“The materials are all ready!”
“Heh heh heh... thirteen years. It has been a full thirteen years, and they are finally ready.”
An elderly man slowly emerged from the darkness. He was senile and frail, yet the aura he projected was incredibly startling.
Upon seeing the old man appear, everyone in the room lowered their heads, not daring to look at him directly.
“My Qi family has resided in Wang City for a full century; it is time to take the next step!”
The others lowered their heads even further.
“Cough, cough, cough.”
Before the old man could say much more, he began to cough violently again.
A middle-aged man hurried forward, gently patting his back.
“Dad, you should rest.”
The old man took several ragged breaths and squinted at him.
“If even one of you were worth your salt, I would have been able to rest long ago. Would I still need to use this old body to scheme for your future?”
Hearing this, the others bowed their heads even lower.
The old man walked slowly toward the sofa, his voice low and heavy.
“What happened recently is likely no coincidence. Call back all the family's experts who are currently away.”
“Dad, is that really necessary?”
“Hmm?”
“Yes, sir!”
The old man sat down slowly. Though his eyes were cloudy, they remained extremely authoritative.
“With a major event approaching, every extra person is an extra bit of strength!”
“For some reason, I feel as though something is about to happen.”
“I hope... it is a good thing.”
...
Leisurely Bookstore.
“Oh? There is coffee today?”
“Yes, it is a new item for our shop. Only eight yuan a cup, and the second cup is half price.”
Yin Yang was working hard to help Lin Zhen promote the coffee.
The lethality of his smile to these girls' academy students was practically a controlled substance; not a single girl could refuse.
Lin Zhen had also thoughtfully prepared four tables by the window, each equipped with four small stools, enough to accommodate sixteen people.
Well, that was the limit; after all, the bookstore was only so large.
The girls who had to stand didn't find it boring either. After a few days, they had become somewhat familiar with Yin Yang and approached him with their coffee to chat.
“Xiao Yang, Xiao Yang, what is your favorite color?”
“Color? Blue, I suppose, because I like the sky.”
“Blue? That is a bit melancholy.”
“Is it? I also quite like red.”
“Red? Blue? That is quite a contrast.”
“Yeah, yeah! Why do you like red? Is it because it symbolizes passion or fire?”
As the girls chirped their questions, Yin Yang shook his head.
“Not really. It is because a master once told me that red is my lucky color. Wearing a red undershirt helps me bring in the wealth.”
As he spoke, Yin Yang pulled open his collar, revealing the red tank top underneath.
The girls watched with rapt attention, their eyes fixed on him, until the sound of the doorbell pulled them back to reality.
“Ahem, this coffee is really delicious.”
“Yeah, I am going to buy another cup tomorrow.”
“Me too, me too. Let's come together tomorrow.”
The girls stiffly changed the subject, while Yin Yang's gaze fell once again on the doorway. When he saw that familiar 'shyness,' the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upward.
“I... I am here to return a book.”
The newcomer was the 'Little White Rabbit.'
“Alright.”
Yin Yang took the deposit receipt and the book. After checking that the book was intact, he returned the deposit, but she waved her hands repeatedly.
“I want to borrow another book.”
“No problem. What do you plan to read today?”
“Do you have 《Love at First Sight》 by Black Plum?”
“Of course. One moment.”
Yin Yang gave the other girls an apologetic smile before standing up to find the book. The girls' gazes all landed on the 'Little White Rabbit.'
First it was 《Encounter》, and now it was 《Love at First Sight》. Even a blind person could see what she was up to!
However, they wanted to maintain their ladylike images in front of Yin Yang, so they said nothing for the moment.
It didn't take long for Yin Yang to find the book. He bagged it and handed it to the 'Little White Rabbit.'
“Your book.”
“Thank you.”
The Little White Rabbit whispered her thanks, then hurried out as if she were afraid of the girls surrounding her.
This made the girls quite unhappy, feeling as though they had been cast as the 'villainous background characters.'
What made them even more unhappy was that Yin Yang was actually staring at the girl's departing back!
In this, they had misunderstood him.
Yin Yang wasn't looking at the 'Little White Rabbit,' but at a newly appeared vengeful spirit behind her.
It was clearly Uncle Hua, the man who had lent them the coffee machine!
This felt a bit strange to Yin Yang. After all, the previous spirits were all handsome young men; the sudden appearance of a middle-aged man felt increasingly out of place the more he looked at it.
However, Uncle Hua's spirit was very blurry, clearly lacking the intense hatred those young men felt for the 'Little White Rabbit.'
Yin Yang gave a slight wave, and a streak of shadow pursued the 'Little White Rabbit.'
The Little White Rabbit, who had just opened the door, felt a sudden chill, but she didn't think much of it, assuming it was just the cold air rushing in.
“Xiao Yang, I want to borrow a book too.”
A sweet, dainty call woke Yin Yang from his thoughts.
“Borrow a book? Sure. Which one are you looking for?”
“I want to borrow 《The Moon Represents My Heart》.”
Yin Yang thought seriously about the title for a moment before shaking his head.
“I am sorry, we do not have that book in our shop.”
“Huh? How can that be?”
The girl looked disappointed, but her eyes held a hint of triumph as she looked toward the door.
See that? I can use the same tricks you do!
...
Evening, rental apartment.
Seeing that 'Uncle Hua,' whom he had met just yesterday, had already become a vengeful spirit, Yin Yang couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
Death was like that; it wasn't that people only died when they were old, but that it could happen at any time.
Because of this, people should enjoy the present moment all the more.
“Tell me, what happened?”
Uncle Hua's eyes were hollow, his intelligence extremely low.
Most ordinary people were in this state after death.
This was where the power of Communion and Perception became evident.
Yin Yang narrowed his eyes slightly as a surge of spiritual power emerged. Uncle Hua let out muffled, whimpering sounds, as if his mouth were stuffed with something, but Yin Yang roughly understood what he was trying to convey.
‘An old cow eating tender grass.’
‘The grass was poisonous.’
‘Dismembered.’
‘The grass was tasty.’
‘Wanted to eat more.’
‘But the grass was poisonous.’
Yin Yang’s face darkened, but he had confirmed the suspicions in his heart.
Before he could ask further, Uncle Hua's spirit gradually dissipated.
This was the normal state for the souls of ordinary people.
In most cases, the soul of an ordinary person would dissipate within an hour of death.
Those with obsessions might last a day or two, like Uncle Hua.
As for those who were murdered or filled with hatred, they could last much longer—around half a year or so.
Yin Yang was the most qualified to speak on this matter.
Back then, he had conducted plenty of research to keep those spirits from dissipating.
Thinking of this, Yin Yang felt a bit nostalgic for the mortuary in Wangduan City.
“Don't look for a gathering tonight. Go and check on that Little White Rabbit.”
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