No Shadow

Protector?

A Vengeful Spirit needs a protector like it needs a hole in the head!

Zheng Que was instantly speechless. Right now, the entire town had only him, a single cultivator. Who could possibly come to cause trouble for her?

Though that was what he thought, just in case, he didn’t dare be careless. He quickly went over to close the main door, then returned to the inner room, sat down by the bed, activated the 【Spirit Eye Technique】, and vigilantly kept watch over his surroundings.

Time passed slowly, and Qing Li’s condition gradually recovered.

Close to noon, the Yin Qi swirling around her settled down, and her form regained some solidity, once again taking on the appearance of black smoke swirling around and enveloping her white-clad figure.

At this moment, Qing Li turned to face Zheng Que and immediately asked, “Did anything happen while your grandma was resting just now?”

Zheng Que shook his head. “No…”

As soon as he finished speaking, he froze, suddenly feeling that this scene was very familiar.

Then he realized: back when he had just finished fighting with Qing Li and was about to start cultivating, he had asked Qing Li to act as his protector. After that cultivation session ended, he had asked her the exact same question she was asking now.

So right now, Qing Li was imitating him!

To be precise, she was learning how to act like a master?

Thinking this, Zheng Que’s face instantly darkened. He had thought she had provoked some particularly powerful ghost outside and needed his help as a protector.

Turns out, she was purely imitating the mannerisms of her master.

Zheng Que took a deep breath and quickly calmed down. “Right now, have you grasped any new techniques?”

This female ghost had absorbed the Yin Qi of four water ghosts last night. He wanted to see if she had inherited any of their abilities.

Hearing this, Qing Li snorted coldly. “You little human race brat, you really don’t understand anything.”

“Although your grandma is a genius, with talent far beyond what your rotten wooden head can compare to, it’s not like I can grasp new techniques at every moment.”

“That also takes time.”

“Hmm…”

“Tonight, it should be about right!”

Hearing this, Zheng Que’s expression remained unchanged. Qing Li hadn’t inherited any techniques from those four water ghosts this time.

This might be because their cultivation levels were too low, or it could be due to some other reason. The exact cause would require Qing Li to absorb the Yin Qi of more ghosts to test it out.

As he pondered, Zheng Que felt somewhat hesitant. Should he raise Qing Li’s cultivation level right now?

But soon, he shook his head.

His Underworld was meant to be built up and strengthened. It couldn’t be run like a small workshop, making it seem as though the entire Underworld had only Qing Li as its ghost.

Therefore, the time he had set yesterday to raise Qing Li’s cultivation level would be fixed at the beginning of the Xu hour each day. No matter how many ghosts Qing Li killed, that schedule would not change.

He needed to give the impression that his Underworld was actually very busy.

So, Zheng Que immediately said, “Come with me outside now.”

Before his words had fully faded, he had already stood up and was heading toward the door.

Qing Li drifted down from the beam, her expression haughty as she followed behind.

The daytime town was still very quiet, but there was a faint trace of human presence.

Zheng Que followed the familiar streets and alleys and soon arrived outside the Cui family’s small courtyard in the eastern part of the town.

Yesterday, he had helped Cui Fugui and his daughter resolve the issue of the four water ghosts. Due to the disturbance, Cui Ni’er had been submerged in the well for a time and fallen unconscious, while Cui Fugui had been frightened into a faint by Qing Li. As dusk was approaching, Zheng Que hadn’t had time to do much else, so he moved both father and daughter into the house, secured the doors and windows, and returned home.

Now, returning to their doorstep, his main purpose was to check on their condition and inspect the well that had been occupied by the water ghosts.

Knock, knock, knock!

Facing the courtyard gate, Zheng Que raised his hand and gently knocked three times.

Soon, the sound of hurried footsteps came from behind the door, followed by a cautious voice. “Who is it?”

Zheng Que immediately replied, “It’s me, Zheng Que.”

“Uncle Cui, how are you both doing?”

Upon hearing Zheng Que’s voice, Cui Fugui hurriedly removed the door latch and opened the courtyard gate. Seeing Zheng Que again, and Qing Li behind him, Cui Fugui was no longer as panicked as before. Instead, he smiled, stepped aside to invite them in, and said, “Zheng Que, I really can’t thank you enough!”

“Come in, come in! Please, have a seat!”

Zheng Que nodded slightly. He had already activated the 【Spirit Eye Technique】 and first examined Cui Fugui to confirm he was fine before following him into the courtyard.

The courtyard looked much the same as yesterday. The compacted dirt ground was spread with grains and dried vegetables, a clothesline was strung in the corner with a few patched outer garments hanging on it, and the old well with its worn-out railing stood quietly in place.

Cui Fugui invited Zheng Que into the main room and expressed his gratitude. “Thanks to you yesterday, otherwise my Ni’er would have been in serious trouble. It’s just the two of us depending on each other. If anything were to happen to her, I wouldn’t want to live either…”

“I was just telling Ni’er that we must invite you over for a meal this time!”

“Since you’re here, please come in and sit for a while. I’ll go make some tea.”

As he spoke, he raised his voice and called toward the backyard. “Ni’er, go kill a chicken!”

Hearing this, Zheng Que quickly shook his head. “Uncle Cui, I have other matters to attend to later, so there’s no need for a meal.”

With time pressing, he didn’t want to waste too much of it for the sake of a meal.

So, Zheng Que strode quickly to the side of the well and leaned over to look inside.

The bottom of the well was dark and murky, with clear well water shimmering faintly in the cold light. There were no traces of ghosts left, but a faint layer of Yin Qi still lingered.

After carefully inspecting it, Zheng Que straightened up. “Uncle Cui, although the water ghosts in the well have been dealt with, it’s best not to drink the well water for a while.”

“In a few days, I’ll come back to check. Once I confirm it’s safe, you can continue using it.”

Cui Fugui repeatedly expressed his thanks. Seeing that Zheng Que truly had no intention of staying for a meal, he quickly said, “Then take a chicken with you! Our chickens are quite plump…”

As he spoke, Cui Ni’er ran over from the backyard, holding a chicken in each hand, one rooster and one hen, both struggling desperately. A few feathers floated in the air, and one had even stuck to Cui Ni’er’s hair.

“Dad, which one should I kill?” Cui Ni’er asked her father while curiously sizing up Zheng Que.

Zheng Que turned around and used the 【Spirit Eye Technique】 to look at Cui Ni’er. The girl appeared dim and ordinary, just like any other person, with no issues.

Witnessing this, Zheng Que felt reassured and was about to take his leave when his expression suddenly changed.

Beneath Cui Ni’er’s feet, there was nothing but emptiness. Not a trace of a shadow.