I have also never practiced martial arts. At this moment, facing off against Gang Ben Taro, it's all relying on a sense of national spirit.

Only after rushing out did I realize that things were not looking good.

I underestimated the combat power of that Tu Fei Yuan. Gang Ben Taro came quickly. My fingers had just touched the Samadhi True Fire Talisman, and before I could take out the talisman, I found that Gang Ben Taro had already killed his way in front of me.

I was greatly surprised and there was no time to dodge.

That knife swooshed against my chest. Although this knife wasn't physical, it still had an effect.

I only felt a slight chill in my chest, and at that moment, there was only one thought in my mind: "Oh no! I'm finished!"

Perhaps it was the ancestral grave emitting green smoke, but I was truly lucky. The soul-calling gourd that Kuzhuangzi gave me earlier, I hadn't taken it out the whole time, and it happened to be tucked inside the inner pocket of my chest.

Gang Ben Taro's knife struck the soul-calling gourd precisely.

A burst of red light suddenly erupted from my chest. It was emitted by the soul-calling gourd.

The soul-calling gourd was also a divine object, definitely possessing the miraculous effect of expelling evil spirits.

Gang Ben Taro was a fierce ghost, and the knife in his hand was naturally a cursed object.

The soul-calling gourd sensed the attack of the cursed object, so it erupted with a "counterattack."

Gang Ben Taro originally wanted to end my life with one slash, but he didn't expect his luck to be so bad, as he ended up slashing onto a "landmine."

Red light flashed, catching Gang Ben Taro off guard, and he was shocked knife out of his hand.

Gang Ben Taro seemed bewildered, probably still not understanding what had just happened.

This was an opportunity!

Of course, I wouldn't give him any more time to react. I used my right index and middle fingers to quickly take out the Samadhi True Fire Talisman from my pocket.

"You little devil, die! Go back and see your grandpa!"

I don't know why I had such a rich line, maybe it was because of my emotions. In any case, I roared and slapped the Samadhi True Fire Talisman on Gang Ben Taro's forehead while shouting, "Hurry up and execute the order!"

The flame pattern on the Samadhi True Fire Talisman instantly lit up, and the Samadhi True Fire surged out, immediately enveloping Gang Ben Taro's ghost head.

"Wuwa—wuwa wawa—"

Gang Ben Taro let out an extremely mournful ghost cry. The Samadhi True Fire could burn all evil spirits, but it wasn't real fire, but rather a kind of illusory fire.

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Gang Ben Taro's head ignited with blazing fire, and the flames spread rapidly, quickly devouring Gang Ben Taro's body.

Gang Ben Taro rolled around on the ground, wailing. His round belly suddenly made a popping sound, and his belly blast. A thick cloud of ghostly energy billowed out like a mushroom cloud from Gang Ben Taro's belly.

The Samadhi True Fire quickly burned Gang Ben Taro to ashes. With a gust of night wind, the floating ghostly energy quickly dissipated.

Guikugou once again fell silent. If it weren't for the mess all over the ground, no one would know what had just happened here.

I sighed in relief, only then realizing that my vest was already soaked with cold sweat.

I had been highly tense just now and didn't feel afraid, but now that I think about it, I feel scared.

If Gang Ben Taro's slash hadn't landed on my chest, but instead on another part of my body, would I still be standing here?

If I hadn't placed the soul-calling gourd on my chest, Gang Ben Taro's slash would have likely taken my life.

All these coincidences are closely intertwined. If any one of them had deviated, I would have already become one of them.

But then again, in a person's lifetime, isn't it all made up of countless coincidences? If any one of those coincidences goes wrong, the trajectory of life will deviate.

No matter, since the heavens have allowed me to live, there must be a reason for me to survive.

I shook my head, throwing out all the miscellaneous thoughts in my mind.

Ms. Zhang walked confidently in front of me, politely bowing as a gesture of gratitude.

The other ghosts slowly gathered around, each respectfully clasping their fists in thanks.

I stood in the middle, like a hero, receiving the worship of these ghosts, feeling a sense of pride welling up in my heart.

No wonder everyone wants to be a hero. The feeling of being admired by others is truly joyful.

I also returned the gesture, clasping my fists in response, until my arms were too sore to lift, and the group of ghosts slowly dispersed.

Blackbeard walked over, kneeling in front of me with one knee, his fists tightly clenched, and a serious expression on his face. "A real man keeps his word! You helped us take down Gang Ben Taro, which proves that you are a very capable person. I admire capable people the most, so I will follow you!"

Baldy, Horse-Face, Shorty, and Tall and Skinny all walked over, the four ghosts kneeling in a row next to Blackbeard, and said in unison, "We are all willing to follow you!"

I was filled with joy. To gain the approval of these five ghosts, I felt a great sense of accomplishment.

Especially because I didn't forcefully call them with the soul-calling gourd, but instead made them willingly follow me with my actions. That was the key.

The sky was already getting slightly bright. Unknowingly, I had spent the whole night in Gui Kugou.

While everyone else was drinking and watching TV at home on New Year's Day, I was actually making friends with ghosts. It's ridiculous to think about it.

But hey, there is always a reward for hard work. I am satisfied with gaining these five ghosts. In the future, having them by my side will definitely help me accomplish many things.

"Brothers, it's getting late. We should leave!" I took out the soul-calling gourd and waved it at them.

The five ghosts stood up, and Baldy was reluctant to part with Ms. Zhang. He insisted on going to ZMs. Zhang individually to say goodbye.

I nodded in agreement, then turned to Blackbeard and asked, "By the way, I still don't know your names! Each of you tell me!"

"Zhang Ai Guo!"

"Li You Gen!"

"Zhou Xiao Qiang!"

"..."

I shook my head. "Too plain!"

Blackbeard said, "Those are our names from when we were alive. Now that you are our leader, why don't you give us new names?"

I rubbed my chin and thought for a moment. Blackbeard's suggestion was not bad. Their original names were difficult to pronounce and remember, and shouting them out didn't have any impact. It would be better if I gave each of them a code name that was simple, domineering, and easy to remember.

I cleared my throat and pointed at Blackbeard. "From now on, your name is... Long Yi!"

Blackbeard nodded, and then I pointed at Baldy. "You are Long Er!"

Horse-Face, in a deep and muffled voice, said, "Long San!"

Tall and Skinny was Long Si, but Shorty insisted that he was older than Tall and Skinny, so he wanted to be Long Si and have Tall and Skinny be Long Wu instead.

After deciding on the names for the five ghosts, I clapped my hands in satisfaction. "What do you think of your new names?"

The five ghosts replied in unison, "Plain!"