Hühner und Hunde fliegen im Chaos und der Wiedergeburt

Kapitel 14

Xie Qifeng saw Qin Shuang slowly walking towards him with a small bottle in her hand. His vision blurred, and he fainted. Afterwards, Qin Shuang gave Xie Qifeng the antidote. Zhou Qiang ran onto the stage and carried Xie Qifeng down. Qian Qiuyue's expression told everyone that she was also worried about Xie Qifeng, but after all, she had been defeated by him. If she showed concern for this stranger at this time, she would be ridiculed by outsiders. That was what Qian Qiuyue thought.

Then a familiar voice came from the judges' panel: "The Gu Technique faction wins!" Qin Shuang seemed completely unconcerned about Xie Qifeng, but Zhou Qiang felt sorry for Xie Qifeng, and Qin Shuang felt sorry for Zhou Qiang, which meant Qin Shuang had to feel sorry for Xie Qifeng. Qin Shuang said to Zhou Qiang, "Zhou Qiang, don't worry. He'll wake up soon; the Miao family's antidote is the most effective." Zhang Xiaolong, bandaging his wounds, gently patted Xie Qifeng beside him and said to Zhou Qiang, "Haha, two wounded now." Zhou Qiang nodded faintly; his mind was already starting to devise a strategy to deal with Mike. =================================================================================== Chapter Seventeen: Victory Without a Fight - The Spirit of Brother Yi - Collected and organized by

Before Old Man Xia could speak, Zhou Qiang stepped onto the arena. As he walked, he pondered, deeply troubled by the unexpected injuries to Zhang Xiaolong and Xie Qifeng. Why did it have to be a fight to determine the winner? A wicked idea popped into Zhou Qiang's head, and he grinned mischievously. This grin didn't escape Old Man Xia's notice. Old Man Xia snorted and chuckled, saying, "Heh heh, who knows what tricks this kid's up to now. Who knows, maybe he'll try to bite that foreign kid's neck, hahaha." Then all three old men laughed together.

Mike jumped onto the ring, standing three meters away from Zhou Qiang, and clasped his hands in a fist salute. He'd learned this from Wu Laosan, and even he didn't know what it meant. Zhou Qiang didn't return the salute; instead, he beckoned to Mike with his index finger, gesturing for him to come over. Mike, completely bewildered, cautiously approached. Suddenly, Zhou Qiang stretched out his hands, startling Mike, who quickly assumed a fighting stance. This drew laughter from the audience.

Seeing that Zhou Qiang meant no harm and simply wanted to give Mike an American-style hug, Mike smiled and went to meet him, and the two embraced. Zhou Qiang leaned close to Mike's ear and whispered, "Do you think you can beat me?" Mike shook his head and said, "I don't know."

"If you're not confident, why fight? Since you don't understand me and I don't understand you, let's just not fight and avoid hurting our relationship," Zhou Qiang said, still holding the microphone. Chinese people are different from foreigners. The Chinese have seen enough of fighting and killing; in this day and age, people value winning people over with virtue. Foreigners, on the other hand, only respect someone after they've been beaten to a pulp. That's why they say China is a civilized country; foreigners' thinking isn't much different from animals.

Mike leaned closer to Zhou Qiang and said, "But I want to fight you. I really want to prove my strength, and I also want to see the ancient Chinese supernatural arts."

Zhou Qiang chuckled dismissively and said, "Heh, do you know why Wu Laosan disappeared last night?" Only Zhou Qiang himself knew the reason, so this foreigner naturally said he didn't, which was exactly what Zhou Qiang expected. But Mike surprised Zhou Qiang by answering, "I know, because I defeated him, and he was too ashamed to show his face here, so he ran away with his tail between his legs." After saying this, Mike looked very proud, believing that his phrase "ran away with his tail between his legs" was an idiom.

Zhou Qiang glanced around and said mysteriously in a low voice, "You're wrong. Wu Laosan was eaten by the evil spirit I raised. If Wu Laosan had left quietly, why didn't he take his knife? My evil spirit loves to eat people, but it loves to eat ghosts even more." Hearing this, Mike broke out in a cold sweat and said, "Really?" Seeing that Mike believed him, Zhou Qiang chuckled and then became serious again, saying, "YES! If you don't want to be eaten like Wu Laosan, then I advise you to surrender."

After a moment's thought, Mike's fear turned to joy, and he laughed, "Do you believe I can bite your neck off right now? If I kill you, your evil spirit will never appear again." As he spoke, Mike's eyes turned bloodshot, and his two frontal fangs were already showing. Zhou Qiang's neck was no more than ten centimeters away from his. Zhou Qiang smiled faintly, showing no trace of fear on his face. "Mike, you can turn around and see what's behind you?"

Mike turned around and exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my God!" It turned out that the evil spirit Jackie Chan had already been released by Zhou Qiang, so the ghost's weight was almost zero. That's why Mike hadn't noticed the ghost clinging to his back until Zhou Qiang pointed it out. Just then, the ghost's face was right in front of Mike, and he was terrified, even retracting his two fangs. Zhou Qiang could feel Mike's body trembling, and hugged him tightly, comforting him, "Have you thought it through? I'm only giving you one chance. I hope you can make a wise choice. Do you want to see if your teeth are faster or my evil spirit is faster?"

Mike hesitated for a moment, but Zhou Qiang pressed on, saying, "If you're willing to surrender, we can become good friends. I've heard you're quite interested in Chinese culture; I can give you an ancient coin. What do you think?" Mike, as if finding a way out, confronted Zhou Qiang, grabbed his right hand, and said, "Fine. I want an ancient knife coin." Zhou Qiang frowned, casually slapping Mike's hand, and said, "Stop talking nonsense, I meant a copper coin."

Mike said, "Good! Deal." Then he turned to the judges' panel and loudly proclaimed, "Three elders, I surrender!" He waved and then followed Zhou Qiang off the stage, scurrying off.

Old Man Xia was extremely frustrated. He slapped his forehead three times and said to the two old men beside him with a half-smile, "What happened? The two of them hugged for a full five minutes, and then that foreign kid surrendered. What's most infuriating is that he had such a bright smile on his face when he said he surrendered." Wax Man Xue glanced at Old Man Xia, also laughing heartily, and said, "This Qi Yi kid is quite interesting. I really want to know what he and the foreign kid were talking about. Ah, how happy I would be if I had such an unconventional disciple." Ghost Doctor Ouyang Bai interjected, "I also want such a disciple." The three old men exchanged smiles, and Old Man Xia stood up and said, "Qi Yi School wins. Let the contestants rest for ten minutes before the final duel."

Zhou Qiang returned to his seat, unaware that Mike was following him like a shadow. Mike, bowing and scraping like a traitor, said, "Zhou Qiang, give me some ancient coins!" Zhou Qiang said "Oh," realizing that was what Mike wanted. He then said to Zhang Xiaolong, "Xiaolong, give him a copper coin."

It was common for a Maoshan Taoist priest to carry ten or eight copper coins, so Zhang Xiaolong casually pulled out a coin and tossed it to Mike. Mike caught the coin mid-air, bowed, and returned to his seat. Zhang Xiaolong smiled helplessly and said, "Hey, this foreigner is like a beggar, easily appeased with just a copper coin. By the way, Senior Brother Zhou Qiang, what did you say to him that made him surrender?" Not only Zhang Xiaolong wanted to know, but Qin Shuang and Qian Qiuyue, as well as Qi Zijun and You Long at the next table, and even the Tibetan Mastiff Zhui Ming, were all listening intently for Zhou Qiang to speak. Zhou Qiang chuckled twice, leaned closer to Zhang Xiaolong, and said, "It's a secret."

"Damn it." Qi Zijun, sitting across from him, collapsed to the ground. You Long slumped onto the table. ===================================================================================== Chapter 18: Dragon and Phoenix Battle - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and organized by

Ten short minutes allowed Xie Qifeng to recover. Upon learning of his brother's victory without a fight, he gripped Zhou Qiang's hands tightly and said, "Senior brother, you must win the martial arts competition! Don't forget your uncle is waiting for your good news at home." These words truly spurred Zhou Qiang on. Perhaps he wouldn't have cared about anything else, but the mention of Old Man Le Shui ignited a fire within him. If he lost here and returned to see Old Man Le Shui's disappointed expression, Zhou Qiang wouldn't know what to do. Therefore, he was determined to win this competition, even if his opponent was Qin Shuang.

The two stepped onto the stage, drawing the attention of hundreds of ghosts. This final battle was unprecedented! The rare use of Qi manipulation against the vicious Qin Shuang, especially considering the monster Qin Shuang was hiding, fell silent. The entire inn was utterly quiet. Zhou Qiang lowered his head and said, "Qin Shuang, I'm sorry. This time I'm serious." Qin Shuang smiled calmly and replied, "It's alright. You have your reasons, I understand." Then, Qin Shuang took out the Gu Bell again and opened the lid. The Toad Gu King, injured in its duel with Xie Qifeng, could only stick its head out of the Gu Bell to investigate—this was the so-called 'Gu Bottom Frog'.

Without a word, Zhou Qiang rushed towards Qin Shuang like the wind. Qin Shuang leaped lightly, like a fairy descending to earth. With a flick of her right hand, pink powder spilled from her sleeve, floating in the air and emitting a faint fragrance. This was poison! This was Zhou Qiang's first thought as he rushed forward. He quickly stopped, covering his mouth and retreating. Gradually, the powder filled the entire arena, demonstrating the remarkable spread of Qin Shuang's poison. Zhou Qiang knew he was in trouble. He quickly took out the prepared antidote incense, lit it, and stuck it into the cracks in the arena's wooden planks.

Zhou Qiang charged at Qin Shuang again, but Qin Shuang smiled calmly, as if she had expected him to rush over. However, this was a feint. When Zhou Qiang was about a meter away from Qin Shuang, a white snake suddenly emerged from her sleeve—the same white snake that had endured so much suffering yet remained standing. Before the snake could attack, Zhou Qiang darted towards the Toad Gu King's Gu Bell. Qin Shuang then realized something was terribly wrong; Zhou Qiang had already seen through the Gu Bell's hidden mechanism. Qin Shuang's original plan was to use the white snake to lure Zhou Qiang away when he attacked, then slowly move backward until she and the Toad Gu King had Zhou Qiang trapped between them. She reasoned that Zhou Qiang wouldn't care about an injured toad, and although the Toad Gu King had a leg injury, it could still use its tongue to spew venom. If it did, Zhou Qiang would be poisoned, and the duel would be over.

But Zhou Qiang's actions were once again unexpected. Qin Shuang was too late to protect the Gu Bell. By the time she reached him, Zhou Qiang had already kicked it over. The Toad Gu King lay half-dead on the ground. Zhou Qiang didn't pity the Toad Gu King, because the old man Le Shui's warning still echoed in his ears: "Ji Ye, remember. Never give the opponent a chance. A single spark can start a prairie fire, remember that." So Zhou Qiang took out a Qi Yi Diagram exactly like the one Xie Qifeng used and stuck it on the Toad Gu King to prevent it from retaliating. Zhou Qiang looked back and saw Qin Shuang had already run up to him. Without thinking, Zhou Qiang rolled to the side. Qin Shuang raised her left hand, and a white snake sword from her sleeve stabbed towards the white snake.

With lightning-fast reflexes, Zhou Qiang grabbed the white snake by the throat. Seeing its gaping maw right in front of him, Zhou Qiang grabbed whatever he could find and shoved it into the snake's mouth before tossing it away. Zhou Qiang then performed a backflip, about to reach Qin Shuang, when the white snake blocked his path again. Suddenly, the snake's belly swelled up, looking like it had swallowed a piglet. Zhou Qiang wondered what kind of trick this was and quickly retreated to avoid it. Watching the snake's swollen belly, Zhou Qiang worried that it might explode and destroy the entire arena. Now he could only rely on the Demonic Ghost Jackie Chan, but when he reached into his pocket, the Ghost-Raising Bottle was gone! Zhou Qiang shouted, "Jackie Chan, where are you!"

With a loud 'bang,' the white snake exploded, splattering its blood and flesh across the arena floor. "I'm here!" the ghostly Jackie Chan answered. As the smoke cleared, Jackie Chan's ghostly figure stood starkly where the white snake had exploded. It turned out that Zhou Qiang had shoved the ghost-raising bottle into the white snake's mouth. The red cloth around the bottle's opening had corroded, and Jackie Chan, in a fit of anger, had pried the white snake open. Looking at Qin Shuang, she was on the verge of tears. Her beloved white snake and the Toad Gu King were both dead and injured; now she had nothing to protect her. Zhou Qiang felt the same way.

"Jackie Chan, tie her up." Zhou Qiang gave the order to the evil ghost. With a 'whoosh,' Jackie Chan's ghostly figure disappeared. Qin Shuang was still looking around for the evil ghost, but seeing no trace of him, she said disdainfully, "Zhou Qiang, your evil ghost is disobedient and has run away." Before Zhou Qiang could speak, Jackie Chan's head popped out from behind Qin Shuang and whispered in her ear, "I won't run away. Zhou Qiang and I are brothers." The word "brother" was something Zhou Qiang had once said to Jackie Chan, and it was because of this that Jackie Chan wholeheartedly helped Zhou Qiang.

Qin Shuang screamed in terror. In a flash, the evil spirit reached out and covered her mouth with its black hand, while its other hand wrapped around her slender waist, pressing its entire body against her, rendering her immobile. Zhou Qiang breathed a sigh of relief and said with a faint smile, "The situation is settled!"

But at this crucial moment, the monster in Qin Shuang's arms crawled out again and swiftly bit the demon's hand. The demon, Cheng Long, had never seen a living creature bite him before, and he winced in pain, releasing his grip and floating back two steps. Zhou Qiang looked closely—wasn't this the Yin-Yang Serpent he found in Liu Chan's tomb?! This wasn't entirely Zhou Qiang's fault, because he had somewhat forgotten about the Yin-Yang Serpent. Since Qin Shuang obtained it, he hadn't seen it again, and so much time had passed; naturally, he had forgotten about it. Truly, even the wisest can make a mistake.

On the arena, the three old men leaned forward in unison and exclaimed in surprise, "Yin-Yang Snake! This little girl actually has a Yin-Yang Snake! Where did she get it from?" They looked at each other, then all turned to look at the arena. The contestants and the ghosts in the arena were equally astonished.

The Yin-Yang Serpent, upon seeing the evil spirit Cheng Long, reacted as if it were prey. Unlike usual, its speed increased dramatically, seemingly determined to devour him. Wherever the evil spirit drifted, the Yin-Yang Serpent followed in an instant, truly terrifying Cheng Long. Left with no other choice, he ran behind Zhou Qiang. Zhou Qiang picked up the ghost-raising bottle and said to the evil spirit behind him, "Cheng Long, go inside. You're no match for the Yin-Yang Serpent. Leave the rest to me." The evil spirit Cheng Long reluctantly clung to Zhou Qiang's clothes. Zhou Qiang shouted, "You can't beat him! Hurry up and go inside!"

These words deeply spurred the evil spirit Cheng Long. Since following Zhou Qiang, he had had ample yin energy to consume daily and could gloriously help people solve their problems, making him virtually invincible. Could a mere strange snake before him possibly subdue him? With that thought, the evil spirit disregarded Zhou Qiang's orders and swiftly charged towards the Yin-Yang snake again. Every punch the evil spirit threw was skillfully dodged by the Yin-Yang snake. Attacks from any angle—up, down, left, right, east, west, north, or south—were futile. The evil spirit exhausted his yin energy and unleashed a final punch. This punch was so powerful that even a mortal could dodge it; it looked like a slow-motion replay. The evil spirit lay helplessly on the ground. The Yin-Yang snake had already climbed onto its body, flicked its tongue, and opened its mouth.

Before dying, the demonic Cheng Long spat out the ghost relic, which floated to Zhou Qiang's hand on the wind. How could Zhou Qiang bear to watch his brother be killed? He pounced and flew over. The Yin-Yang Serpent bit down, but instead of sucking out Yin energy, it sucked human blood. Cheng Long opened his eyes and saw Zhou Qiang on top of him, one hand being bitten by the Yin-Yang Serpent, the other stuffing the ghost relic into the demonic demon's mouth. He forced a smile and said, "If you're going to die, let your brother die with you. Can you bear to leave me like this?" After saying that, Zhou Qiang shook off the Yin-Yang Serpent, took the ghost-raising bottle, and, regardless of the demonic demon's wishes, chanted an incantation to suck the Yin-Yang Serpent into the bottle.

Qin Shuang picked up the Yin-Yang Serpent and looked at Zhou Qiang with sympathy, saying, "You should surrender. Don't fight anymore. Just admit defeat." Zhou Qiang struggled to his feet, brushing the dust off his body, and forced a smile, saying, "I'm really sorry, there's no such thing as 'admit defeat' in the Qi Yi Jing."

"Then don't blame me." With that, Qin Shuang coiled the Yin-Yang Snake around and charged at Zhou Qiang. Zhou Qiang was too weak to even resist. He had thought the Yin-Yang Snake only worked on ghosts and monsters, but it hadn't expected it to paralyze humans as well. "Bite him!" Qin Shuang shouted, and the Yin-Yang Snake sprang forth. The snake jumped onto Zhou Qiang's shoulder, coiled a few times, and flicked its tongue at Qin Shuang, seemingly intending to attack. Qin Shuang was shocked and cried out, "Why is the Yin-Yang Snake helping you?!" Zhou Qiang smiled faintly and said, "Perhaps it's because I brought it back."

Xie Qifeng, standing in the audience, explained, "Qin Shuang, you lost! I just used my divination technique to hear the Yin-Yang Snake call its senior brother 'Mom' a few times, and it even told you not to hurt its mother." Qin Shuang took two steps back, unable to believe Xie Qifeng's words. On the judging panel, the Ghost Doctor stood up and said, "In all my years, this is the first time I've ever seen the legendary Yin-Yang Snake. The Yin-Yang Snake only recognizes one master in its lifetime—the first person it sees when it hatches." The Ghost Doctor turned to Qin Shuang, "Girl, was it you the first person it saw?" Qin Shuang shook her head. Zhou Qiang raised his arm and said, "It was me!"

Old Man Xia also stood up and shouted, "Then you lose, girl. It doesn't matter who wins or loses between you two, husband and wife, does it?" Qin Shuang was both ashamed and embarrassed, and stamped her feet, saying, "Who said he and I are husband and wife!" Zhou Qiang, on the other hand, thought this was a good thing, and habitually scratched the back of his head and chuckled foolishly.

"Oh?" Old Man Xia said in surprise, "Impossible. If the Yin-Yang Snake can get along with you, it means that the Yin-Yang Snake has already regarded you as its master's wife." Zhou Qiang chuckled twice, showing his white teeth, and said, "I see."

"So what?" Qin Shuang said, covering her face and running off the stage. The audience, both human and ghost, started to jeer. The three elders secretly thought that this young man from the Qi Yi Sect was indeed extraordinary. Not only did he possess purple qi protecting him, but he also raised a malevolent ghost, had a ghost relic in his chest, and was the master of a Yin-Yang snake, a rare find in a thousand years. Although the three elders were impressed, their deep-seated composure prevented them from showing it. Elder Xia chuckled and said, "In this year's competition, the Qi Yi Sect wins!" ==================================================================================== Chapter Nineteen of the Qi Yi Successor: The Treasure of the King of Chuang - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and organized by Chapter Nineteen: The Treasure of the King of Chuang

Old Man Xia laughed and announced loudly, "Everyone, give a warm welcome to the new King of the Supernatural, Zhou Qiang of the Qi Yi School!" After saying this, Old Man Xia quietly called Zhou Qiang aside, "Child, now that you have obtained the throne of King of the Supernatural, I will tell you the hidden location of a treasure." The treasure must have been placed there by someone, and now Zhou Qiang's only question was whose treasure it was. Old Man Xia saw the question on Zhou Qiang's face and explained with a smile, "The treasure was left behind by Li Zicheng, the rebel leader."

When Li Zicheng stormed Beijing, he plundered vast amounts of the Ming Dynasty's royal wealth. Later, he was forced to retreat to Jiugong Mountain by Qing troops, where he fell off a cliff and died. In reality, this was merely a pretext used by the Qing Dynasty; with Li Zicheng dead, the Qing would surely win over the hearts of the people. In truth, even they themselves didn't know whether Li Zicheng was alive or dead, let alone the common people. Strangely enough, when the Qing troops entered the pass, they were surprised to find the national treasury empty, mistakenly believing that Li Zicheng had squandered it all, and could only secretly resent it. They were unaware that Li Zicheng had already hidden all the gold and silver treasures in the national treasury.

Legend has it that not long after Li Zicheng became emperor, he ordered the extermination of all people from Henan. Historical records state that this was because Li Zicheng had once been a beggar in Henan, relying on a broken jar for food. One day, Li Zicheng was starving and had no choice but to crawl on the ground to pick up watermelon rinds to eat. However, some local ruffians maliciously mocked him, kicking his jar to pieces and sending the watermelon rinds flying. Just as he struggled to crawl to them and reached out to grab them, they kicked the rinds away again. He had no choice but to continue crawling, while they clapped and laughed beside him. Eventually, someone took pity on the future emperor and gave him some silver coins, after which Li Zicheng disappeared. Thus, Li Zicheng deeply remembered this act of vengeance by the people of Henan.

Later, the powerful Li Zicheng did not forget this debt. He led his men to the county in Henan where he had been humiliated, and slaughtered many civilians. When they reached the last family, the elder brother, in his moment of crisis, stared intently at Li Zicheng and finally called out his name. Li Zicheng was startled, and after a closer look, recognized him as the man who had saved his life in Henan. Li Zicheng quickly untied the brothers, offered them a large reward, and even gave them his own breastplate. Seeing the brothers' poverty, the "Chuang King" pointed to a dense forest and said, "This is yours. Live well from now on." From then on, the brothers relied on this forest for their livelihood, and their lives improved steadily.

Seeing Zhou Qiang's growing annoyance, Old Man Xia cut to the chase: "Actually, Li Zicheng came to Henan not only for revenge, but also to take a large amount of treasure from the Ming Dynasty's treasury and hide it there, right in the dense forest controlled by Li Zicheng's savior." Zhou Qiang asked, puzzled, "How do you know that?" Old Man Xia smiled and continued, "Actually, Li Zicheng didn't die after falling off the cliff. Instead, he became a monk, taking the Dharma name Fengtianyu. The old monk didn't forget his savior and risked his life to come to Henan, easily finding his glorious benefactor and revealing the secret of the treasure to them. Let me clarify, Li Zicheng's savior's surname is Xia!"

Zhou Qiang exclaimed, looked around, and whispered to Old Man Xia, "So you're the descendant of the man who saved King Chuang's life! But why did you tell me the secret of the treasure?" Old Man Xia, still smiling, replied, "Because I want you to understand a principle." Zhou Qiang was about to ask what that principle was when Old Man Xia and the two elders beside him stood up and said, "You'll naturally understand this principle when you find the treasure. Alright, I'm tired and need to rest. See you in sixty years! Little Qi Yi!" After saying that, Old Man Xia quickly corrected himself, "Hehe, no, it should be 'King of the Supernatural.'" He then winked at Meng Linglang and went into the back hall.

Meng Linglang told everyone to wait in the living room while he went to the back hall. A short while later, Meng Linglang returned with nine small bowls and said, "Master has ordered that each of you drip a drop of blood into your respective bowl so that we can contact each other sixty years from now." Seeing their curious looks, Meng Linglang explained, "Oh, it's like this. The crows we send to each sect are called 'Blood Crows.' They need to drink your blood to find you. Society isn't what it used to be; sects don't have fixed locations anymore, so we have to resort to this."

Qi Zijun asked, "Can we use Tibetan Mastiff blood?" The Tibetan Mastiff, Zhui Ming, seemed to understand its master and ran far away. Meng Linglang laughed, "No, Blood Ravens don't eat animal blood." The Tibetan Mastiff immediately ran back. Then, each person dripped a drop of blood into a bowl. Except for two people: the first, needless to say, was Zhou Qiang, who was terrified of pain; the second was the foreign vampire, Mike. Everyone's eyes were focused on the two of them, eagerly awaiting the outcome.

Zhou Qiang felt extremely uncomfortable under the malicious gazes of the crowd. He could only bite his finger, let a few drops of blood drip, and then immediately pulled his finger back into his mouth to suck on it, as if afraid of wasting it. Everyone then turned their glares to the vampire Mike, who shrugged helplessly and sighed, "Oh my God, are you going to bully a weak person like me? I don't have much blood left in my body, and I'll die if I bleed any more. I won't participate in the supernatural martial arts competition again next time, OK?" Meng Linglang withdrew his gaze and said, "In that case, let's not force him. After all, he's a foreigner, and we, as the hosts, should treat him with courtesy. That's it, everyone go back to Xiajia Village to rest for the night, and go your separate ways tomorrow."

After listening, Mike gave Meng Linglang a thumbs up and said repeatedly, "GOOD, OK!" The group pulled him out of the Ghostly Inn. Zhou Qiang breathed a sigh of relief and looked back. As the ghosts swarmed out, the Ghostly Inn gradually became transparent and disappeared. "There are truly no wonders in this world," Zhou Qiang exclaimed. "A huge inn just vanished into thin air like that. No one would believe it."

Back in Xiajia Village, everyone was fast asleep. Zhou Qiang looked up at the roof beam and thought to himself, "This martial arts competition is finally over. I can give my master a good explanation when I get back. But before I leave, I must find the treasure of the rebel king. It's not because Zhou Qiang likes money, but more because he wants to understand that 'principle'."

Many questions remain for Zhou Qiang and his companions to answer, such as why Li Zicheng revealed the treasure to his savior instead of keeping it for a future comeback? Why? Keep reading and you'll find out. ======================================================================================== Chapter 20: The Four Gates Formation - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and organized by

The next morning, as the sun slowly rose, a scene of farewell unfolded at the entrance of Xiajia Village. "It's time to go back home. These past few days with you all have taught me valuable lessons," Qi Zijun said, glancing at Zhou Qiang, whose eyes were half-open. You Long, having changed into casual clothes and straightened his bag, said, "Yes, friends, see you again in the martial world." Qin Shuang, annoyed by Zhou Qiang's drowsy appearance, kicked him, signaling him to say something. Zhou Qiang yawned and said, "Alright, alright, stop joking. Everyone, come with me to find the treasure. We'll share the profits, and I'll take the risks."

“Amitabha Buddha, I believe money is merely an external thing. How can I risk my life for a mere treasure?” You Long said earnestly. Zhou Qiang grabbed You Long’s sleeve and retorted, “External thing? Take off your clothes. Clothes are bought with money too. Since they’re external to you, give them to me.” You Long took this seriously and was about to take off his clothes when he realized something was amiss. Looking around, he saw Qin Shuang and Qian Qiuyue still waiting for him. After thinking it over, he quickly put his hands together and said, “Amitabha Buddha, forgive me, forgive me.” This caused everyone to burst into laughter.

Zhou Qiang looked at everyone and asked, "Anyone else want to leave?" Qi Zijun, being a Buddhist and Taoist, naturally had a very indifferent attitude towards money, but she was no match for Zhou Qiang in a verbal battle. So, she turned to leave with the Tibetan Mastiff. Before she had taken two steps, Zhou Qiang spoke up: "Zhuiming, do you need me to introduce you to a girlfriend? A very pretty dog!" The Tibetan Mastiff's steps froze in mid-air, and it turned its head to look at Zhou Qiang, seemingly smiling. No matter how Qi Zijun commanded the Tibetan Mastiff, Zhuiming, it simply wouldn't move. Helpless, Qi Zijun returned and said fiercely to Zhou Qiang, "You've defeated me!" This caused everyone to laugh.

Vampire Mike walked up to Zhou Qiang and whispered in his ear, "Hehe, Zhou Qiang, I'm willing to go with you, could you give me another copper coin?" Zhou Qiang turned his head and said impatiently to Mike, "OK."

Qian Qiuyue had developed a liking for Xie Qifeng since the martial arts competition ended. Looking at this tall, handsome man, she desperately wanted an excuse to stay, and since she had one, she naturally agreed to go with him to search for the treasure. Zhang Xiaolong, needless to say, had nothing to do back home anyway, and since it was a rare opportunity to meet Zhou Qiang, he was willing to accompany him to find the treasure. As for obtaining any wealth, he hadn't even considered it. With Zhang Xiaolong staying, the loyal and righteous Wei Tianba also stayed. Zhang Xiaolong had saved Wei Tianba's life on the stage, and Wei Tianba had always remembered this. Zhang Xiaolong's wounds hadn't fully healed, and if anything happened to him, Wei Tianba would feel guilty for the rest of his life.

Zhou Qiang looked at everyone and laughed, saying, "Since everyone is willing to go treasure hunting, that's perfect." He then turned to walk back, adding, "Come on, let's go back to the house first and discuss our strategy." Everyone looked at each other and laughed. What kind of situation was this? He'd coaxed and tricked everyone back. Looking at Zhou Qiang humming a little tune ahead, they thought to themselves that this "King of the Supernatural" was indeed quite skilled.

Back at the house in Xiajia Village, Meng Linglang bought breakfast and went inside. Seeing that so many people were still there, he frowned and said, "Why haven't you left yet? Are you going to eat breakfast before you go?" Meng Linglang was naive and spoke without restraint, his words clearly implying that everyone should leave, which displeased everyone. Meng Linglang knew that Qi Yi and the others, along with the Gu-style sect members, would stay because they were going to retrieve Li Zicheng's treasure, so he only bought breakfast for three people. After Zhou Qiang explained, Meng Linglang apologized profusely and was about to go out to buy more breakfast when Zhou Qiang stopped him, saying, "Don't go. Qi Feng and I aren't hungry. A little is enough." He then lay down on the bed and fell asleep.

Xie Qifeng was practically ready to devour Zhou Qiang. "You're not hungry? Why did you drag me along? How can a big, burly man like me have any strength if I don't eat?" Since Zhou Qiang had already spoken, Xie Qifeng felt embarrassed to continue eating and could only watch everyone else eat. Suddenly, a fragrant fried dough stick was thrust in front of Xie Qifeng. Following the delicate hand holding the dough stick, he saw it was Qian Qiuyue. Qian Qiuyue said affectionately, "I can't eat this, you can have it." Watching Xie Qifeng wolf it down, Qian Qiuyue smiled contentedly, seemingly happier than if she were eating it herself. Qin Shuang also didn't eat. When no one was looking, she secretly wrapped up the fried dough stick and hid it in her bosom.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Zhou Qiang woke up and explained the location of the treasure: it was in the dense forest behind Xiajia Village. He then ordered Xie Qifeng and Zhang Xiaolong to go and check it out. The others stayed in the room to await orders.

Xie Qifeng and Zhang Xiaolong chatted and laughed as they sneaked into the dense forest. Though called a dense forest, it only had about three hundred trees; what was truly eye-catching was a large mountain in the middle of it. Looking at the majestic mountain before them, Xie Qifeng said to Zhang Xiaolong, "Xiaolong, I think we shouldn't bother searching anymore. The ancients wouldn't bury treasure underground; that would make it easy for others to dig it up. I think it should be in this mountain." Zhang Xiaolong nodded and replied, "Junior Brother Ji Yan is right. Let's observe this mountain first." He then nodded, feigning an old-fashioned air. The two circled the entire mountain. Zhang Xiaolong was shocked; he had noticed something amiss. Before he could explain, he pulled Xie Qifeng back to Xiajia Village.

Seeing Zhang Xiaolong's anxious expression, Zhou Qiang handed him a glass of water. Zhang Xiaolong drank it down in one gulp and eagerly called everyone over, saying, "The treasure is in the mountains of the dense forest! Junior Brother Ji Yan and I surveyed the entire mountain and found a cave halfway up." Everyone was overjoyed; it seemed the treasure had been found very easily. Zhang Xiaolong continued, "Not just one cave, but four, one each in the east, west, south, and north of the mountainside. In Maoshan terminology, this is called the Four Gates Deadly Formation."

Everyone was shocked upon hearing this. All formations require risking danger to break, especially one whose name contained the word "absolute." This word evoked many idioms, such as "extinct" or "without descendants." Everyone's expression changed drastically, except for Zhou Qiang, who had little education and little interest in written language. He asked, "What is this Four Gates Absolute Formation?"

"The Four Gates Formation is one of the kings of formations among the many formations of Maoshan. Its purpose is to protect the caster from harm. The presence of the Four Gates Formation in the mountains must mean it's protecting something." This thing is obvious—it's definitely treasure; everyone thinks so. "The Four Gates Formation is divided into the Azure Dragon Formation in the east, the White Tiger Formation in the west, the Vermilion Bird Formation in the south, and the Black Tortoise Formation in the north. Each cave is set up with a function similar to its name. The Azure Dragon Formation is the most difficult to deal with, as it's the first to receive sunlight every day, so the evil spirits inside are formidable. The White Tiger Formation is the opposite of the Azure Dragon Formation, one yin and one yang. Because the White Tiger Formation is always away from the sunlight, its yin energy is extremely heavy, making it quite dangerous. The Vermilion Bird Formation is relatively easier to deal with. The Black Tortoise Formation is primarily defensive, so the chances of breaking through it are relatively high." Zhang Xiaolong's tone suddenly became mysterious. "The most difficult part is that we must simultaneously open the mechanisms in all four caves to break it. A slight mishap, triggering the mechanisms without authorization, could cause the entire mountain to collapse."

Zhou Qiang smiled and shook his head after listening, secretly praising its brilliance! Zhang Xiaolong's description made the Four Gates Formation truly worthy of being called the king of formations. First, breaking the Four Gates Formation requires people with magical power, and a large number of them, both men and women. Moreover, with so many people, morale naturally collapses. Even if all the evil creatures in the caves are defeated, if someone is tempted to open the mechanism first, everyone will die. This formation is meticulously designed in terms of magical power, number of people, gender, and morale. Thinking of this, Zhou Qiang couldn't help but exclaim again, "Truly brilliant!"

Zhang Xiaolong looked at everyone and asked with a hint of worry, "Are we still going? Or should we just give up on the treasure? It's not worth sacrificing a life for the treasure."

“Go, why not?” Zhou Qiang said with a smile, drawing everyone’s attention to him. “We’re young, and young people should have courage, otherwise how can we lead a sect in the future?” These words ignited the fire in everyone’s hearts. Each person asked, their faces flushed with anger, “When are we going?” Zhou Qiang replied, “Tomorrow. Let’s have a good drink tonight. In case anything unfortunate happens to us, we can look after each other on our journey to the underworld.” Looking at Zhou Qiang’s nonchalant attitude, Meng Linglang felt a surge of admiration. He was inexperienced, but he had heard that people were often selfish and cowardly. However, since meeting Zhou Qiang, he had begun to feel an urge to learn magic. After thinking for a moment, Meng Linglang said, “Everyone, get some rest. I’ll go prepare some food. Tonight, everyone can drink to your heart’s content.” With that, he rushed out the door.

Qin Shuang, seeing Meng Linglang running around, felt a pang of sympathy and said, "We should give him some money, so he doesn't have to spend any more money." Zhou Qiang smiled but didn't say anything more. Meng Linglang ran to the village store and said to the owner, "Master, give me two bottles of baijiu." He then reached into his pocket with his right hand—wait, where did he find an extra hundred yuan? ======================================================================================== Chapter 21: Three Flowers Gather at the Top - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and Organized by

To deal with the Four Gates Formation, everyone was fully prepared. Qian Qiuyue pulled Qin Shuang aside and quietly went to the morgue in the nearby hospital. The cold and deserted morgue sent chills down their spines. Qin Shuang shivered involuntarily and crossed her arms. Qian Qiuyue opened her large suitcase and took out a sharp knife. Qin Shuang said, "Senior Sister, isn't this going too far? The people are already dead; don't hurt their bodies." Qian Qiuyue seemed unconcerned, slowly walking to the corpse and lifting the white sheet. Underneath was the body of a child, appearing eerily pale in the moonlight. Qian Qiuyue explained, "After people die, their spirits leave their bodies. I'm doing this for the treasure." With that, she grasped the corpse's head and swung the knife against the neck. Qin Shuang ran out in fright, leaning against the wall, panting heavily. A moment later, Qian Qiuyue came out carrying a heavy bundle. Qin Shuang stepped forward and asked, "How many did you cut?" Qian Qiuyue gestured three.

On the other side, Wei Tianba arrived at the graveyard carrying a coffin. He opened the coffin, shook the soul-summoning bell, and a little zombie jumped out, standing in the center of the graveyard, breathing in the yin energy and the cool moonlight. Wei Tianba settled the zombie and then walked towards a grove of trees.

Qi Zijun didn't leave Xiajia Village. Instead, she went into an empty room, quietly placed the Nyingma Zhayi Buddha statue around her neck on the table, and earnestly prayed. Legend has it that the gods and Buddhas of Tantric Buddhism appear at night and bestow their power upon devout lamas. Youlong, on the other hand, sat quietly on the bed, turning his prayer beads—a common practice among Buddhists.

Only Zhou Qiang, Xie Qifeng, and Mike had nothing to do, so the three of them chatted. Soon, everyone returned, and Meng Linglang invited them to dinner. At the table, You Long broke his vow of abstinence, and even the vampire didn't drink red wine; everyone drank happily. Wei Tianba quietly called Zhang Xiaolong outside, took out a brand-new peach wood sword from behind his back, and handed it to him, saying, "Xiaolong, take this. Your sword was broken; I just made this one in the woods." Zhang Xiaolong looked at his elder brother, feeling deeply moved.

Nothing happened that night. The next morning, only Meng Linglang was cleaning the rooms in the Xia family mansion; everyone else had gone to the location of the treasure. Zhou Qiang and the others arrived at the mountainside of the dense forest they had climbed. Before them was the Azure Dragon Formation that Zhang Xiaolong had mentioned. Zhou Qiang said, "I am the King of the Supernatural; you must follow my instructions." Looking at the unfathomable entrance, he continued, "This is the most dangerous, isn't it? My junior brother and I will break this Azure Dragon Formation. Xiaolong, Wei Tianba, and Mike will go to the White Tiger Formation as a group. Zijun and Youlong, you two will go to the Black Tortoise Gate, and Qin Shuang and Qian Qiuyue will go to the Vermilion Bird Cave. If you really can't handle it, run out first; don't lose your lives. We'll contact each other by phone." After saying this, they each wrote down each other's phone numbers.

Seeing that the others had gone far away, Zhou Qiang breathed a sigh of relief and said to Xie Qifeng, "Junior brother, are you scared?" Xie Qifeng smiled, "If you're not scared, why would I be?" Zhou Qiang gave the order, "Go!" Then the two of them bravely walked into the cave. All four caves led towards the central treasure location. After walking for about five minutes with flashlights, they reached a dead end. Zhou Qiang immediately stopped and said, "Junior brother, activate your Heavenly Eye."

After Xie Qifeng activated his third eye and shone his flashlight, he saw three corpses hanging high above at the end of the path—undoubtedly hanged. The two men took a deep breath, exchanged a glance, and shouted in unison, "Three Flowers Gathering at the Top!" This was an extremely powerful ghost formation. The resentment of hanged ghosts was among the strongest of all vengeful spirits, and when three people hanged themselves simultaneously, the power of their resentment rivaled that of a malevolent demon. What was most infuriating was that these three had been hanged with iron chains. Iron belongs to metal, and metal separates yin and yang; even if time passed, the resentment of these ghosts would not diminish because the metal prevented them from reincarnating.

Without a word, Zhou Qiang released the evil spirit. Because the Heavenly Eye of Qi Yi differs greatly from the Heavenly Sight of Maoshan, Qi Yi disciples can only see what is directly in their field of vision; they cannot see ghosts in the dark. Therefore, releasing the evil spirit was the wisest choice at this moment. As soon as the evil spirit appeared, it swiftly floated to the wall to Zhou Qiang's right and dragged a vengeful ghost out of the darkness. If Zhou Qiang hadn't released the evil spirit in time, the two of them might have already been killed. Compared to the evil spirit's dragon-like appearance, the vengeful ghost's appearance was quite striking.

The evil spirit Cheng Long pinned the vengeful ghost beneath him, gripping its neck tightly. Suddenly, two more vengeful ghosts emerged from the walls on either side, attempting to attack Cheng Long from behind. Zhou Qiang, wielding the Soul-Destroying Thorn, stepped forward to block the ghosts' path. The ghosts were initially startled upon seeing Zhou Qiang, but upon seeing the purple aura emanating from him, they felt a slight fear. However, this fear only lasted a moment; after all, their friend was in danger, and their immediate instinct was to save him.

The vengeful ghost lunged at Zhou Qiang, who didn't dodge. Dodging now would only give the ghost an opportunity to attack Cheng Long. Zhou Qiang grabbed the ghost's arm, trying to throw it away, but the ghost's fingernails dug into his arm, the black nails digging into his flesh. Zhou Qiang was furious. He'd always been afraid of pain, and now the ghost had inflicted five wounds on him at once—how could he tolerate that? He grabbed the ghost's arm with one hand and its dry, long hair with the other, roared, and flung it away. Before the ghost could get up, Zhou Qiang lunged forward, wielding the Soul-Destroying Dagger. He thought this stab would kill the ghost, but instead, the ghost kicked off with its hind legs, drifting a step away. The dagger missed its chest and instead wounded its thigh.

The vengeful ghost, missing its leg, could only await its fate. Zhou Qiang, burning with rage, instinctively pulled the ghost relic from his chest to his throat. With a whoosh, a burst of fire incinerated the vengeful ghost completely. Another vengeful ghost emerging from the wall was also blocked by Xie Qifeng. Compared to the others, this one was much easier to deal with. Xie Qifeng kicked away the vengeful ghost that was lunging at the evil ghost Cheng Long. The vengeful ghost stood up and glared fiercely at Xie Qifeng. Xie Qifeng raised his Kongming fan and waved it three times. A bolt of lightning appeared out of thin air, scattering the vengeful ghost's soul. After the two of them finished off the vengeful ghost, they looked back at the evil ghost Cheng Long and couldn't help but smile. They saw the evil ghost Cheng Long sitting on the ground, clutching its large belly. The vengeful ghost had probably been eaten by it. Zhou Qiang smiled at the evil ghost, shook the ghost-raising bottle in his hand, and the evil ghost obediently flew inside.

Xie Qifeng looked at the three corpses in front of him and said, "Let's carry the bodies down; it's painful to look at." Zhou Qiang smiled and said, "That's exactly what I wanted." The two of them then went forward and carried the three corpses down. A few clanging sounds were heard from the chains, and the stone wall at the end collapsed with a thud, revealing a bottomless cave ahead. It turned out that the Azure Dragon Bureau's mechanism was set on the chains; after the corpses were carried down, the chains rose, opening the entrance to the cave. Most people wouldn't have pitied the three corpses, but Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng, out of kindness, had actually solved the mechanism.

The two exchanged a smile and cautiously continued forward. As soon as they crossed the stone wall, the sharp-eyed Zhou Qiang spotted a female corpse lying on the ground. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and pasted a Qi-Yi diagram onto it. "This is called striking first, understand? Junior brother," Zhou Qiang said smugly to Xie Qifeng. Indeed, if they ignored the female corpse, it might suddenly rise from the dead and stab them a couple of times; they really couldn't take that. Xie Qifeng smiled dismissively. The two, chatting and laughing, reached the end again. This time, the end was truly the end, because there was a palm-sized, round mechanism on the wall at the end, just like in the movies. With a gentle twist, the door would open naturally.

However, Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng were not happy at this moment, because in front of the stone wall stood a green dragon elephant, surrounded by spider webs that stretched across the entire wall, like a white veil blocking their path. Where there are spider webs, there are naturally spiders, but neither of them had ever seen such a large spider.

The black spider, about a meter long, leaped out from behind the Azure Dragon statue upon seeing strangers approaching. Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng took two steps back. Zhou Qiang said, "Easy, watch this." He then used the power of the Ghost Relic to unleash a burst of fire, burning the spiderweb to ashes. The spider, seeing its web burned, jumped a couple of times in anger. Xie Qifeng thought, "Even if you're big, you're still just a spider. What's so great about you?" He then took his off-the-cloth and covered the black spider's body with it. Next, Xie Qifeng stomped on the spider, crushing it to a pulp.

Black Spider died just like that, even Zhou Qiang found it hard to believe. Wasn't the Azure Dragon Formation supposed to be the most dangerous of the four deadly formations? Could it really be that simple? Before Zhou Qiang could finish his thought, green smoke billowed from the mouth of the Azure Dragon statue. Zhou Qiang cried out in alarm, quickly covering his nose with one hand and grabbing some antidote incense with the other. Gradually, the smoke dissipated, and the Azure Dragon Formation was finally breached. Now, the two of them squatted in front of the circular mechanism, quietly waiting for good news from the others. ======================================================================================== Chapter Twenty-Two: The Truth (End of Volume Three) - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and Organized by

The fighting was also fierce on the other sides. On the west side, at the White Tiger's Gate, Zhang Xiaolong and his group encountered zombies. Zombies are walking corpses, unlike mortals, they attack using the aura of living people and are a type of creature with a spirit but no soul. They easily defeated them and then squatted by the mechanism handle, waiting for the phone call.

Inside the Xuanwu Gate, You Long and Qi Zijun encountered a swarm of strange insects. With You Long's Vajra Shield and Qi Zijun's attacks, they managed to defeat the evil creatures. Qin Shuang and Qian Qiuyue, however, encountered traps and mechanisms. Fortunately, Qian Qiuyue's controlled head went to investigate first, so neither of them was injured. Their phones rang one after another; it was Zhou Qiang calling. "Three countdown, three, two, one!" Four mechanisms opened simultaneously, and everyone's eyes lit up—the treasure had been found.

The group of men spontaneously gathered together, staring at the eight wooden chests filled with treasure. "Open them and take a look," Mike said, eager for information. When they opened the chests, they were all stunned. Inside was only one different character. Put together, it read: "Taken from the people, used for the people." Everyone except Mike suddenly understood. They finally understood why Li Zicheng had told his benefactor the secret of the treasure: Li Zicheng had returned all the wealth that the Ming Dynasty had plundered from the people to the common folk.

The eight words, "taken from the people and used for the people," are the advice that Old Man Xia gave to Zhou Qiang.

Before they knew it, the moment of parting arrived. They looked at each other, filled with reluctance. The more they shared hardship, the stronger their bond became. How many so-called brothers in this world would flee when their friends were in trouble? Zhou Qiang said, "Whoever fights alongside me today is my brother." He then put his arm around each other's shoulders, except for Qin Shuang and Qian Qiuyue, who were, after all, girls. Under the setting sun, it seemed like a touching scene.

Without further ado, Zhang Xiaolong said to Zhou Qiang, "Senior Brother Zhou Qiang, I have to go. Master is celebrating his 78th birthday in a few days, so I'm rushing back." Zhou Qiang hugged Zhang Xiaolong and gently said, "Junior Brother, have a safe journey. There's always next time." After saying that, Zhang Xiaolong and Wei Tianba walked down the mountain. Then You Long and Qi Zijun also left. Zang'ao Zhuiming turned back and stared at Zhou Qiang, thinking, "When are you going to introduce me to a girlfriend?!"

Mike slung his luggage over his shoulder and said to Zhou Qiang, "Goodbye, buddy. I'll treat you guys to a trip to America after I graduate; my family's very rich. I'll always remember you." He then pulled out a copper coin from around his neck and flashed it. Zhou Qiang thought to himself, "You're treating copper coins like treasures, wearing them around your neck!" After saying this, Mike gave Zhou Qiang a big hug and left. Zhou Qiang glanced back and saw Xie Qifeng and Qian Qiuyue standing in the distance, whispering to each other.

"When can we meet again?" Xie Qifeng asked sadly.

Qian Qiuyue smiled and replied, "It's up to you." Xie Qifeng, seeing that things had taken a turn for the better, said, "I want to see you the moment I open my eyes every day."

With a 'smack,' Qian Qiuyue slapped Xie Qifeng. 'You filthy scoundrel, I don't want to see your hateful face every time I open my eyes.' After saying that, she walked to Qin Shuang's side, took Qin Shuang's small hand, and said, 'But I like seeing my little sister Qin Shuang every day.' Xie Qifeng smiled."

Zhou Qiang, watching from the sidelines, was completely bewildered. He wondered if his junior brother had gone mad from the beating; how could he still laugh after being slapped? After a moment's thought, he said, "Let's go, it's getting late, we should head back. By the way, Qian Qiuyue, see you again sometime." Upon hearing this, three pairs of fierce eyes glared at Zhou Qiang, sending a chill down his spine. Fine, don't leave then, why look at me like that?

Zhou Qiang walked ahead, gazing at the setting sun, thinking of the peaceful old man, Le Shui. Old man Le Shui was two years older than Master Zhang, turning eighty today. On the way back, he planned to buy a cake for his master. No, he wanted to buy one every year, to make his master happy every year. But little did he know this would be the last gift Zhou Qiang would give his master. That's a story for another time. ========================================================================================= Chapter 1 of "The Qi Yi Successor": The Mischievous Demon - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and Organized by

After a long day's trek, Zhou Qiang and his three companions finally arrived at the old man's house in Leshui, Hebei, at dusk on the second day. Zhou Qiang quickened his pace.

"Master, I'm back!" Zhou Qiang eagerly pushed open the door, carrying a large cake in one hand as he ran into the house. Xie Qifeng, Qin Shuang, and Qian Qiuyue followed closely behind. Upon entering, Zhou Qiang saw Old Man Le Shui chatting with the village head. Zhou Qiang interjected, "Master, I won first place! This year is your 80th birthday, so I bought you a birthday cake." Zhou Qiang expected double the joy, hoping for praise from Old Man Le Shui, but Old Man Le Shui only offered a perfunctory "Oh." Seeing Zhou Qiang return, the village head stood up and said to Old Man Le Shui, "Mr. Le Shui, I'll leave this matter to you. I'll take my leave now." He nodded to Zhou Qiang and the others and departed.

Seeing the worried look on Old Man Leshui's face, Zhou Qiang asked, "Master, what's wrong? What happened?" Old Man Leshui sighed and began to recount the recent events to the group. It turned out that the village head had been taking care of Old Man Leshui with ulterior motives; he wanted Old Man Leshui to do something for him. The village head's wife had been bringing Old Man Leshui his three meals a day, and after a few days, the village head, seeing that the time was right, finally revealed the reason.

The village chief's brother-in-law, Lu Shuai, is thirty-eight years old and remains unmarried due to his gambling addiction. He lives in a village near Yinfeng Village. The incident occurred a year ago. Lu Shuai had lost money gambling again and bought a bottle of liquor to drink on his way home. As he walked, he suddenly found himself in a graveyard and was startled. Lu Shuai thought, "I'm on the right path; there are no graveyards on my way home." He rubbed his eyes, but he was still in a graveyard.

Startled, Lu Shuai plopped down on the ground. Suddenly, a ghostly figure appeared in the graveyard, floating beside Lu Shuai and saying, "Friend, want to win money? I can help you." The mention of gambling energies roused Lu Shuai, who forgot he was talking to a ghost and blurted out, "Yes!" The ghost chuckled and said, "Alright, then I'll follow you." Lu Shuai abruptly sat up; he'd drunk too much and fallen asleep on the main road. He didn't dwell on the seemingly real dream.

The saying goes, "Nine out of ten gamblers lose," a principle Lu Shuai understood. But ever since that day, he'd won big every time he gambled. Now Lu Shuai was frightened. He consulted a village shaman who performed a haphazard ritual, and then he fell asleep. The ghostly figure from his previous dream reappeared, saying, "I kindly helped you, but you try to harm me! If there's a next time, I'll kill you." Upon seeing this, Lu Shuai immediately knelt and begged for mercy.