Chapter 423: Chapter 387: Take Whatever You Want
On the afternoon of July 29th, Sang Que applied for a two-day leave, returning on August 1st to begin the intensive training.
The matter she reported to Huaxia’s high-level authorities caused a great stir among them, and they needed some time to discuss the follow-up plans.
On the evening of the 29th, Sang Que returned home in Yu City.
She had only been away for half a month, and Xia Chan, an Evil Person, had gained a round of weight. Xuan Yu too, both became plump and cute, their fur glossy and shiny.
Only the Great General was constantly playing with Xuan Yu, who kept hitting its ball out, making it run madly in the yard, and thus got a robust physique.
After getting home, Sang Que took a bath, changed into pajamas, sat on the sofa, and grabbed the big bucket of ice cream from Xia Chan’s arms. Xia Chan had already learned to watch cartoons and was engrossed in watching "Trouble in the Heavenly Palace" with a spoon in his mouth.
Sang Wan observed from the side, smiling and asking, "It seems like you’re in a great mood this time back. Is there something good that happened?"
No one knows a daughter better than her mother, and Sang Wan could immediately discern Sang Que’s mental state.
"I’ve reported the matter of the Deceit Dynasty to the state."
Sang Que scooped up a big spoonful of ice cream and stuffed it into her mouth, relishing the delightful chocolate flavor.
Sang Wan was slightly surprised, but after thinking for a moment, she understood the reason for Sang Que’s happiness. As a descendant of the Witch, Sang Que bore some heavy responsibilities, and no matter how she convinced herself otherwise, she would surely be influenced by the guilt left in her bloodline by the previous Witches.
Witches are always lonely, having to independently face an overwhelming Deceit Dynasty with the lives of tens of millions hanging in the balance.
But Sang Que was no longer alone; she had found a reliance in the state, and thus could unload some of the burdens in her heart.
"Little Chan, come with me to Yunzhou tomorrow."
"Oh."
Xia Chan absent-mindedly agreed, only reacting after three seconds to what Sang Que just said. He immediately grabbed the remote and pressed the pause button, turning around and shouting with his hands on his hips.
"Little Chan’s not going! Little Chan wants to stay at home, home is good, Yunzhou is not!"
Sang Que smiled helplessly, "I need to go to Yunzhou tomorrow to solve the issue with the Earth Ghost and Yin Child. I can’t trust the people there, so I’ll need you to protect me, and Qiao Ling will be there too."
Upon hearing Sang Que say this, Xia Chan’s stubborn stance crumbled, and she nodded obediently, "Then Little Chan will go with you, but you can’t trick Little Chan, and you can’t leave Little Chan there alone."
"Don’t worry, after everything is done, I’ll bring you back. What do you want to eat? I’ll order takeout to reward you in advance."
"Barbecue!"
They had a delightful midnight snack, and Sang Que discussed with Xia Chan the possible happenings in Yunzhou. For this purpose, Sang Que also borrowed some newly developed weapons from the research institute to see if they would have any effect.
Early the next morning, at the break of dawn, Sang Que packed everything, hid Xia Chan in the painting, slung the painting and sword over her back, placed her commonly used items in a cross-body bag, and left her bedroom heading towards the Deceit Dynasty.
...
Thud! Thud thud!
When the agreed-upon knocking sound came from the coffin, Qiao Ling, who had been guarding it, immediately pulled out the wooden stake and lifted the lid, seeing Sang Que lying inside well and whole, letting out a long sigh of relief.
"Where are we now?"
Sang Que squinted as she sat up, surrounded by various large leaf plants and vines, the air damp and cold, without much difference to the scenery when she first entered the Yunzhou area last time.
"Central Yunzhou, Gu Cage Mountain at Mojiang Ridge. Going through the path in front of us leads to the Five Spirits Altar."
Qiao Ling pointed a direction for Sang Que, who squinted to look, seeing a path amidst the tangled bushes and vines. At the end of the path were two stone statues covered in moss, entwined with vines, only a corner visible.
Sang Que turned her head to the opposite side, where smoke rose from the forest, indicating habitation and a village.
The coffin was placed on the ground, and beside it was a makeshift shack, serving as a resting place for the Ghost Vendor at night.
No sight of the five little ghosts of the Ghost Vendor was seen around, nor the merchandise cart.
Sang Que stepped out of the coffin, "Where are the Ghost Vendor and Cheng Ge?"
"The Vendor went to the village to sell goods, and Cheng Ge is inside the Five Spirits Altar, setting up the altar with people from the Five Great Villages. Today’s auspicious time is between 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., ideal for blessings, with no taboos."
p.m. to 7 p.m. refers to early evening.
Qiao Ling answered while peering into the coffin, finding nothing peculiar, she straightforwardly asked.
"Were you not in the coffin earlier? When I carried it out of the car, the weight seemed off."
"No, I wasn’t. If today goes smoothly, there might be an opportunity to take you there."
Hearing these words from Sang Que, Qiao Ling felt her heart tremble. Being a person of the Nine Songs, how could she possibly be oblivious to the legends of the Immortal Country? Her medical skills, especially the methods of performing surgery, are not something a regular physician would dare contemplate.
Even Qiao Ling’s deceased master said that the medical skills passed down by the leaders of the Nine Songs were derived from the Immortal Country. However, her master also warned that the Immortal Country is a taboo of the Nine Songs, and mentioning it would lead to calamity.
Filled with trepidation, Qiao Ling dared not pursue the topic further.
Soon enough, the Ghost Vendor came back with his cart, beaming with joy, evidently having acquired some good goods.
Upon seeing Sang Que, the Ghost Vendor greeted her warmly, "Yo, Miss Sang, you’re out of seclusion! You seem much more stable now."
Sang Que said nothing, instead taking out the Mountain Ghost Token from her bag and holding it up to the Ghost Vendor.
The Ghost Vendor’s monocular eye widened abruptly, and in the next instant, he threw down the cart and rushed to Sang Que, taking the token and clutching it to his chest, cautiously scanning the surroundings, then shielding the light to examine it carefully.
After confirming its authenticity, the Ghost Vendor resumed his cheerful demeanor, slyly returning the token to Sang Que.
"Young lady, you’re headed to the Five Spirits Altar, aren’t you? Let me know if you need anything, and I’ll give you a discount."
The Ghost Vendor placed the cart in front of Sang Que, lifted the lid, and searched through it to reveal a smaller box. Keeping a vigilant eye on the surroundings, he whispered, "Take whatever you like!"
The small box was filled with odds and ends, resembling a collection of junk and old goods. Sang Que couldn’t immediately decide what to take.
In the end, it was the Ghost Vendor who picked out two items for Sang Que. One was the White Porcelain Doll she had used before; it is a better secret artifact than a yin object, requiring a long production cycle and rare materials. The Ghost Vendor had only two in total, having given Sang Que one before, leaving this as the last one.
The White Porcelain Doll, once imbued with blood to give it eyes, can withstand the attacks of sixth-level ghosts until it breaks.
The other item was wrapped in a red cloth that resembled a monk’s robe. The Ghost Vendor quickly unveiled it to reveal the bottom half of the Demon-Subduing Pestle before quickly wrapping it up again.
"This Demon-Subduing Pestle has been around for quite some time, possibly two or three hundred years. The top features a Three-faced Longevity Buddha Statue. If you’re ruthless enough, you can strike it into the top of your head. This will anchor your soul within your body for seven days, during which you will be in a coma. This is the last resort, only to be used when absolutely necessary."
