From the looks of confusion on their faces, it was clear that most of them didn’t have a clue what an exorcist was.
‘Exorcist Gathering sounds like something you’d read about in some supernatural novel… They don’t exist in real life!’
Shi Sheng wasn’t surprised by the ignorant taoists in front of them. She floated over to An Su’s side and her gaze scanned through the crowd, finally landing on the baby-faced youth—Xiao Bai.
Xiao Bai’s clear eyes were currently staring straight at her. Yes, at her, not An Su.
‘He can see me?’
“So you guys really don’t know where the Exorcist Gathering is?” An Su asked again.
“She couldn’t be a mental patient that escaped an asylum, could she?”
“Seems to be the case to me… Exorcist Gathering… Read too many novels?”
Shi Sheng floated over to the clear-eyed young man. Xiao Bai quickly retreated, but his gaze remained fixated upon her.
‘I knew it, he can see me. And he knows I’m a ghost too. Just now, when An Su mentioned the Exorcist Gathering, his expression wasn’t quite right.’
“You know about the Exorcist Gathering?”
Xiao Bai’s clear eyes suddenly misted over; he grabbed the person next to him without warning and started bawling his eyes out.
“There’s a ghost!”
Shi Sheng, “…”
‘Wtf, all that calmness from before was just a sham?’
The person being hugged by Xiao Bai had the expression of someone dealing with a headache as he pried Xiao Bai’s arms off him. “Xiao Bai’s illness has relapsed, and Senior Brother isn’t here. What do we do?”
“There really is a ghost!” Xiao Bai clutched the man’s arm with teary eyes. “Please believe me!”
“Okay, okay, I believe you, I believe you alright? Martial Uncle will get people to protect you, okay? You two, hurry up and bring Xiao Bai back.”
Shi Sheng was speechless.
‘The only one who can see me is treated like a mental patient… Exactly how did this Mt. Tiandu get its golden reputation?!’
Shi Sheng told An Su to find an opportunity to slip away before drifting off to follow the crying young man up the mountain.
But halfway up the path, Shi Sheng felt something off up ahead. She wasn’t able to progress any further.
She fell silent before pulling out a smoke grenade and tossing it at the two on the path ahead.
As the smoke spread out, the three collapsed almost as soon as they made contact it.
“Woah, the effect’s still this good. Looks like it’s got a pretty long shelf-life!” Shi Sheng muttered as she drifted closer to the men. She attempted to possess Xiao Bai, but the moment she got close, she sensed a pure aura just like the one she felt back at the mountain. She could only give up on the idea and use her sword to move him back down the path instead.
When Shi Sheng finally arrived at the spot where she told An Su to go, she was a bit surprised upon seeing her actually there. ‘Looks like her IQ went up; she managed to get away from those people rather quickly.’
“Ghost-jiejie…how come you…” ‘…tied him up?
This is kidnapping! It’s illegal!!!’
“How else am I gonna question him?” Shi Sheng rolled her eyes at An Su. “And don’t talk about how illegal it is. I’m a ghost, what can the law do to me?”
An Su, “…”
‘Okay, I guess there aren’t any laws directed against ghosts…’
……
Xiao Bai was awakened by someone patting his face. It was the lady he’d seen before. A ghostly figure floated behind her.
An Su quickly held Xiao Bai’s mouth shut with her hand before he could react. “Don’t shout, don’t shout! We won’t hurt you.”
An Su never thought there’d come a day when she’d be doing this kind of thing and saying these kind of lines. She was feeling a bit nervous.
“Mhm, mhm…” Xiao Bai shook his head hard, trying to shake off the hand. Since An Su was holding his mouth shut, he didn’t hesitate and bit her.
“Ah!” An Su yelped in pain and released him.
“H-help!!!” Xiao Bai immediately raised his voice and screamed for dear life.
‘This idiot… Can’t even hold someone down properly.’ As she thought, Shi Sheng’s face couldn’t help but look like this: (||| ¬_¬)
She drew her sword and thrust it in front of Xiao Bai’s face before threatening him with a fierce expression, “Keep calling out and I’ll kill you.”
Xiao Bai hiccupped as he choked back his voice.
“Where is the Exorcist Gathering being held?”
Xiao Bai only looked at her tearily.
In all honesty, if not for the tears swimming in his eyes, no one would be able to tell he was afraid.
“I-I don’t know.”
Shi Sheng felt like she was bullying a weak little kid. But for the sake of that idiot Feng Jin, she could only continue being a bully.
She pressed her sword against Xiao Bai’s neck with a cold expression. “Speak, or die. You choose.”
“I really don’t know!” Xiao Bai was shaking his head so hard, it was a wonder it hadn’t fallen off his shoulders. He looked at Shi Sheng with tears in his eyes, seeming very pitiful.
An Su’s compassion acted up from the sight of the miserable young man. But seeing that Shi Sheng’s expression wasn’t too happy, she could only suppress it. ‘Ghost-jiejie is the big thigh, cannot offend her.’
Shi Sheng smiled frostily. ‘Not speaking? I have ways to get you to speak.’
She dragged Xiao Bai to a small, nearby river and tossed him in.
She calmly watched as Xiao Bai floundered about for a bit and soon started sinking under the currents. Only then did Shi Sheng order her sword to fish him back up. Xiao Bai’s face was pale and he was violently shivering. This time, he immediately took the initiative to speak, “I-I don’t know the exact location — just a general idea.”
……
Seven Turn Street.
The oldest buildings in the city were located here. It was a street famous for its history. From an aerial point of view, the street looked like a meandering snake, with a total of seven turns altogether — hence the name Seven Turn Street.
Xiao Bai said the gathering would be held here, but he didn’t know the exact location.
“I really don’t know the exact location.” Xiao Bai looked like he could burst into tears at any second. “You’re a ghost ah… What’re you going to the Exorcist Gathering for?”
Shi Sheng glanced at a certain Bai who was being far too talkative. Seeing her cold gaze, he immediately swallowed the rest of his words. With a pitiful expression, as though he was severely wronged, Xiao Bai shrunk back towards An Su. At the very least she was human; he felt somewhat safer with her.
Seven Turn Street during this time was filled with darkness; its buildings appeared to be like ferocious beasts lurking in the shadows, ready to swallow up any trespassers in a single bite.
Ever since An Su entered this place, her expression was a bit off, her gaze complicated. Shi Sheng frowned when she noticed her odd behavior.
“Ghost-jiejie…are we really going in?” Noticing Shi Sheng’s gaze, An Su swallowed and asked with some difficulty.
“What else would we do?” ‘You want a tour of the nightscape here?’
“I…” An Su’s breathing turned ragged, her body trembling like a leaf in the wind.
A hint of doubt flashed in Shi Sheng’s eyes. But a moment later, she recalled that this was the place where An Su had first met Nalan Ying. ‘No wonder she looks so scared…
Right now, she’s more willing to follow me than return to be with Nalan Ying. I figure she currently fears him more than likes him. Seems like he’s not far off from unreciprocated love.
He’ll fall harder for the FL the more she ignores him, right? Clichés haven’t failed me yet…’
“Then wait out here.” Shi Sheng floated in with her sword in hand.
‘Stay here?’ An Su looked around. There were no traces of any living beings around; the gloomy darkness seemed as if it would spit out all manner of monstrosities at any moment.
She quickly ran after Shi Sheng. “I-I think I should follow you, Ghost-jiejie.”
‘I don’t want to stay here alone. It’s too scary!’
Xiao Bai remained standing where he was, dazed. ‘Are they just going to abandon me now? How am I going to get back?’
Xiao Bai looked around at his empty surroundings. And upon noticing that the two in front of him were nearly out of sight, he hurried after them. ‘This place gives me the creeps. Better follow them.’