So, whenever encountered, they are typically slain.

However, I've also heard that if one survives the encounter, their state of mind becomes clear, their spirit stabilized, and obstacles in their cultivation lessen.

There was once a Taoist priest who specifically came to Fengdu to capture Heart-Probing Ghosts to temper his own being.

If you encounter one and have enough courage and robust Yang Energy, then there's no need to be afraid.

If your Yang Energy is insufficient, then don't reminisce about the past. Just silently recite something arbitrary. As long as your weaknesses aren't found, you'll be alright."

"Oh, thank you for the guidance; I've learned a lot," Wen Yan bowed in thanks.

Shen Zijun didn't say anything more, and after the meal and drinks, the banquet concluded.

Wen Yan followed Lord Zhu to have tea in the back. Shen Zijun also followed, saying he had matters to discuss. Old Ghost Ji wanted to leave but was pulled back by Wen Yan, who said he felt an instant rapport with him and wished they'd met sooner, as there was still much he wanted to ask.

Lord Zhu then smoothly added that his birthday was in a few days, so Old Ghost Ji shouldn't be in a hurry to leave and could stay for a few more days.

Unable to decline invitations from both sides, Old Ghost Ji agreed and went to rest in the back; the hole previously corroded through his belly still affected him somewhat, and he needed to recuperate a bit.

「In the back courtyard」

Lord Zhu brewed tea, and then Shen Zijun bowed slightly and asked Wen Yan, "Brother Wen, did you encounter a Heart-Probing Ghost?"

"Yes, I did, and I burned it to death."

"What a pity..." Shen Zijun's face was full of regret.

"Is that thing really useful?"

"Indeed, very useful, especially for members of the Taoist Sect, as it can be used to verify inner flaws, which can then be specifically addressed to mend them.

The Taoist priests from Qingcheng ask my family's elders every year if they've found any Heart-Probing Ghosts.

We've all told them that Fengdu is long past being the Fengdu of old; these things genuinely don't exist here anymore. Yet, the Taoist priests from Qingcheng still ask every single year.

If there were news of a Heart-Probing Ghost, telling Qingcheng could earn a significant favor at the very least."

"Is it that important?" Wen Yan was somewhat surprised. If I had known earlier, I would have captured it alive.

"It may not be essential for others, but for those in Qingcheng who walk the path of a Spirit Binder of Nether Souls, it is absolutely necessary.

To be a Spirit Binder of Nether Souls, one's own heart must be intrinsically complete and flawless, without any vulnerabilities that could be easily exploited.

Only then can they ensure that when acting as a Spirit Binder for some dangerous Nether Souls and Fierce Ghosts, they will not suffer a backlash.

As long as someone is watching over them, using a Heart-Probing Ghost to temper oneself and discover inner flaws isn't actually very dangerous."

Good heavens, Wen Yan thought, do all these people know? Trying to completely hide information is truly rather difficult. Now, truths and falsehoods are all mixed together, thrown out in one go to confuse and mislead.

Qingcheng even has people who follow the path of being Spirit Binders of Nether Souls. No wonder that Daoist Master Qing Xuzi is so familiar with related matters. He handles them with such effortless ease. Combined with his persuasive talk, it's really easy to make people believe it's all science.

He recalled watching a video last year that discussed why many places in Qingcheng looked so shrouded in Yin Qi and why they were associated with Nether Souls.

The video then explained from a very scientific perspective that it was because the forests there were dense, and because these were shady places, they naturally tended to have that gloomy, Yin Qi-filled atmosphere. Furthermore, fog easily formed there, and so on. Anyway, it all sounded very reasonable, and Wen Yan had genuinely believed it.

Thinking back now, isn't this damn thing exactly the same as Daoist Master Qing Xuzi's approach? No matter what kind of ghostly thing it is, they can find a suitable explanation for you, and you really can't find any fault with it.

Shen Zijun stopped there and said no more. Wen Yan also didn't mention that after burning the Heart-Probing Ghost to death, a Ghost Bone had actually been left behind.

It seems now this thing might actually be very useful.

Shen Zijun didn't stay long. He left Wen Yan to chat alone with Lord Zhu. Before leaving, he pulled Wen Yan over to add him as a friend, saying they'd chat later.

Once they were alone, Wen Yan produced a box and handed it to Lord Zhu.

"Since I've arrived early, I'll give you this birthday gift in advance too, no need to wait for the actual day. Lord Zhu, take a look and see if you like it."

Lord Zhu initially had no intention of opening it. However, upon hearing Wen Yan's words, he immediately grew interested.

Upon opening the box, he saw a large, withered rib bone inside. Lord Zhu took one look, and his eyes widened instantly.

"This is... this is..."

"Tiger Bone."

Lord Zhu reached out, touched the Tiger Bone, and gasped, his eyes and brows filled with delight. He held it in his hands, turning it over and over for a long while.

"Excellent, excellent! You're truly thoughtful. For other gifts, I might be polite, but with this one, I won't stand on ceremony!"

The moment he touched it, he knew it was no ordinary Tiger Bone. And since Wen Yan had presented it so solemnly, it could only be Hu Yuan's Tiger Bone.

Lord Zhu was extremely fond of it, incredibly so.

Back then, when Old Zhu shattered Hu Yuan's spine, he hadn't actually kept a single Tiger Bone, which had been a source of some regret. Now, Lord Zhu had managed to remedy this regret.

Having received the Tiger Bone, Lord Zhu couldn't wait. He pulled Wen Yan along straight to an ancestral shrine.

Inside the shrine, only one memorial tablet was enshrined: Old Zhu's.

Holding the Tiger Bone reverently, Lord Zhu placed it before the memorial tablet. He then kowtowed in worship and began to ramble boastfully, "This is Hu Yuan's Tiger Bone! I specially brought it today to offer to you, Great Ancestor! Great Ancestor, you old man, this time you definitely have to believe my words! I wasn't bullshitting; I really saw Hu Yuan finished with my own eyes! The people of our Old Zhu's Family, we might have many oddballs, but I'm one of the more spirited ones! I risked getting killed to personally watch Hu Yuan die, and I even fired a shot at him! One way or another, I participated!"

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