Indeed, just as Chen Hao had predicted: not long after the Yin Soul rushed upstairs, its pitiful, piercing screams could be heard.

Of course, the driver and his son Nannan couldn't hear the screams.

Then, with a "clang clang," the malevolent spirit tumbled down the stairs—it had been kicked down by Ye Yuqiao. It had intended to possess Nannan upstairs as a means to threaten Chen Hao and the driver, but it hadn't expected the girl as beautiful as a Heavenly Immortal above to be so formidable.

"Whimper whimper whimper!" The Blood Moon Evil Subduing Sword floating beside Chen Hao immediately flew to the chest of the malevolent spirit, nearly piercing into its heart and scattering its soul.

The malevolent spirit was so frightened that its whole body trembled, begging pitifully, "Spare me, spare me, don't kill me!"

"Hmph!" Chen Hao chuckled before a gentle purple Nether Light shot out from his left eye, illuminating the malevolent spirit and causing it to reveal its form in front of the driver.

"Ah!" The driver was momentarily stunned, before angrily pointing at the malevolent spirit and shouting, "Zhao San! Look at you, causing trouble for my family even in life was bad enough, but I never thought you'd continue to haunt us after death. What kind of deep hatred do we have with you!"

"You know this ghost?" Chen Hao asked, somewhat surprised.

"I do!" the driver nodded, his angry gaze fixed on the malevolent spirit, "This punk was the local ne'er-do-well, always liked to harass my wife while I was not around, but was always chased away by the brothers from the neighboring houses. A year ago, he got into a fight and took a knife to the head and died. Never imagined he'd still come to haunt my wife after death, truly a bastard!"

With that, the driver couldn't help but move forward and give the malevolent spirit a fierce kick.

The malevolent spirit had planned to take advantage of the situation to possess the driver, but upon seeing the miraculous Blood Moon Evil Subduing Sword suspended in front of its chest, it hesitated for a while before giving up and continued to cry and beg, "Brother Zhang, spare me, haunting your family wasn't my idea at all, it was the Onmyoji nearby who ordered me to come. I had no choice, now I'm a ghost he's keeping, I have to listen to everything he says!"

"What!" The driver was both anxious and angry, "I can't believe it was really him behind this, why would he do that?"

"It must be because you haven't paid him these two years, so he sent this ghost to ruin you and your family!" Chen Hao said.

The malevolent spirit looked up at the furious driver and muttered in agreement, "That's right, that's exactly what happened!"

"This is too outrageous!" the driver spat, while he clenched his fists and pounded his thigh. After thinking for a moment, a spark of light flashed in his eyes, then he bent down, spread the palm of his left hand, and started slapping the ghost's head with it while demanding fiercely, "What exactly have you done to my wife, and was that man she was in bed with also your doing, the trick you ghosts played?"

"Brother Zhang, spare my life," the malevolent spirit cowered, howling loudly with both hands protecting his head where the knife still lodged. "I didn't do anything to sister-in-law, just pressed on her while she was asleep, making her unable to get out of bed. That man you saw earlier is actually a ghost sent by the Onmyoji. Sister-in-law was bewitched by me at the time, we intentionally played out this scene for you to see."

After the malevolent spirit explained, the driver's face turned ashen. He turned to look at his wife who had fainted on the couch, feeling immensely guilty and self-reproachful for misunderstanding her.

"There are other ghosts!" Chen Hao was a bit surprised, "How many ghosts is that Onmyoji keeping exactly?"

The malevolent spirit suddenly stopped crying, hesitated for a while, then looked at Chen Hao and said, "Many, too many to count. In this town, anyone who has asked for his help has to pay him every year not only on time but also respects and obeys him without question. If anyone dares to disobey, he will send his ghosts to take revenge on them. Not just Brother Zhang, even many rich and official people in the town are the same. Over the decades, the Onmyoji has extorted quite a lot of money from these people!"

"Sounds like this Onmyoji is just a local tyrant, but his good days are coming to an end soon, he's unlucky to have met me!" Chen Hao muttered to himself. Then he lowered his gaze towards the malevolent spirit and smirked, "Alright, there's nothing left for you here, it's time for me to send you on your way!"

"Ah!" The malevolent spirit showed panic, "Sending me on my way? Where to?"

"To the Eighteen Levels of Hell, of course!" Chen Hao said with an indifferent expression, placing his left hand equipped with the Hand of Death on the malevolent spirit's left shoulder.

In the blink of an eye, the malevolent spirit had been sent away. Seeing this, the driver queried, "Where did this rotten punk go?"

"To where it belongs!" Chen Hao replied. Then he turned to the driver and continued, "Driver brother, I need you to take me to that Onmyoji right now! Don't worry, my girlfriend will take care of your wife and child."

"Hmm!" The driver nodded, his eyes filled with fury.

After leaving the driver's home, Chen Hao covertly said to Ye Yuqiao in his heart, "Yuqiao, I'm off to deal with that Onmyoji with the driver, I'll be back soon!"

"Hmm, be careful!" Ye Yuqiao immediately replied.

The Onmyoji's home was not far from the driver's, just through a few alleyways. A few minutes later, the driver brought Chen Hao to the Onmyoji's front door.

The Onmyoji's house was an old-style courtyard with walls already covered in green moss. Looking up, in addition to seeing several withered branches over the courtyard wall, Chen Hao also saw purple Yin Qi rolling in the air above.

Chen Hao activated his Nether Vision Technique and looked through the mottled wooden gate of the Onmyoji's house, and more than a dozen malevolent spirits drifting in the courtyard immediately came into view.

"Hmph!" Chen Hao sneered, then switched off Nether Vision and walked towards the entrance of the Onmyoji's house. The driver did not follow him forward but hid behind a nearby car instead.

After flashing a smile at the driver, Chen Hao vigorously knocked on the door of the Onmyoji's house, shouting, "Is anyone home? I'm here to check the water meter!"

After a long while, the door slowly opened, revealing an angry face before Chen Hao—it was the Onmyoji who extorted money from others by raising ghosts. He was dressed in an old-fashioned padded jacket, and his arrogant demeanor as he looked down on people with his hands clasped behind his back was striking. What impressed Chen Hao the most was the thick gold chain around his neck, which made him look like a local nouveau riche tyrant.

After sizing up Chen Hao, the Onmyoji glared and barked, "Where does this little ruffian come from, daring to claim he's from the water company and causing trouble at my house? Don't you know who I am? If you know what's good for you, scram!"

"What if I don't scram? What if I insist on causing trouble right here at your doorstep?" said Chen Hao, the corners of his mouth curving slightly upward.

Furious, the Onmyoji burst into a rage, rolled up his sleeves, and fumed, "Ay, you really are a reckless brat. Do you believe I can kill you?"

"And how do you plan on killing me, huh?" Chen Hao said with a grin on his face. "Are you going to call those people you blackmailed or the ghosts in your house to do it?"

Suddenly, the Onmyoji's expression darkened, and he scrutinized Chen Hao with a suspicious look. After a pause, he asked in a low voice, "Kid, could it be that you are also an Onmyoji?"

Without warning, Chen Hao lifted his foot and kicked the Onmyoji at his doorstep, sending him flying three meters away. For those who used Yin Yang Arts to either extort money from others or harm them, Chen Hao's attitude was one of zero tolerance; they had to be eradicated. In his view, such Onmyoji were more terrifying than any demons or ghosts.

"Ugh!" the thickly dressed but frail Onmyoji immediately spat out blood.

Seeing this, the wailing ghosts idling in the yard were suddenly petrified. After a moment, they came to their senses and raised their hands to attack Chen Hao one after another.

Facing the charge of over a dozen fierce ghosts, Chen Hao first laughed dismissively, and then gathered a large amount of Yang Energy in the palm of his hand, forging a Yang Energy sword with a blade over one meter long.

With a swing of his sword, Chen Hao scattered the soul of the Yin Soul closest to him, then with a light flick of the Yang Energy sword, he hit another Yin Soul in the chest. With the sword techniques he had learned from the memories of his past life, Chen Hao was able to wield the power of the Yang Energy sword more skillfully and deftly.

Then, Chen Hao dodged left and right, avoiding the ghosts' attacks while thrusting his sword to strike back.

In just a few moves, he had exterminated half of the dozen or so Yin Souls.

"All of you, disperse!" the Onmyoji's trembling shout suddenly arose.

"Ding-ling, ding-ling!" Soon after, a clear and eerie jingle resounded.

In an instant, the remaining ghosts scattered in all directions, leaving Chen Hao alone.

Chen Hao looked towards the Onmyoji and saw him leaning against a column with his right hand, while his left clutched a golden bell, his lips trembling as if he were chanting a spell.

Chen Hao startled, blurted out, "Is this... a soul-confusing spell?"

By definition, a soul-confusing spell is one that bewilders a person's Yin Soul, and such a spell works on any unguarded Yin Souls.

No sooner had he spoken than Chen Hao passed out.

"Hmph!" the Onmyoji snorted coldly, suddenly frowning in pain as his face contorted—he had internal injuries from the kick Chen Hao had given him moments earlier.

"Master, how should we handle this guy?" a fierce ghost asked.

"First, bind him with the Soul-binding Rope, and after I catch my breath, call the police and have them take him away!" the Onmyoji instructed.

Shortly after a few ghosts used the Soul-binding Rope to bind Chen Hao and take him away, someone knocked on the Onmyoji's door again.

"Who is it?" barked the Onmyoji, his tone full of impatience.

"Me!" a deep voice came through.

"Ah!" the Onmyoji's eyes bulged, his eyeballs rotating a few times before he muttered, "Isn't that my cousin's voice? Ah, a distinguished guest has arrived!"

"He's here!" The Onmyoji shouted loudly, then scurried off to open the door.

After the door opened, a face brimming with authority emerged—it was Huang Can, the Deputy Chairman of the Onmyoji Discipline Council of the East Country.

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