I Am Your Natural Enemy

The most important thing is, in the Scorching Sun Department, when it comes to methods, philosophy, personality, and all that, there really aren’t many people who can match Cai Qidong.

The Guanzhong County Chief, after getting chewed out by Cai Qidong last time, has been pretty wary lately. He mulled it over carefully, and finally figured something out.

Thinking about the fact Cai Qidong didn’t get sent for a ride in the deluxe cremator, that means that, at least for now, the Nanwu County Scorching Sun Department is still headed by Cai Qidong.

And then, consider this: even Mount Zhongnan, one of the Three Mountains and Five Ridges, just got stripped of its independent teaching qualifications.

So, having the first non-human chief in the Scorching Sun Department isn’t something impossible either.

Who knows if Cai Heizi has turned into a ghost now?

Plus, through his own channels, he heard that Cai Heizi’s corpse was taken away by Fuyu Mountain.

Who knows, in a few months, maybe Cai Heizi’ll turn into a zombie.

Wouldn’t be impossible.

Either way, better play it safe—don’t butt in where you don’t belong. Last time, he got used by some higher-up at headquarters he usually got along with, didn’t think it through and just called up Cai Heizi to yell at him.

In the end, it was Cai Heizi—the guy who was always at odds with him—who ended up warning him instead.

He’s taking things a lot more seriously these days. With what he knows of the Scorching Sun Department, this storm has only just begun.

Apart from those already caught right now, he just needs to watch for whoever gets transferred next to piece things together.

Just as he’s mulling all this over, his phone rings again.

At first, he wanted to just let it ring, but then he saw—it wasn’t a Guanzhong County number. Someone from Tianfu County got his private number...

He picks up, hears the voice on the other side, and immediately says—

”Oh, Daoist Master Qing Xuzi.

Thing is, it’s a pretty sensitive time right now. Master Qing Xuzi, you can just reach out to Lord Zhu directly.”

”Alright then, I’ll call you back, Master.”

A dozen minutes later, over on the other end, Qing Xuzi called up Lord Zhu, wanting to borrow someone and ask for some help. Once he made his intentions clear, Lord Zhu agreed without hesitation.

A half hour later, Qing Xuzi’s Yin Spirit left the body. He took a bunch of ghosts and several disciples who could also project their Yin Spirits, and followed Feng Wei, walking the Underworld Road.

If it had been anything else, Lord Zhu wouldn’t have sent Feng Wei.

But Qing Xuzi said he was doing this to teach his disciples and the Qingcheng ghosts—a cold, bone-piercing lesson, so they don’t get cocky and end up causing big trouble.

So Lord Zhu agreed readily.

As they walked inside the Nether Path, Qing Xuzi glanced at his disciples and those ghosts. None of them seemed to take it seriously, nor did they seem to think it was dangerous—not at all. It made him doubly sure that risking this trip to the Nether Path was absolutely necessary.

Feng Wei led the way up front, but they weren’t going to the Big Intersection.

But when you’re taking a shortcut through the Underworld, passing by the Big Intersection is almost guaranteed. There’s no need to set the destination as the Big Intersection on purpose.

Once they spotted lights in the distance ahead, Feng Wei gave a solemn warning.

”We’re about to pass the Big Intersection. I’d recommend you don’t step into it—best to be careful.”

After that, Feng Wei said nothing more.

As they moved ahead, Feng Wei saw that on both sides of the intersection, besides a wooden statue, there was now a stone sculpture too—and he couldn’t help shivering a little.

When you’re a ghost, no one senses the pressure from their own kind better than you.

That stone sculpture—no doubt about it—it’s a ghost, and of an incredibly high grade.

Two statue-lanterns emitted an eerie green light, casting over the surface of the Big Intersection.

Surrounding that, one after another, rows of warm-colored lamps softly lit the roadside, radiating a gentle warmth. The warm glow pinned that ghostly green light down to the intersection, not letting it seep out onto the Underworld Road.

Feng Wei kept his head down, not daring to look too long, and continued walking ahead.

Behind him, Qing Xuzi spotted those two statues—his expression shifted ever so slightly, and he almost instinctively made a seal technique for protection.

Behind him, all the ghosts and disciples fell totally silent, each one quieter than the last.

”A… a ghost… god…”

One ghost trembled and muttered, his legs giving way as he dropped straight to the ground.

”No talking. Don’t look back. Move! If you fall behind and get lost, you’re on your own.” Qing Xuzi snapped in a low voice, picking up his pace.

The disciples from Qingcheng all kept their heads down and hurried to catch up. The ghosts—each looked like they’d been scared skinny.

Since they were ghosts themselves, getting close to that statue, they could all faintly sense the thing was wailing in agony.

The flame burning in the lamp’s wick was the ghost’s own nether soul, burning away.

A ghost who had ascended to ghost god, forcibly sealed into a statue lamp, standing forever by the Underworld Road.

This left those ghosts with massive psychological trauma—a shadow they’d never be able to erase.

The effect of that cold shower would probably last until the day they dissipated for good.

One after another, nobody made a sound. They shuffled past the Big Intersection, scared stiff, and, following Feng Wei, made their way back to Tianfu County.

Back in Qingcheng, nobody spoke a word. All those ghosts who used to laugh and act as if they ran the show—now, every one of their eyes was crystal clear.

Qing Xuzi’s Yin Spirit returned to his body. He walked out the door and looked at the group—all quiet as quails, their eyes unclouded by resentment, their auras more serene than ever.

Qing Xuzi nodded in satisfaction.

”No need to say any more—just figure it out for yourselves. After all, the principle’s obvious to everyone.

With how fast things are changing, for Qingcheng to survive—for it not to get left behind by the times—