Even Gu Zhe was left speechless by them.
He shook his head in amusement.
"Most people can't learn this ability of mine. As for taking a goddaughter, I have no plans to become an instant dad."
He looked at their worried faces.
Gu Zhe understood. In his judgment, unless her luck was exceptionally bad, she couldn't possibly be possessed by another ghost or deity.
But from their perspective, they would naturally fear that slim possibility.
He thought for a moment.
An idea struck him. A sliver of his consciousness descended into the lord Paper Figure in the Mountain Sprite Secret Realm, and he sensed something through it.
Then his real body looked in a certain direction.
"What's that room?"
"Master Gu, that's our study. Xiao Fei performed the rice-divination ritual in there. Mr. Gu, why do you ask? Is something wrong?"
"If there is, we'll move right away."
The Ming Family now seemed extraordinarily sensitive, suspecting something was wrong with everything.
Gu Zhe offered no explanation and walked straight toward the room.
He looked around inside, and his gaze finally settled on a painting.
It depicted people on a spring outing, with countless visitors admiring the flowers and scenery on a small hill in a town, looking utterly at ease.
"This painting is the anchor point for the world those ghosts inhabited. It's also why Xiao Fei happened to sense that ghost."
"What? How is that possible? This painting is only a dozen or so years old. It isn't an antique. Why would there be anything wrong with it? Why would that ghost live on it?"
"Then we'll destroy it right away. Right away!"
Gu Zhe sensed a certain connection.
"That ghost didn't live on this painting. This is merely an anchor point, something like a set of coordinates. Secret Realms exist in the void, but under certain circumstances, they leave anchor points in reality. Once the ghosts grow stronger, or some change in the outside world creates a suitable environment, they might use these anchor points to peer into reality..."
"But at least that ghost couldn't enter reality. That was why it sensed Xiao Fei, and she sensed it in turn, allowing it to seize the chance to possess her and peer into reality."
"Of course, they won't be able to do it in the future, either, because... their souls have already been utterly destroyed!"
"Even destroying the anchor point would only force the Secret Realm to manifest on its own in the future. That might make things a little more troublesome, but it wouldn't do any real damage to the ghosts' world..."
Gu Zhe offered a few explanations, then looked at the others' bewildered faces. They clearly didn't understand, but thought it sounded impressive.
He paused and stopped going into detail.
"In short, all you need to know is that the ghosts are gone, and everything is completely safe now."
With that, Gu Zhe raised the painting in his hand.
He looked at the little girl.
"If Xiao Fei is worried about another unlikely incident like this in the future, I've thought of a method, though I don't know whether it will work."
At Gu Zhe's words, they spoke up.
"Master Gu, what method? As long as it can keep Xiao Fei safe, we'll do whatever you say."
"Master Gu, what do you need? We're willing to sell our car and house."
"Brother, I'll listen to you."
"Mr. Gu, sorry for the trouble. Please tell us."
Gu Zhe handed the rolled-up painting to Ming Xiao Fei.
He watched her accept it apprehensively.
Then he smiled.
"Relax. The evil ghost has been slain, and warriors of my Gu Family are guarding that ghost world. There's no danger anymore."
"And the method I thought of has to do with those warriors."
"Xiao Fei has an extraordinary spiritual sensitivity. She can summon souls, establish contact between yin and yang, and serve as a vessel for certain spiritual beings to possess. Since that's the case, rather than fearing some unlikely danger in the future, rather than constantly being afraid and running away, why not establish contact with a being that means her no harm ahead of time? To a certain extent, she could turn a passive situation into an active one, developing and making use of that ability instead of being helpless as a vessel."
"The principle is somewhat similar to the legendary Shamanic Immortals."
"Xiao Fei, if you're willing, you could try sensing through this anchor point and see whether you can communicate with those warriors and establish some kind of connection. If it works, you can establish a Spiritual Passage in advance. If malicious ghosts elsewhere in the void try to spy on you in the future, you could quickly open that passage and prevent theirs from forming. Even if you're possessed directly, you could open the passage and borrow strength to fight the enemy."
"In a sense, it would also develop your natural advantage."
"Of course, this is only my idea. The final decision is yours. After all... honestly, what happened this time was extremely unlikely. Even if you do nothing, you might still live your whole life in peace. Don't worry too much."
How could they possibly stop worrying?
None of the Ming Family paid any attention to those last words.
Ming Xiao Fei's parents hesitated.
"Sir, if those... those... warriors of yours possess Xiao Fei, will it hurt her?"
Gu Zhe recalled the information he had gathered in the Netherworld and shook his head.
"The harm from ghost possession comes from three sources:
"First, deliberate harm. A ghost with malicious intentions might injure your body or erode your soul."
"Second, unconscious interference. Ghosts and other incorporeal beings have their own consciousness. Once they enter your body, the spread of their active consciousness and thoughts will inevitably interfere with your soul and flesh, even without their intending it. You might develop symptoms like what people call schizophrenia."
"Third, yin and yang are separated. If the possessing entity is a ghost from the Netherworld, its soul has a yin nature. Prolonged fusion will definitely affect a normal person's soul and flesh. It might leave the host physically weak and pale, for instance."
"Yes, generally speaking, those are the three sources of harm from ghost possession."
Ming Xiao Fei's parents listened to Gu Zhe's explanation.
They grew even more hesitant, looking as though they wanted to say something but were too embarrassed to say it outright.
Ming Xuan couldn't hold back anymore. Naturally, she knew what her uncle and aunt were hesitating over.
"Mr. Gu, if there are three kinds of harm, why... why..."
Gu Zhe smiled.
"You're asking why I suggested letting Xiao Fei make contact, right? Isn't that like drinking poison to quench your thirst?"
The members of the Ming Family all nodded.
"I made that suggestion because the beings I'm asking Xiao Fei to contact are different from ordinary ghosts."
"First, regarding malicious intent, those warriors mean absolutely no harm. You can rest assured of that. Of course, if you're still worried, you can take some time to consider it. As I said, what happened to Xiao Fei was a complete fluke. There's no need to worry too much."
"Second, regarding interference with consciousness and thought, those warriors have simple minds, like blank sheets of paper. They won't affect your ability to think for yourself."
"Third, regarding their yin or yang nature... those warriors belong to neither yin nor yang, nor do they possess any other negative properties. They're special beings, so there's no need to worry about rejection between living beings or souls."
Gu Zhe silently added another thought.
Because even I don't know whether they count as living beings. Perhaps they're puppets, perhaps they're a third kind of mysterious creation, or perhaps my Paper Figures stand beyond the Three Realms and outside the Five Elements!
After explaining those three points, he finished.
He paused for a moment.
"Besides, even if you're willing to try, I'm not sure it will succeed!"
Those were Gu Zhe's honest thoughts.
He could sense that most of his uncanny Paper Figures were currently mundane objects, entirely lacking the supernatural traits needed to possess someone and merge with their spirit.
He had only proposed the idea because one of his Paper Figures was now at the Eighth Grade of the Lord Sequence. He wanted to see whether it had broken through its original fundamental limitations.
"That's all I have to say. Decide for yourselves. If you don't need it, you can destroy this painting, keep it, or let me take it away."
Since Gu Zhe could now descend into the Secret Realm at any time, he wasn't worried about losing its coordinates in reality. Even if he needed an anchor point later, the connection between his mental coordinates and his real body meant the Secret Realm wasn't drifting aimlessly through the void. He could use that connection to locate a position and create an anchor point. It would merely take a little more trouble.
If she was willing to try, Gu Zhe could conduct an experiment, and she could gain a measure of protection. It would be a win-win.
Gu Zhe was quite relaxed about it. Viewed rationally, these were all minor matters.
"I'm willing!"
It was Ming Xiao Fei, the little girl, who spoke.
She ignored her parents' hesitation.
"I trust you, Brother!"
When Gu Zhe rescued her, freeing her from the ghost's malicious gaze and the steel cables that bound her, that had changed everything.
Ming Xiao Fei had already come to trust, rely on, and believe in this older brother completely.
It wasn't merely trust. There was also a certain longing in her heart.
Before that ghost died with a wail, she had sensed something.
Through their existing connection, she had faintly sensed the ghost's terror and the vague gathering of some power in the void.
She, too, longed for power.
Having already witnessed the supernatural and the mysterious, and possessing a special trait herself, how could she truly be content to remain an ordinary person?
A middle-aged or elderly person who had come to terms with their lot in life might have been able to accept it calmly.
But she was a girl of twelve or thirteen. At that age, boy or girl, who hadn't dreamed of supernatural mysteries? Who didn't think they were the protagonist of the world? Who didn't yearn to be extraordinary?
Even without Gu Zhe's explanation, she would have tried in the end. She was a girl in the bloom of youth. How could she be content with an ordinary, mediocre life?
After hearing Brother Gu's explanation, her resolve became absolute.
She disregarded her parents' worries and had none of the habitual reservations and suspicions of middle-aged adults.
"I'm willing!"
"Brother, what should I do?"
Gu Zhe watched the little girl's parents waver between worry and anticipation. In the end, they fell silent without voicing any objection.
After what they had experienced, they knew that ghosts really existed in this world! The world seemed to operate by different rules from those they had always believed in!
Could their daughter really do nothing but run away?
They glanced at their niece. They knew how charming Ming Xuan was. Young men were drawn to beautiful women, and Master Gu had come to help for Ming Xuan's sake. He had even paid a "huge" price while charging only ten thousand yuan. Surely their niece's charm had something to do with it, so he probably meant no harm.
After considering it for a while, they remained silent and left the choice to their daughter.
If Gu Zhe had known what they were thinking, he might have stepped forward to explain-or he might not have. She was indeed a beauty, and Young Master Gu wasn't losing anything anyway.
Ever since a certain woman dumped me-ahem, ever since I dumped that manipulative little fake-this young master neither pursues nor refuses, and takes no responsibility...
"Brother, what should I do?"
"All right. Use this anchor point, concentrate, and try to sense them!"
"Perhaps you can do it the way you did last time. Don't put pressure on yourself. Whether it works or not, just take it naturally."
"No, Brother. I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely have to succeed, and I will..."
"Yes, I won't let you down, Brother. I won't let Dad, Mom, and my cousin keep worrying."