"Fighting the Ghost King??" Yu Sheng was taken aback, his eyelids twitching. "Yin... the Ghost King is here too?"
Wen Jiu nodded in acknowledgment. Seeing Yu Sheng dazed, he picked up a warm towel and leaned in to wipe Yu Sheng's face, deftly lifting Yu Sheng's chin to facilitate the action.
Although this was just a distraction of the real Wen Jiu and not his main body, the Wen Jiu before him still had unfocused eyes. He was 'seeing' through the 'heavenly eye,' relying on touch to judge details. The heat from the water warmed his fingertips as they gently brushed against Yu Sheng's skin, the motion tender. Yu Sheng comfortably squinted his eyes and let out a soft sigh. Then he suddenly reacted, hastily grabbing the towel. "Hey, wait... I can't let you do this; I can do it myself."
Wen Jiu smiled and didn’t insist. Instead, he turned to fetch a comb, moving behind Yu Sheng to tidy his hair. "Senior, you don’t need to be polite. Consider it as me accepting this on behalf of my master. I find you very amiable, and it reminds me of my master. Back in the day, I served him like this. I’m just a bit nostalgic for those leisurely and peaceful days."
His words sounded like a child who had lost a father, wanting to get close to someone resembling him to ease the loneliness and longing in his heart, which was quite heart-wrenching and hard to refuse.
Moreover, Yu Sheng was indeed his master. Feeling soft-hearted, he let it go. In this era, people’s hair was quite long, and he hadn’t properly groomed it in a while.
As for whether he could conceal his original identity, Yu Sheng wasn't sure. He needed to wait until the system returned from its busy, inactive state to get updates.
By the time they finished washing up, Wen Jiu quietly leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Senior, while Zhang Xiaotian isn't back yet, you should eat the snacks we hid for the spirit pet; they’ll spoil if left too long."
Yu Sheng's face turned red. "Uh, that... doesn’t seem right."
Oh right, the spirit pet belonged to Wen Jiu, and he knew exactly what they had hidden together. Zhang Xiaotian was right; the spirit pet was indeed likely to follow Wen Jiu’s orders.
Yu Sheng felt relieved that the little dumpling looked rather foolish and only followed instructions; otherwise, his identity would have been exposed long ago.
Wen Jiu, fearing that he might lose face, provided him an out. "The ritual is all about intention. I believe that after all these years, my master wouldn’t linger in the ghost realm. If these offerings were buried or dedicated, he wouldn’t enjoy them, and it would just be a waste. If he were still around, he wouldn’t want these things wasted; he’d prefer you to eat them on his behalf."
Such logic was compelling. Yu Sheng nodded in agreement, thinking that if he were truly gone, he would indeed prefer someone else to eat for him rather than let it go to waste.
“You are also familiar with the Master, so you must know his temperament,” Wen Jiu continued.
No, the one who understands your Master’s temperament best is still his good disciple.
Yu Sheng was not overly modest; after being flattered, he quickly adjusted his mindset and cheerfully set the table with Wen Jiu, taking out the pastries one by one from his robes.
“Since that’s the case, why don’t we enjoy them together, Young Master Wen? I can’t eat all of this by myself, and I initially hid them to avoid wasting them.”
“Good.” Wen Jiu sat down at the table, his movements elegant and proper. He didn’t resemble someone who typically held a high position; instead, he looked like a young gentleman or a refined scholar, his sharpness exceptionally restrained, just like when Yu Sheng first found him.
However, this time, his decorum was a bit more relaxed. Hesitating for a moment, he set aside his chopsticks and picked up the pastries with his hands, taking a bite.
Yu Sheng secretly glanced at him and naturally followed suit, feeling more comfortable eating this way, a hint of joy appearing in his eyes. When he was outside pretending to be “Yu Yangzi,” he rarely had the chance to relax and be himself. No matter where he went, the eyes of others would be on him, making him stiff whether he stood or sat, unable to relax.
Even if there was no discussion, he would feel uncomfortable under the astonished gazes of others. His cultivation had even hit a bottleneck; it wasn’t until he took on the identity of an old man with white hair that he finally broke through.
Wen Jiu ate leisurely, and after a moment, he winked at him. “Today’s events will be a secret between me and the senior. If Zhang Xiaotian asks, just say I have already buried them in front of the grave.”
Yu Sheng’s expression stiffened slightly. He had been thinking about Yin Wangzhi being on the cliff earlier, and now he felt that eating the pastries was somewhat thoughtless. They belonged to Zhang Xiaotian, and no matter how much reasoning he provided, it was still wrong to eat someone else’s food without permission; it was different from simply consuming offerings.
He was aware that he was their Master, making it a bit complicated. But since Wen Jiu had already become an “accomplice” under his suggestion, it felt a bit hypocritical to change his mind now...
He licked his lips. “If he finds out, I’ll just say I ate them myself and let him be angry with me. You’re not on good terms anyway, so don’t let it get any worse.”
Wen Jiu laughed happily. “Senior, is this your nature, or are you just being... kind because I’m the Master’s disciple?”
Yu Sheng replied without hesitation, “It’s definitely the latter. If I were a kind person, I wouldn’t have secluded myself for so long.”
When the cup was nearly empty, Yu Sheng drained it in one go and said, “Wait a moment,” as he took the empty cup outside, raising his head to look at the sky.
Above the cliff, lightning and thunder were relentless, far more intense than before, as if they were tearing the very heavens apart. Given the unique terrain at the intersection of the three realms, there were even more variables at play.
He didn’t worry about the safety of the two protagonists; he had no intention of intervening. One reason was that the protagonists both had their own advantages, and the other was that he was quite self-aware, knowing that his “high expert” identity wasn’t as impressive as it seemed. He had high cultivation but lacked real combat experience, so staying alive was the priority.
After looking for a while, feeling dizzy, he stopped staring and instead stood in the rain, reaching out to catch a couple of drops and examining them.
Hmm, it’s definitely not wine, and there’s no paper money falling from the sky. After all, it’s not my memorial day yet, so even if it’s thundering and raining, it shouldn’t be fine wine or spiritual water.
In the past, he would have used his superior cultivation and reaction speed to swiftly collect the falling rainwater into a cup and slowly sip it. Though this looked easy, it required a lot of skill, reflexes, cultivation, and mental fortitude, given that the rain falling from such a height was small and fast. He also had to ensure that it remained clean while avoiding distractions from shredded paper and erratic winds. Most people wouldn’t be able to do it.
Yu Sheng sighed, shook his head, and returned with the empty cup to continue eating and drinking.
Wen Jiu, not overly curious, continued as if nothing had happened when Yu Sheng returned, not asking any questions. Instead, Yu Sheng felt a bit curious and smiled, asking him, “Aren’t you afraid I went to mediate?”
He had originally thought Wen Jiu would immediately stand up to stop him and had prepared how to comfort and explain. In his view, Wen Jiu was honest and steady, surely analyzing the pros and cons to prevent him from taking risks.
Wen Jiu shook his head and pointed to his eyes. “I can see that the senior is calm and relaxed, so I’m not worried.”
It’s the ability of the heavenly eye.
Yu Sheng nodded and then said, “Your true self is still up there, right?”
Although he had given him the heavenly eye, he didn’t quite understand how far it could be developed or how flexibly it could be used. He hadn’t looked closely at the system's accompanying instructions either.
Wen Jiu nodded. “I have tried to mediate, but it failed. I’m not very good at fighting.”
That was modesty; within the three realms, only the protagonists who had received special benefits could contend with Wen Jiu.
“However, if the senior is concerned, I’m willing to show you the actual situation.”
Saying this, he raised his hand and took out a flat, round magic tool that looked like a ceramic heat-insulating pad, about the size of a plate. He waved his hand, and dynamic images appeared on the tool.
Yu Sheng recognized this tool; it was called the ‘Shuang Li Mirror.’ When both people held it, it could transmit images unidirectionally, which was very practical. At this moment, it clearly displayed the situation above the cliff, much like a live broadcast.
He got up and moved to Wen Jiu's side, the magical tool standing upright on the table as he ate and watched.
Above the cliff, Yin Wangzhi was dressed in black, with dark energy swirling around him like a dragon, while Zhang Xiaotian wore a golden-red long robe with armor, exuding a powerful sword intent.
At the edge of the cliff, a stranger, who had just been rescued and was seriously injured, was in disarray, shivering in the wind. This was likely protagonist number ten, nervously approaching the “camera” and tremblingly asking something, but unfortunately, the sound couldn’t be transmitted, so only the shape of his mouth could be seen.
Then, it seemed the youth received a response, his mouth twitching slightly, and his expression twisting.
Wen Jiu explained at the right moment, “He asked what kind of magical tool I was holding, whether I intended to mediate or help one side. I told him I was just holding the ‘Shuang Li Mirror’ to watch the show.”
Yu Sheng rubbed his forehead. No wonder the tenth protagonist reacted like that; from his perspective, he and Wen Jiu probably looked like two gluttons who had overeaten...
Curious, he asked, “This person looks severely injured, but why doesn’t he run away?”
Wen Jiu waved his hand, and the scene changed. The fighting in the sky disappeared, replaced by the view at the cliff’s edge, where the sun shone brightly and the wind was gentle. The protagonist number ten was pushed back with no way to retreat. Just as he was about to be knocked off the cliff, Yin Wangzhi descended from the sky.
His murderous aura was overwhelming, and the dark energy blotted out the sun as he charged toward protagonist number ten, brandishing his sword.
Seeing this newcomer, the protagonist number ten murmured two words. From the shape of his mouth, it was easy to guess: “Ghost King.” Then the struggle, unwillingness, and resentment in his eyes all turned to despair, as if the words “dead for sure” were written on his forehead. Before Yin Wangzhi could get close, he turned to jump off the cliff himself.
At least this way, he might leave a complete corpse, and his soul could smoothly reincarnate.
But then the murderous aura intensified. Just as he took half a step, Yin Wangzhi grabbed him and lifted him by the collar, scolding him harshly.
It seemed a group had come specifically to encircle protagonist number ten. However, they were all intimidated by Yin Wangzhi's presence and retreated three steps in unison, on guard. The leader held his knife downward and spoke a few words to Yin Wangzhi.
Wen Jiu provided the narration. “He greeted the Ghost King, thinking the Ghost King was also there to kill him. He proposed to cooperate with the Ghost King to split whatever was on that kid, and if the Ghost King wanted to refine souls, they would willingly provide magical tools to assist.”
Yu Sheng: …
In the scene, Yin Wangzhi's eyes were cold. With a casual motion, he released several black, whip-like dark energies, causing the black-clothed men to fall down and remain motionless.
Finally, the Ghost King’s gaze shifted to protagonist number ten, his stare colder and more terrifying than when he looked at the black-clothed men, filled with jealousy and intense murderous intent. Protagonist number ten was utterly desperate, planning to self-destruct. But before he could die, the Ghost King struck him, and he didn’t die; he tried to bite his tongue to commit suicide, but his jaw was dislocated. He attempted to use a concealed weapon to kill himself, but his hand was severed...
After going through all that, his injuries worsened, and he trembled in pain. At that moment, the Ghost King coldly laughed and said something to him.
Wen Jiu continued, “The Ghost King told him he wasn’t allowed to die, to stay alive, and that afterward, he would send him to where he needed to go. He seemed to misunderstand; we were planning to find a good sect to take him in.”
Yu Sheng felt speechless, thinking that with how Yin Wangzhi was threatening others, it was a miracle he didn’t seem like a psychopathic killer. It didn’t feel at all like a rescue mission. “By the way, were you recording these images all along?”
Wen Jiu nodded. “Yes, I generally handle the aftermath, treatment, and preservation of evidence.”
“What evidence?”
“Evidence that the victim was being pursued by others, as well as evidence that we were there to rescue people, not to kidnap or hold them hostage.”
Yu Sheng: “...Oh.”
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