Midnight Spirit Shop opened as usual at midnight. Five days had passed, and the remaining evil spirits in Jiangdu had been largely eliminated.
Yu Daochen was lying in his rocking chair, resting with his eyes closed, when the sound of footsteps approached from outside the shop.
Yu Daochen squinted and glanced: My little money god is back?
I'm back, Sect Leader. Zhou Fu walked in from outside the door.
Hearing Yu Daochen call him that, Zhou Fu felt a bit embarrassed but said nothing. After all, the Grand Elder had said that whatever the Sect Leader said, he would do.
Yu Daochen examined Zhou Fu carefully. Although he was still dark, he looked much stronger than before.
Why do you look even darker, kid? Did Old Su put you to hard labor? Yu Daochen teased.
Zhou Fu nodded: For the past half month, besides teaching me combat skills, Master Su has also been teaching me some skills of a corpse retriever.
Upon hearing this, Yu Daochen wondered if that cunning old man Su was trying to poach his talent.
Little Zhou, don't just run off with him because Old Su gives you a little benefit, Yu Daochen joked.
Zhou Fu looked serious and said solemnly: Sect Leader, rest assured, I am a member of the sect in life and a ghost of the sect in death.
Seeing Zhou Fu's serious expression, Yu Daochen felt amused and exasperated. Why was this kid so stubborn? He was just joking with him.
Alas, I told you not to be so serious, you need to learn to be flexible.
Whatever the Sect Leader wants me to learn, I will learn, Zhou Fu said earnestly.
Yu Daochen was a bit helpless. It seemed his words were in vain; how could this guy be flexible?
Excuse me, is Master Yu here? As the two were chatting, a woman's voice came from outside the shop.
Yu Daochen looked outside and saw a middle-aged woman around forty and a young man, just over eighteen, standing at the entrance.
Yu Daochen smiled broadly: As expected of my little money god, my business arrives with you.
Yu Daochen walked forward and said, I am. Please, both of you, come in and sit down.
Yu Daochen led the two to sit at the tea table. The woman's expression was grim, and the young man beside her lowered his head, afraid to look at her.
The woman sized up Yu Daochen, slightly surprised. Could this handsome young man be Master Yu from the old street?
Are you Master Yu? the middle-aged woman couldn't help but ask.
Yu Daochen nodded: That's right, I am the owner of this Midnight Spirit Shop. How can I help you?
The middle-aged woman sighed and looked at the young man beside her: Hurry up and tell Master what you've done.
The young man looked up, his face pale, his breath shallow.
Yu Daochen saw black tendrils coiling around the young man's forehead and frowned. This was a sign of being entangled by a ghost.
Zhou Fu, standing nearby, also noticed something amiss and glanced at Yu Daochen.
Yu Daochen nodded, signaling that Zhou Fu's guess was correct.
Seeing that the young man was still unwilling to speak, the middle-aged woman cursed: You're still not willing to talk, are you? How did Li Lao Er's son die, don't you know?
I'll handle this myself, you don't need to worry about it. The young man's voice was very low, lacking confidence.
The middle-aged woman became even angrier upon hearing this: Tell me how you'll handle it. Li Lao Er's son and Zhang San's son are both dead, and now only you are left. Do you want to die too?
The young man retorted stubbornly: If I die, I die. I'm not afraid.
As soon as the young man finished speaking, the middle-aged woman raised her hand and slapped him.
Slap!
With a crisp sound, the middle-aged woman used considerable force. The young man clutched his reddened cheek, tears streaming down uncontrollably.
The middle-aged woman rebuked: Are you trying to anger me to death?
Seeing this, Yu Daochen quickly intervened: Madam, please don't get agitated. Let's discuss this calmly.
The middle-aged woman sighed, looking anxious: Master Yu, you don't know, but my good-for-nothing son went out to play with two friends from the village. They didn't return all night. The next morning, one of the friends he went out with died that very night, and the other died last night. Their deaths were too bizarre. The elders in the village say they angered something unclean, and it's come to claim their lives.
The middle-aged woman was on the verge of tears as she spoke. They only had this one son; what would happen if he died?
Yu Daochen glanced at the young man with his head bowed and shallow breathing: Madam, please calm down. First, tell me what happened.
The middle-aged woman looked at the young man with his head bowed: You're still not willing to talk, are you?
The young man, covering his red cheek, still refused to speak.
Yu Daochen looked at the black energy on the young man's forehead: What kind of ghost did you encounter when you went out that day? You should know that the ghost won't let you go unless you die. Furthermore, I can guarantee you'll be dead within three days.
Upon hearing Yu Daochen's words, the young man recalled the events of that day and became frightened: Master, I beg you, you must subdue that ghost.
Yu Daochen felt helpless. After all, he was just a young kid who had barely turned eighteen. Although he said he wasn't afraid of death, he was just putting on a brave face.