Chapter 60.2

Yan Yuhe casually threw a brocade pouch, which Nie Xiaoqian caught. He said, “Exactly one hundred.”

Xue Ming calculated that they had captured 299 spirits, just one short. She said, “If we catch this troublesome evil spirit, we’ll have exactly 300. There’s one hour left until the Mid-Autumn Festival. If we catch it before then, you can take it back to report.”

Nie Xiaoqian was overjoyed and agreed enthusiastically. Black and White Impermanence had no objections, and Hundred Crow was eager to finish quickly, hoping he wouldn’t have to wear women’s clothes to lure the evil spirits anymore.

The group quickly agreed and discussed how to catch the last evil spirit. Liu Mengyuan had divined that it would appear near that house at midnight, so he had been wandering the streets at night, only to be caught by his senior brother. Faced with his junior brother’s resentment, Yan Yuhe, not one to deny his mistakes, said that if Liu Mengyuan’s divination was accurate and the evil spirit appeared as predicted, he would write to their master to allow Liu Mengyuan to end his training and return to the mountain.

This was great news for Liu Mengyuan, who immediately clung to Yan Yuhe and repeatedly called him a good senior brother.

Xue Ming noticed the irritation in Yan Yuhe’s eyes and secretly laughed. Although she didn’t see Yan Yuhe’s calm nature as a flaw, seeing him so bothered occasionally was amusing.

The group split up and hid in various positions around the house, quietly waiting for midnight.

Yan Yuhe sat on a tree branch, polishing his sword. The bright moonlight illuminated his handsome features. He always took great care of his weapons. After breaking his treasured sword on the mountain, Yan Yuhe has been searching for a suitable weapon ever since. He cherished each one, but they broke quickly. Xue Ming thought the heavenly realm should award Yan Yuhe, their best employee, with a prize like a sword made of ten-thousand-year-old black iron.

Xue Ming sat on another branch, her legs dangling and swaying lightly, her clear eyes fixed on him. Occasionally, the night wind rustled the leaves, and distant roosters crowed, but otherwise, the surroundings were silent.

After finishing with his sword, Yan Yuhe calmly put it away. Then, he suddenly leaned towards her, wrapping his arm around her waist, and, with a quick movement, lifted her from the other branch to sit beside him. The tree was tall and sturdy, with branches as thick as ordinary trunks, easily supporting their weight despite swaying slightly.

Yan Yuhe liked holding Xue Ming this way, just as Jiang Xing would rest its head on her lap when idle. Both the master and spirit pet showed the same clinginess in different ways. Jiang Xing leaned on her, while Yan Yuhe preferred to hold her in his arms, encircling her with his whole body. He also liked pressing against Xue Ming, his chest against her back, not using much force but bringing them closer together. He was usually quiet and calm, not speaking much while holding Xue Ming but slowly letting his heartbeat transmit through her back, pressing against her heart.

Yan Yuhe rested his chin on her shoulder, his eyes closed. He breathed long and slow, with occasional warm breaths falling on Xue Ming’s ear.

After a while, Xue Ming softly asked, “Shall we go find you a new sword?”

Yan Yuhe stirred slightly, letting out a casual sound of inquiry, “Hmm?”

Xue Ming said, “Didn’t you break your old sword? Since coming down the mountain, none of your swords have felt right. Why don’t we set off at dawn to the East Sea to find some black iron and forge you a new sword?”

“The black iron of the East Sea isn’t something you can just get because you want it,” Yan Yuhe’s breath tickled her ear as he held her closer, looking at her profile.

“We have to try to know if we can get it,” Xue Ming said. “Besides, we have nothing else to do, just wandering around the human world. Going to the East Sea is the same.”

Yan Yuhe didn’t say anything more, but Xue Ming knew this was his way of agreeing. As long as he didn’t voice opposition, it meant he agreed. Although the journey to the East Sea was long, their lives were long too, and they would eventually get there, taking their time.

Suddenly, a gust of cold wind rose, rustling the leaves. Yan Yuhe stood up at the same time, his cold, sharp gaze pinpointing a spot below. He raised his hand, and a paper crane flew out from his sleeve, circling the tree a few times before transforming into Jiang Xing. Immediately, a loud crane call echoed, reaching everyone hiding in the vicinity.

This was the agreed-upon signal. Since the evil spirit appeared at close range, Yan Yuhe would be the first to notice it. The crane call was his signal for the others to take action.

Yan Yuhe drew his sword and leaped down, flanked by Jiang Xing on either side. Swiftly approaching the source of the evil aura, he moved as fast as lightning. Xue Ming also slid down from the branch. Normally, she wouldn’t need to intervene in such exorcisms, but seeing the sudden gusts of wind, the clouds covering the moon, and the land plunged into darkness, with the house faintly emitting black energy, she worried about the mortals inside and stepped towards the house.

Black and White Impermanence arrived quickly, the soul-reaping sickle making a crisp sound as it swung. White Impermanence shook the mourning stick, approaching the black mist from the east and west. By this time, Yan Yuhe had already reached the black mist, half-leaping into the air, raising his long sword high. As he struck down, it hit something, producing an extremely piercing sound.

The sound was like a large bell being shattered, causing Xue Ming’s ears to ache intensely. She instinctively covered her ears, showing a pained expression. At the same time, Black and White Impermanence were also hit by a massive shock, flying off in different directions. Yan Yuhe’s long sword broke into two pieces, but the black mist filled with evil energy remained unscathed.

“Is this the treasure it holds?” Gu Jinglan had arrived and asked, upon seeing the scene, “What is it?”

Yan Yuhe looked at the broken sword in his hand, having no other weapon, and glanced at Black Impermanence. Black Impermanence understood his intention and reluctantly handed over the soul-reaping sickle. Yan Yuhe took the sickle, but before he could move, he heard a series of hurried footsteps behind him. He glanced sideways and saw Hundred Crow dashing, his face twisted with a malicious smile, full of evil energy. As he got close, he jumped high, his sharp black claws striking at the black mist, delivering dozens of blows in an instant.

Sparks flew as Hundred Crow’s claws continuously hit the treasure, producing a harsh clanging sound. Due to the fierce attacks, the black mist kept retreating.

Nie Xiaoqian bypassed the evil aura and came to Xue Ming’s side, pulling her and saying, “Even Great Hero Yan’s sword broke. This place is dangerous; let’s retreat quickly.”

Xue Ming glanced back and saw Yan Yuhe standing opposite the black mist, with Black and White Impermanence on either side and Hundred Crow entangled in a fight with the black mist. Although Gu Jinglan appeared to be watching the commotion, he was within striking distance, ready to act at any moment. This formation was even more formidable than last year’s battle in the ghost realm. Xue Ming thought that unless this evil spirit was a reincarnated ghost emperor at its peak, it wouldn’t pose much danger.

She said to Nie Xiaoqian, “I see the house is shrouded in evil energy. Let’s go inside and take a look.”

As she phased through the wall and entered the house, the others responded and simultaneously attacked the evil spirit. As Xue Ming had said, even a reincarnated ghost emperor at its peak would struggle against their combined efforts. Golden light flashed repeatedly, and the black mist retreated step by step. Finally, Yan Yuhe wrapped a long chain around its neck and slammed it to the ground, gradually revealing a human form.

It was hard to tell if it was male or female, but it seemed to have died with immense hatred, leaving only a pair of blood-red eyes glaring venomously at them. Its body was fused with many dry bones, deformed and ugly.

Yan Yuhe stepped on its shoulder and called out, “Impermanence, take it.”

Black and White Impermanence immediately moved to capture and take the last evil spirit back. However, at that moment, a piercing scream came from inside the house. They all turned to look at the house, and in the blink of an eye, the evil spirit under Yan Yuhe’s foot transformed. The black mist dissipated instantly, leaving only an old mirror on the ground.

Yan Yuhe suddenly realized it was a diversion. The real evil spirit was not this one but inside the house. His expression changed, and he disappeared from the spot in an instant.

Inside the house, only a few scattered lamps were lit. The eaves, walls, and stone pillars were covered with yellow talismans, densely packed and swaying in the wind. The lanterns emitted a strangely eerie light, casting a ghastly glow on the talismans, making the scene even more terrifying.

When Xue Ming entered, this was the sight she saw. She guessed that the evil spirit had haunted the family for a long time, so they had covered the courtyard with talismans. On this Mid-Autumn Festival night, they only dared to light a few lamps, and there were no servants in the courtyard, likely hiding inside the house.

Such a scene might have been terrifying for the old Xue Ming, but after a year of following Yan Yuhe and encountering various demons and evil spirits, she had become somewhat accustomed to it, especially with Nie Xiaoqian by her side.

Nie Xiaoqian, being a ghost herself and now an underworld officer, was not afraid of such scenes. She turned to Xue Ming and said, “These talismans are fake and useless.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly paused, her expression turning strange. She wrinkled her nose and sniffed the air, saying ominously, “Something’s wrong. Why is there a smell of blood? It wasn’t there when we came in, but now it’s suddenly appeared.”

Xue Ming was startled. Hearing the sounds of fighting outside and glancing at Jiang Xing beside her, she said, “Let’s go check it out.”

If something was wrong, they could always run.

Nie Xiaoqian followed the scent of blood in the air, leading Xue Ming deeper into the house. They reached the back courtyard, where the bedroom door was tightly closed. It seemed there was a light inside, casting a dark red glow on the window. As Xue Ming and Nie Xiaoqian approached, Jiang Xing quickly went ahead to scout, using its head to nudge the door open, letting a sliver of dim light escape through the crack.

Xue Ming stepped forward and pushed the door open. At first glance, she saw two middle-aged people hanging from the rafters inside the room, a man and a woman. Their chests had been gouged out, leaving bloody holes with crimson blood dripping down. They were still alive, staring at Xue Ming in pain, their mouths open, emitting faint groans.

The sudden sight startled Xue Ming, making her take a big step back. Nie Xiaoqian saw it too and immediately let out a piercing scream.

Before her scream even ended, Yan Yuhe appeared beside Xue Ming, pulling her back by the wrist and kicking the door with a loud crash, sending it flying. He first glanced at the man and woman hanging from the rafters, and then his sharp eyes scanned the room, spotting a shadow in a corner where the candlelight didn’t reach.

Yan Yuhe turned his head and whispered to Xue Ming, “Step back.”

Then, in a flash, he entered the room. Xue Ming hurriedly moved outside, hearing the clashing of chains. Moments later, something crashed through the window, followed by Yan Yuhe in his black robe. Xue Ming looked closely and saw that the evil spirit on the ground resembled a human but had absorbed too many things, making it look strange. The dense black mist made it hard to tell if it was male or female.

The soul-reaping sickle danced in the air, and Yan Yuhe’s attacks were fierce. By the time the others arrived, the black mist was already struggling and trying to escape.

Yan Yuhe’s sickle missed and struck the eaves heavily, shattering them and sending debris falling. Black Impermanence let out a startled cry, sounding like a chicken being strangled, wanting to scream but not daring to, and weakly said, “Honorable Lord Yan, this is underworld property…”

The evil spirit took advantage of the missed strike to flee, not knowing where in the house it was heading. But since Yan Yuhe had caught it, there was no way it would escape easily. He blew a whistle, and Jiang Xing spread its wings, flying like a shooting star. It quickly caught up to the evil spirit and pinned it to the ground with its claws.

The evil spirit let out a wretched scream, rolling on the ground and trying to struggle. Yan Yuhe flew forward, hooking its neck with the soul-reaping sickle, about to capture it when it suddenly erupted with dense black energy.

A fierce wind surged from all directions, enveloping everyone in black mist. Xue Ming shielded herself with her sleeve, and when she looked again, her vision was extremely blurred. Only Yan Yuhe, at the center of the black mist, still emitted a faint golden light, illuminating his figure. His robes billowed in the wind, and he gripped the soul-reaping sickle in his hand, with one foot pinning down the evil spirit, seemingly resisting the immense force it emitted.

At that moment, a piercing cry echoed, and the black mist, sensing Xue Ming’s extremely yin body, swirled around her. Suddenly, Xue Ming heard a woman’s voice within the cries, followed by an overwhelming sadness filling her heart. She seemed to feel the emotions condensed within the black mist—those sorrowful, urgent feelings—all converging at the end of the path in a small, closed room.

“Yan Yuhe,” Xue Ming called out to him, looking at the evil spirit struggling madly under his foot, “Wait a moment.”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but somehow Yan Yuhe heard it, abruptly stopping and turning to look at her. She ran over, seeing that Yan Yuhe hadn’t lifted his foot, still pressing down on the evil spirit, and said, “I feel like it wants to go to that room. I’ll go check it out.”

Yan Yuhe nodded slightly, calling Jiang Xing to follow.

It was only a few steps away. Xue Ming walked up to the small room. The door wasn’t locked and opened easily. Outside, the wind howled, and the black mist swirled, but inside, it was very quiet, unaffected. Xue Ming used a small spell to light the lamp hanging on the wall. In the dim light, she saw it was a storage room, not very big, filled with various clutter and stacked firewood. Against the wall was a water jar, half as tall as a person, with a wooden lid weighed down by a few pieces of wood.

Xue Ming walked around the room, finding nothing unusual, and finally focused on the large jar by the wall. As she approached, she heard a faint sound from inside. She moved the wood off the lid and found it half-broken, revealing something inside.

Lifting the lid, she was met with a pair of terrified eyes.

In an instant, she understood everything, a wave of immense sorrow washing over her. She saw a small child, a few years old, hugging their knees and sitting in the jar. The child’s face was unclear in the dim light, but the red and blue bruises on their cheeks were visible, and their round eyes were full of fear. Seeing Xue Ming, the child trembled and curled up even more.

Through the long years, Xue Ming seemed to see herself many years ago, sitting in a corner at school after being bullied, injured, and wearing dirty clothes, just like this child.

She bent down to lift the child from the jar, and tears unknowingly slipped down her cheeks. Perhaps these tears calmed the frightened child, who didn’t struggle but allowed her to carry them out of the room.

As Xue Ming stood outside, the black mist in the courtyard dissipated, and the piercing cries turned into low sobs. Yan Yuhe released his foot and stepped back, watching as the deformed, ugly creature on the ground slowly transformed into a middle-aged woman.

“Mother,” the child in Xue Ming’s arms weakly called out, like a kitten, then struggled and cried out louder, “Mother—!”

The evil spirit, now in human form, stood up and took the little girl from Xue Ming’s arms, holding her tightly and sorrowfully saying, “My daughter… you’ve suffered…”

The clear moonlight shone on the crying mother and daughter, and Xue Ming saw that the little girl’s body was covered in whip marks, her face swollen from beatings, and even one eye was swollen shut, clearly having been beaten often.

The people standing in the courtyard watched silently, no one speaking.

In the distance, a bell tolled, and a cold wind swept across the land as midnight of the Mid-Autumn Festival quietly arrived.

Finally, the little girl, exhausted from crying, fell asleep clutching her mother’s hand. Black and White Impermanence stepped forward, silently placing shackles on the woman. The last evil spirit was captured, fulfilling the quota given to Nie Xiaoqian and her team by the underworld. The people in the house were all dead. The woman was the original wife of the household’s master. Later, the man took a concubine, who, after hearing too many whispers, conspired with the concubine to kill the woman and threw her into an abandoned well. After the man established his concubine, he was busy with business and neglected his family. The little girl was often tormented and beaten by the concubine, sometimes locked in the woodshed overnight. The original wife, filled with hatred, came back for revenge, killing her husband, the concubine who tormented her daughter, and their son.

Xue Ming didn’t know what punishment the woman would face in the underworld and wouldn’t interfere. With everyone in the house dead, the little girl couldn’t survive alone. Yan Yuhe suggested that Liu Mengyuan take the girl back to the mountain, saying she had the potential to become a cultivator.

With that, the matter seemed to conclude. Gu Jinglan waved goodbye, and Hundred Crow was taken away by the arriving Lu Man, grumbling that he would never help the underworld again.

Black and White Impermanence, along with Nie Xiaoqian, bid farewell to Xue Ming and Yan Yuhe, taking the three hundred evil spirits back to the underworld. Liu Mengyuan yawned, carrying the sleeping girl, and said he would return to his inn.

The surroundings became empty and quiet. Xue Ming and Yan Yuhe walked under the bright full moon, with Jiang Xing swaying beside them.

They walked through the wide streets and reached the outskirts, where no overlapping buildings existed, and the view opened up.

Xue Ming looked up and saw a vast field filled with people standing, squatting, or kneeling and lighting small fires. Thousands of sparks gathered together, like stars falling from the sky, dancing in the wind, and floating in the air. The dense fires looked like a long dragon, stretching endlessly, covering every corner of the field.

The flames burned endlessly under the heavy night sky—the cries and gentle whispers intertwined with the scene, creating a moving picture.

Xue Ming felt the dense yin energy in the wind, yet it was gentle. Her dark eyes reflected the bright and flickering lights of countless homes.

On the Mid-Autumn Festival, the gates of the underworld opened, connecting the realms of the living and the dead, allowing for a grand reunion between the living and the deceased. The unending obsessions that spanned life and death were the most ordinary emotions of mortals.

Xue Ming took Yan Yuhe’s hand and softly said, “Actually, the Mid-Autumn Festival is quite nice.”

Yan Yuhe didn’t speak but silently tightened his grip on her hand, leading her forward under the bright moon, through the dancing sparks, and alongside countless people longing for their deceased loved ones, walking together into the quiet depths.

The next day, as the sun rose, a few early risers occasionally passed by on the street.

The little girl stood in a shadowed corner, on tiptoe, looking up and speaking to the other side of the wall, “You’re amazing. You said if I sat in the jar, my mother would come to see me, and I really saw her last night.”

A moment later, a young boy’s voice replied from the other side, “Of course, I promised you that you would see your mother.”

“Will I be able to see my mother again?” she asked.

“Well… it’s hard to say,” the boy said. “But since you have a connection with me, it means you have a destiny with the Dao. If you have the chance to cultivate in the future, you might see your mother’s reincarnation.”

The little girl said, “I don’t understand, but thank you.”

“Little girl!” a voice called from outside the alley. Hearing it, the little girl said goodbye to the other side of the wall, saying they would meet again, and then ran out on her short legs.

Liu Mengyuan stood outside the alley. Seeing her run out, he took her hand and asked, “Where have you been?”

The little girl replied, “Talking to a friend.”

Liu Mengyuan didn’t pay much attention and casually asked, “You have a friend here?”

The little girl nodded and said, “His name is You Yin, and he’s very powerful!”

Liu Mengyuan didn’t know who You Yin was, so he just agreed and then took the little girl onto the ox cart, saying, “Let’s go. I’ll take you back to the mountain.”

The morning sun cast its golden rays, dispersing the early mist and illuminating the pedestrians on the street. It was as if a new day had dawned.

THE END

Notes: I can’t unlock the last chapter (chapter 61) on jjwxc, as it is a special edition and not for sale. Thus, the story ends here. Thank you for the support!