The door was suddenly flung open.
Mu Yuxun walked in, only to see Chu Hao wearing nothing but a pair of briefs.
Mu Yuxun yelped in surprise and quickly covered her eyes. "Chu... Chu Hao, I... I came to call you for breakfast."
Chu Hao's face turned red. But as a big guy, there's no need to be shy, he thought. He said, "Alright, I'll get dressed."
Mu Yuxun ran out, her heart racing. She had actually sneaked a peek at his briefs! Just thinking about it made her blush.
After Chu Hao got dressed, he went out.
After a delightful breakfast, Mu Yuxun's uncle came looking for Chu Hao.
Her uncle smiled and said, "Master Chu Tian, when do we leave? Is the One-armed Ghost really up in the mountains?"
Chu Hao shook his head, and the uncle's face changed slightly.
Chu Hao said, "Gather everybody in the courtyard and wait for me. Today, this Taoist Master will show off a few tricks—Divine Calculation!"
Mu Yuxun's uncle was thrilled.
DING... Host has successfully shown off, earning 1 Pretentiousness Point.
Chu Hao was annoyed. Was it because there were too few spectators? It seemed so.
That's what Chu Hao thought. Since Li Meiqing had said the One-armed Ghost followed them from the city, he decided to see who had been enveloped by dark energy and haunted by ghosts during this time.
Soon, the courtyard was filled with people. The Mu Family members were all waiting for Master Chu Tian to appear, curious about what the Taoist Master would say.
The younger generation, on the other hand, was excited at the thought of going ghost hunting with the Taoist Master. The thrill was indescribable.
"Yu Xun, how come you didn't tell your cousin sooner about having such an awesome classmate?" a young man who looked about twenty-three asked.
A girl from the Mu Family excitedly said, "Yeah! Master Chu Tian was so cool yesterday. If he were my boyfriend, that would be amazing. Having a boyfriend like him would let me sleep soundly and peacefully."
Mu Yuxun gave her a glare and said, "Chu Hao is a Taoist priest; he will never marry."
The Mu Family girl snorted. "Then I'll just wait for him to return to secular life."
"You!"
Mu Yuxun stomped her foot in frustration.
It wasn't just the Mu Family; many people from Anli Village had come too, crowding the outer courtyard. After hearing about what happened the night before, they all wanted to get a glimpse of Master Chu Tian's true appearance.
"I heard that Master Chu Tian is really amazing. He fought that ghost for three hundred rounds yesterday and managed to vanquish it."
"They say the Taoist Master is pretty young. I wonder if he has a girlfriend," a girl from the village said.
"Master Chu Tian is such a reclusive expert. He would never fancy a country girl like you! Haven't you seen the girls from the Mu Family? They're all from the city and so well-maintained—especially Mu Yufei. So many people are thinking about her."
At that moment, Chu Hao strode forward with an indescribable air of charisma.
"The Taoist Master! So handsome."
"So awesome! I wonder if the Taoist Master takes disciples."
"Ah... If only my son had half the abilities of Master Chu Tian, that would be wonderful."
DING... Host has successfully shown off, earning 1 Pretentiousness Point.
What the heck! That works too?
By this time, the members of the Mu Family were warmly greeting him.
Chu Hao immediately noticed Mu Yufei not far away—the legendary, icy beauty, the goddess. Today, she was not in mourning wear but in a sky-blue tracksuit, revealing a figure with the perfect golden ratio. With her hair in a ponytail, she looked refined and untainted by worldly dust.
Perhaps it was a matter of taste, but I feel she's much prettier than her younger sister, Chu Hao thought. Hmm, my heart leans more towards the mature type.
Mu Yufei smiled and nodded at Chu Hao—a rare smile that was quite refreshing to him.
Just then, a proud and resonant voice arose, "I didn't expect Master Chu Tian to be so skilled at such a young age. I am Zhuge Dao."
A middle-aged Taoist priest appeared, dressed in a yellow Taoist robe with a tall yellow hat on his head, resembling the ghost hunters from the movies.
Chu Hao was startled. A colleague! How could there be a colleague here? He couldn't help furrowing his brow.
At that moment, the stout middle-aged man came over, smiling. "Master Chu Tian, let me introduce you. This is Grandmaster Zhuge, whom I invited from the city."
Before Chu Hao could speak, Mu Chenglong had already stepped forward, his face stern. "Third Brother, what are you doing?"
The 'Third Brother' was Li Meiqing's son, Mu Chenglang—Mu Chenglong's younger brother.
Mu Chenglang smiled. "I was just worried Master Chu Tian alone wouldn't be able to handle everything, so I had Grandmaster Zhuge travel overnight. It's for our added security. Second Brother, Grandmaster Zhuge is a true master. Whenever I have issues, I seek his guidance. Exorcising ghosts is a simple task for him."
Mu Chenglong didn't know what to say. After all, it was his own brother, and Mu Chenglang was thinking of everyone's safety.
Chu Hao looked at Zhuge Dao, feeling a surge of irritation. Is this fellow here to steal my livelihood?
However, after sizing up Zhuge Dao for a few moments and using the Ma Yi Divine Calculation Technique, his Mana Points began to slowly diminish.
It seems Mana Points are quite important, he thought. Soon, a smile appeared on his face.
Zhuge Dao, slightly plump with a small mustache, asked, "Young Master Chu, may I know which sect you hail from?"
Chu Hao replied indifferently, "I belong to no sect."
A hint of disdain flashed in Zhuge Dao's eyes. "Oh! It appears Young Master Chu is self-taught. I haven't encountered such a person in twenty years."
Well, well, well! The underlying tone of mockery was unmistakable; how could Chu Hao not hear it?
Chu Hao replied, "That's because you lack experience."
Zhuge Dao laughed heartily, fixing his gaze on Chu Hao. "If any ordinary person had said that, I would have to debate the point. But seeing as Young Master Chu is young and proud, I'll let it be."
Everyone around fell silent. It looked like this Zhuge Dao wasn't here with good intentions, was he?
Chu Hao smiled. "Don't do that, Grandmaster Zhuge. I actually enjoy stirring things up. If I say you lack experience, then you lack experience."
"You!" Zhuge Dao's gaze turned icy.
Mu Chenglang quickly tried to mediate. "Masters, we should prioritize handling the Mu Family's situation right now. We don't even know where the One-armed Ghost is."
Zhuge Dao snorted coldly. "I won't stoop to your level."
Chu Hao sneered. "The Grandmaster is all high and mighty, but I'm just speaking the truth. Let me give you a piece of advice: you'd better leave quickly, or you might lose your life."
Zhuge Dao frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
Sensing the animosity between the two, Mu Chenglong swiftly changed the subject. "Master Chu Tian, why did you gather us in the courtyard?"
Chu Hao answered lazily, "Actually, it's nothing much. I just want to see who the One-armed Ghost came to Anli Village with."
The crowd's eyes brightened.
Mu Chenglong asked, "Master Chu Tian, do you have a method for this?"
Chu Hao replied, "Divine Calculation."
"Haha... Divine Calculation? I too have studied a bit of it. I wonder what specific knowledge Young Master Chu is referring to?" Zhuge Dao, still holding a grudge, was looking for an opportunity to provoke Chu Hao.
Chu Hao, increasingly annoyed, really felt like smacking him with his shoe. He said, "Are you just terminally bored? Always looking for trouble with me? Get lost!"
Everyone present was taken aback, not having expected the two to clash at their first meeting.
Zhuge Dao sneered, "Don't be shameless when I'm trying to be polite. It's not good for someone so young to be deceiving others. In my view, there are no ghosts in Anli Village; it's all fake."
The crowd was astounded, not understanding his implications.