Ch 41: The Malevolent Monster Just Wants To Farm

Becoming a vengeful spirit is exceedingly difficult. The soul before Jiang Lin clearly hadn’t transformed into one; it was only due to some lingering resentment and unfinished business that she barely held onto this remnant of her soul, wandering the human world.

Her greatest pain and attachment were likely tied to the last moments of her life, which is why she incessantly asked everyone if they had seen her face. For such a spirit, it made no difference whether others answered her or not; she would remain trapped in her obsession until her soul eventually dissipated.

Jiang Lin cast a beam of spiritual light upon her, allowing the spirit to regain a moment of clarity.

A glimmer appeared in the dark void of her eyes, and the repeated murmurs stopped.

The ghost stared blankly at Jiang Lin for a moment before finally exclaiming, “I’ve seen you before!”

As she spoke, it seemed as if she had just remembered something and reached up to touch her face.

Suddenly, she let out a pained scream, “My face! My face! It hurts so much!”

The intense distress she experienced caused her already weak soul to flicker, as if it might dissipate at any moment.

If this continued, it wouldn’t take more than a few breaths before her remaining soul would scatter entirely.

A gentle spiritual force suddenly enveloped her, soothing her near-breakdown state.

“It’s over now,” a kind voice whispered in her ear.

The ghost looked up at the man in front of her.

Her agitated aura gradually calmed, the dark mist around her dispersed, and she instinctively raised her sleeve to cover her face.

In her current state, she felt deeply ashamed of her appearance.

“There’s no need for that,” Jiang Lin said, removing the disguise from his face and openly showing it to her.

“Look, I’m just like you.”

“We are both victims; we shouldn’t feel ashamed because of it. The ones who should repent are those executioners.”

The ghost stared at him blankly, finally comprehending the situation.

She had died.

The gentle and kind young man before her had also died.

She suddenly began to weep mournfully.

Jiang Lin patiently waited for her to finish crying before asking his question, “Have you always stayed here?”

The ghost, understanding that Jiang Lin had come with a purpose, nodded, “Since my death, my soul has been trapped in this place. If there’s anything you want to know, I’ll tell you everything I can.”

“However,” she added with some unease, “I’m rarely clear-headed and usually only wander around the back garden. I don’t know much.”

Jiang Lin nodded and asked, “Have you seen my sister?”

The ghost remembered him and also remembered Jiang Jin.

The siblings’ appearances were so striking that anyone who saw them would find it hard to forget.

She hesitated and replied, “We were all confined to different places, and aside from meals, we never saw anyone. I haven’t seen her.”

She had clearly misunderstood his question.

Jiang Lin clarified, “I mean, after you died, did you see my sister?”

The ghost was taken aback.

Jiang Lin changed his approach: “Why is this place abandoned? What happened to the bodies in the southwest corner? Did a powerful vengeful spirit pass through here?”

After hearing his questions, the female ghost fell silent for several moments, as if she were recalling and processing the events. Jiang Lin waited patiently.

After a while, the ghost suddenly exclaimed, “I remember now!”

Her voice trembled with fear and anxiety: “That night, a terrifying presence passed through here. I didn’t see it directly, but just feeling its presence as it passed by caused me to faint.”

Ghosts, being incomplete souls, can sometimes block out memories when experiencing extreme fear. This memory had been locked away until Jiang Lin’s questions brought it back.

She continued, “When I woke up, everyone was gone. The villa was in shambles, and those two people were already dead. They died that night, and two days later, someone came during the day and buried them in the courtyard.”

Jiang Lin asked, “Has that terrifying presence returned since then?”

The ghost shook her head in confusion, “No, it hasn’t.”

The presence she described was most likely his sister, Jiang Jin, returning for revenge. The villa’s abandonment could very well be connected to this.

But where should he search for her now?

At that moment, Huaiyin spoke up: “Master, are you trying to find that vengeful spirit?”

Jiang Lin looked at her in surprise, “You have a way?”

Huaiyin sighed, “Have you forgotten who I am?”

As the Tree Demon Elder at Lanruo Temple, Huaiyin had controlled many spirits and naturally possessed her own secret methods. She approached the southwest corner, recited a spell with her five fingers spread, and small grayish-white flames rose from the ground, wrapping around her fingers before drifting southwest.

Huaiyin, showing some disdain, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her hands before saying, “The flames are heading southwest. They should last a while; we can follow them.”

Jiang Lin, however, said, “No need. I think I already know where she went.”

Looking out from where they stood, Jiang Lin could see Chen Manor in the southwest direction.

Chen Manor was the residence of Jiang Lin’s so-called “good uncle.”

If Jiang Jin had indeed become a vengeful spirit driven by hatred, then aside from this villa, her uncle’s manor would undoubtedly be her next target.

“We’re going to Chen Manor,” Jiang Lin decided swiftly.

Before leaving, he addressed the green-clad ghost.

“You suffered a violent death, and your resentment is deep. It will be difficult for you to reincarnate normally. If you continue wandering like this, your soul will soon dissipate completely,” Jiang Lin told her. “If you trust me, stay with me for now. I’ll find a time to help you move on, eliminate your resentment, and send you to reincarnation.”

The green-clad ghost was overjoyed at his words, “Thank you, Master.”

Remembering Huaiyin’s earlier term, she also called him “Master.”

Huaiyin offered, “Leave this to me.”

When it came to controlling ghosts, Jiang Lin had to admit that Huaiyin was more skilled.

Jiang Lin nodded, “I’ll leave it to you then.”

Huaiyin, with a hint of jealousy, remarked, “Master is so kind, treating even a wandering soul with such gentleness. It’s no wonder I wasn’t favored back then.”

Before Jiang Lin could respond, Qingluo interjected, “Father treats all who do no evil equally. Huaiyin, you really should reflect on why Father didn’t favor you before.”

Huaiyin: “…”

She glared at Qingluo in frustration, and Qingluo responded by making a face at her. Hmph, whenever someone mentioned Father, Qingluo would always side against her!

At the Chen Manor.

Over the past ten days or so, about half of the servants had already left one by one. Those remaining were either deeply rooted in the manor for generations or were tempted by large sums of money and didn’t believe in such superstitions.

This once bustling official residence was now eerily quiet even during the day. The remaining servants looked haggard, speaking in hushed tones.

A few months ago, the young master and young lady, who were staying temporarily at the manor, mysteriously disappeared.

About a month ago, strange occurrences began happening in the manor.

There were occasional gusts of cold wind, and at night, there were often the chilling cries of a woman.

The servants started whispering among themselves that the missing young master and young lady had likely met a tragic end and had returned with grievances.

At first, Lord Chen didn’t believe in such supernatural matters, but after a few days, he too grew pale and invited a Taoist priest to the manor.

The priest walked around the manor with a serious expression and confirmed that there was indeed a haunting, and the resentment was strong. He said that while it hadn’t yet fully manifested, it could be suppressed for the time being. However, if it were allowed to grow stronger, there would be nothing he could do.

Lord Chen spent a large sum of money to hire the priest to exorcise the spirit. The priest performed rituals for two days in the courtyard and left several talismans to be placed around the manor.

Before leaving, the priest said, “The resentment here is deep-seated, and it’s lingering in the manor for a reason. My talismans can only temporarily hold off the spirit. Lord Chen, you need to address the root cause and resolve its grievances.”

Lord Chen’s expression turned grim.

Others might not know the cause, but how could he not?

But how was he supposed to resolve it?

Who would have thought that those two wretched creatures would continue to cause trouble even after death!

He remained silent, and the priest, seeing this, sighed and left.

The priest’s words only fueled the rumors within the manor. What was once just speculation now seemed to be confirmed—everyone began to believe that the ghosts of the young master and young lady had indeed returned.

Madam Jiang wept bitterly and set up a mourning hall for them in the manor. She even personally went to a Buddhist temple outside the city to ask a high monk to perform a ritual to help their spirits find peace.

However, the high monk, after taking just one look, refused her request and bluntly stated, “They cannot be appeased; they are vengeful spirits here for revenge.”

Madam Jiang, confused, returned to the manor and asked her husband what was going on.

Lord Chen, already wracked with guilt, became even more fearful upon hearing this.

He erupted in anger, “Ungrateful wretches! We treated them with the utmost care in this household. Even if something happened to them outside, their grievances have rightful targets—why are they coming after us?”