The Zhu family head paced back and forth in his residence. Despite several rounds of night watchmen’s calls, lights still blazed inside.
Tonight, all the young members of the Zhu family kept vigil in the front courtyard until Li Guanyu’s group arrived.
When they did, the drowsiness dispersed and the family head hurriedly stepped forward with clasped hands.
“Immortal masters, you’ve finally arrived!”
Following his pointed direction, Xing Shuishui saw the jade sculpture placed beside the stone lion. The Zhu family head looked haggard, clearly tormented by this jade piece.
“I heard that all those families that were wiped out had received jade sculptures. Just days ago, I had people destroy all the ones in our home! But today when I entered the study, there was this strange jade sculpture sitting on the table. No one knows who put it there. When we threw it out, it came back by itself! This jade has become possessed!”
The more he spoke, the more frightened the family head became. After all, the fate of the previous family had spread like wildfire throughout the city.
Now, darkness clouded the eyes of the Zhu family members. The youngest ones burst into tears in their nurses’ arms.
“Came back?” He Liansheng sneered. “Did you actually see the jade sculpture grow legs?”
The family head saw his forehead band and immediately knew who he was. Breaking into a cold sweat, he nearly fell to his knees.
“Great immortal, please understand, I wouldn’t dare lie. I watched people throw this jade sculpture out, but when we opened the door, it was back exactly where it had been! I had no choice but to send someone to request your help.”
Several servants immediately knelt on the ground.
“Yes, yes! We saw it too!”
“I threw it out myself!”
“It’s too strange! Did it attract some evil spirit?”
“Pah, pah, pah!”
Li Guanyu glanced at the seal on the jade sculpture: “Still intact.”
Li Guanxing said: “Someone must be playing tricks.”
The family head asked: “Immortal master, then this jade sculpture…”
Li Guanyu asked: “Family head, how many doors does your courtyard have?”
The family head exchanged glances with the steward: “Four.”
Li Guanyu said: “First, throw the jade sculpture out. I’ll watch the front door myself. Guanxing, you guard the back door, He Lian guards the east door. As for the rest—”
She turned to look at the servants, who understood immediately. Li Guanyu gave additional instructions to each person. Li Guanxing’s expression turned somewhat unpleasant. As a precaution, they each received a special talisman to break in case of danger.
Xing Shuishui pointed at herself: “What about me?”
Li Guanxing rolled his eyes.
Li Guanyu smiled: “You’re not feeling well. Rest here tonight.”
At the third watch of night.
Xing Shuishui couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning in bed. After taking such a huge risk following them all day without seeing a single earth god, she began to doubt her judgment.
According to Li Guanyu’s description, it matched him, and the timing lined up too. Could he be hiding with some magical artifact? That would be troublesome.
Xing Shuishui wanted to cry.
If He Liansheng discovered she was a spirit, there would surely be consequences. But she couldn’t resign herself to not finding the earth god. After fighting with Du Dizhu for so many years and chasing him from the mortal realms to Wuxiang Mountain, now to be told it might not be him?
Nearly a hundred years would become a joke.
Too troubled to sleep, Xing Shuishui pushed open her door and climbed onto the roof to watch the stars.
In her original world, people believed stars were formed from the souls of the dead. Though baseless, she wondered which star up there might be her sister?
The night wind was peaceful, blowing wisps of her hair across her forehead.
Suddenly a black shadow flashed by.
Xing Shuishui stood up, spotting a red-eyed crow carrying a talisman—a puppet control talisman!
The crow flew toward Li Guanyu’s position.
She suddenly understood why the jade sculpture would “return” by itself—human intervention! In that brief moment, the puppet talisman had already been stuck to Li Guanyu’s back. Using puppet techniques against the Li family who specialized in puppet arts—was he brain-damaged?
But looking at Li Guanyu again, she had picked up the discarded jade sculpture, her expression clearly under control.
Not wanting to be discovered sneaking around at midnight, Xing Shuishui remained silent, instead picking up nearby broken tiles to throw at Li Guanyu’s back.
Whoever could control Li Guanyu clearly had significant powers. Could it be Du Dizhu? Probably not. That old beast always loudly proclaimed his evil deeds, eager for the whole world to know. She actually hoped it was him.
She missed.
The tile merely grazed Li Guanyu’s clothes without touching the talisman. Xing Shuishui bent down to pick up another piece.
“Is something wrong with your brain?”
Hearing the familiar voice, Xing Shuishui’s hand froze.
“It’s the third watch, yet you’re skulking around on the roof.”
He Liansheng walked up to Xing Shuishui, his crimson hair ribbon rising and falling in the air, casting pale gray shadows. He stood with arms crossed, his gaze cold as he stared at her. She didn’t know when he had arrived.
This spirit-catching nuisance must have nothing better to do than monitor her all day.
Xing Shuishui rubbed her eyes: “I heard a crow caw and had an ominous feeling. I climbed up and saw a red-eyed crow flying toward Sister Guanyu, with eyes just like that monster from before. I feel… something’s not quite right with Sister Guanyu now.”
Since she couldn’t hide it from him anyway, Xing Shuishui simply opened her palm to show him the tile in her hand.
He Liansheng glanced at it and warned: “Don’t mess things up.”
Li Guanyu walked toward the front courtyard like a wandering soul, controlled by the puppet technique. He Liansheng’s lips curled in a smile, clearly having anticipated this scene.
Xing Shuishui turned her head and was surprised to see Li Guanxing in a tree, though he was supposed to be guarding the back door. Li Guanxing had his spirit bow drawn, arrow aimed at his sister, as if ready to release at any moment, though his trembling fingers betrayed his reluctance.
What were they planning?
Just as Li Guanyu stepped into the courtyard, a magic array suddenly rose from the ground. Golden chains shot out from all directions, binding Li Guanyu in place. The puppet talisman was destroyed, and Li Guanyu instantly regained consciousness, asking in confusion: “Guanxing, where am I?”
Li Guanxing put away his spirit bow and climbed down from the tree, saying happily: “Sister, I’m glad you’re alright.”
He Liansheng came down from the roof, offering no words of concern: “What did you see?”
Even a fool like Xing Shuishui could understand this was a trap.
With puppet techniques, even the controlled party doesn’t completely lose consciousness. At Li Guanyu’s level, she could have used this chance to trace back and connect with the spellcaster.
Li Guanyu’s expression was grave as she shook her head: “It was very dark, I couldn’t see anything. He was sitting in a pitch-black room, windows sealed tight, not even a candle. Are there places like that nearby?”
Li Guanxing was utterly dejected: “How can we find him? Should we risk it again? No, let me do it this time!”
Li Guanyu recalled: “However, I think I saw the sky outside through a window. It was very dark, no stars or moon, with spirit money and ash floating in the air…”
She looked up at the twinkling stars in the sky, which was the strangest part.
Xing Shuishui suddenly thought of a place. Eternal darkness without light, no stars or moon, where no mortal tracking spells could reach. If it was that place, everything would make sense.
She pretended to be frightened: “Could it… could it be ghosts from the netherworld causing trouble?”
The Zhu family head said: “What nonsense! How could netherworld ghosts cause trouble in the mortal realm!”
They don’t even need to come in person when using puppet techniques! Xing Shuishui turned away, not wanting to argue with mortals.
She belatedly realized she was the only one still lying on the roof—someone had kicked away the chair she’d used to climb up.
She cried out: “I can’t get down! Sister Guanyu, help me!”
He Liansheng stepped forward, and Xing Shuishui immediately fell silent.
She held her hands suspended in the air, her clear black and white eyes staring at him quietly, not daring to speak.
The young man extended one hand. Fearing he might take the chance to fly her around like a kite, Xing Shuishui just pointed at the chair below, meaning she just needed some support.
He Liansheng sneered and turned to leave, leaving Xing Shuishui hanging on the roof, wanting to act out but not daring to.
He left with a terrible temper: “Make another sound and you’ll never speak again.”
In the end, Li Guanyu noticed her and used a spell to bring her down. Xing Shuishui kept far away from He Liansheng.
Li Guanyu said: “The netherworld isn’t impossible actually. After death, people don’t immediately reincarnate, but first stay in Fengdu City awaiting judgment from the King of Hell.”
Li Guanxing continued: “They might not even be dead. Just hiding there. No wonder even my sister can’t track them. How cunning! If that person is really hiding in Fengdu City, this becomes troublesome.”
The Zhu family head was already terrified: “Immortal masters must not ignore this. If there’s any way I can help, just tell me!”
He Liansheng asked: “Has any family held a funeral recently?”
The family head’s face lit up: “Does the immortal master have a solution? I’ll go inquire right away!”
Halfway there, the head turned back to look at the jade sculpture on the ground, wanting to speak but hesitating. With He Liansheng present, he dared not speak carelessly, and could only move his lips while looking at the kindest-looking Li Guanyu.
Li Guanyu smiled: “Family head, please don’t worry. We’ll keep the jade sculpture for now.”
On the way back, the red eyes of the jade sculpture constantly reflected an eerie light. Li Guanxing worriedly said: “Sister, this jade sculpture…”
Li Guanyu looked at the jade sculpture and smiled: “I’ll add another layer of seals, it’s no big deal. Besides, my master is skilled in spells. I’ll send him a message when I return.”
After the third watch, only scattered lights remained on the street. Many vendors had packed up, and patrol guards came in shifts.
Xing Shuishui suddenly stopped in front of a tailor’s shop. Everyone turned back to look as she embarrassedly pointed at the hole in her skirt. The tears during their journey had lengthened the hem, which now dragged a long trail that could easily cause her to trip if stepped on.
Li Guanxing said unkindly: “Can’t you sew it tomorrow?”
But Li Guanyu said: “Guanxing, sewing clothes won’t take long. Let’s wait here a while for Miss Xing.”
This time Li Guanxing was smarter, feigning sympathy: “Sister, I want to wait too. But you’ve been drained by the spell control tonight and should rest early. I think He Liansheng alone is enough. Don’t forget he’s a Celestial Master!”
He persuaded and coaxed Li Guanyu away, leaving only He Liansheng behind.
Xing Shuishui clutched her skirt hem and looked at He Liansheng.
The young man stood in the lamplight, holding his sword, his pupils black and reflecting the surrounding firelight. Yet the coldness in his eyes remained unthawed.
He Liansheng sneered: “If you can’t find your way back, then don’t come back at all.”
With that, he turned and left, deliberately abandoning Xing Shuishui.
The tailor shop owner opened the door and looked around, the wrinkles around his nose squeezing his pimples. Upon seeing Xing Shuishui, his face immediately relaxed into a flower-like smile.
“Miss, are you alone?”
Xing Shuishui replied irritably: “Yes.”
She really disliked him, that man who doesn’t know how to speak nicely.
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