The place where Ren Shi lived was very safe. Without its personal guidance, no one could find this location.
Nan Deng wasn’t sure how long Ren Shi would be willing to let them stay, so it was best to hide for now.
His thoughts were simple: he believed that Lian Yi had been falsely accused of wrongdoing and that the truth would soon come to light. Once that happened, the celestial masters outside would stop trying to capture him.
Lian Yi did not refuse. “Alright.”
Nan Deng touched his slightly pale cheek. “Are you feeling better?”
“I’m fine,” Lian Yi said softly. “I don’t need any medicine.”
He was afraid that Nan Deng would take risks like last time, venturing out in broad daylight to find medicine for him.
Seeing that Lian Yi’s condition had improved somewhat, Nan Deng felt relieved and wanted to help him get familiar with the surroundings.
He supported Lian Yi to stand up but noticed that Lian Yi was so tall that he had to bend over to avoid hitting the ceiling.
Lian Yi said nothing, quietly exploring the vine-covered walls, one hand held by Nan Deng as they slowly walked outside.
The rabbit head and Hei Mao were lying on the low bed sleeping. Hearing the commotion, they turned to look over, casting a disdainful glance.
Just being unable to see, this celestial master was certainly not that fragile.
When they got outside, the morning sunlight was still mild. Nan Deng walked along the edge of the courtyard, leading Lian Yi to the adjacent large courtyard.
In the center of the adjacent courtyard stood the largest tree, its thick shade like a giant umbrella, making it very cool to stand under.
“You can’t see here either,” Nan Deng placed Lian Yi’s hand on the tree trunk, “but you can touch.”
Ren Shi’s residence was like a hidden paradise. Not far away, a clear pond shimmered. Ren Shi had demonstrated to Nan Deng that they could bathe in it, but fishing was not allowed.
Lian Yi wasn’t very interested in these things and withdrew his hand. “Nan Deng.”
Nan Deng held his hand. “I’m here.”
“You said,” Lian Yi felt the slight coolness in his hand, “you also wanted to come find me?”
Nan Deng nodded, then remembered Lian Yi couldn’t see. “Yes,” he responded.
“I’m really not angry anymore,” he said softly. “Just don’t hide things from me in the future.”
Having spent so much time together, Lian Yi had become increasingly important to Nan Deng. Despite being upset about the hidden identity, Nan Deng couldn’t bear to be harsh.
He still trusted Lian Yi and liked being with him.
As for other matters… perhaps because ghosts aren’t naturally friendly to their own kind, Nan Deng wouldn’t interfere with Lian Yi’s normal ghost-hunting activities in the future.
“I won’t.”
Lian Yi bowed his head, speaking softly, “I want to hold you.”
Unable to see, he had never wished more for Nan Deng to return to human form; the touch of a soul always felt somewhat unreal.
Nan Deng didn’t know what Lian Yi was thinking and assumed it was just a simple hug.
He reached out and hugged Lian Yi tightly around the waist, leaning into his embrace. “Also… before I found you last night, I encountered another celestial master.”
Lian Yi’s tone suddenly became serious. “Who?”
Nan Deng then recounted everything that had happened the previous night in detail.
He roughly described the celestial master’s appearance and all the answers he had given.
Lian Yi was silent for a moment. “A rose?”
He guessed that the celestial master should be Lin Jiu. Besides him, there wouldn’t be a second person who would speak up for him.
Lin Jiu had even secretly come to deliver a message, prompting Lian Yi to leave with Nan Deng in advance. He might be someone trustworthy.
“Yes.” Nan Deng nodded, telling Lian Yi to wait there for a moment.
He quickly returned to the small house and picked up the rose in the corner.
The rose, in its dormant state, sensed Nan Deng’s approach and happily brushed its leaves against him.
Nan Deng brought the rose in front of Lian Yi. The rose sensed another presence and appeared somewhat timid.
“Huh?” Nan Deng was curious. “It seems to be afraid of you.”
He tried to comfort the rose, then pulled Lian Yi’s hand over to let the rose touch him.
The rose extended its leaves to touch Lian Yi’s fingers but quickly retracted them.
“It seems very timid,” Nan Deng mused aloud. “But why can it move? Do other flowers do this too?”
“No,” Lian Yi, with his eyes still covered, accurately “looked” towards the rose. “It might have become an earth spirit.”
Hearing this term again, Nan Deng’s curiosity grew stronger.
He held the flower pot and moved closer to Lian Yi. “What is an earth spirit?”
Lian Yi explained that every region has an earth spirit. Barring any accidents, they have very long lifespans.
The presence of an earth spirit naturally suppresses evil energy and they actively attack resentful spirits.
Nan Deng widened his eyes in astonishment when he heard Lian Yi say, “The black cat beside you is also an earth spirit.”
He had promised Nan Deng no more secrets, and these obvious matters needed to be told to him.
Nan Deng was even more shocked, holding the flower pot in his arms, feeling somewhat at a loss.
He only knew that Ren Shi seemed quite extraordinary, but he didn’t know Hei Mao was also an earth spirit, nor did he realize the potted rose he coincidentally nurtured…
“So they are all so formidable…”
At the same time, Nan Deng felt perplexed and puzzled. “But… I am also a ghost…”
Earth spirits naturally capture ghosts, yet the earth spirits around him seemed to like him.
Lian Yi fell silent and reached out to Nan Deng.
Nan Deng understood his meaning and hugged the flower pot closer as he leaned into Lian Yi’s embrace.
“You’re not just an ordinary ghost.”
“Don’t be afraid,” Lian Yi embraced the semi-transparent spirit closely, his breath warm against Nan Deng’s ear. “I will protect you.”
Nan Deng’s identity was already apparent. Even if he wasn’t a mountain god, he must have a close connection to one. His past remained mysterious; how could a mountain god be mistaken for a ghost and imprisoned in Yezhang Tower?
The celestial masters in the inner courtyard were still searching for the mountain god, but Lian Yi inherently distrusted those people. Until he confirmed personally, Nan Deng wouldn’t be found.
Nan Deng made a sound of agreement, leaning against the warmth of Lian Yi’s embrace, stroking the leaves of the rose.
In truth, he didn’t have much understanding of all this. Even if he were just an ordinary ghost, it didn’t seem to bother him much.
With no memories and little past to delve into, trying to comprehend would only lead to confusion.
For now, Nan Deng decided not to dwell on it. He yawned and felt sleepiness washing over him.
Lian Yi leaned against the tree trunk. “Hungry or not?”
“Not hungry,” replied Nan Deng, shifting slightly. His eyes closed as he nuzzled against the collar of Lian Yi’s clothes. “Just want to sleep…”
Under the shade of the tree where sunlight couldn’t reach, a cool breeze occasionally blew, lulling Nan Deng into a quick slumber.
The rose in his arms also slept again.
Before long, the rabbit head hopped over.
It hopped straight to the base of the tree, leaping into Nan Deng’s arm, pushing the pot with the rose aside.
Lian Yi remained unfazed. After a while, the black cat and the lion-man also arrived.
Earth spirits did not like humans or celestial masters, and they disliked Lian Yi even more. However, the presence of Nan Deng softened the overwhelming aura around Lian Yi.
The lion-man sprawled on the grass under the tree’s shade, while the black cat sunbathed outside the shade.
—
Nan Deng slept until noon. Ren Shi woke up with him and picked a peach, cutting it into small pieces to offer as lunch.
However, Nan Deng was still a spirit and couldn’t eat the peach, so he fed them all to Lian Yi.
Previously, only Lian Yi had fed Nan Deng, so Nan Deng found this quite interesting.
Ren Shi, slightly displeased, secretly picked an unripe sour fruit, cut it up, and offered it again.
Unaware, Nan Deng fed it to Lian Yi.
Lian Yi remained composed, eating everything without changing his expression.
In the afternoon that followed, Nan Deng stayed with Lian Yi in the courtyard.
Until nightfall, dinner remained the cut fruit.
The fruits here were grown by Ren Shi, and the quantity was limited. Different from ordinary fruits, it was barely enough to fill the stomach.
After dinner, Nan Deng suddenly remembered that Lian Yi was different from himself and asked, “Do you want to wash your face?”
He had promised to take care of Lian Yi. But taking care of a living person, especially someone who couldn’t see, was not as simple as he had imagined.
Lian Yi left everything to Nan Deng. “Okay.”
The sun had already set, and Ren Shi and Hei Mao returned to the neighboring cottage, preparing for their nightly outing.
Nan Deng brought Lian Yi to the edge of the pond, holding his hand to touch the water.
Looking at Lian Yi, he hesitated, “Shall I help you bathe?”
But Lian Yi replied, “No need.”
Not only did he refuse Nan Deng’s help, but he also asked him to go back to the cottage and wait.
After confirming several times that Lian Yi would be fine alone, Nan Deng walked away, looking back every few steps.
A few minutes later, Nan Deng returned quietly.
Thinking that Lian Yi couldn’t see him now, he figured Lian Yi wouldn’t know where he was.
Silently approaching, Nan Deng found Lian Yi had already entered the pond, his clothes neatly placed on the shore.
The cloth strip over his eyes was still there, now damp from the water. Lian Yi was seemingly unaware of Nan Deng’s presence.
Nan Deng sat down on the shore, hugging his knees patiently.
Originally, he had just come to check on Lian Yi’s safety, but his attention was quickly drawn to the small fish swimming near the shore.
Nan Deng leaned closer to the water’s surface, reaching out to scoop up the fish. But they darted away nimbly.
As a spirit submerged in water, he could only sense its temperature. Leveraging his current state as a ghost, Nan Deng decided to dive into the water, intending to catch up with the fish he had just missed.
Deliberately making no sound, he widened his eyes and carefully searched underwater.
Suddenly, Nan Deng’s figure in the water flickered a few times and unexpectedly reverted back to human form.
Caught off guard, he involuntarily inhaled a large amount of icy pond water into his nostrils. His vision blurred.
Panicked, Nan Deng flailed his arms. But just in time, a figure approached and pulled him out of the water.
The pond was not deep. Lian Yi removed the cloth strip from his eyes and carried Nan Deng to the shore.
Nan Deng was soaked through. Seeing Lian Yi still somewhat dazed, he immediately covered his eyes with his hand. “Don’t look…”
Lian Yi pulled his hand away gently. “The little spirits aren’t here. They won’t know.”
He brushed aside Nan Deng’s damp hair. “Didn’t I ask you to wait for me in the cottage?”
Nan Deng felt guilty, opening his mouth to speak. But ended up sneezing loudly.
The night air was cold, and his clothes were wet, making him even colder.
Rubbing his nose, Nan Deng looked crestfallen.
Lian Yi touched his pale cheek and sighed softly. “Change out of your clothes.”
He had Nan Deng wear his own clothes. But there were no other clothes here. So, once Nan Deng wore them, Lian Yi would have nothing to wear.
Nan Deng refused to wear them, insisting on wearing Lian Yi’s coat in the end.
The coat was large on him, covering just above his legs.
Nan Deng buttoned up the coat, but the water from his hair quickly soaked it again. He hurriedly sought Lian Yi’s help.
Lian Yi held him close, feeling a bit sorry for him. “Let’s go back inside.”
When Nan Deng had been human before, he had always been carefully looked after. While this place seemed nice, it had nothing.
Back in the cottage, Nan Deng pulled a few vines to cover his legs and sneezed again.
The rabbit head curiously approached to inspect him, licking the water droplets from his hair ends.
Lian Yi stayed beside him and took out a communicator from the coat.
Nan Deng had said they would stay here for a few days, and Lian Yi had reluctantly agreed, though he hadn’t planned to stay long.
The earth spirits had their own duties and responsibilities. Now that Nan Deng had turned back into a human, it was even less suitable for him to stay here indefinitely.
Lian Yi turned on the communicator and received three messages from Lin Jiu, which were sent last night.
“Chief Lian, where are you now?”
“I’ve brought the rose from your residence here. There may be some matters that only you can understand. I hope to hear back from you.”
“If there’s anything you need, feel free to contact me anytime.”
Lin Jiu had interacted with the rose, been brought here by the lion-man, and spoken to Nan Deng.
With his abilities, he probably figured it out long ago.
After hesitating for a moment, Lian Yi sent a reply to Lin Jiu.
Then he set down the communicator and pulled Nan Deng into his arms. “Wait here a moment. I’ll have someone bring some clean clothes.”
Nan Deng nodded, curious. “Who?”
—
Upon receiving the message, Lin Jiu borrowed a car and gathered the necessary items, rushing to the destination immediately.
The streets were deserted at night. He waited for a moment until he saw the familiar figure of Lian Yi.
Lin Jiu suppressed his excitement. He approached Lian Yi and handed over a bag to him. “Chief Lian.”
Lain Yi took the bag. “I’m no longer the Chief Celestial Master.”
Lin Jiu smiled and continued, “The hotel is arranged. We can go there now.”
He didn’t arrange it under the title of celestial master to avoid easy detection.
The room key card was also in the bag. Lian Yi coolly thanked him and turned to leave.
Lin Jiu stayed put, still waiting.
In a distant alley, surrounded by a talisman formation, Nan Deng changed into new clothes in the dark with Lian Yi’s help.
His tone was hesitant. “Do we have to leave now?”
Without Ren Shi’s guidance, its residence could only be exited, not entered. Lian Yi kept Nan Deng close and together, they left the courtyard.
The rose was also brought along. The rabbit head squatted on Nan Deng’s head, looking around.
“It will find you,” Lian Yi explained. “We’ll stay at the hotel tonight.”
Nan Deng didn’t need to bid farewell to the earth spirits specifically; when they needed him, they would seek him out on their own.
“Okay,” Nan Deng’s hair still wasn’t dry, making him very uncomfortable with its dampness. “Let’s go quickly then.”
He straightened his clothes. Tightly holding Lian Yi’s hand, they walked out of the alley together.
Outside, Nan Deng immediately spotted another person by the roadside.
Instinctively, he moved behind Lian Yi and cautiously peeked out.
Lin Jiu also saw Nan Deng, recognizing him as the young man who had been with Lian Yi before.
The young man was wearing the clothes prepared for him, holding the familiar rose.
Lin Jiu was shaken to the core, taking a few hesitant steps forward. Seeing that Lian Yi didn’t stop him, he approached slowly.
Lian Yi’s face was cold. The Bagua ring in his sleeve trembled, ready to kill Lin Jiu on the spot.
“You…”
Lin Jiu was almost speechless, suddenly dropping to his knees.
Nan Deng was startled, whispering to Lian Yi, “What is he doing?”
