Zhixuan wore a solemn expression as he led a group of soldiers and Daoist priests down the street, searching for ghostly auras.
Just as he was intently staring at the dark gold compass in his hand, a rotten egg suddenly smashed against his head.
"You're just a bunch of stinking Daoists, catching ghosts indiscriminately!"
"Exactly! You've been at it for so long and haven't caught a thing!"
"You're probably not even trying!"
The surrounding commoners shouted loudly.
It was one thing to fail to catch anything, but to pass off fake ghosts just to make up the numbers was absolutely intolerable!
Zhixuan's face darkened, and he yelled back, "I wasn't the one who caught them! The guys who caught the wrong ghosts are right behind me, okay?!"
The egg dripped down from his head, and Zhixuan was trembling with anger.
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.
Then, the commoners started throwing eggs at the government officials.
"How dare you catch fake ghosts! My child still hasn't woken up!"
"If you can't catch them, then stop trying and get the hell out of the capital!"
The government officials were already feeling guilty, so when the commoners pelted them with eggs, they didn't dare to utter a single word in defense. Before long, those officials were covered from head to toe in egg yolk and vegetables, completely unrecognizable.
Ji Zhaoxi cast a sympathetic glance at Zhixuan and handed him a handkerchief.
The moment Zhixuan saw the handkerchief, his tears immediately fell.
Sometimes, the most grievance-inducing thing wasn't being misunderstood, but having someone understand you in that very moment!
Zhixuan was incredibly moved. "Miss Ji, you are such a good person."
He was just about to continue thanking her when he noticed Xie Qingyan standing nearby, looking at him calmly.
Zhixuan fell silent for a moment, then turned around and silently wiped the egg yolk off his head.
The Daoist priests and soldiers searching for ghostly auras split into several groups to inspect the various temples.
Ji Zhaoxi found herself unconsciously drawn to a sewing shop not far away. Inside sat a blind old woman, resting quietly in a corner, with a few young servants standing nearby.
The shop wasn't large, and from time to time, pregnant women would walk in.
Even though the old woman was clearly blind, Ji Zhaoxi couldn't shake the feeling that she was staring at her, which left a faint sense of unease in her heart.
"Miss Ji, what's wrong?" Xie Qingyan asked, looking toward the sewing shop.
Ji Zhaoxi shook her head.
Xie Qingyan looked down at her and frowned.
They had spent the entire day searching but still came up empty-handed. The dark gold compass was clearly moving, yet they couldn't sense the presence of the malicious ghost at all.
"The Emperor never should have made us work with those government officials."
"Every time we went out to catch ghosts before, that bunch either wanted to drink at a tavern or take a rest. They barely walked a few steps all day."
"I really want to go back to the Daoist temple. Do you guys want to go back too?"
Zhixuan kept chattering incessantly on the road, but none of the other Daoist priests paid him any mind because he simply talked too much.
If anyone responded to him, he would pester them endlessly. Even if they went to the latrine, he would stand outside and keep talking, demanding that the person inside reply to him.
Zhixuan seemed to have long grown used to being ignored.
Suddenly, a curious voice chimed in.
"Is the Daoist temple fun?"
Zhixuan's eyes lit up. "It's so fun! Miss Ji, let me tell you..."
He looked at the calm-faced man standing next to her, his voice growing softer and softer until he turned his head away without another word.
Ji Zhaoxi looked at Zhixuan, then at Xie Qingyan.
Ji Zhaoxi asked cautiously, "Daoist Priest Xie, if someone talks a lot, do you find it very annoying?"
She could completely understand Zhixuan, because she also talked a lot.
Not only did she pester Xie Qingyan every day to absorb his vital energy, but she would even tell him about trivial things, like running into a cat that wasn't afraid of her.
Was Xie Qingyan annoyed by her too, but just too polite to say it?
A trace of confusion flashed in Xie Qingyan's eyes. "Junior Martial Brother, why did you stop talking? I was just thinking about the malicious ghost."
Zhixuan: ...
Zhixuan forced a smile. "Senior Martial Brother, my throat hurts. I don't want to talk anymore."
That night, Ji Zhaoxi went to bed early. As soon as she entered the room, she felt drained of energy.
Before falling asleep, her mind was filled with the image of that old woman.
Lying in bed, she felt freezing cold all over—so cold that her bones ached. In her daze, she thought to herself: she was a ghost, so why was she still afraid of the cold?
Ji Zhaoxi couldn't help but curl up, her hands tightly gripping the clothes at her chest. Her previously stable Yin energy began to grow chaotic, and she felt as if something was constantly tearing at her soul.
Soon after, the scene before her eyes began to twist and stretch.
She saw the scene of Xie Qingyan killing that malicious ghost in Qingxi Village. The ghost was nailed to the blue stone bricks, its soul body twisting into bizarre shapes from the pain, as piercing wails tore from its throat continuously.
Meanwhile, Xie Qingyan looked down at the malicious ghost from above. His Daoist robe was spotless, fluttering gently in the wind, and his eyes carried a trace of near-deathly indifference.
Suddenly, she realized that her own throat hurt so much it felt like it was tearing apart. Pale-faced, she met Xie Qingyan's gaze and discovered that the malicious ghost nailed to the stone slab had become her...
Moonlight spilled across the ground. The bamboo leaves in the courtyard rustled in the wind, and a few little ghosts scurried back and forth.
Xie Qingyan was meditating in the courtyard with his eyes closed when he suddenly noticed the temperature inside the room felt off.
His heart tightened.
"Miss Ji?"
Xie Qingyan pulled back the bed curtains. Upon seeing the pale-faced Ji Zhaoxi on the bed, his expression darkened drastically.
She was biting her lower lip fiercely, her entire body trembling slightly from fear, not daring to make a single sound.
Xie Qingyan directly entered Ji Zhaoxi's nightmare.
Trapped in her nightmare, Ji Zhaoxi was crying and hiding in a corner. When Xie Qingyan saw the entity that terrified her, he completely froze.
A phantom of "Xie Qingyan" stood not far from Ji Zhaoxi, holding a talisman designed to scatter a ghost's soul.
Without any hesitation, Xie Qingyan expressionlessly crushed the phantom into powder, a flash of hostility passing through his eyes.
Xie Qingyan's murderous intent toward that malicious ghost had never been so intense.
He carefully walked over to Ji Zhaoxi. As soon as she saw him, she cried and shrank back.
Xie Qingyan's heart clenched. He softened his voice, "Miss Ji, that just now was an illusion. I won't hurt you."
Ji Zhaoxi didn't believe him at all. Her eyes were filled with fear, tear tracks still lingering in the corners of her eyes.
Xie Qingyan's breath hitched, feeling as though an invisible hand was squeezing his heart.
"Miss Ji, didn't you say before that I treat you the best? How could I possibly hurt you?" he said softly.
Xie Qingyan slowly approached her. "Have you forgotten, Miss Ji? You said I was a good person."
Ji Zhaoxi was held in his arms, her tears falling endlessly. She was afraid of him, yet her hands couldn't help but grasp his Daoist robe.
"But I'm scared of you..."
Xie Qingyan gently wiped away her tears, his voice carrying a coaxing tone. "Are you really afraid of me, Miss Ji? But I was the one who helped you put on your dress this morning. Don't you remember?"
Ji Zhaoxi leaned against his chest, a look of confusion on her face.
