That night, Lu Qingmo tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

  That night, Han was full of energy, his cultivation progressing effortlessly—

  As if guided by divine intervention!

  At dawn, when Han arrived at the martial hall, he immediately noticed Su Chang'an’s grim expression.

  A bad feeling crept into Han’s heart.

  Seeing Han, Su Chang'an’s face eased slightly, though he still wore a bitter smile.

  "Junior Brother, I'm going to have to trouble you again."

  "Uncle and Aunt—are they encountering spirits again?"

  "Yes." Su Chang’an nodded. "Before dawn, my father left home for business matters. But he returned not long after, looking terrified—claiming that I had attacked him again."

  "But I was home when he left. He knows it couldn’t have been me."

  "Now, he's passed out again. My mother is taking care of him."

  "This ghost—it's targeting my father!"

  Su Chang'an's parents were businesspeople who frequently traveled across Heiyun territory.

  This morning, Su’s father hadn’t even left Heiyun Town—he was only running errands within the town. He thought he'd be safe.

  Yet, in a secluded alley, he encountered another “Su Chang’an” and was beaten up once more.

  Hearing Su Chang’an’s account, Han’s eyes darkened.

  “How brazen—attacking people in the middle of town?”

  Wasn’t this a direct provocation against the Ghost Division? Against Aunt Mo, the overseer of this region?

  Unacceptable. Provoking Aunt Mo meant provoking him!

  While anger simmered within Han, he also felt a sense of regret. If only Heiyun Town had a protective ward formation like the county capital…

  Then these evil entities wouldn't be so bold.

  “This isn’t just about your parents,” Han said, recounting similar cases within Heiyun Town.

  "You mean this ghost specifically impersonates people's children to place curses on their families?" Bai Tian interjected.

  "Exactly. Every single case follows the same pattern."

  "I think I've heard of something like this before..." Bai Tian mused, then suddenly recalled, "Yes! During my travels, I once visited a place called Liqiu."

  "The locals there told a legend of a ghost called the 'Liqiu Phantom'—a spirit that disguises itself as people's children, cursing and turning them against their families."

  Han immediately sent a message to Lu Qingmo, relaying this new information.

  "Liqiu Phantom?" Lu Qingmo murmured thoughtfully.

  "This is likely a type of mountain wraith. Most of these creatures are formed from children who were murdered by their own parents and abandoned in the wilderness."

  Silence fell over the group at Lu Qingmo’s words.

  Patricide or filicide—either way, it was a tragedy against the natural order.

  "Aunt Mo, have there been any previous cases where the victims survived the first curse and were targeted again?" Han asked.

  Through their communication device, Lu Qingmo shook her head. "No."

  "The previous victims never lasted beyond the first curse. Multiple deaths caught the authorities' attention, and only then were the cases transferred to the Ghost Division."

  "Your senior brother’s parents are the first known survivors—and the only ones."

  "In that case, this matter is now yours to handle."

  Han accepted the task. Though the ghost was unusual, it likely wasn’t too powerful.

  Ending the call, Han accompanied Su Chang'an to his home to lift the curse on his father.

  Later, as Su Chang’an walked Han out, he hesitated before speaking.

  "Junior Brother, my parents are going out again tonight… I’m leaving them in your hands."

  Han frowned. "Senior Brother, that’s too dangerous for Uncle and Aunt. You don’t have to do this."

  "I’ll find the mountain wraith another way."

  But Su Chang’an’s meaning was clear.

  His parents were the only known survivors. The wraith hadn’t given up on them.

  The best way to end this was obvious—use them as bait.

  Han wouldn’t have suggested it himself. It was their real parents, after all.

  But Su Chang’an had made the choice on his own. It must have been a difficult decision.

  "As long as this wraith exists, who knows how many more families will be torn apart?" Su Chang’an shook his head.

  "This creature has attacked my parents twice already. It must be eliminated."

  "I trust you, Junior Brother. This is just a mountain wraith—there’s no way it can escape you."

  Han was silent for a moment before nodding firmly.

  "I won’t let you down."

  If I fail, I’ll answer for it with my own head.

  Before leaving, Han gave Su Chang’an a protective talisman, instructing him to place it on his parents.

  That night, Han informed Lu Qingmo of his plan before silently taking up position near the Su family home.

  Han didn’t know how Su Chang’an had convinced his parents, but when they left the house, they looked completely at ease—unbothered, fearless.

  The couple departed Heiyun Town and made their way toward a nearby village.

  Han followed closely, using various stealth techniques to ensure he wasn’t detected.

  As the night deepened, a figure suddenly emerged ahead, sprinting toward Su’s parents.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Han saw it immediately—

  Another “Su Chang’an,” identical in every way.

  A mountain wraith!

  Before the creature could reach them, Han moved like a shadow, gripping its shoulder with one hand.

  "Senior Brother, out for a midnight stroll?"

  The mountain wraith turned its head—and its features morphed into the face of Han’s long-deceased father.

  Han smirked and slapped it across the face.

  Trying to shake my resolve?

  The wraith shuddered, tendrils of white mist unraveling as binding threads materialized around its form.

  A sharp wind howled—

  A piercing wail echoed—

  But it didn’t come from the wraith before Han.

  No—another "Su Chang’an" had appeared behind Su’s parents, lunging toward them!

  Yet the couple remained completely unaware, continuing their walk as if nothing was happening.

  Han saw but wasn’t worried.

  Wind stirred, white robes fluttered, and an ethereal beauty descended—

  A ghostly woman with an air of elegance raised a hand, effortlessly sending the second wraith flying.

  "Hah! How dare you act up in front of me, the mighty Immortal King An?" An Lang smirked smugly, chin held high.

  She wasn’t just any ghost anymore.

  Young Master had said she had the bearing of an Immortal King!

  Hmph! The so-called Heavenly Mother Cult Leader was rumored to be the "immortal among spirits," but that still sounded weaker than an Immortal King!

  Just wait—I’ll take you down one day!

  "I was prepared for this," Han said coldly.

  After learning from Lu Qingmo that mountain wraiths sometimes appeared in pairs, Han had suspected there might be more than one.

  Of course, he had planned accordingly.

  The talisman he had given Su Chang’an—was a spirit-sealing artifact.

  An Lang, having absorbed the Netherworld Dew, had undergone her metamorphosis.

  Her strength was on a whole different level now.

  Against a single mountain wraith, there was no chance of failure.

  These creatures couldn’t possibly be on par with a Day-Walker-class ghost. If they were, Han wouldn’t have been able to dispel their curses so easily.

  A true Day-Walker-class spirit could wreak havoc in an entire county.

  It’d be like a billionaire risking execution just to steal a loaf of bread.

  "Enough bragging. Finish it!" Han snapped, interrupting An Lang’s internal monologue.

  An Lang obediently acted, unleashing her power—

  A dull yellow light surged from her fingertips, engulfing the wraith.

  The creature recoiled in terror, desperately struggling, but it was futile.

  With ease, An Lang sealed it away.

  The Power of the Netherworld!

  A force that countered all ghostly beings—

  With this ability, An Lang had surpassed most spirit cultivators.

  While she acted, Han had already subdued the first wraith.

  No mere specter could challenge the master of the Immortal King An.

  As they captured the creatures, their true forms were revealed—

  Twin siblings, identical in every way.

  Han turned to An Lang. "Drop the illusion."

  With a wave of her hand, Su’s parents awoke from their trance.

  "Han?" Su’s father blinked.

  "Yes, it's me," Han replied with a smile before escorting them home.

  They had seen none of what transpired—

  Because An Lang had concealed it all.

  In folklore, ghostly illusions—such as being blinded or trapped by spirits—are not actual Daoist techniques. Once a ghost gains intelligence and cultivates a little, it can easily achieve these effects.

  It is akin to how cultivators use spiritual power—an instinctive ability for ghosts.

  "Young Master, from now on, leave these trivial matters to me."

  An Lang floated in mid-air, hands on her hips, chin lifted arrogantly.

  "After all, I’m no longer just some minor character. In the entire Taibai Martial Hall, when it comes to soul arts, I’m second only to one and above all others."

  "These small tasks? Barely worth my effort."

  "…"

  Han was speechless. Shameless.

  Taibai only has one cultivator—me. Yet, you still found a way to brag about being 'second only to one'?

  With a ghost like you under my command, even someone as reserved as me feels embarrassed.

  Still, An Lang’s words did remind Han of something.

  With her current strength, she probably… maybe… should be capable of handling many minor matters on her own now.

  Han nodded thoughtfully.

  "An An, you actually just gave me a great idea."

  "Starting tomorrow, you’ll report to the Ghost Division to assist in my duties as a Ghost Warden."

  "But don’t neglect your cultivation and incense-making skills. Manage your time wisely."

  An Lang stiffened, her proud stance faltering.

  "Young Master, I was just joking…"

  "It’s fine. I wasn’t."

  "Cultivation, crafting incense, and now official duties? Young Master, I don’t have that much time!"

  Han looked at her seriously.

  "Then reallocate your time. Time is like water in a sponge—squeeze, and you’ll find more."

  "I’m telling you, there’s no time left! My schedule is full!"

  "There is. Think harder. Something in your routine is taking up a lot of your time."

  And with that, the truth hit her like a dagger to the heart. An Lang wanted to cry.

  "Young Master, if I don’t sleep, I’ll die."

  "You’re already dead. Decision’s final."

  Han made his judgment with great satisfaction. Whether he’d get promoted or not depended on how hard she worked.

  Dragging herself behind Han, An Lang’s entire ghostly presence deflated.

  She was so regretful she wanted to stab herself—twice.

  Why did I have to run my mouth?!

  On their way back, Han glanced at the two captured mountain ghosts. After a quick examination, his expression darkened.

  "These two… they’re someone’s spirit servants."

  Like cultivators have their own spiritual domains, ghosts also possess a core called the "Ghost Heart."

  Destroy the Ghost Heart, and the ghost is erased from existence.

  In the Ghost Hearts of these two mountain spirits, a distinct mark had been imprinted—a Servitude Seal. This meant that they were being controlled by a cultivator.

  Which, in turn, meant that it wasn’t just random malicious spirits causing harm.

  "This isn’t some rogue evil ghost—it’s someone committing the crime?" An Lang was startled.

  "It seems that way."

  Han ordered An Lang to return to the ghost residence before hastening to the Peachwood Forest to report to Lu Qingmo.

  "Bold of them," Lu Qingmo’s eyes turned icy. "Trying to exploit the chaos under my nose."

  He retrieved a wisp of the mountain ghosts’ aura, forming hand seals as he chanted an incantation.

  "Whoosh!"

  A plume of white smoke rose, revealing a scene before them.

  A dimly lit room flickered with unsteady candlelight. Inside, a middle-aged man and woman with crazed, sinister expressions looked visibly shaken.

  The smoke dissipated, and Lu Qingmo turned toward a specific direction.

  "They’re still lingering in town."

  "What’s their strength?"

  "Ordinary. Even An Lang could handle them."

  "Then let’s have her go after one." Han summoned An Lang.

  An Lang looked utterly defeated.

  So I’m already being sent on missions, huh?

  "Fine."

  Lu Qingmo handed her the wooden frog Han had once used.

  Though her face was full of despair, An Lang carried out her task without hesitation, immediately flying off.

  She might complain, but she knew what was important.

  After all, this is just another tactic in my campaign to win favor.

  Han, too, projected his spirit outward, soaring into the night under Lu Qingmo’s guidance.

  Bathed in moonlight, he drifted freely through the vast sky.

  The silver glow surrounding his ethereal form had grown incredibly dense—an indication that his cultivation in the Night Wandering realm had reached an advanced stage.

  Before long, he spotted a middle-aged man fleeing in a panic.

  The man sensed Han as well. His face twisted in terror, and without hesitation, he bolted even faster.

  Han cast an Illusory Dream technique.

  The man collapsed instantly, his body twitching weakly, powerless to move.

  Han was stunned. That was too easy…

  "Whoosh!"

  Han descended, summoning his vitality to subdue the man.

  "Let me go! Why are you capturing me?!"

  The man struggled, but his resistance was laughably weak.

  "Using spirit servants to harm others, and you still ask why?" Han’s expression remained cold as he dragged the man back to Peachwood Forest.

  Not long after, An Lang returned as well—prisoner in tow.

  "This is weird," An Lang muttered as soon as she landed. "This woman was absurdly weak. She didn’t put up a fight at all."

  Wait, am I actually this strong?

  "My target was the same," Han confirmed.

  Lu Qingmo immediately extracted their souls.

  What they saw left Han and An Lang puzzled.

  The souls of the two captives were incredibly faint—dull, nearly transparent, radiating an overwhelming sense of weakness.

  And the moment they were exposed, they trembled violently, as if on the verge of shattering.

  "Yin Domain," Lu Qingmo said. An Lang quickly reinforced them with her own domain, stabilizing their souls.

  "These kinds of souls… can they even project themselves?" Han was incredulous.

  With such a weak foundation, how had they reached this level of cultivation?

  "They’re false cultivators, elevated by a sinister empowerment technique," Lu Qingmo explained.

  "True empowerment involves transferring one’s own cultivation to another—weakening oneself for the benefit of another."

  "But these dark techniques work differently. They implant a tiny sliver of power into the target, which then devours their essence, growing into something independent."

  "These people likely encountered an evil cultivator."

  "The result?" Lu Qingmo continued. "They appear to have gained power, but in truth, they won’t live past three years. Their so-called abilities are nothing more than the energy stored within that implanted seed."

  "Each time they use a technique, it drains them further, accelerating their demise."

  "In the end, they are not cultivators—the seed is. Their role is simply to sacrifice their life force to sustain it."

  "No wonder they’re so weak." Han felt a chill run through him.

  "These techniques are traps—designed by evil cultivators to lure in desperate people, turning them into disposable pawns."

  "They think they’ve found a great opportunity, but in reality, they’ve stepped onto a dead-end path."

  "To the evil cultivators, these people are nothing more than resources to be discarded at will."

  Just like…

  Wait, no—wrong analogy.

  But still, beware of evil cultivators.

  Never fall for their scams.