No Shadow

Guard?

A Resentful Soul needs a guard? What the hell for?

Zheng Que was speechless. In this entire small town, he was the only cultivator. Who could possibly come to cause trouble for her?

Though he thought this, he didn't dare to be careless just in case. He quickly walked over to close the main door, then returned to the inner room, sat by the bed, and activated the Spirit Eye Technique, vigilantly scanning his surroundings.

Time passed slowly, and Qing Li's condition gradually recovered.

By the time it was nearly noon, the Yin Energy swirling around her body calmed down. Her form regained some solidity, once again transforming into a mass of black smoke wrapped around her white robes.

At this moment, Qing Li turned her body to face Zheng Que and immediately asked, "While this mistress was resting just now, did anything happen?"

Zheng Que shook his head and said, "No..."

After saying this, he suddenly froze, feeling that this scene was incredibly familiar.

Then it dawned on him. Back when he had just finished fighting Qing Li, he had needed to cultivate and asked her to stand guard for him. After he finished that session, he had asked the exact same question she was asking now...

In this situation, Qing Li was imitating him!

To be precise, she was learning how to act like a master?

Thinking of this, Zheng Que's face darkened. He had thought she had provoked some incredibly powerful ghost out there, which was why she needed him to stand guard.

It turned out she was just mimicking the behavior of her master!

Zheng Que took a deep breath and quickly calmed down. He immediately asked, "Have you comprehended any new moves?"

This Female Hanging Ghost had absorbed the Yin Energy of four Water Ghosts last night; he wanted to see if she had inherited any of their techniques.

Hearing this, Qing Li let out a cold snort and chided him without ceremony, "You human brat, you really don't understand anything."

"Although this mistress is a natural-born genius with talent far beyond that of a blockhead like you, it is impossible to comprehend new moves at every waking moment."

"This also requires time."

"Hmm..."

"By tonight, it should be about ready!"

Hearing this, Zheng Que's expression remained unchanged. He immediately understood that Qing Li had not inherited any moves from those four Water Ghosts.

This might be because the cultivation level of those four Water Ghosts was too low, or perhaps for some other reason...

The specific cause would require letting Qing Li absorb the Yin Energy of more ghosts to test it out.

As he pondered, Zheng Que hesitated. Should he increase Qing Li's cultivation level now?

But soon, he shook his head.

The Underworld he was building needed to grow and thrive; he couldn't let it turn into a small, hole-in-the-wall workshop, making it seem as if Qing Li was the only ghost in the entire Underworld...

Therefore, he had chosen the Xu Hour yesterday to boost Qing Li's cultivation. From now on, regardless of how many ghosts she killed, he would set the time for her cultivation boost to the Xu Hour every day.

He had to make it look like his Underworld was actually very busy...

With that in mind, Zheng Que spoke up immediately: "Come out with me for a moment."

Before the words had even faded, he stood up and walked toward the door.

Qing Li drifted down from the rafters, following behind him with an arrogant expression.

The town was still very quiet during the day, but there was a faint sense of life.

Zheng Que followed the familiar streets and soon arrived outside the Cui family's small courtyard on the east side of town.

Yesterday, he had helped the father and daughter deal with the four Water Ghosts in their home. Because of the chaos caused by the Water Ghosts, the daughter, Cui Ni'er, had drowned for a while and had been unconscious, and Cui Fugui had also been scared into a faint by Qing Li. Since it was already dusk at the time, Zheng Que hadn't had time to do much else, so he had carried both the father and daughter into the house, closed the doors and windows for them, and gone home.

Returning now was primarily to check on the state of the Cui family and to inspect the well that had been infested by the Water Ghosts.

Knock, knock, knock!

Facing the courtyard gate, Zheng Que raised his hand and knocked three times.

Soon, the sound of hurried footsteps came from behind the door, followed by a voice filled with vigilance: "Who is it?"

Zheng Que replied immediately: "It's me, Zheng Que."

"Uncle Cui, how are you all doing?"

Upon hearing Zheng Que's voice, Cui Fugui hurriedly removed the bolt and opened the gate. Seeing Zheng Que and Qing Li behind him again, Cui Fugui was no longer as panicked as he had been at first. He even smiled, stepping aside to welcome his guest while saying, "Zheng Que, thank you so much!"

"Quick! Come in and sit!"

Zheng Que nodded slightly. He had already activated his Spirit Eye Technique. After glancing at Cui Fugui and confirming he was fine, he followed him into the courtyard.

The situation in the courtyard was much the same as yesterday. On the packed dirt ground, some grain and dried vegetables were spread out. A clothesline was strung up in the corner with a few patched coats hanging from it, and the old well with its weathered railing stood quietly in its original spot.

Cui Fugui invited Zheng Que into the main room to sit, speaking with deep gratitude: "If it weren't for you yesterday, my Ni'er would have been in real trouble... The two of us are all we have left to rely on. If anything had happened to her, I wouldn't want to live either..."

"I was just telling Ni'er that we absolutely must invite you over for a meal!"

"It's perfect that you're here. Go on in and sit for a moment, I'll go brew some tea."

As he spoke, he raised his voice and shouted toward the backyard, "Ni'er, hurry up and kill a chicken!"

Hearing this, Zheng Que quickly shook his head and said, "Uncle Cui, I have things to attend to later, so there's no need for a meal."

He was pressed for time and didn't want to waste it on mere gluttony.

Zheng Que took a few quick strides to the well and leaned over to look inside.

The bottom of the well was dark and murky. The clear water shimmered with a cold light; there were no traces of the ghost left, but a faint layer of Yin Energy still lingered.

After a careful inspection, Zheng Que straightened up and said, "Uncle Cui, although I have dealt with the Water Ghost in the well, you should avoid drinking this water for the time being."

"I will come back to check on it in a few days. Once I am certain it is safe, you can continue using it."

Cui Fugui thanked him repeatedly. Seeing that Zheng Que truly had no intention of staying for a meal, he hurriedly said, "Then take a chicken with you! My chickens are quite plump now..."

As he spoke, Cui Ni'er ran over from the backyard, clutching a chicken in each hand. The two chickens, one male and one female, were struggling with all their might. A few feathers drifted through the air, one of which was stuck in Cui Ni'er's hair.

"Dad, which one should I kill?" Cui Ni'er asked her father while eyeing Zheng Que with curiosity.

Zheng Que turned around and used Spirit Eye Technique to look at Cui Ni'er. The girl's aura was dim, just like an ordinary person's; there was nothing wrong with her.

Seeing this, Zheng Que felt reassured. Just as he was about to bid farewell and leave, his expression suddenly shifted!

Beneath Cui Ni'er's feet, there was nothing—not a single shadow.