Chapter 33: Exorcising the Malevolent Spirits

It really was a ghost. Xiao Jie felt a slight chill run down his spine.

Invisible enemies were the most unsettling, but this player named Yeluo seemed quite knowledgeable. Since she said it would be fine during the day, Xiao Jie decided to take her word for it.

"If you can see it, why don't you just kill the ghost—"

Xiao Jie stopped mid-sentence, realizing his own foolishness. Physical attacks were ineffective against ghosts; seeing them didn't change that.

"What level is this ghost? How much health does it have?"

"You want to kill it? Physical attacks are useless against ghosts unless you can find a master of magic or possess a ritual object that suppresses spirits."

"Heh, don't worry about that. Can you just tell me?"

"Level 7, 135 health. Its name is Ghost Servant."

Only level 7 with 135 health; it didn't seem that strong. The main annoyance was that the thing was invisible, physically immune, and capable of possession.

Ghost Servant? That implied there was someone behind this ghost.

"It's hiding. It was probably scared off by you, but it will likely reappear once night falls."

Xiao Jie thought to himself that it didn't matter. Daytime was enough; he just needed to learn archery and animal training first.

At that moment, Yang Baichuan walked in carrying a bowl of meat soup. His wife immediately began to devour it as if she were a starving ghost. Watching his wife eat with such gusto, Yang Baichuan looked equally pleased.

"Good brother, I owe you so much this time. I truly don't know how to thank you."

"Think nothing of it. I only hope you will teach me how to be a hunter."

"Haha, no problem! Let me settle my wife in today, and you can come learn tomorrow."

"Ah, I have to wait until tomorrow? Can't it be today?"

"Little brother, it's best not to be unreasonable. My wife has just recovered; how could I abandon her now? Just come tomorrow; it’s only one day, right?"

Xiao Jie thought to himself that one day made all the difference.

He glanced at the hunter and noticed Yang Baichuan staring back with a sharp, piercing gaze. His heart skipped a beat.

Damn it, this old fox was playing innocent. He clearly didn't trust me and wanted to wait a day to see if the cure held. Who would have thought an NPC could be so calculating?

"Fine, let's talk about it tomorrow then."

Xiao Jie left the wooden cabin, and Yeluo followed him out.

"It's useless. Unless you kill that ghost, his wife will be possessed again tonight. He won't take you on as an apprentice tomorrow. But there is another way—if you're willing to pay, I can help you harvest a century-old ginseng. This herbal quest is likely a gatekeeper set by the designers; after all, they wouldn't let players acquire a strong profession like Hunter so easily."

Xiao Jie thought, if I had money, would I be going through all this trouble?

He looked at Yeluo, and an idea formed. If he wanted to slay the evil spirit, he would likely need to rely on this girl. Still, he harbored a sliver of hope—what if nothing happened tonight and he could successfully become an apprentice tomorrow?

"By the way, how come I haven't seen you around the village before?"

"I've been outside the village harvesting herbs for the past two days, so naturally, you wouldn't have seen me. These century-old ginsengs aren't easy to find."

Xiao Jie was shocked. Was she that capable? Logging out in the wilderness in this game was extremely dangerous because monster spawns and patrol areas were dynamic. If you were unlucky, you might spawn right in the middle of a monster nest and die without even knowing how.

"You spent the night in the wild alone? Weren't you afraid of being surrounded by monsters?"

"Heh, don't be surprised. While the wilderness is dangerous, there are safe spots. As long as you figure out the monster spawn areas and activity patterns, you can find relatively safe locations. Of course, there’s still risk, but I had no choice—I had to gamble to gather herbs. Luckily, it seems my luck isn't too bad."

Xiao Jie figured she must be an expert. "Do you play alone?"

"I am right now."

The woman's tone sounded somewhat melancholy, and Xiao Jie immediately understood; her previous teammates had probably perished.

"Is the Hunter class fun?"

"Of course. With a pet to assist in combat and the ability to output damage from a distance, it’s arguably the best profession for solo players."

"Shall we team up sometime in the future?"

"We'll see." Yeluo didn't agree easily.

"Let's add each other as friends then? There are only a few of us players in this village; we should look out for one another."

This time, Yeluo didn't refuse, and they added each other as friends.

"See you later, then."

Yeluo whistled, "Let's go, Black Claw."

The dog named Black Claw trotted happily after her.

The next day, when Xiao Jie arrived at the hunter's house, the man was once again looking distraught.

"It's over, little brother. My wife went crazy again in the middle of the night. I managed to tie her to the bed, but I'm out of options. How exactly did you cure her?"

Xiao Jie sighed inwardly. It was exactly what he feared, but fortunately, he had prepared.

"Master Yang, you can't blame me for this. Your wife isn't sick; she's possessed by a ghost. If we don't kill the spirit, she will never be cured. I used a ritual object to drive it away yesterday, but it seems to be holding a grudge. It refuses to let go of your wife. Think carefully—have you offended anyone?"

Yang Baichuan shook his head violently. "Impossible. I don't really mingle with the villagers, so how could I have offended anyone? But if it’s a ghost, I suppose I must hire a sorcerer. I have to stay with my wife, so could I trouble you to go to the state capital and bring one back? I've also heard there is a White Cloud Temple on Bixia Mountain, north of the valley. The Taoists there possess some magical power; if you could bring one of them, that would be even better."

"As long as you can bring a sorcerer or a Taoist back, I will teach you everything I know once the task is done."

[System Prompt: Quest "Ghost Extermination" triggered. The hunter Yang Baichuan asks you to find an expert to perform an exorcism. In return, he is willing to accept you as his apprentice.]

A dialog box appeared before him.

Option 1: Don't worry, Master Yang, I will definitely bring an expert to help you. (Accept quest).

Option 2: Why go through all that trouble? Leave this to me. It's just a minor evil spirit; watch me destroy it. (Upgrade quest).

Option 3: This has nothing to do with me. I cured her yesterday, and you already promised to teach me how to be a hunter. Let's make good on that before anything else. (Attempt to persuade).

He could actually try to persuade him directly?

Xiao Jie hesitated, but he didn't choose option 3. For one thing, that felt rather dishonorable. Secondly, the Hunter apprenticeship only seemed to cover basic techniques; there were surely more advanced skills later on. If he chose 3, he might miss out on those. Even if he could learn them, he couldn't spend his days picking ginseng just to gain skills. Herb gathering required Perception, and one shouldn't waste attribute points like that.

However, finding a sorcerer or Taoist wouldn't be easy. The wilderness was crawling with monsters, and as a level 2 newbie, surviving the journey wouldn't be simple. It would be better to try it himself.

Xiao Jie decisively chose option 2.

"Why go through all that trouble? Leave this to me. It's just a minor evil spirit; watch me destroy it."

"Really? That would be wonderful! I'm counting on you, little brother." Yang Baichuan was overjoyed. If it were yesterday, he wouldn't have believed Xiao Jie, but after the exorcism, he had no choice but to believe.

"Kid, if you can cure my wife, I won't just teach you how to be a hunter—I'll also give you a treasure I've kept hidden."

System Prompt: You have accepted the quest [Ghost Extermination]. Eliminate the Ghost Servant possessing Yang Baichuan's wife.

Quest Reward: Hunter Apprenticeship, Hunter's Treasure x1.

Not bad. A class change plus a hidden reward—this deal was worth it.

"Don't worry, Master Yang. I'm about sixty or seventy percent sure I can handle this. But I need to prepare a few things before the exorcism, so I'll take my leave for now."

Xiao Jie left the cabin and sent private messages to Yeluo and Wo Yu Cheng Xian.

"Come to the hunter's cabin. I've got something good."

He couldn't do the exorcism alone. He could drive the ghost out, but killing it required help. Wo Yu Cheng Xian had an ebony sword, and Yeluo could track the ghost's location. With his own exorcism spell to force the spirit out, the three of them working together should be enough to finish the job.