Chapter 3

Upon hearing "West Willow Alley," Ru Yu was taken aback and hurriedly feigned nonchalance, asking, "Are there evil spirits in West Willow Alley?"

Like Yu nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, as she was also aware of the matter. She too feared being captured by Taoist priests or sorcerers as an evil spirit, and had not dared to go out for a stroll for several days.

Shao Jiyan was initially filled with anger and embarrassment, wanting to scold this shameless seductress away. However, upon seeing her frightened, trembling, and on the verge of tears, he found himself unable to utter a word of reproach. In that moment, she seemed to be caught between shame and fear, her round, chubby little face turning a rosy pink, resembling a large, semi-transparent apple. This surprised Shao Jiyan greatly; he had never seen a ghost blush before, and he found it quite amusing. Unable to resist the urge to tease, he smirked, lifted his garment, and looked down at the slightly bulging front of his trousers, jesting, "You must take responsibility for the misdeeds you've committed, or... shall I touch again?"

The senior sighed and said, "In fact, there is no need to be so alarmed; how many truly enlightened individuals are there in this world? Even if some Taoists have mastered a few spells, it does not necessarily mean they can achieve anything significant. Many are merely charlatans, pretending to be something they are not, and in reality, they possess little skill. The Taoist you mentioned, I have also heard of him; he is truly a hollow figure, not to be feared. A few days ago, he went to Xiliu Alley to catch ghosts, but instead of capturing any, he was entangled by a malevolent spirit and had to flee the capital in a sorry state. I wonder what his current situation is like."

As Yu awkwardly shrank her neck, Nono perfunctorily replied: "What I mean is... I'm not really sure she will come back... It's been so many days, perhaps that Taoist has some accomplices, working together to take her away..."

In his early years, he had heard someone say that ghosts belong to the realm of Yin, and that all spirits, regardless of their level of cultivation, fear the pure Yang objects of men. Now that his essence had been tainted by that female ghost, he feared for her life. Regardless, it was ultimately his own possession that had caused her to be so frightened that her soul was scattered, and he genuinely felt guilty about it for a while. However, upon further reflection, he concluded that the female ghost had brought this upon herself. Knowing that she could not withstand pure Yang objects, she still dared to seek her own demise, which had little to do with him, thus allowing him to feel at ease.

He has always been able to see things that others cannot. As a child, he was so frightened that he dared not sleep, but over time, he became accustomed to it. In his youth, he still had some curiosity, but by the time he reached adulthood, even that curiosity had faded. Now, when he sees such things, he simply pretends not to see them. After all, humans and spirits are on different paths; if you do not provoke them, they will not come to provoke you.

Upon her inquiry, the other few with less experience also displayed a look of curiosity. The senior then remarked: "There are not many households in Xiliu Alley, and even we seldom go there, so it is no wonder you are unaware. In the innermost part of that alley, there resides a vengeful spirit. Many years ago, a scholar who was on his way to take the imperial examination fell under her spell, becoming foolish and mad. After that, word spread, and no one dared to live there."

Ah?" With a blush on her jade-like face, she hesitantly whispered, "Nothing... nothing at all..." Raising her head to see everyone looking at her with curiosity, she felt that it would be difficult to pass without saying something. She twisted her body, hugged her knees, rested her chin on her knees, and tried hard to appear casual, softly saying: "Do you think... is it possible for living people to see us..."

The crowd of ghosts immediately looked at Ruyu with curiosity, and Ruyu quickly denied it, shaking her head like a rattle drum

As expected, Ruyue was indeed fooled; her small face instantly changed from pink to a rosy hue. Embarrassed and angry, she covered her face and scolded, "You lecherous scholar, you shameless scoundrel, you flower thief, you old rogue! You deserve to be single for the rest of your life and turn into an old turtle! Bah, bah, bah!" After saying this, she casually grabbed the inkstone beside her and threw it out.

"Come back quickly?" As Ru Yu exclaimed in fright, everyone turned to look in astonishment, not understanding why Ru Yu had such a strong reaction

During the imperial examination period, he, being financially constrained, rented this remote and dilapidated courtyard. Before renting, he carefully checked around and did not see any spirits, which allowed him to settle in with peace of mind. A few days ago, he met Feng and Chen, who took him to listen to some risqué tunes. In his youthful exuberance, he inevitably felt stirred by desire. Although he maintained his composure and decorum in front of others, upon returning home that evening, he intended to take a bath to quell his desires. However, even after bathing, his thoughts remained restless. Helpless, he resorted to the Five Generals, only to be caught in the act by a female ghost.

Only saying that Ru Yu rushed out from Shao Ji Yan's home, feeling both ashamed and angry, her mind in disarray as she wandered aimlessly on the street for half the night. In the latter half of the night, she habitually drifted to the big locust tree to gather with her ghostly friends. She curled up alone in a corner, not hearing a word of what everyone was saying. When the crowd was about to disperse, she was poked by Feng Er beside her, who asked, "Xiao Yu, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you saying anything?"

Like jade, she could not care less whether she had inadvertently concentrated her "mental energy" as she rushed out with a flushed face

The senior shrugged his shoulders and said indifferently: "It is indeed possible..."

As if jade, her expression suddenly changed. The innermost room in Xiliu Alley, is it not the place where that lewd fellow resides?

If it is indeed a malicious spirit specifically targeting scholars, then the scoundrel would be in grave danger

Shao Jiyan looked at the chubby "seductress" pressed tightly against the wall, trembling in fear, unsure whether to be angry or amused

Although she could not touch anything, a young woman was kneeling between her legs, rubbing against her; even the reincarnation of Liu Xia Hui would find it hard to endure. In a flurry, he hurriedly sent Feng and Chen away.

Some newcomers who have just entered the ghost realm inevitably feel fear upon hearing this. There are also rumors that a skilled Taoist priest has come to the capital to catch ghosts, which makes her afraid to enter the city. For several consecutive days, she has been hiding in a tree hollow in the wild forest on the outskirts of the city, which is quite pitiful

Shao Jiyan was quick-witted and agile, swiftly dodging as the inkstone crashed onto the door panel, shattering into pieces

The elder said: "If you do not encounter the best, then encountering it is not a good thing; most likely, it is some ghost-catching Taoist, and you will suffer for it"

Regardless of whether it is a person or a ghost, he has never been observed in such a manner throughout his life, especially as a bashful young woman. Although it is inevitably awkward and shameful, he inexplicably feels a different kind of pleasure within. The object between his legs not only did not soften, but instead felt even more excited. Just as that seductive ghost shamelessly reached out to touch him, the icy sensation startled him, causing his essence to spill forth. Before he could even feel fear, he saw that seductive ghost scream as if her soul had been captured and rush out.

Just as he returned to the room with Feng and Chen, he noticed a shadowy figure hiding behind the screen. Before long, this ghost floated out, and it turned out to be the same female ghost from that night. He saw that this female ghost was indeed quite beautiful and thought to himself that rumors should not be completely trusted. However, he did not expect that this female ghost was truly a lustful spirit, as she actually crawled under the table to touch his groin.

In fact, while he was taking a bath, he saw her burst in with laughter, only to run away immediately. He pretended not to notice, as if it were an ordinary occurrence. However, he did not expect that the ghost who had run out would brazenly return to spy on him. He was taken aback, and although his desires had arisen, they were difficult to suppress. He waited for the ghost to leave out of shame, but although she seemed to be overwhelmed with embarrassment, she showed no intention of leaving. Instead, she lingered by his side, seemingly intent on studying him seriously.

Soon, the crowd of ghosts began to divert the topic with their chatter, while Ruyue could no longer remain composed, realizing that what those two scholars had said was indeed true

The multitude of spirits exchanged glances, and an experienced elder remarked: "Generally, living people cannot do this; however, some sorcerers who have opened their heavenly eyes, or practitioners of Taoism, are another matter... Furthermore, there are some ordinary individuals who might also possess this ability. Such individuals may either be extremely yin or extremely yang, or they may have been born in a yin year, yin month, yin day, or yin hour, or conversely, in a yang year, yang month, yang day, or yang hour... Regardless, such individuals are exceedingly rare; among ten thousand people, one might not even be found, and we are unlikely to encounter them at all." After speaking, he turned to Xiangyu and inquired, "What made you think of this? Have you encountered such a person?"

The senior said: "A few days ago, the homeowner may have found a tenant, and fearing something might happen, they invited that Taoist priest to exorcise the ghost. However, this priest's skills are mediocre, which instead provoked the restless spirit, and it is said that the evil ghost was chased out of the city. It has been some time now, so it is likely to return soon. Just right, I also want to remind you all to avoid that alley when there is nothing going on. Although that evil ghost never harms its kind, it harbors resentment and has an unpredictable temperament, so it is better for us to keep our distance from her."

Shao Jiyan stood there in a daze for a while, only managing a bitter smile, resigning himself to his misfortune