Pei Zhao truly had not expected Xing Yong to gain absolutely nothing from the Dragon King’s sermon.
He had stayed by the sofa only because he wanted to hear those tragic deep-sea stories. Once the stories ended and the alcohol wore off, all he was left with was grief and fright.
Qin Shu laughed at him without the slightest mercy for a long time, until his stomach almost hurt. Only then did he explain what he and Pei Zhao had actually been doing during their “mysterious disappearance.”
“Jing University’s bus hasn’t been replaced in decades?”
Xing Yong frowned. As he listened, the fright from earlier vanished and his occupational instincts took over. He pulled out his phone and immediately started messaging his colleagues. “A bus used to shuttle students back and forth from the airport, and they keep it running for that many years? How did something with such an obvious safety risk keep passing annual inspection?! Repainting it and replacing the engine isn’t enough. One little malfunction on the highway and people die. This isn’t just a cultivator infiltrating university management. Every level of safety approval signed off on it. That’s pure laziness!”
“I dismantled it into scrap metal and threw it into a recycling yard. Now they have to replace it whether they want to or not.”
The force gathering around Xing Yong abruptly stalled when he heard Pei Zhao. He coughed. “Hey, hey. Don’t tell me things like that to my face. What you just described is destruction of Jing University’s public property… Try not to do that too often.”
“We also killed a senior university administrator. They’re surprisingly good at suppressing news.” Qin Shu shook his head with a sigh. “Even now, the faculty and students still don’t know someone died mysteriously in a restroom in the administration building a few days ago.”
“All right. I know. And there’s also the issue of compensation payments from the past several years. I’m guessing the accounts won’t match up either.” Xing Yong pretended with all his strength that he had not heard the part about them killing someone and typed at high speed. “Once this investigation starts, I have no idea how many people are going to spend New Year in detention. Hmph. Perfect. I’ll send my colleagues some achievements for the holiday…”
Once they finished discussing serious matters, steaming late-night food arrived. Xing Yong drank the Moutai Chef Cheng had bought with his own money and patted the rigid shoulder of the server Xiao Yang, smiling reassuringly. “It’s fine, man. You’re not alone. This whole bunch of demons, devils, ghosts, and monsters scared the piss out of me too. Keep up the good work. Tomorrow I’ll call the manager and praise you.”
Xiao Yang slipped away with a miserable face, firmly deciding never to work the night shift again.
Seeing someone worse off than himself immediately brightened Xing Yong’s mood. He picked at a few side dishes and asked while eating, “Why didn’t the Dragon King’s sermon do anything to me? Liang Ming Yue could understand it. She’s never cultivated either.”
“She has a dragon fate. She was born destined to accomplish something major. Dragon Mother screwed her over when she was young, but that doesn’t change what she fundamentally is,” Qin Shu explained. “Someone born with a dragon fate naturally has spiritual sensitivity, especially a connection to dragons.”
“I have a connection with my wife too!” Xing Yong protested even more strongly.
“Which is why your fate is already great. You get to witness all kinds of world-changing events, live an exciting life, court death everywhere yet somehow never die, get liked by deities, and even have humanity’s ancestral figures approve of you being together with one of their descendants…” Qin Shu clicked his tongue with admiration as he spoke. “No wonder you can’t cultivate. Every fate has to lack something. Perfect completeness doesn’t exist. A person can’t have everything.”
“Mm… That’s fair. I’m already very satisfied. I’ve never wanted any supernatural power.” Xing Yong looked at him. “But from where I’m standing, your fate looks pretty good too. What are you missing?”
Qin Shu thought for a moment and answered faintly, “My bonds with close family are shallow. It took me three lifetimes of trouble just to get into one relationship. My parents are always busier than I am, and I see them twice a year at most. Friends who get too close to me also have a special talent for getting dragged into my problems and occasionally suffering the kind of bad luck that almost kills them.”
Xing Yong: …
The two stared silently at each other for a moment. Xing Yong raised his wine cup. “Our relationship is already close enough, so I don’t really care… Ahem. But, Big Brother, please do not become good friends with my wife.”
Qin Shu lifted his milk tea and clinked it against Xing Yong’s cup. “Understood! We’ll maintain a simple, unadorned relationship based on extremely large financial transactions.”
After the pleasant late-night meal, Ao Run’s sermon finally approached its end.
Everyone remained immersed in it for a long time, unable to come back to their senses. The Five God-of-Wealth brothers seemed to have gained some insight and immediately began a second round of meditation. The five sat in a circle, golden-red divine light flowing around them. Qin Shu looked over curiously and kept feeling that the light had a shape. It looked exactly like an enormous gold ingot.
Only Yuxu, who had received the most private instruction, woke first. She looked blankly over the packed private room, then her gaze finally settled beside her knee on a tiger cub with absolutely no sense of personal boundaries, and her eyes suddenly lit up.
She poked Ao Run and, for once, showed a rare flash of youthful excitement. “Ao Run. I want this one.”
Ao Run looked somewhat tired, but amusement overflowed from his expression. He turned toward the huge furry tail outside the window. “Mountain Lord of Jiangcheng, my wife has taken quite a fancy to this little one. Would you be willing to let her keep it for a while?”
The swaying tail froze. The Mountain Lord’s slightly nervous voice came from the roof. “Of course, of course. This child is called Da Pang, basically ‘Big Fatty.’ This junior happened to find him on the mountain. He was the fattest in a whole litter and has a hearty appetite… Both his parents have passed away. To receive Senior’s affection is his good fortune.”
“What a lazy name.” Qin Shu could not help laughing. “Ah, he really is fat. Look at that round belly.”
“A poor little fellow without father or mother. In that case, this king shall bestow upon you a proper name as well.” Ao Run picked up the wide-eyed little tiger. “From this day forward, you shall be called Ao Zhuang.”
The instant he finished speaking, a dragon claw pulled apart the tiger tail outside the window, and the white dragon’s head appeared hanging upside down. “Father, what do you mean by that? Why does he get your surname? How did I suddenly gain a tiger little brother out of nowhere?!”
Those enormous golden nonhuman slit pupils abruptly pressed against the window, huge and unnerving. Xing Yong, who had been enjoying the spectacle a moment ago, immediately twitched his eyelid and turned away to take two more hard gulps of liquor.
This world was far too absurd.
The night deepened. Aside from Xing Yong, who remained badly shaken, everyone else was thoroughly satisfied and thanked His Majesty the Dragon King profusely. After exchanging their insights on cultivation, they began preparing to return home.
Qin Shu finally added the Mountain Lord on WeChat. At the same time, Huang Yu Yuan told him that Qingfeng Teahouse was going to be rebuilt. Apparently it would not only reopen by No. 2 High School. Lin Shi Yu was also preparing to open a branch at Jiangcheng University.
Considering the teahouse’s extremely special customer base, viewed from another angle, that amounted to extremely strong confidence that Qin Shu would get into Jiangcheng University. Qin Shu expressed his full support and reserved a set of New Year’s Eve limited-edition pastries in advance.
Although the couple always seemed a little guilty around him because of what had happened with the ghost domain, Qin Shu honestly did not dislike Lin Shi Yu and had never felt any particular hostility toward Lin Shi Yu.
Not only because falling into the ghost domain had given him the chance to meet the Lord Zhaoyuan of the past… but also because Boss Lin’s pastries were just too delicious!
Once that was settled, it was time for everyone to head home. Liang Ming Yue lived in Jiangcheng and had work the next morning, so the mother and daughter’s return transportation could conveniently be handled by the white dragon.
Xu Min had no choice but to grit his teeth and ride with them, climbing onto a true dragon for the first time in his life.
The white dragon rarely met a yao cultivator who was genuinely afraid of it. Inevitably, that made it smug, and its arrogant, domineering attitude resurfaced. “Fox spirit, you know Jiangcheng pretty well, don’t you? I remember you’re an ancestor of Old Xu’s family?”
“Y-yes, Your Highness…”
That soft, timid “Your Highness” from the fox spirit delighted the white dragon all over again. It waved a claw grandly. “Fine. This prince hereby grants you the position of Chief Ceremonial Officer of the Dragon Palace. When you have time, come help me manage that crowd of little carp. Every one of them is fussy and dramatic, always saying they lack jewelry or ceremonial clothes… I don’t understand any of it. Annoying as hell.”
Another side job had fallen from the heavens, offered by yet another existence Xu Min could not casually refuse. The fox’s face turned bitter. “…Yes, Your Highness.”
The moment he accepted, a faint dragon cry actually sounded from the sky. Then a barely visible beam of golden dragon qi descended directly onto Xu Min’s head and sank into his body.
That made the appointment completely official. Considering the Dragon Palace’s unusual nature, he could even more or less count as a divine official. In a place like Jing City, where dragon qi was so dense, the moment the contract formed it became the ultimate job for life. Xu Min could not resign even if he wanted to.
Qin Shu watched from the side for entertainment. The white dragon rose smugly into the air, carrying Ya Ya, who had woken full of energy, through several loops and rolls and making the child squeal with wild laughter. Qin Shu stared. “That works too?”
“My son is kindhearted, cherishes his neighbors, and has a pure, simple nature. Excellent!”
Ao Run threw his head back and laughed, utterly satisfied. Ao Run viewed his son through such an impossibly thick parental filter that everyone who actually knew the white dragon rolled their eyes at him at the same time.
Still, a personality that simply loved spoiling children was not necessarily a bad thing. The newly accepted tiger cub Ao Zhuang, for instance, immediately received the full treatment of a dragon prince.
When they returned to the Jing University cave, Ao Run waved a hand and the spherical space Yuxu had built transformed instantly into an ultra-luxurious cave villa.
Blue bricks and jade walls, antique incense burners, golden ornaments, spiritual-energy formations, dozens of pounds of fresh meat… pearls and gemstones of every color were scattered across the floor specifically so the little tiger could practice hunting and scenting. Several thick wool blankets were layered over the bed and tables, while every sharp corner had been wrapped in soft padding.
Since covering the chairs in tiger hide felt far too hellish, Ao Run hesitated and replaced the tiger skins with the great hide of a thousand-year wolf king, letting the little tiger jump on it and practice tearing and biting.
Ao Zhuang, however, temporarily had no interest in the wolf hide. Instead he kept trying to climb onto the dragon horns, bouncing around and pawing at them several times with his thick pads, without a shred of reverence for the Dragon King.
Ao Run seemed especially fond of little creatures that were naturally bold and overbearing. Smiling, he crouched down and simply let the cub play however it wanted.
“…No wonder Ao Wang got spoiled into such a terrible personality.” Qin Shu stared again and could not help reflecting on himself. “Zhao Zhao, are we too stingy with Yuanbao? Maybe we should feed it more Gu insects?”
“No. It’s too fat.”
“Oh.”
“…Ao Run, don’t laugh like that. You sound old.” Yuxu folded her arms, showing Ao Run just as little reverence. Only when her gaze met Qin Shu’s did her expression soften slightly. “I’m here. You two should go back and rest early. Everyone is exhausted. Fellow Daoist Qin, don’t forget that you expended more than anyone this time and haven’t closed your eyes all day… Don’t overtax your body.”
Only when she said it did Qin Shu realize just how long he had gone without sleeping.
Even Pei Zhao, who barely needed sleep, had already rested for most of the day. Qin Shu alone had remained mentally overexcited and unable to enter a natural resting state, the pressure and tension of coming into such close contact with Dragon Mother keeping him wound tight.
The instant he realized it, his legs seemed to weaken on their own.
“Senior Yuxu, you worked hard too. Contact us anytime if something comes up. We’ll see you tomorrow afternoon!”
While he could still walk down the mountain, Qin Shu quickly said goodbye and dragged Pei Zhao away. Back at the dormitory, the two shared another pot of noodles with Great General’s eggs to replenish qi and blood.
After washing up and crawling beneath the covers, the softness enveloped him, and Qin Shu could no longer keep his eyes open at all.
He struggled out a single “Good night,” then lost consciousness so quickly it was almost as though he had fainted on the spot.
He slept without dreams.
Qin Shu slept extraordinarily well. It was the lightness that came after a great weight on his heart had finally been defeated.
The world outside the window looked calm and unchanged, but Qin Shu knew everything had changed.
He no longer had to wake and immediately grab his phone to check messages, worrying that Dragon Mother or someone connected to her might target his relatives and friends. If he wanted to mention Dragon Mother, he no longer had to run the words through his head first and substitute some other name before speaking.
Even though he had long since stopped being particularly afraid that Dragon Mother would crawl out and beat him… the sensation of being watched by a deity, especially one who hated him and stared at him with malice, was a form of harassment in its own right.
But when he woke today, everything was different. With the looming presence of Dragon Mother gone, deities who still remained in the world and also had enough idle time to scheme in the human realm had become practically nonexistent. At least within Huaguo.
Mm. The only remaining drawback was that the number of deities still actively doing their jobs had become even smaller too. But they were already working hard to solve that problem.
For once, Qin Shu spent a genuinely lazy morning.
There was still plenty of time before class, so he wandered to the cafeteria for breakfast, packed up something to drink, then went to sit beside the pond in the sun and watch the fish.
While watching, they even encountered a water ghost. It disguised itself as a huge headless fish and slowly swam over, trying to crowd around Qin Shu for food like the other large fish.
Those low-level things had all hidden before because the white dragon had been sleeping in the pond. Now that the white dragon was gone, naturally the boldest one emerged first and tried to hunt while it had the chance…
And Qin Shu promptly pinched it to death with one hand.
“Smells awful. Feels like it’s eaten people before. Good thing I caught it.”
Qin Shu repeatedly wiped his hand with a tissue and tilted his head toward Pei Zhao. “Speaking of which, Zhao Zhao… what kind of ghosts are all those densely packed human heads in the pond at No. 2 High School? Every time I walk past, they make me deeply uncomfortable. They look terrifying.”
Pei Zhao had been lazily sitting in the shade, taking no part whatsoever in Qin Shu’s water-ghost pinching battle. At the sudden question, he opened his eyes with a faintly unnatural expression, hesitated, then said, “A refrigerator.”
“…Hm?”
Pei Zhao looked away, faintly embarrassed by his own depravity. He explained softly, “They’re my stored food. Keeping dead souls in water preserves them and keeps them cold, and the texture becomes softer and more tender… a little like raw marinated shrimp. The flavor changes with every season.”
He looked embarrassed, but his explanation was remarkably detailed and somehow even sounded appetizing.
Qin Shu fell silent for a moment, then walked over and sat beside him. The early-spring grass pricked a little, so he adjusted his position, pulled Pei Zhao onto his lap, and poked his slightly tense cheek. “Can I try some?”
“…You may think they smell bad, like that water ghost just now.” Pei Zhao coughed lightly. “We haven’t reached the point where food is scarce. We can keep storing them and let them marinate longer first.”
“So you prefer this kind of evil ghost. The more murderous karma they carry, the stronger the flavor.” Qin Shu raised an eyebrow. “I see. You really do like strong flavors.”
Pei Zhao leaned against him and relaxed a little. “I told you, I have pica.”
“Pica is pica. The fact that you took a liking to me that early already explained plenty.” Qin Shu laughed. “I don’t know what you were nervous about. This is fantastic news for me, you know? At least now I never have to worry about the teachers and students who stay at school over holidays being harmed by the ghosts in that pond… because they’re all your stored food. Hehe.”
“Mm. Without my permission, they can’t leave the pond.” Pei Zhao lowered his gaze toward Jing University’s much larger pond and thought for a moment. “Before we leave, we should seal this one too. There are still many dirty things inside it. Jing City has abundant dragon qi. The things marinated here may develop a richer texture.”
Once the subject opened up, Pei Zhao instantly transformed into an experienced gourmand. Qin Shu almost got hungry again just listening.
The two whispered beside the pond for ages about the flavors of marinated food, frightening the unknown creatures hidden in the water half to death before finally leaving in satisfaction.
For lunch that day, Qin Shu deliberately chose a steaming plate of Cantonese roast meats. After eating his fill, even more good news arrived.
He received a phone call saying three large and very heavy packages were waiting for him at the university gate. Qin Shu went over and discovered they had actually been shipped from Chef Cheng’s hometown.
A large quantity of finely processed jade pendants, bead strands, and ornaments had come from the previous owner of the jade mine, all shaped and polished at the factory beforehand. Before they could be sold to spirit mediums and Daoist priests in the countryside, Chef Cheng had already purchased the mine.
The coal boss did not know exactly what had happened. He had only heard from Chef Cheng that an “Immortal Master” had taken a liking to the stone in the mine, but that alone was enough.
Someone who had spent years mining coal and ore, working for long stretches in places deep beneath the earth, would inevitably encounter at least a few… not entirely reasonable things and phenomena.
And a self-made coal boss had more than enough sharpness to seize the implication. He directly shipped over a huge portion of the jade inventory from the processing factory and offered all of it to them free of charge.
Qin Shu opened the smallest box and found a full set of purple-clay teaware, some early-harvest Longjing tea, and one of the coal boss’s business cards.
The back of the card even carried a handwritten note from the coal boss explaining that the processing factory still held a great deal of inventory. Since Jing University was a place for studying and was not suitable for storing large quantities of fragile objects… if the Immortal Master needed more, he could add the man’s contact information and provide a more convenient storage address. They could arrange air freight at any time.
The note never once mentioned shipping costs or prices. But judging from the weight of the boxes, the market value had to be astonishing.
After reading the handwritten note, Qin Shu was silent for a moment, added the coal boss on WeChat, and informed him that if any mine ever became haunted, he only needed to send the coordinates and Qin Shu would solve it the same day.
Only after a friendly exchange did Qin Shu learn that none of the man’s coal mines were currently haunted. But underground work was dangerous by nature. Nobody knew what would happen tomorrow, much less the day after. This was the coal boss paying an enormous protection fee in advance.
Truthfully, Qin Shu had complicated feelings about it. The world was still too dangerous.
When ghosts ran rampant, ordinary people could not protect their lives. Not only did most lack the financial means to buy reliable protection, they often lacked even the awareness that such protection might be necessary. One unlucky encounter could kill them outright.
Cultivators with some ability who were willing to work openly as protectors probably charged extraordinary prices. Cultivation itself was expensive, and the resurgence of spiritual energy had only begun a few years ago. Aside from secluded great experts, other cultivators lacked deep foundations… One careless mistake and they themselves could be killed by evil spirits.
Only someone like Chef Cheng’s hometown friend, who had made money and already seen enough of the strange side of the world, while also being lucky enough not to have a ghost firmly attached to him, would know to search in advance for cultivators capable of protecting him and willingly spend a fortune to secure that protection.
In the end, it still came back to those damned fractures that had left so many divine offices vacant, turning what had once been a balanced world ecology into one-sided chaos.
“Let’s go, Zhao Zhao. We’re going to find Senior Yuxu.” Qin Shu carried one box of jade in each arm. The moment he returned to the dormitory, he changed into clothes suitable for movement without pausing. “Bring Zuo Zhe’s map.”
Pei Zhao tilted his head. “You want to go salvage people again?”
“To make sure everyone gets a good New Year, I’m working overtime!”