Chapter 273: The Little Ghost Doctor

Shui Miao channeled his water-element immortal energy through Lin Qing’er’s body twice before stopping.

This time, however, Shui Miao intentionally left a small amount of the energy inside her.

After all, Lin Qing’er didn’t know how to cultivate, so there was no risk of the energy going wild. A bit of immortal energy would only benefit her body without any drawbacks.

The unprecedented clarity and refreshment left Lin Qing’er extremely excited.

“Shui Miao, this is amazing! I feel like I’ve been completely healed—like I was soaked in a clear mountain spring, inside and out!” Lingering within her body was some of the pure immortal energy, continuing to refine and heal her physical form.

“It is amazing. If you’re willing to work hard, one day you’ll be just like me too.”

Shui Miao nodded gently, but he felt a complex mix of emotions as he said it. Cultivation was extremely difficult. Even with all his unusual encounters and opportunities, he had only reached his current level. Without extraordinary luck, how far could they really go? Moreover, the cycle of reincarnation in the Three Realms was unavoidable. When their lives ended, they would die, and if forcefully pulled into reincarnation, what then?

Suddenly, Shui Miao realized how little time he really had!

This was no time for romance. He had to find ways to grow stronger as quickly as possible. Only when he was powerful enough would he be able to change others’ fates.

Therefore, he shouldn’t waste any extra time or energy on trivial matters.

This sudden sense of urgency weighed heavily on him.

After a few more casual words, Shui Miao quietly turned his attention inward, checking his dantian. The immortal energy hadn’t been consumed too quickly, but if this continued, it wouldn’t last long. Once Lin Qing’er’s grandfather passed away and she was settled, he would go with everyone else to the Patriarch of the Yellow Springs to obtain the Holy Flame Spirit, completing all the types of Holy Spirit Energies. Hopefully, his cultivation would then advance rapidly. As he thought, he recalled the thousand-year-old female ghost Bai Niangniang, and his pressure only grew.

On the road, after a moment of silence, Shui Miao suddenly spoke, “Qing’er, your father’s lifespan is nearly at its end. He may not live until tomorrow. I hope you’re prepared. Also, in a few days, I want all of you to leave Zhonghai City and go to other cities to develop your lives. I have some special matters to handle. If everything goes well, we’ll all be fine. But if things go badly, everything will vanish like a fleeting dream.”

His sudden words left both Lin Qing’er and Da Shuang puzzled.

But Lin Qing’er, being intelligent and easygoing, paused for a moment before nodding, “Don’t worry, Shui Miao. I’ll follow your advice. I know you must be right.”

“Maybe…”

Shui Miao lightly furrowed his brow and took her hand, “Will you wait for me?”

“Yes, I will.”

Lin Qing’er didn’t ask for much. She only knew that Shui Miao truly cared for her, and that was enough.

Inside the car, silence soon returned.

※※※

It took the three of them about twenty minutes to reach the headquarters of the Chen Group, after which Lin Qing’er quickly excused herself and left.

She didn’t know whether Shui Miao’s words were accurate, but she chose to believe him.

Though she resented her father’s strictness and selfishness, in these final moments, she wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.

Lin Qing’er had a tragic life. Her mother passed away early, and her father was harsh and self-centered. Except for school, she spent most of her time isolated and confined. Because of this, her childhood was far from happy. She placed her emotional hopes on a future partner, but the man she loved was killed by her father. If she hadn’t met Shui Miao, she might still be locked away in a hotel, trapped in loneliness and sorrow until old age.

Time passed quickly.

Shui Miao followed her to Linhai Hotel and sat cross-legged on the rooftop, watching the sunset. But he could no longer focus on meditating.

Wu Ai hadn’t returned, which worried him greatly.

Also, Wu Ai had said that Lin Qing’er’s grandfather’s lifespan was nearly over, but Shui Miao found that hard to believe.

With his spiritual awareness, he sensed that Lin’s grandfather was still in a meeting with his daughter and senior management in the hotel conference room, appearing energetic and not at all like a dying man. Additionally, the hotel had already closed for business, and Da Shuang was monitoring everything from the surveillance room. The assassins who had appeared earlier were all injured and unlikely to return.

So how would Lin’s grandfather die?

Shui Miao was puzzled. Could it be that the Black and White Impermanents had come to collect his soul?

According to legend, the Black and White Impermanents were responsible for soul collection.

But in reality, Shui Miao had never seen them before.

Time ticked away…

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and Hei She Yao appeared before Shui Miao, accompanied by a middle-aged man with an unusual appearance.

This stranger wore a black robe resembling ancient physician attire and wore a blue cloth hat on his head.

“Master, I’m back!” Xiao Hei was excited, pointing at the man beside him, “This is the ghost physician I brought from the Yellow Springs Sect. His name is Ye Xian. He was sent by Ghost Valley Master Fa Man. There are many things I can’t explain clearly, so let him speak.”

“Wait, this isn’t the place to talk…”

Shui Miao looked up, “Xiao Hei, go again and bring me the local city god, Old Cai. Tell him I have urgent matters and ask him to come quickly.”

“Alright, I’ll go right away!”

Hei She Yao suddenly remembered something and looked around, asking, “Master, where are those ghost messengers?”

“I don’t know where they went. Hurry back.” Shui Miao turned to look at Ye Xian. The ghost physician looked tall and strong, with a protruding forehead, grayish complexion, and short beard. His eyebrows resembled two daggers sticking out from his face.

After Hei She Yao left, Ye Xian immediately bowed to Shui Miao, “Great Immortal, your appearance is truly remarkable!”

“Oh? You can also read faces?” Shui Miao returned the bow with a slight smile.

Ye Xian nodded and began to speak, “When I was still alive three hundred years ago, I started learning medicine at the age of six and continued until I was twenty-six. During my medical practice, I met a master of physiognomy and learned a little from him. Observing your appearance, Great Immortal, you must be a reincarnation of a Divine King from the Immortal Realm!”

“Haha, Senior Ye Xian, you’re teasing me now. That’s quite a stretch. I’ve only heard of face reading for predicting fate, but never for revealing past lives. And a Divine King reincarnation? Come on, Senior Ye Xian. Since this is our first meeting, let’s not joke around.”

Do you think I’m an idiot? Do you think a few nice words will fool me? Shui Miao naturally didn’t believe the ghost physician’s words. If he could really see his past life, how could he end up as just a lowly ghost physician?

“You don’t believe me?”

After circulating his water-based immortal energy through Lin Qing’er’s body twice, Shui Miao stopped.

Unlike before, this time Shui Miao left some of his water-based immortal energy inside Lin Qing’er’s body.

Since Lin Qing’er didn’t know how to control energy flow, there was no risk of the immortal energy running wild. Leaving some energy in her body would only bring benefits, with no harm at all.

An unprecedented sense of refreshment and clarity made Lin Qing’er extremely excited.

“Shui Miao, this is amazing! I feel like all my ailments are gone. It’s as if I’ve been soaking in a clear mountain spring—I feel clean from the inside out!” The refined immortal energy still lingered in her body, continuing to repair and refine her physical form.

“It is amazing. As long as you’re willing to work hard, one day you’ll become just like me.”

Shui Miao nodded gently, but his heart was filled with complexity as he spoke. The path of cultivation was incredibly difficult. He had encountered many fortuitous opportunities, yet he had only reached this point. Without such opportunities, how far could they truly go, no matter how hard they tried? Moreover, the three realms were governed by an irreversible cycle of reincarnation. When a person’s lifespan ended, they would die. If they were forcibly taken for reincarnation, what could be done then?

Suddenly, Shui Miao realized that time was pressing!

This was not the time for romance. He had to find every possible way to become stronger as quickly as possible. Only when he was powerful enough would he be able to change the fates of others.

So, he shouldn’t waste extra time and energy on trivial matters.

This sudden sense of urgency multiplied the pressure on Shui Miao.

After chatting idly for a few more sentences, Shui Miao quietly turned his attention inward to his dantian. The consumption of immortal energy in his dantian wasn’t too rapid, but if this continued, it wouldn’t last much longer. After Old Master Lin passed away and Lin Qing’er was settled, he would go with everyone to seek out the Yellow Spring Ancestor. Once he obtained the Fire Saint’s Spirit, he would have gathered all types of saintly spiritual energy. By then, he hoped his cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds. As his thoughts wandered, Shui Miao recalled the thousand-year-old female ghost, Lady Bai, and felt the pressure mounting even more.

On the road, after a moment of silence, Shui Miao suddenly spoke: “Qing’er, your father’s lifespan is nearing its end. He may not live past tomorrow. I hope you can prepare yourself emotionally. Also, in a few days, I hope all of you will leave Zhonghai City and develop your lives in another city. I need to handle some special matters. If these matters are resolved successfully, everything will be fine for all of us. If not, everything will vanish like passing clouds.”

Shui Miao’s sudden words left both Lin Qing’er and Da Shuang utterly confused.

But Lin Qing’er was intelligent and easygoing. After a brief pause, she nodded and said, “Shui Miao, don’t worry. I’ll do as you say. I know you must be right.”

“Perhaps.”

Shui Miao frowned slightly and took Lin Qing’er’s hand. “Are you willing to wait for me?”

“Yes, I’ll wait for you!”

Lin Qing’er’s demands were simple. She knew Shui Miao was sincere, and that was enough for her.

The car soon fell silent again.

※※※

The three arrived at the Chen Group headquarters. In just over twenty minutes, Lin Qing’er hurriedly bid farewell and left.

Lin Qing’er didn’t know if Shui Miao’s prediction was accurate, but she preferred to believe him.

Although she resented her father for being strict and selfish, in these final moments, she still wanted to spend more time with him.

Lin Qing’er had a difficult life. Her mother passed away early, and her father was harsh and selfish. Aside from school, she lived in isolation. Because of these reasons, her childhood was far from happy. She placed her emotional hopes on a future partner, but the person she liked was killed by her father. If she hadn’t met Shui Miao, she would likely still be secluded in a hotel, drowning in loneliness and sorrow, growing old in solitude.

Time passed quickly.

Shui Miao also went to the Linhai Grand Hotel. Sitting cross-legged on the hotel’s rooftop, watching the sun set behind the western hills, he found it impossible to calm his mind and meditate…

Wu Ai hadn’t returned, which worried Shui Miao greatly.

Moreover, Wu Ai had said that Old Master Lin’s lifespan was ending, but Shui Miao found it hard to believe.

Using his spiritual sense, Shui Miao detected that Old Master Lin was in the hotel’s conference room, holding a meeting with his daughter and the company’s senior management team. His mental state seemed excellent, nothing like someone on the verge of death. Additionally, the hotel had already closed for the day. Da Shuang was in the surveillance room, overseeing everything.

The assassins from earlier that day were injured and unlikely to return.

So, how would Old Master Lin die?

Shui Miao was deeply puzzled. Could it be that the Black and White Impermanence would come to claim his soul?

Legend had it that the Black and White Impermanence were responsible for collecting souls.

But in reality, Shui Miao had never seen what the Black and White Impermanence looked like.

He had, however, often encountered ghost envoys!

Time ticked away…

Suddenly, a gust of wind stirred, and the Black Snake Demon, along with a middle-aged man of peculiar appearance, materialized before Shui Miao.

This stranger wore a black long gown reminiscent of ancient physicians, with a blue cloth cap on his head.

“Master, I’m back!” Little Black was very excited, pointing to the middle-aged man beside him. “This is the ghost physician I brought from the Yellow Spring Sect. His name is Ye Xian, sent by Ghost Valley Faman. There are many things I can’t explain clearly, so it’s better if he speaks.”

“Wait, this isn’t the place to talk…”

Shui Miao looked up. “Little Black, make another trip for me. Bring Local City God Lao Cai here. Tell him I have urgent business and need him to come quickly.”

“Alright, I’ll go right away!”

The Black Snake Demon suddenly remembered something and glanced around. “Master, where are those ghost envoys?”

“I don’t know where they went. Hurry back quickly.” Shui Miao turned to Ye Xian. This ghost physician appeared tall and robust, with a prominent forehead, a bluish-gray complexion, a short beard, but eyebrows that resembled two daggers inserted into his face…

After the Black Snake Demon left, Ye Xian immediately clasped his hands toward Shui Miao. “Great Immortal, you have a remarkable countenance!”

“Oh? You know how to read faces?” Shui Miao returned the gesture with a slight smile.

Ye Xian nodded and spoke eloquently: “Three hundred years ago, when I was still alive, I began studying medicine at the age of six and continued until twenty-six. During my practice, I met a master of physiognomy and learned a few tricks from him. Observing your face, Great Immortal, I see the visage of a reincarnated Divine King from the celestial realm!”

“Haha, Senior Ye Xian, you must be joking. Your words are too far-fetched! I’ve heard of fortune-telling, but never of discerning one’s past life, let alone being the reincarnation of a Divine King. Haha… Senior Ye Xian, since we’ve just met, it’s better not to jest.” Does he take me for a fool? A few sweet words, and he thinks he can fool me? Shui Miao naturally didn’t believe the words of this lowly ghost physician. If he could truly see Shui Miao’s past life, why would he be working as a mere errand-running physician?

“You don’t believe me?”

Ye Xian blinked innocently, then suddenly laughed. “Haha, well, it’s true. I’m just a small ghost physician, so naturally, no one believes what I say. But I am speaking the truth. In your previous life, Great Immortal, you were indeed a Divine King. Unfortunately, your temperament was too straightforward, and you offended many great deities. As a result, you were framed by them. Fortunately, a female Water Divine King risked her life to help you, saving a trace of your divine soul. She secretly entrusted it to Granny Rain, who then washed your divine soul tens of thousands of times with mortal water before allowing you to reincarnate as a human!”

Ye Xian’s story grew more and more fantastical, as if it were real.

Shui Miao shook his head gently. “Senior Ye Xian, I suspect that during your life as a physician, you must have encountered many storytellers. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to fabricate such an unbelievable tale! Haha…”

“Uh…”

Ye Xian was taken aback, then sighed. “Ah! Why does no one believe me when I read faces? It’s been centuries, and not a single person has ever believed me.”

“Haha, Senior Ye Xian, it’s no wonder no one believes what you say. A person’s face simply can’t reveal that much. However, I must admit, your storytelling skills are quite impressive. It sounds as if you witnessed it all firsthand.” Shui Miao thought to himself, What a peculiar fellow! A mere ghost physician who can spin such tall tales. No wonder Ghost Valley Faman sent him—not only can he talk, but he can also boast with flair.

“No, no, no…”

Ye Xian waved his hands hurriedly. “What I say is based on evidence. I guessed you are the reincarnation of a Divine King because I sensed the unique immortal energy within you. Aside from a Divine King’s reincarnation, an ordinary mortal could never cultivate to such a level. Moreover, you carry a very strong water aura, which is extremely peculiar. It doesn’t exist in the mortal realm and likely not in the celestial realm either. So, I suspect it must be Granny Rain’s divine water. And then…”

“Enough!”

Shui Miao couldn’t help but interrupt Ye Xian. “Senior Ye Xian, it’s better not to spout such baseless claims. Let’s get back to the main topic. How about… we discuss those fascinating eyebrows of yours?”

Walls have ears. At this moment, Shui Miao couldn’t discuss matters related to the Yellow Spring Ancestor with Ye Xian. So, it was better to talk about something else. But Ye Xian’s far-fetched story about the Divine King was too outrageous. If it had been the middle-aged scholar who existed beyond the three realms saying such things, it might have been somewhat believable. But Ye Xian was just a lowly ghost physician running errands.

“Eyebrows!?”

Ye Xian was stunned. He touched his own eyebrows, then suddenly pursed his lips and shook his head. “Let’s not talk about that. You wouldn’t believe me anyway. How about we continue discussing your past life as a Divine King?”

Ye Xian seemed eager to keep spinning his tall tales!

Shui Miao had never seen someone so addicted to boasting.

Frowning, Shui Miao said directly, “I bet those eyebrows of yours were inserted later. They definitely aren’t natural.”

“Not at all, not at all! These eyebrows are natural. They were long from birth and grew even longer over time. Who would have thought they’d keep growing even after death? These eyebrows have another peculiar trait: their appearance changes depending on who they see. Sometimes they curve downward, sometimes they perk upward.” When talking about himself, Ye Xian was noticeably less excited.

Shui Miao deliberately teased him to pass the time. “Then haven’t you ever calculated your own fate? I believe with your abilities, you must have figured out which Divine King you are.”

“Divine King?”

Ye Xian shook his head quickly, looking somewhat reluctant. After a moment of hesitation, he said, “Actually, I did calculate my own fate. I am just a talkative bird raised by the Celestial Soul Granny in the celestial realm. Because I love to talk, one time I got carried away and caused the Celestial Soul Granny to make a mistake. In a fit of anger, she banished me to the mortal realm.”

“A talkative bird… Hahahaha!”

Seeing that Ye Xian could not only boast but also put on a convincingly awkward act, Shui Miao couldn’t help but burst into laughter, his stomach nearly hurting from it. “That’s quite a story! But I’m curious, what is the Celestial Soul Granny?”

“The underworld has Granny Meng, and the celestial realm has the Soul Granny. They both serve potions to people.” Ye Xian had an extremely good temper. Even when Shui Miao laughed at him, he wasn’t angry at all. Instead, he muttered, “Laugh, laugh. Everyone laughs at me like this. Is it really that amusing?”

“What are you laughing at all by yourself? You seem so happy.”

At that moment, Lin Qing’er came up to the rooftop. Hearing Shui Miao laughing, she called out from a distance.

Seeing Lin Qing’er, Shui Miao had an idea and quietly asked Ye Xian, “Take a look at her. What was she in her past life?”

“Ah!”

Ye Xian was startled. Pointing at Shui Miao, he said in disbelief, “She… she is the very Female Water Divine King who saved you!”

“Oh, come on! You’re really pushing it now!”

Shui Miao was somewhat impressed by Ye Xian’s ability to connect his tall tales so seamlessly!

“No, no. She carries the Water Saint’s Spirit. She is the reincarnation of the Female Divine King.” Ye Xian stated with great certainty.

Too much talk leads to mistakes!

He’s finally slipped up!

Shui Miao’s laughter vanished instantly. He shook his head gently. The Water Saint’s Spirit in Lin Qing’er’s body was left there by him. Now, Ye Xian was using it to fabricate stories, making the tale seem rather dull and unconvincing.

“Qing’er, I have a friend here telling me stories.”

As Lin Qing’er approached, Shui Miao responded to her earlier question.

“Friend? What friend?” Lin Qing’er looked around but naturally couldn’t see Ye Xian. “Alright, stop joking. Were you pretending to laugh because you heard my footsteps? By the way, I came up to ask you to come down for dinner. It’s been so long; you must be hungry, right?” Lin Qing’er reached out, took Shui Miao’s hand, and pulled him down to eat.

Suddenly, Ye Xian remembered something and quickly said to Shui Miao, “I recall hearing about a method to restore a Divine King’s memories from their past life. Immortals are different from mortals. While mortals can only meditate, immortals possess artistic conception, but Divine Kings have a sea of wisdom. Within this sea of wisdom, not only are vast amounts of divine power and treasures stored, but also many memories. If it were just one Divine King, there might be no solution. But if there are two Divine Kings, one male and one female, you can open the sea of wisdom through dual cultivation!”

“Senior Ye Xian, why don’t you take a break? If you keep spouting such nonsense, I might have to punish you like the Soul Granny did.” Shui Miao communicated with Ye Xian through his thoughts, then escorted Lin Qing’er to the rooftop entrance. “Qing’er, I still have important matters to attend to here. You go ahead and eat. I’m a half-immortal; I won’t get hungry even if I don’t eat for days.”

“Come on, stop fooling me. I believe you can use fire talismans, but if you say you’re a half-immortal, I won’t believe it.” Lin Qing’er held onto Shui Miao’s hand tightly. “Unless you can fly, then I’ll believe you.”

“…”

Shui Miao smacked his lips, rendered speechless.

Seeing this, Ye Xian asked in surprise, “Great Immortal! You don’t know how to fly?”

Shui Miao retorted through his thoughts, “Do you know how?”

“If it were just a soul, I would know. But you have a physical body, so I don’t.” Ye Xian felt a bit embarrassed.

Shui Miao sighed and had no choice but to go downstairs with Lin Qing’er.

Unexpectedly, Ye Xian’s chatter followed relentlessly…

When he saw Da Shuang, he actually claimed that Da Shuang was the Granny Rain who had washed Shui Miao’s divine soul countless times with mortal water.

When he saw a group of waitresses, he declared they were all celestial maidens!

What surprised Shui Miao the most was that when Ye Xian saw Old Master Lin, he insisted that Old Master Lin was the divine soul of the evil Divine King who had opposed Shui Miao in the past. He claimed that Old Master Lin’s divine soul was about to depart and return to the divine realm. He even urged Shui Miao to destroy Old Master Lin’s divine soul, warning that if he didn’t, once Old Master Lin’s divine soul returned to the divine realm, Shui Miao would face endless troubles.

Hearing all this, Shui Miao felt an urge to sew Ye Xian’s mouth shut with a sewing machine.

He even wanted to give the Black Snake Demon a beating for doing such a poor job—how could he bring such a loudmouth here? Could anything he said be trusted?

In the luxurious private room of the grand hotel, a table was laden with all kinds of delicacies.

This was specially prepared by Old Master Lin for Shui Miao.

Only four people were in the room: Old Master Lin, Shui Miao, Lin Qing’er, and Da Shuang.

Old Master Lin had the waitstaff bring over a dozen bottles of red wine worth hundreds of thousands and personally poured glasses for everyone with a cheerful smile.

Shui Miao wasn’t particularly interested in the food, but the red wine, priced at hundreds of thousands per bottle, piqued his curiosity.

Just as Old Master Lin stood up, raised his glass, and was about to propose a toast to Shui Miao, the door to the private room swung open on its own…

Shui Miao turned to look and saw Lao Cai, Lao Qin, and the Black Snake Demon arriving.

A thought struck Shui Miao. He quickly stood up, grabbed a bottle of red wine, poured four more glasses, and set out additional bowls and chopsticks…

“Shui Miao, what are you doing?” Old Master Lin was very surprised.

Lin Qing’er and Da Shuang were also stunned.

Shui Miao smiled slightly and replied, “I have a few friends here. It’s perfect—we can all eat together.”

“Come, come, Lao Cai, Lao Qin, please sit here. Ye Xian, come sit over here. Little Black, help me entertain everyone. Let’s eat together…”

Shui Miao invited Lao Cai and the others to sit down.

Although Lao Cai and the others were ghosts, the sight of the lavish spread made them drool with desire.

Seeing Shui Miao speaking to ghosts, Da Shuang and Lin Qing’er were too frightened to eat. Old Master Lin was also terrified, especially when he saw napkins moving without any wind, albeit slightly.

“Haha! Well, in that case, we won’t stand on ceremony!”

“Yes, yes! We eat quickly. We’ll have some first, and then they can eat later…”

“Great Immortal, it’s been so long since I’ve had such delicious food. I’ll follow you from now on!”

“Eat, eat, everyone, don’t be shy!”

Lao Cai, Lao Qin, Ye Xian, and the Black Snake Demon each offered a few polite words.

After they finished speaking, Shui Miao watched as they reached out to take food. However, what they took were ethereal shadows of the food, yet they ate with great relish! Shui Miao focused his mind and senses, carefully perceiving, and realized that these shadows were actually combinations of the five elements and thermal energy! Superficially, the food appeared unchanged and untouched, but in reality, the five elements and thermal energy of the food had already been consumed by them.

At first, they were quite refined, but as they ate, they began devouring food ravenously, like bandits!

“Come, come, let’s drink!”

Lao Cai put down the lobster, brought his mouth to the rim of the red wine glass, and took a strong sip—the wine level instantly dropped by half!

“Ah!”

Witnessing this, Old Master Lin was so frightened that he collapsed onto his chair, his breathing gradually becoming labored…

“What’s happening?”

“Could he be dying right now?”

Shui Miao was alarmed and quickly turned to look at Old Master Lin. To his surprise, upon closer inspection, Old Master Lin seemed fine again—his breathing had returned to normal.

At that moment, Ye Xian swallowed a large piece of turkey leg, wiped his mouth, and exclaimed, “Great Immortal, don’t worry. Under your watch, he doesn’t dare to let his divine soul depart.”

“What!?”

Shui Miao’s heart jolted violently. Suddenly, he had a feeling that everything Ye Xian had said might be true!

Ye Xian’s story grew more and more elaborate, sounding almost real.

Shui Miao gently shook his head, “Senior Ye Xian, I guess when you were alive as a physician, you must have met many storytellers. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to make up such an incredible tale! Haha…”

“Uh…”

Ye Xian was taken aback, then sighed, “Ah! Why is it that no one believes me when I read their faces? For hundreds of years, not a single person has believed me.”

“Haha, Senior Ye Xian, what you said is certainly unbelievable, because one cannot possibly discern such things just by looking at someone’s face. However, I must admit, your storytelling skills are indeed impressive—you speak as if you’ve seen it all yourself.” Shui Miao thought to himself, What a strange ghost physician! So boastful and talkative, no wonder Ghost Valley Master Fa Man sent him. Not only is he talkative, but he’s also a master of exaggeration.

“No, no, no…”

After circulating the water-based immortal energy through Lin Qing’er’s body twice, Shui Miao stopped.

Unlike before, this time Shui Miao left some of the water-based immortal energy within Lin Qing’er’s body.

Since Lin Qing’er didn’t know how to control energy flow, there was no risk of the immortal energy running wild. Leaving a portion of it behind would only benefit her health without any harm.

An unprecedented sense of clarity and refreshment made Lin Qing’er ecstatic.

“Shui Miao, this is amazing! I feel like all my ailments are gone. It’s as if I’ve been soaking in a clear mountain spring—I feel clean from the inside out!” Her body still retained traces of pure immortal energy, which continued to repair and refine her physique.

“It is remarkable. As long as you’re willing to work hard, one day you’ll reach my level.”

Shui Miao nodded gently, but his heart was filled with complexity as he spoke. The path of cultivation was incredibly difficult. He had been fortunate to encounter many opportunities, yet even now, his progress was limited. Without such opportunities, how far could they truly go? Moreover, the three realms were governed by an irreversible cycle of reincarnation. When a person’s lifespan ended, they would die. What if they were forcibly taken for reincarnation?

Suddenly, Shui Miao realized that time was pressing.

This was not the moment for romance. He needed to find every possible way to grow stronger as quickly as possible. Only when he was powerful enough would he be able to change others’ destinies.

So, he shouldn’t waste extra time and energy on trivial matters.

This sudden sense of urgency weighed heavily on him.

After chatting idly for a while longer, Shui Miao quietly turned his focus inward to his dantian. The immortal energy within was depleting slowly, but if this continued, it wouldn’t last much longer. Once Old Master Lin passed away and Lin Qing’er was settled, he would go with the others to seek out the Yellow Spring Ancestor. If he could obtain the Fire Saint’s spirit, he would have gathered all types of saintly spiritual energy. By then, he hoped his cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds. As his thoughts wandered, Shui Miao recalled the thousand-year-old female ghost, Lady Bai, and felt the pressure mounting even more.

On the road, after a moment of silence, Shui Miao suddenly spoke, “Qing’er, your father’s lifespan is nearing its end. He may not live past tomorrow. I hope you can prepare yourself mentally. Also, in a few days, I hope all of you will leave Zhonghai City and develop your lives in another city. I need to handle some special matters. If everything is resolved, we’ll all be fine. If not, everything will vanish like smoke.”

Shui Miao’s sudden words left both Lin Qing’er and Da Shuang bewildered.

But Lin Qing’er was intelligent and easygoing. After a brief pause, she nodded and said, “Shui Miao, don’t worry. I’ll do as you say. I know you must be right.”

“Perhaps.”

Shui Miao frowned slightly and took Lin Qing’er’s hand. “Will you wait for me?”

“Yes, I’ll wait for you!”

Lin Qing’er’s expectations were simple. She knew Shui Miao was sincere, and that was enough for her.

The car soon fell silent again.

※※※

The three arrived at the Chen Group headquarters. In just over twenty minutes, Lin Qing’er hurriedly bid farewell and left.

She didn’t know if Shui Miao’s prediction was accurate, but she preferred to believe him.

Although she resented her father for being strict and selfish, in these final moments, she still wanted to spend more time with him.

Lin Qing’er had a difficult life. Her mother passed away early, and her father was harsh and self-centered. Aside from school, she lived in isolation. Because of these reasons, her childhood was far from happy. She placed her emotional hopes on a future partner, but the person she liked was killed by her father. If not for meeting Shui Miao, she would likely still be secluded in a hotel, drowning in loneliness and sorrow until old age.

Time passed quickly.

Shui Miao also made his way to the Linhai Grand Hotel. Sitting cross-legged on the hotel’s rooftop, watching the sunset, he found it impossible to calm his mind and meditate…

Wu Ai had not returned, which worried Shui Miao greatly.

Moreover, Wu Ai claimed that Old Master Lin’s lifespan was ending, but Shui Miao found it hard to believe.

Using his divine sense, Shui Miao detected Old Master Lin in the hotel’s conference room, holding a meeting with his daughter and the company’s senior management team. His mental state seemed excellent, nothing like someone on the verge of death. Additionally, the hotel had already closed for the day. Da Shuang was in the surveillance room, overseeing everything.

The assassins from earlier had all been injured and were unlikely to return.

So, how would Old Master Lin die?

Shui Miao was deeply puzzled. Could it be that the Black and White Impermanence would come to collect his soul?

Legend had it that the Black and White Impermanence were responsible for guiding souls to the afterlife.

But in reality, Shui Miao had never seen what they looked like.

Though he had encountered many ghost envoys!

Time ticked by…

Suddenly, a gust of wind stirred, and the Black Snake Demon appeared before Shui Miao alongside a middle-aged man with a peculiar appearance.

This stranger wore a black long coat resembling ancient physician attire, with a green cloth cap on his head.

“Master, I’m back!” Xiao Hei was very excited, pointing to the middle-aged man beside him. “This is the ghost physician I brought from the Yellow Spring Sect. His name is Ye Xian, sent by Guigufaman. There are many things I can’t explain clearly, so it’s better if he tells you.”

“Wait, this isn’t the place to talk…”

Shui Miao looked up. “Xiao Hei, make another trip for me. Bring Local City God Lao Cai here. Tell him I have urgent business and need him to come quickly.”

“Alright, I’ll go right away!”

The Black Snake Demon suddenly remembered something, glanced around, and asked, “Master, where are those ghost envoys?”

“I don’t know where they went. Hurry back quickly.” Shui Miao turned to Ye Xian. This ghost physician appeared tall and sturdy, with a prominent forehead, a bluish-gray complexion, a short beard, and eyebrows that looked like two daggers inserted into his face…

After the Black Snake Demon departed, Ye Xian promptly clasped his hands in a gesture of respect toward Shui Miao. “Great Immortal, your countenance is truly extraordinary!”

“Oh? You can read faces too?” Shui Miao returned the gesture with a slight smile.

Ye Xian nodded and spoke with eloquence, “Three hundred years ago, when I was still alive, I began studying medicine at the age of six and continued until I was twenty-six. During my practice, I encountered a master of physiognomy and learned a bit from him. Observing your face, Great Immortal, I perceive the countenance of a reincarnated Divine King from the immortal realm!”

“Haha, Senior Ye Xian, you must be joking. Your words are too far-fetched! I’ve heard of reading faces to determine fate, but never to see past lives, and even a Divine King’s reincarnation? Haha… Senior Ye Xian, since we’ve just met, let’s not joke around.” *Are you treating me like a fool? A few sweet words, and you think you can fool me?* Shui Miao naturally didn’t believe the words of this petty ghost physician. If he could truly see Shui Miao’s past life, why would he be working as a mere errand-running physician?

“You don’t believe me?”

Ye Xian blinked innocently, then suddenly laughed. “Haha, well, that’s fair. I’m just a small ghost physician, so naturally, no one believes what I say. But I’m telling the truth. In your previous life, Great Immortal, you were indeed a Divine King. Unfortunately, your temperament was too straightforward, and you offended many great deities. As a result, you were framed by them. Fortunately, a female Water Divine King risked her life to help, saving a trace of your soul. She secretly sent it to Granny Rain, who then washed your soul tens of thousands of times with mortal water, allowing you to reincarnate as a human!”

Ye Xian’s story grew more and more fantastical, as if it were real.

Shui Miao shook his head gently. “Senior Ye Xian, I suspect that during your life as a physician, you must have encountered many storytellers. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to weave such an unbelievable tale! Haha…”

“Uh…”

Ye Xian was taken aback, then sighed. “Ah! Why does no one believe me when I read faces? It’s been centuries, and not a single person has ever believed me.”

“Haha, Senior Ye Xian, it’s no wonder no one believes you. A person’s face simply can’t reveal that much. However, I must admit, your storytelling skills are quite impressive. It sounds as if you witnessed it all firsthand.” Shui Miao thought, *What a peculiar character! A small ghost physician who can spin such tall tales. No wonder Guigufaman sent him—not only is he talkative, but he’s also a great braggart.*

“No, no, no…”

Ye Xian waved his hands hurriedly. “What I say is based on evidence. I guessed you are the reincarnation of a Divine King because I sensed the special immortal energy within you. Aside from a Divine King’s reincarnation, no ordinary human could cultivate to such a level. Moreover, you carry a strong water aura, extremely unique and not found in the mortal or immortal realms. So, I suspect it must be Granny Rain’s divine water, and then…”

“Enough!”

Shui Miao couldn’t help but interrupt Ye Xian. “Senior Ye Xian, it’s best not to spread baseless rumors. Let’s get back to the main topic. How about… we discuss your fascinating eyebrows instead?”

*Walls have ears. Now is not the time to discuss the Yellow Spring Ancestor with Ye Xian. Better to talk about something else.* But Ye Xian’s far-fetched story about a Divine King was too outrageous. If it had been the middle-aged scholar who transcended the three realms saying this, it might have been somewhat believable. But Ye Xian was just a lowly ghost physician.

“Eyebrows!?”

Ye Xian was stunned. He touched his own eyebrows, then suddenly pursed his lips and shook his head. “Better not say. You wouldn’t believe me anyway. How about we continue discussing your past life as a Divine King?”

Ye Xian seemed eager to keep spinning his tales!

Shui Miao had never met someone so addicted to boasting.

Frowning, Shui Miao said directly, “I bet those eyebrows were inserted later. They can’t be natural.”

“Not at all! These eyebrows are innate. They were long from birth and grew even longer over time. Surprisingly, they kept growing even after I died. These eyebrows have another peculiar trait: their shape changes depending on who they see—sometimes curved downward, sometimes lifted upward.” When talking about himself, Ye Xian was noticeably less excited.

Shui Miao deliberately teased him to pass the time. “Then haven’t you ever read your own fate? I’m sure with your abilities, you could divine which Divine King you were.”

“Divine King?”

Ye Xian quickly shook his head, looking somewhat reluctant. After a moment of hesitation, he said, “Actually, I did divine my own fate. I was just a storytelling bird raised by the Immortal Soul Granny in the celestial realm. Because I loved to talk, one time I got carried away and caused the Immortal Soul Granny to make a mistake. In a fit of anger, she banished me to the mortal world.”

“A storytelling bird… Hahahaha!”

Seeing Ye Xian not only boast but also put on a conflicted expression, Shui Miao couldn’t help but burst into laughter, his stomach aching from amusement. “That’s quite a story! But I’m curious—what is an Immortal Soul Granny?”

“The underworld has Granny Meng, and the celestial realm has a Soul Granny. Both serve potions to people.” Ye Xian had an extremely good temper. Even when Shui Miao laughed at him, he wasn’t angry at all and muttered, “Laugh, laugh. Everyone laughs at me. Is it really that funny?”

“What are you laughing at all by yourself?”

At that moment, Lin Qing’er came up to the rooftop. Hearing Shui Miao’s laughter, she called out from a distance.

Seeing Lin Qing’er, Shui Miao had an idea and quietly asked Ye Xian, “Take a look at her. Who was she in her past life?”

“Ah!”

Ye Xian was startled, pointing at Shui Miao in disbelief. “She… she is the very Female Water Divine King who saved you!”

“Oh, come on! You’re really pushing it now!”

Shui Miao was somewhat impressed by Ye Xian’s ability to connect his tall tales seamlessly!

“No, no! She carries the Water Saint’s spirit. She is the reincarnation of the Female Divine King.” Ye Xian stated with great certainty.

*Too much talk leads to mistakes!*

Finally, he had slipped up!

Shui Miao’s amusement vanished instantly. He shook his head gently. The Water Saint’s spirit in Lin Qing’er’s body was left there by him. Now, Ye Xian was using it to fabricate stories, making the tale seem rather dull and unconvincing.

“Qing’er, I have a friend here telling me stories.”

As Lin Qing’er approached, Shui Miao responded to her earlier question.

“Friend? What friend?” Lin Qing’er looked around but naturally couldn’t see Ye Xian. “Alright, stop joking. You were pretending to laugh because you heard my footsteps, right? By the way, I came up to ask you to come down for dinner. It’s been so long—you must be hungry, right?” She reached out, took Shui Miao’s hand, and pulled him toward the stairs to eat.

Suddenly, Ye Xian remembered something and quickly turned to Shui Miao, saying, “I recall hearing about a method to restore a Divine King’s past life memories. Immortals and mortals are fundamentally different. While mortals can only meditate, immortals possess artistic conception, and Divine Kings have a sea of wisdom. Within this sea of wisdom lies immense divine power, treasures, and countless memories. If it were just one Divine King, it would be impossible. But with two—one male and one female—you can unlock the sea of wisdom through dual cultivation!”

“Senior Ye Xian, why don’t you take a break? If you keep spouting nonsense, I might have to punish you like the Soul Granny did.” Shui Miao communicated this to Ye Xian through his thoughts, then escorted Lin Qing’er to the rooftop entrance. “Qing’er, I still have important matters to attend to here. You go ahead and eat. I’m a half-immortal; I won’t get hungry even if I don’t eat for days.”

“Come on, stop fooling me. I believe you can use fire talismans, but claiming to be a half-immortal? I don’t buy it.” Lin Qing’er held onto Shui Miao’s hand tightly. “Unless you can fly. Then I’ll believe you.”

“…”

Shui Miao clicked his tongue, rendered speechless.

Seeing this, Ye Xian asked in surprise, “Great Immortal! You don’t know how to fly?”

Shui Miao retorted through his thoughts, “Do you know how?”

“If it were just a soul, I would know. But you have a physical body, so I don’t.” Ye Xian sounded embarrassed.

Shui Miao sighed and had no choice but to go downstairs with Lin Qing’er.

Unexpectedly, Ye Xian’s chatter followed relentlessly…

When he saw Da Shuang, he claimed she was the Granny Rain who had washed Shui Miao’s soul countless times with mortal water.

When he saw a group of waitresses, he declared they were all celestial maidens!

Most surprisingly, when he saw Old Master Lin, he insisted that Old Master Lin was the soul of the evil Divine King who had opposed Shui Miao in the past. He claimed the soul was about to depart and return to the divine realm. He even urged Shui Miao to destroy Old Master Lin’s soul, warning that if he didn’t, once the soul returned to the divine realm, Shui Miao would face endless trouble.

Hearing all this, Shui Miao felt an urge to sew Ye Xian’s mouth shut with a sewing machine.

He even wanted to scold the Black Snake Demon for his incompetence in bringing such a loudmouth. How could anyone believe what he said?

In the luxurious private room of the grand hotel, a table was laden with all kinds of delicacies.

This was specially prepared by Old Master Lin for Shui Miao.

Only four people were in the room: Old Master Lin, Shui Miao, Lin Qing’er, and Da Shuang.

Old Master Lin had the waitstaff bring over a dozen bottles of red wine worth hundreds of thousands and personally poured glasses for everyone with a cheerful smile.

Shui Miao wasn’t particularly interested in the food, but the expensive red wine piqued his curiosity.

Just as Old Master Lin stood up, raised his glass, and was about to propose a toast to Shui Miao, the private room door swung open on its own…

Shui Miao turned to see Lao Cai, Lao Qin, and the Black Snake Demon arriving.

Shui Miao’s heart stirred. He quickly stood up, grabbed a bottle of red wine, poured four more glasses, and set out additional bowls and chopsticks…

“Shui Miao, what are you doing?”

Old Master Lin was very surprised.

Lin Qing’er and Da Shuang were also stunned.

Shui Miao smiled slightly and replied, “I have some friends here. It’s perfect—we can all eat together.”

“Come, come, Lao Cai, Lao Qin, please sit here. Ye Xian, come sit too. Xiao Hei, help me entertain everyone. Let’s eat together…”

Shui Miao invited Lao Cai and the others to sit down.

Although they were ghosts, the sight of the delicacies made Lao Cai and the others drool with desire.

Seeing Shui Miao talking to ghosts, Da Shuang and Lin Qing’er were too frightened to eat. Old Master Lin was also terrified when he saw napkins moving without any wind, albeit slightly.

“Haha! Well, then, we won’t stand on ceremony!”

“Yes, yes! We eat quickly. We’ll have some first, then leave the rest for them…”

“Great Immortal, it’s been so long since I’ve had such good food. I’ll follow you from now on!”

“Eat, eat! Everyone, don’t be shy!”

Lao Cai, Lao Qin, Ye Xian, and the Black Snake Demon exchanged a few polite words.

After speaking, Shui Miao watched as they reached for the food, but what they took were ethereal shadows of the dishes. Yet, they ate with great relish! Shui Miao focused his mind and senses, carefully observing, and realized that these shadows were actually combinations of the five elements and heat energy! On the surface, the food appeared untouched and unchanged, but in reality, the five elements and heat energy within had been consumed by them.

At first, they ate politely, but soon they were devouring the food like wolves, resembling bandits!

“Come, come, let’s drink!”

Lao Cai put down his lobster, brought his mouth to the red wine glass, and took a strong sip—the wine level dropped by half instantly!

“Ah!”

Witnessing this, Old Master Lin was so frightened that he collapsed onto his chair, his breathing growing increasingly labored…

“What’s happening?”

“Could he be dying right now?”

Shui Miao’s heart leaped in alarm. He quickly turned to Old Master Lin, but to his surprise, the old man seemed fine again—his breathing had returned to normal.

At that moment, Ye Xian swallowed a large piece of turkey leg, wiped his mouth, and exclaimed, “Great Immortal, don’t worry. Under your watch, he doesn’t dare to let his soul depart.”

“What!?”

Shui Miao’s heart jolted violently. Suddenly, he felt that Ye Xian’s words might actually be true!

“Alright!”

Shui Miao couldn’t help but interrupt Ye Xian, “Senior Ye Xian, it’s better not to speak recklessly about things without basis. Let’s get back on track. How about we talk about those two extraordinary eyebrows of yours instead?”

There were ears on the other side of the wall. At this moment, Shui Miao couldn’t possibly discuss the Yellow Springs Patriarch with Ye Xian. It was better to talk about something else. But Ye Xian’s absurd story about being a Divine King was too far-fetched. If an erudite middle-aged scholar outside the Three Realms had said such a thing, it might have been somewhat believable. But Ye Xian was merely a lowly ghost physician sent on errands.

“Eyebrows!?”

Ye Xian was taken aback, touched his own eyebrows, and then suddenly shook his head with a wry smile, “No, let’s not talk about them, because even if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me. How about we continue talking about your past life as a Divine King?”

Ye Xian seemed eager to continue his rambling and boasting!

Shui Miao had never met someone so addicted to boasting.

Shui Miao frowned slightly and directly said, “I guess those eyebrows of yours were implanted later. They definitely aren’t naturally grown.”

“No, no, no! These eyebrows are natural. I was born with long eyebrows, and they grew longer and longer. Surprisingly, even after my death, they kept growing. These eyebrows have a unique feature—they change their shape depending on the person I see. They either curve downward or upward.” Ye Xian spoke about his own matters, clearly less enthusiastic now.

Shui Miao intentionally teased him to pass the time and said, “Then, have you never told your own fortune? I believe with your abilities, you could certainly calculate which Divine King you were.”

“Divine King?”

After circulating the water-based immortal energy through Lin Qing’er’s body twice, Shui Miao stopped.

Unlike before, this time Shui Miao left some of the water-based immortal energy within Lin Qing’er’s body.

Since Lin Qing’er didn’t know how to control energy flow, there was no risk of the immortal energy running wild. Leaving some of it in her body would only bring benefits without any harm.

An unprecedented sense of clarity and refreshment made Lin Qing’er ecstatic.

“Shui Miao, this is amazing! I feel like all my ailments are gone. It’s as if I’ve been soaking in a clear mountain spring—I feel clean from the inside out!” The refined immortal energy remained in her body, continuing to repair and refine her physique.

“It is indeed miraculous. As long as you’re willing to work hard, one day you’ll reach my level.”

Shui Miao nodded gently, but his heart was heavy with complexity. The path of cultivation was arduous. Despite his numerous fortuitous encounters, his progress had been limited. Without such opportunities, how far could others like them go? Moreover, the three realms were governed by an irreversible cycle of reincarnation. When one’s lifespan ended, death was inevitable. What if they were forcibly taken for reincarnation then?

Suddenly, Shui Miao realized how pressed for time he was!

This was not the moment for romance. He needed to strengthen himself by any means necessary, and only when he was powerful enough could he change others’ destinies.

Thus, he shouldn’t waste time and energy on trivial matters.

This sudden sense of urgency weighed heavily on him.

After exchanging a few more casual words, Shui Miao inwardly examined his dantian. The immortal energy within was depleting slowly, but if this continued, it wouldn’t last long. After Old Master Lin passed away and Lin Qing’er was settled, he would go with the others to the Yellow Springs Ancestor to obtain the Fire Saint’s spirit. Once all types of saintly energy were gathered, he hoped his cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds. His thoughts then turned to the thousand-year-old female ghost, Lady Bai, and the pressure mounted even further.

On the road, after a moment of silence, Shui Miao suddenly spoke, “Qing’er, your father’s lifespan is nearing its end. He may not live past tomorrow. I hope you can prepare yourself mentally. Also, in a few days, I want all of you to leave Zhonghai City and develop your lives in another city. I need to handle some special matters. If I succeed, all will be well for us. If not, everything will vanish like smoke.”

Shui Miao’s sudden words left Lin Qing’er and Da Shuang bewildered.

But Lin Qing’er was intelligent and easygoing. After a pause, she nodded and said, “Shui Miao, don’t worry. I’ll do as you say. I know you must be right.”

“Perhaps.”

Shui Miao frowned slightly and took Lin Qing’er’s hand. “Will you wait for me?”

“Yes, I’ll wait for you!”

Lin Qing’er’s expectations were simple. She knew Shui Miao was sincere, and that was enough for her.

The car soon fell silent again.

※※※

The three arrived at the Chen Group headquarters. In just over twenty minutes, Lin Qing’er hurriedly bid farewell and left.

She didn’t know if Shui Miao’s prediction was accurate, but she chose to believe him.

Although she resented her father for his strictness and selfishness, she still wanted to spend these final moments with him.

Lin Qing’er had a difficult life. Her mother passed away early, and her father was harsh and self-centered. Aside from school, she lived in isolation. These reasons made her childhood joyless, so she placed her emotional hopes on a future partner. Yet, the person she loved was killed because of her father. If not for meeting Shui Miao, she might still be secluded in a hotel, drowning in loneliness and sorrow until old age.

Time flew by.

Shui Miao also went to the Linhai Grand Hotel. Sitting cross-legged on the rooftop, watching the sunset, he found it impossible to meditate peacefully…

Wu Ai hadn’t returned, which worried Shui Miao.

Moreover, Wu Ai claimed Old Master Lin’s lifespan was ending, but Shui Miao was skeptical.

Using his divine sense, Shui Miao detected Old Master Lin in the hotel’s conference room, holding a meeting with his daughter and the company’s senior management. His mental state seemed excellent, nothing like someone on the verge of death. Additionally, the hotel had closed for the day, and Da Shuang was in the surveillance room, monitoring everything.

The assassins from earlier were injured and unlikely to return.

So, how would Old Master Lin die?

Shui Miao was puzzled. Could it be that the Black and White Impermanence would come to collect his soul?

Legend had it that the Black and White Impermanence were responsible for guiding souls.

But in reality, Shui Miao had never seen what they looked like.

Ghost guards, however, were quite common!

Time passed minute by minute…

Suddenly, a gust of wind stirred, and the Black Snake Demon appeared with a middle-aged man who had a distinctive appearance.

The stranger wore a black long gown resembling ancient physician attire and a green cloth cap on his head.

“Master, I’m back!” Little Black was excited and pointed to the middle-aged man. “This is the ghost physician I brought from the Yellow Springs Sect. His name is Ye Xian, sent by Ghost Valley Faman. There’s a lot I can’t explain clearly, so let him speak.”

“Wait, this isn’t the place to talk…”

Shui Miao looked up. “Little Black, make another trip for me. Bring Local City God Lao Cai here. Tell him I have urgent business and need him to come quickly.”

“Alright, I’ll go right away!”

The Black Snake Demon suddenly remembered something and glanced around. “Master, where are those ghost guards?”

“I don’t know where they went. Hurry back.” Shui Miao turned to Ye Xian. The ghost physician appeared tall and robust, with a prominent forehead, a bluish-gray complexion, short beard, but eyebrows that resembled two daggers inserted into his face…

After the Black Snake Demon left, Ye Xian immediately clasped his hands toward Shui Miao. “Great Immortal, you have a remarkable countenance!”

“Oh? You know how to read faces?” Shui Miao returned the gesture with a slight smile.

Ye Xian nodded and spoke eloquently, “Three hundred years ago, when I was still alive, I studied medicine from the age of six until twenty-six. During my practice, I met a master of physiognomy and learned a thing or two from him. Looking at your face, Great Immortal, I see the visage of a reincarnated Divine King from the immortal realm!”

“Haha, Senior Ye Xian, you must be joking. That sounds far-fetched. I’ve heard of fortune-telling, but never of reading one’s past life, let alone being a reincarnated Divine King. Senior Ye Xian, since we’ve just met, let’s not jest.” Does he take me for a fool? A few sweet words, and I’ll be fooled? Shui Miao naturally didn’t believe the words of this petty ghost physician. If he could truly see Shui Miao’s past life, why would he be a mere errand-running physician?

“You don’t believe me?”

Ye Xian blinked innocently, then suddenly laughed. “Haha, well, it’s true. A small ghost physician like me isn’t easily trusted. But I speak the truth. In your previous life, Great Immortal, you were indeed a Divine King. Unfortunately, your nature was too straightforward, and you offended many great deities. As a result, you were framed by them. Fortunately, a female Water Divine King risked her life to save a trace of your soul, secretly delivering it to Granny Rain. Granny Rain then cleansed your soul countless times with mortal water, allowing you to reincarnate as a human!”

Ye Xian’s story grew more and more fantastical, as if it were real.

Shui Miao shook his head gently. “Senior Ye Xian, I suspect you encountered many storytellers in your past life as a physician. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to weave such an unbelievable tale! Haha…”

“Uh…”

Ye Xian was taken aback, then sighed. “Ah! Why does no one believe me when I read faces? It’s been centuries, and not a single person has trusted me.”

“Haha, Senior Ye Xian, it’s natural no one believes such claims. A person’s face can’t reveal that much. However, I must admit, your storytelling skills are impressive. It sounds as if you witnessed it all.” Shui Miao thought, What a peculiar character! A small ghost physician who can spin such tales. No wonder Ghost Valley Faman sent him—he’s not only articulate but also a great braggart.

“No, no, no…”

Ye Xian waved his hands hastily. “What I say is grounded. I guessed you’re a reincarnated Divine King because I sensed the unique immortal energy within you. Aside from a Divine King’s reincarnation, no ordinary mortal could cultivate to such a level. Moreover, you carry a strong water aura, extremely rare—nonexistent in the mortal realm and likely not in the immortal realm either. So, I suspect it’s Granny Rain’s divine water, and then…”

“Enough!”

Shui Miao couldn’t help interrupting Ye Xian. “Senior Ye Xian, it’s best not to spread baseless rumors. Let’s get to the point. How about… we discuss your fascinating eyebrows instead?”

Walls have ears. At this moment, Shui Miao couldn’t discuss matters related to the Yellow Springs Ancestor with Ye Xian. So, changing the subject was better. But Ye Xian’s far-fetched story about a Divine King was too outrageous. If it had been the middle-aged scholar who transcended the three realms saying this, it might have been somewhat credible. But Ye Xian was just a lowly ghost physician.

“Eyebrows!?”

Ye Xian was startled. He touched his own eyebrows, then suddenly pursed his lips and shook his head. “Better not say. You wouldn’t believe me anyway. How about we continue discussing your past life as a Divine King?”

Ye Xian seemed eager to keep spinning tales!

Shui Miao had never met someone so addicted to boasting.

Frowning, Shui Miao said directly, “I bet those eyebrows were inserted later. They can’t be natural.”

“Not at all! These eyebrows are innate. They were long from birth and grew longer over time. Even after death, they kept growing. They have another peculiar trait: their shape changes depending on whom I see—sometimes curved, sometimes raised.” Ye Xian seemed less enthusiastic when talking about himself.

Shui Miao deliberately teased him to pass the time. “Then, haven’t you ever read your own fortune? I’m sure with your abilities, you could determine which Divine King you were.”

“Divine King?”

Ye Xian shook his head quickly, looking somewhat reluctant. After a moment of hesitation, he said, “Actually, I did divine my own fate. I was just a talkative bird raised by the Immortal Soul Granny in the celestial realm. Once, I got carried away with my stories and caused her to make a mistake. In her anger, she banished me to the mortal world.”

“A talkative bird… Hahahaha!”

Seeing Ye Xian not only boast but also put on a conflicted act, Shui Miao couldn’t help but laugh until his stomach hurt. “That’s quite a story! But I’m curious—what is an Immortal Soul Granny?”

“The underworld has Granny Meng, and the celestial realm has a Soul Granny. Both serve potions to people.” Ye Xian had an excellent temper. Even when Shui Miao laughed at him, he wasn’t angered. He muttered, “Laugh, go ahead. Everyone laughs at me. Is it that amusing?”

“What are you laughing at all by yourself?”

At that moment, Lin Qing’er came onto the rooftop. Hearing Shui Miao laughing, she called out from a distance.

Seeing Lin Qing’er, Shui Miao had an idea and whispered to Ye Xian, “Take a look at her past life. Who was she?”

“Ah!”

Ye Xian exclaimed, pointing at Shui Miao in disbelief. “She… she is the female Water Divine King who saved you!”

“Oh, come on! You’re pushing it too far!”

Shui Miao was almost impressed by Ye Xian’s ability to connect his fabrications!

“No, no! She carries the Water Saint’s spirit. She is the reincarnation of the Divine King.” Ye Xian spoke with certainty.

Too much talk leads to mistakes!

He’s finally exposed!

Shui Miao’s laughter vanished. He shook his head gently. The Water Saint’s spirit in Lin Qing’er was left by him. Yet, Ye Xian used it to weave his tale, making the story dull and unconvincing.

“Qing’er, I have a friend here telling me stories.”

As Lin Qing’er approached, Shui Miao responded to her earlier question.

“Friend? What friend?” Lin Qing’er looked around but naturally couldn’t see Ye Xian. “Alright, stop joking. You were pretending to laugh because you heard my footsteps, right? Anyway, I came to ask you to come down for dinner. It’s been so long; you must be hungry.” She reached out, took Shui Miao’s hand, and pulled him toward the exit.

Suddenly, Ye Xian remembered something and quickly said to Shui Miao, “I recall hearing about a method to restore a Divine King’s past memories. Immortals are different from mortals. While mortals can only meditate, immortals possess artistic conception, but Divine Kings have a sea of wisdom. Within this sea of wisdom lies vast divine power, treasures, and countless memories. If it were just one Divine King, it might be impossible. But with two—one male and one female—you can unlock the sea of wisdom through dual cultivation!”

“Senior Ye Xian, why don’t you take a break? If you keep spouting nonsense, I might have to punish you like the Soul Granny did.” Shui Miao communicated with Ye Xian through his thoughts, then escorted Lin Qing’er to the rooftop entrance. “Qing’er, I have important matters to attend to here. Go ahead and eat. I’m a half-immortal; I won’t get hungry even after days without food.”

“Come on, stop fooling me. I believe you can use fire talismans, but claiming to be a half-immortal? I won’t buy it unless you can fly.” Lin Qing’er held onto Shui Miao’s hand tightly.

“…”

Shui Miao clicked his tongue, rendered speechless.

Seeing this, Ye Xian asked in surprise, “Great Immortal! You don’t know how to fly?”

Through his thoughts, Shui Miao retorted, “Do you?”

“If I were a soul, I would. But you have a physical body, so I don’t.” Ye Xian looked embarrassed.

Shui Miao sighed and had no choice but to go downstairs with Lin Qing’er.

Unexpectedly, Ye Xian’s chatter continued relentlessly…

When he saw Da Shuang, he claimed she was Granny Rain, who had cleansed Shui Miao’s soul countless times with mortal water.

When he saw a group of waitresses, he declared they were celestial maidens!

Most astonishingly, when he saw Old Master Lin, he insisted Old Master Lin was the soul of the evil Divine King who had once opposed Shui Miao. He claimed the soul was about to depart and return to the divine realm. He even urged Shui Miao to destroy Old Master Lin’s soul, warning that failure to do so would bring endless future troubles.

Hearing all this, Shui Miao felt an urge to sew Ye Xian’s mouth shut with a sewing machine.

He even wanted to scold the Black Snake Demon for his incompetence in bringing such a blabbermouth. How could anything he said be trusted?

In the luxurious private room of the grand hotel, a table was laden with all kinds of delicacies.

This was specially prepared by Old Master Lin for Shui Miao.

Only four people were in the room: Old Master Lin, Shui Miao, Lin Qing’er, and Da Shuang.

Old Master Lin had the waitstaff bring over a dozen bottles of red wine worth hundreds of thousands and personally poured glasses for everyone with a smile.

Shui Miao wasn’t particularly interested in the food, but the expensive red wine piqued his curiosity.

Just as Old Master Lin stood up, raised his glass, and was about to propose a toast to Shui Miao, the door to the private room swung open on its own…

Shui Miao turned to see Lao Cai, Lao Qin, and the Black Snake Demon arriving.

A thought struck Shui Miao. He quickly stood, grabbed a bottle of red wine, poured four more glasses, and set out additional bowls and chopsticks…

“Shui Miao, what are you doing?” Old Master Lin was baffled.

Lin Qing’er and Da Shuang were also stunned.

Shui Miao smiled slightly. “I have some friends here. Let’s all eat together.”

“Come, come! Lao Cai, Lao Qin, sit here. Ye Xian, come sit. Little Black, help me entertain everyone. Let’s eat together…”

Shui Miao invited Lao Cai and the others to sit.

Although they were ghosts, the sight of the lavish spread made them drool.

Hearing Shui Miao speak of ghosts, Da Shuang and Lin Qing’er were too frightened to eat. Old Master Lin was also terrified, especially when he saw napkins moving without any wind, albeit slightly.

“Haha! Well, then, we won’t stand on ceremony!”

“Yes, yes! We eat quickly. We’ll have some first, then leave the rest for them…”

“Great Immortal, it’s been ages since I’ve had such fine food. I’ll follow you from now on!”

“Eat, eat! Everyone, don’t be shy!”

Lao Cai, Lao Qin, Ye Xian, and the Black Snake Demon exchanged a few polite words.

After speaking, Shui Miao watched as they reached for the food, but what they took were ethereal shadows of the dishes. Yet, they ate with relish! Focusing his senses, Shui Miao realized they were consuming a combination of the five elements and thermal energy from the food. To the naked eye, the dishes appeared untouched and unchanged, but their elemental essence and warmth had been devoured.

At first, they ate politely, but soon they were devouring everything like ravenous bandits!

“Come, come! Let’s drink!”

Lao Cai put down a lobster, brought his mouth to a glass of red wine, and inhaled deeply—the wine level dropped by half!

“Ah!”

Witnessing this, Old Master Lin collapsed onto his chair, his breathing growing increasingly labored…

“What’s happening?”

“Could he be dying now?”

Shui Miao was alarmed and quickly turned to Old Master Lin, only to find him fine again, breathing normally.

At that moment, Ye Xian swallowed a large piece of turkey leg, wiped his mouth, and exclaimed, “Great Immortal, don’t worry. With you watching, he doesn’t dare let his soul depart.”

“What!?”

Shui Miao was stunned. Suddenly, he felt that everything Ye Xian had said might be true!

“A storytelling bird… hahahaha!”

Shui Miao circulated the water-based immortal energy through Lin Qing’er’s body twice before stopping.

Unlike before, this time Shui Miao left some of the water-based immortal energy within Lin Qing’er’s body.

Since Lin Qing’er didn’t know how to control energy flow, there was no risk of the immortal energy running wild. Leaving some of it in her body would only bring benefits without any harm.

An unprecedented sense of clarity and refreshment made Lin Qing’er ecstatic.

“Shui Miao, this is amazing! I feel like all my ailments are gone. It’s as if I’ve been soaking in a clear mountain spring—I feel clean from the inside out!” Her body still retained traces of pure immortal energy, which continued to repair and refine her physique.

“It is indeed miraculous. As long as you’re willing to work hard, you’ll eventually reach my level one day.”

Shui Miao nodded gently, but his heart was filled with complexity as he spoke. The path of cultivation was incredibly difficult. He had been fortunate to encounter many opportunities, yet even now, his progress was limited. Without such opportunities, how far could they truly go, no matter how hard they tried? Moreover, the three realms were governed by an irreversible cycle of reincarnation. When a person’s lifespan ended, they would die. What if they were forcibly taken for reincarnation then?

Suddenly, Shui Miao realized that time was pressing!

This was not the time for romance. He needed to find every possible way to grow stronger as quickly as possible. Only when he was powerful enough would he have the ability to change others’ destinies.

So, he shouldn’t waste extra time and energy on trivial matters.

This sudden sense of urgency weighed heavily on him.

After chatting casually for a while longer, Shui Miao quietly turned his attention inward to his dantian. The immortal energy within wasn’t depleting rapidly, but if this continued, it wouldn’t last much longer. Once Old Master Lin passed away and Lin Qing’er was settled, he would go with everyone to seek out the Yellow Spring Ancestor. If he could obtain the Fire Saint’s Spirit, he would have gathered all types of saintly spiritual energy. By then, he hoped his cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds. As his thoughts wandered, Shui Miao recalled the thousand-year-old female ghost, Lady Bai, and felt the pressure mounting even more.

On the way, after a moment of silence, Shui Miao suddenly spoke, “Qing’er, your father’s lifespan is nearing its end. He might not live past tomorrow. I hope you can prepare yourself mentally. Also, in a few days, I hope all of you will leave Zhonghai City and develop your lives in another city. I need to handle some special matters. If everything is resolved properly, we’ll all be fine. If not, everything will vanish like passing clouds.”

Shui Miao’s sudden words left Lin Qing’er and Da Shuang utterly confused.

But Lin Qing’er was intelligent and easygoing. After a pause, she nodded and said, “Shui Miao, don’t worry. I’ll do as you say. I know you must be right.”

“Perhaps.”

Shui Miao frowned slightly and took Lin Qing’er’s hand. “Are you willing to wait for me?”

“Yes, I’ll wait for you!”

Lin Qing’er’s demands were simple. She knew Shui Miao was sincere, and that was enough for her.

The car soon fell silent again.

※※※

The three arrived at the Chen Group headquarters. In just over twenty minutes, Lin Qing’er hurriedly bid farewell and left.

Lin Qing’er didn’t know if Shui Miao’s prediction was accurate, but she preferred to believe him.

Although she resented her father for being strict and selfish, in these final moments, she still wanted to spend more time with him.

Lin Qing’er had a difficult life. Her mother passed away early, and her father was harsh and self-centered. Aside from school, she lived in isolation. Because of these reasons, her childhood was far from happy. She placed her emotional hopes on a future partner, but the person she liked was killed by her father. If not for meeting Shui Miao, she would likely still be secluded in a hotel, drowning in loneliness and sorrow until old age.

Time passed quickly.

Shui Miao also made his way to the Linhai Grand Hotel. Sitting cross-legged on the hotel’s rooftop, watching the sunset, he found it impossible to calm his mind and meditate…

Wu Ai hadn’t returned, which worried Shui Miao greatly.

Moreover, Wu Ai claimed that Old Master Lin’s lifespan was ending, but Shui Miao found it hard to believe.

Using his spiritual sense, Shui Miao detected Old Master Lin in the hotel’s conference room, holding a meeting with his daughter and the company’s senior management team. His mental state seemed excellent, nothing like someone on the verge of death. Additionally, the hotel had already closed for the day. Da Shuang was in the surveillance room, overseeing everything.

The assassins from earlier that day were injured and unlikely to return.

So, how would Old Master Lin die?

Shui Miao was deeply puzzled. Could it be that the Black and White Impermanence would come to claim his soul?

Legend had it that the Black and White Impermanence were responsible for collecting souls.

But in reality, Shui Miao had never seen what they looked like.

Though he had encountered ghost officials quite often!

Time ticked by…

Suddenly, a gust of wind stirred, and the Black Snake Demon appeared before Shui Miao alongside a middle-aged man with a peculiar appearance.

This stranger wore a black long gown reminiscent of ancient physicians, with a green cloth cap on his head.

“Master, I’m back!” Xiao Hei (Black Snake Demon) was very excited, pointing to the middle-aged man beside him. “This is the ghost physician I brought from the Yellow Spring Sect. His name is Ye Xian, sent by Ghost Valley Faman. There are many things I can’t explain clearly, so it’s better if he tells you.”

“Wait, this isn’t the place to talk…”

Shui Miao looked up. “Xiao Hei, make another trip for me. Bring Local City God Lao Cai here. Tell him I have urgent matters and need him to come quickly.”

“Alright, I’ll go right away!”

The Black Snake Demon suddenly remembered something and glanced around. “Master, where are those ghost officials?”

“I don’t know where they went. Hurry back.” Shui Miao turned to Ye Xian. This ghost physician appeared tall and robust, with a prominent forehead, a bluish-gray complexion, a short beard, and eyebrows that resembled two daggers inserted into his face…

After the Black Snake Demon departed, Ye Xian promptly clasped his hands in a respectful salute to Shui Miao. “Great Immortal, your appearance is truly extraordinary!”

“Oh? You know how to read faces?” Shui Miao returned the salute with a slight smile.

Ye Xian nodded and spoke eloquently, “Three hundred years ago, when I was still alive, I began studying medicine at the age of six and continued until twenty-six. During my practice, I met a master of physiognomy and learned a few tricks from him. Observing your face, Great Immortal, I see the visage of a reincarnated Divine King from the celestial realm!”

“Haha, Senior Ye Xian, you must be joking. That sounds far too mystical! I’ve heard of face-reading determining fate, but never predicting past lives, especially being a reincarnated Divine King. Haha… Senior Ye Xian, since we’ve just met, let’s not joke around.” *Does he take me for a fool? A few sweet words, and he thinks he can deceive me?* Shui Miao naturally didn’t believe the words of this minor ghost physician. If Ye Xian could truly see his past life, why would he be working as a mere errand-running physician?

“You don’t believe me?”

Ye Xian blinked innocently, then suddenly laughed. “Haha, well, that’s understandable. I’m just a minor ghost physician, so naturally, no one believes what I say. But I am telling the truth. In your previous life, you were indeed a Divine King. Unfortunately, your nature was too straightforward, and you offended many great deities. As a result, you were framed by them. Thankfully, a female Water Goddess risked her life to save a trace of your divine soul. She secretly entrusted it to Granny Rain, who then refined your soul countless times with mortal water, allowing you to reincarnate as a human!”

Ye Xian’s story grew increasingly fantastical, sounding as though it were real.

Shui Miao shook his head gently. “Senior Ye Xian, I suspect that during your time as a physician, you must have encountered many storytellers. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to weave such an unbelievable tale! Haha…”

“Uh…”

Ye Xian was taken aback, then sighed. “Ah! Why does no one believe me when I read faces? It’s been centuries, and not a single person has ever believed me.”

“Haha, Senior Ye Xian, it’s no wonder no one believes such claims. A person’s face simply can’t reveal that much. However, I must admit, your storytelling skills are quite impressive. It sounds as though you witnessed it all firsthand.” Shui Miao thought, *What a peculiar character! A minor ghost physician who can boast so extravagantly. No wonder Ghost Valley Faman sent him—not only is he articulate, but he’s also a great exaggerator.*

“No, no, no…”

Ye Xian waved his hands hurriedly. “What I say is based on evidence. I guessed you are a reincarnated Divine King because I sensed the unique immortal energy within you. Aside from a Divine King’s reincarnation, an ordinary mortal could never cultivate to such a level. Moreover, you carry a very strong water aura—extremely peculiar, not found in the mortal realm nor likely in the celestial realm. So, I suspect it must be Granny Rain’s divine water. Then…”

“Enough!”

Shui Miao couldn’t help interrupting Ye Xian. “Senior Ye Xian, it’s best not to spread baseless claims. Let’s get back to the main topic. How about… we discuss your fascinating eyebrows instead?”

*Walls have ears. At this moment, it’s not appropriate to discuss matters related to the Yellow Spring Ancestor with Ye Xian. So, it’s better to talk about something else.* But Ye Xian’s far-fetched story about a Divine King was too outrageous. If it had been the middle-aged scholar who transcended the three realms saying this, it might have been somewhat credible. But Ye Xian was merely a minor ghost physician running errands.

“Eyebrows!?”

Ye Xian was startled. He touched his own eyebrows, then suddenly pursed his lips and shook his head. “Better not say. You wouldn’t believe me anyway. How about we continue discussing your past life as a Divine King?”

Ye Xian seemed eager to keep spinning his tall tales!

Shui Miao had never met someone so addicted to boasting.

Frowning, Shui Miao said directly, “I suspect your eyebrows were inserted later—definitely not naturally grown.”

“Not at all, not at all! These eyebrows are innate. They were long from birth and grew even longer over time. Surprisingly, they kept growing even after I died. These eyebrows have another peculiar trait: their appearance changes depending on who they see—sometimes they curve downward, sometimes they perk up.” When talking about himself, Ye Xian seemed noticeably less excited.

Shui Miao deliberately teased him to pass the time. “Then haven’t you tried fortune-telling for yourself? I believe with your abilities, you could surely deduce which Divine King you were.”

“Divine King?”

Ye Xian quickly shook his head, looking somewhat reluctant. After a moment of hesitation, he said, “Actually, I have calculated my own fate. I am merely a storytelling bird raised by the Celestial Soul Granny in the celestial realm. Because I love to talk, one time I got carried away and caused the Celestial Soul Granny to make a mistake. In her anger, she banished me to the mortal realm.”

“A storytelling bird… Hahahaha!”

Seeing Ye Xian not only boast but also put on a show of reluctance and internal conflict, Shui Miao couldn’t help but burst into laughter, his stomach aching from amusement. “That’s quite a story! But I’m curious—what is the Celestial Soul Granny?”

“The underworld has Granny Meng, and the celestial realm has the Soul Granny. Both of them administer potions to people.” Ye Xian had an extremely good temper. Even though Shui Miao laughed at him, he wasn’t angry at all and muttered, “Laugh, laugh. Everyone laughs at me like this. Is it really that amusing?”

“What are you laughing at all by yourself? You seem so happy.”

At that moment, Lin Qing’er came up to the rooftop. Hearing Shui Miao’s laughter, she called out from a distance.

Seeing Lin Qing’er, Shui Miao had an idea and quietly asked Ye Xian, “Take a look at her. What was she in her past life?”

“Ah!”

Ye Xian was stunned. Pointing at Shui Miao, he said in disbelief, “She… she is the very Water Goddess who saved you!”

“Oh, come on! You’re really pushing it now!”

Shui Miao was somewhat impressed by Ye Xian’s ability to connect his fabrications so seamlessly!

“No, no! She carries the Water Saint’s Spirit. She is the reincarnation of the Water Goddess.” Ye Xian stated with great certainty.

*Too much talk leads to mistakes!*

*Finally, he’s slipped up!*

Shui Miao’s amusement vanished instantly. He shook his head gently. The Water Saint’s Spirit in Lin Qing’er’s body was left there by him. Now, Ye Xian was using it to weave his story, making the tale seem rather dull and unconvincing.

“Qing’er, I have a friend here telling me stories.”

As Lin Qing’er approached, Shui Miao responded to her earlier question.

“Friend? What friend?” Lin Qing’er looked around but naturally couldn’t see Ye Xian. “Alright, stop joking. You heard my footsteps and pretended to laugh, didn’t you? By the way, I came up to ask you to come down for dinner. It’s been so long—you must be hungry, right?” She reached out, took Shui Miao’s hand, and pulled him toward the stairs to go eat.

Suddenly, Ye Xian remembered something and quickly said to Shui Miao, “I recall hearing about a method that can help a Divine King regain memories of their past life. Immortals are different from mortals. While mortals can only meditate, immortals possess artistic conception, but Divine Kings have the Sea of Wisdom. The Sea of Wisdom not only stores vast divine power and treasures but also countless memories. If it were just one Divine King, it would be impossible. However, if there are two Divine Kings—one male and one female—you can open the Sea of Wisdom through dual cultivation!”

“Senior Ye Xian, why don’t you take a break? If you keep spouting nonsense, I might have to punish you like the Soul Granny did.” Shui Miao communicated this to Ye Xian through his thoughts, then escorted Lin Qing’er to the rooftop entrance. “Qing’er, I still have important matters to attend to here. You go ahead and eat. I’m a half-immortal; I won’t get hungry even if I don’t eat for days.”

“Come on, stop fooling me. I believe you can use fire talismans, but claiming to be a half-immortal? I don’t buy it.” Lin Qing’er held onto Shui Miao’s hand tightly. “Unless you can fly. Then I’ll believe you.”

“…”

Shui Miao smacked his lips, rendered speechless.

Seeing this, Ye Xian asked in surprise, “Great Immortal! You don’t know how to fly?”

Shui Miao retorted through his thoughts, “Do you know how?”

“If it were just the soul, I would know. But you have a physical body, so I don’t.” Ye Xian sounded embarrassed.

Shui Miao sighed and had no choice but to go downstairs with Lin Qing’er.

Unexpectedly, Ye Xian’s chatter followed relentlessly…

When he saw Da Shuang, he actually claimed she was the Granny Rain who had refined Shui Miao’s divine soul countless times with mortal water.

When he saw a group of waitresses, he declared they were all celestial maidens!

What surprised Shui Miao the most was that when Ye Xian saw Old Master Lin, he insisted that Old Master Lin was the divine soul of the evil Divine King who had opposed Shui Miao in the past. He claimed the divine soul was about to depart and return to the celestial realm. He even urged Shui Miao to destroy Old Master Lin’s divine soul, warning that if he didn’t, once it returned to the celestial realm, Shui Miao would face endless trouble.

Hearing all this, Shui Miao felt an urge to sew Ye Xian’s mouth shut with a sewing machine.

He even wanted to scold the Black Snake Demon for his incompetence in bringing such a bigmouth. Could anything Ye Xian said be trusted?

In the luxurious private room of the grand hotel, a table was laden with all kinds of delicacies.

This was specially prepared by Old Master Lin for Shui Miao.

Only four people were in the room: Old Master Lin, Shui Miao, Lin Qing’er, and Da Shuang.

Old Master Lin had the waitstaff bring over a dozen bottles of red wine worth hundreds of thousands and personally poured glasses for everyone with a cheerful smile.

Shui Miao wasn’t particularly interested in the food, but the red wine, priced at several hundred thousand per bottle, piqued his curiosity.

Just as Old Master Lin stood up, raised his glass, and was about to propose a toast to Shui Miao, the door to the private room swung open on its own…

Shui Miao turned to see Lao Cai, Lao Qin, and the Black Snake Demon arriving.

A thought struck Shui Miao. He quickly stood up, grabbed a bottle of red wine, poured four more glasses, and set out additional bowls and chopsticks…

“Shui Miao, what are you doing?” Old Master Lin was very surprised.

Lin Qing’er and Da Shuang were also stunned.

Shui Miao smiled slightly and replied, “I have a few friends here. It’s perfect—we can all eat together.”

“Come, come, Lao Cai, Lao Qin, please take a seat here. Ye Xian, come sit as well. Xiao Hei, help me entertain everyone. Let’s dine together…”

Shui Miao invited Lao Cai and the others to sit down.

Although they were ghosts, the sight of the lavish spread made Lao Cai and the others drool with desire.

Hearing Shui Miao speak to ghosts, Da Shuang and Lin Qing’er were too frightened to eat. Old Master Lin was also terrified, especially when he saw napkins moving without any wind, albeit slightly.

“Haha! Well then, we won’t stand on ceremony!”

“Yes, yes! We eat quickly. We’ll have some first, and then they can eat later…”

“Great Immortal, it’s been ages since I’ve had such fine food. I’ll follow you from now on!”

“Eat, eat! Everyone, don’t be shy!”

Lao Cai, Lao Qin, Ye Xian, and the Black Snake Demon exchanged a few polite words.

After they finished speaking, Shui Miao watched as they reached out to take food. However, what they took were ethereal shadows of the dishes. Yet, they ate with great relish! Shui Miao focused his mind and senses, carefully perceiving, and realized that these shadows were actually combinations of the five elements and heat energy! Superficially, the food appeared untouched and unchanged, but in reality, the five-element essence and heat energy of the food had been consumed by them.

At first, they were quite refined, but soon they began devouring the food ravenously, like bandits!

“Come, come! Let’s drink!”

Lao Cai put down his lobster, brought his mouth to the rim of the red wine glass, and took a strong sip—the wine level instantly dropped by half!

“Ah!”

Witnessing this, Old Master Lin was so frightened that he collapsed onto his chair, his breathing growing increasingly labored…

“What’s happening?”

“Could he be dying right now?”

Shui Miao was alarmed and quickly turned to look at Old Master Lin. To his surprise, the old man seemed fine again—his breathing had returned to normal.

At that moment, Ye Xian swallowed a large mouthful of turkey leg, wiped his mouth, and exclaimed, “Great Immortal, don’t worry. With you watching him, he doesn’t dare let his divine soul depart.”

“What!?”

Shui Miao’s heart jolted. Suddenly, he felt that everything Ye Xian had said might actually be true!

“In the Netherworld, there’s Meng Po, and in the Immortal Realm, there’s Hun Po. Both are figures who administer potions to others.” Ye Xian had a good temper. Seeing Shui Miao laugh at him, he didn’t get angry at all and muttered, “Laugh all you want. Everyone laughs at me like this. Is it really that amusing?”

“What are you laughing about so happily all by yourself?”

At that moment, Lin Qing’er came onto the balcony and, hearing Shui Miao laughing, asked from a distance.

Seeing Lin Qing’er, a thought struck Shui Miao, and he quietly asked Ye Xian, “Can you take a look at her past life too?”

“Ah!”

Ye Xian was startled, pointing at Shui Miao, and said in disbelief, “She… she is actually the female Water Goddess King who saved you!”

“Huh? You really can’t stop making things up, can you?”

Shui Miao couldn’t help but admire Ye Xian’s ability to weave stories together so seamlessly!

“No, no, she carries the Water Holy Spirit within her. She is indeed the reincarnation of a goddess king.” Ye Xian was very certain.

Too many words lead to slips!

Finally, the flaw was exposed!

Shui Miao immediately stopped smiling. He gently shook his head. The Water Holy Spirit within Lin Qing’er was something he had left behind for her. Now, Ye Xian was using it to fabricate a story, which made the tale seem rather dull.

“Qing’er, I have a friend here telling me stories.”

Seeing Lin Qing’er approach, Shui Miao quickly responded to her previous question.

“Friend? Where is this friend?” Lin Qing’er looked around but naturally couldn’t see Ye Xian, “Alright, stop joking. You heard my footsteps and were pretending to laugh, right? Anyway, I came up to find you to go downstairs for dinner. It’s been so long, you must be hungry by now?” Lin Qing’er reached out and took Shui Miao’s hand, pulling him down for dinner.

Just then, Ye Xian suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said to Shui Miao, “I just remembered, I heard there’s a method to restore a Divine King’s past memories. Immortals are different from mortals. Mortals can only meditate, immortals have realms, and Divine Kings have a Wisdom Sea. The Wisdom Sea not only stores massive divine power and treasures but also many memories. If it were just one Divine King, there would be no way, but if there were a male and female Divine King, you could open the Wisdom Sea through dual cultivation!”

“Senior Ye Xian, perhaps you should take a break. If you keep talking nonsense like this, I might have to punish you just like the Hun Po did.” Shui Miao sent a few thoughts to Ye Xian and then sent Lin Qing’er to the entrance of the rooftop, “Qing’er, I still have important matters to attend to here. You go ahead and eat. I’m a half-immortal, I won’t get hungry even if I don’t eat for a few days.”

“Come on, stop trying to fool me. I believe you can use fire talismans, but I don’t believe you’re a half-immortal.” Lin Qing’er wouldn’t let go of Shui Miao’s hand, “Unless you can fly, then I’ll believe you.”

…

Shui Miao smacked his lips, instantly at a loss for words.

Seeing this, Ye Xian was surprised and asked, “Great Immortal! You don’t even know how to fly?”

Shui Miao sent a thought to Ye Xian in response, “Do you know how to fly?”

“If it’s just the soul, then I do, but you have a physical body, so I don’t know.” Ye Xian was a bit embarrassed.

Shui Miao sighed and went downstairs with Lin Qing’er.

However, Ye Xian’s chatter didn’t stop there…

After circulating the water-based immortal energy through Lin Qing’er’s body twice, Shui Miao stopped.

Unlike before, this time Shui Miao left some of the water-based immortal energy inside Lin Qing’er’s body.

Since Lin Qing’er didn’t know how to control energy flow, there was no risk of the immortal energy running wild. Leaving some energy behind would only benefit her health without any harm.

An unprecedented sense of refreshment and vitality made Lin Qing’er ecstatic.

“Shui Miao, this is amazing! I feel like all my ailments are gone. It’s as if I’ve been soaking in a clear mountain spring—I feel clean from the inside out!” Her body still retained traces of pure immortal energy, which continued to repair and refine her physique.

“It is remarkable. As long as you’re willing to work hard, one day you’ll reach my level.”

Shui Miao nodded gently, but his heart was filled with complexity as he spoke. The path of cultivation was incredibly difficult. He had been fortunate to encounter many opportunities, yet even now, his progress was limited. Without such opportunities, how far could they truly go? Moreover, the three realms were governed by an irreversible cycle of reincarnation. When a person’s lifespan ended, they would die. If they were forcibly taken for reincarnation, what could be done?

Suddenly, Shui Miao realized that time was pressing.

This was not the moment for romance. He needed to find every possible way to grow stronger as quickly as possible. Only when he was powerful enough would he be capable of altering others’ destinies.

Therefore, he shouldn’t waste extra time and energy on trivial matters.

This sudden sense of urgency weighed heavily on him.

After exchanging a few more casual words, Shui Miao quietly turned his focus inward to his dantian. The immortal energy within was depleting slowly, but if this continued, it wouldn’t last much longer. Once Old Master Lin passed away and Lin Qing’er was settled, he would go with everyone to seek out the Yellow Spring Ancestor. Obtaining the Fire Saint’s essence would complete the collection of all types of saintly energy. By then, he hoped his cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds. As his thoughts wandered, Shui Miao recalled the thousand-year-old female ghost, Lady Bai, and felt the pressure mounting even more.

On the road, after a moment of silence, Shui Miao suddenly spoke up, “Qing’er, your father’s lifespan is nearing its end. He may not live past tomorrow. I hope you can prepare yourself mentally. Also, in a few days, I want all of you to leave Zhonghai City and develop your lives in another city. I need to handle some special matters. If everything is resolved properly, we’ll all be fine. If not, everything will vanish like smoke and clouds.”

Shui Miao’s sudden words left both Lin Qing’er and Da Shuang bewildered.

But Lin Qing’er was intelligent and easygoing. After a pause, she nodded and said, “Shui Miao, don’t worry. I’ll do as you say. I know you must be right.”

“Perhaps.”

Shui Miao frowned slightly and took Lin Qing’er’s hand. “Are you willing to wait for me?”

“Yes, I’ll wait for you!”

Lin Qing’er’s expectations were simple. She knew Shui Miao was sincere, and that was enough for her.

The car soon fell silent again.

※※※

The three arrived at the Chen Group headquarters. In just over twenty minutes, Lin Qing’er hurriedly bid farewell and left.

She didn’t know if Shui Miao’s prediction was accurate, but she preferred to believe him.

Although she resented her father for being strict and selfish, in these final moments, she still wanted to spend more time with him.

Lin Qing’er had a difficult life. Her mother passed away early, and her father was harsh and self-centered. Aside from school, she lived in isolation. Because of these reasons, her childhood was far from happy. She placed her emotional hopes on a future partner, but the person she liked was killed by her father. If not for meeting Shui Miao, she would likely still be secluded in a hotel, drowning in loneliness and sorrow until old age.

Time passed quickly.

Shui Miao also made his way to Linhai Grand Hotel. Sitting cross-legged on the hotel’s rooftop, watching the sunset, he found it impossible to calm his mind for meditation…

Wu Ai had not returned, which worried Shui Miao greatly.

Moreover, Wu Ai claimed that Old Master Lin’s lifespan was ending, but Shui Miao found it hard to believe.

Through his spiritual sense, Shui Miao detected Old Master Lin in the hotel’s conference room, holding a meeting with his daughter and the company’s senior management team. His mental state seemed excellent, nothing like someone on the verge of death. Additionally, the hotel had already closed for the day. Da Shuang was in the surveillance room, overseeing everything.

The assassins from earlier that day were injured and unlikely to return.

So how would Old Master Lin die?

Shui Miao was deeply puzzled. Could it be that Hei Bai Wuchang (Black and White Impermanence) had come to collect his soul?

Legend had it that Hei Bai Wuchang were responsible for guiding souls to the afterlife.

But in reality, Shui Miao had never seen what Hei Bai Wuchang looked like.

Though he had encountered ghost envoys quite often!

Time ticked away…

Suddenly, a gust of wind stirred, and the Black Snake Demon, along with a middle-aged man of peculiar appearance, materialized before Shui Miao.

This stranger wore a black long coat resembling ancient physician attire, with a green cloth cap on his head.

“Master, I’m back!” Xiao Hei (Black Snake Demon) was very excited, pointing to the middle-aged man beside him. “This is the ghost physician I brought from the Yellow Spring Sect. His name is Ye Xian, sent by Guigu Faman. There are many things I can’t explain clearly, so it’s better for him to speak.”

“Wait, this isn’t the place to talk…”

Shui Miao looked up. “Xiao Hei, make another trip for me. Help me find the local City God, Old Cai. Tell him I have urgent business and need him to come quickly.”

“Alright, I’ll go right away!”

The Black Snake Demon suddenly remembered something, glanced around, and asked, “Master, where are those ghost envoys?”

“I don’t know where they went. Hurry back quickly.” Shui Miao turned to Ye Xian. This ghost physician appeared tall and robust, with a prominent forehead, a bluish-gray complexion, a short beard, but eyebrows that resembled two daggers inserted into his face…

After the Black Snake Demon left, Ye Xian immediately clasped his hands toward Shui Miao. “Great Immortal, you have an exceptional countenance!”

“Oh? You also practice physiognomy?” Shui Miao returned the gesture with a slight smile.

Ye Xian nodded and spoke eloquently, “Three hundred years ago, when I was still alive, I began studying medicine at the age of six and continued until twenty-six. During my practice, I met a master of physiognomy and learned a few tricks from him. Observing your face, Great Immortal, I see the visage of a reincarnated Divine King from the celestial realm!”

“Haha, Senior Ye Xian, you must be joking. Your words are too far-fetched! I’ve heard of physiognomy determining fate, but never of it revealing past lives, let alone identifying someone as a reincarnated Divine King. Hehe… Senior Ye Xian, since we’ve just met, it’s better not to jest.” Does he take me for a fool? A few sweet words, and he thinks he can win me over? Shui Miao naturally didn’t believe the words of this minor ghost physician. If he could truly discern Shui Miao’s past life, why would he be working as a mere errand-running physician?

“You don’t believe me?”

Ye Xian blinked innocently, then suddenly laughed. “Haha, well, it’s understandable. I’m just a minor ghost physician, so naturally, no one believes my words. But what I say is true. In your previous life, Great Immortal, you were indeed a Divine King. Unfortunately, your temperament was too straightforward, and you offended many great deities. As a result, you were framed by them. Fortunately, a female Water Divine King risked her life to save a trace of your soul spirit, secretly delivering it to Granny Rain. Granny Rain then cleansed your soul spirit countless times with mortal water, allowing you to be reincarnated as a human!”

Ye Xian’s story grew increasingly fantastical, as if it were real.

Shui Miao shook his head gently. “Senior Ye Xian, I suspect that during your time as a physician, you must have encountered many storytellers. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to fabricate such an unbelievable tale! Haha…”

“Uh…”

Ye Xian was taken aback, then sighed. “Ah! Why does no one believe me when I read faces? It’s been centuries, and not a single person has ever believed me.”

“Haha, Senior Ye Xian, it’s no wonder no one believes such claims. A person’s face simply can’t reveal that much. However, I must admit, your storytelling skills are quite impressive. It sounds as if you witnessed it all firsthand.” Shui Miao thought, What a peculiar character! A minor ghost physician who can spin such tall tales. No wonder Guigu Faman sent him—not only is he articulate, but he’s also a great braggart.

“No, no, no…”

Ye Xian waved his hands hurriedly. “What I say is based on evidence. I guessed you are a reincarnated Divine King because I sensed the unique immortal energy within you. Aside from a Divine King’s reincarnation, an ordinary mortal could never cultivate to such a level. Moreover, you carry a strong water aura, extremely peculiar and unlike anything found in the mortal or celestial realms. So I suspect it must be Granny Rain’s divine water, and then…”

“Enough!”

Shui Miao couldn’t help but interrupt Ye Xian. “Senior Ye Xian, it’s better not to spread baseless rumors. Let’s get back to the main topic. How about… we discuss your fascinating eyebrows instead?”

Walls have ears. At this moment, Shui Miao couldn’t discuss matters related to the Yellow Spring Ancestor with Ye Xian. So it was better to talk about something else. But Ye Xian’s far-fetched story about a Divine King was too outrageous. If it had been the middle-aged scholar who existed beyond the three realms saying such things, it might have been somewhat credible. But Ye Xian was merely a minor ghost physician running errands.

“Eyebrows!?”

Ye Xian was stunned. He touched his own eyebrows, then suddenly pursed his lips and shook his head. “Better not talk about it. You wouldn’t believe me even if I did. How about we continue discussing your past life as a Divine King?”

Ye Xian seemed eager to keep spinning his tall tales!

Shui Miao had never met someone so addicted to boasting.

Frowning, Shui Miao said directly, “I bet those eyebrows of yours were inserted later. They definitely aren’t natural.”

“Not at all, not at all! These eyebrows are innate. They were long from birth and grew even longer over time. Who would have thought they’d keep growing even after death? These eyebrows have another peculiar trait: their appearance changes depending on the person I see. Sometimes they curve downward, sometimes they perk up.” When talking about himself, Ye Xian was noticeably less excited.

Shui Miao intentionally teased him to pass the time. “Then haven’t you ever calculated your own fate? I believe with your abilities, you must have determined which Divine King you were.”

“Divine King?”

Ye Xian quickly shook his head, looking somewhat reluctant. After a moment of hesitation, he said, “Actually, I did calculate my own fate. I am nothing but a storytelling bird raised by the Celestial Soul Granny of the immortal realm. Because I love to talk, once I got carried away and caused the Celestial Soul Granny to make a mistake. In her anger, she banished me to the mortal world.”

“A storytelling bird… Hahahaha!”

Seeing that Ye Xian could not only boast but also put on a convincingly awkward act, Shui Miao couldn’t help but burst into laughter, his stomach aching from amusement. “That’s quite a story! But I’m curious, what is the Celestial Soul Granny?”

“The underworld has Granny Meng, and the celestial realm has the Soul Granny. Both of them administer potions to people.” Ye Xian had an extremely good temper. Even though Shui Miao laughed at him, he wasn’t angry at all. He muttered, “Laugh, laugh. Everyone laughs at me like this. Is it really that amusing?”

“What are you laughing at all by yourself? You seem so happy.”

At that moment, Lin Qing’er arrived on the rooftop. Hearing Shui Miao’s laughter, she called out from a distance.

Seeing Lin Qing’er, Shui Miao had an idea and quietly asked Ye Xian, “Take a look at her. Who was she in her past life?”

“Ah!”

Ye Xian was startled. Pointing at Shui Miao, he said in disbelief, “She… she is the very female Water Divine King who saved you!”

“Oh, come on! You’re really pushing it now!”

Shui Miao was somewhat impressed by Ye Xian’s ability to connect his tall tales seamlessly!

“No, no. She carries the Water Saint’s essence. She is the reincarnation of the female Divine King.” Ye Xian stated with great certainty.

Too much talk leads to mistakes!

Finally, he slipped up!

Shui Miao’s amusement vanished instantly. He shook his head gently. The Water Saint’s essence in Lin Qing’er’s body was left there by him. Now Ye Xian was using it to fabricate stories, making the tale seem rather dull and unconvincing.

“Qing’er, I have a friend here telling me stories.”

As Lin Qing’er approached, Shui Miao responded to her earlier question.

“Friend? What friend?” Lin Qing’er looked around but naturally couldn’t see Ye Xian. “Alright, stop joking. You heard my footsteps and pretended to laugh, didn’t you? By the way, I came up to ask you to come down for dinner. It’s been so long; you must be hungry, right?” Lin Qing’er reached out, took Shui Miao’s hand, and pulled him toward the exit to go eat.

Suddenly, Ye Xian remembered something and urgently said to Shui Miao, “I recall hearing about a method to restore a Divine King’s memories from their past life. Immortals are different from mortals. While mortals can only meditate, immortals possess spiritual realms, but Divine Kings have the Sea of Wisdom. The Sea of Wisdom not only stores immense divine power and treasures but also countless memories. If it were just one Divine King, it would be impossible. However, if there are two Divine Kings, one male and one female, you can unlock the Sea of Wisdom through dual cultivation!”

“Senior Ye Xian, why don’t you take a break? If you keep spouting nonsense, I might have to punish you like the Soul Granny did.” Shui Miao communicated this to Ye Xian through his thoughts, then escorted Lin Qing’er to the rooftop entrance. “Qing’er, I still have important matters to attend to here. You go ahead and eat. I’m a half-immortal; I won’t get hungry even if I don’t eat for days.”

“Come on, stop fooling me. I believe you can use fire talismans, but claiming to be a half-immortal? I don’t buy it.” Lin Qing’er held onto Shui Miao’s hand tightly. “Unless you can fly, then I’ll believe you.”

“…”

Shui Miao smacked his lips, rendered speechless.

Seeing this, Ye Xian asked in surprise, “Great Immortal! You don’t know how to fly?”

Shui Miao retorted through his thoughts, “Do you know how?”

“If it were just a soul, I would know. But you have a physical body, so I don’t.” Ye Xian felt somewhat embarrassed.

Shui Miao sighed and had no choice but to go downstairs with Lin Qing’er.

Unexpectedly, Ye Xian’s chatter followed relentlessly…

When he saw Da Shuang, he actually claimed she was Granny Rain, who had cleansed Shui Miao’s soul spirit countless times with mortal water.

When he saw a group of waitresses, he declared they were all celestial maidens!

Most surprisingly, when he saw Old Master Lin, he asserted that Old Master Lin was the soul spirit of the evil Divine King who had opposed Shui Miao in the past. He claimed the soul spirit was about to depart and return to the divine realm. He even urged Shui Miao to destroy Old Master Lin’s soul spirit, warning that if he didn’t, once it returned to the divine realm, Shui Miao would face endless future troubles.

Hearing all this, Shui Miao felt an urge to sew Ye Xian’s mouth shut with a sewing machine.

He even wanted to give the Black Snake Demon a beating for doing such a poor job—how could he bring such a bigmouth here? Could anything he said be trusted?

In the luxurious private room of the grand hotel, a table was laden with all kinds of delicacies.

This was specially prepared by Old Master Lin for Shui Miao.

Only four people were in the room: Old Master Lin, Shui Miao, Lin Qing’er, and Da Shuang.

Old Master Lin had the waitstaff bring over a dozen bottles of red wine worth hundreds of thousands and personally poured glasses for everyone with a cheerful smile.

Shui Miao wasn’t particularly interested in the food, but the red wine, priced at several hundred thousand per bottle, piqued his curiosity.

Just as Old Master Lin stood up, raised his glass, and was about to propose a toast to Shui Miao, the door to the private room swung open on its own…

Shui Miao turned to look and saw Old Cai, Old Qin, and the Black Snake Demon had arrived.

A thought struck Shui Miao. He quickly stood up, grabbed a bottle of red wine, poured four additional glasses, and set out bowls and chopsticks…

“Shui Miao, what are you doing?”

Old Master Lin was very surprised.

Lin Qing’er and Da Shuang were also stunned.

Shui Miao smiled slightly and replied, “I have some friends here. It’s perfect for us all to eat together.”

“Come, come, Old Cai, Old Qin, please sit here. Ye Xian, come sit too. Xiao Hei, help me entertain everyone. Let’s eat together…”

Shui Miao invited Old Cai and the others to sit down.

Although Old Cai and the others were ghosts, the sight of the lavish spread made them drool with desire.

Hearing Shui Miao speak to ghosts, Da Shuang and Lin Qing’er were too frightened to eat. Old Master Lin was also terrified, especially when he saw napkins moving without any wind, albeit slightly.

“Haha! Well then, we won’t stand on ceremony!”

“Yes, yes! We eat quickly. We’ll have some first, then leave the rest for them…”

“Great Immortal, it’s been ages since I’ve had such good food. I’ll follow you from now on!”

“Eat, eat, everyone, don’t be shy!”

Old Cai, Old Qin, Ye Xian, and the Black Snake Demon exchanged a few polite words.

After they finished speaking, Shui Miao watched as they reached out to take food, but what they took were ethereal shadows of the dishes. Yet they ate with great relish! Shui Miao focused his mind and senses, carefully perceiving, and realized that these shadows were actually combinations of the five elements and heat energy! Superficially, the food appeared unchanged and untouched, but in reality, the five-element essence and heat energy had been consumed by them.

At first, they were quite refined, but soon they began devouring the food ravenously, like bandits!

“Come, come, let’s drink!”

Old Cai put down the lobster, brought his mouth to the red wine glass, and inhaled deeply—the wine level dropped by half instantly!

“Ah!”

Witnessing this, Old Master Lin was so frightened that he collapsed onto his chair, his breathing gradually becoming labored…

“What’s happening?”

“Could he be dying right now?”

Shui Miao was alarmed and quickly turned to look at Old Master Lin. To his surprise, the old man seemed fine again, his breathing back to normal.

At that moment, Ye Xian swallowed a large piece of turkey leg, wiped his mouth, and exclaimed, “Great Immortal, don’t worry. Under your watch, he doesn’t dare to let his soul spirit depart.”

“What!?”

Shui Miao’s heart jolted. Suddenly, he felt that everything Ye Xian had said might actually be true!

When he saw a group of waitresses, he said they were fairies!

What surprised Shui Miao the most was when Ye Xian saw Lin Qing’er’s grandfather and declared him to be the evil Divine King’s immortal soul who had opposed Shui Miao in the past. He even said that the immortal soul was about to leave the body and return to the Divine Realm. He urged Shui Miao to destroy Lin Qing’er’s grandfather’s immortal soul. If he didn’t, once the immortal soul returned to the Divine Realm, it would surely bring endless trouble to Shui Miao.

After hearing these words, Shui Miao had a strong urge to sew Ye Xian’s mouth shut with a sewing machine.

He even wanted to beat up Hei She Yao. How could he be so careless as to bring such a big-mouthed person? Could anything he said be trusted?

Inside the luxurious private room of the hotel, a table was filled with all kinds of delicacies.

This was specially prepared for Shui Miao by Lin Qing’er’s grandfather.

There were only four people in the private room: Lin Qing’er’s grandfather, Shui Miao, Lin Qing’er, and Da Shuang.

Lin Qing’er’s grandfather had the waiters bring more than ten bottles of red wine worth hundreds of thousands of yuan each, and he happily poured wine for everyone.

Shui Miao wasn’t in the mood to eat, but he was somewhat interested in the wine that cost hundreds of thousands per bottle.

Just as Lin Qing’er’s grandfather stood up with his glass to invite Shui Miao to drink, the door to the private room automatically opened…

Shui Miao turned his head and saw Lao Cai, Lao Qin, and Hei She Yao arriving.

A thought struck Shui Miao, and he quickly stood up, took a bottle of red wine, poured four glasses, and arranged the bowls and chopsticks…

“Shui Miao, what are you doing?”

Lin Qing’er’s grandfather was very surprised.

Lin Qing’er and Da Shuang were also stunned.

Shui Miao smiled slightly and replied, “I have a few friends joining us, so we might as well eat together.”

“Come in, come in! Old Cai, Old Qin, you two sit here. And Ye Xian, come sit. Xiao Hei, help me host everyone, let’s eat together…”

Shui Miao invited Lao Cai and the others to sit down.

Although Lao Cai and the others were ghosts, they were drooling at the sight of the delicacies.

Seeing Shui Miao speaking ghost language, Da Shuang and Lin Qing’er were too scared to eat. Lin Qing’er’s grandfather was also shocked, as he saw the napkin moving slightly without any wind.

“Haha! Well then, we won’t be polite!”

“Yes, yes! We eat quickly, so we’ll eat first and then leave some for them…”

“Great Immortal, I haven’t eaten such delicious food in a long time. From now on, I’ll follow you!”

“Eat, eat, everyone, don’t be polite!”

Lao Cai, Lao Qin, Ye Xian, and Hei She Yao all spoke politely for a few moments.

After that, Shui Miao saw them reaching out to grab food, but they were grabbing at the food’s illusions. However, they seemed to be enjoying it very much! Shui Miao focused his spiritual senses and carefully observed, realizing that the food’s illusions were actually a combination of the five elements and heat energy! On the surface, the food looked untouched and hadn’t decreased at all, but in reality, its five elements and heat energy had already been consumed by them.

At first, they were quite refined, but as they continued eating, they became ravenous, devouring the food like bandits!

“Come on, let’s drink!”

Old Cai put down the lobster, leaned his mouth to the edge of the wine glass, and sucked hard. The red wine level instantly dropped by half!

“Ahh!”

Seeing this, Lin Qing’er’s grandfather was so frightened that he sat down heavily on the chair, his breathing gradually becoming rapid…

“What’s going on?”

“Is he going to die at this moment?”

Shui Miao was startled in his heart and quickly looked at Lin Qing’er’s grandfather. To his surprise, the old man was fine again, his breathing back to normal.

At this moment, Ye Xian swallowed a big bite of turkey leg and said with a wipe of his mouth, “Great Immortal, don’t worry. He won’t dare to let his immortal soul leave his body while you’re watching.”

“What!?”

A sudden realization struck Shui Miao’s heart, and he suddenly had a feeling that what Ye Xian said might actually be true!