In the evening, at the Tianyue Tavern.

  Lu Qingmo declined Ye Chong's invitation to dinner, opting instead for the three of them to handle it themselves.

  Although Tianyue Tavern had ties to the government and the costs would eventually be billed, it was still a choice they made.

  “The Huang family, indeed, is one of the prominent families in Tianyue County, with significant influence.”

  After Han inquired about the Huang family, Lu Qingmo gave him an explanation.

  “This family has powerful warriors at the Xisui realm and masters at the Xiansheng realm, making them one of the dominant forces in Tianyue County.”

  “The Huang family and the Yuan family are the two most powerful families in the region. Apart from them, there are four martial arts schools, one Buddhist temple, and two Taoist temples in Tianyue County, not to mention the county’s own Taoist temple.”

  “By the way, the Buddhist temple used to be the Great Thunder Temple in Heiyun Town.”

  The name rang a bell for Han.

  “The situation here is much more complicated than in Heiyun Town, with more powerful individuals.”

  When it comes to soul cultivation, after the Riyou stage, one enters the Xiansheng stage.

  If the soul at the Riyou stage can initially resist and fight against martial artists, effectively repelling yang-based energy, then the Xiansheng cultivator can face a martial artist directly without much difference.

  At this stage, soul cultivation becomes substantial, almost as if one has gained another “body.”

  “The Huang family, besides their own strength, has another unique skill that’s famous in all surrounding counties—ghost control.”

  “They are the most proficient family in the region when it comes to controlling and raising ghosts.”

  Han’s expression stiffened.

  The Huang family—ghost control? This sounded so familiar.

  “Hey, Junior Brother, wasn’t the person who harmed you before also surnamed Huang? Doesn’t he practice ghost control?”

  Han nodded. “Yes, Huang Shiren also practiced ghost control.”

  “Whether he’s from the Huang family, we don’t know,” Lu Qingmo shook his head. “His soul couldn’t be preserved.”

  “Afterward, the Ghost God Bureau investigated Huang Shiren, but they couldn’t find any information about him before he settled in Heiyun Town.”

  “They did find that, during his time in Heiyun Town, he secretly amassed wealth by any means. He was a greedy person.”

  “You’re not the only one who fell victim to him. Others also had their wealth, properties, and land taken by him.”

  Han’s house, while not large, was in a great location and quite valuable.

  Given the house’s value, Han could be considered the most knowledgeable, especially since in his previous life...

  Huang Shiren was just a cultivator at the Guanxiang realm, and an old man at that. His greed and lust were perfectly normal.

  The house in the prosperous area wasn’t a hut, and Han, being alone and vulnerable, was truly unlucky to have caught this person’s eye.

  If Han hadn’t transmigrated here, Huang Shiren might still have been using all sorts of means to accumulate wealth.

  “Do you think Huang Shiren could be related to the Huang family?” Bai Ruoyue mumbled.

  “Let’s hope not.”

  Han said this aloud, but his mind was racing.

  The same surname, ghost control, soul materials...

  Could it really be just a coincidence?

  After dinner, the three of them returned to the Ghost God Bureau to rest.

  However, a small incident occurred during this time.

  “Ruoyue, you’ve gone the wrong way. That’s your room over there,” Lu Qingmo called out to Bai Ruoyue, who was about to enter the room next to hers, pointing instead to a room far from hers.

  There was only one shared hallway with two rooms connected.

  “Huh?” Bai Ruoyue froze. “Aren’t I supposed to stay with Aunt Mo? Junior Brother should be in that room.”

  “Ahem.” Han spoke up. “This is actually my room. I’ll be staying next to Aunt Mo.”

  It’s you who should be leaving, Bai Ruoyue!

  “That’s right.” Lu Qingmo nodded. “He can’t stay over there. I need to help him with something tonight...”

  Bai Ruoyue looked at Han, then at Lu Qingmo. Her cheeks puffed up, and before Lu Qingmo could finish speaking, she huffed off in anger.

  “I shouldn’t have come!”

  “Zhou, I misjudged you. I shouldn’t have introduced you to Aunt Mo!”

  Bang!

  Bai Ruoyue slammed the door to express her frustration.

  Lu Qingmo glanced at Han, who gave an innocent look in return.

  “You’re the one who needs to explain to her,” Lu Qingmo said, then entered her room.

  Han knocked on Bai Ruoyue’s door. “Senior Sister, open up! It’s me, Junior Brother!”

  “Go away.”

  “If you don’t open, I’ll just come in!”

  “Don’t!”

  If you say don’t, that means do. Han simply “broke down the door.”

  It wasn’t a big deal; Han was staying next door only because Lu Qingmo needed to cover up any sounds during his cultivation.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Han’s soul left his body, absorbing vital energy, and his good friend, the Vital Energy Demon, arrived as promised, bringing warmth with him.

  Han reciprocated the kindness, and the Vital Energy Demon was so happy that he didn’t want to leave. When it was time to go, he insisted on giving Han a gift.

  After Han repeatedly declined, he finally had to accept the gift with tears in his eyes.

  The gift was a split body—such a gesture made Han feel deeply moved.

  Indeed, even for demons, if you offer them true sincerity, they will return it in kind.

  Han asked his good friend to come again next time. The good friend agreed, but added that it would bring along other smaller companions. If he did that, he wouldn’t come back due to physical weakness.

  It was just too enjoyable here. Once was enough; he couldn’t handle more.

  Han couldn’t help but sigh again—true feelings exist even in the demon world!

  After refining the gift from his good friend, Han felt his soul tremble, as if some change had occurred.

  Looking out through the window, the faint moonlight actually had an alluring pull on him, making him feel an urge to step out into it. Though, this feeling wasn’t very strong yet.

  A weak urge to embrace the moonlight—Han had entered the later stages of soul departure!

  Han was overjoyed. Having reached this stage, he was very close to achieving the Night Travel realm.

  “Aunt Mo, are you watching?”

  “...”

  Lu Qingmo was silent. Asking such questions only made it seem like she was some kind of voyeur.

  “Aunt Mo, I’ve reached the later stages of soul departure!” Han excitedly shared his progress with Lu Qingmo.

  “That’s great,” Lu Qingmo finally responded.

  “Given your speed, in a few days, you’ll be able to try refining moonlight and begin your spiritual travel.”

  Lu Qingmo recalled Han’s advancement to the soul departure realm, falling into silence again.

  In less than twenty days, he was about to break through to another major realm.

  Such news, if it got out, would be embarrassing for countless cultivators.

  But Han was cultivating so quickly without any soul resources. Could there be a problem?

  Especially since Han had even brought the Vital Energy Demon—would there be any hidden dangers?

  As these thoughts crossed her mind, Lu Qingmo couldn’t help but feel concerned.

  “Come over here. Let me check your condition.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  Han’s soul returned, and he walked into Lu Qingmo’s room.

  Unbeknownst to them, everything had been seen by a pair of bright eyes from the third room.

  The teeth were grinding in anger.

  Damn it!

  Lu Qingmo gave Han a thorough check-up, even using Taoist techniques from Xuandu Temple. The conclusion was:

  This body, this soul, was perfect—there was absolutely no problem. The vitality was strong, and the soul power was thriving.

  Late evening, at Tianyue Restaurant.

  Lu Qingmo declined Ye Chong's invitation to a feast, choosing instead to have a quiet meal with Han and the others.

  Although Tianyue Restaurant has ties to the local government, the arrangement is simple—they settle the bill by account.

  "Ah, the Huang family? They are indeed one of the major families in Tianyue County, with significant influence," Lu Qingmo explained to Han after he inquired about the Huang family.

  "This family has powerful martial artists at the Bone Cleansing stage and Daoists at the Manifestation stage, making them one of the county's overlords."

  "The Huang and Yuan families are the strongest in Tianyue County, and aside from them, there are four martial arts schools, one Buddhist temple, and two Taoist temples—this doesn't even include the county's own temple."

  "By the way, the Buddhist temple used to be the Great Thunderstorm Temple in Black Cloud Town."

  Han recognized the name immediately.

  "This place is much more complicated than Black Cloud Town, and there are more powerful individuals here," Lu Qingmo continued.

  "The Soul Path, after reaching the Sun Walk stage, leads into the Manifestation stage. If a soul cultivator at the Sun Walk stage can resist the force of masculine Qi and blood, then those at the Manifestation stage can stand on equal footing with martial artists in direct confrontation."

  "At this level, the soul is as tangible as a second physical body, almost as though they possess another 'flesh'."

  "The Huang family, aside from their strength, also has a special technique—Ghost Taming."

  "They are the most skilled in taming and raising spirits among the nearby counties."

  Han froze. Ghost Taming? This sounded eerily familiar.

  "Wait, Senior Brother, the person who harmed you before, didn't they also have the surname Huang and practice Ghost Taming?"

  Han nodded, "Yes, Huang Shiren also knew Ghost Taming."

  "We can't confirm whether he's related to the Huang family," Lu Qingmo shook his head. "After all, his soul was never preserved."

  "Ghost and Spirit Division did investigate Huang Shiren, but they found no prior records of him before he settled in Black Cloud Town."

  "They only discovered that, during his time in Black Cloud Town, he accumulated wealth through various unscrupulous methods. He was quite greedy."

  "You weren't the only one he targeted. Many others also lost their wealth—land, houses, and property all taken from them."

  Han's house may not have been large, but its location was valuable. He could certainly speak to its worth, considering his past life...

  Huang Shiren was a cultivator at the Visualization stage, and his greed and lust for wealth were quite normal for someone of his age.

  In a prosperous area, his house wasn't a hut, so Han, being alone and vulnerable, was an easy target. If Han hadn't transmigrated, Huang Shiren would probably still be continuing his shady dealings.

  "Do you think Huang Shiren could be related to this Huang family?" Bai Ruoyue muttered.

  "I hope not."

  Han said this aloud, but his mind was racing.

  The same surname, Ghost Taming, soul materials...

  Could this really just be a coincidence?

  After the meal, the three returned to the Ghost and Spirit Division to rest, though a small incident occurred along the way.

  "Ruoyue, you've gone the wrong way. Your room is the other one," Lu Qingmo stopped Bai Ruoyue, pointing to a room quite a distance from her own.

  There were only two rooms connected in this area.

  "Ah?" Bai Ruoyue looked confused. "Aren't I supposed to stay with Aunt Mo? Senior Brother should stay there, right?"

  "Cough, cough." Han intervened, "Actually, this is my room. I'm staying next door to Aunt Mo."

  "You're the one who should leave, Ruoyue!"

  "That's right," Lu Qingmo nodded. "He can't stay there, I have to help him with his..."

  Bai Ruoyue looked between Han and Lu Qingmo, her face puffed up, and before Lu Qingmo could finish, she stormed off.

  "I shouldn't have come!"

  "Zhou, I misjudged you, I shouldn't have introduced you to Aunt Mo!"

  "Bang!"

  Bai Ruoyue slammed the door shut to express her frustration.

  Lu Qingmo gave Han a look, and Han returned with an innocent expression.

  "You explain things to Ruoyue," Lu Qingmo said, entering her room.

  Han knocked on Bai Ruoyue's door, "Senior Sister, open the door, it's your little brother!"

  "Go away!"

  "If you don't open it, I'll come in myself!"

  "Don't!"

  If she says no, that means yes. Han just "broke the door" and entered.

  It wasn’t a big deal. Han was just staying next door because Lu Qingmo needed to cover up any noise from his cultivation.

  Han's soul left his body, absorbing Qi. The Qi Demon, his good buddy, arrived on time to deliver warmth.

  Han treated his buddy generously, and the Qi Demon was reluctant to leave. Before leaving, it insisted on giving Han a gift.

  Han repeatedly declined but finally had to accept it, tears in his eyes.

  "Body splitting as a gift," he thought, overwhelmed.

  Indeed, even the demons of the world would return "true feelings" if you gave them sincerity.

  He told the Qi Demon to come again next time, but it promised only if it didn’t bring its little friends, as its body was too weak.

  "This place is too enjoyable, one visit is enough, anymore and I can’t handle it."

  Han couldn’t help but reflect again, "True feelings exist even between demons!"

  After refining the Qi Demon's gift, Han felt his soul vibrate. Something seemed to have changed.

  Looking through the window at the faint moonlight, he felt a strange pull. He almost had the impulse to step out under the moon, though it wasn’t overwhelming yet.

  Feeling the urge to be under the moonlight—this was the late stage of Soul Separation!

  Han was elated. Having reached this stage, he was very close to the Night Walk stage.

  "Aunt Mo, are you watching?"

  "..."

  Lu Qingmo was silent. Asking such a question made her seem like a voyeur.

  "Aunt Mo, I'm at the late stage of Soul Separation!" Han shared his joy with her.

  "Good," Lu Qingmo finally responded.

  "With your speed of cultivation, you'll be able to try refining moonlight and start astral travel in a few days."

  Lu Qingmo paused and recalled how quickly Han had progressed since his advancement to the Soul Separation stage. Less than twenty days to break through a major stage—news like that would shame countless cultivators.

  But Han was cultivating so fast without any soul resources. Could this be a problem?

  Especially since Han had even attracted the Qi Demon, wasn’t there a hidden risk?

  Thinking of this, Lu Qingmo felt some concern.

  "Come here, let me check on you."

  "Okay."

  Han's soul returned to his body, and he headed to Lu Qingmo’s room.

  Meanwhile, neither of them realized that all of this had been witnessed by a pair of bright eyes in the third room.

  Grinding teeth.

  Damn it!

  Lu Qingmo performed a thorough check on Han, even using Taoist techniques, and the conclusion was clear:

  "This body and soul are excellent! No problems at all—strong Qi and vibrant soul power."