As Le Gui followed the old man through the courtyard, she finally gave up on resisting.

“You must protect me.” She whispered.

“Mm.” Seer Mirror responded.

Le Gui frowned. “Just ‘mm’? I’m risking my life coming with you!”

“You’re so naggy.” Seer Mirror sounded displeased. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”

Satisfied, Le Gui let the matter drop and continued following the old man through several twists and turns. Eventually, they arrived at the main hall.

“Please wait here for a moment. The master will be here shortly.” The steward spoke with gentle courtesy.

Le Gui nodded and sat down in a chair.

After exchanging a few more words, the steward turned and left. The moment he was gone, Le Gui immediately began inspecting the room. Once she confirmed that the doors and windows weren’t locked, she finally let out a small sigh of relief.

Coming here alone with Seer Mirror was too reckless.

Le Gui sighed again. Just as she was about to sit back down, she suddenly noticed a little ghost girl silently perched on the chair beside her.

Startled, Le Gui jumped and quickly glanced at the doorway, ensuring the steward wasn’t returning, before hastily whispering, “Why did you come out? Hurry and hide!”

The ghost girl, dressed in blood-red robes, sat quietly. Upon seeing the fresh flowers in a vase on the table, she murmured with a hint of nostalgia, “When I was little, my mother loved to pick wildflowers and place them in vases. I never thought… even after so many years, she still has this habit.”

Le Gui paused. Suddenly, she felt that her earlier wariness and tension were a little rude. Clearing her throat, she hesitated before reaching out to hold the ghost girl’s cold hand. Her fingers immediately felt numb from the icy touch.

“You… You’ll be seeing your parents soon. Are you happy?” Le Gui asked awkwardly.

The ghost girl was silent for a moment before nodding.

Le Gui smiled. “That reaction… Are you feeling nervous now that you’re so close to home?”

“Yes. Nervous.” The ghost girl seemed amused by the phrase and couldn’t help but let a small smile slip through.

Something felt off about her emotions. Just as Le Gui was about to ask further, the steward’s voice suddenly came from behind her.

“Young friend…”

Le Gui jolted upright, instinctively positioning herself in front of the ghost girl.

The old steward who was carrying a tray was startled by her intense reaction. After a moment of confusion, he asked, “W-What’s wrong?”

Le Gui forced a laugh. “N-Nothing…” She carefully observed his expression.

His face remained calm and kind as he walked around her and set the tray down on the small table between the chairs.

“These are plum cakes I made myself. Please have some while you wait.” He offered warmly.

Le Gui blinked. “You… don’t notice anything strange?”

“Strange?” The steward asked in puzzlement.

Le Gui studied him for a moment, then hesitantly pointed at the ghost girl. “You don’t see her?”

The steward looked in the direction she was pointing. “See what?”

Le Gui hesitated before smoothly redirecting. “Oh… There’s a scratch here on the chair. Was it damaged?”

The ghost girl shot her a speechless look but remained silent.

The steward chuckled. “My masters are sentimental people. These chairs have been used for many years, and they never had the heart to replace them. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all, not at all.” Le Gui waved it off and quickly changed the subject. “Where are your masters?”

“Ah, they have been preparing since they heard we had a guest. I shall go and urge them to hurry. In the meantime, please enjoy the plum cakes.” With that, the steward excused himself and left once more.

Le Gui watched him disappear through the doorway. The first thing she did was turn to the ghost girl.

“He really can’t see you?”

“Do you want some plum cake?” The ghost girl asked instead.

Le Gui declined. “My mother told me not to eat food from strangers.”

“Afraid of being poisoned?” The ghost girl exposed her without hesitation. She picked up a piece of plum cake and sniffed it. “Don’t worry. It’s not poisoned.”

“You can tell just by smelling it?” Le Gui picked up a piece and sniffed it as well. “I must say, it does smell good.”

Still, she set it back down.

“…You are the most cowardly mortal I have ever met.” The ghost girl said, exasperated.

Ordinary people are usually timid, but few are as timid as Le Gui. At least, that was what she had observed.

Even when mocked, Le Gui didn’t take it to heart. She sat quietly on the chair, waiting. The little ghost girl, since entering this room, had rarely spoken, only glancing at the door from time to time.

Le Gui felt it was her responsibility to talk to her, but after thinking for a moment, she gave up.

[My own heart’s already pounding. If we start talking, I don’t even know who will end up comforting whom… Your Lordship, haven’t you had enough excitement? Hurry up and come find us!]

Di Jiang’s eyes flickered as he looked thoughtfully toward the southeast.

With the duel stage in complete chaos, each sect was scrambling to protect their precious disciples. Yet, the Immortal Realm’s Emperor remained steadfast at Di Jiang’s side, afraid that if he grew displeased, he might further disrupt the already turbulent scene.

Seeing Di Jiang fix his gaze in a certain direction, the Emperor quickly asked, “Your Lordship, is there any disturbance?”

Di Jiang tapped his fingers on the chair’s armrest—each tap sending a jolt of unease through the Immortal Emperor. Just as he was about to secretly gather his spiritual energy, Di Jiang suddenly spoke.

“The presence of two fools has vanished.”

“What?” The Immortal Emperor asked instinctively.

Di Jiang turned his head back at an unhurried pace and continued watching the sect leaders, who usually prided themselves on their dignity, now shouting at the top of their lungs.

The Immortal Emperor remained silent. He had no idea which fools Di Jiang was referring to or why their presence had disappeared, but judging from his reaction, it didn’t seem to be a major issue.

Meanwhile, in the secluded courtyard, the steward had yet to return.

Le Gui grew increasingly uneasy. When she turned her head, she saw the little ghost girl staring at the plate of plum cakes on the table. Even though she had no eyes, Le Gui just knew she was staring.

“…If you really want to eat one, go ahead.” Le Gui reasoned that since the girl could already manifest a physical form, eating a piece of cake shouldn’t be impossible.

Hearing this, the little ghost girl lightly touched the pastry with her fingertip but ultimately withdrew her hand. “I only eat the ones my parents make.”

This little ghost was quite picky. Le Gui looked at her the way she would at her mischievous younger cousin. “The old steward’s cooking skills were taught by your parents.”

“Everyone’s cooking tastes unique.” The little ghost girl retorted.

Le Gui chuckled. “By that logic, your father’s and your mother’s pastries should taste different too. So, whose do you prefer?”

“They always made them together, and in the end, they infused them with spiritual energy as one.”

Le Gui: “…..” Well, that sure made it impossible to compare.

The little ghost girl continued poking at the pastries, seemingly torn over whether to eat them. Le Gui didn’t disturb her and simply rested her chin in her hand, watching as the girl picked up a piece, put it down, then crushed one and moved on to the next.

[She really is a little troublemaker.]

Le Gui was too tired to comment. Just as she was about to rescue the remaining pastries, the little ghost girl finally picked one up and took a bite. Le Gui’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “Well? How does it taste?”

The little ghost girl stiffened, sitting motionless. After a long silence, she raised her head stiffly, like a rusted wooden puppet, and met Le Gui’s gaze.

Sensing something was wrong, Le Gui was about to ask when the steward finally returned.

Le Gui immediately looked toward the door, eager to see who was behind him.

“My deepest apologies,” The steward said regretfully. “The masters have encountered some unexpected matters and may not be able to come for the time being. If you are not in a hurry, you may continue waiting here. However, if you are, I can take you to see them instead.”

Le Gui was just about to nod when the little ghost girl interrupted, “No rush.”

“…I’m not in that much of a hurry either.” Le Gui quickly changed her response.

The steward chuckled. “Then please continue waiting. I will go and urge them once more.”

The little ghost girl spoke in a strange tone. “I told you there’s no rush. Why are you going?”

Le Gui rephrased her words in a gentler manner. “They must be busy with important matters. You don’t need to rush them… Why not stay and chat with us instead?”

The steward took a seat across from them. “What would you like to talk about, young friend?”

The little ghost girl stared at him intently, her voice hoarse and raspy. “How long have you served them?”

Le Gui obediently repeated the question.

“Unknowingly, it has been many, many years,” The steward replied respectfully.

The little ghost girl’s voice grew colder. “Have they ever mentioned that, long ago, they had a daughter?”

Le Gui repeated the question again.

The steward sighed with regret. “Of course they have. But that poor child was unfortunate—she passed away before she could grow up.”

Le Gui looked at the little ghost girl with sympathy.

The little ghost girl sat quietly, her frail figure seeming as if it could snap at any moment. “Did they speak of her often?”

Le Gui turned her gaze back to the steward.

“…Naturally. After all, the masters only had that one daughter,” he sighed. “They mention her often, especially in recent years. Every so often, they would say how wonderful it would be if she were still alive.”

“Really?” The little ghost girl’s voice softened. “Do they truly miss me?”

Le Gui continued relaying her words and, in doing so, thought of her own parents. Her eyes reddened.

The little ghost girl’s next words, however, chilled her to the bone. “Do they miss me, or do they miss my spiritual bones?”

Le Gui repeated the question without fully grasping its meaning. When she turned to seek clarification from the little ghost girl, she was ignored. The girl’s gaze remained locked on the steward.

“When they stripped over two hundred bones from my body for the sake of mastering their cultivation techniques, they must have put them to good use by now. I wonder… do they ever regret draining the pond dry?”

Le Gui: “…?”

“When they drove one hundred and eight soul-piercing nails into my flesh, did they ever consider that I could feel pain? In the dead of night, do they wake in terror, haunted by memories of my agonized screams, fearing that one day I will return for revenge?”

Le Gui: “…?”

“They probably do,” the little ghost girl said with a twisted smile, looking horrifyingly sinister. “Otherwise, after I died, they wouldn’t have gouged out my eyes, burned my remains, and trapped my spirit in a magical vessel to be left under the scorching sun for forty-nine days.”

Her voice dropped to an eerie whisper. “But, Father, you never expected that even after all your efforts to erase me, I would still find my way back to you.”

“F-Father…”

After a long moment of shock, Le Gui finally managed to squeeze out a sound.

Across from her, the steward calmly picked up a cup of tea and even motioned for Le Gui to have some pastries. “I made these myself.”

Le Gui stiffly turned her gaze to the steward.

“My pastries are quite delicious. You should both try them,” he continued, his tone inviting.

Le Gui was just about to dismiss him with a polite response when she suddenly realized something was off. “You… both?”

She froze and locked eyes with the steward, a cold sweat breaking out on her back.

[Crap, crap, crap—this guy could see Ah Hua this whole time!]

The steward leisurely sipped his tea, the smile on his lips never fading.

The air in the room grew increasingly eerie and tense. Le Gui felt like she was on the verge of a breakdown, sitting there stiffly while silently praying for Di Jiang to come and save her.

Meanwhile, Di Jiang remained seated in the prime viewing spot of the grandstand, watching the chaos below with evident amusement.

Inside the hall, the ominous atmosphere thickened.

“I thought that after consuming my spirit bones, you’d remain eternally youthful. But I see now, Father, you’ve aged so much that I almost didn’t recognize you. Even your aura has changed. Have you been practicing a new cultivation technique?”

The ghostly girl fixed her hollow gaze on the man before her. Even without eyes, she seemed to scrutinize every wrinkle on his face. “But the plum cakes you and Mother make still taste the same—just like they did when I was little.”

“Father, where is Mother? I haven’t seen her in such a long time.”

The steward set down his teacup and looked at her. “At last, our family can be reunited.”

There was a warmth in his voice that made Le Gui’s skin crawl.

The ghostly girl grinned—a wide, eerie smile stretching at an unnatural angle. “Yes, Father, our family can finally be together again.”

The steward’s eyes turned cold. In a flash, he lunged at Le Gui.

For a split second, Le Gui was dumbfounded. Why is he coming after me?!

But then, as she saw his hand reaching for her collar, she understood—he was after the Seer Mirror.

…This old man has some skills. He even knows about the Seer Mirror.

Le Gui turned and bolted. The ghost girl intercepted the steward, and in an instant, the room was engulfed in a storm of spiritual energy. A stray burst of energy shot toward Le Gui, triggering the defensive artifact she always carried. With a sharp clang, a protective barrier enveloped her.

“When did you realize it was me?” the ghost girl asked.

The steward let out a chuckle. “You are my child, born through my own body. How could you possibly hide from my eyes?”

Le Gui gaped at him. “…Are you even listening to yourself? You’re a man! How does shivering a couple of times suddenly make you the one who gave birth?!”

The steward ignored her and turned back to the ghost girl. “I never expected you to grow this strong. My dear daughter, my precious child, with such power at your disposal, shouldn’t you spare a thought for your parents? Share some of your spirit energy with us.”

As he spoke, he advanced toward the little ghost girl.