Chapter 4 Please Do Not Blame Yourself
White Impermanence naturally saw the old man.
At this time, the Taoist robe on the old man’s chest was soaked in blood. Judging by the injury to his arm, it should have been broken.
Besides that, there were scars of various sizes everywhere.
What surprised her even more was the old man’s strength.
His meridians were almost all destroyed, meaning he almost fought the Night Walker with the power of a mortal. Although it seemed like he failed, it didn’t stop White Impermanence from showing respect to this old man.
However, in the current situation, how could he still be saved?
White Impermanence couldn’t quite figure it out.
“Miss Xie… cough cough cough…”
Old Deng coughed out black blood mixed with organ fragments. He tremblingly opened his collar and took out a talisman from inside.
Seeing this talisman, White Impermanence’s eyes widened.
As a Ghost Messenger, she naturally knew what this talisman was.
The Substitute Life Talisman, as the name suggests, uses the operator’s soul as a sacrifice, transferring all the pain and curses from the recipient’s body to their own.
And the price is extremely tragic.
The operator doesn’t even have a chance to reincarnate; after the ritual is completed, their souls are scattered.
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
White Impermanence looked at the old man in front of her with a solemn expression.
“You must know that even with the Substitute Life Talisman, there is no 100% guarantee that your granddaughter will live, but you will definitely die.”
Faced with White Impermanence’s advice, Old Deng just smiled calmly.
He was old and had experienced too much.
As a Ghost Exorcist, he had witnessed countless people around him leave before him. Even his own son had died in a supernatural event while covering the escape of the Special Task Force.
At that time, he was in another supernatural event. By the time he rushed to the scene, all he saw was his son’s cold remains.
And now that his granddaughter was also in danger, he would never allow the tragedy of that year to happen again.
“I have made up my mind,”
Old Deng said firmly, his old, cloudy eyes revealing a determined radiance.
“Even if it fails, I will not allow myself to watch Xiaolin leave me like this.”
Seeing the old man’s determined gaze, White Impermanence didn’t say anything more, just sighed and took the Substitute Life Talisman from his hand.
“I understand…”
—
On the other side, Liu Haoyu was driving his small car on his way back.
Although he had dealt with Gu Qianyang’s remnant soul and dispersed the shadow that had lingered in Lingnan Town for decades, the problem was that Gu Qianyang himself had disappeared.
No one knew where he had moved the coffin to, or what he was planning.
More importantly, he had a clear understanding of Qin Liu’s abilities.
This little ghost, who seemed harmless, possessed a power that was definitely not that simple for a guide.
Guide was just her title, not her actual strength.
But why was she so strong…
As King Yama said, no one knew the source of Qin Liu’s power.
Perhaps only she herself knew.
Moreover, Qin Liu had sealed her memories; it was uncertain whether she knew about it herself.
“Qin Liu?”
Liu Haoyu’s gaze shifted to the young girl in the co-pilot seat.
But the girl did not respond.
Ever since the girl got into the car, she had been sleeping while holding the lantern.
She was sleeping soundly, and Liu Haoyu couldn’t bear to disturb her.
So, seeing that she was not awake, he naturally didn’t call her.
While Liu Haoyu was focusing on driving, Qin Liu had fallen into a deep sleep.
In the vast and boundless darkness, Qin Liu stood still, holding the Soul Guiding Lantern.
She was waiting for someone.
“Tap… tap… Yin Lin Yi Qi Shi Wu ⑼罒⑨BA”
Hearing the footsteps behind her, the girl turned around, her empty, vacant gaze fixed on the old man in front of her.
To be precise, this was just a shattered remnant soul.
“Your lifespan has expired. It is time for you to leave now.”
Old Deng’s shattered soul could still recognize Qin Liu.
Heard the old man laugh with relief.
But his voice sounded so bitter.
“This line of work as a Ghost Exorcist…”
“It’s like scooping Meng Po’s soup from the tip of a knife.”
As he spoke, he took out items one by one from his tattered Taoist robe.
“This is the copper coin of Xu Lao Er. To seal the Painted Skin Ghost, he refined himself into a human candle…”
“This is the pen of Wang Lao Di. This seventeen-year-old boy was possessed by a fierce ghost and jumped into a well. They searched for three days and only recovered this pen…”
“…”
“This is… my son’s knucklebone.”
With each item he took out, Old Deng’s voice trembled more.
By the end, even the old man, who had lived a life full of vicissitudes, couldn’t help but let out a choked sob.
He had witnessed too many partings and reunions. His heart should have been numb long ago, but when he took out these items, the heavy obsession attached to them made it difficult for him to breathe.
“Guide… no, Miss Qin.”
Old Deng raised his head, his cloudy, aged eyes gazing at Qin Liu.
“Perhaps my request is a bit unreasonable, but could you please listen carefully.”
Qin Liu remained silent, only looking at the old man in front of her and nodding quietly.
“That girl Xiaolin is now alone. She has just entered society. After this incident, she will surely regret it immensely.”
“Perhaps when she wakes up, she will constantly question herself, thinking that if she hadn’t entered the line of Ghost Exorcists, this tragedy would not have happened.”
“So please tell her for me that I have long seen through my own fate.”
“This is destiny. Do not blame yourself, and live on well.”
“The pain will pass, and life will become more beautiful.”
“If you miss grandpa, come and pay respects at my grave.”
Qin Liu’s empty, vacant eyes gazed at the old man in front of her, then she nodded in agreement.
Seeing that Qin Liu agreed to help, Old Deng’s lingering obsession was halved. He continued to speak.
“And then there’s young Liu.”
“Regarding this kid, I don’t think he’s ever told you anything about his past, has he?”
Qin Liu nodded again.
“Heh heh… as expected…”
Old Deng sighed.
“There’s still enough time, I’ll tell you, otherwise, he’d definitely hide it from you his whole life.”
“To be honest, this kid’s fate is also rough.”
“His birth mother died in childbirth. His father was a Ghost Exorcist, but he unfortunately died at the hands of a fierce ghost while accompanying me to Ye Shangfeng in Beiming City. His remains have never been found.”
“He was only six years old that year.”
“Carrying the burden of revenge since he was young, while others were enjoying and singing praises of their beautiful youth, he resolutely chose to become a Ghost Exorcist and went to Beiming City alone.”
“In fact, compared to his father, his talent is not that great. His spiritual sight is poor, and his internal meridians are narrow.”
“However, I have to admit that his efforts have made up for the gap in talent. His strength has surpassed everyone’s imagination. Even though he is only in his teens, he has already made a name for himself in Beiming City…”
