Chapter 37: The Blind Date

It is not that I, as a Taoist, am hard-hearted. If I were a ghost and stood in Xiao Li's shoes, I would have killed him too, Liu Jun thought to himself.

"By the way, what about that Dong Daming?" Liu Jun turned to ask the man in the suit.

"We have already dispatched people to arrest him. Master, does this ghost intend to kill Dong Daming next?" the man in the suit asked anxiously. If his subordinates were to run into the female ghost while trying to make the arrest, even if the ghost Xiao Li didn't have much cultivation, his men would be no match for her.

"No, this female ghost cannot leave the Xiangshang Building. Besides, she seems to have retained her rationality; having killed one person, she has become a vengeful spirit, yet she hasn't harmed anyone else. My advice is to investigate that Dong Daming thoroughly. Dig up everything you can on him. Letting him serve just a few years would be letting him off too easily." Dong Daming surely had more on his conscience than just what he did to Xiao Li; he needed to be kept behind bars for a long time.

"Understood, Master. Rest assured, according to our investigation, Dong Daming is involved in quite a lot. He won't be getting out for at least a decade." The man in the suit handled things well, and Liu Jun appreciated that.

Entering the Xiangshang Building, they got into the elevator and pressed the button for the eighteenth floor. As the elevator ascended, the doors suddenly opened on the seventh floor, and a pair of shoes walked in.

You read that right—just a pair of shoes walked in. Liu Jun took out some bull’s tears and smeared them on his eyes. Only then did he see a ghost standing inside the shoes, barefoot. Seeing that Liu Jun and the others were staring at him, the ghost made a terrifying face.

Neither Liu Jun nor Fatty said a word. Liu Jun pulled out his Heaven-Turning Seal, a brick-like artifact, and brandished his wooden axe at the ghost. Fatty held his alms bowl, ready to strike at any moment.

"Master, wait before you attack! If I say I was just passing by, would you believe me?" the ghost begged for mercy.

"Passing by?"

"I really was! I sensed ghostly energy from outside and thought I'd come in to find other ghosts to play with. Who knew I’d run into you, Master, before finding any ghosts."

"Since we’ve seen you, we can't let you go. But don't be afraid; we aren't going to scatter your soul. We are just going to send you to the Underworld for reincarnation." Liu Jun finished speaking and waved the Good and Evil Token given to him by the Underworld. A chant resonated, and the ghost vanished. A mechanical voice echoed in his mind: *Purified one common ghost, gained three merit points.* Wow, this Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is impressive; the token even has a notification sound and a counter. These points must be for exchanging rewards in the Underworld.

When the elevator reached the eighteenth floor, before they could even step out, a ghostly shadow flew toward them, claws bared. Liu Jun dodged, smacked it with his brick, and with a shrill scream, the shadow flew back faster than it had come.

Liu Jun, brick in hand, charged forward with Fatty. The ghost, still dizzy from the blow, scrambled to escape when he saw them coming. Seeing the speed of the ghost and considering Fatty’s build, Liu Jun realized this was their weakness and stopped.

"Heaven and Earth are clear, Sun and Moon are bright, Yin and Yang are in harmony, obey the command with haste—Soul Binding!" A golden light quickly caught up to the ghost, turning into a glowing rune chain that bound the shadow in place.

After walking over to take a look, the man in the suit told Liu Jun that this was Ah Ming. Liu Jun looked at the shadow; although he really wanted to smash the guy into oblivion with his brick, there were laws in the mortal world and laws in the Underworld. Even though Ah Ming was despicable, he hadn't had the chance to harm anyone after becoming a ghost, so Liu Jun had no choice but to use the Good and Evil Token to send him to the Underworld.

However, a man like that would surely face severe punishment once he reached the Underworld.

They continued to the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. If everything went according to plan, Xiao Li would be there. When the elevator reached the roof, the doors opened. Liu Jun and his companions stepped out. On the edge of the roof, a female ghost in red was sitting. Liu Jun walked over slowly, sat down beside her, and looked down. My goodness, it was high; he scooted back a little.

"Are you the Taoist who came to catch me?" the female ghost asked, looking at Liu Jun with curiosity.

"Not catch, exactly. It's more of a purification, to send you to the Underworld," Liu Jun replied.

"Aren't you afraid of me?"

"No." The moment Liu Jun said he wasn't afraid, the female ghost’s appearance shifted instantly. Her face turned withered, her eyes had no pupils, and blood slowly oozed out, corroding her pale skin as it sank deep into her skull.

"Scared now?"

"Still not scared," Liu Jun said with a smile, though his expression was a bit stiff. The terrifying face instantly reverted to Xiao Li’s appearance.

"Boring. Take me, then."

"Alright." Liu Jun pulled out the token and waved it at Xiao Li. A notification sounded: *Purified a vengeful spirit, gained ten merit points.* Vengeful spirits gave quite a lot of points.

"Fatty, come over and give me a hand," Liu Jun called out to the others behind him. Fatty hurried over to help him up.

"Brother Liu, what’s wrong? Did that ghost hex you?" Fatty asked.

"Hex my foot. She didn't intend to hurt anyone. My legs just went soft from being scared earlier," Liu Jun replied.

"By the way, Brother Liu, are you free tomorrow?"

"Why do you care if I'm free tomorrow?" Liu Jun asked, surprised. Fatty was just like him—he barely had any friends and no one cared about him, so what could possibly be going on?

"Well, it's like this... I have a blind date tomorrow. Will you come with me?" Fatty asked, looking a little shy.

"A blind date? Sure, I can go, as long as you treat me to a big meal." Liu Jun was still holding a grudge about the time Fatty ate seven bowls of his ramen.

"Don't worry, I guarantee a big meal. I promise," Fatty said, patting his chest.

Downstairs, the man in the suit took thirty thousand yuan from his car and handed it to Liu Jun. Earning money like this felt good. Being a Taoist was indeed a lucrative career.

"Master, I'll be going now. If you need anything, feel free to call me." He handed over a business card. Liu Jun looked at it; there was only a name and a phone number.

So, the man in the suit was named Chu Feng. A nice name, though he could be quite stubborn at times.

Liu Jun drove home with Fatty to get some sleep. The next day, before Liu Jun had even woken up, Fatty was already there to call him, looking incredibly excited. Usually, not even an earthquake could wake him, but today he was up and ready.

Fatty had arranged to meet his date at a high-end buffet restaurant, the kind Liu Jun could never afford. Upon arriving, Liu Jun felt it was no different from any other place, aside from the decor. How was this "high-end"? That was until he sat down and asked Fatty the price: 1,088 yuan per person. At that price, it was indeed high-end.

Waiting was boring, so Liu Jun took out his "Compendium of Talismans" to read. After about half an hour, a waiter led two women over—one with long hair and one with short hair.

"Which one of you is the one on the blind date?" the short-haired woman asked. Liu Jun pointed at Fatty. The woman looked at him, frowned, and turned as if to leave. It was only when her long-haired friend pulled her back that she sat down, looking very reluctant.

"I have a general idea of your family situation, but to be honest, you're too fat. We aren't a good fit." The short-haired woman was speaking the truth—Fatty was a bit overweight—but was it necessary to be so blunt? The smile on Fatty’s face slowly faded.

"Also, your family might have some money, but you don't have much of an education, you don't have a job, and you don't earn much in a month. We're just too different. I don't know why my mother arranged a blind date with someone like you," the woman continued.

Fatty slowly lowered his head, seemingly feeling that he was indeed inadequate. Oh, my temper.

"Miss, did you eat something rotten? Who are you? Do you even know us, croaking like a toad? Are you done? If you're done, get lost; you’re ruining my appetite."

Liu Jun was the type who didn't hit women and didn't like to argue with them, but this woman’s words were too cruel. If you're on a blind date and you're not satisfied, just leave; there was no need to insult him. Her manners were far worse than his.

After snapping at the woman, Liu Jun stood up to get some food. He had been waiting for a long time and was already hungry.

"You damn cripple, who are you talking to?" the woman cursed. Although Liu Jun had consumed a thousand-year-old *Taisui*, the dog-god had said his legs would take a few more days to fully recover. Before Liu Jun could react, Fatty flew into a rage.

"Say that one more time!" Fatty’s eyes widened, looking like a furious guardian deity. In all the time they had been together, this was the first time Liu Jun had seen him lose his temper.

Perhaps frightened by Fatty’s appearance, the woman didn't say another word and turned to run out. She was clearly spoiled by her parents.

"Fatty, what are you doing? Come over and help me grab some food. It’s not often we get to eat something good."

Fatty calmed down and joined Liu Jun to pick out some food. When they returned with their plates, they found that the long-haired woman hadn't left.

What on earth was this? Your friend ran off, and you didn't chase her? Were you planning to stay and have a meal?

"Miss, what's going on with you?" Liu Jun asked after setting down his plate.

"Nothing much. I just stayed to consult you about something. Let me introduce myself: I'm Li Xin, a radio host who specializes in ghost stories." She glanced at the "Compendium of Talismans" Liu Jun had tossed on the table.

"You're a supernatural radio host—what could you possibly consult us about? We're just ordinary folks, the kind without any jobs," Liu Jun replied.

"Don't lie to me. You must be a Taoist disciple. I’ve only seen that book once, in the home of a Taoist master. Also, don't be so defensive; I'm not like my friend." Li Xin was quite bold; without waiting for them to say anything, she started eating. And yes, she was eating the food he and Fatty had brought over.