Night fell completely, and Adrian's furious shout shook the entire cramped room.
Instantly, the noisy crowd froze.
The men and women looked at each other, fear flickering in their eyes—no one dared risk inviting misfortune upon themselves.
One bolder woman mustered her courage and snapped,
"Y-You think you can scare us? We're not afraid of that superstition!"
Adrian sneered,
"Hmph. You think I'm joking? I am a disciple of the Adepti."
The woman burst into mocking laughter, almost doubling over.
"Adeptus disciple? You? Don't make me laugh. You're still not as famous as that 'Starcatcher True Lord' who fooled Li Daping!"
The moment that name appeared—Starcatcher—Adrian's eyes narrowed.
He stepped forward, voice low and sharp,
"How did this so-called Starcatcher trick him?"
The woman's expression turned vicious and smug.
"He just showed a few flashy tricks, and Li Daping—ha!—begged to be his disciple. Gave him money and offerings every day. When he ran out of money, the 'Immortal' kicked him away like trash."
So that was it.
Adrian finally pieced together the full reason behind Li Daping's suicide.
He turned to Shenhe, tone gentle,
"Senior Sister… show them what a real adeptal technique looks like."
Shenhe nodded lightly.
Her slender jade hand flipped, forming a hand seal in a blur.
In an instant—
A brilliant, dazzling surge of adeptal energy erupted like a tidal wave, flooding the entire house.
The air trembled.
Then—
With terrified screams, every villager inside the room was lifted clean off the ground by an invisible force.
Like stones flung by a giant, they were thrown violently out the door, rolling across the dirt as dust exploded around them.
The moment they hit the ground, their bravado shattered.
Crying, clutching their backsides, they scrambled away as if the Yaksas themselves were chasing them.
When the commotion finally died down, Adrian continued dressing Li Daping's body with calm, steady hands.
Old Lady Qin sat in the corner, completely shattered, tears sliding down her wrinkled cheeks like broken pearls.
By the time Adrian finished preparing the corpse, the moon had risen high and cold overhead.
The house was dim and bare.
Ash, shadow, and silence.
Old Lady Qin whispered, voice trembling,
"Everything… everything was sold to repay debts. There's no food left… no candles… truly shameful…"
Adrian sighed softly.
"Don't worry. I brought my own."
He stepped outside, returned with half a bag of rice and several candles.
He cooked a pot of simple porridge and left the rest of the rice behind for the old woman.
Shenhe quietly watched him the entire time, her gaze following him like her spirit was tied to his shadow.
After dinner, Adrian once again donned ceremonial white and recited rites through the night.
At dawn, he finished the send-off ceremony and cremated Li Daping's body.
A few kind villagers came to pay respect, heads bowed in silent apology.
When it was done, he placed the ashes gently into a simple urn and returned it to Old Lady Qin, whose tears had long dried into salt on her face.
Another sigh escaped him.
Then he began the trek back with Shenhe by his side.
As they approached the shop, they spotted someone waiting at the door—Keqing, arms crossed, expression bland with boredom.
Adrian perked a brow.
"Well, well, the great Yuheng herself. What rare wind blew you here today?"
Keqing's brows tightened—she still remembered leaving halfway the previous day.
She bit her lip, then said lightly,
"That was my fault. To make up for it, I'll secure one of the best plots on Mt. Tianheng for your cemetery."
Adrian's face instantly lit up.
"Aiya~ Master Keqing, why so polite? I wasn't bothered at all!"
Keqing rolled her eyes.
"However, you need to help me first."
"No."
Adrian refused instantly.
Keqing's temper flared.
"I haven't even said what it is!"
Adrian shrugged,
"What else could it be? Catching that so-called Starcatcher Immortal? Isn't that the Ministry of Justice's job? Not mine."
Keqing sighed.
"Ningguang fired most of the Ministry—cleaning house. We're severely understaffed."
Adrian waved lazily,
"Still no. No money, lots of trouble, wastes my time. I'd rather send off a few more people and level up."
Then—
A soft voice behind him:
"Junior Brother… accept it."
Shenhe's tone left no room for refusal.
Adrian straightened immediately.
"I accept."
Keqing stared, stunned… and faintly jealous.
Shenhe nodded and disappeared into the shop.
Adrian fed the donkey, then returned to Keqing, expression serious,
"Alright. What do you have so far?"
Keqing organized her thoughts.
"His real name is Wang Ping'an. From Wangjia Village. Somehow obtained a talisman and began calling himself the 'Starcatcher Immortal'—or Starcatcher True Lord."
"He divides believers into three ranks: recorded disciples, entry disciples, personal disciples—each requiring offerings of money."
"He also holds periodic 'Ascension Ceremonies.' Different ranks pay different amounts to participate."
Adrian snorted.
"So Li Daping ran out of money for the ceremony and killed himself."
Keqing nodded grimly.
Advance Chapters available on P@treon
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