Xiang Wan, who had been woken up by her apprentice, stood with her youngest apprentice in front of the red-clad female ghost. The scene was incredibly eerie.

Since the female ghost had already seen her and Tu Hongye, separated only by a wall, there was no time to hide. She could pass through walls; her and her little apprentice's tricks wouldn't even be enough for the female ghost to flick her finger.

Since the female ghost has said she won't hurt anyone, why not take a gamble!

Sometimes, Xiang Wan can be quite adventurous, provided that she intuitively feels that the other party will not harm her.

"Your little apprentice is quite interesting."

The female ghost saw Tu Hongye and circled him several times, seemingly quite interested.

“Amitabha, if the female benefactor has taken a fancy to my little disciple, please forgive this humble Taoist for being unable to part with him.”

Xiang Wan answered seriously, which only made the female ghost laugh.

"Hehe, such a young Taoist priest, not very skilled, but quite protective of his own? I'm quite interested in you. How about giving me a ride?"

"No, my master is afraid of women."

The young apprentice quickly refused, and Xiang Wan silently gave him an approving look.

It's already remarkable that she wasn't afraid of this ghost. Xiang Wan couldn't even imagine herself being treated like a slave if she had her by her side. It was much more comfortable with her little apprentice; she could tease her occasionally and alleviate the loneliness of the long journey.

"Hey, you're a Taoist priest, right? Not a monk, so what are you afraid of? Besides, would I even look at you? You're skin and bones, and you haven't even grown any hair yet..."

"Therefore, please return to where you came from. Humans and ghosts are ultimately on different paths. This humble Taoist is willing to erase the traces of your presence in this human world and settle this karmic debt."

The female ghost became increasingly incoherent as she spoke, so Xiang Wan had no choice but to interrupt her to put an end to her obsession.

As for her name, how many years she had been here, and why she was trapped here, Xiang Wan had no interest in knowing.

There's a magic array underneath, which is beyond the comprehension of someone with her level of cultivation, and it wasn't something she destroyed. The best course of action is to let it dissipate as it was broken.

There is an unwritten rule among Taoist priests: any place that has been enchanted cannot be altered or damaged by other Taoist priests without authorization; doing so is considered a provocation.

The person who set up this formation may no longer be alive, but he should have descendants or successors who would not allow other Taoists to insult their ancestors.

Xiang Wan accidentally witnessed the female ghost breaking free of the formation, and other Taoist priests might come to investigate soon. As long as everything is handled discreetly before they arrive, it will go unnoticed.

She wanted to live to the end safely with her disciple. If she were killed when her power was insufficient, wouldn't she become cannon fodder? If she were to repeat the original owner's fate, she, as a transmigrator, would truly be too useless.

Unfortunately, despite her good intentions, the female ghost didn't give her the chance.

"Over the years, the Taoist priests I've encountered either pretended not to see my predicament or were genuinely blind. Only you can utter such righteous and resonant words that align with my own sentiments. Fine, I'll give you a grand gift, as if we've become acquainted. Originally, I wanted revenge, but this enemy has been reincarnated several times and just died at my hands. This is what they call divine retribution, swift and certain. I'm tired of this world; I have no more attachments, it's utterly meaningless. If we meet again in reincarnation, don't hide. Who knows, I might even become your little disciple's master's wife, hahahaha..."

After a burst of hearty laughter, the female ghost disappeared from the courtyard. The gloomy atmosphere that had enveloped the courtyard began to dissipate, sunlight streamed in, and the temperature gradually rose.

After her body had warmed up, Xiang Wan noticed something bulging in her chest. She reached into her Taoist robe and pulled out a jade pendant as white as jade and a pink silk handkerchief.

The silk handkerchief was embroidered with orchids and colorful butterflies. Holding it between my fingers, I could faintly smell the delicate fragrance of a young girl.

"Master, this female ghost is shameless, even giving away things like this. She must not have been a respectable woman in her previous life. Let's throw it away."

With his small arms and legs, Tu Hongye jumped up to snatch the silk handkerchief from Xiang Wan's hand, but she dodged it with a raised hand.

“Disciple, she left behind a memento, it would be such a pity to destroy it. Who knows, if you meet her again, she might really become your master’s wife. With her taking care of you, your master can concentrate on cultivating Taoist arts and strengthening our Three Pure Ones Sect.”

Since the old Taoist temple has already been renamed Sanqing Temple, it is only natural to also rename the future sect Sanqing Sect.

Strengthening Taoism is only the first step; we must first establish clear goals.

“My little disciple, you are the founding disciple of my Sanqing Sect. Don’t tarnish the reputation of my sect.”

Now that the conversation has reached this point, it seems that it's time to put a set of rules on the agenda.

However, her first disciple—a five-year-old child—dumped a bucket of cold water on her enthusiasm.

"Master, I, your first disciple, am practically begging for food because of you. Are you sure you can take care of that ghost's reincarnated infant? Starting a sect with a child, are you sure you won't get killed by other sects along the way?"

That's the truth. Xiang Wan's current body is only a little over eighteen years old. She's not taking her apprentices seriously enough. If she were to take care of an infant as well, well, that image is too beautiful for her to imagine.

Xiang Wan couldn't help but pinch his cheek, her beautiful imagination nipped in the bud by her little apprentice. She said irritably, "Don't crush the confidence your master has worked so hard to build up, or I'll really take you begging for food in the future!"

Tu Hongye silently pulled his face away, glanced at the silk handkerchief in Xiang Wan's hand, and secretly made up his mind that he must throw that thing away, or at least destroy it, so that his master wouldn't worry about it all day long.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!