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The audience present dismissed it as mere acting, finding it amusing.

Yet, the three masters put on forced smiles, secretly drenched in cold sweat.

Zhuo Cong was dumbfounded by the relaxed and jovial spectators.

Laughing?

They dared to laugh amidst this situation?

The Ghost King's wrath was such that dozens could perish in mere minutes.

They didn't run because the status of the feng shui master forbade them to do so. If the audience didn't run, they would truly be foolish.

Alone, Chu Yuening stood before the so-called Ghost King, her countenance remaining composed and her aura serene and tranquil, devoid of any trace of fear.

She cast a glance at the elderly man who dared not rise, her brow arching slightly in mild inquiry. "Li Shixian?"

Li Shixian looked up, and in the ghost's eyes, Chu Yuening was enveloped in a golden aura. He was taken aback; this was a celestial master with great merit to their name.

I was also immensely relieved that the moment I sensed the spirit-summoning charm, I immediately brought Xiaozai back to the mortal realm.

Otherwise, with Chu Yuening's abilities, a mere strike of her palm would be enough to slay him.

Li Shixian inclined his body forward, replying humbly, "It is indeed this lowly official."

She frowned and said, "There are rules for humans in the mortal world, and regulations for the underworld. You've committed a heinous crime by sneaking into the human realm to claim a child's soul. What do you plan to do about the negative energy, the yin qi, that you've brought upon Xiaozai?"

Not far away, Yu Jiqing, upon hearing Chu Yuening's intention to hold the Ghost King further accountable, fumbled nervously in his pocket for a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

He was tempted to cry out in exclamation.

Enough, truly enough, Master Chu Da. It's not easy to come across a conscientious King of Ghosts. Since the person's soul has been returned and the merit bestowed, hurry and send them on their way!

Li Shixian turned his gaze towards Xia Zai, who trembled and sought refuge in Guan Yuanxiang's embrace, his cloudy eyes hinting at a subtle remorse.

"Xiaozha took my joss money. I only intended to give him a slight punishment as a lesson, but never imagined it would almost ruin his entire life."

Li Shixian approached the mother and son, prompting Guan Yuanxiang, clutching Little Shrimp in fear, to retreat. "What do you want? M-Master is right there—do you still intend to harm us?"

"This auntie misunderstands," Li Shixian said, raising his withered hand, akin to a dry tree branch, and inserted a blob of pale golden merit into Xiaozai's body.

"In my former life, I was a top scholar of the Qing Dynasty, holding an official rank of sixth degree and having accomplished many good deeds. Despite a century having passed, my spirit remains undying, all thanks to this accumulation of virtue. Now, as I pass it on to this child, I hope that it will safeguard and protect the child, rectifying the mistakes I once made."

Guan Yuanxiang looked to Chu Yuening with a pleading expression, "Master..."

Chu Yuening gazed at Xiaozai, then nodded upon observing how his body, once overwhelmed by the malevolent yin energy, had been restored by the merits accrued. "Indeed, there seems to be no issue now."

Guan Yuanxiang heaved a sigh of relief, clutching Little Shrimp's hand tightly. She gazed at the desolate Qing Dynasty official and pondered how he had waited, unbelievably, for a full century just for the paper money.

In today's age, who doesn't spend millions or even tens of millions extravagantly?

The only one, and Xiazai, in his playful nature, happened to find it.

She also felt guilty and said, "I feel rather ashamed for taking the joss money that you had waited a hundred years to receive."

Li Shixian waved his hand nonchalantly and returned to Chu Yuening's side. As he was once more amidst the living in the mortal realm, basking in their vitality, it felt to him as though he had been away for an eternity.

He knew that claiming the soul of a stranger without permission was a profound transgression.

He didn't harbor any illusions about leaving unscathed.

"Master Chu Da, I humbly beg for your mercy, to spare me one fragment of my spirit, so that I may still have the chance to see the person I yearn to meet."

Chu Yuening remarked, "What use is there in dispersing your three souls and six spirits, leaving only one? You wouldn't even be able to retain memories."

Li Shixian smiled wistfully and said, "That would be ample; fulfilling this centuries-old aspiration of mine is more than enough."

The onlookers became intrigued.

So this metaphysical show not only hired actors but also prepared a script?

Someone chimed in, echoing the question in harmony.

"What is your century-old aspiration?"

Li Shixian recollected with a disquieted expression, that after more than a hundred years had passed, he had forgotten many things, yet the memory of his beloved lingered on, untouched by the erosion of time.

Noticing the stranger's curiosity, he didn't intend to hide anything. "A hundred years ago, I held an official rank of sixth degree and worked as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. There, I befriended the daughter of a fellow scholar. Within two years, I sought an imperial edict to marry her."

Recalling the beauty of the past, Li Shixian's gaze still revealed a sense of longing, but soon it shifted to sorrow.

"Post-nuptials, our union was a profound and harmonious partnership, like a symphony of zither and lute. My beloved wife gave birth to our three children, only to be severed from me by illness a few short years later."

Someone asked, "Can't you remarry?"

Li Shixian's tone was tinged with bitterness as he said, "Marry? I have already beheld the most enchanting, the fairest maiden in the world. How could my eyes settle for any common flower or mundane beauty thereafter?"

"Mrs. and I had vowed, in life, to await each other at the River of Forgetfulness should one of us depart first. After her passing, I was once consumed with sorrow, gazing at our three children who were still too young to comprehend the ways of the world. I could only suppress my grief and rise for their sake."

"Later, I became an official in charge of a local region, bearing the responsibility of a city's people on my shoulders. Seeking death was even more out of the question. I finally endured until the day my life came to its natural end."

Someone else inquired, "Did you find your wife when you were dead?"

Li Shixian shook his head. "No, after descending into the underworld, I searched many places but failed to find Lady Man. It was only after inquiring for years that I learned those who linger in the underworld might have gone to work on the other side of the River of Oblivion, hoping to earn a place in the registry. However... the fare for the boat to cross the River of Oblivion requires currency from the Bank of Heaven and Earth. For ancestors like us, whom no descendants remember to honor, no one will burn such paper money for us."

In the initial years, Li Shixian would still receive the money burned by his family for the children.

Gradually, as the generations of his great-grandchildren grew up, he was slowly forgotten, and the silver coins ceased to come his way.

Chu Yuening listened intently, piecing together the information, "A ticket for the River of Oblivion's ferry costs a hundred each?"