Mo Lin tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.
With only seven days remaining before he would meet those who captured ghosts, he anticipated a fierce battle ahead.
To prevent any unforeseen mishaps, Mo Lin decided to elevate the strength of the ghosts he had subdued. Perhaps they could prove useful.
"Chen Xi..." Mo Lin called out.
Chen Xi's figure appeared before him.
"My lord, you summoned me. How may I serve you?" she asked respectfully, her head lowered.
Her inner ghost energy was vast, and she had now reached the terrifying level of a ghost.
"I'm going to elevate your power," Mo Lin declared.
With those words, Mo Lin produced twenty thousand ghost coins, which ignited in the air, burning into a swirling, eerie green mist.
Guiding the mist with his will, Mo Lin directed it into Chen Xi's body through the crown of her head.
"Ah..." Chen Xi screamed, the sound chilling enough to send shivers throughout the entire mansion.
Had anyone been walking outside, they would undoubtedly have been frozen in terror.
Chen Xi's eyes began to redden, and her body grew darker, her physical form becoming increasingly solid.
In that moment, a terrifying aura radiated outward from her, expanding throughout the room.
Chen Xi could feel her power increasing significantly.
"Thank you, my lord, for your cultivation," she said, her voice full of emotion.
Without Mo Lin's intervention, she had no idea how long it would have taken her to reach the level of a nightmare-grade ghost.
Nightmare-grade ghosts were incredibly powerful in the underworld, and they were usually referred to as "Great Ghosts."
"From now on, you won't need to stay in the Ghost Binding Book. Just follow me and heed my commands," Mo Lin said slowly.
Those simple words caused Chen Xi to tremble with excitement.
Her status had clearly been elevated—she was no longer comparable to those other ghosts bound in the Ghost Binding Book.
Mo Lin released the restraints on Chen Xi, allowing her to leave the Ghost Binding Book at will.
"Chu Xing..." Mo Lin called again.
"My lord, what is your command?" Chu Xing glanced at Chen Xi, feeling the terrifying aura emanating from her. He instinctively shrank back, eyes filled with envy.
Without wasting any time, Mo Lin produced another twenty thousand ghost coins, repeating the same procedure as before.
The coins transformed into ghost energy, surging into Chu Xing's body.
Chu Xing's body visibly expanded, his excitement shining through without hesitation.
Once again, a nightmare-grade ghost had emerged.
"Thank you, my lord, for your cultivation," Chu Xing said as he knelt in gratitude.
"From now on, stay with me and follow my orders."
"Yes," Chu Xing replied respectfully.
Mo Lin had spent forty thousand ghost coins to train the two of them, primarily to strengthen his own forces.
Somewhere within the Ghost Control Society:
"What is that aura? A nightmare-grade ghost?"
"How can such a terrifying ghost appear in Yun Chuan?"
At the Jin Family Shrine:
"Good heavens... a nightmare-grade ghost! If someone could capture it, they would immediately become the most powerful ghost controller in all of Yun Chuan."
"Is it a wandering spirit, or has it already formed a pact with a human?"
The appearance of nightmare-grade ghosts had caused a stir among many prominent figures in Yun Chuan.
The next day.
As promised, Mo Lin arrived at the Ghost Control Society to meet Li Bingyan.
The headquarters of the Ghost Control Society was situated in the city center, within a thirty-two-story office building.
The Society occupied the seventh floor.
Mo Lin took the elevator up to the seventh floor.
As the doors opened, a woman holding an umbrella stepped out, and Mo Lin found himself face-to-face with her.
It was Yun Ling, whom he had met during a previous ghost-hunting mission.
Yun Ling smiled politely at him, a simple but courteous gesture.
Mo Lin returned the smile and nodded, before stepping into the elevator.
Following a female staff member, Mo Lin arrived at the office on the seventh floor.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Mo Lin was directed to the reception room.
"Please wait here for a moment. Sister Li will be with you shortly," the receptionist said before leaving.
A few minutes later, Li Bingyan appeared, dressed in black high heels and a sleek black leather jacket. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders, and she wore a troubled expression, her face slightly pale.
Upon seeing Mo Lin, she forced a smile and handed him a prepared identity card.
"This is your official card from the Ghost Control Society. With this card, you can always seek help from the Society, no matter what happens," she explained.
Li Bingyan was, in effect, offering Mo Lin protection.
Though Mo Lin didn't particularly require it, it was something that needed to be given.
Mo Lin accepted the card and asked, "Is there something specific you needed from me?"
The topic had become more personal now.
"By any chance, do you still have any premium ghost weapons?" Li Bingyan's eyes fixed on Mo Lin, and it was clear from her gaze that she had a desperate need for them.
She had heard about Mo Lin selling premium ghost weapons the previous day, and had invited him today in the hope of purchasing one.
"I do," Mo Lin replied.
He produced one of his premium ghost weapons and handed it to her, adding, "Although we are acquainted, the proper Ming coins still need to be paid."
Even among close allies, matters must be settled with clarity.
Li Bingyan's face lit up as she recognized the power of the artifact, and without hesitation, she added three thousand more Ming coins.
"I will give you thirty-five thousand Ming coins for it."
Li Bingyan was straightforward, and instead of bargaining, she added extra coins, showing her generosity.
Mo Lin accepted the payment without objection, handing her the weapon in exchange.
"If any of your friends are interested in buying premium ghost weapons, feel free to send them my way," Mo Lin offered.
Li Bingyan raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the implication that Mo Lin might have more such artifacts.
"Alright," she agreed.
At that moment, a bald man entered the room.
He was tall, around six feet, with a muscular build, and tattoos covering his neck.
Li Bingyan immediately seemed wary of this, hoping to prevent Mo Lin from interacting with him.
"Nothing else for now. You can leave," she told Mo Lin.
However, as Mo Lin was about to exit, the bald man blocked his path.
"Hold on, little brother, I have something to discuss with you," the bald man said.
Li Bingyan's expression tightened. She had feared this moment. It was Chu Hanling, and he was here to cause trouble.
"Chu Hanling, he's a friend of mine. Don't make things difficult for him," Li Bingyan warned.
"I'm not causing trouble. Just a friendly discussion," Chu Hanling said dismissively as he blocked the only exit.
Seeing that Li Bingyan wanted to speak further, Chu Hanling cut her off.
"I won't harm him," he added as he moved closer to Mo Lin.
Li Bingyan sighed and folded her arms, watching the situation unfold.
"Little brother, do you have any more premium ghost weapons?" Chu Hanling asked, clearly more interested in the items than the conversation.
Mo Lin recognized the greed in his eyes and replied coolly, "I have one left."
He pulled out a small, silver-needle-shaped ghost artifact.
Though it was small, it still held tremendous power.
Chu Hanling's eyes widened at the sight of yet another premium ghost weapon.
"Do you have any more?" he asked again, his greed almost palpable.
"No," Mo Lin answered with a shake of his head.
This was the last of his stock—he had crafted only four ghost weapons, sold two, and now the last one was going to Chu Hanling.
"Alright," Chu Hanling said, though a hint of disappointment was evident in his voice. He eagerly grabbed the ghost artifact and scrutinized it.
"Good stuff... truly good stuff," he praised, thoroughly impressed.
The artifact was indeed a powerful one—at least thirty-two thousand Ming coins' worth.
Chu Hanling took a few more glances, then tucked the artifact away smoothly.
He didn't mention anything about paying.
Mo Lin raised an eyebrow, displeased, and reminded him, "That artifact costs thirty-two thousand Ming coins."
Chu Hanling merely shrugged, responding nonchalantly, "Oh."
He didn't seem interested in paying for the artifact.
"I know," he muttered, preparing to leave.
Clearly, he wasn't planning on paying.
"Thirty-two thousand Ming coins," Mo Lin reiterated.
"No need for that, little brother. Consider it a gift. I'll help you gain status in the Ghost Control Society," Chu Hanling said, now trying to bribe Mo Lin with future promises.
Mo Lin wasn't buying it.
"No deal. Either pay me thirty-two thousand Ming coins, or return the artifact," he demanded.
Chu Hanling's smile faded, and he started to show his displeasure.
"Mo Lin, we're both part of the Ghost Control Society. Shouldn't we support each other?" he asked, his voice growing colder.
"No," Mo Lin responded firmly.
Seeing that gentleness wasn't working, Chu Hanling decided to play hardball.
"Little brother, are you really going to make this difficult for me?" he said, summoning his contracted ghost.
A dark, terrifying shadow materialized before Mo Lin, its fangs gleaming as it fixed its unblinking gaze on him.
But Mo Lin wasn't fazed.
The ghost let out a vile hiss, locking its chilling aura onto Mo Lin.
"Give me the artifact, and we can be friends," Chu Hanling demanded, relying on brute force to claim the artifact.
Suddenly, a massive red hand appeared.
With a swift motion, the hand grabbed hold of Chu Hanling's contracted ghost and slammed it into the wall with tremendous force.
The building shook violently.
Ceiling lights exploded.
Glass shattered.
A hole was punched clean through the wall.
"Who dares harm my master?"
Chen Xi's voice echoed through the room, her terrifying presence expanding outward.
A massive shadow loomed, occupying the entire room as her red ghostly aura filled the space.
The crushing pressure settled over everyone in the vicinity.
Li Bingyan felt her heart stop, her eyes wide with dread.
This was a level-five ghost, a nightmare-grade ghost.
She had never seen such a powerful entity in Yun Chuan before.
Chen Xi loomed over Chu Hanling, her grip tightening.
Chu Hanling, unable to resist, felt as though his life was no longer his own. Fear gripped him.
This young man before him was not someone to be trifled with.