I'm Ximen Qing, living in a ghost story!

"What are you looking at!" Zhou Qingyun ran back angrily.

"Didn't succeed?"

"How could that be! That scholar is truly bewitched, saying we should all die together! What a blockhead! I can't really kill him! I can only let him go."

Zhou Qingyun bared her canine teeth and cursed, then suddenly looked at him: "By the way, I remember you said you knew that Scholar Zhu?"

"Oh, we're not familiar with each other."

Ximen Qing turned his face away, thinking that sycophants never get a good end, and announced that he was kicking Zhu Xiaolian out of his friends list.

"What about the other two?"

"They've left too, taking the remaining flower fairies with them. They should be reunited with Zhu Xiaolian by now."

"What?!?!" Zhou Qingyun's eyes widened.

"Aren't you going to stop them? What are these people going to do with the flower fairy?"

"Why are you stopping me? Everyone has their own ambitions. Can you save everyone in the world? Besides, I don't think that Scholar Meng is a simple character. With him keeping them in check, those flower fairies might actually find a good place in the human world!"

Ximen Qing stretched.

At this moment, the sky in the distance was already beginning to lighten.

It was getting light.

Looking back at the temple, the painted walls remain unchanged.

"Senior Sister?" Ximen Qing glanced at Zhou Qingyun beside him.

"Whoosh!"

The jellyfish sword flew out, its light slashing down.

The dilapidated temple collapsed with a roar, burying the painted mural.

Since we can't kill it, we'll bury it; that'll be the least we can do.

Over the past few days, the two have developed a certain level of understanding.

Seeing the collapsed ruins, Zhou Qingyun raised an eyebrow and looked at Ximen Qing with a boastful expression.

Then Ximen Qing fanned the dust off his nose, coughed a few times, and said resentfully, "Next time, give me a heads-up before you make a move, so I can stand further away, cough cough cough!"

As he spoke, he coughed several times.

Zhou Qingyun sensed something was wrong and hurriedly stepped forward to pat his back, while also taking Ximen Qing's pulse. Ximen Qing couldn't dodge and could only let it be.

Zhou Qingyun's eyes widened in shock. "Huh? What happened? Your meridians?"

"It's blocked, right? There's no way you can cultivate, right? I know, don't ask me how I know..."

Before Ximen Qing could finish speaking, Zhou Qingyun interrupted him.

"What do you know?! Your meridians are about to explode!"

"What? Tell me in detail?" Upon hearing this, Ximen Qing was instantly wide awake.

While taking his pulse, Zhou Qingyun said cautiously, "This is very strange! It's like a ghost possessing your body. Your physical body can't keep up with the progress of your magical power."

"Um?"

"You've heard of cultivating both body and spirit, right? Your cultivation of life force should surpass your cultivation of spirit," Zhou Qingyun explained, tilting his head as he thought of the words in the Taoist scriptures.

Ximen Qing looked bewildered: "So, doctor, is there any hope for me? Should I make a will?"

"Pah! What kind of will is this! It's bad luck! You'll be fine in a few more days! It varies from person to person, maybe three months, maybe half a year! But you can't accumulate any more magic power right now. You're like a water tank on the verge of exploding; one wrong move and it'll explode!"

Zhou Qingyun spread her arms wide in an exaggerated manner.

But Ximen Qing was already in a daze.

What's wrong with you?

Ximen Qing looked dejected and turned his face away: "I just feel bad thinking about not being able to cultivate for several months."

The word "cultivation" was emphasized very heavily.

Hearing Ximen Qing's words, Zhou Qingyun was filled with respect. It was like a mediocre student meeting a hardworking academic genius. She couldn't help but comfort him, "Well... it's not a big deal. It's just a few months without cultivation. If my dad didn't force me, I wouldn't even bother to cultivate."

"Never mind, I'm fine, I'll be alright soon." Ximen Qing forced an awkward smile, inwardly cursing himself to the bone.

Serves you right for being greedy! Wanting to see the female demon in the mural! Now look what you've done!

One act of greed resulted in a months-long suspension!

"Ahem, forget about it. Why don't you come with me to Mount Huangshan to become an apprentice? We'll fight demons and monsters along the way, and a few months will pass quickly!"

Seeing Ximen Qing's expression, Zhou Qingyun couldn't help but offer some advice.

This little girl was eager to try her hand at the next adventure.

"Huangshan? I remember you said you had a master? Why do you still need to find a master?"

Ximen Qing looked curiously at the second-generation fairy girl in front of him.

"Oh, that was a promise I made when I was a child. I only know that my master is Master Canlu of Huangshan, and I know nothing else. This trip is to formally become his disciple and also to gain some experience."

Zhou Qingyun put away the jellyfish sword, stretched, and said.

"I see." Ximen Qing stroked his chin.

"Are you going or not, my little junior brother? Give me a straight answer!" Zhou Qingyun jumped up and patted his shoulder.

"No, my family is still waiting for me in the mountains, and I also have important business to attend to in Qingzhou, so I won't bother you any longer, Senior Sister. Once I'm settled in the next day, I will definitely write to Huangshan to send my regards!"

Ximen Qing looked at the "junior sister" he had taken in and shook his head. But as soon as he finished speaking, he saw Zhou Qingyun's eyes widen: "Huh!? You have family?"

Upon hearing this, Ximen Qing's face darkened.

"No, that's not what I meant. I meant, why haven't I heard you mention that before?" Zhou Qingyun waved her hands repeatedly.

"What are you saying? We haven't had time to discuss personal matters these past few days," Ximen Qing said, pointing to the ruins of the dilapidated temple behind him.

"So, you're going to Qingzhou?"

"Yes!" Ximen Qing nodded, adding, "And it's very urgent."

He wasted nearly three days in the mountains, which was more than expected.

Moreover, the fact that they were able to meet Zhu Xiaolian and his group here indicates that wealthy families in the city have already begun to relocate their sons and nephews.

Only Zhu Xiaolian would be foolish enough to think that his father sent him to Sizhou to find his wife.

Meng Longtan and the swordsman surnamed Bai were clearly his bodyguards.

There must have been some disturbances in Guobei County.

"Qingzhou!"

Zhou Qingyun suddenly looked at him and said solemnly, "Actually, I would have gone even if you hadn't said anything. It's quite a coincidence that I went into the mountains to avenge Sister Shi. Now that I've succeeded, I definitely have to go to Songshan County to let them know."

"Songshan County? The one east of Black Wind Mountain? Looks like Senior Sister and I are going the same way?"

Ximen Qing mentally reviewed the map, a hint of a smile in his eyes as he looked at Zhou Qingyun.

"Of course." Zhou Qingyun puffed out her chest, revealing her small breasts.

"Alright then, junior sister, please!"

"Senior sister is senior sister, what's with the 'little'!"

Amidst their bickering, the two retraced their steps back through the cave entrance.

Half a day later.

Ximen Da, who was stationed at Black Wind Village, saw Ximen Qing and Zhou Qingyun returning.

After quickly scanning Zhou Qingyun's attire and the gleaming jellyfish sword on her back, Simon instantly realized that this girl was no ordinary person!

Looking again at the returning Ximen Qing, his eyes held a mixture of relief and reminiscence, and he couldn't help but murmur:

"My son, you are quite like your father!"