Tu Hongye's eyes lit up. "Shall we go and intercept them?"

"Fool, you've already given them all away, wouldn't it be embarrassing to go back?"

“I understand. We’ll catch the ghost that the old Taoist priest drove away, and then send it back to him. Ping Datou will definitely think that the old Taoist priest is not very capable, and then he will come to us for help.”

"You! How shameless you are! Is this how I've always taught you? Go stand in the corner and reflect on your actions!"

Xiang Wan was exasperated; how could such a promising Taoist priest end up going astray?

"Master, we don't even have a house, so where would we get walls from?"

Silently shedding a tear of bitterness, Xiang Wan told Tu Hongye to squat on the road where he had encountered Ping Datou, and not to sleep until he saw a ghost.

Tu Hongye was scolded by Xiang Wan, but in the end he still succumbed to her tyranny and silently squatted down in the bushes.

Xiang Wan squatted down under a big tree not far from him, took out the contents of her bundle, and checked them again.

The original owner was truly poor. Not only did he have no money, but he didn't even have a change of underwear. All he had were his shoulders, mouth, compass, and a worn-out peach wood sword.

After being out for so long, didn't you think to change to a better cloth? Can't you see the holes in it that you could fit your finger through?

After venting her frustrations, Xiang Wan began studying the compass.

This compass is very old; the markings on it are no longer very clear, and there is a layer of dark green patina on the outside.

Looking at that peach wood sword again, if it didn't still have its shape, it would probably look no different from a fire poker. It was all black and looked like something that had been stored away for a long time.

Setting those two items aside, Xiang Wan carefully searched through the original owner's memories. The original owner's old Taoist master seemed to have taught him a cultivation method, but because the incantation was rather difficult to pronounce, the original owner only practiced it sporadically, memorizing it but never really studying it properly.

"The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The Great Tao is formless, yet it gives birth to heaven and earth; the Great Tao is without emotion, yet it governs the sun and moon; the Great Tao is impermanent, yet it transforms the sea into mulberry fields..."

After memorizing a long passage of classical Chinese, Xiang Wan had a vague feeling of enlightenment.

He silently recited it again and again in his heart, and his mind gradually became clear. All the noise around him seemed to gradually fade away. After reciting it dozens of times, the rustling of the wind and grass around him, and even the occasional yawn of Tu Hongye, gradually became clear to his ears.

Following the sounds, Xiang Wan seemed to hear insects burrowing and saw birds feeding their chicks in the trees. All the sounds within a hundred meters were clearly audible.

She seemed to have entered a mystical state, unable to resist wanting to hear more and see further. But when her vision and hearing extended beyond a hundred meters, she began to feel a sense of strain.

"Master, we're here!"

Tu Hongye's low voice, however, sounded like a thunderclap to Xiang Wan, who was listening intently, instantly waking her up.

I opened my eyes; it was already midnight. The moon pierced through the thin clouds, casting its light upon the surrounding mountains and forests. Two gusts of wind rustled through the thatch on either side of the road, adding an eerie touch to the atmosphere.

Xiang Wan was startled awake, feeling a bit tired, but her whole body felt refreshed.

Without time to think, she picked up the compass and peach wood sword, got up and headed towards the middle of the road.

Tu Hongye had already stood by the roadside, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

Following his gaze, Xiang Wan roughly estimated the direction from which the ghost had come. She picked up her peach wood sword and struck it against the compass with a clang, the sound of metal clashing echoing around.

"Heaven and earth are boundless, the Supreme One has attained the Dao. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, since you have become a ghost, why do you linger in the mortal realm? If you do not explain yourself clearly today, do not blame this humble Taoist for acting on behalf of Heaven!"