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The warehouse was a temporary storage space, designed with a larger window next to the main door for ventilation and light. After stepping out of the warehouse, the Factory Manager quietly asked, "Master Xiao, what's wrong? Why are we leaving?" Without turning his head, Master Xiao replied, "Just take a look behind you, and you'll understand." They didn't think much of it until a flashlight beam shone in from outside the window. Once they saw what was inside, they immediately turned and ran. Under the light of their flashlight, they spotted several figures changing the bulbs inside. Once the lighting improved, it would be a significant advantage for the Taoist handling Ghostly Affairs, at least visually.
Master Xiao approached the small storage room where True Hair was kept. He glanced at the talisman posted there the night before; the yellow paper had already begun to gray, and the Gathering Footprints were even darkening. That was merely a Confinement Talisman; spirits without strong resentment wouldn't pay such talismans any mind. Judging by the state of the talisman, it was clear that the spirits inside were more than just ordinary Vengeful Spirits. After all, one's hair is part of their body, given by their parents. While one could get a haircut before death, forcibly cutting hair after death is akin to not leaving a complete corpse. Therefore, if hair were cut during cremation in front of the soul, it would be unacceptable for that soul. Unable to rush into the furnace, it would cling to its severed hair instead. Such souls become increasingly lost as they are entangled by Azure Silk; their only thought becomes reclaiming their hair—how and where to retrieve it remains unknown. Thus, when hair is placed somewhere or hung up quietly, the spirit remains calm. However, if someone wears that hair, it compels them to reclaim it. Furthermore, once hair is worn by someone else, it stirs up the spirit's resentment, leading to agitation. Over time, this can transform them into malevolent spirits; once they become such spirits and commit many wrongdoings, reincarnation becomes impossible. These spirits can only be collected by heaven or dispersed by cultivators.
Observing the changes in the talisman, Master Xiao picked up a bench and arranged offerings on it before burning a pile of Joss Paper beneath. He lit three incense sticks—not for worship but as a precaution; he was preparing to charge in forcefully. If things went awry, he could retreat and use the offerings to buy some time for an escape.
He affixed another Confinement Talisman to the doorframe and prepared an Exorcism Talisman along with a Lightning Talisman. Gripping his Peach Wood Sword and taking some Rooster Blood, he rushed into the True Hair storage room. To be honest, this was reckless; he hadn’t even confirmed how many spirits were inside before charging in. Even if they were all female spirits, their resentment and grievances knew no gender.
As soon as he entered, regret washed over him. He thought he was well-prepared; however, there were four spirits inside. The moment he burst in, he felt an overwhelming heaviness in his body—the talismans outside had provoked their displeasure. They sensed his ill intentions right away and pounced on him simultaneously. The weight pressing down on him was indescribable; it felt like running hard without ever exercising—his legs felt leaden and refused to move. The sensation of being overwhelmed by spirits wasn't limited to his legs; it enveloped his entire body. Even raising his sword felt like an insurmountable challenge.
Although Master Xiao had talismans ready, their power was limited—like tug-of-war: one-on-one he might have a chance but against four he would surely be dragged away. At that moment, he realized what it meant to have more heart than strength. Bursting in with confidence met with harsh reality—a slap in the face that left him without even the courage to complain. He struggled to steady himself; fortunately, he held a Thunder Summoning Talisman in hand and mustered all his strength to loudly chant a lightning incantation just enough to regain some mobility before spinning around and frantically fleeing from the small storage room.
He ran until reaching a security room and paused there to catch his breath.
To his surprise, one Spirit God followed him out; although invisible to him, he could still feel its presence strongly behind him. Fortunately, there was only one spirit pursuing him now; despite feeling weak from exhaustion, he felt confident enough to handle just one spirit alone. With his left hand reaching into his Cosmic Bag for some Glutinous Rice, he softly recited a Rice Sealing Spell while tossing it behind him into empty space. With his right hand gripping his Peach Wood Sword, he slashed backward several times while silently chanting another spell before unleashing an Urgent Command that sent the pursuing Spirit God fleeing.
At that moment, feeling somewhat drained physically, he entered the security room and sealed both doors and windows with talismans before collapsing onto the floor to recover his strength. A wave of dread washed over him—what would happen if a Taoist died trying to capture ghosts? How would news outlets report it? What would his master think? What would fellow practitioners say? It became clear that this situation was beyond what he could handle alone; recklessness was his Achilles' heel. He realized he needed a calm partner with clear thinking and exceptional skills. The first person who came to mind was I Qiaoling—the last inheritor of their lineage—a composed man who knew how to boast seriously.
After hiding in the security room until dawn broke the next day, Master Xiao finally emerged to tidy up the offerings outside the small storage room before removing the talismans from within and returning to his own quarters for rest. He slept soundly until midday before calling me up. As for what happened next—I’ve already mentioned that earlier.
After finishing this story over late-night snacks, I found myself laughing heartily instead of feeling worried at all. I slapped my hand on the table while holding my stomach in laughter: "You still dare laugh at me? You were scared enough to hide in that security room all night! You old turtle! How come you only stayed hidden for one day before coming out? Hahaha!"
Fueled by drink and irritation from my teasing, he slammed his hand on the table: "If you had charged in there yourself, whether you’d make it out would be another question entirely! And you still have the nerve to laugh!"
His words made me laugh even harder: "My surname is Liu but I'm not an ox! You're surnamed Xiao—how can you act like such a bull? Just because you have a bit of brute strength doesn't mean you should charge in blindly! It's such a waste of your courage paired with that strength if you're not using it for farming!"
His face turned red as he shouted rudely, "Boss, the bill!" The couple next to us, who had been whispering sweet nothings to each other, fell silent in shock. I turned to them apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, please continue. My friend here isn't quite right in the head."
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