Yu Zhen grunted in acknowledgment and said readily, "No problem. Move into my place within three days. Do you want cash or a check?" Zhuge Wu asked, "Could you transfer it to my card instead?" "Of course." Zhuge Wu took out a piece of paper, wrote down a string of numbers, and handed it to Yu Zhen. Yu Zhen called for the steward and instructed him to make the transfer, then looked at me and said, "You're not bad either. Come stay here with me as well—I won't treat you unfairly." I glanced at Zhuge Wu, who nodded and said, "Thank you, Master Zhen, for taking in my nephew and me. We'll move in the day after tomorrow." Yu Mengxuan's emotions had been soothed, and she looked at me with a meaningful gaze, saying, "Zhao Lianfan, I was right about you." I gave a slight smile in response, neither nodding nor shaking my head. I didn't want to get entangled with these factions. Once Zhuge Wu helped me find the Yinshazhu and rescue Zhao Yixian, I would just wait for school to start, study hard, and cut all ties with these matters. Yu Zhen arranged a car to take us back—this time it wasn't a van but a luxury sedan. Yu Zhen seemed to have developed a high level of trust in Zhuge Wu as well. I understood inwardly that this wasn't just because Zhuge Wu had exposed Si Tu Jin's disguise for him; he must have investigated Zhuge Wu, and the conversation among the three family members earlier likely played a part too. As the car passed a bustling Taoist temple with thick incense smoke, Zhuge Wu suddenly asked the driver to stop and said to me, "Give me your jade ring." Instinctively, I shielded the jade ring hanging on my chest and asked, "What do you want it for?" "Earlier, she helped you block the possession by Master Zhen's wife and suffered great damage to her vital energy. I'll go into the temple to help her recover," Zhuge Wu explained. I hummed in acknowledgment and said, "Alright, I'll go with you." Zhuge Wu waved his hand and said, "You'd better not go. You know your own situation well—it's not suitable for you to enter a Taoist temple." I was about to speak when Zhuge Wu winked at me, signaling me not to reveal the matter of the Jiyin Mingge, since there was still a driver present. Seeing the sincerity in Zhuge Wu's eyes, I hesitated for a moment, then took off the jade ring hanging around my neck and handed it to him, saying, "Then hurry back." "You can head back first if you want—this won't be done in a short while; a ritual ceremony is needed." Zhuge Wu took the jade ring, turned around, and opened the car door. "No, I'll wait for you here." By the time I finished saying this, Zhuge Wu had already gotten out of the car and was running toward the temple. Watching Zhuge Wu's retreating figure, I knew he meant well, but I still felt a bit worried. However, given Zhuge Wu's abilities, if he had wanted to take my jade ring by force, I wouldn't have had any chance to resist. Thinking of this, I relaxed a little. I chatted idly with the driver, who was quite talkative. During that time, aside from taking one phone call, he kept telling me about his glorious exploits and how impressive Yu Zhen was. The wait turned out to be long indeed—a full five or six hours passed, and it was nearly dark before Zhuge Wu came out. I grew increasingly restless, and the driver also said with some concern, "Maybe you should call and ask, urge him along—I wouldn't dare go into Qianhunlu at night." I nodded and took out my phone, only to realize I hadn't saved Zhuge Wu's number. He had given me a business card back when he was driving the black car, but I had tossed it into the trash without even looking at it.
The driver saw my expression in the rearview mirror, thought for a moment, and said, "How about I take you back first? I've heard that a ritual usually takes a full day and night." "That long?" I asked, somewhat speechless. The driver grunted in acknowledgment and said, "Yes. If I take you back now, I can still make it off Qianhunlu before dark. Brother, do me a favor—after dark, I really don't dare linger on Qianhunlu. Last time, a fellow tried to take a shortcut through Qianhunlu and mysteriously vanished." I thought it over and said, "Alright, big brother, you go on back. It's only a dozen or so kilometers from here to Qianhunlu, so I'll just wait here." "That works too." The driver pulled out a few hundred yuan and said, "Consider this the cab fare. This was originally my task, so I…" "No need, big brother, I still have money on me." I waved my hand, opened the car door, and got out. I walked over to the curb in front of the temple gate and sat down, my eyes fixed tightly on the temple entrance. That jade ring had been worn close to my body for the past three years, and suddenly not having it on felt strange—mainly because Zhao Yixian was inside it. Thinking of Zhao Yixian, my heart filled with guilt again. When Yuzhen's wife threw herself on me, she had been helping me resist, and she was already severely weakened, yet she still desperately protected me. Later, I had vaguely held the jade ring and tried to communicate with her, but that familiar warm, comforting sensation never returned. I knew she was badly hurt. Now Zhuge Wu was helping her recover her vitality, and I was willing to wait as long as it took. With Zhao Yixian constantly on my mind, waiting didn't feel tiring. I didn't know how much time had passed, but the sky gradually darkened, and throughout it all, I kept watching the temple gate without ever seeing Zhuge Wu come out. The driver's words had put me at ease, and thinking that Zhao Yixian could recover her vitality, I felt that no matter how long I waited, it would be worth it. Before I knew it, midnight arrived, and the pedestrians and vehicles on the road grew sparse. I was getting tired too, so I hugged my legs and buried my head in my knees, dozing off in a daze. Because of my longing for Zhao Yixian, she would even appear in my dreams. Normally, dreaming would worsen one's sleep quality, but it was the opposite for me—every time I dreamed of Zhao Yixian, I slept especially soundly, as if my body were being recharged. When I woke up, the sky was already showing the pale light of dawn. I rubbed my eyes and felt full of energy. Around me were actually a few coins and some paper bills—passersby must have mistaken me for a beggar and casually tossed me some money. I smiled and shook my head, picked up the coins and bills, and looked at the tightly shut temple gate. It seemed Zhuge Wu still hadn't come out. After waiting nearly three more hours, the temple door finally opened. I hurried over and said to the young acolyte who opened it, "Hey, buddy, wait a moment." "Is this benefactor here to offer prayers?" the acolyte asked with a bow. I shook my head and said, "No. A friend of mine came to your temple yesterday for a ritual and hasn't come out yet. Could you help me ask how much longer he'll be?" "Benefactor, our temple never keeps outsiders overnight. Perhaps you've made a mistake?" the acolyte said. "Impossible. I watched him go in. He told me to wait for him here. His name is Zhuge Wu, and he was wearing a yellow Daoist robe when he went in," I said directly.