At this moment, the Mountain Ghost Master remained unconscious, oblivious to everything around him.

  After piecing together the situation, Han understood—there was undoubtedly a sinister force lurking behind these two individuals.

  In Black Cloud Town, the presence of demonic entities was nothing new. However, each additional trace of evil only added to the chaos looming over the town’s future.

  Troublesome.

  Lu Qingmo awakened the two captives, who quickly realized the predicament they were in.

  "Damn the Ghost Deity Bureau!" The middle-aged man shot Han a venomous glare, his expression defiant.

  "The moment you chose to command ghosts and harm others, you should have foreseen this outcome," Han said coldly. "Who ordered you?"

  "No one ordered us." The man’s smile twisted into something cruel. "My child is gone—why should anyone else get to keep theirs?"

  "Why should their children be so hardworking, so accomplished?!"

  "They deserve to die! Every last one of them! Kill! Kill! Kill!"

  Han frowned. Murder driven by sheer envy?

  Something was clearly off—these two didn’t seem entirely sane.

  "According to the Ghost Deity Bureau’s investigation, all the parents slain by the Mountain Ghosts had exceptionally talented children," Lu Qingmo added.

  "Whether in business, martial arts, or scholarly pursuits, they showed great promise."

  Han produced two Mountain Ghosts and held them up. "These were your children, weren’t they?"

  "How did they die?"

  "Did you kill them?"

  Given the nature of these spirits, it was highly likely that they had perished at the hands of their own parents.

  But that didn’t make sense—if their hatred stemmed from losing their children and envying other families, why had they murdered their own?

  "One’s body, hair, and skin are gifts from their parents," the middle-aged man suddenly burst into laughter, his eyes crazed. "I merely reclaimed what was mine—what’s wrong with that?"

  So they really had killed their children.

  Was this truly how they interpreted that saying?

  What kind of twisted logic was this? Did they think their children were some kind of Nezha, meant to be reclaimed?

  "After raising them for over a decade, you still had the heart to do this?" Han struggled to comprehend their reasoning.

  "They refused to work hard!" The woman cackled, her voice shrill and unhinged.

  "We scrimped and saved to send our frail eldest son to study martial arts, hoping he’d grow stronger."

  "We sent our naturally robust second son to a private academy, hoping he’d excel in the imperial exams."

  "But they were lazy! So damn lazy!"

  "Other children mastered martial arts in three years—our eldest failed! Others passed the exam on their first try—our second son couldn’t!"

  "All they did was play around! If only they had worked harder, listened to us, things wouldn’t have turned out this way!"

  The man slammed his fist against the ground. "And then they dared to defy us! The eldest said he wanted to study for the imperial exams, while the younger one wanted to train in martial arts!"

  "What insolence! How dare they disobey their parents!"

  "Look at other people’s children—they’re so hardworking, so blessed!"

  "They deserved to die. Every last one of them."

  Han’s frown deepened. These two weren’t just unstable—they were completely deranged.

  Their words left him baffled. What kind of warped mindset was this?

  Lu Qingmo spoke softly, breaking the tense silence. "The elder spirit has a natural aura of refinement. He had the potential to become a scholar—and if he had pursued literary studies, he would have shown remarkable intelligence."

  "The younger spirit’s form is more solid, likely due to a strong physique in life. He had great potential as a warrior."

  The couple froze for a moment before bursting into hysterical laughter.

  "Lies! All lies! We did nothing wrong! Our plans couldn’t have been mistaken!"

  "It’s their fault for disobeying us! Their fault!"

  Han glanced at Lu Qingmo, who silently shook her head. She wasn’t lying—this was the undeniable truth.

  Their frail eldest son had taken up martial arts, while their strong younger son had pursued literature—the complete opposite of what they had intended.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Han bound the couple’s souls, silencing them completely.

  Lu Qingmo swept her spiritual senses over them, drawing out fragments of their memories.

  A vision formed—

  The couple, much younger, led their two sons up a mountain to herd cattle and sheep.

  As they tended to the animals, the brothers once again voiced their desire to switch paths—the elder longed to study, and the younger wished to train in martial arts.

  Furious, the parents beat them. Then came the accident—

  In their panic, the brothers lost their footing, tumbling down the mountain to their deaths.

  The parents stood frozen in shock. Then, as realization set in, they wailed in grief, finally voicing the words they had never said before: "We were wrong. We should have let you choose."

  But it was too late. The dead could not return.

  They remained on the mountain for a full day and night, without food or water.

  From wailing to silence, until they fainted from sorrow.

  When they finally gathered their sons’ corpses to leave, a figure cloaked in black appeared before them.

  "Do you wish to see your children again? Do you want them to become exceptional beyond measure?"

  The choice they made in that moment sealed their fate.

  From the moment their sons perished, their minds had begun to unravel.

  The grief was unbearable—a weight too heavy for any soul to bear.

  And so, they embarked on a path of no return, raising corpses and gathering lost souls.

  As the cloaked figure drained their essence through dark rituals, he also poisoned their minds with wicked thoughts. The seed of hatred—of slaughtering the parents of talented children—was planted then.

  Until the earthquake in Black Cloud, when the boundary between life and death wavered, and their sons reappeared before them—though in an entirely different form.

  From then on, the couple nurtured Mountain Ghosts using the cloaked man’s methods. They occasionally ventured to nearby villages, preying on unsuspecting souls.

  They had been careful, their killings infrequent, which was why they had remained undiscovered.

  But as their lives neared their end, desperation took hold. Their attacks grew bolder, drawing the Ghost Deity Bureau’s attention.

  Han remained silent for a long time after witnessing their memories.

  All he could conclude was that this was a grotesque tragedy.

  When he turned to Lu Qingmo, he noticed an unfamiliar coldness in her expression.

  "Aunt Mo, what’s wrong?" he asked.

  Lu Qingmo took a slow breath. "I recognize that dark art. I know where it originates."

  "Which faction?"

  "The Hall of Impermanence," she said, her voice icy. "One of the most notorious demonic sects in existence. Long ago, they produced a powerhouse who once ranked on the Mountains and Rivers Life Index."

  "They are only one step away from rivaling the Celestial Mother Sect."

  Han narrowed his eyes. "Aunt Mo, do you have a personal vendetta against them?"

  Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment. "A blood feud."

  "So they’ve come to Black Cloud as well... of course they would. They thrive in chaos."

  "Can we use these two to track that Hall of Impermanence disciple?" Han asked.

  Lu Qingmo shook her head. "No. These demonic cultivators are elusive and cunning. This alone won’t be enough to trace them."

  A brief silence fell before she spoke again.

  “Hand them over to the Ghost Tribunal. I’ll notify them to take custody. As for these two mountain spirits… let them be purified.”

  Han hesitated but eventually nodded, storing away the spirits before turning to An Liang.

  “Deliver them to the Ghost Tribunal.”

  An Liang: “……”

  So this is just one big outsourcing chain, huh?

  She glanced around, realizing with regret that she had no one else to pass the task onto. Left with no choice, she picked up the ghostly couple and departed.

  “Aunt Mo, are you alright?” Han asked with concern.

  “I’m fine.” Lu Qingmo gave a faint smile.

  “You did well this time. Quick and efficient. Any reward you have in mind?”

  “I want the Heavenly Thunder Seal.”

  “Think about it carefully when you dream later.”

  Meanwhile, An Liang didn’t bother entering the Ghost Tribunal. Instead, she simply left the spirits at the entrance and walked away.

  Something just felt… off about a ghost walking into the Ghost Tribunal.

  At midnight, Han began his dream ritual as usual, recounting the ghost couple’s story to the others. Bai Ruoyue and the rest fell into a contemplative silence, sighing.

  Such tragedies were truly disheartening.

  The wicked must be eradicated.

  “Aunt Mo, how about we try again? See if we can fully transfer the Heavenly Thunder and Earthfire Seals?” Han suggested, moving closer to Lu Qingmo.

  “I feel stronger than yesterday. Maybe I can pull it off this time.”

  Do I look like someone who’s easy to fool?

  Did he really think I’d fall for his tricks every single time?

  Han got his answer soon enough and resumed his daily training, prioritizing the Yin Earthfire Seal.

  Morning came, and Han woke up the still-sleeping An Liang.

  “You’re still in bed?”

  “Do you not realize today is your registration day at the Ghost Tribunal?”

  An Liang floated out, clutching a pillow embroidered with the image of a Yin-Yang stone lantern. She rubbed her sleepy eyes.

  This pillow wasn’t real—it was a manifestation of her own power. Han had suggested it, knowing she was used to sleeping near a Yin-Yang stone lantern. Now that she lived in a ghost dwelling, maybe a pillow would give her some sense of familiarity.

  “Master, do I really have to go to the Ghost Tribunal?” An Liang asked anxiously.

  “I mean, I’m a ghost. Isn’t that kind of… weird?”

  “What if they mistake me for some rotten, festering evil spirit and decide to exorcise me?”

  Her small face was filled with worry.

  Han waved dismissively. “You have nothing to worry about.”

  “Have you forgotten Aunt Mo’s status?”

  Right on cue, Lu Qingmo appeared and handed An Liang a waist token.

  “This is the official Ghost Tribunal Enforcer token. With it, you are recognized as a ninth-rank Enforcer, personally appointed by me. You’ll have full authority to act freely.”

  An Liang’s jaw nearly hit the floor. Me? A Ghost Enforcer? Am I supposed to exorcise… myself?

  Lu Qingmo then presented her with a cloak.

  “This is an enchanted artifact. It conceals your aura, masks your identity as a ghost, and even alters your voice.”

  Han also handed her several magical artifacts—each serving different purposes: defense, offense, control, and mental protection.

  Between the loot from Brother Tree and his own collection, Han had plenty to spare.

  As the old saying goes—crime pays.

  Just the spoils from Liancheng and Dai Liu alone had made Han rich overnight.

  An Liang was at a loss for words, staring at the pile of gear before her.

  She accepted the artifacts, refining and equipping each one methodically.

  Then, she turned to Han with a reluctant expression.

  “Master, I’m going now. But if I run into danger, you have to come save me, alright?”

  “Master, if you really can’t bear to part with me, I could stay a little longer…”

  “Master, I’ll miss you… sniffle…”

  “Master—”

  “Just go already.”

  “Hmph! Fine, I’m going!”

  Fully geared up, An Liang set off toward the Ghost Tribunal.

  “She’s just beginning to grasp the power of the Netherworld. She needs real experience to master it and push her limits,” Lu Qingmo remarked.

  “You made the right choice by sending her there.”

  “I don’t expect her to be much help in a fight, but she at least needs to know how to protect herself.” Han chuckled.

  “With her current abilities and all that gear, there shouldn’t be much in Black Cloud Town that could trouble her.”

  More importantly, the Ghost Tribunal specialized in handling supernatural affairs. An Liang would only need to operate during the daytime.

  And in broad daylight, while she remained unharmed… her targets wouldn’t be so lucky.

  She was already standing on the battlefield with a natural advantage.

  “Don’t worry,” Lu Qingmo said calmly. “She’ll be fine.”

  Your Aunt Mo has it all planned out.

  At the entrance of the Ghost Tribunal, a figure shrouded in a cloak stepped forward.

  “Halt. Identify yourself.”

  “Special appointment by Overseer Lu. Ninth-rank Ghost Enforcer… Huang.”

  Let me take this name—the name my master jokingly calls my ‘archenemy’—and make it the first step toward my rise to fame.