The Cloud Thunder Talisman struck the second paper-armored warrior. Instantly, it burst into flames, and within moments, was reduced to a pile of ash.
Not far away, Old Man Meng's face turned ashen. His energy and spirit collapsed in an instant.
I slowly walked toward him and asked in a deep voice, "Master Meng, what kind of deep hatred do you have against the Zhang family that would push you to use the Nightmare Array? You've harmed others—and yourself. Even many innocent people were dragged into this. Do you truly understand the consequences of your actions?"
Seeing me approach, fear flickered in Old Man Meng's eyes. He staggered back two steps until he hit the wall—nowhere left to retreat.
At that moment, a cold wind swept through the room. A surge of crimson baleful energy drifted in from outside and materialized beside him.
It formed the figure of a woman—it was the same ghost that had appeared before me and Zhang Yunyao the night before.
The moment she appeared, Old Man Meng grew frantic. "Xiaolan! Go! You're no match for him!"
"Grandpa… I can't let him hurt you!" the ghost girl cried. A fierce expression appeared on her pale face, and two lines of blood-tears streamed from her eyes. A dense red aura erupted around her as she charged straight at me.
"Uncle Huzi—the Celestial Ruler!" I called out, stretching my hand.
Uncle Huzi quickly handed me the Celestial Ruler my master had left for me.
As the ghost lunged at me, the ruler in my hand glowed with a golden light. The carved runes shimmered as an overwhelming righteous force surged forth, slamming toward her.
This Celestial Ruler was a sacred artifact passed down through generations of our Qimen Fengshui sect. It was specifically designed to vanquish dark spirits—effective against both zombies and ghosts alike.
My master had kept it all these years, and before he left, he gave it to me in case of emergency.
After a night's rest, my body had fully recovered. I wasn't sure why I healed so quickly—maybe it was due to the celestial spirit residing within me.
Last night, when this ghost appeared, Zhang Yunyao and I barely escaped with our lives.
But today, things were different. I now had the strength to wield the Celestial Ruler again.
With a single strike, the ruler landed squarely on the ghost girl's body. She let out a shrill scream and retreated back beside Old Man Meng.
The Ruler's power was immense. Her crimson aura weakened significantly, and her figure faded until she looked more like a shadow than a physical ghost.
Yet she still stood protectively in front of Old Man Meng, glaring at me with fierce determination—unwavering, unafraid.
"Xiaolan, go! You can't win. He'll destroy your soul!" Old Man Meng cried, tears streaming down his wrinkled face.
"I won't go, Grandpa. I won't let anyone hurt you," the ghost girl replied firmly.
I remembered what Butler Wang had told me: Old Man Meng's wife had passed, and his son and daughter-in-law died years ago. Only his granddaughter had stayed by his side—until she, too, recently passed away.
This ghost girl must be Meng Xiaolan, his beloved granddaughter.
But that only deepened the mystery: Why would he send his own granddaughter to harm the Zhang family? What was the story behind this vendetta?
"Master Meng, I didn't come here to pick a fight. I just want the truth," I said solemnly.
"Don't pretend to be noble. If you came to take my life, just say it! You're with the Zhang family, aren't you? They're all scum. Every last one deserves to die!" Old Man Meng spat through gritted teeth.
As he spoke, the ghost girl let out a piercing shriek. The room's temperature plummeted as she turned into a stream of crimson energy and lunged at me again.
If that aura struck me, even if I didn't die, I'd lose half my soul. I couldn't afford to be careless.
As she charged, I let out a cold snort. "Still clinging to delusion? Then I have no choice but to banish you!"
Golden light flashed from the Celestial Ruler as I swung it down again, striking the ghost squarely.
That one strike nearly shattered the baleful aura entirely.
The red energy rapidly condensed once more, forming the ghost's shape again—but this time she was nearly transparent, barely clinging to form.
Had her grudge not been so deep and her cultivation so strong, she would've been completely obliterated by that one blow.
Before she could flee, I reached out and grabbed her essence, capturing the red energy in my palm.
With just a spark of spiritual power, I could destroy her completely.
But what I didn't expect was Old Man Meng suddenly falling to his knees in front of me, sobbing. "Please, young man, I beg you—let my granddaughter go!"
"What, you think this is as easy as letting a horse run free? That ghost tried to kill our young master—more than once," Uncle Huzi scoffed coldly.
Though I still didn't fully understand Old Man Meng's actions, I hesitated to destroy the ghost. Instead, I retrieved a jade pendant from my robes and sealed her within it.
This wasn't just any trinket—it was a yin artifact capable of containing spirits.
My master had said it was likely a burial object from the dead, usually placed under a corpse's back. It absorbed yin energy from the dead and developed its spirit-holding properties. Who knows where Old Man Meng got it?
Seeing the old man, bent with age and grief, I couldn't help but feel a pang of compassion. I stepped forward and helped him up, speaking gently, "Master Meng, there's no need to kneel. We truly didn't come here with ill intent—we just want to know why you were so determined to kill the Zhang family."
At the mention of the Zhangs, his expression darkened again. Gritting his teeth, he growled, "The Zhang family deserves to die. It's only a shame I wasn't strong enough to kill them all."
"What did they do to you?" Uncle Huzi asked curiously.
"My granddaughter, Meng Xiaolan… she was killed by Zhang Yucheng's son—Zhang Yunliang!" Old Man Meng's bloodshot eyes burned with hatred.
At those words, everything clicked into place.
No wonder that Zhang Yunliang acted so strangely—plagued by nightmares every night.