They hadn’t seen the final part just now, and simply assumed that Evan Wade had driven the fierce ghost away, treating him as one of those truly skilled Maoshan priests from the movies. As a result, they greeted him with even more respect, especially the water ghost who had almost been turned into a fierce ghost earlier—he was endlessly grateful.

Evan Wade looked over its injuries.

Clearly, he had been pierced by the female ghost’s hair, but now the wounds had already healed. The largest wound was plugged with a clump of ghostly fishing net, wisps of yin energy entwined around it, barely patching it up, and now he was lively and energetic again.

After the ghosts paid their respects, Evan Wade had originally intended to ask about their backgrounds. But after facing off with the vengeful ghost just now, he hadn’t felt it at first, but now he was utterly exhausted, not wanting to move or think about anything at all.

He sent a few ghosts and the two paper figures to stay in the museum.

Evan Wade closed his eyes for a moment, and suddenly felt the Crouching Tiger waist token still trembling, radiating heat.

Slightly startled, he forced himself to focus, took out a sheet of white paper, sat on the bed, and pressed the Crouching Tiger waist token onto the paper.

Characters in clerical script appeared on the white paper.

‘Sili Colonel repelled a fierce ghost, prevented wandering souls from turning into fierce ghosts, and earned one merit.’

‘Merit can be converted only if the Sili Colonel masters one of the required methods.’

Merit...

Evan Wade pondered.

The characters then faded away, but the cold, gloomy air in the room had been swept clean, as if absorbed by the Crouching Tiger waist token. A surge of power was transmitted back into Evan Wade, causing a sharp pain, but then his exhaustion and mental agitation were slowly soothed.

A wave of immense fatigue washed over him.

Evan Wade’s eyelids grew heavy, and he drifted into sleep. While he slept, his body was gradually strengthened.

Chapter 0007 Entanglement

Evan Wade had another dream.

It was an ancient wooden building, three stories high, with red silk ribbons twining around the upper floors, fluttering in the wind.

Wisps of white mist surrounded the area, and the sound of water could be heard within the fog.

Amidst the water’s sound, a clear, melodious singing could be heard.

It seemed to come from within the water, sung by a female opera performer across the water.

Evan Wade had no sense of self, walking forward step by step, entering a narrow, cramped courtyard. Tall wooden buildings surrounded it, with strings of white silk hanging from the upturned eaves. Below was a crooked old locust tree, and beneath the tree was a square well.

There was the sound of water in the well, as if it were living water.

A woman sat by the well, head lowered, black hair hanging down, her face obscured.

Evan Wade walked forward in a daze, step by step drawing closer. But this time, after only a few steps, his expression began to change, showing signs of struggle. Then, with a sudden, explosive tiger’s roar in the dream, he abruptly opened his eyes and saw the woman with her long hair hanging down, and those unforgettable gold-embroidered red shoes.

The next moment, the dream shattered.

In the real world, Evan Wade opened his eyes, a glint of blue-gold light fading from his gaze.

He stared at the ceiling for a long time without speaking.

Just now, the dream forgotten from last night gradually came back to him.

Moreover, he could now clearly distinguish that in yesterday’s dream, when he entered the courtyard, the well and the woman by the well were about five meters away from him. In tonight’s dream, the distance had shrunk to four meters—they were getting closer.

As for what this shortening distance meant, Evan Wade didn’t know.

But it was clearly not a good thing.

“...I’ve been entangled.”

He sighed and rubbed the Crouching Tiger waist token.

The Crouching Tiger waist token could react in dreams, but couldn’t directly take down the fierce ghost—was it because it wasn’t a defensive artifact, or had too much time passed and its power greatly diminished?

Outside, it was pitch black. Evan Wade took out his phone and checked the time.

Three thirty, about the same time he woke up yesterday—Yin hour. He didn’t know when he’d fallen asleep. If he remembered correctly, it was when the Crouching Tiger waist token reacted, repelled the fierce ghost, prevented the museum’s wandering souls from turning into fierce ghosts, earned merit, and then converted it into a method required for the Crouching Tiger Colonel.

After that, he’d drifted off to sleep.

Evan Wade clenched his fist, but didn’t notice any difference.

Thinking for a moment, he followed the instructions on the paper, pressed his right palm to the waist token, and closed his eyes in meditation.

Gradually, he could vaguely sense a talisman in the center of his right palm. But when he opened his eyes and shone his phone’s light on it, he saw nothing. Touching it with his hand, he felt nothing either. Clearly, it was a technique that worked on the soul.

The white paper recorded the details of this magical technique.

[Ghost Expulsion]

Since ancient times, there has been the Nuo ritual, called ghost expulsion. Twelve people form an array, painting red talismans on their faces, holding hemp whips several feet long, dancing and chanting the names of deities.

In pre-Qin times, there was a book called “Ji.”

Ji means to question and censure. When ghosts harm the people and bring misfortune, the people are told to question and summon them, guiding the people to avoid disaster.

This means that ghosts are inauspicious, and the Great Qin compiled ghost-expelling manuals to inform the public, so that people would not be harmed.

The Han dynasty also said, ‘Shamans drive away ghosts and cleanse evil at the turn of the year.’

This is a method handed down since ancient times.