Chapter 2

In addition to Wang Changsheng, there were ten ordinary people on the island. These ten people were sent by the Wang family from Ping'an County to take care of Wang Changsheng's daily life.

Wang Qiusheng was responsible for serving meals and clearing the dishes. According to the family hierarchy, he should call Wang Changsheng "Ninth Uncle."

Wang Changsheng sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and took a bite of the white rice, which was glossy, soft, and delicious. Unfortunately, it contained no spiritual energy.

After finishing breakfast, Wang Changsheng walked out of the Green Lotus Pavilion, his lips moved slightly, and a large patch of white mist rose from his feet.

The white mist condensed and transformed into a cloud about ten feet in size, floating quietly like a flat surface.

The Cloud Riding Technique is a low-level flying spell with a slow speed. However, in the absence of flying spirit artifacts, most Qi Cultivation practitioners would cultivate this technique.

Wang Changsheng stepped onto the white cloud, which slowly ascended and flew toward the distance.

Before long, Wang Changsheng landed in a valley. The stone walls on both sides of the valley were uneven, and the ground was scattered with numerous rocks. He often came here to practice spells.

Due to the sparse spiritual energy on Lotus Island, cultivation was twice as hard, so he spent most of his time practicing spells.

Wang Changsheng exhaled lightly, began to chant, and continuously formed strange hand seals.

After a moment, a large amount of blue light appeared around Wang Changsheng, quickly condensing into a crystal-clear ice spike about a foot long, emitting a cold aura.

"Go."

Wang Changsheng pointed at the stone wall and softly commanded.

As soon as he spoke, the ice spike shot toward the stone wall.

A loud crack echoed, and a foot-deep indentation appeared on the stone wall, covered with a layer of frost.

"Success!"

Wang Changsheng's face lit up with joy at the sight.

The Ice Spike Spell is a mid-level spell with moderate power. Wang Changsheng spent over half a year to perfect it.

Spells are divided into three stages based on their power and casting time: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Generally, it takes about ten to fifteen days to master a beginner-level spell. To reach the intermediate stage, it takes about two to three months. To reach the advanced stage, it takes at least half a year.

To be honest, when Wang Changsheng first arrived at Lotus Island, he had many complaints about his father. However, after three years, his mindset changed, and he gradually understood his father's difficulties.

During these three years, his cultivation speed was extremely slow, but his mental fortitude improved significantly. Additionally, he perfected five beginner-level spells, allowing him to cast them instantly. If he had stayed in the family to cultivate, he might not have devoted so much time to spell practice.

The morning passed quickly, and Wang Changsheng practiced spells all morning.

At noon, when he returned to the Green Lotus Pavilion, Wang Qiusheng had just brought the lunch.

Wang Qiusheng placed the food and left.

The meal consisted of two dishes and a soup: steamed green sparrow eggs, meatball and tofu soup, and braised deer meat.

The ingredients were sent by the Wang family, all of high quality, and the chef was top-notch. The only drawback was the lack of spiritual energy.

Wang Changsheng drank a bowl of soup and was about to pick up his chopsticks when Wang Qiusheng hurried in, holding a letter, his face tense.

"Uncle, people in Wangjia Town have been dying mysteriously. What do you think?"

Wang Changsheng raised an eyebrow and asked, "Let me see it."

Wang Qiusheng did not hesitate and handed the letter over with both hands.

Wang Changsheng scanned the letter, pondered for a moment, and instructed, "Do you know the mayor of Wangjia Town?"

"Yes, according to the family hierarchy, the mayor of Wangjia Town, Wang Qingyun, is my third uncle."

"Go pack some supplies and come with me to Wangjia Town."

Over 90% of the residents in Wangjia Town were members of the Wang family, and they were Wang Changsheng's primary concern.

With the town in trouble, Wang Changsheng could not afford to delay.

Fifteen minutes later, Wang Qiusheng, carrying a bundle, arrived at the Green Lotus Pavilion. Behind him was a young girl in a blue dress with a delicate face.

Wang Changsheng looked at the girl and instructed, "Qiuyue, while I'm away, take care of Lotus Island. If you receive any letters, send them to Wangjia Town immediately."

"Yes, Uncle."

Leaving the Green Lotus Pavilion, Wang Changsheng's lips moved slightly, and a white cloud rose from his feet.

Even though it was not the first time they saw Wang Changsheng cast a spell, Wang Qiusheng and Wang Qiuyue still looked envious.

The white cloud carried Wang Changsheng and Wang Qiusheng slowly into the sky, flying toward the distance. Soon, they disappeared into the horizon.

...

Wangjia Town was a small town with a population of over 5,000. To the north of the town was a small river about ten feet wide, with a large expanse of farmland along its banks.

The residents of Wangjia Town lived a self-sufficient life, mainly through farming and hunting.

The town had only one street, running north to south. At the southern end, there were hundreds of wooden or brick buildings of various sizes. One of the courtyards was the most grand, with a two-story-high red gate that looked majestic, adorned with shiny copper nails that sparkled in the sunlight.

On either side of the gate were two fierce stone lions.

A black plaque about ten feet long hung above the gate, inscribed with the golden words "Wang Family Ancestral Hall," which were very prominent.

In the main hall, over twenty elders gathered, with a wealthy-looking man in his fifties sitting in the main seat. This man was the mayor of Wangjia Town, Wang Qingyun.

Wang Qingyun was 67 years old, the highest-ranking member of the Wang family, respected and revered, and elected as the mayor by the townspeople.

On either side of him were representatives from various branches of the Wang family.

Notably, standing beside Wang Qingyun were two bailiffs, one tall and one short, with serious expressions.

These two bailiffs were also members of the Wang family. Normally, they would not have the right to participate in such a large family meeting, but with the recent murders, Wang Qingyun allowed them to attend.

A tall, thin elder stood up, bowed to Wang Qingyun, and asked, "Third Uncle, what exactly happened? Has the murderer not been caught yet? Tianhu and Tianlong, as bailiffs, why haven't you caught the murderer after so many days?"

"Sixth Uncle, it's not that we are incompetent, but we are powerless. The victims had no visible injuries, there were no signs of struggle in the house, and there are no outsiders in the town. This is clearly the work of a ghost," the short and fat bailiff explained with a bitter smile.

Although the residents of Wangjia Town could not cultivate, they knew that cultivators existed and believed in the existence of ghosts. The short and fat bailiff's explanation was widely accepted.

"I said it! This is definitely not the work of a human, just as I suspected."

"Exactly, I guessed it too. It turns out it was a ghost."

"Since we know it's the work of a ghost, what are we waiting for? I remember there is a Celestial Master in Ping'an County who protects our area. Fifth Uncle, quickly send someone to invite the Celestial Master from our family to eliminate the ghost. Otherwise, we won't dare to sleep at night, fearing we might die in our sleep. We can only nap during the day."

...

The representatives from various branches spoke one after another, expressing their opinions.

Wang Qingyun waved his hand and instructed, "Enough, be quiet. I have already sent a message to our family's Celestial Master. Before he arrives, you must ensure that the family members do not go out alone at night to avoid further casualties."

At this moment, a tall middle-aged man hurried in, his face full of joy.

"Father, Cousin Qiusheng has brought the Celestial Master from our family."

Upon hearing this, Wang Qingyun immediately stood up and asked, "Where is the Celestial Master? Lead the way quickly, and don't neglect the Celestial Master from our family."

Saying this, Wang Qingyun hurried out, and the other members of the Wang family followed.