Qi Quan accepted the kneeling ceremony calmly.
She said, "If you’re willing, stay here for two days. If not, you may leave."
"What do you mean?" Yang Su asked anxiously. "Master, please save us!"
When faced with death, dignity no longer mattered much.
Qi Quan glanced at him coolly. "You don’t have many days left to live, so there’s no need to panic."
"Master," Yang Su felt deeply uneasy, "I apologize. I was short-sighted before, failing to recognize greatness. Your novels are simply profound and thought-provoking! Jiaming, don’t you agree?"
His words abruptly stopped.
He stared at Du Jiaming in shock, who was frantically tapping on his phone. The screen lit up repeatedly with "Deep Water" rewards, almost blinding him.
Du Jiaming smashed the screen while saying, "Master, Yang Su is right. Your writing is amazing. I’m sending a thousand Deep Water coins now, and as long as I’m alive, I’ll keep sending you thunderbolts every day!"
Yang Su thought: Damn, how cunning!
He hurriedly took out his phone and followed suit, afraid of being left behind and losing the master’s favor.
Qi Quan: "……"
It was good to receive rewards, and she had no reason to stop them, but some things still needed to be said to prevent them from scaring themselves.
"Reviving Zhang Chengyan before took a lot of my energy. Asking you to stay two days is to restore your vitality, so I can treat you better."
Of course, this was a fabrication, just to put their minds at ease.
"Alright, we’ll stay two days as the master says!" Du Jiaming responded first.
Yang Su quickly nodded in agreement.
In the living room, Su Rong received a message and told Father Du and Father Yang, "The master needs quite some time to treat the two of them. You two should head back first."
The two men exchanged glances, dared not say more, and left.
At the same time, Ning Zhi arrived in Longjiang City.
Chen Feilu personally drove to pick him up. Once Ning Zhi was in the car, Chen asked excitedly, "Ning, are you here to fight a fake master?"
"No," Ning Zhi replied, not so arrogant. "I want you to introduce me to Miss Qi."
He had specifically asked his elders at home. Although they were experienced, they all agreed that the Peach Blossom Mark was hard to remove.
But since such a dark curse appeared in Longjiang City, as a member of the Taoist Masters Association, he had to investigate.
"You want to meet her?" Chen Feilu shook his head in embarrassment. "I’m not very close with the Qi family. I might not have any connections."
Ning Zhi said, "Just find out where she lives. I’ll visit her myself."
"Alright."
Chen Feilu asked around among his friends and quickly found out her address, then headed toward the lakeside villa.
On the way, Ning Zhi explained the Peach Blossom Mark to him, but Chen still found it hard to believe. "You say she’s only twenty-two, how could she be a Level Six Taoist Master?"
Many Taoist Masters never reach Level Six in their entire lives.
Ning Zhi said, "Before meeting me, many also said a twenty-year-old Level Four Taoist Master was impossible."
"…True enough."
They had to accept the existence of a peerless genius.
The car stopped in front of the lakeside villa. Before getting out, Ning Zhi sensed a sinister aura inside.
He furrowed his brow and warned Chen Feilu, who was about to get out, "You go back first."
"Why?"
"There’s something going on."
Chen Feilu’s expression stiffened. He knew he was just dead weight, so without a word, he slammed on the gas and drove off.
If even a fourth-level Celestial Master couldn’t handle this, staying behind would only be a one-way ticket to death.
Ning Zhi slowly approached the door. The villa’s gate was tightly shut. He reached out and pressed the doorbell. Soon, the gate swung open, revealing a strikingly handsome man wearing a gentle smile.
Ning Zhi was momentarily stunned. Without thinking, he pulled out a talisman and hurled it at the “male ghost.” In a flash, Su Rong didn’t dodge but remained standing behind the gate, his gaze slightly darkening.
The talisman made a sharp “smack” sound, hitting something before falling limply to the ground at Ning Zhi’s feet.
Ning Zhi’s eyes widened in disbelief.
It was... a formation!
The entire yard was shrouded in an invisible formation, rendering his talisman useless against the ghost inside!
What kind of Celestial Master raises ghosts like pets?
Ning Zhi had every reason to suspect that the appearance and removal of the “Peach Blossom Seal” was all a setup—a scheme designed for fame!
He spoke sternly, “I want to see Miss Qi.”
Su Rong’s expression remained calm. “The master is cultivating and will not see visitors. Please leave.”
“Are you her ghost attendant?” Ning Zhi pressed.
Su Rong’s eyes darkened slightly. “None of your business.”
“This is sorcery and evil! I have every right to intervene!” Ning Zhi declared righteously. “Tell Miss Qi that if she doesn’t listen, she’ll bear the consequences.”
Su Rong was speechless.
Luckily, he hadn’t encountered a Celestial Master like this before, or he’d have been reduced to ashes long ago.
With a snap, he closed the door.
Chen Feilu hadn’t gone far. After receiving Ning Zhi’s call, he turned around and came back to pick him up, driving him to his own home.
“Didn’t see anyone?” Chen Feilu frowned, then thought of an idea. “Tomorrow, the Su family’s young lady is hosting a birthday banquet. My family was invited too, and I heard Qi Quan will be there. Why don’t you come with me?”
Ning Zhi clenched his fists. “Alright.”
Unfortunately, his knowledge of formations was shallow, so he couldn’t break through just now.
This Qi Quan was even more mysterious and profound than he had imagined.
At the same time, Qin Ruo received a call from Huang Qifeng.
“Qi Quan?” she said in disbelief. “You’re saying the one who revived Zhang Chengyan is Qi Quan? And Du Jiaming and Yang Su are with her too?”
“Master, that’s what I’ve found out.”
Qin Ruo was certain: “Impossible. A country bumpkin barely in her twenties can’t so easily break the Peach Blossom Seal.”
“No matter how we investigate, Qi Quan is the one who saved Zhang Chengyan. And…”
“And what?”
“She also wrote a novel. She has done the Su family a favor.”
Qin Ruo was puzzled.
Wasn’t this about Celestial Masters? Why was it suddenly about a novel?
“Master, there’s a way to test her depth.”
“Go on.”
“Apparently, Qi Quan was invited to the Su family’s birthday banquet, and she has agreed to attend. When you see her there, you’ll know for sure.”
Qin Ruo suddenly recalled that during the phone call, the person on the other end seemed particularly interested in Qi Quan. A thought crossed her mind, and she smiled. “That’s indeed a good plan.”
She was curious to see what kind of person could rival the fate of three others.
Soon, the birthday banquet began, with most of Longjiang City’s young business elites gathered in the grand hall.
Su Nuanuan wore a beautiful princess dress and light makeup as she sat in front of the mirror in the second-floor lounge, repeatedly asking Mrs. Su, "Mom, when are Sister Quanquan and Brother coming?"
Of course, Mrs. Su wanted to see her son, but the master had said that too much contact with spirits was bad for the living body. They usually called or video chatted when they had time, which was already very good.
She was especially content now.
"Don't worry, your brother said he would come early with the master to spend more time with you."
No sooner had she spoken than they heard Su Linhai's excited and warm voice, accompanied by approaching footsteps.
Su Nuanuan immediately opened the door to greet them.
Outside stood a man and a woman.
The man was dressed in a sharp suit, handsome beyond compare. When he saw her, a hint of adoring smile appeared on his face. After entering, he handed her a gift box.
"Happy birthday."
Su Nuanuan accepted it with delight. "Thank you, Brother."
Then she turned to Qi Quan, her eyes full of admiration. "Sister Quanquan, you look stunning today!"
The strikingly beautiful woman wore a tailor-made qipao, understated yet elegant, outlining her slender waist and tall figure. Her hair was skillfully pinned up with a single hairpin, a few strands softly framing her face, exuding grace and calm.
Qi Quan smiled gently. She loved all things beautiful, including pretty clothes.
In short, she was extremely appearance-driven.
She handed over an exquisite peachwood box and said, "Ha... Happy birthday. I wish you a lifetime of peace and happiness."
"Can I open it and take a look?" Su Nuanuan asked eagerly.
"Of course."
Su Nuanuan lifted the lid to reveal a small, delicate jade gourd pendant in a serene shade of aquamarine. It seemed to be engraved with some patterns, giving off a mysterious aura.
The gourd, a homophone for "fortune and prosperity," symbolized great blessings. Moreover, the jade itself was top quality.
"Thank you, Sister Quanquan! I really like it!"
Qi Quan said, "Is there a quiet lounge? I want to rest for a while."
"There is!" Su Linhai personally led her there.
Su Rong stayed behind to keep Su Nuanuan company. Seeing how attached she was to the pendant, he smiled and said, "There’s a protective charm engraved on the pendant. It can ensure your safety once."
"Oh dear," Mrs. Su exclaimed, both surprised and a little regretful. "I didn’t realize it was so valuable earlier and didn’t get a chance to thank you properly. I also heard from the Zhang family that the master is far more powerful than the ones in Longjing City. We really underpaid before..."
"It’s okay. We still have a lifetime to repay the kindness," Su Rong replied warmly with a smile.
Before the banquet began, guests arrived one after another.
Qin Ruo linked arms with Qi Yuan as they smoothly entered the banquet hall. Scanning the room, she didn’t spot Qi Quan and asked, "Where’s your sister?"
"She’s with Brother Lin. She should be arriving a bit later," Qi Yuan answered honestly.
Qin Ruo rolled her eyes inwardly and smiled slightly. "I meant your real sister."
"I don’t know," Qi Yuan said.
"..."
Qin Ruo was speechless. What an idiot!
Compared to Du, Yang, and Zhang, Qi Yuan was a purebred straight man, a complete blockhead. Even after just a few days, she was close to losing her patience.
"I’m feeling a bit unwell. I’m going to the restroom," she said, leaving Qi Yuan behind.
In the lounge, Qi Quan was watching the surveillance footage of the banquet hall.
This was something she had specially asked Su Linhai to prepare.
“Boss, the one next to Qi Yuan! Is that Qin Ruo?”
“Yeah.”
Whether she practiced some dark, forbidden art couldn’t be seen on the surface, but Qi Quan could clearly tell that Qi Yuan’s marriage and life lines were tightly bound to Qin Ruo.
“Why did she leave?”
Qi Quan: “Probably to scout for a new target.”
“That’s just insatiable. Qi Yingxue and her fiancé have arrived!”
On the screen, the two of them walked into the banquet hall intimately, the handsome man and beautiful woman dazzling everyone around.
Since the Song family took over the northern outskirts land, they had been busy planning its development these past few days. Song Lin was the project supervisor, often going over to oversee and inspect, and had already absorbed some ominous energy.
But his own fortune was extraordinary, so the consequences of the dark energy hadn’t yet shown.
“Boss, the banquet is about to start. Aren’t you going down?”
“Wait a little longer.”
Inside the banquet hall, Chen Feilu and Ning Zhi mingled among the crowd, helping to look for Qi Quan’s figure.
“Are you sure she’ll come?” Ning Zhi asked.
“She said she would, but whether she actually shows up, I don’t know.” Chen Feilu ducked into a corner. “Forget it, the banquet’s starting. We’ll talk later.”
Ning Zhi had no choice but to let it go.
Suddenly, the lighting in the hall shifted dramatically. Su Nuanuan descended the staircase in a stunning princess gown, catching every eye in the room.
The entire birthday party went off without a hitch. The Su family of three smiled brightly under the guests’ blessings.
After the ceremony ended came the free entertainment time.
Chen Feilu looked disappointed. “It’s all over now. She’s really not coming, is she?”
Ning Zhi: “Forget it, let’s go.”
Just as they took a step forward, a sudden gasp came from nearby.
He looked up.
A woman in a light-colored qipao, holding a wine glass with elegant poise, approached Su Nuanuan. Every movement seemed to carry a strange rhythm all its own.
This was the aura unique to a Taoist priest.
She was a Celestial Master!
Ning Zhi’s hearing was sharp; he could clearly catch their conversation.
Su Nuanuan happily linked arms with the woman, introducing her to the surrounding crowd of men and women: “This is Sister Qi Quan. She’s a benefactor of the Su family. From now on, when you see her, be extra courteous, okay?”
Qian Kun was the first to be stunned.
“Qi Quan? You’re Qi Quan? You weren’t like this before…”
“Of course!” Sun Yu cut him off, laughing as he saved the moment. “Even if Nuanuan hadn’t told us, we wouldn’t dare offend Sister Qi Quan, right? Such a beauty — who would want to?”
He was equally incredulous.
Three months ago, this woman had been thin, timid, and withdrawn. Now, she shone with radiant elegance and confidence.
All the single men in the room had their eyes fixed solely on her — even the women.
Qin Ruo was no exception.
Today she was Qi Yuan’s date, specially dressed up, but beside Qi Quan, she looked like a pheasant next to a phoenix — utterly overshadowed.
Secretly, she tried to use her divination arts to observe Qi Quan’s aura, wanting to see just how deep her fortune was. But the moment her fingers moved, a sudden, sharp pain exploded in her chest, and uncontrollably, a mouthful of blood spewed out.
“Ahhhhh!”
The banquet hall instantly erupted in screams.
If it was just blood, that would be one thing, and many calm people called for an ambulance or rushed to give first aid.
But the next second—
“Ahhhhh!”
A sharper, more piercing scream echoed through the banquet hall.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Qin Ruo’s face instantly transformed from plump and delicate to a landscape of deep ravines and wrinkles. This eerie change terrified everyone into screams as they fled the scene.
“How is this possible...?”
Qin Ruo stared at Qi Quan in disbelief. He was right in front of her—so then, who was performing the ritual for Du Jiaming and Yang Su at this very moment?
The person hiding in the shadows was not Qi Quan!
And that person was able to break her protective talisman!
In the chaos, Qin Ruo could no longer care about anything else. She immediately grabbed the stunned Qi Yuan and shouted fiercely, “You promised me anything I wanted before. Now it’s time for you to keep your word!”
No sooner had the words left her mouth than Qi Yuan’s vitality almost instantly drained into Qin Ruo. In the blink of an eye, he became an old man whose body functions were failing, left only with a clear consciousness.
“Demonic witch, stop!”
Ning Zhi acted decisively, pulling out a talisman and swinging it toward Qin Ruo!
“Get lost!”
Qin Ruo revealed her true form and naturally could no longer stay there. She blocked Ning Zhi’s talisman light and fled swiftly from the banquet hall.
Ning Zhi pursued her relentlessly.
Everyone present was at a loss.
Chen Feilu watched helplessly as Qin Ruo’s face changed, and as Qi Yuan teetered on the brink of death, his heart pounded wildly.
There really was such a terrifying dark magic in this world!
But who exactly had broken that woman’s spell? Qi Quan himself was standing right there!
Not only he and the insiders were shocked—the system itself was confused: [Boss, why did Qin Ruo suddenly change? Du Jiaming and Yang Su are still in the villa, right? Could someone have saved them?]
Qi Quan: [I set up a talisman array in the treatment room.]
[Then?]
[The array will periodically break the Peach Blossom Mark on my behalf.]
The system was dumbfounded: [You can do that?]
Qi Quan smiled: [New era, new magic.]
She never liked sticking to old ways. The things left by the ancestors were good, but the Taoist sect had to innovate.
Taoist masters like Ning Zhi had been trained in the old family and sect traditions since childhood, so their thinking was rigid. That’s why when they saw Su Rong, they thought he was dabbling in forbidden sorcery.
The duty of a Taoist master was to exorcise ghosts—but only evil ones.
Only narrow-minded masters would chase after every spirit they saw.
Just because she was here didn’t mean she couldn’t perform rituals for Du Jiaming and Yang Su.
People had to learn to be flexible.
Qin Ruo’s unmasking in front of everyone was enough to shock all present. Qi Yuan’s current state also proved how dire Zhang Chengyan’s situation had been.
Those who had dismissed *The Diary of the Wealthy* as mere fantasy now found themselves believing a little.
“Quanquan, Qi Yuan is barely holding on!” Su Nuanuan said anxiously. “Can you save him...?”
Qi Quan called out, “Su Rong.”
Su Rong’s figure appeared immediately, though no one noticed exactly when he had arrived amidst the panic.
“I still have matters to attend to. This place is in your hands.”
“Yes.”
After Qi Quan left, Su Rong pulled out a talisman and quickly slipped it into Qi Yuan’s clothing.
This talisman could only guarantee that Qi Yuan wouldn’t die for the time being, but it couldn’t reverse his current state of being old and helpless.
Qi Yuan opened his eyes and stared at Qi Quan’s departing figure, unable to say a word.
When a person is on the brink of death, the surge of their will to survive often sharpens their clarity like never before.
He rarely shed tears, yet in that instant, a stream of regretful tears fell uncontrollably.
Five kilometers away, Ning Zhi and Qin Ruo were locked in a desperate chase.
Although Qin Ruo had absorbed Qi Yuan’s vitality, she was still severely injured. Even with the aid of a Swift Travel Talisman, her energy was rapidly depleting, and Ning Zhi was closing in.
In her current state, there was no way she could match the vigor of a Level 4 Celestial Master.
She had to take a gamble!
Suddenly, she crushed the jade Buddha pendant hanging around her neck and shouted out:
“Help me!”
*
Longjiang City Train Station.
A young man dressed casually strolled leisurely out of the exit. Under the flickering neon lights of the night, he clenched a string of prayer beads in his hand, his eyes fixed coldly toward the Qi family’s direction, a cruel glint lurking in his gaze.
The Qi family’s fortune had indeed diminished considerably.
It was time for him to reap the rewards.
He reached up to scratch the stubble on his head, humming a pleased tune as he climbed into a taxi.
The taxi slowly made its way toward the city center. The bustling nightscape, so foreign to someone who had lived deep in the mountains for years, filled him with a long-lost sense of excitement.
Halfway through the journey, something in his bag trembled suddenly, and a faint voice—inaudible to others—whispered in his ear:
“Help me!”
It was Qin Ruo.
Something had happened to her?
The man frowned and rummaged through his bag, pulling out a jade token. A red bloodline on the token was steadily shortening.
This was Qin Ruo’s lifeline.
Her vitality was slipping away, clearly because she had encountered a formidable enemy.
He hadn’t expected that even in a relatively small place like Longjiang City, there would be a Celestial Master of such caliber. Qin Ruo’s cultivation had already reached Level 4, and anyone who could force her to crush her jade Buddha and call for help had to be at least a Level 4 Celestial Master.
The man sneered softly and told the driver to pull over by the roadside.
After getting out, he affixed a Swift Travel Talisman to himself and dashed rapidly toward Qin Ruo’s location.
He didn’t care about Qin Ruo’s life, but he wouldn’t allow any other Celestial Master to cross him!
In the quiet and secluded outskirts, after crushing her jade Buddha, Qin Ruo was forced into a fierce battle with Ning Zhi.
Her cultivation was rooted in forbidden arts—bloody and ruthless. Every strike radiated overwhelming murderous intent. Coupled with years of combat experience, despite her recent injuries, she was far from being overwhelmed.
As long as she could hold on until help arrived, this annoying brat in front of her was doomed.
Judging by the time, that person should already be in Longjiang City.
The two were evenly matched, and for the moment, neither could gain the upper hand.
Ning Zhi’s expression grew increasingly grave.
This witch was no ordinary foe. She had just sent out a distress signal. If he couldn’t suppress her quickly, he would be the one to die!
He silently berated himself for being careless. Because he had attended a banquet, he hadn’t brought more talismans along.
He had thought that Qi Quan was the one stirring trouble in Longjiang City, and planned to meet him to confirm before reporting to the Celestial Master Association. Who would have thought that this witch would reveal her true colors at the banquet.
Ning Zhi had already been briefed by Chen Feilu about the influential figures and matters in Longjiang City’s upper circles.
He recognized the young man beside this woman as Qi Yuan.
He had witnessed Qi Yuan instantly turning into an old man with his own eyes, and he had heard the woman’s words clearly.
The one truly stirring trouble was not Qi Quan, but this very woman before him!
If she escaped tonight, countless more would surely suffer harm in the future.
Ning Zhi’s gaze hardened, gathering all his spiritual power in the palm of his hand as he struck toward...
Qin Ruo’s crown.
This was a unique technique of the Ning family, his trump card skill. He had to take down this demoness in one blow!
Qin Ruo couldn’t evade in time. At the critical moment, a mighty surge of spiritual energy thundered from behind her like a towering mountain, blocking Ning Zhi’s attack effortlessly and shattering his move.
He’s here!
Qin Ruo’s face lit up with surprise as she quickly slipped behind the man, swallowing several pills.
Ning Zhi staggered back a few steps, a metallic sweetness rising in his throat. He looked up at the newcomer.
The man appeared remarkably young, yet his eyes held none of the vibrancy of youth. Instead, they were like those of an old soul who had weathered countless lifetimes, filled with greed in their murky depths.
“A twenty-year-old Level Four Celestial Master,” the man sneered, “That’s truly rare.”
Ning Zhi asked, “Who are you?”
“Kid, you hurt someone of mine and you still ask who I am?” The man twisted the Buddhist prayer beads in his palm, his voice hoarse and unpleasant. “You might as well tell me your name. After you die, I’ll notify someone to collect your body.”
Ning Zhi was speechless.
He knew he couldn’t defeat this man, but fleeing in the face of battle was not in his creed.
He reached up and clenched the delicate jade pendant hanging from his neck.
Even if he died, he wanted to send a message home.
The man sneered contemptuously and suddenly slammed the prayer beads toward Ning Zhi’s forehead. Before Ning Zhi could crush the jade pendant, the beads were already inches from his brow!
Ning Zhi closed his eyes in despair.
In a flash, a gentle spiritual force arrived, like a spring breeze caressing willows, effortlessly dissolving the man’s overwhelming power.
The prayer beads collided with the spiritual force and exploded with a deafening blast!
Ning Zhi opened his eyes in astonishment.
A soft, low voice sounded behind him, calm and unhurried, as if the speaker had simply stepped out for a stroll, showing no sign of being involved in a battle.
“So it’s you.”
All three stared in surprise.
Qin Ruo and Ning Zhi’s eyes widened—it was Qi Quan!
So she really was the one who broke the Peach Blossom Mark?
But she was only twenty-two!
Qin Ruo knew the man’s cultivation level well, and Ning Zhi, who had just been struck by him, understood it too.
He was at least a Level Six Celestial Master!
An attack from a Level Six Celestial Master easily dispelled by a young woman of only twenty-two—who would believe that?
The man’s expression darkened. “Who are you?”
He didn’t recall anyone of such skill hiding in Longjiang City.
Qi Quan still wore the qipao from the banquet, low-heeled shoes clicking on the ground, carrying an exquisite handbag, utterly out of place in the desolate outskirts.
“Stealing someone’s fortune is dark magic. I’m just a passerby who can’t stand it,” she tilted her head, scrutinizing the man with a smile. “You’re a Buddhist cultivator, yet you still don’t understand birth, aging, sickness, and death?”
The man’s eyes flashed with malice. “You don’t know a damn thing!”
He was indeed once a Buddhist, but had long since left the order.
He wasn’t talented, nor was he particularly determined.
While his fellow disciples advanced one after another, leaving him far behind, resentment and self-loathing gnawed at his heart.
Cultivation brought endless benefits.
His stagnation had aged his face, while his brothers grew younger and stronger with each step forward.
By a stroke of fate, he came into contact with a mystical technique capable of altering one’s destiny.
He had found a new path!
Qi Quan was too lazy to waste words on him. With a flick of her hand, a talisman shot toward the man, while a peachwood charm was simultaneously aimed at Qin Ruo’s forehead.
The man was too preoccupied with his own survival to pay any attention to Qin Ruo.
Before a high-level Celestial Master, Qin Ruo stood no chance. Desperately, she watched as the peachwood charm struck the center of her brow. Darkness overwhelmed her vision, and she collapsed, unconscious.
Having roamed the martial world for years, the man’s survival skills were anything but lacking.
He fled wildly forward.
Qi Quan leisurely retracted the peachwood charm. Inside it was now a faint soul—Qin Ruo’s.
“You handle this,” she said, handing over Qin Ruo’s “body” to Ning Zhi before setting off in pursuit of the fleeing man.
Ning Zhi was speechless.
He wiped his face hard, hoisted Qin Ruo up, and followed.
The man’s escape route led ever farther from Longjiang City.
He carried a swift-travel talisman, running at breakneck speed, and kept veering into remote, dense mountain forests, trying desperately to shake Qi Quan off his trail.
Qi Quan followed at a leisurely pace, as if taking a casual stroll, maintaining a perfect distance to observe the man’s panicked retreat.
The system asked in surprise, “Boss, why don’t you just take him down right now?”
“Taking him out means having to find his lair. Too much trouble.”
“So you’re letting him lead you there?”
“Mm.”
“How do you know he’ll definitely run to his lair?”
“Guessing.”
Qi Quan wasn’t entirely sure where the man was headed, but no matter what, when someone’s backed into a corner, they instinctively flee to the place where they feel safest.
“But why do you want to find his lair?”
“The Peach Blossom Seal is a forbidden Daoist technique. It wouldn’t just appear out of nowhere. Given his and Qin Ruo’s abilities, they’re not capable of obtaining such a forbidden technique, nor covering up the traces it leaves behind.”
The system understood. “So you suspect there’s an organization behind them?”
“Mm.”
With the swift-travel talisman’s aid, the distance from Longjiang City grew greater, and they had already crossed into the territory of Longxi City.
Geographically speaking, Longjiang City, Longtan City, and Longxi City bordered each other. Longjiang City lay to the northeast, Longtan City to the southwest, with a relatively short boundary between them. Longxi City was to the northwest, sharing a long border with Longtan City.
Along that border stretched a long mountain range, rarely touched by human footsteps.
The man’s escape path led straight into those mountains.
The more he ran, the more panicked he became.
By seizing others’ vitality and destiny, he had cultivated himself to the level of a sixth-grade Celestial Master. Within the Daoist realm spanning the three cities, he was unmatched.
Who exactly was this woman?
She looked strikingly young, but her spiritual power was as deep as the ocean—unbelievable!
Could it be... she was an ancient monster in disguise?
Had she also mastered forbidden arts?
The man’s spiritual energy was nearly depleted. Just as he reached the doorstep of his home, he turned sharply, drenched in sweat, and stared at Qi Quan. “Who exactly are you?!”
Qi Quan halted.
Dressed in an exquisite qipao, she stood quietly in the tranquil mountain forest, as if this place wasn’t a remote wilderness, but a luxurious, high-class banquet hall.
“You set a trap targeting the Qi family, or rather, targeting me, without even knowing who I am?” She smiled softly, her every gesture graceful and lively.
Under normal circumstances, a man might admire such elegance, but at the brink of life and death, he couldn’t afford to notice any beauty.
“Qi Quan? You’re Qi Quan?! That’s impossible!”
How could such a genius exist in this world?
“You’re a Buddhist, yet you’re using Taoist talismans. What’s impossible about that?”
“……”
The man sneered, “I renounced my monastic vows long ago!”
“Oh, a rogue monk who abandoned Buddhism.”
“……”
Qi Quan no longer wasted words. With a subtle flick of her fingers, the dry branches on the ground floated into her palm, infused with spiritual energy.
Using a branch as a sword, she instantly thrust it toward the demon monk’s heart!
A fierce light flashed on the man’s brow as he pulled out a string of Buddhist beads from his chest. The beads blocked the sword’s edge and shattered instantly, buying him precious moments to escape.
But in the blink of an eye, his figure vanished.
System (surprised): [How did he disappear?!]
Qi Quan: [There’s an array set up here—it must be the lair.]
[What kind of array? Is it weak?]
Qi Quan: [Not bad.]
The array was indeed well constructed. It didn’t feel like the work of a demon monk. For someone with a Buddhist background to master such precise and rigorous Taoist formations was almost impossible.
The forest was silent under the dark night.
Qi Quan stepped on the dry leaves scattered on the ground, bent down, and picked up a few stones, tossing them precisely in several directions.
She had noticed upon arrival that this mountaintop was saturated with exceptionally dense spiritual energy—ideal for cultivators to train.
But such overwhelming spiritual energy was difficult to explain without the presence of rare treasures or heavenly materials.
Of course, there was another faint possibility.
But—
Could it really be?
After throwing the stones, Qi Quan received feedback and immediately deciphered the method to break the array.
A genius is a genius because, within their field of expertise, their abilities far surpass ordinary people.
The demon monk thought the array could hold for a long time, enough to wait for reinforcements, but he underestimated Qi Quan.
He fled into a hidden cave.
Both inside and outside the cave were intricately arranged with formations. If Qi Quan was here, she could easily recognize the defensive array outside and a massive spirit-gathering formation inside.
At the heart of the spirit-gathering formation sat a disheveled figure, bound tightly with chains around all limbs.
The demon monk grabbed the person’s hair roughly.
“Quick! Give me your spiritual energy!”
The young man was forced to lift his head.
His long hair obediently parted to reveal an exceptionally handsome face, his eyes pure and clear like a newborn lamb.
No matter how many times the demon monk looked, he couldn’t suppress the jealousy and resentment burning inside him.
Some people are born favorites of fate, needing neither effort nor struggle to receive heaven’s blessings.
Why him?!
He gritted his teeth, pulling harder at the young man’s hair, trying to see any sign of pain on his face. But, just like before, there was nothing.
He was like a soulless puppet, incapable of feeling pain.
The demon monk released his grip, struggling to suppress the dark fire in his heart. There were more pressing matters at hand; he couldn’t waste time.
“Quick! Give me your spiritual energy!”
The young man lowered his eyelashes, and where the demonic monk couldn’t see, his clear, pure eyes instantly turned pitch black, countless dark and sinister emotions surging within.
He closed his eyes, a faint curve tugging at the corner of his lips.
In the blink of an eye, a vast surge of spiritual energy flooded the dark, narrow cave, enveloping the demonic monk completely.
The monk, as if intoxicated by some hallucinogenic potion, bathed in the roaring spiritual energy, his entire face taking on a dreamlike expression, his complexion gradually growing rosy.
He greedily absorbed the spiritual energy, the endless flow coursing through his meridians and dantian, continuously filling, and filling again.
“That’s enough.” Feeling the fullness of the energy within, he said with satisfaction.
But the spiritual energy did not stop.
The demonic monk suddenly opened his eyes wide and shouted, “I said that’s enough!”
The young man lifted his eyelashes, tilting his head, looking at him with a bewildered, innocent expression, as if he didn’t understand a word.
The monk’s body had swollen like an overinflated balloon; the spiritual energy relentlessly poured into his meridians and dantian, reaching a critical point where a loud “pop” could erupt at any moment!
His face had already turned a deep purple-blue.
He tried to control the young man, but for some reason, the youth—who had previously been easily restrained by chains—remained completely unmoved, still tilting his head, observing the monk’s increasingly bloated body as if it were a fascinating toy.
“You… you’re faking it…” The flesh around the monk’s throat was stretched to the limit; he could barely speak.
The young man’s fingertips twitched, just about to enjoy the spectacle of the “balloon” bursting, when suddenly a soft voice came from outside the cave.
“You hid deep enough.”
The spiritual energy inside the cave abruptly dissipated, and the demonic monk collapsed like a deflated balloon with a soft thud.
The young man blinked, his gaze falling on the barrier at the cave’s entrance, curiosity flickering in his amber eyes.
The monk’s pupils dilated.
Impossible! The array on the mountain was set by a Level Six array master. Even if Qi Quan was powerful, there was no way he could break a Level Six array so easily.
There was a strict hierarchy among the disciplines of the Mystic Sect!
The woman outside spoke again, “Who set this array? It’s so crude. Do they even understand craftsmanship?”
The demonic monk: “...
...”
No way, could this woman be about to break through the cave’s barrier?
He struggled to rise, just about to sneak out and launch a surprise attack, when a cracking sound suddenly rang in his ears.
The barrier was broken.
Qi Quan stepped slowly into the cave, her gaze first drawn to the young man at the array’s core.
She was a complete beauty connoisseur.
Having seen countless types of beauties, her standards were exceptionally high. Even someone like Su Rong didn’t rank in her top ten.
But the young man before her, barely clothed, was undoubtedly one of the finest she had ever seen.
He returned her gaze, his eyes perfectly shaped, amber irises clear and pure, as innocent as a newborn’s, flawless from head to toe.
She subtly sized him up, then turned to the collapsed demonic monk, a faint smile curving her brows and eyes. “Quite the spirit-gathering array.”
The demon monk was never a man of strong will. Seeing himself at a disadvantage, he shamelessly tried to curry favor: "I suppose you’ve already realized it. If you want him, I’ll give him to you."
A born spiritual body—something rare and precious.
In this world, where spiritual energy is scarce, possessing a natural spiritual body is like owning a treasure that can continuously supply you with vital energy. Who wouldn’t want that?
The demon monk assumed that Qi Quan would never refuse such a prize.
The young man at the core of the formation lowered his gaze again, his long lashes shielding the fierce cruelty and mockery lurking in his eyes.
Qi Quan was astonished. "Is he more important than your life?"
This demon monk had practiced dark arts for years and had likely caused countless deaths—enough to send someone’s soul into utter despair.
The demon monk was baffled.
Had Qi Quan seen through him or not?
He didn’t believe any cultivator could resist such temptation.
But Qi Quan could.
In her previous life, she never once entertained the thought of stealing someone else’s life force or destiny—let alone a mere natural spiritual body.
She had her pride. Her cultivation had always been achieved through her own efforts.
Qi Quan no longer wasted time toying with him. She directly summoned a piece of peachwood talisman and hurled it at the demon monk’s forehead!
An overwhelming pressure surged forth, freezing the demon monk in place. He couldn’t move or escape, helplessly watching as the peachwood talisman struck his forehead, plunging his vision into darkness.
His soul was sucked into the talisman, and his body collapsed stiffly, hitting the ground with a dull thud that echoed through the narrow cave.
The young man suddenly snapped his eyes open, scrutinizing the woman in the qipao with a strange, intense gaze.
She casually pocketed the peachwood talisman and strolled over to the formation.
"Want to leave?" she asked.
The young man said nothing, only staring at her.
Qi Quan repeated, "Want to leave?"
He gave a slight nod, his striking features curving into a faint smile, as if he had just discovered something far more interesting and fun.
Qi Quan examined the chains binding him.
His limbs were all shackled, and a collar circled his neck.
These were specialized restraints from the Xuan Sect, designed to suppress prisoners. The chains were controlled remotely; any slight movement would be detected, and the controller could inflict pain at will.
Judging by his long hair trailing the ground, he had been imprisoned for over ten years.
If not for his innate spiritual body, he would have been tortured into a state neither human nor ghost, unable to maintain such a clean and pristine appearance.
The young man looked no older than twenty. If Qi Quan’s guess was correct, he had likely been captured as a child and used as the core of the spirit-gathering formation.
After more than a decade, it was very possible he had lost the ability to speak.
Qi Quan stopped asking questions and instead gathered her spiritual power to form a blade, cutting at his shackles.
Whether the young man was truly innocent or feigning ignorance, he was a victim—and rescuing him was her duty.
Because he had been confined since childhood, the collar’s diameter was very small. As he grew, it had deeply embedded itself into his flesh and blood. If not for his natural spiritual body, his limbs and neck might have already become deformed.
When the collar shattered, it tore through flesh and blood, spilling a mixture of gore.
...
Yet the young man seemed oblivious to the pain, still sitting at the core of the formation, his eyes glued to Qi Quan, following her every move.
The innate power of the spiritual body manifested instantly.
The wounds on his limbs and neck, nourished by the spiritual energy, gradually faded away, leaving only a few faint flesh-colored scars.
If other cultivators from the Xuan Sect saw this, they might become greedy and start fighting over him.
Qi Quan sighed silently. If she abandoned the young man, his fate would be predictable. But if she took him back, it would likely bring a lot of trouble in the future.
She was someone who disliked trouble.
Yet, when she met the young man’s clear, pure eyes, she decided to do the right thing.
At the very least, she could keep him by her side and enjoy the sight.
She asked, “Are you coming with me?”
The young man blinked softly but said nothing.
Qi Quan compared the sizes of the demon monk and the young man, then stripped the demon monk’s T-shirt and jeans and tossed them onto the young man. Her tone left no room for argument: “Put these on and come with me.”
The young man had spent over a decade in a cave, never taught what shame was. Unbothered by his nakedness, he held the clothes and sat there blankly, clearly unsure of what to do.
System: [Wuwuwu, he’s so pitiful—he doesn’t even know how to wear clothes.]
Qi Quan: …
She couldn’t very well help him put them on, could she?
[Boss, he only has the mind of a child. Maybe you should teach him?]
Qi Quan sighed in resignation and said, “I’ll only teach you this once. Next time, you have to do it yourself.”
Treating him like a robot, she inputted instructions one by one, and finally he managed to put on the clothes.
Though the shirt and pants were much too short, at least they covered most of him.
“Let’s go.” Qi Quan ignored the demon monk’s corpse and turned to leave the cave.
The young man lowered his head, his soft, long hair flowing down to his ankles.
If someone with such looks appeared on the street, it wouldn’t be surprising if photos were taken and uploaded online.
To avoid trouble, Qi Quan affixed a swift travel talisman on him, grabbed his wrist, and headed toward Longjiang City.
Before leaving the mountain’s interior, the young man glanced back.
Perched on a nearby treetop was a pitch-black crow. The crow locked eyes with him for a few moments, let out a strange caw, then flew toward the cave where the barrier had been lifted.
It crouched beside the demon monk’s corpse and let out a hoarse cry. Soon, countless crows swarmed out from the forest, a black wave gathering inside the cave, fluttering and pecking at the demon monk’s flesh.
In just a short while, only a pale skeleton remained inside the cave.
On the way back, the system continued to gush: [Boss, he’s unbelievably handsome—he’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen! Why not just keep him? Looking at him every day would brighten your mood so much.]
Qi Quan chuckled softly.
But the demon monk’s soul trapped inside the peachwood talisman had a very different opinion.
“Senior! I was wrong! I really was! If you let me out, I’ll tell you a secret!”
“Ah! My body! My body has been destroyed! It must be him! Senior, don’t be fooled by him—he’s faking it! He’s the one who destroyed my body!”
“Shut up!” another soul, Qin Ruo, shouted sharply. “Can you stop crowding me?”
Two souls sharing one soul talisman, of course, would be cramped.
The peachwood talisman was a specially crafted soul tag made by Qi Quan, designed exclusively to imprison vengeful spirits and evil Taoist priests.
Whether it was a vengeful ghost or a malevolent Taoist, those who had killed innocent people had to pay some form of punishment before their souls dissipated into nothingness.
Since vengeful spirits and souls couldn't be subjected to ordinary worldly punishments, the Taoist sect had its own law enforcement agencies. However, Qi Quan didn’t trust their efficiency or competence, so she created her own prison—a cage where these souls could reflect on their misdeeds.
Moreover, the forest formations were not something a single demon monk could set up alone. She needed to extract more information from both the demon monk and Qin Ruo.
Under the blessing of the swift travel talisman, the two moved at incredible speed and soon entered the territory of Longjiang City.
Qi Quan’s body was brimming with spiritual energy; as a young man born with innate spiritual power, he certainly wasn’t lacking in energy. The two arrived at a lakeside villa in the southern suburbs before dawn.
Su Rong and Wang Hua were anxiously waiting at the villa.
Upon hearing the commotion, they immediately floated out to greet them but froze when they saw the young man behind Qi Quan.
“Master, who is he?” Su Rong was surprised by the youth’s appearance but even more curious about his background.
Wang Hua was utterly amazed. “Wow, he’s a hundred times more handsome than any celebrity! How did he get to look like that?”
“He’ll be living here from now on. Su Rong, take good care of him.” Qi Quan handed off this “trouble” to the steward Su Rong and went straight back to rest.
Su Rong had intended to report on the Qi family’s affairs but, seeing that the Master had been on the move all night, swallowed his words.
Once Qi Quan returned indoors, he finally looked the youth in the eye.
“What’s your name?”
The youth glanced at him without a word and walked toward the direction where Qi Quan had disappeared.
“You can’t go!” Su Rong hurriedly stopped him. “The Master is resting; don’t disturb her.”
The youth stopped, barefoot, standing in the corridor, his expression dazed as he stared at the tightly shut door—much like a puppy abandoned by its owner.
He obediently didn’t proceed any further, crouching down on the hard floor, arms wrapped around his knees, chin resting on them, staring blankly at the courtyard bathed in morning light.
Wang Hua scratched his head. “What do we do now?”
Su Rong replied, “...Let’s wait until the Master is rested.”
While Qi Quan slept peacefully, the Qi household was shrouded in fear and lingering dread.
Qi Yuan lay on a hospital bed, clinging to his last breath. If it weren’t for a talisman Su Rong had slipped him, he would have long since turned to a pile of bones.
His cloudy eyes were open, his body heavier than ever before.
He was too old to get up but his mind was painfully clear.
At the moment Qin Ruo died, his peach blossom mark had automatically lifted.
Thinking back on his recent foolishness, he wished he could turn back time and beat himself into a pulp—anything was better than becoming a brain-damaged invalid.
The incident had happened at Su Nuanuan’s birthday banquet. Besides the Qi family, the Su family was also at the hospital.
Su Linhai advised Qi Changrong, “Since the talisman was placed by Su Rong under the Master’s instructions, there’s no need to worry too much.”
“Then why, if she knew Qi Yuan was possessed, didn’t she exorcise him in time?” Gu Qiao, anxious for her son, felt a chill at Qi Quan’s coldness. “She deliberately let Qi Yuan suffer this fate!”
“So what if she did?!”
Su Nuanuan stood not far away, holding a bag, her cold eyes watching Gu Qiao as she wept and complained, unable to suppress a lingering sense of injustice.
“Nuanuan,” Su Linhai called out to remind her.
But Su Nuanuan ignored him completely and strode straight into the hospital room, placing the bag on the bedside table.
“Nuanuan, how can you say that?” Qi Yingxue’s eyes were red, tears welling as she spoke softly, “A Yuan is your good friend. Now that he’s like this, aren’t you worried about him?”
Qi Lin frowned as he stood by the window.
He was a true businessman, always believing in fair trade principles.
From his point of view, Qi Quan didn’t owe the Qi family anything. Giving them a talisman to extend his life ahead of time was already more than generous. But others didn’t share this opinion.
“He’s been out partying recklessly, couldn’t control himself—who else is to blame?” Qi Lin said in a low voice.
“Brother...” Qi Yingxue looked at him in surprise.
Su Nuanuan’s face was stern. “Qi Yuan, what do you think?”
She used to be just an observer, unwilling to meddle in other people’s affairs. But now that Qi Quan was a great benefactor to their family, she wouldn’t allow anyone to slander him recklessly—not even a friend of over ten years.
Qi Yuan had thought a lot that night.
He wasn’t a fool who didn’t understand anything; he had always been fully aware of what he was doing.
He turned to Gu Qiao and spoke with difficulty, “Mom, the day I was possessed, before I left, she warned me not to touch alcohol. I didn’t listen. I drank the wine Qin Ruo handed me and fell under her spell.”
It was hard for a rebellious young man to admit his mistakes, but telling the truth was his responsibility as a man.
“I’ve read the novel she wrote, and so have you, but before the real trouble came, who took it seriously?”
“She mentioned the ‘Peach Blossom Mark’ in the novel. If we had looked more closely into the Zhang, Du, and Yang families, we could have asked her to save us in advance and avoided this risk.”
Teetering on the edge of life and death, Qi Yuan had finally grown up.
Gu Qiao lowered her head, wiping away tears, her face full of shame.
Qi Changrong and Qi Lin also felt some guilt.
“But we’re family,” Qi Yingxue’s gentle voice echoed in the hospital room, “Wouldn’t it have been better if she had warned us directly?”
“Do you even consider her family?” Su Nuanuan retorted coldly. “Did you support her from the start when she said she wanted to write a novel? When Qi Yuan bullied and looked down on her, did you ever truly reprimand him? Qi Yingxue, you’re so kind-hearted, but where were you when the supporting actresses in the crew were being bullied?”
Qi Yingxue was on the verge of tears. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t pretend with me. You shamelessly let Qi Quan take the initiative to save someone who bullied and suppressed her every day. Why didn’t you support Yuan Qing and deny that she was a disaster star? Being generous with others’ hardships is easy, isn’t it? Do you know how hard it was for Qi Quan to treat three people in succession? Do you think being a master is a walk in the park? If you had bothered to look into it, you wouldn’t have said such shameless things.”
Her words left Qi Yingxue’s mind blank.
“Uncle Qi, Aunt Gu, why are you waiting here for Qi Quan to come save the day? She was chasing after Qin Ruo all night—weren’t you even a little worried?”
Just because you’re “family,” does that mean you can sit back and wait for Qi Quan to come to the hospital and save Qi Yuan on her own?
Why shouldn’t I be the one to take the initiative and go ask?
Su Nuanuan couldn’t stand it any longer. Provoked by the attitude of the Qi family members, her anger finally broke through, and she couldn’t help but speak her mind.
Su Linhai waited until she finished before putting on a stern face and saying, “Nuanuan, what are you saying? Uncle Qi and the others are just worried and overthinking.”
“Sorry, I spoke too harshly just now,” Su Nuanuan said expressionlessly. “I’m going to the lakeside villa to see if Qi Quan has come back.”
With that, she turned and left the hospital room.
Lakeside Villa.
Qi Quan had slept until noon. Just as she woke up, the system in her mind began nagging: [Boss, you haven’t updated for several days. The readers are all urging you in the comment section. Oh, and last night Du Jiaming and Yang Su dropped a ton of bombs on you again.]
[Hmm.]
[There are several guests sitting in the living room right now.]
Qi Quan: …What a hassle.
She finished freshening up and changed into loose, comfortable loungewear, then rang the bell to call Su Rong.
“Have the guests meet me after dinner.”
Su Rong responded and left, but paused at the door, turning back to ask, “Master, what about the person you brought back? How should I arrange his accommodations?”
“Find him a place to stay. Just make sure he has enough to eat and drink.”
“But he doesn’t listen to me.”
Qi Quan: “…”
If it weren’t for goodwill, she wouldn’t bother with this trouble.
“Let him in.”
Su Rong hesitated for a moment, wanting to say something but holding back.
He appeared in the corridor, his gaze darkening as he looked down at the young man. “Master says you may come in.”
The young man lifted his head. His amber eyes were exceptionally clear and pure, like cold glass marbles, showing not a trace of the emotions humans are supposed to have. It sent an inexplicable chill down Su Rong’s spine.
He masked his expression and turned to leave.
The young man stood up, lowering his gaze again, and stepped barefoot onto the soft carpet inside the room.
