Stepdaughter of a wealthy family? The little darling of a Beijing tycoon

After hanging up the live stream, Shen Jingshu got up and prepared to go out.

Before going downstairs, she quietly told the housekeeper that she had something to do that evening and would not be back for dinner.

When the housekeeper saw that she was about to go out, he quickly asked if she needed a car. Shen Jingshu gently shook her head.

Not wanting to alarm the Li family or let anyone know her whereabouts, she left the villa alone, hailed a ride-hailing car, and headed straight to the apartment complex where Zhang Xiao lived.

By the time I arrived at the residential area, it was completely dark. The murder case had just been solved, and the entire building was still cordoned off with bright yellow police tape. It was eerily quiet, with most residents staying indoors, and even the streetlights seemed unusually deserted.

Shen Jingshu stood downstairs and looked up at the sealed window on the third floor. On the windowsill, she saw a slender white figure standing quietly.

It was a woman in a white dress, with a pale face and a faint aura of yin energy surrounding her. She was the ghost of the one who had died unjustly and had been trapped in the house for half a year.

Shen Jingshu lowered her eyes, her fingertips rapidly forming hand seals, and she softly chanted the Soul Transference Incantation.

The incantation was soft and gentle, yet it carried a clear spiritual power that drifted into the night.

The female ghost upstairs suddenly sensed something, abruptly lowered her head, and fixed her gaze directly on Shen Jingshu downstairs. With a swift movement, she floated down from the window and landed steadily in front of Shen Jingshu.

The moment she landed, the female ghost was utterly astonished. She looked down at her hands, then glanced around, her voice filled with disbelief: "I... I can leave that room? I actually made it out!"

Confined to an empty house for half a year, she banged her head against the wall day and night for help, but was always bound to a small space. Now that she has finally broken free of her shackles, she is overwhelmed with emotion.

She looked up at Shen Jingshu, her gaze falling on the faint golden light swirling around the other woman. Startled, she quickly asked, "Are you a mystic?"

"Yes."

Shen Jingshu spoke calmly, her eyes gentle yet firm, "Your grievances have been cleared, your obsessions have dissipated, and you should no longer linger in the mortal realm. I have come today to send you into reincarnation, to be reborn anew."

The female ghost's eyes reddened, filled with gratitude yet tinged with reluctance, as she softly pleaded, "Thank you so much, Master of Mystic Arts. But... could I go home and see my parents one more time?"

"Humans and ghosts are on different paths. If your soul lingers in the mortal world, it will only deplete your own virtue and disturb the living."

Shen Jingshu gently comforted her, "Go in peace. Tonight I will help you appear in your dream so that you can see your parents, tell them you are safe, and put an end to your obsession."

Upon hearing this, the female ghost knew that this was the best arrangement, so she stopped insisting and nodded.

She could clearly sense that the girl in front of her, though she looked very young, was enveloped in a thick and pure power of merit. That power was clear and majestic, making her dare not get any closer, and leaving her only with awe.

The night was deep, and the neighborhood was deserted, making it convenient to carry out the plan.

Shen Jingshu didn't delay any longer. Her hands formed a complex hand seal once more, and her incantation suddenly became clear and loud as she called out to the void.

In an instant, a faint black mist rose from the ground beneath their feet, a cold wind swept up from the flat ground, the air suddenly turned cold, and a pitch-black vortex appeared out of thin air, filled with eerie and chilling energy, exuding the desolation of the underworld.

Two figures slowly emerged from the vortex, dressed in black official robes with stern faces; they were the ghost messengers from the underworld who were tasked with capturing souls.

The ghost messenger landed, glanced around, and immediately saw the female ghost beside him. He frowned, looked at Shen Jingshu, and asked in a deep voice, "Who has summoned us without authorization?"

Shen Jingshu nodded slightly, her manners impeccable, and her tone steady: "My two ghost messengers, I have summoned you. This woman died unjustly, and her soul has been trapped in the mortal realm for half a year. Now that her injustice has been redressed and her obsession has been extinguished, I request that you two take her back to the underworld so that she may be reincarnated according to the rules."

The two ghost messengers exchanged a glance, their gazes towards Shen Jingshu now carrying a strange undertone.

Ordinary practitioners of mystic arts, even those capable of sensing yin and yang, rarely dare to directly summon ghost messengers, let alone with such composure and calmness. Yet, the young woman before him was enveloped in golden light of merit, her cultivation unfathomable, clearly not an ordinary member of the mystical arts world…

Emerging from the vortex were not ordinary underworld officials, but the infamous Black and White Impermanence of the underworld.

Black Impermanence was dressed in a chilling black robe, his face cold and stern, his body radiating a chilling aura; White Impermanence wore a plain white robe, his face serene yet exuding an inherent majesty. Their appearance and the powerful soul force emanating from them instantly calmed the surrounding yin winds.

Upon seeing the golden light of merit surrounding Shen Jingshu, the Black and White Impermanence became serious and showed no sign of negligence. They bowed slightly to her, performing the rites of fellow practitioners of the Xuanmen.

"Since it is the master who summoned us, we will naturally obey."

Black Impermanence responded in a deep voice, raised his hand and summoned the soul-snatching chain that gleamed with an eerie light. With a gentle toss, the chain landed steadily around the female ghost's neck, without the slightest mistreatment.

The female ghost was completely stunned, her whole body trembling uncontrollably. She had only ever heard of the Black and White Impermanence in novels and stories before, and had never thought that after people died, there really was a netherworld, and that there really were underworld messengers to collect souls.

The soul power emanating from the two underworld officials before her had an innate suppressive effect on ghosts, making it difficult for her to even move, and filling her with awe and fear.

Seeing this, Shen Jingshu spoke softly: "My lords, this woman is also a tragic figure. She was murdered and died unjustly. She is not an evil ghost. Please take good care of her."

"Rest assured, Master, we know what we're doing," Black and White Impermanence replied in unison.

The two men gently pulled on the chains, turned around with the female ghost, and walked towards the dark vortex.

As they approached the entrance to the vortex, Black Impermanence turned his head and exchanged a glance with White Impermanence, both of them harboring surprise and doubt in their eyes.

"Just who is this person?"

"His body is covered in pure golden light of merit, he is definitely not an ordinary cultivator of the Xuanmen sect, and his background must be extremely important. We must report this when we get back and investigate him thoroughly."

They turned back again to look at Shen Jingshu, who stood tall and straight under the streetlight. She simply nodded slightly, her expression calm and composed, showing none of the awkwardness that ordinary cultivators would feel when meeting Yin Messengers.

Only after the three figures completely disappeared into the vortex, the black vortex slowly dissipated, and the night returned to calm, did Shen Jingshu withdraw her gaze, turn around, and walk out of the residential area.

After going out for a while, she realized that she hadn't eaten dinner yet. Having been reborn, this mortal body was far less powerful than in her previous life, and she couldn't abstain from grains; she had to eat on time.

She found a roadside barbecue stall, casually ordered a few dishes, sat down quietly to eat, paid the bill, hailed a taxi, and gave them the address of the Li family villa.

But as soon as she got into the car, Shen Jingshu noticed something was wrong.

This vehicle was not an ordinary commercial taxi; its body exuded a faint, eerie aura.

But her expression remained unchanged; she sat calmly in the back seat, showing no sign of panic.

The driver was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man. Upon hearing the address, he glanced at her in the rearview mirror and said in a somewhat talkative and enthusiastic tone, "Young lady, that's a top-tier villa area, inhabited by the very wealthy and powerful. Why are you going there so late?"

Shen Jingshu raised her eyes slightly, her voice calm: "I live there."

The man paused for a moment, then looked on with envy, exclaiming repeatedly, "So she's from a wealthy family. No wonder she has such a refined air. She's truly blessed..."