The female ghost, her face deathly pale, gave a creepy smile as she slowly walked toward me, speaking as she moved, “You might fool them, but you can’t fool me. We never made it to the underworld, so how are we supposed to spend this money?”

　　As she finished, she stopped in her tracks, staring at me with disdain.

　　I was a bit taken aback—I hadn’t expected her to know that much!

　　Entering the underworld after death isn’t as simple as it sounds. It requires a whole process: being escorted by ghost messengers to the Gates of the Underworld, traveling down the Yellow Springs Road, reaching the River of Forgetfulness, crossing the Bridge of Helplessness, drinking Meng Po’s soup, witnessing one's past and present lives beside the Three-Life Stone, taking one last look at one’s family from the Viewing Terrace, and finally facing judgment in the Hall of King Yama. Not a single step can be skipped.

　　The earlier details don’t matter much. What really counts is the final judgment in King Yama's hall. Whether you’re blessed for your good deeds or damned for your sins, there’s no way you’re getting anything your living relatives burn for you unless you’ve officially checked into the underworld and faced King Yama’s judgment.

　　Think of it like registering your arrival; once King Yama passes judgment, you’re entered into the records, and only then can any offerings from the living reach you. That’s the only way to get the goods—otherwise, those gifts just won’t make it through.

　　“Seems I underestimated you,” I said, keeping my tone steady. “You know more than I thought. But remember, I’m a Taoist. You’ve already had a taste of what I can do.”

　　The female ghost tightened her fists, clearly grasping the weight of my words.

　　Sure, without entering the underworld, she wouldn’t be able to collect the money. But there’s always an exception to every rule. There are ways for spirits to get their hands on those offerings—like using spirit communication or even the legendary soul-guiding rituals. But those aren’t exactly common practices; even seasoned practitioners wouldn’t dare to mess with that unless they were born with a strong fate or had some serious skills to back them up.The red-dressed ghost pointed at Ma Daqiang, her face twisted in a sneer. “When the Japanese soldiers came, his father, Ma San, sold out He Village to save his own skin. More than half the villagers died because of his betrayal. So, tell me, who else should we settle this score with?”

　　“That was a lifetime ago!” I shot back. “Whatever sins Ma San committed have nothing to do with Ma Daqiang—he wasn’t even born back then!”

　　“A father’s debts are the son’s to pay. That’s how the world works!” she retorted sharply. “Ma San was a useless fool who squandered away the family’s wealth until he was down to his last scrap of dignity. If he hadn’t turned traitor and made a fortune off it, he’d never have been able to start a family and bring this Ma Daqiang into the world!”

　　Hearing that, I began to piece it together. These spirits had become vengeful ghosts because of the Japanese invasion decades ago, and since Ma Daqiang’s father had been a traitorous collaborator, they had passed their grudge down to him.

　　But the ghost wasn’t done yet. She jabbed a finger at Ma Daqiang again, her eyes burning with hatred. “And don’t think for a second that he’s any better than his father. If anything, he’s worse! I’d tear his heart out myself, just to see how black it really is!”I shot a frustrated glance at Ma Daqiang. “Ma Daqiang, you bastard! What the hell else have you done?” I shouted, my anger bubbling over.

　　“Nothing, sir! How can you believe a ghost’s words?” Ma Daqiang protested hastily.

　　“If it weren’t for someone performing a ritual here, we wouldn’t be stuck in this hellhole!” the ghost cut in, her voice sharp.

　　A chill ran through me as the realization hit: she was right! This place was sealed tight. They were completely trapped, unable to escape or reincarnate!

　　“Are you saying that Ma Daqiang set up the seal on this place?” I asked the ghost, trying to keep my voice steady.

　　“Absolutely!” she confirmed, her tone unwavering.

　　I seized Ma Daqiang by the collar and yanked him up. “You’d better start talking, Ma Daqiang. What’s really going on? Did you actually do this?” He struggled for a moment, but he was no match for me. Soon enough, he just gave in, laughing in a way that caught me off guard.

　　His unexpected reaction threw me. I couldn’t figure out what was going on, so I slowly let go of him.

　　“She’s telling the truth. It was me,” Ma Daqiang finally admitted, pointing a finger at the ghost. “You filthy spirits! My father wouldn’t have died if it weren’t for you!”

　　“You’re lying!” the ghost shot back. “He wore a protective talisman. We couldn’t even get near him! He was the one who lived in constant fear, haunted by his own guilt, and scared himself to death!”

　　“So, your father died, and you hired someone to create this barrier and seal the place off?” I asked, trying to wrap my head around it.

　　“Exactly. It was my father’s dying wish. He made me promise to get rid of these ghosts, or else the Ma family would never find peace!”

　　“You idiot! Do you even realize what you’ve done?” I shouted, my fist connecting with him, sending him crashing to the ground.

　　“Ma Daqiang, you won’t die well!” the female ghost yelled as she charged toward him. I quickly stepped in front of Ma Daqiang, my hands glowing with golden light. Using my innate Eight Trigrams formation, I clashed with the ghost for several rounds. Realizing she couldn’t win, she retreated.

　　“If you want to protect him, then you’ll die alongside him!” she spat, preparing to attack again with the other spirits.

　　“Wait!” I shouted, urgency in my voice. “This is a matter of the living, and the living should settle their own scores! Even if Ma Daqiang has committed unspeakable acts, it’s not up to you to deliver his judgment; that’s for the heavens to decide!”

　　People make choices, and the heavens are always watching. What I said was true: just because you think you can escape the consequences of your actions doesn’t mean you can.

　　Besides what you know, the heavens know, too. The laws of karma are in play—what you sow is what you’ll reap. The seeds you plant today will yield fruit down the line, whether good or bad!

　　At that moment, the group of ghosts began wailing in despair, and I could feel the weight of their decades-long confinement. This graveyard was only about three miles wide, and I knew even the living could go crazy in such a small space—let alone ghosts!

　　“Good people don’t live long, but evil doers leave a curse for a thousand years! If that’s the case, then you should die too!”

　　With that, the female ghost led the charge, and the group of spirits closed in around us.

　　“W-what do we do now, sir?” Ma Daqiang stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.

　　“Now you’re scared? Where was this fear before?” I snapped back, my tone icy.

　　His wife was huddled behind him, shaking like a leaf. Honestly, I felt a bit rattled too; confronting a bunch of ghosts wasn’t exactly easy. But thankfully, I had prepared for this moment!

　　I took a few steps forward and declared, “So, there’s no way to smooth this over, huh?”

　　“None!” the female ghost shot back, her tone leaving no room for doubt.

　　“Fine, then you’re bringing this on yourselves, and I won’t take the fall for it!”

　　With that, I swiftly formed a seal with my hands, moving through a series of gestures while chanting, “Heaven and earth, divine might, boundless and pure, the dark moon mingles with the dust, the night light unites, Azure Dragon, protect me!” I turned to the female ghost and bellowed, “Rise!”

　　As soon as the words left my mouth, a fierce gust of wind erupted. The eight corners of the Xuan Yin Overlapping Dragon Formation shot beams of light into the sky, merging with the moonlight before disappearing into the night.The group of ghosts came to a sudden stop, their gazes fixed on the sky, confusion and uncertainty etched on their faces.

　　I wasn’t just observing their bewilderment; I felt a mix of curiosity and anticipation myself about what was about to unfold. After all, this was my first time wielding the Xuan Yin Overlapping Dragon Formation.

　　I couldn’t wait to find out just how powerful this massive destructive array would turn out to be!