Chapter 125: World 4 [11]

Captain Cheng quickly noted down the name “Gu Qi” in her notebook, then asked, “Age.”

Gu Qi: “Forgotten. Less than a thousand years old, probably around eight or nine hundred? I can’t remember clearly.”

And so, in this question-and-answer format, Captain Cheng recorded Gu Qi’s basic information.

“What is your relationship with Cai Meng’s sudden rise to fame?” Captain Cheng asked. “What kind of contract did you sign with her?”

Gu Qi frowned. “I merely returned what rightfully belonged to her. As for the contract, that’s none of your business. It’s a private matter between Cai Meng and me.”

“Cai Meng’s sudden fame was very abrupt. We suspected she borrowed other people’s fortune,” Captain Cheng stated. “If you can’t provide specific evidence, we will proceed with a further investigation.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Qi clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction. “Don’t you humans have many artifacts? You can easily check if Cai Meng took fortune that doesn’t belong to her. Would you believe the words of a demon like me?”

Wen Ruyue stroked the Little White Tiger in her arms and spoke calmly, “You believe Cai Meng is the reincarnation of a general. So she was once your husband?”

“Pfft—” Gu Qi burst out laughing as if she’d heard something utterly ridiculous.

Gu Qi: “Sorry, it’s not personal. I just find your choice of words incredibly funny. Who made the rule that generals can only be men? Why would Cai Meng be my husband and not my wife?”

“Sorry, my phrasing was wrong.” Wen Ruyue apologized and quickly corrected herself. “The ancient tomb’s examination suggests it has about five hundred years of history. So, five hundred years ago, you took human form and married that female general?”

“Yes, I was her lawfully wedded wife, officially brought into her household.” Gu Qi said, straightening her back.

“Cultivating for four hundred years to take human form—with such talent, you shouldn’t be only at the Foundation Establishment stage after five hundred more years.” Wen Ruyue immediately grasped the key point. “Did you two form some special contract?”

“Are you asking me this?” Gu Qi raised an eyebrow. “You’ve already formed a soul contract with a Divine Beast, yet you can’t recognize what kind of contract Cai Meng and I have?”

“Soul contract?” Wen Ruyue couldn’t help but murmur this somewhat unfamiliar term, looking down at the Divine Beast still fast asleep in her arms.

“Hm? You didn’t know?” Gu Qi was also startled.

A soul contract required a deep bond between both parties to be signed. How could someone not know they had signed a soul contract with a Divine Beast?

“Did you and Cai Meng also sign a soul contract?” Wen Ruyue quickly composed herself and continued interrogating Gu Qi.

“No, but the specific effect is similar. I can’t share my lifespan with Cai Meng, but if her reincarnation appears near me, I can sense it.” Gu Qi said, a hint of regret in her voice.

If the concentration of spiritual energy in the present world weren’t getting lower and lower, she wouldn’t have only been able to meet Cai Meng just a month ago. She should have appeared by her side when she was babbling as a baby, watching her grow up to become her wife!

Since the conversation had progressed this far, Gu Qi didn’t bother concealing the matter between herself and Cai Meng, recounting the entire story from beginning to end.

Cai Meng’s past life was indeed a great general who turned the tide. However, she wasn’t as recorded in the history books.

Cai Meng was a survivor after barbarians massacred a city. Disguised as a man, she joined the army. In about five years, she rose from a mere foot soldier to become the commander-in-chief of an army, relying solely on her ability to kill enemies.

Back then, Gu Qi wasn’t called Gu Qi. She only had a call, Little Qi, which couldn’t even be considered a name. She was just an ordinary little fox demon.

Gu Qi was saved from a hunter’s hand by Cai Meng. At that time, Cai Meng had already reached the position of Chiliarch and had her own independent tent.

Disguised as a man, Cai Meng lived almost daily on the edge of life and death. She had no one around to confide in, so she casually rescued Gu Qi and raised her for companionship.

Gu Qi also repaid kindness with kindness. Whenever Cai Meng was injured, she would secretly treat her. After this happened many times, Cai Meng also noticed something was wrong. She realized the little fox she’d been treating as a confidant might not be ordinary.

Just like that, after being honest about their identities, Cai Meng and Gu Qi became extremely close companions. Even the name “Gu Qi” was painstakingly thought up by Cai Meng, filled with her beautiful wishes for the little fox.

Cai Meng repelled the barbarians, revitalizing a dynasty on the verge of collapse. She saved many people directly and indirectly, naturally accumulating a great deal of merit.

“Cai Meng was highly skilled at killing enemies on the battlefield and arranging troops, but she was stubbornly single-minded. She thought that since I saved her many times, she should share her fortune and merit with me. After I refused, she found some so-called formation from some cultivator and forcefully gave them to me.”

“For us spirits/monsters, there are only three paths to shape-shifting: either our bloodline is special enough to be favored by the Heavenly Dao, or our cultivation reaches the Golden Core stage, or we take a Transformation Grass to transform early.” Gu Qi’s tone sounded nonchalant, but the affection for Cai Meng in her eyes was almost overflowing.

“That fool gave me her merit and fortune, so naturally, I could transform. I’m not an ungrateful person. After I took human form, I married her and helped her avoid a lot of trouble.” Gu Qi said.

Of course, the mutual affection between them back then was genuine. But trouble never came singly; the barbarians were like cockroaches that just wouldn’t die. Coupled with other nations eyeing them covetously, before she and Cai Meng could enjoy many years of peaceful life, Cai Meng died in the final battle. She had even personally collected her body afterward.

Thinking of this, Gu Qi’s eyes couldn’t help but flicker. “Now you should understand the cause and effect, right? I merely returned to Cai Meng the merit and fortune she gifted me in her previous life. Those were her things to begin with.”

Captain Cheng didn’t express her stance but diligently wrote down every word Gu Qi said.

“We now have a general understanding of the situation. We will verify your claims. If they prove accurate, you can leave once you pass the Bureau’s examination,” Captain Cheng said.

“Until then, we ask that you remain here at the Bureau and not leave our sight,” Captain Cheng added.

“How long do you need to investigate?” Gu Qi frowned.

She wasn’t worried these people would go looking for trouble with Cai Meng, because Cai Meng was now a highly popular celebrity. If these people dared to act rashly, Cai Meng’s tens of millions of fans wouldn’t be easy to appease.

“Three to seven days. I can’t determine the exact time,” Captain Cheng said.

“Then I demand my storage bag be returned. I need to contact Cai Meng. I only told her I was going back to my hometown for a visit. If I’m out of contact for too long, she’ll report it to the police.” Gu Qi said.

A timeframe of three to seven days was still within Gu Qi’s acceptable range. Of course, the most important reason was that she was currently under someone else’s roof and had to bow her head.

If that Divine Beast White Tiger gave her another swat, her frail body truly couldn’t withstand it anymore!

–

After clarifying the sequence of events, Captain Cheng left to write her report and follow procedures.

Wen Ruyue collected two thousand points in compensation from the East Province City Special Administration Bureau and hailed a taxi to the hospital, preparing to visit her two worry-inducing junior sister and junior brother.

Before she even reached the hospital by car, Zhu Qiuyu’s call came through first. The moment Wen Ruyue answered, an extremely mournful “Eldest Senior Sister” pierced her ears.

“Eldest Senior Sister, something terrible has happened! Junior Brother’s head has problems! One moment he has amnesia and can’t remember anything, and the next he’s mysteriously spouting nonsense!” Zhu Qiuyu said.

“Calm down. What did the doctor say?” Wen Ruyue interrupted her.

“The doctor is arranging a full examination for Junior Brother. Nothing has been found yet, but it’s like Junior Brother has two personalities! They switch back and forth so frequently, he’s not willing to cooperate with the doctors,” Zhu Qiuyu said.

“Understood. Watch him and don’t let him act rashly. I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” Wen Ruyue said, unable to resist pinching the bridge of her nose.

Could it be that her junior brother was really possessed by something unclean?

But that shouldn’t be possible. His junior sister said the black Qi between his eyebrows had been dispersed. White tigers inherently possess the effect of warding off evil. There was no reason he’d be possessed by an evil spirit.

As for being affected by the seven-tailed fox’s illusion arts, that was even more impossible. The seven-tailed fox’s spiritual power was currently sealed, and the fox herself was detained at the Bureau.

Her mind filled with questions and speculation, Wen Ruyue held Jing Ke like a nursing infant and hurried to the special ward.

At this moment, Qin Guang was in an amnesiac state, very warily watching the medical staff and Zhu Qiuyu.

But when he saw Wen Ruyue walk in, his eyes visibly lit up. “Eldest Senior Sister, you’re here!”

“Hm? You still recognize me?” Wen Ruyue was somewhat surprised. Wasn’t her junior brother supposed to have amnesia?

“You recognize Eldest Senior Sister but not me? I’m clearly your senior sister too,” Zhu Qiuyu couldn’t help muttering quietly, feeling the sting of differentiated treatment.

“Of course I recognize Eldest Senior Sister. I was even planning to apply to your university!” Qin Guang said, his tone very natural.

Wen Ruyue recalled events from six years ago. Qin Guang first met her master, and then it was herself, who was still attending university. It wasn’t until summer and winter breaks that Qin Guang was brought by their master to the sect grounds and met the three other fellow disciples.

Thinking of this, Wen Ruyue had a general idea. “What else do you remember?”

“I remember Master wanted to take me back,” Qin Guang said honestly. “Eldest Senior Sister, this person keeps saying she’s my senior sister. Is she real or an impostor…”

Before Qin Guang could finish speaking, he suddenly clutched his head, rolling on the hospital bed in visible agony.

Wen Ruyue’s experience in handling such matters was clearly much greater than Zhu Qiuyu’s. She freed a hand and struck Qin Guang, forcing him to be quiet on a physical level.

Zhu Qiuyu didn’t know what to do but temporarily asked the medical staff to leave.

“Eldest Senior Sister, has Junior Brother been afflicted with some kind of curse?” Zhu Qiuyu asked nervously.

Wen Ruyue temporarily placed the Little White Tiger in her arms onto a nearby chair. She grasped Qin Guang’s wrist and began examining his body with spiritual power.

Very strange. There were no issues with Qin Guang’s meridians, Dantian, or cultivation. Even more, there were no signs of possession by an evil spirit.

“Hard to say. Some curses are very difficult to detect. If the physical examination yields nothing, we’ll take Junior Brother back to the sect grounds first and let Master take a look,” Wen Ruyue said, her brows tightly furrowed.

Meanwhile, on the chair, having left the warm embrace, Jing Ke slowly opened her eyes.

Seeing her feeder grasping another person’s wrist, Jing Ke didn’t think twice before pouncing. She first jumped onto the hospital bed, then used the momentum to cling to Wen Ruyue’s wrist.

“What are you doing? You are mine!” The still sleepy Jing Ke immediately began declaring her sovereignty.

“Jing Ke, you’re awake?” Wen Ruyue unhesitatingly released Qin Guang’s hand. She scooped up the Little White Tiger clinging to her wrist into her arms, asking with a face full of concern.

“How do you feel now? Do you want to eat some spirit stones to replenish your energy?” Wen Ruyue asked.

Jing Ke swished her tail and chose a comfortable position in Wen Ruyue’s arms. “I’m okay. Just used up a bit of spiritual power. I’ll recover in a few days. No need to waste spirit stones.”

Jing Ke didn’t fight unprepared. Before transforming into her white tiger true form, she had already eaten a top-grade spirit stone. In theory, that should have compensated for the corresponding spiritual power loss.

As for why she felt tired and needed to sleep, it was purely because the top-grade spirit stone contained a bit too much spiritual energy. She couldn’t digest it all at once and needed some time to slowly absorb it.

Zhu Qiuyu stood to the side, blinking. Seeing how much importance her eldest senior sister placed on the Little White Tiger, she silently crossed off one of her stereotypes about her.

How could her eldest senior sister possibly dislike animals and fluffy things! Her previous reluctance to pet spirit beasts was surely because she was keeping herself pure and waiting for her destined fluffy White Tiger Divine Beast!

After letting her thoughts wander for a moment, Zhu Qiuyu spoke up, interrupting the dialogue between the human and tiger.

“Little White Tiger, Junior Brother’s condition has been a bit off since he woke up from his coma. Could this be related to the black Qi he encountered on Ancient Tomb Mountain?” Zhu Qiuyu asked.

Jing Ke didn’t jump to conclusions. Instead, she repeated her earlier action: she used her paw to press against his forehead, sensing the consciousnesses residing within the body.

“I don’t know if it’s an issue with the ancient tomb, but your junior brother’s body has two completely distinct consciousnesses. Both have a high compatibility with the body, and they’re fighting for control.”

Jing Ke told her feeder the results of her examination. Seeing her still frowning deeply, she wrapped her tail around her wrist.

“Don’t worry. Both consciousnesses are currently quite active; there’s no sign of one fading away yet. Just determine which consciousness belongs to Qin Guang, then expel the other one from his body,” Jing Ke comforted.

Wen Ruyue nodded. Seeing her junior sister still looking bewildered, she paraphrased Jing Ke’s words.

“So that’s how it is. Then the question is, is Junior Brother’s consciousness the amnesiac one? Or is it the other one that seems a little… er… not quite normal?” Zhu Qiuyu asked.

“I don’t know. Junior Brother’s mental state may have been affected by the ancient tomb. We can’t determine which consciousness is his for now.” Wen Ruyue gently let out a breath.

“Jing Ke, can you sense which consciousness leans more towards being my junior brother?” Wen Ruyue asked.

Jing Ke shook her head. “I’m not sure. The issue in your junior brother’s body is something I only discovered today. That doesn’t mean he was possessed today. It’s very likely he was possessed long ago, but it was just very well hidden until now.”

“Okay, I understand.” Wen Ruyue then turned to Zhu Qiuyu and began assigning her tasks. “First, go handle the discharge procedures. Then, borrow a car from the Special Administration Bureau and take Junior Brother back to the sect grounds.”

“I’ll explain the specific situation to Master. Your task is to safely escort Junior Brother back,” Wen Ruyue said.

“Yes, Eldest Senior Sister. I guarantee to complete the mission.” Zhu Qiuyu promised, patting her chest.

A moment later, Zhu Qiuyu cautiously asked, “Eldest Senior Sister, could you give me a bit more time for that ten-thousand-word self-criticism…”

Wen Ruyue sighed helplessly. “Seven days. You have seven days. First, escort Junior Brother back, then write your self-criticism.”

“Yes, Eldest Senior Sister! I’ll go handle Junior Brother’s discharge procedures right away!” Zhu Qiuyu inwardly breathed a huge sigh of relief and very nimbly ran out to handle Qin Guang’s paperwork.