showcased its advantage at this moment. The sharp blade swept across in a semicircular arc, and the tip of the sword perfectly began its descent from the crown of the green-faced water ghost's head!

It felt like a hot blade through butter!

The Demon-slaying Sword directly cleaved the green-faced water ghost in two from top to bottom!

"Hssssssss!!!" A piercing scream from the depths of the soul erupted from the two halves of the green-faced water ghost, shaking eardrums as if the demonic sound pierced through one's hearing.

Even after being sliced in half with a sword, it still hadn't been vanquished to ashes?!

[Water ghost that transformed from the hooker who perished in the sinking river——Life: 117——Power: 3——Skills: Hair Manipulation, Yin Energy Entry]

Is that? Life from 234, became 117? Power from 5, became 3?

Did it get chopped to half health?

Did it become weakened by the chop?

Fan Wu suddenly understood.

He immediately dragged the hair of the green-faced water ghost, pulling its half torso over, and stepping on one demonic half of its green face, twisting it grotesquely. Fan Wu also deliberately ground his foot a few times, and upon seeing that the life value of the green-faced water ghost did not decrease, he then stopped.

Under the horrified gaze of the other half of the water ghost's body, Fan Wu wielded the Demon-slaying Sword once again and chopped down with a vigor akin to butchering a piece of pork.

The second sword!

Struck down!

"Hssssssss!!!!!!"

The green-faced water ghost Fan Wu was stepping on let out another piercing scream. But soon, that piercing scream turned into a weak whimper as it lay completely powerless and exhausted in the water.

The ghost's spirit seemed to flicker in and out of visibility, like a candle in the wind, seemingly ready to be extinguished at any moment.

[Life: 2]

This was the remaining life attribute of the green-faced water ghost. It was so weak that just one more sword strike from Fan Wu...

Would directly reduce it to ashes!

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On the other side, Head Arrestor Liu and the others were already dumbfounded by what they were witnessing. The scenes unfolding before them were not at all like the exorcism they had imagined... something was quite different!

Shouldn't there be rituals performed?

Shouldn't there be incantations?

Where was the Peach Wood Sword?

Where were the talismans?

"Boss... Boss, I remember when Daoist Priest Fan was invited by the Magistrate to suppress filthy things a few days ago, Daoist Priest Fan seemed to have carried out several grand rituals! How come... How come now, he doesn't even need to perform any rituals?"

Watching Fan Wu, who was casually abusing the evil ghost nearby, a constable couldn't help but shrink his neck, swallowed hard, and asked in a low voice.

Head Arrestor Liu said in a deep voice, "Can't you see that the Taoist Priest was merely sparing that evil ghost before? Now that the ghost continues its wicked deeds, it has clearly crossed the Taoist Priest's bottom line. This time, the Taoist Priest isn't just going to suppress it, he's going to extinguish it!"

In fact, this was just Head Arrestor Liu's own analysis; he believed that this was how things truly were.

However, he hadn't expected Daoist Priest Fan to be so fierce.

To catch the evil ghost bare-handedly and then, with a few slashes of his sword, reduce the ghost to a state of continuous wailing.

To let the evil ghost be so horrified that it nearly scattered its soul!

The extreme, heartbreaking screams of the evil ghost were so unbearable that even Head Arrestor Liu felt a pang of sympathy after hearing them...

Head Arrestor Liu swallowed hard again.

Although ghosts indeed were terrifying.

Daoist Priest Fan...

Was even more terrifying!

Even more brutal!!

...

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