Chapter Thirty-Seven: Don’t Go Out After Dark

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A strength of over one hundred.

Perhaps it was nothing remarkable.

Many adults could easily lift a stone weighing a hundred pounds.

But one must not forget that he had been a frail child, barely able to lift a chicken before, and had only been training in martial arts for such a short time. For him to achieve this already, the progress was astonishing.

"However, since there’s still some time left, I might as well improve my throwing technique."

Chen Yushu glanced at the experience points of his throwing skill.

Throwing: Minor Accomplishment (389/400)

This skill was directly tied to his physical strength.

The greater his strength, the more powerful the technique became.

Crucially, he was at the threshold between minor and major accomplishment, so before nightfall, he naturally wanted to advance it.

But before that, he returned to the dormitory.

Just as he reached the doorway, he heard voices from inside.

"Xu Hao, you’d better pay back the money you borrowed from me."

"Brother Zhao, it’s only been a few days—where am I supposed to get the silver to repay you?"

"I don’t care. That silver was sent by my father for my martial arts training. You said you urgently needed it and would return it in two or three days, so I lent it to you. Now several days have passed, do you mean to default?"

"Brother Zhao, could you give me a few more days? I’ll definitely pay you back soon."

"It better be so! Otherwise, you’ll regret it."

…

With these words, someone stormed out of Room Three—it was Zhao Lei from Room One. He glanced at Chen Yushu but said nothing and left immediately.

Shortly after, Xu Hao emerged from the dormitory, brows furrowed, and upon seeing Chen Yushu, showed a hint of embarrassment before hurriedly departing.

Chen Yushu paid no mind to this, retrieved a few things from inside, and went out.

To his surprise, there were few apprentices in the courtyard. Only when he reached the riverside, where several apprentices stood expectantly with nets in hand, did he realize what was happening.

His feat of capturing the treasure fish that morning had stirred them greatly.

Each of them hoped to be that lucky one, to catch a treasure fish themselves.

Chen Yushu didn’t explain much, only hoping that the ghost wouldn’t dare approach with so many people around.

He returned to his usual spot to practice his throwing technique.

Throwing +1

Throwing +1

…

Almost every throw hit its mark; each stone struck the target flawlessly.

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Soon, he felt a tremor in his heart, and in a fleeting moment, countless details and nuances of throwing surfaced in his mind. It was as if he had thrown thousands upon thousands of stones in a brief span.

Wherever his gaze fell, distant and indistinct objects became sharply clear.

Even the darkness, seen through his eyes, was as bright as ever.

"Night vision!

Have I acquired the ability to see in the dark?"

Chen Yushu was stunned. After careful comparison, he realized that while it wasn’t true night vision, the effects of darkness on him were now minimal.

His gaze turned to the attribute panel.

Throwing: Major Accomplishment (1/800)

"As expected, I’ve reached major accomplishment.

I did not anticipate such a significant improvement in eyesight after this breakthrough.

And the range of my throws…"

He muttered, then casually tossed a stone.

His technique had changed drastically from before. No longer merely a simple up-and-down motion, it now incorporated myriad variations of force. Arm, wrist, even fingers—power transferred in sequence, like drawing a bow, until it gathered at his fingertips and sent the stone flying.

Bang!

The stone struck a slender tree twenty yards away, snapping it cleanly.

Throwing +1

"Within twenty yards, I can hit whatever I aim at, and the force is much greater.

It’s not inferior to many strong bows."

Chen Yushu compared quietly, finally feeling some peace of mind.

With this major accomplishment in throwing, he would have the strength to contend with the ghost.

Night gradually descended.

Even the most unwilling apprentices dared not linger by the river in the darkness.

After all, ghosts existed in this world.

They had never seen them, but had heard countless tales.

"Don’t go out after dark" was a warning they’d heard since childhood.

Even Chen Yushu pretended to return, waited a while, then quietly slipped out the back door when no one was watching.

It was now the middle of the hour of the dog.

As he stepped outside, he saw Shi Hao standing not far away, shrunken and nervous, glancing about anxiously.

"Brother Chen, you’re here."

Upon seeing Chen Yushu, Shi Hao was like a drowning man seeing a savior and hurried over.

"Did you get everything done?"

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Chen Yushu asked simply.

This was the premise for everything. If Shi Hao hadn’t fulfilled the ghost’s request, Chen Yushu would do nothing, turn around, and leave him to his fate.

"I’ve found out everything.

That ghost used to live nearby. She was a servant in the Ding family, a prominent household in town. They say she was deceived by a scoundrel named Ma Dong from East Street—he tricked her, stole all the wages and rewards she’d saved over the years, then planned to sell her. Unable to bear it, she drowned herself in the river..."

Shi Hao had spent the whole day investigating.

Fortunately, the town was small and the incident recent, so he managed to uncover the truth.

"Did you find this Ma Dong? Do you know where he lives?" Chen Yushu pressed.

"I did.

He’s currently staying in a house on East Street, on the western side. I confirmed he’d returned tonight before coming here."

Shi Hao answered quickly, not daring to slack.

"Good.

Next, I’ll summon her. You just stand over there and don’t move. When you sense her presence, walk straight ahead, all the way to Ma Dong’s doorstep.

If you reach it smoothly, she’ll sense her enemy and leave you alone. Your ordeal will be over.

If anything goes wrong, there’s nothing I can do—you’ll have to rely on your own luck."

Chen Yushu nodded, his expression grave.

"Uh…

What counts as ‘something going wrong’?"

Shi Hao’s face changed, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"Don’t bump into anyone. Stay on deserted paths and you should be fine.

Also, don’t run. She must follow you for it to count as guiding her. If you panic and run, you may escape the monk but not the temple.

She remembers your scent. As long as you’re nearby, she’ll find you."

With that, Chen Yushu led him back to the riverside.

By now, the offerings were gone. Chicken and duck were prized—stealing from a ghost was taboo, but a few days of bad luck were better than starving.

The incense, however, still had a stub remaining.

But he had no fire with him, so he abandoned the idea of lighting incense to summon the ghost.

…

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