Peerless Bodyguard of a Stunning Beauty

Just as Zhao Rong and his group were surrounded by a circle of fierce ghosts and felt a wave of despair wash over them…

Suddenly, the first group of ghosts that had rushed over dropped to their knees before them. With tears streaming down their faces, they cried, ”Ghost Catching Taoist Priests, we wandering souls of the Wang Family Village truly don’t know how we can ever thank you…”

Hearing that these rushing ghosts not only meant them no harm but actually wanted to thank them, Zhao Rong and his companions were utterly baffled.

Zhao Rong looked at the ghosts kneeling on the ground, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and said, ”Brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, grandpas, grandmas… please, even though humans and ghosts walk different paths, we can talk this out. There’s no need for such a grand gesture…”

Lili, Xuelian, and Yu Lan stepped forward and began helping the ghosts to their feet. ”As long as you don’t harm us, we can talk about anything,” they said.

At this moment, even more ghosts gathered around. Without exception, they all knelt on the ground, weeping with gratitude toward Zhao Rong and his friends.

Completely at a loss, Zhao Rong turned to Wang Huazi, the Ghost King standing beside him. ”Are they just afraid you’ll kill them? Is that why they’re kneeling and begging for mercy?”

The assistant chimed in sympathetically, ”Beautiful Wang Huazi, Zhao Rong has to be right. They must be terrified of your power, which is why they’re begging for mercy. Since that’s the case, why don’t you spare them?”

Hearing this, Wang Huazi shrugged and shook her head. ”They certainly aren’t afraid of me, as I’ve already retracted my killing intent. As for why they’re kneeling to you, why don’t you just ask them? Perhaps that’s the only way the truth will come out.”

While Zhao Rong and his group were still puzzling over the situation, a white-haired old man with a goatee stepped forward. He suddenly pulled a silk banner from his waist and presented it to Zhao Rong.

”Young man, you are truly righteous individuals,” he declared. ”You uphold justice and eradicate evil for the people. You are truly looking out for us, the villagers of Wang Family Village…”

With that, the old man placed the banner in Zhao Rong’s hands. Receiving the banner, Zhao Rong scratched the back of his head in bewilderment. This was the first time in his life he had ever received a banner, let alone one from a group of ghosts.

Zhao Rong accepted the banner, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. ”I don’t think I did anything special. Why are you giving me a banner?”

He unfolded the red silk. On it were several gleaming words: *Eradicating evil for the people, suppressing the wicked to protect the good. To our young heroes, thank you.*

The old man forced a smile onto his face and looked at the young hero before him. ”Our Wang Family Village may be the most haunted village in all of Xijing City, but we have never committed murder or arson, nor have we ever done any wicked deeds. In fact, the spirits of our village have always lived in peace, known for our generosity and for taking pride in helping others.

”But our peace was shattered the day a fierce ghost named Dong Cheng arrived from the outside world.

”Fierce Ghost Dong Cheng killed all the male ghosts in our village and forced the female ghosts into his harem. He even began recruiting followers from the outside world, attempting to build a fierce ghost death squad to seize control of Xijing City’s nights.

”Young hero, if not for your sudden appearance, if not for you killing Fierce Ghost Dong Cheng, all of us spirits in Wang Family Village would surely have died at his hands. Our quiet, peaceful home would have been utterly ravaged and destroyed by him.”

Hearing of the incredible evil committed by Fierce Ghost Dong Cheng, Zhao Rong said indignantly, ”Damn it! From now on, I’ll kill any ghost like that on sight!”

The old man continued, ”To eliminate Fierce Ghost Dong Cheng, who was hiding in the village’s collective graveyard, we even went to the Ghost Hunting Academy to find its dean, Zhao Bo. We hoped they would dispatch their elites to capture him.

”However, although that scoundrel Zhao Bo verbally agreed to help, the ghost hunters he sent were either new students or complete incompetents. They were utterly incapable of capturing Fierce Ghost Dong Cheng. In fact, every student and ghost hunter sent here was slain by him.”

Hearing the old man’s story, Zhao Rong immediately informed him, ”Grandfather, there’s something you don’t know. The dean of the Ghost Hunting Academy, Zhao Bo, was actually Fierce Ghost Dong Cheng. They were one and the same person.”

The revelation that Fierce Ghost Dong Cheng and Dean Zhao Bo were the same person so shocked the old man that he collapsed onto the ground. His eyes wide, he stammered, ”So that’s how it was! I always wondered how the prestigious Ghost Hunting Academy could fail to capture a single fierce ghost.”

Zhao Rong comforted the old man, saying, ”Alright, Grandfather. Fierce Ghost Dong Cheng has been killed, so Wang Family Village will be at peace from now on. You can all go back.”

The assistant also stepped forward, helping the kneeling ghosts up one by one. ”Alright, you can all go back now. Carry on and don’t worry anymore. We’re students of the Ghost Hunting Academy; helping you take care of Fierce Ghost Dong Cheng was our duty. There’s no need to thank us.”

At these words, the crowd of fierce ghosts kowtowed in thanks one last time before instantly vanishing into thin air.

Watching the hundreds, even thousands, of ghosts who had just gathered disappear without a trace, Zhao Rong couldn’t help but exclaim, ”Truly appearing without a shadow and leaving without a trace…”

Just then, a familiar voice drifted from the nearby Cypress Forest. ”Help me! What about me? Don’t leave me behind!”

Only then did Zhao Rong remember the Deputy Dean, who had been sent flying earlier. He turned toward the sound and dashed into the Cypress Forest. ”Deputy Dean, are you alright? We’re coming to save you!”

Seeing Zhao Rong go to the rescue, the assistant, Lili, Yu Lan, and Xuelian all rushed after him.

Meanwhile, Wang Huazi, sensing the area was now safe, promptly returned to the confines of Zhao Rong’s Taoist robe.

Zhao Rong was the first to arrive, finding the Deputy Dean hanging precariously between two large cypress trees. He was suspended upside down, and directly beneath his head lay an incredibly sharp stone.

At that moment, the assistant also arrived. She glanced at the soft earth, then at the suspended Deputy Dean, and promptly kicked a thick branch. ”Deputy Dean, don’t worry! I’ll just kick this tree down and get you out of there!”

Hearing that the assistant intended to kick down the tree and let him free-fall, the Deputy Dean looked at the sharp stone below and shrieked in terror, ”Assistant, are you blind? There’s a sharp stone right there! Do you want me to fall on it, have it pierce my skull, and kill me?”

Though the Deputy Dean had warned her, it was too late. The assistant had already kicked the branch hard. The Deputy Dean, who had been teetering between the trees, instantly plummeted straight toward the sharp stone.

As he fell, the Deputy Dean stared at the approaching stone and closed his eyes. My life has been so legendary, filled with so many narrow escapes from death. I’ve survived situations far more dangerous, moments far more critical than this. And now, just when the danger has passed, I’m about to be killed by the clumsy ”help” of this assistant. For someone as incredible as me to die like this… what a pitiful, unjust, and senseless end!

In the blink of an eye, just as the Deputy Dean’s head was about to smash into the stone, Zhao Rong launched a flying kick, striking the man in the side and sending him sailing through the air to land on a patch of soft dirt nearby.

Seeing Zhao Rong kick the Deputy Dean away, the assistant immediately stepped forward to confront him. ”Zhao Rong, we came to save the Deputy Dean! Why did you just kick him?”

Zhao Rong rapped his knuckles on the assistant’s bald head and pointed at the sharp stone on the ground. ”Are you blind, kid? Didn’t you see this? That’s not a rescue, that’s a murder weapon!”

With that, Zhao Rong rushed over to the Deputy Dean he had just kicked. He helped the man up and pinched his philtrum sharply. ”Deputy Dean, are you alright? Wake up!”

Slowly, the Deputy Dean opened his eyes and looked at Zhao Rong before him. He took a land deed and a check from his pocket, then pulled an official seal and related legal documents from his waist pouch. Looking at Zhao Rong, he said, ”This land deed, this official seal, these legal documents, and this check… they’re all yours.”

Zhao Rong stared at the pile of items in the Deputy Dean’s hands, utterly confused. ”Deputy Dean, why are you giving me all this?”

The Deputy Dean sat up, rubbing his ribs. ”Zhao Rong, thank you for that kick. If it weren’t for you, I’d probably be dead by now. Since you saved my life, I must repay your kindness. However, as the Deputy Dean of the Ghost Hunting Academy, I am utterly penniless.

”Therefore, the only way I can repay you is to give you these: the deed to the Ghost Hunting Academy I founded, the legal documents, the academy’s official seal, and this check. You will take my place as the official dean of the Ghost Hunting Academy and assume all duties as its legal representative.”

Hearing this, the assistant asked curiously, ”Deputy Dean, what are you saying? Are you really going to let Zhao Rong become the dean of the Ghost Hunting Academy?”

The Deputy Dean nodded. ”I did promise Zhao Rong before that if he could help me find the one who murdered my wife and daughter, I would make him the dean of the Ghost Hunting Academy. But, I must confess, I said that without any real intention of following through. I only wanted him to help me find their murderer; I never truly intended to give him the position of dean.

”But now, I see things differently. Just now, Zhao Rong saved my life. I’ve realized my life is far more important than being the dean of the Ghost Hunting Academy. Therefore, I’ve decided to travel far and wide, to roam the world and embark on an adventure wherever the road may take me. I can only rest easy knowing this Ghost Hunting Academy is in your hands, Zhao Rong.”

The assistant was stunned.

She thought with deep regret, If I had known the Deputy Dean would give up his position so easily, I would have been the one to kick him flying just now! Maybe then, the new dean wouldn’t be Zhao Rong, but me…

Just then, the Deputy Dean stood up. He took Zhao Rong’s hand and said, ”Zhao Rong, let’s return to the Ghost Hunting Academy right now. I’m going to call a general assembly of all teachers and students and announce in front of everyone that you are the new dean!”