Shui Miao hurried to the electronics mall with 130,000 yuan, just enough to buy an imported digital video camera.
When it came to cameras, Shui Miao knew absolutely nothing.
He only cared about the quality—something reliable and easy to use. Everything else didn’t matter.
Carrying the camera, Shui Miao rushed back to his store.
Just as he placed the camera on the bed inside the shop, the granddaughter of Zhang the Blind Man came running in. “Big Brother, two policewomen came looking for you earlier. They left this phone number and said to call them when you got back.”
“Policewomen?”
Shui Miao took the small slip of paper with the phone number and said thanks, but something about the number seemed oddly familiar.
“Isn’t this probably Miyaoyi Chu’s number!?”
Shui Miao was puzzled. He hadn’t caused any major commotion, so why would Chu Miyaoyi show up?
Immediately, Shui Miao extended his spiritual senses.
At that moment, a car door nearby opened, and two beautiful women in police uniforms stepped out—Lin Xue and Chu Miyaoyi.
“Why are you here?”
Shui Miao approached, surprised.
Lin Xue stopped and looked at him, sighed, shook her head, and said in a huff, “Shui Miao, I don’t even know what to say anymore. You came back to Huanghai City, a huge deal, and you didn’t even tell us. Do you think we’re not even worthy of being your friends?”
“Big Sis, don’t…”
Chu Miyaoyi tugged at Lin Xue’s sleeve.
They were still the same as ever—one was as fierce as a man, the other gentle and elegant.
Shui Miao scratched his head and sighed, “It’s hard to explain. You know how I am. I care about you guys so much that I didn’t want to drag you into anything. But I didn’t expect you’d find me anyway, heh…”
“Ha, Shui Miao, don’t worry. We’re not afraid of being dragged into anything. Don’t always think like that,” Chu Miyaoyi smiled gently and glanced behind him. “Never thought you’d be so prominent now. Yet you still opened a small shop here. You’re really one of a kind, mysterious and unfathomable.”
“Shui Miao, Miyaoyi is right. So what? It’s just life. Everyone dies eventually—it’s just a matter of time. Nothing to drag anyone into. Besides, after death, there’s still the soul. We can just start over again. Twenty years from now, we’ll still be heroes!” Lin Xue’s bold words were truly those of a woman with the heart of a man.
Chu Miyaoyi covered her mouth and smiled.
Shui Miao let out a breath and turned toward the shop. “Wait a second, I need to grab something.”
He turned back, picked up the camera from the bed, and with a flick of his spiritual power, placed it into the Shengyuan Ring before stepping out. “I bet you haven’t had dinner yet. Let me treat you to a big meal.”
“Great! I’m starving. Let’s have a few drinks too.”
Lin Xue readily agreed, not the least bit shy.
The three walked together to a nearby restaurant about 300 meters away. On the way, Shui Miao learned that the village head, Liu Kaohui, had gone to the police station to report being cursed by a sorcerer. Coincidentally, Lin Xue and Chu Miyaoyi had just been transferred back to serve as the chief and deputy chief of the East City Police Station. Based on Liu Kaohui’s description, the two naturally thought of Shui Miao.
Meanwhile, Liu Kaohui was still at the station, clutching his stomach in pain.
As for Shui Miao, he was now in a private room at the small restaurant with Lin Xue and Chu Miyaoyi, enjoying a hotpot, chatting and laughing.
“Shui Miao, you suddenly disappeared back then. What exactly happened? If it’s not too much trouble, tell us,” Lin Xue said after half a jin of baijiu, showing no signs of drunkenness.
Shui Miao looked at Chu Miyaoyi, then Lin Xue, and licked his lips. “It’s complicated. I entered a mysterious space and experienced some incredible things. When I returned, half a year had already passed in the outside world. It’s all so unbelievable that I’d rather not talk about it. This time, I opened a store here. So far, only you two and my godfather, Wang Yong, know the truth. I told everyone I was ascending to the Immortal Realm. Do you know why?”
“Could it be that a more powerful enemy is threatening you?” Chu Miyaoyi and Lin Xue exchanged glances and frowned.
“You could say that,” Shui Miao nodded, his expression serious. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch in the world. Now that I’ve become so powerful, I feel like it’s part of a huge conspiracy. My loved ones and friends have become hostages in the hands of a hidden enemy, so I need to find a quiet place to think carefully about the path I should take next.”
…
Hearing this, Lin Xue and Chu Miyaoyi suddenly understood why Shui Miao had been avoiding everyone.
“Shui Miao, maybe you’re overthinking it?” Chu Miyaoyi paused before speaking.
Lin Xue quickly added, “Nothing we can’t handle. Even if it’s a conspiracy, we’re not afraid…”
“But I am afraid,” Shui Miao took a deep breath. “Now that you know the truth, please keep this secret for me. And forget about me. I don’t want to drag anyone else into this.”
…
Lin Xue and Chu Miyaoyi looked at each other, at a loss for words.
At that moment, Lin Xue received a call.
It was Xiao Li from the station. He said that Liu Kaohui couldn’t endure the abdominal pain anymore and had left the station over ten minutes ago.
After hanging up, Lin Xue said nothing. Shui Miao immediately spoke up, “Liu Kaohui is a ruthless, bullying, corrupt official who has oppressed the villagers. I wanted to force him to turn himself in. So please wait a bit longer. He won’t be able to hold out for long.”
“Shui Miao, you’re such a good person, but why do good people always suffer so much?” Chu Miyaoyi sighed softly.
Lin Xue clenched her fists. “I knew that guy wasn’t good. He looked like a pig’s head, and now he’s a blood-sucking corrupt official. I won’t let him off the hook!”
“Leave it to me. I can take care of things without leaving a trace. But you two are police officers—you can’t act recklessly,” said Shui Miao. He grabbed a newly opened bottle of baijiu, infused it with his spiritual energy, and soon thick mist began emanating from the bottle. Afterward, Shui Miao poured the baijiu into three bowls, raised his bowl, and said, “This wine has been refined with my spiritual power and imbued with the essence of holy spirits. It will bring you both great benefit. Finish it, and then we’ll go our separate ways. I really can’t drag you two into this matter.”
With that, Shui Miao downed his bowl in one go, stood up, paid, and left.
Just then, Liu Kaohui arrived at the door.
Before Liu could speak, Shui Miao used his spiritual power to extract the parasitic spirit from Liu’s body, grabbed his collar, and dragged him toward the riverside.
Watching Shui Miao leave like that, Lin Xue and Chu Miyaoyi sat there, stunned, their hearts heavy with complex emotions.
After a while, Lin Xue picked up her bowl and took a small sip. “Huh? Why does the wine taste like water now?”
Chu Miyaoyi also took a sip. “It really is! This is so amazing, like a dream!”
“Whatever, I’m drinking it. I’m going to find him and become his disciple.”
Lin Xue raised her bowl and drank it all in one go.
Chu Miyaoyi hesitated for a moment, biting her lip, then drank her bowl of holy spirit essence in one go as well.
This water-element holy spirit essence was extremely pure. Once it entered the body, it would spread through the bloodstream with each breath, purifying and enhancing the body, bringing countless benefits.
But by the time Chu Miyaoyi and Lin Xue returned to the shop, they found it completely empty, with no one inside.
※※※
At the riverside, Shui Miao looked at the water and sighed to himself, “Perhaps only in death can the soul find freedom?”
“Master, you… you’re not going to kill me, are you?” Liu Kaohui had already experienced Shui Miao’s power and now regarded him like a god, with no trace of disrespect. Seeing Shui Miao speak like this, he immediately knelt and begged, “Master, I know I was wrong. I’ve changed my mind. As long as you don’t make me turn myself in, I promise to reform and become a good person, donating all my ill-gotten wealth to help the villagers. If I break this promise, may I be struck by lightning!”
“Oh?”
Shui Miao had been lost in thought when Liu’s words startled him into submission.
“Perhaps you’d like to see my power firsthand?”
Suddenly inspired, Shui Miao dragged Liu Kaohui toward a nearby square. The riverside square was brightly lit, filled with elderly people dancing to loud music—it was a lively scene.
Liu Kaohui’s heart was in his throat, not knowing what Shui Miao was about to do.
Shui Miao arrived at a corner of the square and, like a magician, pulled the digital camera from the Shengyuan Ring, turned it on to record, and sat cross-legged, motioning for Liu to sit beside him.
Shui Miao quietly watched the elderly couples dancing joyfully. “Do you feel any wind now?”
“No, no!” Liu shook his head vigorously.
Shui Miao nodded. “Do you think it’s noisy here?”
“Yes, the speakers are too loud. Should I go ask them to turn it down?” Liu guessed at Shui Miao’s intentions.
Shui Miao waved his hand lightly. “Just watch. I’ll make it quiet here.”
What did that mean?
As Liu was puzzled, he saw trash swirling a few meters away…
“Is… is the wind rising?”
Liu’s eyes widened as the whirlwind grew faster and larger, forming dark columns several meters in diameter, connecting sky to earth, twisting like black dragons.
The sudden whirlwinds terrified everyone.
The wind carried away the speakers, leaving only the howling wind and the women’s screams.
“Mercy, Immortal Master! Mercy! I know I was wrong! I know I was wrong!”
Liu, terrified out of his wits, immediately knelt and kowtowed to Shui Miao.
Suddenly, Shui Miao moved his will, and all the winds ceased. By now, everyone at the square had already fled.
“Mercy, Immortal Master! Mercy! I really know I was wrong…”
Liu wept bitterly, tears and snot streaming down his face.
“Shh, be quiet!”
Shui Miao raised a finger to his lips.
Liu immediately clamped both hands over his mouth.
Shui Miao turned around, picked up the digital camera, and played back the recorded footage…
He believed that eyes could lie, but digital cameras never did.
In the playback, the terrified crowd was running in all directions—but there was no sign of any whirlwinds!
“Just as I suspected!”
Looking at the camera footage, Shui Miao’s heart raced with excitement. It was a scam, a huge scam!
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