After Xie Chaoyun was brought under control, communications gradually returned to the towns and villages near Southern Mountain. However, dark clouds still pressed low on the treetops; the sky was a dull, dreary gray, wholly unlike the clear brightness of the previous days. The budding vegetation had wilted instantly, devoid of any springtime vitality.
A ghost domain represented death and Yin energy; all manner of sinister things could arise within it. Fortunately, Xie Chaoyun’s ghost domain hadn’t yet become too entrenched, so there was no need to evacuate the people enveloped within it. However, the Xuanzhen Dao Court had to perform a ritual there to purge the Yin energy. Qi Ji did have some magical artifacts on her, but for one thing, she couldn’t handle it all alone, and for another… both Fu Juan and Wang Xuanming needed thorough treatment and rest.
Qi Ji added, “Let’s head back to the Dao Court first.”
Jiang Yiguang had no fondness for the Xuanzhen Dao Court; upon hearing those four words, she immediately shook her head. She hid her scraped right hand behind her back, looked up, and smiled. “I’m not going.”
Fu Juan ignored Qi Ji’s expression. She coughed, covering her mouth. “I’m going home.”
Qi Ji frowned at this. Among the three, Fu Juan’s injuries were the most severe. Her legs had old injuries, and clashing with a Ghost King would inevitably stir up the latent Ghost-Baleful Qi within. Without a Dao Doctor’s intervention, her physical condition would only worsen.
Afraid that Qi Ji might refuse, Fu Juan added with a pale face, “I can contact someone on my end.”
Ever since Fu Juan had been taken in by Jiang Li into the Jiang family, her daily needs had been taken care of by the Jiang household. Even the Dao Doctor treating her had been arranged through Jiang Li’s connections. The doctor’s skill wouldn’t be inferior to those in the Dao Court, and their attitude might even be better. Having thought this through, Qi Ji didn’t press Fu Juan further. Quickly, she thought of someone bound to Fu Juan by countless threads. Turning her gaze back to Jiang Yiguang, she said gently, “Yiguang, would you accompany Fu Juan back?”
Jiang Yiguang glanced sidelong at Qi Ji.
She had barely managed to tear her thoughts away from Fu Juan, and Qi Ji’s question made her heart skip a beat again.
This damned destiny… not only had it predestined her death date, but it also controlled her emotions. If her joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness didn’t even belong to her, what difference was there between her and a walking corpse? Yet the words of refusal reached her lips but somehow wouldn’t come out. Getting close to Fu Juan was forced by the plot, but to a large extent, Fu Juan had also protected her. Both emotionally and logically, she should express gratitude to Fu Juan. Would this kind of bond, born of repaying a favor… really affect her destiny?
A stone rolled on the ground and plopped into the pool.
That sound was like a sharp knife, cleaving through Jiang Yiguang’s murky thoughts.
“I’ve been a bit busy lately,” Jiang Yiguang said righteously, not wanting to reveal that this was merely an excuse.
Fu San, limp and weak, lay in Fu Juan’s arms. Upon hearing this, it suddenly perked up and glared at Jiang Yiguang.
As for Fu Juan, the one rejected, she remained utterly silent, like an outsider unconcerned with the world.
Qi Ji frowned but had no leisure to guess at the two’s relationship. Since the person involved didn’t care, there was no need for her to meddle. With a curt “Let’s go,” she strode toward the cave exit. Wang Xuanming opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, no question came out. He instinctively moved toward the back of Fu Juan’s wheelchair, only to find that position already occupied by Jiang Yiguang.
Jiang Yiguang rested her left hand on the push handle and walked straight ahead without a sideways glance.
A single short day felt like half a lifetime.
Only after they had completely left Southern Mountain and returned to the bustling city did Jiang Yiguang feel a sense of being grounded in reality.
Hazily, she turned to look at Southern Mountain, now reduced to a bleak silhouette beneath the dark clouds, and let out a long, turbid breath.
If she wanted to completely escape that unfortunate fate, she would have to experience similar events at least five more times.
The moment this realization hit her, Jiang Yiguang’s soaring spirits were crushed once more. It wasn’t until she got home and threw herself onto the sofa that she buried her face in a pillow and screamed wildly to vent her frustrations.
Five minutes later.
Jiang Yiguang straightened her messy bangs and sat up.
She found her phone, saw nearly ten missed calls from Lu Yaotiao, snapped her fingers, and called back.
“Hello—” The voice on the other end sounded utterly drained.
Jiang Yiguang: “What’s up?”
Lu Yaotiao still hadn’t emerged from her state of shock. She gestured wildly with her hands while recounting, only realizing Jiang Yiguang couldn’t see her and lowering her arms. She explained incoherently, “The senior came knocking on my door, and poof, a wooden pendant carved with a spell fell out. Then someone from the Xuanzhen Dao Court showed up.” At this point, she took a deep breath and asked, “You’re home? So the matter is resolved?”
Nowadays, everyone in Shenzhou knew of the Special Department’s existence. Under the government’s guidance, demons, devils, ghosts, and monsters had become normalized in everyday understanding, but that didn’t mean people could casually encounter such supernatural entities. Lu Yaotiao truly hadn’t expected that a moment of curiosity would lead to such a huge shock.
“More or less,” Jiang Yiguang shrugged. “The Xuanzhen Dao Court will handle the aftermath. It’s got nothing to do with me.”
Lu Yaotiao let out a confused “Huh?” and said, “Then why did you go to join that excitement? Wouldn’t it have been better to stay home?” Although she hoped her friend would accomplish something great, she also didn’t want her to step into a perilous, life-or-death situation.
Jiang Yiguang couldn’t reveal the System’s existence. She raised her eyebrows and chuckled lightly. “I just felt I shouldn’t keep going on like this.”
Lu Yaotiao detected a hint of melancholy in Jiang Yiguang’s tone, which inexplicably reminded her of the Jiang Yiguang who was so different from her usual self—aloof and cold, somewhat like Fu Juan, yet with a touch of melancholy and quiet sorrow. It wasn’t exactly bad, but it wasn’t good either. She’d rather Jiang Yiguang could continue living heartlessly and joyfully. “Is it because of Auntie’s expectations?” Lu Yaotiao’s voice involuntarily grew heavier.
Jiang Yiguang answered with a lighthearted laugh. “Because I want to.”
This wasn’t the path fate had set for her, but a choice from her own heart.
Lu Yaotiao held her breath. After a long moment, she said, “I believe in you.”
Jiang Yiguang didn’t tell Lu Yaotiao too much about what happened in Head Hill Cave. For ordinary people, knowing too much was never a good thing. After confirming Lu Yaotiao was fine, she tossed her phone aside and went into the study to search for the Daoist scriptures her mother had left behind. Compared to talismans and spell arts, after witnessing techniques like Scatter Beans to Form Soldiers, she was far more interested in the Thirty-Six Heavenly Stars and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends methods.
Jiang Yiguang: “System, can the Eternal Space be used to learn these divine abilities and spells?”
After a moment, just as Jiang Yiguang thought there would be no reply, the System’s voice rang out.
[It can.]
Jiang Yiguang’s gaze darkened slightly. She clasped her hands together in her lap and asked, as casually as she could, “And where does the System get these Daoist arts from? Is it data gathered from all over?”
[Classified.]
Jiang Yiguang: “…” Just knew this broken System would be like this.
The Fu residence.
Upon returning home, Fu Juan immediately spat out a small mouthful of blood.
She didn’t call the doctor. No one knew her body better than she did. They said long illness makes a patient a doctor; her eight years of disability had taught her considerable medical knowledge. She hastily rummaged through a cabinet to find pills made from heavenly treasures and earthly rarities, then leaned against her wheelchair to rest.
The pain from internal injuries would subside under the medicine’s influence. What was truly unbearable was the excruciating, heart-wrenching agony in her legs caused by the “Ghost Miasma.” During such episodes, it was as if she were plunged into an ice cavern, her entire body radiating a yin-soaked, ghostly cold. Fu Juan frowned. Even when alone, she refused to show a single trace of vulnerability. She held a Fire Spell Talisman between her fingers and chanted the incantation to activate it—but her spirit and cultivation had been completely drained in the cave. With a pained grunt, the talisman’s flame burned halfway before extinguishing on its own, drifting down to the floor.
Fu San watched Fu Juan, full of worry.
It tried to approach, but the ghostly Miasma had too great an effect on its spiritual nature. Although it could be considered Fu Juan’s “familiar,” if Fu Juan lost the ability to control it, it was highly likely to turn ferocious under the influence of evil entities. Staring at the ashen-faced Fu Juan, whose eyes were closed as if she had fainted, Fu San hesitated briefly before sneaking out of the house.
Night was late, and darkness shrouded the oblivious Shen City.
Without the slightest hesitation, Fu San bolted toward the only place it knew—the Jiang household.
Jiang Yiguang had never expected to see the troublesome Fu San at her home.
When she was hopelessly obsessed with Fu Juan, the three little paper dolls had been her “obstacles.” But now that the possessiveness had lessened significantly, she could manage a degree of calm toward them, even squeezing out a smile.
“You have to go see Little Juan! She—she’s in a bad way.”
“Hm?” The faint smile on Jiang Yiguang’s face vanished instantly. A sharp glint flashed in her eyes as she stared intensely at Fu San for a moment before drawling, “What does that have to do with me?”
Fu San: “…” It hadn’t expected Jiang Yiguang to give such an answer. In the past, whenever Little Juan was involved, Jiang Yiguang was always excessively attentive. But now, it had no time to ponder Jiang Yiguang’s abnormality. It floated onto her and said, rather enraged and accusatory, “Jiang Yiguang, you have no conscience! Little Juan even gave you the Golden Body Talisman!”
Jiang Yiguang smiled. She pinched Fu San, emptied her mind, and resolved not to think about anything related to Fu Juan again.
What if doing this increased her plot Compatibility Value again? Wouldn’t all her previous efforts be wasted?
“That was a protective talisman left to Little Juan by her parents! If she had used it herself, she wouldn’t have been so severely injured! Now the ghostly Miasma is backfiring on her. How can you just ignore her?”
Jiang Yiguang’s face stiffened.
She had witnessed Fu Juan during an episode before. If such torment were inflicted on her, she probably would have no will to survive. Yet Fu Juan had endured it time and time again.
Was she not afraid of pain?
Just as this thought surfaced, the System’s notification overwrote Fu San’s indignant shouts, echoing in her ears.
Jiang Yiguang blinked. Three new options refreshed on her panel.
[A. Refuse. (Reward: Physical Strength Points +2)
B. Go take care of Fu Juan. (Reward: one copy of “The Cultivation of a Bootlicker”)
C. Go humiliate Fu Juan. (Reward: Daoist Skill Points +3)]
Jiang Yiguang pressed her temples.
Was this System some kind of evil thing or what?
Why on earth would she go and humiliate Fu Juan? Or maybe… she could exploit a loophole in this quest?
