When the group drove to a residential building a kilometer away, they could already feel that the entire community was shrouded in an unusual shadow.

"Don't come any closer!" Qi Huaijin instructed, then ran into the residential area while forming hand seals. "Yu Ze!"

"Here!" The male ghost inside the wrench floated out.

"Within the six directions and the four seas," Qi Huaijin chanted as he affixed a yellow talisman to Yu Ze's back. "The demon has vanished, but a single talisman can track it! Go!"

Yu Ze transformed into a beam of white light and flew towards a building in the residential area.

Qi Huaijin immediately ran to catch up.

Gu Qingqiu felt nauseous from being shaken and floated out of the obsidian bracelet.

Upon seeing this, Qi Huaijin shouted, "What are you doing out here? Go back now!"

Gu Qingqiu refused, saying, "How can I let you risk your life alone?"

“I can protect myself, and Yuze can protect me too. You’re the only thing that distracts me.” A rare hint of anxiety appeared on Qi Huaijin’s usually calm expression.

"I'm very strong! You have to believe me!" Gu Qingqiu was, after all, the daughter of the famous King Chujiang. From birth, her ghostly power was extraordinary. Her abilities were far superior to those of ordinary little ghosts.

Seeing that he couldn't persuade Gu Qingqiu, Qi Huaijin could only distract himself and stick another white talisman on her back.

When the two arrived at the white light, Yuze was already locked in a fierce battle with a burly man.

"He's still a mortal, don't kill him." Qi Huaijin set up a protective barrier to prevent innocent people from being harmed.

Yu Ze's ghostly figure looked somewhat ethereal. "My lord, this guy seems to be able to absorb my ghostly power!"

Upon hearing this, Qi Huaijin's expression also turned serious. The man's eyes were bloodshot, the veins on his neck were bulging, and the muscles in his limbs were tense. He looked like a half-human, half-ghost.

"Stop! If this continues, your mortal body won't be able to withstand it and you'll explode and die." Qi Huaijin threw a few talismans at the man, but the man paused for two seconds and then launched another attack on Yu Ze.

Yu Ze had switched from offense to defense. "My lord! I can't hold on any longer!"

Qi Huaijin set up a barrier on the spot, "Come back!"

Yu Ze gritted his teeth, his expression a mixture of anger and shame, but he still obediently turned into white smoke and drifted back into the wrench.

Seeing his target disappear, the man immediately turned his attack on Qi Huaijin, but Gu Qingqiu stopped him when he tried to attack Qi Huaijin.

As if enraged, the man roared and launched an even more ferocious attack on Gu Qingqiu.

Qi Huaijin's eyelids trembled restlessly, and Gu Qingqiu quickly called out, "Don't worry about me! I can manage!"

But the man clearly knew that Qi Huaijin was the main target of the attack, and tried his best to avoid Gu Qingqiu's obstruction and attack Qi Huaijin.

The man's body was overflowing with ghostly power, which spread indiscriminately and launched attacks everywhere. Gu Qingqiu could only stop the man from getting close to Qi Huaijin, but she could not stop the overflowing ghostly power.

"Click." Gu Qingqiu's heart jumped into her throat when she heard the sound of cracks appearing in the barrier.

Qi Huaijin had regained his composure, his mantra continuing, "Supreme Star Platform, respond without ceasing, wisdom clear and pure, mind at peace..."

Just then, the man roared and once again unleashed his ghostly power to violently attack, shattering the barrier.

Qi Huaijin did not open his eyes, but the beads of sweat dripping from his forehead and his accelerated speech revealed the urgency of the situation. "May your three souls be forever secure, and your spirit never be lost or devastated! So be it!"

Seeing that the man was about to injure Qi Huaijin, Gu Qingqiu couldn't just stand by and do nothing. She floated in front of Qi Huaijin and took the blow for him.

"Ah!" The man's blow sent Gu Qingqiu flying against the wall behind her, making her feel as if her body had fallen apart.

But before Gu Qingqiu could recover, she immediately got up and used her ghostly power to fight the man who wanted to attack Qi Huaijin again.

Although Gu Qingqiu possessed profound ghostly power, she could indeed sense that the man could eerily drain her ghostly power, making her feel increasingly weak the more she fought.

At this moment, Qi Huaijin's incantation came to an end: "The Tao follows nature, the universe is boundless, command!"

The man seemed to be enveloped in a golden light, letting out a wail. A moment later, a burst of black energy poured out of the man's mouth, and the man collapsed heavily to the ground as if his soul had been drained from his body.

Gu Qingqiu breathed a sigh of relief, but little did she know that the black aura was full of resentment and knew that it was no match for Qi Huaijin. It actually rushed towards Gu Qingqiu's brow, who was already exhausted.

Neither Gu Qingqiu nor Qi Huaijin had anticipated this turn of events. The white talisman on Gu Qingqiu's back shattered, and she uncontrollably coughed up a mouthful of black blood.

The black energy was now at its last gasp and was collected by Qi Huaijin into a Qiankun bag covered with incantations.

After doing all this, Qi Huaijin quickly turned around and said urgently, "Gu Qingqiu!"

Gu Qingqiu knew that the matter had been settled and felt relieved. She gave Qi Huaijin a reassuring smile, then her legs gave way and she fainted.

Qi Huaijin quickly stepped forward to catch Gu Qingqiu, a rare look of guilt on his face. He should have been the one to bear the blow from the black energy, but Gu Qingqiu had actually taken it for him. He shouldn't have brought Gu Qingqiu to such a dangerous place.

Seeing the pained expression on the little ghost's usually smiling face, Qi Huaijin felt a pang of sympathy and, without a second thought, put the little ghost into the wooden pendant hanging around her neck.

...

Gu Qingqiu felt her consciousness was hazy, but it seemed that she was in a cool and comfortable environment, and her injuries didn't seem to hurt anymore.

After an unknown amount of time, Gu Qingqiu slowly woke up. In front of her was what looked like a hand on a table and a book. Wait... where is this?

"Awake?" This time, Qi Huaijin's voice was exceptionally close. Gu Qingqiu could even feel the resonance in her chest. She floated out of the pendant, only to find herself no longer in the incense shop.

"Where is this?" Gu Qingqiu looked around.

Qi Huaijin took a sip of tea and replied, "My study."

"Huh?" Gu Qingqiu was a little shocked. This man used to not even let her into the house, but now he's letting her into the study?

No, wait! If she's been in that wooden tag on Qi Huaijin's chest for the past few days while she's been unconscious, then wouldn't that mean... Qi Huaijin has been with her even while he's bathing and sleeping?

Seeing the little ghost girl's pale face flush, Qi Huaijin coughed awkwardly twice. "How are you feeling?"

"Ah..." Gu Qingqiu took a moment to feel it and was somewhat surprised to find that she no longer felt any discomfort.

Qi Huaijin explained, "This wooden plaque was left by my master. It has the function of nourishing the ghost's body and restoring its ghostly power."

"...You didn't let Yuze in too, did you?" Gu Qingqiu's expression turned somewhat strange as she thought of Yuze's condition that day.

“No,” Qi Huaijin explained, “the shop has other recuperation containers.”

"Am I the first ghost to enter this wooden sign?" Gu Qingqiu suddenly became happy.

“…Yes.” Qi Huaijin admitted, “It’s to express my gratitude for your rescue and assistance.”

"That's it?" Gu Qingqiu said with a smile, "Master Qi, shouldn't we repay a life-saving debt tenfold? How about you repay me with your body?"