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Chapter 17
Su Wen paused for a few seconds to digest the crucial information in that sentence, then succinctly and coldly uttered two words: “No money.”
Before the words even fully left his mouth, he decisively hung up the phone.
The person on the other end of the line: “…”
[LOL, did he just get a scam call? “No money” is so real.]
[Isn’t it obvious to everyone that these two are broke?]
[Shouldn’t they be getting appearance fees for being on the show?]
[But Su Wen spent all his money on Little Qi Wu. Haven’t you noticed? He doesn’t seem to do anything for himself on the show; his focus is entirely on Little Qi Wu.]
[Now that you mention it, I’m even more curious about this young man.]
After hanging up, Su Wen felt a mix of emotions. The Underworld had been in decline for a thousand years, with no connection to the Human Realm. Moreover, there had been no King of Hell for the past millennium, so it was impossible for there to be an office in the Human Realm.
Faith Merit couldn’t reach the Netherworld, yet scammers were adept at using the name of the Netherworld to swindle money. Throughout history, wandering sorcerers had always been like this—utterly ridiculous.
But within minutes, he received another call from the show’s production team.
Li Ke had called specifically to explain after receiving a response from the office that Su Wen had mistaken them for scammers: “Mr. Su, here’s the thing. Due to the unique nature of your and Little Qi Wu’s professions, our production team now needs to apply for live broadcast permissions from the National Special Events Handling Department. The call you received earlier was indeed from them.”
Su Wen found it even more baffling: “What does this department do?”
Li Ke: “They handle some supernatural phenomena. In your industry’s terms… they catch ghosts.”
He added reassuringly, “But this is a legitimate government institution! Not a scam!”
Ah, so they’re government employees.
Su Wen acknowledged with a simple, “I see.”
After the production team successfully communicated with Su Wen, he once again spoke with the so-called “Secretary Office” and arranged a meeting. Their suggestion was that since the child was still in school, Su Wen could take the time to meet with them.
But from Su Wen’s perspective, going to the Secretary Office without the boss didn’t make sense. So he insisted that they would go together after the child finished school.
The other end hesitated, saying tactfully, “Mr. Su, it’s not really appropriate for a child to be present during adult discussions.”
Su Wen: “The matter we’re discussing involves Qi Wu as well.”
The other end: “?”
They had indeed heard that this child was the Temple Keeper of the King of Hell Temple, but it was just a title. After all, she was still a three-year-old child.
But hearing Su Wen say this, could there be something special about the child?
Su Wen insisted, and the office had no choice but to agree, arranging for the father and daughter to visit the office together after Qi Wu finished school.
At the kindergarten, Little Qi Wu took her dad’s words to heart and responsibly stayed by Zhang Siqing’s side to accompany him. But she also noticed that Zhang Siqing seemed different from the other children. He didn’t talk much, didn’t smile often, but was very polite, and his posture was more proper than the other kids.
The teacher said, “Today, we have a little guest in our class. Everyone, let’s get along well with him, okay?”
“Okay!”
Then, the teacher asked Zhang Siqing to introduce himself to the class.
Zhang Siqing stood up, walked to the center of the children, and spoke slowly, “Hello everyone, my name is Zhang Siqing. I like reading and playing the piano. Thank you.”
Her pronunciation was quite clear, which was a rare occurrence.
Everyone was clapping earnestly, except for Little Qi Wu, who tilted her head and watched as the little ghost reappeared on Zhang Siqing’s shoulder after he left her.
This time, the little ghost was very cautious, occasionally poking its head out to look around, and finally it turned its gaze to Little Qi Wu. It remembered that it was this child who had slapped it away before, and it hurt so much!
The little ghost thought Little Qi Wu couldn’t see it, so it bared its teeth and shouted at her, “Stinky kid!”
Little Qi Wu, having grown up to this age, was encountering a ghost being so rude to her for the first time. She puffed up her cheeks and looked at the little ghost unhappily, using the Mystic Seal to say, “Little ghost! So impolite!”
The little ghost’s expression froze in a strange place: “You can see me?”
“Get off Zhang Siqing!” Little Qi Wu said angrily, “If you don’t, Ben Wang will hit you!”
She was puzzled as to why she couldn’t drive this little ghost away earlier, but now it could pop up again.
“I won’t!” The little ghost stuck out its tongue at her, “What king? Do you think you’re the mountain king from ‘Journey to the West’?”
Little Qi Wu understood this; Liangliang had told her about it. She immediately said, “Ben Wang is Sun Wukong from ‘Journey to the West’!”
The little ghost retorted, “You’re lying! Sun Wukong is a monkey! And he can fly and transform!”
Little Qi Wu snorted lightly, “Ben Wang can also fly and transform.”
The little ghost hesitated for a moment. After all, this stinky kid could see it. It said, “I don’t believe you unless you fly for me.”
Little Qi Wu sternly refused, “You’re a bad little ghost, clinging to Zhang Siqing. Ben Wang won’t show you! Ben Wang will also call Black and White Impermanence to take you to the Underworld! Judge Dad will punish you!”
“I’m not clinging to him! And I’m not a bad little ghost!” The little ghost, not caring about the mention of Black and White Impermanence, said angrily, “It’s him who’s keeping me from leaving!”
Little Qi Wu was confused, “What?”
The little ghost turned its head away, “Hmph.”
A Little Yan Wang and a little ghost were arguing fiercely, while over there, Zhang Siqing had finished introducing himself and was invited by the teacher to perform.
[Why is Little Qi Wu staring at Zhang Siqing without saying anything? She didn’t clap earlier either. Isn’t Zhang Siqing her little friend?]
[It seems like she’s not looking at Zhang Siqing, but at his shoulder.]
[She’s just distracted. This father and daughter pair, one is impolite to adults, the other to children.]
[Who says they’re impolite? Little Qi Wu was very polite to the driver, cameraman, and the audience before.]
[You guys have so much to say about a child being distracted for a moment. Do your kids stay focused all the time?]
[Stop arguing. Look at Zhang Siqing, he’s so young and can already play the piano. Look at yourselves, all you can do is type on a keyboard.]
As a child just over three years old, sitting on the piano bench, his legs were a bit short, but the piece he played was quite impressive.
The little ghost sat on his shoulder, swaying with his movements, covering its ears impatiently, “So annoying, playing every day, won’t let a ghost sleep!”
As if out of frustration, it lightly kicked Zhang Siqing twice, causing him to pause slightly and miss a note.
After finishing the piece, all the children clapped in unison, “So amazing, I haven’t even learned ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ yet.”
The children seemed to admire him greatly, but Zhang Siqing was not very happy. He quietly looked at the piano, his little face scrunched up, dissatisfied with himself.
The teacher praised him, “You played really well.”
Zhang Siqing shook his head, “I made a mistake.”
The teacher was taken aback, “It’s okay, you were already great.”
But Zhang Siqing still couldn’t cheer up. When he returned to Little Qi Wu’s side, he kept pursing his lips, looking somewhat uneasy.
The little ghost gloated, “Made a mistake, huh? Gonna get punished by Dad and have to practice more, right?”
But then he realized, “Wait, that means I’ll suffer too! Ahhh!”
The more the little ghost’s emotions fluctuated, the more despondent Zhang Siqing looked. Little Qi Wu took out some candy the teacher had given her from her little backpack, “Don’t be sad, here’s some candy for you.”
Zhang Siqing’s gaze fixed on the candy, but he shook his head, “I can’t eat candy.”
Huh? Such delicious candy, and there’s a child who can’t eat it? That’s such a pity.
Little Qi Wu asked with great regret, “Why not?”
“Dad won’t let me.”
Little Qi Wu was even more confused. Why wouldn’t his dad let him? It’s so delicious.
“No candy, no other snacks either,” the little ghost added from Zhang Siqing’s shoulder. “Hmph, no playing, no eating, bad Dad!”
Bad Dad?
There’s such a thing as a bad Dad? But Dad said that parents and children are a family, how can there be a bad Dad?
Little Qi Wu glared angrily at Zhang Siqing, influenced by the little ghost, “It’s all your fault. Ben Wang will have Black and White Impermanence take you away!”
The little ghost was unfazed, “I’m not afraid of you. I can even call the King of Hell! Who’s afraid of whom!”
Little Qi Wu, “You’re lying. Ben Wang is the King of Hell.”
The little ghost, “Who knows what you are, just talking nonsense.”
Little Qi Wu directly summoned the local Impermanence Envoys with a Mystic Seal. White Impermanence rushed over in a flurry once again. This was really life-threatening. Why does trouble always follow whenever Lord Yama comes? If this keeps up, my position might not be secure.
White Impermanence stormed into the kindergarten classroom, “Lord Yama! Your subordinate is here!”
The little ghost was petrified on the spot. He had never seen Impermanence Envoys, let alone the King of Hell, but he was particularly sensitive to the Soul Shackling Chain in Impermanence’s hand.
Little Qi Wu said, “White Impermanence, quickly take this little ghost away. He’s bullying Zhang Siqing!”
“Yes,” White Impermanence approached, dragging the big chain, but upon seeing the little ghost, he exclaimed, “Lord, he’s not an ordinary ghost.”
“What?”
The little ghost was directly scared to tears, trembling and hiding behind Zhang Siqing, “Don’t take me! I haven’t done anything bad!”
Little Qi Wu accused him in a childish voice, “You’re a ghost, staying by Zhang Siqing’s side, and you say you haven’t done anything bad!”
The little ghost didn’t dare to be arrogant anymore, only whimpering and crying, “It’s that bad Dad who made me stay here.”
“Lord, this little ghost’s soul has been captured by someone,” White Impermanence also said, “We need to find his physical body to take him away.”
The little ghost said, “He hid me in his house.”
Someone actually hiding a ghost voluntarily? This was beyond Little Qi Wu’s knowledge. Seeing her suddenly in a dilemma, White Impermanence suggested, “How about we wait for the Judge to come, and then you can summon us to take him away.”
At this moment, he could actually take Little Yan Wang to find the body of this little ghost, but he didn’t dare. If anything went wrong, he would be thrown into the Netherworld Gate by the great Ghosts and Gods of the Underworld to be fed to the evil spirits.
Judge Dad had seen the little ghost today, but only asked me to accompany Zhang Siqing. He must have a plan, right? Little Qi Wu had no other options. Sigh, she suddenly understood what being busy meant.
She had to take care of Zhang Siqing, catch ghosts, and study hard. So busy!
“Alright,” Little Qi Wu said, “then you go catch ghosts. Ben Wang will stay with him today.”
“Then this subordinate takes his leave,” White Impermanence said, glancing at the hiding little ghost. “Actually, Lord, if he does evil, you can directly scatter his soul. That would be fine too.”
Hearing this, the little ghost trembled even more: “I’m just a child! Don’t bully kids! I haven’t done anything bad!”
White Impermanence snorted and left. He was just scaring the little ghost to prevent him from bullying Little Yan Wang.
After White Impermanence left, the little ghost cautiously peeked out: “Are you really the King of Hell?”
Little Qi Wu shook her head: “Ben Wang is not a ‘ye,’ but a Hell King Kid. You can call me Lord Yama.”
The little ghost plopped down, crying uncontrollably, not caring about titles anymore: “Hell King Kid, you must take me away. I really can’t stay in this house for another day.”
This was the first time Little Qi Wu had encountered a ghost in the Human Realm who was eager to be taken away. She asked, “What happened to you?”
The little ghost spoke haltingly: “That bad Dad trapped me to be their family’s Good Luck Spirit. They said they’d worship me, but they didn’t. I’m stuck by their child and can’t go anywhere.”
He felt so wronged: “I’m just a kid. I don’t have any bad intentions.”
“It’s not my fault that Zhang Siqing is affected. I just can’t leave him.”
Little Qi Wu didn’t understand raising a spirit child, but she knew that humans and ghosts shouldn’t mix. Violating the natural order of reincarnation was wrong. Was that man really a bad Dad?
She looked at Zhang Siqing and asked, “Why is he unhappy?”
The little ghost said, “He gets punished by the bad Dad when he makes mistakes.”
“Well, not exactly mistakes, but…”
The little ghost struggled to explain, gesturing for a while before saying, “Anyway, the bad Dad makes him do a lot of things.”
“If he plays the piano wrong, the bad Dad locks him in his room to practice over and over, won’t let him play, and doesn’t allow him to do many things he wants to do. So mean.”
Little Qi Wu thought Zhang Siqing played very well. She didn’t understand it, but it sounded nice, and she couldn’t tell where he went wrong.
From what she heard, his Dad really didn’t seem good.
“What about his Mom?”
The little ghost shook his head: “His Mom feels sorry for him, but she can’t say anything. They’re celebrities, you know.”
Little Qi Wu asked confusedly, “What’s a celebrity? Stars?”
“Celebrities are people that many others watch and like,” the little ghost explained. “They don’t let Zhang Siqing do anything bad because they’re afraid others won’t like them, but Zhang Siqing doesn’t like those things either.”
“I don’t like it either. It’s so noisy. I want to go play in the park.”
It had been a long time since anyone could see the little ghost and talk to him, so once he started speaking, he couldn’t stop: “And Zhang Siqing can’t get angry or throw tantrums because the bad dad said that if he does, the audience won’t like him. People don’t like naughty children.”
Little Qi Wu couldn’t quite understand these things and muttered, “Do they like Zhang Siqing or the person who does these things?”
[What is Zai Zai muttering to herself again? Something about liking Zhang Siqing?]
[It seems like she’s asking whether they like Zhang Siqing himself or the person who does certain things? Such a philosophical thought?]
[It looks like she’s talking to someone, but no one is talking to her.]
[New here? Get used to it, it’s Zai Zai’s usual behavior.]
Little Qi Wu felt a bit sorry for Zhang Siqing. All the kids in kindergarten liked to eat snacks, and the teacher said it was okay to have a little.
Zhang Siqing also looked like he really wanted to eat.
She secretly took out a piece of candy and handed it to Zhang Siqing: “If we eat it quietly and don’t tell your dad, can we eat it?”
Zhang Siqing hesitated but then looked at the camera and shook his head: “Dad will see.”
[So what if he sees! It’s fine to have one! Your dad is very gentle, sweetie!]
[Sometimes it’s for the child’s health, but a little bit is okay, right?]
[The kindergarten chooses high-end snacks; they won’t affect the body.]
[Zhang Siqing listens to his dad so well, but it’s a bit heartbreaking to see.]
Seeing that he wouldn’t take it, Little Qi Wu thought for a moment and then asked, “Do you want to get angry?”
Zhang Siqing: “What?”
Little Qi Wu: “Do you want to throw a tantrum? You can throw one with Qi Wu. Will that make you feel better?”
Zhang Siqing had never heard such a request before and was at a loss for words. His dad hadn’t taught him what to do in this situation.
Little Qi Wu reached out, deciding to ignore the little ghost for now: “Qi Wu will hug you.”
She moved over and hugged the motionless Zhang Siqing, patting him like a little adult: “Children should be happy. Grandma says that’s how you grow up well.”
[Whoever said Little Qi Wu is rude, come and see this!]
[Coming from next door, this little girl is so healing!]
[Not just Zhang Siqing, even I, a 25-year-old, feel my heart soften seeing this.]
Zhang Siqing, being hugged, showed a rare expression of confusion on his usually quiet face, but there was also a sense of relaxation he had never felt before. He felt so comfortable.
He gently tugged at Little Qi Wu’s clothes without saying a word.
At noon, all the children went to the nap room to sleep. Since boys and girls had to be separated, Little Qi Wu had to part with Zhang Siqing.
Before leaving, Zhang Siqing kept holding onto Little Qi Wu’s clothes. He didn’t have many friends, and he felt so comfortable being with Little Qi Wu. He didn’t want to leave.
The teacher persuaded him for a long time before he silently let go, thinking: Dad said I can’t be willful, or the audience won’t like me.
Just as the teacher was about to take the two children away, Little Qi Wu suddenly said, “Teacher, can Qi Wu not sleep at noon?”
The teacher was stunned: “What do you want to do?”
Qi Wu pointed at Zhang Siqing: “Qi Wu will stay with Zhang Siqing.”
“But Zhang Siqing also needs to sleep.”
Unexpectedly, Zhang Siqing immediately said, “I won’t sleep!”
Teacher: “…”
She was a bit troubled: “If you don’t take a nap, you’ll be tired in the afternoon. How about we play together later in the afternoon?”
Little Qi Wu tugged at the teacher, who bent down accordingly. Little Qi Wu whispered, “Teacher, Zhang Siqing is upset. Can I stay with him? Can we sleep in the classroom?”
The teacher really had no choice. These were children on the show, after all. After some thought, she fetched two small blankets and two mats to make a little bed for the two children in the small classroom.
Only then did Little Qi Wu sit down next to Zhang Siqing.
The kindergarten assigned a teacher to stand by the door, not disturbing them. Little Qi Wu looked around and suddenly pulled the blanket over herself and Zhang Siqing.
【???What are you doing?】
The audience couldn’t see the scene but could hear the sounds. Little Qi Wu’s voice was very soft: “I brought the candy out for you. Let’s cover up so you can eat it. Your dad won’t see!”
【Hahahaha but we can hear!】
【Little Qi Wu had this all planned out, didn’t she? Impressive, my little one!】
【She’s really persistent about giving him candy.】
Zhang Siqing was still hesitant, but seeing other children eat candy, he really wanted to try it too. Finally, he took the candy from Little Qi Wu’s hand and quietly ate it.
Little Qi Wu asked happily, “Are you feeling better now?”
“Yeah!”
【So it wasn’t about the candy but about making him happy. My Qi Wu is so sweet.】
【Hey, after watching Zhang Yuan’s livestream for so long, sometimes I feel like the kid is too well-behaved, almost unnaturally obedient. This is much better.】
The two little ones “secretly” finished their candy before pulling the blanket off. Now, Zhang Siqing’s face visibly looked better.
Not long after, the two children, who had said they wouldn’t nap, fell asleep head to head on the mats.
By the time school was over in the afternoon, Su Wen not only wasn’t late but had arrived early.
When he arrived, Zhang Yuan and Zhu Qing were also there. Seeing Su Wen, Zhang Yuan remembered the morning’s slight and felt a bit displeased, but he couldn’t show it now: “Mr. Su, here to pick up your child?”
“Yes.”
【Su Wen is really a bit too much, isn’t he? Why is he so cold?】
【Although that’s just his personality, it does come off as a bit rude.】
He clearly didn’t want to talk, and Zhang Yuan didn’t feel like forcing a conversation either. He stopped engaging. Soon, the children came out in a line.
At that moment, another person called out, “Mr. Su.”
Su Wen turned around and saw Mengmeng’s Dad from yesterday. After witnessing how Qi Wu interacted with her father, Mengmeng’s Dad had a long talk with his child and realized that he sometimes overlooked his child’s feelings. He and his wife adjusted their work schedules again and arrived punctually today.
Su Wen nodded at him, and Mengmeng’s Dad said, “Yesterday, Mengmeng mentioned she wanted to play with Qi Wu. I thought since I’m free this weekend, I’d take her to offer incense. Would that be alright?”
Su Wen nodded straightforwardly, “You’re welcome.”
“That’s great. Thank you so much for yesterday. You and your daughter…” Mengmeng’s Dad said a bit sheepishly, “really taught me a lesson.”
Su Wen’s lips curled slightly, “It’s Qi Wu.”
“What?”
Su Wen: “Qi Wu did well. I’m not as good as her.”
“Hahaha, that’s true, that’s true. Qi Wu is really sensible. I like that child too!”
“Thank you.”
【Hmm… this… is it impolite?】
【Well… there’s something I’m not sure if I should say.】
【Don’t say it, don’t say it! Don’t start a fight!】
【What does Su Wen mean? Is he treating people differently?】
【Forget it, the film emperor shouldn’t stoop to the level of someone who hasn’t seen the world.】
It was clear to everyone that Su Wen was indeed treating Zhang Yuan differently, but no one knew the reason and didn’t dare to speculate.
Fortunately, the children came out at that moment.
Su Wen had already spotted the Little King of Hell. As soon as the Little King of Hell saw him, she ran towards him. In that instant, Su Wen felt his heart swell with warmth and a sense of belonging.
Little Qi Wu hugged him, her eyes curved into a smile, “Good afternoon, Dad! Qi Wu has been studying hard today!”
Su Wen smiled, “Are you happy?”
“Yes!”
“Qi Wu is amazing.”
On the other side, Zhang Siqing walked towards his parents. Before he could speak, Zhang Yuan asked, “Did you behave well today?”
【I feel like, in comparison, Su Wen wins.】
【Shouldn’t you ask if the child is adjusting well on the first day? Why ask about behavior? What behavior?】
【Don’t speculate. This is just their way of interacting.】
Zhang Yuan didn’t want to deal with Su Wen today, so he took his child and approached Su Wen, “Mr. Su, we have something to attend to at home today. We’ll visit your place to offer incense another day.”
Su Wen glanced at the child in his arms and first used the Mystic Seal to ask Qi Wu, “Did the adults summon the Impermanence Envoys today? What did they want to do?”
Qi Wu nodded, “There’s a little ghost in their house.”
“Do the adults want to help him?”
“Yes! Zhang Siqing is very unhappy! But he’s also a baby. The little ghost said he has a bad dad.”
Su Wen understood. He looked back at Zhang Yuan, “Perhaps Qi Wu and I can visit your home another day.”
Zhang Yuan sneered inwardly. So much for being aloof—now he wants to visit? But he wasn’t one to pass up on the opportunity for attention, so he said, “Sure, you’re welcome.”
The National Special Events Handling Department is a confidential unit and cannot be filmed, so the camera crew couldn’t follow them. The live stream had to switch to the Temple of the King of Hell, and the program team added a special note.
“Due to the confidential nature of this family’s upcoming schedule, the live stream will temporarily switch to the Temple of the King of Hell.”
The audience was initially dissatisfied, but since everyone has a private life, they couldn’t complain. Just as they were about to leave the live stream…
However, they noticed that the previously desolate Temple of the King of Hell now had a few visitors offering incense. These were some local residents who knew the address, and among them was even the milk delivery girl from the morning.
【There’s no one here, how are they offering incense?】
The next moment, the audience saw a large Border Collie standing beside the altar. Every time someone finished offering incense, the dog would stand up, put its paws together, and bow.
【Holy crap, even the dog in this temple has become a spirit?】
【Forget about Qi Wu, just for this dog, I’d go check it out in person!】
The audience, who were about to leave, stayed to watch the dog.
Meanwhile, Little Qi Wu and Su Wen arrived at the National Special Events Handling Department, a very tall building.
Little Qi Wu looked up and asked, “Judge Dad, where is this?”
The Judge thought that using official jargon would be lost on the Little King of Hell, so he simply said, “It’s said to be the Underworld’s office in the Human Realm, your Secretary Office.”
“Huh?”
“What’s a Secretary Office?”
Su Wen replied, “A place that assists you in handling certain matters.”
Little Qi Wu covered her mouth in surprise, “But isn’t it you, Grandma Meng Po, and the City God’s Three Bureaus who help me?”
Su Wen glanced at the building, “Yes.”
“Then why is there one in the Human Realm too?” Little Qi Wu looked around, “This place is so much taller than the Three Bureaus. We’re really poor, Dad.”
Su Wen felt a critical hit.
The two entered the department. Having made an appointment earlier, they were quickly escorted into the lobby. Little Qi Wu’s eyes sparkled—having money was really nice.
Several men in suits came out. Even though they were prepared, they were still quite shocked when they saw Su Wen and Qi Wu.
They were even more stunning than on TV. Are they really into mysticism?
“Mr. Su, right?” the leading man said, “Let’s talk in the meeting room.”
Su Wen carried Little Qi Wu and followed them into the meeting room. After sitting down, the man took out many stamped documents and national certifications, explaining, “Although we’ve already introduced ourselves today, we’d like to reiterate that we’re not frauds. We’re the National Special Events Handling Department, responsible for dealing with supernatural events. Since there are very few capable people in this field in the country, when the show approached us, we asked for your contact information, hoping to communicate and possibly collaborate in the future.”
Su Wen nodded silently, signaling him to continue.
The director thought to himself, this guy has quite the presence. Is he really just a clueless country bumpkin? His aura is too strong.
He composed himself and continued, “May we learn more about you?”
“What exactly do you specialize in?”
The department had many skilled individuals—those who drew talismans, those who captured ghosts—each with their own expertise.
Su Wen tapped his fingers on the table.
“Using your terms, I suppose I’m also the Secretary of the Underworld Master,” he said indifferently, “To be more specific, the Chief Secretary.”
The director: “…”
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