Qin Yu’an said, “It’s time to verify whether Lin Jin was telling the truth.”
“If the evil spirits really are these three people, then after they died, they didn’t go where they were supposed to go they stayed in the mortal world.”
“Once I dig them up, perform a soul-summoning ritual to release them, and then capture the demon, this mission will be complete.”
“Once I help them return to the right path, they shouldn’t blame me for digging up their graves.”
“Don’t move I’ll have this done soon.”
Shu Chen could hear from this statement that his senior brother was protecting his own fragile self-esteem.
“I recall there are release rituals that don’t require the deceased’s body. Wouldn’t that work?”
Qin Yu’an’s hands moved even faster. “Oh, I didn’t expect you to know about that. In theory, it would work, but there’s one problem I can’t solve.”
Shu Chen asked curiously, “What problem?”
“That method is quite difficult I never learned it.”
Shu Chen: “I see.”
He really was sorry. He hadn’t meant to drag his senior brother’s self-esteem down.
According to the timeline Lin Jin had given, these people hadn’t been dead long, but even after Qin Yu’an had dug halfway, Shu Chen still couldn’t smell anything unusual.
Could they have been cremated? Didn’t they say cremation wasn’t common around here?
Shu Chen was lost in thought when he suddenly noticed Xiao Nian’s grim expression not far away, like the prelude to an approaching storm.
He quietly made his way toward the male lead.
Before he even reached him, Xiao Nian turned his head to glance at him, then silently walked away.
Qin Yu’an’s digging seemed to have hit an obstacle.
Shu Chen paused for a moment, then decided to see what the male lead was trying to do behind his back.
Xiao Nian hadn’t gone far, nor was he doing anything behind Shu Chen’s back. He showed no reaction to the little pervert’s approach.
Shu Chen thought for a moment, then spoke up. “Are you upset because Senior Brother didn’t let you dig the grave?”
Xiao Nian was almost amused into laughter. “Shut up, or I’ll leave you here and not take you back.”
“Why would I need you to take me back?”
Xiao Nian looked at him with contempt. “Can you even find your way?”
Shu Chen could tell the man in front of him was about to explode.
He pointed at Xiao Nian’s neck. “With this, I can find my way.”
That was the last straw. It was impossible to say who struck first Qin Yu’an was digging his grave just fine when the two junior brothers suddenly started fighting without warning.
Xiao Nian was furious and spoke without thinking. “You’re not actually angry you’re just a brain-dead troublemaker.”
Shu Chen’s movements slowed for a beat, curious as to why he’d say that.
Qin Yu’an stopped digging and rushed over to separate them. “What’s going on? Weren’t you two fine just a moment ago?”
No one answered him.
Qin Yu’an had no choice but to grab one in each hand and drag them both to the grave.
“Dig. I’ll watch. Don’t even think about fighting again.”
Shu Chen was about to speak when he saw Qin Yu’an staring at a certain spot and making a halt gesture. “Looks like the noise from your fight attracted something.”
Even as he spoke, the figure in the distance had already vanished.
The speed was beyond what any mortal could achieve.
Qin Yu’an said, “I’ll go catch them and ask some questions. You two forget it, Junior Brother Xiao, come with me.”
Leaving them both behind risked another fight, and bringing Xiao Nian along meant he wouldn’t get lost on the way back.
Shu Chen stayed behind to continue digging. After a few more scoops, he could confirm that these were all empty graves.
There were no inscriptions, but Qin Yu’an wouldn’t have found an empty grave just to mess with him.
Several thoughts flashed through Shu Chen’s mind.
Before long, he saw Qin Yu’an dragging a person back, while Xiao Nian walked behind, deliberately averting his gaze.
Shu Chen thought: He won’t even look at me?
Qin Yu’an angrily threw the person to the ground. “This bastard made us run for nothing he dug the bodies up before we got here and burned them! Not a trace left!”
The first burst of energy fades, the second weakens, and the third is spent.
Qin Yu’an felt this trip had been nothing but bad luck from start to finish.
“Kill him. The grave’s empty anyway might as well put him in it.”
The man on the ground was in terrible shape, clearly having been persuaded to talk through less-than-gentle means.
Hearing this, he immediately sat up. “Don’t! I was just paid to do a job.”
Qin Yu’an’s anger flared the moment he heard his voice. “A cultivator like you coming here to make a fortune? Feeling pretty superior, are we? I’ve changed my mind I won’t kill you. But I will take you back and publicize your deeds across the entire cultivation world.”
The man raised his head, revealing surprisingly delicate features, and muttered in protest, “But aren’t you here making money too?”
Qin Yu’an smacked him on the head. “We’re doing this through proper channels. What about you?”
“Please don’t report me. I really didn’t know those bodies were important to you. I’ve never done this kind of thing before.”
Shu Chen crouched down. “Was it the Prince Kang’s household who hired you to dig up the bodies?”
The man’s gaze wavered when he looked at him before answering, “It should be them this time too even if not, it’s related to them. I just arrived in the mortal world and have only worked for the Prince Kang’s household. I haven’t even had a chance to advertise my services yet.”
Shu Chen asked, “What else have you done for the Prince Kang’s household before?”
Perhaps thinking he was easy to talk to, the man began to haggle, “If I tell you, can you promise not to kill me and let me go?”
Qin Yu’an warned him, “I’m about to get angry again.”
“Then kill me. Even if you kill me, you’ll never know what trap I set for you in Prince Kang’s mansion.”
Shu Chen said, “Senior Brother, do it.”
Qin Yu’an immediately reached out.
“Wait, wait, I’ll talk.”
“Prince Kang had me set up a formation in his mansion to deflect disasters for him, disguised as a normal room. As long as someone moved in, the evil spirits would mistake them for Prince Kang.”
“But I didn’t fully follow through. If they hadn’t found me again, I would have already fled.”
“Don’t kill me. I really didn’t intend to harm anyone.”
The three brothers all wore grim expressions, none more so than Qin Yu’an.
Shu Chen said, “But staying here, you have the ability to harm others.”
“I’ll go back tomorrow no, I’ll return to the cultivation world right now and never come here again.”
Shu Chen said, “You caused us to lose the evidence.”
Xiao Nian shot him a surprised glance evidence, not just a lead. So the little pervert’s brain wasn’t entirely used for improper purposes after all.
The man surrounded by them said dejectedly, “I’m sorry. I’ll give you all the spiritual artifacts I have on me as compensation.”
Shu Chen took out a bracelet. “That’s not enough. You have to wear this. If you don’t reach the cultivation world within a day, it will automatically explode.”
Xiao Nian’s eyes sharpened.
The handsome young man reluctantly took the bracelet. “You can’t just do whatever you want just because you’re good-looking.” Despite his words, he obediently put it on.
Qin Yu’an slapped him hard again. “How dare you speak like that?”
The handsome young man said, “That’s nothing yet.”
After putting on the bracelet, he tried to take it off, but it was as if it had grown onto his wrist it wouldn’t budge.
Shu Chen said, “As long as you never enter the mortal world again, nothing will happen.”
The handsome young man showed no worry about wearing a ticking time bomb; instead, he perked up and asked, “So does this count as a love token from you.”
Before he could finish, he was flung away by the one who had given him the bracelet, flying off so fast that even his screams faded into silence.