After Shui Miao named the ghostly enforcers Gui Cha and Gui Ma, they each went to fulfill their duties.
Their mission was to protect Shui Miao, obey her commands, and maintain the balance between the yin and yang in their domain.
They had undergone sixteen years of training and clearly understood what they should and shouldn’t do.
However, Shui Miao didn’t know that the spirits “Shui” and “Zhuiyue” had been infused with the Yuan Shen of “Wu Ai” (No Love).
Wu Qing (No Feelings) and Wu Ai were two of the most powerful enforcers in the ranks of the Fengdu Bureau.
The Fengdu Bureau was a division under the jurisdiction of the War God of the Northern Netherworld, and Wu Qing and Wu Ai were actually two of the War God’s disciples.
The most formidable beings in the underworld were, in order, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the Heavenly Emperor Ren Sheng, the Northern Emperor of Fengdu, and then the Five Direction Ghost Emperors. The Yama Court was merely a small part of the entire underworld, which was vast beyond imagination. The Ten Halls of King Yama were essentially ten deities of the underworld, and beneath them were chief judges like Cui Fu Jun, Zhong Kui, the Black and White Impermanents, Ox Head and Horse Face, and Meng Po, among other ghostly deities.
The ghostly enforcers were the army of the underworld. Though their presence could be found everywhere, the headquarters that commanded and dispatched them was the Fengdu Bureau.
The Bureau had thirty-six elite enforcer kings, and Wu Qing and Wu Ai were merely two among them.
However, unlike many other enforcer kings, Wu Qing and Wu Ai had been born from the Yin Holy Spirit. They had always remained within the Bureau, never leaving Fengdu, and had no understanding of human emotions.
※※※
Dawn broke.
Inside the Chen Corporation building, Shui Miao, Chen Meiling, and Chen Xiang were still chatting.
They discussed recent events, and the atmosphere was relaxed.
Of course, to avoid worrying others, Shui Miao concealed many things.
After naming the ghost servants Gui Cha and Gui Ma, Shui Miao assigned them their respective duties.
Their mission was to protect Shui Miao, obey his orders, and maintain the balance between yin and yang in their domain.
Having undergone sixteen years of training, they knew exactly what to do and what not to do.
However, Shui Miao was unaware that “Shui” and “Zhui Yue” had been infused with the spirit of “Wu Ai” (No-Love).
Wu Qing (No-Emotion) and Wu Ai (No-Love) were two great kings of the Fengdu Ghost Servant Department.
The Ghost Servant Department operated under the command of Zhan Ming Shen, who himself served under Beiyin Fengdu Great Emperor. Wu Qing and Wu Ai were, in fact, two disciples of Zhan Ming Shen.
The most powerful figures in the underworld were undoubtedly Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva and Tianqi Rensheng Great Emperor, followed by Beiyin Fengdu Great Emperor, and then the Five Ghost Emperors. The underworld was only a small part of the entire nether realm, which was vast and expansive. The Ten Yama Kings were merely ten underworld deities governing the nether realm. Below them were Chief Judge Cui Fujun, Zhong Kui, Hei Bai Wuchang (Black and White Impermanence), Ox-Head and Horse-Face, and Meng Po, among other ghost deities.
Ghost servants formed the military force of the underworld. Although their presence could be found everywhere, the headquarters responsible for distributing and commanding ghost servants was the Fengdu Ghost Servant Department.
The department had thirty-six ghost kings, and Wu Qing and Wu Ai were just two of them.
However, unlike many other ghost kings, Wu Qing and Wu Ai were born from the spirit of Yin Saint. They had always remained within the department, never leaving Fengdu, and were completely ignorant of human emotions.
—
Daybreak
Inside the Chen Group building, Shui Miao, Chen Meiling, and Chen Xiang were still chatting.
They discussed recent events in a relaxed atmosphere.
Of course, to avoid worrying the others, Shui Miao kept many things to himself.
To help everyone begin their cultivation journey, Shui Miao specifically summoned Bai Feng, asking her to teach them how to cultivate. He also requested her to infuse the spirit of Yin Saint into his loved ones and friends to strengthen their souls and accelerate their progress.
Around eight o’clock, Jiang Zhihao and his team arrived.
Upon investigating the situation, Shui Miao discovered that Old Mother Heishan had recently assumed his appearance to place some talismans inside statues and to expedite the construction progress, without engaging in any other particularly unusual activities. Shui Miao then accompanied Jiang Zhihao to a newly constructed temple nearby. Utilizing his spiritual sense, he detected a unique talisman concealed within the statue, one that he had never encountered before.
The talisman appeared ordinary on the surface.
But upon closer inspection, he discovered a birth date hidden within it!
Was this the method used to allow Lady Bai from the celestial realm to receive offerings?
In a moment of inspiration, Shui Miao decided to give it a try. He replicated the talisman, wrote his own birth date on it, and arranged for Jin Chanzi to guard the temple on his behalf.
To avoid alerting Lady Bai in the celestial realm, Shui Miao refrained from immediately interfering with the other temples and shrines distributed across more than ten provinces and cities. After handling this matter, he tasked the fox demon Seventh Sister to deal with Jiang Zhihao and his group on his behalf. Jiang Zhihao and his team still had their uses, and Seventh Sister was more than capable of handling them.
—
Jingshui Village
Xiao Tudou, Wang Xiaomi, Xiao Shuang, and Sister Xiao Tang were all summoned by Chen Meiling to the Chen Group headquarters. Officially, it was for a meeting, but in reality, Bai Feng was going to teach them qi cultivation methods.
Shui Miao’s mother and Aunt Yang also attended.
Chen Xiang also invited Chen Bing, Lin Haiyang, and others.
Only Li Lan remained behind to hold down the fort.
Recognizing Li Lan’s diligence, Shui Miao personally visited her, giving her a Yin Saint spirit and teaching her cultivation techniques.
Afterward, Shui Miao hurried to Linhai Grand Hotel.
The current general manager of Linhai Grand Hotel was Da Shuang, who had been tirelessly managing the business on behalf of Lin Qing’er.
In her office, Da Shuang was busy with work. Due to constant overtime, she had developed severe dark circles under her eyes.
Shui Miao gently knocked on the door and called out, “Sister Da Shuang.”
Hearing his voice, Da Shuang immediately put down the documents in her hand and personally opened the door.
“Ha! Shui Miao, you’re finally back!”
Overjoyed, Da Shuang grabbed Shui Miao’s hand and pulled him into the office, seating him on the sofa before quickly calling for two cups of coffee.
Shui Miao felt that his relationship with Da Shuang wasn’t this close, so her enthusiasm made him somewhat uncomfortable.
After hanging up the phone, Da Shuang hurried over to sit beside Shui Miao, happily patting his thigh and saying, “I have good news for you! Sister Qing’er will arrive in Zhonghai City this afternoon. She called me just half an hour ago, and right after she hung up, you showed up. It seems like you two are really connected!”
Lin Qing’er’s return came as a surprise to Shui Miao.
He had come with two main purposes: first, to give Da Shuang, who couldn’t leave work, a Saint Origin spirit to help her cleanse her meridians and refine her essence; second, to inquire about Lin Qing’er’s situation. He hadn’t expected her to return so soon.
“…”
Shui Miao felt conflicted and was momentarily at a loss for words.
“What’s wrong? Too excited?” Da Shuang covered her mouth and chuckled.
Shui Miao frowned. “Is Sister Qing’er still using her old number?”
Him also referring to Lin Qing’er as “Sister Qing’er” made Da Shuang’s heart skip a beat.
After a pause, Da Shuang shook her head. “No, she changed it. I’ll give it to you.”
“Okay!”
Shui Miao lowered his head, took out his phone, and felt an inexplicable heaviness in his heart.
Da Shuang seemed to sense that Shui Miao might no longer have feelings for Lin Qing’er. She had originally intended to joke with him, but noticing his somber expression, she quickly revealed the truth. “Actually, Elder Lin has cancer and is coming to Zhonghai City for surgery at a major hospital. If not for this, Sister Lin probably wouldn’t have come out. Also, I heard from Huang Yatou a while ago that Sister Qing’er seems to be considering becoming a nun…”
Da Shuang watched Shui Miao’s eyes, trying to gauge whether he still had feelings for Lin Qing’er.
“What! Becoming a nun!”
Shui Miao was stunned, raising his head to stare directly at Da Shuang.
Seeing that Shui Miao still cared about Lin Qing’er, Da Shuang breathed a sigh of relief. “Actually, Sister Lin has one wish—to see you one more time… I think if you still have feelings for her, she might not take the step to become a nun.”
Da Shuang’s meaning was clear: she hoped Shui Miao wouldn’t be heartless.
“I know…”
Shui Miao let out a long sigh. “Give me the number. I’ll pick her and her father up at the airport.”
“The flight will arrive in about an hour. How about we have a cup of coffee first, and then I’ll go with you to the airport to pick her up?” Da Shuang wrote Lin Qing’er’s new number on a piece of paper and slid it over to Shui Miao. “Shui Miao, I asked Wang Xiaomi about you and Sister Lin. I know you’re a good person.”
“I know…”
Shui Miao nodded, picked up the paper, and committed the number to memory.
But Da Shuang shook her head. “Actually, you don’t know. There’s something none of us were aware of until I heard it from Huang Yatou a few days ago. Sister Lin is suffering from a very rare illness. It’s said that people with this condition cannot get married. Do you understand what I mean?”
In other words, this was a relationship destined never to have a perfect ending.
Around eight o’clock, Jiang Zhihao and his team arrived.
After inquiring, Shui Miao learned that the Black Mountain Old Mother had recently taken her form and only placed some talismans into statues, along with urging construction progress. Nothing else unusual had happened. Thus, Shui Miao accompanied Jiang Zhihao to a nearby newly built temple. With her spiritual sense, Shui Miao detected a unique talisman inside the statue, one she had never seen before.
The talisman appeared ordinary on the surface.
But upon closer inspection, she discovered it secretly contained a Ba Zi (birth date and time)!
Could this be the method used to allow the Bai Niangzi of the Immortal Realm to receive offerings?
Shui Miao had a sudden idea and decided to try it. She carefully replicated the talisman and wrote her own birth details onto it. Then, she arranged for Jin Chan Zi to guard this temple.
To avoid alarming the Bai Niangzi of the Immortal Realm, Shui Miao did not rush to interfere with other temples and monasteries spread across a dozen provinces and cities. After handling this matter, she sent the fox spirit Qi Mei to deal with Jiang Zhihao and his team. Since they still had some use, Qi Mei alone was sufficient to handle them.
※※※
Jingshui Village
Xiao Tudou, Wang Xiaomi, Xiao Shuang, and Xiao Tangjie had all been summoned by Chen Meiling to the Chen Corporation headquarters. Ostensibly for a meeting, in reality, Bai Feng was to teach everyone the method of Qi cultivation.
Shui Miao’s mother and Auntie Yang were also present.
Chen Xiang had also invited Chen Bing and Lin Hai.
Only Li Lan remained behind, holding down the fort.
Shui Miao valued Li Lan’s dedication and personally came to her, giving her a Yin Holy Spirit and teaching her the cultivation techniques.
Then, Shui Miao hurried off to the Linhai Hotel.
Currently, the general manager of Linhai Hotel was Da Shuang, who had been busily assisting Lin Qing’er in managing the business.
Inside the office, Da Shuang was immersed in work, her panda eyes a result of constant overtime.
Shui Miao gently knocked on the door and called out, “Da Shuang jie.”
Hearing Shui Miao’s voice, Da Shuang immediately dropped her papers and opened the door herself.
“Haha! Shui Miao, you’re finally back!”
Da Shuang was excited, grabbing Shui Miao’s hand and pulling her into the office, seating her on the sofa, and quickly calling for two cups of coffee.
Shui Miao felt their relationship wasn’t that close and was somewhat taken aback by Da Shuang’s enthusiasm.
After hanging up the phone, Da Shuang hurriedly sat beside Shui Miao, joyfully patting her thigh and saying, “I have good news for you. Qing’er will arrive in Zhonghai this afternoon. She called me half an hour ago. I had just hung up when you arrived. Seems like you two really share a telepathic connection!”
Lin Qing’er’s return was indeed unexpected for Shui Miao.
Shui Miao had come here for two main reasons: first, to give Da Shuang, who had been too busy to leave her post, a Holy Yuan Spirit to cleanse her meridians and strengthen her body; second, to learn about Lin Qing’er’s situation. He hadn’t expected her to return so soon.
“…”
Shui Miao’s mood was complex, unsure of what to say.
“What? Too excited?” Da Shuang covered her mouth with a smile.
Shui Miao frowned, “Is Qing’er still using the same number?”
Shui Miao also called Lin Qing’er “Qing’er jie,” which made Da Shuang’s heart sink slightly.
Da Shuang paused and then shook her head, “No, she changed her number. I’ll give it to you.”
“Alright!”
Shui Miao lowered her head, took out her phone, and felt a strange heaviness in her heart.
Da Shuang seemed to sense something. It seemed Shui Miao no longer loved Lin Qing’er. She had intended to tease Shui Miao a little, but noticing her expression, she quickly revealed the truth, “Actually, it’s because Old Master Lin has cancer and is coming to Zhonghai for surgery. Otherwise, Lin Qing’er wouldn’t have come out. Also, I recently heard from Huang that Qing’er is considering becoming a nun…”
Da Shuang looked directly into Shui Miao’s eyes, trying to gauge whether she still loved Lin Qing’er.
“What! Become a nun!”
Shui Miao was startled, lifting her head to stare at Da Shuang.
Seeing that Shui Miao still cared about Lin Qing’er, Da Shuang felt relieved, “Actually, Lin Qing’er has a wish—to meet you one last time… I think if you still love her, she might not end up taking the path of becoming a nun.”
Da Shuang’s meaning was clear—she hoped Shui Miao wouldn’t be heartless.
“I understand…”
Shui Miao exhaled deeply, “Give me the number. I’ll go to the airport to pick her up with her father.”
“There’s still about an hour before the plane arrives. How about this—we’ll have our coffee first, then I’ll go with you to pick her up.” Da Shuang wrote down Lin Qing’er’s new phone number on a piece of paper and handed it to Shui Miao, “Shui Miao, I asked Wang Xiaomi about your situation with Lin Qing’er. I know you’re a good person.”
“I know…”
Shui Miao nodded, picked up the paper, and memorized the number.
But Da Shuang shook her head, “Actually, there’s something you don’t know. Something we all didn’t know until recently. Just a few days ago, I heard from Huang that Lin Qing’er herself has contracted a strange illness. It’s said that those who suffer from it can’t get married. You understand what I’m saying, right?”
In other words, this was a relationship destined not to have a happy ending.
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