The next morning, the sky was painted with the rosy hues of dawn.
Qi Quan got up to have breakfast. Sitting obediently by the dining table was Ling Sheng, dressed in a well-fitted casual outfit. His tall, slender figure and strikingly handsome features were truly a delight to behold.
Qi Quan had a thought, and he released the Water Ghost from the peachwood talisman, channeling a surge of spiritual energy onto him.
The pale blue Water Ghost gradually transformed back into his living form.
He was young, with a neat and handsome appearance. There was still a hint of youthful innocence between his brows, and his eyes shone with a clear, pure light. He wore a crisp police uniform, standing tall and dignified.
He looked down at his hands, his expression a mix of joy and sorrow, murmuring, "I’ve returned to my original form..."
It was a sight that tugged at the heartstrings.
Qi Quan asked, “What’s your name?”
“I’m Qi Zheng.” He quickly noticed the gazes from Ling Sheng and Su Rong, surprised, “You can all see me?”
Qi Quan replied, “Officer Qi, please have a seat.”
“Ah?” Qi Zheng was a little stunned.
Qi Quan instructed Su Rong, “Prepare some offerings for Officer Qi.”
Su Rong smiled lightly, “Yes.”
Turning to Qi Zheng, he asked, “Officer Qi, what would you like for breakfast?”
Qi Zheng instinctively said, “Anything is fine.”
Can a ghost eat food?
But after so many years without tasting a meal, he truly missed it.
Soon, Su Rong brought over a bowl of lean pork congee and some steamed buns, placing them in front of Qi Zheng with a graceful and courteous smile. “Officer Qi, please enjoy your meal.”
Being served by such a handsome man, Qi Zheng felt a bit overwhelmed with gratitude and quickly stood up to bow, “Thank you.”
He noticed that this villa was filled with top-tier handsome men and beautiful women—just a feast for the eyes.
Except for Qin Ruo, who shared the same talisman with him.
The aroma of congee and steamed buns wafted to his nose. Carefully, he picked up the porcelain spoon, scooped a bit, and brought it to his lips.
The rich fragrance of rice and the savory taste of meat instantly warmed his heart.
He quickly took a mouthful.
Heaven, he could really taste it! It was delicious!
Qi Zheng had no time to ponder why he could savor the flavors of the living world. His instincts took over as he eagerly spooned the pork congee into his mouth, occasionally nibbling on a bun.
He was as happy as a god.
Watching him eat, Qi Quan’s own appetite grew.
After the meal, she asked Su Rong, “How is Ling Sheng’s progress with his lessons?”
“He’s already reached second grade in elementary school. He’s very smart and making good progress.”
Qi Quan nodded. Being a born spiritual entity, Ling Sheng was naturally gifted both in hardware and software aspects. Reaching only second grade meant someone was deliberately slowing him down.
She hadn’t yet decided how to deal with Ling Sheng.
He had been trapped for over a decade, unfamiliar with human emotions. But he could fight back and command crows to feast on Ding Ji’s flesh and blood, showing he had independently grasped and followed the principle of “an eye for an eye.”
A person like that must have his own logic and wouldn’t easily accept universal values.
But no matter what, Ling Sheng was a victim. His destruction of Ding Ji’s corpse was only natural. Qi Quan’s worry lay in the legends surrounding born spiritual beings.
They either become saints or demons.
If he were to become a demon, what should she do?
Qi Quan had been staring at Ling Sheng for too long. The young man lifted his head, his amber eyes locking onto hers like a clear spring, pure and untainted.
He curved his brows and smiled at her gently.
System: [Ling Sheng is honestly the most beautiful carbon-based life form I've ever seen!]
Qi Quan: [Oh?]
System: [Oh no, the boss is the most beautiful!]
Qi Quan: ...
Thanks, she clearly had no intention of competing in beauty with a man.
“Can you talk now?” she asked.
Su Rong looked troubled: “...No.”
Whether she really couldn’t or just didn’t want to, it was hard for outsiders to tell.
Qi Quan looked away and got up, heading toward the room.
“Master,” Su Rong called after her, “Nuan Nuan will be going to Longjing City for college the day after tomorrow. I want to see her off.”
“Send her to... Longjing?”
“No, she wants to take the bullet train. I’m going to take her to the station.”
Qi Quan was surprised. “No driver at home?”
“Uh, just to experience life.”
Qi Quan nodded. “Alright then.”
It was understandable—rich heiresses usually traveled by private car or plane, and had never taken a bullet train before.
After only a short time meditating in her room, there was a visitor at the door.
“Master, it’s a police officer from the city bureau,” Su Rong reported from outside.
Qi Quan opened her eyes. “Please have them come to the living room.”
Han Mian entered the villa with his officers and was immediately struck by the scene before him. No wonder this was a priceless top-tier villa; he’d heard the Su family had specially gifted it to Qi Quan—a truly generous gesture.
He glanced at his officers, who quickly shut their wide-open mouths.
No matter how stunned they were, they had to maintain the dignity of public servants.
Passing through a courtyard pond filled with lotuses and crossing a quiet corridor, the group followed Su Rong and arrived at the antique-style main living room.
Qi Quan sat leisurely on the sofa, sipping tea.
Before coming, Han Mian had already investigated Qi Quan’s background. She grew up in the countryside until she was eighteen, then went out to work. Just over three months ago, the Qi family had found her again.
As a genuine heiress from a rural background, her reputation in high society was poor—some might say really bad.
But after the Du family’s birthday banquet, she changed.
She gained massive wealth and attention through her serialized novel, *The Heiress Diaries*.
Han Mian had carefully studied the novel and compared it with the cases of Su Rong’s kidnapping, the death of the Qi family’s nanny, and incidents involving the Du, Yang, and Zhang families. He found *The Heiress Diaries* strangely uncanny.
He had to take it seriously.
“Officer Han, please have a seat,” Qi Quan said politely.
They had met before at the police station during the acid attack case yesterday and already exchanged names.
Han Mian and his officers sat down.
“Ms. Qi, do you know about the case involving Wei Xu’s fall?” he asked directly.
Qi Quan nodded. “Yes.”
“Is *The Heiress Diaries* on Screaming Literature City your work?”
“Yes.”
“You used the Weibo account ‘Bai Shui Zhen Ren’ to reply to a post asking if Yuan Qing was a jinx—is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“Ms. Qi, you have some knowledge of feng shui and metaphysics?”
Qi Quan smiled slightly. “A little.”
Now the main topic arrived.
“So, the ‘marriage thread’ you mentioned in last night’s new chapter—was that also calculated?”
One young officer couldn’t help but chuckle.
Han Mian shot him a sharp look and continued seriously, “But we checked the records—Yuan Qing is unmarried.”
“Do you mean my calculations are wrong?”
“No,” Han Mian shook his head, “I’ve read the earlier chapters of your novel. They’re actually quite accurate.”
Qi Quan raised an eyebrow.
Han Mian continued probing the details, “May I ask, in the realm of metaphysics, under what circumstances does a marriage thread appear?”
This question was highly uncharacteristic for a police officer.
The junior officer was taking notes while sneaking glances at him.
Qi Quan answered calmly, “It appears only in marriage relationships recognized by certain rules, excluding mere verbal agreements of romantic relationships or purely physical connections.”
“……”
Han Mian lowered his head and cleared his throat softly. The young officer’s ears turned red.
“Purely physical connections…”—that was quite a tactful way to put it.
“Can you be more specific?”
Qi Quan replied, “For example, a marriage relationship recognized by the laws of the living world, or a bond formed under the laws of the underworld by exchanging birthdates and tying a red thread.”
Han Mian and the officer were stunned.
They still refused to believe such an absurd thing, but with Wei Xu’s fall, they couldn’t find a single trace. It was as if an invisible hand had silently cut the safety wire in mid-air.
But how could that be possible?
...
If they handed in this as a case report, there was no way they’d be allowed to keep wearing their police uniforms.
Just as the two were at their wit’s end, Qi Zheng, having just finished a hearty meal, walked out of the dining hall.
He hadn’t tasted anything delicious in years and was so caught up in eating that he didn’t notice what was happening in the living room. Holding his stomach and burping, he came over to thank Qi Quan.
Then—
“Han Mian!”
“Qi Zheng!”
Han Mian sprang up abruptly, staring at Qi Zheng in disbelief, his eyes nearly popping out.
He had personally witnessed his friend’s corpse, swollen and waterlogged, had attended the funeral, and never missed visiting the grave on the anniversary. Qi Zheng was truly dead, so how was this man in a police uniform standing right before him?
The two looked at each other in silence; the living room was deathly quiet.
The junior officer didn’t recognize Qi Zheng and, seeing his uniform, assumed he was a colleague from the system, awkwardly greeting him.
Then he asked Han Mian, “Captain Han, do you know each other?”
Han Mian was speechless.
He was so shocked that his worldview was on the verge of collapse.
Qi Zheng quickly composed himself, walked up to him, and smiled, “It’s been so many years. You’ve become a captain at the city bureau, not bad!”
Only then did the junior officer notice Qi Zheng’s police badge.
Something was off—was this badge a mistake?
Han Mian’s eyes suddenly reddened. “How… how are you here?”
He even suspected he was dreaming. Otherwise, how could something so absurd happen?
Qi Zheng scratched his head, unsure how to explain, and glanced at Qi Quan.
Qi Quan didn’t hesitate at all: “I went bungee jumping, found him in the lake as a water ghost, and fished him out.”
[Boss, can you really tell ordinary people this?] The system was shocked.
Qi Quan: [Why not? Su Linhai and the others aren’t ordinary people.]
[But they’re police officers…]
[The Wei Xu case was a malicious ghost attack. It’s an unsolved mystery. Do you want them to never close the case?]
[But they still can’t close it now.]
Qi Quan frowned slightly: [They probably won’t.]
In this book’s world, it should be no different from her original world, right?
Her words were spoken lightly, but to Han Mian and the young police officer, they struck like a thunderclap.
A water ghost?!
What kind of ghost?!
What on earth is going on?!
The two stared wide-eyed, mouths agape, as if they had just been struck by lightning.
Qi Quan remained remarkably patient, leisurely sipping his tea.
This tea was extremely rare, specially sent by the Su family to the villa for Qi Quan to savor.
Indeed, it left a lingering fragrance on the palate.
The subtle aroma of the tea gently brought the two back to reality.
Han Mian quietly looked at the still “young” Qi Zheng before him, his voice hoarse as he asked, “How did you become a water ghost?”
No matter how absurd this was, all he wanted now was to catch up with his old brother.
Qi Zheng replied, “According to the master, I died unjustly. I had accumulated some good deeds, so I’m allowed to linger in the mortal world.”
He was a man with a strong sense of justice, having helped many people, and had thus earned some merit points—the golden light of virtue.
Han Mian caught the key phrase: “Died unjustly?”
They had investigated over and over back then, and all evidence pointed to Qi Zheng’s death being a suicide.
This matter had weighed heavily on his heart all these years—he never imagined it was truly a wrongful death!
He immediately asked, “Who did this to you?”
The young police officer beside him was utterly baffled.
Captain, are we sure we’re not on the wrong set?
Qi Zheng shook his head. “I don’t know either. You’d have to ask the master.”
Even he was confused.
Han Mian murmured, “Back then, you went to stop a ghost marriage, and Yuan Qing had a fate thread on her body. So, these two things are connected, right?”
His gaze burned intensely toward Qi Quan.
Qi Quan set down his teacup. “Whether there’s a connection or not, we’ll only know when the fox shows... its tail.”
“What do you mean?”
Qi Quan said, “This involves the mysterious Dao. You can ask your superiors to send someone from the Supernatural Affairs Department to handle it.”
In her previous life, she often dealt with the Supernatural Affairs Department.
“What’s the Supernatural Affairs Department?” Han Mian was a bit confused.
Qi Quan guessed his rank was low, so he probably didn’t know about such things. She said, “You can ask your superiors.”
Han Mian glanced at Qi Zheng, held back his words, and stepped outside to call his superior.
Not long after, he returned to the living room, a doubtful expression on his face. “The director said there’s no such department.”
And he even scolded me.
Qi Quan was speechless.
That shouldn’t be. In her world, there definitely was an official Supernatural Affairs Department, specially liaising with the mysterious Dao to handle cases involving ghosts harming people.
It was impossible the director’s rank wasn’t high enough.
As she pondered this, Su Rong reported at the door, “Master, Ning Zhi and Chen Feilu have arrived.”
Qi An’s expression tightened slightly. “Let them in.”
Perhaps she had some misconceptions about this world, and now that Ning Zhi was here, she could ask him.
Ning Zhi and Chen Feilu just stepped into the living room and were slightly surprised to see the three in police uniforms.
Ning Zhi could tell Qi Zheng was a ghost; Chen Feilu could not.
“Senior, yesterday we planned to deal with the level-three ghost near Yuan Qing, but she wasn’t at her residence.”
Qi Quan didn’t answer but instead asked, “Do you know about the Supernatural Affairs Department?”
Ning Zhi: ???
What’s that supposed to be?
He understood every word but had never heard the phrase before.
The expression on the young Taoist master's face was unmistakable.
Qi Quan shifted his angle and asked, "You're a Taoist master. Using this Level 3 ghost injury case as an example, how would you handle it?"
"Find the Level 3 ghost and make sure it no longer lingers in the mortal world," Ning Zhi replied matter-of-factly.
"And then?"
"Then what?"
Qi Quan said, "For the police handling the case, it becomes a cold case. Neither Wei Xu nor Yuan Qing's injuries have been resolved."
Although Wei Xu's way of using the play to flirt can't be considered entirely innocent, it hardly justifies what happened. Yuan Qing's label as a "disaster star" is even harder to clear.
Ning Zhi seemed half to understand: "But I’m just a Taoist master. I’m only responsible for dealing with ghosts and demons. Everything else is not my concern."
From the moment he was born, he was given this mission. His actions were confined within this set of principles, making it difficult to break free from this mindset all at once.
Han Mian, however, understood Qi Quan’s intention.
If the Taoist sects handled malicious ghost injury cases the way Ning Zhi did, many cases would become cold cases, and many incidents would defy logical explanation.
Take the Qi Zheng lake-jumping case or Wei Xu’s fall, for example.
Victims would never get justice, and the public would be left without reasonable answers, causing the police to lose credibility.
If, as Qi Quan suggested, an official occult squad were established to handle such supernatural cases, it would unravel this puzzle.
But is such a unit something that can just be set up overnight?
Han Mian couldn’t help but look at Ning Zhi.
Could it be that those people really aren’t known to the higher-ups?
Impossible.
Chen Feilu’s mind worked quickly, and he immediately said, "Actually, the Taoist sect does have a Taoist Masters Association."
"Yes," Ning Zhi chimed in, "The Taoist Masters Association is a supervisory body established jointly by various Taoist sects and prominent families nationwide, dedicated to handling ghost and demon cases across the country."
Han Mian asked, "Are there local branches of the Taoist Masters Association?"
"There are," Ning Zhi nodded, "Most Taoist masters register with the Association."
Han Mian said, "I’ve never heard of it."
Having been a cop for so many years, he knew every corner of Longjiang City, yet he had never heard of any Taoist Masters Association.
Ning Zhi explained, "Because Taoist masters are skilled at hiding and don’t interact with you guys, even though ordinary people might seek out Taoist masters, to you, it probably just looks like... superstitious folklore."
Han Mian agreed deeply.
He had indeed seen "spirit invocation" and similar superstitious activities before, but they were usually met with some verbal warnings and never taken seriously.
A young officer next to him snapped back to reality and asked the soul-searching question, "So, Captain Han, how do we close this case now?"
Han Mian felt a headache coming on.
From Ning Zhi’s description, the Taoist Masters Association exists only to balance the various Taoist factions. They still have no connection to the police.
He certainly couldn’t close the case just based on the Taoist master’s words.
The system listened in and said: [Boss, the Taoist Masters Association already exists. The higher-ups can’t not know.]
[Of course they know.]
[Then why don’t they open the door for us?]
[Maybe the time hasn’t come yet.]
Qi Quan gained a deeper understanding of this world.
Unlike her original world, the development of the Xuan Sect in this world seemed somewhat lagging behind, with various systems still far from perfect.
In her world, the government had a special task force dedicated to handling supernatural incidents nationwide. This team was carefully selected from the top masters across the country.
Back then, as the head of her sect and given her short lifespan, she hadn’t joined the supernatural management department, but she was familiar with the team’s development process.
At the beginning, forming the team wasn’t smooth at all.
The Xuan Sect practitioners lived carefree lives; why would they want to accept official leadership?
No one was willing to join, and even those who did had very few teammates. They had to compete with the deeply rooted Xuan Sect factions to handle cases, making things extremely difficult.
Later on...
“Senior, do you have any suggestions?” Ning Zhi asked respectfully.
He had already checked the registry of the Master Association and found no one named “Qi Quan” listed as a Level Six master or above. It was clear that Qi Quan was a rogue cultivator, unaffiliated with any Xuan Sect faction.
Qi Quan snapped back to reality, thought for a moment, and said, “You should each write an application and submit it to the higher authorities.”
She didn’t believe the government lacked the intention; it was just that the specific measures were not yet in place, and the formation of the team was still a long way off.
In the current situation, no one wanted to be the first to step forward.
Han Mian: “...”
He was at a loss.
Ning Zhi then asked, “What about that Level Three ghost? How do we handle it now?”
“You’re a Level Four master, can’t you deal with it?”
“But Yuan Qing isn’t at her residence.”
Qi Quan said, “Han, it shouldn’t be hard to track her down, right?”
“Sure,” Han Mian nodded. “We’ll cooperate.”
Though Ning Zhi was constrained by the rules of the Xuan Sect, he was still a daring and pragmatic young man, not so rigid in his thinking—otherwise, he wouldn’t have taught Chen Feilu those occult skills.
The Xuan Sect had strict rules against casually passing knowledge to outsiders, and Ning Zhi had technically broken one of those rules.
At this point, they should have left the villa to handle the case, but Han Mian hesitated.
He looked at Qi Zheng, his voice thick with emotion: “Ah Zheng, do you have any unfinished wishes?”
Qi Zheng was an optimist. Even after being a water ghost for so many years, he hadn’t become gloomy. Hearing the question, he broke into a hearty laugh: “Nothing much. Just want to see my parents and sister again. It’d be even better if I could find the culprit who hurt me.”
He had already heard from Qin Ruo about what happened back then, but the senior who had brought her into the sect had long since left Longjiang City and was now nowhere to be found.
Han Mian’s eyes showed guilt. He couldn’t fulfill either wish.
If it were a regular case, he would have done everything in his power to find the culprit, but since it involved the Xuan Sect, he found it difficult to make progress.
“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely apply to the higher-ups and request the Xuan Sect to reopen your case.”
A young officer suddenly asked, “Why not ask Master Qi?”
From calling her “Miss Qi” to “Master Qi,” it was clear he had begun to accept the supernatural world’s reality.
Han Mian looked toward Qi Quan.
The fact that she could make ghosts appear before people proved her skills were no ordinary feat.
“Once the Master team is formed, everything will be resolved smoothly,” Qi Quan said calmly, showing no interest in their expectations.
...
Han Mian didn’t press further and left the villa with the officers, with Ning Zhi and Chen Feilu following along.
Through police methods, they quickly located Yuan Qing’s current whereabouts.
Han Mian frowned as he looked at the pinpointed location.
“Captain Han, this should be the He family’s place. She’s right there!” a young officer exclaimed in surprise.
It seemed the netizens hadn’t been digging up information for nothing—Yuan Qing really did have ties to the He family!
The four rushed toward the He family’s villa.
In a dimly lit room, the woman’s painful moans stirred a twisted excitement in He Chao. His pale, sallow face was ugly and contorted with rage as he viciously beat the woman beneath him. He yanked her hair, smacked her face like toying with a small animal, and sneered cruelly:
“Little bitch! You’re nothing but trash! I thought you were so pure, but now you’re just obediently taking the beating and insults. You’re nothing but a whore—flirting around on set. How far have you gone with that Wei Xu, huh?”
Yuan Qing’s eyes were hollow, and she collapsed to the floor like a dying fish, drained of water and air, her gaze void of any light.
She should have been dead long ago.
Tears streamed down from the corners of her eyes, and her cracked lips oozed dark blood, which He Chao then scraped off with his hand and tasted on his tongue.
“Delicious.”
Yuan Qing could hardly comprehend how she had endured this.
Ever since that inexplicable ghost marriage began, her life had been ruined.
This demon in front of her didn’t just assault and abuse her at will—he was constantly stripping away her life force and destiny.
He clung to her, yet maliciously destroyed her.
Despair filled Yuan Qing’s heart.
She had thought about seeking help from masters and spiritual experts, but He Chao watched her like a hawk every moment. She had no way to escape this hellish prison.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
The door was knocked, and a cruel voice called from outside like a demon: “Chao Chao, stop playing and come down for dinner.”
It was He Chao’s mother.
She and her husband were the ones who had hired the “master” to bind He Chao and Yuan Qing in this ghost marriage.
Every year on He Chao’s death anniversary, they had to visit the cemetery to reinforce the bond between Yuan Qing and He Chao, and pay a huge sum to the “master’s” account.
They were nothing but a group of devils!
He Chao smiled cruelly, dragged her hair, and opened the door. Seeing Mrs. He outside, he immediately suppressed his ferocity and put on a docile expression.
“Mom, she’s caused so much trouble. Don’t feed her today.”
Mrs. He smiled sweetly and replied, “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”
The door was locked again.
As they went downstairs, Yuan Qing could still hear their conversation.
“Mom, how should we handle the online situation?”
“What’s there to fear? Who would believe in ghost marriages? Who even knows she’s still alive?”
“True,” He Chao snorted coldly. “I really don’t want her acting anymore. She’s such a slut, throwing herself at every man she sees. So annoying.”
“Chao Chao, be good. She’s fine like this—she has some fame, which can share some of your life force, and she’s not too popular to overshadow you. If she contacts other masters, it’ll ruin our plan.”
From downstairs, He Chao’s father agreed, “Yes, the master said maintaining this state is best for you.”
“Alright, then I’ll just tolerate it.”
Yuan Qing lay on the cold floor, trembling in pain all over, as if she had fallen into an ice cave, chilled to the bone.
Why was she still alive?
But if she died, would the He family target her parents? She couldn’t even afford to die.
The He family’s dinner table was laden with a variety of dishes.
The three of them sat around the table, about to enjoy a happy meal together when suddenly the doorbell rang.
Because they kept a ghost, the He family had dismissed their live-in housekeeper and normally only hired hourly workers. The chef came and went on a schedule.
There was no one else around during mealtime at the He household.
Hearing the doorbell at this moment meant they had to answer it themselves.
He Jianshe pressed the video monitor and saw Han Mian’s face on the screen. His heart tightened, and he asked, “Han... Officer?”
Han Mian stood outside the courtyard gate, his expression serious. “Mr. He, please open the door.”
No matter how powerful He Jianshe was, he dared not defy a public official, so he opened the door.
“Chaochao, the police are here. Go upstairs and hide for a while.”
He Chao grumbled, “Why don’t I just turn invisible? The police can’t see me anyway.”
“Fine then,” Mrs. He said again, “Be careful. I’ve heard Han Mian has a sharp eye.”
“Got it,” He Chao muttered.
Soon, Han Mian led the officers through the He family’s gate. Ning Zhi suppressed his exorcist aura, and Chen Feilu disguised himself as a plainclothes officer.
Han Mian glanced at the dining table. “Sorry to disturb you. I have a few questions for Mr. He and Mrs. Wang. Is this a convenient time?”
“Officer Han, please have a seat,” He Jianshe said with a mild smile on his plain face.
Han Mian looked at Ning Zhi, who tugged at the hem of his clothes. He understood immediately.
That was their signal: if the He family had a ghost, Ning Zhi would tug his clothes to alert him.
Han Mian sat on the sofa and asked the first question.
“Mr. He, do you have guests at home?”
“What do you mean?”
“There are three sets of bowls and chopsticks on the table. Mr. He, Mrs. Wang, who else is dining with you?”
He Jianshe managed to keep his composure, but Wang Cui’s face suddenly turned pale.
They had slipped up!
The living room fell into an unsettling silence.
Wang Cui quickly thought on her feet, tears streaming down her face as she cried, “Officer Han, we just miss our son so much. We set an extra place at the table to feel like he’s still here.”
Her sorrowful expression was deeply moving. If Han Mian didn’t know He Chao was really there, he might have been fooled.
Even so, the young officer’s eyes reddened.
No matter what, a mother’s love always evokes empathy.
Han Mian walked over to the table and looked at the chopsticks stained with cooking oil and the rims of the bowls. His face grew serious.
“What? The dead can feed themselves now?”
Mrs. He: “...”
They had been too rushed earlier to notice these details. Besides, they weren’t truly afraid of the police. Even if the police sensed something was off, they couldn’t actually see He Chao.
He Chao hid his form, and when he saw the officers frowning in confusion with no way to prove anything, he cheekily danced and made silly faces right in front of them.
Ning Zhi: “...”
Eye-burning.
He threw a confinement talisman toward He Chao’s ghostly body. Caught off guard, He Chao froze for a second before letting out a startled scream. Suddenly, a man appeared in the living room, oil still smudged around his mouth.
Han Mian: “...”
He Jianshe’s father and mother were utterly shaken, their eyes wide as they stared at their son. At this moment, He Chao was trapped by talismans, completely unable to break free.
He was only a third-level ghost, while Ning Zhi was a fourth-level Taoist master. Under such a rank disparity, resistance was impossible.
“Chao Chao!” He Jianshe suddenly turned into a drama king, tears welling up in his eyes as he rushed forward, shouting, “You’ve been with us all along! It’s all our fault, your father and mother—we didn’t take good care of you. Why didn’t you tell us?”
Mrs. He snapped back to reality and joined the theatrical display: “Chao Chao, Mommy misses you so much! How have you been over there? If you need anything, just tell Mommy—I’ll burn incense for you.”
Ning Zhi and the others: “……”
They were stunned—completely stunned.
Han Mian, despite his professional training, was struggling to keep a straight face. He stepped forward and said solemnly, “Mr. He, Mrs. Wang, we need to take He Chao for questioning.”
“Questioning?” Mrs. He stood protectively in front of He Chao. “Chao Chao is dead! You police want to question a dead man?”
Han Mian had no choice but to look to Ning Zhi.
Ning Zhi pulled out his ID card, proving he was a fourth-level Taoist master, and said, “I’m a Taoist master with the Taoist Association. Under the ‘Taoist Regulations,’ we need to question He Chao. Please come with us.”
“On what grounds? My son is dead! What right do you have to take him away?” He Jianshe glared angrily.
Han Mian’s body camera had been running the entire time, even capturing the image of He Chao’s ghostly form. This would serve as evidence when applying for higher authorization.
“He Chao, since you’ve become a ghost, you should understand the rules of the occult. Please come with us,” Ning Zhi said, mimicking Han Mian’s tone.
He used spiritual power to activate the restraining talisman, instantly pulling He Chao into the paper talisman. On its surface appeared a distorted ghostly shadow—the image of He Chao at the moment of his death.
Wang Cui screamed and lunged forward but was stopped by the junior officer.
Ning Zhi appeared to turn and leave the He family’s home but suddenly stopped, tilting his head to listen closely to faint noises upstairs.
As a fourth-level Taoist master, his hearing far surpassed ordinary people. Following the faint sounds, he accurately pinpointed them to the east side of the third floor.
He Jianshe watched, heart pounding wildly, and shouted, “Give me back my son! Give him back!”
His shouting drowned out the subtle noises. Ning Zhi turned his head and continued toward the door, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the sudden relaxation in He Jianshe’s expression. He immediately said to Han Mian, “There’s something going on on the east side of the third floor!”
Han Mian’s expression stiffened. He quickly led the junior officers upstairs.
“Ah—” Wang Cui screamed, trying to block their way, “Get out! Get out of here!”
Han Mian paid her no mind.
They had come to the He household for two reasons: first, for He Chao; second, for Yuan Qing. Now that He Chao was in custody, they certainly wouldn’t abandon Yuan Qing.
Lingering downstairs had only given Ning Zhi enough time to locate Yuan Qing precisely.
In a hidden room on the east side of the third floor, Yuan Qing lay face down on the floor.
Thinking of the hellish years she’d endured, she wished she could just die.
But if she died, what would happen to her parents?
If she died, He Chao would also vanish, and the He family would surely not spare her parents.
Yet, she could no longer hold on.
Her whole body ached, chilled to the bone, as if her blood had frozen, sinking into a boundless, bottomless ice cave. The entire world was shrouded in darkness.
She wanted to die.
Just to be dead would end everything.
After all, no master had summoned her soul, no master had bound her to another to cling to life in the mortal realm. She wouldn’t become a ghost—she would simply enter reincarnation.
Yuan Qing clawed desperately at the cold floor, summoning every ounce of strength to lift her head and slam it fiercely against the hard marble ground.
Thud!
Thud thud!
Thud thud thud!
She used all her strength, but it was so feeble that although her forehead bruised purple and blue, it wasn’t fatal.
After a few strikes, she lost every bit of energy.
She closed her eyes, hopelessly waiting for the torment and pain to come.
Suddenly, the door to the dark room slammed open with a bang, letting in a shaft of light.
Han Mian had seen countless cruel and horrifying cases, but when he saw Yuan Qing, he was still stunned.
She lay motionless on the floor like a discarded sack of rags. Her exposed skin was nowhere near normal—bruised, purple, and bleeding.
A junior officer, inexperienced and unprepared, couldn’t help but let out a startled “Ah!”
Han Mian immediately ordered, “Call an ambulance, quickly.”
The junior officer fumbled for his phone.
“No… no…” Yuan Qing somehow found the strength to scream hoarsely, “Don’t call the ambulance!”
She passed out immediately after shouting.
Only then did the junior officer remember her celebrity status and hesitantly ask, “Should we still call?”
“Her injuries aren’t life-threatening, just terrifying to look at,” Ning Zhi arrived upstairs, leaving Chen Feilu downstairs to hold back the He family couple.
“What do we do now?” Han Mian hadn’t dealt with victims of Yin Marriage before, and wasn’t familiar with the customs of the occult sect.
Ning Zhi thought for a moment and said, “I’ll ask Senior Qi.”
He hadn’t cooperated with the police before either.
“Alright,” Han Mian agreed.
Ning Zhi dialed the phone at the Linhu Villa, and Su Rong answered.
“Mr. Su, I need to consult Senior Qi about something.”
Su Rong knew they were on a ghost-hunting mission and didn’t delay, immediately notifying Qi Quan.
After hearing the call, Qi Quan replied, “Send her to Anji Hospital under the Du family’s name.”
As long as she was under the Du family’s protection, the hospital would guarantee complete privacy for Yuan Qing’s treatment...
Du Jiaming had kept his distance from women since the “Peach Blossom Seal” incident. He found life rather dull, with nothing to do besides boosting the rankings for *The Heiress Diary* every day.
He had wanted to study the occult but realized it wasn’t his calling.
Just as he was idly killing time at the company, he received a call from Linhu Villa, and his expression suddenly brightened.
“No problem. I’ll arrange doctors and nurses immediately! Please rest assured, Master Qi—the hospital will not leak a single word!”
After hanging up, he contacted the hospital director and rushed to the hospital himself.
He had read the latest chapters of *The Heiress Diary* and knew Master Qi was very interested in Yuan Qing’s case. That “marriage fate line” wasn’t baseless; everyone was waiting for the master to take action. He never expected the master to be so efficient.
To be personally involved was his honor!
Moreover, the master only entrusted him with the task—what does that mean? It means the master values him!
Yang Su and Zhang Chengyan, along with those other fools, all had to take a back seat!
He happily ran to the hospital, just as Ning Zhi and Chen Feilu arrived.
Yuan Qing had already been sent for a forensic injury assessment and could stay at Anji Hospital to recover until the situation calmed down.
Once she woke up, they could question her.
No matter what, she was covered in wounds when she appeared in the He family’s secret chamber. The He couple definitely wouldn’t escape punishment.
Han Mian took the He couple back to the police station, while Ning Zhi settled Yuan Qing before returning to the Linhu villa with Chen Feilu.
In the antique-style living room, Ning Zhi released He Chao from the confinement talisman and threw him onto the floor, eyes filled with disgust. “Senior, this is He Chao.”
To a celestial master like Ning Zhi, He Chao’s true form was different from what ordinary people saw.
At least Qi Quan and Ning Zhi could see the black-red marriage bond lines on He Chao’s body—Chen Feilu could not.
Su Rong and Qi Zheng floated over, eager to join the fray.
Both being ghosts, they could sense the malice and deadly aura radiating from He Chao. If things continued, he would inevitably become a malevolent spirit threatening ordinary people.
He Chao lay crooked on the ground, his eyes filled with hatred as he glared at Qi Quan.
“Do you know who I am? I advise you to release me immediately! Otherwise, when the master arrives, you won’t come out unscathed!”
Seeing that Qi Quan and Ning Zhi were both young, he was certain none of them were as powerful as the master who had cast spells for him. So, he acted recklessly.
Master Ding had told him that there was no higher-ranking celestial master in the entire Longjiang City—meaning no one could break the marriage bond line between him and Yuan Qing.
He felt invincible.
“Just because you harm others doesn’t mean you’re right!” Qi Zheng, bursting with a strong sense of justice, couldn’t hold back. “Even if you were the king of gods, if you break the law, you must be punished!”
He Chao sneered at him, “Hmph, a first-level white ghost.”
Qi Zheng was speechless.
Su Rong, who greatly respected the police and disliked seeing Qi Zheng belittled, struck He Chao with a burst of ghostly energy. He Chao cried out in pain.
Having learned ghost arts from Qi Quan, Su Rong was no longer the lowly first-level white ghost he once was. Taking down a spirit like He Chao, who survived by draining people’s luck, was well within his capabilities.
“Senior, should we sever the ghost marriage?” Ning Zhi asked.
Thinking of Yuan Qing’s ordeal, a fire burned in his heart.
Before Qi Quan could answer, He Chao sneered, “Sever it? Hahaha, you think you can? Even if you could, I’m bound by a curse. If you touch it, Yuan Qing will die. Do you dare?”
Qi Zheng was speechless.
It wasn’t that the ghosts had turned bad—it was the bad people who had become ghosts.
Hands itching to strike, the urge to beat down the spirit was palpable.
Ning Zhi frowned. He truly couldn’t break the marriage bond line on He Chao. If what He Chao said was true—that severing the ghost marriage would kill Yuan Qing—then he would indeed hesitate.
His gaze involuntarily shifted to Qi Quan.
Qi Quan asked leisurely, “Is the person who arranged your ghost marriage named Ding?”
“So what if he is?” He Chao stiffened his neck and retorted.
Qi Quan smiled softly, his voice calm, “I have some bad news for you. Ding Ji is dead.”
“Impossible!”
“Oh, believe it or not.”
Qi Quan casually stretched out a...
A slender hand, delicate and pale as the finest warm jade, fingertips entwined with spiritual energy that gradually formed into a tiny hook.
The hook playfully probed into He Chao’s soul, snagging the black and red thread of fate entwined with his destiny.
Ning Zhi’s pupils contracted slightly, sensing the overwhelming mastery of spiritual control!
“No! You can’t kill me! Yuan Qing will die! She will definitely die!” He Chao shouted in terror.
Qi Quan curved her lips into a faint smile.
The hook abandoned the thread of fate, but before He Chao could breathe a sigh of relief, it brushed against a forbidden seal that Ding Ji had once laid.
It was nothing more than a rudimentary formation, designed to share Yuan Qing’s vitality and fortune. Truly a sinister and poisonous dark art, worthy of Ding Ji’s craftsmanship.
Qi Quan detested such bandit-like tactics.
Her gaze deepened, a faint golden light flickering in her pupils. Her spiritual power surged suddenly, flooding into the slender hook like a raging torrent, striking the forbidden seal.
Crash—
The seal shattered explosively.
