Chapter 398: Half Immortal

"Eighty percent?! Isn't that double?" Scholar Lu's mouth watered when he heard Kui Sanjin's proposed reward.

But just as he opened his mouth, ready to agree, he quickly calmed himself.

He knew his own limitations. Having traveled with his master, he had witnessed many cases of possession, some formidable and others less so.

Although his master had told him that these five copper coins could slay spirits, he had never actually done it himself.

Seeing Scholar Lu's conflicted expression, Kui Sanjin sighed in disappointment. "Very well, I don't blame you. Indeed, this isn't something an ordinary person can handle."

Stung by the comment, Scholar Lu's mind raced. "Damn it, I'll do it! If a man dies, he dies facing heaven; if he doesn't, he lives forever. Why should I, Master Lu, be afraid of this? If Li Huowang can do it, why can't I?"

Besides, even if he couldn't defeat it, he figured escaping with the five copper coins would be no problem.

"Excellent! Scholar Lu, you're a man of your word! I'll toast you!"

Scholar Lu immediately imitated a move from a storyteller's tale, casually placing his wine cup onto the table.

"Don't rush to drink! After I've slain the evil spirit, I'll enjoy a leisurely drink with you, Master Kui!"

Scholar Lu's confident demeanor immediately earned Kui Sanjin's thumbs-up, making him even more smug.

He was now enjoying the same respect Li Huowang once received, and it felt remarkably good.

"Very well, Scholar Lu, let's go!"

Once inside the carriage, the outwardly nonchalant Scholar Lu felt a deep unease. He constantly tried to recall how Li Huowang had dealt with dangerous spirits.

But after much thought, he couldn't recall anything useful. In the past, whenever danger struck, that old master would always run faster than a rabbit, and if there was nowhere to run, he'd stuff him under the carriage, refusing to let him out.

Amidst Scholar Lu's complaints, the carriage arrived. When he dismounted and looked around, he realized they were outside the city.

The surrounding houses were pitch black, and he couldn't tell exactly where they were, though near Yinling City, it could only be one of the local estates.

In front of the carriage stood an imposing mansion gate, suggesting that its residents were of no ordinary status.

"Come, Scholar Lu, follow me. The employer lives here," Kui Sanjin said, then went to knock on the door.

With a creak, the door opened, and an elderly man holding a lantern peeked out.

After seeing Kui Sanjin's face, he quickly ushered them inside, seemingly afraid that something might follow them in.

"Sanjin, this is..."

"Uncle Fang, don't worry, this man is my brother. He's no ordinary person; he's learned divine powers from an immortal!"

Seeing the old man eye him hesitantly, Scholar Lu cleared his throat, put one hand behind his back, and mimicked Li Huowang's cold, indifferent expression.

"Sanjin!" Hearing a sturdy voice, Scholar Lu turned to see a group of men approaching him.

Standing in the center of the group was a burly, corpulent man. Though dressed in silk brocade with Buddhist beads, looking like a wealthy squire, his face was full of menacing flesh, clashing sharply with his refined attire.

The other men nearby were no better, each with a fierce, sinister look. Had there not been other residences nearby, Scholar Lu would have thought he'd stumbled into a bandits' lair.

Kui Sanjin seemed to shrink a head shorter upon seeing them and quickly went to greet them.

Watching them whisper, Scholar Lu felt a sudden unease. *What exactly is the background of Master Kui's brothers? They don't look like they're in legitimate business,* he wondered.

Unfamiliar with the place and with night having fallen, Scholar Lu was starting to regret coming here.

After talking for a while, Kui Sanjin brought the tall fat man to Scholar Lu. "Scholar Lu, this is Master Zhao. His son is the one possessed by the evil spirit."

Looking up at the imposing face, Scholar Lu opened his mouth to speak when suddenly he saw Master Zhao clasp his hands together firmly, saying with extreme sincerity, "Half-Immortal Lu, please save my son! He's the sole heir of our Old Zhao family!"

"It's nothing, nothing," Scholar Lu said, feeling a flicker of pride at the man's respect. He enjoyed being begged; it made him feel powerful.

"Half-Immortal Lu, there's no time to lose, please come quickly. My son is almost at his limit!" Zhao Tianhu pulled Scholar Lu, rushing him into the mansion.

The mansion was vast and deep, making Scholar Lu feel a little disoriented. "Damn it, one day I'm going to buy a mansion this big too!" he thought.

Just as Scholar Lu was thinking this, he was pulled to a stop in front of a single-story building. No lights were on inside, making it seem uninhabited.

"Half-Immortal Lu, my son is inside. As long as you can save him, anything is negotiable!"

Scholar Lu listened carefully, hearing no sound at all, and his heart became uneasy. "Master Zhao, is your son the only one in this room?" he asked.

"Of course, it's just him! How many others could there be? He's already torn two pages apart!" Zhao Tianhu and his group pushed Scholar Lu towards the door.

"Master Zhao, don't rush! First, you need to tell me what kind of evil spirit this is! Is it powerful? Is it male or female?"

Before Scholar Lu could get an answer, the locked door suddenly opened, and he was pushed directly inside.

The next moment, with a bang, the door slammed shut.

"Don't close the door! What are you doing! I'm not running away! Open the door quickly!" Scholar Lu frantically pounded on the wooden door, but there was no response.

"D-d-d-d-d~" An odd trembling sound made goosebumps prickle all over Scholar Lu.

Trembling, he turned around and frantically raised the five copper coins in his hand towards the darkness.

In the dim room, something seemed to be jumping, but he couldn't see it very clearly.

He was already there, and it was useless to say anything else now. Scholar Lu mustered his courage and loudly threatened the darkness: "You insignificant evil spirit, don't be ungrateful! My master is Li Huowang! If you dare touch me, he won't spare you!"

Scholar Lu's threats echoed back and forth in the room, and seeing no immediate reaction, he felt a little calmer.

"Hmph, what's there to be afraid of?" Scholar Lu gritted his teeth and walked into the room, holding the copper coins in both hands.

After fumbling for a while, Scholar Lu realized this place must be a bedroom. As for Master Zhao's only son, he searched for a long time but couldn't find him.

"This won't do, it's too dark. I need to light an oil lamp," Scholar Lu muttered. He fumbled his way towards a table; a fire-steel was conveniently placed next to an oil lamp.

As Scholar Lu repeatedly rubbed the fire-steel, sparks flew. Suddenly, a spark landed on the oil-soaked wick, and the oil lamp flared to life.

Just then, Scholar Lu saw an extremely long, pale face staring back at him through the lamplight.

"Ahhhhhh!!!!"