Chapter 44: Peach Blossom Spring Closes, Ghost Artifact Bracelet

"How did you two even meet that old lady?"

Once they were out of the small grove and settled inside the car, Wang Dali started the engine immediately, leaving Chu Tian finally in a mood to ask Chen Meng and Chu Meng'er for the story behind it all.

Just like Chu Tian, Chen Meng let out a slight breath of relief, adjusted herself into a more comfortable position in the passenger seat, and said, "Scared the living daylights out of me. That old lady is immensely powerful—even more terrifying than those ancient ancestors of our Fox Clan. Standing near her, I didn't even dare to breathe heavily. What else could it be? She sensed Meng'er's presence, of course."

"Meng'er?" Chu Tian turned his gaze to the little girl sitting in his arms. Chu Meng'er was currently playing with two green, furry chestnuts in her hands.

"That old lady suddenly appeared out of nowhere to sell chestnuts. Meng'er and I went up to ask her about it, and before we knew it, we were pulled straight into her Ghost Domain," Chen Meng said with a sigh. "Fortunately, the old lady didn't harbor any malicious intent. She was simply curious about such a pure little Ghost King like Meng'er, so she brought us inside to ask a few questions. Before you arrived, she even wanted to adopt Meng'er as her granddaughter."

"And you agreed?" Chu Tian asked, looking at Chen Meng.

"How would I even dare to speak up?" Chen Meng replied, feeling speechless. What was she, really? Just a little fox spirit who had barely survived her first heavenly tribulation. In front of a millennium-old specter like that old lady, she was utterly weak, helpless, and capable of doing nothing more than eating.

"However, Meng'er agreed," Chen Meng said, wearing a somewhat哭笑不得 (laughable yet exasperating) expression. "Meng'er acknowledged the old lady as family, but she refused to stay behind to keep her company."

"So you're saying this ghostly old matron really didn't have any bad intentions?" Hearing this, both Chu Tian and Wang Dali looked somewhat surprised.

"Grandma is very nice," Chu梦儿 said, sitting securely in Chu Tian's arms. "She even gave me roasted sweet potatoes to eat and told me eating them would help me grow up faster."

Hearing Chu Meng'er's words, Chu Tian's expression suddenly shifted. He cast a strange, quizzical look at the little girl, because he abruptly realized that her cultivation level had somehow leaped from a Junior Ghost King straight to a Intermediate Ghost King.

The group drove straight back to the territory of the Righteous Qi Dao Alliance.

When Chu Tian and Wang Dali re-entered the interrogation room, the impostor masquerading as "Yan Ming" looked at the two of them with mild surprise. "It seems you've already been inside once."

"Is your name Liu Zijiyi?" Wang Dali asked the fake Yan Ming the moment he stepped through the door.

"Indeed, that is I," Yan Ming replied with a faint smile.

"Is your so-called ancestor really not going to cause chaos out here?" Chu Tian asked, staring at him.

"Since you've already figured out my identity, you must have learned about *The Peach Blossom Spring*," Liu Zijiyi said. "A fisherman mistakenly wanders into the Peach Blossom Spring, yet he is able to retreat unscathed—that is the rule of the Peach Blossom Spring's Ghost Domain. Rest assured, the energy required to sustain everything inside is quite substantial. The Ancestor will not allow too many people to enter."

"Old Chu, keep an eye on him here. I'm going to make a report to the higher-ups," Wang Dali said, patting Chu Tian on the shoulder.

"What are you planning to do?" Chu Tian asked.

"Regardless of whether that old lady decides to cause trouble or not, we have to get the higher-ups to send people to keep watch. An entity like that is best left unprovoked; once a fight breaks out, the casualties will likely be catastrophic," Wang Dali said. "Since we can't handle this ourselves, we have no choice but to call in reinforcements. As for those people who went inside... we'll just have to try and persuade them. I need my subordinates to investigate the backgrounds of those whose souls were replaced. If they are as unburdened and resolute as Yan Ming, and refuse to be persuaded, then so be it. But for the others, we have to at least try. They might feel that their lives haven't been going all that well, but I believe there are always things in this world worth fighting for—things that make a person willing to become a warrior standing firm against all of life's howling winds and bitter snows."

"You're planning to enter that Peach Blossom Spring Ghost Domain again?" Chu Tian asked.

"This is the rice we eat; when certain situations demand it, you have to bite the bullet and go," Wang Dali said with a smile before turning and walking out.

"It seems I am safe after all," Yan Ming remarked with a smile.

"I must admit, this is the first time I've ever encountered a situation quite like yours," Chu Tian said, offering a bitter smile as he looked at the man. "What do you plan to do from now on?"

"For now, I'll be a good teacher," Yan Ming replied with a smile. "This world today is far better than the era I came from. The original Yan Ming left behind a portion of his memories and interpersonal relationships in this body. I will slowly integrate them, and in time, my soul and flesh will gradually merge into one. By then, I suppose I will slowly forget everything about the Peach Blossom Spring Ghost Domain and live as a genuine Yan Ming in this world."

"Just make sure you don't pull any reckless stunts. If you do... I will definitely come looking for you again," Chu Tian warned him.

"I won't," Yan Ming said with a calm smile.

After a while longer, Wang Dali finished submitting his report and returned to the room, telling Yan Ming, "The people outside still need to stay here for a little while longer, but you are free to leave."

"Is that so? Thank you very much," Yan Ming said with a smile. He stood up from his seat, straightened his suit jacket, and walked out of the interrogation room.

"Right, I have one more question I'd like to ask you," Chu Tian called out just as Yan Ming was about to step away. "Liu Zijiyi of Nanyang was a man of noble character. Upon hearing of it, he gladly planned to journey there, but before he could fulfill his wish, he fell ill and died. Afterward, there were no further seekers of the path. So, how on earth did you manage to enter the Peach Blossom Spring?"

"The wish unfulfilled, dying of illness—that *was* the fulfillment," Yan Ming said, turning his head to offer a parting smile before walking away.

That left Wang Dali utterly bewildered. "Hey, what on earth did he mean by that?"

"Good grief, Brother Wang, did you seriously return every bit of the Classical Chinese education from your school days back to your teachers?" Chu Tian asked, looking at him sideways.

"Why bother remembering things you never use?" Wang Dali retorted righteously.

"Fine, go ahead and keep pondering it," Chu Tian said. "I'm taking my wife and kid and heading home."

"Go on, go on," Wang Dali waved his hand dismissively.

Chu Tian took Chen Meng and Chu Meng'er straight back home.

For seven consecutive days, Wang Dali did not come looking for Chu Tian, as he was entirely occupied with dealing with the aftermath of the Peach Blossom Spring Ghost Domain. The amusement park had been sealed off, meaning Chu Tian's haunted house had naturally been forced to close for the week.

Then, on the night of the seventh day.

While Chu Meng'er was sitting at home playing with those two furry, greenish chestnuts, the shells suddenly cracked open of their own accord, and several pitch-black chestnuts bounced out.

In an instant, billowing ghost Qi surged forth from the chestnuts, pouring directly into Chu Meng'er's body.

This sudden turn of events made Chu Tian and Chen Meng tense up as if facing a formidable enemy. However, before either of them could make a move, the ghost Qi vanished entirely. The eight popped chestnuts had shrunk down to the size of thumbs and strung themselves together into a bracelet, resting quietly on the floor.

Chu Meng'er looked curiously at the bracelet, which gleamed like black jade agate, seemingly sensing something profound. "Daddy, Grandma seems to have left."

Left standing there, Chu Tian and Chen Meng stared at the bracelet, completely at a loss for words.

Those hadn't been mere chestnuts the old lady had given Chu Meng'er at all—they were clearly an extremely precious piece of ghostly treasure!