Yellow Springs Inn (Zhang Xiao Qi)

T/N: If you are wondering why Wu Tong Shen is sometimes referred to as “them” but also considered “a person” and not two people, it"s because I"m confused, too. For now, I"ll just go with the idea that there are multiple ent.i.ties (presumably a male and a female) in one body of a person.

I whispered to Luo Qian Qi, "What are we going to do, the enemy is in the dark, but we are out in the open!"

Luo Qian Qi chuckled, "Don"t worry, if worst comes to worst we"ll just run away!"

I laughed mischievously, "This plan really isn"t too bad!"

Luo Qian Qi looked at me and chuckled, then we both pretended once again to not know that there was a person in the dark as we continued to bother Fu Yu Yan.

I looked at Fu Yu Yan and harrumphed, "Fu Yu Yan, you secretly fled the netherworld, you should know that there are ghost commissioners everywhere looking for you!"

Fu Yu Yan froze, "Who are you, how do you know I am…"

I harrumphed, "Who I am is not important; the important thing is that if you are caught by a ghost commissioner, then the only end that awaits you is being sent to the 18th level of h.e.l.l1, even your child will have to join you in your suffering, can you tolerate that?"

Fu Yu Yan stared blankly at me, "Who exactly are you, are you a ghost commissioner?"

I chuckled, "You don"t need to know who I am, but I am not a ghost commissioner. I just wanted to remind you out of good will, if you are willing to let go of your hatred and follow me back to the netherworld, it won"t be too late, but if you insist on pursuing the wrong path, you and your child will end up with your soul scattered, unable to reincarnate!"

Hearing my words, Fu Yu Yan glanced at the baby in her bosom, clearly hesitant.

Luo Qian Qi chuckled at me, praising me that my work was not too shabby.

I gave him a meaningful look, saying with my eyes: of course.

Suddenly, from the dark sounded a male and female voice overlapping each other, "Where did this little ghost come from, unexpectedly daring to ruin this G.o.d"s good deeds, really reckless!"

Luo Qian Qi and I harrumphed; finally showing yourself?

I did not care for the overlapping voices, instead saying to Fu Yu Yan, "The sea of bitterness knows no ends, return to the sh.o.r.e and free yourself!"

Fu Yu Yan was clearly somewhat affected by this, but then that overlapping male and female voice said, "Fu Yu Yan, don"t forget, it was Wan Tong Guang that dumped you and your child, who was the main reason you and your yet unborn child became like this? It was Wan Tong Guang, so you must take revenge, take revenge!"

Hearing the overlapping male and female voices words, the temperature of Fu Yu Yan"s gaze quickly dropped, her mouth muttering, "That"s right, I need to take revenge, I need to take revenge, anyone from the Wan House cannot have an easy death!"

Luo Qian Qi"s pupils constricted as he said, "Fu Yu Yan, even if you are not thinking about yourself, but you at least have to think about your child, if you really walk on the road of no return, you and your child will only have one end, that is your soul scattering and disappearing completely, moreover the netherworld has police officers, has laws, he will definitely receive lawful punishment!"

Hearing Luo Qian Qi"s words, Fu Yu Yan"s icy gaze gradually warmed.

She said to Luo Qian Qi, "I want to save my child!"

Luo Qian Qi and I glanced at each other, both our faces filled with happiness.

If we could make Fu Yu Yan let go of her hatred without laying our cards down, that would be best.

At this time the overlapping male and female voice said icily, "Fu Yu Yan, could you have forgotten your hatred? Forgotten the real murderer of your child? Let me tell you, they are people hired by Wan Tong Guang, that man is Thousand Jade Hall"s Hall Master, do you really want to believe them?"

When Fu Yu Yan heard Thousand Jade Hall, these three words, she instantly became on edge, facing us with enmity.

I said quietly to Luo Qian Qi, "This is bad, everything we said just now was a waste of breath!"

Luo Qian Qi looked at me and laughed hollowly, then he smiled at Fu Yu Yan and said, "Thousand Jade Hall might be a ghost capturing clan, but we differentiate between good and bad intentions very clearly. Ghosts free from evil intentions we will send back to the netherworld, while ghosts with evil intentions only have one end, that is the soul scattering and disappearing. I hope that you will think over it carefully, and at the same time also think about the child in your bosom!"

Fu Yu Yan hesitated once more. At this, the mysterious person in the dark was finally unable to remain patient; he released a golden light that shot directly towards Luo Qian Qi and I.

Luo Qian Qi, upon seeing the situation, lifted the Chi Xiao Sword and slashed a sword aura that collided with the golden light, sounding a "peng."

Luo Qian Qi harrumphed, saying, "Hiding and not even daring to come out to see us, yet you still have the cheek to call yourself a deity!"

"Ignorant little ghost!" The moment the overlapping male and female voice finished speaking, a black cloud appeared above Fu Yu Yan.

Luo Qian Qi looked at that black cloud, "Finally willing to come out?"

I laughed mischievously, "I was wondering who it was, so it was Wu Tong Shen!"

Wu Tong Shen looked at Luo Qian Qi and I and smiled coldly, "Since you already know of our ident.i.ty, let me warn you, don"t meddle in this matter any further!"

Luo Qian Qi chuckled darkly, "Not meddle in this matter, then do you want us to ignore you continually hurting others?"

Wu Tong Shen chuckled darkly, "You courted death yourself, you can"t blame me anymore, ha ha ha!"

I looked at Wu Tong Shen and laughed coldly, "The Wan Family enshrined you, yet you harmed them in return, is this not a bit unwarranted?"

Wu Tong Shen looked at me a little differently, "How do you know the Wan Family enshrined me?"

I laughed mischievously, "I felt bored in the middle of the day, and took a stroll in the Wan Family"s villa, then I saw you guys being enshrined!"

Wu Tong Shen laughed mischievously, "It"s true they enshrined me, that was because I helped them them fulfill their demands; however, when you give you must receive!"

I said, "You want to receive payment from them, then why did you instigate Fu Yu Yan into killing them?"

Wu Tong Shen laughed mischievously, "It wasn"t I that instigated her, it was the Wan House that owed her in the first place, she is just getting her repayment!"

Following this Wu Tong Shen smiled and asked Fu Yu Yan, "Fu Yu Yan, am I right?"

Fu Yu Yan clenched her teeth, "You are right, it was their family that owed me, I want not one bit less of the debt returned, ha ha ha ha!"

With this Fu Yu Yan left the street in a flash.

Luo Qian Qi and I were about to chase after her, but were blocked by Wu Tong Shen.

Luo Qian Qi looked at Wu Tong Shen, his tone icy, "Move!"

Wu Tong Shen looked at Luo Qian Qi and chuckled darkly, "As long as you two win against me, I"ll let you guys go, hee hee hee!"

I pulled at Luo Qian Qi, saying quietly, "Don"t worry for now, there is still Yang Sheng on the Wan Family"s side!"

Luo Qian Qi nodded, then retreated to my side.

From the moment Fu Yu Yan carried her baby and left, Wu Tong Shen and we stood face to face.

I looked at Wu Tong Shen and chuckled, "Wu Tong Shen, in order to block us you stayed here instead of rescuing the Wan Family?"

Wu Tong Shen harrumphed, "Since you already know, why bother asking?"

I chuckled coldly and did not say anything further.

I whispered to Luo Qian Qi, "Wasting time with them like this isn"t a viable plan either, they only brought three people; that means that in the Wan Family there are still two people. If Yang Sheng is unable to hold them up, and Fu Yu Yan really does end up killing Wan Tong Guang and the others, then she and her child really will have no chance at reincarnation!"

Luo Qian Qi nodded, then I laughed mischievously, "Us two against three should be enough to win!"

Luo Qian Qi lifted the Chi Xiao Sword and said, "What do you say?"

I laughed mischievously, and a silver whip appeared in my hand.

Wu Tong Shen looked at Luo Qian Qi and I and harrumphed, "Don"t count your chickens before they hatch!"

With this they sent a golden ray shooting towards Luo Qian Qi and I.

Luo Qian Qi and I had not even made a move yet when a person blocked Wu Tong Shen"s attack for us.

I focused on that person, realizing that the one that blocked the attack was actually Auntie Ling Xue.

I looked at the girl wearing a blue cheongsam in front of me and said in bewilderment, “Auntie Ling Xue, how come you came?”

Ling Xue turned around to look at Luo Qian Qi and I, smiling, “It"s not just me, Hong Yan came, too!”

Saying this, Ling Xue"s gaze landed on a tree by my side.

Luo Qian Qi and I followed Ling Xue"s line of sight, realizing that Hong Yan was presently leaning up against the bark of the tree, smiling as she waved.

Wu Tong Shen looked at us and laughed coldly, "You really think that by bringing over two more people you can defeat me; you really are too naïve!"

Ling Xue looked at Wu Tong Shen and laughed coldly, "Wu Tong Shen, we came today not to defeat you, but to talk business!"

Saying this Ling Xue looked at me with a smile, and I smiled back at her.

Wu Tong Shen said in bewilderment, "Talking business, what benefit is there for me?"

Ling Xue chuckled, "Benefit? To be able to work with Yellow Springs Inn, is this not a benefit?

Wu Tong Shen stared blankly, "You guys are from Yellow Springs Inn!"

Ling Xue smiled and nodded her head, "We are!"

Wu Tong Shen looked at Luo Qian Qi and I and laughed coldly, "When did Yellow Springs Inn a.s.sociate itself Thousand Jade Hall?"

Hong Yan yawned, saying lazily, "We"ve a.s.sociated with each other from the start, it"s just that outsiders don"t know about it; think about it, if you work with us, not only will you gain the help of Yellow Springs Inn, you will also have one less enemy, Thousand Jade Hall, to deal with. Is this not a good deal?"

Wu Tong Shen laughed coldly, "Then if I don"t agree?"

Luo Qian Qi looked at Wu Tong Shen in an icy tone, "You really think that Yellow Springs and Thousand Jade Hall don"t have the power to take you on?"

Wu Tong Shen thought it over, then said, "Ok, say it, what do you want to do?"

I smiled, "Release Fu Yu Yan and her son, allow them to reincarnate as people again!"

Wu Tong Shen chuckled, "Releasing that mother and son is not a problem, but I still hope that you won"t interfere in the Wan Family"s affairs, after all this is our, Wu Tong Shen"s, business!"

Luo Qian Qi laughed coldly, "We have no interest in bothering in your and the Wan Family"s affairs!"

Wu Tong Shen laughed, "That"s good, the brother and sister pair that I"ve left in the Wan House have returned news that Fu Yu Yan has already arrived at the Wan House, however the Wan House has a little guy sticking his nose into this business, currently fighting with Fu Yu Yan!"

I chuckled and said to Luo Qian Qi, "Could it be Yang Sheng?"

Luo Qian Qi laughed coldly, "If not him, could it be anyone else?"

I glanced at Luo Qian Qi, and suddenly had a vicious plan.

I laughed mischievously towards Wu Tong Shen and said, "Wu Tong Shen, let that Yang Sheng suffer a bit, but don"t take his life!"

Wu Tong Shen nodded and smiled, "No problem, not our fault we are allies!"

I gave Luo Qian Qi a few mischievous laughs, Luo Qian Qi pinched my nose a bit, chuckling, "The amount of your ghost-like traits [mischievousness] really is abnormally high!"

I laughed mischievously and did not reply.

Standing to the side, Ling Xue, Hong Yan, as well as Wu Tong Shen were covering up their eyes, Hong Yan laughed playfully, "Too bright, I almost can"t keep my eyes open anymore!"

I gave Hong Yan a cold stare, "Why don"t you just go die?"

Hong Yan looked at me and laughed mischievously, "We were dead from the start; have you forgotten already, right now we are ghosts!"

I "tch"-ed unhappily, while Luo Qian Qi merely had on a face of calm.

Inside the Wan House, Yang Sheng and Fu Yu Yan were fighting. The ghost baby was slowly crawling over to Wan Tong Guang and the others.

The ghost baby slowly crawled toward Wan Tong Guang, wailing, "Daddy, Daddy…"

Wan Tong Guang looked at the ghost baby on the floor unceasingly crawling towards him, and said in fright, "Don"t come over here, don"t come here, go away, just go away!"

1. h.e.l.l vs. netherworld: I use two different words to refer to what seems the same because two words are used in this book for the Underworld: di yu (地狱) and yin jian (阴间). I guess di yu is more of the punishment side of the Underworld and the yin jian is more of the reincarnation side. Not completely sure, but I think the two can also refer to the same thing. Also, the 18th level of Chinese h.e.l.l is like the 9th circle of Dante"s Inferno: it is for the worst sinners and thus has the cruelest forms of punishment.↩