(Skip: Irrelevant passage)
"But they're good people! When I first arrived in this city, they treated me to a meal. Later, I saw their foreheads clouded with darkness, a sign of vengeful spirits haunting them. So I helped them subdue those two ghosts."
Rufina Howard stared wide-eyed, watching.
"Hmph, we've seen plenty of ghosts. In this line of work, we're no strangers to the supernatural. Otherwise, how would we have noticed, little girl, that you know a bit of Taoist magic? Heh..."
Suddenly, the scar-faced man glanced around. His men quickly stripped off his shirt, revealing a body densely covered in colorful talisman tattoos.
"I know these two female ghosts are here for revenge. I've been through this before. Luckily, a master once tattooed the Eightfold Ghost-Blocking Charm on me. It protects me from a hundred ghosts—ha!"
The scar-faced man looked at us with arrogant disdain, striding closer step by step.
"This jar—I've heard the little girl call it the Five Elements Jar. It can seal ghosts. If it's smashed, the ghosts inside will be instantly annihilated. Now get lost!"
I glared, then turned to Rufina Howard.
"You lied to me." Rufina Howard stared angrily at the scar-faced man.
"Little girl, whether it's a lie or not, we've treated you well these days, haven't we? Stay with us. If we run into ghosts again, you can help us out. Don't worry, the pay won't be bad."
"Bring the tools. Restrain that female ghost first."
The scar-faced man barked an order. His men quickly left and soon returned with yellow talismans, a Bagua mirror, and a coil of red rope.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Rufina Howard kept looking at me as she spoke. I shook my head.
"Little girl, the world is full of treachery. You must be careful from now on." Samantha Simons said, and in a flash, she appeared before me.
"Be careful."
Just as I spoke, Rufina Howard suddenly darted forward, unfolding her folding fan.
"Break the Giant Seal, invoke the Sacred Ring of Dong'e, shatter gold, honor wood, cleanse with water, scorch with fire, mold with earth—Five Elements, Yin and Yang, open!"
She pointed the fan at the Five Elements Jar. With a snap, the lid popped open, releasing two streams of white vapor. Suddenly, Samantha Simons raised her hand and the curtains at the window snapped shut, blocking out all light.
It was Yu Xiaoting and Su Xiaoxiao. Both appeared blurry, their forms exhausted and indistinct.