Chapter 40: Bright Eyes Seeing Ghosts at Night

The assessment begins at dusk and ends at dawn.

Everyone will carry a second-tier soul-guiding lamp and patrol the lake area, the bay area, and the thirty-two wharf districts.

The assessment's objective is to appease the souls of the drowned and other solitary spirits.

Those who appease ten departed souls without resorting to 'invoking a deity' will receive a Class A rating.

Those who appease five departed souls without resorting to 'invoking a deity' will receive a Class B rating.

Those who appease three departed souls without resorting to 'invoking a deity' will receive a Class C rating.

If unable to appease even a single departed soul, one must 'invoke a deity' immediately. Do not disrupt the peace of the locals for the sake of a higher rating.

If you invoke a deity, your assessment will end prematurely. Is that clear?

Understood.

There's still plenty of time to prepare. Go find your places.

Yes, Master Meng.

After Meng Yun, the temple attendant, finished speaking, the various junior officials dispersed to prepare for the upcoming assessment.

Zhao Xing activated his 'Bright Eyes' and saw a package on Meng Yun's back.

Inside the package was a figure about two feet tall.

Its face was ruddy, it held a miniature guandao, and its expression conveyed solemn righteousness.

Though its eyes were initially closed, they suddenly opened, and it even smiled at Zhao Xing.

Bright Eyes can see ghosts and deities!

Before seeing any ghosts, he first encountered the underworld deity enshrined in the temple.

Zhao Xing cupped his hands in a salute, then quickly deactivated his spell. Looking again with his normal eyes, he saw only an ordinary sandalwood statue on Meng Yun's back.

"Hmm? Why is the True Lord awake?" Meng Yun seemed to sense something and looked back.

However, Zhao Xing had already looked away.

"Well, well, they've brought out the Earl of East Lake. If any departed souls actually come ashore, with this one overseeing, a whole cartload wouldn't be enough to subdue."

At this stage, departed souls generally pose little threat. At most, they can disturb the sleep of ordinary people, causing them to feel drained and dispirited for a few days.

Unless someone deliberately nurtures souls, which is a serious crime; if discovered, they would be deemed an otherworldly demon.

Furthermore, with the temple attendant bringing out a divine manifestation of the Earl of East Lake, even if Zhao Xing were to dance among a pile of departed souls, they wouldn't dare touch a hair on his head.

After all, he was the man whom the Earl of East Lake had personally retained!

"Young Master, what are you looking at?" Old Eight Xu asked, puzzled, wondering why Zhao Xing suddenly stopped walking.

"Oh, nothing. I thought I saw someone familiar, but I must have been mistaken," Zhao Xing replied casually.

"So, shall we keep browsing, or head to the work location?" Old Eight Xu couldn't help but prompt him.

They had already been wandering for over half an hour, and this master showed no sign of stopping.

The money felt too easily earned, making Old Eight Xu uneasy.

Two taels and five qian was no small sum.

"No rush, no rush, let's grab some food first." Zhao Xing entered a stall and ordered a few skewers of roast meat. "Eat as much as you like; it's all on me. No alcohol, though, to avoid any mishaps."

"Alright, thank you, Young Master." Old Eight Xu didn't stand on ceremony and ordered dozens of skewers in one go. Seeing Zhao Xing's lack of reaction, he immediately thought the young master was truly generous. He decided then and there that he wouldn't let him leave empty-handed tonight.

Dozens of skewers of roast meat, several bowls of vermicelli soup, and four grilled fish, all together costing only one qian of silver. The taste was authentic, and the portions were generous, making it quite a bargain.

Old Eight Xu stopped eating when he was about seventy percent full, as he would be going into the water soon.

Zhao Xing, on the other hand, was only half-full, so he ordered more.

Old Eight Xu secretly clicked his tongue in amazement: "This master looks tall and thin, yet I didn't expect his appetite to be so large. I'm already seventy percent full, and he's eaten about as much as me, yet he can still eat? Could he be a martial artist?"

Although Zhao Xing wasn't a martial artist, his 'Gathering Essence' cultivation at the third stage meant his physical quality far surpassed Old Eight Xu's, naturally giving him a much larger appetite.

Just as he was eating his grilled fish, suddenly...

A gust of wind swept through the stall.

"Hmm?" Zhao Xing paused, sensitive to the wind. This sudden, inexplicable gust was clearly not a normal breeze.

"Is that an ominous wind? And it carries a hint of dampness... Has a water ghost come ashore?"

The wind-raising spell has an advanced variation called 'Ominous Wind Assaulting Souls,' typically only authorized for military officials.

Zhao Xing discerned that this was not an artificially created ominous wind, and sensing its dampness, he immediately realized a water ghost had come ashore.

He saw a soaking wet ghostly figure moving through the street. It was dressed in silk, portly, and wandered aimlessly.

He checked the almanac; there was no warning. He then calculated the time; it was nearly the Dingmao hour.

"Wait here for me; don't move. I'll come back for you shortly." Zhao Xing then paid the bill and followed.

"Huh? Young Master... where did he go?" Old Eight Xu was bewildered. Zhao Xing didn't seem to walk fast, yet he vanished into the crowd in a blink. "How strange."

............

Zhao Xing, moving with supernatural speed, quickly caught up to the plump wandering spirit and walked alongside him.

As 'Bright Eyes' at the Ninth Revolution could see ghosts and deities, it naturally also allowed communication. After observing for a moment, Zhao Xing asked, "Uncle, what are you looking for?"

The plump wandering spirit, dressed in silk, turned its head. Its hair was plastered wetly to its forehead, and its lips were pale. "I'm looking for the way home," it said.

Zhao Xing cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask where your home is, Uncle?"

The plump ghost mumbled, "I am from West Commandery, living in the Jia Manor south of Dangyou County town."

West Commandery? Dangyou County? As Zhao Xing was trying to recall where that was, he heard the plump ghost say in confusion, "But I can't find it, I can't find it..."

Zhao Xing then realized: Dangyou County was a lower-tier county that had merged with another lower-tier county, Pingshan, twelve years ago and was renamed Youshan County.

No wonder you can't find it; your body has floated all the way from West Commandery to South Commandery!

Does this mean this person has been dead for at least twelve years?!

Zhao Xing pondered for a moment before continuing, "Uncle, if you wish to return home, do you have something to impart?"

The plump wandering spirit nodded, "Yes, I need to tell my wife that I'm dead and ask them to retrieve my body. I also need to tell her that I have a sum of silver stored in a box, buried at..."

"Buried where?"

The plump wandering spirit suddenly turned its head, spectral fire flickering eerily in its eye sockets. "Why should I tell you? You're not my family."

............

Fair enough, that's perfectly reasonable.

After speaking, the plump wandering spirit continued its aimless wandering, muttering, "I am from West Commandery, living in the Jia Manor south of Dangyou County town. I want to go home, but where is home? I can't find it..."

Just as Zhao Xing was about to try communicating again, he suddenly heard a clear shout from ahead: "Spirit, return!"

Then he saw a golden light shine upon the plump wandering spirit, which immediately stopped muttering and involuntarily walked towards the source of the golden light.

Others couldn't perceive the sound or the golden light phenomenon, but Zhao Xing heard and saw it. Ahead, a figure carrying a soul-guiding lamp appeared, who was one of the officials participating in the temple assessment.