The Southern Sect gathering was set to last for three days.
Lin Feng had enjoyed a good night's sleep. After waking up, he soaked leisurely in a hot spring, feeling utterly relaxed.
Clearing the "Haunted Campus" challenge had been inexplicable, and Lin Feng knew it was no mere coincidence.
Across the warm spring water sat a phantom—a towering figure with a bull's head and a human body. It was none other than Niu Meng.
"You mean... after I killed 100 ghosts, you leveled up as well?"
This was the first time Lin Feng had seen Niu Meng appear before sunset, and it surprised him.
Niu Meng nodded but corrected him, "Brother Feng, it's not leveling up. It's awakening a divine ability. The Bull-Head Clan of the Netherworld has bloodline inheritance, granting us innate abilities. These abilities awaken sequentially based on our accumulated merits and fortunes. To you, it may seem like killing 100 ghosts, but since I'm bound to you and act under your command, I also receive the favor of providence."
When Lin Feng and Nie Chuxia had been hiding in the water room, nearly on the verge of collapse, Niu Meng had finally awakened from his chaotic state. It was then that Lin Feng realized Niu Meng hadn't been driven mad by the yin energy but was undergoing a bloodline awakening.
Once awakened, Niu Meng immediately spotted the flaw in the makeshift phantom realm—a coffin at the back of the school. This led to Lin Feng's successful completion of the challenge by scattering spirit money.
Unexpectedly, the chubby boy managed to clear the challenge with sheer experience—something Lin Feng hadn't anticipated.
The boy had hypnotized the little ghosts and correctly guessed that no one would save him, knowing the others secretly hoped for his elimination. This led to him being carried into the coffin by the little ghosts, completing the challenge successfully. Lin Feng had to admire his cunning.
Lin Feng sipped an iced fruit juice while reviewing Niu Meng's information in his mind.
[Ghost Officer]
Niu Meng (Gifted by the System)
Description:Bull-Head Clan of the Netherworld, immensely strong, a natural yin officer, with eyes that see through both the living and the dead.Level:15 (Wild Ghost)Rank:Ghost Soldier (Unregistered)Skills:Flying Soul Kick, Heaven's Eye (New)Overall Evaluation:Minor ghost officer with some merit, capable of appearing during the day.
The new skill caught Lin Feng's attention. He wasn't surprised Niu Meng could now walk under the sun, but the Heaven's Eye intrigued him.
"Why did you awaken the Heaven's Eye? Don't you already have the Yin-Yang Eye?"
Niu Meng snorted, "The Yin-Yang Eye observes both realms of the living and the dead. The Heaven's Eye, however, sees the entire world and exposes all demonic beings. It reveals not just ghosts, but also monsters and spirits. It's far superior to the Yin-Yang Eye."
Lin Feng's curiosity deepened. "There are monsters in this world?"
Niu Meng nodded. "Though I haven't seen one myself, my elders spoke of their existence. Some monsters devour ghosts to cultivate, severely disrupting the cycle of reincarnation. Our Bull, Horse, Black, and White Clans have often clashed with them in the mortal realm."
The world truly held countless mysteries.
Lin Feng clicked his tongue in amazement.
"By the way, where's Ah Chou?" Niu Meng asked.
Lin Feng smirked and pointed to a courtyard. "There's a well over there with a female ghost inside. Ah Chou is learning some skills from her. Go check it out, but be careful—there are a few powerful exorcists living nearby. Don't get yourself killed."
After giving his warning, Lin Feng watched Niu Meng vanish after a casual "Don't worry."
Shortly after Niu Meng left, a stunning woman wrapped in a towel walked gracefully toward him. Her deep cleavage was breathtaking, and the towel barely covered her curves.
Her long, fair legs stretched out beneath her, and a towel wrapped around her head only added to her allure.
"Missy... it really is you."
Lin Feng's gaze openly lingered on Nie Chuxia's chest, his astonishment evident.
This was a private hot spring in a guest villa with few occupants. The moment Nie Chuxia appeared, Lin Feng lost all interest in soaking. His mind was now completely consumed by the captivating sight before him.
Nie Chuxia playfully spat at him, but Lin Feng's lecherous expression secretly pleased her.
"Lin Feng, I never expected to get a magical artifact this time. I wasn't even that keen on coming, but my grandfather said the artifact I received yesterday is a treasure of the Candle Sect. He was overjoyed." Nie Chuxia had come purely to share her excitement.
As a young lady with high standards, she usually dismissed magical artifacts. But who would have thought the item gifted yesterday would turn out to be so valuable? Most of her excitement came from the surprise.
Lin Feng smirked. "All it took was a bronze flute to make you this happy? Well, I guess it is the perfect tool for cultivating."
Nie Chuxia splashed water at his face, her delicate brows furrowing. "A dog's mouth can't utter ivory!"
Lin Feng wiped the water from his face. "What did I say? You're the one thinking that way! Nie Chuxia, you're accusing me unjustly!"
Nie Chuxia knew Lin Feng's shameless nature well enough by now and didn't bother arguing with him.
Seeing her frown, Lin Feng chuckled. "Alright, alright. A beautiful woman playing the flute is a refined art. No need to get upset over my teasing. I have to head back to work soon. Care to walk me out?"
"No! Walk yourself out!" Nie Chuxia glared at him before getting up and leaving.
After two days and a night, Lin Feng had managed to snag some new clothes and a razor, leaving him in a relatively good mood. But unexpectedly, Wang Qian and his master arrived, accompanied by the heads of the three branches of the Southern Sect.
The atmosphere in Lin Feng's guest villa turned eerily silent. Jing Sansheng, with a grim expression, sat with his two disciples, who were as silent as quails.
Meanwhile, the Southern Sect leader, Wu Xiong—a lecherous old man—carefully examined the spirit money Wang Qian had presented. His eyes were filled with contemplation.
Despite Wu Xiong's unsavory appearance, his insight was never to be underestimated. Jing Sansheng, the old Daoist of the Talisman Sect, and Nie Chuxia's grandfather, Old Immortal Nie, stood nearby, all scrutinizing the spirit money.
After a long pause, Wu Xiong finally set the spirit money down. Jing Sansheng couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Wu Half-Immortal, have you figured it out?"
Wu Xiong pondered for a moment. "If I'm not mistaken, this is toll money—used exclusively by the Dog of the Heavens to cross the Path of Life and Death. It's infused with potent yin energy and serves as an excellent offering, highly attractive to ghosts."
The group of elders all looked up, a flicker of intent in their eyes, as if contemplating how to interrogate Lin Feng.
Lin Feng quickly pleaded, "Esteemed elders, I only have a limited amount of this stuff! Really, I don't have any more!"
Feigning a pitiful expression, Lin Feng caught the attention of Old Immortal Nie, who finally spoke. "Lin boy, I am Nie Dao. I've heard you have a close relationship with my granddaughter. I won't ask where you got this toll money. I only want to know—how much do you have left, and can we buy it from you?"
Buy it?!
Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat. If they wanted to buy it, then of course it was possible!
In the system, it cost 10 merit points for 10 bundles. Each bundle contained a thousand notes, so 10 bundles made 10,000 Yuan…
He still had nearly 2,000 merit points left—2 million!
Though 2 million might not seem like much to these old folks, Lin Feng wasn't about to convert all his karma into spirit money. He had better things to exchange for.
Besides, he hadn't even tried the two newly unlocked features, Ghost Battle Arena and Hell Path Trials, both of which required karma.
Feigning difficulty, Lin Feng said, "You must understand, spirit money is valuable across the mortal realm, the netherworld, and even the Mirage Realm. It's condensed from pure yin energy, and I don't have much left."
The group of old men glared at him, sending a chill down his spine. Reluctantly, Lin Feng exchanged 200 karma for spirit money. With a flick of his hand, a pile of it appeared on the table.
"A spatial artifact! This guy's carrying quite the treasure!" muttered a bearded old man as he saw Lin Feng conjure a large stack of spirit money out of thin air.
"200 karma, 200 stacks of spirit money," Lin Feng explained. "Each stack is worth 1,000 coins. Esteemed seniors, this is not easily obtained; it takes a long time to accumulate. This is all I have for now."
Everyone on the Path of Life and Death had heard of spirit money.
It was highly coveted by ghosts and a must-have for ghost hunters, different from ordinary paper money.
When Old Wu confirmed its authenticity, the group of elders immediately scrambled for it.
"1,000 coins per stack? That's a steal! Spirit money is as valuable as silk-thread paper! How can it be this cheap? But what's done is done. No going back on the price now!" Jing Sansheng, not missing a beat, grabbed a pile and ranted on.
"You greedy old ghost! Trying to hoard the spirit money for yourself? Aren't you afraid we'll send you to the afterlife?" Old Master Nie shouted, losing all composure. One hand pressed on a stack of spirit money as he bellowed, "This pile belongs to me, Nie! Anyone who dares take it will be an enemy of the Seven Stars Palace!"
The Taoist from the Talisman Sect wasn't about to back down. "That spirit money was authenticated by my senior brother! Southern Sect's conference was organized by our Talisman Sect. We've contributed so many Mirage Realm talismans and artifacts, and you have the nerve to fight us for this?"
The Taoist swept the remaining stacks into his arms, even trying to snatch more from Jing Sansheng and Old Master Nie, regretting his slow reaction.
Once the three old men divided up the spirit money, they started settling the accounts.
Jing Sansheng, who had connections in the government and wealth to spare, smugly threw down a bank card. "Don't say I'm unfair. There's 100,000 in this card, password is six zeros. No need to count that stack; it's definitely worth more than what you gave me!"
Old Master Chu snorted. "Think you're the only one with money?" Master Nie also tossed a card on the table, beaming with pride. "Password's six ones. There's 200,000 in there. Next time you get more, let my granddaughter know first. Lin, my boy, Chu Xia is still single, you know."
Lin Feng broke into a cold sweat. Old man, I know my limits. We're worlds apart, okay? And I could never handle your granddaughter's temper.
Meanwhile, the Taoist from the Talisman Sect felt slighted. So, it's just me who has no ties to Lin Feng?
Desperate, he gestured to his disciple, who brought out a thin briefcase. Inside, 100,000 in cash was neatly arranged.
The sight of cash was more impactful than bank cards.
However, the person carrying the briefcase was none other than Lu Zhen, someone Lin Feng had past conflicts with.
Lin Feng didn't accept it.
Jing Sansheng's eyes sparkled mischievously. He sneered, "Yu Heilian, I heard your beloved disciple Lu offended Lin Feng. Maybe you should stay out of this. Talisman Sect is loaded with talismans. Why fuss over a bit of spirit money? It's for the dead, after all—hoarding too much is bad luck!"
The Taoist from the Talisman Sect was livid. Bad luck, yet you're grabbing so much?
Master Nie chimed in, adding fuel to the fire. "Yu Sect Master, let's be fair. Your sect once knew the craft of making spirit money but lost it under your leadership. Wu senior was even exiled from the mainland by the Northern Sect. Doesn't Talisman Sect need some introspection?"
"Rubbish! Back then, it was you two arrogant fools who provoked the Northern Sect! My senior brother stood up for you and was forced to lose the bet!" Yu Yuexian, the Taoist, erupted in anger. "As for Lu Zhen's issue with Lin Feng, that's between young people. Old pervert, stop twisting the truth!"
Yu Yuexian was none other than the first seat of the Talisman Sect and junior brother to Wu Xiong, the Southern Sect leader. Years ago, they lost a crucial battle with the Northern Sect, forcing Wu Xiong into exile in Southeast Asia. Since then, the Southern Sect had been leaderless.
Lin Feng listened quietly as Southern Sect's old stories unfolded, occasionally supplemented by Nie Chuxia's commentary. Only then did he begin to understand the deep, tangled history behind the Path of Life and Death.