All of the protagonist's Daoist partners are mine!

Scholars traveling to the capital for the imperial examinations are like high school seniors preparing for their final year of high school; how could they have time for romance?

"Although I don't want to meddle in other people's business, it's fate that we met by chance. Considering how hard you've been studying late into the night, I'll bring you back from the wrong path."

how should I do it?

In order to allow Ding Muchen to concentrate on preparing for the exam, it is necessary to remove the unsettling element of the female ghost.

Xing Moxie observed that the female ghost's cultivation was less than ten years old, not even as good as a Foundation Establishment cultivator. It would be too easy for him to smash her with one punch.

But given Ding's personality, if the female ghost suddenly disappeared, he would definitely be so worried that he wouldn't be able to concentrate on his studies. After all, there was already an ambiguous relationship between the human and the ghost.

That leaves only one solution.

To help Ding Shusheng focus on his exams, Xing Moxie decided to bring the female ghost Niu over, hoping to completely extinguish any thoughts of romance in Ding Shusheng's mind!

"Anyway, there are still two days until we receive news of Yunzhou's salvation. And that female ghost isn't bad-looking either. We might as well bring her along while we're at it, just to do a good deed."

Good heavens! To fulfill the poor scholar's dream of passing the imperial examination, the Demon Lord actually sacrificed his beauty, letting a mere little female ghost have his way. I'm moved to tears.

If this gets out, wouldn't everyone in the world give Xing Moxie a thumbs up and praise him for his "great benevolence and righteousness"?

……

As the hour of Chou (1-3 AM) was about to pass, Scholar Ding went out as promised.

Xing Moxie had a brilliant plan: to cast a disorienting spell on Ding Muchen. Yes, it was that simple; no other maneuver was needed.

Xing Moxie then went back to her room to rest and wait for what would happen next.

As expected, around the end of the Yin hour, the sound of a dispute between Scholar Ding and the female ghost came from the neighboring courtyard.

Chapter 87: 4 The Demon Lord's Encouragement to Study

"Young Master Ding, I only told you my secret because I thought you were a man of great righteousness, and I was willing to gamble on you. When I saw that you hadn't come to the agreed place, I thought something bad had happened to you. But I didn't expect you to be lingering around the entrance of Jinhua Temple. Could it be that you never intended to help me from the beginning and were just making fun of me?"

“Miss Nie, you misunderstand. Haven’t I explained this many times? I left before dawn, prepared to risk my life to dig your remains out of Black Mountain and take them away for burial. But today it’s like I’m trapped in a ghost’s maze, wandering around and around but still ending up at the temple gate.”

"Where did this ghost wall come from? I think you're just fooling ghosts. I risked my life to lure away those mountain monsters that devour human souls, and I almost died in the mouth of a dog-like ghost, never to be reincarnated again. There really is a difference between humans and ghosts. I shouldn't have trusted you. If this gets back to Grandma, I don't know how she'll torment me."

"Miss Nie, I absolutely did not mean to tease you. Oh, Miss Nie!"

The beautiful female ghost ignored his explanations, disappointedly flung her hand, and flew away through the wall.

Even if Ding Muchen chased him into the courtyard, he, being an ordinary mortal, would find it difficult to find any trace of the ghost.

Ding Muchen sighed and turned around, seeing Xing Moxie standing at the side gate of the two courtyards.

"Oh, Mr. Xing, did I wake you up?"

"Brother Ding, who are you talking to? Could it be the beautiful girl who suddenly appeared last night?" Xing Moxie pretended to be unaware, looking around. "Brother Ding, you seem to be in trouble. If you don't mind, you can tell me, and I'll give you some advice."

Ding Muchen was in a state of utter confusion. The bizarre experiences of the past two nights had left him unable to sort out his thoughts, and he needed someone to help him clear his head.

So the scholar invited Xing Moxie into the house and began to recount his encounter with the female ghost the previous night, all the way to the origin of the ghosts at Jinhua Temple.

It turned out that the female ghost's surname was Nie and her given name was Qing. She died outside the temple ten years ago and was left unburied. Later, she became a wandering ghost and was captured by a powerful mountain spirit from a neighboring area, who forced her to do despicable things, harming and murdering people.

Even after death, a person cannot touch their own bones. As long as those bones remain in the mountain spirit's hands, Nie Renqing cannot disobey its commands, which is truly pitiful.

"I had originally arranged with Miss Nie to retrieve her remains tonight. But I got lost in a maze of ghosts and couldn't get out of Jinhua Temple no matter how I tried. I'm truly ashamed before Miss Nie," said Scholar Ding, rubbing his thigh.

Upon hearing this, Xing Moxie said indignantly, "Brother Ding, I truly feel sorry for you."

"what?"

"You have no relation to her, and you helped her out of kindness, not out of obligation. But she took your kindness for granted, blamed you for the failure without listening to your explanation, and even threw a tantrum at you. You should never get too close to this kind of female ghost."

“This…” Ding Muchen was still feeling ashamed that he had failed to keep his promise.

But after hearing Xing Moxie's analysis, he suddenly felt less guilty.

Ding Muchen pondered—that makes sense. I was trying to help her, so why is she blaming me instead? It's as if I'm the one who caused her to end up in this situation.

"But... I promised her..."

"Brother Ding, don't get stuck on this. You promised her and did your best, isn't that enough? Her lack of appreciation shows that the female ghost isn't a good ghost at heart. She's self-centered, blames others for failures, and is used to avoiding responsibility."

"Well... Mr. Xing is right."

Ding Shusheng was somewhat fooled.

Xing Moxie seized the opportunity to add insult to injury: "By the way, Brother Ding, what about yourself?"

"Me? What happened to me?"

"Weren't you going to the capital to take the imperial examination? You've been wasting your time on that female ghost these past few days. Have you been studying properly? Are you confident you can pass the exam?"

"Uh..." Ding Muchen was a little embarrassed. He had indeed neglected his studies these past two days.

But he also had his reasons: "Compared to studying for a day or two, it is obviously more important to help Miss Nie escape her suffering, right? Besides, fame and fortune are fleeting; if it doesn't work out this year, we can wait until next year."

What a righteous and awe-inspiring answer! Anyone who hears it would call him a role model.

But Xing Moxie poured cold water on the situation: "Wrong! Utterly wrong!"

"Huh?"

"You don't think you're cool doing this, do you?"

"Not really..."

"Brother Ding, are your parents still alive? Do you have any brothers? What is your family's financial situation like?"

"Both parents are alive and well, and I have four siblings. We live in a poor thatched hut," Ding Muchen answered honestly, while asking with a hint of doubt, "What do you mean by that, Mr. Xing?"

Xing Moxie launched into her logical mode: "You think that your years of hard study are solely your own hard work? You're wrong. The fact that you have the opportunity to study is thanks to the small fortune your elderly parents have accumulated over the years. The fact that you have the time to study is thanks to your siblings sharing the burden. Behind your journey to the capital for the imperial examinations lies the hard work and dedication of countless people over many years. Yet you are completely unaware of this, wasting your precious time on flirting with ghosts."

"Ah!" Ding Muchen exclaimed in shock, his terrified eyes trembling uncontrollably.

Xing Moxie continued to berate him, saying, "You lust after a female ghost, how despicable! To waste the sacrifices of your loved ones for this is unkind, unjust, disloyal, and unfilial! Brother Ding, have you reflected on your actions?"

After being reprimanded like this, Ding Muchen instantly sobered up: "Heavens, I... I have read so many books of sages and virtuous men, and I thought I knew propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame. I never thought I would almost make a mistake and commit an irreparable sin. Mr. Xing's words are like a wake-up call, and they have made me realize the truth."

"Well, it's good to understand."

“But Mr. Xing, I have absolutely no improper thoughts about Miss Nie. To say that I covet her beauty is a bit…” Ding Muchen firmly believed that his help to Nie Renqing was entirely out of goodwill.

That may be true, but Xing Moxie will definitely not let you continue to think that way.

"Brother Ding, you are caught in an emotional vortex without even realizing it."

"Ah? Really fake?"

"Tell me, if there were no ulterior motives, why would someone risk their life and waste their precious time for a female ghost who is not related to them? You are definitely lusting after her body, you are absolutely despicable."

"But...why don't I feel that way?"

"This shows you're a repressed pervert. So repressed that you have desires for women without even realizing it." Xing Moxie patted his shoulder and said, "Brother Ding, take my advice. At your age, love can come late, but you can't be late for the exam."

“Hiss, Mr. Xing is right. But what about Miss Nie…”

“You already have a karmic connection with that female ghost, Nie, which would normally be difficult to deal with. But you are a lucky person because you met me.” Xing Moxie smiled slightly: “My ancestors have a tradition of catching demons, so I’ll leave that female ghost to me… uh, I mean, leave it to me to handle.”

"Oh! This, this is so inconvenient. This matter has nothing to do with you, Mr. Xing."

"Sigh. As I always say, with great power comes great responsibility. I'm your good neighbor, Old Xing from next door. Bearing the legacy of demon-catching, how can I sit idly by? Just focus on your exams and don't let your family down."

Ding Muchen was moved to tears, and tightly grasped Xing Moxie's hands: "Mr. Xing, I will definitely repay your great kindness after I pass the imperial examination!"

……

After successfully deceiving Ding Muchen, Xing Moxie followed the trail of the female ghost to Black Mountain.

It's time to inject this mischievous, forgetful woman with a powerful dose of wisdom, so she'll understand the value of a scholar.

It was just before sunrise, when the world was at its darkest and demons and monsters were at their most powerful.

Xing Moxie stopped pretending to be an ordinary person and used his divine sense to locate Nie Renqing's position.

Interestingly, Nie Renqing was currently fleeing desperately through the mountains, pursued by two evil spirits ten times stronger than her.

If those two evil spirits wanted to, they could catch up with her at any time, but they seemed to be enjoying the thrill of chasing their prey, deliberately keeping the distance between them so that Nie Renqing couldn't shake them off.

"Why are you chasing me?" Nie Renqing asked in a panic.

Her response was the shrill, maniacal laughter of the demons: "Hahahaha! Your scheme to collude with mortals to seize the corpses and escape from Black Mountain has been exposed! Grandma has ordered us to give traitors the most painful death! Hahahaha!"

"How could this be..." Nie Renqing felt utterly desperate.

Her remains are in Black Mountain; she can't escape far, and there's only one path left: her soul will be scattered.

If heaven could grant her one wish, Nie Renqing only wanted to return to Jinhua Temple at the last moment to see Ding Muchen one last time.

She wanted to take back what she had said earlier. She shouldn't have taken her anger out on Ding Muchen in a moment of passion. She knew that Young Master Ding was a rare and truly benevolent man.

"Oh my god, really? This scene, is it going to be me playing the hero and saving the damsel in distress? This kind of old-fashioned plot is enough for the chosen one to do."

A figure suddenly appeared in front of them.

Nie Renqing noticed that it was the man who lived next door to Ding Muchen, and who liked to make girls take off their clothes but not their socks!

"You are... the man who takes off his clothes and puts on his socks? What are you doing here?"

Xing Moxie's eye twitched: "Hey, girl, you really did give me a nickname that shows you look down on people."

What kind of naming taste is this? It's so uncultured. No wonder they don't understand how precious a scholar's time is.

The two evil spirits were overjoyed to see a living person deliver themselves to their door: "Haha! Where did this fool come from? Time for some extra food!"

Nie Renqing didn't want to implicate others: "You should leave quickly, their target is me."

"Don't block the way." Xing Moxie threw Nie Renqing, who was determined to stop the evil spirit, behind him.

"Huh?" Nie Renqing was shocked. She hadn't even materialized yet. How could this person casually fling away a spirit?

The two evil spirits were clearly caught up in the heat of the moment, running wild with rage, completely oblivious to their opponent's unusual behavior.

"Heh heh, human, since you want to die first, we two brothers will grant your wish!"

"I'll devour your soul and spirit completely!"

boom!

Bang, crack.

Gone.

"Huh?" Nie Renqing couldn't believe his eyes.

The two evil spirits lunged at Xing Moxie, baring their fangs and claws. Xing Moxie was unharmed, while the two evil spirits were instantly annihilated, their souls scattered and vanishing into countless points of ghostly fire.

what's the situation?

Two powerful ghost soldiers under the command of the Black Mountain Demon actually killed themselves by crashing into their own heads.

"Hey, hey, hey, this is the first time I've ever seen such a dedicated attempt at staged accidents."

Chapter 88: 5 Taming the Little Ghost Girl

Nie Renqing was so shocked by what he saw that he forgot what to say for a moment.

She knew those two evil spirits were incredibly powerful; even the exorcist wielding a peach wood sword was no match for them. Yet, they were killed by someone smashing their chest muscles against her. That's just outrageous.

It is clear that this Mr. Xing either possesses a treasure of yang energy, or he is different from the half-baked rogue cultivators who came to Black Mountain to die, and is a super cultivator with unfathomable cultivation.

But neither of them could possibly be a match for Granny Black Mountain Demon.

"Thank you for your help, sir. I have no way to repay you. This place is not safe to stay any longer. Please leave as soon as possible, the farther the better," she urged anxiously.

Xing Moxie remained calm and composed: "It won't do if I don't repay you. I never help others for nothing. I deliberately sacrificed my precious sleep time in this deep mountain forest, not to be a chivalrous knight, but to continue what we didn't finish in the first half of the night, hehe."

The unfinished business refers to the sacred ritual of entering the house to communicate about the propagation of life.

Nie Renqing was taken aback. Good heavens, how could this person be so frank, direct, and domineering in his lust? His bluntness to this extent was actually kind of handsome.

She quickly shook her head to wake herself up: "Mr. Xing, please don't act like a rogue just to dissuade me from kicking you out. I appreciate your kind intentions."

"Ha, you've got a good imagination."

"Sir, please do not linger. This Black Mountain territory is under Granny's control. She will surely sense the death of the ghost soldiers. If you do not leave now, it will be too late."

Xing Moxie dared not claim to be invincible, but if there were terrifying mountain spirits within the Xuantian Immortal Sect territory that even he could not defeat, there was no reason for him to remain unknown until now.

Therefore, he was not worried about encountering any tough opponents.

On the contrary, if that old woman is going to cause trouble, she'd better check the almanac before she sets off.

"Are you so sure that I'm no match for your grandmother?"