Celestial Master Zhang and White Tiger the Beastman walked down the mountain together, deep in conversation.

  White Tiger asked, "Why are you overthinking this? The answer is right in front of you. The Grand Celestial Master himself took in the Ghost General and Ghost Soldiers! Just do the same."

  Celestial Master Zhang replied, "I initially intended to say that, but after giving it careful thought, I decided against it. That action is only permissible in an individual-to-individual context. The Grand Celestial Master must use his own merit to pay off the Ghost General's sins, but that’s only the interest—it temporarily prevents the Ghost Messengers from capturing them.

  "However, a Ghost is immortal, while a Celestial Master, no matter how long-lived, has a finite lifespan. So, in the long run, it won't work, because they need a permanent resting place."

  "Ghost General Ngoc Tran cannot be admitted to any Underworld Zone. The Benevolent Zone is definitely out. The Wicked Zone is possible, but that would be a pity—his act of loyalty before death would be wasted. The Rage Zone is even worse; many benevolent ghosts there deeply resent Ngoc Tran. His entry there would be no different from entering the Wicked Zone."

  White Tiger seemed to realize something and said, "Ah, I see. That’s why the Grand Celestial Master said there’s no rush. Hmm. So, why not establish a temple for Ghost General Ngoc Tran and use the villagers' merit to compensate?"

  Celestial Master Zhang said, "That's even more problematic. Ghost General Ngoc Tran committed many evil acts, albeit under the King's orders, and only his final action was commendable. If we let people worship him, bad people will learn from this—they might live wickedly all their lives, then try to perform good deeds at the end, like Ngoc Tran. How chaotic would the world become then?"

  White Tiger nodded, showing understanding, and said, "I see. If committing a crime is too easily forgiven, many people will choose to do evil and sin before repenting. That would drive me crazy."

  Celestial Master Zhang burst into laughter and said, "Now you understand why I was silent, right?" He saw that they were out of Ngoc Than Mountain territory and added, "We should fly back to Ghost Valley Village. It's faster."

  Just then, a carriage approached from a distance, and the driver shouted loudly, "Celestial Master Zhang, do you remember me? The one who drove you a few days ago!"

  Celestial Master Zhang happily responded, "Thank you, coachman. This time, I won't be taking the carriage. I apologize for the trouble."

  The coachman looked very sad and said, "I’m not asking for the fare. It’s just that the Celestial Master said he would come to my village to catch a ghost, right?"

  Celestial Master Zhang was silent for a moment, unsure whether to refuse, as he wanted to quickly return to find Noe for advice on the theoretical exam. But White Tiger quickly interjected, "Exorcising demons and protecting the righteous path is the duty of us Celestial Masters! Let’s go. Where is your village?"

  Celestial Master Zhang was speechless. Since White Tiger had already stated the Celestial Masters' maxim, there was no way to refuse now.

  Throughout the journey, White Tiger actively engaged the coachman in conversation: "What is the ghost like? Describe it briefly for me."

  The coachman shook his head, "We don't know exactly what it is. A long time ago, the court built a temple to worship a general, but no one in the village knew who he was. The general's face was also ugly, frightening the children. Gradually, no one came anymore, and the temple slowly became old and dilapidated. We've seen a black shadow walking back and forth inside the temple ever since."

  White Tiger, like a professional investigator, listened, took notes, and continued to ask, "Has that ghost ever harmed anyone or committed any bad deeds?"

  The coachman replied, "No, sir. On the contrary, I feel our village is quite peaceful, with hardly any other evil spirits or monsters."

  White Tiger said, "I understand. It's probably just a common weed-ghost. I’ll enter the village for one day, and they'll all run away."

  The coachman happily said, "That would be wonderful! Thank you, Celestial Master White Tiger."

  Celestial Master Zhang, sitting quietly and listening, found this strange. Weed-ghosts usually gathered in packs, ranging from dozens to hundreds, and they were troublemakers who loved to tease others. Why were they so well-behaved, staying put in one place?

  Upon arriving at the village, White Tiger stayed overnight at the coachman's house. The next morning, he proactively went alone to the old temple. Celestial Master Zhang walked around, gathering more information by visiting and asking the elderly villagers.

  Inside the temple was the soul of a military general of unknown name, who simply called himself General Chung. He wore armor, carried a sword at his waist, and held a book, focusing intently on every word. His face was pitch black and ugly. However, White Tiger, lacking the Yin-Yang Eye, only saw a black smoky mass sitting in the center of the temple.

  He shouted loudly, "Weed-ghost, get out of here! Who allowed you to run wild?" White Tiger's shout carried Noble Righteous Qi and pure Yang energy, which are the bane of ghosts.

  But the effect was poor this time. The Ghost General was only pushed back slightly. His eyes shone brightly, and he spoke in a whispery, wind-like voice that required careful listening to hear: "Strange. Why don't I feel any demonic or ghostly energy at all? Although it's demon energy, it's not malicious. A good demon? Forget it. Attack first, talk later. This is my home, and I won't let anyone take it!" Then he switched to a loud voice, "Demon! This is my home! Don't you dare act presumptuously!"

  White Tiger was furious. Anyone calling him a demon instantly angered him: "I am a human! Completely human! A tiger-headed human, a different race, not an animal! You dare provoke me, your suffering has just begun!" White Tiger strained, transforming from a Beastman into his White Tiger King form—a white tiger over ten feet tall, who immediately collapsed the temple gate with a stomp.

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  The furious Ghost General drew his sword and said, "You destroyed my home! You will suffer even more!" The two sides lunged at each other, roaring fiercely, shaking the entire village. People ran over to watch. They saw a black shadow, like a ghost, moving swiftly in broad daylight, jumping up and down on the White Tiger King's head, exchanging blows. This left White Tiger bruised, but his wounds quickly healed.

  White Tiger King was a body cultivator, possessing a robust physique, but it was useless against a ghost; all his attacks passed through. Only the sound from his mouth and his blood carried extremely strong Yang Qi and Noble Righteous Qi. However, Ghost General Chung was not significantly affected, so the two continued to fight back and forth. General Chung attacked, and White Tiger recovered, with neither able to determine a winner.

  The fight only stopped when Celestial Master Zhang arrived. The villagers remained, curious to listen, but neither combatant would stop fighting.

  Celestial Master Zhang asked, "Who are you? Why are you here? What are your intentions?"

  Ghost General Chung, still fighting, replied, "I don't remember my name. I only remember being called General Chung. This is my home. The statue in the temple belongs to me. I used to have many temples like this, but they have all been torn down. This is my last one. My job is to protect this village. Any monsters or evil spirits that come here, I capture and drive away immediately."

  Celestial Master Zhang did not ask many questions, but he understood immediately: no one was worshiping him, so his merit was dwindling. Besides affecting his power, it also affected the Ghost General's memory. If this continued, he would become a wild, wandering spirit, forgetting everything and roaming everywhere. Celestial Master Zhang went inside the temple to look for paintings and images on the wall to find the reason why General Chung was conferred a deity status and given a private temple.

  General Chung continued to fight the White Tiger King. They fought for an entire day and night without a decisive victory. By the second day, White Tiger began to tire. Ghost General Chung, however, grew more vigorous with each exchange, demonstrating subtle techniques, unlike White Tiger, who was overly confident in his ability and lacked any special moves. General Chung had two main weapons: the General’s Sword (also called the Demon Quelling Sword) and the Official Seal (also called the Ghost Suppressing Seal), which flew around and struck anyone who came near during battle. Both were items granted by the king to the temple, serving as a reminder of his aspiration to be a military general and a court official.

  White Tiger collapsed onto the ground, unconscious, while General Chung sat triumphantly on his head. The villagers immediately drew this scene, and later, Ghost General Chung was known as the Subduing Tiger Celestial Master (Ph?c h? Thiên s?)—a special existence outside the common understanding, a ghost conferred the title of Celestial Master.

  General Chung was a talented individual, achieving the rank of both Literary and Martial First Rank Scholars (Tr?ng nguyên V?n và Tr?ng nguyên V?) in the same year—the highest ranks in the two most important royal examinations. He was praised lavishly by everyone, but when General Chung met the King, he was mocked and ridiculed because he was too ugly. The King even cut all his rewards and dismissed him.

  General Chung, enraged, slammed his head into a pillar in front of the King to demonstrate his strength, ready to die for the King. But the King was terrified, thinking General Chung was attempting assassination, and ordered his troops to behead him. However, the court officials pleaded, and in the end, he was spared but severely beaten. General Chung was distraught and no longer wished to live, so he fell ill and died.

  A Demon Cultivator (Ma Tu), hating the King, traveled everywhere, capturing the souls of those who held grudges against the King, including General Chung. He then secretly put them into a vase that the King greatly adored and always kept in his bedroom. Every night, the Demon Cultivator summoned hundreds of ghosts to harass the King's sleep, causing him to lose appetite and sleep, falling gravely ill.

  After a long period of refinement and training by the Demon Cultivator, General Chung grew stronger and began to regain control of himself, no longer being manipulated. In one instance, General Chung resisted the Demon Cultivator's command, refusing to attack the King. Instead, he turned to attack the other ghosts. Some ghosts were even devoured by General Chung. The King, in a dream, saw himself being saved. He inquired and discovered it was General Chung, the very person he had once cast aside.

  Waking up the next morning, the King immediately recounted this to several people. They suggested drawing a picture of General Chung or sculpting his statue to hang in the room, then performing a ritual over it. Ghost General Chung would gain more power, better protecting the King and ensuring better sleep. The King followed this advice, and his sleep improved, and his health recovered. The King was so delighted that he ordered the temple to be built.

  Celestial Master Zhang finished reading and went to ask the village elder. The elder confirmed that the temple was indeed built by the King. However, the common people hated the King and wished him dead as soon as possible. Hearing that General Chung had saved the King only increased their hatred, so no one came to worship. Furthermore, they did not want their descendants to imitate General Chung, thinking that committing suicide (dying of despair) for such a terrible king was not worth it at all.

  After hearing everything, Celestial Master Zhang and White Tiger had no further intentions and left the village. Although White Tiger had lost, he greatly respected the Ghost General and said, "Ghost General Chung had a truly miserable life. Is there no way to save him? Should he just become a wandering ghost? Or why don't you subdue him and make him your personal Ghost General? Wouldn't that be good?"

  Celestial Master Zhang replied, "This case is similar to Ngoc Tran—both did good and bad things. General Chung didn't cling to life; he died of despair, an act akin to suicide, disrespecting his own life. This is a severe sin that would surely send him to the Wicked Zone. Yet, his entire life was one of great kindness, helping many people. As a ghost, he had the chance for revenge but chose not to, remaining determined to protect the King."

  "Ngoc Tran and General Chung are both foolishly loyal; both are pitiful. If they had met a good king, their lives would have been different."

  Celestial Master Zhang continued, "He is too powerful. I'm not strong enough to subdue him right now. Let me become a Purple-Robed Celestial Master first, then I'll return here to subdue him."

  White Tiger suggested, "Try meeting Noe. Maybe he has a solution?"

  Noe, upon hearing the story, lay down and slept, entering his dream world to search for an answer. The next day, he woke up and told Celestial Master Zhang:

  "Divine positions come in many forms—great, small, and even super powerful ones. There are some divine positions that don't require temples to be built for worship. Regarding the two Ghost Generals you mentioned yesterday, both possess loyalty to their masters, but their actions in life were questionable. So, confer upon them the position of Door Gods (M?n th?n), deities who guard doors, protecting against thieves, robbers, and demon attacks.

  "Common folk won't pay much attention to the past or the lifespan of a door-guard. This is convenient for both sides."

  Celestial Master Zhang was delighted upon hearing this and immediately went to report to the Exorcist Underworld Sect. Zhang Phong Ba was very pleased and immediately granted the necessary permits, requesting the other Grand Celestial Masters to approve Celestial Master Zhang to establish a minor Celestial Master Sect specializing in this concept.

  Zhang went on to invite Ghost General Chung to become the Door God for his sect, propagating this idea to the nearby village and city, and drawing the image of Ghost General Chung on the main doors as a protective Door God.