After the Ghost Boss finished speaking, he charged toward the peach wood sword, undeterred by the bolts of lightning striking him. In just a few short strides, he lunged forward and gripped the sword tightly, desperate to pull it free.

　　Lightning crackled violently from the peach wood sword, striking him with relentless force.

　　Seeing this, Ghost San Niang felt a surge of determination. Without a moment’s hesitation, she amplified her ghostly energy, transforming into a fearsome apparition, her eyes glowing with a chilling green light.

　　Master stepped forward, his voice steady and commanding. “Do you really think you can destroy the peach wood sword like this? Don’t be absurd!” He quickly formed a hand seal and shouted, “Heaven and Earth are clear, the Mystic Heart is boundless, arise!”

　　At his command, the peach wood sword erupted in a dazzling golden light, lifting off the ground and aiming directly at the Ghost Boss.

　　Panic washed over the Ghost Boss as he stumbled back two steps, his eyes wide with fear. The lightning had drained most of his ghostly energy, leaving him vulnerable. Yet, instead of being destroyed, the peach wood sword shone even brighter, radiating an overwhelming power.

　　Before he could react, the sword shot toward him, piercing through his body with a swift, decisive strike.

　　“San Niang!” he cried out, his voice filled with desperation.

　　Clutching the peach wood sword, the Ghost Boss cast one last, sorrowful glance at Ghost San Niang. Then, with a deafening explosion, he was engulfed in a cloud of smoke, vanishing into thin air.

　　With a heavy clang, the peach wood sword fell to the ground, its brilliance greatly diminished. The eight formations of the innate Eight Trigrams array groaned under the strain, signaling that the formation had been disrupted and its power significantly weakened.

　　“Pfft!” Master spat out a mouthful of blood, barely managing to keep himself upright, the toll of the battle evident on his face.

　　“Master!” My sister and I quickly stepped in front of him, anxious that Ghost San Niang might suddenly attack.

　　To our surprise, Ghost San Niang didn’t come toward us. Instead, she dashed to the spot where the Ghost Boss had disappeared, wailing and desperately reaching out as if trying to grasp him. But the Ghost Boss had already dissolved into nothingness; there was no way she could catch him now.

　　“Master, are you alright?” I asked, my voice laced with concern.

　　“Don’t worry, I’m fine!” Master gently pushed us aside and took a few steps forward, addressing Ghost San Niang. “You’re the last one left!”

　　Ghost San Niang turned to us, tears streaming down her face as she cried, “Why? Why do you insist on wiping us out? We may be ghosts, but we’ve never harmed anyone!”

　　Her voice was haunting and filled with sorrow, and the cold wind howling around us only deepened the discomfort in our hearts.

　　“Humans and ghosts are on different paths. Since you’re dead, you should go where you belong, not linger in the mortal realm!” Master replied firmly.

　　Ghost San Niang let out a bitter laugh. “Do you think we want to stay here? We’re trapped here because of people like you who sealed us away!”

　　Master paused, momentarily taken aback by her words. She was right; if they hadn’t been confined here, they might have already been reincarnated, perhaps even gone through a cycle of rebirth.

　　At that moment, my sister interjected, “You killed workers and terrified students, and you still think you have a right to complain?”

　　“We didn’t do that!” Ghost San Niang shot back, her voice rising in indignation.

　　“How can you deny it? You—”

　　Master quickly intervened, stopping my sister. He turned back to Ghost San Niang and said, “The deaths of those workers were caused by the malevolent energy radiating from you!”

　　“What would you do if you were sealed here for over a hundred years?” Ghost San Niang asked, her tone sharp and accusatory. Her words left my Master and sister at a loss for words.

　　The malevolent energy she referred to was different from ghostly energy; it was an unconscious force that they couldn’t control.

　　Seeing that Master and my sister were silent, she pressed on, “And what about these students? We’ve never harmed them!”

　　“Enough of this! Ghost San Niang, spirits don’t belong in the mortal realm. It’s time to deal with you!” Master declared, pulling out a yellow talisman inscribed with the character for “exterminate.”

　　But Ghost San Niang only laughed at the sight of the talisman, her fearlessness evident. “No need for that. Save your exorcism talisman!”

　　With that, she picked up the peach wood sword lying on the ground. I heard a series of cracking sounds; it was the sound of her being burned upon touching the sword. Although its power had waned, it still held Master’s magic, and since peach wood is known to repel evil spirits, Ghost San Niang couldn’t escape its harm.

　　Her form flickered, gradually dissipating into the air.

　　“I, Jiang You’er, was wrongfully imprisoned in life, humiliated, and met a tragic end in that cell.” She looked at us, her eyes filled with defiance as she continued, “I was bullied in life, and I won’t let you bully me in death!”

　　With those words, Ghost San Niang drove the peach wood sword through her own body.

　　Then she turned to me, a strange smile playing on her lips, as her form slowly faded into the darkness of the night.

　　As I watched her gradually disappear, I felt an indescribable emotion stirring within me. Though she was a ghost, she had once been a living person with flesh and blood. Her appearance was not what I had imagined a malevolent spirit to be.

　　“Finally resolved!” My sister collapsed onto the ground, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

　　Master let out a relieved sigh, settling down nearby and taking a hearty swig from his wine gourd.

　　I stepped forward to pick up the peach wood sword from the ground, running my fingers along its blade for a moment before returning it to Master.

　　“Master...”

　　“What is it?”

　　“Nothing... it’s nothing.”I had wanted to ask him if there were good and bad ghosts, but the question never made it past my lips.

　　“Let’s head back, Dogwa. You did well tonight!” Master said, giving my shoulder an encouraging pat. He tucked away the wine gourd and stood up. “Xuerou, let’s go!”

　　After that, Master and I spent a few more days in Guangji, savoring the local cuisine and enjoying traditional performances. We had a wonderful time.

　　Once my sister’s school reopened, it was time for us to leave Guangji. Before we departed, she handed me a book detailing the history of Guangji, smiling as she said, “No feast lasts forever. We’ll definitely meet again when the opportunity arises.”

　　I felt the same; as fellow disciples, I was sure our paths would cross again.

　　As we left by car, I asked Master where we were headed next. He simply replied with two words: “Home.”

　　I wasn’t sure where Master meant by “home,” but when he said it, I noticed a flicker of anticipation in his eyes, tinged with a hint of sadness.

　　Before long, the other passengers on the bus began to drift off, but I couldn’t find sleep. Instead, I pulled out the book my sister had given me and started flipping through its pages.

　　As I browsed, I stumbled upon a name: Jiang You’er, the same as Ghost San Niang. The signature was from an unfamiliar author, suggesting that this brief account of her was likely from unofficial history.

　　The passage read: “Jiang You’er, at seventeen, ascended the mountain, earning the nickname ‘Flying Thief’ for robbing the rich to help the poor. In the third year of the Guangxu era, she was imprisoned for murder, sentenced to death in the autumn, and died the previous winter under mysterious circumstances.”

　　Though it was just a brief statement, it triggered memories of what Ghost San Niang had said, and I felt as if I was starting to piece together a deeper understanding.

　　This female thief had been imprisoned for murder, which must be what she meant by being wrongfully incarcerated. Originally sentenced to be executed in the autumn, she had died the previous winter, suggesting that something terrible must have happened to her in prison. It was very likely, as she had claimed, that she had endured humiliation while locked away.

　　As for her ascent to the mountain, the other spirits must have been the companions she gathered after arriving there, including the Ghost Boss.

　　Yet, I knew that my understanding was based solely on Ghost San Niang’s words and this brief account of her life. The true details of what transpired remain a mystery to everyone now.

　　Regardless, Ghost San Niang undoubtedly had her own story—a story that has faded into obscurity. She must have been a person who suffered immensely.