When I returned to the villa, it was just in time for breakfast.
Tingting was overjoyed to see Yuer.
Maybe it's because children from poor backgrounds mature early—her past experiences had made Tingting unusually sensible. Though she was younger than Yuer, she had taken on the responsibility of caring for her.
During breakfast, Aunt Su Yimei asked me, "Yangyang, your second uncle has been gone for seven or eight days now. Why haven't we heard anything from him?"
We rarely carry our phones during missions. First, to avoid losing them; second, because electromagnetic signals can attract ghosts.
I had tried calling my second uncle several times over the past few days, but none of the calls went through.
A "Demonic Ritual" by nature defies common logic, and Shennongjia is an inherently mysterious place. I didn't dare tell Aunt Su Yimei the truth, so I simply reassured her, "The journey to Shennongjia is long. They've probably just arrived. With Hu Wenhui by his side, you can rest easy."
Aunt Su Yimei sighed helplessly.
Seeing her like this made me feel bad as well. I lowered my head and continued eating in silence.
After breakfast, Huang Jiu and I went to the balcony to practice the Nine-Character Mantra. While forming the hand seals, he asked me, "Do you think those cowards from Longhu Mountain and Laoshan are really going to just swallow their anger?"
I thought for a moment and replied, "They've already been exposed. Even if I don't have much say, they won't take the risk. They'll definitely make a move on us. The Black Emperor will be here tonight—make sure it watches He Xiaolong and Lai Youwei closely."
"And Liu Jian too."
I had only met Liu Jian once, at the shop. He struck me as quiet and reserved.
Later, at the Empty House, Lai Youwei claimed he and Liu Jian went in together, but I didn't see him once I entered.
If Lai Youwei wasn't lying, then Liu Jian was probably in the inner room, dealing with people from the Three Yin Sect and the Ten Thousand Mountains.
If that's the case, then he's likely the most dangerous one of the group.
As for He Xiaolong, there was something strange about him, but he wasn't strong—otherwise, he wouldn't have let me go at the Empty House.
Huang Jiu scoffed, "Those guys are just a bunch of losers. I'm more worried about a true powerhouse making a move."
I smiled and said, "Don't worry. This city isn't that big. If someone with real strength shows up, word will spread fast. If they act too brazenly, they won't be able to cover it up."
"Besides, the Plague God is still here."
Huang Jiu laughed dismissively. "Judging by what happened yesterday, all the Plague God does is put on a sour face. Doesn't seem very capable."
I replied, "He's at the Convergence Realm and has a Nine-Yin Physique. There are many things we can't see."
We both knew he was hiding his true power. Someone like him, a seasoned old hand, has eaten more rice than we've eaten meals—he knows all the tricks.
But Huang Jiu still sneered, "We've killed people in the Convergence Realm before."
"Sigh… It's a shame we didn't go to the scene back then—it would've been satisfying."
Using a formation to kill someone but staying at the scene would've been a rookie mistake.
Of course, the truth is, we didn't have the strength to stay there even if we wanted to.
I sighed and didn't say more.
Little Yu spent the afternoon getting used to her new environment, and in the evening I had Huang Jiu start teaching her the basics.
After dark, I waited in the yard, and soon the Black Emperor arrived.
It reported the situation it had been tracking.
He Xiaolong, Liu Jian, and Lai Youwei were together, plotting revenge against me. But Lai Youwei had been hospitalized again—apparently, he was getting an artificial knee replacement.
I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
He was lucky to be born in the right era and with money—otherwise, with shattered kneecaps, he'd be disabled for life.
As for Lai Youwei's older brother, he seemed to have returned to his sect; the Black Emperor couldn't find him.
To me, all of this was minor stuff. What I really cared about was whether they had found the people from the Ten Thousand Mountains.
But the Black Emperor's report was neither good nor bad.
The Ascension Realm expert who escaped from the Empty House was still in the city, but had been focusing on healing.
Since he wasn't moving around, the Black Emperor and his kin couldn't do much.
Still, being able to gather this much information was already impressive.
As things continued to unfold, once enough information came together, the entire city would be under my control.
I told the Black Emperor to have Da Hei and the others continue watching those individuals, and to come pick up blood meals every weekend.
The Black Emperor said gratefully, "Second Brother, there's really no need for that. The brothers can feed themselves out there."
I replied, "Filling your bellies isn't enough. You need to eat well."
Hearing this, the Black Emperor was so touched it nearly cried.
After sending it off, I turned around and saw Zhan Ling leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching me.
I walked over, and she asked, "You're having them gather intel for you?"
I nodded. I wasn't trying to hide it—after all, we lived under the same roof. No point in secrets.
Zhan Ling rolled her eyes and said, "So now I'm less useful than a dog spirit?"
"Oh, come on! Your intel costs a fortune. And you said someone was going to send me money to improve my luck a few days ago—still haven't seen a cent," I shot back.
That jab hit a sore spot. Her chest heaved in fury.
I gulped and quietly recited "see no evil", but then I snuck another glance. She caught me, and I quickly changed the subject: "You should get ready too. Tomorrow is when the Nine-Yin Wealth Convergence spot matures. While others gather wealth, let's at least get a sip of the soup."
Back in the second-floor living room, Huang Jiu had set up a wooden board on the balcony with a Bagua diagram and was explaining it.
Tingting and Yuer were sitting on little stools, listening intently.
Whether they could understand it… that I couldn't say.
But Aunt Su Yimei was in the living room too. Since she wasn't stopping Tingting, it meant she didn't disapprove.
That was good. Since we couldn't avoid this path, better to start early—no need to fall behind at the starting line.
After showering, I found an old outfit for myself.
I also got a tracksuit for Xiao Cui. Tomorrow, Yuan Fei and the others would stay at home to protect Aunt Su Yimei, Tingting, and Yuer.
The only complication was the Plague God. If he insisted on coming along, Xiao Cui would have to go too.
If she stayed behind, it wouldn't be safe for her—or for anyone else.
While Xiao Cui was showering, I went up to the third floor.
Ever since the Plague God started following me, I hadn't really talked to him properly.
This time, I got straight to the point and brought up the matter of the "Small-Footed Girl."
I gave him a promise: unless he and Hu Wenhui reached an agreement, I wouldn't allow Hu Wenhui to see her again.
I didn't say this to curry favor with him, nor to betray Hu Wenhui.
It's just that after spending some time together, I found that, aside from being cold, the Plague God wasn't a bad person. And it got me thinking more deeply about what he had said the other day.
Now I was on my guard.
After hearing me out, the Plague God simply said, "Tomorrow, I'm not going anywhere."
Hearing this, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. The knot in my chest eased—but the fire in my lower abdomen flared up again.