Scolded by Su Liyan's mother,
the little girl hastily landed.
Su Liyan's mother, meanwhile, hurried over to the little girl and said,
"Yunyun, hurry and find your sister..."
But Su Liyan's mother stopped halfway through her sentence, then said,
"On second thought, go to the outskirts of Taiping City. There's a Da Xingzi there. Don't let it get inside and hurt anyone."
The little girl blinked, then gave a solemn nod.
"Alright~"
With that, the little girl started walking toward Taiping City. Seeing this, Su Liyan's mother grew anxious and cried out,
"Hey, don't walk! Float there! You have to be quick! Whatever you do, don't let that Da Xingzi get into the city."
The little girl was speechless.
"Granny, you're being mean!"
Su Liyan's mother looked a bit embarrassed herself, then said,
"I'll give you candy when you get back. And meat, too! Now hurry, hurry!"
At this, the little girl's face finally lit up. Her body grew light as she floated into the air, and then, in the blink of an eye, she was gone.
Seeing the little girl go, Su Liyan's mother finally let out a sigh of relief.
Just as she was about to head back to the village, voices rose from the surrounding pitch-black night:
"Elder Sister, didn't we agree to stay out of these things...?"
"That's right. Taiping City is a long way from here. It's none of our business..."
In response to the surrounding chatter, Su Liyan's mother rolled her eyes irritably.
"What do you mean, 'none of our business'?
My son-in-law is in that city! And he's that lady's own nephew!
He's probably right there beside her.
If that Da Xingzi tries to hurt her, wouldn't my son-in-law get hurt too?"
But in response to Su Liyan's mother's words, the Xingzi in the surrounding darkness said:
"But isn't your daughter there with your son-in-law?
With Liyan around, what kind of Xingzi could stir up any real trouble?"
Su Liyan's mother said as she hurried home,
"Can't have that. If it comes to that, my girl will revert to her true nature, and things will get ugly.
Besides, it would reveal her powers.
And... I never taught her any of the really powerful stuff..."
But the other Xingzi said:
"C'mon, Elder Sister. With your abilities, if you just showed them off a little...
Wouldn't you be living in style?
Why would you still be stuck suffering here?
Your son and daughter wouldn't have to live this kind of life either..."
In response to these words, Su Liyan's mother glared and said:
"What kind of life?!
Isn't my daughter's life just perfect?
Didn't you all see how much her husband dotes on her tonight?!
You old geezers have known me for more than a day or two.
Have you forgotten how my Brother Hu died?"
When Su Liyan's mother finished speaking, the other Xingzi fell silent.
They just stewed in silence.
An unknown amount of time passed before Su Liyan's mother arrived home.
Only the sound of jingling and clanking remained in the desolate wilderness.
It's unknown who spoke first.
A sinister voice materialized from nowhere, saying:
"I'm gonna follow that Little Ginseng Spirit and have a look. See who's makin' trouble in Taiping City's territory without even sayin' hello to us."
Suddenly, the area buzzed with activity.
"Me too, me too! Let's go watch the show. If we can lend a hand, maybe Elder Sister will toss us a piece of meat when we get back."
"I'll go too, I'll go too."
There were excited ones, but also one who said lazily:
"Nah, forget it. I'm not going. Too lazy to move.
Besides, that Little Ginseng Spirit is enough. We wouldn't be any help anyway.
What if too many of us go, cause a big commotion, and Elder Sister finds out? You think we'll be getting meat then?
She'd probably scatter our very souls."
"..."
"..."
...
「Taiping City, Zhao Family.」
A large altar was set up inside a room.
Zhao Qiao'Er sat primly in the center of the altar.
She was surrounded by all sorts of Talisman Paper and candles.
Even though it had been personally arranged by Daoist Longchuan, sitting here and waiting...
...Zhao Qiao'Er couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive.
But as she watched Lu Yuan below, wandering back and forth and peering all around...
...her heart settled considerably.
She looked down at Lu Yuan, who had a Wooden Sword on his back, an Ink Pot in his hand, and some unknown contraption tucked into his belt.
A gentle smile touched the corners of Zhao Qiao'Er's lips as she said:
"Are you hungry?
Should I have the kitchen make you a bowl of dumplings to tide you over?
We might have to be up all night, you know."
Lu Yuan waved his hand.
"No need. I'm stuffed. If I eat any more, I won't be able to move!"
That's what Lu Yuan said, but Zhao Qiao'Er still doted on him.
She immediately had Li Fu go to the kitchen to make a bowl of dumplings for Lu Yuan and bring it over.
After he finished the dumplings, she then had someone bring him tea, followed by fruit.
The men lying in wait in the corners of the room watched, stunned.
'Good heavens, is this guy here to work, or to stuff his face?'
"Really, no more. Anymore and I really won't be able to move.
I feel like a bottomless pit right now."
Lu Yuan collapsed on a chair, rubbing his stomach and waving his hand.
But Zhao Qiao'Er smiled and looked at Lu Yuan, saying:
"A young man like you eats dinner, and two or three hours later you're hungry again. It's so good to be young~"
Lu Yuan was taken aback, then he replied,
"You're not old either, Aunty. You're still young."
Even Yu Qian would have had to respond that way.
No woman dislikes being told she looks young, and Lu Yuan's words naturally brought a wide smile to Zhao Qiao'Er's face.
But she said wistfully,
"Young? I'm already thirty-five this year. I married into this Taiping City at fifteen, so it's been exactly twenty years..."
Lu Yuan casually picked up a nearby apple and said while munching on it,
"What's wrong with thirty-five? That's a woman's prime.
It's like a ripe honey peach—sweet, juicy... that's when they're at their best~"
In response to Lu Yuan's improper talk, Zhao Qiao'Er couldn't help but blush as she retorted playfully,
"Pah! What 'honey peach'? What 'ripe'? I bet you're just finding a roundabout way to say your aunt has gotten plump.
Speaking of which, I have put on a roll of annoying fat around my belly these past few years."
But Lu Yuan just chuckled.
"That 'annoying fat' is the best part.
Last time in that run-down house, holding all of your gorgeous flesh... I just wanted to..."
Halfway through, Lu Yuan froze and immediately shut his mouth.
But Zhao Qiao'Er, blushing and with a look of anticipation, looked at Lu Yuan and said shyly,
"You just wanted to do what to your aunt?"
Lu Yuan chuckled and waved his hand.
"Nothing... It's nothing..."
Zhao Qiao'Er gave Lu Yuan an incredibly flirtatious eye-roll.
"I can see it now. You're a handful, you brute."
Lu Yuan bit the apple, chuckled, and was too embarrassed to look at Zhao Qiao'Er again.
Instead, he looked out the window.
But what he saw made him jump.
A Xingzi with disheveled hair, dressed in a white shirt, black pants, white socks, and black shoes.
It was hopping in the corridor of the courtyard.
It was bouncing up and down rapidly, as if it had springs on its feet.
Its bouncing was deeply unsettling.
"A Jumping Ghost?!"