Lucas Brooks saw that Ryan Clark seemed inclined to agree and was very pleased. He immediately replied, “That house was mostly destroyed in a fire thirteen years ago. It’s said that quite a few people died in the blaze, and because there were so many deaths, no one was willing to buy the land and rebuild. Seven years ago, after things had gradually faded from memory, a wealthy merchant from the provincial city bought that plot and the neighboring land, planning to build a grand mansion. But just a few days after moving in, strange hauntings began. He invited several well-known monks and Daoist priests to exorcise the ghost, but none succeeded—in fact, the disturbances only grew worse. The merchant’s family members were often so frightened in the middle of the night that they fainted, and then the next day would wake up lying in the street. The merchant had no choice but to move elsewhere. After that, the mansion changed hands several times, but each new owner was scared away, and gradually the house’s reputation spread. No one dared to buy it, so it’s been abandoned ever since.”

He paused, then continued, “In recent years, some beggars or people looking to test their courage have stayed there, but without exception, they were either scared away or fainted and thrown out. Anyway, I’ve never heard of this ghost actually killing anyone.”

Judging from the timeline, Ryan Clark thought the ghost was probably somewhere between the Soul-Nurturing and Soul-Strengthening stages. First, the ghost had no one making offerings to it—otherwise, it wouldn’t be out scaring people. Second, it had never harmed anyone, which meant it didn’t need blood sacrifices yet. This indicated its cultivation was only at the level of absorbing a bit of yang energy. Most likely, some places near the Qupei River had become sites of yin energy, and when the obsession of those burned to death encountered it, a yin ghost was formed. But since this was the prefectural city, bustling with human activity, the quality of the yin energy wasn’t great, so the ghost wouldn’t grow at an extraordinary rate.

This was just a preliminary judgment. Ryan Clark then subtly asked Lucas Brooks a few more questions, mainly to determine whether the ghost’s obsession was strong or weak, and whether it was a malevolent or benevolent obsession. Finally, Ryan Clark said to Lucas Brooks, “Senior Brother Brooks, this matter came up suddenly, so I need to think it over.” Seeing that Lucas Brooks wanted to say something, he quickly signaled for him not to speak further. “How about this: by this time tomorrow, I’ll definitely give you an answer. Even if I don’t go, I’ll give you some talismans so you’ll be prepared.”

Lucas Brooks saw that Ryan Clark was firm and didn’t press further. He simply agreed on a time for the next day and took his leave. Ryan Clark tidied up a bit and also went out.

That afternoon, Ryan Clark went to various places in the city where news was plentiful to make inquiries, and also asked around among the neighbors. He was able to basically confirm what Lucas Brooks had said about the ghost, which put his mind at ease. That night, after calming himself and finishing his cultivation, he checked the talismans he carried, then headed straight to the bend in the Qupei River north of the city to inspect the area around the mansion. He used a talisman to open his spiritual eye and observed the flow of yin energy. Sure enough, it was just as he had judged: the quality of the yin energy was not very good.

However, Ryan Clark didn’t enter the mansion. Since he had already decided to accompany Lucas Brooks, there was no difference between going now and going later.

At noon the next day, Lucas Brooks couldn’t wait and came to visit. Ryan Clark didn’t put on any airs and gave a definite answer right away. Lucas Brooks was overjoyed and, after returning home that day, sent over two hundred taels of silver to show his absolute sincerity—he promised that win or lose, the money would not be less.

After receiving the silver, Ryan Clark calculated that even if he didn’t sell his courtyard, the money would be enough for his current cultivation needs. However, if he traveled in the future, the courtyard would be left empty, so he’d still have to sell it eventually. Now, though, he had more leverage to wait for a better price.

Moreover, according to Old Brooks’s experience, even after all the meridians were opened and the Great Circulation was achieved, one still needed a large amount of food every day to replenish vital energy. Even reaching the Out-of-Body Soul stage didn’t mean true fasting—just that one could endure hunger ten times longer than ordinary people, maybe half a year without eating, unless one reached the Qi-Attracting stage. So, although he could hunt for food while traveling, it was best to have some silver on hand for emergencies.

Chapter 8: The Haunted House

At dusk on the appointed day, Lucas Brooks brought another junior brother, Eric Bennett, to Ryan Clark’s small courtyard, looking both worried and excited.

“Junior Brother Bennett, this is Ryan Clark, Junior Brother Clark, the last disciple of a reclusive elder of our The Brooks Family.” As for the old ancestor Old Brooks, except for the core members of the The Brooks Family, everyone else was simply told he was a reclusive elder. Ryan Clark had also told Lucas Brooks to use his alias Ryan Clark from now on, and though Lucas Brooks didn’t quite understand, he complied.

“Greetings, Senior Brother Clark.” Eric Bennett was tall and sturdy, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, looking honest and straightforward.

“Junior Brother Clark, this is Eric Bennett, Junior Brother Bennett, my father’s fifth disciple and my closest friend.”

“Heh, Junior Brother Bennett, you’re too polite.” Ryan Clark cupped his hands in return.

Lucas Brooks moved closer to Ryan Clark and whispered, “Junior Brother Clark, are you sure about this?”

Ryan Clark smiled and said, “Senior Brother Brooks, all I can say is, I’ll do my best.” Lucas Brooks stepped back and looked at Ryan Clark. Perhaps Ryan Clark’s calm demeanor gave him confidence, and he smiled, “In that case, let’s set out.”