"Old Gong, is there something on your mind?" I slightly furrowed my brow, glancing at Old Gong who was hovering above the rim of the night pot.
Old Gong pulled his neck hard, twisted it a couple of times, as if he was stretching his muscles, before saying grumpily, "It's nothing for Old Gong, but there seems to be something for the little lady. You're being heartless, old master."
I: "..."
"During a regular family banquet, you didn't notice that the little lady didn't come?"
"Alas, the fallen flowers have intention, but the flowing water has none."
"Old Gong's dry, patchy face looked particularly touching."
"Thud, thud, thud." The knock came again.
I exhaled slightly, my gaze becoming a bit more stern, implying to Old Gong not to speak further.
Opening the door again, sure enough, it was Mu Ying who had come.
Her cheeks were faintly rosy, and she had a hint of alcohol on her breath.
"Oh...Oh!"
Old Gong's eyeballs bulged out roundly.
"Miss, you can't handle much alcohol, come on! Quick, help her up!"
If it weren't for Old Gong's small stature, I would have suspected that he would immediately go to help Mu Ying.
"Old Gong is still looking like a ghost," Mu Ying said, pointing her finger at Old Gong's head and smiling foolishly.
Old Gong no longer had the sad appearance; for a moment, he was completely dazed.
Not having drunk any alcohol, he seemed as if he were drunk.
I exhaled a breath and told Mu Ying that the white glue had absorbed almost completely.
Mu Ying's expression brightened, and she sobered up considerably.
She hurried into the room, while I placed the jade box on the table in the center of the room.
Then, Mu Ying gestured for me to close the door.
After I did as she asked, she sat down next to the table and opened the bamboo strips that she had previously put down, and began to weave quickly.
Quickly, she woven a hollow sphere.
When the clock's white glue had completely disappeared, leaving only a green jade pendant, she bit her thumbnail, smeared it on the surface of the pendant, and then placed it inside the hollow sphere.
The next second, a faint mist emanated from the jade pendant, within which a hazy face seemed to be visible through the ethereal smoke.
It was definitely Yu Xiu's face!?
However, there were no emotions on the face, more barren than Yu Xiu's own emptiness!
This is a wandering spirit without any consciousness.
This is what happens to ghosts with too much damage to their spirit.
The trace of her spirit within the jade pendant is too weak and completely unconscious. After it was supplemented with clock mountain white glue, she is now even thicker than normal spirits, hence it feels like a wandering spirit.
Mu Ying whispered a single word, and the bloodlight on the jade pendant flashed abruptly, as the smoke contracted rapidly.
Then, Mu Ying's fingers danced, and soon, a delicate bamboo weave took shape.
However, this was not a bamboo woven mouse; it was a bird.
Although Mu Ying's bamboo craft was not limited to just making bamboo-woven mice; when I went to Mu Ying's third floor residence, various bamboo crafts were displayed on her coffee table.
"That's it!" Mu Ying's face lit up with joy, she carefully examined the bamboo craft.
My heart rate also accelerated slightly.
"Is this how we can find Yu Xiu?" I suppressed the stirring in my heart.
"Mm!" Mu Ying nodded seriously.
"Who is it?" My pupils constricted slightly, and I suddenly turned my gaze towards the door.
A figure flashed by in the door crack...
"Someone?" Mu Ying quickly folded up the bamboo craft and turned her alert gaze towards the door.
If she had moved a little slower, she might not have seen the shadow of a person...
I was about to get up.
But Old Gong suddenly coughed loudly, muttering, "Master, you're seeing things. There's no one."
I immediately understood Old Gong's implied meaning.
"Wrongly?" I slightly supported my forehead and muttered to myself.
Mu Ying's tension eased slightly, nodding her head: "It should be a mistake, you can't handle much alcohol either. Have a good rest and sleep again, when the sun rises tomorrow, we will go back to Jindong."
In terms of the pace of doing things, Mu Ying never dragged her feet, and we really should return; we couldn't afford to delay any longer.
She left my room.
I simply washed my face and returned to bed to lie down again.
In a haze of drowsiness, I faintly heard some noise, as if someone was calling out to Old Gong.
Half-asleep, half-awake, I glanced towards the door and saw a dry, withered head moving up and down, leaping towards the direction of the door.
All night, I had no dreams...
The next day, as soon as the sky began to lighten up, I and Mu Ying left the Mu family and headed towards the high-speed railway station, taking the earliest train to Jindong.
Upon arriving at the high-speed railway station, I contacted Tang Quan, knowing his address, I went straight to the Longfeng Daoist Temple.
Tang Quan's place was a small courtyard by the mountain foot, by the water, to the right of the Longfeng Daoist Temple.
Standing in the courtyard, one could look far off and see the road at the foot of the mountain in the city.
Upon seeing Mu Ying, Tang Quan was overjoyed beyond words.
Then, he asked about Mu Qiqi.
Mu Ying seemed relaxed and normal, saying that Mu Qiqi was at home.
She briefly mentioned the current situation in the Mu family.
Tang Quan nodded repeatedly, saying, "That's great! Mr. Mu is wise and virtuous! He will certainly be glad to have made that decision in the future!"
I just smiled, it was not good to say more.
At this moment, Tang Quan became more serious and said, "Young Master, if you don't find me today, I'll have to go find Master Mao Yousan. Someone has come to the Longfeng Daoist Temple."
Instantly, it was not just Tang Quan's expression that became serious; his tone was equally grave.
The previous moment of relaxed atmosphere immediately turned into an extremely stiff one.
My eyelids couldn't help but twitch slightly.
Fortunately, my luck slightly favored me, for I returned just in time, and just in time for someone to arrive at the Longfeng Daoist Temple...
Thinking it through a bit more, I wondered who could come to the Longfeng Daoist Temple?
The only person who could have sent the four guidelines of mountain worshippers from Longfeng Daoist Temple is Han Zhaozi.
Nine out of ten, Sun Zhuo's master, Mingjing Zhenren, would be here too!
"Yu Xiu..." Mu Ying seemed a bit unnatural.
My heart sank slightly.
Indeed... there is indeed a troublesome matter with Yu Xiu here.
That ghost that attacked Yu Xiu, has caused more harm to her than expected.
For a moment, I didn't respond.
Two things are urgent: Yu Xiu needs to be freed, and we must act immediately for Sun Zhuo. We need to get there first and not let the people from Sigu Mountain save Sun Zhuo first.
I can't gamble, I can't take risks!
Tang Quan, although he didn't know what was causing my difficulty, didn't interrupt my thoughts by saying anything.
"I have an idea," Mu Ying said softly, her expression slightly more serious.
I gestured to Mu Ying to go ahead without hesitation.
Mu Ying just started to explain.
We can't afford to waste any time on Sun Zhuo, I'll go find Master Mao Yousan and take direct action, entering the Suohua District Mental Health Center.
She will use her reed technique to find Yu Xiu, who has been decent to her, and she has also gained some understanding of the ghost through me.
The trouble with the ghost is that it lies in causing people to see a terrifying scene.
As long as she can overcome her past, there won't be any trouble.
At that time, she will immediately bring Yu Xiu here to help us.
Mu Ying's plan was well-structured and, without a doubt, the best arrangement.
However, there was a sense of unease and concern in my heart about having Mu Ying venture into danger alone.
Suddenly, I had an idea for a compromise.
"Take Old Gong with you!"
Without hesitation, I untied the night pot and handed it to Mu Ying.
