Ch 188: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

Madam Li and Qin Wenshu hurriedly asked Shen Yunxuan what she meant. They only saw misfortune—where was the blessing in this?

Shen Yunxuan said, “For one, you made Xiao Zhen’an mistakenly believe that Madam Peng was dead, which caused him to expose his true nature. For Madam Peng and her son, that is already an act of great merit. At the same time, you have severed Xiao Zhen’an’s path to glory—Madam Peng and Grand Preceptor Peng will not let him off easily. Naturally, they will be too occupied dealing with him to spare any effort to come after you. For now, you are safe.”

Qin Wenshu had acted purely out of anger, wanting to expose Xiao Zhen’an’s true face, without considering much beyond that. Now, hearing Shen Yunxuan’s explanation, her mind cleared, and she realized it was true.

Xiao Zhen’an’s most valued treasures—wealth, power, and high-ranking status—were all gone! He could no longer be the Grand Preceptor’s son-in-law! Could this be considered vengeance?

The sense of defeat and disappointment in Madam Li and Qin Wenshu eased significantly, and they felt much better. They then asked, “And what else? From your words, it seems there are other benefits as well? Forgive us for being slow-witted, but we can’t think of them.”

Shen Yunxuan pointed to the rooftop across from them. “Look, isn’t one coming our way? You’ve seen her before, haven’t you?”

Madam Li and Qin Wenshu turned around in confusion, only to let out a scream and hide behind Shen Yunxuan. “A ghost—!”

At the same time, Gao Lang also screamed. He had thought staying close to Shen Yunxuan was the safest place to be. He hadn’t expected that not only had the two ghosts returned, but they had also brought along another—one with blood streaming from all seven orifices. This was even scarier than Sadako from horror movies!

But after screaming, he was momentarily stunned. He turned his head to look at the two “familiar” ghosts beside him. “Wait… why are you screaming? Aren’t you ghosts too? I get to be scared, but why are you scared of a ghost? What the hell?”

Qin Wenshu retorted, “Well, you’re afraid of ghosts now, but if you suddenly died and turned into one, would you immediately stop being scared? It’s not that easy to switch mindsets! And besides, even if she were human, she’d still be terrifying! Just look at her—doesn’t she scare you?”

Gao Lang: “…”

Of course, she was terrifying! Otherwise, why would he have screamed? Why did ghosts always have to appear in such horrifying forms? Couldn’t they at least tidy up a bit before showing themselves? He was really about to lose his mind.

Shen Yunxuan ignored their commotion and addressed the ghost on the rooftop. “Would you like to come down and talk? I am a Taoist, one who severs all injustices in this world. I was the one who freed the mother and daughter of the General’s Manor. If you have grievances that need redressing and want someone to help you, you can come to me. As long as the reward is tempting enough, I will avenge you.”

The bloodstained ghost leaped down in an instant, suddenly appearing right in front of Shen Yunxuan, face-to-face. “You’re not afraid of me? Looking like this, you’re really not afraid?”

Shen Yunxuan replied, “I can see that you were murdered. The one who harmed you is the truly frightening one. You are an innocent victim, wrongfully killed—why should I fear you?”

The ghost froze, staring at Shen Yunxuan for a long moment before stepping back. She then withdrew her gruesome, bloodied appearance, returning to a more human-like form. Compared to a living person, she was merely pale-skinned, a little stiff in expression, and carried an eerie aura.

With her no longer appearing so grotesque, Madam Li and Qin Wenshu were no longer as scared. Madam Li said, “Did we see you on the way here? Were you following us?”

The ghost nodded slightly, then sneered, “The mother and daughter of the General’s Manor, clinging to each other to survive—who around here doesn’t know about you? People have had their eyes on you for a long time, just waiting for the right moment to take advantage. But before they could make their move, an outsider came into the picture. In the end, you were the ones who got schemed against, losing your lives and getting trapped in your own home by some ritual. Your story is well known in the capital. Honestly, I’ve never seen anyone as foolish as you two.

“When I suddenly saw you appear today, naturally, I was curious. I was bold enough to come and take a look. I didn’t expect to find a Celestial Master here.”

Her gaze fell upon Shen Yunxuan. “So, you really were the one who saved them? You don’t look very old. Do you truly have such abilities?”

Shen Yunxuan smiled. “If I weren’t capable, I wouldn’t have taken on this task. Well then, you have nothing to lose. Would you like to commission me for your revenge?”

The ghost was wary. “What do you want in return? I won’t become your ghost servant, and neither will any other ghost. If we were willing to sacrifice ourselves, we would have taken our revenge already.”

Shen Yunxuan waved the Celestial Master’s manual in her hand. “I like things like this—things that help me gain more knowledge. Rare, precious knowledge. Not gold or silver, but texts like these, which are easily lost to time.”

The ghost was surprised. She hadn’t expected this Taoist to be a scholar. She then asked, “Can you take revenge for any grievance?”

“Not exactly,” Shen Yunxuan said with a smile. “Just for today. If the revenge cannot be carried out within this day, then it won’t happen.”

The ghost didn’t hesitate for long. After all, she had nothing to lose. Her expression darkened with resentment, and she began to tell her tragic tale.

She had been the daughter of a sixth-rank official and had married a husband of equal status. Later, however, her family fell into misfortune, and her father was dismissed from office, while her husband’s family was promoted to the fourth rank. Slowly, they began to see her as an eyesore. Not only did they favor the concubines over her, but they also allowed them to torment her, eventually poisoning her.

When the poison took effect, she used all her remaining money to send for a physician. Instead of a doctor, however, it was the favored concubine and her husband who came. They merely stood by and watched as she writhed in agony, her insides tearing apart, before she finally bled from all seven orifices and died.

After her death, she had nearly become a vengeful spirit, but they had already prepared for this. They struck her with a string of Buddhist prayer beads. If she hadn’t fled in time, she would have been completely obliterated. Even so, her soul had been gravely injured, making her powerless to seek revenge. Worse still, she had to constantly evade other spirits that wanted to devour or oppress her.

There were many ghosts like her in the capital. Some of them had formed small groups to protect and support each other, which was how they had managed to survive. The ghosts that Madam Li and Qin Wenshu had encountered on their way were part of this group. They had merely been curious about how the mother and daughter had escaped the General’s Manor and whether they were heading out for revenge, so they followed to observe.

Since all of them were filled with resentment and grievances, they naturally took an interest in such matters. However, the bloodied ghost truly hadn’t expected to see an unfamiliar Taoist. She hadn’t heard any news about a new Taoist master arriving in the capital.

Shen Yunxuan asked, “Who do you want revenge on? Your husband and that concubine?”

The female ghost’s eyes turned blood-red, and she gritted her teeth in hatred. “Yes! And my in-laws too! Before the marriage, they sought me out because they saw the talent in my father and brothers and believed they had potential for promotion. But later, they turned a blind eye to the concubine’s cruelty towards me. They deserve to die! They all deserve to die!”

After acquiring the abilities of “Cultivator Shen Yunxuan,” Shen Yunxuan had become highly skilled at reading faces—even that of ghosts. She could see their pasts. This female ghost was not lying; that entire family was indeed detestable.

Shen Yunxuan said, “This revenge can be carried out. What can you offer me in return?”

The female ghost laughed coldly. “My dowry was seized by them. If my revenge is completed, all of it will be yours! While it may not compare to the hidden treasures of the General’s Manor, I was still the daughter of an official—there are many books among my belongings. Moreover, if my husband’s family is wiped out, I will personally ensure that all the valuables in their household go to you!”

Shen Yunxuan smiled. “Deal!”

She stood up and called over Gao Lang, Dong Yue, and a few special forces soldiers, taking only six people along with Madam Li and Qin Wenshu. “Too many people will draw attention, making it difficult to move discreetly. Just the few of us will go. The rest of you wait here for my return.”

The others nodded. They had already changed into period-appropriate clothing and wigs to blend in. Just then, the female ghost suddenly said, “Taoist Master, since you have so many people available, could they also help other ghosts get revenge?”

Shen Yunxuan had been waiting for her to say this. “Of course. Go and bring any ghosts with grievances. But remember—if it’s too difficult and will take several days or if there’s no compensation, it’s not worth it. Only today counts. If they don’t have rare books, they can at least steal some for me to borrow and return. That will also count as payment.”

The female ghost was stunned. That counted? Then this would be easy. Most of the ghosts were poor; those who had been lowborn women in life had nothing valuable to offer. A ghost like her, who had been a wealthy official’s daughter with a dowry, was rare.

But if books counted, it was simple. As ghosts, they could quietly steal books without anyone noticing, then return them later without being caught or punished. There would be no danger to them, which meant they could now trade stolen books for vengeance!

The ghost became excited. “Taoist Master, wait here. I’ll go call them now!”

Shen Yunxuan then turned to Madam Li and Qin Wenshu. “You should go gather some ghosts as well. Anyone with grievances can come. Who knows? I might be able to help.”

Madam Li was confused. “Why do you want to help them get revenge?”

Shen Yunxuan explained, “Because I need to accumulate merit quickly, gain the protection of heaven, and break into Grand Preceptor Peng’s residence to kill Xiao Zhen’an. Otherwise, with the protective treasure he has, I might not be able to defeat him. But with merit, it will be different—I can withstand his attacks.”

Madam Li and Qin Wenshu had directly benefited from merit and immediately understood. So Shen Yunxuan was accumulating merit to create a protective shield. Qin Wenshu curiously asked, “Then why only for today?”

Shen Yunxuan replied seriously, “Delays bring change. Besides, I calculated that today is favorable to me, but tomorrow will be unlucky. I need to leave the capital before then.”

Upon hearing this, Madam Li and Qin Wenshu quickly said, “We’ll go find ghosts right away. Don’t worry, we won’t bring any malicious ones to cause trouble.”

Shen Yunxuan nodded. “The reason I want you to find ghosts is also so that you can accumulate a bit more merit. The three years you spent trapped in the formation drained a lot of your merit. By helping other ghosts, you will be adding to your own merit.”

The two suddenly realized why Shen Yunxuan had said misfortune and fortune were intertwined. Though they hadn’t managed to take revenge, they had been seen by other ghosts, which in turn led the bloodstained ghost to seek them out. Now, other ghosts would know that Shen Yunxuan could help them. Indirectly, they had facilitated the avenging of grievances, which indeed counted as merit.

The two were deeply grateful to Shen Yunxuan. Shen Yunxuan smiled and said, “Time is running out—go quickly. Once your revenge is complete, I will send you to the underworld for reincarnation.”

Hearing this, the two became even more emotional and hurriedly floated out of the General’s Manor in search of ghosts.

Once they had left, Shen Yunxuan turned to Elder Xu and the others and said, “Grandfather, ghosts, like humans, can be good or evil, and their emotions can be unpredictable—even beyond their own control. When I go out to help them take revenge, I will place a formation over the General’s Manor. Any ghost that enters will be unable to harm you or take you away.

You must hold onto the talismans I gave you. No matter what happens or what you hear, do not leave the manor. Trust me—I will be fine. If anything happens to me, you will be immediately sent back. So don’t believe anything other ghosts tell you, and don’t get tricked.”

Elder Xu nodded but still looked concerned. “You’re only taking six people. Will that be enough?”

Shen Yunxuan smiled. “Six is more than enough, Grandfather. Don’t worry. We’ve arrived at such a unique world—it wouldn’t make sense to leave empty-handed. We should take as much as we can.

“Time is too short to earn the trust of important figures and trade for valuable items. Firearms are not useful here. Instead of relying on force, it’s much better to strike deals with ghosts.”

“If they really manage to bring books, make sure to scan them twice carefully. Don’t make any mistakes. Since it’s just borrowing, flexibility should be high, and we should be able to get quite a few books,” Shen Yunxuan instructed.

Elder Chen was puzzled. “Xiao Shen, are you really helping them get revenge, or are you just tricking them into exchanging things?”

“Of course, it’s real. These ghosts are already so pitiful—why would I deceive them?” Shen Yunxuan responded naturally.

The others were speechless. At least half of what she had said to those ghosts was a lie, wasn’t it? Just look at Madam Li and Qin Wenshu—when they first saw them, they were terrifying and aggressive. Now, they were running errands for Shen Yunxuan more eagerly than anyone else.

Shen Yunxuan didn’t explain further. Truth and lies were often intertwined. With time so limited, there was no room for deep emotions. As long as she could establish quick communication and rapidly exchange benefits, the purpose of the traversal would be fulfilled.

She craved power. She longed to become stronger. Having already tasted the benefits of strength, she naturally wanted to push forward. That meant working even harder to earn dimension coins.

Soon, a large number of ghosts gathered at the General’s Manor. Some wanted Shen Yunxuan to clear their names, some sought revenge, and others were simply there to watch the excitement.

Not every ghost could appear in front of humans, otherwise, normal life would be impossible—Taoists would have long been called in to deal with them. In the capital, ghosts and humans were like two parallel worlds, each minding their own business. Only those with significant merit, like Madam Li and Qin Wenshu, or those with deep resentment, like the blood-dripping ghost, could manifest. Even then, if they encountered prepared humans, they could still be harmed.

With so many ghosts gathered, Shen Yunxuan first applied ox tears to her team’s eyes.

At first, Gao Lang didn’t know what kind of eye drops Shen Yunxuan had given him. But the moment he blinked after using them, he fell straight to the ground in shock.

Holy crap! There were suddenly dozens of ghosts densely packed around him! Was this opening his heavenly eye? If he had known, he wouldn’t have used it. This was way too terrifying!

Dong Yue held back a laugh and pulled him up, whispering, “Don’t embarrass Captain Shen. Show some backbone. Remember, you’re one of the Left and Right Guardians. You have to follow Captain Shen on missions.”

Gao Lang snapped back to reality, trying his best to stand straight, but his voice still trembled. “Can I… not go?”

Dong Yue replied, “This is Captain Shen’s way of valuing you.”

Gao Lang swallowed hard. “This kind of ‘valuing’ feels really heavy.” Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to look at the group of ghosts. “I refuse to believe I can’t overcome this fear. I’ll fight fear with exposure! If I see enough, I’ll stop being afraid!”

What kind of logic was that? But it did make sense to try. After all, he couldn’t afford to be the one to mess things up because of fear. Shen Yunxuan was deliberately giving him a chance since she had plans to cultivate him as a key aide. Still, she reminded him, “Try it first. If it’s too much, don’t force it. You can participate in other worlds instead.”

That would mean avoiding all ghost-related missions in the future. Gao Lang thought back to the selection process—he had been chosen because of his excellence in all areas. He was even a martial arts prodigy who had developed inner strength early, gaining Shen Yunxuan’s favor. If he lost his place because he was afraid of ghosts, he would have nowhere to cry.

Gritting his teeth, he said, “I’m fine! I can do this!”

He was still scared, but he could channel his fear into motivation—fight or flight, he would fight to the end!

Shen Yunxuan handed him another stack of talismans, which made Gao Lang feel a little more secure.

Then, she clapped her hands and addressed the gathered ghosts. “Alright. Those of you who have requests, line up. Come forward one by one, state your situation. If you have payment, go get it and register what you can offer. Ghosts who provide payment will be prioritized for revenge. Let’s begin.”

The ghosts all looked at her, seeing a young girl who seemed naïve and inexperienced. Many were skeptical of her so-called revenge promises, laughing and sizing her up. Some even thought she was just trying to scam them for valuable items. Shen Yunxuan ignored their doubts and prepared to head out with the blood-dripping ghost to her former home.

Among the ghosts, some were good, but there were also evil ones. Just then, an evil ghost noticed the gathering, saw humans and a Taoist, and suddenly lunged at Qin Wenshu, trying to bite her. Qin Wenshu shrieked, her hair flying wildly in fear.

Shen Yunxuan immediately threw a talisman, shouting, “Exorcise evil!”

The ghost let out a miserable scream, its form gradually disintegrating until it vanished completely.

The entire crowd fell silent, all eyes widened in shock. The blood-dripping ghost gasped, “That was him! That bastard devoured my sister’s ghost! He was vicious when he was alive and just as terrible after death. He—he just died, just like that?”

Shen Yunxuan said nonchalantly, “Think of it as him dying a second time.”

The ghosts erupted into a commotion.

“She got rid of an evil ghost that easily? This Taoist master is powerful!”

“Where did this Taoist come from? Will she come after us next?”

“She said she helps ghosts get revenge, right? Let’s watch and see if she actually does it.”

“Yeah, let’s observe first. But wow, she’s really strong. Kinda scary!”

Shen Yunxuan had done this on purpose. The talisman she had just thrown was the strongest one she could currently draw, ensuring an instant kill. It was meant to send a clear message and intimidate the ghosts.

🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆