The Hehuan Sect cultivates alchemy; my senior sister helps me refine alchemy throughout the world.

Shen Yifei knelt before the grave and kowtowed three times.

"Father, rest assured, I've put the Heavenly Evolution Sect's sign back up. I won't let any of those three families from back then—the Golden Crow Sect, the Myriad Swords Manor, and the Profound Ice Palace—go. As for that demon clan behind them, I'll find them sooner or later."

After saying that, he kowtowed three more times and stood up.

Liu Mengli rode on his shoulders, "Master, did you memorize those three sword techniques your father taught you?"

"I remembered it, but I didn't learn it."

"Then go back and practice hard, stay away from those women, or you'll end up with a soft sword even if you master it!"

"What do you know? Mastering it is called a perfect balance of strength and flexibility!"

"Okay, okay, you've already made up your mind. By the way, what does your dad look like?"

"I couldn't see clearly; it looked like there was a layer of paper pasted on his face."

"Then how do you know he's your father?"

"A feeling. That feeling, it's hard to explain, it's just something you know in your heart." Shen Yifei paused, "It's like you smelling the medicine on me, knowing it's a trap but still wanting to jump in."

"I didn't!" Liu Mengli punched him on the back. "I just want your yang energy. Who cares about that weird smell on you?"

"Fine, fine, you don't care, it's me who cares about you."

The two bickered as they walked toward the valley entrance. Halfway there, Shen Yifei suddenly stopped.

Someone is crying; it's a woman's voice.

The sound was very faint and soft, intermittent, drifting up from the depths of the valley.

Shen Yifei's back hairs stood on end, and Liu Mengli's body tensed up as well.

Neither the human nor the demon is afraid of living people, but they are afraid of ghosts they have never seen before!

But the crying was truly heart-wrenching. At first, it sounded pitiful, but the more he listened, the more he felt sorry for the woman, which aroused Shen Yifei's protective instincts.

"Master, let's go quickly, this crying is too eerie."

"I find this crying sound rather peculiar."

"That's what you call ghostly wailing!"

"No, let's go take a look."

"Are you crazy?" Liu Mengli jumped down. "What if it's a ghost?"

"So what if it's a ghost? I'm not afraid of demons."

"How can that be the same? At least demons are alive, ghosts are dead. Who knows what's going on with dead things? Go if you want, I don't care."

After saying that, Liu Mengli transformed into a green light and disappeared back into the cauldron.

Shen Yifei followed the sound of crying and flew towards the bottom of the valley.

The crying was in front of him, but he always felt someone blowing cold air on the back of his neck, making his skin crawl with goosebumps.

However, the man's protective instinct towards the vulnerable woman made him forget everything, and even knowing she was a female ghost, he still went to the underworld.

"Master, you can't listen to ghostly wails for too long, it will damage your spirit. When you hear this sound, don't you feel your heart soften, your legs go weak, and you wish you could fly over and hold the person in your arms?" Liu Mengli couldn't help but come out to persuade her.

Shen Yifei didn't stop walking. "Didn't you just say you couldn't say it?"

"What if you get eaten by a ghost if I don't come out? If you die, I won't be able to live either." Liu Mengli lay on his back, her arms wrapped around his neck.

"Master, I'm being serious. This female ghost is using her crying to lure people in. Listen, the last syllable of her crying rises in pitch, like a cat in heat."

Shen Yifei listened carefully, and it really was just as Liu Mengli had said. However, the more he listened, the more he wanted to see what the female ghost looked like.

This kind of anxious feeling is really agonizing.

The crying grew closer.

Shen Yifei turned a corner and came to a clearing. In the center of the clearing stood a withered tree, with many white strips of cloth hanging from it, fluttering in the wind.

A woman sat under the withered tree, dressed in white, her body curled up, her head buried between her knees, crying out twice and sobbing twice.

The woman looked very thin and frail; her petite figure and sorrowful cries made Shen Yifei feel as if his heart was about to break.

He took two steps forward, and the woman looked up when she heard his footsteps.

When Shen Yifei saw her face clearly, he felt as if his soul was about to leave his body.

The woman wasn't his type; she had a porcelain doll-like face.

Her skin was delicate, her eyes were big and round with slightly upturned corners, tears clung to her eyelashes, her nose was red, and her lips were pink. She looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old.

This isn't a female ghost at all; she's clearly just a girl next door.

"Who are you? Why are you crying here?" Shen Yifei asked softly.

Liu Mengli muttered inside the cauldron, "I wasn't scared to death by the ghost, but I can scare you to death. This voice is sickeningly sweet."

The little girl didn't answer, cried twice, then wiped her tears with her sleeve, her movements slow and gentle, looking pitiful.

Shen Yifei took another step forward.

The little girl shrank back, curling her body up even tighter, burying her chin in her knees, only her two big eyes showing as she timidly looked at him.

"You bad guy, don't come any closer!"

"Little sister, are you all alone? Did someone bully you? Big brother will protect you."

After saying all this, Shen Yifei felt as if his voice had been muffled by something.

"I...I just...I've been here all alone for so long...so long that no one has talked to me...I just wanted to talk to someone..."

The little girl's thin shoulders swayed, and it didn't seem like she was faking it.

Seeing her like that, Shen Yifei's wariness lessened considerably.

What's wrong with ghosts? They're so cute and lovable. They're pleasing to the eye, and I can't help but feel sorry for them.

"What's your name?" Shen Yifei crouched down, getting closer.

"My name is Xinghe, Xing as in star and He as in rice seedling."

After the little girl finished speaking, she buried her face back down, only peeking at him with half an eye showing.

"Xinghe, hmm, that's a nice name. How many years have you been dead?"

"What did you say? How many years have I been dead? I'm not dead!"

"You're not dead? Then how come you...?"

"I'm just... just waiting for someone here." Xinghe lifted her chin off her knees, revealing her entire face, with two dimples appearing and disappearing on her cheeks.

"Waiting for whom?"

"I'm waiting for someone who can see me." Xinghe tilted her head to look at him. "I've been waiting for so long, and you're the first one to see me."

Liu Mengli snorted coldly inside the cauldron, "Master, you've been fooled by her. She's just pretending to be young. Listen to the way she talks, it's so affected it hurts my teeth."

Shen Yifei ignored Liu Mengli and continued to stare at Xinghe.

This little girl certainly didn't have any death aura, but she also didn't have any life aura.

This is a really strange feeling. Is this little girl a living dead? Or is she sealed here by something?

Why don't you go outside and wait?

"How many years have you been waiting here for someone?"

"I don't know." Xinghe shook her head. "I don't remember. I only remember that I'm waiting for someone. Brother, you can see me, so you're the person I'm waiting for. Please take me out!"

Liu Mengli cursed inside the cauldron, "Master, don't believe her! This woman is suspicious. She might be an ancient evil spirit, a primordial demon king!"

Shen Yifei was also puzzled by what she said; what Liu Mengli said wasn't without reason.

If I were to release a terrifying being, I would truly become a sinner for all time.