146 Ghost Official

"Last night, that Taoist priest's spell was broken by me, so he must be injured. If my father searches carefully, he will definitely find him," Li Xintian said. "Moreover, that Taoist priest projected his soul out of his body last night and borrowed a golden-bodied puppet, which means the distance he could travel was limited. Nine times out of ten, he is someone from right here within the county."

"Cousin, why didn't anyone inform me last night? You made me miss such a wonderful show."

Chen Yuanwen had also learned about the major event that occurred the previous night—someone had attempted to steal silver from the Li residence—and he placed a hand familiarly on Li Xintian's shoulder.

"Cousin, we didn't inform you last night because we were afraid you might come to harm. Besides, this was different; it was specifically targeted at the Li family, so naturally we couldn't drag you into it."

Li Xintian was well aware of the danger of the previous night. If Chen Linqing and the others had stepped out, they would have been terrified to the point of collapsing to their knees.

Chen Yuanwen offered an awkward smile and did not press the matter further.

Normally, a wandering soul projection had no distance limit, but once it attached itself to a false body, restrictions applied, making it impossible to fly too far away.

Therefore, the person who had cast the Taoist sorcery must be hiding in the vicinity of the Li estate.

Based on this, Li Xintian deduced that the culprit was definitely a local resident of the county.

By noon, the servants had brought back news.

"Master, this humble servant inquired and learned that there is a witch named Granny Wang in the county. For the past month, her behavior has been strange, and she has kept her doors tightly shut. Yet just last night, according to the old night watchman, Granny Wang hurried out of her house in the middle of the night and left the county town, and her whereabouts are now completely unknown."

"Tian'er, do you think this Granny Wang could be the culprit?" Li Qizong asked after hearing the servant's report.

Li Xintian instructed, "Send a few more men to search Granny Wang's house and see if there are any suspicious items inside."

"Yes, Eldest Young Master." The servant immediately departed.

However, about an hour later, the servant came running back, out of breath.

"Master, Eldest Young Master, it's terrible! When I arrived at Granny Wang's house, I found that County Magistrate Liu had already sent bailiffs to seal off the premises. They claim Granny Wang was practicing wicked sorcery to harm people, and that several pregnant women in the county suffered agonizing deaths during childbirth. Inside Granny Wang's room, they discovered the birth horoscopes of all those pregnant women," the servant blurted out anxiously.

Li Xintian's expression froze. He stood up and said, "County Magistrate Liu is an outsider. How could he be so familiar with local affairs and manage to seal off Granny Wang's house with such speed?"

"Granny Wang has been in Shuiwen County for quite a few years. She usually tells fortunes and interprets dreams, and she has never crossed paths with our Li family," Li Qizong said, his plump fingers tapping rhythmically against the tea table. "The fact that someone cast Taoist sorcery against our Li family this time makes me suspect there is someone pulling strings behind the scenes. If Granny Wang is the culprit, this County Magistrate Liu is definitely implicated as well."

"Father is entirely right. County Magistrate Liu is clearly trying to destroy the evidence to avoid getting burned himself," Li Xintian said.

"It is time for your father to go pay a visit to this County Magistrate Liu," Li Qizong declared.

He was a shrewd man; otherwise, he could never have managed such a vast family enterprise.

Just at that moment, Tieshan appeared outside the doorway. "Master, Eldest Young Master, Chief Constable Xu has sent someone to deliver a package, specifically for the Eldest Young Master."

"Chief Constable Xu?" Li Xintian's expression shifted slightly. "Bring it over."

Tieshan acknowledged the order and entered the main hall carrying a package.

Upon opening it, they found several miniature statues of silver-armored heavenly generals, a model house that was an exact replica of the Li estate's layout, and a few ancient scrolls on Taoist sorcery.

"This... where did these come from?" Li Qizong asked in immediate shock.

"According to the messenger sent by Chief Constable Xu, these items were recovered from Granny Wang's house," Tieshan replied.

Upon hearing this, Li Qizong flew into a rage. "It really was that Granny Wang! She is the one who used sorcery to harm our Li family last night. I will have her beaten to death!"

Faced with the witch who had nearly brought ruin to his entire family, Li Qizong revealed a ruthless side.

Through the evidence sent by Chief Constable Xu, Li Xintian was now completely certain that the culprit was indeed Granny Wang.

***

As Li Xintian walked down the main avenue of Shuiwen County, under the shade of a large tree at an intersection, he spotted two runners kneeling on the ground, kowtowing toward him and calling out his name.

"Young Master Li, Young Master Li Xintian, please stay your steps."

The two runners knelt and bowed repeatedly, showing utmost reverence.

Li Xintian paused, cast his gaze upon them, and his expression flickered. "You two otherworldly beings, why do you call out to me? Have you grown tired of living and come here to seek your deaths?"

Looking at the two runners—one with a greenish face and the other with a dark face—he could tell they were unlike ordinary mortals. Their forms lacked substance, appearing somewhat translucent, and they lurked within the shadows, not daring to step out into the sunlight. They were undoubtedly ghosts or spirits.

At this moment, Li Xintian had withdrawn his righteous awe, and without the influence of that upright energy, local spirits and ghosts were able to approach him.

Yet that was all it was. If they intended to harm him, they were merely dreaming.

The reason Li Xintian allowed this was to see just how many demons and ghosts infested the vicinity of Shuiwen County.

If he neither saw nor encountered them, how could he ever eliminate these malevolent entities?

Besides, the netherworld had already been destroyed by the Black Emperor, and Li Xintian had no idea who was currently in charge.

"N-no, we dare not," the two runners shrank back slightly in size at Li Xintian's reprimand.

"We only beg Young Master Li to spare our lives. We are willing to serve the Li estate for ten years to repay Young Master's great kindness," one of the runners pleaded.

Li Xintian frowned. "I haven't even decided to exterminate you yet, and you're already begging for mercy."

"What this humble spirit speaks of is another matter entirely," the dark-faced runner said.

The green-faced runner hurriedly added, "The two of us are local ghost runners, subordinate to the City God of Shuiwen City. However, just the day before yesterday, the two of us went to escort the soul of Granny Wang, whose allotted lifespan had come to an end. To our surprise, Granny Wang beat us back, and we failed to detain her soul. When we reported this matter to the City God, we were severely berated by him instead."

"You are local ghost runners?" Li Xintian's expression shifted slightly as he sized them up once more.

So-called ghost runners were nothing more than slightly stronger ghosts.

Yet it reminded him that in the tales of Liaozhai, soul-escorting duties were handled by low-level ghost runners, without any sign of Black and White Impermanence, or Ox-Head and Horse-Face.

Moreover, the ghost runners in Liaozhai seemed... remarkably weak.

"The City God berated you—what does that have to do with me?" Li Xintian asked.

"The City God also said that Granny Wang holds a grudge against the Li family, and since we failed in our duty and disrupted the peace of the Li family, if we cannot win Young Master Li's forgiveness, he will strip us of our status as ghost runners and scatter our souls into nothingness," the green-faced ghost runner said.

The two of them resumed kowtowing and begging Li Xintian for forgiveness.

"You couldn't even detain a single human's soul? Does that mean Granny Wang is not dead yet?" Li Xintian asked.

"Y-yes, but Granny Wang's mortal lifespan is exhausted, and she won't live much longer anyway. Even if we don't go to take her soul, she will soon die; it's just that when she does, Granny Wang will easily turn into a vicious wild ghost..." the dark-faced ghost runner explained.

"You two can't even capture a single person's soul—what kind of ghost runners are you? You might as well be stripped of your posts," Li Xintian said, deeply disappointed in them.

If Granny Wang became a malevolent ghost, she would undoubtedly terrorize the populace.

"Please, Young Master Li, show mercy and give this humble spirit one more chance to go and detain her again," the green-faced ghost runner pleaded tremblingly.

Li Xintian pondered for a moment.

He did not entirely trust what these two ghost runners were saying.

After all, he hailed from the modern era; one should never place blind faith in the words of ghosts. As the saying went, ghost stories are full of lies.

"Well, isn't this the Eldest Young Master of the Li family? Why are you standing here talking to a tree? Have you lost your mind or something?" A passerby idling by saw Li Xintian talking to thin air and couldn't help chuckling.

"Move along. Do you invite a beating?" Li Xintian glared at the idler.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. I'm no match for the Eldest Young Master," the idler laughed.

Just then, seeing that Li Xintian was displeased, the dark-faced ghost runner blew a breath toward the idler.

*Thud!*

The idler's back foot tripped over his front heel, and he crashed headfirst onto the ground, his forehead happening to strike a rock, causing blood to immediately gush out.

"Ouch! I've broken my head! I've broken my head!" the idler wailed, clutching his head in agony.

Seeing the idler trip over his own feet, split open his forehead, and wail in pain while bleeding profusely, Li Xintian turned his gaze directly toward the dark-faced ghost runner.

The dark-faced ghost runner smiled ingratiatingly. "Young Master Li, this fellow spoke insolently, so this humble spirit taught him a minor lesson on your behalf."

There was no joy on Li Xintian's face; instead, his expression grew solemn.

These ghost runners seemed thoroughly accustomed to playing tricks on mortals, casually using petty arts to bring bloody misfortune upon an innocent idler.

And that was while they were not trying to offend him; if they had harbored malice toward someone, the punishment and torment would undoubtedly be far worse than this.

Li Xintian suddenly smiled faintly. "No wonder there is a saying: petty ghosts are hard to deal with. If you two ghost runners genuinely wanted to teach that idler a lesson, tripping him up would have been enough. Why subject him to bloody misfortune? Breaking his head open like this—if the wound festers and cannot be healed, it could cost a man his life."

As he reached the end, his tone grew severe.

Medical conditions in ancient times were abysmal; once blood was drawn and flesh injured, any infection could genuinely prove fatal.

The dark-faced ghost runner hastily stammered in agreement, "Young Master Li's reprimand is entirely correct. This humble spirit's hands were itchy for a moment and I didn't think it through. Please, Young Master Li, do not take offense."

"Young Master Li, my brother merely couldn't stand that man insulting you, which is why his hand was a bit heavy just now. Please don't take it to heart," the green-faced ghost runner chimed in hurriedly.

Li Xintian ignored the two ghost runners, instead tossing a silver ingot to the idler. "Stop cursing at random in the future, or retribution will find you. Take the money and get your wound treated."

When the idler saw the silver ingot land before him, he scrambled to pick it up. Abandoning his cries of pain, he said joyfully, "Thank you for your charity, Top Scholar Li! The Eldest Young Master is truly benevolent and righteous. This humble servant will never dare speak ill of others again, especially not the Eldest Young Master!"

With that, he offered a flurry of grateful bows, scooped up the silver, and hurried away.

Whether he went to treat his wound or spend the money on other things remained unknown.

Li Xintian paid him no mind, turning his gaze back to the two ghost runners. "I will give you both one chance regarding Granny Wang. Within three days, bring me Granny Wang's soul. Otherwise, I will write a letter to the City God of Shuiwen City to strip you of your official positions as ghost runners. As for what kind of punishment you face then, that will be the City God's affair, and it will have nothing to do with me."

"T-thank you for your mercy, Young Master Li!"

"Rest assured, Young Master Li, we will definitely capture Granny Wang's soul within three days and will never cause you trouble again!"

The two ghost runners acted as though they had been granted a pardon, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing in gratitude.

Seeing this, Li Xintian frowned instead, feeling a vague sense of unease in his heart.

These two ghost runners seemed a bit *too* deferential toward him...

Was there something hidden here that he didn't yet understand?

Besides, hadn't the netherworld been destroyed? How was there still a City God? It seemed this world was far more complicated than it appeared.

"Brother Zhixian, why are you standing here?"

Ever since the Painted Skin incident, Wang Chongwen had experienced a brush with death, but his complexion had fully recovered by now.

"Ah, Brother Wangsheng, it's nothing. By the way, Brother Wangsheng, we haven't seen each other in a while, and you've recovered wonderfully. It seems your family still cares for you a great deal," Li Xintian turned around, caught sight of Wang Chongwen, and smiled, deliberately avoiding any mention of the painted skin.

"I haven't had the chance to properly thank you for what happened last time, and then I heard you had gone on a distant journey. You must come to my humble home for a simple meal this time," Wang Chongwen said, clearly delighted to run into Li Xintian and speaking with genuine warmth.