Lakeside Villa.
Su Rong got up early to make breakfast. Passing through the living room, he discovered someone sitting on the sofa.
The young man was frowning, his gaze fixed intently on the television screen.
An unfamiliar movie was playing on the screen, set to mute to avoid disturbing others.
Su Rong: ?
He stood silently for a moment before speaking. "You didn't watch movies all night, did you?"
Ling Sheng looked at him upon hearing this and nodded.
"You like watching that much?"
The young man shook his head.
Su Rong asked, "Then why did you stay up all night watching movies?"
Ling Sheng pulled out his phone and typed slowly: 【There's a problem I can't figure out.】
"Watching movies won't help you figure it out," Su Rong said with a slight smile. "Why not help me make breakfast instead? We can talk."
Ling Sheng nodded, turned off the TV, and followed him into the kitchen.
The kitchen was Su Rong's "domain." He didn't like others interfering when he cooked. Asking Ling Sheng to help with breakfast was just a pretext; he wouldn't actually let Ling Sheng do anything.
"Care to tell me about it?" he asked skillfully, handling a pot.
Ling Sheng didn't know how to explain.
"It's just the two of us guys here, and it's not like you can talk to anyone else," Su Rong said gently. "I'm older than you, and I've seen a lot more during my time as a ghost. Maybe I can help."
Ling Sheng thought for a moment, then lowered his head and typed on his phone.
【Watched a movie yesterday. Felt uncomfortable.】
Su Rong glanced at the screen, surprised. "Are you scared of horror movies?"
Ling Sheng shook his head.
"What kind of discomfort?"
【Burning, hot, restless.】
"Are you sick?" Su Rong instinctively asked, then immediately corrected himself. "No, that's not right. You have cultivation; you can't get a fever or fall ill."
He examined Ling Sheng carefully. "Do you still feel uncomfortable now?"
Ling Sheng shook his head.
Su Rong pondered for a moment. "What part of the movie did you start feeling uncomfortable at?"
【When the female ghost entered the bedroom.】
Su Rong recalled yesterday's movie. After the female ghost entered the bedroom...
He suddenly froze.
When he had watched that part yesterday, he had felt a bit embarrassed too, but only for a short while and hadn't paid it much mind.
Back when he was a young ghost, he would seize any chance to come to Longjiang City to find his dad and had accidentally encountered such situations a few times. He was already used to it.
But Ling Sheng had never been exposed to such things.
Teacher Xue had only taught him academic knowledge, not that kind of knowledge.
Su Rong suddenly laughed.
He asked, "How many movies did you watch last night?"
【Three.】
"All horror films?"
Ling Sheng nodded.
"I remember there are some romance-type films in the box. I'll find them for you later. Watch a few and you'll understand," Su Rong said, pausing briefly. "Watch them in your own room."
Ling Sheng looked confused.
Romance?
He knew humans had familial love, friendship, and romantic love.
But what these three types of feelings actually were, he didn't really understand. Or rather, he didn't have a clear concept of them.
He asked: 【What is romantic love?】
Su Rong hadn't experienced it himself either. He could only explain based on his superficial understanding. "It's when two people are attracted to each other, like each other, and want to be together for a lifetime."
Seeing Ling Sheng still didn't grasp it, he decided to be blunt. "In the movie you watched yesterday, after the female ghost entered the bedroom, she saw a man and a woman... cough... engaged in intimate behavior. That kind of behavior is something two people who like each other can do. Of course, we don't advocate that kind of adulterous intimate behavior."
Ling Sheng was even more direct than him.
【I want to hold her, I want to kiss her, but I don't dare to look at her. Why?】
Su Rong: !!!
With a look of shock on his face, he exclaimed, "You have someone you like?!"
Hearing this, Ling Sheng was stunned for a moment, then slowly opened his eyes wide, the light in them growing brighter and brighter.
So... this is what liking someone feels like?
"Who has someone they like?" Xue Hong floated over with great interest, looking at Ling Sheng. "Is it you? Really? Which family's young lady is it?"
Ling Sheng opened his mouth as if to say a name, but for some reason gave up.
He turned and left the kitchen, returning to his room. He pulled out the jade carving from the drawer that he couldn't carve properly last night. The tip of his knife spun swiftly, and in no time, the facial features of the carving became clearly visible.
A certain restless emotion seemed to ease.
He meticulously carved the jade statue, striving for perfection in every detail, not missing a hair's breadth.
His carving skill was extremely proficient, enhanced by his spiritual power. In a short while, he had completed a jade statue.
It was Qi Quan wearing her uniform.
"Time to eat," Xue Hong knocked on his door.
The corners of Ling Sheng's lips lifted. He carefully placed the jade carving on the bedside table, then opened the door and went to sit at the dining table.
The dining table was by the window.
During the meal, the morning sunlight shone in obliquely, just falling behind Qi Quan, making the hair on her back reflect a dazzling, radiant light.
Ling Sheng gazed at her without blinking.
The statue he just carved didn't seem so perfect anymore.
Qi Quan: "Do you have something to say?"
Under her gaze, Ling Sheng felt embarrassed again and lowered his head to eat.
"Ling Sheng watched movies all night last night," Butler Su teased.
Qi Quan: "..."
It seems he really does love watching movies.
Xue Hong laughed. "Ling Sheng might have someone he likes."
The two of them rarely got to gossip about such matters and naturally wouldn't hide it from Qi Quan.
Qi Quan was taken aback.
The system was equally shocked: 【Someone he likes! Oh my! Did Ling Sheng tell them?】
【Tell them what?】
【That he...】 The system suddenly stopped.
Qi Quan narrowed her eyes: 【Why did you stop?】
The system snorted proudly: 【I'm a writer's system, not a dating system.】
It was only here to watch the drama, not responsible for other aspects.
Qi Quan asked Ling Sheng, "Do you really have someone you like?"
Ling Sheng first nodded, then shook his head.
"What does nodding and then shaking your head mean?" Xue Hong teased him. "Do you like them or not?"
Before Ling Sheng could answer, Qi Quan's phone rang.
She got up from the table, picked up her phone, and answered.
"Master, good morning," Li Guoyan's deep voice came through the receiver. "We've found out the specific reason for Gao Peilan's fall."
Qi Quan: "Please go ahead."
"Gao Peilan's parents were both salaried workers with decent incomes and owned two properties in Longhai City. After she was admitted to Longhai University, she met her husband, Pan Hao. She became pregnant before graduating, and her parents weren't keen on her marrying Pan Hao, who came from a poor background. But since Gao Peilan was already pregnant, they had to accept it."
System: 【Definitely a phoenix man!】
After they got married, Gao Peilan, who was pregnant, found it difficult to get a job and planned to look for work after giving birth. Pan Hao had just graduated; even if he found a job, his salary wouldn't be high, so their life was quite strained. However, Gao Peilan's parents, feeling sorry for their daughter, transferred the ownership of one of their properties to her. The couple lived in that apartment.
System, conspiratorially: 【Could it be that Pan Hao wanted the apartment and intentionally killed his wife!】
"Pan Hao himself was quite ambitious. After graduation, he joined a private company, striving hard to climb the ladder. His work was very demanding every day. But he had no background, and his abilities weren't exceptionally outstanding, making it hard to stand out in a big corporation. By chance, he discovered a secret and thought of a way."
System, indignantly: 【He must have hooked up with some boss's daughter! That's how it always goes in novels!】
"Even Li Guoyan, with all his worldly experience, couldn't keep his voice from turning hoarse. 'He discovered,' he said, 'he discovered that the company's boss had a... peculiar preference.'"
Qi Quan had roughly guessed it, and her expression turned icy.
"He liked pregnant women."
The System: "..."
It was utterly stunned. After recovering, it couldn't help but spew a string of curses: [Bleep— Bleep— Bleep—]
How could there be such a disgusting person in this world?!
Qi Quan's voice was cold. "Did he give Gao Peilan to his superior?"
"That's what the informant indeed said."
Such a truth was truly hard to accept.
The so-called husband's infidelity during pregnancy was merely a fig leaf. This was far more chilling than mere infidelity.
Unable to bear such humiliation, Gao Peilan chose to jump to her death in despair.
Qi Quan asked, "What about Pan Hao now?"
"We found out that Pan Hao went insane the year after her death and has remained so until now. He lives in a shabby rented room, and someone delivers meals to him every day. According to the delivery person, he often mutters Gao Peilan's name, begging her not to kill him, and things like that."
"What about his family?"
"Communication was inconvenient thirty years ago. After he went mad, he never contacted his family again, and they couldn't find him, so all contact was lost. After he went mad, no one knew who he was."
Qi Quan: "What about the person who delivers the meals?"
"We asked. The delivery person said someone hired him to do this job, but he doesn't know who the employer is. I suspect it's very likely Gao Peilan, having become a ghost, intentionally tormenting him."
"What happened to the superior from back then?"
Li Guoyan: "Died of a sudden, severe illness years ago."
"What are your plans, Director Li?"
Li Guoyan: "I've already sent people to stake out the area near Pan Hao's residence. If Gao Peilan truly is tormenting Pan Hao, she should appear."
However, Qi Quan said, "If the ghost arts she cultivates are the same as Zhang Feng's, they won't be detected. That would hinder the department's capture operation."
"What does Master suggest?"
Qi Quan felt something was off intuitively. After pondering for a moment, she said, "Proceed with the original plan."
"Is there a problem somewhere?" Li Guoyan was equally sharp.
Qi Quan said, "It's been too smooth."
Given that He Xiuyu was a master of deduction, having schemed for so many years, attempting to use Cai Ji and Ling Sheng to cover his evil deeds and perfectly hide in the shadows, how could he leave so many traces?
Including the Lingxu Temple she detected with her spiritual sense last night—perhaps that was also intentionally exposed by the other party.
Why?
Cai Ji, at a critical moment of breaking through a cultivation stage, still knew to have the evil cultivator organization lay low a bit. Wouldn't He Xiuyu be aware of this too?
What she thought of, Li Guoyan also thought of.
Dealing with such a cunning enemy, they truly couldn't afford to be careless.
He asked, "If that's really the case, what is his intention?"
Qi Quan said, "He should also be at a critical juncture. But the discovery of the siren group caused him to lose a lot of sacrificial power. He's bound to replenish it from elsewhere."
"Speaking of which, I just happen to have another matter to tell you," Li Guoyan said. "Previously, we traced the comment 'filial piety kills me' to find her information, but found nothing suspicious. However, the department didn't give up and continued investigating from her surroundings. Data shows that the patient mortality rate at Longhai City First Hospital in recent years is far higher than before."
Qi Quan: "Patients... what kind of patients?"
"Terminally ill patients, or elderly people with not much lifespan left," Li Guoyan explained. "The strange thing is, these patients chose death early, even before their time was truly up."
"Suicide?"
Li Guoyan: "These people refused further treatment and went home to await death. The specific circumstances after returning home are still being verified."
"I understand," Qi Quan said. "Last night, I detected a seventh-level Celestial Master at Lingxu Temple. I asked Meng Yunzheng, and he denied that Lingxu Temple has any seventh-level Celestial Master."
"You mean... 'Ghost'?!"
Li Guoyan, true to his reputation, immediately thought of this.
As the saying goes, the darkest place is under the lamp.
Their pursuit of 'Ghost's' trail had yielded no results. On one hand, 'Ghost' was too secretive; on the other hand, they had greatly overlooked Longjiang City.
Because Longjiang City had a top-tier expert, Qi Quan, holding the fort.
Following normal logic, would a fugitive run to the place with the strongest police presence?
Qi Quan smiled. "Whether it's him or not remains to be verified."
"Master, could this be a setup by the other party?" Li Guoyan asked warily.
Overnight, both "Nut-Loving Squirrel" and "Ghost" had abruptly revealed themselves before the Investigation Department.
Qi Quan said, "Then we'll go along with their plan."
After hanging up the phone, the System hurriedly asked: [Big Boss, what do you mean? What setup? What 'go along with the plan'?]
The corner of Qi Quan's mouth lifted slightly as she patiently explained: [The clues were indeed discovered and pursued by us, but it also feels like they were handed to us. The other party has been hidden for years, never revealing a hint. Before capturing Cai Ji, who would have suspected a dead person?]
[But capturing Cai Ji, interrogating Cai Ji, all followed the normal procedure,] the System didn't understand.
Qi Quan: [If not for the siren group, we wouldn't have thought much, and Cai Ji wouldn't have either.]
[But our discovery of the siren group was an accident.]
[It was an accident,] Qi Quan said. [Let's just call it intuition.]
[I, of course, believe you, Big Boss! So what should we do now?]
Qi Quan: [Go out to offer incense.]
System: ?
After breakfast, Qi Quan prepared to take Ling Sheng out.
"Master, should we hire a driver in the future?" Su Rong asked.
Before Qi Quan could speak, Ling Sheng held out his phone: [I'll learn. I'll drive in the future.]
He now had an ID card and could do many things.
Su Rong smiled. "Alright, when you get back, we'll look for a suitable driving school and sign you up."
Ling Sheng nodded.
"Try the skill of concealing your presence from last night," Qi Quan said.
Ling Sheng instantly retracted all his spiritual energy, merging seamlessly with the surrounding environment.
"Huh? Where's Ling Sheng?" Xue Hong widened her eyes.
Even though Ling Sheng was right in front of her, she couldn't sense him at all. It deceived not only the eyes but also the perception of spiritual power and ghostly energy.
It was amazing!
Qi Quan was the same.
She knew Ling Sheng hadn't vanished, yet she completely overlooked his presence.
And she was now at the peak of the Human Sovereign realm.
Ling Sheng's skill was different from a Breath-Concealing Talisman.
A Breath-Concealing Talisman could at most mask spiritual fluctuations, preventing others from discerning one's cultivation level or physique, but one could still perceive the "person's" existence.
Qi Quan asked with a smile, "Can it only be used on yourself?"
[Don't know. Let's try.]
He extended his hand, palm up. His fingers were long and clean, with clear lines.
Qi Quan understood his meaning and reached out her hand.
The young man carefully held it. His palm was warm and dry, not causing any aversion.
He channeled spiritual power, which gradually spread from his palm to Qi Quan. In moments, he had generated a set of "armor" for Qi Quan. The armor was intangible, capable of isolating both aura and life presence.
The two stood in the small courtyard, yet Su Rong and Xue Hong could perceive nothing, their very sight veiled.
The people hadn't vanished, but their brains received no signals from their eyes.
Success.
Qi Quan withdrew her hand and said, "Follow me."
"Wait," Xue Hong called out to her, "Master, I can see you again!"
Qi Quan: "..."
Hadn't the "armor" already formed?
She looked at Ling Sheng.
Meeting her gaze, Ling Sheng's eyes showed confusion.
Su Rong said, "Is physical contact necessary for the skill to work on others?"
Qi Quan didn't insist. She instructed Ling Sheng, "Conceal your form and follow me."
As a peak Human Sovereign realm cultivator, meeting a seventh-level Celestial Master wasn't strictly necessitating this skill, but it was a precaution.
Ling Sheng: "..."
He didn't know what Qi Quan intended for him to do, but her seriousness meant the matter was undoubtedly important.
He couldn't let Qi Quan be discovered, just as she had once concealed his appearance and physique for him.
Ling Sheng grabbed her sleeve and typed: [Let me try again.]
He closed his eyes, continuously communing with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, trying to persuade it to envelop Qi Quan and completely hide her traces.
The system asked: [Big Boss, don't you have invisibility talismans?]
It remembered that during previous outings, the boss had specifically worn invisibility talismans to avoid being caught on surveillance.
Qi Quan said: [The principle of an invisibility talisman is a type of illusion. Activating it requires channeling spiritual power, which creates fluctuations easily detectable by other cultivators.]
Although her level was high and she wasn't worried about lower-level Celestial Masters, the ghost lurking in the shadows couldn't be taken lightly.
Once they reached Lingxu Temple, Ling Sheng could handle the task.
[Alright.]
Ling Sheng tried for a while, fine sweat beading on his forehead, before he finally persuaded the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to conceal Qi Quan.
Qi Quan's presence vanished once more.
He opened his eyes and looked at Qi Quan happily.
[As expected of a born spiritual body, so beloved by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth,] the system said approvingly.
Qi Quan also smiled at Ling Sheng. "Let's go."
The two drifted out of the courtyard, their bodies in harmony with heaven and earth, their passage unnoticed.
[Big Boss, where exactly are you going?]
[Lingxu Temple.]
System: [We're in the southern suburbs, Lingxu Temple is in the northern suburbs. That's quite far. Are you and Ling Sheng planning to walk?]
Qi Quan: [How could we? Naturally, we'll use swift travel talismans.]
[But swift travel talismans also require channeling spiritual power. Aren't you worried about the fluctuations being detected?]
Qi Quan: [Now, with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth providing cover, there's no need to worry.]
Her earlier comment about invisibility talismans being detectable was based on the scenario without Ling Sheng's concealment.
System: [Oh, right.]
It then added: [Actually, holding hands and walking together earlier wouldn't have been impossible either.]
Qi Quan: [Inconvenient.]
When each person only has one free hand, actions become limited.
The system chuckled: [I thought...]
[Thought what?]
[I thought you might be avoiding impropriety because Ling Sheng has someone he likes.]
Qi Quan couldn't help but laugh: [Why avoid impropriety?]
System: [Uh...]
Big Boss, what do you mean by that?
Qi Quan's next sentence directly shocked it into speechlessness.
[The one he likes is me, isn't it?]
System: !!!
It remained silent for a long moment before exclaiming in surprise: [Big Boss, why are you so sure he likes you? You, you...]
You're supposed to lack emotional cells!
Qi Quan: [I have eyes.]
Such obvious behavior—she wasn't a wooden puppet, how could she not see it?
The system asked with thrilled excitement: [Then do you like him?]
Qi Quan deliberately teased it: [Guess.]
System: ...
Amidst the idle chat between the person and the system, the two quickly arrived at Lingxu Temple.
Lingxu Temple was a famous Taoist temple in Longjiang City, with a considerable number of devotees, if not a massive crowd.
The two stood side by side, suspended in mid-air, looking down at the temple below.
Inside and outside the temple, people came and went—some burning incense, some seeking divination slips, some specifically there for sightseeing.
But all this liveliness was concentrated in the front halls, having nothing to do with the rear halls.
From the rear halls to the living quarters, the atmosphere was extremely desolate. Not a single person could be seen for the longest time, a stark contrast to the front halls.
Actually, judging from the layout, the rear halls were more spacious and imposing, more like the main halls. It was somewhat strange that Lingxu Temple only opened the front halls to the public.
Qi Quan took out a recording talisman and asked, "Can you make it undetectable?"
Ling Sheng took it, and moments later, the recording talisman vanished from sight.
"Later, I'll go knock on the door. Once it opens, you send the talisman inside."
Ling Sheng nodded.
"Let's go down." She led the way, diving down and floating close to the rear courtyard living quarters.
Ling Sheng followed closely, landing outside the door of one of the rooms.
The living quarters were rows of single-story houses, quite old and somewhat dilapidated in appearance, though kept very clean.
Qi Quan knocked three times. There was no movement from inside.
She knocked three more times.
Still no movement.
She could sense someone inside, but that person was clearly alarmed and hesitant, unwilling to open the door.
Inside the room, the young man frowned deeply.
He had naturally heard the knocking, but according to the surveillance monitor outside, there was simply no one there!
He initially thought it might be a ghost outside, but when he probed with his spiritual power, he couldn't sense the slightest trace of ghostly energy.
Could it be a powerful ghost?
But he was already a seventh-level Celestial Master. No matter what, he shouldn't be completely unable to sense any ghostly energy.
Cai Guang stared intently at the monitor, trying to find any clue.
It was a pity Zhang Feng was out acting; otherwise, he could have this special ghost sense it out.
The knocking started again.
Cai Guang looked suspiciously at the door panel. He knew he shouldn't open the door lightly, but what if it was one of the organization's ghosts outside?
Ghosts like Zhang Feng, who had cultivated special ghost arts, could indeed evade surveillance, and ordinary Celestial Masters wouldn't be able to detect them.
He hesitated for a moment, about to speak, when the knocking stopped.
Gone?
He walked quietly to the back of the door and looked through the peephole.
Still nothing.
After waiting a bit longer and seeing no further movement outside, he turned and returned to his seat.
He had just sat down when the knocking sounded again.
Cai Guang: ...
He was young, at an age prone to mischief and rebellion. Being trapped in this tiny room every day was already agonizing, and having to share space with a scumbag like Zhang Feng added to his pent-up frustration. Now, some "ghost" was deliberately messing with him outside, and his anger flared instantly.
"Who is it? Get the hell away from here!"
Outside, it suddenly fell silent.
Cai Guang took a deep breath and refocused on the online situation.
Recently, the Investigation Department had been pursuing them very closely. He didn't dare make any major moves online easily. The authorities had also released a blocking software, urging the public to download it, causing the Siren groups to suddenly lose their vast pool of potential members.
Although those already in the Siren groups wouldn't leave easily, the number of new joiners was dwindling. The social circles of the old members in the groups were limited, so the number of people available for sacrifice plummeted.
The development of the Siren groups had only been going on for about ten years.
In the beginning, very few people had internet access. Most in these circles were elites with high discernment and self-control, making them extremely difficult to sway.
Later, with the proliferation of smartphones and computers, more and more people gained internet access. The online space became flooded with vast amounts of junk information. He would filter users from this junk, then have others lure these users into the groups.
To be honest, some people fail in real life and fail online just the same. Even with the support of talisman patterns and linguistic hints, they can't bewitch many willing to sacrifice their lives.
Only a very few can trick three or four people a month.
However, the Siren groups still provide the Master with a steady stream of sacrificial energy.
Besides the Siren groups, they have other clandestine operations.
The Master said that once the final step is completed, they would succeed.
As for what that final step is, he didn't know either.
"Knock, knock, knock."
The knocking interrupted his reverie about the future.
Cai Guang rolled his eyes. Was there no end to this!
He abruptly stood up, grabbed a peach wood sword, pulled out several high-level attack talismans, and charged over furiously. He flung open the door, hurled the talismans out in a rush, and swung the peach wood sword haphazardly.
Qi Quan outside the door: "..."
Ling Sheng seized the opportunity. A memory-retaining talisman slipped through the door crack, found the best angle, and obediently stuck itself to the wall.
After throwing the talismans and waving the sword a few times, Cai Guang saw no reaction from outside, leaving him with nothing but helpless rage.
[He can't be the Ghost, can he?] The system's preconceived image shattered completely.
The Ghost online was technically powerful and very mysterious. Who would have thought that in reality, he was just a rash, irritable brat.
Qi Quan said: [He's only seventeen. Being a king online doesn't mean he is one in reality.]
Growing up in a cultist organization, without formal education, surrounded by bloodshed and violence, and "imprisoned" in the internet all day, it would be a miracle if he didn't turn out twisted.
For Cai Guang, the internet was both his paradise and his cage.
He was already bound by it.
After placing the memory-retaining talisman, Qi Quan took Ling Sheng and returned to the Lakeside Villa.
Leaving Cai Guang alone, cursing wildly at the empty courtyard.
[Big shot, when are you coming back to retrieve it?] the system asked.
Qi Quan: [Why retrieve it?]
[Didn't we always have to take the memory-retaining talisman away to view it before?]
Qi Quan: [Memory-retaining talismans can also be innovated.]
She returned to the villa, activated another memory-retaining talisman, and projected it in the living room.
The two talismans were connected, allowing for real-time video streaming.
System: Amazing, my big shot!
Qi Quan called Li Guoyan, explained the function of the memory-retaining talisman, and then instructed Su Rong to use electronic equipment to synchronize the talisman's feed to Li Guoyan.
Let the Investigation Department keep an eye on it.
Longjiang City Film and Television Base.
Zhang Feng had been here for a day and hadn't encountered the person from yesterday asking about the peace talisman, which left him feeling rather frustrated.
In his opinion, just kidnap and kill the person. The resentment and terror bursting forth at the moment of death—that energy must be extremely potent, much faster than this slow-boiling frog method.
It was just a pity the Master insisted they had to sacrifice willingly to deceive the Heavenly Dao, leaving it no grounds for complaint.
Zhang Feng found it utterly boring.
He found a corner to turn invisible and floated back to Lingxu Temple.
The moment he entered, he saw the garbage from Cai Guang's meals and drinks.
"Can't you clean up?" he snapped with a cold face.
Cai Guang, staring at the computer screen, said in a low voice, "I'm busy. No time."
"Busy?" Zhang Feng sneered. "Now that the Siren groups are blocked by the authorities and Tianqi has been smashed by them, you don't need to relay messages anymore. What are you busy with? Busy playing games?"
Cai Guang paused.
He suddenly remembered that after the Tianqi organization was destroyed, he really didn't have much to do.
Besides monitoring the authorities' movements and reporting to the Master on schedule, there was nothing else.
It seemed... he had no value left.
Seeing him dumbstruck, Zhang Feng pressed on: "Oh right, you used to work for Cai Ji. Now that he's gone, you really don't have much to do."
"Cai Ji was captured. Could he give me away?" Cai Guang murmured eerily. "If the Investigation Department finds me, you won't escape either."
Zhang Feng: "..."
"Even if Cai Ji gives you up, how would the Investigation Department know where you are? How could they possibly find this place?"
A sudden chill ran down Cai Guang's spine.
He thought of the knocking incident today.
Could the Investigation Department really not find it? Was Lingxu Temple truly safe?
After being discovered in Longjing City, he received orders to hide at Lingxu Temple in Longjiang City. He was reluctant at the time because Qi Quan was in Longjiang City.
Sharing a city with such a big shot scared him stiff.
But he couldn't disobey the Master's order, so he came to Lingxu Temple, carefully hiding his tracks.
After a while, sure enough, no one found him, and he gradually let his guard down. Even when the Tianqi organization was wiped out by the authorities, he didn't take it too seriously.
Because all of this was within the Master's expectations.
The Master said Tianqi had lost its purpose and it was time for it to disappear.
Then what about him?
Did he still have a purpose now?
Cai Guang shot to his feet.
"What are you doing?" Zhang Feng asked.
Cai Guang said, "I'm going to find the Master."
Zhang Feng frowned. "The Master probably doesn't have time to see you now. Don't disturb him."
"But I have something important to tell him."
"What important thing?"
Now Cai Guang became alert. "I'm not telling you."
He looked around, afraid something might be watching him.
"Tch—" Zhang Feng scoffed. "What important thing could you have, playing online all day? Don't disturb the Master."
Panicked inside, Cai Guang was stubborn. "I'm going to find him!"
Ignoring Zhang Feng's attempts to dissuade him, he ran out of the dorm. The invisible memory-retaining talisman on the wall quietly drifted down and followed Cai Guang all the way to the rear hall of Lingxu Temple.
In the main hall of the rear hall stood a majestic stone statue, with an aura of an immortal sage.
Upon seeing it, Cai Guang knelt on the ground and said, "Master, today... today I think I made a mistake. I shouldn't have opened the door, but that thing was so annoying. Now I'm really worried I've affected your plan. What should I do?"
Like a devout believer, he prayed for divine guidance.
The deity did not answer him.
Cai Guang continued to confess and weep: "Master, I know I shouldn't disturb you, but I'm just too scared. Can you guide me to find the right path?"
He was essentially afraid of ending up like Cai Ji.
His so-called piety was merely because the "deity" controlled his life and death.
Both the Lakeside Villa and the Investigation Department witnessed this scene.
The system exclaimed in surprise: [He's calling a stone statue 'Master'? This Master isn't that ghost, is he? Is the ghost inside the statue?]
Qi Quan: [The statue is probably just a medium.]
She didn't sense any ghostly aura on the statue, so she asked Ling Sheng, "Any ghostly aura?"
Ling Sheng shook his head.
The system worried: [If this ghost ignores Cai Guang, even with the memory-retaining talisman, won't we still be unable to find where the ghost is?]
Just then, a light flashed from the stone statue.
After the glow, a faint human figure appeared before the statue. He had handsome features, a cold and aloof demeanor, with an expression of compassion and solitary pride.
Li Guoyan immediately switched the video feed to the interrogation room.
"It's him! It's him!" Cai Ji shouted, both furious and awestruck, pointing at the figure. "He is He Xiuyu!"
He Xiuyu died forty years ago, leaving behind no photos or video footage, not even the Guiyuan Sect had any, let alone the Investigation Department.
The Investigation Department could only have Cai Ji identify him.
At that very moment, He Xiuyu looked up, as if making eye contact with Cai Ji directly through the memory-retaining talisman.
Those eyes were deep and calm, exactly the same as forty years ago.
Cai Ji let out a startled cry and actually lowered his head, not daring to look again.
Years of being a menial servant had filled him with awe and reverence for the sect master he served. Even though he had grown accustomed to being the leader of the Tianqi organization, when facing He Xiuyu, the deeply buried inferiority and cowardice in his heart involuntarily burst forth.
He Xiuyu floated before the stone statue, looking down at Cai Guang with lowered eyes, speaking in a compassionate tone, slow and deliberate:
"You are still young. Making a small mistake is of no great consequence."
Cai Guang trembled as he prostrated himself on the ground. "Thank you for your forgiveness, Master!"
He Xiuyu chuckled lightly. "Do you know how many eyes are watching you right now?"
"Master?" Cai Guang didn't understand.
He Xiuyu's gaze once again turned towards the Shadow-Retaining Talisman.
"But it's no matter. They won't be able to find me regardless."
With that, his figure faded away.
Li Guoyan's heart was suddenly gripped by shock.
This was a Shadow-Retaining Talisman arranged by the Master, and He Xiuyu had actually discovered it?
Just what level had his cultivation reached?
Lakeside Villa.
The system was frightened by those words.
It asked: [Big shot, did he really discover the Shadow-Retaining Talisman?]
Qi Quan remained calm as ever: [So what if he did? So what if he didn't?]
[If he discovered it, it means he's really powerful!]
Qi Quan: [Don't forget, he's skilled at reading people's minds. It's very possible he deduced the location of the talisman from the optimal filming angle and deliberately said those words.]
[So, you mean he's actually sure there is a Shadow-Retaining Talisman?]
Qi Quan: [Not necessarily. If there is a talisman, his words achieve the purpose of provocation; if there isn't, he doesn't lose face anyway—Cai Guang doesn't know if there is one or not—and he can still admonish Cai Guang.]
The system suddenly understood.
This guy is too cunning!
But—
[Didn't you say before that the Shadow-Retaining Talisman was innovated? How could he guess you have an upgraded version?]
Qi Quan: [What if the eradication of the Tianqi organization was his way of testing us?]
The system: [...]
That was utterly chilling.
Whether it was the Peach Blossom Mark or the Ghost Marriage case, neither cost Qi Quan any effort. It wasn't until the Tianqi organization surfaced.
During this process, Qi Quan innovated the Compression Talisman, the Composite Sword Talisman, and the Unity Talisman, fully demonstrating her talent in talisman-making.
Based on this, it wasn't hard to infer she also had the ability to create other new talismans.
Everything He Xiuyu did boiled down to one word: a gamble.
He had been gambling all along.
His methods were covert, never leaving traces, never acting personally. Instead, he used others' greed to remove obstacles for him and to provide the energy for his sacrifices.
He was gambling that the Heavenly Dao could not truly punish him.
Having someone deliver a letter to Yan Fengqing was probably his first personal intervention. Either he used some method to avoid the risk, or he paid a certain price.
And weren't those words he spoke before the Shadow-Retaining Talisman also a kind of test?
If there really was a talisman, his goal was achieved.
He hid in the shadows, waiting for the authorities to exhaust themselves trying to find him, even wasting energy on pawns like Cai Guang and Gao Peilan.
He reveled in the sense of achievement from manipulating everyone like pieces on a chessboard.
The system stammered: [Then what should we do?]
Qi Quan pondered.
A phone was handed over to her: [His ghost power is almost full.]
Qi Quan said, "You can tell?"
Ling Sheng nodded.
'Almost full' meant he was on the verge of becoming a Ghost King.
Qi Quan asked, "Then what's the point of his provocation?"
Since he was close to cultivating into a Ghost King, given his cautious nature, he should have been hiding in a cave like Cai Ji. Why this unnecessary move?
Unless—
He had another objective.
