Then, with a flick of his hand, the yellow talisman burst into flames. He threw it into the well.
In the next moment, a blood-curdling high pitched scream rose violently from the old well, sending tremors across the entire forest.
Then, a wisp of black smoke burst out from the well and rushed straight at Taoist Master Chang Qing.
Chapter 63 - Taoist Master Submits
From the old well, the black smoke burst forth and took the form of a female ghost in a white dress.
Her unkempt black hair danced around wildly and covered most of her deathly pale face, revealing only a pair of terrifying, blood-red pupils.
She let out a high-pitched screech that threatened to deafen everyone nearby.
Then, the female ghost barred her fangs and claws as she leaped toward Taoist Master Chang Qing.
Suddenly, dark winds began to swirl around amidst the ghostly howls in the barren forest.
Liu Qiang hid behind a tree. When he saw the female ghost rushing at them, his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fainted.
‘Damnit, useless shit!’ Liu Dajun cursed internally.
The expression on Taoist Master Chang Qing’s face changed. He sneered coldly, “You’ve got something up your sleeve! Unfortunately, you’re facing me! You lone beast, get ready to be banished!”
With a roar, his two fingers swished and flicked another yellow talisman, which landed on the female ghost. The yellow talisman exploded and burst into flames.
The female ghost’s figure turned sluggish for a second and she screamed.
“Damn beast, take one more of my talismans!” Taoist Master Chang Qing shouted again and sent another talisman over.
As the several talismans were continuously thrown, the female ghost screeched and screamed. She started to grow more furious and wilder.
“Shit, not dead yet?”
Taoist Master Chang Qing was taken aback. He could not stop himself from cursing.
Normally, the ghost would have been near death with the number of talismans he had thrown. Yet, it was clear that the female ghost before them was still alive and kicking.
“Damn, this old priest is going all out at you!”
Taoist Master Chang Qing started to feel nervous and gave a light cough. He snatched one of the calabashes at his waist, opened up the lid, and splashed some water at the female ghost.
“Taste my precious virgin boy urine!
“And taste my black dog’s blood!”
The Taoist master roared before opening another calabash.
Both virgin boy urine and black dog’s blood had certain restraining effects on spirits and ghosts.
Then, the Taoist master pulled out the peach wood sword strapped to his back and sliced one of his palms. Staining his peach wood sword with blood, he waved his sword at the female ghost.
It was a difficult fight.
Tang Hao could not help but nod discreetly at the old Taoist priest’s skills. He might not have a high cultivation base, but he was indeed a professional when it came to exorcism.
The fight went on for a while as the Taoist master slowly gained the upper hand. He rushed forward with his sword, and with a swing, his sword landed squarely on the female ghost.
Kyaaaa—!
She let out a pitiful screech. The female ghost took a lot of damage. Her figure suddenly blurred and transformed into wisps of smoke that dashed toward the old well.
“Don’t you dare run, monster!” Roared the Taoist priest as he chased after the ghost with his peach wood sword.
It was at this moment that a wave of blood-curdling screams came from the old well, as though innumerable spirits and ghosts were rushing out.
The Taoist master froze and blinked at the old well blankly. Black smoke billowed out and condensed to form more ghosts. They hovered in the air before charging at him with their fangs bared and claws out.
“D- Damnit!”
The Taoist master froze for a few seconds. His face turned as white as a sheet of paper.
He had no problem dealing one, but with so many ghosts out and about, how in the hell could he fight them all?!
Standing next to him, Liu Dajun’s face paled too as he realized that things had taken a turn for the worse. “Master, what should we do now?”
“What should we do? Run, of course!” Shouted the Taoist master as he swiftly turned around and ran.
Likewise, Liu Dajun lifted Liu Qiang from the ground and ran toward the villa.
As the two of them ran, they suddenly realized something was off. They turned around to see Tang Hao standing motionless as the horde of ghosts and spirits rushed toward him like a swarm of bees.
Seeing that scared the hell out of Liu Dajun. “Lil Tang, run!”
“Brat, what are you staying there for? Hurry up and run!” The Taoist master’s face turned green in terror.
He saw that Tang Hao was in danger, and there was no way he would let Tang Hao die without doing anything! However, if he tried to save Tang Hao, he himself might be sent to an early grave.
‘This stupid brat, you’re such an idiot!’ The Taoist master internally rained profanities at Tang Hao.
However, after a momentary struggle, he raised his peach wood sword and got ready to jump back into the horde to rescue Tang Hao.
Tang Hao faced the horde of angry spirits with an indifferent look on his face, his face devoid of fear. Instead, his lips cracked open to reveal a smile. He was obviously anticipating this.
This gesture sent the angry horde into a frenzy. The ghosts hissed and screamed as they leaped forward maniacally.
Watching them, the Taoist master’s entire body jerked. He growled, “No!”
With that many angry spirits coming at him, even he himself would have to leave the world in unresolved hatred, what more this brat.
“Sigh!” The Taoist master heaved a long sigh.
It was at this moment that the corner of Tang Hao’s brow twitched. As the angry horde neared him, Tang Hao slowly raised a finger as though he was sketching lightly, and then tapped the air.
Suddenly, a flash of light flickered at his fingertip and flooded the area in bright light.
With his finger extended, billowing gales and roaring thunder gushed out from the tip of his finger in all directions. The force was overwhelming.
The horde of angry ghosts stopped for a moment as though they had just seen the most terrifying thing in the world. They appeared to be in a state of panic. Then, they turned around frantically and scurried away in a rout.
Yet, it was too late.
Lightning blasted each of the angry ghosts apart, disintegrating them in the process.
With one flash after another, explosions akin to fireworks lit up around him. It was rather spectacular to witness.
In an instant, the horde of angry ghosts was annihilated, leaving the sole female ghost floating emotionlessly in the air near them.
The female ghost’s eyes widened on her white, emotionless canvas of a face.
Nearby, Taoist Master Chang Qing, Liu Dajun, and Liu Qiang all stood with the same dumbfounded expression on their face.
In an instant, the barren forest sank into a spine-chilling, deadly silence.
Then, the crisp sound of a slap rang out in the silence.
It was Taoist Master Chang Qing who had slapped himself in the face.
“Damnit, it hurts! ****** I’m not dreaming!”
Upon reaching this realization, he looked at the young man standing before him and instantly sucked in a mouthful of cold air.
This was a master of the arts! A real expert!
Taoist Master Chang Qing’s legs turned to jelly, so much so that he almost kneeled.
When he thought about how he had bragged about himself in front of a true expert whilst simultaneously teasing Tang Hao about not knowing anything about exorcism, Taoist Master Chang Qing felt like digging a hole in the ground to bury himself inside.
Embarrassing! It was too embarrassing!
Who was he, with his lowly Taoist attainment, before this superior person?
His thoughts trailed away once more. His Taoist attainment could not even compare to the level of a kid despite his ripe, old age. His heart ached so much that his tears threatened to fall.
Next to him, Liu Dajun went blank.
He only heard Tang Hao mention that he knew a little bit about exorcism. Yet, now that Liu Dajun had witnessed it with his own eyes, he began to question exactly which part of it resembled the work of a newbie. With one move, he eliminated so many ghosts instantaneously. He was incontestably overpowering!
“A master! He’s a goddamned master!” Liu Dajun slapped his thighs emotionally.
Suddenly, the female ghost recomposed herself and let out a screech as she attempted to escape.
“Don’t even think about it!”
Tang Hao harrumphed coldly and waved his hand to send out a burst of spiritual light at her. The light turned out to be a talisman. It slapped onto the female ghost and she exploded instantly, leaving only flashes of lightning.
The female ghost let out one last blood-curdling screech and disintegrated.
The Taoist master watched Tang Hao’s move and froze in confusion. He lamented in respect, “Such a powerful talisman! As expected of an expert like him!”
Tang Hao walked to the old well and glanced into it.
There were still some leftover ghost spirits that made it dark and ghastly. However, after giving it a scan, he confirmed that there were no ghosts left.
“Alright!”
He clapped his hands, turned around, and walked back to the group.
Chapter 64 - A Depressed Taoist Master
“Lil Tang, you’re so powerful! It’s amazing!”
Liu Dajun walked over with a guffaw. He gave Tang Hao a thumbs-up with a face full of emotion.
He was excited and proud at the same time. Of course, the more capable his sworn brothers were, the better it was. Yet, deep down, he was still somewhat in disbelief.
He had known Lil Tang for a while now. All this while, he only knew that Lil Tang had a pair of miraculous healing hands. Yet, never did he expect Lil Tang to be even more adept at exorcism than a Taoist priest.
That was definitely not something an ordinary person could do. He was an immortal being; an expert out of the loop.
Liu Dajun could not be more honored to be associated with Lil Tang, what more to become his sworn brother! That was not an opportunity that others could get even if they begged for it!
All of a sudden, he jumped with the realization that there was more than meets the eye in Lil Tang’s medicinal prowess. It suddenly made sense why his medicine was so miraculous! Additionally, there was his blood-jade bracelet and the exquisite jadeite to account for too. Clearly, there was something more than luck at play.
Tang Hao simply smiled at Liu Dajun’s flattering praise.
Truth be told, to him, none of this was worth his attention.
Ghosts prioritized their attainment too. The higher their attainment was, the stronger the ghost would be, consequently making them harder to deal with. The horde of ghosts that he eliminated just now possessed pathetically low levels of attainment. Only the female ghosts’ attainment was above average.
Thus, he only needed to cast a simple lightning-type spell to wipe out the whole group.
“Senior!”
Taoist Master Chang Qing walked over with a shameful face and made an obeisance by cupping one of his hands in the other before his chest. “Senior, please forgive me for all my wrongdoings! I apologize for the demonstration of my insufficient skills just now…”
“It’s nothing!” Tang Hao said with a wave of his hand.
After a pause, he smiled and continued, “Oh, right. Please don’t call me ‘senior’. It’s so weird to hear that when I’m only eighteen years old!”
Hearing that, the Taoist master’s face scrunched up so tightly it almost became as wrinkled as a bitter gourd.
Tang Hao was only eighteen?
Meanwhile, he had lived for more than fifty years; forty more years than Tang Hao. Yet, his attainment was still pitiful in comparison.
‘Sigh! Honestly, anger is the only thing that comes from comparing yourself to others!’ He mumbled to himself internally.
After scrutinizing Tang Hao once again, more chills ran down his spine. In his eyes, the young man’s bearing was so undetectable that if Tang Hao had not made the move just now, he would never have expected him to be another cultivator.
“This level of attainment is too overwhelming! Not even my senior brothers can touch it!”
With that thought in mind, the Taoist master’s expression became even more respectful.
“If you don’t like ‘senior’, then I’ll just call you ‘fellow cultivator’,” replied the Taoist master. “I wonder, under which Perfected Person’s faction is Fellow Cultivator Tang practicing?”
“Perfected Person?”
Tang Hao paused for a while. Then, it occurred to him that “Perfected Person” was the term used to refer to a cultivator foundation.
He shook his head and answered, “I don’t study under any teacher. I’m self-taught.”
Taoist Master Chang Qing’s eyes widened on his face that screamed of disbelief. He was looking at Tang Hao like he was some kind of monster.
It was true that cultivation could be self-taught. Yet, could self-taught cultivation turn him into a being like this?
Taoist Master Chang Qing thought only of the absurdity of it all. He stood dumbfounded and did not say anything else.
To him, it felt like he had squandered away half his life. ‘Perhaps, Fellow Cultivator Tang has some sort of destiny,’ Taoist Master Chang Qing consoled himself after a moment of contemplation.
That sounded like the most logical deduction. After all, Fellow Cultivator Tang was too young. If it was not destiny at work, it would have been impossible for him to achieve such attainment.
Nevertheless, he did not ask Tang Hao what kind of destiny he was set for. To cultivators, this subject was taboo.
“Fellow Cultivator Tang is truly a miraculous person!”
Taoist Master Chang Qing finally spat out some praise after a short attempt to hold it in.
Meanwhile, Liu Dajun gave Liu Qiang’s face a few slaps to wake him up.
After waking up, Liu Qiang’s entire body shook. He curled up into a ball and looked around frantically. “Where’s… where’s the ghost?”
Liu Dajun gave him another slap and murmured, “The ghost’s long gone, you useless piece of sh*t. You fainted the moment you saw the ghost. You embarrass me.”
Liu Qiang let out an “ouch!” His face lit up like a flame in embarrassment. “Bro, you know very well that I’ve… always been a scaredy-cat.”
Then, he suddenly perked up in excitement. “Still, is the ghost gone for real? That’s great! Master, thank you so much! No worries, I’ll pass the money to you soon.”
Taoist Master Chang Qing felt a little ashamed. He was about to clarify what had happened just now when he saw Tang Hao shaking his head lightly.
He paused. Then, understanding Tang Hao’s intention, he shut his mouth.
Liu Dajun understood what was going on too and did not comment on the matter.
To him, Lil Tang was always a person who kept things low-key. Thus, it was normal for Lil Tang to prefer keeping his abilities a secret.
“Come, come, come, master. Let’s go. I’ll pass you the money and we’ll all have a nice meal,” said Liu Qiang excitedly as he led the way.
The group of four descended the mountain, went to the county seat, and chose a nearby restaurant. They ordered a full spread of food that paired well with drinks, then started to eat.
After paying the bill, Liu Qiang left first. Taoist Master Chang Qing did not follow him out. After a long period of hesitation, he directed his inquiries at Tang Hao. “Fellow Cultivator Tang, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”
“Oh? What is it?” Asked Tang Hao, stunned.
“Actually, the reason I traveled to Westridge District is to track down a ghost. This ghost… isn’t just any ordinary ghost.” The Taoist master’s expression darkened.
“This ghost… is very powerful. Its attainment is high and it’s also evil. It has been stirring up a lot of trouble for a while now. It likes to possess people to commit various gory, heinous crimes, like flaying!
“The most recent case happened in Westridge District, where you live. It happened around three or four days ago. That’s why I’m here.
“I’m afraid that with my limited abilities, I won’t be able to go against the evil ghost. Therefore, I’m asking for your assistance, fellow cultivator. With you by my side, I’ll be more confident that we’ll succeed.”
Tang Hao’s eyebrows creased slightly but he nodded and replied, “Don’t worry, master. It is my duty to eradicate evil spirits.”
“Alright! I give you my thanks!” Nodded the Taoist master excitedly.
After a momentary pause, he continued, “There’s no rush for now as I haven’t found the evil ghost yet. I’ll call you when I find it! Fellow Cultivator Tang, what’s your phone number? Let me save your contact.”
As he spoke, he took out a cell phone, but it was the latest iPhone model.
Tang Hao was stunned as he looked at it. In his heart, he thought about how trendy this Taoist master was! It was way better than his own old cell phone.
After exchanging numbers, Tang Hao asked about matters in the cultivation world.
When he obtained his inheritance, Tang Hao knew that there were many cultivators in the world. Mao Mountain was clearly another land of inheritance.
“Sigh! I’m ashamed to talk about it. The truth is, I’m not really from Mao Mountain. I’m just a dropout. I don’t have much understanding about the cultivation world either,” sighed the Taoist master regretfully.
“Is that so!?” Tang Hao was quite disappointed.
“Fellow Cultivator Tang, don’t worry. In the future, I’ll introduce you to those I called senior brothers in the past with the highest recommendation. They know a lot.”
The Mightiest Little Peasant c1-799 Page 31