Seeing Chu Hao’s depressed face, Qiu Xueying felt a bit embarrassed. She had already put her clothes on. She guessed her period had arrived, which changed her mind.
Chu Hao said with a bitter and serious look, "Teacher, I feel so terrible inside."
Blushing, Qiu Xueying said, "How about this! I’ll download a few videos for you. Just watch them when you have nothing to do."
Chu Hao was aghast. Just watch them when I have nothing to do! Who comforts people like this? Of all the painful things in the world, this is the worst: both parties are willing, I’m ready, and then you tell we can’t go on. Forget it. At this point, there’s basically no chance left.
After Chu Hao got dressed, he took out a jade pendant and said, "This is a talismanic jade pendant that wards off evil. With it, ghosts won’t dare to co near you."
"Thank you," Qiu Xueying said, looking down, her feelings incredibly complicated.
"I should head back now," Chu Hao said.
Qiu Xueying said, "Your injury hasn’t healed yet. Do you want to rest here for the night?"
Pointing at himself, Chu Hao said, "I’m afraid I won’t be able to control myself, and then... It’s better if I don’t."
"Alright... okay, I’ll walk you out."
Leaving the faculty building, Chu Hao called Yu Sicheng.
Yu Sicheng said, "Ah-Hao, I’ve found so leads, but the matter is quite troubleso. Co over here."
Upon hearing this, Chu Hao imdiately rushed over. It was strange, he thought, that there would be an unsolvable issue with Dong Qi there.
Finally, Chu Hao arrived at a place that had been unvisited for a long ti, where the architecture and decor resembled an ancient governnt office.
As it happened, Star Dream High School had quite a history. For example, this governnt office had once existed here, along with a small portion of its governntal residence. This place was usually off-limits, occasionally attracting tourists who ca to admire the architecture and experience the ambiance of the ancient bureaucratic world.
When Chu Hao arrived, Lu Junhe and Zhang Dehua were there, in addition to Yu Sicheng and his two companions.
It was now evening. Only after Chu Hao arrived did Yu Sicheng co forward and say, "Ah-Hao, we’ve encountered so difficulties."
Chu Hao glanced at Dong Qi and asked, "Is there anything you can’t handle?"
Dong Qi hurriedly said, "Master Chu, this place is quite unusual. If I’m not mistaken, this is a Ghost Office."
A Ghost Office was similar to ancient governnt offices. However, this one wasn’t for handling civilian affairs; it dealt with ghostly affairs. During the height of the Exorcists’ era, Emperors would establish such places specifically to handle matters involving ghosts in the Yang Realm. These places were very rare.
Chu Hao was also secretly astonished. Ghost Offices like this were extrely rare in the current era.
Chu Hao asked in surprise, "If this is a Ghost Office, why are even the minor ghosts around it so rampant?"
A Ghost Office should be the most intimidating to ghosts. There shouldn’t be any ghostly presence near the school at all.
Dong Qi said, "This Ghost Office has been abandoned."
The place was very eerie, especially at night. Many stone statues had been built around, so lifelike that they seed almost alive. One of the statues was clothed in dazzling armor. It looked majestic and valiant, wielding a golden halberd fiercely, its eyes, full of life, seed transfixed upon everyone there.
This was Shen Tu. Folklore described him as a deity capable of subduing Evil Ghosts, and he was also one of the Five Ghost Emperors who, along with Cai Yulei, governed Taoci Mountain and the Ghost Gate Pass. Typically, he was appointed as the Ghost Suppression Emperor in Ghost Offices.
Dong Qi said, "Master Chu, the ghosts appearing at the school ca from this stone statue."
Chu Hao was surprised and said, "Even the most powerful ghosts wouldn’t be able to co near a Ghost Emperor, let alone hide inside."
Dong Qi pulled Chu Hao aside and whispered, "Master, do you rember telling you about the Song Emperor’s rebellion?"
Chu Hao nodded. He recalled that eighteen years ago, around the ti of his birth, the Song Emperor had rebelled against the Underworld.
"It is said that the Ghost Emperor Shen Tu was slain by the Song Emperor, which is why this Ghost Office’s statue no longer has any divine power."
Chu Hao’s face was a picture of shock. Shen Tu was dead?
My goodness! he thought. It looks like the catastrophic event eighteen years ago was really sothing—even the Ghost Suppression Emperor died.
Chu Hao said, "You all step back."
He took out the Hundred Percent Ghost-seeing Talisman he had purchased and exclaid, "Three Pure Ones, supre spirits! All Evil Demons, reveal your true forms..."
The talisman paper emitted a seven-colored light. Upon closer inspection, one could see it was a seven-colored fla, capable of revealing the true forms of all ghosts and goblins in the world.
Everyone looked. Sure enough, several ferocious faces appeared inside the statue of the Ghost Emperor Shen Tu. What else could they be, if not ghosts?
A System notification stated: Host has discovered the Ghost Cave. Hidden Level Quest initiated.
Chu Hao was thrilled. Finally, a quest has arrived! he thought, deeply moved. But why wasn’t there a notification about the quest level?
The ghosts, seeing Chu Hao had discovered them, grimaced and rushed at him, each appearing in a state of tragic death.
Chu Hao was already seething with rage that day, especially after being toyed with by Wang Shan’s ghost. He charged over without a word, conjured the Sword Finger Talisman, and wiped out all the evil ghosts in a few moves.
"DING! You have slain an Evil Ghost and gained 5,000 Experience Points."
"DING! You have slain an Evil Ghost and gained 5,000 Experience Points."
"DING! An Evil Ghost dropped an Evil Ghost Pill. It has been added to your inventory."
Chu Hao snapped his fingers and said coldly, "Hmph! re Xiao Gui, daring to play tricks! This Taoist Master will turn you to dust with a flick of his fingers."
"DING! Host has successfully shown off, earning 100 Show-off Points."
The other ghosts that had not rushed out, upon seeing this, were terrified and fled back inside.
Only then did everyone clearly see a pitch-black hole on the statue.
Chu Hao asked inwardly, "System, is this the Ghost Cave? How do I get in?"
System: "Recomndation for the Host: Purchase the Soul Out-of-Body Pill."
"Purchase," Chu Hao instructed.
"DING! Host has purchased the Soul Out-of-Body Pill. 200 Show-off Points have been deducted."
Soul Out-of-Body Pill: After taking it, one’s soul can leave the body, with a ti limit of three days.
Chu Hao said indifferently, "You stay outside and keep watch; I’m going in to take a look."
Wang ng looked utterly confused and said, "Ah-Hao, how... how are you going to get in?"
Dong Qi, standing beside him, said excitedly, "Master Chu, could it be that you are going to have an out-of-body experience?"
Yu Sicheng’s eyes lit up. So it’s going to be an out-of-body experience!
An out-of-body experience was no small feat. Those who hadn’t reached a certain level of cultivation couldn’t make their soul leave their body. Moreover, the soul, after leaving the body, would be extrely weak—let alone capable of exploring this Ghost Cave. Who knows how many ghosts are inside?
"Ah-Hao, it’s better to be cautious. We don’t know how many evil ghosts are inside," Yu Sicheng advised.
Chu Hao was just about to brag that there was no place in the Underworld he couldn’t go when suddenly, he heard wailing and howling from inside the Ghost Cave. A strong chill forced its way out of the hole. The sensation was like a freezer door being opened, with an icy blast of cold air hitting him.
Only then did Chu Hao rember what an unlucky day it had been for him. The thought of the misfortunes he’d encountered today made his scalp tingle.
He perford a quick divination on his fingers. The trigrams indicate that while this venture promises frights, there will be no true danger. Still, I must be cautious, very cautious.
Chu Hao felt awkward. Tonight is not a good night to go, he realized. He coughed and said, "AHEM... It’s getting late. This Taoist Master will return another day, during daylight, to eradicate this Ghost Cave."
Everyone had been eagerly anticipating watching the soul leave the body. When Chu Hao announced he wouldn’t do it, they were imdiately disappointed, as they had really wanted to see what it would look like.
Zhang Dehua couldn’t resist saying, "Master Chu Tian, it’s only nine-thirty. The students haven’t even finished their self-study yet."
Chu Hao glared at him and said, "This Taoist Master usually goes to bed at eight. That has been my habit for many years."
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