NOVEL WEB
Chapter 34
Since coming to Shi Mo Village, Xie Xun had seen all sorts of ghosts.
But being knocked on the door by a ghost was a first.
Even through the courtyard wall, Xie Xun could feel the gloomy and ominous energy approaching.
Inside the house, Jiang Xiaoxiao also heard the knocking.
She climbed down from the stool, struggling to step over the threshold with her short little legs.
Xie Xun said in a deep voice, "What's outside is probably not human."
If it were during Jiang Xiaoxiao's normal period, he wouldn't have to worry at all.
But now...
Looking at the tiny being not even as big as his palm, Xie Xun frowned slightly, "Go back inside."
This room's overall feng shui had been rearranged by Jiang Xiaoxiao. As long as he didn't open the door, the thing outside wouldn't dare to barge in recklessly, so it should be fine.
But Jiang Xiaoxiao stood there, unmoving.
After practicing spell-casting for so many years, having a ghost knock on her door was a first for her.
"Open the door," Jiang Xiaoxiao said.
Xie Xun asked, "Are you confident in dealing with it?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao nodded.
Xie Xun hesitated, then went to the courtyard gate and slowly opened the wooden door.
Upon seeing the sight outside, Xie Xun instinctively stepped back half a pace.
What was outside was indeed not human, but ghosts.
And not just one, they were standing there in rows, around twenty or so, and all wore horrifying death masks different from one another.
One of the little ghost children, who seemed to have just learned to walk before dying, had snot still hanging from its nose and was gnawing on a wax candle with relish.
Jiang Xiaoxiao stood on Xie Xun's palm, looking at the crowd of ghosts.
At the forefront was a female ghost in a big red wedding dress. She stepped forward and knelt before Jiang Xiaoxiao, "Great One, please help us transcend..."
Xie Xun: "......"
Jiang Xiaoxiao: "......"
The female ghost spoke with a sobbing voice that trembled, "Great One, we don't want to remain as wandering spirits anymore. We want to reincarnate."
Earlier that day at the chaotic burial ground, when the earth shook and mountains moved, all the ghosts felt that terrifying yet immense force.
If it had persisted any longer, every single ghost on the entire mountain would have been torn to shreds.
That sense of horror was even more suffocating than when they died.
It's just that during the day they didn't dare leave the chaotic burial ground, let alone the mountain, so after some discussion they decided to come find that Great One at night.
Compared to being torn apart into nothingness, it was better to reincarnate.
Life was hard enough, but being a ghost was even harder and there was simply no way out!
Jiang Xiaoxiao roughly understood the ghosts' intentions and nodded, "Come back in three days."
The female ghost was grateful to tears and quickly left with the other ghosts.
Xie Xun closed the courtyard gate and asked Jiang Xiaoxiao, "Why are they afraid of you?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao said, "Isn't it normal for ghosts to fear spell-casters?"
Xie Xun narrowed his eyes, recalling the ghost he encountered on the night of the fifteenth of July, whose reaction was clearly different from these ghosts.
That ghost wanted to possess Jiang Xiaoxiao at the time.
However, these ghosts just now were terrified upon seeing Jiang Xiaoxiao, trembling all over.
Not a single ghost wondered why she was so small, but instead uniformly called her "Great One."
It's normal for ghosts to fear spell-casters.
But for so many ghosts to come personally seeking transcendence, is that normal?
Something must have happened at the chaotic burial ground during the day.
Xie Xun had doubts in his heart, but Jiang Xiaoxiao didn't seem to be lying.
This little thing never lies, except when avoiding medicinal baths and making up excuses.
Jiang Xiaoxiao was forced to take three days of medicinal baths.
Three days later, she finally returned to normal at nightfall.
Xie Xun had already witnessed this once before, so he was used to watching Jiang Xiaoxiao grow from small to large, her graceful features not eliciting any reaction from him.
Each time she shrank, it lasted three days, and Jiang Xiaoxiao's recovery was very punctual.
However, that group of ghosts was even more punctual than her.
Almost as soon as Jiang Xiaoxiao returned to normal, those ghosts arrived.
The courtyard gate was knocked on again.
Jiang Xiaoxiao opened the door, and standing at the front was still the wedding dress female ghost from last time, but her complexion was even paler than three days ago.
Although they claimed to want to reincarnate, after all, as lingering souls and wild ghosts in the human realm, they were inevitably tainted with resentment and obsession to some degree.
It was precisely because of this that they couldn't directly reincarnate and needed to be transcended.
The little ghost child from last time was still gnawing on the candle, with only a small stub left. Reluctant to finish it and have nothing left, he stuck out his tongue to lick it.
Jiang Xiaoxiao was unusually interested and brought out a table to offer them food and wild fruits she had picked from the mountain.
Only after the ghosts had eaten and drunk their fill did she begin to transcend them.
A few of the ghosts had particularly deep obsessions and resentments, which cost Jiang Xiaoxiao a great deal of spiritual power.
By the time she finished transcending all the ghosts, the sky was almost bright.
Jiang Xiaoxiao collapsed from exhaustion and went straight to bed as soon as she returned to the house.
Dean Gu came early that morning.
Upon learning that Jiang Xiaoxiao had transcended dozens of ghosts in a single night, shock covered his aged face, "That little girl is really that powerful?"
He had given her a seven-day time limit!
Although it was an entrance exam, transcending twenty ghosts within seven days would be quite difficult for an average spell-caster.
The Yin Yang Office clearly intended to recruit the talented in this area.
But to transcend dozens in just one night, that was simply too inconceivable!
Xie Xun gave Dean Gu a look.
If this old man knew those ghosts had willingly come knocking to request transcendence, he might be scared silly.
After recovering from his shock, Dean Gu cleared his throat, "Although it may be a bit presumptuous, this old official still wants to ask, which sect or school is Miss Jiang from?"
To be able to cultivate such a talent, the Yin Yang Office would definitely try to poach people from her backing sect in the future.
Xie Xun said, "That's not important, as long as she passed the first test."
Xie Xun was unwilling to say, and Dean Gu didn't dare ask further, only repeatedly agreeing, "As Your Highness says, Miss Jiang has already passed the first test."
Jiang Xiaoxiao's second test was to draw talismans.
Dean Gu referred to a book, rambling on and on.
In short, he wanted her to draw many talismans.
Jiang Xiaoxiao didn't remember what specific talismans he asked for, but after buying the talisman-drawing tools, she drew from the Five Thunder Talisman to the Ghost Capturing Talisman to the Six Beast Pestilence-Repelling Talisman, producing over a hundred talismans in total.
After finishing, she pushed them over to Dean Gu and said with a yawn, "You can pick out the useful ones. I'm so sleepy, I'm going to bed."
Leaving Dean Gu petrified, Jiang Xiaoxiao calmly returned to the house.
Dean Gu's expression was as if he had seen a ghost, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses and ask Xie Xun, "How did this girl manage to draw so many talismans in such a short time?"
He couldn't help but wonder if these talismans were just useless pieces of paper.
Xie Xun said, "If you don't believe it, pick out a few and let the people above test them, and you'll know."
Drawing talismans on paper should be the easiest task for Jiang Xiaoxiao.
Not long ago, Xie Xun had witnessed her drawing talismans out of thin air.
...
As the head of the Yin Yang Office, Dean Gu was only responsible for selecting suitable candidates.
The actual examiner was Zhu Yan, the senior disciple of the National Preceptor Bai Cheng.
Zhu Yan had already arrived in Kaihe County a few days ago and was currently staying at the post station.
Dean Gu brought the talismans drawn by Jiang Xiaoxiao to him.
Zhu Yan tested each of the required talismans one by one, and incredibly, they all worked despite being unsealed.
Zhu Yan was a bit surprised but quickly dismissed it calmly, "It's just the basic level for a spell-caster, a few talismans don't amount to much."
"But she drew all these in one go," Dean Gu muttered softly.
Zhu Yan's pupils suddenly constricted, "What did you say?"
Dean Gu straightened his back, "These talismans, I watched her draw them all in one breath."
"That's impossible!" Zhu Yan angrily exclaimed, "Even my master couldn't draw so many talismans in one breath, and she's just a little girl in her teens. Dean Gu, do you think that's realistic? At your age, there should be limits to joking around!"
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