Nuonuo came to the front yard and saw Li Che being punished by having to run laps around the courtyard. Her little head was busy thinking about how she could help her Third Brother.
Although they had only met for the first time today, this Third Brother hadn't left a very good impression on her, but Nuonuo still wanted to help him out.
While she was deep in thought, Chuyi appeared beside her as if by magic and asked, "Want to help your Third Brother?"
Hearing Chuyi's voice, Nuonuo's face lit up with pleasant surprise. Oh right, how could she have forgotten about Brother Chuyi!
"Mhm, Brother Chuyi, Nuonuo wants to help Third Brother! That way, Eldest Aunt, Eldest Uncle, and Grandfather and Grandmother won't be mad at Third Brother anymore!"
Nuonuo's eyes shone with hope; looking at Chuyi was like seeing a savior.
Chuyi sighed inwardly. This little girl held no grudges at all. But then again, that was fine—kind-hearted girls were the ones people loved.
"Nuonuo, since that's the case, I'll teach you an incantation now. Remember it well. This incantation works against ordinary ghosts, but as for other kinds, well, it's hard to say."
A look of earnestness flashed across Chuyi's eyes. Although it was still a bit early to teach Nuonuo, since she wanted to help Li Che, even if he had to act as her Protective Dharma, he would help her accomplish this little wish.
Hearing this, Nuonuo nodded repeatedly. "Nuonuo knows! Brother Chuyi, what is the incantation?"
Chuyi smiled faintly, bent down slightly, and whispered a few words into Nuonuo's ear.
Nuonuo listened very attentively.
"Did you remember it?" Chuyi straightened up and smiled gently.
"Mhm mhm, Nuonuo remembers, Brother Chuyi! Can I go now?"
Chuyi nodded.
Nuonuo clapped her little hands together and pulled up her small sleeves, revealing her lotus-root-like arms. The ancient copper coin tied to her right wrist stood out clearly against her fair skin.
"Third Brother!" Nuonuo called out to Li Che.
Hearing the milky voice address him as "Third Brother," a strange look crossed Li Che's face, though it was quickly replaced by disgust.
Chuyi took in all of Li Che's expressions. It seemed that Li Che's situation really couldn't be delayed any longer; the thing attached to him was about to completely hijack his sanity.
If it wasn't dealt with soon, this kid would turn into an obnoxious and selfish wretch for the rest of his life.
Seeing that Li Che didn't even spare her a glance, Nuonuo's little head instantly drooped.
Watching Nuonuo's aggrieved expression, a nameless anger flared up in Chuyi's heart. He suddenly felt like strangling Li Che and letting the brat live out the rest of his life however he pleased!
Chuyi whispered in Nuonuo's ear, "Nuonuo, forget about him. Let him be like this forever!"
Nuonuo shook her head repeatedly. "No way, Brother Chuyi! Third Brother didn't mean it, he's being controlled by a nasty ghost!"
Of course Chuyi knew that, but he was simply furious—no one was allowed to treat Nuonuo this way.
Chuyi sighed. Now was indeed not the time to act on impulse. He had to let Nuonuo go and deal with that ghost first.
"Nuonuo, do you remember the incantation I taught you?"
Nuonuo nodded gently, her little head visualizing the hand seals.
Chuyi smiled faintly and said, "Good, then go ahead."
Nuonuo trotted over on her short little legs, stepping closer and closer to Li Che as he ran.
Out of the corner of his eye, Li Che saw Nuonuo approaching, but he simply didn't want to engage with her, running past her over and over again.
Seeing that Li Che completely ignored her, a trace of disappointment appeared on Nuonuo's small face. But she quickly remembered that there was a bad ghost attached to Li Che causing him to act this way, so she didn't feel too sad. She called out to him again, "Third Brother, can you stop for a moment? Nuonuo wants to tell you something!"
Hearing Nuonuo's cry, Li Che hesitated for a long time, but finally slowed to a stop when he reached her.
"What is it, squirt? If Grandfather blames me later for slacking off, I'm telling him you made me do it."
Disgust colored the look Li Che gave Nuonuo. He had no idea why his resentment toward a little kid ran so deep; regardless, anyone who got close to him annoyed him, and he only cared about his own feelings.
Nuonuo's eyes were fixed intently on Li Che—or more accurately, on the ghost crouching on Li Che's back.
"Third Brother, there's a ghost on your back."
Nuonuo's tone was so calm that Li Che thought the little squirt must have lost her mind.
"Hahahaha, little squirt, is something wrong with your brain? There's no such thing as ghosts in this world. Don't think you can talk nonsense just because you're little."
Li Che's expression suddenly twisted into a ferocious scowl—if you looked closely, it bore a striking resemblance to the ghost clinging to his back.
Nuonuo wasn't scared at all. She simply tilted her head and said in a sweet voice, "Does Third Brother not believe me? Then should Nuonuo show you that ghost?"
Sheer disdain filled Li Che's face. "Hmph, ghosts don't even exist in this world. Don't bother trying to butter me up with tricks like this. I hate kids the most, especially little girls."
Li Che's words pierced Nuonuo's heart. Her large eyes welled up with mist, and big teardrops were about to fall.
Chuyi's gaze turned icy. He flashed instantly to Nuonuo's side, his voice ringing out coldly, "Is that so?"
Li Che froze completely, a flicker of fear crossing his eyes. Aside from him and Nuonuo, there was no third person around—where had that voice come from?
Fighting down the urge to run, he forced himself to speak, only to hear the voice ring out again: "Hmph, let's see where you think you're hiding."
Terror was written all over the face of the ghost crouching on Li Che's back. Knowing it was no match for Chuyi, its only option was to flee.
But how could Chuyi give it that chance? Seeing it try to run, Chuyi told Nuonuo to use her Daoist Arts.
Nuonuo nodded repeatedly, forming a few hand seals in front of her chest while chanting under her breath, before finally shouting at the top of her lungs, "Freeze!"
Looking utterly bewildered, Li Che watched Nuonuo. When he saw her staring fixedly at his back, he turned his head mechanically. At that exact moment, he felt every pore on his body dilate.
Sure enough, standing right behind him was a hideously ugly ghost with claw-like hands and a ferocious face, looking as though it had been trying to make its escape.
Li Che's brain short-circuited completely. He felt entirely incapable of thought.
He had never believed in the existence of ghosts, but at this moment, he believed.
Without time to worry about Li Che's shock, Nuonuo walked right up to the ghost and asked in her sweet, milky voice, "Ghost, who told you to come and hurt Nuonuo's Third Brother?"
Despite the childishness of her voice, it carried an unmistakable trace of majesty.
"Dao Lord, Little Celestial Master, spare my life! I was only following orders, I didn't want to do this!"
If its body hadn't been paralyzed, it would have dropped to its knees and kowtowed three times to Nuonuo and Chuyi right then and there.
Nuonuo looked at Chuyi. Chuyi slowly walked closer and asked, "Are you the Selfish Ghost?"