Li Xin had settled the matter with the Liu family…

Chi Yu surveyed the two brothers, and with one glance, he could tell that they were demons, but their aura was pure and free of any malevolent energy.

He glanced briefly at Li Xin, concerned that he might interrupt the interrogation. Then, in a low voice, he asked the two brothers, “What are you two transformed from?”

Chang You turned around, his expression complex, a mix of sorrow and joy, somewhat similar to the look Li Xin had when they first met, but far purer.

“Master, we are the two spotted deer you picked up from the mountains all those years ago. You even gave us the names Chang You and Chang Wu,” Chang You replied respectfully.

Although Chi Yu couldn’t remember, he could sense that Chang You wasn’t lying. He then asked, “Did you two transform into human form while I was still alive?”

“Not exactly,” Chang You replied. “After you performed the sacrifice to the heavens, we were taken by Lord Li. Under his guidance, we cultivated and transformed into human form.”

“Sacrifice to the heavens?”

Chi Yu caught the key word, which was the first time he learned how he had died.

“Why did I perform the sacrifice to the heavens?”

Just as Chang You was about to answer, he heard Li Xin cough heavily.

Chang You immediately turned his head and met Li Xin’s warning gaze. He quickly lowered his head, no longer daring to speak further.

Chi Yu had naturally seen Li Xin’s gaze. When he looked back at Chang You, he only heard him whisper, “Master, after this matter is settled, Lord Li will explain everything to you.”

Chi Yu gave a slight nod, not wanting to make things difficult for Chang You, and said, “Alright.”

Seeing that no one was speaking, Li Xin started questioning Liu Cheng, “You saw the female ghost earlier. Do you believe what I said now?”

“I believe, I believe!” Liu Cheng recalled the female ghost and immediately felt out of breath, his previous breathlessness returning.

Li Xin saw his terrified expression and lightly laughed, “Tell me, what wicked deeds did your father commit?”

Liu Cheng looked confused and frightened, staring at Li Xin, “Impossible! My father would never harm anyone!”

Li Xin sighed when he saw Liu Cheng’s response. “Alright, seems like you don’t know either. We’ll wait for your father to wake up and ask him.”

Liu Cheng sighed in relief and immediately regained his composure, “You… you mean my father can wake up?”

“Hard to say, depends on luck.”

“What do you mean?”

“Judging by the strength of that female ghost, she’s an old ghost with considerable power. Ghosts like her, full of resentment, linger in the human world because of their obsessive thoughts. She came seeking revenge, so she’s especially troublesome. Your father was struck by a back-bowed evil, which weakened his luck, making it easier for her to act,” Li Xin explained leisurely.

“So what should we do?” Liu Cheng’s fleeting hope was crushed again.

Li Xin shook his head. He never liked dealing with vengeful spirits because of the law of cause and effect—if you owe, you must repay.

He patted Liu Cheng on the shoulder. “If we could have caught her earlier, there might have been a chance, but now… it’s all about luck.”

Liu Cheng was completely desperate.

Given his father’s current condition, the hospital had already issued a critical condition notice. It seemed like there was no saving him.

“But don’t worry,” Li Xin reassured, “You helped me take that jade crown, and I’ll make sure to catch that female ghost. I’ll ensure the safety of your Liu family.”

Liu Cheng nodded, then asked, “My father really…?”

Li Xin nodded, “His yang energy is almost depleted. You should start preparing.”

Li Xin then instructed Chang Wu, “Go get some talismans and seal this place, just in case the female ghost tries to break in again.”

“Yes, Master,” Chang Wu replied.

“I’ll come back tomorrow. For now, I’ll take my leave,” Li Xin said, before walking over to Chi Yu. His expression softened instantly, “Shixiong, let’s go.”

Chi Yu nodded and followed Li Xin out of the Liu family house.

Once in the car, Li Xin instructed Chang Wu to head to the mountain villa.

Chi Yu, not accustomed to being in a car for the first time, turned to Li Xin and said, “I’ll just go on my own.”

Li Xin immediately grabbed his hand, not letting Chi Yu out of his sight. “It’s tiring to float. Don’t worry, Chang Wu drives smoothly.”

Chang Wu immediately agreed, “Yes, Master. I’ve been driving for Lord Li since cars were invented. My skills are excellent; it’s very stable, no shaking at all.”

“That’s right, Master. Just relax and sit comfortably,” Chang You chimed in.

Chi Yu saw their enthusiasm and couldn’t refuse, reluctantly managing a small smile, “Alright.”

He withdrew the hand Li Xin was holding, lightly coughed, and asked, “Are we going to your house?”

“Yes,” Li Xin replied, “It’s also your house.”

Chi Yu felt somewhat uneasy. Ever since he met Li Xin for the first time, Li Xin had been inexplicably close to him. Although Chi Yu didn’t dislike it, he wasn’t used to it.

He had always been solitary, only occasionally visiting You Jiang, and spending most of his time alone on errands or cultivating. Now, surrounded by so many people, he felt a bit lost.

Li Xin noticed Chi Yu’s discomfort and, after getting his agreement, gave Chang Wu a look. Chang Wu immediately started the car, and the vehicle smoothly glided along the road, heading toward the mountain villa.

Li Xin’s gaze never left Chi Yu, studying him, easing his longing.

In the past, the souls he found were too weak. They couldn’t even stay by his side, let alone stand under the sun.

But Chi Yu’s soul was different—it was intact, still carrying magical power, able to walk freely in the human world.

Li Xin’s gaze grew more gentle, “Shixiong, how did you preserve your soul so well? Was it originally like this, or did you meet a great expert?”

Chi Yu could feel Li Xin’s intense gaze but turned his head to look out of the window, avoiding eye contact with him.

When he heard Li Xin’s question, he simply replied, “The King of Hell helped restore my soul.”

“The King of Hell?” Li Xin was incredulous. “He is the ruler of the underworld. Why would he personally restore your soul?”

“My friend has a close relationship with him, so I asked him to help me.”

Li Xin was even more confused. “When did you make a friend from the Underworld? How come I didn’t know about this?”

Chi Yu felt something was off with his words, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint it. He glanced at him and smiled, saying, “He found me and, out of kindness, asked the King of the Underworld to help restore my soul. After that, we became friends.”

“Friends…” Li Xin felt uneasy inside and quickly asked, “What kind of friend? Male or female?”

Why did this guy seem a little upset?

Chi Yu didn’t understand; he couldn’t see why his situation had anything to do with him.

After a pause, he replied to Li Xin, “A male, a very understanding friend.”

Li Xin immediately felt a lump in his chest. The Soul of Heaven had been in the Underworld for a thousand years and had no memory of him. It wasn’t impossible that someone took advantage of this gap to enter.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became at himself for not finding Chi Yu earlier.

Chi Yu noticed that his expression wasn’t right and tentatively asked, “What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong?”

Li Xin then cleared his thoughts, coughed lightly, and forced a smile, “No, it’s just… just that it’s nice, having someone accompany you all these years. You wouldn’t be so lonely.”

Chi Yu didn’t sense the shift in Li Xin’s mood. He was not very perceptive and could only see things on the surface, with a simple mindset.

He smiled gently and voiced his curiosity, “Since I met you in my previous life, that was a thousand years ago. You’re not a demon, not an immortal, and certainly not a ghost. How have you lived for so long?”

Li Xin gave a bitter smile, “I practiced forbidden techniques.”

“What forbidden techniques?” Chi Yu asked curiously.

Li Xin lowered his head, suppressing the bitterness inside, “I’ll tell you when we get home. I’ll explain everything from these past years.”

Chi Yu saw his troubled expression and didn’t press further. He lightly nodded and silently stared out the window.

The human world really is beautiful.

He had originally come to the human world for work and would leave once the task was done. He had never really paid attention to the world around him. The bright lights of the bustling night and the lively crowds of the daytime—he had never truly seen them before.

As Chi Yu was reflecting, the car arrived at Li Xin’s mountaintop villa.

The villa was three stories tall, designed in a traditional Chinese antique style, with a large yard full of rare plants. In one corner of the yard was a small pond. Ordinary people wouldn’t notice anything unusual, but Chi Yu could see that the pond was surrounded by a strange mist.

After Li Xin got out of the car, he immediately went to the other side to open the door and helped Chi Yu out. Seeing him continue to stare at the pond, Li Xin knew he had noticed something.

Before Chi Yu could ask, Li Xin spoke first, “That’s a ghost pond. I use it for making puppets.”

“Puppets?” Chi Yu had heard so many things today that were beyond his understanding.

Although he was a ghost official, he was not very knowledgeable about many of the strange things in the Underworld.

Li Xin made a gesture for Chi Yu to follow him to the pond. Upon closer inspection, Chi Yu saw a deep green, still water. Despite the clarity, the bottom was invisible.

“There are two human-shaped wooden puppets submerged in there. In a few years, they will be no different from ordinary humans. They will be able to speak, walk, and have simple thoughts,” Li Xin explained, pointing to the pond.

“Are they used for magic?” Chi Yu could only think of this, after all, Li Xin was a heavenly master.

Li Xin chuckled softly, “Of course not. They’re used to impersonate my wife and children.”

“Ah?” Chi Yu was stunned.