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墨書 Inktalez
The profound magical power surged like an endless ocean, different from the feeling of ghosts and monsters; it was comfortable, warm, and inviting for humans.
With an imposing aura, the slender young man suddenly appeared much taller, his entire demeanor becoming deep and unfathomable, resembling a deity that was unattainable, making people instinctively want to bow in reverence.
The old man was shocked, his legs almost buckling. The same reaction was seen among the scattered villagers around him.
He did not truly force them to kneel; his imposing presence lasted only seven or eight seconds before he withdrew it. The aura that resembled towering mountains dissipated, and the natural sense of worship among the crowd gradually faded.
At this point, looking at the fair-skinned Slim Young Man, everyone felt respect in their hearts—there was no fear, no suspicion, only reverence akin to that for a celestial being.
This was not misplaced; after all, Ye Mingshang had reached Human Immortal Rank, akin to a wandering immortal among mortals, so calling him an immortal was not incorrect.
"It seems that actions speak louder than words," Ye Mingshang thought to himself. He then turned to the old man and said, "Do you believe me now? I am a Taoist priest with profound skills."
Now the old man looked at him without the gaze of a junior; that kind of respect came from the heart and was something he had only felt when facing his own ancestor.
"Senior, please allow me to pay my respects!" The old man said as he bent down to bow.
Ye Mingshang hurriedly supported him. "Why are you doing this, sir?!"
The old man replied, "I failed to recognize your greatness. If I have offended you by not recognizing your true form, please forgive me."
"Oh? Ha! Hahaha!" Ye Mingshang laughed suddenly, catching everyone off guard with his laughter.
Ye Mingshang wiped away the tears of laughter and, still smiling, said, "There's no need for seniority titles. I have no master and no sect, so I don't really have a rank. Strictly speaking, I'm not a Taoist but an Exorcist. Although my abilities are quite strong, given our ages, you should actually be my senior."
The old man was surprised and thought to himself: So he is an Exorcist! Is he truly self-taught? At this age, can someone really reach such heights without a teacher? Indeed, some people are born geniuses; it's frustrating how some can outshine others so easily.
Inside the room, Ye Mingshang sipped their unique bamboo leaf tea while listening to the old man's introduction.
The old man's name was Zheng Guoxing. Judging by his age, he must have lived through the Japanese Invasion. His name likely signifies the prosperity of the nation.
He had been learning Yin-Yang Techniques from his master since childhood and had been practicing for over eighty years. However, due to his dull aptitude, he only advanced to Sage status over a decade ago. Compared to his prematurely deceased master, he was far behind; in comparison to his ancestor, he was even further away than ten thousand miles on a pilgrimage.
Nevertheless, despite his lack of talent, he had lived a long life and gained considerable experience. Using the knowledge he had acquired, he had even captured or eliminated many supernatural beings far stronger than himself and had managed to live healthily into old age.
"I knew there were water ghosts in the reservoir long ago; it has been decades since they first appeared. However, since they rarely harmed anyone and were difficult to catch, I didn't bother with them," the old man paused before continuing. "Originally, I thought it would remain that way—they didn't harm anyone; they just lived in the water. But recently, those usually well-behaved fellows suddenly went wild and quietly took four or five people in just one day."
"Because the reservoir is quite large and remote, and everyone was spread out, they mainly targeted individuals who were alone. For a couple of days, no one noticed anything unusual. But as time went on, it became apparent something was wrong; most people drove there, and when someone was taken away, their car wouldn't just stay there."
"Before long, those cars were all piled up—abandoned without anyone managing them—turning into zombie cars. Later on, when the traffic police came to tow them away, they discovered that all those people had gone missing, which raised alarm bells. With so many incidents happening, it was bound to be noticed; even when they picked off stragglers, there were times when people saw it happen and recorded it—it caused quite a stir."
"Eventually, officials were sent down to investigate. Afterward, they didn’t say much; they simply sealed off the reservoir and prohibited fishing there. I know they have a metaphysics department with many capable individuals. I asked why they didn’t send someone to resolve this issue; they didn’t elaborate but said everyone had been summoned back to Kyoto for an important mission and had no time to deal with it. As an old man with limited abilities myself, I also wanted to eliminate these harmful entities recently but unfortunately couldn’t catch any water ghosts and almost lost my life in the process." At this point, the old man seemed somewhat dejected.
It was understandable; having been a teacher his whole life and knowing that there were supernatural beings causing trouble yet feeling powerless was disheartening.
To be honest, if we set aside strength and just consider character, the old man truly had nothing to complain about. Having spent his life as a teacher and having captured countless demons and monsters, he must have saved many people. He was respected by all; even during difficult times when others might have acted against him, he remained unscathed—this speaks volumes about his character.
"Don't worry, with me here, those things won't stir up much trouble," Ye Mingshang reassured.
"That's great! With your help, those water ghosts will be easy to handle," Zheng Guoxing said excitedly.
"However, I still need your assistance. Otherwise, I can't guarantee that I'll catch them all by myself," Ye Mingshang explained.
"Sure, just let us know what you need. As long as we can do it, we'll go through fire and water for you," Zheng Guoxing said boldly.
Ye Mingshang waved his hand. "I don't need you to go through fire or water. I just need you to act as bait to lure those water ghosts ashore or close to the bank. If they hide in the water, I won't be able to catch them."
In the afternoon, a group of over ten people appeared above the reservoir. Looking at the calm surface of the water below, everyone felt an eerie sensation, even under the bright sun.
"We don't need too many people. Since they like to see someone alone, just one person should come with me," Ye Mingshang said.
A strong young man in his twenties, carrying a large green fishing net on his shoulder, followed Ye Mingshang down.
When they reached the water's edge, they selected a spot and laid out the fishing net along the shore, submerging it in the water.
"Are you sure you want to be bait? Aren't you afraid?" Ye Mingshang asked as he set up the borrowed fishing gear from the village.
The young man chuckled innocently. "I've grown up this big and never knew what fear was. It's just a ghost. What’s there to be afraid of? If they dare to come, I'll just throw my big fist at them. I don't believe they're so tough that I can't take them down." (To be continued.)
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