Chapter 28.1 Ye Family House No. 444 01
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As Chen Yang wrapped up his business with the little baby spirit, Du Shuo came out of their room, luggage in hand. Du Shuo swung a hand around Chen Yang’s arm, effortlessly balancing their bags with the other, and they strolled out of the inn together.
After Zhang Qiudao successfully resolved the issues involving He Tianna and Longdao Ridge, he unwound with a couple of leisurely games. When he glanced up, he caught sight of Du Shuo and Chen Yang approaching. Curious, he inquired, “Brother Chen, Director Du, are you leaving?”
Chen Yang: “We’ll be staying in that house with the beautiful courtyard, then take a detour to explore Q City. Would you like to join us?”
Shaking his head, Zhang Qiudao replied, “I’m fine living in the inn.” Most importantly, he had no desire to watch Du Shuo and Chen Yang sprinkling dog food in front of him.
Chen Yang, oblivious to his own tendencies for public displays of affection with Du Shuo, instead offered some advice, “Over there, we have two Three Caverns Celestial Masters and two Five Thunders Celestial Masters. Their guidance in mastering the Five Thunders technique would undoubtedly be beneficial to you. Why not consider joining us?”
Zhang Qiudao, catching a glimpse of Chen Yang and Du Shuo tightly holding hands from the corner of his eye, firmly shook his head, “I won’t go.”
Chen Yang: “Alright then. You can stay here alone and handle the remaining procedures for He Tianna and Gao Tianliang.”
“No problem. By the way, Mao Xiaoli mentioned that she’s about to undergo an assessment. She hopes you can return before her assessment.”
“Does she need me to go back and cheer her on?” Chen Yang thought of Mao Xiaoli, that lively and youthful girl who always referred to him as her brother. Since she didn’t have any family by her side, it was normal for someone to provide support and encouragement during such an important promotion.
“No,” Zhang Qiudao replied, “Mao Xiaoli just wants to take the promotion assessment with you. If you fail, it won’t hit her too hard emotionally.”
Chen Yang: “…”
Without further ado, he grabbed Du Shuo and walked away. These disappointing colleagues weren’t worth lingering over. Du Shuo playfully adjusted Chen Yang’s hair and said, “Your hair has grown quite long. You should get it trimmed.”
“Sounds good. It’s been two months since my last haircut. Are you coming along?”
“No, I won’t.”
Chen Yang nodded without any objection. He had never seen Du Shuo cut his hair before, but it seemed like his hair had always remained the same length. Perhaps the growth of a ghost’s hair had stopped altogether.
Du Shuo’s lips curved slightly. “You don’t need to prepare for the Celestial Master promotion anymore?”
“No need. I’m all prepared,” Chen Yang waved his hand dismissively, “I can be promoted to Alliance Authority, a fourth-grade rank. That surpasses Mao Xiaoli’s fifth-grade rank. Let’s see if she still dares to seek balance with me!”
Du Shuo’s eyes deepened. “Everything else is fine after that?”
“There is something,” Chen Yang took out the carefully crafted travel guide he had prepared, “I’m all set. Three days should be enough to visit all the attractions.”
“A whirlwind tour.”
“Just a quick look.” Chen Yang didn’t find it embarrassing to have a whirlwind tour. “The main focus is on food. You like spicy food, trust me, this place is your paradise.”
Du Shuo nodded. “I understand.”
Chen Yang remained focused on the travel guide and didn’t notice the hidden thoughts in Du Shuo’s answer. If he had paid attention to Du Shuo’s tone, he would have realized that Du Shuo didn’t really want to travel and just wanted to pack up and return to the office. Even if it meant going back for the assessment, it wouldn’t be an issue.
In the quaint old house, the three sect leaders and Kou Xuanling were all present, sitting around a stone table in the courtyard, chatting and laughing. Upon spotting the newcomers, they warmly welcomed them. Chen Yang and Du Shuo walked over and took a seat as well.
Meng Fu poured a cup of strong tea for each of them, then said, “All subsequent matters of the ritual will be handed over to the person in charge of the Daoist Association in Q City. The Ghost Portal at Longdao Ridge will also be sealed off. There shouldn’t be any more unforeseen fatalities, but the lingering Yin energy and resentment will persist for the next few years. It’s recommended for people to avoid the area to minimize the risk of falling ill. We’ve informed the local police about the situation.”
Chen Yang lowered his gaze, staring at the strong tea in front of him. He had heard that strong tea was bitter. He glanced at Du Shuo, who lifted his teacup and took a sip, seemingly satisfied. If Du Shuo enjoyed the tea, it meant that it was indeed bitter.
“Daoist Chen?”
Chen Yang snapped out of his thoughts and replied, “Just call me Chen Yang.”
Meng Fu smiled and said, “Thanks to you and Celestial Master Zhang, we were able to discover the Longdao Ridge incident in time. This saved the fortune of our nation.”
Chen Yang quickly waved his hand. “It was mainly thanks to the three sect leaders and all the celestial masters who worked together to deliver the wronged souls of Longdao Ridge and close the Ghost Portal.” He didn’t mention his own contributions or the incident where he stopped the Rakshasi to save Meng Fu.
Firstly, Chen Yang felt that in this incident, he was at best a messenger. He was merely an onlooker throughout the entire process, not even participating in the deliverance ritual. Secondly, he didn’t mention saving Meng Fu because delivering wandering spirits was not an easy task. It required a great deal of effort and divine assistance during the ritual. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been the one to stop the Rakshasi and save Meng Fu. Perhaps Meng Fu and Yi Wei could have dealt with her together.
Meng Fu: “I have documented everything and reported it to the Daoist Association. They will evaluate the merits of your actions. With your level of cultivation, you have more than enough qualifications to be promoted to Five Thunders. However, the promotion of celestial masters has strict rules and cannot deviate too much from the norm. Normally, you would need to receive the seal first before being promoted, but in this case, an exception is being made for an expedited promotion. At most, you can be promoted to the fourth-grade rank of the Alliance Authority. There is no need for an assessment for the All Merits Seal.”
In other words, Chen Yang could bypass the assessment for All Merits, which was ranked sixth or seventh among the celestial master promotions, and directly take the assessment for Alliance Authority. Depending on the evaluation, he could be ranked as a fifth-grade or fourth-grade celestial master.
Chen Yang’s eyes lit up, relieved that he wouldn’t have to memorize the All Merits scriptures. “Thank you, Temple Master Meng.”
Meng Fu nodded, feeling quite content. It was rare to encounter a disciple of the Ghost Dao with such pure intentions in the realm of celestial masters. It was indeed fortunate for the Celestial Master Community. He said, “Study the scriptures that require assessment well. If you need our help, we can assess you.”
Chen Yang: “I’ll wait until we return to the branch office before taking the assessment.”
Meng Fu didn’t say much more and lifted his teacup, gesturing for Chen Yang to drink. Chen Yang glanced at Du Shuo once again, but he remained unaffected. Chen Yang could only lift the teacup and take a sip. The strong tea had a sweet and refreshing aroma, but the bitterness upon tasting almost made Chen Yang scrunch his face.
Setting down the teacup, Chen Yang felt Du Shuo’s large hand cover his left hand. Chen Yang was taken aback for a moment, but before he could react, Du Shuo’s hand withdrew. However, in his palm, Chen Yang found a peeled milk candy.
Chen Yang sneakily popped the milk candy into his mouth, feeling as mischievous as a squirrel stealing a treat, and he couldn’t help but smile.
Meng Fu and Yi Wei stood up. “We’ll go rest in our rooms. We’re getting old and can’t stay up late.” Su Li also stood up, feeling that staying up late might adversely affect her skin, so she hurriedly decided to go back and replenish moisture.
Thus, the three of them left together, leaving only Chen Yang, Du Shuo, and Kou Xuanling behind.
Kou Xuanling: “Celestial Master Cao has been found.”
“Is he captured?”
“No. His corpse was found buried in a coffin beneath Longdao Ridge. The reason the Rakshasi appeared early was because Celestial Master Cao killed someone while we were all unaware. He filled eight coffins with the corpse and blood, but he was also killed by evil spirits and died inside one of the coffins, becoming the eighth coffin that contained a preserved corpse.”
Chen Yang: “I see.”
After much hesitation, Kou Xuanling asked, “Is it true that you’re the one cooking in your branch office?”
Chen Yang remained silent for a moment before answering, “Yes.” He appeared calm, sincere, and without a trace of deception.
Kou Xuanling nodded, deep in thought. “I’ll go first and pay respects to my ancestral master in my room. I’ll take my leave.” With that, he hurriedly departed, as if the ancestral master couldn’t wait for his incense offering.
Watching Kou Xuanling leave, Chen Yang chuckled. “Brother Du, you’re losing a subordinate while my branch office is about to gain a new one.”
Du Shuo pinched Chen Yang’s neck and pulled him back into the room. He closed the door and set down the luggage. Casting a silencing spell, Chen Yang spent the whole day without leaving the room. The next noon, he was dragged out to bask in the sun, leaning against Du Shuo’s shoulder, unable to keep his eyes open.
Du Shuo chuckled softly, “Didn’t you say we were going on a trip?”
Chen Yang didn’t even have the energy to bite Du Shuo. They stayed up too late last night. Eventually, he was forced to resort to harsh words, tears welling in his eyes as he scolded Du Shuo, feeling quite venomous. Yet, Du Shuo became even more excited and treated him even more mercilessly. Today, he could have slept through the afternoon if Du Shuo hadn’t pulled him out of bed.
Turning away, Chen Yang refused to speak to Du Shuo. He buried his face in Du Shuo’s shoulder and rested with his eyes closed.
They were currently staying at an inn. Q City had several ancient towns, and the current one was a nationally recognized 4A tourist site. Although it wasn’t the peak tourist season, the street was still bustling with people coming and going.
The street of the ancient town was lined with quaint buildings and paved with cobblestone roads. Chen Yang and the others were on the second floor of the inn, and when they looked down, they could take in the entire street at a glance.
“Not going to talk anymore?”
Chen Yang grumbled, “How could you bully me like that?”
“It’s not bullying. It’s me caring for you, loving you,” Du Shuo nibbled on Chen Yang’s ear.
“I want to go sightseeing and try the local cuisine.”
“Aren’t we currently exploring the sights of Q City?” Du Shuo picked up a bowl of noodles, caught a mouthful of noodles, and offered it to Chen Yang. “Q City’s specialty noodles.”
“It’s not even slightly spicy. How can you call it a specialty?”
“Be good, we’ll have something spicy in a couple of days.”
“I want to go back to the branch office for assessment,” Chen Yang said in a gloomy tone. He vented his frustration by taking a bite of the noodles, finding them chewy and delicious. He slurped a few more mouthfuls but still didn’t feel like moving, so he commanded Du Shuo like a paralyzed person, “I want some soup.”
“Here, drink.” Du Shuo fed him some soup. “You don’t want to continue exploring Q City or try all the delicious food here?”
“No, I just want to be promoted to a Celestial Master now.”
“Alright.” Du Shuo felt a bit regretful. His little wife was becoming more and more adorable. Especially in bed, when pushed to the limit, he would curse softly with a teary voice. Truly endearing. “After the assessment, we’ll go on a trip.”
Chen Yang remained cautious. “I don’t want it.”
Du Shuo chuckled softly. “I won’t tease you this time, a genuine trip.”
“Really?”
“Yes. If you pass the assessment and successfully become a Celestial Master, we’ll go on a trip without any teasing.”
“Will you accompany me?”
“I’ll accompany you.”
Chen Yang burst into laughter, took big sips of the clear soup, then buried his face in Du Shuo’s shoulder and rolled around, giggling for a while. “The Ghost Festival is approaching, and you’re getting busier. It’s not very convenient to accompany me, right?”
“Wherever you travel, I’ll apply for management in that region. I can still accompany you.”
“Brother Du, you’re the best.”
Du Shuo’s lips curled up, his eyes filled with laughter. His Yangyang was truly adorable. Even though he was sulking, just the mention of accompanying him on a trip made him happy for a while. It erased all the misdeeds he had done and turned him into the best person in his heart.
Kou Xuanling looked up at the two figures on the second-floor window and called out to Zhang Qiudao, “Is that Director Du and Chen Yang?”
Zhang Qiudao looked up and sighed for a moment. “Director Du and Manger Chen have a great relationship, as close as brothers.” Then, he stared straight at Kou Xuanling, “As close as brothers, right?”
Kou Xuanling was momentarily confused, not understanding why Zhang Qiudao emphasized “as close as brothers.” He replied, “I think it’s okay, not as intimate as brothers, just a good friendship.”
After speaking, he noticed that Zhang Qiudao was looking at him with a strange gaze, tinged with sighs. He had no idea that the expression was saying, “Behold, a universe-grade straight guy, everyone come and see.”
“Let’s go up and say hello to Director Du and the others.”
“I’m not going.”
“Then I’ll go up by myself.”
“Ha, you want to see Director Du angry?”
Kou Xuanling remained silent for a few seconds, retracting his foot that was about to step forward, and followed Zhang Qiudao to leave. He attempted to explain, “Director Du is my idol, and I admire him. In the Celestial Master Community, no one is like him. He became a Supreme Clarity Celestial Master at such a young age and remains quite mysterious. He is my idol and my goal, and I hold great reverence for him.”
“Alright, I know you’re not scared of him.”
“It’s great that you understand.”
As Zhang Qiudao left the street, he glanced in the direction where Chen Yang was and silently thought to himself, “I can only help up to this point. Enjoy your time together as a couple.”
Zhang Qiudao felt that he was keeping his talents and fame hidden.
Chen Yang and Du Shuo really stayed in the ancient town for three full days, although they never ventured outside its boundaries. They spent one and a half days in bed, indulging in the local specialty dishes, all without adding any spice.
Apart from that, their overall life was blissful.
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