Qi Quan did not stay long in Longjing City.
Upon returning, she found the villa had changed its appearance.
The system exclaimed in surprise: [Big Boss, the house has turned red!]
Indeed, it had turned red.
Steward Su and Teacher Xue came forward to greet her, faces beaming with joy.
"Master, Ling Sheng, welcome home."
Qi Quan raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are you all doing?"
"Master, didn't you confirm it in the comments section of 'The Rich Family Diary'?" Xue Hong said with a smile. "No matter what, the home should reflect some changes too."
Su Rong asked, "Master, do you not like it?"
Qi Quan: "..."
It wasn't that she disliked it.
She turned to ask Ling Sheng, "Do you like it?"
The smile on Ling Sheng's face was particularly evident as he spoke, "I like it."
Su Rong and Xue Hong looked utterly shocked.
"Ling Sheng, you can talk?!"
Ling Sheng nodded.
After eliminating He Xiuyu last time, his power of speech had improved. He could now say simple things in daily life without overthinking it too much.
Of course, he only spoke when it was important.
Not long after Qi Quan returned, Du Jiaming and the other two couldn't wait to visit with gifts.
The gift boxes were also in festive red.
Having some free time, Qi Quan personally received them.
Zhang Chengyan held his teacup, looked around curiously, and asked, "Master, where is Master Ling Sheng?"
"He went to get his driver's license."
The three: "..."
It felt like an ethereal, immortal being had suddenly become very down-to-earth.
"Master, I don't know if you've heard," Du Jiaming said, gathering his courage, "Qi Yingxue's verdict is out. She's going to prison."
Qi Quan: ...
She had already forgotten about that person.
Seeing her complete lack of interest, Du Jiaming changed the subject. "Has Master ever thought about holding a wedding ceremony?"
Qi Quan shook her head.
Neither she nor Ling Sheng had any such plans.
She disliked trouble, and Ling Sheng didn't like being the center of attention either.
Replying in the comments section was already high-profile enough. As for a wedding, it was better to forget it.
Yang Su suggested, "Wedding ceremonies are indeed troublesome, but Master, you could have a destination wedding. Now that Master Ling Sheng is getting his driver's license, once he gets it, you could totally go on a road trip."
[That's a great suggestion!] The system fully agreed. [Big Boss, traveling can bring inspiration and accumulate material. How about you and Ling Sheng go on a honeymoon trip!]
Qi Quan: That didn't sound bad at all.
The three chatted a bit more before reluctantly taking their leave.
Before lunch, Ling Sheng returned from driving school, moved close to Qi Quan, held out his phone, and said: [I can take the subject two test next week.]
Qi Quan smiled and said, "Very impressive."
Praise received, the young man's hair seemed to perk up even more.
He shifted his position, getting closer to Qi Quan, rested his head on her shoulder, wrapped his arms around her, and rubbed his cheek against hers contentedly.
His fine hair tickled the side of Qi Quan's face.
She pinched his chin, gently lifted it, leaned down to kiss the tip of his nose, and said, "Du Jiaming and the other two visited this morning. Yang Su suggested a road trip. What do you think?"
Ling Sheng naturally had no objections.
He learned everything quickly, passing all the driving tests on the first try, and got his license not long after.
There was one catch: to drive alone on the highway, he still had to wait a while. Fortunately, Qi Quan had no immediate travel plans, so they could wait.
Two years passed in the blink of an eye.
The people and ghosts at the Lakeside Villa showed no change.
During these two years, unless absolutely necessary, no one disturbed them. Qi Quan enjoyed a rare and comfortable life as a homebody.
Compared to the diligent investigators at the Investigation Department, she seemed particularly idle, even dragging the department's Chief Physician into idleness with her.
When the first rays of morning sunlight peeked through the curtains, Qi Quan received a call from Chen Feilu.
"Master, I've reached level four! I can participate in next year's Metaphysics Competition!"
As Qi Quan's "half" disciple, Chen Feilu had already reached the peak of level three by the time he graduated from university. After graduation, he cultivated frantically and finally reached level four last night.
Early in the morning, he called Qi Quan to share the good news.
Qi Quan had previously said she would let him be her assistant after he graduated, so he returned to Longjiang City. His main job was being an assistant, with cultivation as his side pursuit.
The Lakeside Villa no longer answered calls casually.
If someone wanted to request Qi Quan's help, they had to go through Chen Feilu's screening. Only after review, confirming that only Qi Quan could solve the problem, would he report it to her.
This saved the Lakeside Villa a lot of trouble.
Qi Quan praised, "Not bad."
"I still have to work harder. Brother Ning is already level seven, Di Meng is also level seven. I'm too far behind them," Chen Feilu said with great ambition.
Qi Quan said, "Impatience is a major taboo."
"Thank you for the advice, Master. I'll remember it."
A knock sounded on the door.
Qi Quan hung up the phone. "Come in."
The tall, slender young man entered, wearing loose loungewear and holding a bouquet of flowers. The flowers were picked from the garden, each stem carefully chosen by him. The bouquet in his hand could be considered the most perfect blooms in the garden.
[This is just absurd!] The system complained. [You've been together for two years, and he still knocks before entering your room. And up to now, you two still haven't...]
Qi Quan raised an eyebrow: [Haven't what?]
[It's just kissing and hugging.] The system said euphemistically.
Qi Quan chuckled.
It was true. Ling Sheng had always liked being close to her, but it had only ever been kissing and hugging. He never thought about anything else. For two years, they still occupied separate bedrooms.
She didn't really care about such things, but she was a little curious.
Ling Sheng placed the bouquet in the vase by the window, the corners of his lips lifting in a happy smile.
Today was their two-year anniversary.
Qi Quan got out of bed and asked, "What made you think of picking flowers?"
Ling Sheng turned and hugged her, pressing his cheek against hers, his voice low and pleasant. "Two-year anniversary."
He had a fresh, pleasant scent about him, like grass after rain, refreshing and soothing.
Qi Quan liked it very much and cupped his face.
Their eyes met.
Ling Sheng's breathing suddenly became rapid, his ears turning red. He hastily took a step back, avoiding Qi Quan's gaze, and said, "Breakfast is almost ready."
Qi Quan: ?
Was he shy?
It wasn't like they hadn't kissed before. What was there to be shy about?
"I'll go out first."
Ling Sheng lowered his head and quickly left the bedroom.
Qi Quan was puzzled: [What did he mean by that?]
The system: [Probably thinking about things not suitable for children.]
But what's the use of just thinking about it?
Qi Quan: ...
In the kitchen, Xue Hong leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, chatting with Su Rong.
"Two years. It's been two years, and it's still the same old story," Xue Hong sighed. "What's the use of him watching all those movies?"
Su Rong smiled gently. "He went to pick flowers this morning. That's very thoughtful."
"Remembering the anniversary is indeed praiseworthy, but... the progress is just too slow."
"Master and Ling Sheng know what they're doing. Your anxiety won't help."
Xue Hong: "I'm not anxious, I just feel embarrassed."
After all, he was her student. He learned academic subjects quickly and well, so why was he so hesitant in a relationship?
Su Rong suddenly said, "Could it be that we're being too much like third wheels?"
Xue Hong: "..."
That was also a possibility.
During breakfast, Su Steward was the first to speak: "Master, my mother hasn't been feeling well lately. I'd like to go home for a few days to spend some time with her."
Qi Quan: "Go ahead."
"Master, there's a professional lecture coming up with a lot of valuable content. I'd like to attend, but it's quite far away. The round trip might take several days."
Qi Quan: "Understood."
Over the past two years, Su Rong had reached Level 5, and Xue Hong had reached Level 7. As Qi Quan's ghost attendants, they faced no danger traveling alone.
Qi Quan wasn't worried.
After the two ghosts left, only she and Ling Sheng remained in the villa.
Qi Quan's reclusive life was monotonous, consisting of cultivation, studying sword arts, talisman arts, and formation arts, and occasionally writing novels when inspiration struck.
The departure of the two ghosts had no impact on her.
Well... there was a slight impact.
At least when they were around, Ling Sheng wouldn't get intimate with her in the living room.
The young man cradled the back of her head, his eyes closed, kissing her meticulously.
Whenever such moments occurred, the system would automatically shield itself.
Qi Quan lounged lazily on the sofa, her fingers threading through his hair, allowing him to act freely.
Just as things were about to progress naturally, he abruptly stopped again.
The young man suddenly pulled away from her, standing to the side, flushed and flustered, not knowing what to do, even showing a hint of frustration and self-reproach in his eyes.
Qi Quan: ?
The system was released and sighed: [It's over again?]
[Yes.]
The system speculated: [Does he not understand?]
Qi Quan: [After watching so many movies, with his learning ability, he should understand.]
[Then why...]
Qi Quan: [It's indeed time to clarify things.]
Leaning against the sofa, her disheveled hair cascading down, legs crossed, she asked calmly, "Why are you standing so far away?"
Ling Sheng hung his head low, his voice slightly hoarse: "Being closer might hurt you."
Qi Quan was puzzled: "Hurt me?"
Leaving aside the fact that she was a Human Immortal realm cultivator and no one could easily harm her, even if she were an ordinary person, she wouldn't get hurt just by someone being close, right?
And weren't they very close just a moment ago?
The system was utterly confused: [What exactly is Ling Sheng thinking?]
Qi Quan asked, "Why do you say that?"
"The movies are all like that," Ling Sheng's voice was so low it was almost inaudible.
Qi Quan: ?
System: ?
What movies? What did they show?
"Like what in the movies?"
Ling Sheng glanced at her cautiously and obediently replied, "It's painful."
"......"
Qi Quan barely maintained her composure and asked, "What's painful?"
"I would hurt you, make you uncomfortable."
System: [Don't say such wild things with such an innocent expression!]
Qi Quan decided to abandon this topic.
Fortunately, the ringing of her phone broke the awkward atmosphere.
It was Li Guoyan calling.
He had rarely contacted Qi Quan in the past two years. A direct call from him indicated a rather tricky problem.
"Master, sorry to disturb you."
Qi Quan: "What is it?"
"Is Physician Qi with you?"
"Yes."
"I sent him a message, but he hasn't replied," Li Guoyan explained. "A strange illness has appeared in Longqu City. The affected are ordinary citizens. After assessment by the department, it's believed to be caused by some kind of ghost energy contamination. Hospitals can't treat it."
Qi Quan: "Are there many infected?"
"Quite a few, and it appears to be somewhat contagious," Li Guoyan said. "We are currently investigating the source."
"Understood. Ling Sheng and I will come as soon as possible."
Although the Investigation Department had been vigorously training medical cultivators over the past two years, there weren't many with talent, and their levels were relatively low. For such difficult and complicated diseases, they still needed Ling Sheng's expertise.
Due to its contagious nature, moving the patients was impractical, requiring Ling Sheng to make the trip himself.
"Master, you're coming too?" Li Guoyan asked with pleasant surprise.
Qi Quan: "Since it involves ghost energy, I'll go take a look as well."
With Su Steward and Teacher Xue not at home, it was better to go on this business trip with Ling Sheng.
"Alright, I'll arrange for someone to pick you up right away."
Qi Quan glanced at Ling Sheng and said, "No need. We'll get there ourselves."
They had talked about going on a road trip two years ago. Why not take a long journey after resolving this case?
"Okay, then I'll have someone arrange accommodations."
After hanging up, Qi Quan didn't delay. She and Ling Sheng drove to Longqu City.
Longqu City was not economically developed. The city's appearance seemed somewhat shabby and dilapidated, lacking vitality and vigor.
After entering the Longqu City area, Ling Sheng followed the navigation directly to the accommodation arranged by the Investigation Department.
Finding decent lodging here was difficult, so they had to settle for the city's best hotel. However, even the best hotel in Longqu City looked somewhat old and run-down.
The head of the Longqu City Investigation Department personally waited at the hotel entrance.
A young investigator followed behind him.
The investigator gathered his courage and asked, "Director, who are we waiting for?"
Director Dong glanced at him, deliberately keeping him in suspense: "You'll know when they arrive."
"Director, if you don't tell me, I'll be too nervous. What if I fail to react properly and offend someone important?" the investigator worried.
Director Dong: That's true. Facing someone of that caliber, not just his subordinates, even he felt apprehensive.
After receiving the instructions from the headquarters, it had taken him a while to regain his composure.
He pretended to be calm and said, "The people we're welcoming are Chief Consultant Qi and Chief Physician Qi from the Investigation Headquarters."
Investigator: "......"
Director Dong waited a moment but received no response. He turned to look and was met with a dumbfounded expression.
The young investigator's face wore a dreamlike look.
Director Dong: Ah, still too young!
Before long, an understated car slowly drove up and stopped at the hotel entrance.
Director Dong had sharp eyes and immediately recognized the license plate. His heart started pounding wildly.
Wasn't this the license plate from the Lakeside Villa!
He quickly led the investigator forward to greet them.
The car was modest, and the two people who got out were dressed simply, but their looks and demeanor were absolutely outstanding.
Truly worthy of Chief Consultant Qi and Chief Physician Qi!
Director Dong barely suppressed his excited and surging emotions and stepped forward respectfully, saying, "Chief Consultant Qi, Chief Physician Qi, I am the head of the Longqu City Investigation Department, surname Dong. The hotel rooms have been booked. Please follow me."
Qi Quan nodded: "Thank you for your trouble."
Ling Sheng walked around the car, took two suitcases from the trunk, and effortlessly wheeled them over.
"Little Cheng, go help the Chief Physician with the luggage," Director Dong instructed.
Little Cheng had been in a daze. Hearing this, he snapped back to reality, his face flushing crimson, and hurriedly reached for the suitcases.
Ahhhhhhh!
The Chief Consultant and Chief Physician are such a perfect match!
Ling Sheng subtly moved the suitcase handle back, avoiding his hand.
Little Cheng: ?
"No need to trouble yourself," Qi Quan said gently.
Director Dong suddenly slapped his forehead: "Right, right, how foolish of me."
How could they let anyone casually touch the luggage of these two esteemed figures?
Qi Quan: ...
That wasn't what she meant. It was just that Ling Sheng didn't like others touching their belongings. He preferred to handle everything himself when they traveled.
The booked room was on the top floor of the hotel, a large suite with all necessary amenities. It had a living room, kitchen, bathroom, gym, and other functional spaces, but... there was only one bedroom.
The bedroom was spacious, and the bed was not small either—it could easily sleep three or four people. Now that everyone aware of Qi Quan and Ling Sheng's identities assumed they were a Daoist couple, and since it was perfectly natural for such a couple to share a bed, the person in charge hadn't thought much about it when arranging accommodations.
"Advisor Qi, Physician Qi, please let us know if anything is unsatisfactory."
Qi Quan didn't mind. She looked at Ling Sheng.
Ling Sheng shook his head.
Neither of them were the type to trouble others unnecessarily. Since the room was already booked, there was no need to change it.
Director Dong said respectfully, "Would you two like to rest first?"
Qi Quan said, "Let's go see the patients first."
"Of course!" Director Dong was overjoyed, his respect for Qi Quan and Ling Sheng growing even deeper.
When he received the notification, he had been both happy and apprehensive. Having two such heavyweight experts come to support Longqu City was extremely welcome, but he couldn't help worrying they might be aloof or put on airs.
He never expected them to be so approachable!
The hospital wasn't far, just a ten-minute drive.
Qi Quan and Ling Sheng rode in the Investigation Department's car. Little Cheng drove, Director Dong sat in the passenger seat, and the two of them sat side by side in the back.
"Advisor Qi, Physician Qi, all current patients at the hospital are isolated. Because the ghost energy is highly contagious, ordinary medical staff cannot get close to the patients. Only our investigators are looking after them," Director Dong explained the situation.
Qi Quan asked, "Has the source been traced?"
"We're still investigating."
[Ghost energy can be contagious too? I've truly never heard of such a thing.] The system felt its knowledge was lacking.
Qi Quan replied, [The abilities of ghosts are ever-changing. Different ghosts may possess different ghost powers.]
[What other strange ghost powers has the great one seen?]
Qi Quan: [Does unbearably foul stench count?]
[Uh...]
The conversation between the one and the system ended there.
The car stopped at the hospital entrance, and the four soon arrived at the isolation ward.
It was called an isolation ward, but it was essentially an ordinary ward sealed off with an array to prevent the ghost energy from leaking.
Director Dong led them to one of the rooms.
"This patient is in the most critical condition. He has already lost consciousness."
Qi Quan stepped into the room, her gaze falling on the patient.
The man was in his forties. Sores had broken out all over his skin, oozing pus and exuding a dark aura.
The system exclaimed, [That's just too disgusting!]
"Physician Qi, can this be treated?" Director Dong asked anxiously.
Ling Sheng nodded. Spiritual energy flowed from his fingertips into the patient's forehead. The pure spiritual energy continuously drove out the ghost energy within the patient's body. Wherever the spiritual energy reached, the festering sores and ghost energy gradually dissipated. In no more than fifteen minutes, the patient returned to normal.
Director Dong and Little Cheng: !!!
Truly worthy of being the Chief Physician. His skill was extraordinary!
Ling Sheng expressionlessly withdrew his hand. But when he turned to look at Qi Quan, his demeanor suddenly became animated, his eyes bright.
"Impressive," Qi Quan praised without reservation.
Little Cheng inwardly cheered: Mmm! I got my sugar fix!
The patient slowly regained consciousness. Opening his eyes, the first person he saw was Ling Sheng, who was closest to him, and for a moment, he was speechless.
Director Dong stepped forward, blocking the patient's view, and asked with a serious expression, "How do you feel?"
The patient replied, "...Alright."
"Little Cheng, notify someone to come take a statement."
"Yes, sir!"
They needed to carefully inquire about the patient's movements and contacts to trace the source of the ghost energy.
Ling Sheng was only responsible for treatment and soon cured all the patients.
But the source hadn't been found yet. Other patients might still appear, so they had to remain in Longqu City for the time being.
Little Cheng drove them back to the hotel.
Not long after he left, the hotel delivered a sumptuous dinner.
While eating, Qi Quan asked, "What do you think about today's ghost energy?"
Ling Sheng said, "Extremely deep resentment."
Such methods were enough to torment a person to death, not to mention the high contagiousness. It indicated that this ghost had become an embodiment of resentment.
The system wondered, [Could it be some unjust case?]
Qi Quan replied, [Possibly.]
After dinner, Qi Quan sat in meditation to cultivate, and Ling Sheng joined her.
Time passed gradually, and it grew late into the night.
Qi Quan opened her eyes, and Ling Sheng followed suit.
"Time to sleep," she said.
Although a Human Immortal realm cultivator could go without sleep for long periods, life needed a sense of ritual; otherwise, it would be too dull.
Ling Sheng nodded. "I'll sleep on the sofa."
The sofa was in the living room, large and long enough for him to lie down.
[Pfft.] The system laughed rather disloyally.
Qi Quan, having anticipated this, said without changing her expression, "The hotel hygiene might not be up to standard."
Ling Sheng understood. He used a cleansing technique, thoroughly cleaning the entire suite inside and out.
The smell of laundry detergent on the bedroom quilt was replaced by a faint scent of fresh grass.
Qi Quan got into bed.
The blackout curtains were fully drawn, plunging the room into darkness.
She took out her phone and sent a message: [After we finish handling things in Longqu City, let's go on a road trip.]
In the living room, Ling Sheng, who had been tossing and turning unable to sleep, heard his phone chime. Thinking it was work-related, he picked it up expressionlessly.
Opening it, his expression instantly softened.
He replied with a smile: [Okay.]
[Quanquan: Where would you like to go?]
Ling Sheng: [I'll follow your lead.]
[Quanquan: I don't have any particular ideas. Anywhere is fine.]
Ling Sheng: [Then I'll look up some guides first and plan a route.]
[Quanquan: Okay.]
Ling Sheng: [Good night.]
He switched out of the chat interface and was about to search for travel guides online when Qi Quan sent another message: [There's a spot in the bedroom that wasn't cleaned properly.]
Ling Sheng abruptly sat up and, without a second thought, pushed the door open and entered.
The bedroom was lit by a wall lamp, its dim, yellowish light gentle and serene.
"Where?" He felt a pang of self-reproach. He must have accidentally missed a spot.
Qi Quan, leaning against the headboard, patted the space beside her.
Suspecting nothing, Ling Sheng walked to the bedside, lifted the quilt, and tried to find the missed stain.
A hand suddenly grasped the nape of his neck.
He froze instantly, staring blankly at Qi Quan, who was now so close.
Qi Quan's hair fell smoothly, a few strands covering the side of her face. In the lamplight, her features looked exceptionally gentle, her eyelashes casting shadows beneath her eyes.
She asked, "Did you find it?"
Ling Sheng replied dazedly, "No."
Qi Quan chuckled softly and asked again, "Do you want to keep looking?"
She didn't get a verbal answer.
Ling Sheng stared intently at her, his lips parting slightly as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, no words came out.
He remained in a bent-over posture, one hand pinching the corner of the quilt, the other braced against the sheet, the veins on the back of his hand standing out.
Qi Quan's voice was extremely soft and slow: "Would you ever hurt me?"
Of course not.
Ling Sheng was absolutely certain of that.
Precisely because of this, he was unwilling to "hurt" the person he liked, like those rough men in the movies.
Yet, he couldn't suppress this impulse.
He often despised and loathed himself for it.
Reading this certainty in his resolute gaze, Qi Quan smiled, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "I trust you."
Her words, falling on his ear, plucked at the strings of his heart.
The clear amber color of the young man's eyes was suddenly tinged with a deep, dark intensity.
He turned his head and kissed her.
Reason crumbled and fled.
The system was shielded for an entire night, finally regaining its senses the next morning at breakfast.
Although the experience of being locked in a dark room wasn't particularly pleasant, seeing the couple it shipped finally get together made it easy to overlook such a minor inconvenience.
It spent a good while inwardly going "Hehehe," until a knock came from outside the room.
Ling Sheng went to open the door.
Outside were Director Dong and Little Cheng. The moment they saw Ling Sheng, they noticed he seemed quite different from the day before.
It was hard to pinpoint exactly what was different, but one thing was certain: the Chief Physician was in an exceptionally cheerful mood today, radiating a sweet, buoyant energy. His usually expressionless face was remarkably animated.
The two men thought: Ah, this...
As fellow men, they understood perfectly.
Perhaps they shouldn't have come so early?
Ling Sheng turned sideways, inviting them inside.
Director Dong didn't move, showing great tact. "Dr. Qi, I'm just here to report the situation. A few more patients appeared in the early hours. Their injuries aren't severe. If you and Advisor Qi don't have time, you can..."
"Wait a moment," Ling Sheng replied, turning and walking towards the dining area.
He took Qi Quan's hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it. "Finish your meal and rest. I'll go to the hospital."
Qi Quan nodded.
After Ling Sheng left, she finished her breakfast and lounged lazily in an armchair by the floor-to-ceiling window, basking in the warm sunlight.
She hadn't been lying there long before Ling Sheng returned.
He half-knelt beside her legs and said, "We found the source."
Qi Quan opened her eyes. "Where?"
"In a remote village."
One of the patients admitted to the hospital today was from that very village.
The patient explained that he had returned to his hometown a few days ago and found that many people in the village were suffering from the same illness. However, he was in a hurry at the time and didn't pay it much mind. Who could have guessed he'd be infected too?
Qi Quan made a move to get up. "Let's go take a look."
"You should rest," Ling Sheng stopped her.
Qi Quan: "..."
She was perfectly healthy and didn't need rest.
"I want to wrap things up here quickly and start our road trip sooner. Just the two of us."
Ling Sheng's ears instantly burned red.
"Alright."
The two packed their luggage and checked out of the hotel.
Director Dong and Little Cheng were waiting at the hotel entrance. Seeing them with their luggage, they asked, "Chief Advisor, Dr. Qi, are you two driving there yourselves?"
Qi Quan nodded.
So, Director Dong and Little Cheng led the way in their car.
The village was deep in the mountains of Longqu City. To this day, it still lacked a proper paved road and remained extremely isolated.
The cars couldn't drive in, so they had to park by the roadside and proceed on foot.
Before even getting out of the car, Qi Quan sensed the dense Yin energy hanging over the village.
"Did the Investigation Department not notice this before?" she asked.
Director Dong shook his head. "No."
The ghostly aura must have appeared only recently.
Qi Quan looked at the soaring resentment and sighed inwardly. "Let's go."
Ling Sheng held her hand, enveloping her in spiritual energy to protect her from the ghostly aura.
Even though no ghostly aura could harm Qi Quan, he instinctively wanted to shield her.
Director Dong and Little Cheng, who were currently being buffeted by the ghostly aura, fell silent.
Fortunately, they were wearing the protective talismans issued by the Investigation Department. The talismans' light fended off the howling ghostly energy.
The arrival of strangers put the villagers on high alert.
They peered out through their windows.
The System: [Hiss, this feels a bit creepy.]
Ignoring the villagers covered in sores, Qi Quan walked straight towards the source of the black energy.
It was a deep pool.
Dense willow trees grew around its edge, their branches trailing into the water. The wind blew, stirring ripples across the surface.
"Who are you people? What are you doing here?"
A middle-aged man with a weathered face approached, speaking in a thick local dialect that was hard to understand. A group of villagers followed behind him, holding farm tools like hoes and rakes.
Little Cheng, who understood the dialect, acted as translator.
Director Dong looked at Qi Quan. "Advisor Qi, what do you think?"
Qi Quan didn't spare the villagers a single glance. The imposing aura of a Human Immortal gradually spread around the pool.
"Come out."
She was speaking to the water.
The villagers grew even more panicked, raising their farm tools in unison.
"You're not welcome here! Get lost!"
A cold glint flashed in Ling Sheng's eyes. He parted his lips and uttered, "Halt."
Instantly, the villagers couldn't move their bodies, nor could they speak.
Terror appeared on every face.
Director Dong and Little Cheng: "..."
When experts make a move, it's always this straightforward and decisive.
Finally, the pool water stirred. A pitch-black ghostly shadow rose from its surface.
It was a little girl.
To be precise, it was many little girls.
Sensing Qi Quan's immense power and gentle nature, they began to accuse all the villagers holding farm tools with sharp, furious cries.
It turned out that in recent years, many boys born in the village had died young. The superstitious villagers began offering girls as sacrifices to the mountain god, hoping it would bless the village boys with health and long life.
This deep pool on the mountain, surrounded by willow trees, was deemed the perfect sacrificial site.
The four of them: "..."
Innocent girls had lost their precious lives because of these villagers' ignorance, superstition, and cruelty.
How could they not hate?
After hearing their story, Qi Quan waved her hand, guiding the girls to find peace and move on to reincarnation. As for these villagers, having committed murder, they would naturally face the severe punishment of the law.
With the matter resolved, Qi Quan and Ling Sheng didn't linger.
The two left the mountain village and embarked on a new journey.
No one knew their whereabouts; one could only catch glimpses from the updates in "The Diary of a Wealthy Family."
[The End]
