Chapter 92: Such a Precious Dog Bone Part 2

Wang Ya was utterly stunned by Ye Zi’s words. She hadn’t expected Ye Zi to be so insistent on retrieving the Yin Spirit Scroll because of her—to protect her, even if it was just a piece of skin from her previous life’s back. She stood dazed for a long while, then thought of her own experiences and let out a miserable laugh. “Have I not been trampled enough in this lifetime?” She turned back to the desk, sat down, and continued reading. She stared at the cover, the words and diagrams on the pages entering her eyes, but her mind replayed that night of humiliation: being violated, nearly strangled to death by the Azure Dragon Rope, lying naked on the bed, violated again, blood pooling between her thighs. As a child, she had often been slandered for sleeping with this or that person; many who believed the rumors fixated on her face and, because of her poor grades, assumed she deserved such things, that she was inherently filthy. Suddenly, she recalled how Grandma had always taught her about kindness and justice, taught her Refining the Heart. But was human nature truly good by default? Even in elementary school, kids could slander and bully classmates, steal her textbooks to fold them into tofu blocks, push her into puddles on the roadside and roar with laughter at her mud-covered form. Zhang Qingshui cultivated Tao and saw her as a demon, so she could do those things to her—was that kindness? Yet the world did have many good people and good deeds; she had witnessed plenty of selfless acts of help. Perhaps she had always ignored the evil around her, choosing only to see the good in her eyes, deluding herself that the world was kind, never truly seeing it for what it was.

Ye Zi watched Wang Ya sitting at the desk, staring blankly at the book. Wang Ya bore no wounds, but the aura and breathing emanating from her gave Ye Zi the sense that she was gravely injured. She walked to Wang Ya’s side and cautiously asked, “Wang Ya, where are you hurt?”

Wang Ya snapped back to reality, looked up at Ye Zi with a puzzled “Huh?” She realized what was happening, pursed her lips, and gave a faint smile. “I’m fine.” She took a deep breath, suppressed all her emotions, and buried her head back in the book.

She had heard clearly that earlier sentence: “Have I not been trampled enough in this lifetime?” A flicker of doubt passed through Ye Zi’s eyes as she committed Wang Ya’s words to memory. She was determined to see how the people of this mortal world had bullied her Little Flower! Cold light gleamed in Ye Zi’s eyes as she vowed inwardly: Catch one and slap it dead, then block the Yellow Springs so they can never reincarnate, never find peace.

***

A little past nine in the morning

The diligent Wang Ya sat at the desk, buried in her book, while also waiting for Huang Qi’s call. To prevent Ye Zi from running off to retrieve the Yin Spirit Scroll, she had assigned her a grueling task—watching TV to learn about the Yang Realm world.

Deep in her studies, Wang Ya didn’t notice the idol drama playing on TV, where the male and female leads finally got together, dressed in wedding attire, embracing tightly and kissing passionately on their wedding day. Nor did she notice Ye Zi’s gaze shifting back and forth between the kissing leads on screen and herself, or how, after the kiss scene, Ye Zi bit her lip while staring thoughtfully at the particularly intimate couple cuddling on the bed in the drama.

The mobile phone’s ringtone jolted Wang Ya awake. She grabbed it and saw it was indeed Huang Qi calling. For Huang Qi to call at this hour meant she had received the package Wang Ya mailed. Relieved that the express delivery hadn’t been lost and had safely reached Huang Qi, Wang Ya answered with a “Hello,” only to hear Huang Qi’s anxious voice: “Wang Ya, you—why did you send that thing to me? Didn’t you say you didn’t want me involved in your affairs?”

Wang Ya feigned casual indifference: “Oh, you mean the Yin Spirit Scroll? I thought about it yesterday and figured since everyone wants it so badly, I’d just be generous and send it out. Originally, I planned to mail it to the Ghost Family, but I don’t have their contact info. I figured you probably do. Huang Qi, if you don’t want the Yin Spirit Scroll, you can give it to Zhang Qingshui or send it to the Ghost Family—whatever. It’s in your hands now; do with it as you please, even destroy it. Oh, one reminder: be cautious when opening the Yin Spirit Scroll.” As she said “even destroy it,” she recalled Ye Zi’s reaction and subconsciously shrank her neck, glancing at Ye Zi on the bed watching TV. Sure enough, Ye Zi had turned her head to stare, her gaze anything but friendly. Wang Ya quickly turned away, pretending to focus on the call.

Huang Qi gnashed her teeth in fury. “If you don’t know the Ghost Family’s contact, what does sending it to me mean? Wang Ya, you don’t pass a hot potato like this!”

Wang Ya’s lips quirked up as she lightly said, “But I heard that after we left the Azure Dragon Palace, many more people followed our route into the Azure Dragon Palace and got completely wiped out. Consider this scroll a little ‘thank you’ gift. Don’t stand on ceremony.” With that, she hung up. She had only waited for Huang Qi’s call to confirm receipt of the scroll—no need for chit-chat. And truthfully, she didn’t dare chat much; putting on airs with Huang Qi was one thing, but constantly saying “give it to them,” “I don’t care,” and “destroy it if you want” might really piss off the Ye Zi beside her.

Huang Qi called back.

Wang Ya answered without a word, and Huang Qi immediately said, “I threw the Yin Spirit Scroll in the trash!” Ye Zi’s face immediately tightened, her eyes narrowing dangerously. Wang Ya hurriedly gestured “calm down” to Ye Zi and said, “Go ahead and throw it. I’ll just spread the word that you have the Yin Spirit Scroll, and see who you cry to when they come demanding it and you’ve got nothing.”

Huang Qi cursed in anger, “Wang Ya, you bastard!” Then she hung up. Her curse sounded almost like she was about to cry.

Ye Zi glared at Wang Ya with eyes full of malice, her chilling aura surging so strongly that even the AC couldn’t compare, her hair practically floating.

Wang Ya said, “Huang Qi was just venting!”

Ye Zi glared fiercely at Wang Ya, nearly grinding her teeth to bits! What had become of her heart’s treasure in these people’s eyes? She snapped harshly, “If the Yin Spirit Scroll isn’t back by nightfall, you—hmph!” Those who provoked her usually got wiped out on the spot, but since it was Wang Ya… what could she do? She’d just retrieve the Yin Spirit Scroll herself, hmph!