INHA Chapter 16

Tian Ze immediately knew when to stop, rubbing his hands together. “Chief, what do you think?”

The chief rubbed his temples, looking a bit tired and helpless. “This matter is very difficult to handle.”

Tian Ze understood. “I know, I just thought it was worth a try. If it doesn’t work, there’s no harm done.”

In the past, Elder Bai had helped exorcise ghosts a few times. It was said that these ghosts, if not for their untimely deaths, would have become pillars of strength for humanity.

Elder Bai’s intervention could completely dissolve these ghosts’ grievances and ensure they had greater opportunities in their next life.

Tian Ze believed that the ghost baby’s unique circumstances might meet the criteria. However, they still needed to ask Elder Chen first.

Ordinary people couldn’t see Elder Bai; only the chiefs of the various branches and other senior demon elders could.

The chief, not holding much hope, said, “I’ll go to the top floor and ask Elder Chen. You two wait here for my news.”

Xu Dongyou quickly stood up and asked tentatively, “Chief, can I go with you?”

The chief stared at Xu Dongyou for a few seconds before saying, “I actually don’t recommend you to go.”

Huh?

Xu Dongyou was confused.

He had wanted to go along to help persuade Elder Chen.

After a few more seconds of silence, the chief changed his mind. “Alright, let’s go.”

Xu Dongyou felt even more bewildered but obediently responded and followed the chief to the top floor, carrying the baby in his arms.

Although other handlers were curious and looked over, Xu Dongyou cleverly put on a hat before leaving the office so he wasn’t recognized.

After reaching the top floor, the chief knocked on the door. A fox opened it, initially looking grumpy. But his expression softened immediately upon seeing the obedient young demon standing behind. He squeezed out a warm smile and said, “Come in.”

The chief, unfazed by this reaction, walked in with a slightly helpless look and asked, “Is Elder Chen here?”

The fox didn’t answer but instead showed great concern for Xu Dongyou. “Are you getting used to staying at the bureau—” His words abruptly stopped when he noticed the ghost baby in Xu Dongyou’s arms. Nervously, he examined Xu Dongyou, asking, “Did you go on a mission? Are you hurt?”

He then leaned in and sniffed carefully, not smelling any blood or the scent of injured demon power.

The cub was safe.

Xu Dongyou instinctively stepped back a few paces, feeling quite uncomfortable with the fox’s behavior, though he understood. He added in a small voice, “I’m not hurt.”

Thinking of this, Xu Dongyou suddenly remembered his behavior of wanting to flutter his wings and hide in bushes when extremely nervous. Could this also be an instinct influenced by his true form?

Xu Dongyou looked conflicted.

Just as the fox was about to ask Xu Dongyou why he looked so conflicted, Elder Chen came out of the secret room, looking puzzled at the chief and Xu Dongyou. His expression turned tense. “Did something happen?”

It wasn’t a weekend yet the cub was here, so something major must have happened.

Elder Chen then noticed the ghost baby in Xu Dongyou’s arms. Fearing Elder Chen might also sniff him, Xu Dongyou quickly said, “Elder Chen, I’m not hurt.”

Elder Chen, a bit disappointed at not being able to interact with the cub, gestured for Xu Dongyou to sit down and then signaled the chief to explain the purpose of their visit.

The chief briefly explained the situation with the ghost baby and hoped Elder Chen could speak to Elder Bai about exorcising the baby so it could reincarnate and have a new start.

Elder Chen instinctively wanted to refuse, but then he glanced at Xu Dongyou, who was looking at him with hopeful eyes. His heart softened.

This was a precious cub the demon clan had eagerly awaited. As an elder of the demon clan, how could he let the cub be sad?

The most important thing is that Elder Chen recalled what Elder Bai had quietly instructed him yesterday, so he replied, “Then I’ll go contact Elder Bai.”

Elder Chen stood up and returned to the secret room.

At this moment, the fox pulled out something that looked like a traditional Chinese medicine pill from its pocket and handed it to Xu Dongyou. “This is for you; it’s perfect for helping young ones strengthen their bodies.”

Worried that Xu Dongyou might refuse, the fox added, “We adult demons can’t use this anymore. If left for a few more decades, its medicinal properties will likely be gone.’

Xu Dongyou still felt a bit shy about accepting it and politely declined, “Perhaps… this can be kept for other young ones.”

The fox fell silent for a few seconds before responding, “Demons can’t have young ones anymore; you are the only one born in thousands of years.”

Xu Dongyou was taken aback and felt a bit regretful, realizing that his words must have saddened the fox. He could only accept the pill and sincerely thanked it, “Thank you. If there’s anything I can do in the future, I will definitely help.”

Although, looking at it, the help he could provide seemed quite minimal.

Only then did the fox smile. When its eyes narrowed, it resembled a cunning and clever fox.

Xu Dongyou immediately became curious about what its true form was.

It seemed that until now, Xu Dongyou didn’t even know the fox’s name. Taking advantage of the good atmosphere and the fact that Elder Chen hadn’t returned yet, he asked this question.

The fox replied, “My name is Jiu Chao, and my true form is a fox. I have already cultivated six tails.”

Six tails?

Does that mean once he cultivates nine tails, he can become an immortal?

Jiu Chao seemed to guess Xu Dongyou’s thoughts and couldn’t help but laugh heartily, but didn’t say whether one could become an immortal or not.”

Xu Dongyou felt a tickling itch in his heart but wisely refrained from asking further.

Just then, Elder Chen came out of the secret room. He sat down, and under the gaze of three pairs of eyes, he replied in a calm tone, “Elder Bai agreed. He said that if this ghost baby hadn’t encountered this mishap, he would surely grow up to be an outstanding talent, so he is willing to help with the exorcism to send him into reincarnation.”

Xu Dongyou immediately felt overjoyed and hurriedly thanked Elder Chen.

The chief also expressed his gratitude.

Elder Chen stood up and walked to the small secret room that piqued Xu Dongyou’s curiosity, pushing the door open. “Come in with me.”

Xu Dongyou hesitated and looked at the chief, who stood up without hesitation and walked in first. Xu Dongyou quickly followed suit.

As both of their feet crossed the threshold, the world in front of them seemed to twist for a moment, and then they found themselves in a somewhat desolate valley.

Xu Dongyou was dumbfounded.

He instinctively looked up at the sky—blue skies, white clouds, and a few birds flying by.

It didn’t look fake at all.

How was this achieved?

The chief remained calm, perhaps because he had been here before, and explained to Xu Dongyou, “That door is made from special materials. It is inscribed with an array that allows us to travel to another location through it.”

Xu Dongyou quickly turned around and saw that there was indeed another door behind him, looking quite ordinary.

He felt that his decision to join the handling bureau was especially right.

This extraordinary world was truly amazing.

Elder Chen led everyone through the valley, arriving at a large stone that had been weathered by time, surrounded by neatly arranged smaller stones.

It resembled a place of worship.

Elder Chen said, “Place the ghost baby on it.”

Xu Dongyou nodded, gently and quickly unwrapping the cloth that covered the baby, then carefully placed the baby down, saying, “You must grow up well in your next life.”

Xu Dongyou stood up and stepped back.

Elder Chen began to chant a spell.

In an instant, a light screen erupted from the standing stone and twinkling starlight fell, transforming into a huge creature made of light that was somewhat difficult to discern.

Xu Dongyou stared blankly at this creature, feeling no sense of the overwhelming pressure like that from Zhulong. Instead, he felt an incredibly comfortable state of being.

The barren grass and valley instantly sprouted plants, with dense patches of grass blooming with vibrant flowers.

A gentle breeze blew by, making the sea of flowers ripple.

Xu Dongyou stared blankly at this scene, his face full of daze.

At that moment, the huge luminous creature opened its eyes and looked at Xu Dongyou.

Those were wise and gentle eyes, enriched by the passage of time, as if capable of embracing all imperfections.

Xu Dongyou came to his senses, feeling his heart and mind relax even more as if he wanted to transform into his true form and flap his wings to fly freely.

It would be best if he could chirp a few times.

Fortunately, the creature soon looked away and let out a high-pitched call, causing the light to instantly converge and fall upon the ghost baby.

The talisman attached to the baby disappeared, and the baby’s shriveled skin gradually filled out, turning soft and white as it would be when alive. It slowly opened its eyes, looking around in confusion, its clear eyes full of curiosity about this world.

Finally, it looked at Xu Dongyou and suddenly waved its small hand, letting out a series of unique baby laughs, utterly joyful.

Xu Dongyou couldn’t help but smile in response.

Then, the ghost baby slowly transformed into a beam of light and completely vanished.

Watching this scene, Xu Dongyou felt an inexplicable sense of deep emotion.

He hoped that this child would find happiness in his next life.

The enormous luminous creature gathered again and looked at Xu Dongyou once more, emitting sounds that were hard to comprehend, before finally disappearing completely.

After transcending the ghost baby, Elder Chen and Xu Dongyou returned to the top floor. The chief politely bid farewell, while Xu Dongyou was specifically asked to stay by Elder Chen.

Soon after, Elder Chen had Jiu Chao brew a pot of tea, which tasted the same as last time.

Xu Dongyou hesitated as he looked at Elder Chen.

Elder Chen nodded, his face showing a loving smile reserved for young ones. “Drink up; it’s good for the young one’s health.”

Xu Dongyou obediently did as he was told, sipping while asking Elder Chen, “Was that Elder Bai we saw in the valley just now?”

Elder Chen replied, “Yes, Elder Bai isn’t actually in the city. I could only use this method to summon Elder Bai’s spirit to the valley to help with the transcending of that child.”

Xu Dongyou felt even more confused. “Why can it only appear in the valley?”

Elder Chen explained, “Because Elder Bai’s true form is special, and his spirit’s aura can easily cause changes in the surrounding plants, which you also noticed in the valley.”

Xu Dongyou felt a bit embarrassed; he hadn’t realized this point earlier. Everything that happened in the valley was too shocking—not just to him, but to the demons as well.

After Xu Dongyou finished the tea, Elder Chen casually intended to pour him another. Xu Dongyou quickly took the teapot, indicating that he could do it himself.

Elder Chen simply let go of the teapot. Once Xu Dongyou finished the entire pot of tea, he began to discuss serious matters: “Elder Bai asked me to pass on a few words to you before leaving.”

Xu Dongyou remembered the words he couldn’t hear from Elder Bai and immediately sat up straight.

Elder Chen summarized the message: “He said you should stay well in the handling bureau, continue to engage with supernatural events and work hard on tasks to improve your strength. It will be beneficial for you.”

Xu Dongyou blinked and cautiously asked Elder Chen, “What about Zhulong?”

Elder Chen replied, “You don’t need to worry about this. Elder Bai said he didn’t see any remnants of evil on you. If you encounter the ancient Zhulong again, you can try to calm him.”

Xu Dongyou finally breathed a sigh of relief, indicating that he understood.

As Xu Dongyou was about to leave, Jiu Chao finally voiced his inner concern: “What if we encounter even more dangerous evils? What if the young one gets into trouble? Or can I transform into my true form to protect him?”

Elder Chen didn’t say much, only remarked, “Elder Bai cares more about the young one’s safety than we do. Since he has said this, it means he has his reasons. We just need to follow his instructions. Remember Elder Bai’s words: unless the young one actively seeks our help, none of us can intervene. Understand?”

Jiu Chao nodded. If it weren’t for Elder Bai’s prior warning, he would have rushed in to help when the young one encountered supernatural events.

When Xu Dongyou came down, despite wearing a hat to cover his face, many people still looked at him with envy.

Someone couldn’t help but approach and ask, “Which squad are you from? How did you get to the top floor? Can you share some news?”

Could there be a second lucky person emerging?

“What’s it to you?” Tian Ze ran over from a distance, scolding the person before pulling Xu Dongyou away from the handling bureau.

At this point, others finally understood.

It turned out that the one who had just come down from the top floor was the newcomer with extraordinary luck!

The demon clan clearly valued him, which was why he was called up again after only a few days.

Some newcomers felt a sense of injustice and annoyance.

The chief noticed this and immediately ordered those below to spread the reason why he and Xu Dongyou went to the top floor, making the other handlers realize.

No wonder.

It was to transcend a special ghost baby, and it was thanks to that newcomer that the baby was successfully sealed.

The newcomers still felt dissatisfied, and an elder rolled his eyes, saying, “If you could encounter such a special ghost, you could also go to the top floor.”

The newcomers: “…”

But that’s impossible!

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