Chapter 4: Mission

The Exorcism Bureau did not impose strict regulations on cultivators.

They were free to choose their working hours, indulge themselves, or even stay at home for several days without coming to the office. As long as they ensured the completion of their monthly minimum tasks, they would never be held accountable.

Of course, for Gu Xu, this "flexible work system" was designed to make him work overtime.

As usual, Gu Xu was the first to arrive at the office today.

But he wasn't in a hurry to pick up the mission.

Instead, he headed straight to the second-floor book collection, sat down at a desk by the window, and took out yellow paper and cinnabar ink from the drawer to draw talismans.

Sharpening the knife will not delay the cutting of firewood.

As a "physically weak" boy, talismans were his most effective means of dealing with ghosts and monsters.

Since talismans were consumables, he had to ensure an ample supply of them before battles—just in case the talismans ran out, and the ghosts were not yet dead, he would end up being killed instead.

With a brush in his hand, he closed his eyes and recited the incantation: "Heaven is round, earth is square, the law consists of nine chapters. I now put brush to paper, and all the ghosts will submit. Urgent, like an imperial decree!"

Then he opened his eyes.

At this moment, the brush in his hand emitted a dazzling golden light, like solidified sunlight, containing immense power.

The brush touched the paper.

The talisman was complete.

The golden light from the brush dissipated, returning to its original state.

Gu Xu tucked the completed talisman into his pocket, feeling a bit more confident.

Just then, a familiar voice came from behind him:

"Hey, Gu Xu, are we teaming up for a mission today? Oh... you, how did you break through without making a sound again?"

Gu Xu turned around.

And he saw a girl dressed in the black uniform of the Exorcism Bureau.

She had a petite figure and an oval face, with lustrous black hair and bright almond-shaped eyes.

It is often said that ancient women were reserved and rarely smiled, revealing their teeth. But this girl smiled without reservation, showing two small, white tiger teeth.

The girl's name was Shi Xiaohan.

Although she was the same age as Gu Xu, she had surpassed many senior practitioners and become an eighth-ranked inspector in the Exorcism Bureau.

On the one hand, she indeed had formidable cultivation and impressive combat power—she occupied the first place on the Yishui County Merit List for a whole year, once single-handedly taking care of troublesome ghosts and monsters such as "Mountain Demon" and "Serpent Man" and she made various demons and monsters suffer greatly with just a single broadsword.

Someone like Gu Xu, who worked hard day and night to accept missions, could only rank second on the Merit List.

On the other hand, Shi Xiaohan's father held the position of "Commissioner" in the Exorcism Bureau of the nearby Laizhou Prefecture, with a fifth-rank official title, making him a respected figure in the entire Yishui County.

Having strength and a background naturally made her a winner in life.

"This slight improvement is hardly worth mentioning in front of Miss Shi," Gu Xu responded with a smile.

"Well, that's true," Shi Xiaohan lifted her chin and accepted Gu Xu's flattery with ease.

She had been enjoying teaming up with Gu Xu recently—one reason being that he had a pleasing appearance, looked good, and had a pleasant way of speaking, always putting her in a good mood.

And Gu Xu was also happy to accompany her. Since a few kind words could allow him to cling to the thigh and win easily, why should he risk his life by going solo?

"Miss Shi, do we have any new missions today?" Gu Xu asked.

Shi Xiaohan crossed her arms in front of her chest and succinctly explained, "There is a large mansion in the northeastern outskirts of Yishui County. It is inhabited by a wealthy man named Wang. Recently, Mr. Wang died inexplicably in his house. His family believes it was the work of a ghost.

"The family members believe that the ghost that killed Mr. Wang might still be hiding in the mansion—they hope the Exorcism Bureau can help investigate the situation, kill the evil spirit, and avenge the deceased Mr. Wang."

"Is it dangerous?" Gu Xu inquired.

"With this lady accompanying you, what are you afraid of?" Shi Xiaohan replied.

"How much is the reward?"

"240 merits. We split it in half, so each of us gets 120. Gu Xu, are you going?"

One hundred and twenty merits were equivalent to killing twelve evil spirits. For Gu Xu, it was indeed a substantial reward—enough for him to exchange for a "Spirit Gathering Pill" and break through to the second stage.

However, the greater the reward, the higher the difficulty of the mission.

Tasks with rewards exceeding a hundred were highly likely to encounter cunning ghosts with intelligence, spellcasting abilities, and resistance to being killed. They might even play tricks and schemes against humans, making them exceptionally dangerous.

"Please allow me to consult an oracle first," Gu Xu pondered for a moment before replying.

After that, he took out three copper coins from his pocket and used the "Coin Divination" method to cast divination six times in a row.

"What are the results?" Shi Xiaohan asked.

"In the upper trigram is Xun, and in the lower trigram is Dui. It is the hexagram 'Huan' or 'Dispersion.' It is considered an auspicious hexagram," Gu Xu answered. "'Huan' means dispersal, signifying that troubles will go away. Those who obtain this hexagram may face initial difficulties, but eventually, they will be able to overcome them. With caution and prudence, all matters will go smoothly."

"Does that mean... you agree to go with me?"

Gu Xu nodded, "But we must be careful and not be negligent."

"Of course," Shi Xiaohan stood by the desk, looking down at him, "Gu Xu, I never thought you would be able to practice divination and fortune-telling, such obscure knowledge!"

"Just a side path, nothing compared to Miss Shi's ability to single-handedly defeat ten opponents," Gu Xu lightly chuckled, "Miss Shi is known as the 'Heartless Ghost Slayer of Yishui County.' Cutting down ghosts is like chopping vegetables for her. Why bother wasting time and effort learning these boring things?"

The two exchanged a glance and burst into laughter simultaneously.

As the formidable duo on the leaderboards, boasting about their achievements was their daily interaction.

"Alright," Shi Xiaohan patted Gu Xu's shoulder, "In fifteen minutes, meet outside the office. Let's go early and return early."

"No problem," Gu Xu nodded.

As a person who cherished time, he appreciated Shi Xiaohan's efficient and straightforward approach.

...

Mr. Wang's mansion was located in the northeastern outskirts of Yishui County. From the perspective of the Bagua diagram, it was in the "Gen" position.

Gen, the gate of ghosts.

According to ancient texts, it was not suitable to bury the dead or erect tombstones in the Gen position because it had a heavy Yin energy, which could easily cause strange occurrences and disturb the peace of the deceased.

However, when Gu Xu arrived at the outskirts of Yishui County, he noticed that there happened to be a cemetery on this hillside.

Grave mounds of various sizes stood on the hillside, deserted and sparsely covered with vegetation—even under the shining sun, it appeared eerie.

Eight years ago, ghosts and monsters ran rampant in Yishui County, causing devastating casualties.

The original body's eyes were filled with tears as he stood before the ancestral grave, dedicating a tomb for his parents who were devoured by ghosts.

As for those unclaimed bodies from that year, they were haphazardly buried in this untended and abandoned cemetery.

Thinking about this, Gu Xu couldn't help but pause his steps.

"Scared?" Shi Xiaohan, by his side, spoke indifferently.

She carried a one-meter-long, nearly ten-kilogram heavy broadsword on her back but walked with the agility of a swallow. To keep up with her pace, Gu Xu already felt a bit breathless.

"I'm just a little tired," Gu Xu replied. His heart was pounding, and his chest was starting to ache.

Shi Xiaohan slowed her pace. "With your weak body, can you fight ghosts later? If they touch you, will you drop dead on the spot?"

"Don't worry," Gu Xu's pale face showed a calm smile, "I won't engage in close combat with ghosts. Besides, with Miss Shi protecting me, how could they get close to me?"

"Hmph, that's true," Shi Xiaohan loved hearing such words. Her lips curved slightly, revealing two dimples on her slightly chubby face.

...

Footnotes:

(1) "Heaven is round, earth is square, the law consists of nine chapters. I now put brush to paper, and all the ghosts will submit. Urgent, like an imperial decree!" — A Daoist incantation used when drawing talismans.