Chapter 241 - 240: Not Bad Either

Chapter 241: Chapter 240: Not Bad Either

Lin Xiao saw the strange look on Gu Qingyin’s face and assumed she was scared. She immediately lifted her chin, held out the Ghost Exorcism Talisman, and asked provocatively, "Do you dare?"

Gu Qingyin didn’t take it. Instead, she asked curiously, "Where did you buy this? How much did you pay?"

Lin Xiao froze for a moment and subconsciously replied, "A hundred thousand..." Only after saying it did she realize she didn’t have to answer at all. Her face immediately darkened. "Don’t change the subject!"

Gu Qingyin clicked her tongue and shook her head. "What a rip-off." A low-level Ghost Exorcism Talisman would be a good deal at fifty thousand. Its effects were limited, mainly serving to intimidate, and it lacked any real destructive power. To be precise, excluding newly deceased ghosts, it could at most cause some minor injuries.

Having sold plenty of talismans himself, Huo Xingchen knew the market inside and out. He nodded his little head with a serious face and chimed in, "A huge loss."

Lin Xiao was completely dumbfounded.

’In my mind, shouldn’t a stray ghost like Gu Qingyin be instinctively afraid of a talisman? What is happening right now?’

Sheng Wan shot Zhou Jingchuan a cold, sneering glance, as if to say, ’So this is your great judgment? Mistaking a fish eye for a pearl.’

Zhou Jingchuan sighed inwardly and pinched the bridge of his nose. ’What on earth was I thinking back then, to actually believe Lin Xiao’s nonsense? Her behavior is far from clever, even bordering on neurotic.’

Just then, Gu Qingyin took a step forward and took the Ghost Exorcism Talisman that Lin Xiao had been holding up.

Lin Xiao was instantly overjoyed, but before a smile could even form on her face, she saw Gu Qingyin expertly unfold the talisman from its triangular shape.

The talisman did nothing, and Gu Qingyin was completely unaffected.

Lin Xiao’s eyes widened in disbelief. ’How can this be! Could the talisman be a fake?’

As if on cue, Gu Qingyin commented disdainfully, "What a piece of shoddy work." Then she crumpled the unfolded talisman into a ball and casually stuffed it into her pocket, planning to find a trash can to throw it away later.

’Protecting the environment is everyone’s responsibility.’

Lin Xiao was instantly certain. ’The talisman really is a fake! It cost me a full hundred thousand! I can’t believe I bought a fake talisman!’ Lin Xiao’s expression changed several times before she turned and stalked off. She was going to find the seller and give them a piece of her mind!

Seeing her leave, Zhou Jingchuan didn’t stop her. Sheng Wan, on the other hand, directly called building management to blacklist Lin Xiao. From now on, she couldn’t enter this residential complex, no matter who brought her.

The call ended, and silence fell upon the entryway once more.

Zhou Jingchuan took a deep breath and was the first to break the silence. "I’m sorry."

Gu Qingyin and Sheng Wan rolled their eyes in unison. The latter was even more blunt. "Then do fewer things you have to apologize for. What’s the damn point of being sorry after the fact?"

Zhou Jingchuan pressed his lips together and said no more.

Sheng Wan shot him a glare of exasperation, then turned to Gu Qingyin and sighed, "If only you were my real daughter."

Gu Qingyin couldn’t help but smile. "Our bond is no less than that of a real mother and daughter. That’s what makes our connection so rare and precious."

Sheng Wan’s face brightened into a smile. "You’re right. Come on, your godmother will take you home. I don’t want to stay here and look at this infuriating thing." She took Gu Qingyin’s hand with one hand and Huo Xingchen’s with the other, all while coldly ordering Zhou Jingchuan out. "You’d better be gone before I get back. Don’t make me get rough."

Zhou Jingchuan: ...

Sheng Wan personally drove Gu Qingyin and Huo Xingchen home. Before leaving, she apologized again for Zhou Jingchuan’s actions.

Gu Qingyin watched Sheng Wan’s car drive away and sighed, "The plight of parents everywhere..."

Huo Xingchen didn’t dare make a sound. He hadn’t exactly been an easy child himself in the past.

After Sheng Wan was long gone, Gu Qingyin hailed another taxi and took Huo Xingchen back to Dongfang Lingjun’s mountain villa. The rest of the night passed without incident.

When they came downstairs the next day, everyone had returned.

After eating, the group took a car to the airport. After a long day of travel, they finally arrived at the foot of Ai Lao Mountain at sunset.

"Are we heading into the mountains now? Or should we wait until dawn?" Zhang Qiuyan was a little intimidated. She had long heard of the infamous Ai Lao Mountain, but she never imagined a day would come when she would enter it herself.

"It makes little difference," Huo Xingchen said, his little face serious and his voice still childish. "The miasma in the forest is thicker during the day, but more things come out to hunt at night."

Zhang Qiuyan was surprised by his knowledge but didn’t ask further. The current situation wasn’t exactly suitable for idle chatter.

"Let’s go in directly," Dongfang Lingjun said. "We have a limited supply of Antidote Potions, so every bit we can save counts."

Gu Qingyin wanted to say that her talismans could also serve as an antidote, but seeing that no one was in the mood to rest, she didn’t bring it up. After all, everyone was being so proactive to help her; it wouldn’t be right for her to hold them back. No one was idle, and the sooner they finished their business here, the sooner they could get back to their normal lives.

Before entering the woods, Dongfang Lingjun distributed specially treated glasses and protective masks to everyone.

When worn, the glasses had an effect similar to a Yin Yang Eye, allowing one to distinguish between things of the Mortal World and the underworld in the dark. Things from the Mortal World appeared reddish-orange, while things from the underworld were bluish-white. With these glasses, if they were attacked, they could quickly determine the right method to defend or counterattack.

The masks were inlaid with a small filtering Array that could filter toxic substances from the air, minimizing the risk of poisoning as much as possible.

Although the miasma in the woods at night was negligible, everyone put on their masks anyway. The smell of the deep, old forest really wasn’t very pleasant.

The group entered the mountain in a single file line. Gu Qingyin walked at the front, holding Huo Xingchen and pointing the way. Huo Yunjing followed behind to protect the mother and son. Dongfang Lingjun and Zhang Qiuyan, who weren’t as strong in combat, were in the middle, and Gu Ziqian was in charge of the rear.

Just after entering the mountain, the surroundings were still very safe. Plus, the sun had just set, so many nocturnal animals had not yet appeared. As a result, their journey was very smooth.

By a little after eight in the evening, the woods started to become more active. Various predators emerged, searching for prey to fill their stomachs.

"Be careful," Huo Yunjing reminded them in a low voice. "There are more things around us now." Not just animals, but also some wandering spirits.

These things were intensely hostile, attempting to drag any passing creature into the abyss to become one of them.

Gu Qingyin nodded and asked Huo Xingchen, who was in her arms, "How long until we reach the first danger point?"

Huo Xingchen estimated their speed, compared it to their previous trip, and replied cautiously, "A conservative estimate would be another two hours. But there are smaller dangers along the way, so we can’t let our guard down."

Gu Qingyin acknowledged him with a sound and leaned down to press her cheek against his. "If you’re tired, tell Mommy. We can rest for a bit."

Huo Xingchen shook his head. "I’m not tired."

Sighing inwardly, Gu Qingyin tightened her arms around Huo Xingchen.

Seeing this, Huo Yunjing, who was behind them, zoned out for a moment. ’In the future, will my wife and child be like this too?’

’A life with a loving mother and a filial son... seems pretty good.’