Earlier, Yang Xiao had chased the shadowy figure all the way into the desert. Both of them specialized in ghost-manipulating techniques, which were weakened under direct sunlight. Even so, the shadow was no match for Yang Xiao. Just as he was nearly exhausted and about to be caught, he suddenly turned and fought back with a desperate fury.
Yang Xiao had already become cautious, and since the shadow had been wounded earlier—though not fatally—his movement was somewhat restricted. But during the fight, Yang Xiao noticed that the shadow's techniques grew increasingly familiar, until he was clearly using the methods of none other than Tao Heru, the other Grandmaster of the Ghost Path Sect. Yang Xiao had long since mastered Tao Heru's techniques, so the shadow's attacks were completely ineffective. Still, puzzled, Yang Xiao held back during his counterattack.
What he hadn't expected was that, at the very end, the shadow altered Tao Heru's spell in a subtle but crucial way, catching Yang Xiao off guard. In the confusion, Yang Xiao stepped right into a trap—a pre-arranged array that had been lying in wait.
Only then did Yang Xiao realize the truth: the shadow had been baiting him all along, using Tao Heru's techniques as a distraction to lure him into this soul-eroding formation. Although Yang Xiao reacted quickly and managed to extract himself before becoming completely ensnared, his lower body had already been severely corroded by the Soul-Eroding Technique. Fortunately, the shadow had also been wounded by several of Yang Xiao's blood-infused copper nails and was bleeding profusely. Needing to preserve his own life, he fled while Yang Xiao was still suffering the effects of the array, escaping beyond Yang Xiao's reach.
Under the oppressive sunlight of the desert, Yang Xiao's powers were limited. He could only watch helplessly as the shadow got away. Enduring the excruciating pain of the Soul-Eroding Technique, he eventually returned to the church. It was only because Li Jianghe sensed Yang Xiao's presence that the spirit fled in a hurry. Given the circumstances, Yang Xiao wasn't in the mood to engage with the ghost further. After dismantling the protective array at the door, he entered the church. Although he made purging the curse look effortless, he had been teetering on the brink of collapse—fortunately, he managed to survive.
At this point, any pursuit of the shadowy figure was futile. But Li Jianghe posed a more complex problem. Now that he had fully become a Yao Ling—a spirit transformed into an Arcanobeast—no matter his intentions, he had no business lingering in the world of the living.
Sun Fatty pulled Yang Xiao aside and whispered for a while. After their talk, Yang Xiao didn't use any ritual implements; instead, he shouted into the air: "Li Jianghe, I'll give you one last chance—come out!"
At first, there was no sign of movement in the church. Just as Yang Xiao began to grow impatient, a wisp of mist began to seep from the cracks in the floorboards, slowly condensing into the human shape of Li Jianghe. Now fully a Yao Ling, Li Jianghe surprisingly showed signs of fear before Yang Xiao. Once the second-ranking figure in the Religious Affairs Commission, Li Jianghe, despite his high status in life, was now instinctively terrified in Yang Xiao's presence.
As he appeared, Sun Fatty stepped forward from behind Yang Xiao, smiling pleasantly: "Old Li, not to be blunt, but you're already dead—why stay so hung up on mortal things? The Heavenly Principle Diagram may be valuable, but it no longer concerns you. Take my advice: let the living fight over it. You should reincarnate in peace. We'll safeguard the Diagram. Who knows, maybe you'll earn the chance to reclaim it in your next life."
Here, Sun Fatty glanced toward Huang Ran, and when he continued speaking to Li Jianghe, his voice softened. "There's one more thing you should know—President Min Tianyuan of the Commission passed away not long ago. If you and he had any old scores to settle, you'll have to sort that out yourselves. The Heavenly Principle Diagram was just a pretext back then—don't forget who the real culprit was."
Huang Ran looked indignant upon hearing this, but with Yang Xiao standing nearby, he could only grit his teeth and say nothing.
After Sun Fatty finished speaking, Li Jianghe turned to look at his grandson, Li Qimu. Sun Fatty nodded and added, "Don't worry about Xiao Wu. I've already repaid his debts. And if he's willing to return to China, I'll find him a place in the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation. I promise, he'll live a smooth and proper life in his next cycle."
As soon as Sun Fatty said this, the mist that formed Li Jianghe's body abruptly contracted and then dispersed like it had been blown away by a strong wind—vanishing completely before our eyes. Li Qimu knew this was his final farewell to his grandfather and collapsed to the floor, weeping uncontrollably. Sun Fatty comforted him for a while before the crying finally stopped.
"All right," Huang Ran said. "Looks like everything's over now. I think we can leave this place, right?" Having gained nothing this time and still fearful of Yang Xiao, Huang Ran was quick to suggest departure.
Sun Fatty turned and flashed a toothy grin at him. "In such a hurry? Old Huang, is that sword yours? You still haven't let go of it. Come on, be a sport—return that fine blade to young Wu. Not to be rude, but now that you've shown off, hand the treasure back."
"Sun Desheng, you can't take all the benefits for yourself!" Huang Ran was getting anxious now. I could understand his frustration. He once had a short sword that belonged to Wu Rendi, but after the incident at the Tomb of a Transcendent Beast, Gao Liang had reclaimed it for the Bureau. Now that he'd finally gotten his hands on a decent weapon again, he barely had time to enjoy it before it slipped away once more.
"Who said I took anything? These things all belong to Li Qimu, don't they, Xiao Wu?" Sun Fatty didn't even bother to hide his scheming, winking at Li Qimu in front of Huang Ran. Xiao Wu wasn't stupid either; he immediately picked up the cue and said, "These were my grandfather's belongings. I have the right to decide how they're handled."
"These things belong to the Religious Affairs Commission, alright?" Huang Ran lost his composure and shouted. "Li Jianghe stole them from us in the first place. Fine, I know I don't have the right to take the Heavenly Principle Diagram, but you've got to leave me something!"
"...You just reminded me." Sun Fatty repeated his words, then suddenly grinned and turned to me. "Lazi, would you mind going back up and bringing down the rest of Li Jianghe's belongings?"
When I came down from the attic with the rest of the items, the bronze sword that had been in Huang Ran's hand was now in Sun Fatty's. Huang Ran didn't look too happy, and Yang Xiao was shooting him a sideways glance. It was obvious Huang Ran had been intimidated into surrendering the weapon.
Huang Ran stared at the sword in Sun Fatty's hand and let out a long breath. "You people from the Bureau are getting all the benefits! I've got no business here anymore, so I'm leaving." He turned around and started walking off.
But before he got far, Sun Fatty spoke up again. "Hold on, Old Huang."
Huang Ran turned around, only to hear Sun Fatty say, "There was something I couldn't figure out earlier. But thanks to your last few words, things suddenly make a lot more sense." Tilting his head, he gave Huang Ran a long look and continued, "Remember what Director Gao had you do back at the Tomb of a Transcendent Beast?"
"The tomb?" Huang Ran seemed to catch on and took a step back, now looking at Sun Fatty with guarded eyes. "What are you bringing that up for, out of nowhere?"
Sun Fatty smiled and stepped backward too—but to stand beside Yang Xiao. "Old Huang, not to be rude, but talking won't help you now. It's hot in here, so let's do what we did last time at the tomb—take off your clothes and cool off a bit."
Huang Ran's face turned from red to pale in an instant. He stared hard at Sun Fatty. "You want to humiliate me again? Once wasn't enough—now you want a second round?"
"Heh." Sun Fatty chuckled. "Old Huang, I won't take advantage of you this time. You take off one piece, I'll match you one for one. Let's see who ends up naked first." As he spoke, he'd already shrugged off his outer coat and tossed it to the floor.
"There's a woman present! Can't you show a little respect?" Huang Ran pointed at Meng Qiqi, who had remained silent this whole time. "Qiqi's still here..."
Before he could finish, Meng Qiqi waved her hand and cut him off. "Don't use me as an excuse, Fatty Huang. Do whatever you guys want. I've already seen Yang Xiao naked—what haven't I seen at this point? Unless your figure's somehow worse than his?" From the look on her face, she had clearly caught onto something, too.
Huang Ran's expression turned conflicted. After a brief silence, he sighed and unbuttoned his shirt—but didn't take it off. Instead, he reached behind his back and pulled out a leather scroll—it was another half of the Heavenly Principle Diagram. But hadn't he already thrown one to Sun Fatty earlier? How did another copy appear now?
Sun Fatty took the third scroll without even glancing at it, still smiling as he looked at Huang Ran. "Old Huang, not to be blunt, but unless you strip completely, how will Yang Xiao be convinced?"
Huang Ran glanced at Yang Xiao, who was still staring straight at him. He hesitated for a moment, then turned to Meng Qiqi. "Could you turn around, please?"
"Tch, like anyone wants to look." Though Meng Qiqi grumbled, she obediently turned away. Huang Ran then began undressing, one piece at a time. When he was down to his underwear, he turned to Sun Fatty and said, "Sun Desheng, this is far enough. No need to strip me bare, right?"
By now, Huang Ran clearly had nowhere left to hide anything. Still, Sun Fatty walked over, holding the leather scroll loosely in one hand. He crouched down and carefully went through the pile of clothes on the floor. Once he was certain there was nothing hidden inside, he handed back Huang Ran's pants. "Old Huang, you're really something. I only meant for you to strip a couple of layers, just for show. Did you have to go all the way? Come on, there's a lady here—can't you show some decency?"
Huang Ran ignored the jab. He hurriedly pulled his clothes back on. Despite being publicly embarrassed, he acted as if nothing had happened. He glanced at Sun Fatty, then at Li Qimu, and finally said, "You guys came here to buy the Diagram—so what's going on now? Vice Director Sun, shouldn't you at least give Brother Qimu an explanation?"
"That's not your concern." Sun Fatty met his gaze for a moment, then turned to Li Qimu. "Xiao Wu, no matter how much you owe, the Bureau will cover it. If you're willing, I'll find you a position at the Bureau. Of course, that's a matter for later..."
Sun Fatty pulled an envelope from his coat and handed it to Li Qimu. "This is a small token from our Director Gao. We hope you'll entrust your grandfather's belongings to the Bureau."
Li Qimu opened the envelope, and after just one glance, his eyes widened. He looked up in shock. "This isn't related to my debts, is it?"
Sun Fatty chuckled and stored away the scrolls. "Different matter. Your debts are being handled separately. That check has nothing to do with them."
Just as Li Qimu was about to accept, Huang Ran suddenly interrupted. "Wait! Whatever they offered you—I'll double it!"
"Old Huang, didn't you already give up?" Sun Fatty cast him a sideways glance and added, "Not like you to go back on your word."
Huang Ran acted like he hadn't heard. "To show my sincerity, I've got a blank—" He was already reaching into his coat pocket, but before he could pull anything out, his face changed.
He froze, turning sharply to glare at Sun Fatty as if trying to say something—but no matter how hard he tried, the words wouldn't come out.
Everyone realized what had happened. The blank check Huang Ran spoke of had probably been taken when Sun Fatty went through his clothes earlier. With Yang Xiao still watching, blowing up now would be a very bad idea. Huang Ran had no choice but to swallow his anger. After a long pause, he stamped his foot and stormed out of the church.