The Puppet Master Behind the Water Ghost

The female water ghost screamed as the talisman array forced her to the surface. Under the frosty moonlight, her appearance caused the air to chill and a ghostly wind to shake the trees on the riverbank. She struggled against the binding talismans, only to injure herself further, her ghostly form growing increasingly insubstantial.

In the dark, a figure emerged, deftly casting several talismans that shattered the array with a shout. A violent wind swept the riverside, nearly uprooting the willow trees.

The female water ghost, now free, plunged back into the water, her face lighting up with relief. "Chong Jiu, you came just in time."

"Leave," Chong Jiu replied curtly, his youthful face impassive under the moonlight. The water ghost nodded, attempting to escape through another channel of the moat.

However, the array reactivated, its golden light reforming around her. The water ghost, terrified, cried out, "Chong Jiu!"