Chapter Twenty: The Official Confrontation

I hurriedly dodged to the side, and the skeletal figure’s blade sliced through the air. Gu Chengguang saw this, frowned, and flipped his palm. Instantly, a furious roar erupted behind me. Whipping around, I saw a towering phantom of a skeleton looming at my back, its withered hands reaching out to grab me. I released the black fish, which struck the giant skeleton and sent it flying with a tremendous crash, cracking the wall and knocking loose several tiles. After that blow, the huge skeleton vanished, and I could distinctly feel the building tremble.

But as I prepared to turn, a wicked blade, cold and sinister, thrust toward me. I dodged, but not quickly enough—the blade pierced my shoulder. Pain shot through me and I bent over, groaning. The white fish, guardian of its master, burst forth, its body radiating a dazzling white light. A shrill scream came from the skeleton, which vanished instantly. Half-kneeling, I gasped for breath, sweat soaking my back and chilling me.

Gu Chengguang laughed boisterously, saying, “Boy, any last words? Speak them before you die.”

Clutching the bloody wound on my shoulder, I stood up, gritting my teeth, and stared at Gu Chengguang. “I want you dead,” I said.

With those words, I tore the jade pendant from my neck, merging the black fish and white fish together, letting them attach to the pendant. The jade seemed reborn, erupting with a brilliant golden light. As the golden radiance spread, the surrounding evil energy shrieked in agony, chilling and eerie. Gu Chengguang was clearly affected—he looked strained, clutching his chest and speaking slowly, “What… what is that? Such power! Could it be…? Impossible, absolutely impossible. The Yangming Jade hasn’t appeared for ages. How could a mere child like you control it?”

I straightened, still biting back the pain, and replied, “Old man, nothing is impossible in this world. Today, let’s see who survives—me or you.”

“No! No! Impossible! The Yangming Jade is the Lin family’s heirloom. Its owner can only be the current head of the Lin family. That girl just now called you Lin Xuan… Lin Xuan? Are you really from the Lin family?” Gu Chengguang’s words faltered, even he seemed to doubt himself.

I didn’t answer, my gaze fixed on him.

He read the answer in my eyes, and his face changed as if struck by lightning. He muttered, “How could this happen? I planned everything so well—how could a Lin family member appear out of nowhere? Didn’t the Lin family announce their withdrawal from the world?”

But before he could finish, his expression twisted again, and he laughed maniacally, continuing, “Ha! A Lin family member! If I kill one, my name will be renowned across the supernatural circles. The Lin family has always been a powerful clan. Now I’ve encountered one, and you possess the Yangming Jade! I must kill you today—the Yangming Jade will be mine! Hahaha!”

His malevolent laughter grew more frenzied. I frowned tightly, the pain in my shoulder lessening, perhaps thanks to the Yangming Jade. Staring at him, I said, “Gu Chengguang, stop being stubborn. Surrender now, renounce your evil arts, and I’ll spare your life.”

“Spare me? Spare me? Hahaha, how ridiculous! I need no one’s pity—especially from self-righteous types like you. You think the Yangming Jade makes you untouchable? Absurd! Evil spirit, appear!” Gu Chengguang roared, seeming completely deranged.

I was stunned. Evil spirit? What on earth was that? Before I could think further, Gu Chengguang shouted, and a gray demon-headed bronze cauldron appeared in the room. Luckily, the space was large enough. He cut his arm and dripped blood into the cauldron, which immediately stirred. After a moment, a fierce ghost wielding a steel fork flew out. Standing behind it, Gu Chengguang laughed, “Boy, you’re dead! This is an evil spirit I refined from the Realm of Asura Ghosts. Even high-ranking officials can’t handle it. Even with the Yangming Jade, your power is limited. The jade can’t unleash its full might. Let’s see how you fight me—hand over the Yangming Jade!”

Hearing this, my head throbbed. Annoyed, I thought, “How does an evil sorcerer have so many tricks? My master never gave me much—just a few talismans and the black and white fish. What use are they?”

After his laughter, Gu Chengguang glanced at the evil spirit and pointed at me, commanding, “Take his life.”

The evil spirit nodded silently and charged at me, raising its steel fork for a deadly thrust. I repeated my earlier tactic, suspending the Bagua diagram formed by the Yangming Jade in front of me. With a clang, the steel fork and the Bagua diagram collided, neither harmed. Gu Chengguang, seeing this from behind, grew furious and shouted, “Evil spirit, what are you doing? Are you starving? Kill him!”

Hearing the command, the evil spirit lifted its head and roared, stabbing again with the steel fork. The Bagua diagram was equally tough, showing no signs of damage. After several failed attacks, the spirit grew impatient, frustrated both by Gu Chengguang’s commands and its inability to hurt me.

Standing behind the Bagua diagram, I watched the spirit’s every move and suddenly smiled coldly, whispering, “This is my chance. Supreme Star of the Platform, drive out evil and bind spirits, scatter souls and shatter ghosts—Bagua Slash, go!”

No sooner had I spoken than countless golden swords appeared behind me, their tips aimed at the evil spirit’s head. I shouted, “Fall!”

The sound of swords whistling through the air filled my ears. The evil spirit barely had time to react before a golden sword pierced its chest. Righteous energy exploded, spreading outward. Caught off guard, the spirit dropped to its knees, head bowed. Under my control, the rest of the swords plunged into its head, their righteous energy surging and blasting Gu Chengguang against the wall. The evil spirit, overwhelmed by the multiple bursts of golden energy, roared and collapsed, vanishing.

Relieved, I withdrew the remaining swords, picked one up, and strode toward Gu Chengguang. “Gu Chengguang, it’s time you paid for your evil deeds,” I declared.

With that, I hurled the golden sword at him, its tip aimed at his brow. Just as it was about to pierce his head, there was a metallic clang. Gu Chengguang had blocked it with a compass, holding it to his brow. The sword struck the compass, and Gu Chengguang slowly stood, panting. “I’ll remember you, Lin family member, Lin Xuan. I may not kill you today, but someday I’ll cut your throat myself. We’ll see.”

He then pried a small black object from the compass and tossed it to the floor. Instantly, black smoke billowed up. I frowned and shouted, “Trying to escape? Stop right there!”

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I rushed forward, but was still a step too late—Gu Chengguang had vanished from the room. Walking to the window, I looked down to see him drifting away atop an evil cloud, glancing back at me. Annoyed, I thumped the glass, sighed, and sat on a nearby stool, calling out, “Everyone, come out—it’s safe now.”

The bathroom door quickly opened, and Zhong Ming peeked out cautiously. Seeing Gu Chengguang gone, he carried Zhong Yan out, followed by the others. After placing Zhong Yan on the bed, Zhong Ming turned, only to freeze in surprise, as did Zhang Yinqiu and Chu Mengxi.

Zhong Ming pointed around the room, asking, “What… Lin Xuan, what just happened? Where’s that evil sorcerer?”

I exhaled deeply and replied, “He escaped, but he’s badly wounded. He won’t return anytime soon. The battle was too fierce—I didn’t have time to worry about anything else.”

I glanced around. The room was littered with broken glass, the walls cracked, and the lights flickered as if about to go out.

Zhong Ming sighed, looked at Zhong Yan, and said, “As long as she’s safe, the rest are small matters. I’ll handle them myself. You’ve helped us enough—thank you, young man.”

His face reddened with embarrassment. I knew that for an adult to thank a teenager was hard to swallow, so I didn’t press the issue, simply murmured my assent, and stood to approach Zhong Yan. Wrapping my hand in a blanket, I placed it on her lower abdomen, then checked her limbs. After these steps, I tucked her in and turned to Zhong Ming and Zhang Yinqiu. “Her condition has improved a lot—maybe the pendant helped. Her Yang energy is returning, so don’t worry. She’ll wake up in a few days. Since everything’s fine, I’ll take my leave. As for damages to the room, Uncle Zhong, you’ll have to handle that.”

Squeezing past them, I headed for the door, saying as I went, “I can’t afford to pay for this—better to make a quick exit!”

Leaving the room, I was nearing the stairs when someone tapped my shoulder. Startled, I clutched my wounded shoulder and frowned, turning to see Chu Mengxi grinning behind me. “Hey, you’re just going to run off like that? You still owe me hotpot.”

I blinked, then smiled, “I remember, but I can’t treat you today. It’s late—I need to hurry home or my master will be angry.”

Chu Mengxi noticed my grimacing and asked anxiously, “What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Is it serious? Let me see.”

She reached for my hand, but I stepped back, saying, “It’s fine, really—much better now.”

Still, she insisted, trying to see the wound. I kept dodging, and she grew annoyed, hands on her hips. “You… you’re just stubborn and suffering for pride! I don’t care anymore, hmph!” She strode toward the elevator, then looked back, “Come on, why are you standing there? Do you want me to drag you?”

Flushing, I muttered, “I’ll take the stairs—good exercise.”

She sighed, rolled her eyes, and walked over. “Fine, I’ll walk with you. Elevators aren’t that great, just convenient. The stairs are good for the legs.”

I laughed, and she joined in. Nodding, I headed for the stairs. From the twentieth floor down to the lobby, Chu Mengxi walked with me the whole way, and I couldn’t help feeling something indescribable inside. We walked shoulder to shoulder out of the Intercontinental Hotel. At the entrance, I glanced back, took a deep breath, and said, “Who’d have thought my first supernatural case would be in a hotel like this?”

Chu Mengxi sighed, “Let’s hope Zhong Yan wakes up soon.”

I nodded. She said, “Let’s go, Lin Xuan, don’t dwell on it.”

I nodded again. I walked her home, then hailed a cab for myself. On the way, I reflected that her home was quite close to mine—maybe I’d visit often, heh!

...

I paid the fare, unlocked the door, and reached for the sensor. Suddenly, the door opened from inside. Startled, I saw my master waiting for me. Embarrassed, I greeted him. He didn’t comment on my appearance, but leaned in, sniffing my shoulder. “Why do you smell like perfume—and a hint of blood? Were you with that Chu girl all day?”

I didn’t know how to answer, so I just nodded. He chuckled, “Not bad, kid—learning to woo girls already, just like me in my youth. But why the blood? You weren’t up to something behind my back, were you?”

I waved my hands, explaining, “No, no—I had a nosebleed this afternoon. Maybe it’s the dry weather lately.”

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My master eyed me suspiciously but didn’t press further, nodding as we walked inside. As soon as we entered the living room, a wave of heat coursed through my right arm. Alarmed, I looked around and saw a talisman on the table, exuding ghostly energy. I asked, “Master, there’s a ghost in there.”

“I know. Just caught it—she’s a female ghost, too. Bold one, flying around near People’s Square. She carried heavy resentment, so I captured her,” he replied.

I froze, realizing I hadn’t seen Yuner at Zhong Ming’s or on the way home. Could my master have caught her? Anxious, I asked, “Master, what did she look like? Please tell me.”

He was baffled, “What, you want to seduce even a ghost?”

I rolled my eyes, “Master, be serious.”

He laughed and nodded, “Red dress, heavy resentment, but I sensed she hadn’t killed anyone. That’s strange—why such strong resentment without blood on her hands? And she looked quite innocent.”

After his explanation, I slapped my forehead and moved to release Yuner from the talisman. But my master stopped me, “What are you doing?”

“Master, you caught the wrong ghost—her name is Yuner. Today I…” I trailed off, realizing what I was about to reveal, and quickly covered my mouth.

He eyed me, “I knew you were up to something behind my back—said you went out with Chu, but you slipped. With a flick, he dimmed the talisman’s spell, and ghostly energy surged out, Yuner hiding behind me.

I didn’t know what to say, so I hung my head. Surprisingly, my master didn’t scold me, but sat on the sofa and said, “Tell me what happened today.”

I nodded and recounted everything. He listened intently, then exclaimed, “Evil sorcerer? Gu Chengguang? That name sounds familiar… wait, let me think. Ah, getting old—memory’s not what it was.”

After a while, he brightened, “I remember now—an elder of the Laoshan Daoist sect. No wonder he could summon an evil spirit. I say, kid, you’ve got guts—taking a commission behind my back is one thing, but with your half-baked skills, you dared to challenge a Laoshan elder?”

I lowered my head and muttered, “I didn’t know he was so powerful—I already fought him, what’s the point of talking now?”

He leaned closer, “What did you say? Louder—I can’t hear.”

I shook my head. He rolled his eyes, “Still, I have to praise you. I appreciate your style of helping ordinary people—it’s why I taught you my principles. But one thing: why didn’t you use my name? If you had, Gu Chengguang wouldn’t have dared touch you.”

He grew unserious again. I glanced at Yuner and nodded, sitting on the sofa. “I didn’t think of it at the time. But the Yangming Jade really is powerful—I sense it holds many sealed abilities. Master, do you have a way to unlock them for me? If I take more commissions, I won’t be short of weapons.”

He pondered, then replied, “I can’t unlock the sealed powers in the Yangming Jade—you must do it yourself. Like you said, you somehow used a new technique—Bagua Slash. The jade won’t grant you new abilities on its own, only as you comprehend them. The time and place of comprehension varies—like martial arts masters who suddenly gain insight anywhere: in dreams, while eating, bathing. These small moments are surprisingly beneficial. The rest you’ll have to discover yourself.”

I listened carefully, but when he said I had to figure it out alone, my joy faded. I nodded and added, “Master, at least give me a handy weapon. I can’t keep fighting empty-handed—aren’t you worried?”

He tapped my head, “I’ll find something for you in a few days. It’s nearly eleven—go to bed. School tomorrow. And don’t skip classes unless it’s serious—your grandparents will want me to atone for it. By the way, did you get paid for this commission? Remember, we aren’t saints—we need to eat. Helping others is good, but don’t forget yourself. Don’t work for free.”

I rolled my eyes, “I think so. Zhong Ming said he’d pay whatever it takes. We’ll see. Master, don’t always think about money. Look around—so wealthy, yet still worried about cash.”

He tapped me again, and I protested, glaring at him. He replied, “What are you looking at? I’ll tap you if I want. If helping is always free, everyone in the supernatural world would starve…”

He launched into a lecture, and I nearly nodded off beside him. Even Yuner’s soul began to fade, which made me wonder—do ghosts need to rest too?

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