Chapter 230: A Mountain Suspended, A River Submerged (44)
Yan Shixun never expected to see the official in charge here.
He had known that once the official noticed something was wrong during the livestream, he would definitely lead a rescue team into the mountains. Even though the situation in Nanming Mountain was perilous and complex, he wouldn’t have backed down. He would have rushed to Longevity Village as quickly as possible to find the program crew and protect them.
In Yan Shixun’s original plan, both the official in charge and the Taoists from Haiyun Temple were counted as reliable protectors.
Before leaving down stream Longevity Village, Yan Shixun had done everything to ensure the program crew’s safety.
If Ye Li and Lu Xingxing were the first line of defense, then the official in charge and the priests from Haiyun Temple were the last. They were meant to lead the crew safely out of Longevity Village, or at the very least hold their ground and protect them until Yan Shixun could return.
But what Yan Shixun hadn’t anticipated was that Ye Li had a past connection with Ritual Master from twenty years ago. And because of his bond with Lu Xingxing, Ye Li chose to trust him, lending him power before leaving Longevity Village.
As for the official in charge, who was supposed to serve as a protector, he had inexplicably become a victim—now lying inside a coffin.
The calm Yan Shixun had maintained was instantly shattered. He raised a hand and flung the coffin lid off the cliff, then quickly bent over to check the official’s condition.
The official in charge lay inside the coffin as if dead, his face pale as waxed paper, his lips drained of any color. But his expression was calm, his features peaceful, as if he had died without pain or regret—losing consciousness in a moment of happiness.
His hands were crossed neatly over his abdomen, making him look like a body prepared for farewell in a funeral home—restful and undisturbed.
He had originally been holding a bouquet of chrysanthemums. But after Yan Shixun and Ye Li had joined forces to kill Ritual Master and regain control of Nanming Mountain, the flowers had turned to ashes along with the spell that bound them, scattering in the coffin.
Yan Shixun gave the official in charge a quick once-over and saw no visible wounds on him. That serene expression—just like what Ritual Master had once described as “happy and peaceful”—made Yan Shixun immediately suspect that the official in charge’s current condition was tied to Ritual Master’s doing.
He guessed that perhaps, after entering Nanming Mountain, the official in charge had unknowingly drunk water steeped in chrysanthemum petals—or perhaps had directly come into contact with the flowers—causing him to end up like the other missing people.
However, when Yan Shixun reached out to check the official in charge’s pulse, a flash of hope lit up his eyes.
He was still alive!
The official in charge hadn’t died yet.
Although his breath and body temperature had dropped to the bare minimum, nearly indistinguishable from a fresh corpse, a closer check revealed a faint but definite pulse.
Thump… thump…
The beat of life.
Without wasting a second, Yan Shixun quickly formed a hand seal and stabilized the official in charge’s vital energy.
Slowly, the weakening pulse began to strengthen, and the official in charge’s body started to regain warmth, no longer ice-cold like before.
Only after seeing the official in charge’s breathing return to normal did Yan Shixun finally relax. He turned to look at Ye Li beside him.
“I remember… when you arrived, you said you only left after making sure Zhang Wubing and the others were all settled, right?”
Yan Shixun frowned in deep thought. “So what happened in the down stream village? Why is the official in charge here—and in this condition?”
Since the known way for outsiders to travel from down stream Longevity Village to the upper one was by dying, and considering how the official in charge’s peaceful expression truly resembled that of a dead man, Yan Shixun had genuinely believed, at first glance, that the official in charge had been killed in down stream Longevity Village.
If he hadn’t found that pulse, his expression would’ve been dark enough to drip water.
He wasn’t angry—just deeply uncertain about what had happened in the lower village after he left. And he was growing increasingly concerned for the safety of the program crew and the rescue team.
He hadn’t meant to blame Ye Li, nor had he ever had the habit of pointing fingers after an accident occurred.
—Since the incident had already happened, no matter how harshly one scolded the person who made the mistake, even if it made them remorseful, ashamed, and burst into tears, it no longer held any meaning.
It was better to use that wasted time to investigate the cause and find a remedy.
However, no matter how much Yan Shixun thought about it—even factoring in several variables from the original plan—he still couldn’t figure out why the official in charge would end up in such a state.
Not even considering Lu Xingxing and the power Ye Li had openly lent to him, just looking at the official alone; The Special Department clearly understood the kind of danger they were up against. They would never naively count on malevolent spirits to suddenly grow a conscience and spare their lives. That’s why, in every special case, they would collaborate with Haiyun Temple or other well-known masters.
Given how urgent this case was, the official in charge would certainly follow the principle of proximity and prioritize cooperation with Haiyun Temple. The ones dispatched to Nanming Mountain would most likely be Haiyun Temple’s Taoists.
Even though Yan Shixun was well aware that Haiyun Temple had suffered heavy losses in the last evil spirit invasion at Binhai University, and many of the Taoists responsible for the temple’s daily affairs still hadn’t recovered from their injuries—
He also knew just as clearly that no sect or master could match Haiyun Temple’s understanding of the Nanming Mountain case.
In the dream shown to him by Grandma Nan, Yan Shixun had seen the horrifying state of Nanming Mountain from decades ago.
Corpses sank to the bottom of the river.
One lifeless face after another, eyes still wide open in death, had bloated and turned pale in the water.
That was not a sight ordinary people could possibly withstand. It was precisely why the first to be alerted and arrive at Nanming Mountain had been the Taoists from Haiyun Temple.
Although, including Haiyun Temple, many great masters hadn’t even managed to enter the mountain before dying outside its perimeter—making Nanming Mountain a taboo no one in the field wanted to bring up—
Haiyun Temple had never stopped investigating Nanming Mountain.
Grandma Nan had also personally told Yan Shixun that long ago, she once rescued a young Taoist.
Based on Grandma Nan’s description of the Taoist’s appearance and age, Yan Shixun had pretty much guessed right away that it must have been Taoist Wang from Haiyun Temple, who had long since become a capable and independent master.
Taoist Wang specialized in divination and spatial orientation, almost to the point of obsession, and had devoted years of painstaking research to this field. Therefore, he had previously taken on the task of exploring the Yin path.
During the passage of the Yin path, Taoist Wang had been on the highway outside Binhai City, not on the university campus.
As a result, he hadn’t been seriously injured.
With that in mind, the one Haiyun Temple sent to Longevity Village this time was very likely to be Taoist Wang.
Yan Shixun had met Taoist Wang and knew how powerful he was.
With Taoist Wang present, the official in charge shouldn’t have been injured to this extent.
Unless… even Taoist Wang hadn’t realized that the official was being harmed under the control of Ritual Master. And by the time he did, it was probably already too late.
So, the root of the problem likely lay in something or someone the rescue team had come into contact with—but Taoist Wang hadn’t.
For example, the civilians who needed treatment.
Like the guesthouse area outside Nanming Mountain.
After a moment of thought, Yan Shixun realized that something must have gone wrong even in the guesthouse area outside the mountain.
And the first image that popped into his mind was the cheerful and hospitable hostess.
However, as Yan Shixun frowned and looked down at the official, he suddenly let out a hesitant “Hm?”
He reached out and pressed against the official’s abdomen, discovering that the stomach, which he had previously seen showing signs of trouble before leaving Binhai City, now seemed perfectly normal—there wasn’t a hint of illness.
Not only that—it was full of vitality. The stomach, worn down by decades of use, now appeared as healthy as a newborn’s.
It was similar to the artificial vitality that Liu Ming had shown.
But there was a difference.
The vitality in the official was concentrated solely in the stomach and hadn’t yet had time to spread through the rest of the body due to how recent it was.
Because the vitality he received wasn’t much, the karmic debt he owed Ritual Master in return was also minimal. That was the only reason he’d managed to survive long enough for Yan Shixun to stabilize his vital signs.
…It seemed the official in charge had drunk the river water.
Yan Shixun’s gaze remained fixed on the official in charge. Frowning in thought, he said, “It looks like the official in charge isn’t the only one who might experience this kind of condition. If the river water is the source, I remember that quite a few people from the crew drank it, and so did the innkeeper.”
“I’m afraid they all need to be treated promptly to expel the evil spirits.”
Yan Shixun looked up and addressed Ye Li seriously, “I only temporarily used a talisman to stabilize the official in charge’s condition and ward off the evil spirit, but further treatment needs to be done by medical professionals.”
“I don’t know whether any other crew members or rescue team members are inside the coffins originally prepared as sacrificial offerings for the Winter Solstice festival. I’ll need to check each one to be sure.”
Speaking naturally, Yan Shixun said to Ye Li, “Help me out—take the official in charge back to Longevity Village downstream. The rescue team must’ve brought medical staff with them who can provide treatment.”
“Oh right, also check on the others in Longevity Village. See if anyone else came into contact with the chrysanthemums or the river water. They might also have been harmed by the evil spirits.”
As Yan Shixun recalled the situation downstream—thinking of the cottage adorned with chrysanthemum patterns everywhere, and the flowerbeds in the village—he couldn’t help but grow concerned for the people still staying there.
Like giving instructions to a teammate, he listed everything he wanted to do but couldn’t attend to at the moment, entrusting it all to Ye Li.
Watching this scene, Jing Xiaobao stood by with his eyes wide in astonishment.
The child looked at Yan Shixun, then turned his head to look at Ye Li beside him. His mouth was slightly open in shock, unable to close. He couldn’t understand how just one trip to the amusement park had changed the household’s head so much.
Was Yan Yan always this close to the ghost deity?
Jing Xiaobao tilted his head. His soft, pudgy face squished under his own little paw, turning into a fluffy ball. His big, watery eyes were full of confusion. He had no idea what had happened while he was away.
Jing Xiaobao: First came Zhang Dabing, and now there’s another stealing affection from me—too bad I can’t beat this one or bully him… boohoo.
The little child felt heartbroken and decided that next time he saw Zhang Wubing, he would make up for lost time and finally bully him a bit for fun.
Far away in the downstream Longevity Village, Zhang Wubing: “?”
Why did he suddenly feel a chill down his back?
Yan Shixun spoke seriously, but in Ye Li’s ears, it sounded like he was blaming himself for not fulfilling the responsibilities that Yan Shixun had entrusted to him out of trust—allowing the crew members left downstream to be hurt. That’s why Yan Shixun was this worried.
And downstream…
Ye Li’s eyes darkened as he recalled how he’d temporarily lent his power to Lu Xingxing, that kid who had pounded his chest confidently, promising everything would be fine.
Ye Li gave a cold snort, clearly displeased with Lu Xingxing.
However, before Yan Shixun could notice his emotional shift, Ye Li had already shoved thoughts of Lu Xingxing aside and put his usual smile back on in front of Yan Shixun.
“Alright, I’ll head downstream. That way, you can focus on wrapping things up here.”
Ye Li smiled warmly and persuaded, “People from Haiyun Temple are already in Longevity Village. I’ll have them come handle things here. You don’t need to take care of everything yourself, Shixun—just let the Haiyun Temple folks deal with it.”
Yan Shixun lifted his gaze and glanced at the seemingly endless line of dark coffins along the mountain road, then nodded helplessly. “Alright, there really are too many of these coffins.”
“The one coming from Haiyun Temple should be Taoist Wang. I heard from Grandma Nan that he visited Nanming Mountain when he was younger. I suppose he’ll be glad to return to the place he once failed to save. It should be good for his state of mind, too.”
With each sentence Yan Shixun said, Ye Li gently responded, his gaze never straying from Yan Shixun the entire time.
In the end, it was Yan Shixun who became flustered from being stared at like some oversized feline with its fur puffed up. He hurriedly shooed Ye Li away.
Ye Li chuckled quietly and replied, “Alright.” He gave Yan Shixun one last look before finally turning to leave with the official in tow.
But Yan Shixun was certain—he’d seen Ye Li still smiling faintly, even as he turned away, those pale, bloodless lips curved ever so slightly.
Yan Shixun opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something. But before he could organize his thoughts, he felt his cheeks heating up.
Even the ear hidden by a stray lock of hair felt like it was burning with a fever.
He let out a fake cough and raised his hand to touch his hot, soft earlobe. The tips of his fingers, chilled by the mountain wind, startled him awake from his daze.
Still, he tucked all the stray hair behind his ears, exposing them to the breeze to cool off.
Maybe his ears just got overheated from being covered by hair.
That’s what Yan Shixun told himself, though his gaze drifted unsteadily.
Forgotten by Yan Shixun and left to the side, Jing Xiaobao had watched the entire scene unfold with wide-eyed wonder and let out a drawn-out “Waaah~~” of amazement.
Only then did Yan Shixun remember that there was still a child beside him.
And with that realization came another: Ye Li’s influence on him far exceeded anything he had expected.
Even though Ritual Master had died and the interference in his memories had ceased, when Ye Li spoke to him, he still gave him his full attention—so much so that he even forgot the presence of Jing Xiaobao nearby.
That was something that would have been impossible in the past.
“Yan Yan~”
Jing Xiaobao tilted his head curiously and asked, “Did you two get secretly married while I was gone?”
Yan Shixun: “!!!”
The moment he heard what Jing Xiaobao said, Yan Shixun blinked slowly in confusion. It took him a second longer to process what the boy was actually saying.
Then, like a startled big cat, he jumped up on the spot. From his half-crouched position with long legs folded, he sprang straight up to stand tall, staring at Jing Xiaobao with a look of pure horror.
Since meeting Yan Shixun, this was the first time Jing Xiaobao had seen him react so violently. The sight amazed him. He looked at Yan Shixun like he was a rare gem, wishing his eyes were cameras so he could capture this moment forever.
He blinked his big eyes again and let out a mischievous but emotional cry: “Waaah~~”
Yan Shixun’s thoughts were in complete disarray, but in the face of Jing Xiaobao’s delighted and curious stare, he finally realized how ridiculous his reaction had been.
He quickly reined in his emotions. The faint blush that had tinged his handsome face from the heat faded, returning his features to their usual sharpness and calm.
“I sent you to the underworld to suppress fierce spirits and take up the role of the new King of Hell to maintain order there.”
He looked at Jing Xiaobao with disdain and asked, “What exactly have you been learning down there? Who’s been teaching you this nonsense?”
“There was no marriage. Definitely not in secret.”
Yan Shixun sneered coldly. “Jing Xiaobao, if you don’t know how to use words properly, don’t just make things up. What’s the point of all that studying you did?”
Jing Xiaobao shrank back, feeling a chill like when a parent called you by your full name in anger.
Immediately, he sold out all his “teammates,” putting on a teary expression and blaming everything on the terrifying evil spirits in the underworld, claiming they were all bad ghosts who had corrupted him—so it totally wasn’t his fault.
The evil spirits in hell who had been tormented by Jing Xiaobao and felt every day drag like a year: ???
The ferocious demons, now more obedient than rabbits after being forced to play kickball and hide-and-seek with him: ???
Say that again? Who’s scary now, exactly?
But through the gesture of Jing Xiaobao pretending to wipe away tears, his chubby little paw parted two fingers, peeking cautiously through the gap at Yan Shixun, worried that he might still be angry and might give him another beating.
Yan Shixun: :)
He bent down slightly and grabbed the suspenders of Jing Xiaobao’s tiny suit overalls, lifting him up like a fat little rabbit.
And so, because he had misspoken, Jing Xiaobao got his butt smacked by the big boss of the family.
The child sobbed and sniffled, even the tip of his nose was red.
But he still cried defiantly, “Xiao Bao didn’t say anything wrong, wuwuwu, Yan Yan just looks like he’s happi—wuwuwu!!”
Tears welled in Jing Xiaobao’s eyes as his pudgy little arms struggled to reach behind him, trying to block Yan Shixun’s spanking.
But since he had gotten chubbier from stuffing himself with ghost energy in the underworld, his movements were clumsy, and he ended up getting smacked solidly anyway.
So Jing Xiaobao cried even louder.
“Yan Yan is a bad guy! Wuwuwu!”
Yan Shixun remained completely unmoved. He simply gave a fake smile and shook the child, now curled up in his hand, like shaking a dumpling: “Oh? Got it.”
He was cold and ruthless like a villain squeezing child labor: “Since you didn’t bring the Yin officials, then all these souls—you’ll have to take them back yourself.”
“Stop wasting time. Come on. Get to work.”
“Wuwuwu QAQ I don’t like Yan Yan anymore!”
The child bawled fiercely, shouting miserably as if his heart had broken, yet he was too scared to even try resisting Yan Shixun.
—He was still calling Yan Shixun so affectionately.
Yan Shixun gave a professional fake smile: “Oh? I never liked you in the first place.”
Jing Xiaobao was stunned.
His crying halted for a second. His red, pitifully teary eyes stared blankly at Yan Shixun—then he burst into even louder sobs, choking on his cries.
This time, the sadness was real.
Jing Xiaobao looked just like a child who had been rejected by his parent, filled with genuine sorrow.
Watching Jing Xiaobao’s reaction, which didn’t seem strange at all compared to earlier, a trace of amusement slowly lit up in Yan Shixun’s eyes.
It seemed like assigning him the responsibility of the underworld had been the right decision. The gentleness and emotional awareness he had learned from the living were finally suppressing the darkness that Chi Yan had instilled in him.
Xiao Bao would make a good King of Hell.
Yan Shixun truly believed this.
Meanwhile, the Yin officials, who had just been summoned by the new King of Hell and had rushed over, had just stepped onto Nanming Mountain when they witnessed this scene.
The King of Hell, feared by ten thousand ghosts, was being dangled in someone’s hand—and not only that, the human holding him had such a cold, terrifying expression, while the King of Hell was bawling his eyes out.
It was as if their roles had been completely reversed.
The Yin officials all took a step back in unison, eyes wide with fear as they looked at Yan Shixun.
After a long pause, the Yin officials exchanged glances and nodded at one another.
Did you see that? From now on, remember this guy clearly—he’s someone who can beat up the King of Hell at will, and the King of Hell doesn’t even dare to fight back!
And so, the Yin officials, who had just appeared all mighty and imposing with chains in hand and tall white hats on their heads, instantly deflated like popped balloons, their aura completely gone.
They silently shrank into the shadows, not even daring to step forward.
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