When the ‘locals’ led Guang Li and his caravan into the concealed cave, away and far from the large main road, they had all agreed to spend the night here. They were going to resume traveling the next day. It was going to be their first time in Huamei City, a wealthy place that is rumored to bless all those who came far to seek fortune, fame, or unexpected connections.

But that evening turned into a nightmare when the entire caravan laid down to sleep while their new ‘friends’ kept watch. They were then murdered for their various goods, medicines, and clothing. Their nameless corpses laid here for years, undiscovered and unclaimed. They were left to rot.

It was not as though the man wanted any of this to happen.

“NO! I REFUSE!” A sharp throb seemed to pierce the specter’s skull from the glowing yellow talisman. He screamed from the racking pain. "WH-WHY?! THIS PAIN!”

It is because you are having evil thoughts…like murder. The white-robed cultivator thought, watching the man closely. “Then, you leave this person no other choice—"

“We must protect Guang Li!” Some of the stronger spirits broke out of the enchantment and lunged for the veiled huntress. “Hurry!”

A phantom hand made a grab for the young woman’s long, silk-like hair. With little effort, she stepped aside to avoid their long razor-sharp claws. What followed was half a dozen arms swiping for her white, speckless robe. Teeth snapped at her. The spirits’ faces were swiped viciously by a single strike from the whip.

Like sea waves, Mei Ying dipped and dodged with ease. She kicked away a few of the manifested bodies. There was no way they could touch the location of her Golden Core, where it stores her spiritual energy!

Round and round, the young woman’s radiating scourge spun throughout the room to keep many ghosts at bay. Some were smacked by the cold chains and reeled back. In the end, not one could even graze a single hair from Mei Ying. They were all unable to get close to her.

To those who watched, it seemed as though the veiled maiden was simply dancing with a crowd of specters. Each step was followed with sweeps and glides across the floor. They could hardly tell that she was fighting.

Slowly, the huntress hovered against one part of the expanse whereas the spirits were all on the other side, with Guang Li.

“You have nowhere to go!” one of the ghosts shouted at her.

At the given opportunity, the maiden withdrew her right arm to wind up her strength. Within a second, the silver-and-golden ribbon of light whirled across the entire cave space. The whip went over the heads of all thirty-three ghosts. The chain then ultimately unfolded seven times of its original length!

Quickly, the young woman jerked back the scourge. It rapidly seized hold of every spirit, including their leader, into one stack!

“YOU LITTLE…!” Guang Li screamed out. “HOW DARE YOU! RELEASE US AT ONCE!”

Seeing that the huge crowd of specters were squashed against one another, Mei Ying pulled the chain one more time before letting go. The whip seemed to understand its master’s intentions and crammed the specters tighter together for a final reassurance, locking all of them into place. With a flick of her broad white sleeve, the veiled huntress threw out forty bright yellow talismans.

Swiftly, every scroll slapped itself upon the foreheads of remaining ghosts who did not have one. Some were even covered with a second talisman for precautions.

Standing before the compiled prisoners, Mei Ying watched the ashen ghosts howled and cried. They squirmed helplessly. A few also growled at the young woman as her long white veil fluttered back. Still, her autumn-tinted eyes were soft like a calm body of water, unmoved by the churning evils in their hearts and minds.

If the maiden wanted to, perhaps, she would have pierced all thirty-three spirits with her flying sword! It would have been a far quicker method of dealing with unruly malicious spirits!

Steady water droplets continued to fall from the pointed stalagmites above. As they fell into the nearby pools of water, the captured ghosts shivered. They did not know what would await them… After all, every one of the specters had a taste of human flesh. None were innocent.

Instead, much to the spirits’ surprise, the huntress cupped her hands together. Shrouded by gold light, she bowed slightly toward the group. Her gaze was clear and filled with utmost sincerity.

Guang Li swallowed. What is she—stupid?

“Would you like to meet your loved ones?” asked the beautiful maiden, lowering her eyes. She blinked slowly, allowing her long lashes to flutter like flower petals being swayed by a gentle breeze. “It has been eight long years since you all have met them.”

Hearing this, the ghosts murmured quietly among themselves. They did not dare to hope.

After many years of torturing and killing people, the spirits also did not know where they could put on a face. It was too late. Their hands had been dipped in blood, soiled by sin.

Slowly, warm light returned to Guang Li’s eyes. His entire body trembled. Even the man did not know how he could bear to stain his loved ones with these hands.

“…Yes.” If this were how things would end for them, the man wanted to make it a pleasant ending for the people and himself. “We would like that, Young Miss.”

It was time to face the reality for what it is. The cultivator alone was able to imprison all the spirits so easily without any help from the other hunters, who are somewhere else in the cave and its innumerous tunnels and pathways. While the group of specters still felt that they had unfinished business against the living, they did not stand a chance when it came to fighting the veiled maiden.

A proper send-off would be much preferred than exorcism, which is scattering the soul and never reincarnating again.

“Guang Li…” In response, a few of the ghosts whispered out in awe, “You…”

With a soft laugh, the man gradually went on, “But I must ask the Young Miss this: How do you plan on easing our hatred for the living?”

Normally, when a person dies, their family and loved ones would take the corpse and hold a funeral rite for them. It can last up to seven or more days, with family members showing their filial piety and loyalty to the dead. They would take turns to watch over the body as people offer up food, burn joss paper, and incense sticks. Furthermore, the monks would lead the Buddhist prayers to help the soul find peace and move onto the Netherworld.

If the soul cannot find peace…then, they become restless and may potentially cultivate yin energy; hence, they would become demons and be free to wander the Mortal realm.

Here, the group of captured ghosts did not receive peace at all. Their souls were wrecked by rage, tears, and screams. Hatred and sadness consumed them. All they could see around them was darkness. Their deaths were cold and bitter. It was as though the world did not care for them at all.

To also feel alive, the spirits needed violence. They choked and tore through human flesh, drank up the mortals’ measly spiritual energy, and became gluttons for the cores of cultivators. Anything evil was better than to keep laying down, waiting for their discovery. Anything.

Yes, the young woman was a strong huntress. But one’s strength cannot make up for a lack of experience and knowledge.

“Blood has stained your hands, but your loved ones are still there, waiting for you. If you do not go…” Mei Ying paused, forming a seal with her smooth marble hands. “…and you choose to transform into a demon, you will never see them again.”

“Allow this one to send you all off properly.” She continued, gently. “With prayers.”

Right away, a bright gold flash filled the expansive vicinity.

“AHHHHH!” The captured spirits winced from the light, brighter than the young woman’s surrounding spiritual energy. They either squinted or closed their eyes. “Wh-What’s happening?!”

The maiden’s chanting began, “With transcendent offerings, peerless and vast. With profound admiration for all the buddhas, with strength of conviction in the bodhisattva way, I offer and bow down to all victorious ones…”

In a blink, an enormous beam of light broke through the dark cave ceiling overhead. With not a fragment remaining, a circle of stalagmites and limestones from above had all dissolved. It only took a quick breath.

Bit by bit, Guang Li opened his eyes, despite how overwhelmed he felt by the young woman’s magic.

It was though a warm, loving embrace had surrounded the entire group of spirits. The energy that flowed throughout their semi-translucent bodies was merciful and comforting to their minds. It flowed slowly in and out of them, with a wafting floral aroma, gentle and sweet at the same time. Chaos no longer overtook their thoughts. There was nothing else but the calm.

Their leader could not name the blossom aroma that seemed to linger around him and the others. Like him, the rest turned their heads to find the source. Yet there was not a flower in sight.

“My dear!” Burning tears made its way over Guang Li’s eyes as he came face-to-face with the woman who spoke.

His wife had remained the same despite the passage of time, dressed in a long cotton outer robe. Her long ponytail was tied in the same manner, pushed to the side, with a coral-pink ribbon that Guang Li had clumsily made for her. Their oldest son, being twelve years old, stood in front of the smiling woman. In his small hands was a kite. Next to the child were a pair of twins, both of whom were girls and looked to be a bit younger than their brother.

Yes, the man remembered now. He had promised to return and help teach the boy how to fly the kite together… The two daughters wanted to make his first meal after he came back home.

“Welcome home…” The woman greeted him. Slowly, she bent down to pat both the girls’ heads. The wife smiled at her husband again. “…Guang Li.”

“Honey…” The ghost uttered, unable to believe who he was seeing. He turned to the other spirits, all of whom were facing their families and friends as well.

Before Guang Li knew it, a sea of golden phantoms stood around him and the cluster of specters. All thoughts in regarding the chain that bounded the ghosts altogether were forgotten.

The hundreds of people whom the man and the others had longed for…were united once more. For eight years, the group had committed acts of murder to fill the empty voids and to cope with the anger and sadness welling up inside of them.

Tears flowed freely from the spirits’ eyes.

But the truth was…all the ghosts wanted more than anything was to leave the cave and the surroundings—and go home.