PWE – Chapter 22 Protecting the Ghost Child

“Don’t worry, no matter how powerful he is, I can protect you.” Xiao Wange walked up to the little ghost and reached out to pat his head.

He Xiaokui clenched her palm tightly, looking up at Xiao Wange: “You want to protect him? How do you plan to? Are you going to keep him by your side? He’s a ghost!”

Her words were full of fear and disgust. Clearly, she did not like this child.

The little ghost’s eyes immediately grew cold at her words. Yet within that coldness, there was also sorrow. Anyone would feel hurt if their own mother despised them this way—especially a child.

“Even though he’s a ghost, he’s far more adorable than you.” Xiao Wange shot He Xiaokui a cold glance, her eyes full of disdain.

She paused, then continued: “At first, you didn’t recognize him. Then when you did, you thought of getting a master to capture him and return him to his father. When the masters failed, you saw this child hated you. You feared if you sent him back, he would escape from his father to come to you. So you wanted to kill him, thinking of someone who could eliminate him. He Xiaokui, as the saying goes, even a tiger won’t eat its own cub—but you’ve already destroyed his body. Now, are you going to destroy his soul too?!”

He Xiaokui gritted her teeth, glancing at the ghost child, frowning: “He’s not the child I want. I don’t want his body or his soul! So…”

“Smack!” Before she could finish, she was slapped across the face.

Zhao Guixiang’s hand landed hard on her face, her voice furious: “If you don’t want this child, I do! From now on, I will protect him. And from now on, you have nothing to do with us. Don’t ever come back to our He family!”

She was severing ties and throwing He Xiaokui out.

He Xiaokui’s eyes widened in disbelief: “Mom, how can you—” She wanted to ask how her mother could abandon her for a ghost.

But before she could finish, Zhao Guixiang turned to Xiao Wange: “Comrade Xiao, what should we do next?”

She ignored He Xiaokui entirely; she was truly disappointed in her.

Xiao Wange cast a glance at the shocked He Xiaokui, a small smirk on her lips, then turned to Zhao Guixiang: “We need to retrieve his body. It’s still in his father’s hands. If we don’t get it back, his father will use it to summon him.”

Zhao Guixiang nodded quickly: “Alright, Comrade Xiao. Let’s get his body first.”

She was eager to set out: “Shall we leave now?”

“Mom!” He Xiaokui shouted through her pain, “You can’t go! That evil cultivator is too powerful! If you go, you won’t come back!”

She wasn’t really worried for her mother. She was worried that the ghost child’s father would blame her for not stopping her mother, and she feared he would not honor their engagement.

Zhao Guixiang snorted, not even glancing at He Xiaokui. She was serious about cutting ties.

Holding the ghost child’s hand, she waited for Xiao Wange to leave.

Xiao Wange glanced at He Xiaokui, thinking the girl seemed concerned for her mother—but she had no such good intentions. That woman had long lost all humanity. From start to finish, she only cared about herself.

Meanwhile, in a dilapidated house in the county:

A tall man stood before a coffin, looking at the child inside, frowning: “Daoist Qu, you said using my blood to draw talismans would summon him. Why hasn’t he returned?!”

His tone was angry; obviously, not retrieving the child’s soul frustrated him.

Daoist Qu, thin and wearing a robe, held a ceremonial whisk. Around fifty years old, he looked at the talismans drawn in fresh blood on the child’s body. So much blood had gone into it.

He frowned, contemplating: “It seems someone powerful is helping him. But I’ve never seen a cultivator stronger than me in this area. Who could it be?”

“He won’t have encountered an evil cultivator, right? If he did, all my effort would be wasted!” the man said, annoyed.

Daoist Qu stroked his black beard: “Don’t rush. The child’s body is with us, so we still have a chance.”

“How do we retrieve it? Do I have to give more blood? I’ve already lost a bowl! If I give more, it’ll take half my life!”

“Since the talismans failed, I won’t draw more. Mr. Mu, let’s wait for them. If the evil cultivator took him, they’ll need the body. When they come for it, we’ll be ready.” Daoist Qu spoke calmly.

The man looked at him: “And if their cultivation is stronger? If they seize the body, all my effort is for nothing!”

Daoist Qu smiled confidently: “It won’t happen. My power is sufficient for most, and I have my master. He’s nearly godlike. If I’m in danger, I can call him, and nothing will fail.”

The man nodded. “Alright, I trust you. Let’s hope you can retrieve the child’s soul.”

Daoist Qu didn’t reply, only touched the mirror in his pocket. With it, everything was under control.

Xiao Wange and Shi Jinzhu arrived in town. The ghost child’s body was in the county, so they had to go there.

Xiao Wange didn’t bring Xiao Zhaozhao, both because the journey was long and she didn’t want him seeing disturbing things. She entrusted him to Shi Jinzhu: “Take care of Zhaozhao. I’ll return once I’ve handled the business.”

Shi Jinzhu nodded: “Don’t worry, I’ll watch him.”

Xiao Wange glanced at He Xiaokui, noticing her dark expression. She slipped something into Zhaozhao’s pocket: a bell. Leaning close, she whispered: “If you’re in danger, shake this. Something will come to protect you.”

Zhaozhao nodded obediently.

They boarded the bus with Zhao Guixiang and the ghost child. Others couldn’t see the ghost, but could feel a chill around him.

He Xiaokui glared at the ghost child, fists clenched, then left the station in anger.

Xiao Wange smiled coldly at her departing back. She knew this woman would cause trouble; she was completely self-serving.

He Xiaokui found a phone and called the ghost child’s father: “Yun Cheng, my mom came with that ghost and a woman. That woman’s very powerful. Be careful.”

The man’s cold voice: “I know. Just the three of them?”

“Yes, just them,” she said. Then she added: “That woman left her son in town. Maybe I should take him. If your Daoist can’t handle her, we can use the child to threaten her. She loves him, she’ll compromise.”

A pause on the line, then: “Do it. But handle it carefully.”

He Xiaokui agreed. Then the call was cut off.

Almost two hours later, they arrived in the county. They navigated the alleys and stopped at a dilapidated house.

Zhao Guixiang asked Xiao Wange: “Comrade Xiao, is the ghost child’s body here?”

Xiao Wange nodded. The child looked at the door and said: “Grandma, my body is here. Dad didn’t dare bring me to his place.”

Zhao Guixiang’s heart softened: “We’ll get your body back today. Then you’ll never be at your father or the evil cultivator’s mercy again.”

The ghost child nodded.

Xiao Wange walked toward the door; Zhao Guixiang followed, holding the child’s hand.

At the door, the ghost child warned: “Aunt Xiao, be careful. There’s a formation inside. It’s very strong.”

Zhao Guixiang tensed. Maybe they should have brought more masters.

Xiao Wange smiled at the child: “No formation can stop me. I’m stronger than anyone inside.”

The child smiled happily: “Then today we can defeat the evil cultivator.”

Inside the house, Daoist Qu observed from the eaves. Hearing the outside, he smirked coldly. The girl outside was barely twenty, yet so audacious. Soon he would teach her the price of arrogance.

Xiao Wange lightly pushed the door, and it opened. She stepped into the courtyard, calm and composed. Zhao Guixiang followed, holding the child’s hand.

The courtyard was dilapidated. A Daoist stood under the eaves, smiling. Zhao Guixiang tensed; his smile was eerie.

Xiao Wange walked to the center, eyes on Daoist Qu: “Are you welcoming us?”

Daoist Qu widened his eyes. How could she reach the center? She should have been caught by his Red Flame Net—designed with 24 talismans that would burn intruders.

Xiao Wange smiled brightly, like spring sunlight. Daoist Qu felt as if doused in ice water.

“You actually have skill,” he muttered, holding his whisk tightly.

“Then let’s see if you can survive today,” Xiao Wange said casually.

Daoist Qu lunged, turning his whisk into a sharp blade aimed at her heart.

Zhao Guixiang screamed: “Don’t kill her!”

Xiao Wange caught the blade between her fingers and snapped it. She kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying. He spat blood, shocked: “Who… are you?”

“I’m not important. What matters is… you’re going to die.”

He tried a spell using blood on a mirror. Xiao Wange, noticing, grabbed the mirror. Inside, a face with sky-blue eyes appeared.

“That’s you. Didn’t expect your disciples are many,” she said, smirking.

The figure was shocked, then coldly: “Again you! Meddling as always!”

Xiao Wange smiled lightly: “I can’t stand your disciple harming people. I’m here to stop him. Will you come stop me?”

The disciple pleaded: “Master, save me!”

She stepped forward, foot on his neck: “I’m not bullying. I’m… delivering justice.”

The words drove the mirror figure into rage. The mirror shivered and heated.

Xiao Wange threw the scalding mirror. From it emerged a man in purple robes with a mask. Snow immediately began to fall.

The ghost child shivered behind Zhao Guixiang, worried for Aunt Xiao.

Xiao Wange studied the man carefully. His aura was familiar, though she couldn’t recall where.

The man’s cold voice: “Will you still deliver justice? Or will you, like before, try to destroy me too?”

She smiled faintly: “If you protect this vile Daoist, then you’re coming with him.”