Chapter Eight: Searching for the Great Serpent

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As Liu Jun closed the door, he pondered how he had transformed from a mere shop assistant into a righteous demon slayer, upholding justice. After securing the door, he walked to the roadside, still mulling over his life.

"Young master, shall we just wait here for them?" Suddenly, the old ghost beside him spoke.

"Damn, a ghost!" Liu Jun turned his head in terror upon seeing the old man, startled and stepping back two paces.

"Yes, yes, I do look like a ghost, don’t I?" The old ghost said without offense. You have quite the open mind, nearly gave Liu Jun a heart attack. Liu Jun didn’t respond; his teeth were still chattering from fright, making it hard to speak.

After a short wait, a red BMW X1 slowly drove up. The passenger window rolled down.

"Liu Jun, get in," said Mo Li from inside the car.

Without hesitation, Liu Jun opened the door, got in, and fastened his seatbelt. He thought to himself: A BMW, huh? Didn’t expect Mo Li, this young lady, to be somewhat wealthy. Should he try to develop something with her? She’s rich, capable, gentle, and surely kind-hearted—what a wonderful girl. Lost in these pleasant thoughts, he suddenly wondered: Hey, one must open the door to get in a car, but where’s the ghost? He hadn’t heard any rear door open.

Just as Liu Jun was thinking this, his head involuntarily turned back. The old ghost grinned at him knowingly.

"Hehe, being a ghost now is convenient—you don’t need to open doors, you just slip right in," the old ghost said.

Liu Jun stiffly turned back to face forward, though his mind was far from calm. Damn it, the old ghost had absolutely no idea how he appeared now. That smile just now was truly breathtaking! Literally! A beauty that could topple cities and empires!

If Liu Jun weren’t mentally stronger, he might have passed out right then and there. Without a seatbelt, he could have performed a thrilling stunt of jumping out of the car, believe it or not. A terrifying ghostly face grinning at you like that—scary, indeed.

Mo Li, perhaps sensing that the old ghost had startled Liu Jun, drove seriously. If not for the smile at the corner of her lips, one might not even notice her amusement.

"Look at that courage, promising," mocked the black jade dog sitting in the back seat.

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Heh, better not stoop to a dog’s level, especially one that looks pretty formidable. Good people don’t quarrel with dogs, Liu Jun reassured himself once more.

They drove silently along the route the old ghost indicated. Two whole hours passed, traveling from main roads to smaller paths, then dirt roads, then mountain trails. Thanks to Mo Li’s SUV, they weren’t forced to walk; otherwise, they would be trudging by now.

Getting out of the car, there was no choice: the old man was buried in their family’s field atop the mountain, inaccessible by car.

"How about you stay in the car and wait for us to come back?" Mo Li suggested to Liu Jun, clearly concerned about his injured leg making the climb difficult.

"No need, it won’t slow me down," Liu Jun replied. It’s just a leg injury; he could grit his teeth and manage the walk.

Mo Li didn’t argue and didn’t insist he stay behind. Instead, she had the big black dog, Hei Yu, walk behind him while she went ahead with a flashlight. The group slowly ascended the mountain path.

Finally reaching the old ghost’s grave, Liu Jun was drenched in sweat. He thought to himself, walking is really tough on a bad leg. When his legs were healthy, he never noticed how much he relied on them. Back then, he was quite athletic; a mountain path like this was nothing.

Mo Li circled the old ghost’s grave several times, then brushed aside some nearby plants before returning.

"This big snake might be a little elusive; it’s hard to find. We can’t return quickly; let’s check the village later," Mo Li said solemnly.

"We can’t go back? Who will mind the shop tomorrow? Will the old man dock our wages?" Liu Jun asked seriously. When it comes to money, one must be cautious.

"No worries, this counts as fieldwork. Not only will you get paid, there might even be a bonus if we do well," Mo Li said with a hint of irony. Is this guy just thinking about money?

"A bonus? A big one, right? Come on, let’s hurry and get to the village to rid the people of harm," Liu Jun urged.

This time Mo Li didn’t respond, probably choosing to ignore him. She descended the mountain path slowly, clearly pacing herself to accommodate Liu Jun. Reaching the car, she opened the door, got in, started the engine, and drove toward the old ghost’s village.

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Along the way, the old ghost told Liu Jun and the others about himself, his children, and their village. The ghost’s surname was Zhang, and his given name was Yide—Zhang Yide. Don’t confuse him with the famous Zhang Fei, whose courtesy name was Yide as well. The old ghost had two sons and a daughter; the sons were named Zhang Wenyuan and Zhang Wenyao. Supposedly, the ghost hoped they would thrive in the future, hence those names.

During his lifetime, the ghost’s children were very filial, always caring for him with good food and drinks. Even after his passing, the ghost bore no resentment toward them. Instead, worried about village rumors and the danger posed by the giant snake, he was reluctant to depart for the underworld. According to Mo Li, ghosts have a time limit to report to the underworld. Exceeding that time risks becoming a lonely wandering spirit or even disintegrating entirely—a grave consequence.

Following the ghost’s directions, the car soon arrived at the home of Zhang Wenyuan, the eldest son.

"Do your two sons have any secrets or special marks known only to family, absolutely unknown to outsiders?" Mo Li asked suddenly after stepping out of the car. Liu Jun was curious—why ask this? They were ghost hunters, not investigators of family mysteries.

"Yes, yes. The eldest son Wenyuan has a black mark on his waist. When he was young and mischievous, he even peed into the water tank, so I gave him a good thrashing. The younger son Wenyao has a red mark on the sole of his foot. He once stole a few coins from me to buy candy and got a beating too. Outsiders definitely don’t know these," the old ghost replied after a moment’s hesitation. Though unsure why, he answered honestly.

These were stories of the sons getting spanked. It showed the children’s filial nature—proof that strict discipline often breeds dutiful offspring.

Before Mo Li could act, Liu Jun went ahead and knocked on the door. He was here to learn and work, not just sightseeing. Having done little so far, he felt a bit guilty about the wages the old man paid him. So, knocking and calling out were small tasks he could handle.

Just then, the door opened a crack. Someone peeked out, then slammed it shut.

"What the heck? What’s going on?" Liu Jun’s temper flared. Were they treating him like some demon or villain? Was his appearance really that bad? Suppressing his anger became impossible. He was about to pound on the door again when Mo Li gently tugged on his sleeve.

"Is this Zhang Wenyuan’s house? Don’t be afraid. We’re here on your father Zhang Laoye’s instructions to discuss something," Mo Li said softly, knocking again. She didn’t mention being sent by the ghost father—that would have been terrifying. Judging by Zhang Wenyuan’s reaction, he was already jumpy. Hearing that might send him running after his father to the underworld.

Footsteps sounded behind the door, and it opened a crack once more.