Lin Feng still had to work in the afternoon, but with Nie Chuxia around, he felt comfortable leaving his sister in her care.
The two girls shopped at the mall until 9 p.m., finally returning to Lin Feng's place.
Today, Lin Xue came back with arms full of shopping bags, incredibly happy.
As they entered, Nie Chuxia suddenly frowned.
Standing outside the door, she held Lin Xue back. "Wait! Why does your brother's place feel so cold?"
It was late summer, and while temperatures weren't high, Liming City was in the south, so it should have been warm and humid. But Lin Feng's place was strangely cold, like the air conditioning was on full blast, making Nie Chuxia uncomfortable as soon as she opened the door.
Lin Xue blinked. "Sister Nie, my brother's been haunted by ghosts since he was young. There's probably something unclean in here."
What?
This might be an ordinary statement for a ghost hunter, but hearing it from Lin Xue, a regular person, made it different.
Nie Chuxia was shocked. "How do you know your brother is haunted?"
Lin Xue stuck her tongue out. "I've seen it. But no one believed me. When we were kids, the village ghosts would always come to him at night and sit at the end of his bed. My big, clueless brother never even noticed."
Nie Chuxia was even more surprised. "Weren't you scared?"
Lin Xue thought for a moment, then pouted. "Well, there was a black dog that would guard him while he slept. It was so good, really obedient, and it'd stay beside him all night. In the morning, he'd be so refreshed, as if he hadn't lost any energy!"
Nie Chuxia felt a chill run down her spine.
A black dog…a heavenly companion? That's…a legend! The Black Dog Protector is an extremely rare fate. Throughout history, only a few special individuals have possessed it. But that's just folklore—who's actually seen a black dog companion?
Nie Chuxia forced a smile, unsure how to respond. She'd spent the day with Lin Xue and could tell she wasn't one to lie easily.
Curious, she asked, "If the black dog wasn't around, would you be afraid of the ghosts?"
Lin Xue nodded. "Yes! That's why after he left, I slept with my parents."
Nie Chuxia: "…"
The two entered the apartment. The curtains were tightly drawn, and the living room was tidy, but in the center stood a shrine for the City God, with offerings covered in ash, giving the place an eerie vibe.
While Lin Xue happily tried on clothes in the guest room, Nie Chuxia sat on the sofa, feeling around the living room. She touched the computer monitor, which was still warm—someone had used it just moments ago. She was certain there was indeed something unclean here!
Sitting on the sofa, she observed the corners of the living room. Suddenly, the seat next to her sank down. Startled, Nie Chuxia sprang up, an oil lamp appearing in her hand.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" she demanded softly.
The lamp ignited, revealing a ghostly woman with a veiled face sitting to her left, and a large, muscular, bull-headed ghost with chains wrapped around his body to her right.
Pffft—
The bull-headed ghost exhaled, blowing out her oil lamp.
"Little girl, don't use the Yuluo Lamp recklessly. It's a ghost treasure, and you don't have the life force to wield it yet. I'm Brother Feng's friend and mean you no harm."
Nie Chuxia felt her whole body go numb.
This oil lamp was a gift from her grandfather, said to be a treasure of the Candle Sect. Every time she lit it, she had to use her own blood, mixed with vermilion and phosphorus, and each lighting drained half her strength. The lamp was powerful, protecting her from most spirits and even killing them if needed. After three years of using it, this was the first time she'd met a ghost who could blow it out!
Shocked and in disbelief, she struck her fingers together, reigniting the lamp.
This time, Nie Chuxia was calmer. She took a closer look at the bull-headed face and exclaimed, "You're a ghost warden?"
The bull-headed ghost had a talisman on his chest that emanated pure, dark energy, etched with the ancient characters for Fengdu.
She remembered her grandfather's tales of Maoshan lore—only officials of the underworld could wear such a badge!
The ghost nodded, visibly uncomfortable with the lamp's light. He wanted to blow it out again, but Nie Chuxia shielded it this time.
"Then who is she?" Nie Chuxia took a step back, looking at the female ghost beside him.
The lamp flickered, releasing a faint green smoke from Nie Chuxia's nose and mouth, circling around the ghost, Ah Chou.
This ghost wasn't an official but seemed powerful. As a ghost hunter, Nie Chuxia enjoyed turning such spirits into lamp oil.
Seeing this, the ghost warden warned, "Little girl, your Yuluo Lamp may be powerful, but don't push your luck! Ah Chou is my friend, and Brother Feng wouldn't harm her. Try touching her, and see what happens!"
"Lin Feng? And who are you to call me 'little girl' but address him as Brother Feng?" Nie Chuxia retorted.
"Because he's earned it!"
Without further explanation, the ghost released a chain that wrapped around her lamp, making it groan in protest as she quickly drew the green smoke back inside. He snorted coldly before letting go of the chain.
Unbelievable! Who would've thought her prized weapon was…worthless in the eyes of this warden?
Nie Chuxia was reeling in shock. The last time she'd seen Lin Feng, he only had two weak wandering spirits. But now she'd discovered he had ties to ghost wardens?!
This was a ghost warden! And one that even obeyed Lin Feng's commands!
According to Maoshan records, less than five Heavenly Masters throughout history could summon ghost wardens! Those five were among the greatest ghost hunters in China's thousands of years of history.
How could Lin Feng command a warden?
Lin Xue emerged from the guest room in a new outfit, unaware of Nie Chuxia's daze. "Sister, why are you holding a lamp? Isn't there a light in the living room?"
"Oh, it's…nothing." By then, both the warden and Ah Chou had vanished.
Seeing no hint of Nie Chuxia's unease, Lin Xue twirled in her new clothes and asked, "Sister, do I look good?"
Nie Chuxia nodded and gave her a smile. "Beautiful!"
…
At 11:30 p.m., a Ferrari pulled up at the entrance of the funeral parlor.
As Lin Feng stepped out, Uncle He, the gatekeeper, leaned out of his window, chuckling slyly, "Hey, Lin Feng, found yourself a lady, huh? What are you planning to do tonight?"
Lin Feng shot him a glare. "Mind your own business!"
"What, you can't tell me?"
Ignoring Uncle He's teasing, he got into his car, looked at the back seat, and exclaimed, "Niu Meng? Ah Chou? What are they doing here?"
Lin Feng glanced at Nie Chuxia, who looked at him with an odd expression.
Nie Chuxia said nothing, her gaze filled with the intensity of someone about to interrogate their partner.
She sighed dramatically, tossing her hair. "So it turns out that Daoist Lin has profound powers, with ghost wardens at his side and a protective black dog. Looks like my initial concerns were unnecessary."
"What's wrong with you, Nie Chuxia? You're acting all weird."
Ghost wardens he could understand, but what black dog?
Nie Chuxia huffed. "Fine, keep hiding it from me! Who knows what else you've kept secret? I used to think you had a special fate and needed my help, but clearly, you've been hiding your powers all along!"
"Hiding my powers? Did you figure out my well-endowed secret? That can't be…" Lin Feng, unable to figure her out, just played dumb.
Nie Chuxia rolled her eyes but let it go.
As she continued to eye him, they nearly rear-ended someone. Finally arriving at the parking garage of the International Trade Building, Lin Feng breathed a sigh of relief before asking, "Miss Nie, can you please tell me why you keep staring at me?"
Nie Chuxia replied, "Lin Feng, do you know that the Daoist records state only reincarnated Heavenly Masters can summon ghost wardens? Were you born with these powers?"
"Born with what? I can't even remember half the big names in Daoism."
"Then where did you learn your skills?"
Lin Feng's face turned serious. "Self-taught. Alright, enough with the guessing, Miss. I just realized…we've been tricked."
'Ding! Blue Quest Auto-Initiated.'
'You have entered the special map: Ancient Tomb of the Dragon Locust.'
'Ding! From this point on, you can't contact the outside world.'
'Ding! Exorcise three underworld guards to unlock the main quest.'
Tricked?
Nie Chuxia looked at him, puzzled. "What do you mean, tricked?"
Lin Feng held his head and gestured in front of them."Take a look!"
Nie Chuxia followed Lin Feng's gesture in shock and looked ahead, only to discover that the underground parking lot had somehow transformed into...
A cemetery?!