Longing for my love to return

“That’s what I should be asking you,” the girl named Shangguan Qin said, raising her chin with a disdainful look. “This is my territory. I sensed a ghost and came to exorcise it. It’s normal for me to be here. But you, Wen Ya, you’re meddling in my business. That’s really disrespectful of you.”

Wen Ya's eyes were cold: "Only dogs mark their territory."

Si Mucheng couldn't help but laugh. He hadn't expected Wen Ya to have such a strong offensive side.

Shangguan Qin was already annoyed, and Si Mucheng's chuckle only enraged her further. She roared, "All the ghosts in this area belong to me. Don't try to use your tricks here. Get out of the way!"

Having said that, she raised her hand, and the bell in Wen Ya's hand vibrated slightly in response. Seeing this, Wen Ya did not forcefully press it down, but let go, and the bell quickly flew back into Shangguan Qin's hand. She grasped the bell, her voice carrying a warning: "Wen Ya, you'd better get out of the way, don't get in my way."

Wen Ya remained unmoved, shielding Shen Guixiang behind her. She looked directly at Shangguan Qin and calmly said, "Don't be unreasonable. This ghost's obsession has dissipated, and I will send 'her' into reincarnation."

Upon hearing that the ghost had already been exorcised, Shangguan Qin's expression was as if he had swallowed a fly, as if he wanted to punch someone but ended up hitting cotton.

Si Mucheng realized that this was probably another old acquaintance of Wen Ya's, and someone she didn't get along with. He laughed and said, "Wait, do the exorcists here have KPIs? Why are they even involved in stealing ghosts?"

Shangguan Qin was already in a bad mood, and upon hearing this, she turned her gaze to him and said fiercely, "And who are you, you pheasant? Why do you have the right to bark here?"

Si Mucheng wasn't angry at being scolded; his smile remained unchanged: "You're really fierce. Is everyone in the Shangguan family like this?"

Although he didn't know the background of this seemingly arrogant girl, Wen Ya had said that Taoist masters were all from family lineages. This Shangguan Qin must also have a prestigious family background. Moreover, judging from her clothes, demeanor, and expressions, she exuded arrogance. Si Mucheng guessed that the Shangguan family must be quite prominent in this profession. If that was the case, being born into such a family meant that family honor was undoubtedly very important.

Sure enough, upon hearing Si Mucheng's words, Shangguan Qin's expression darkened further. He stopped being aggressive, glared at him, and remained silent, watching them intently from the side.

Seeing that Shangguan Qin had no further intention to attack, Wen Ya turned back to look at Chen Guixiang. The female ghost silently watched their conflict; nothing in this world could move her anymore. Her obsession had dissipated; it was time for her to enter the cycle of reincarnation.

Wen Ya asked softly, "Is there anything else you need to do?"

Shen Guixiang looked back at Zhong Weinian's tombstone. The early tombstones didn't have a photograph of the deceased, so Shen Guixiang couldn't see Zhong Weinian's face one last time. However, in her heart, the Zhong Weinian who waved to her from the hillside that year, calling her "Guixiang sister," was the only memory she could clearly recall of him over the years. She thought, that's enough.

Shen Guixiang looked at Wen Ya, blinked, and smiled, "That's all. Send me away."

Wen Ya nodded, took out a talisman, and slightly closed her eyes. Suddenly, a gust of wind rose from the ground, scattering her long hair. Her voice was clear and cold: "All things return to dust, all delusions vanish." As soon as she finished speaking, her soul dissipated.

Shen Guixiang's spirit instantly transformed into stars. The pale yellow, star-like specks of light did not immediately dissipate. They seemed to have life, or perhaps they drifted gently with the wind, circling Zhong Weinian's grave before disappearing.

The wind stopped, as if nothing had happened.

Si Mucheng remarked with emotion, "This is another kind of meeting for them, isn't it?"

Wen Ya didn't say anything, but it was getting late and the sunlight was taking on a warm hue.

"Hey," Shangguan Qin said to Wen Ya with displeasure as he sensed the ghost's disappearance, "Why did you come here? Haven't you always been active in the south?"

Wen Ya didn't answer that question, which involved the Soul-Returning Lamp. Her relationship with Shangguan Qin wasn't yet at the point where they could calmly discuss her family heirloom. However, there was another matter that Shangguan Qin should have the right to know.

She said to Shangguan Qin, "There's something in the moat of Yucheng, something like a shield. That ghost just now drowned in the river, but for some reason it wasn't found by the soul-searching array. She lingered in the world for a full sixty years. Fortunately, the thing in the river didn't make her lose her consciousness, so she didn't become an evil spirit."

After hearing her words, Shangguan Qin's eyebrows shot up: "Are you saying that my family has failed in its duty? Letting a ghost go undelivered for sixty years?"

Si Mucheng: ...

He found this young lady rather absurd and couldn't help but say, "How can you not appreciate kindness?"

Shangguan Qin rolled her eyes at him: "I don't need your kindness!"

“Alright, it wasn’t our business anyway. Master, let’s go.” Si Mucheng walked behind Wen Ya and said to her in a low voice.

Wen Ya nodded and walked briskly down the mountain.

Shangguan Qin was greatly surprised when he heard Si Mucheng address him: "Wen Ya, you actually took on a disciple? Aren't you always so arrogant that you look down on everyone? How come there's someone you can take on as a disciple? I don't think he's anything special. He's just average. Apart from his face, he has nothing to offer."

Hearing her words, Si Mucheng felt a surge of anger. This was revenge! A personal grudge! He certainly wasn't lacking in tact!

However, before he could speak, Wen Ya answered first, her tone still calm and without any ripples: "He also has the ability to see ghosts."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Qin was stunned. It wasn't until Si Mucheng and Wen Ya had almost finished walking down the hillside that she came to her senses, quickly catching up and exclaiming incredulously, "What?! What does he have? The ability to see ghosts? Why does he have the ability to see ghosts? Was it innate? How could he possibly have the ability to see ghosts?!"

Seeing that she was starting to break down, Si Mucheng asked Wen Ya in surprise in a low voice, "Does having the ability to see ghosts really affect her that much?"

Wen Ya didn't speak. She didn't tell him that Shangguan Qin had also studied at Yuhuang Temple when he was young. At that time, she was the youngest and was pampered by her family like a precious jewel. She was also very intelligent and felt that since she was the second oldest, no one else was the eldest.

It wasn't until they learned that Wen Ya possessed the ability to see spirits. Because of this ability, Wen Ya could skip the things that other celestial masters needed to cultivate, such as soul detection, because her eyes could see everything, and she could easily know even details that other celestial masters couldn't perceive.

According to old records, there were indeed exorcists who were born with the ability to see ghosts. In earlier times, there were many people with this ability, but in modern times, their numbers have dwindled. It would be fair if no one had this ability, but unexpectedly, Wen Ya actually possessed it, something that no one else had before.

In fact, besides Shangguan Qin, many others were dissatisfied, mostly out of jealousy. But only Shangguan Qin openly expressed it.

She was very indignant, which is why she said to Wen Ya, "What are you so arrogant about? You were just born into a good family."

They've been at odds since they were little, so Wen Ya knows exactly how to provoke her most effectively.

Shangguan Qin did indeed break through her defenses, but this was something that couldn't be forced. She had long since accepted it, but being suddenly told that someone else besides Wen Ya possessed it shocked her, and of course, she felt even more resentful. Then again, she couldn't very well gouge out someone else's eyes.

Shangguan Qin's emotions came and went quickly. He exhaled and got back to business, saying to Wen Ya, "We know what's in the river. A long time ago, an elder of my family entered a nightmare of evil spirits in that area and couldn't get out. Her magical artifact also fell into the river. That artifact has the effect of protecting the soul, so the soul-searching device can't find the soul in the river. It has to be done manually, and sometimes there are indeed oversights."

Wen Ya simply nodded upon hearing her words. Yu City was Shangguan's territory, so of course they would handle it properly, and she, an outsider, didn't need to worry about it.

By this time, they had already descended the mountain and were heading towards the village entrance.

Shangguan Qin followed them at a distance, neither too close nor too far. Farmers drove their cattle past in the fields by the roadside, and Shangguan Qin waved them off in disgust, complaining, "This godforsaken place."

Hearing this, Wen Ya had a sudden thought and turned around to ask her, "So, why are you here?"

The Shangguan family's method of sending away souls and exorcising ghosts is similar to that of the Yuhuang Temple. In such a rural village, even if a ghost appears, it wouldn't be necessary for this young lady to make the trip herself.

Hearing her question, Shangguan Qin still looked annoyed: "What business is it of yours that I'm here?"

Wen Ya looked at her, her tone certain: "Is your soul-searching device malfunctioning too?"

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Qin's expression changed drastically: "How did you know?"

Wen Ya thought to herself, "Just as I thought."

If the malfunction of the Zhao family's soul-searching device was an isolated incident, then the fact that the Shangguan family's device also malfunctioned is quite intriguing.

"What do you know?" Shangguan Qin approached, his face unusually serious.

When Wen Ya came to Yucheng, she originally did not want to deal with the Shangguan family, but now she changed her mind and decided to pay them a visit no matter what.

She said to Shangguan Qin, "Take me to see your grandfather."

The current head of the Shangguan family is still Shangguan Qin's grandfather. Hearing Wen Ya's words, Shangguan Qin looked down upon and said with dissatisfaction, "Why do you have to bother my grandfather with anything? Why can't you tell me what news you know?"

Wen Ya took a deep breath: "The soul-searching device at Yuhuang Temple has also malfunctioned."

Shangguan Qin was taken aback, immediately realizing the seriousness of the situation. She nodded: "Then come with me, my car is at the village entrance."

Si Mucheng was clearly surprised that Shangguan Qin, who looked so young, actually had a driver's license. He couldn't help but ask, "You? Are you over eighteen?"

Shangguan Qin glanced at him sideways: "It was full last month, how was it?"

"Huh!" Si Mucheng was startled. "You just got your driver's license, right? You dare to drive on the national highway? Master, I think that's pretty unsafe."

Shangguan Qin instantly exploded: "If you're not going to sit, then walk!"