Last night, after returning home, Lin Jiu had envisioned many possibilities.
Earth spirits are very special creatures. Other than their own kind, they only like to be close to mountain gods.
They dislike humans, especially celestial masters among them.
If the one who knocked him out and kidnapped him was the lion-man, then the young man with the lion-man must be a mountain god.
Combined with the presence of the rose flower and some other clues, it all seemed to connect.
The mountain god was with Lian Yi, so the black cat prevented the celestial master from approaching the suburbs. When Gu Xu led people to the suburbs, the chaos god also appeared there.
Upon receiving a message from Lian Yi, Lin Jiu’s heart pounded wildly, and he immediately set off.
He had a vague premonition that he was about to get one step closer to the truth.
Sure enough, there was another person beside Lian Yi.
Lin Jiu recognized Nan Deng. He was the young man who appeared on the balcony with Lian Yi that night. Last time, he was too far away to see Nan Deng’s face clearly, but he couldn’t be mistaken about his figure.
The one who asked him a few questions last night must have been Nan Deng.
Although everything was still just Lin Jiu’s speculation and not yet confirmed, at this moment, his overly excited emotions made it difficult for him to control himself.
It is the duty of a celestial master to follow and serve the mountain god. Seeing the mountain god appear, kneeling in worship is only natural.
However, the Nan Deng before him was quite different from what Lin Jiu had imagined.
Nan Deng appeared to be an eighteen or nineteen-year-old youth, rather slim, with delicate and pretty features. His expression conveyed a sense of newborn-like confusion and timidity.
Lin Jiu was still kneeling on the ground when Lian Yi frowned and said, “Stand up.”
Nan Deng was being protected behind him, carefully looking over.
“What is he doing?”
Lin Jiu also heard Nan Deng’s words. For a moment, he was confused and at a loss. He quickly came to his senses, stood up immediately, and took a step back: “Sorry… I lost my composure.”
He still chose to trust his own judgment; this person must be the mountain god, but… the situation seemed more complicated.
The mountain god had disappeared for nearly twenty years, and no one knew what had happened back then.
Lian Yi’s scrutinizing gaze lingered on Lin Jiu, the Bagua ring in his sleeve quieting down.
Just a little more, and he would have truly killed Lin Jiu.
Lin Jiu knew too much, and he was a student of Weng Ping Ran, different from ordinary celestial masters.
Keeping him around could be troublesome. But despite guessing something, he hadn’t chosen to report to the inner court and Weng Ping Ran. Otherwise, Lin Jiu wouldn’t have been the only one rushing here tonight.
He seemed to be on Lian Yi’s side, or perhaps he had his own personal motives.
Having Lin Jiu help with this task was also a test. If he made any wrong move, Lian Yi would not hesitate to act.
So far, everything he had done was still within normal bounds.
Nan Deng also recognized Lin Jiu. Seeing him made him relax a little.
He could tell that this celestial master bore goodwill toward Lian Yi and didn’t seem like a bad person.
Last night, Lin Jiu had been blindfolded and hadn’t seen him, and now he was in human form with Lian Yi by his side, so he shouldn’t be too worried.
As for Lin Jiu’s strange behavior just now… Nan Deng looked at Lian Yi, thinking it surely had nothing to do with him.
The atmosphere was somewhat tense for a moment. Finally, Lin Jiu took the initiative to ask, “It’s not safe to stay here long. How about I take you to a hotel?”
He was the steward of the neighboring area and had some influence here. He had used his position to divert the patrol squad, but it wouldn’t last long.
Lin Jiu had calmed his emotions, and his voice was steady and articulate.
Lian Yi looked at Nan Deng and, seeing that he didn’t show any signs of resistance or fear, agreed, “Okay.”
Lin Jiu’s car was parked by the roadside, a vehicle specially designated for celestial masters to facilitate nighttime activities.
After getting in the car, Nan Deng appeared somewhat anxious, tightly protecting the rabbit head in his pocket, fearing Lin Jiu might notice.
At that moment, the rose flower moved slightly, extending its branches to nuzzle Nan Deng’s cheek with its buds.
Nan Deng instinctively protected the rose flower as well, watching Lin Jiu warily through the rearview mirror.
Lin Jiu sensed his gaze but kept his eyes straight ahead.
Lian Yi pulled Nan Deng’s hand down, gently squeezing it to reassure him: “Don’t worry. He won’t dare to say anything.”
The latter part of his sentence carried a strong threat, making Lin Jiu, who was driving, feel a chill down his spine as he gripped the steering wheel tighter.
With Lian Yi’s reassurance, Nan Deng felt much more at ease.
He hugged the flowerpot, habitually leaning against Lian Yi, and looked out at the passing scenery.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the hotel.
The hotel Lin Jiu chose was a bit farther away, but the environment was nice. Judging by the overall decor, it seemed expensive.
The room had been prepared in advance. Lin Jiu drove directly into the basement and led Lian Yi and Nan Deng to the elevator.
At this hour, the hotel was very quiet, and there were only the three of them in the elevator.
Nan Deng stood in the corner with his head lowered, mostly shielded by Lian Yi.
When they exited the elevator, the rabbit head, having had enough of being stifled, squeezed out of Nan Deng’s pocket.
At the room door, Lin Jiu took the room card from Lian Yi, opened the door, and stepped aside.
As he lowered his head, he met the gaze of the rabbit head peeking out from the pocket.
This… Lin Jiu had never seen such a peculiar creature before. It looked like a spirit but not quite. He couldn’t help but take another look.
The rabbit head also stared at him, baring its teeth in a fierce expression.
Nan Deng noticed this scene and hurriedly shoved the rabbit head back into his pocket.
He was very nervous. But seeing that Lin Jiu didn’t react much, standing there with a respectful demeanor, he sighed in relief and followed Lian Yi into the room.
He placed the rose flower on the cabinet and scratched his damp hair. “I want to take another shower.”
Lian Yi led him to the bathroom. He ran the water, adjusted the temperature, and left Nan Deng to bathe himself.
Listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom, Lian Yi then opened the door.
Lin Jiu was still standing at the door, not having left yet.
“Chief Lian,” Lin Jiu lowered his voice, “I heard during the day that Elder Gu Xu is preparing more evidence to convict you.”
The evidence wasn’t just about the plague but also involved Zhuo Qing’s death and some of Lian Yi’s actions and words that violated the duties of a celestial master.
Currently, the majority of people are still wary of Lian Yi. When they see him, they don’t dare to confront him. But once the inner court convicts him, it might be different.
Lian Yi would be hunted, becoming the target of all celestial masters. If he couldn’t be captured alive, his resentful spirit after death wouldn’t be spared either.
Although he was powerful, fighting against the entire inner court wouldn’t be easy.
Lin Jiu increasingly sensed a conspiracy. With Weng Ping Ran no longer involved, he couldn’t inquire too much, nor could he intervene.
“Why are you telling me this?” Lian Yi looked up at him. “Because of the mountain god?”
Was it because Nan Deng was with him that Lin Jiu chose to side with him?
Lin Jiu shook his head. “No…”
“I remember your teacher treated you well,” Lian Yi’s expression remained indifferent. “Have you considered the consequences of hiding this from him?”
“I only had some suspicions earlier, nothing certain,” Lin Jiu explained. “My teacher has been preoccupied with the plague recently and couldn’t leave, so I didn’t disturb him.”
He quickly added, “Rest assured. Without your and… the mountain god’s instructions, I won’t reveal a word.”
Lian Yi made no response, and Lin Jiu, with his head lowered, sighed, “Chief Lian, the situation across various places has been worsening.”
The plague came too suddenly. Without a proper cure, the death toll kept rising. All these people invariably turned into high-level resentful spirits.
If this continued, the celestial masters would be understaffed, the ghostly calamities would become uncontrollable, and more people would die as a result.
“And you have the power to stop the deterioration of the situation,” Lin Jiu continued. “Of course, I’m in no position to demand anything of you. I just hope…”
There were seven chief celestial masters, including Lian Yi, and he was the strongest among them.
Practicing spiritual arts requires talent. Perhaps due to the mountain god’s disappearance, the earth spirits had weakened over the years, and fewer young celestial masters with high talent had emerged.
In Lin Jiu’s view, eliminating resentful spirits and protecting residents were the most important duties of a celestial master.
He had witnessed Lian Yi’s formidable power firsthand. If Lian Yi took action, even if he couldn’t eradicate the plague at its source, he could at least mitigate the rampage of the resentful spirits.
Therefore, even without the mountain god’s presence, he would choose to help Lian Yi, not wanting to see him captured due to a frame-up.
Originally, these thoughts were just musings in Lin Jiu’s mind. He knew his own abilities were limited and that Lian Yi wouldn’t easily heed his words.
But with the mountain god’s presence, everything changed.
The mountain god must have a way to eliminate the plague. Moreover, the mountain god’s willingness to be close to Lian Yi might indicate that Lian Yi wasn’t as cold-blooded and ruthless as he appeared.
Once the plague stopped spreading and with Lian Yi’s assistance, the situation in various places would quickly return to normal.
Lian Yi stared at Lin Jiu for a moment. “Is that your goal?”
Lin Jiu nodded in response, his eyes filled with hope.
At this moment, Nan Deng finished his shower and came out wrapped in a bathrobe.
Lian Yi gently closed the door, carried him to the bed, and used a hairdryer to dry his hair.
Nan Deng yawned and leaned against him with his eyes closed.
The little spirit’s yard was beautiful. But after becoming human, this place was more convenient…
He was used to being pampered by Lian Yi and had long become accustomed to his meticulous care.
After drying his hair, Lian Yi straightened Nan Deng. “Are you hungry?”
Nan Deng nodded. Lian Yi instructed him to change into his clothes and then got up to walk to the door.
Lian Yi opened the door and said to Lin Jiu outside, “Go buy some food.”
Lin Jiu had heard their conversation and, suppressing his excitement, replied, “Alright.”
Feeling honored to procure food for the mountain god, Lin Jiu hurried downstairs but suddenly realized he hadn’t asked what Nan Deng liked to eat.
Not wanting to go back and ask, he decided to have the hotel kitchen prepare over a dozen dishes, along with several snacks and drinks and had them brought up one by one.
Seeing the table full of dishes, Nan Deng hesitated, “I might not be able to finish all this.”
Lian Yi, picking up some food for him, said, “It’s okay if you can’t finish it.”
Nan Deng held a spoon and first ate an entire bowl of mashed potatoes before starting on the rice.
It was already late at night, and Lin Jiu, standing outside, worried about attracting attention. Finally, he was allowed to enter the room.
He stood by the wall, discreetly raising his head for a glimpse.
If he hadn’t known in advance, no one would have guessed Nan Deng’s true identity.
Beside him, Lian Yi was picking fish bones for him, his lowered eyes showing a rare hint of tenderness.
The two of them together seemed as intimate as a couple.
However, such a thought was blasphemous to the gods. Lin Jiu immediately suppressed it, lowering his head to avoid looking further.
At this moment, the rabbit head approached Lin Jiu’s feet.
Curious about Lin Jiu, it circled around him, noticing he stood motionless like a block of wood.
The rabbit head licked its lips, then suddenly leaped up and bit Lin Jiu’s hand fiercely.
Caught off guard, Lin Jiu exclaimed “Hiss!” and instinctively raised his hand to shake off the rabbit head. However, remembering that it was Nan Deng’s little creature, he froze in place.
Nan Deng saw this and called out, “Xiao Tu!”
He put down his spoon and quickly went over, pinching the rabbit head’s ears, which finally made it let go.
“Sorry, this is my pet,” Nan Deng said, holding the rabbit head and stepping back. “It’s a bit mischievous but won’t hurt anyone…”
A pet?
The mountain god’s pet, that means…
Lin Jiu looked at the rabbit head again, feeling his knees go weak once more.
