Chapter 28.2 Ye Family House No. 444 01
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He Tianna and Gao Tianliang stayed behind in the ancient town for filming. Chen Yang left them a box of spiritual talismans that Mao Xiaoli had sent over, along with some instructions on how to properly care for the little baby spirit.
While boarding the plane, Zhang Qiudao and Chen Yang received notifications on their phones confirming the receipt of money. They exchanged glances and burst into laughter.
This time, they generously purchased first-class tickets and enjoyed the services of the first-class cabin. Kou Xuanling also traveled with them. As for Du Shuo, he didn’t join them in the end.
Zhang Qiudao: “Did Director Du not come along?”
Chen Yang: “He’s busy. He tends to disappear frequently.”
In the afternoon, they arrived in the capital city and went back to their respective offices. As soon as Mao Xiaoli saw them, she tearfully rushed to Chen Yang. “Brother Chen, you’re back?”
“W-What’s wrong?” Chen Yang asked, glancing at Ma Shanfeng, who was leisurely sipping tea and watching the scene unfold.
Ma Shanfeng took a sip of tea and smiled. “Xiaoli’s assessment, except for the written exam, she passed everything else.”
“They conducted the assessment so quickly?”
Mao Xiaoli nodded heavily, her expression becoming distant and sorrowful as she recalled the events of the day before. “It was too sudden. I wasn’t prepared at all. If they had given me just two more days, I could have passed the Alliance Authority assessment. I’ve already memorized most of the Alliance Authority scriptures… Almost all of them. Just two more days and I would have completed it.”
Ma Shanfeng: “On the day before the exam, she stayed up late watching anime. It was a new release, I heard.”
Mao Xiaoli: “That’s because the people from the Daoist Association came without warning! They came earlier than expected.”
“Oh, that’s because Temple Master Meng specifically instructed to assess you in advance,” Zhang Qiudao emphasized, “It was a special order.”
Mao Xiaoli was struck dumb by this revelation. “Temple Master Meng… Did he do it for the sake of my father?” She shook her head, feeling lost. “I’m not someone who takes shortcuts. Can I protest this?”
Chen Yang helplessly remarked, “Didn’t I tell you before I left that you must study hard? You also promised me that. How come a surprise assessment became a problem for you?”
Mao Xiaoli: “It’s just… It was too sudden, you know?”
Chen Yang sighed, “So, there’s no chance of passing it now?”
“No. The Daoist Association said it was just a preliminary test and they will give me another chance. Once Brother Chen completes the assessment, excluding the written exam, we can take the written test together.”
Chen Yang: “Thanks to the recommendations and assurances from Temple Master Meng, Temple Master Yi, and Temple Master Su, I am able to participate directly in the written exam.” He patted Mao Xiaoli’s shoulder and continued, “You can do it. We won’t be able to take the written exam together.”
Mouth agape, Mao Xiaoli looked at Zhang Qiudao, who nodded and said, “Take care.”
Chen Yang added, “If I pass the written exam this time, I’ll invite everyone to travel to Shen City together. Temple Master Su said she would host us.” Before Mao Xiaoli could jump up in excitement, he added, “If Xiaoli doesn’t pass, we won’t go.”
Mao Xiaoli’s spirits sank for a moment, but then she regained her enthusiasm and morale. “I’ll start studying now, Brother Chen. Save a spot for me.” With that, she confidently ran off to study the scriptures.
The three of them laughed, and Ma Shanfeng waved his hand. “I won’t go. The branch office can’t be left without anyone.”
Chen Yang: “I can request for leave from the head office. If needed, I can take a temporary assignment in Shen City, and we can all go together.”
“I’m getting old, and traveling around is too tiring. You go ahead, and I’ll stay at the branch, tending to my flowers and fish.”
Seeing this, they didn’t insist further.
Ma Shanfeng held his tea cup and returned to his office. He stood by the window for a while, unable to help but smile.
The branch office also started to get lively, and it made the old man feel spirited.
Chen Yang possessed strong learning and memory abilities. As long as he had the assessment points outlined by Du Shuo and understood their underlying meaning, memorizing them was not difficult. Consequently, he breezed through the written exam, and the results were announced the same day, indicating that he had been promoted to Fourth Grade Alliance Authority Celestial Master.
However, he still needed to report to the Daoist Association to have his name recorded in the archives and receive the certificate. The next step was the induction ceremony, which varied slightly among different sects but followed a similar pattern. Generally, there were two types of induction ceremony: one for the Zhengyi Dao and the other for the Quanzhen Dao. In addition to the conferral ceremony, the Quanzhen Sect also required the bestowal of precepts.
The celestial masters of the Zhengyi Sect were not required to become monastics and could still marry, have children, and consume non-vegetarian food. On the other hand, the celestial masters of the Quanzhen Sect were celibate and vegetarian. Hence, apart from receiving the decree, they also needed to receive the precepts.
These induction ceremonies were complex and somewhat troublesome. Moreover, Chen Yang didn’t have his own Daoist temple or sect, nor did he have a master. Therefore, the promotion posed a problem. Fortunately, when Meng Fu heard about this, he volunteered to organize the ceremony for Chen Yang.
As the master of Huoshen Temple, which happened to be located in the capital city, the overall process was relatively straightforward. However, they needed to find a suitable time for the ceremony. On the other hand, Su Li, the supervisor of Ziyang Palace in Shen City, also heard about the matter and offered to host the promotion if they visited Shen City.
Chen Yang expressed his gratitude and ultimately chose Meng Fu to host his ceremony. Since the selected time coincided with their return from the trip, they decided to hold it at Huoshen Temple.
Chen Yang’s words spurred Mao Xiaoli, who also desired to go on the trip. In the remaining days, she diligently memorized and comprehended the scriptures. Blessed with natural intelligence, she thoroughly understood all the scriptures within a few days. Chen Yang and the others tested her knowledge, and she answered all their questions with confidence.
Thus, they were reassured and allowed her to take the written exam, resulting in everyone’s joy and satisfaction.
Upon their return, Chen Yang specially prepared a table full of dishes to celebrate, and Ma Shanfeng generously brought out his cherished wine to join in the celebration.
Just as they were about to have dinner, Kou Xuanling knocked on the door. He joined in for a meal and then slept at the branch office, staying for two days.
Upon hearing about their upcoming trip, he shamelessly asked Chen Yang to count him in.
Chen Yang: “You’re not a member of our branch office.”
“Why not?” Kou Xuanling took out a transfer order with the official seal of the head office on it. With a smug smile, he said, “I applied for a transfer to this branch.”
Chen Yang had anticipated this but still felt pleased. On the other hand, Mao Xiaoli and the others wore expressions of disbelief.
Mao Xiaoli: “Someone is actually willing to transfer to our neglected branch office. Could this be a stroke of good luck?”
Chen Yang covered his face, wondering why she always exposed their own shortcomings like this.
However, since Kou Xuanling had transferred to the branch, everyone naturally welcomed him. Being the first third-ranked Five Thunders Celestial Master in the branch, it wouldn’t be easy to turn down his future assignment requests.
As everyone expressed their welcome, Kou Xuanling turned to Chen Yang and asked, “Are you cooking?”
Chen Yang: “…Yes.”
As the branch manager, he had to cook to retain capable subordinates and support his husband in the underworld who had no concept of money and had extravagant spending habits.
After dinner, everyone gathered in the courtyard to enjoy the cool breeze. Fruits were placed on the table, and they engaged in casual conversations. Except for Mao Xiaoli, who was always jumpy, everything was going well.
“Ah!”
Kou Xuanling, with a good temper, asked her, “What are you watching?”
“A livestream,” Mao Xiaoli replied without lifting her head.
“What livestream?”
“The popular exploration livestream of Ye Family House No. 444.”
Everyone present looked puzzled and turned their gaze towards Mao Xiaoli. Suddenly, Mao Xiaoli’s phone went black, and she exclaimed in frustration, “Why does it always go black here? I wanted to see what’s inside the house!”
Chen Yang: “Are you playing a game? A horror game, perhaps?”
“No,” Mao Xiaoli shook her head. “It’s a livestream game. It started with an online user livestreaming the exploration of Ye Family House No. 444. At a critical moment, the screen suddenly went black, and screams were heard. After that, there was no news from the person livestreaming, and someone reported it to the internet police, claiming it was haunted. The rumors spread like wildfire. Later, there was news that the person who started the exploration went crazy, shouting things like ‘Ghost, there’s a ghost.’ After that, many young people started playing it. Strangely, when they reached the staircase of House No. 444, their screens would suddenly go black. Sometimes there would be sounds, sometimes not. Although everyone who went later was fine, the eerie and terrifying rumors of Ye Family House No. 444 spread, and many people started exploring it through livestreams. It became quite popular.”
“Ye Family House No. 444? Where is it?”
“In Shen City,” Mao Xiaoli’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Brother Chen, let’s go and play too.”
“We must respect the spirits and deities.”
“Brother Chen, I speculate that Ye Family House No. 444 is just some tricks played by mischievous spirits. No one has died so far. Don’t worry, besides, we are celestial masters, so if we encounter lost souls or wandering ghosts during our visit, we can also help them find peace.”
“If you want to go, go on your own.”
“No problem. As long as Brother Chen doesn’t object.”
Chen Yang shook his head, a smile on his face.
“By the way, is your partner coming with us, Brother Chen?”
“He’s waiting for me in Shen City.”
“Wow, that’s fantastic!” Mao Xiaoli exclaimed with a smile. “Having so many people together on a trip will be lively and fun.”
The young girl was lively and energetic, always seeking excitement. Therefore, she was particularly looking forward to this trip.
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