Hearing this explanation, we finally understood the reason.
It turned out that this female ghost had been dead for a hundred years.
Even if she didn't understand cultivation methods, after a hundred years of staying by her remains and absorbing the essence of the sun and moon, she had gained some cultivation.
And this was one of the important reasons she could hide for ten years without being discovered by that demonic Taoist.
After ten years of observation, she had also gained a general understanding of the demonic Taoist.
Therefore, she was able to provide us with such detailed information.
My master nodded:
"Hmm!
This humble Taoist will deal with that demonic Taoist sooner or later.
Now that you are all fine, I will write a Petition Talisman shortly and send you all away."
The group of ghosts was overjoyed upon hearing this.
They all danced with joy:
"That's great, that's great!"
"We can go reincarnate, we can go reincarnate…"
"Thirty years, we waited thirty long years.
Unexpectedly, misfortune turned into a blessing, and we met a celestial master and Taoist priest!"
"…"
As they spoke, many ghosts "pa pa pa" fell to their knees and kowtowed to my master and Taoist priest Tang.
Clearly, these ghosts were perceptive.
They knew that my master and Taoist priest Tang were both capable experts, people who could help them…
Afterward, my master asked some more questions, likely about the origin of this Crow Taoist and the people he interacted with.
According to the female ghost, this Crow Taoist had indeed interacted with many people over the past decade.
There were quite a few like Steward Li, who brought boxes every so often.
At least one or two dozen people.
Besides those who brought boxes and sent Luck Beads to the Crow Taoist, there were also some black-robed figures or ghosts…
Regarding this, the female ghost couldn't be sure.
The other ghosts were all newly captured.
Most of them were brought from outside or drifted here with the wind.
They knew almost nothing about the Crow Taoist.
After receiving this information, we gained a completely new understanding of this Crow Taoist.
Now, there were several labels for him:
Ghost cultivator, possessing a borrowed corpse, puppet corpse, raising and consuming ghosts, Netherworld Cult, stealing luck.
No matter which label, this fellow was a scumbag.
However, at present, besides this information, we had no other clues.
Finding his true whereabouts was even more impossible to start.
For now, we could only put this matter aside.
At this time, my master asked us to take out all the joss paper we had with us and burn it, saying it was for the ghosts to share, which they could use on the road to the underworld.
There wasn't much joss paper. After burning it, each ghost received one or two pieces.
In my master's words, it should be enough for the toll on the journey…
After burning the paper, my master and Taoist priest Tang prepared yellow paper and cinnabar.
They then drew several Petition Talismans on the spot and recorded everyone's birth date and time on a larger piece of yellow paper.
It took a while to write for the thirty-odd ghosts.
By the time they finished, it was already past midnight.
This time, Taoist priest Tang initiated the talisman.
Taoist priest Tang held several Petition Talismans, his hand seals changing, and finally held them vertically, chanting loudly:
"With this petition, guide the ghosts to the Yellow Springs.
Swiftly as the law commands, Hiss!"
Upon the command, several Petition Talismans burned with green flames, turning into ashes.
Simultaneously, several small clusters of pale green light rose, beginning to fly westward.
Seeing this, Taoist priest Tang directly said:
"You may all go now! Upon meeting the judge, speak truthfully; live a good life in your next incarnation!"
The ghosts, seeing that they could descend to the underworld, were overjoyed.
They nodded repeatedly in thanks to Taoist priest Tang, my master, and the others.
"Thank you, thank you! Heaven Master's great kindness will be repaid in the next life."
"Thank you, all Taoist priests, for your immense kindness, which we will remember in our hearts."
"We wish all Heaven Masters a long life and all the best in your endeavors."
"…"
The more than thirty ghosts continuously expressed their gratitude.
Although they were all ghosts, their thanks were incredibly sincere.
Their gray eyes were filled with joy and longing for new life.
And I also discovered that after each ghost thanked us, I could faintly see wisps of very weak white mist entering the bracelet on my left wrist.
Each time a wisp of white energy entered, the color of the bracelet would deepen a bit.
It was then I realized with surprise that the bracelet, which was grayish-brown when we arrived, had now turned completely dark brown, and its color was still deepening.
Damn, this visible accumulation of merit made me feel that the injuries and fatigue I suffered tonight seemed worth it.
This amount had increased my reserve of "lamp oil" for at least several dozen days.
And the ghosts, after thanking us, all drifted towards those downward-streaming pale green lights.
They then attached themselves to them and began to travel westward.
In a short while, they disappeared from our sight.
The large tree was still burning, completely engulfed in flames.
As long as it didn't rain, this evil tree was surely doomed.
My master took a deep breath, turned, and said to us:
"Alright, the evil land has been broken, let's go down the mountain!"
Everyone nodded.
Although there was a slight regret tonight that we didn't kill the Crow Taoist, and Mo Ting and I were both cursed with the Soul Capturing Spell, with the Spirit Guarding Incantation fortified by our masters, it didn't pose a threat to us.
However, everything the Crow Taoist had on Crow Mountain was thoroughly destroyed by us.
Without his dojo, let's see how he would cultivate in the future.
And I, without a doubt, gained the most.
I broke the malevolent land, killed several water ghosts and malevolent spirits, and gained the merit of dozens of ghosts.
My stored "lamp oil" for lifespan had now reached at least three months…