Chapter 3: Parental Love (Part 3): Oh No, This Was Bad

After she uttered the word “save,” Shang Shan, who had been wriggling like a bug moments before, suddenly stopped moving. On the way to the Liu Family with the three of them, she acted completely out of character—even when hung on the bamboo pole, she didn’t fuss or complain, staying quiet and still as if asleep.

Mu Qian Tan was happy for the peace and laziness, so she didn’t bother asking why Shang Shan had suddenly become so obedient. Liu Ying led the way ahead, his expression anxious and hurried, yet he kept glancing back, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated. After turning down two streets, he finally couldn’t hold back and spoke, though still hesitating: “Immortal…”

Mu Qian Tan lowered her gaze to look at him.

Liu Ying suppressed his fear, steeled himself, and asked directly: “Did this little girl offend you somehow?”

From his expression, it was clear he was still worried about his family and beside himself with concern, yet he still spared a thought for a stranger. Mu Qian Tan said: “Do you know her?”

Liu Ying replied: “I’ve never seen her with my own eyes, but I’ve heard of her. Wearing an Evil Ghost Mask, dressed in multicolored robes, carrying a bamboo pole—she should be the famous Rat-Catching Cat Official around here.”

He was right. Before the Female Protagonist followed Mu Qian Tan to the immortal sect, she had her own way of making a living: catching rats.

For people who relied on the heavens and the earth for food, every grain was as precious as gold and jade. Piled in the granary, it was a reassuring weight—but if filthy rat thieves got in, who knew how heartbreaking that would be.

Even if they didn’t touch the grain, letting them into homes to scamper across the beams made people worry about disease or them gnawing at pillars and tiles. So every household hated those rat thieves to the bone and wished to exterminate them. Shang Shan was a renowned rat-catcher in the nearby villages and towns.

The book had this passage describing that experience:

【A little girl, just over ten years old, but a real expert at catching rats. No fancy moves—she rolled up her sleeves and pant legs and dove in, agile as could be. In the time it took to hug two taels of oil, she could catch over a hundred rats from top to bottom in a big estate, not even sparing the hairless baby mice.】

With such great skills, and her fees not too high, she was naturally popular. If any home or granary had a rat problem, calling her would clear it out in two hours guaranteed.

Over time, she built up a reputation. The locals called her things like “Rat-Catching Official,” “Evil-Faced Ghost,” “Rat-Extermination Gate,” and the most widespread was “Evil Face Cat Official.”

There were also rumors that those who’d glimpsed the true face beneath the Evil Ghost Mask described a radiant beauty, ethereal as an immortal—earning her the nickname “Cloudglow Immortal.”

So it was normal for Liu Ying to recognize her.

Mu Qian Tan said: “That’s her. What about it?”

Liu Ying said: “I’ve heard this child has a straightforward personality, blunt and direct without beating around the bush. I wonder if she said something that upset you, Immortal, leading to this punishment…”

Hearing someone speak up for her, Shang Shan perked up her head to see who it was.

Mu Qian Tan said: “This doesn’t concern you.”

Liu Ying quickly added: “Ah, I wouldn’t dare interfere in your affairs, Immortal. It’s just that this child has a good character. I’m afraid any offense was a misunderstanding, so I spoke up.”

As if worried she’d get annoyed and change her mind, after saying that, Liu Ying fell silent and hurried a few steps ahead to lead the way eagerly.

Her head drooped again, and Shang Shan began observing her surroundings, trying to figure out where they were.

The three of them walked along like that, swaying and picking their way, until evening when they arrived at Liu Ying’s home. At the edge of a large swath of woods stood a rundown little thatched hut enclosed by a yard of yellow earth, with a faint glow like a bean of light shining dimly from the window.

The closer they got, the more uneasy Liu Ying felt. He opened the yard gate and rushed toward the house. Before he even reached it, he called out: “Wife!”

Hearing the odd tone in his voice, Miao Lan thought something had happened and hurried out to meet him. Liu Ying grabbed her hand, stepped aside, and had her kneel with him: “This is an immortal from the heavens, come to save Xiao Ling.”

Mu Qian Tan had just entered the yard and stopped their actions: “No need. Take me to see her.”

The couple bustled into the house in a panic. Liu Ying wanted to pour tea but stood frozen holding the water pot, his expression stiff. Miao Lan crouched by the bed, lifting a bowl of Talisman Ash Water, her hands and feet trembling with nerves.

This immortal was their last hope to save their daughter. If it failed, a white-haired parent would have to send off a black-haired child.

Mu Qian Tan entered the room, her ice-blue dress glowing softly, brightening the dim interior like an immortal descending from a painting.

Looking toward the bed, the curtains on both sides were pulled back. A thin, sallow girl lay beneath the covers, her face ashen-black, eyes tightly shut, chest rising and falling faintly—she was hanging on by a single breath.

When Shang Shan saw the girl’s appearance, her body tensed up immediately, her eyes staring fixedly at the pillow at the head of the bed.

Mu Qian Tan noticed her gaze and followed it. There were patches of mold on the yellowed old wall—nothing else.

The girl’s serious expression didn’t seem feigned. Mu Qian Tan focused her mind again and keenly sensed faint wisps of ghostly energy, but it wasn’t visible to the naked eye. More steps were needed.

Li Biyuan timely found a method from the book’s key phrases to make the ghost appear—light a special Evil-Expelling Incense and sprinkle a few drops of Green Water soaked with Devil Vine for a full seven days. Mu Qian Tan had both in her pocket.

She set Shang Shan down, had the girl sit on the ground nearby so she could clearly see the actions, then pulled out the Evil-Expelling Incense and Green Water from her pocket. In her mind, she asked: “Can the Female Protagonist’s eyes see ghosts?”

Li Biyuan said: “The text doesn’t directly mention that setting, but she’s Dragon God bloodline—some special abilities wouldn’t be strange. Plus, she’s the Female Protagonist.”

“Heh.” Mu Qian Tan sneered coldly.

She took out a fire starter, lit the Evil-Expelling Incense. Sparks flashed and crawled downward as the smoke rose in wisps, spreading into an extremely thin mist throughout the room.

The Liu Family couple stood in the mist, looking around in confusion. Suddenly, above their daughter Liu Ling’s face at the head of the bed, there was a spot blocked off—no white mist there, yet the vague shape of a human upper body was discernible.

There was a person standing over their daughter’s head!

Miao Lan was squatting right by the bed, extremely close to that blank humanoid shape. Realizing the ghost was right in front of her, her hair stood on end in terror. The bowl of Talisman Ash Water slipped from her hands and shattered on the floor.

In fear, people want to flee—Miao Lan too—but before she could pull away, she saw the humanoid shape seemingly pinching her daughter’s neck. That terror instantly turned to rage.

She cried out in fury, spread her ten fingers, and leaped up, wanting to yank the ghost off her daughter. Liu Ying lunged over in time, grabbed Miao Lan, and held her as they fell sitting to the side.

At the same time, Mu Qian Tan casually flicked open the porcelain bottle’s cap, fanned with her finger, and sprinkled out a swath of Green Water. The blank humanoid at the head of the bed seemed injected with ink, gradually condensing into a pitch-black Ghost.

The Evil-Expelling Incense went out, and the white mist dissipated in an instant. The Ghost protruded half his body from the wall, head lowered facing Liu Ling, hands at the girl’s neck—without apparent force.

No wonder only that spot on the wall had mold. The soul had stood there passing through the wall all day, gathering yin energy there to create that phenomenon.

The couple only saw a vague black shadow half at the head of the bed, but Mu Qian Tan could clearly see the Ghost’s appearance: a skeletal old man.

A departed soul showed the deceased’s final living form. With limbs so emaciated and cheeks sunken, he had likely starved to death.

As if sensing someone watching, the Ghost slowly raised his head. His hollow eye sockets were like two pools of Black Spring, icy and gloomy, with a captivating light shooting from their depths.

This was a ghost.

Mu Qian Tan resisted the urge to step back and watched him quietly. Her right thumb touched her index finger, then middle finger, to ring and pinky, repeating several times.

Li Biyuan couldn’t help saying: “Why haven’t you made a move yet?”

Her five fingers clenched into a fist. Mu Qian Tan said lowly: “Shut up.”

For a ghost of this level, no need for bow or sword—which she couldn’t wield smoothly anyway. She pulled out the dagger she’d used earlier to threaten the Female Protagonist, ready to run it through the heart and speed things up.

She held her breath in her chest, walked to the bedside, raised the dagger, and aimed at the ghost’s heart.

Just before thrusting, she noticed the ghost was missing one ear and muttered to herself: “One ear…”

It was just a casual remark from the oddity, but Liu Ying, who had been sitting fallen on the ground, jolted to his feet: “Wait! Immortal!”

The dagger nearly went out but was halted by the sudden call. Mu Qian Tan felt displeased and frowned at him: “What?”

“I… I want to ask you, Immortal…”

Liu Ying trembled, turned his head to look at the Ghost’s form. With his mortal eyes, no matter how hard he strained, he saw only a dark blur: “Does this ghost have only one ear? The right one?”

Mu Qian Tan said: “Yes.”

Liu Ying asked again: “Is this ghost a skinny old man?”

Mu Qian Tan nodded.

Miao Lan propped herself up by the bed, standing with unease on her face. Liu Ying could barely stay on his feet, steadied his mind, and asked: “Then may I ask, Immortal, what distinguishing features does this ghost have?”

Mu Qian Tan took a breath, bit back her impatience, paused silently for a moment, then described the ghost’s facial features. Liu Ying grew paler the more he heard, until by the end, he looked terrified and panicked.

He turned, dropped to his knees with a thud by the bed, and cried out in grief: “Father!”

Miao Lan’s eyes welled with tears too. Supporting Liu Ying’s shoulders, she knelt as well, both softly sobbing “Father.”

This development stunned Mu Qian Tan for a moment. Her gaze swept over their backs—she neither withdrew her dagger hand nor continued to slay the ghost.

She vaguely understood the Ghost’s true identity and asked inwardly: “Was it like this in the original?”

“Let me check.” Li Biyuan pulled up the original text, read the beginning, and her tone grew serious: “No. Master originally just finished it off and left—no Liu Family family recognition scene.”

Recalling the earlier scene, Mu Qian Tan realized her mutter about the single ear had triggered it. She regretted not being as Emotionless and Thoughtless as the original book’s master— that extra comment had complicated things.

While annoyed, Liu Ying knee-crawled around, kowtowing again with resounding thuds: “Please, Immortal, grant my father transcendence. He fell ill in old age, and I failed to fulfill my filial duty in life. In death, I nearly caused his soul to scatter—I’m truly…”

He slapped himself across the face twice, his cheeks swelling red immediately. Mu Qian Tan looked down at him: “Just transcendence? You don’t resent your father for haunting your daughter and bringing her to this state?”

Liu Ying cried: “Never! He loved Xiao Ling most in life, but bedridden, he couldn’t even hold his granddaughter once. He must have had regrets, so he came. I believe Father had no intent to harm. Please, Immortal, don’t hurt him—just let him go peacefully!”

Mu Qian Tan closed her eyes, her fingertips tapping lightly on the dagger hilt, a bit irritated inwardly.

Shang Shan was right behind her not far away, watching. Things had progressed this far—it was impossible to slay the Ghost in front of her now. With the Female Protagonist’s temperament, she’d resist to the death, ruining the plot entirely.

Liu Ying misunderstood her silence, recalled the shopkeeper’s words to him, made up his mind, wiped his tears with his sleeve, and kowtowed again.

“I know you’re of noble origin, Immortal, with vast divine powers. My requests are unreasonable, and I have nothing to offer but this worthless life—take it as you will. I only beg my daughter recover fully and my father go on in peace…”

Miao Lan started in shock, tears in her eyes as she shook her head. She got up to rummage in the house for money to give the Immortal to save her husband.

But the home had been emptied for their daughter’s treatment—furniture nearly gone. Even scraping together enough for burnt fish was just one coin. After searching everywhere, she returned empty-handed.

Shang Shan suddenly moved, gesturing for Miao Lan to come over.

Miao Lan glanced at Mu Qian Tan, cautiously squatted down by her. Shang Shan straightened her waist, showing off the pouch hanging from her belt.

Miao Lan understood, carefully untied the pouch. Seeing the girl tilt her head, as if telling her to open it.

The contents felt heavy in her palm—who knew what it was. Miao Lan glanced at Mu Qian Tan again; seeing only a look without stopping her, she opened the pouch.

As the mouth opened, golden light spilled out, nearly dazzling her eyes.

It was a whole pouch of gold pellets the size of red dates.

“Woo woo woo!” Shang Shan struggled to stand but failed, instead nudging her chin toward the bed, eyes locked firmly on Mu Qian Tan.

The meaning was clear: she was willing to pay, hoping Mu Qian Tan would save them.

Mu Qian Tan glanced at her and asked the System: “If I make this ghost’s soul scatter right in front of her now, what happens?”

Li Biyuan drew in a cold breath: “No way—that kills any hope of taking her as disciple. With her personality, she’d never walk your path.”

Mu Qian Tan said: “Then hurry up and find a transcendence method.”

The sound of rapid keyboard typing came from that side, dense and frantic, revealing the owner’s panic. Moments later, Li Biyuan murmured, “Oh no…”

Mu Qian Tan: “Hm?”

Li Biyuan clutched her head and cried out, “The book has no detailed description of transcendence at all! I have no idea what to do!”