Ch 189: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

The blood-dripping ghost’s father-in-law was a fourth-rank official, and her husband was a seventh-rank official. Coincidentally, today was their day off, and they were both at home, having yet to leave.

The ghost led Shen Yunxuan and her team to the back gate. Looking at her translucent spirit form, she said, “I’ll have to trouble you to open the door yourself. I can no longer touch physical objects.”

Madam Li and Qin Wenshu said, “We can open the door.”

Shen Yunxuan glanced at the courtyard wall. “Is anyone guarding inside?”

The ghost quickly floated inside and then re-emerged halfway through the wall. “There’s no one at the moment…”

Before she could finish speaking, Shen Yunxuan leaped over the courtyard wall in one swift motion. Gao Lang and the others lightly tapped their toes against the wall, borrowing momentum to jump in just as swiftly, their movements incredibly agile.

Qin Wenshu, floating beside Gao Lang, commented, “You’re so afraid of ghosts, you seemed useless. Who would’ve thought your skills weren’t bad?”

Gao Lang was speechless. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re really bad at conversation?”

Qin Wenshu chuckled. “I was a lady of the General’s Manor. Who would dare speak to me like that?”

Gao Lang glanced at her. “Not many close friends, huh?”

Qin Wenshu choked on her words. Not just a few—she had none at all. This man was truly infuriating! Huffing, she floated over to Madam Li, deciding to stay away from the annoying coward.

The ghost, seeing that they had all entered, finally felt the reality of impending revenge. She grew excited, circling Shen Yunxuan twice, and said, “I’ll go check where they all are and then come back to guide you!”

Shen Yunxuan nodded, and the ghost vanished, speeding away. Seeing this, Madam Li and Qin Wenshu quickly said, “We’ll go scout as well and see if we can find anything valuable.”

The mother and daughter also disappeared into thin air, floating away rapidly.

Dong Yue gave Shen Yunxuan a thumbs-up. Talking to Madam Li and Qin Wenshu about helping others and accumulating merit had essentially gotten them two free helpers—helpers who could move unseen, faster and more efficiently than any of them. Impressive!

Madam Li entered the courtyard of the master and mistress of the house and found the two of them playing chess, seemingly in leisure. But as she moved closer, she overheard their chilling conversation.

“Master, Wang family came again, demanding her dowry back. Hah! Do they not see what kind of position they’re in now? How dare they come here asking for things?”

“You handle it. If necessary, arrange an ‘accident’ so they can no longer stay in the capital.”

“Yes. Speaking of which, it’s been three months since Wang passed. It’s time to arrange a new wife. Just now, I heard something interesting from the servants. For some reason, the Grand Preceptor Peng’s daughter has turned against her husband, the top scholar. She might not want to live with him anymore.”

“Hmm? Is that so? I’ll have someone investigate. If this is true, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to propose directly. Let our son stage a ‘hero rescues beauty’ act—let her come to us willingly.”

“Good. I’ll talk to our son. He’ll have to suffer a bit, marrying someone unwanted. But it’s fine. Once she’s in our house, she’ll have to follow our rules. I have my ways of dealing with her.”

Madam Li’s brow furrowed. She had once been the matron of a household far grander than this one, yet such twisted schemes had never existed in her home. Perhaps their lack of cunning was why they ultimately met a tragic end. But this family—so venomous and scheming—was beyond anything she could ever bring herself to be.

A few words, and they were already planning to destroy a woman’s natal family, to trick Peng’s daughter into marriage while ensuring she remained submissive. They wanted the prestige of being tied to Grand Preceptor Peng while also making sure she obeyed them. They wanted everything—despicable!

Madam Li raised a hand, ready to teach them a lesson. But then she thought of Shen Yunxuan and restrained herself. She couldn’t alert them too soon; it was better to report back first. However, before leaving, she searched through the various rooms of the courtyard, especially the private study, and gathered every book she could find.

Ghosts had minor spatial abilities, allowing her to collect the books without being detected. Then, she hid her presence and floated back to Shen Yunxuan.

Shen Yunxuan hadn’t expected her to return with so many books. She immediately found an empty room and had Gao Lang and the others scan them. Her goal was to collect as many resources as possible within a day, but she wasn’t here to pillage and plunder. Not everyone deserved death, so she had come up with the scanning method.

This way, they could borrow the books, scan them, and return them unnoticed. It caused no real loss to those people, while she gained valuable knowledge—a perfect win-win.

Understanding the importance of this task, Gao Lang and the others worked with meticulous care, using the scanner to capture each page and double-checking for completeness.

Seeing the scanner, Madam Li was puzzled and asked, “What is that device? They keep dragging that strange thing across the books. What are they doing?”

Shen Yunxuan replied, “They are examining the books.”

“Examine?” Madam Li didn’t quite understand what needed to be checked. Seeing the meticulous effort, she speculated, “Could it be that some of these books contain hidden treasures? A treasure map? A Taoist manual? Did you bring so many people to the capital just to find hidden treasures?”

Shen Yunxuan admired her wild imagination. But this wasn’t something she could explain in detail, and she had never intended to clarify it from the start. She simply replied with an enigmatic tone, “Naturally, there is a reason for the inspection. Madam, it’s best not to ask too many questions—it will not benefit you.”

Madam Li felt a sudden chill. It wouldn’t benefit her? It seemed that Shen Yunxuan had come to the capital to complete some kind of mission, with seeking revenge on Xiao Zhen’an merely a side task. No matter—she didn’t need to know the specifics. As long as it wasn’t detrimental to her, that was enough. She was using Shen Yunxuan’s hand to take revenge, and Shen Yunxuan was using her to examine books. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement—perfectly acceptable.

The book scanning proceeded swiftly. Once they finished, Madam Li returned the books but, unable to tolerate the two people she had just overheard, she deliberately messed up their storage room, leaving behind a chaotic mess before leaving.

Meanwhile, Qin Wenshu went to the household’s main storage and found the dowry list of the blood-dripping ghost, Wang Shi. Wang Shi’s dowry was stored separately, and she also found some additional books in the main library. She quickly brought everything to Shen Yunxuan.

Shen Yunxuan didn’t hesitate to collect all of Wang Shi’s dowry and instructed Gao Lang and the others to continue scanning the books.

After hearing Madam Li’s explanation, Qin Wenshu didn’t overthink things. She only felt that Shen Yunxuan had helped them tremendously. Since Shen Yunxuan needed books, she decided to find more. Soon, she and Madam Li had gathered every book in the entire household, leaving no study room untouched—including even basic texts like Three Character Classic.

During this time, the ghost Wang Shi floated around the manor searching for her husband and that concubine. She finally found them in the rear garden. There was a small pond, and the pair, in their refined leisure, had even arranged for a small boat, planning to compose poetry and pluck lotus leaves together.

Wang Shi seethed with hatred, but she did not act recklessly. She still remembered the agonizing pain when she had just died, when they had struck her with Buddhist prayer beads, injuring her spirit severely. The pain had been no less than when she had died from poisoning.

But now, she had found help—Shen Yunxuan would deal with them for her. Wang Shi immediately floated back to Shen Yunxuan and reported their location.

Shen Yunxuan left four special forces soldiers to continue scanning books and took Gao Lang and Dong Yue with her to stealthily move toward the rear garden.

There weren’t many servants in the household. Since the masters were at leisure, the servants were also sneaking breaks, making it easy for Shen Yunxuan’s group to avoid them. When they arrived, the man and his concubine were instructing servants to place fruits and fine wine onto the boat. Then, they dismissed the servants, leaving only the two of them to enjoy the pleasure of floating on the water.

The concubine spoke first. “Cousin, is Aunt arranging a marriage for you again? Who is it this time?”

The man wrapped his arm around her and said, “She hasn’t told me yet. It’ll just be another official’s daughter. Whoever can benefit my career will do—it doesn’t matter if she’s round or flat. I only need you.”

The concubine slapped him playfully. “You always know how to sweet-talk me. You clearly promised to marry me when we were kids, yet you married someone else and made me serve her tea as a concubine. Now that she’s finally dead, you’re marrying again?”

The man comforted her, “Wives are just tools to help me climb higher. You are the only one in my heart. If I rise in rank, won’t you enjoy wealth and status with me? Don’t be jealous—think about it, have I ever let you suffer? You didn’t like Wang Shi, so I let you torment her, didn’t I?”

The concubine snorted. “That was only because Wang Shi’s family fell into ruin. If it were someone else, you wouldn’t have let me have my way. Take Bai Shi, for example. You like her so much—you won’t even let me touch her!”

The man held her tighter and coaxed her with a smirk. “That was just a new interest for a few days. Trust me, cousin, you are the only one I truly care about. The rest are just playthings. When I grow tired of them, you can do whatever you want with them, alright?”

The concubine still looked skeptical. “Can I torment her like I did Wang Shi?”

“Of course! Didn’t you say last time that Wang Shi’s blood-dripping corpse looked amusing? When I tire of Bai Shi, you can have her to play with.”

“Then I want to ruin her face!”

“As you wish.”

Gao Lang listened to this exchange, his back chilling, his eyes burning with anger. These two vile scum—what kind of creatures were they? He turned and saw Wang Shi, whose fury had reached its peak. She had resumed her terrifying form, her seven orifices dripping blood. Startled for a moment, he then felt a pang of sympathy. Fear receded in the face of justified wrath.

Compared to those two living monsters, Wang Shi seemed far less terrifying. If he could hate them without fear, why should he be afraid of her? Narrowing his eyes at the pair on the boat, he whispered, “Captain Shen, how do we deal with them?”

Shen Yunxuan softly replied, “In the world of Taoism, we use Taoist methods. Some vengeance must be taken personally to feel satisfying—to purge the anger within.”

She turned to Wang Shi, who was nearly consumed by her fury. “They have Buddhist prayer beads. I will destroy them. After that, what happens next is up to you.”

Hearing this, Shen Yunxuan took out several high-quality jade stones—just retrieved from Wang Shi’s dowry. Wang Shi was surprised. “What are you doing?”

“Setting up a formation,” Shen Yunxuan replied. She crushed the jade stones into many small pieces and quickly scattered them in different positions. Closing her eyes, she pressed two fingers together at her brow and began chanting. Then, she sharply commanded, “Formation, rise!”

The two people on the boat jumped in shock. “Who’s there?!”

Shen Yunxuan had already withdrawn her stance and said, “Any object infused with spiritual energy will be rendered useless within this formation, but yin energy will remain uncontrolled. Go now.”

Wang Shi instantly realized—if spiritual energy was blocked, the Buddhist prayer beads would lose their effect. If yin energy was unchecked, she could act without restraint!

She turned to Shen Yunxuan, who gave her a confirming nod before slapping a talisman onto her. It was a Gathering Yin Talisman, instantly condensing the surrounding yin energy into Wang Shi’s spirit, making her form more solid. She could now fully manifest!

Wang Shi rushed to the two people on the boat, revealing her ghastly, blood-dripping face. She leaned in close, cackling, “Who? It’s me! Your dear wife, your dear sister! Have you missed me? I’ve come to see you! Hahaha!”

The man and his concubine turned pale, recoiling in horror and nearly falling off the boat. They barely managed to grab onto something for support as the man frantically pulled out his Buddhist prayer beads, shouting in false bravado, “Wang Shi! How dare you appear? Are you seeking death?!”

Wang Shi furiously slapped them repeatedly, her voice filled with hatred. “I’m seeking death?! You two wretched scum! You heartless beasts! You’ve done so much evil that even the heavens have decided to help me this time! The ones who deserve to die are you! This time, I’m dragging you both down with me!”

The concubine screamed incessantly, while the man was in utter disbelief. “Why aren’t the prayer beads working?! Impossible! How can they be useless?!”

Wang Shi threw her head back in laughter. “Hahaha! Obviously, even the heavens can’t bear to watch anymore. They want you dead!”

Shen Yunxuan’s formation had sealed off all spiritual energy, while amplifying yin energy. It was like a specialized ghost domain. At the same time, it functioned as a barrier—isolating all sound. No matter how much they screamed, no one outside would hear them!

Now able to exact her revenge, Wang Shi grabbed their hair and slammed their heads together—over and over again—until blood poured from their faces. She sneered through her fury, “Cousins huh?! I never even knew you two were related! No wonder that wicked mother-in-law of mine ignored your improper behavior and never interfered. She let you torment me, allowed you to poison the household.

So she was your aunt all along! You’re a vile wench, and she’s an old hag! Once I’m done with you two, I’ll settle the score with her next!”

“Ahhh—get away! Get away!”

“Ahh! Wang Shi! Wife, my wife, I was wrong! Please, spare me! I will hold a ritual for you, I will enshrine you in gold, I will burn incense for you—please, let me go!”

“Cousin! How can you beg her?”

“Shut up! This is all your fault! You’re the one who dragged me down! Wife, it was all her doing! Kill her, kill her!”

The concubine was stunned, staring at the man in shock. The disbelief in her eyes quickly turned to rage, and she lunged at him, scratching and striking wildly. “How dare you betray me?! I was willing to be your concubine just to stay by your side! Otherwise, I could have been someone else’s proper wife! And you dare do this to me? I won’t forgive you!”

The man slapped her viciously, snarling, “Don’t act so noble! You only agreed to marry into my household after my father got promoted. You were only after wealth and power! And if you weren’t so venomous and cruel, would my wife have suffered so much, bleeding from every orifice before she died? You’re a venomous snake—you deserve to die!”

“Ahhh—I hate you! If I die, I’m taking you with me!” The concubine lunged at him again.

The boat was already small, and their violent struggle rocked it wildly. Finally, with one last violent jolt, the boat capsized!

With a loud splash, both of them plunged into the pond, thrashing desperately. Struggling to keep their heads above water, they continued clawing at each other, their fight dragging them further down.

Wang Shi watched the spectacle, laughing heartily. “Hahaha! What a marvelous display of dogs biting each other! So much for your so-called love—turns out it was nothing at all! How pitiful that I once failed to see through you two and let myself be killed by a pair of treacherous scoundrels! Keep fighting! Fight as hard as you can! Whoever survives, I will let them live!”

Hearing this, the two drowning figures became even more frantic in their struggle.

The man, possessing greater strength, eventually gained the upper hand. Grabbing the concubine, he shoved her head under the water multiple times—until she finally stopped moving. She had drowned.

Wang Shi watched as the concubine’s hands, once wildly flailing, weakened and went still. The pain of suffocation—perhaps it was no less agonizing than the torment she had endured when she was poisoned to death.

The man, now utterly exhausted, forced a smile and panted, “She’s dead. She’s dead now! Wife, now can you let me go?”

Wang Shi scoffed. “Let you go? You think that’s possible? Dream on!”

The man, enraged, pointed at her and cursed, “You just said whoever survives would be spared! How can you go back on your word?!”

Wang Shi burst into laughter. “You deceived me so many times—what’s wrong with me deceiving you once? What can you do about it? You deserve far worse than her! You should be cut into a thousand pieces! Did you really think I’d let you go? I’ll make your death a thousand times more painful than hers!”

Wang Shi’s sleeves rapidly extended, grabbing the man and repeatedly dunking his head into the water. Just as he was on the verge of giving up, she would pull him back up, letting him glimpse hope before forcing him under again. This cycle of near-drowning and brief reprieve continued, an excruciating torment worse than death.

Just as she was about to continue, a ghostly figure surfaced from the water. Wang Shi hesitated—it was the concubine’s spirit.

The concubine looked around in confusion before realizing she was dead. Her expression twisted in fury as she turned toward the man. “You killed me! You actually killed me! I’ll drag you to hell with me!”

She lunged at the man, dragging him underwater, force-feeding him mouthfuls of water before tossing him back up, only to repeat the process.

Seeing the concubine take over, Wang Shi stopped. She folded her arms and hovered above, watching with satisfaction as the concubine unleashed an endless barrage of cruel tortures. She force-fed him mud and sand, shoved his fingers into lotus roots, knocked out his teeth one by one with a rock, and carved countless wounds into his body, making him slowly bleed out.

Her methods were even more vicious than the ones they had used to torment her back then.

Even Gao Lang and the others were left speechless.

Evil truly needed to be punished by evil. No matter how much they despised someone, they would never have come up with such creative forms of revenge.

Finally, after relentless torment, the concubine killed the man. His corpse was so mutilated it was unrecognizable, nothing more than a lump of mangled flesh. The pond was stained red with blood, the sight overwhelming—but this time, Gao Lang felt no fear.

Seeing wicked people get their due, he found it deeply satisfying.

Yet, something changed in the concubine’s eyes. Having personally inflicted such brutal revenge, something inside her snapped. Slowly, she emerged from the water, glaring at Wang Shi with an eerie smile. “Hah, didn’t expect this, did you? Even as a ghost, I have my ways. You killed me, but so what? Now that I’m a ghost, I can keep tormenting you!”

Wang Shi was baffled. “That man was the one who personally drowned you! You and I had no grievances—everything happened because of him! Now that you’re dead, you want revenge on me instead?”

The concubine laughed maniacally. “So what if you were innocent? You were in my way, and that alone means you deserved to die! If it weren’t for you, I’d still be enjoying a luxurious life, still alive and well, with a bright future of bearing sons to inherit the household!

Everything I had was destroyed because of you! I’m going to devour you!”

Wang Shi, having the Yin Gathering Talisman from Shen Yunxuan, wasn’t afraid. Just as she was about to retaliate, Shen Yunxuan calmly called out, “It’s over. Come back.”

Wang Shi instinctively floated back behind Shen Yunxuan. The concubine locked eyes with Shen Yunxuan, her gaze burning with hatred. “You! You’re helping her?”

Shen Yunxuan ignored her, suddenly producing three incense sticks and lighting them with a flick of her wrist. She then bowed slightly toward a certain direction. “I trouble you, Lord Ghost Official.”

The moment she finished speaking, black smoke curled from the ground. The air grew thick with an eerie chill, and the sky darkened. A ghost official, dragging iron chains, slowly emerged from the shadows, fixing his gaze on Shen Yunxuan. “Who are you? Why are you beyond the Six Realms?”

Shen Yunxuan answered without flinching, “Only by standing outside the Six Realms can I judge matters fairly. Lord Ghost Official, these two have committed countless evils. Please escort them to where they belong.”

The ghost official glanced at the concubine and the freshly formed ghost of the man. With a wave of his hand, his iron chains snapped onto them. They shrieked in terror, wailing in ghostly agony, but the ghost official remained unmoved, used to such desperate cries. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Wang Shi, Madam Li, and Qin Wenshu.

Shen Yunxuan clasped her hands respectfully. “Lord Ghost official, these three still have matters to assist me with. Would it be acceptable for me to personally escort them to the underworld at a later time?”

As she spoke, she lit another three incense sticks. These were specially crafted following the methods of the “Cultivator Shen Yunxuan”—a type of incense that ghost officials particularly favored. The ghost official gave her a measured look, then glanced at the six burning sticks before nodding. Without another word, he disappeared, dragging the captured ghosts with him. As soon as they vanished, the sky cleared, and the oppressive atmosphere lifted.

Wang Shi, Madam Li, and Qin Wenshu, who had been cowering in fear, were utterly stunned. “Master, that was truly a ghost official? How did you summon him? How did you convince him to take them away—and even agree to let us stay?!”

Shen Yunxuan smiled. “I just learned it from a book.”

Madam Li and Qin Wenshu were dumbfounded. What? Did they mishear? She just learned it from a book?

They had given her a few celestial master handbooks, yes, but hadn’t she just flipped through them briefly before meditating? And now she had learned how to break formations, inscribe talismans, set up formations, and even summon a ghost official—all in such a short time? Such incredible mastery?

This wasn’t just talent—this had to be the reincarnation of a celestial being!

Immediately, their way of addressing her changed. They no longer called her by her name—she was now “Master.”

And they were incredibly grateful. Encountering such a master was their greatest fortune! If not for her, they wouldn’t have avenged themselves, and worse, they might have eventually been destroyed without ever achieving retribution. But now, the wretched man and concubine had been taken to the underworld—certainly destined for a miserable fate.

Madam Li suddenly recalled something. “Master, was all this planned? Did you anticipate that one of them would die first, turn into a ghost, and then kill the other? This way, even though both of them are dead, Wang Shi never directly took a life. When she stands trial in the underworld, she won’t bear the weight of any murder.”

Wang Shi suddenly understood and respectfully knelt before Shen Yunxuan, her voice filled with gratitude. “Thank you, Master, for considering everything so thoroughly. You have allowed me to remain an untainted spirit while also granting me the satisfaction of revenge, letting me release my resentment and face reincarnation willingly. Your kindness is beyond repaying—I will follow you loyally, seeking out more treasures for you!”

Shen Yunxuan smiled. “No need for such formality.”

With a flick of her hand, the Buddhist prayer beads that had fallen into the pond flew toward her. She caught them and stored them away—though it was only a low-level artifact, it was still effective against spirits and worth keeping.

“Alright,” she said. “Let’s finish the remaining matters.”

Wang Shi eagerly followed, leading them toward the wicked in-laws. Madam Li and Qin Wenshu also became excited. Seeing the fate of that treacherous couple made them even more certain that they, too, would soon have their revenge against Xiao Zhen’an.

Gao Lang and Dong Yue exchanged glances and silently followed. Reflecting on everything that had happened since their arrival, they realized how seamlessly everything had fallen into place. Could it be that Shen Yunxuan had planned everything from the very beginning?

It was like a grandmaster playing chess—every move from the start had already set the entire game in motion. Was this the result of Shen Yunxuan’s intelligence? They had all been maneuvered so precisely, yet they couldn’t help but admire her. Shen Yunxuan wasn’t just capable of winning over people—she could even command the loyalty of spirits.

A sense of boundless anticipation welled up within them. With someone this formidable leading them, they were certain that in the future, as they traveled through different dimensions, they would create truly legendary stories.

As Shen Yunxuan’s closest aides, they vowed to work ten, no, a hundred times harder. They refused to be replaced. Only by continually improving themselves could they remain by her side for the long run.

The formation around the pond would remain for another half a day, ensuring that anyone who came looking would see nothing out of the ordinary. They would merely assume that the man and his concubine had left together, and only when the formation dissolved would the truth be revealed.

Meanwhile, inside the house, the elderly couple had just finished their chess game and were drinking tea in private conversation, with no servants attending them. Shen Yunxuan quickly scanned the room and noticed that two ornaments, as well as the necklace on the old madam and the bracelet on the old master, were all enchanted objects. She discreetly set up the same formation she had used at the pond.

With the artifacts neutralized, Wang Shi immediately materialized before them. Shen Yunxuan simply reminded her, “They have indeed done evil, but by the underworld’s judgment, they are not guilty enough to be sentenced to death. Do as you see fit.”

Wang Shi sneered and delivered several harsh slaps to each of them. “You two old wretches! You raised a son with a heart of stone and a soul of venom, yet you think you don’t deserve death? Ha! Even if you live, I’ll make sure you wish you were dead!”

Her form suddenly twisted into its most terrifying state—seven orifices bleeding, her robes drenched in crimson, her long black hair unraveling and growing wildly until she became a nightmarish specter.

Seeing her do this, Qin Wenshu excitedly joined in, revealing her own ghostly form. Dressed in her blood-red wedding attire, her complexion deathly pale, she let her long hair stretch toward the elderly couple.

Caught off guard, the old master and madam were utterly horrified, their faces turning ghastly pale. Trembling, they instinctively raised their necklace and bracelet, only to find them completely useless. They screamed for help, trying to escape, but as soon as they stood up, their legs gave out, sending them sprawling onto the ground.

In sheer desperation, they began crawling toward the door, their fingernails scraping against the floor so hard that they tore and bled, yet they dared not stop.

But when they finally reached the door, they found it wouldn’t open. No matter how hard they pushed, they couldn’t escape.

Despair consumed them.

Wang Shi remembered Shen Yunxuan’s warning about incurring sin, so she refrained from actually harming them. Instead, she hovered nearby, tormenting them with her eerie laughter and whispering every cruel deed they had ever committed. When they tried to bury their heads in the floor, she emerged from the tiles, her face mere inches from theirs, sending them into further fits of terror.

Qin Wenshu, finding this utterly entertaining, eagerly joined in. Scaring them was turning into a game—one she thoroughly enjoyed.

Eventually, the old couple’s minds could no longer endure. Their mouths twisted, their eyes unfocused, their faces warped in terror—they had completely broken down, resembling stroke victims.

Wang Shi hurried back to Shen Yunxuan. “Master, did they develop soul-separation sickness? But I don’t see their souls leaving their bodies.”

Shen Yunxuan chuckled. “No, this isn’t soul-separation. They’ve gone mad—what we call psychosomatic illness. Simply put, they were scared into insanity. Their minds have snapped.”

Wang Shi exhaled in relief. “That’s even better! No Taoist master can cure madness!” Then she broke into joyous laughter. “Finally! My revenge is complete!”

She suddenly knelt and kowtowed deeply to Shen Yunxuan. “Master! Thank you, Master! Thank you for helping me take revenge!”

Shen Yunxuan quickly helped her up. “Fate brought us together. You were able to take your revenge because of the merit you accumulated in your past life, granting you this opportunity. You should be grateful to yourself. Now that your resentment has been completely resolved, you can move on to reincarnation and begin a new life. I wish you well.”

She then added, “However, I have a busy day ahead with much left to do. Would you be willing to assist me until the day is over? When the time comes, I will personally conduct a ritual to send you off to the underworld.”

Wang Shi nodded repeatedly. “I’m willing! Of course, I’m willing! I would go through fire and water for Master!”

Shen Yunxuan smiled. “That won’t be necessary. I simply wish to collect more books and artifacts like these. As long as they are rare and useful in the art of the Taoism, they will suffice.”

As she spoke, she collected the necklace, bracelet, and two ornaments. Seeing this, Wang Shi finally understood what she sought and eagerly said, “I know where there are a few more valuable items in the house. Let me take you there!”

As one of the former mistresses of the household, Wang Shi naturally knew the estate inside and out. With her guidance, Shen Yunxuan obtained several more artifacts. These had been beyond Wang Shi’s reach when she was alive, but Shen Yunxuan, as a living person, had no such limitations.

Afterward, Wang Shi deliberately gathered all the wealth that belonged to that treacherous man and his concubine, presenting them to Shen Yunxuan as spoils of war. She even went to check on Bai Shi, the woman the man had forcibly taken from the streets. Bai Shi had been locked away in a room, drowning in sorrow. Wang Shi immediately retrieved her indenture contract, wrote a formal dismissal document, and took a sum of silver from the old madam’s treasury to give her before setting her free.

Bai Shi was startled, but with these items in hand, she knew they were real. She didn’t understand who Wang Shi was or what had happened in the estate, but now, she could leave. She was free!

Falling to her knees before Wang Shi, Bai Shi sobbed her gratitude before hurriedly packing a small bundle and fleeing.

The entire household was eerily quiet, and for that reason, the servants became extra cautious, assuming that their masters had quarreled and were giving each other the cold shoulder. No one dared to show their face. They kept to themselves, ensuring they wouldn’t get caught in the crossfire, and as a result, nothing was discovered.

Meanwhile, Shen Yunxuan returned to the General’s Manor with her group.

Everyone had been waiting for them. Elder Xu and the others visibly relaxed upon seeing Shen Yunxuan, though they said nothing—their eyes simply conveyed their relief that she had returned safely.

The ghosts, however, were eagerly awaiting news of Wang Shi. Had Shen Yunxuan truly helped her take revenge? Had she succeeded?

Wang Shi excitedly rushed to her ghostly companions, speaking in rapid, incoherent bursts about how she had avenged herself, vented her grievances, and how Shen Yunxuan had set up formations and even summoned ghost officials.

These ghosts were part of her small circle and naturally believed her. Seeing that Wang Shi’s resentment had completely dissipated and that her soul had become much purer, they were thrilled.

If revenge was real—if it was truly possible—then they couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity!

One by one, they rushed toward Shen Yunxuan, no longer holding back, each pleading for her to avenge them first.

“Master! I found a treasure in a mass grave—it’s a Taoist robe!”

“Master, two old spirits who have already reincarnated entrusted me with their burial treasures. I can take you to retrieve them. One is a Qiankun Mirror, and the other is a Celestial Fan!”

“Master, I know of an abandoned graveyard. The land has no owner now, and beneath it is a chest of gold and silver, as well as Taoist manuscripts!”

“Master, my younger brother is a novice monk in a Buddhist monastery. I can have him steal the scriptures from the library for you to borrow, as long as they are returned by the end of the day.”

“Master, once, two demons fought and perished together. I hid their corpses—would their demon cores and bones be useful to you?”

“Master, my family’s heirloom is a bottle of spiritual spring water. My entire family was wiped out. If you avenge me, I will give you this priceless treasure!”

A flood of treasures was suddenly revealed—some were ancestral heirlooms, some were acquired by chance, and others were simply picked up.

These ghosts had no use for them in their current state. As spirits, they wouldn’t dare trade them with living Taoist masters. But now, out of nowhere, Shen Yunxuan had appeared—someone who not only desired these items but was also willing to help them seek revenge. Immediately, they laid out everything they could offer, their eager gazes fixed on her, hoping to be chosen first.

This was their only chance—it was only for today! If they were too far back in line, they might not get a turn at all. Fortunately, their companion Wang Shi had been clever enough to approach Shen Yunxuan first, which at least gave them some familiarity with her. They seized the opportunity to ingratiate themselves further.

Some of the more astute ghosts quickly rushed forward to queue up. It had already been made clear that simply registering wasn’t enough—whoever handed their treasures over to Shen Yunxuan first would be the ones to have their vengeance first.

Shen Yunxuan instructed Elder Xu to categorize their requests. Then, smiling at the gathered spirits, she declared, “As long as you can offer suitable compensation, we will go one by one to seek justice!”

🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆