My enemies became my companions

Chapter 638 Thank You, Dad (Part 2)

Qin Yue's face flushed with panic. She slapped his thigh hard, her previous smug expression completely gone.
"You're not good, you didn't make it in time..."

"It's not that I didn't arrive in time well enough; it's clearly your problem."

Qin Yue was taken aback by his words. Chen Yi sneered, snorting and glaring at her.

"Who told you not to call me 'Dad'? This is a ritual. You didn't complete the ritual, so of course you didn't drive the ghost away."

Seeing his disappointed expression, Qin Yue clenched her fists, her hands softening slightly.

"What is... aunt?"

Chen Yi didn't intend to explain further to her; a two-year-old wouldn't understand.
"That means you didn't call me 'Dad,' so that ghost doesn't know I'm your dad, and she came over again. If you don't call me 'Dad,' she'll keep bothering you and looking for a chance to eat you."

"Eat, eat... Yue'er doesn't taste good..."

Qin Yue's face scrunched up, looking pitiful as if she was about to cry.
“You… tell her not to eat… Yue’er.”

"It's too late. She's got her eye on you. She just wants to take advantage of you, and if she can't, she'll keep bothering you."

"How long...how long?"

"lifetime."

"How long is a lifetime?"

Chen Yi sighed deeply and said slowly, "I'm afraid it will be... seventy or eighty years."

"Seventy or eighty years?"

Qin Yue counted on her fingers and found she couldn't count them all:
"I'm only two years old!"

"Then you're finished!" Chen Yi shouted gleefully. "GG!"

"Woo...Woo..."

Tears welled up in her eyes; unable to withstand Chen Yi's threats any longer, Qin Yue broke down in tears.
"I don't want to be haunted by ghosts... Waaah!"

His daughter's cries suddenly became loud, and through his heart, Chen Yi felt a pang of guilt. He gently pulled her into his arms, and Qin Yue, unusually, did not struggle, but lay on him and cried.

Chen Yi gave Zhu E a look, and Zhu E immediately understood. She silently stepped back a few paces, giving Chen Yi and Qin Yue enough space.

Qin Yue cried loudly, trying her best to speak.

"...I don't want to be haunted by ghosts..."

"No, don't let it drift... Sister..."

"Don't laugh at me, don't laugh at me... and don't eat me... don't eat me..."

Amidst a series of incoherent words and sobs, she choked up by the end, gasping for breath. Turning around, she realized her mother was nowhere to be seen. She struggled to look for her, but was terrified of ghosts.

"Mother, mother..."

She had only taken a couple of steps when she retreated back into Chen Yi's arms and burst into tears again.
"My mother was eaten by a ghost!"

Chen Yi found it both funny and distressing. He picked her up, gently patted her shoulders and back, and softened his voice, saying, "Your mother hasn't been eaten by a ghost. Your mother was just... just... taken away by a ghost."

Upon hearing this, Qin Yue felt a glimmer of hope and, wiping away her tears, sobbed, "...Mother...has been...captured by a ghost...we...we have to save her..."

“Yes, yes, we’ll save her. Have you heard the story of mending the fence after the sheep are lost? It’s never too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost,” Chen Yi took a deep breath and said earnestly, “Now we just need to do one more ritual to bring your mother back and drive away the ghost… This time, you must call me Dad, understand?”

"Daddy, there's only one daddy..."

Qin Yue struggled for a moment, then choked up and said:
"Can I call you uncle?"

Chen Yi could not possibly agree to that, so he said with utmost seriousness:
"No, the ceremony won't be able to be completed if you don't call him 'Dad,' and then... it will be too late."

Qin Yue panicked and quickly grabbed Chen Yi's sleeve. Her lips trembled, but she didn't know what to say. She could only manage to say:
"It's not too late, it's not too late, it's not too late..."

"If you don't shout, it will be too late, and you won't get what you want."

Qin Yue's eyes reddened, and she lowered her head.

Do you really want to call out...?

Ultimately, she was powerless; she couldn't fight city hall. No matter how much she didn't want to call the man who fought with her father "Dad," she had no choice. Tears streamed down Qin Yue's face, and she couldn't stop feeling aggrieved.

She wiped away her tears and said, "Then can I call you Dad, and you call me Dad too?"

Chen Yi blinked. His daughter was so adorable that he almost couldn't help but laugh. Then he lowered his head and looked thoughtful.

Under Qin Yue's bright, distressed eyes, Chen Yi reluctantly nodded and said, "Okay."

"Don't lie to Yue'er."

"affim…"

Upon hearing this, Qin Yue nodded in agreement. Although she didn't know how to spell the word "suffer a loss," she felt uneasy if she didn't get something back.

She took a deep breath, as if sobbing, and said as if making a decision:
"dad……"

"louder."

"Daddy." She looked up at her father.

"Louder."

"father!"

"Good girl, Yue'er, so good." Chen Yi smiled and ruffled her little head, her hair getting messed up.

Qin Yue shook her head and broke free from his hand, saying, "Auntie is... Auntie is... Where is Mother? Has Mother come back?"

"Come now."

Chen Yi casually pulled out a talisman, which wasn't even written on. He stopped pretending and chanted, "Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, bodhisattvas and immortals, please show your power!" He then circled the talisman around Qin Yue once.
"All right."

Qin Yue stared wide-eyed, eagerly looking around. Sure enough, Zhu E's figure slowly emerged from behind the screen.

"Mother, mother, mother!"

"Yue, Yue'er..." The princess's voice sounded somewhat bewildered.

"mother!"

Qin Yue burst into laughter through her tears, rushed out and hugged Zhu E tightly. Zhu E gently lifted her up.

"Mother, Mother...you were just...you were taken away by a ghost." Qin Yue said in a trembling voice, still shaken.

"Oh, really?" The princess looked surprised.

"Thank goodness... Yue'er... When Yue'er became an aunt, she called him 'Dad'..."

Qin Yue's voice rose and fell, conveying both the joy of tears and the guilt of failing to stand firm. This was the first time the two-year-old had experienced such complex emotions.

"Mom... fainted then, it seems she was really taken away by a ghost... she doesn't know anything..." Zhu E looked bewildered and helpless, then quickly regained her composure and said, "...Did you... thank Dad?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Yue was momentarily at a loss. She turned her head, and the person, with a smile on their face, stepped forward and took Qin Yue from Zhu E's hands.

Qin Yue didn't want him to hold her, but she had just received help and couldn't easily struggle. Although a two-year-old child is still very naive and can't write the words "he who eats another's food is bound to him" or "he who takes another's money is bound to him," he still understands the basic principles.

Seeing his expectant gaze fixed on her, Qin Yue felt embarrassed and muttered softly:

"Thank you dad..."

"Yue'er is such a good girl," Chen Yi said with satisfaction. "You need to call her name more often, otherwise the ghost will come back. Yue'er is so good, the best girl, right?"

Hearing this, Qin Yue felt uncomfortable with the praise and became shy, pleading, "Yue'er, I called, I called... one, two, three, four, four times."

"Oh."

"Then, then what about the fourth tone you owe Yue'er? Daddy..." Qin Yue said subconsciously, then held up one finger, "Five, the fifth tone."

"You can owe me that for now, and I'll pay you back when you grow up."

Qin Yue wanted to argue, but Chen Yi glanced at her and made a beckoning gesture. She then worried he might send the ghost back, so she thought for a moment, "Growing up won't take too long."
Anyway, the ghost was driven away... and she... she grew up quickly...

………………

One night passed.

Last night was a minor skirmish, but the goal was ultimately achieved.

The shorter the plan, the easier it is to implement. Chen Yi understood this principle better than anyone. That night, when he met Donggong Ruoshu, he asked her to pretend to be a ghost to scare Qin Yue. He also thoughtfully instructed her not to frighten her, but to let Qin Yue realize that something was wrong belatedly.

Perhaps this is the biggest difference between myself and Da Yin. I never plan things out in advance; I usually do what I think of within three or four days. He is just an ordinary person with no foresight; he only knows that plans can never keep up with changes.

Chen Yi felt a slight pang in his heart as he recalled the two words his daughter had uttered.

Qin Yue finally called him "Dad"...

It's okay if they don't call out after that.
Please, Miss Donggong, come again.

Chen Yi was in a great mood and quickened his pace. Having finished his business, it was time to deal with some leisurely tasks.

As they strode into the Zhige Division, two figures in the hall stood up abruptly—it was the chivalrous couple, Yue Tingyun and Liu Hanyan. The two quickly stepped forward and bowed.

"Let's skip the formalities," Chen Yi said calmly as he walked straight to the head seat. "You just happened to be on duty tonight; others wouldn't be so lucky."

Chen Yi's bluntness immediately made the two of them slightly embarrassed. Fortunately, Yue Tingyun was thick-skinned enough to agree, saying, "I understand. I am only alive this time thanks to your great kindness and virtue, sir."

"Take Wumeng with you." Chen Yi stopped looking at them and instructed the clerk standing to the side, who led him to the dungeon. Yue Tingyun and Liu Hanyan, the two parties involved, naturally followed.

Wu Meng huddled in a corner of the cell, roughly dragged out by two jailers. His previously severed arm was simply bandaged, and his face was ashen.

Most of his acupoints were sealed, preventing the flow of true energy. Wu Meng's eyes were unfocused, and he had long lost his previous ferocity, leaving only the numbness of someone who had survived a calamity.

The interrogation begins.

To Chen Yi's surprise, almost without any intimidation or torture, Wu Meng seemed to have lost all his energy and sat slumped on the cold ground, answering whatever was asked in a hoarse and flat voice, as if reciting an old story that had nothing to do with him.

He recounted his defection: having heard the prophecy, he stole a fragment of the Sacred Flame Token, was hunted down by the cult, fled into the deep mountains, sought refuge with a powerful local chieftain, and did some "dirty work" for the chieftain in exchange for hiding place. However, as the cult's search intensified, he was caught in the act...

Chen Yi listened quietly, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table. Wu Meng's confession was too smooth, like a riverbed that had long since dried up, until Wu Meng mentioned the spirit writing on Gaoliang Mountain, at which point Chen Yi suddenly spoke.

"Are you the spirit summoned after the spirit writing?" Chen Yi interrupted him and asked.

Wu Meng was taken aback by the question. His cloudy eyes slowly rolled, as if recalling something, before he nodded firmly: "It was...it was me...I asked the Venerable One for a way to escape..."

"A way to escape?" Chen Yi's voice turned colder. "You just happened to summon my acquaintances from the Gaoliang Mountain area. Is that a way to escape?"

For the first time, obvious confusion and bewilderment appeared on Wu Meng's face: "I...I don't know...Spirit writing to communicate with the spirits is a common practice of our religion. The Venerable One is wise and powerful, supreme and true. Even if he were only one in a billion, it would still be an immeasurable favor. So...I...I followed the spirit writing method...As for who was summoned...how could I know? I only sought strong support..." He paused, seemingly also finding it too coincidental, and murmured, "Perhaps...perhaps it was the Venerable One's guidance?"

"Guidance from the Venerable One?"

As Chen Yi pondered the word, the doubts that had suddenly arisen not only did not dissipate, but instead grew even stronger.

The practice of the Ming An Divine Cult using spirit writing to seek guidance from the Ming Venerable and other Ming Envoys is not a secret, whether within or outside the cult. However, Chen Yi vaguely remembers from his previous life that the position of Ming Venerable was vacant, and the spirit writing responses were almost always from the Ming Envoys.

Since that's the case, it should...not be like this...

It shouldn't be a summoning of spirits, and it certainly shouldn't be... the Crown Prince's neglect...

Chen Yi's thoughts stirred slightly, and he stopped asking questions. He took out the piece of fragment wrapped in cloth from his pocket, placed it on the table, and slowly unfolded it.

The tarpaulin was spread out, revealing what was inside.

It was a piece of irregular shape, about the size of a baby's palm, neither gold nor wood, with a deep and restrained dark gold color and sharp, jagged edges, as if it had been forcibly torn off by a great force.

Strangely, its surface was as smooth as a mirror, and the bloodstains and dust that stained it seemed unable to truly adhere to it. Under the dim light of the hall, it even faintly emitted a warm glow.

The metal sheet has extremely fine and intricate patterns etched on both sides.

On one side are twisted and intertwined sun and moon patterns, exuding an indescribable majesty; on the other side are some smaller, tadpole-like mysterious symbols, densely packed, profound and mysterious.

Previously, Chen Yi was busy returning to the Prince's Mansion and had not examined it carefully. Now, he was about to use it to interrogate Wu Meng in detail.

"The Sacred Flame Token?!"

The old saintess, who hadn't spoken for a long time, suddenly rang out from the depths of Chen Yi's heart, carrying a hint of barely suppressed surprise.

Chen Yi's pupils contracted slightly. Ever since they went up Gaoliang Mountain, the old saintess had often been taciturn; the fact that she spoke now showed that this thing was extraordinary.

"What is this? The Sacred Flame Token? What is its purpose?" Chen Yi asked urgently in his mind.

“It’s just a fragment…” The old saintess’s voice became unusually low, “My sect… hasn’t used this thing for a long time… It’s a heretical object.”

It even carried a sense of apprehension that Chen Yi had never felt before…?
"Heretical?" Chen Yi pressed.

The old saintess remained silent, like a stone sinking into a deep pool, offering no response for a long time.

After a long while, a faint wisp of thought finally came: "...This happened a long time ago. There were disagreements within the sect. Some people spread heresies such as...the sacred fire is light, flickering and uncertain, with no boundaries between light and darkness, and that humans can replace gods...This person and his followers have been completely purged by the sect leader...Even this object was considered a source of trouble and was destroyed and hidden for decades, never to be seen again..."

Her words were filled with a sense of vicissitude, yet also conveyed a sense of detachment.

"You just... wiped them out, reduced them to ashes?" Chen Yi kept pressing for an answer.

Confucius said, “Attacking heresies is harmful indeed.” Zhu Xi further stated that heresies are not the way of the sages. The old saintess thought he was being sarcastic and said, “Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism all have sectarian disputes. Even Confucius executed Shao Zhengmao. What’s wrong with our divine religion eliminating heresies to protect the righteous path?”

"No, I'm asking who is spreading this."

"She is a saint..."

The old saintess's voice stopped abruptly as soon as she finished speaking. No matter how Chen Yi asked again, it was like a stone sinking into the sea, with no further response, as if she were keeping something very secret.

Chen Yi's heart sank.

The old saintess's reaction struck him as even more unsettling than Wu Meng's confession.

What seemed like a trivial matter, a routine task for a new official, turned out to be far from simple. However, upon closer examination and careful analysis, it proved to be far more complex than it appeared.

Purge? Gongsun Guan? The fragment of the Sacred Flame Token is not just about defection or treasure; it's about a long-standing secret of the Bright and Dark Cult that has been deliberately erased...

He suddenly looked up, his gaze piercing like a knife as he looked at Wu Meng on the ground:

“Wumeng, I ask you again, why was it her who was summoned by spirit writing on Gaoliang Mountain?”
You should know that it was I who sent her body to Gaoliang Mountain.

Did you really summon her spirit through spirit writing?

Wu Meng trembled at Chen Yi's sudden outburst of questions, and hurriedly said, "I...I really don't know! The spirit writing and summoning techniques...I'm still doing them as usual. I don't know how many calamities I've escaped by using spirit writing, how would I know who the spirit I summoned is, let alone that it was sent up by the officials? This...this is really..."

He tried to explain himself urgently, but his words were incoherent.

However, just as he was halfway through his explanation, his gaze inadvertently swept over the faintly glowing fragment of the Sacred Flame Token on the table again, and his panicked, trembling voice suddenly stopped.

The elder of the demonic sect's pupils contracted violently, as if he had suddenly awakened and remembered something. His withered body trembled violently, and the expression on his face twisted from confusion and fear to extreme shock, and finally turned into almost manic ecstasy!

“Heh…heh heh heh…” Wu Meng let out a strange laugh from his throat, which was low at first, then grew louder and louder, and turned into a hysterical laugh, with tears and snot coming out of his mouth.

"Wrong! All wrong! Hahahaha!"

He abruptly stopped laughing and stared intently at Chen Yi with an incredibly fanatical gaze, a look that sent a chill down the spines of everyone in the hall.

"It's no coincidence! It's no coincidence! The Venerable One has descended to earth! The Venerable One has descended to earth!"

He suddenly scrambled to his feet, ignoring the excruciating pain of his severed arm. The jailers on both sides couldn't hold him down for a moment, and in their panic, they cursed and yelled at him, fearing that he would pounce on Chen Yi.

Suddenly, he moved and knelt down deeply.

"...May all the saints dwell in peace without hindrance, forever free from sorrow and distress..."

"Mingzun is above!"

That night, Wumeng sang incessantly.

Chen Yi was left with his brows furrowed and his expression growing increasingly grave.

(End of this chapter)