“Awwww…” A long, beastly howl echoed across the desolate plain. On this night of a crescend moon and faint stars, the drifting clouds in the sky seemed to transform into the gaping maw of a ferocious wolf.
Walking along the worn ancient road, Qiao San muttered curses under his breath while instinctively tightening his grip on the short knife at his waist. Though he didn’t believe in ghosts or gods, he certainly feared wild beasts!
Damn it! What election meeting? Total nonsense! We’re just ruffians anyway, yet we have to imitate big sects and act all mysterious. Why hold a gathering in this remote, wild area at the city god temple? Idiots!
Sigh… Life’s tough! Even being a ruffian means working from dawn till dusk. What rotten luck!
Liu Mang Town lies east of the sea, south of the distant capital Ao Lai, and west of endless mountains. The only light shining from the northern outskirts is the city god temple on the edge of Liu Mang Town—a lawless area occupied by ruffians and hooligans.
Using a temple as the ruffians’ headquarters! I wonder what the celestial gods would think if they knew?
“Who’s there?!” In the dim night, only a faint figure could be seen. Before Qiao San reached the temple gate, four or five ruffians emerged from the darkness to guard the entrance.
“It’s me, Da Gan San!” Qiao San quickly identified himself, then curiously asked, “Hey brothers, what’s all this commotion about? Is there an operation going on?!”
“Aww… You don’t know? The new county magistrate is coming to Liu Mang Town soon, and the gang leaders are afraid the new official will start with three big initiatives, so they sent us little guys out here to freeze our butts off!”
“Damn! Every new official acts all high and mighty. It won’t take three days before they show their true colors!” Qiao San took down the wine gourd at his waist and took a big swig before passing it to a familiar ruffian, loudly cursing, “All these officials are corrupt bastards, each one stuffing their bellies and getting rich, even worse than us!”
“Ha, ha…” The strong wine and curses against corrupt officials brought hearty laughter from the group.
Qiao San lazily walked into the ruffians’ headquarters—the city god temple. A glance inside made him chuckle in disbelief. The temple enshrined a three-headed Yaksha King, while the original city god statue was now cornered, enduring the disrespectful sitting of several junior ruffians.
Under the guidance of the ruffian scribe, he dipped his hand in ink and then waved it across a white cloth, leaving a palm print to signify his participation in this election of gang leaders.
“Damn! A bunch of pretentious idiots!” As Qiao San stepped out of the temple gate, he couldn’t help but turn back in confusion, still puzzled about why the group was making such a big deal of this year’s gathering.
Could it be related to the new county magistrate coming to Liu Mang Town?
※※※※※※※
“Hmm? Ghost Ji, tell me again, what exactly did you feel at that moment?” Inside the Crystal Palace, the majestic Dragon Mother’s eyes suddenly gleamed with intense light, and her plump peach-like cheeks seemed to tighten slightly.
“Reporting to the Lady, every word Ghost Ji said is true, not a bit exaggerated!” Misinterpreting the Dragon Mother’s serious expression, Ghost Ji knelt on the white jade floor, recalling the scene with great care before narrating it again in detail.
“The ruffian San had just left a brothel. As soon as my little ghost attacked, a powerful energy suddenly erupted from that rogue’s body!”
Recalling this, Ghost Ji’s eyes still showed traces of terror. After shivering slightly, she continued, “That energy was like… fire, yes, just like terrifying flames, but not like ordinary human fire. How to describe it exactly? Due to my low spiritual power, I can’t say for sure, but I remember being instantly surrounded by that energy. If I hadn’t retreated quickly, I would have been utterly destroyed!”
Xiao You also knelt beside her mother. Seeing her mother’s pale face, she couldn’t help but extend her cool jade hand, using her limited ghostly powers to soothe her mother’s fear, “Reporting to the Dragon Mother, everything my mother said is absolutely true. Please, my Lady, see the truth in this!”
“I have no intention of punishing you. Get up!” The Dragon Mother’s extraordinary experience began to churn in her mind, searching her perfect memory for an explanation to this bizarre phenomenon.
Her round, bright eyes closed slightly again. The Dragon Mother had personally seen Qiao the Ruffian San. With her might as the ruler of the water clans, she could certainly confirm that the ruffian was merely a mortal, definitely not a cultivator. But why did he have the Samadhi Fire?
Unless… unless it wasn’t Samadhi Fire at all, but something extremely similar—the Pure Yang Spirit Flame!
Thinking of this, the Dragon Mother’s heart couldn’t help but tremble for a moment. Glancing at the cautious Ghost Ji below the steps and the always calm and elegant Xiao You, the ruler of the Four Seas decisively made up her mind.
“Stay still!” With a wave of her hand, a radiant light as brilliant as a rainbow danced forth from the East Sea Dragon Mother. It paused briefly in midair before directly entering the spirits of Ghost Ji and her daughter from above.
Ghost Ji and her daughter were first startled, then overjoyed. In an instant, Ghost Ji’s injuries were completely gone, and her ghostly powers had even advanced a level, “Thank you for your Lady’s grace! Ghost Ji will serve you with utmost loyalty!”
“Hmm!” The Dragon Mother, sitting in a position of authority, gave a faint smile, her divine beauty flashing a look of satisfaction, “Ghost Ji, remember this: when approaching the ruffian San, as long as you don’t use your ghostly powers, the yang energy within him won’t attack you!”
“Lady, then how can we kill that rogue?” The boost in power erased Ghost Ji’s fear, and her sensual face now showed more confidence.
A flicker of unusual light flashed in the Dragon Mother’s eyes, quickly suppressed by her millennia of spiritual power, “Directly using your ghostly powers won’t kill him. The only way is to destroy his yang energy, making him—willingly accept death!”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage