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According to Liu Qingmei, Lu Chen is the nephew of a certain elder from the Fifth Peak and is undoubtedly under the protection of the sect. Therefore, he wouldn't be foolish enough to directly hand over the Dust-Seeking Incense and Liu Qingmei's body.
"If what Qingmei-jie said is true, given Lu Chen's sinister and ruthless nature, he might even try to track down the person who reported the case and silence me to cover his tracks," Xu Ye thought to himself as he dragged Liu Qingmei's body back into the courtyard.
"Bang!"
That night, a loud crash echoed from Xu Taiping's bedroom in the Bamboo Residence, followed by his youthful voice shouting in anger, "Beast!"
After properly arranging Liu Qingmei's body, Xu Taiping lit a stick of Dust-Seeking Incense. From the smoke, he saw scenes of Lu Chen tormenting Liu Qingmei. What he witnessed was far beyond what mere words could describe. Calling Lu Chen a beast was an understatement—his actions were utterly inhumane.
"Qingmei-jie, I will definitely give this Dust-Seeking Incense to Zijin-jie. Your grievances, as well as Lu Chen's crimes, will be exposed to the world," Xu Taiping muttered as he carefully stored the last two sticks of Dust-Seeking Incense. His fists clenched tightly, and his gaze fixed on the shattered remains of the table he had smashed in anger.
He didn't consider himself a particularly righteous person. In fact, he believed that survival sometimes required selfishness. But if someone as evil as Lu Chen could escape retribution, it would make him question the very meaning of his existence.
"Grandpa always said, 'Out of sight, out of mind.' But now, even if I close my eyes, I can't forget the scenes of Qingmei-jie begging that beast for mercy," Xu Taiping said coldly, his tone uncharacteristically icy as he stared at the pile of broken table pieces.
The next day, at noon.
"Was it you who reported the case?"
Two men dressed in the robes of Qingxuan Sect disciples arrived at the entrance of Xu Taiping's small courtyard.
"Yes, it was me," Xu Taiping replied politely.
"A mere outer sect disciple dares to call us 'senior brothers'?" The man with a hooked nose on the left glared at Xu Taiping.
These two disciples belonged to the Gale Hall of the West Wind Pavilion, which specialized in handling cases of sect disciples being attacked by demons in the lower mountains. Although they were also based in the lower mountains, they were genuine inner sect disciples, their status only slightly lower than that of the disciples from the Seven Peaks.
"Get to the point. Don't try to cozy up to us," the other disciple, whose face was covered in pockmarks, waved his hand impatiently.
Xu Taiping didn't waste any more words and recounted his encounter with the ghost and the demon it controlled, carefully omitting any details related to Liu Qingmei.
"Your case is quite complicated. I'll need to report it to the Gale Hall's hall master first, who will then report it to the West Wind Pavilion's master, who will finally inform Elder Hei Long for further action," the pockmarked disciple said, stroking his chin with a look of feigned difficulty.
"How long will that take?" Xu Taiping asked urgently.
"At least three months, but it could take up to a year or more," the hook-nosed disciple replied, his lips curling into a sly smile as he glanced at Xu Taiping.
"That long? Can't it be faster? The ghost is already targeting me," Xu Taiping frowned.
"Do you think the Gale Hall exists solely for your convenience? Do you think we can handle cases whenever you want?" the hook-nosed disciple snapped, glaring at Xu Taiping.
"Old Zuo, calm down. No need to be so harsh with the little brother," the pockmarked disciple interjected, playing the role of the peacemaker.
"Actually, if you want to get rid of that ghost quickly, there is a way," he said, grinning at Xu Taiping and revealing a set of yellowed teeth.
"What way?" Xu Ye asked, curious despite himself.
"It depends on how much merit money you can offer," the pockmarked disciple said, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together.
"So, you're using the pretense of exorcising demons to extort us outer sect disciples. No wonder Qingmei-jie didn't trust you people," Xu Taiping thought to himself, finally understanding why Liu Qingmei had hesitated to report the case.
"Brothers from the Gale Hall, I've only been at the Bamboo Residence for a short time. I really don't have much merit money," Xu Taiping said, feigning helplessness. Although he had already seen through their true nature, he decided to play along to see just how far their greed would go.
"No merit money? That's fine. Just put on this bracelet and sign a contract with us, agreeing to hand over 70% of this year's harvest. We'll make sure you're safe," the hook-nosed disciple said, pulling out a copper bracelet from his pocket.
"70%?" Xu Taiping inwardly gasped.
He had expected them to demand a lot, but asking for 70% was outrageous. If he gave away 70%, he wouldn't have enough to pay his dues to the Qingxuan Sect and would likely be expelled by next year.
"70% isn't too much. You're being targeted by a ghost. If something goes wrong, you could lose your life!" the pockmarked disciple threatened.
The more Xu Taiping saw of their true colors, the more disgusted he became. "Linglong-jie was right. Down here in the lower mountains, you can only rely on yourself," he thought.
Any remaining hope he had of relying on the sect to deal with the ghost was completely extinguished.
However, to avoid conflict, he didn't outright refuse. Instead, he put on a troubled expression and said, "Brothers, 70% is just too much. Let me think about it."
"You—"
"Fine, think about it. Here's a communication talisman, my gift to you. If you encounter the ghost again, just tear the talisman, and we'll come quickly," the hook-nosed disciple was about to lose his temper, but the pockmarked disciple stopped him and handed Xu Taiping a talisman.
"But we'll take this demon wolf with us. It's evidence and needs to be brought back to the Gale Hall," the hook-nosed disciple said, grabbing one of the demon wolf's legs and glaring at Xu Taiping once more.
"With people like this managing the outer sect, no wonder they say few outer sect disciples last more than three years," Xu Taiping muttered to himself as he watched the two men drag the demon wolf's body away.
"Senior Brother, why did we leave so quickly? That kid has a medicinal garden in his backyard. It could earn a lot of merit in a year. Once he signs the contract and puts on the bracelet, he'll be working for us day and night, year after year."
"Don't be impatient. Ghosts are vengeful creatures. In a few days, he'll come crawling to us."
"Senior Brother, you're brilliant!"
"Keep your voice down!"
"Don't worry. That kid hasn't even reached the Door-Opening Realm. He can't hear us."
Just as Xu Taiping was about to enter his house, he overheard the pockmarked disciple and the hook-nosed disciple whispering to each other.
He hadn't expected them to be so malicious. Glancing at the communication talisman the pockmarked disciple had given him, he sneered inwardly, "Don't worry. That day will never come."