I Am Not a Master - Chapter 74

The Fortune-Borrowing Ghost didn’t expect this Long-haired Woman to be quite formidable, and more importantly, she seemed to have a screw loose!

Unlike other ghosts, the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost wasn’t adept at offensive spells; instead, he excelled at beguiling the human heart. Under his enchantment, no human could resist. Most humans were greedy, lustful, and obsessed with fame and power, making them easy targets for his manipulation.

This time, he used the same method to deal with the Long-haired Woman. His skill in beguiling was top-notch, capable of uncovering the deepest desires within a human’s heart. Once ensnared, they would become his captive, at his mercy, to be devoured and reduced to nothing more than remnants within him.

What he didn’t expect was the vastness of this Long-haired Woman’s heart! Her greatest desire was to possess mountains of gold, silver, and Ghost Money, filling the entire hospital room. It was the first time he’d seen so much gold and paper money, the room nearly bursting at the seams, leaving barely any space to stand…

Ha, she was truly greedy. He had never encountered a human as insatiable as this Long-haired Woman.

Of course, this was actually beneficial. Those things looked no different from real gold and Ghost Money, but in reality, they were illusions created by his Resentment Energy. Once touched, his resentment would seize the opportunity to invade the person’s body, allowing him to consume their Fortune and claim their life!

Just like that old fellow surnamed Tao, whose greatest fear was his son dying before him. Seeing his son lying silently on the hospital bed, he collapsed in despair, giving the ghost a chance to strike. He was about to completely consume the old man’s Fortune tonight, but unexpectedly, someone came to thwart his plans.

However, he didn’t take it seriously. Could he not handle a shameless, greedy human?

Hidden in the shadows, he watched as the Long-haired Woman’s eyes widened like saucers, her mouth babbling with excitement, greed, and stupidity he knew all too well. Her eyes even showed red veins, as if she couldn’t believe her luck, and she lunged at the gold and Ghost Money…

Happy now, are you? Just wait, soon you’ll be crying!

Watching the Long-haired Woman roll around in the pile of gold and jewels, he chuckled sinisterly. With a thought, the gold and jewels she clutched transformed into black smoke and entered her body. Once a mere human was invaded, she wouldn’t live to see the morning!

But what he didn’t expect was that the black smoke, formed from the gold and silver, circled around the Long-haired Woman, wrapping around her fingers, yet unable to penetrate her body, as if blocked by an invisible glass barrier, leaving him puzzled.

…What was going on?

This was impossible; he had never failed before!

While he was still bewildered, the Long-haired Woman noticed that her room full of gold and silver had turned into black smoke, disappearing wherever she touched. Her eyes widened in rage, her pale face looking ominous and terrifying.

It was as if she had fallen from heaven straight into the eighteenth level of hell!

This ghost was truly formidable, using such a method against her. If her heart weren’t strong enough, if she hadn’t been tormented by Goddamn Heaven to the point of numbness, she might have collapsed on the spot, losing her mind.

She turned her head, glaring sinisterly at “Tao Dad,” and said with a menacing tone, “Where did the gold and silver go?”

“…???”

“Speak, did you hide them?”

“…???”

“Hurry up and hand them over!”

“…!!!”

What was with this robbery tone?

Then he was chased all around, being pursued for gold and silver. What gold and silver did he have? Weren’t those all illusions he created? This Long-haired Woman wasn’t even beguiled by him, yet she was chasing him for gold and silver. Was she toying with him?

Thinking this, he dared not entangle with her further because he finally recalled what Ge Hong had said. Ge Hong mentioned that there was a formidable woman surnamed Gu in City A. Even those Face Ghosts he couldn’t handle were no match for her. If he accidentally encountered her, he should retreat immediately and avoid provoking her at all costs.

The Fortune-Borrowing Ghost, having roamed the world for decades, had never feared a woman. He naturally didn’t take it to heart, even thinking Ge Hong was not only a coward but also underestimated him.

Now he finally thought otherwise because this Long-haired Woman indeed had some skills. Not only was she not beguiled by him, but she also demanded money from him? Realizing the danger, he knew he had encountered a tough opponent. Moreover, he wasn’t skilled in close combat. Seeing that even his best ability had failed, he decisively turned and fled!

Gu Feiyin naturally gave chase, slapping Zhuang awake from his dream. She stepped on him and said, “Chase him for me!”

Zhuang, who had just dreamt of turning the tables and tormenting the Long Black Straight Hair to his heart’s content, was abruptly awakened by a slap. Reality hit him hard, reminding him he was still under the Long Black Straight Hair’s foot… Damn, that Fortune-Borrowing Ghost dared to play him?! He must be dealt with!

Tao Lizhi was not in a good state either. His greatest dream now was for his dad to wake up soon and be healthy. So when he blinked and saw his dad sitting at the bedside with a smile, saying to him, “Xiao Zhi, you’ve worked hard.”

He was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes. He wanted to say that he wasn’t tired at all, as long as his dad was okay, what did a little hardship matter? He called the doctor over to check on his dad. Right, he also needed to quickly tell the family that dad had woken up! His mom would definitely be very happy. In the past few days, she had lost weight and her mental state wasn’t good because of his dad’s condition. He was worried that before his dad woke up, his mom might collapse.

“Dad, you finally woke up. You don’t know how worried mom and I were!”

“I’m fine, sorry for worrying you.”

“Dad, it’s good that you’re awake. Mom, grandpa, and I invited many doctors and Masters, but nothing worked. We didn’t know what to do. Luckily, I invited…” Who did he invite?

…Right, he seemed to have invited Miss Long Hair from under the overpass to help. She said his dad’s life was at risk because he was possessed by a Fortune-Borrowing Ghost. But why wasn’t she here now? Where did the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost go?

Tao Lizhi felt that something was off about everything in front of him, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what. It was as if he had forgotten something. He looked at his dad, who was sitting at the bedside with a rosy complexion, smiling at him-no, no, no, his dad had been lying in bed for days, unable to eat, only sustaining on liquid food and IVs. Even if he was better now, he couldn’t recover so quickly-he should be frail and weak.

As soon as he thought this, he saw his dad’s rosy cheeks quickly lose their luster, turning into a dull, lifeless face. His eyes were sunken, his cheeks pale, and he looked so weak as if he might die the next second.

Tao Lizhi took a step back abruptly, his eyes filled with shock!

No, this wasn’t his dad!

…

When Tao Lizhi came to his senses, Gu Feiyin had already stepped on Zhuang and chased the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost out. When Tao Lizhi woke up, he saw the empty hospital room and was startled. He ran out and saw his cousin Bi Heng clutching his stomach with a pained expression, looking terrified and flustered.

He hurried over and asked urgently, “Bi Heng-Ge, why are you here? Did you see my dad just now?”

Bi Heng looked at Tao Lizhi and, seeing that he seemed uninjured, breathed a sigh of relief: “What happened? I just saw Uncle running past. He looked strange, and there was a weird Long-haired Woman chasing him…” He had seen her before and even clearly remembered her name was Gu Feiyin. He never thought he would encounter her again.

Tao Lizhi grabbed Bi Heng and interrupted him: “Which direction did they run?”

Bi Heng pointed in a direction, and Tao Lizhi said, “Let’s hurry and chase them!”

Bi Heng was completely bewildered. He hadn’t recovered from the shock of the strange uncle and the Long-haired Woman. Clutching the amulet for peace around his neck, he followed Tao Lizhi, asking, “What on earth is going on?”

Only then did Bi Heng learn from Tao Lizhi that Tao Dad was also possessed by a Fortune-Borrowing Ghost. As for the Long-haired Woman, she was the person Tao Lizhi had invited to help, and she was the one who discovered the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost hidden in Tao Dad’s body. Unfortunately, the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost used some trick to confuse him, and when he woke up, there was no one in the room, not even his dad.

Upon hearing this, Bi Heng suddenly remembered the time he and Jiang Long mistook the Long-haired Woman for a ghost. He was also shocked by her dramatic entrance just now. Thinking about it now, although Gu Feiyin looked a bit scary and had a sinister aura that was hard to approach, her heart was good. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have saved people several times.

Hopefully, she could save Tao Dad this time too.

…

At this moment, the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost was being chased relentlessly. He hadn’t expected this Long-haired Woman to be so persistent, sticking to him like a leech. He couldn’t shake her off. Unfortunately, he was still possessing someone else’s body, so he couldn’t float away. He could only tiptoe and hop frantically, but the Long-haired Woman was different. She was flying fast, stepping on the chirping monster, and was about to catch up with him!

The Fortune-Borrowing Ghost didn’t want to be caught; that would be too embarrassing.

His pitch-black eyes rolled, and he suddenly remembered that there were several Ghost Houses near the overpass not far from here, with many ghosts there. He heard there were hundreds, but he wasn’t sure. Ge Hong had sent him to City A only a few days ago and hadn’t said much about the Ghost Houses, only instructing him to quickly seize the Tao Family’s Fortune and return to him after consuming it, avoiding unnecessary complications.

Ge Hong, wanting to avoid suspicion and unnecessary attention, had secretly left after sending him to Tao Dad at the hotel.

So, the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost had been in City A for a few days, lying in Tao Dad’s body, absorbing his Fortune. His understanding of City A was limited to what Ge Hong had told him, and he knew nothing more.

But this information was enough for him. The Ghost Houses near the overpass became his temporary refuge! If he hid there, they were all ghosts; surely they wouldn’t leave him to die? No, he should say that as fellow ghosts, none would like such a sinister and capable ghost-catching human. Even if the ghosts in the Ghost Houses didn’t help him, he could still stir up trouble and give that Long-haired Woman some problems.

The Fortune-Borrowing Ghost didn’t say a word and immediately hopped towards the riverbank.

He hopped along the river, and from a distance, he could see the old overpass and the faint outlines of rooftops under the moonlight beside it.

The Fortune-Borrowing Ghost was overjoyed and shouted in a coarse, sharp voice, “Oh no, oh no, someone’s coming to kill ghosts!”

“Everyone run, that person kills ghosts indiscriminately. I saw her kill several of my companions with my own eyes!”

“Help-help!”

“Someone’s coming to kill ghosts, ahhh!!”

The voice was harsh and grating. The Ghost Lady leaned by the window, poked her head out, and saw a human in a hospital gown hopping towards her. Her gray-white eyes were fierce and vicious: “Who’s coming to kill ghosts?”

The Fortune-Borrowing Ghost said, “It’s a Long-haired Woman, she’s chasing after me!”

Quite a few little ghosts heard the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost’s cries and poked their heads out from the houses. Although over a hundred had gone to support the disaster area, there were still a dozen or so left behind. Someone had to guard the place, right? Especially since the Water Ghost had also popped his head out of the river, looking excited: Who’s so bold? Daring to cause trouble on Long Black Straight Hair’s turf? He was really looking forward to it!

Seeing so many little ghosts here, the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost got excited and rattled off a long string of words about how vicious and evil the Long-haired Woman was, trying to get their attention, hoping they’d be angry enough to kill the Long-haired Woman immediately! Who wouldn’t know how to sow discord?

“Who dares to come kill us? We have Benevolent Ghost Certificates, even the Special Unit recognizes us. What right does she have to kill us?”

“Exactly, don’t talk nonsense. We’re not only benevolent ghosts but also have legal residence permits. Who dares to kill us?”

“Look at you, how did a ghost like you take over a human body? Did you do something bad and that’s why you’re being hunted?”

“This old guy clearly has bad intentions. If there really was such a powerful human, killing one ghost after another, if you really cared about us, you should find another place to hide. Why bring danger here?”

“…”

These little ghosts chattered non-stop, showing no sign of panic or fear, leaving the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost dumbfounded. This wasn’t going according to his plan. Shouldn’t they be outraged, asking who was coming to kill ghosts, and then go together to take down that human? Why were they doubting him instead?

The Fortune-Borrowing Ghost said, “What I’m saying is true. We’re the same kind. In this world, there’s no place for us ghosts. People shout to kill us on sight. The lucky ones end up in the eighteenth level of hell, suffering endlessly. The less fortunate ones are scattered souls, never to be reborn. It’s so hard for us ghosts to survive. Shouldn’t we unite?”

“I’m here to give you a heads-up for your own good. Would I lie to you? You really should be careful. As they say, different paths cannot be walked together. Don’t be fooled by humans for a little gain!”

The Fortune-Borrowing Ghost understood human nature well, and sure enough, his words made the little ghosts start to doubt and panic, “If someone really is coming to kill us indiscriminately, what should we do?”

“No way, that’s too scary. I don’t want to die.”

“Quick, go notify the landlord, get the landlord over here.”

Hearing the mention of the landlord, the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost was delighted, thinking that a landlord capable of commanding so many ghosts must be formidable, possibly a century-old Malevolent Ghost. Dealing with that Long-haired Woman would be a piece of cake, right? It seemed he had come to the right place.

Just as he was secretly pleased, someone shouted, “The landlord is here! The landlord is here!”

The Fortune-Borrowing Ghost was thrilled, “Where?”

A little ghost pointed behind him, “Over there!”

The Fortune-Borrowing Ghost turned around happily and saw the Long-haired Woman floating over on the chirping monster, her long hair swaying in the cold wind, looking no different from a ghost.

Her eyes were fixed on him, as if he were her prey.

“…Huh? Who’s the landlord?” Where’s the landlord? Where’s the promised landlord? How did the Long-haired Woman catch up?!

“Right in front of you, don’t you know our landlord Long Black Straight Hair?”

“…What?!”

The Fortune-Borrowing Ghost was dumbfounded. In the next moment, the Long-haired Woman raised her arm and shouted, “Catch that Fortune-Borrowing Ghost for me, and whoever catches him gets a month’s free rent!”

Fortune-Borrowing Ghost: “…???!!!”

He was bewildered for a moment, and the little ghosts went wild. So it was a Fortune-Borrowing Ghost, and he had the misfortune to offend their landlord. This was a great opportunity to get a month’s free rent. Who would pass up on that?

Quick, go!

…

The Water Ghost and Zhuang once again witnessed the insidious cunning of Long Black Straight Hair. Not only was she stingy, vicious, and greedy, but she was also adept at winning over the hearts of ghosts. Just look, with just one sentence, she had so many little ghosts working for her, twenty or so little ghosts chasing after the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost, all pouncing on him, pinning him down so he couldn’t escape.

At this moment, the Long Black Straight Hair woman finally strolled over, moving unhurriedly. She stretched out her sharp claws and yanked the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost out of the old man’s body in one swift motion, holding it up and weighing it in her hand. Honestly, it felt pretty heavy-clearly, it had eaten its fill.

The Fortune-Borrowing Ghost let out a piercing wail, howling loudly, “Let me go! Let me go! You ungrateful creatures, how dare you collude with humans to catch your own kind? Are you even ghosts anymore?”

“Shut up! Don’t be disrespectful in front of the landlord!”

“And who are you to judge whether or not we’re ghosts? Even if we are, we’re the kind that don’t hurt people-good ghosts. Nothing like you.”

“Exactly! You even tried to trick us into harming people. Good thing we didn’t listen to you, or our Benevolent Ghost Certificates would’ve been revoked!”

“……”

The little ghosts gathered around the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost, chattering and gossiping endlessly. Their words left the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost dizzy and furious, wishing it could devour every last one of these little ghosts!

And as the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost was pulled away, Tao Dad slowly regained consciousness. As he woke, a bone-deep chill seeped through him, as though he were lying in a world of ice and snow. His whole body shivered uncontrollably, and he was utterly exhausted, as if he’d just run several kilometers.

Groggily, he opened his eyes, only to see several strange, grotesque things floating above his forehead. Each one was bloodless and stiff, twisted and broken, missing arms or legs, drifting up and down in the air.

Worse still, right in front of him stood a Long-haired Woman, holding a shadowy, black figure in her hand. That shadow had a cold, sinister look, with huge, rolling eyes that wept bloody tears, which dripped down and landed on his face. Its round head spun in a full circle, 360 degrees, looking chilling and terrifying…

Tao Dad was dumbstruck. He blinked, wondering if he’d slept too long and started hallucinating.

Yes, that had to be it-a hallucination, a dream! Otherwise, whose head could spin all the way around like that?

While he was busy hypnotizing himself, he saw the Long-haired Woman bare her teeth in a grin, her gaze greedy and vicious. She gripped the dark figure in one hand, and with the other, she tore its limbs off-alive and with brutal force!

She could tear off limbs with her bare hands?!

Not only did she tear them off, but she handed them out to the surrounding ghostly shadows without a care, her tone airy and calm: “You’ve worked hard. Take these and share them.”

The Fortune-Borrowing Ghost, now left with only its torso and head, let out a shrill, desperate scream. The bloody tears in its eyes flowed even more fiercely, dripping onto Tao Dad’s face with a wet plop. He could almost smell the thick, iron scent of blood, making him want to gag uncontrollably!

The little ghosts, having received the arms and legs, were beside themselves with excitement. In no time at all, they’d eaten every last bit, smacking their lips in satisfaction, savoring the taste as if they’d just feasted on delicacies.

“Wow, this is the first time I’ve tasted such delicious arms. It’s really good.”

“Thank you, landlord. If it weren’t for you, I’d never get to eat something this tasty.”

“Who’d have thought a Fortune-Borrowing Ghost would taste so good? Is it because its soul has been nourished by Fortune?”

“So delicious! I want more!”

They all lowered their heads in unison, eyeing the ragged Fortune-Borrowing Ghost with greedy longing. The ghost was now furious but dared not speak, its face streaked with bloody tears. Inwardly, it cursed its own stupidity for wandering into a den of thieves. This Long-haired Woman was truly formidable-she’d managed to subdue so many wild and wandering ghosts to do her bidding, even more impressive than Ge Hong.

The Long-haired Woman said, “You can’t eat this one just yet. When I’ve finished my business, I’ll share some with you.”

That was fine; they could wait and eat it later.

Watching this, Tao Dad trembled all over with terror. He realized he must have run into something strange tonight. Maybe he really was going to die here!

He didn’t dare move, didn’t dare speak-he barely dared to breathe, terrified the ghosts would notice him and dismember him just as they had the ghost, eating him piece by piece.

He really didn’t want to die, not now. He hadn’t traveled the world with his wife, his bratty son still wasn’t grown. How could he die here?

Nervous and afraid, his teeth chattered as he shivered uncontrollably. Just then, the Long-haired Woman holding half a body suddenly lowered her head, her eyes gleaming with excitement and coldness as she stared at him. She curled her lips into a sinister smile, making her seem even more eerie: “Hehe, you’re awake.”

Tao Dad: “……!!!”

No, he wasn’t awake. He hadn’t seen anything, didn’t know anything…

The Long-haired Woman waved her hand, “Take him away.”

Tao Dad felt himself lifted off the ground as several cold, stiff hands grabbed his limbs, hoisting him up and floating slowly away. He forced his neck to turn, glancing at the excited, eager faces of the little ghosts. Out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to see a row of tall, neat houses standing under the shadowy moonlight, looking as insubstantial as a mirage.

A woman in her forties or fifties leaned against a window, her bluish-pale face staring straight at him. When she saw him look over, her bloody eyes bulged, and she flashed a cold, chilling grin, as if she were about to rush over and bite through his neck. The sight made Tao Dad’s scalp tingle and his heart quiver. He couldn’t hold back any longer-he squeezed his eyes shut and fainted dead away. This was it. He was really going to die here. Sorry, wife and son…

Gu Feiyin instructed the little ghosts to send the child back to the hospital. Now that the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost had been caught, it couldn’t harm anyone anymore. The child just needed proper care, and there was nothing else to worry about.

Her mind was still focused on the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost. “Tell me, where did you hide all those treasures?”

The Fortune-Borrowing Ghost was on the verge of tears, feeling both wronged and stifled, angry but afraid to show it. “I-I don’t have any treasures.” What treasures could he possibly have? Wasn’t it all because of her own greed and imagination?

Gu Feiyin stared at him for a while: “None?”

For some reason, the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost sensed an even more sinister threat in the voice of the Long-haired Woman. He shrank his neck: “No, none at all. It’s all just my trickery, it’s a lie…”

Gu Feiyin: “…??!!”

It was like a bolt from the blue, as if five million had fallen from the sky. She thought she was about to rise to fame and fortune, only to be told it was all fake?!

With a dark expression, she pressed the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost down and gave him a beating, making him cry out for his parents, yet it couldn’t alleviate the pain of her shattered dream of becoming a billionaire. If it weren’t for Tao Lizhi asking her earlier about the origins of the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost, she might have just devoured him!

Zhuang was trembling in a corner, not daring to make a sound, let alone the Water Ghost, who had been scared out of his wits upon witnessing the brutal scene of the Long Black Straight Hair splitting ghosts. He hid at the bottom of the river, blowing bubbles, and lit a candle for his dark and hopeless ghostly existence. It seemed he had no future in this life (crying).

…

Meanwhile, Tao Lizhi and Bi Heng were chasing after Tao Dad and Gu Feiyin. Though they hadn’t caught up with them, they were heading towards the riverbank. The two ran breathlessly, and as they reached the riverbank, they saw Tao Dad floating back in the air.

He was really flying, without any support around him, drifting from afar like a corpse. If they didn’t know what Tao Dad looked like now, they might have been scared to death.

Tao Lizhi: “…”

Bi Heng: “…”

The two groups met unexpectedly.

Despite the bizarre scene, Tao Lizhi suppressed his panic, stepped forward, and tentatively asked, “Is it the Old Lady and Jumping Sister?”

Bi Heng looked at Tao Lizhi in confusion. What was this kid talking about?

Unfortunately, the Old Lady and Jumpy were supporting the disaster area at the moment, and the little ghosts carrying Tao Dad weren’t them. But they did know the Old Lady and Jumpy, and this kid looked familiar. During the New Year, he often came with a small backpack to burn incense and Paper Money, saying it was for the Old Lady, Jumpy, and Sister Long Hair, which made them envious for quite a while.

He had been coming frequently these days, saying his dad was in trouble and he needed Sister Long Hair’s help. But at that time, the landlord and Jumpy Old Lady were supporting the disaster area, so no one was there to help. They did take a look, but there were so many Taoists that they were scared away before entering.

Seeing Tao Lizhi again now felt familiar, and they immediately floated Tao Dad up and down as a nod.

Tao Lizhi was delighted: “It’s really you! Thank you for saving my dad. Where’s Sister Long Hair? Did she catch that Fortune-Borrowing Ghost?”

Tao Dad floated up and down twice more, making Tao Lizhi even happier. He stepped forward to touch his dad, finding his dad’s temperature and breathing normal, and sighed in relief, saying, “These Fortune-Borrowing Ghosts are too much. They harmed me before and now want to harm my dad! Where’s Sister? I want to find her.”

The little ghosts grabbed one of Tao Dad’s arms and pointed towards the riverbank. Tao Dad shivered in his sleep, and Tao Lizhi happily thanked them before telling Bi Heng, “Cousin, please take my dad back to the hospital first. I’ll go find Sister and see what that Fortune-Borrowing Ghost is all about.”

Bi Heng: “…?!!”

The unconscious Tao Dad: “…”

There was no choice. Although Bi Heng wanted to go along, it seemed Tao Lizhi was familiar with them, and Tao Dad indeed needed care. In this cold weather, wearing pajamas outside for so long, even if he didn’t die, he’d shed his skin. Bi Heng could only take Tao Dad back to the hospital first.

Tao Lizhi ran towards the riverbank, and soon enough, he saw the Long-haired Woman standing there with a cold expression, looking extremely unfriendly. She stood with her back to him, her long black hair blowing wildly, her face hidden in the gray darkness, indistinct.

For some reason, Tao Lizhi sensed a feeling of hopelessness in life from this eerie, dark silhouette.

The Long-haired Woman turned around, her eyes half-covered by her hair, and said softly, “You want to know what this Fortune-Borrowing Ghost is all about?”

Tao Lizhi nodded timidly, “Sister, thank you for helping me again and saving my dad. Thank you. I will definitely honor you on the first and fifteenth of each month, burning Paper Money for you.”

The Long-haired Woman lifted her head, her mood slightly improved. Though her billionaire dream was shattered, she could accumulate little by little. She grinned, revealing a gap in her teeth: “Alright, hehe.”

Tao Lizhi: “…”

…

Tao Dad was sent to the hospital, and after emergency treatment, he regained consciousness. However, upon seeing the normal doctors and the hospital room, he said in a daze, “I think I just had a dream?”

Bi Heng asked, “What did you dream about?”

Tao Dad thought for a moment and said, “I dreamed there were a bunch of little ghosts by the river, and they were dividing up a Little Ghost, tearing off its limbs…” Just saying it made him shiver, “It was a dream, yes, I was dreaming. I’m fine now, right? There’s no such thing as ghosts in this world, hahaha…”

Bi Heng: “…” He’s scared out of his wits, just like I was back then.

Bi Heng thought that this might actually be true. It’s said that people near death often see ghosts. Tao Dad had been lying in bed for so long, with a Fortune-Borrowing Ghost having taken much of his energy, so seeing ghosts was normal. So, what he saw by the river might indeed be real.

However, Bi Heng couldn’t just reveal this to Tao Dad, otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to recover properly. After saying a few words in agreement with Tao Dad, he watched as Tao Dad took his medicine and fell asleep again with the IV drip.

When Tao Lizhi returned to the hospital, it was already morning. Bi Heng had been waiting for him and immediately approached him, asking, “How did it go? Did you see her?”

Tao Lizhi nodded and said he did, then went to check on his dad. Seeing that his dad’s pale face had finally regained some color, he breathed a sigh of relief. Sister Long Hair was right; once the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost was caught, the person would be fine, though it would take some time to recover, just like he did before, so it wasn’t a big problem.

Bi Heng asked, “So where is she now?”

“She’s…” Tao Lizhi, being cautious, protectively said, “Why are you asking? Even though she’s a ghost, she’s kind and good-hearted. Don’t think of her as an outsider and try to capture her!”

Bi Heng rolled his eyes and said, “I’ve met her once. Come to think of it, she saved my life. I just want to thank her. What are you thinking?”

“Oh?” Tao Lizhi still suspiciously waited for Bi Heng, “Then I need to ask Sister. If she says she wants to see you, I’ll take you to her.”

Bi Heng: “…”

Bi Heng said, “By the way, did you find out who’s targeting you and your father?”

Tao Lizhi paused, nodded, and said, “Yes, once my dad wakes up, we’ll clean house.”

Bi Heng’s expression turned serious, “Who is it?”

Tao Lizhi said, “Second Uncle.”

Bi Heng was incredulous, “How could it be him?”

Even Tao Lizhi himself hadn’t expected that the one truly trying to harm them was his Second Uncle’s family. His Second Uncle, in collusion with a Taoist named Ge Hong, wanted to steal his and his dad’s Fortune for their own use. This way, he could rise to power and gain most of the Tao Family’s assets. Back when his dad was sick and hospitalized, his Second Uncle even helped arrange for several Monks and Taoists to perform rituals, acting all worried, but it turned out to be a facade.

In the end, it was all about money. Why resort to fratricide?

As for Ge Hong, who knows what kind of person he is? Since he can borrow Fortune and even command ghosts to do so, he must be a formidable figure. If they don’t find him, there could be endless trouble.

Tao Lizhi sat by the bedside, feeling a bit sad. If his dad knew it was his own brother trying to harm him, he would probably be even more heartbroken.

Luckily, he had the Old Lady, Jumping Sister, and Sister Long Hair, or else his family would have been doomed.

Thinking about this, he felt quite happy. Once his dad was discharged, he planned to burn some Gold Ingots as offerings, and maybe some clothes too, because he noticed Sister Long Hair always wore the same outfit. He wondered if ghosts never changed their clothes.

That night, Old Man Wang, while getting up to use the bathroom, glanced towards the river. He had a feeling he heard a very sorrowful and haunting cry, but wasn’t sure if he was mistaken.