I'm Ximen Qing, living in a ghost story!

"What...what's wrong with me?"

Zhang Erlang's ghost floated illusoryly in the air, looking around blankly.

"They spoke! They really spoke!"

This immediately ignited the surrounding audience.

Who among them, who were just ready to watch Ximen Qing make a scene, could have imagined that this纨绔子弟 (playboy) could actually make the dead speak!

Although it wasn't a resurrection, but rather a summoning of the soul, it was pretty much the same thing!

Nie Xiaoqian looked at Ximen Qing, who was standing in front of the incense table in the hall, stepping with the Heavenly Gang Steps, with a resolute expression, her expression complicated.

I hadn't paid much attention before, but this guy looks quite pleasing to the eye when he gets serious.

But how did he do it?

Nie Xiaoqian was very curious.

Curiosity is the beginning of a person's downfall!

In contrast to his daughter's curiosity, Nie Yunhai was filled with a storm of emotions.

He was a genuine Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) who had worked in both the capital and other regions.

I know that there are demons, monsters, and spirits in the world.

However, the virtuous people he had encountered before all deeply abhorred demons and ghosts. Let alone summoning souls, they would even kill a monster they encountered on the roadside and grind it into powder.

From whom exactly did Ximen Qing learn his skills?

The old Taoist priest who had just arrived was even more outrageous. He was stroking his beard when he suddenly pulled it so hard that he tore his fine goatee, which he had maintained for several years, to shreds.

However, just as he was about to appear and ask a question, he suddenly sensed a magical fluctuation that shouldn't have been there.

"Um?"

In a flash, the old Taoist priest disappeared, chasing after the direction of the magical energy fluctuations!

……

"Zhang Erlang! Can you hear me?"

Without mentioning the shock of those around them.

Ximen Qing has already begun questioning.

"Yes...yes..."

Zhang Erlang seemed somewhat dazed and confused, speaking in a daze.

"Very well, then I'll ask you this: do you know how you died?"

Ximen Qing had barely finished speaking.

Zhang Erlang, floating in the air opposite, was momentarily stunned, muttering incoherently, "I'm dead? Yes! I'm dead! My heart...it hurts! Take! Take the medicine! Wife...the medicine...why...why!!!"

Then, to everyone's astonishment, Zhang Erlang's ghost was instantly enveloped in a black and red mist, before turning into a wisp of green smoke.

They disappeared from the spot.

At the same time, a pleasant notification sound rang in Ximen Qing's ears.

The cold, lifeless souls transformed into warm soul points on the system interface.

wrong!

I didn't mean to kill him!

How could this happen? And you didn't even explain it clearly just now.

Taking medicine, wife? And you're even worried about me? Shouldn't you have a headache? What is all this nonsense?!

Is it like how Sister Jinlian harmed Dalang?

But guessing alone won't exonerate Lao Zhu!

How can a ghost act as a riddle teller!

"Um, Ximen Qing... young master, is that ghost that Zhang Erlang was in disguise dead?"

The room remained silent for a long time before the county magistrate, Nie Yunhai, broke the silence with a dry cough and asked Ximen Qing.

This time, the tone was quite polite.

A spoiled brat who only knows how to frequent brothels and play around with women doesn't deserve his respect, but a highly accomplished master with the ability to summon spirits does.

That's quite realistic, to put it simply.

"That's absolutely right!"

Ximen Qing nodded. "They've all become soul points; they're definitely dead."

"Then... how exactly did he die?" The old coroner's focus was very practical; he looked at Ximen Qing with expectant eyes.

Although he didn't know, the young master Ximen who successfully summoned the soul should know, otherwise why was he so confident just now!

"this--"

At any other time, Ximen Qing would certainly have thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of showing off in front of everyone, but now—

The priority now is to exonerate Lao Zhu and myself; the thrill of showing off can wait until later!

Then, Ximen Qing looked around, walked around the room, and then clapped his hands heavily under everyone's gaze, saying, "That Zhang Erlang mentioned his wife and taking medicine. He can't stop thinking about this even after he died, so there must be something wrong. I request that Your Excellency invite that Zhang woman in!"

"Yes! Brother Ximen is right. Zhang Erlang doesn't usually suffer from headaches, and there's no one else at home. Zhang must know the truth!"

At this moment, Zhu Xiaolian seemed to have found his pillar of support and jumped out to speak.

"Alright! Let's do as Young Master Ximen says and bring Zhang back."

"yes!"

Just now, when Zhang Erlang was resurrected, Zhang fainted due to "excessive excitement" and was carried to the back room by the constables.

However, when the constables rushed back, they let out a series of exclamations.

"Hey! Where did everyone go?"

"What happened?"

Nie Yunhai's face darkened. Head Constable Xu stepped forward, shoving aside several of his men, scanned the room, and said incredulously, "Reporting to you, sir! That Zhang woman is gone!"

"What?"

Just then, a cold wind rose in the hall, sending chills down everyone's spines.

Even the constables and runners wielding their stern rods felt a chill run down their spines.

Today's case was truly unsettling. First, the headless Zhang Erlang suddenly appeared as a ghost, and then Zhang's family mysteriously disappeared.

Could it be that Zhang Shi has also turned into a ghost?

"Old Zhu, how much do you know about this Mrs. Zhang?"

Listening to the constant chatter around him, Ximen Qing approached Zhu Xiaolian and asked in a low voice.

"I've only met her a few times. All I know is that Zhang Erlang found her among the refugees by sheer luck. She's very beautiful, but she's inexplicably blind. She's determined to follow Zhang Erlang, who often beats and scolds her, and she endures it all..."

Zhu Xiaolian also had a lot of complaints about Zhang.

Ximen Qing, on the other hand, stroked his chin.

Zhang Erlang's family was not particularly wealthy in the county, and he himself was of average appearance and often beat and scolded his wife. He did not seem like a good man who could make people devoted to him.

What was Zhang's motive?

Ximen Qing didn't know this, but he did know that Zhang was the prime suspect, and that was enough.

So he cupped his hands towards Nie Yunhai and said, "Your Honor, there's a crowd of people surrounding our courtroom. We just saw Zhang Shi; she's not a ghost, she's a person! As long as she's a person, even if she had wings, she couldn't fly far. She must be in the back hall. Please, Your Honor, send men to search for her!"

"That's right, sir! I think what Ximen Qing said makes sense!"

Officer Xu had wanted to conduct the search for a long time, but since it involved the magistrate's inner circle, he couldn't bring it up.

"In that case, let's search! We'll dig three feet into the ground, we'll find this Zhang woman in this county!"

Nie Yunhai nodded without hesitation.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Officer Xu had already ordered his men to rush into the back room.

However, they haven't had a chance to take action yet.

An old Taoist priest, with one hand forming a hand seal and the other carrying Zhang, who was dressed in mourning clothes, passed through the thick blue brick walls of the county government office and entered the hall.

He said, "Amitabha! Your Excellency, I am late!"

Everyone was stunned by the old Taoist priest's move, and even Ximen Qing couldn't help but glance at him.

Wow, that's the real deal – the "wall-penetrating technique"! The local Taoist priest's entrance is so flashy! He's really showing off!

"Master Guyun, we have been waiting for you for a long time! What exactly is going on with the Zhang family?"