It was late at night again. Walter Cao lay on the ground, his eyes filled with unwillingness. But after days of torment, he had no strength left to resist. Nothing was worse than having your closest kin refuse to believe you—nothing hurt more than that.
Walter Cao's hands and feet were shackled with iron cuffs, and the Fake Taoist gave him only enough food to keep him alive.
All night long, Walter Cao could hear the sounds of lovemaking coming from a room not far from the woodshed—deliberately put on by the Fake Taoist.
Not until the moon hung high did those debauched noises fade. That was when I sensed something—suddenly, a swirl of green smoke rose from behind the courtyard wall. Then the female ghost, holding a red umbrella, entered the yard. She looked pale, as if the scripture yesterday had harmed her greatly. I even noticed her feet were somewhat blurred.
Through the Specter Web, I sensed a deep resentment coming from the female ghost—she truly was a fierce spirit. She awkwardly walked over to Walter Cao and squatted beside him.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to."
Suddenly, Walter Cao was startled awake. He'd been on the verge of sleep, but now he was completely alert, terrified.
"Who... who's talking...?"
Walter Cao's voice trembled with fear. Earlier today, the female ghost had used a peachwood sword to beat the Fake Taoist—he'd seen it himself. Since no one else could see ghosts, all they saw was a floating peachwood sword striking the Fake Taoist.
Just then, amid a swirl of blue-green smoke and under a glimmer of green light, the female ghost revealed her true form right in front of Walter Cao. At first, he screamed, but after seeing her face, though still afraid, he was stunned into silence.
"No, I'm scared. That Fake Taoist somehow got hold of a Buddhist Scripture. Before, I was locked up by a family, but an older sister saved me and I escaped. Last night, that scripture hurt my ghost soul."
"What is that?"
"Ah, you wouldn't understand even if I told you. You humans have souls, but we ghosts have ghost souls."
At that moment, Walter Cao's stomach growled. The little female ghost raised her hand and the locked woodshed door opened. She whooshed out, fetched some food from elsewhere, and brought it to Walter Cao. He devoured it ravenously—he hadn't had a proper meal in days.
Man and ghost continued to plot. Although the Fake Taoist was a fraud, he possessed the Buddhist Scripture, so the female ghost couldn't get close. Even unarmed, Walter Cao was no match for him.
They discussed back and forth, but couldn't come up with a good idea.
"You're really foolish. Why not just listen to the Taoist for now, endure it until this is over, then find a way to deal with the Fake Taoist?"
"No way."
Walter Cao immediately retorted.
"I can't swallow this anger."
"A real man can bend and stretch, you know."
The female ghost tugged at Walter Cao's arm, but he couldn't agree. The suffering of recent days had filled him with resentment toward the Fake Taoist, and he could no longer hold it in.
"Alright, if you can snatch the Buddhist Scripture, I can help you."
Walter Cao nodded, and the two discussed their plan. The next night, Walter Cao would pretend to accept the Fake Taoist's terms. Once released, he'd grab the Buddhist Scripture, remembering where the Fake Taoist hid it.
The next day, when the sun was high, the Fake Taoist finally got up from bed, after another round with Xiao Hong, the brothel girl. Satisfied, he asked the Cao family to bring food, and enjoyed a hearty meal.
"Hey, Master Huang, how are things?"
Master Cao looked at the Fake Taoist, noticing his poor complexion.
"You don't know, Master Cao—the fierce ghost is trapped here. Last night, I tried to negotiate with her, but failed, and fought her all night. I fear my life is nearly over."
Master Cao grew anxious again, and the Fake Taoist made more demands, asking for even richer offerings.
At night, the Fake Taoist dragged Walter Cao out, pressed him into a chair. Walter Cao pretended to be weak, and the Fake Taoist approached him.
"Well, young master, if you’ve thought it over, just say the word. As long as you agree, after seven days, listen to your father, and we’ll be even. Once you inherit the family business, what’s there to worry about?"
Walter Cao nodded, and the Fake Taoist immediately brought him a cup of wine, starting to flatter him.
"Young Master Cao, don’t blame me. I may be a fraud, but at least you’ve had this experience. People always have their troubles—consider it a lesson. Your stubbornness isn’t good for you."
Then the Fake Taoist untied Walter Cao, poured him wine, and served him food. They talked about the ghost they saw last night, and after a while, Walter Cao spoke.
"By the way, Master Huang, can I take a look at your Buddhist Scripture?"
The Fake Taoist shook his head.
"I got this from a master. Last night was strange, but this thing helped. Haha, Young Master Cao, the woman inside is quite skilled. How about you try her tonight? You’ll be satisfied."
Walter Cao appeared to smile, but I knew he was furious inside.
When the Buddhist Scripture was mentioned again, the Fake Taoist became unhappy.
"I may be fake, but I know these things. My heart isn’t sincere, so I can’t flaunt this stuff. Each time I use it, it loses some power. It’s best not to show it off. Who knows when I’ll need it to save my life?"
The female ghost perched on the courtyard wall looked anxious. Sweat trickled down Walter Cao’s forehead as he kept glancing at the Fake Taoist’s clothes.
Walter Cao moved closer to the Fake Taoist, seemingly ready to gamble. Suddenly, Walter Cao struck, and the Fake Taoist smiled.
Sure enough, as soon as Walter Cao made his move, the Fake Taoist grabbed his right hand, dislocated his arm with a crack, and pinned it to the table. The female ghost rushed over, but a burst of golden light made her vanish with a whimper.
"Young master, you refuse the drink, so you get the punishment." The Fake Taoist beat him up, then reset his arm and locked him in the woodshed, suspecting a connection between Walter Cao and the female ghost.
The Fake Taoist carefully tore a page from the Buddhist Scripture and stuck it to his chest.
At night, Walter Cao shivered in pain. The Fake Taoist had been brutal, mostly causing superficial wounds, but Walter Cao was deeply resentful. Late at night, the female ghost came, looking even worse.
"Let me teach you a trick."
The female ghost spoke, Walter Cao looked up at her, nodded, and she explained the plan: bring the woman who sleeps beside the Fake Taoist here, negotiate, pay her, and have her steal the Buddhist Scripture.
For two days straight, Walter Cao was locked in the woodshed, barely fed, but the female ghost kept bringing him food.
On the fourth night, Xiao Hong, the brothel girl, got up to use the toilet, and the female ghost seized the chance, possessing her and bringing her to the woodshed. Once everything was ready, she let Xiao Hong regain consciousness.
At first, Xiao Hong was surprised, but when she heard the Fake Taoist had taken 5000 taels, she became furious.
"That bastard, heartless! I’ve helped him several times, and he only gave me 200 taels."
"If you help me, I’ll give you 2000 taels."
Walter Cao immediately made the offer, and Xiao Hong agreed at once.
Sure enough, that night, Xiao Hong searched the Fake Taoist’s clothes and found the Buddhist Scripture. Following Walter Cao’s plan, she burned it at dawn. Xiao Hong knew the Fake Taoist was vicious, and with the 2000 taels from Walter Cao, she could redeem herself and leave for good.
At night, Walter Cao shivered in pain. The Fake Taoist had been brutal, mostly causing superficial wounds, but Walter Cao was deeply resentful. Late at night, the female ghost came, looking even worse.
"Let me teach you a trick."
The female ghost spoke, Walter Cao looked up at her, nodded, and she explained the plan: bring the woman who sleeps beside the Fake Taoist here, negotiate, pay her, and have her steal the Buddhist Scripture.
For two days straight, Walter Cao was locked in the woodshed, barely fed, but the female ghost kept bringing him food.
On the fourth night, Xiao Hong, the brothel girl, got up to use the toilet, and the female ghost seized the chance, possessing her and bringing her to the woodshed. Once everything was ready, she let Xiao Hong regain consciousness.
At first, Xiao Hong was surprised, but when she heard the Fake Taoist had taken 5000 taels, she became furious.
"That bastard, heartless! I’ve helped him several times, and he only gave me 200 taels."
"If you help me, I’ll give you 2000 taels."
Walter Cao immediately made the offer, and Xiao Hong agreed at once.
Sure enough, that night, Xiao Hong searched the Fake Taoist’s clothes and found the Buddhist Scripture. Following Walter Cao’s plan, she burned it at dawn. Xiao Hong knew the Fake Taoist was vicious, and with the 2000 taels from Walter Cao, she could redeem herself and leave for good.