Ch 193: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

A few ghosts’ heartfelt gratitude toward Shen Yunxuan was an unexpected surprise for her. And the fact that her kindness in saving the little ghost led to receiving a reward from the Chen family was the perfect example of good deeds being repaid.

The people and ghosts working alongside Shen Yunxuan deeply resonated with this experience. Gao Lang even sighed, “If only we could stay here a little longer! Helping ghosts resolve their issues is like witnessing the vast array of human experiences—there’s so much to encounter, and it’s truly eye-opening.”

Dong Yue teased, “You’re not afraid of ghosts anymore?”

Gao Lang’s expression froze, and he quickly shut his mouth. To be honest, he was still scared of ghosts. When he encountered that fierce ghost outside the city before, his face had turned pale. If not for his willpower as a soldier, he might have fainted on the spot. Staying here meant running into even more ghosts—no thanks!

Once Shen Yunxuan had finished her tasks, she returned to the general’s residence. Upon entering, she was taken aback—goodness, the whole courtyard was filled with books!

As soon as the ghosts saw Shen Yunxuan, they swarmed toward her in layers—inside and out, top and bottom, all floating around. Gao Lang instantly felt like his heart was about to stop. He held his breath and didn’t dare to move.

Dong Yue burst into laughter. “If you think about it, if you die, you’d become the strongest ghost here, easily crushing them all. So what are you afraid of? Hahaha!”

Hearing this, some playful ghosts deliberately floated up to Gao Lang and made ghostly faces at him. In a panic, Gao Lang quickly greeted Shen Yunxuan before dashing off to stand beside Elder Xu.

Perhaps because both Elder Xu and Elder Chen were founding heroes of the nation, the golden glow of their merits shone so brightly that even without a protective formation, the ghosts dared not approach them. Being near these two elders felt the safest and most comforting.

Elder Chen scolded him with a laugh, “Coward! When you get back, you’re watching two hundred horror movies as punishment!”

“Noooo—” Gao Lang’s wail sounded even more pitiful than a ghost’s.

Shen Yunxuan chuckled and asked, “What’s going on here? Why so many books?”

Xu Wenyu handed her a register, with some entries already crossed out. “After you left, we had nothing to do, so we compiled all the ghosts’ requests and chatted with them. Turns out, some of their problems were simple and didn’t require a celestial master’s spiritual power. We could solve them ourselves with minimal risk.

So we split up, using the talismans you gave us, to help them out and collect the rewards they promised. These ladies were particularly kind—they even escorted us separately to ensure our safety. Luckily, everything went smoothly.”

Shen Yunxuan glanced over. The female ghosts who had escorted them were friends of Wang Shi, part of their small group. Since they deeply trusted Shen Yunxuan and were counting on her to avenge them, they were especially proactive and held great goodwill toward Xu Wenyu and the others.

Smiling, Shen Yunxuan thanked them and lit an incense stick for each. The ghosts immediately looked content, and one even let out a satisfied burp. “I’ve been dead for three years, and this is the first time I’ve felt so full.”

Xu Wenyu continued, “Later, some ghosts went out to gather information and relayed news about what you’ve been doing outside—how you avenged people, upheld justice, and so on. Many ghosts admire you greatly. When they learned you love books, they started… um… borrowing books from all over the city to bring back to you.

“But don’t worry, we scan them twice at top speed and return them immediately. Also, that little brother training at the temple borrowed a lot of books for us. We’re scanning as fast as possible to avoid any trouble.”

Shen Yunxuan nodded. Looking at the vast sea of books, it was quite a spectacular sight. Given their current limitations in this realm, having the ghosts help “borrow” books and scanning them for later use seemed like the best way to gain knowledge. Even though these books were technically stolen, they would return them in pristine condition.

Since everyone was already informed about the situation outside, Shen Yunxuan didn’t say much more. Facing the eager ghosts, she said, “Wait for me a moment. I’ll be right back.”

She headed to the main hall, where Elder Xu asked, “Are you tired? Take a break.”

Shen Yunxuan shook her head with a smile. “Not tired at all—I feel energized! I just need to recharge a bit. I’m going to cultivate for a while.”

The others were puzzled. She had only been out for an hour or two—why did she need to cultivate again? But since they were complete outsiders in this field, they naturally followed her lead. They quickly gathered around, some picking up their guns, then hesitating and setting them down, opting to hold talisman papers instead.

The ghosts also lowered their voices, afraid of disturbing Shen Yunxuan. None of them noticed that in just half a day, they had already developed a deep sense of reverence for her. Many even admired her greatly.

Shen Yunxuan only realized this from Cui Tao’s demeanor, which prompted her to return immediately to cultivate. The method she practiced was inherited from the “Cultivator Shen Yunxuan” lineage, drawing power from others’ faith in her.

Now, not only were Chen Shi, Lin’er, and a few living people deeply grateful to her, but the ghosts’ faith in her had also skyrocketed. This allowed her to further enhance her cultivation, making it safer for her to handle issues outside. After all, she had just made an enemy of an unknown Taoist master. Her sixth sense warned her of impending danger, so she decided to be cautious and strengthen herself first.

This time, Shen Yunxuan spent half an hour cultivating. After all, the total number of people and ghosts here was less than a hundred, unlike when “Cultivator Shen Yunxuan” gained an immense amount of faith energy through live-streaming fortune-telling, which required several days and nights of cultivation.

After enhancing her cultivation, Shen Yunxuan reinforced the formation around the general’s residence and added another layer outside. This formation not only restrained ghosts but also suppressed Taoist masters, making everyone inside the formation as ordinary as regular humans, unable to use spiritual power or techniques.

With this, Elder Xu and the others would be safe. Against ordinary humans, a team of special forces soldiers armed with modern weapons would be invincible.

Shen Yunxuan also drew defensive talismans for each of them, which could withstand one attack, as well as communication talismans—tearing one would immediately alert her to their danger and allow her to rush to their location. This provided an extra layer of protection if they needed to go outside for tasks.

After finishing these preparations, Shen Yunxuan felt more at ease and left the general’s residence with a few ghosts.

Elder Xu and the others remained silent for a long time. Elder Chen sighed, “Sigh… We were originally here to protect Xiao Shen, but now she has to protect us. We’ve become a burden, adding trouble for her.”

Xu Wen’an quickly reassured him, “No one expected things to turn out this way. Besides, we can still provide strong support. We’ve scanned so many books—those are valuable assets, all beneficial.”

Xu Wenyu suggested, “Yunxuan has contributed the most. When we return, we should officially recognize her contributions and reward her to further strengthen her abilities.”

Everyone agreed upon hearing this.

“That’s a great idea!”

“Given the current situation, focusing on strengthening Captain Shen’s abilities is the most reliable plan.”

“Exactly! No one can predict what each mission will bring. Since we have the opportunity to make Captain Shen stronger, we must invest in her growth.”

“This time, Captain Shen even managed to acquire a storage pouch on her own, something we’ve long desired. That alone is enough reason to reward her.”

Not a single person objected. Elder Xu smiled at this consensus. “Since everyone agrees, I’ll submit the request for approval when we return.”

With this decision, everyone felt a little more at ease and returned to scanning books. The experts among them were thrilled—although they each specialized in different fields, supernatural beings were an entirely new domain.

The botanists wanted to study how plants and animals turned into spirits. The historians were eager to investigate whether mystical events had actually occurred in ancient times. The medical experts wanted to understand where exactly spiritual energy was generated within the body. Every field had something worth exploring. This mission had turned out to be exceptionally meaningful. Now, with a united effort to uphold justice for the ghosts, the soldiers felt a renewed sense of purpose and enthusiasm.

Meanwhile, Shen Yunxuan set out to help the ghost who had borrowed books from the temple seek justice. However, after listening to the ghost’s story, she did not follow her immediately. Instead, she said, “From your facial features and my calculations of your past, your entire family perished in a flood. You were an orphan and had no younger brother.”

Wang Shi was stunned and turned to look at the ghostly sister she had been with for a long time. “You lied to me? What exactly are you trying to do? Are you planning to harm the master?”

The ghost sister panicked at the accusation and frantically waved her hands. “No, no! Master, please listen! The little monk’s background is extremely complicated. I had no choice but to tell others he was my younger brother. It was never my intention to deceive you. I am asking for your help precisely to reveal the truth to you.”

Wang Shi suddenly realized something. “No wonder you were willing to go to such lengths, offering the entire temple’s scripture library as payment. That’s a lot of books, and it also risks exposing you. So, the matter is extremely difficult, isn’t it? Qiulian, don’t forget that Master only has one day in the capital. There’s only half a day left. If your case is too complicated, aren’t you making things too difficult for her?”

Qiulian bowed deeply. “It is precisely because Master will leave the capital after today that I dared to ask for her help. Master, do you already know the young monk’s true identity? Are you willing to help?”

Shen Yunxuan looked at her. Indeed, she already knew. From her calculations, the young monk in the temple was none other than the emperor’s own son—his true lineage was extraordinary.

Several years ago, the emperor had misunderstood Consort Shu, but unable to bring himself to imprison or execute her, he instead demoted her to a commoner and expelled her from the palace. However, not long after, her family was massacred by bandits, their home set ablaze, and everyone perished.

Qiulian had been Consort Shu’s maid after she returned to her family. The young monk in the temple was the prince she had given birth to after escaping the inferno. Having been framed and losing her entire family, Consort Shu was devastated. She did not survive childbirth, dying shortly after. Of the entire household, only Qiulian and the newborn prince remained.

Fearing discovery, Qiulian hid in a small village, pretending to be a fallen noblewoman with her younger brother. But due to the constant fear and the hardship of raising a child alone, she fell ill and died a year ago. Before her death, unable to find a trustworthy person to entrust the prince to, she placed him in the temple as a novice monk.

To her surprise, after dying, she did not pass on to the underworld. Instead, she found herself still lingering in this world and was able to appear before the prince. She secretly took care of him and eventually joined Wang Shi’s small group to gather information, hoping for the day when she could find a way to have the emperor recognize his lost son. And now, she had finally found Shen Yunxuan!

She believed that Shen Yunxuan was the most capable person to reunite the prince with his true identity.

Shen Yunxuan originally did not intend to get involved in this matter—it was far too complicated. With such limited time, how was she supposed to handle it? Moreover, this involved the imperial palace, where the National Preceptor might be the most powerful celestial master in this realm.

However, by sheer coincidence, when she brought the hanging ghost to take revenge and interrogated the family of the wicked tyrant, she learned from them about Consort De framing Consort Shu. They even wrote a confession, pressed their fingerprints on it, and revealed the names of two witnesses deep within the palace!

This changed everything, simplifying the situation significantly. At the very least, the emperor would undoubtedly conduct a thorough investigation, and regardless of the outcome, he would surely recognize his son.

Shen Yunxuan asked Qiulian, “Are you sure he wants to be acknowledged? The imperial palace is full of dangers, and not everyone desires such a status.”

Qiulian nodded firmly. “Master, after I died and became a ghost, I told the prince about his true identity. Though he is young, he has great ambition and also wishes to avenge Consort Shu and his many wrongfully slain family members. I am certain he wants to return.

I once considered hiding the truth from him, but the prince has been intelligent since childhood and refuses to live as an ordinary person. Since that is the case, why not aim for a higher position?”

Shen Yunxuan had yet to meet the prince, but hearing Qiulian’s words, she felt that since the child had his own aspirations, it was only right to respect his wishes.

She followed Qiulian to the temple, entering through a small dog hole on the side. The prince usually crawled through this hole to meet Qiulian. Shen Yunxuan had no intention of entering the temple formally—if a highly cultivated monk detected that she was not from this realm, it could lead to unnecessary trouble.

The prince was eight years old this year. The scriptures from the library had been stolen by him, and since an hour had passed without anyone noticing, it was clear that he was quite skilled.

He had already heard from Qiulian about Shen Yunxuan’s deeds, and upon seeing her, he cupped his hands and said, “Many thanks, Master, for your willingness to help.”

Shen Yunxuan was momentarily stunned. All of her metaphysical knowledge came from the “Cultivator Shen Yunxuan” lineage, which originated from a modern world. Even though she had worked with the government in that world, the most powerful figures she had ever seen were leaders with strong merit-based auras—she had never had the chance to meet an emperor or a prince.

But now, looking at this exiled prince, she saw a faint purple glow surrounding him—this was the sign of the Purple Star descending to earth!

She couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. Could this be considered a merit in aiding a future dragon emperor? Would this count as assisting the Purple Star in reclaiming its rightful place?

The prince noticed her silence and looked at her in surprise. “Master?”

Shen Yunxuan snapped out of her thoughts. Qiulian, now anxious, cautiously asked, “Master, is there… is there a problem?”

Earlier, Shen Yunxuan had mentioned that the imperial palace was full of dangers. Could it be that after seeing the prince, she had sensed an even greater risk? If that were the case, Qiulian would have to persuade the prince not to return.

Shen Yunxuan quickly reassured her, “I was momentarily distracted, but there is no issue. Though returning to his roots carries both fortune and misfortune, as long as he upholds righteousness, the outcome will surely be favorable. Come with me.”

Everyone assumed that Shen Yunxuan was taking him directly to the palace, but instead, she led them to a secluded residence, leaving them momentarily stunned.

Madam Li floated around the courtyard for a moment before suddenly exclaiming, “This place… isn’t this the residence connected to the secret passage of the General’s Manor?”

Shen Yunxuan nodded. “This is the safest place for now. I will set up a concealment formation so that anyone passing by will instinctively ignore this location and not enter. I will also leave food behind. Your Highness, you will stay here for the time being. It won’t be long—within three days, someone will come to take you to the palace.”

After speaking, she turned to Madam Li and Qin Wenshu. “This residence belongs to the General’s Manor. The past three generations of the family were loyal and sacrificed their lives for the country, yet their descendants suffered injustice, their reputations tarnished by slander. I hope that in the future, when His Highness has the opportunity, he can speak up for the Qin family.”

Madam Li and Qin Wenshu were deeply moved, never expecting that Shen Yunxuan would help restore their family’s honor. They looked at the prince with immense anticipation.

The prince was equally stirred. Shen Yunxuan’s words clearly conveyed her belief that he would one day rise to power. Moreover, he had indeed received help from the General’s Manor. He cupped his hands and solemnly declared, “I will remember today’s kindness. When the time is right, I will surely restore the Qin family’s reputation.”

This was effectively a promise—whether or not he returned to the palace, as long as he gained power in the future, he would certainly advocate for the Qin family.

At such a young age, the prince already displayed a remarkable vision and bearing. Shen Yunxuan, drawing from her experience as “imperial Consort Shen Yunxuan” in another timeline, saw great potential in this prince and was willing to invest in him. Who knows? She might return in the future to see how things unfold.

After setting up the formation and ensuring the prince’s safety, Shen Yunxuan wrote several letters, sealing them with talismans that concealed them from sight. She placed them in various locations where they would remain unnoticed until morning when the spell wore off.

If word of the prince’s survival were revealed prematurely, it would alert their enemies. It was best to expose the wicked tyrant’s crimes simultaneously to minimize risks. Additionally, it was safest to wait until they had left this realm and sent off the lingering ghosts before revealing anything—otherwise, Concubine Xian might retaliate, creating unnecessary trouble.

Shen Yunxuan left Qiulian in the residence to accompany the prince, allowing her to relay any final words. That night, she would send the ghosts away, ensuring they would not linger in the human world and face potential dangers.

Next, Shen Yunxuan helped a female ghost who had been wronged and killed by her malicious mother-in-law clear her name. Disguising herself as a judge, she had Gao Lang and Dong Yue play the roles of Black and White Impermanence. Together, they frightened the wicked mother-in-law into running outside and confessing her crimes in front of the villagers, exposing the truth.

The female ghost had sacrificed a lot for her family and had no other requests—she only wanted to die with her name cleared and to avoid being the subject of village gossip.

Shen Yunxuan then helped an old ghost reunite with his descendants and relay his final will to them.

For similar, relatively simple cases, she handled them individually. Shen Yunxuan placed a Gathering Yin talisman on each ghost, allowing them to resolve their unfinished matters on their own. This saved her a great deal of effort and allowed her to help many spirits in a short time.

Time flew by as she rushed around the capital, fulfilling the requests of the ghosts. Soon, night had fallen.

At this point, Shen Yunxuan and her team had very little time left in this realm—only one more hour remained before they had to leave. The atmosphere at the general’s residence had subtly shifted; both the living and the ghosts felt a sense of sorrow. Conversations and laughter had quieted, replaced by a somber mood.

After filtering out some tasks she was unable to complete, Shen Yunxuan decided to help one last ghost—a wandering elderly woman—by taking her outside the city.

The old woman had lost her sanity. She did not remember how she died, nor could she clearly articulate what she needed to do. All she knew was that she wanted revenge. Other ghosts, feeling sorry for her, had kindly guided her to the general’s residence, hoping Shen Yunxuan could help.

Now that Shen Yunxuan had a moment, she examined the woman’s features and used her metaphysical calculations to uncover her past. She discovered that, as a child, the old woman had been abducted and sold to a poor village, where she was forced to become a child bride. By the age of eighteen, she was already a widow, having never borne a child.

She had planned to leave the village to search for her birth family, but the villagers conspired against her. They built a Chastity Memorial Arch in her honor, presenting it as a mark of virtue while secretly claiming government stipends for themselves.

In reality, the stipends never reached her. Instead, she was imprisoned, repeatedly assaulted by the village’s bachelors, and forced to bear several children. The torment and suffering she endured were so overwhelming that she eventually lost her mind. Even after becoming a ghost, she remained in a dazed state, unable to regain clarity.

Perhaps, deep in her subconscious, a psychological barrier prevented her from awakening fully—if she regained clarity, she would have to face the unbearable pain of her past. Yet, her immense hatred kept her tethered to the mortal world, endlessly muttering about revenge.

Her rage was so overwhelming that, despite not turning into a vengeful spirit, her spiritual strength was formidable. Ordinary ghosts dared not approach her, which was why she had wandered aimlessly for years.

The other ghosts did not know what she had endured, but her skeletal, frail ghostly form—still bound by chains on her wrists and ankles—spoke volumes. It was clear that she had suffered inhuman torment. After witnessing Shen Yunxuan’s success in avenging other ghosts, they had scoured the city to find this poor woman and bring her to her.

By the time they arrived, Shen Yunxuan had already intended to stop taking on more tasks for the night. But after using her abilities to uncover the old woman’s tragic past, her expression darkened.

The ghosts who had brought the old woman felt guilty. One of them hesitantly said, “Master, I don’t have anything valuable to offer as payment. But I helped borrow a few books today—would that be enough?”

Shen Yunxuan replied, “For this old woman, I will not ask for any payment. Don’t worry—I will avenge her!”

With only one hour left before their departure, Shen Yunxuan still chose to leave the city, taking the elderly ghost with her to the village where she had suffered in life.

🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆