Chapter 1 I Want a Good News

I glanced at my phone. It was Ding Kan calling.

"Wan Qian, are you asleep? If not, I want to talk to you about something."

"Not asleep. Do I look like someone who can sleep at night? Hurry up and tell me what it is. I hope you have good news for me."

"Oh, then you might be disappointed. I don't know if this is good news or bad news, but it's definitely useful information."

"Speak."

"Eighth Miss just came to me and said that those talismans were wrong. Although they're the Fox Clan's secret incantations, they definitely weren't put there by a fox. She'd felt something was wrong all along, but couldn't remember what it was. Now she finally understands. The *renqi* (human energy) is too strong. Someone used their Fox Clan's secret incantation to take away your soul."

"Did Eighth Miss say who was impersonating a fox and using their secret incantation?"

"Eighth Miss said it was a man, and an old man at that."

"More details."

"No more details. Eighth Miss can only sense that much. She doesn't know who that old man is. I asked her if she could draw the old man, but Eighth Miss said she didn't see the old man, just felt his scent. If she encountered the old man, she could definitely recognize him, but if she doesn't encounter him, she can't describe the old man's feeling in human language.

"Wan Qian, I don't really understand what Eighth Miss is saying. I've tried my best to relay her words as accurately as possible. Can you understand what she means?"

I told him I understood. I asked Ding Kan to help me thank Eighth Miss, and also to take care of the shop for me. I was going to continue looking for the bastard who plotted against me.

After hanging up with Ding Kan, I went back into the ward to check on Ling Dang.

Ling Dang was already asleep, so I didn't disturb her. I told the nurse to keep an eye on her and went downstairs.

I've been merciful enough to my enemies, right? So merciful that it's almost saintly.

Of course, I can only pat myself on the back. Ling Dang definitely doesn't agree with that. In her eyes, I'm a complete demon, giving her three major fractures.

Leaving the hospital, I took out a blank talisman paper, folded it into a paper crane, and threw it out. Then I followed behind the paper crane, chasing after it like a lunatic.

This is an old trick. Let the enemy go first, and then follow the enemy to find their lair.

I hope the little ghost doesn't disappoint me. I hope he's already obediently returned to his master.

I followed the paper crane all the way, slowly leaving the city and heading towards an abandoned village.

Wait, isn't this Hei Ge's (Blackie's) dog village? Is the little ghost's master in the dog village?

That's not right. There are only two living people in the dog village, Hei Ge and Zhao Tian. The rest are demons and monsters. Since Eighth Miss said that the person impersonating the fox was an old man, then it must be an old man, not a ghost.

I frowned and approached the dog village, not disturbing Hei Ge, but politely greeting the dogs.

"Hello everyone. Did you like the meat I gave you last time? I'll bring you some more next time."

The dogs immediately wagged their tails obediently at me.

I also asked the dogs if a little ghost, imprisoned in a ragged doll, had entered earlier.

A small black dog immediately grabbed my trouser leg and ran towards a grave. The little ghost was really there, begging an old lady for food.

I sighed. This little ghost's master is really terrible. He raises a little ghost but doesn't feed it properly, makes the little ghost help him kill people, and then the little ghost has to beg for food himself. It's really pitiful.

The old lady ghost had a kind face. The little ghost was sitting next to her, eating happily, so I didn't disturb them. I shooed away the black dog, and after he had eaten and drank his fill and walked a distance, I followed him again.

The little ghost went around and around, and finally entered someone's house.

I took a look. It was just an ordinary farmhouse, and they had just finished a funeral. There was still unswept paper ash in the yard.

I thought the little ghost was hungry again and wanted to scrounge up some food, so I waited outside. As a result, I waited for more than three hours, until dawn, and the little ghost didn't come out.

What's going on? This time the little ghost didn't go to eat, but to sleep?

If you're sleeping, you should go home. It's okay to freeload food, but it's not good to freeload sleep, right?

So, this house is the little ghost's home, and his master lives in this farmhouse?

Okay, I patted the door knocker.

"Who is it? What is it?" The yard door opened wide, and it really was an old man who came out, so old that he only had a few teeth left.

"Grandpa, my child got lost here yesterday, a boy about this tall, holding a somewhat ragged doll, with the doll's eyes poked out. Have you seen him, sir?"

"No." The old man immediately wanted to close the door.

How could I allow that? I immediately stuck half my body in the door. "Grandpa, please think carefully. We were playing in this area yesterday, and he disappeared in the blink of an eye. Do you think he ran into your house?"

The old man thumped his crutch. "Young man, it's early in the morning. You're disturbing this old man and making jokes like this. Do you think it's funny?"

"Grandpa, what do you mean?"

"How old are you this year? How old would a child this tall be? Could you have given birth to such a big child? Do you think I'm a fool?"

"Grandpa, I didn't say he was my son, my younger brother. My younger brother is also a child in our family. Grandpa, have you seen him? I'm really anxious."

The old man scrutinized me for a while, then said, "What does the doll your brother was holding look like?"

I quickly gestured and described it. I don't know if the old man understood. If he hadn't seen the doll, he probably wouldn't understand. However, anyone who had seen that ragged doll would know what I was talking about as soon as they heard it.

"Here!" The old man reached behind him, grabbed a doll, and threw it into my hand. "I have the doll, but not the child. Go."

Then, while I was looking at the doll in my hand, the old man slammed the door shut.

I carefully examined the doll. It was indeed the little boy I was looking for last night. Now the doll's head had fallen off again. The doll was indeed the same doll, but the little ghost inside the doll was gone.

This old man definitely knows something.

I quickly knocked on the door again. "Grandpa, Grandpa, open the door. You definitely know where the child in this doll went. Open the door quickly. If you don't open the door, I'll climb over the wall."

Whoosh, the door opened, and the old man reappeared in front of me, holding a large handful of tattered dolls.