Chapter 28

Fortunately, Nie Chen quickly turned his gaze away.

Ke Yuanbai also shook his head, dismissing that inexplicable thought from his mind. He regained his composure and, with Zhu Chu, took their leave.

The break room was soon left with only Nie Chen, Ji Yi, and Assistant Liu.

Assistant Liu was still immersed in the shock of "there are really ghosts in this world" and "my boss actually helps masters catch ghosts." He couldn’t snap out of it for a while, until Nie Chen’s cold gaze swept over him.

Nie Chen instructed, "Go and bring the Wang family here."

Assistant Liu instantly snapped out of it. He quickly wiped away any inappropriate expressions, nodded silently, and exited the break room.

Once the person left, Ji Yi’s smile faded.

He had a charming appearance that, even without smiling, gave off a faint smile. He was the favorite of the ladies. Now that his expression turned cold, an aura of authority that matched Nie Chen’s filled the room, making it hard for people to look directly at his captivating fox-like eyes.

He slowly walked to the side of the sofa, looking down at the man, a cold glint flashing in his fox eyes.

"From now on, you will answer everything I ask. Understood?"

The man, with his sly eyes, looked around. Just as he was about to speak, Ji Yi sneered, "You better think carefully before you speak. Do you know who these two standing in front of you are?"

The man shuddered, glancing at Ji Yi and Nie Chen.

The two who left earlier were nothing special—besides being good-looking, they didn’t seem remarkable. But the man who had just grabbed him, and the one standing in front of him, their attire alone showed they were extraordinary. Not to mention the aura they both carried.

Anyone who could enter this place was either rich or noble, and the two he had offended were obviously among the top tier.

These kinds of people, he couldn’t even think about offending, let alone stare at them for too long on a regular day.

He deflated, honestly nodding, "Understood."

Ji Yi finally smiled again, but there was no warmth in his voice, "Say it again. How did you meet the person who hired you? How did he find you and ask you to do this? And did he hire you just to do this one thing? After the task is done, how much benefit will he give you?"

The man repeated everything he had said before, without any discrepancies, even adding some details he had previously omitted: "I really don’t know him well! But, once when he went to the bathroom, I secretly looked at his ID card on the table. His full name is Xiao Ye, which is different from the name written on the gift card his girlfriend gave him. The Xiao written by his girlfriend refers to the zodiac."

Upon hearing this, Ji Yi raised an eyebrow.

He clenched his teeth secretly, almost certain that the employer the man spoke of was the thug boyfriend of that idiot Wang San.

But just to be sure, he asked another question, "Is your friend’s rich second-generation girlfriend the one who not only spends money on him every day, but also had an abortion for him, ran away from home, and even took care of his mistress who was carrying his child?"

The man was shocked and blurted out instinctively, "How do you know?"Ji Yi sneered.

Of course, he knew.

For men like this who had achieved nothing, tricking a woman into falling completely for them was enough for them to show off to everyone for a lifetime. Moreover, this woman just happened to be good-looking, had a bit of money, and came from a well-off family.

Faced with a stranger who was obviously similar to himself, Wang San’s thug boyfriend couldn’t even keep his real identity hidden, let alone Wang San’s privacy.

To him, Wang San was just an accessory used to show off his charm. Naturally, the more people knew about the stupid things Wang San did for him, the more his face would shine.

If he had only suspected before, now he was 100% sure.

"It's that idiot Wang San’s thug boyfriend!" He ground his teeth, his previously friendly expression fading, and suddenly kicked the man.

The man didn’t expect his sudden change of attitude and didn’t react in time. He was kicked in the chest with a loud "ah" as he collided with the corner of the desk, hitting it hard.

The pain was so intense it brought tears to his eyes, but he didn’t dare waste any time. He scrambled to get up, begging, "Boss, spare me, please! I’ve told you everything I know, no hiding! Please don’t kill me, I’ve never had a girlfriend... woo woo woo..."

"...” Ji Yi looked at him speechlessly and waved his hand to Assistant Liu. “Take him away.”

Assistant Liu restrained the man’s arms and lifted him from the ground, but didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he looked at Nie Chen.

Nie Chen nodded slightly, paused, and then said, “Hand him over to the police.”

Ji Yi’s gaze shifted slightly, but he didn’t say anything.

When Assistant Liu returned and took the man away, Ji Yi finally spoke with confusion, "You’re calling the police? With such a big scandal, don’t you fear the Wang family coming after you?"

“Follow the law,” Nie Chen glanced at him and then turned his gaze away, pouring himself a glass of red wine and drinking it in large gulps.

Ji Yi didn’t mind; after all, it wasn’t his face that was being lost.

He plopped down beside Nie Chen, grabbed the wine, and took a couple of gulps, but then his forehead injury hurt, causing him to wince.

He raised his hand and touched the blood, and his anger flared. He muttered fiercely, "I underestimated that thug before, didn’t realize he had this kind of means! No wonder Wang San is so infatuated with him, acting like she’s lost her mind."

—Wang San, that damn love-struck fool!

Ji Yi’s anger grew, and he nearly wanted to hit someone.

Wang San had been sleeping with that scumbag for so long, even having several abortions for him, and she didn’t even know his real name!

Now Ji Yi understood how the rumors about rich second-generation idiots with too much money and no brains spread!

That was bad enough, but Wang San’s problems had nothing to do with him, yet why should he suffer because of the mess she caused?

Ji Yi was seething, and when he saw Nie Chen still silent, he asked again, "How do you plan to explain this to the Wang family? I’m telling you, I won’t let this go easily. How long has it been since I was chased by ghosts? Now I’m being dragged into all this because of Wang San—so many ghosts, I was scared to death!"

Nie Chen finally came back to his senses and glanced at him, returning to his usual indifferent demeanor. "Do as you like."

"When did you become so mellow... Hey, where are you going?" He called out to Nie Chen, who was walking out. "The Wang family hasn’t even come over yet. Besides, the banquet isn’t over, you’re just leaving like this? Aren’t you worried about Old Master asking?"

Nie Chen didn’t answer his question. It wasn’t until he was almost out the door that he paused, as if suddenly recalling something, and slightly turned his body. "Didn’t you ask me where the protective amulet came from?"

Ji Yi paused, looking at him suspiciously from head to toe. "Didn’t you say only you could buy it?"He had a special constitution, and since he was young, he was easily prone to attracting evil spirits and ghosts. To have lived this long, it was all thanks to the deep ancestral merit.

But no matter how thick the merit, it couldn’t protect him completely from the invasion of evil energy. Originally, a master had read his fortune and predicted that he wouldn’t live past 20. His family had given up on cultivating him, treating him as a daughter to dote on instead.

But now, he was already 23.

These past three years of life had been entirely thanks to Nie Chen—or rather, that old protective amulet Nie Chen had.

That thing was more effective than the talisman the old Taoist priest had given him back then. It had protected him for three years without worry. Not only could evil spirits not get close, but even the shadows of ordinary ghosts couldn’t be seen.

That’s why he kept chasing after Nie Chen.

The fact that they became friends was largely due to this. Otherwise, with Nie Chen’s cold temperament, even a Samoyed would turn into a Samo-sigh. Let alone a passionate, emotional person like him.

However, he had asked Nie Chen several times about the source of the protective amulet. Nie Chen only said that he had gotten it by chance and that only he could buy such an amulet. He refused to clearly tell him who made it.

Now that he brought it up, Ji Yi felt something was off.

Sure enough, Nie Chen nodded and gave a teasing smile: “You should know who the person in the phone earlier was. Only he can make that amulet, and he hates awkwardness the most. He also hates being called a ‘fraud,’ and you…”

Nie Chen left it at that, scanning Ji Yi from head to toe and shaking his head as he walked out.

He seemed to be relishing in the situation.

Looking at his calm back, Ji Yi’s mind quickly completed the rest of the sentence—

Nie Chen had subtly hinted at Ke Xingzhou earlier, mentioning their complicated relationship, and had often called him "little fraud."

Nie Chen, that protective maniac, would definitely report Ke Xingzhou and mess with him whenever he had the chance.

Ji Yi: "…"

My life is over!

Because of Nie Chen’s words, Ji Yi’s mood plummeted. So even when Mr. Wang specifically brought Mrs. Wang and Wang San to find him, he, who usually enjoyed dealing with wives and young ladies, didn’t even show a polite face.

Mr. Wang didn’t notice his unusually cold expression and, upon entering, asked somewhat confused, "Mr. Nie isn’t here?"

There was a hint of disappointment in his voice.

He thought Mr. Nie had called them over because he was interested in his youngest daughter and intended to arrange a marriage with their family!

Although the Wang family wasn’t as influential as the Nie family, since Old Master Nie had sent Nie Chen, it meant there was at least some possibility.

Now, it seemed he had overthought it.

Or maybe, Mr. Nie had already heard some rumors?

Thinking this, Mr. Wang couldn’t help but glare at his useless youngest daughter in frustration.

Why couldn’t she learn something else and not be so love-brained!Wang San was startled by his glare and immediately shrank behind her mother, her expression lethargic and absent-minded.

Mr. Wang became increasingly angry seeing her like this. Considering Ji Yi was present, he had to suppress his anger and forced a smile as he moved closer to Ji Yi to curry favor: "Mr. Ji, speaking of which, you and my youngest daughter have known each other since childhood. My daughter has always told me how much she admires you, but being a shy young girl, she never had the courage to pursue you. You see…"

"…"

Ji Yi, usually good-tempered and always greeting people with a smile, hadn't been this speechless in a long time.

He raised his hand to interrupt Mr. Wang’s pitch, the last trace of a smile disappearing from his lips. He pointed at the assistant behind them and the small thug in his hand: "Mr. Wang, is your eyesight not very good?"

Mr. Wang froze for a moment, looking back at the man his assistant was holding, confused: "Mr. Ji... what do you mean by this?"

He had assumed this man was something Ji Yi brought to handle some business, pretending not to notice. But now it seemed that wasn't the case?

Ji Yi’s expression darkened, and he couldn’t be bothered to keep him guessing. He slammed his glass onto the table and coldly said, "This man was brought here by your youngest daughter’s deep-affection boyfriend—hiring someone to kill. Your son-in-law is quite capable, bringing over twenty people to propose marriage, and we only managed to catch this one."

The haunting matter naturally couldn’t be shared publicly, but Ji Yi wasn’t someone to suffer in silence. A simple change in wording could still make the thug named Xiao Ye swallow the crime.

Mr. Wang naturally denied it: "This... is there some misunderstanding? My youngest daughter has always been well-behaved since childhood, she hasn’t even held a man's hand, how could she have a boyfriend?"

"She hasn't even held a hand?" Ji Yi chuckled. Then who was the one who borrowed money from him for an abortion?

He glanced at Wang San, who was already pale, and although the mocking words swirled in his mouth, he chose not to speak them.

He shifted the topic: "Not done by your son-in-law? But I and Old Nie were indeed attacked today, and right here in this room. If it wasn’t him, then… was it you?"

When he spoke the last sentence, Ji Yi’s gaze fell on Mr. Wang, carrying a subtle pressure.

Mr. Wang broke into a cold sweat on his forehead. "No, no, of course not! I just thought someone might be impersonating the Wang family’s name to frame us!"

He couldn’t afford a charge like attacking the heirs of two top-tier families!

Seeing that Ji Yi’s expression didn’t change and he was still staring coldly at him, Mr. Wang gritted his teeth and said, "But this incident did occur in my humble home. To express my apologies, if Mr. Ji and Mr. Nie have any requests, feel free to ask. I will try my best to fulfill them."

This was better.

Ji Yi gave him a sidelong glance, leaned forward, and tapped the note on the table with his fingertip: "The card number is here. The price of my and Old Nie’s lives, it’s up to Mr. Wang to decide."

Mr. Wang’s face turned pale, but he didn’t dare haggle. After a moment’s thought, he reluctantly called his financial manager and had them transfer money to Ji Yi’s card.

Ji Yi glanced at the balance and was somewhat satisfied.

He then didn’t press the matter further and had his assistant hand the thug over to the police before leaving the banquet early.

Before leaving, he handed the card to his assistant.

"Go tomorrow, make a withdrawal appointment, take out the entire balance, and send it to Old Nie’s ex-girlfriend."

It wasn’t until he stepped out of the VIP lounge door that Ke Yuanbai felt the heavy, oppressive feeling on his body disappear, and he couldn’t help but let out a long sigh.

Zhu Chu looked at him oddly: "Second Young Master, are you not feeling well?"

Ke Yuanbai shook his head, glancing back at the closed VIP room door.The door still had the footprints left by Nie Chen when he kicked the door in earlier. The force was so strong that it even left a noticeable dent in the solid wooden door panel.

Nie Chen's oppressive eyes once again appeared in his mind, and Ke Yuanbai immediately felt a sense of defeat rise within him.

He thought he had already tried his best, but whether it was the previous incident where someone had slandered him, or Ke Xingzhou, or the current banquet, it made him realize more clearly than ever the saying "there are mountains beyond mountains, and people beyond people."

It seems that sometimes a person's perspective really limits their growth. Now, he suddenly felt that he had been too shortsighted before.

At that moment, Ke Zhengye was downstairs chatting with someone. When he looked up, he saw his second son, whom he had just acknowledged, had actually gone up to the second floor and was standing in front of the biggest VIP lounge. His face instantly darkened.

He barely kept his composure, said goodbye to the business partner across from him, and immediately hurried up to the nearest staircase.

Blocked by the bodyguards in black, he couldn’t go upstairs. He had to lower his voice and roar at Ke Yuanbai, "What are you doing up there! The second floor is for VIPs. Is someone like you even allowed up there? What a disgrace! Come down now!"

Ke Yuanbai was still immersed in the huge gap he felt, reflecting on his previous actions. Suddenly hearing such an impolite scolding, he looked down at the sound, and his expression darkened.

Ke Zhengye was already unhappy with this son for talking back when he had just returned home. Now seeing that he had done something wrong but still had such a cold demeanor, his anger flared even more. "Ke Yuanbai! Do you have any decency? Get down here!"

Ke Yuanbai couldn’t help but frown.

He had just acknowledged the Ke family, and he had never seen this unreasonable side of Ke Zhengye. The only time he saw him angry was just a few hours ago when he first returned to the Ke family.

At that time, he thought Ke Zhengye was furious because of the online slander against Ke Xingzhou. He didn’t defend Ke Xingzhou and just thought, since they were family, Ke Zhengye’s anger would pass once he calmed down.

But now, looking back, what parent who truly loves their children would blame them without question upon seeing obviously fabricated slander?

Even though Ke Xingzhou wasn’t there at the time.

Growing up in an orphanage, the role of "parents" had always been sacred and revered in Ke Yuanbai’s mind. He was more excited than reluctant about being acknowledged by the Ke family; he just didn’t know how to face them.

But now, at this moment, seeing Ke Zhengye’s face turning red with anger and the eyes of the people around him looking over, the image of "father" gradually crumbled in Ke Yuanbai’s mind...

Ke Zhengye could only see that Ke Yuanbai was looking at him in a way that didn’t seem like a son looking at a father, and his anger grew even more intense.

Since the last time he was angered by Ke Xingzhou at the old house in the countryside, his status in the family had become increasingly insignificant.

Now even his recently acknowledged second son dared to ignore his words!

He could hardly control his voice and publicly scolded Ke Yuanbai, "What are you still standing there for! If you want to meet people, why not go with your brother and me? Why did you go running around by yourself? What if you offend a VIP? Get back here right now!"

The people around had already noticed the commotion, and upon hearing this, they all looked up at Ke Yuanbai, their gazes filled with undisguised scrutiny and disdain.

In such a setting, even the most shameless outsiders only dared to hover around the first floor.

And yet, this was the child from a respectable family, and he didn’t even understand such basic manners. It was truly embarrassing for the family.

Recently, there had been a lot of entertainment news about the Ke family. Some people recognized Ke Yuanbai, and their expressions of disdain grew even stronger. They even started whispering to each other.

Even though he couldn’t hear their words, just by looking at how they were whispering, Ke Yuanbai could guess what they were saying.

It was nothing but things like, "Coming from an orphanage, no wonder he has no manners."

— He had already heard it countless times before.At this moment, the second-floor corridor seemed to have turned into a massive tribunal, and he was like a beast stripped of all dignity, subjected to others' judgment without mercy.

Ke Yuanbai’s face turned pale, and many familiar scenes flashed through his mind.

He had never imagined such humiliation, especially from his biological father.

This scene felt even more hopeless than when he had been surrounded by ghosts earlier. He only heard a roaring sound in his ears, with his blood rushing towards his head, almost unable to suppress the raging anger inside him.

At this moment, a sudden chuckle came from his phone.

Ke Xingzhou’s voice was calm: "Still not leaving? Waiting for him to curse you more?"

His voice was very light, but to Ke Yuanbai, it sounded like a thunderclap, instantly pulling him back from the illusory memories.

Realizing what Ke Xingzhou was laughing about, his head exploded with a loud bang, and his face turned red with shame.

— Just a day ago, when he caught Ke Xingzhou accepting money from An Heguang, he had similarly reprimanded him without thinking.

He hadn’t given Ke Xingzhou a chance to explain, stubbornly believing that Ke Xingzhou was just scamming money.

Even though just that morning, he had experienced a supernatural event.

And when he had first gone to find Ke Xingzhou, he had been seeking answers to his own doubts.

Ke Xingzhou’s words, "You and your parents are simply cut from the same mold," once again echoed in his ears, and only now did he realize where that feeling of humiliation came from—

Back then, he was just like Ke Zhengye is now, with no difference at all.

Ke Yuanbai’s expression slowly turned cold, and he stopped looking at Ke Zhengye. Instead, he faced the people downstairs seriously and said, "I was invited to come up, not intruding."

Ke Zhengye, who had been completely ignored, was about to lose his temper. If Ke Yuanbai hadn’t been upstairs, and if the bodyguard hadn’t been blocking him for some unknown reason, he probably would have already rushed up to hit someone.

A newly recognized second son like him, how could he have the face to be invited to the second-floor VIP room?

Ke Zhengye didn’t even have this privilege!

More and more people began to look over, and even Mrs. Ke, who had been chatting with friends, came over to ask what was going on.

Ke Zhengye didn’t think for a second that this was his fault, and instead glared at Ke Yuanbai, "Nonsense! You unworthy child! Aren’t you ashamed enough? Get down here now!"

"......"

Ke Yuanbai’s face was livid, and he didn’t listen at all.

He didn’t expect that even after explaining, Ke Zhengye would still slander him.

This made him feel even more foolish for his past actions—he had once thought that Ke Xingzhou was the odd one out in this family, even reprimanding him for the so-called honor of the Ke family.

Ke Xingzhou was still in his phone, but Ke Yuanbai didn’t dare to look at his expression.

His gaze wandered aimlessly in front of him, and he lost the courage to explain himself. He barely managed to say, "I’m a bit tired, I’ll go back now," and left the banquet hall from the other side.

"Hey? Wait... Young Master? Sir..."

Zhu Chu spun around a few times, looking from one side to the other, and finally jogged after Ke Yuanbai.Ke Zhengye looked at their departing figures in disbelief, his eyes nearly popping out in anger.

He grabbed Mrs. Ke and, with trembling fingers, pointed at them: "Did you see that? He actually ignored me! How long has he been in this family? I’m his father!!"

Mrs. Ke, under the strange gazes of those around her, wanted to find a hole to hide in.

But alas, she had made such a poor choice in a man back then, and now, no matter how embarrassing it was, there was nothing she could do but brace herself and support him: "Calm down, calm down. Maybe there’s some misunderstanding..."

Ke Yuanbai and Zhu Chu walked out of the banquet hall, both in a daze.

But while Ke Yuanbai looked pale, lost in thought and shame, Zhu Chu was filled with curiosity and excitement.

As they walked, he kept sneaking glances at Ke Xingzhou on the screen.

It had to be said, Ke Xingzhou was really good-looking.

When he had been wearing that tattered robe earlier, Zhu Chu didn’t feel it so strongly. But after Ke Xingzhou changed out of the robe and into the clothes provided by the production team, his facial features were immediately more prominent.

It was the first time he saw the phrase "beautiful features" truly embodied in a person.

Ke Xingzhou’s eyebrows were thick, just like his eyes, both pure black. His eyelashes were thick and long, and every time he looked down, a faint gray shadow would fall on his lower eyelids.

The presence of his eyes was so strong that anyone who saw him would involuntarily meet his gaze.

And then, they’d be captivated by that look, as if it could see through all the falsehoods in the world.

Compared to that, his flawless fair skin, perfect crimson lips, and superior bone structure only became noticeable on the second glance.

Zhu Chu couldn’t help but marvel. Even though he worked as an assistant in the entertainment industry and had seen many top-tier celebrities, he was still amazed by Ke Xingzhou every time.

Not to mention, Ke Xingzhou also had mystical abilities.

He remembered the last time when Ke Xingzhou had told the security guard at the base, "Great disaster is approaching." Zhu Chu still found it incredibly mysterious and was itching to know how Ke Xingzhou had figured it out.

He himself had a pair of eyes that could foresee things—when he gave Ke Xingzhou the down jacket and two hundred yuan, he just felt that Ke Xingzhou’s luck was worse than that of a beggar on the street, and couldn't bear to let him go without help.

But he could only vaguely sense who was about to have bad luck and who would have good fortune, judging the extent of misfortune or luck based on his previous experiences, not being able to predict specific events.

How had Ke Xingzhou done it?

And there was that time when Ke Xingzhou gave him the talisman. He still kept it, and later, he heard from others that this small piece of paper cost a thousand yuan.

Following Ke Yuanbai step by step, Zhu Chu’s attention was entirely on Ke Xingzhou.

Seeing that they were about to get into the car to go home, he couldn’t hold back anymore and finally spoke up: "Um... Former Second Young Master, do you really know fortune-telling?"

Ke Yuanbai paused in his steps and then realized that Zhu Chu was talking about Ke Xingzhou.

He looked down, and Ke Xingzhou, still on the call, raised his eyes and glanced over.

For some reason, even though the video call was using the rear camera, at that moment, Ke Xingzhou’s gaze inexplicably met Zhu Chu’s.A golden light seemed to flash through those deep black eyes, making Ke Xingzhou appear sacred and inviolable. His gaze was so sharp that Zhu Chu didn’t dare to meet it directly—it was like a brand-new scalpel, ready to slice open his flesh at any moment.

Zhu Chu swallowed nervously, instinctively a bit afraid. Just as he was about to change the subject, he saw Ke Xingzhou's expression soften.

He asked, “Interested?”

Zhu Chu nodded, then shook his head, looking a little embarrassed. “If it’s inconvenient, just forget it. I’ve just never seen the real thing before. I’m curious how you all learn it. Is it like in novels, where you suddenly bind with a system, or do you formally take a master and learn it properly?”

Hearing the question, Ke Yuanbai also snapped out of his own thoughts, quietly glanced at Ke Xingzhou, and perked up his ears to listen in.

Ke Xingzhou straightened up slightly, and his usually lazy expression became more serious—a rare sight that made both people on the screen tense up, their hearts pounding in anticipation.

Then Ke Xingzhou slowly spoke: “—I got in through the National College Entrance Exam, the gaokao. I was admitted to the Capital Taoist University (undergraduate).”

Ke Yuanbai: “……”

Zhu Chu: “……”

Both of them looked stunned.

Zhu Chu nearly lost his sense of admiration.

“R-Really?” He laughed awkwardly. “So all your skills were learned at that… Taoist university?”

“Not exactly.” Ke Xingzhou paused, his tone slightly nostalgic. “What the Taoist academy teaches is pretty basic. Each Taoist temple has its own lineage. The deeper knowledge requires formally entering the sect to study.”

“Which temple are you from?” Zhu Chu saw that he didn’t mind talking about it, so he brightened up and casually continued chatting. “I don’t mean anything by it—just that if I ever pass by, I’ll know it’s a real place. I can go in and burn some incense or something.”

Unexpectedly, that question made Ke Xingzhou go quiet. After a moment, he said, “Our temple was… developed.”

Zhu Chu blinked: “Developed?”

“It was turned into a tourist check-in spot,” Ke Xingzhou replied quietly.

His master was a restless one, always fond of wandering the world. Only during the time he was teaching Ke Xingzhou did he settle down and stay at the temple for a few years.

Once Ke Xingzhou completed his training, the old man couldn’t sit still anymore. Practically on the same day Ke Xingzhou graduated, he packed his things and left.

Originally, Ke Xingzhou was supposed to go with him, but because he lacked merit, he couldn’t enter places with too many people. So, he returned to the Ke family’s old house instead. A few months later, the old man suddenly sent him a photo of a lively and prosperous Taoist temple, along with a piece of earth-shattering news:

[Disciple, it seems our temple has a new owner.]

Upon asking, he learned that the local tourism bureau was developing tourist spots and discovered their rundown temple. Mistaking it for a historical site, they restored it and turned it into a tourist attraction.

Even more absurdly, his unreliable master cheerfully accepted the change, leaving a note saying: [Since the temple’s gone, I’ll continue wandering the world. Don’t miss me!] and vanished completely.

Ke Xingzhou still found it speechless to recall, and stayed quiet for a long time.

Seeing him suddenly go silent and looking a bit down, Zhu Chu grew uneasy, worried he had touched on a sore spot.

He quickly laughed it off: “But since you’re so skilled, your master must be even more amazing. I believe in you guys. You’ll definitely revive the sect. As for the temple, you’ll get the followers to build a bigger and better one!”

He was just trying to be polite, but to his surprise, Ke Xingzhou looked at him seriously and actually nodded."You're right."

Zhu Chu was stunned.

Before he could react, Ke Xingzhou said, "Our sect is called the Xiaoyao Sect. The sect leader is a little old man who looks about seventy. If you meet him in the future, you can call him Grandmaster."

Might as well remind him that he still has a disciple in this world—no matter how wildly he plays around, he should at least remember to check in once in a while.

"Oh, okay." Zhu Chu nodded instinctively, then suddenly realized something and jerked his head up!

He was dumbfounded, pointing at himself and stammering, "Me? Wait, uh... does that mean what I think it means? I didn’t even pass the first-tier university entrance score—can I still join the sect??"

Ke Xingzhou nodded: "Starting today, you are the third-generation senior disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect."

Zhu Chu: "!!!"

He was overwhelmed with joy, nearly jumping up—he had indeed asked those questions hoping to find a way to learn something useful, but he never expected things to go so smoothly! Ke Xingzhou had actually accepted him directly into his own sect!

But after just a moment, that excitement faded.

Because Ke Xingzhou had put on a kindly smile and earnestly said to him, "The task of reviving the sect is now yours."

Zhu Chu: "……???"

Wait, hold on.

He belatedly realized something was off.

So the whole sect only has three people total, and the other two are basically slackers?!

"Wait, um... I think maybe this—"

Zhu Chu tried to argue a bit for adjusting the sect’s direction for the future, but Ke Xingzhou had already looked away, turning to Ke Yuanbai.

Ke Yuanbai met his gaze, stunned for a second. Thinking back on the conversation between Zhu Chu and Ke Xingzhou, his heart inexplicably sped up—the disappointment from the collapse of his fatherly image softened a little.

He looked at Ke Xingzhou, his gaze shifting slightly, and opened his mouth: "Ke Xingzhou, I—"

Ke Xingzhou held up three fingers to him: "Three life-saving debts. I've tallied them all for you."

Ke Yuanbai: "......"

The light in his eyes dimmed instantly.

Ke Yuanbai fell silent for a moment, then gathered his courage and tried again: "No, I meant to say—"

"The bill should be ready in a couple of days. I’ll have my disciple bring it to you." Ke Xingzhou didn’t give him the chance to finish. He quickly said this and then hung up the video call.

Ke Yuanbai: "......"

Another stretch of silence.

Ke Yuanbai stared at the phone screen for a long time, until it turned off by itself. His eyes dimmed completely.A moment later, he let out a self-deprecating laugh, tossed the phone to Zhu Chu, and walked out in a daze.

Zhu Chu quickly called after him, “Young Master!”

Ke Yuanbai paused his steps but didn’t turn around. His tone was strained and suppressed: “I’m fine. You go back on your own. I just feel a bit stifled and want to walk alone.”

He should’ve accepted reality long ago, Ke Yuanbai thought.

After the way he had treated Ke Xingzhou before, the fact that Ke Xingzhou didn’t retaliate—and even stepped in to save him multiple times—was already more than generous. How could he still hope that Ke Xingzhou would set aside old grudges, accept him, and treat him as one of his own?

Still, even so, right now he didn’t want to see Zhu Chu.

He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from feeling jealous of Zhu Chu—someone who not only had a normal family and childhood and grew up smoothly, but who even got accepted as Ke Xingzhou’s disciple, with nothing asked in return.

Ke Yuanbai had always known he wasn’t a lucky person, but everything that happened today made that truth painfully clear and inescapable.

He really needed some time alone.

Ke Yuanbai lifted his foot and continued walking out, but was stopped again by Zhu Chu.

“Wait—” Zhu Chu seemed genuinely worried about him. He took a few quick steps to catch up and held something out toward him. “Young Master, you forgot! This is your phone!”

Ke Yuanbai: "…………"