"My lord, Li Xue pays respects to you and thanks you for saving my life," the Ghost Messenger knelt in front of Mo Lin, expressing gratitude to him.
His injuries hadn't fully healed, but they didn't affect his ability to speak or act.
"Who captured you?" Mo Lin asked Li Xue.
"A big ghost from the Ghost Realm."
A big ghost refers to a ghost with the same power as a Ghost Messenger.
These ghosts are powerful but haven't been appointed as Ghost Messengers, hence called big ghosts.
"A big ghost from the Ghost Realm teamed up with a Ghost-Controlling Master. I was caught in their trap," Li Xue further explained.
Mo Lin glanced at the broken wooden cage he had slashed earlier, realizing at once that it must be a trick devised by those Ghost Realm people.
"Do you know the whereabouts of my senior, Zishang Qingrou?" Mo Lin asked Li Xue again.
"Zishang Qingrou has been missing for a year with no news."
Li Xue had also sought ghosts to find Zishang Qingrou but had gained nothing.
Not a shred of information.
Zishang Qingrou seemed to have vanished from this world.
"The ghosts from the Ghost Realm allied with Ghost-Controlling Masters to bully Yedou's ghosts, you must be careful, my lord," Li Xue hurriedly warned Mo Lin.
"Oh..."
Bully Yedou's ghosts?
Mo Lin was not afraid; after all, he was not a ghost, but a human.
Mo Lin sat in the chair, pondering recent events.
He roughly understood that the Ghost Realm didn't fare well in the Underworld but had a decent standing in the mortal world, possessing a force of their own.
As for Yedou, it was strong in the Underworld but not so much in the mortal world.
Even Ghost Messengers could be captured.
"I understand. Find a place to heal. I'll summon you when needed," Mo Lin instructed Li Xue.
"Yes, my lord."
Li Xue nodded, then transformed into a dark shadow and vanished in the room.
"Gone?" Wang Bing looked around, perplexed.
"Mm."
"I thought they'd leave through the door..."
"Ghost Messengers are also ghosts..." Mo Lin reminded.
Wang Bing chuckled, considering that ghosts could walk through walls, making doors unnecessary.
"Xianyun, can you lend me some money? Just ten thousand Netherworld Currency." Mo Lin was short of ten thousand Netherworld Currency to fully heal the Ghost Messenger's injuries.
Thus, he turned to Xianyun.
"Sure, I'll go home to find a way to gather the money for you."
Xianyun didn't hesitate, directly offering to go home to help Mo Lin raise the funds.
After a short conversation with Mo Lin, Xianyun went home to fetch the Netherworld Currency.
Mo Lin was arranged to stay in a hotel.
Alone in bed, he put away the spiritual robes.
It wasn't that he didn't want to wear them; only today did Mo Lin discover they had become worn.
Indeed, they had... deteriorated.
The spiritual robes were a Yin Artifact. Not a treasure, but quite valuable.
Mo Lin had spent nearly a week in the mortal world, wearing the spiritual robes every day.
The robes were constantly expending energy each day, lacking Ghost Qi nourishment, leading to deterioration.
This situation wouldn't occur in the Underworld.
Ghost Qi was abundant in the Underworld; wherever it reaches, there's Ghost Qi.
No need to worry about damage to Yin Artifacts.
But the mortal world is different, without Ghost Qi; Yin Artifacts remain in constant use.
Excessive use causes damage to Yin Artifacts.
Although Mo Lin could use Ghost Qi daily to nourish the robes, it was too troublesome and heavily draining for him.
After much consideration, Mo Lin decided to put away the spiritual robes.
If the spiritual robes were really damaged, Mo Lin wouldn't know how to repair them.
He could create Ghost Artifacts but had no clue about higher-level items like Yin Artifacts.
"Li Xue..." Mo Lin called.
A dark silhouette glided across the floor, transforming into a human shape before Mo Lin.
"What are your orders, my lord?" Li Xue asked respectfully.
He stayed hidden, within two kilometers of Mo Lin. He could hear any calls and respond immediately.
Mo Lin handed the spiritual robes to Li Xue, instructing, "Store these spiritual robes safely for me."
"Yes, my lord," Li Xue accepted the robes with both hands, answering respectfully.
Mo Lin trusted Li Xue wouldn't flee with the spiritual robes.
The robes were exclusive to Mo Lin; no one else could wear them.
Li Xue placed the robes in his sleeve, causing them to vanish.
Where Li Xue stored the robes, Mo Lin was unsure.
Such storage abilities are unique to ghosts, which Mo Lin didn't possess.
Though a Yin Messenger, Mo Lin was very much alive.
The life skills exclusive to ghosts eluded Mo Lin.
"Withdraw for now; I'll summon you when needed." Mo Lin dismissed Li Xue.
"Alright." Li Xue turned, passing through the wall to leave.
Mo Lin raised his hand, summoning the Ghost Suppression Book.
With a wave, three ghosts once suppressed within emerged into the room.
"Greetings, my lord. I wish you health and wellness," Chen Xi greeted Mo Lin upon her appearance, buttering him up.
"Your realm improved?"
"Name: Chen Xi
Realm: Horror Level
Ghost Skill: Ghost Eye.
Netherworld Currency Production: 40 units (daily)
When Mo Lin first took in Chen Xi, she was just a Dangerous Level ghost.
"The environment was just too good inside, and I fortunately improved my realm."
The ghost-rich atmosphere within the Ghost Suppression Book could elevate any ordinary ghost over time.
Compared to Chen Xi's enthusiasm.
The other two ghosts appeared reserved.
Chu Xing glanced around, then at Mo Lin, politely greeting him.
"My lord, what do you need of me?"
Mo Lin said nothing, observing Chu Xing—a disciplined ghost.
At least he appeared loyal and usable.
Mo Lin turned to Zhang Ghost, whom he had suppressed this morning.
Zhang Ghost looked anxious, his image quivering.
Mo Lin's eerie methods had greatly unsettled him.
Furthermore, a persistent voice in his head repeated, "Obey him."
Perhaps influenced by the Ghost Suppression Book.
If Zhang Ghost bore any malice towards Mo Lin, he'd experience the agony of dissipating souls.
Now Zhang Ghost only felt fear toward Mo Lin.
"Thud!"
Zhang Ghost fell to his knees, "My lord, what are your orders?"
This attitude differed drastically from the morning.
"Tell me about the Ghost Realm," Mo Lin summoned Zhang Ghost to inquire about it.
"The people from the Ghost Realm currently control three provinces, forming a force of their own. Also, they collaborate with Ghost-Controlling Masters, mainly targeting Yedou's Ghost Messengers or external forces," Zhang Ghost truthfully reported to Mo Lin.
"Occupy?"
"Three provinces belong to the Ghost Realm, forbidding entry from all ghosts except those within the Realm. If any ghost indiscreetly ventures in, they face dire retaliation from the Ghost Realm."
"How does the Ghost Realm know the positions of Yedou Yin Messengers?"
Mo Lin was curious about this.
Yedou Yin Messengers, upon entering the mortal world, would surely seek a hiding place.
Given the vast territory of Dragon Country, how could they be easily located by the Ghost Realm?
Even within the same city, finding a Ghost Messenger would be challenging.
"That, I don't know." Zhang Ghost admitted.
His limited power afforded him contact only with low-status ghosts within the Ghost Realm; he could only glean mundane information.