He looks like a street loafer, but he’s my life mentor.
“The lower bunk is mine, the desk is mine, the window side is also mine. You just stay put on your upper bunk. No eating, undressing, smoking, grinding teeth, or farting in the room—basically, aside from breathing and sleeping, you’re not allowed to do anything. And definitely no peeking at me. If you dare do anything disrespectful to me…” Tao Tao raised Tao Yao, “I’ll…”
“Chop me up, half to feed the pigs, half to feed the dogs,” Lin Quan said obligingly.
Tao Tao was quite satisfied with his self-awareness.
Lin Quan pointed: “Is that also yours?”
Tao Tao looked over and saw Fugui hopping around on the desk. In the soda can at the corner of the desk was a peach branch. She froze.
Before going to bed, there had been nothing there. That was something that had appeared in her dream within a dream. Suddenly, Tao Tao couldn’t quite distinguish between dream and reality.
She reached out toward Fugui, and the little bird flew onto her palm.
“Was I sleepwalking just now?” she asked.
Fugui tilted its head, looking utterly innocent. Its lively little eyes glanced at Tao Tao, then at Lin Quan, before flying to the soda can, picking up the peach branch in its beak, circling the room a few times, and finally landing by the window, causing the wind chimes to rustle as it bumped into them.
Tao Tao scooped it back, placing the peach branch properly in the bottle. “Forget it, let’s just say so. You should sleep now.”
But Fugui clearly wasn’t tired. It was unusually excited tonight, struggling out of Tao Tao’s palm and landing on Lin Quan’s shoulder, rubbing its fluffy head against Lin Quan’s cheek.
Lin Quan smiled. “Is this your bird? It seems to like me a lot.”
Tao Tao: “Don’t be fooled. It’s usually fierce with strangers. It might peck you any moment. Fugui, come here.”
Fugui ignored her completely. Tao Tao couldn’t be bothered either, lying down on the bed and pulling up the covers.
Seeing she was going to sleep, Lin Quan turned off the light and climbed to the upper bunk. Fugui, completely unafraid of strangers, simply nestled by his pillow to sleep.
…
This time, Tao Tao didn’t dream again. She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she’d had such dreamless sleep. As soon as she closed her eyes, she slept straight from nine in the evening until the early hours of the morning, waking up in the middle of the night because she was thirsty.
She climbed down from the bed, saw Lin Quan and Fugui sleeping soundly on the upper bunk, and quietly opened the door to go out.
After the door closed, Lin Quan opened his eyes on the upper bunk. He climbed down and walked to the window.
Fugui was also awake, fluttering around him. It wanted to perch on Lin Quan’s head but didn’t quite dare, so it could only circle around repeatedly.
“She just went out. No need to worry.”
A light rain began to fall outside the window, cold wind pouring in and rattling the wind chimes. Lin Quan extended his hand, and Fugui flew over, skillfully perching on his fingertip.
“Decline, decline…”
Lin Quan gently stroked the feathers on his fingertip, his indifferent gaze falling outside the window.
The sprawling city lights had already dimmed, the streets dark and quiet. Tall buildings stood like steel tombs in the night.
“…Why not return?”
Fugui spread its wings, its tail suddenly fluffing up, splitting into several long feathers like a peacock spreading its tail.
If Tao Tao were still here, she would surely be astonished. The tiny bird had now grown several times larger. On its usually messy, dry feathers bloomed brilliant golden stamens. It soared into the sky, trailing dazzling golden tail feathers, disappearing into the vast night.
At that moment, stars filled the firmament, and a blood-red full moon hung in the night sky.
The man lowered his eyes. When he raised them again, those deep, dark pools had already been stained with blood.
Tao Tao walked into the lobby. The foot-washing center had just closed, but only a beautiful woman was inside, tidying up the accounts. Everyone else was gone.
“Need something?” the woman asked.
“I’m thirsty.”
The woman pulled a bottle of mineral water from under the counter and handed it over. Tao Tao accepted it. “Thanks. Where’s Luo Hou?”
The woman turned sideways and pointed to the wide-open hidden door behind the counter. “He’s downstairs, guiding those kids in cultivating their spiritual veins. If you’re looking for him, you can just go down.”
Tao Tao nodded and descended the stairs to the basement.
All things possess spirit—animals, plants, even mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas harbor spirit within them.
Humans are the most spiritually endowed of all beings, capable of condensing in just a few decades the spirit that other creatures might take centuries to accumulate. However, the spirit within ordinary people is merely spirit; it cannot be called Spiritual Power.
There is a threshold for the spirit within the human body. For most people, the total amount of spirit remains below this threshold. Once the total exceeds it, the free-floating spirit transforms into Spiritual Power. Spiritual Power is the fundamental force Spirit Masters use to exorcise evil spirits and is also the energy source that evil spirits crave.
Spirit Masters are not born different from others. As they grow older, their Spiritual Power gradually awakens.
Some awaken their Spiritual Power as early as five or six years old, while others may not awaken until middle age. This varies depending on the strength of their Spiritual Power and their individual constitutions. However, one thing remains the same: if Spiritual Power awakens suddenly and without warning, it is a terrifying experience for a Spirit Master.
When Spiritual Power first awakens, it is scattered and chaotic. The Spirit Master cannot control it or use Spiritual Artifacts. Evil spirits feed on spirit and will follow its scent, seeking out Spirit Masters when they are weak and defenseless, devouring them.
Therefore, cultivating a spiritual vein is the lifelong goal of every Spirit Master. Only with a spiritual vein can they conceal their Spiritual Power and possess the strength to protect themselves.
Luo Hou had said that there were many children here who had not yet cultivated their spiritual veins. Without protection, they would become a feast for evil spirits.
The locations chosen for Chaotic Tomb branches were deliberate—usually places like foot-washing centers, bathhouses, or slaughterhouses, where filth or killing intent was heavy. The environment alone could ward off some evil spirits.
The space downstairs was vast. Besides the central cultivation hall, there were many rooms—some storing books and materials, others housing Spiritual Artifacts, and some suppressing evil spirits…
Luo Hou sat cross-legged in the center of the cultivation hall, his eyes closed. Behind him, three pale blue, elongated patterns floated in mid-air, shaped like human blood vessels. Though there was no wind, they swayed gently from side to side.
Around him sat over a dozen people. No spiritual veins appeared behind them, but a faint white light enveloped them as they meditated in cultivation.
The woman descended the stairs and stood beside Tao Tao. “Master Luo requires everyone to cultivate for at least an hour after work before going to bed. These kids are very diligent—they often cultivate for two or three hours. They understand the cruelty of the world. For a Spirit Master, without enough strength to protect themselves, they will be devoured by evil spirits.”
“How many official Spirit Masters does Yelaixiang have?”
“Many people leave after cultivating their spiritual veins. Some travel the world to exorcise evil, while others hide their abilities and return to normal lives, occasionally taking on tasks. It’s too harsh here; we can never keep anyone for long. Master Luo, me, and that new arrival tonight, Lin Quan—that makes three now.” The woman smiled as she spoke to Tao Tao. “I’m Zhuang Xiaomeng.”
The woman wore a low-cut red dress, her demeanor alluring yet not vulgar.
Tao Tao: “Your surname is Zhuang—are you from the Zhuang family, the masters of nightmares?”
A hint of bitterness flickered in Zhuang Xiaomeng’s eyes: “Centuries-old Spirit Master families care deeply about face. Someone like me, a failure, isn’t acknowledged by the Zhuang family. Right now, I’m just Master Luo’s disciple.”
“What a coincidence, I’m a failure too,” Tao Tao said casually. “If I had a prominent family, I’d have been kicked out countless times by now.”
“Isn’t being the Bell Ringer’s grand-disciple prominent enough?”
“Precisely because I’m the Bell Ringer’s grand-disciple, people’s expectations of me are exceptionally high. Once I fail to meet them, they think I don’t deserve the title or the benefits it brings.” Tao Tao smiled. “I know what they say about me.”
She patted Zhuang Xiaomeng’s shoulder: “People just need to be a bit thicker-skinned. Hear things as if you didn’t, know things as if you don’t. If someone insists on being tactless and calls me a failure to my face, I usually just cut them down.”
“Noted,” Zhuang Xiaomeng curved her lips. “I’ll try that next time.”
Tao Tao yawned, and Zhuang Xiaomeng asked: “Aren’t you looking for Luo Hou?”
She shook her head: “No, I was just curious to see how Spirit Masters usually cultivate. I’m going back to sleep.”
Tao Tao returned to her room. Lin Quan was still asleep. She climbed onto the bed quietly and fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.
…
The night passed without dreams.
In the morning, Tao Tao was awakened by knocking. Ting Ting outside the door shouted: “Sister Tao Tao, are you awake?”
Tao Tao glanced at the time—not even ten yet. She turned over, intending to go back to sleep: “No.”
Ting Ting shouted again: “Then hurry up and wake up!”
Tao Tao: “…”
She had no choice but to get up and open the door.
Ting Ting held breakfast in her hand: “Hurry up and eat. Class starts at ten.”
Tao Tao took it woodenly and took a bite of the steamed roll: “What class? Isn’t this a foot massage parlor?”
“Even working at a foot massage parlor requires learning knowledge to arm yourself.” Ting Ting poked open the soy milk and handed it to her. “Sister Tao Tao, try this. It’s really good. I specially ran out to buy it for you.”
Tao Tao sized her up: “How old are you?”
“Twenty-one.”
“Then don’t call me ‘sister.’ You’re several years older than me.”
“No, no,” Ting Ting said earnestly. “I’m Sister Zhuang’s disciple, Sister Zhuang is Master Luo’s disciple, and Master Luo is… Anyway, Master Luo says your seniority could make you my great-grandmother. Calling you ‘sister’ is already lowering your seniority. We can’t be without rules. Sister, drink quickly! Sister Zhuang’s Spirit Master theory class is this morning. If we’re late, she’ll scold us!”
“I’m not going. I have to give foot massages tonight. I need to catch up on sleep now.”
“You have to go! Everyone has to go, or Master Luo will get angry!”
“Is Luo Hou’s anger that scary?” Tao Tao drank half the bottle of soy milk in one gulp. “I’m the young mistress.”
Tingting widened her eyes, recalling how the eight terrifying men in suits had tied Luo Hou up like a zongzi last night. “That’s true, but Master Luo said we’re family, and family should study together. Even he goes to listen when Sister Zhuang gives lectures.”
Her voice grew softer, as if afraid of angering Tao Tao.
Tao Tao’s expression softened slightly upon hearing the words “family.” “Did Luo Hou say that?”
“Yes, Master Luo told us to treat you like family. Even though he looks like a street loafer, his words are full of wisdom. He’s my life mentor.”
Tao Tao finished her soy milk. “Got it, I’ll go.”
After Tingting left, Tao Tao got up to wash up. Lin Quan was no longer in bed.
She beckoned to Fugui, and the little bird flew over to nestle on her head.
Tao Tao asked, “Where is he?”
Fugui tilted its head, showing no reaction. Tao Tao asked again, “That annoying-looking man.”
Fugui still didn’t react. Tao Tao flicked its head. “Forget it, you silly bird.”
With a bird perched on her head, she rushed to the underground classroom just as the clock struck 9:59.
The classroom was small, with shabby desks and chairs that seemed to have been salvaged from some school warehouse.
A dozen or so students sat in pairs, their hands resting on notebooks and textbooks. Zhuang Xiaomeng stood at the front, writing on the whiteboard. Hearing the door open, she glanced at Tao Tao and nodded in acknowledgment.
Tao Tao had heard from Li Sanjiu that Chaotic Tomb had been suffering from a lack of talent in recent years. In the Jiangnan region branch, only two official resident Spirit Masters were assigned—one was Luo Hou, and the other was Zhuang Xiaomeng.
Both were formidable figures among the younger generation. Luo Hou had already condensed Three-Branch Spirit Veins at the age of twenty-six. As for Zhuang Xiaomeng, though her exact age was unknown, she was also a Spirit Master with two spiritual veins.
As soon as Tao Tao entered, everyone’s gaze naturally turned to her.
Luo Hou, sitting in the back row, waved to her. “Come here, there’s a stool.”
Tao Tao was about to head over when she spotted Lin Quan sitting in front of Luo Hou.
He was flipping through the beginner’s textbook for Spirit Masters published by Chaotic Tomb. In the chapter introducing the spirit-hiding body, there was a photo of her—arguably the biggest stain on Tao Tao’s eighteen years of life, bar none.
Back then, the editor had brought fruit to Qingfengguan, requesting a photo of Tao Tao—the only living spirit-hiding body—to include as an illustration in the book.
That day, Tao Tao was sulking because she wanted ice cream from the foot of the mountain, but Li Sanjiu was too lazy to buy it and wouldn’t let her go herself.
She sat on a rock outside the mountain gate, rolling her eyes so hard they nearly disappeared into her skull. The editor tried to strike up a conversation, but she ignored him and even picked her nose. This exact moment was captured by the photographer, and so her photo—picking her nose and rolling her eyes—was printed in the textbook every aspiring Spirit Master studied, remaining there for eight years.
Lin Quan was looking at that photo, and as he did, he chuckled.
Seeing Tao Tao enter, for some reason, he even held the book up for her to see.
Tao Tao blurted out, “Are you looking for death?”
Of course he was! Otherwise, how could he dare mock and provoke her like that?
Lin Quan showed no reaction, but Luo Hou, seeing her stare in his direction and utter such a shocking question, pondered for a moment before saying:
“Indeed, how could our young mistress, with her precious Metal-noble body, sit on this shabby cold bench in a foot-washing parlor? There’s a diamond-encrusted satin dragon throne placed right in the middle of the main hall at the Great Imperial City nightclub next door. Someone, go seize it for me! From now on, that shall be our young mistress’s exclusive seat during her lessons.”
Author’s Note:
Just two more chapters until the VIP release!