Chapter 3, The Found Treasure

Hmph! Zhang Keke pouted and said: "I have already eliminated an adult Qiongqi, isn't that enough? Why do I have to be forced to return to Longhu Mountain to take the exam? I still have to go to school, where would I find the time to go back?"

"The difficulty is not high; it is a headless ghost," Zhang Moujiu smiled and said. "That ancient mansion once witnessed a murder. Years ago, the male owner was beheaded by an intruder. Because he died unjustly, his restless spirit transformed into a vengeful ghost. In the past six months, it has already claimed two lives. We have long wanted to exorcise it, but it is very cunning. Whenever we exorcists appear in the mansion, it hides underground and refuses to come out. Once we leave, it re-emerges to harm people. Therefore, we have not had the opportunity to eliminate it. You are a novice, and you have plenty of time, so how about we leave this task to you?"

Ding dong, ding dong. A security guard pressed the doorbell of Zhang's villa for He Hao. Before long, a lazy voice came from the intercom at the main gate, "He is my hired worker, just let him in." Zhang Keke saw He Hao being held by the security guard through the closed-circuit monitor and immediately understood that He Hao had been mistaken for a thief again. While explaining for He Hao, she opened the electric gate. "He is my hired worker, just let him in." Zhang Keke saw He Hao being held by the security guard through the closed-circuit monitor and immediately understood that He Hao had been mistaken for a thief again. While explaining for He Hao, she opened the electric gate

The BMW drove for about half an hour on the congested city roads and entered the parking lot of the police station. Seeing the constant flow of police officers coming in and out, He Hao couldn't help but feel weak in his legs, almost doubting whether Zhang Keke was going to take him to turn himself in—for the midnight incident of smashing the door of the Yayi'an supermarket and getting him arrested. Fortunately, Zhang Keke did not call the police to arrest He Hao, but instead took him straight up to the fifth floor of the police station building

"Are you coming to work?" a security guard asked in confusion. He Hao quickly pointed to the Zhang family's villa not far away and said, "Yes, yes, I'm going to work at the Zhang family. If you don't believe me, we can go ask over there and find out." The two security guards, who were about the same age as He Hao, exchanged glances, both showing excited expressions, and immediately escorted He Hao towards the entrance of the Zhang family's villa.

You are five minutes late. Zhang Keke, wearing a cute cartoon pajama and appearing at the hall entrance with sleepy eyes, pointed to the Omega women's watch on her wrist and reprimanded He Hao, saying: Next time be on time, if you dare to be late again, I will deduct your salary

"Uncle Jiu, do you believe me now?" Zhang Keke asked triumphantly, her smile as radiant as a flower, to the astonished Zhang Moujiu.

Another security guard disdainfully remarked, "What are you wasting your breath on him for? Just look at him; he isn't even fit to deliver newspapers or milk! Hurry up, hurry up." As he spoke, the guard directly reached out to push the impoverished young man outside.

At this point, Zhang Miujiu unabashedly expressed his disdain for He Hao in front of everyone, saying: "Moreover, you have seen his character; he is both cowardly and lecherous. I wouldn't trust him to be your assistant. In my opinion, since you have already received 200,000 in exorcism fees from Yayi An Supermarket, you might as well forgive his debt, lift the soul-binding curse, and let him go."

"I don't want to hear your explanations; I just need you to be on time in the future." Zhang Keke waved her small hand, stubbornly dismissing He Hao's words, and threw two keys at him. "Go clean my car in the garage and spray some perfume inside. I need to leave for school by 8 o'clock." After saying this, Zhang Keke yawned and walked back to the living room, slamming the door shut to prevent He Hao from seeing the arrangement inside.

"Keke, you need not worry," smiled the beautiful police officer who had just been harassed by He Hao. "We discussed this morning that it is clearly unrealistic for you to return to Longhushan for the formal examination. Firstly, the sect has temporarily suspended the exams, and secondly, you need to attend school. Therefore, we have decided to send you to a haunted ancient mansion in the suburbs. As long as you eliminate the ghost in that mansion, we will issue you a formal exorcism certificate."

Zhang Keke observed the astonished expressions of Zhang Miujiu and the others, feeling even more pleased with herself. Intentionally showing off, she pretended to hold a sword with both hands, quietly smearing the remaining blood of He Hao from her right hand onto the hilt. With a delicate shout, she summoned all her spiritual power, and the sword's aura emitted a low hum, changing color from red to blue, rapidly growing in intensity, nearly striking a police officer standing in front of Zhang Keke.

I am not at ease! He Hao shouted, "You didn't see it last night. She was chased up and down the stairs by Qiongqi, and she even forced me to divert Qiongqi, putting my life at risk so she could escape... Oh dear!"

"Sister Wang, what happened to him?" Zhang Keke asked anxiously

"The stingy one, clearly unwilling to part with my meal money," He Hao cursed inwardly as he picked up the half piece of bread. The fragrant bread was very white and soft, with an indescribable aroma. He Hao gazed at the lip print left by Zhang Keke on the bread, and his heart stirred. He thought to himself, "Little girl, this counts as an indirect kiss for us." He bit down hard on the bread! After devouring the half piece of bread as if he were nibbling on Zhang Keke's rosy little lips, He Hao collapsed and fell asleep, using sleep to fend off hunger.

"Pervert!" Zhang Keke said, hands on her hips, her face flushed with anger. "You really have the audacity to sexually harass a female police officer right here in the police station. Do you really want to end up in jail?"

As Zhang Keke was feeling immensely pleased, He Hao suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground, remaining motionless. Zhang Keke let out a startled cry and instinctively rushed over to help He Hao up. The female police officer, who had been previously harassed by He Hao, grabbed his wrist and furrowed her brow as she felt for his pulse.

"No problem, it's too easy." Zhang Keke laughed so hard that she couldn't close her mouth, but He Hao's face had already turned a color as pale as death. He screamed, "Headless ghost? I heard from my mom that a headless ghost, because it has no head, has to chop off a living person's head to attach to its own until it finds a suitable head to be reincarnated. It's so dangerous, and you still call it easy?"

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare," He Hao said with a nod and a bow. However, once he entered the Zhang family's gate, he immediately began to curse behind the door, "What a thing, a sycophant!" He Hao initially wanted to make some gesture to express his indignation, but considering Zhang Keke's fiery temper, he ultimately lacked the courage to spit on the smooth, mirror-like door of the Zhang family.

Under the stern gaze of Zhang Mujiu, Zhang Keke felt a surge of anxiety. She could not reveal that it was this cowardly and lecherous man before her who had actually helped her eliminate the monster. If she did, she would not receive the official exorcism certificate issued by her sect, and how could she then earn money by exorcising demons for the common people

On an ordinary morning in June 2007, as the sun rose just above the horizon, a seemingly ordinary young man suddenly appeared in a wealthy suburban area of Shanghai, China. With an unremarkable appearance and shabby clothing, he walked along in a pair of leather shoes that had already begun to show signs of wear at the toes. In a place filled with villas, luxury cars, and a gathering of handsome men and beautiful women, he was undoubtedly a stark contrast.

"This line is very dangerous; you could lose your life at any moment," Zhang Miujiu continued, "Moreover, I must remind you in advance that if you die during the exorcism work, we will not acknowledge the cause of your death. We will only announce to the outside world that it was an accidental or natural death, and your family will not receive any compensation. You need to think this through carefully"

"Uncle Jiu, I am here..." As Zhang Keke began to greet Uncle Jiu, who was buried in paperwork, a vaguely familiar voice interrupted, "Excuse me, Miss Police Officer, may I ask your name, age, home address, and phone number? Do you have a boyfriend?" Zhang Keke turned around in surprise, only to see He Hao, who had been timid just moments ago, standing next to the female police officer's desk, striking a pose as if he were quite charming. He leered at the police officer and said, "Are you free tonight? Shall we go to a tea restaurant for a cup of tea together?"

"No. " Zhang Moujiu adopted a serious expression, shaking his head and saying: "You are the sixty-sixth generation disciple. According to regulations, you must pass the examination in order to be issued an official exorcism certificate, which allows you to accept tasks from the public and Longhu Mountain"

"Hehe, you seem to know quite a bit, don't you?" The beautiful police officer, who had just been harassed by He Hao, smiled and said, "You don't need to worry. The Headless Ghost is indeed dangerous for mortals, but for cultivators, it is quite simple. Last night, Keke made her first move and easily dealt with an adult Qiongqi. Eliminating a Headless Ghost is merely a formality for Keke, so you can rest assured."

"Get up." He Hao was awakened by Zhang Keke's fierce call. As he opened his eyes, he saw Zhang Keke standing outside the car door with her hands on her hips. Behind her, several fashionably dressed boys were carrying her backpack, and a handsome boy flattered, "Classmate Zhang Keke, who is this man? How fortunate he is to be sleeping in your car? If he is your driver, let him drive your car home, and I will drive you to lunch."

"Go in. " The two security guards were greatly disappointed that they could not see the district's number one beauty, Zhang Keke. One of the guards sternly warned He Hao, saying: "Don't think you're something special just because you're hired by Miss Zhang. If you dare to do anything inappropriate towards Miss Zhang, I will immediately have you arrested and taken to the police station."

Really?" Zhang Moujiu was actually more surprised. Among the 66th generation disciples of Longhushan, there was only one person capable of gathering energy into a sword, and that person was known as the once-in-a-thousand-years genius—Gu Hanfan! Apart from him, no one else could achieve this. Seeing Zhang Keke nodding seriously, Zhang Moujiu found a peach wood sword in the office and casually handed it to Zhang Keke, saying, "Perform it once for me to see, and I will believe you.

"Alright, no problem," Zhang Keke said quickly. "What kind of monster is it? What is its level?"

"Shut up!" Zhang Keke shouted at He Hao, then turned to Zhang Miujiu and pouted, saying, "No way, it's my first time exorcising, so how can it be free? I want him to work off his debt. Although he can't really help with the exorcism, having him carry my backpack and act as bait to lure out the demons is still quite useful."

"I am just afraid he will drag you down." Zhang Moujiu still wanted to persuade Zhang Keke to give up her determination to exploit He Hao, but Zhang Keke was already shaking his arm, her big eyes brimming with tears, and she choked out: "Uncle Jiu, I know you mean well, but I also know you are struggling. The battle of the end times is approaching, and the demon army is becoming increasingly rampant. You and my father, grandfather, and the others are busy every day to the point of confusion. I want to help share some of the burden, to eliminate demons and monsters for ordinary people, so that you can focus on dealing with the demon army. Uncle Jiu, I really, really want to help you all..." Uncle Jiu, I really, really want to help you all..."

"I believe, I truly believe," Zhang Moujiu said while wiping his sweat. Suddenly, he rushed to the telephone, picked it up, dialed a number, and shouted into the phone, "Third Brother, your daughter is truly remarkable! What? Yes, it's Keke. You definitely won't believe it, in the battle of the apocalypse, we have added another force..."

Enough, stop! Zhang Miujiu feared that Zhang Keke's spiritual sword would pierce through the wall, and hurriedly called for a halt. Only then did Zhang Keke cease exerting force, but the sword's radiance had already extended over four zhang, transforming from straight to twisted, softly sprawling across the office floor. It resembled not so much a light sword as a light whip. He Hao's eyes widened in astonishment; Zhang Keke's current movements were strikingly reminiscent of a beautiful older sister he had seen in his childhood. The only difference was that the light whip in that beautiful older sister's hand was azure blue, while the one in Zhang Keke's hand was crimson.

Unbeknownst to him, it was already past 8 o'clock. Just as He Hao finished wiping the water off the car, Zhang Keke, dressed in her school uniform, rushed in like a whirlwind, a piece of bread still in her mouth. "Hurry, hurry, get in the car, I'm going to be late for school!" Without waiting for a response, she kicked He Hao into the back seat, jumped into the driver's seat, and drove off in a flash, speeding out of Zhang's front gate.

Several police officers in the office all stood beside Zhang Keke, eager to see how she would demonstrate the technique of gathering energy into a sword. Unperturbed, Zhang Keke took the peach wood sword with her left hand, pretended to step back two paces, and kicked He Hao, saying, "Get lost, don't obstruct me." While everyone was momentarily distracted by He Hao's cowardly retreat, Zhang Keke swiftly wiped the blood from her right hand, which was stained with He Hao's blood, onto the peach wood sword. She activated the Five Thunder Heart Method, and the three-foot-long yellow peach wood sword immediately emitted a bright red light, the brilliance joyfully flickering and undulating, at times extending over five feet in length, and radiating a searing heat that was almost unbearable.

"No!" He Hao explained while wiping the blood off his face, "I was just experiencing a surge of hormones, an adrenaline rush, a habitual action, it was absolutely just a habitual action, with no other meaning." His explanation elicited another round of laughter in the office, while Zhang Keke was infuriated, kicking He Hao in the face again, knocking him to the ground once more. She jumped on him, stomping fiercely. If it weren't for Zhang Keke's uncle pulling her away in time, He Hao might have met his demise under the feet of this fiery little female T-Rex.

Suddenly struck by his old infatuation, He Hao was trying hard to read the name on the badge of the female police officer—while his gaze was drawn to her prominent chest. At that moment, a shadow lunged at him from the side, growing larger until it made heavy contact with He Hao's face. With a loud "bang," Zhang Keke executed her signature spinning kick, sending He Hao flying over a meter away. Poor He Hao was caught off guard, his head colliding with the metal cabinet from the police office, and blood immediately began to flow down his forehead. The office fell into a moment of silence before erupting into laughter.

Miss Zhang, where are we going? He Hao noticed that the car was not heading back in the direction of Zhang Keke's home, and timidly asked. For some reason, He Hao always felt an inexplicable fear towards Zhang Keke, an overwhelming dread that left him without the courage to speak to her directly. Without even turning her head, Zhang Keke replied sharply, "Don't ask, you'll know when we get there."

"That's great, Uncle Jiu has agreed." The expression on Zhang Keke's small face changed so quickly that it could compete for the Oscar for Best Actress. Just moments ago, her eyes were filled with tears, but in the blink of an eye, the clouds had cleared. This made Zhang Miujiu and He Hao simultaneously think—this girl was just pretending to cry! Zhang Keke clapped her hands in cheer and said, "Uncle Jiu is the best, quickly give me the official exorcism certificate, I will start working today"

The strikingly beautiful Zhang Keke is the center of attention for men wherever she goes. Even in the police station, young officers frequently come over to curry favor with her. There are times when officers suspect that Zhang Keke has come to report the plain-looking He Hao for harassment, leading He Hao to repeatedly explain, "I am here accompanying my boss for business; she is my boss, please do not misunderstand." He had to clarify this from the first floor to the fifth floor, until Zhang Keke took He Hao into a soundproof office on the fifth floor, at which point He Hao finally managed to shake off the suspicion of being a sexual harasser.

"Gathering Qi to form a sword!" Several police officers from the Special Investigation Unit exclaimed in surprise. In this office, apart from Zhang Moujiu, no one else has been able to achieve this.

He Hao understood nothing and had no reaction to Zhang Keke's Qi Condensation Sword technique. However, the experts from the Special Investigation Unit were left speechless, staring at the spiritual sword in Zhang Keke's hand. In particular, Zhang Miujiu was nearly slack-jawed, as although he could also perform the Qi Condensation Sword technique, the maximum length of his sword light only reached four feet, and its color was not as vibrant red as the spiritual sword in Zhang Keke's hand. For a moment, the office was silent, with only the heavy breathing of a few police officers breaking the stillness.

"Wait a moment, I will consult the ancient texts to see how to handle this," Zhang Moujiu said. This was the first time he had heard that a spiritual power sword could be twisted into a whip. He was unsure whether it was due to Zhang Keke's insufficient cultivation or improper spellcasting, so he could only rummage through the ancient texts to see if he could find a corresponding spell. After about half an hour, Zhang Moujiu and the others still had not found any records of such a spell, while the spiritual power sword in Zhang Keke's hand gradually became shorter until it disappeared, and the peach wood sword remained clean as new, with no trace of He Hao's blood visible.

"No matter how dangerous it is, it’s not as dangerous as your niece." He Hao muttered to himself, then with a mournful expression said, "Officer Zhang, I really don’t want to be an exorcist’s assistant. I only owe your niece money, and she forced me, someone who doesn’t even understand what exorcism is, to be her assistant to pay off the debt. She even made me drink a strange potion, and whenever she recites a spell, I get a stomachache. If there were a second option, I would rather die than be an exorcist’s assistant"

Zhang Keke turned around and glared fiercely at the boy, snatched back her backpack, got into the car, and drove away, leaving the boy there, dazed and infatuated, saying: "She has character, I like her, Zhang Keke, I am in love with you." Another boy who had just helped Zhang Keke with her backpack grabbed the collar of the first boy, saying, "Nonsense, Zhang Keke is mine." "No, she is mine!" Several other boys shouted almost simultaneously, and without further ado, they began to brawl in the parking lot, while the nearby female students looked on with ashen faces.

I roughly know that she is an exorcist

"Put it away," Zhang Moujiu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said. Zhang Keke had tried to retract her spiritual energy several times, yet the spiritual sword remained unchanged. With a bitter smile, Zhang Keke said, "Uncle Jiu, I have tried, but I can't retract it." Zhang Moujiu nearly fainted; concentrating energy into a sword consumed a tremendous amount of spiritual energy. His own spiritual energy could only sustain it for about five minutes, after which he would need to rest for a day and a night to activate it again. However, Zhang Keke had already maintained it for over ten minutes, and the spiritual sword was still radiating brilliantly, clearly not about to disappear anytime soon.

I am here to work, " He Hao explained, drenched in sweat. Perhaps due to his naturally shifty appearance, He Hao encountered this situation yesterday when he left Zhang Keke's house. He was stopped by several snobbish security guards who insisted that the two thousand yuan borrowed from Zhang Keke was stolen from this area. Fortunately, Zhang Keke's uncle, who is a police officer, came to find her and made a call to confirm that the money was indeed borrowed by He Hao. Only then did those snobbish security guards allow He Hao to leave. Unexpectedly, on his first day at work this morning, He Hao was stopped again by two other security guards who mistook him for a scavenger.

Zhang Keke's car quickly drove into the parking lot of an elite school. Zhang Keke grabbed her backpack and got out of the car, saying to He Hao: "Wait for me in the car after school. I will take you to a place at noon. This is an elite school, so don't run around. If the security catches you again, don't blame me." He Hao timidly replied: "Miss Zhang, I haven't had breakfast yet." Zhang Keke frowned slightly and pointed to the half piece of bread she had left on the dashboard, saying, "Eat this bread first; I forgot to prepare your breakfast." After saying this, Zhang Keke rushed towards the teaching building without looking back.

He Hao's words were cut short as he received a heavy punch from Zhang Keke. Although blood from the wound on He Hao's head had splattered all over Zhang Keke's hands, she did not bother to wipe it off. Instead, she glared fiercely at He Hao with a sullen face, her gaze as if she wanted to devour him. "What nonsense are you talking? When have I ever been chased by a Qiongqi? It is the Qiongqi that has been fleeing for its life from me. If you keep spouting nonsense, I will tear your mouth apart"

"Speak quickly, what spell did you use to eliminate Qiongqi? Please recount the details," Zhang Miujiu pressed further. Zhang Keke was at a loss for words, sweating profusely. Suddenly, she noticed the blood of He Hao that had just stained her hand, and her big, round eyes turned as she devised a plan.

"My breakfast..." The words that He Hao was about to say were interrupted by the fierce sound of Zhang Keke slamming the door. The cowardly and weak He Hao, feeling helpless, had no choice but to endure his hunger and wash Zhang Keke's beloved car.

As Zhang Miujiu shouted furiously into the phone, the other police officers surrounded Zhang Keke, bombarding her with questions: "Keke, have you taken some miraculous elixir?" "Keke, have you had some extraordinary experience?" "Keke, you wouldn't have eaten a thousand-year-old ginseng, would you...?" Yet, Zhang Keke only giggled and refused to say anything.

It takes an hour and a half to walk from where I live to your house, " He Hao said with a mournful expression. "I don't have money for the bus. I originally left at 5:30 in the morning, and I could have arrived on time, but I was stopped by the security guard here at your place, which delayed me for a while, so that's why I'm late.

Zhang Muxiu pondered for a moment, then reached out and pressed his hand onto He Hao's crown. A warm current surged from He Hao's crown straight to his lower abdomen, and He Hao suddenly felt a moment of dizziness in his mind. When He Hao recovered from the dizziness, the warm current within him had already dissipated, and Zhang Muxiu's hand was also withdrawn from He Hao's crown. Frowning, Zhang Muxiu turned to Zhang Keke and said: "Keke, although his spiritual bone is quite good, he has already passed the growth period and cannot learn any spells anymore. Using him as your assistant may not be of help to you; instead, it might distract you from taking care of him."

He... that policewoman with the surname Wang hesitated a bit, saying, "He should be fine, it seems he just fainted from hunger..."

"Yes, yes." He Hao said with a nod and a bow, "Miss Zhang, please lift the spell and let me leave, and kindly find a more capable assistant."

Thank heaven and earth. Zhang Keke thought to herself: My estimation was correct; this useless person's blood can indeed enhance the spiritual power of the peach wood sword. No wonder the other person said that the monster must not obtain the flesh and blood of this useless person. This time, I have truly stumbled upon a treasure

"Stop! You are not allowed to scavenge here. Leave quickly." Two security guards, wielding batons, blocked the path of the shabby man. One of the guards struck his palm with the baton and said, "What are you doing here? Delivering newspapers? Delivering milk? If you have nothing to do, just leave!"

In the spacious garage of Zhang Keke's home, three luxury cars were parked: a Mercedes-Benz, a Rolls-Royce, and a fiery red BMW. He Hao, astonished by the wealth of the Zhang family, could not help but lament his own poverty; just these three cars were enough for him to strive for a lifetime. After confirming with the key that the red BMW was Zhang Keke's vehicle, He Hao began to serve her like a laborer. He slowly fetched clean water, carelessly wiped the car, and sprayed high-end perfume inside the cabin. In fact, Zhang Keke's car was already very clean and did not require He Hao's efforts at all; it was spotless without any intervention. It was unclear whether Zhang Keke intentionally wanted He Hao to work or if she had a cleanliness obsession, compelling him to toil.

Upon entering, He Hao vaguely saw the sign on the door that read "Special Investigation Division". All three police officers He Hao encountered at the Yayi'an supermarket were in the office, along with three or four other police officers he had not seen before, both male and female. One of the female officers was of a similar age to He Hao; although her appearance was not as strikingly beautiful as Zhang Keke's, she had fair skin and a small mouth, making her a rare beauty.

"Keke, if you hit again, it will cost a life." Zhang Keke's uncle, Zhang Moujiu, first tried to calm the agitated Zhang Keke, then pulled up He Hao and, with a stern expression, said to He Hao: "Hello, my name is Zhang Moujiu, I am the head of the Special Investigation Division of the City Police Department. You are the He Hao my niece mentioned, correct?" Seeing He Hao nod, Zhang Moujiu continued: "My niece said she wants to hire you as her assistant. Do you know what kind of work she does?"

At this point, Zhang Keke's delicate face was already streaming with tears, unable to speak due to her sobs. Zhang Miujiu was greatly moved and nodded, saying: "Alright, I will agree to your request. Your father will surely be very comforted to know how filial you are."

"Can you drive?" Zhang Keke asked He Hao during a brief moment, noticing He Hao shaking his head with a wry smile in the rearview mirror. Zhang Keke couldn't help but scold him again, "Useless, I was planning to make you my driver and give you a raise. If you can't earn it yourself, don't blame me." He Hao thought to himself, "Sounds nice, but would this little miser really give me a raise?" Although he thought this, He Hao still dared not voice these thoughts.

I didn't..." He Hao's words were frightened back into his stomach by Zhang Keke's fierce gaze, but Zhang Miujiu noticed something was amiss. He sternly said to Zhang Keke, "Keke, this is not a joke. You must honestly tell me, how did you eliminate Qiongqi last night? If you tell one lie, this exam will be canceled!"

Zhang Keke suddenly began to sob again, choked with emotion as she said: "Actually, last night I used the Qi Condensation Sword technique combined with the Five Thunder Heart Method to defeat Qiongqi. However, among the sixty-six generations of disciples, very few can use the Qi Condensation Sword technique. I was afraid you wouldn't believe me, so I didn't dare to say anything."