Chapter 58: Ghost Footprints

At that moment, my first instinct told me that something must have happened. Otherwise, why would Master Chen and Qi Lin have vanished without a trace together?

After putting on my clothes, I first reached out to feel Qi Lin’s bed, then Master Chen’s bed...

Warm!

This meant neither of them had been gone for long.

Observing the room carefully, there were no signs of any struggle, indicating that Master Chen and Qi Lin had left peacefully together.

I glanced at the wall and noticed a hunting rifle was missing, which calmed me down slightly.

Maybe I was overthinking it. From the current situation, it didn’t seem like anything bad had occurred.

But then, why didn’t Master Chen call out to me when he left?

At that moment, Dahen called me. I turned to see him crouched on the bed, looking at me intently.

Instinctively, I held him close and began to ponder what Master Chen might be doing that he didn’t tell me about.

Suddenly, while I was deep in thought, out of the corner of my eye I saw...

A pair of footprints.

Yes!

Footprints.

Right there on the floor by our beds, a pair of dark, inky black footprints stood out starkly.

The instant I saw those footprints, my heart skipped a beat.

Because, last night when I went to bed, those footprints were definitely not there!

Instinctively, I crouched down and sniffed at the black footprint...

A familiar foul stench hit my nostrils...

Yet in that instant, a scene flashed through my mind.

It was the dream I had last night.

The stench emanating from the footprint was exactly the same as the awful smell coming from that man in my dream.

I felt my whole body uncontrollably tremble, as if my legs had a mind of their own.

Because—

If this footprint truly belonged to that man...

Then wouldn’t that mean these were ghost footprints?

My dream last night wasn’t a dream after all.

It was... reality?

"Damn!" I swore under my breath.

Shocked beyond belief—was this ghost really so fierce? Last night, Master Chen and Qi Lin were both here, yet it still managed to enter the adjoining room?

“Sanqi!” Suddenly, Master Chen’s voice called from outside the adjoining room.

I hurriedly got up and rushed toward the door...

Opening it, I saw Master Chen and Qi Lin, dressed in wolf pelts, their bodies dusted with snow, carrying game.

Wild rabbits, hazel grouse, sand partridges, and so forth.

Seeing me, Master Chen smiled and said, “Why are you standing there dumbfounded? Hurry over and lend a hand!”

I stepped forward quickly, removing the game from their bodies as I asked, “Master Chen, you... you went hunting in the forest?”

“Yeah! Since the snowfall isn’t heavy yet and the whitewind hasn’t come, we took the chance to hunt some food!”

Master Chen and Qi Lin handed me the game, brushing snow off themselves.

Qi Lin grinned, “You were sleeping so soundly, we didn’t want to disturb you! There’s meat cooking in the pot for you!”

They both seemed happy with the day’s catch, but after putting the game away, I grew silent.

Entering the adjoining room, they took off their wolf pelts.

Qi Lin slapped his pelt and said, “Sanqi, I borrowed your wolf pelt because it’s too cold outside! I made my own clothes today!”

I waved my hand, signaling it was no trouble.

Master Chen clearly noticed something and looked at me with concern. “Sanqi? What’s wrong? Your face looks strange.”

I thought for a moment, then looked up and said, “Master Chen, let me show you something first.”

“Show me something? What?” Master Chen looked puzzled.

Qi Lin also looked confused.

I pointed to the ghostly footprint inside the adjoining room. “Master Chen, look!”

Master Chen frowned and glanced at me skeptically.

But the moment his gaze fell on the footprint...

“What the hell is this!” Master Chen exclaimed.

Qi Lin grew curious, “What did you see?”

But when he saw the footprint, his expression froze, his brows furrowing deeply.

I took a moment.

Then I told them everything about the dream I had last night.

Including how the stench on that man matched the smell from the footprint exactly.

Master Chen stared fixedly at the footprint, then asked Qi Lin, “When we left this morning, was this footprint here?”

Qi Lin shook his head. “I didn’t notice, but judging by how solid the print looks, it probably was.”

Master Chen sneered coldly. “Hmph! This little devil’s really causing trouble! Sanqi, didn’t he say he’d come after you again?”

“Yes!” I nodded quickly.

“Good! If the bastard dares to show up again, I’ll send him out feet first...”

But I shook my head. “Master Chen, it’s just strange to me. If this thing really is a ghost, why doesn’t it come after you? Why me? It didn’t even come after Qi Lin!”

“That’s because... even ghosts fear villains!” Qi Lin said calmly.

“Villains?” I was surprised.

Qi Lin nodded, glancing at Master Chen. “Sanqi, your Master Chen is only kind to you! But in the old forest, he’s a ruthless villain who kills without blinking!”

Master Chen didn’t deny it. He stepped forward, patted my shoulder lightly, and said softly, “Sanqi, don’t worry! If he dares come tonight, I’ll make sure he dies again!”

Hearing Master Chen say that, a profound sense of safety washed over me.

I nodded earnestly. “Alright!”

...

This was the first time in my hunting life that I encountered a ghost.

In my memory, exorcising demons or defending the righteous against ghosts was the work of a Maoshan Taoist—holding a peachwood sword, wearing a Taoist robe, scattering talismans and chanting spells...

And in the end, the ghost would be vanquished.

But what Master Chen did that night showed me there’s actually a simpler, more direct way to kill ghosts.

...

At that moment, Qi Lin laughed and said, “Tsk, tsk, what an enviable bond between master and disciple!”

Master Chen shook his head. “I’m not Sanqi’s master! In this world... no one can be her master.”

After saying that, he ignored Qi Lin’s pout, waved his big hand, and said, “Alright! Let’s eat! There’s still work to do after dinner!”