Entering the game once more seemed to bring yet another different experience.
Even though it was clearly a 2D game, whenever Nan Zhi picked up the tablet, she felt as if her soul attached itself directly to her game avatar.
Every single move, every frown and smile, felt as though it followed her very thoughts.
This game isn't even trying to hide it anymore, is it?
But Nan Zhi didn't look into it too deeply.
Her lottery tickets were barely warm in her hands before she immediately spent them on a ten-pull.
The ancient tree that blocked out the sky slowly spread its branches and leaves, countless flashes of golden treasure light glittering among them.
The faceless girls in green bustled about, presenting the prizes from this ten-pull.
【Yin Niangzi Brand Stinky Tofu × 10, Qi-Supplementing Pill × 3, Blood Supplementing Pill × 6, Yin Niangzi Brand Stinky Tofu × 5, Mirage Pearl Escape (Purple Quality), Hemostatic Grass × 3, Hemostatic Grass × 5, Yin Niangzi Brand Stinky Tofu × 1, Gold Ingot × 1, Paper Ingots × 20】
A purple drop?
Why was she so lucky this time?
“No way, another technique? Is my luck finally turning around? Am I shedding my bad luck for pure gold?”
Nan Zhi almost couldn't believe her eyes.
But before she could get a closer look, the lottery screen slowly faded, and thick patches of mist obscured her vision.
“This tree really feels like it understands my words and has a life of its own.”
Nan Zhi couldn't help but stare a little longer, only to lock eyes with a faceless girl who hadn't managed to hide in time.
The little girl froze for a moment. That face devoid of features took a long, deep “look” at Nan Zhi, covered her face with her wide sleeves, and ducked back into the treasure tree, vanishing without a trace.
Despite having no facial features, Nan Zhi somehow felt that she had just been smiling.
How magical.
Could these faceless girls be tree spirits belonging to the Heavenly Treasure Tree?
Once she achieved success in cultivation down the line, maybe she'd even be able to communicate with them.
Even though she had witnessed the wonders of the cultivation path countless times, Nan Zhi still couldn't help marveling at it.
While she was lost in thought, over in the game, Nan Ye stormed in through the door, puffing with anger. Her cheeks were flushed red, looking as though she had just gotten into a fierce argument with someone.
Now this was rare.
One had to know that although Nan Ye was the youngest among the three Nan family children and had a lively personality in private, she always carried herself like a proper young lady in front of outsiders.
In the entirety of Lingbai Alley, someone might occasionally speak ill of Nan Zhi, but no one had ever uttered a single bad word about Nan Ye.
This proved she was truly furious.
Nan Zhi poured her a bowl of water and teased, “Who did our Sister Ye get into a fight with? Look at your face, all red. Aren't you afraid of working yourself into a fit?”
“Who else could it be? It's that tofu seller, Qiao Niangzi! To think the whole neighborhood praised her for being kindhearted and good!”
Nan Ye gripped the handkerchief in her hand tightly, looking ready to tear it to shreds. “Big Sister told her in private that the haunting at her house had nothing to do with the grey rat. In fact, that rat actually saved her life!
“Yet when I passed by the tofu shop today, I heard Qiao Niangzi chatting with people, claiming her house had never been haunted at all! She said it was just an excuse you made up, Big Sister, because you were greedy for their tofu!”
The more she spoke, the angrier she became, her cheeks flushing even redder:
“Big Sister was only being considerate and didn't want to embarrass her, which is why you kindly explained things in private. Who would have thought she'd turn around and bite us instead? It's infuriating!”
“So that's what got you so worked up.
“Whether someone is good or bad is just what comes out of other people's mouths. Getting this upset over some gossip simply isn't worth it.”
Nan Zhi smiled, feeling no anger at all.
Back when she captured the Painted Skin Ghost, Nan Zhi hadn't publicized the fact that Qiao Dalang had been seduced by the ghost and had his vitality drained.
First, she feared malicious people might realize the grey rat possessed spiritual awareness and start slaughtering the rat demons in the city.
Second, Qiao Niangzi was the one living that life; whether to expose the matter and divorce Qiao Dalang was a decision Qiao Niangzi had to make for herself.
With his vitality scattered, Qiao Dalang now lay sickly in bed all day, unable even to step on the ground, practically a cripple.
Yet unexpectedly, after hearing the entire sequence of events from beginning to end, Qiao Niangzi insisted that Qiao Dalang merely suffered from poor health and that it had nothing to do with any painted skin evil ghost.
As for the grey rat spirit that saved her life, Qiao Niangzi refused to mention it ever again.
The human heart was complicated.
While Qiao Niangzi's soft heart was real, she was simply unwilling to admit that the one who saved her was actually a big grey-furred rat.
Having navigated the corporate workplace for years, Nan Zhi easily saw through Qiao Niangzi's thoughts.
The tofu shop belonged to the Qiao family. If she made a big fuss, a divorce wasn't even guaranteed, and whenever anyone mentioned their household, there would only be nasty gossip.
Furthermore, getting involved with spirits and demons—whether deemed a heartwarming tale or not—generally brought more trouble than benefit to ordinary commoners.
Qiao Niangzi had lived side by side with the grey rat spirit in harmony for over a decade; that was the good cause she had sown.
The grey rat spirit risking its life to warn Qiao Niangzi was the good fruit Qiao Niangzi had reaped.
Now that the grey rat spirit had moved away and Qiao Niangzi felt no gratitude for its life-saving favor, the slate between human and demon was considered wiped clean, leaving no further entanglements for the future.
Even if the grey rat spirit succeeded in its cultivation in the future, it would no longer need to repay any karmic debt to Qiao Niangzi.
Every sip and bite had its cause and effect.
The current situation was merely the result of the choices made by those involved.
Besides...
Ever since the grey rat spirit left, business at the Qiao family tofu shop had plummeted.
Could that also be related to this?
Nan Zhi felt as though she had faintly grasped something, though it remained indistinct.
“Still, the grey rat spirit did save Qiao Niangzi, and you were the one who killed that painted skin evil ghost, Big Sister!
“Yet Qiao Niangzi doesn't distinguish right from wrong and smears your reputation for no reason, as if our family were desperate for a bite of her tofu!
“Pah! From now on, even if I have to walk all the way to the north of the city, I'll never buy tofu from her shop again!”
Nan Ye's hands slowed their tugging on the handkerchief, but her expression remained indignant:
“You're considerate of Qiao Niangzi's hardships, Big Sister, but does that mean you should just let people slander you?
“If everyone in Dao cultivation acted like you, Big Sister, wouldn't all the cultivators in the world end up being taken advantage of until they died?”
“Who said I'm being taken advantage of?”
Nan Zhi stretched lazily and pointed with her chin toward the wide-open courtyard gate:
“When you walked in just now, Mom was standing right in the courtyard. By now, she's probably on the warpath to the Qiao family tofu shop to have a 'talk' with them.”
The courtyard gate stood wide open, and even from a distance, Chen Jingui's murderous retreating figure was visible.
Nan Ye: “...”
Mom going to have a talk?
It would be more accurate to say she was marching over to unleash a verbal barrage.
Years ago, when some ruffians came demanding protection money, Chen Jingui hadn't backed down in the slightest. She hauled a long bench out on her own and cursed them out from one end of the street to the other.
Chen Jingui had a fiery temper and was well-informed on all neighborhood gossip; she knew who was related to whom, which husband was having an affair outside, and even who had left behind a pair of red undershirts.
Inquiring after the other party's ancestors for eighteen generations was just her warming up.
In the end, the ruffians were cursed until their faces turned beet red, utterly unable to fight back.
Ever since then, the street rascals would steer clear the moment they saw Chen Jingui.
Nan Zhi patted Nan Ye's shoulder with a calm expression:
“Leave specialized work to the specialists. I made quite a tidy sum of money from slaying demons in my dreams a few days ago.
“Right, weren't you worried about that grey rat? Why don't you come with me to check on it? While we're at it, we can browse the shops in the city and buy some things we need.”
Only then did Nan Ye agree, her heart somewhat unsettled.
Except this time, she was actually worried for Qiao Niangzi instead.
Nan Zhi had full confidence in Chen Jingui's combat capabilities.
She was guaranteed to scold whoever gossiped until they hung their heads in shame.
Nor did she have any intention of stopping Chen Jingui.
While Nan Zhi sympathized with Qiao Niangzi, if the woman really tried to throw dirty water onto her head, it couldn't simply be brushed off.
Just as Nan Ye had said, what was the point of cultivating the Dao if doing so meant suffering endless grievances? She might as well not cultivate at all.
...
Following the guidance of the Big Bellied Ghost from the City God Temple, Nan Zhi took Nan Ye around the shops near the temple and indeed found traces of the grey rat spirit in an abandoned small courtyard.
The courtyard had been uninhabited for many years.
Weeds grew rampant in the yard and the enclosing walls were dilapidated, with only the courtyard gate remaining intact.
The lock hanging on the gate was somewhat rusted. With a gentle exertion of force, Nan Zhi snapped it open with her bare hands.
What monstrous strength.
Nan Ye couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement, though she felt a hint of concern: “Big Sister, this is someone else's courtyard after all. Are we really just going to barge in? What if someone reports us to the officials...”
“What's there to be afraid of? The grass in this yard is waist-high, clearly showing nobody comes here. We're just here looking for someone and will leave in a bit.”
At this point, Nan Zhi looked at the shattered lock in her hand with an awkward expression: “Right, remember to remind me to buy a new lock to replace it for them.”
Just as she finished speaking, a rustling noise came from the weeds in the yard.
Before long, a sleek, plump, grey-furred large rat appeared before the two of them.
Who else could it be but the grey rat spirit from before?
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