"You don't keep your word!"
001 glared at me, arms crossed, clearly furious.
"Didn't I say I'd bring you plenty of good food when I got back? It only takes me a moment to return, so don't worry."
It was already 9 p.m. Agent Seven had temporarily prepared a room in a two-story house for himself and 001, bringing only simple sleeping bags. Although I could fly the two of them straight back to the city and stay at a hotel, that would be risky. This place was protected by layers of powerful spell formations, extremely reliable. If there was even the slightest disturbance, I'd know immediately. Heavenly Soul had also helped plant his power in every room of the village.
If we were attacked suddenly, as long as we hid in the house, Heavenly Soul could drag them into his instinctive space. That would basically guarantee our safety.
Right now, I'm not worried about the Immortality Society, but about other skilled individuals wandering the living world. They're the most dangerous. The Underworld Court and Immortality Society have an agreement; at this critical moment, neither side will stir up trouble. The Ghost Sovereigns are watching them closely. Xu Fu knows this well—any sudden conflict could ignite a war, and that's not something either the Underworld Court or Immortality Society want to see.
Lately, the Immortality Society has been up to something sneaky. Thanks to their connection with the Underworld Court, their operations have become smoother.
The only thing I don't know is where John Chou has gone. After I returned, I asked Heavenly Soul to look around, but no one knows his whereabouts. Rachel Lan has vanished, too. Thinking of this, I smiled.
"John Chou is probably trying to use Rachel Lan for something again!"
It was getting late. I planned to head over at nine thirty. After briefing Heavenly Soul on everything to watch out for, I slowly rose into the air, intending to fly over at a leisurely pace. Although it would be safer to scout around the Immortality Society's perimeter first, that approach was pointless.
"Hmph, you never keep your promises."
001 made a face at me again and stuck out her tongue. I smiled slightly, and in an instant, I was above the sea, quietly flying toward the northern harbor district.
From a distance, I could see a brightly lit area. The place I was in had already been discovered by the Immortality Society, which pissed me off. They must have used some insect or bird to track me down.
Time ticked by. At exactly ten o'clock, I arrived above the harbor district and picked out the most popular spot—a Harbor Seafood Grill with ten floors. The rooftop was empty, not a single person around, and even the lower two floors were deserted.
With a whoosh, I landed on the rooftop. Xu Fu was already sitting in a chair, looking like he'd been waiting for me a long time. The seafood on the table was still steaming. He grabbed a bottle of wine and quickly filled two glasses.
"Come on, eat while it's hot!"
I sat down, picked up the wine glass, and took a sip. Not bad.
"Let's skip the pleasantries, Xu Fu."
"The reason I called you here is to continue our last conversation—about the Blood Jade..."
I raised a hand and cut Xu Fu off mid-sentence.
"Not interested."
As I spoke, I was already standing up, clearly preparing to leave.
Xu Fu gave a cold, sinister smile.
"You should see what cards I have to play. Earthly Soul, I think you'll want to sit down and talk this through."
As he spoke, Xu Fu pulled out a small tuft of hair from his coat and placed it on the table. Instantly, my eyes widened.
"What does that mean?"
I asked, feeling the ghost souls inside me stir. It wasn't just me—they sensed it too. We all knew whose hair was on the table. My eyes lit up with excitement, and I burst out laughing, grabbed the wine bottle, and gulped it down.
"Just as you thought—it's the real deal. I got it from Zhang Qingyuan himself. The aura is unmistakable, Earthly Soul."
"Where is he?"
Xu Fu leaned back, took a sip of wine, and picked up a lobster from the table, crunching through the shell as he ate.
"Of course he's in our hands. As for why he's still alive, that's a trade secret. Or are you planning to wait until John Chou returns before making a decision?"
"Impossible. Zhang Qingyuan is already dead."
With a bang, I threw the wine bottle at Xu Fu. He dodged, and it shattered on the ground. Xu Fu just smiled.
"Impossible. You were there when Zhang Qingyuan died—I know for a fact he's gone. Are you trying to trick me, Xu Fu?"
"If you don't believe me, you can let the ghost souls belonging to Zhang Qingyuan inside you verify it."
I pressed a hand to my forehead, staring hard at Xu Fu. In my mind, I heard Deathbane Ghost's voice.
"It's definitely Qingyuan's aura, no mistake. And the connection to him hasn't been severed—the aura is still radiating. That hair was just taken from Qingyuan."
"How did you find me?"
I switched topics. Xu Fu shrugged helplessly.
"You really are ruthless. I only sent someone to notify you and deliver the news that Zhang Qingyuan is alive, but you killed my messenger. There's a saying: 'You don't kill the envoy during war.' It takes a lot of effort to train a Blue-Faced Man—you should at least return the body!"
I lowered my hands, then let out a cold laugh and said.
Answer my question. How did you find me?
Xu Fu's greatest skill is leading others by the nose, and he wants to use the fact that Zhang Qingyuan is still alive to manipulate me. I'm well aware of this. The only reason I haven't turned against him yet is because of the small bundle of hair on the table.
It was the ghosts inside your body who told me. Have you forgotten? Where did I come from?
I swallowed, a little surprised as I looked at Xu Fu. Back then, the reason Buddhism and Daoism were able to descend upon the Heavenly Dao was thanks to Xu Fu, who, as a human, acted as a medium, channeling that power completely into Zhang Qingyuan's body. Through Zhang Qingyuan, a passage was established, allowing the power of Buddhism and Daoism to fully infuse into the Heavenly Dao, thus forming a new Heavenly Dao. Once the Heavenly Dao was restored, the Six Paths of Reincarnation resumed normal operation. I had thought about this series of events before—it was as if everything had been deliberately designed.
If you're thinking about what happened back then, I can tell you—it was all an accident. When I was sealed together with the Ghost Ancestor, Buddhism and Daoism suddenly came in person. Naturally, we reached certain agreements. The reason I could cross over wasn't because of Buddha, Dao, or myself, but because of that girl named Qi.
I didn't intend to keep pursuing matters that were already past.
If you really want to know how I found you, check carefully. There should be a trace of Buddhist and Daoist power left in your ghosts. Such easily recognizable power—and I've spent a long time in the space where Buddhism and Daoism blend. Naturally, I can sense it. Let's drop this topic. I can trade Zhang Qingyuan to you, but you have to hand over the Blood Jade first.
I burst out laughing and picked up a jug of wine, drinking it down.
If you're looking for a good deal, you should negotiate with Yin Choujian instead. Zhang Qingyuan may be my rival, but he's just another failure who fell by the wayside—not worth any more of my energy. We're done here, Xu Fu. If you really want the Blood Jade, come and take it with your own strength. If you can defeat me, it's yours.
I stared at Xu Fu coldly, killing intent flickering in my eyes. I know there's much about him that's still unclear—even his very existence is questionable—but this is what I want to do.
How frightening you've become, Earthly Soul. You're so irritable now. Let's end tonight's conversation here—we don't want to trigger a battle for no reason.
For a split second, I was tempted to let Xu Fu take me to Zhang Qingyuan. If he could really bring Zhang Qingyuan back, handing over the Blood Jade wouldn't matter—there are still a few fragments left anyway.
One last question: if you want, come with me somewhere. I'll take you to see Zhang Qingyuan. He might not recognize you anymore, but he's definitely in our hands. Only we can arrange for you to meet him again. What do you say? There's no harm in going.
I let out a cold chuckle and slowly floated upward.
Either you bring Zhang Qingyuan here—you've already captured him, haven't you? If you've got him, bring him before me. Use whatever means you want, threaten me with him in person. Maybe then I'll negotiate over this Blood Jade.
Xu Fu's face darkened completely, his smile vanishing.
Or is it that you haven't actually caught him, Xu Fu?
I smirked, and Xu Fu stood up.
Of course we've caught him. But for certain reasons, we can't bring him here to threaten you. Earthly Soul, sit down and let's keep talking.
Sorry. When you've sorted out those reasons, send someone to find me. Next time, bring more of your so-called 'sentiment people'—one or two won't be enough for me to kill.
I laughed wildly and instantly left the rooftop. Behind me, Xu Fu's face was twisted with rage.
Tonight, I've taken full control. I won't show weakness to Xu Fu—the initiative is in my hands.