10.a magician with supernatural powers

The sun had reached its zenith, marking midday. Xiao Zhuo, puzzled by something, instructed everyone to set up camp and cook under the big locust tree. After a satisfying meal, he led the members of the mysterious character group into the village with their baggage.

Ma Baihu and Liu Baihu each selected ten skilled individuals to follow behind. The rest stayed at the locust tree to rest, knowing that a tough battle awaited them that night. A lapse in attention could cost someone their life.

The afternoon tasks were demanding, requiring the depiction of an array covering the entire village to prepare for the night's ghost-catching. Those villagers who could leave had already sought refuge with relatives, and those without means had created opportunities to move away from the Big Locust Tree Village. Only a few dozen households, deeply attached to their hometown, remained.

These "stay-behinds" were not exactly courageous; they stayed indoors, terrified and providing an unwitting advantage to Xiao Zhuo's array setup.

Chen Xuan Ce and his group, stationed on the mountain, had slept until the setting sun. The new member, Zhang Hu, who had kicked Chen Xuan Ce, was assigned to open their spiritual eyes. He hailed from the Dragon and Tiger Sect, sent to undergo training in the Ghost Suppression Bureau.

After activating the spiritual eyes, Zhang Hu hastily departed. Chen Xuan Ce, comparing skills, noticed that Zhang Hu's techniques weren't as proficient as his own. Moreover, considering Zhang Hu's pale face, it seemed he had expended a considerable amount of energy.

As the sky darkened on the sixth day, a crescent moon hung in the western sky. From the vantage point on the mountain, Chen Xuan Ce saw the entire Big Locust Tree Village enveloped in a faint glow. There was an additional, smaller glow at the eastern end of the village, near the big locust tree.

This faint light was the array set up by Xiao Zhuo and his team, the Ghost Suppression Bureau's inherited "Ghost Sealing Hexagram." The array needed to be drawn in advance, and then, using a brush dipped in ghost blood, the lines would be traced along the marked traces. Forty-nine ghost-suppressing guards wielding peach wood swords would occupy the nodes to complete the formation.

Ghost blood, obtained from a three-year-old rooster, one-year-old hairless yellow ox, the sap of a four-month-old elm tree, mixed with cinnabar, fermented for nine days, constituted "ghost repellent blood." This concoction possessed the power to dispel evil spirits and was a common material for the Ghost Suppression Bureau's arrays.

Now, all they could do was wait.

Meanwhile, Xiao Zhuo and his team patrolled the village, anticipating the first sign of the ghosts' emergence. Under Ma Baihu's command, Huang's group covered the north and south of the village, while Liu Baihu led more than fifty people to set up the array under the big locust tree, with two members of Xiao Zhuo's team assisting.

Locust trees were associated with yin energy, and there was a chance that the ghosts might start their nightly activities from there. With everything prepared, they awaited midnight when the ghosts would emerge.

As the night progressed, the Ghost Suppression Bureau's two hundred officers, led by Xiao Zhuo, managed to seal and subdue the ghosts one after another. However, the ninth ghost, the "Wind-Eating Ghost," was not as easy to handle. Chen Xuan Ce observed the persistent gloominess in the western direction, which didn't match the expected phenomenon for the ninth night.

"Leader, something's wrong. The Yin energy hasn't dissipated," Chen Xuan Ce informed Li Gou, the leader of the unit.

Li Gou, looking westward, noticed the anomaly. Urgently, he shouted, "Follow me!"

Rushing down the mountain, they headed towards the southern part of the village, where Ma Baihu was stationed.

"Sir! The Yin energy hasn't dissipated; tonight is not the ninth night!" Ma Baihu reported without hesitation.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhuo, in the midst of dealing with the Wind-Eating Ghost, did not panic. He already knew it wasn't the ninth night but was uncertain how many additional nights they were dealing with.

"Is there no sign of dissipation at all?" Xiao Zhuo inquired, not waiting for Ma Baihu's response. He stored the Wind-Eating Ghost without sealing it, retrieved a cylindrical object from his pocket, and pulled it open, igniting a bright flame.

The pale expression on Xiao Zhuo's face did not improve with the signal's transmission. If it was just the eleventh night, it would be manageable, but facing the twelfth night, the Night Stalker Ghost, he lacked confidence. Better to face the twentieth or thirtieth ghost; he didn't want to deal with the Night Stalker Ghost.

The first four or five people who acted initially had already completed their tasks. Now they stood beside Xiao Zhuo, their expressions equally grim, silently waiting for the arrival of the Night Stalker Ghost.

Chen Xuan Ce and his group had returned and overheard Ma Baihu's instructions.

"Stay vigilant! Maintain the formation in case of any changes. We've all been in the Ghost Suppression Bureau for some time now. No need for unnecessary words. If we succeed, you'll be rewarded. If we fail, there will be generous compensation," Ma Baihu announced, unsure of the outcome but showing no intention of fleeing.

The Ghost Suppression Bureau had no fear of deserters; they could track and eliminate anyone, anywhere. They were ruthless to outsiders and even harsher to their own.

As they waited in silence, the group led by Xiao Zhuo successfully sealed the tenth and eleventh ghosts. The twelfth ghost, however, showed signs of slow dissipation.

Xiao Zhuo's face turned pale with gravity. This indicated the imminent arrival of the Night Stalker Ghost.

Had he known about this situation, he would not have rested the night before. If it was indeed the Night Stalker Ghost, the members of the second unit probably had nothing to worry about. Those observing on the hill would also be safe. However, the remaining seventy or eighty people, along with the villagers, might not survive the night. Ghostly activities typically resulted in devastating casualties when left unchecked.

The Ghost Suppression Bureau, specializing in handling supernatural entities, was well-equipped for such situations. Yet, facing the Night Stalker Ghost was a different story.

The first few people who had sealed the ghosts now stood by Xiao Zhuo's side. Chen Xuan Ce's group, having just returned, heard Ma Baihu's instructions.

"Sir! The Yin energy hasn't dissipated. Tonight is not the ninth night!" Ma Baihu reported, and without wasting time, he hurried back to organize his subordinates.

Xiao Zhuo, still dealing with the eleventh ghost, did not panic. He had already known it wasn't the ninth night but wasn't sure how many additional nights they were dealing with.

"Is there no sign of dissipation at all?" Xiao Zhuo asked, not waiting for Ma Baihu's response. He stored the eleventh ghost without sealing it, retrieved a cylindrical object from his pocket, and pulled it open, igniting a bright flame.

The pale expression on Xiao Zhuo's face did not improve with the signal's