As the car entered the Liang Estate, a villa of red and white came into view, gleaming like a radiant pearl under the moonlight and amidst the lights.
Luxury cars and fine horses, the air thick with perfume and the rustle of elegant attire—beauties gathered like clouds.
Shen Zhiyi linked arms with Yu Qing and went to greet Liang Qun.
The old man was nearly seventy, with graying temples and a kind face, but his eyes were unfathomably deep, impossible to read.
Upon learning of Yu Qing's identity, he spoke with great courtesy, yet from start to finish, he didn't spare Shen Zhiyi a single extra glance—no doubt taking her for Yu Qing's companion, a decoration for a successful man.
Shen Zhiyi leaned close to Yu Qing's ear, her movements as intimate as a lover's whisper: "You chat with Liang Qun. I'll go take a stroll."
Yu Qing smiled without warmth: "Please, old-timer, keep it in check. Don't cause trouble, or my brother will skin me alive."
…
Slipping away from the crowd, Shen Zhiyi quietly made her way to a corner. Once she was certain no one was watching, she deftly slipped out of the banquet hall and headed toward the back garden.
At the end of the corridor, beside the greenhouse, a woman with a full head of silver hair was on the phone.
"You couldn't dismantle it? What do you mean the detonator didn't work? … Enough, enough, I understand. Come back as soon as you can—your father is waiting for you."
The woman hung up and turned around, only to run into Shen Zhiyi. She froze for a moment.
She quickly smoothed away the impatience on her face, narrowed her eyes to size up Shen Zhiyi, and spoke with the condescension of one in a position of power.
"Which family are you from?"
Having gotten the answer she wanted, Shen Zhiyi curled her lips into a faint smile without responding to the woman's interrogation.
"I've heard that five hundred years ago, north of the Mosha River, there was the Baiyue tribe, who used the manjushaka flower as their clan totem. The tribespeople were especially skilled at raising Little Ghosts to carry out wicked deeds."
With every word she spoke, the woman's face paled a shade further.
Taking in the woman's white hair and wrinkles, Shen Zhiyi said, "The totem at the orphanage was left by you. You raised those Little Ghosts for ten years—they've done quite a few things for you, haven't they?"
After a brief moment of panic, the woman regained her composure: "What are you talking about? I don't understand."
"It's just the two of us here. I can see right through you at a glance—why keep up the pretense?"
The woman narrowed her eyes and scanned her surroundings, confirming there was indeed no one else, and a flicker of murderous intent crossed her gaze.
Shen Zhiyi asked casually, "After doing so many bad things, aren't you afraid of retribution?"
The woman sneered: "Retribution? So you're a Spirit Cultivator too, and you actually believe in retribution? Hah! If retribution really existed, how have I lived so many years in luxury and fine clothes?"
Shen Zhiyi said, "It's not that there's no retribution—it's that the time hasn't come yet."
"Fine then, I'll wait." The woman curled her lips, lowered her voice, and said provocatively, "As for what you said about the orphanage and raising Little Ghosts—sorry, I really don't know what you're talking about."
With a disdainful expression, she brushed past Shen Zhiyi.
The young woman stood in the moonlight, her right hand resting on her left, gently tapping out a rhythm.
"It's here."
"What?"
"Retribution. It's here."
The moment Shen Zhiyi's words fell, the butler came rushing over in a panic, face flushed red, breathless: "Ma—Madam! Something terrible! The young master has been in a car accident!"
"What!" the woman exclaimed in shock. "I just spoke with him on the phone—how could…"
The butler said urgently, "I heard from the people over there that it's serious—he's already been taken to the hospital! The master is looking for you everywhere!"
Forgetting Shen Zhiyi entirely, the woman turned to leave.
"Ten years have passed, and your runes can no longer suppress those little ghosts." Shen Zhiyi said softly, "Madam Liang, you see, retribution—here it comes, isn't it?"
This was also the reason the Liang family had acquired that piece of land, and why Liang Yousheng was in such a hurry to tear down the orphanage.
After discovering that the runes were gradually failing to suppress the little ghosts they had been raising, they wanted to set them free.
…
The car pulled over to the side of the road. A traffic officer was inquiring about the situation, and the secretary was politely communicating with the officer.
"Yes, it suddenly accelerated, then crashed into the guardrail. The specific details should be captured on our dashcam."
"We have no idea what happened either."
"Mr. Liang came to invite our boss to attend an event… Yes, we're considered business partners."
"Alright, thank you for your hard work."
The man stood in the night, his sinister gaze fixed on the nearly totaled black sedan.
Before setting off, Liang Yousheng had been enthusiastically inviting him to ride in his car, saying he wanted to consult him on questions related to the collaboration project.
Just before getting in, he suddenly recalled the girl's words.
"A friendly reminder—don't ride in the same car as him recently. You'll die."
Without hesitation, he declined Liang Yousheng's kind offer.
The hotel he was staying at was halfway up the mountain, and the descent included a stretch of winding mountain road. At the last curve, Liang Yousheng's car suddenly accelerated and crashed straight into the guardrail by the roadside.
The driver died on the spot, and Liang Yousheng was severely injured and rushed to the hospital.
If he had been in that car, he would surely be lying in the emergency room right now.
After the questioning concluded, the secretary returned to his boss's side, patted his chest, and let out a long breath: "Boss, good thing you had the foresight not to ride in Mr. Liang's car."
Lu Shiyue opened the car door and said, "Let's go."
"Where to?" the secretary said. "With something like this happening to the Liang family, the banquet is definitely canceled."
"To the orphanage in the suburbs."
"Huh?" The secretary was shocked. "Now?"
The man gave him a cold, sidelong glance, seemingly annoyed by his clueless expression, making no effort to hide the disdain in his eyes.
The secretary quickly got into the car.
"To the orphanage!"
As they passed the wrecked sedan, the secretary blinked.
A small child was lying on top of the car, its pitch-black hollow eyes turned toward him, grinning: "Hehe!"
W-W-What the hell is that thing?!
The secretary's eyes flew wide open.
A gust of wind passed, and the top of the car was empty—only the red and blue flashing lights of the police car cast their alternating glow.
…
Liang Yousheng had been in a car accident, so the banquet ended hastily. The butler was responsible for seeing off the guests, while Liang Qun and Madam Liang both rushed to the hospital.
Yu Qing searched around but couldn't find Shen Zhiyi anywhere. Just as she was about to call her, she suddenly heard harsh, cutting voices coming from a corner not far away.
"Shen Zhiyi, you really don't know when to give up, do you? Following me all the way here—should I say you're quite devoted? Hah."
Yu Qing hurried over and saw Shen Zhiyi blocked by a young man.
…
After locating the culprit, Shen Zhiyi had planned to call Yu Qing and head to the orphanage. But just as she stepped out of the garden, Cheng Haoyu blocked her path.
The man wore a silver-gray suit, his hair slicked back into a glossy pompadour, looking deceptively presentable.
He stood in front of Shen Zhiyi, lowering his gaze to size her up with an appraising look.
Not wanting to tangle with this man, Shen Zhiyi didn't even lift her head: "Excuse me, coming through. Thanks."
"After chasing me all this way, wouldn't it be a waste of your efforts to just leave like that?" The man sneered, not budging an inch, showing no intention of letting her go. "Or what, Shen Zhiyi, are you playing hard to get with me?"
Even the most patient person would be provoked by such a fool, let alone Shen Zhiyi, who was never known for her patience to begin with.
In her original world, she was infamous for her fiery temper and ruthless methods against her enemies, striking fear into the hearts of all sorts of demons and monsters.
Taking a deep breath, Shen Zhiyi looked up at the man's smug face and smiled sweetly.
"Who gave you the confidence to think I'd play hard to get with you? With your height under five-nine, your fifty-fifty body proportions, a belly full of lard, a head full of nonsense, no looks to speak of, a figure that's questionable at best, a shriveled intellect, and emotional intelligence that's taken a permanent vacation—is that the pathetic state you're in? When your parents created you, did they only give you an overabundance of confidence and nothing else?"