A few days later.

“Duoduo, if I tell you that Cuihong(The red bird) got better, flew away, and doesn’t want to come back, would you believe it?” Yan Heqing leaned against the door of the junkyard, his arms crossed as he spoke to Duoduo.

In front of him was Duoduo, who had rushed over after school to check on the little bird.

Behind him, inside the house, was Cuihong, who had transformed into a human while wearing the old clothes that she had discarded herself.

Of course, it was impossible to tell the little girl that the little red bird she wanted to see had turned into a person.

Hearing this, Duoduo tightened her grip on her backpack straps and spoke in a somewhat dejected tone: “The bird got better so quickly?”

Yan Heqing almost laughed but held it in, reaching out to pat Duoduo on the head to comfort her. “What? You don’t want it to get better so soon?”

Duoduo, feeling suspected of having ulterior motives, quickly shook her head. “No, no, I didn’t think that.”

If a joke were taken seriously, it wouldn’t be a joke anymore.

Seeing how anxious the child was, Yan Heqing quickly added, “I’m just joking, don’t worry.”

“Before Cuihong flew away yesterday, he told me that everyone has their own life. He hopes you live your best life, and he also has his own life to live.”

Poof—

The girl, who had been sad about not seeing the bird, couldn’t help but laugh when she heard this. Her voice was clear and crisp: “Brother Yan, you’re really making things up. How could a bird talk?”

The attempt to comfort her failed, and instead, Yan Heqing became the subject of her laughter. He found himself somewhat ridiculous. After making up a random excuse to send Duoduo away, he turned and walked into the house.

Once inside, he didn’t see anyone.

“Cuihong?”

His voice echoed, but there was no response.

— Strange, did she really fly away?

He continued walking further inside, but at that moment, there was a noise from the yard.

Pulling aside the curtains, he saw a person crash into the yard. On closer inspection, it was none other than Cuihong.

Yan Heqing walked outside to the center of the yard, and Cuihong stood up from the ground. The two of them locked eyes, and before Yan Heqing could ask, Cuihong confessed, “When that girl knocked on the door just now, I was afraid of being discovered, so I hid. I was planning to come out after she left.”

Cuihong’s face was covered in dust, and it looked like she had fallen hard. It was a comical sight.

“By the way, Brother Yan, I ran into a fox when I was hiding.”

“A fox?”

“Yeah, he said he was looking for you to discuss something. He doesn’t know if you would be willing. He’s standing right outside the door. If you want to talk, you can open it.”

At that moment, someone knocked politely on the door of the junkyard.

The two of them walked over to open it.

Standing outside was a man of average build, wearing a very proper suit. His face was the kind that you’d forget as soon as you saw it in a crowd.

The man smiled at them and introduced himself: “Good afternoon, Yan Xian. I am Mr. Li, assistant to the old Mr. Wen from Area A in Ningcheng. I have something to ask of you.”

Yan Heqing turned around and was about to leave.

“It’s a paid job.”

The man quickly added.

Yan Heqing turned back. “Do you know me?”

He had lived in Ningcheng for five years, and except for using a bit of magic to move junk when he was alone, he had lived like an ordinary person. No one had ever noticed he was different from others.

This man, who claimed to be an assistant from the Wen family in Area A, clearly did not live in the urban village, so it was unlikely Yan Heqing would know him.

Li Lian kept his polite smile, as if everything was under his control. He calmly took out a wallet from his pocket and handed over a business card along with a slip of paper.

After Yan Heqing took the items, Li Lian said, “Yan Xian, you must have already noticed that I’m not human.”

Yan Heqing nodded.

“This is how it happened. A few months ago, strange things began happening at the Wen family, and they’ve been restless ever since. At first, the old Mr. Wen consulted a few other people, but things didn’t improve. Later, I heard you were in Ningcheng, so I took the risk of coming to find you.”

“Is it haunted?” Yan Heqing cut to the chase, exposing the embellishment in Li Lian’s words. “I’ve never revealed my identity to outsiders. How did you find out I was in Ningcheng?”

Li Lian still wore that same friendly smile and explained, “As a fox, it’s not hard for me to sense the immortal energy you’ve let slip.”

He then pointed to the card in Yan Heqing’s hand. “This card is from our boss, and the note is something our boss specifically wrote for you. I hope you’ll consider it carefully.”

“And you don’t need to worry about your identity being exposed. If you agree, you’ll handle the Wen family’s problem as a Yin-Yang Master. Once it’s done, we’ll give you a generous reward, and the amount will definitely satisfy you.”

“Really?” Yan Heqing casually put the card and note into his pocket.

Li Lian said, “At least enough for you to have five years of rest at this junkyard.”

“Alright, it’s a deal.”

---

Ningcheng is known for its large size, with a few hours’ travel between its districts.

Area A and Area D are located at opposite ends of the city.

There is no subway in the urban village, so the options for transportation are either expensive taxis or buses dedicated to ironwork.

Yan Heqing, being a man who had lived for thousands of years, didn’t care about transportation…

Well, he did care a little. Considering his remaining balance, he reluctantly grabbed an old backpack and walked to the bus stop. Just before reaching the platform, he noticed a black car trailing behind him.

He quickened his pace, blending into the crowd waiting for the bus. After a while, the car slowly stopped in front of him.

Li Lian got out of the driver’s seat, changed into a gray suit, and with his best smile, introduced himself. “Mr. Yan, our boss knows that your residence is not convenient, so he sent me to pick you up.”

Last night, Yan Heqing had searched the internet and spent the entire night in the junkyard gathering tools for his task. He managed to gather all the typical equipment used by Yin-Yang Masters, even including a crucifix and garlic.

Only a few minutes into the car ride, before Li Lian could start a conversation, Yan Heqing had already fallen asleep in the backseat. Cuihong, curled up in the inner layer of his backpack, also fell asleep.

When Yan Heqing woke up with a start, the car had apparently been parked for some time. Li Lian was sitting in the driver’s seat. Sensing that Yan Heqing had woken, he spoke first. “Mr. Yan, you’re awake. Our boss is waiting for you in the hall.”

Li Lian’s words stirred Yan Heqing into action. He didn’t know how long the Wen family had been waiting for him, and without even smoothing his messy hair, he grabbed his bag and followed Li Lian out of the car.

Area A in Ningcheng, on the outskirts, is a high-end residential area with imposing villas nestled amidst lush greenery. Yan Heqing could only see trees and the Wen family’s houses.

As they passed the gates of the villa, a man greeted them and led them into the inner chambers.

Beyond a screen, the grand interior seemed almost blinding, and Yan Heqing had to press his brow to steady himself, internally criticizing the Wen family’s garish taste. He kept his facial expression polite to offer the best service.

Five people were seated on the sofa in the center of the living room. Three men were dressed in black suits, just like Li Lian, while the two women were elegantly dressed. They all looked tired.

Compared to them, Yan Heqing, in his casual attire, seemed vastly out of place. His black T-shirt was a cheap purchase from a market in the urban village, and his jeans were the best pair he owned, bought when he first arrived in Ningcheng.

Upon his arrival, the others stood up. The elderly man with white hair stared at him for a few seconds, his tone somewhat incredulous: “Young man, are you the master that Mr. Li brought here?”

Yan Heqing had already done his research on the Wen family’s power the previous night. They owned several companies and had vast business interests. He knew that one of their recent projects was a newly built shopping district near the urban village, where he had bought a birthday cake for Duoduo, feeling the pinch from the expensive price.

This man was likely the head of the Wen family, and it was normal for Yan Heqing to not be trusted due to his shabby appearance. Clearing his throat, he took off his bag, patted it, and said, “Oh, I’m from Qianzhou. My family has been doing this for generations. Though I’m young, I’ve been in this line of work for many years.”

Li Lian, standing nearby, quickly added to the lie, “Yes, Mr. Wen. Before inviting Mr. Yan, I already spoke with him, and he has indeed been in this field for many years. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Hearing Li Lian’s words, Mr. Wen seemed to relax a little.

At this point, another man behind Mr. Wen spoke up: “Mr. Yan, may I ask how we can assist you?”

Yan Heqing gave him a quick look. He seemed like Mr. Wen’s son or someone of similar standing. He waved his hand dismissively. “There’s nothing much to do. The thing we’re dealing with only dares to come out at night. Tonight, just stay inside and don’t come out no matter what sounds you hear from outside.”

The others nodded immediately.

By the time Yan Heqing arrived, it was already afternoon, and the Wen family had prepared a guest room for him.

The two women, Mrs. Wen and Miss Wen, escorted him to his room.

As he entered and looked around the room, Yan Heqing couldn’t help but appreciate the luxurious surroundings.

Just as he was about to step inside, Miss Wen called out to him, her face filled with concern. “Mr. Yan, can you really handle this?”

Yan Heqing turned to look at her.

Miss Wen’s face was typical of someone from the south—soft and delicate, with no hint of aggression. However, the past few months of disturbances had left dark circles under her eyes, as though someone had walked through the snow, leaving their footprints behind.

Mrs. Wen, supported by Miss Wen, appeared the same.

Yan Heqing reassured them: “I’m not a fraud. If I can’t get rid of that thing tonight, I won’t accept any payment.”

After sending Mrs. Wen and Miss Wen away, Yan Heqing entered the room, unpacked his things onto the table, and Cuihong, now human, crashed onto the surface with a loud, sharp bird call.

“Get up, we’ve got work to do. After this is done, I’ll buy you some good food.”

As night fell, the Wen family had already sent the housemaids home by eight o’clock. By nine, everyone had gone to their rooms, and with instructions given, the curtains were drawn, and the doors were locked.

Yan Heqing, alone with Cuihong, ventured into the backyard where the Wen family had been troubled for so long.

Cuihong, standing lightly on his shoulder, whispered into his ear: “There really is something else here.”

“Of course. If there wasn’t, the fox wouldn’t have come to find me. He can take care of it himself.”

As he spoke, Yan Heqing noticed a shadow darting across the far corner of the yard. He immediately chased after it, but the figure stood still, not avoiding him. They narrowly missed colliding when Yan Heqing quickly stopped.

To facilitate the monster hunt, the lights in the backyard were turned on. The intruder had clearly hidden in the dark corner.

Yan Heqing couldn’t make out their face but felt no malice coming from them. It seemed they were just an ordinary person, not a supernatural entity.

Annoyed, Yan Heqing remarked, “Didn’t I tell you not to go out at night? Why are you hiding here?”

The person didn’t answer, but at that moment, Li Lian’s voice came from behind them. “Mr. Yan, please excuse this.”

Turning to follow the voice, Yan Heqing and the figure returned to the light.

It was then that Yan Heqing realized that this person wasn’t one of the Wen family members he had seen earlier.

Li Lian’s words came at the right moment.

“Mr. Yan, this is my boss—the one who asked you to come. He just finished something important and was coming back when he ran into you.”

After hearing Li Lian’s explanation, Yan Heqing turned to the person who had invited him.

“Hello, I am Wen Chu.”