Huo Sili was at work when he received the message. Learning that Qu Nanzhu was coming to see him, he even asked whether he wanted someone to pick him up.
When Qu Nanzhu declined, he said nothing more and sent over an address, telling him someone would show him the way once he arrived.
Qu Nanzhu glanced at the address he received. It was only six kilometers from his current location, just a little over ten minutes by taxi.
Huo Sili's company occupied an entire building in the city center. Qu Nanzhu knew that in this world, every inch of land in certain places was worth its weight in gold, such as the Huo Group's location.
But remembering Huo Sili's status, which practically made him a son of the Heavenly Dao, he quickly accepted it.
Inside the building, Qu Nanzhu, dressed like a student, drew looks from all sides the moment he entered.
Those looking included the security guards, the receptionists, and a cleaning lady passing by.
Security and reception had been notified in advance that an honored guest would arrive in about sixteen minutes. Assistant Chen would come down to receive him personally, and they were not to stop him.
The visitor's distinguishing features were a canvas bag and a little yellow duck hat.
As Qu Nanzhu reached the center of the lobby, the doors of the CEO's elevator beside him opened, and Chen Xun stepped out.
Seeing a familiar face, Qu Nanzhu asked in mild surprise, "It's you. So you work here?"
Chen Xun gave him a polite smile. "Mr. Qu, yes, it's me. You can call me Chen Xun or Assistant Chen. I'm Mr. Huo's personal assistant for his daily affairs. Mr. Huo asked me to come down to meet you."
There was this connection too?
Qu Nanzhu blinked, looking unusually out of it. Remembering Chen Xun's perfunctory request during their video call that day and his frequent glances offscreen, he suddenly understood something.
The elevator went straight to the thirteenth floor, where the CEO's office and the board of directors were located.
Huo Sili happened to have a meeting to attend, so Chen Xun showed Qu Nanzhu into a reception room as instructed.
He also thoughtfully asked Qu Nanzhu what he would like to drink.
Having been out and about all day, Qu Nanzhu really was quite thirsty, so he asked for a glass of plain water.
After a wait of nearly an hour, Huo Sili finally arrived.
Bored during the wait, Qu Nanzhu had taken out his phone and played a few rounds of a game.
It was a fun way to pass the time that he had discovered recently. Although he had been thoroughly beaten and mercilessly berated when he first started, after several days, he could already use the skills proficiently.
Chen Xun wheeled Huo Sili into the reception room. When Huo Sili saw Qu Nanzhu, he was lounging against the sofa in a somewhat unseemly posture, holding his phone sideways as his fingers tapped nimbly across the screen.
Seeing him come in, Qu Nanzhu sat up a little, switched off his screen, and greeted him.
"Hi, how's your leg recovering?"
"Pretty well. The doctor said the cast can come off in another two weeks."
After their natural, everyday greetings, Huo Sili glanced at the plain water on the table in front of him. Assuming he disliked coffee, he said, "You can tell Chen Xun what you'd like to drink. If we don't have it at the company, he can buy it outside."
Qu Nanzhu explained that he was tired after running around all day and only wanted plain water.
Following up on that, Huo Sili asked, "Were you busy today?"
Qu Nanzhu nodded. "Running all over the place. I only just realized that riding in cars can be tiring too."
Huo Sili smiled along, but inwardly, he thought that he only knew Qu Nanzhu livestreamed every evening. He had not known he had other things to do during the day.
After all, unlike other streamers, he did not need to edit videos to promote himself, did not like interacting with fans to keep them engaged, and did not need to discuss with his operations manager every day how to make his streams more entertaining to attract more fans. By comparison, his daily life should have been fairly relaxed.
But that did not seem to be the case.
Huo Sili felt that he knew far too little about Qu Nanzhu.
Huo Sili asked, "So did you come to see me about the same thing?"
Qu Nanzhu gave him an approving look. "Clever."
As he spoke, he took out the last peace buckle pendant and explained everything again, just as he had the previous five times.
He instinctively felt that Huo Sili would not doubt his words. After all, he had seen it himself that day.
Sure enough, Huo Sili accepted the peace buckle pendant and, without the slightest hesitation, cut his finger and dripped blood into it.
In an instant, a strong wind swept through the reception room, and Huo Sili could hear a shrill burst of giggling.
"Hehehehe, why didn't you tell me sooner that he was such an important person, little Celestial Master? I've changed my mind. Instead of incense offerings, could I have one drop of your blood each month, my lord?"
A dazzlingly beautiful ghostly figure took shape before Huo Sili. Out of sight, his hand quietly tightened.
Just as when they had first "met," the powerful ghost saw through the trace of fear in his heart. This time, however, she did not mock him. Instead, she floated up to him and bowed, her tone playful. "Do not be alarmed, my lord. I, Ling Qiao, have cultivated for a thousand years and have never harmed anyone."
It would not have been true to say he was entirely unafraid. Huo Sili gave Ling Qiao a slight, slow nod, then turned to ask Qu Nanzhu, "Why does she call me 'my lord'?"
After a moment's thought, Qu Nanzhu decided there was nothing to hide and told him honestly, "You possess tremendous fortune and enjoy the Heavenly Dao's protection. Most ghosts and monsters have to treat you with respect and keep their distance. There's nothing wrong with her calling you 'my lord.'"
Having often heard others praise his exceptional gifts and extraordinary talent, Huo Sili had thought he was long accustomed to it. Yet when Qu Nanzhu said such things with a perfectly serious face, he felt his face grow a little warm.
Especially at that "my lord." It was not as though he were some ancient official or local tyrant...
"Mm." Maintaining a show of composure, Huo Sili answered, then asked, "Then should I agree to what she just proposed?"
Qu Nanzhu offered his advice. "I think you can. Powerful ghosts with a thousand years of cultivation like Ling Qiao rely on the spiritual qi of heaven and earth to cultivate. They're willing to accept incense offerings because those help them cultivate a little faster. Blood you offer willingly is far more effective than incense, and one drop a month is within reason."
As he spoke, he glanced at Huo Sili's face. "Although you're blessed with good fortune, you're involved in quite a few interpersonal disputes. You can turn danger into safety when natural disasters strike, but the human heart is unpredictable. If Ling Qiao accepts your offerings, she has to keep you safe. It would be mutually beneficial."
Qu Nanzhu's words inevitably reminded Huo Sili of those restless troublemakers out there, and he understood.
He held out his hand, intending to drip another drop of blood onto the peace buckle pendant, but Qu Nanzhu suddenly lunged over and pinned his hand down.
Looking at their overlapping hands, Huo Sili's pupils abruptly contracted. He instinctively tried to pull back, but Qu Nanzhu held him firmly, his tone unusually urgent. "Don't get carried away, Brother Huo! One offering a month. You already gave this month's just now. Giving too much will stir up Ling Qiao's greed!"
Ling Qiao was a ghost, after all. If she became greedy, Qu Nanzhu would have no choice but to eliminate her.
Huo Sili curled his fingers without speaking. Instead, Ling Qiao, who had been waiting quietly nearby, giggled for a while before saying, "Thank you for granting my wish, my lord. If you need anything, simply call Ling Qiao in your heart. If there is nothing else, Ling Qiao will go play with her sisters."
Having said that, she watched Huo Sili nod, then drifted out of the Huo Group building.