The female water ghost gracefully floated to the riverbank, leapt, and vanished into the waters.

As the spectral pressure lifted, both my father and I looked disheveled.

"Master Chen, we had an agreement. You were supposed to help us get rid of the water ghost. Now she's gone, and you didn't do anything. Isn't that a bit too much?" I confronted Chen Yuanshan.

"Young man, my hands are tied. We in the Daoist tradition abide by the law of cause and effect. You and your father violated taboos by retrieving that resentful corpse from the water. According to the rules, I should've let the water ghost settle the score for the deceased. If I had intervened and expelled her, it would have defied the cosmic order, inviting karmic repercussions," Chen Yuanshan explained apologetically.

"I want to know if what she said was just a scare tactic," my father, seeking a glimmer of hope, asked Chen Yuanshan.

"She wasn't bluffing. If you don't follow her instructions, you'll both meet a grim fate at her hands eventually," Chen Yuanshan replied earnestly.

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"Son, you accused me of being selfish, living only for myself. Now, for the first time, I'll make a sacrifice for you," my father declared, taking out his trusty dagger.

"Dad, what are you doing?"

"I'll find Chen Feng, kill him, toss his corpse into the river, and avenge the water ghost," my father declared, ready to leave.

I stepped forward, blocking his way, concerned by his reckless decision.

"You're acting recklessly," Chen Yuanshan scolded my father.

"What else can I do?" My father, feeling cornered, asked Chen Yuanshan.

Chen Yuanshan thought for a moment. "This is like bargaining for groceries or clothes. We can negotiate with the water ghost. I believe there's room for discussion."

"Dad, your impulsive nature is getting us nowhere," I said, urging him to reconsider.

Chen Yuanshan suggested, "Leave your son here. I'll take him to negotiate with the water ghost."

"Will she drown my son?" my father inquired cautiously.

"Don't worry, I'll ensure his safety. The water ghost relies on you two to seek revenge, so for now, she won't take your lives," Chen Yuanshan reassured my father.

With these words, Chen Yuanshan walked confidently into the courtyard, leaving me standing there with an expression of both hope and apprehension.