Zhang Biao acted just like an ordinary person, completely unguarded.

Caught off guard, Zhang Biao let out a shriek and flew straight into the main hall of Chiyun Temple without making any other sound.

Xu Shan stared nervously into the main hall.

According to Lu Xiangjun, this kind of thing could be dispersed with a single slap.

But it seemed that even with all his strength, he hadn't managed to kick Zhang Biao to death.

Moreover, the kick had felt solid, just like kicking an ordinary person... Lu Xiangjun had no reason to lie to him about something like this.

That meant Zhang Biao was likely no ordinary Nether Spirit.

After waiting for a long time, Zhang Biao still hadn't reappeared.

Xu Shan calmed his nerves and walked toward the temple.

He sidled up to the temple entrance and peered inside.

The sight that met his eyes left him speechless.

At that moment, Zhang Biao was hugging his knees, curled up in a ball, and sobbing nonstop.

"Ahem!" Xu Shan cleared his throat twice and boldly stepped inside.

Hearing the sound, Zhang Biao looked up in terror, shrinking back like a frightened quail.

He mumbled, "Don't hit me... Don't hit me..."

*So pitiful?*

Xu Shan felt a pang of pity. Pretending nothing had happened, he changed the subject. "Brother, where's that sesame oil you mentioned?"

"You can have it all! You can have it all, I don't want it anymore, just don't hit me..." Zhang Biao stammered, trembling.

*His name is Biao, but he's not 'biao' at all.*

Xu Shan said helplessly, "I wasn't trying to rob you. I was afraid you were a bandit, so I made the first move."

"It's a misunderstanding, brother. Get up. My bad."

Zhang Biao raised his head timidly. "Really?"

"Of course. Now, where's that sesame oil you mentioned?"

Zhang Biao let out a huge sigh of relief, slowly got to his feet, and pointed at the offering table. "It's in that bowl."

Xu Shan looked at the offering table. There was only an empty bowl on it. He picked it up and asked, "Where's the oil?"

Seeing the empty bowl, Zhang Biao immediately panicked. "The oil? There was still a little at the bottom just now... How is it gone? That would have lasted me a long time!"

Hearing his illogical rambling, Xu Shan shook his head, pointed at him, and said, "Brother, you've become a ghost. Surely you must know that, right?"

A ghost?!

Zhang Biao looked as if he'd been struck by lightning. He slowly collapsed to the ground, muttering, "That's right... I hanged myself two months ago. I shouldn't be alive now. I'd forgotten all about it until you mentioned it."

After speaking, he looked up at Xu Shan. "But if I'm a ghost, why am I still wearing clothes? Can clothes become ghosts too?"

Their eyes met, and both of them froze, dumbfounded.

That was, indeed, an unsolved mystery...

Zhang Biao's line of thought was so clear that Xu Shan couldn't help but start doubting himself.

If it weren't for the fact that the guy had no soles on his feet, he might have really mistaken him for a normal person.

"Look at your feet. Where did the soles of your feet go?"

Zhang Biao looked down. "What's wrong? My feet are fine."

*Can't he see it himself?*

Without another word, Xu Shan retracted the spiritual energy in his right arm and swung it at Zhang Biao. His arm passed straight through the back of Zhang Biao's head.

Even Xu Shan himself was amazed by this.

Zhang Biao went cross-eyed, staring in horror at the arm sticking through his face, and let out a bloodcurdling scream.

It wasn't until Xu Shan pulled his arm back that he became completely crestfallen, muttering to himself over and over.

"I'm a ghost... I'm really a ghost... But if I'm a ghost, why am I still hungry? I was hungry when I was alive, and I'm still hungry now that I'm dead..."

As he spoke, Zhang Biao began to wail, but not a single tear fell.

Hearing this, even Xu Shan felt a pang of sorrow.

*That's right. This guy must be the servant the pimp mentioned—the one who couldn't stand being ordered around by his master and hanged himself two months ago.*

*A Nether Spirit might be able to interact with inanimate objects to some extent, which is why he hadn't realized he'd become a ghost until now.*

Zhang Biao's crying gradually subsided. He looked up at Xu Shan with a glimmer of hope and asked, "Am I really a ghost?"

Xu Shan took a tea canister from his Storage Bag, placed it on the offering table, and took a few steps back. "If you're a ghost, you should be able to get inside this tea canister. Give it a try."

Zhang Biao looked at the tea canister and swallowed hard.

He closed his eyes, steeled himself, and stuck his hand inside.

Then, with great difficulty, he was seen squeezing his entire body into the canister.

Xu Shan walked forward with a deadpan expression, put the lid on, and slapped a Spirit-Binding Talisman on it for good measure.

Capture successful!

He decided not to hand this thing in, though. He'd take it back and study it at his leisure.

This ghost was definitely out of the ordinary, and there was something strange about the temple, too. This was not a place to linger.

He had memorized the sequence of his steps on the way here, so now he just had to retrace them.

Xu Shan picked up the tea canister and was just about to turn around.

Suddenly, the Spirit-Binding Talisman snapped in two, and a head popped out violently, wearing a terrified expression. "Master Xu, I really am a ghost!"

"Damn!"

Xu Shan's heart leaped into his throat, and he almost threw the tea canister away. Fortunately, he managed to suppress the instinct.

Clutching his chest, he said, "You... How did you get out?"

"Master Xu, did you put the lid on? I'm scared of the dark... so I wanted to get out, and I just pushed hard and popped out." As he spoke, Zhang Biao looked down at the canister.

"That was so scary! The lid is still on, but I... I passed right through it?"

Still shaken, Zhang Biao squeezed out of the canister and stood before Xu Shan once more.

The two stared at each other, wide-eyed.

"Master Xu, I'm a ghost... Does the Buddha in the temple not want me to leave? Am I going to be trapped here for the rest of my... existence?" Zhang Biao asked, his voice choked with tears. "And why are you the only one who can see me?"

Xu Shan said calmly, "No. It's because I, Master Xu, am an immortal. I can save you. Not only can I get you out of here, but I can also take you to a celestial mountain where you can eat and drink to your heart's content."

"Really, Master Xu?!" Zhang Biao was overjoyed, looking at Xu Shan in disbelief.

Xu Shan nodded gravely. "Really. But there are some things you need to be careful about. Not everyone is as friendly toward ghosts as I am."

Explore the extended edition on pawread.com.

"The outside world is a dangerous place. I'm the only one who's willing to be good to you. Everyone else will only want to harm you."

"Once I take you to the celestial mountain, you absolutely cannot come out without my permission. But don't worry, I'll let you out for some fresh air when the time is right. Are you willing to come with me?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Zhang Biao dropped to his knees with a thud. "This humble one is willing to follow you, Master Xu! Thank you for your immense kindness!"

"Good, good, good," Xu Shan thought, inwardly delighted. "From now on, you'll live in the canister. I'll take you back to the celestial mountain. Let's go now."

"Yes, sir!" Zhang Biao replied cheerfully and ran over to the empty bowl on the offering table that had once held the sesame oil.

He bent over, stuck out his tongue, and licked the bottom of the bowl clean, smacking his lips. "How come it's suddenly all gone?"

Xu Shan felt a vein pop on his forehead.

*How utterly pathetic. What kind of life must he have lived? Truly sad.*

"Let's go, Master Xu! I'm ready!"

...