The young driver's beautiful boss

The side hall was small but decorated in an antique style, with mahogany tables and chairs, and a landscape painting hanging on the wall.

Qi Jing sat by the window, having already drunk most of his tea. When he saw Tang Bei enter, he stood up and gave a slight bow, his face bearing that gentle, refined smile. Hua Daoren sat beside him, dressed in a Daoist robe, a whisk tucked into his arm, squinting at Tang Bei, the curve of his lips unchanged.

"Mr. Tang, we meet again." Qi Jing extended his hand.

Tang Bei didn't shake hands, but pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down. "You said you knew my master's whereabouts."

Qi Jing withdrew his hand, unperturbed, and sat down, taking a sip of his tea. "Mr. Tang is straightforward, so I'll be frank too. I do have leads on my master—no, I should say, your master. He appeared in the south three years ago and had contact with an elder of the Qi family. It took me a lot of effort to find this lead."

What do you want?

"Two things." Qi Jing held up two fingers. "First, the Longevity Pill. Second, the contract with the female ghost beside you."

Tang Bei looked at him without saying a word.

Qi Jing smiled and continued, "Give me the Longevity Pill, give the female ghost to Daoist Hua, and I'll exchange it with you for the information I have. It's a fair trade; you get what you want, and I get what I want. From now on, you go your way, and I'll go mine."

Tang Bei leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. He knew Qi Jing was setting a trap. Giving away the Longevity Pill meant he was down a card. Handing over Qi Yue was like risking half his life. But he really wanted news of his master. That lead had been dead for ten years, and now that he'd finally found a clue, he didn't want to let it go.

How do I know your information is true?

Qi Jing took a folded piece of paper out of his pocket, placed it on the table, and pushed it towards him. "This is what I found out. You can look at it first, and then decide. But I can only show you the first page; the rest will be given to you after the transaction is completed."

Tang Bei picked up the paper and unfolded it. It contained only a few lines of text—a place name, a time, and a name. His master's name. The lines were handwritten, the handwriting neat, and there were clues marked beside them, indicating that considerable effort had been put into the investigation.

Tang Bei folded the paper and placed it on the table, looking at Qi Jing. "I can give you one Longevity Pill. But Qi Yue's contract is impossible. Let's find another condition."

Hua Daoren chuckled beside him, his voice high-pitched and thin: "Young man, that female ghost is bound to you by a ghost contract. What I want is her. Give her to me, and I promise I won't harm her in the slightest. I, Hua Daoren, keep my word."

Tang Bei glanced at him sideways. The Flower Daoist's gaze was fixed on him, like a snake eyeing its prey. That feeling of being seen through returned; a chill ran down his neck, and his spiritual energy surged uncomfortably throughout his body.

"Shut up," Tang Bei said.

Hua Daoren's smile froze for a moment, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes.

Qi Jing tried to smooth things over, saying, "Mr. Tang, the Flower Master is also sincerely interested. You can offer other conditions; I'll consider them."

Tang Bei stood up and held the paper in his hand. "Here's a Longevity Pill for you. Also, I owe you a favor. If you ever need anything in the future, as long as it doesn't cross my bottom line, I'll help you this once."

Qi Jing thought for a moment and shook his head. "Not enough. Hua Daoren absolutely needs your female ghost. How about this—first, take out the female ghost's contract and let Hua Daoren take a look. If it really can't be transferred, then we'll talk about it."

Tang Bei stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly laughed. "Qi Jing, do you think I'm stupid?"

Qi Jing's smile remained unchanged. "What do you mean?"

"By letting the Flower Daoist access Qi Yue's contract, you've taken the first step in planting the Gu poison. Do you think I don't know that?" Tang Bei stuffed the paper into his pocket, turned, and walked out. "One Longevity Pill, one favor. Take it or leave it. I'll give you a day to consider."

As he reached the door, the Taoist priest suddenly stood up, waved his whisk, and an invisible wave of energy swept over him from behind. Tang Bei dodged to the side, and the wave of energy grazed his shoulder as it struck the door frame, causing the wooden frame to crack with a "crack".

Tang Bei turned around.

The Flower Taoist was still standing there, his whisk already put away, and he smiled. "Young man, don't be so temperamental. Let's talk this out."

Gu Tian rushed in from outside, blocking Tang Bei's path, and pointed at Hua Daoren's nose: "Old man, you dare to make a move in my house? Are you tired of living?"

Hua Daoren raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, his smile unchanged. Qi Jing also stood up, tugged at Hua Daoren's sleeve, and nodded to Tang Bei. "Mr. Tang, I'll consider your terms. I'll give you an answer tomorrow."

Tang Bei glanced at Hua Daoren, said nothing more, and turned to leave the side hall. When he reached the courtyard, he still felt a chill on his back; the lingering force of Hua Daoren's aura felt like a layer of ice water clinging to his skin, refusing to dissipate.

Qi Yue floated out from the corner, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "Master, what he did just now was a test. He was trying to find out what's going on with you."

"I know." Tang Bei stood under the old locust tree in the courtyard, took out the paper, and looked at it again. The place name on it was a small place called "Qingya Town" in the south, and the time was marked as autumn three years ago. His master had appeared there three years ago. Below was a line of small print with a name written on it—Shen Du.

He had never heard of this name before. But since Qi Jing had written it down, it meant that this person was related to the clues about his master.

Tang Bei put the paper away and walked out of the Gu family's gate. Gu Tian followed him out and called out behind him, "Tang Bei."

He turned around.

"What do you plan to do with that Taoist priest?" Gu Tian leaned against the doorframe, his expression unusually serious. "A person like him will be a menace in Ancheng sooner or later. My dad told you to be careful and not to confront him head-on."

Tang Bei thought for a moment. "Help me investigate someone named Shen Du. He appeared in Qingya Town three years ago and is related to my master."

Gu Tian nodded in agreement.

Tang Bei hopped on his electric scooter and glanced back at the Gu family mansion before turning on the throttle. Behind the window in the side hall, Hua Daoren's smiling face was pressed against the glass, looking in his direction. He couldn't see the expression clearly from the distance, but Tang Bei could feel that gaze clinging to his back, like a tail he couldn't shake off.

He turned the ignition, and the car drove onto the street. A gust of wind rushed into his collar, chilly. Qi Yue floated behind him, silent for a long time, before finally saying, "Master, the way that Taoist priest looked at me... like he was looking at something."

Tang Bei gripped the handlebars tightly.

"I won't let him touch you."

Qi Yue didn't speak again, but the yin energy gently pressed against his back, like a hand resting there, cool but very reassuring.