Chapter 365: New Trouble

A shrill ringtone startled Chen Qingdi from a pleasant dream. He sat up in a hurry, reaching for his phone.

Yamaguchi Seiko and Yumiko, who were beside him, quickly helped him dress before hugging him, one on each side.

The call was from Bing Huo and Ice and Fire, two Vermilion Bird War Gods. “Pardon me, is Lord First in the Dragon Country right now?”

Chen Qingdi replied calmly, “I just attended the concert of the famous singer Sakurai Hatsune in Ushinato, Japan. If it’s an emergency over there, I’ll head back immediately.”

The soft, beautiful voice of the Ding Huo War God came through the phone.

“You need to get over here to Huadu City right away. Something important has come up, and we need you to fly back.”

Chen Qingdi said with a helpless look, “But I can’t bear to leave these two gentle beauties by my side.”

Qingzi was deeply moved when she heard this and pressed her face against Chen Qingdi’s shoulder.

Ever since she had decisively dealt with Hundred Slashes Spring Ox, she had won back Chen Qingdi’s favor. Although she no longer held the power of a group leader as she once did, she was still definitively one of the two giants of their organization.

‘Now she knew that Chen Qingdi only cared about her pretty face and alluring mannerisms. And since that was how she had been when he took her in, he wasn’t too concerned about her rumored scandals.’

‘A minor flirtation could be laughed off, or at worst, he’d just cut ties. But a serious betrayal? He would replace the person decisively, without a second thought.’

‘After that one incident, how could she dare to flirt around anymore? She had only one wish: that when Chen Qingdi looked at her, all of his time would be hers, and no one would be allowed to step into the world they shared.’

Chen Qingdi had no idea what she was thinking. He had the two women finish dressing him and tying his tie.

“Book me a flight from Ushinato to Huadu City. I want the next available one.”

The two women were thrilled. “Can we go with you?”

“And your reason?”

The two women said in unison, “We’re going to invest in the electronics industry in Huadu City and need to go there to negotiate with the local officials!”

Chen Qingdi, also reluctant to leave them behind, gave his tacit approval. The two women were overjoyed and kissed him frantically. After they had their fun, the three of them boarded a first-class flight to Huadu City.

Meanwhile, Shuang’Er and her team quietly followed behind, protecting him from the shadows. They would not reveal themselves unless absolutely necessary.

In fact, Qian Laoliu and Chen Yuan had already arrived in Huadu City ahead of time to gather intelligence. They had to get all the information onto Chen Qingdi’s phone before his plane landed.

This was to ensure their boss could handle matters with ease.

After he got off the plane, Qian Laoliu and Chen Yuan were there to pick him up. They handed a tablet to Chen Qingdi.

Chen Qingdi, however, had no intention of looking at it himself. He turned and handed it to Yumiko beside him.

“Read.”

“Wang Meijuan, Chairman of Huadu’s Jiuge Group: during her third marriage, the groom died mysteriously. The death is suspected to be the work of a demon. She herself has since fallen gravely ill. They are requesting Lord First to apply his miraculous healing arts.”

Chen Qingdi’s brow furrowed. “Is this Wang Meijuan well-known?”

Qian Laoliu whispered, “She’s part of a multinational conglomerate that we cooperate with in some areas. We can’t refuse this favor.”

Chen Qingdi gave a wry smile. “But I’m not a ghost-catching Daoist.”

Chen Yuan said thoughtfully, “Perhaps these ghosts aren’t from the Underworld.”

Just then, the Ice and Fire War God, Ma Chaoyang, and the Ding Huo War God, Ouyang Feng’Er, walked up to greet them.

“Lord Long Shou orders you to thoroughly investigate this so-called haunting. You must prevent the rumors from spiraling out of control and creating a larger crisis.”

Chen Qingdi’s official identity was Lord Long Shou’s Imperial Physician, but in truth, he was also an Imperial Envoy sent to the Lower Realm to investigate the state of the populace. When he encountered difficult cases, he was expected to assist in the investigation or even take charge, and he held the authority to act first and report later.

Chen Qingdi turned to the two War Gods. “What identity should I use to get involved?”

“Chairman Wang puts her greatest faith in the Celestial Master Dao. You can approach her as a Maoshan Daoist, using ghost-hunting as your pretext. That way, she’ll be sure to treat you with special regard.”

Chen Qingdi said to Chen Yuan, “When Shuang’Er gets here, have her get into position at the preset ambush point. Tell her to contact us immediately if anything develops.”

After these orders were given, the two women couldn’t wait any longer. They whisked Chen Qingdi away to a hotel, ostensibly to help him change into his Daoist disguise.

However, Chen Qingdi didn’t want to rush in unprepared, so once he was in the hotel room, he went to sleep early.

The next morning, it was the two beauties at his side who woke him.

After he put on his day clothes, he saw that a female staff member had delivered a handsome set of Daoist robes, along with a wig to complete the look.

He donned the Daoist robe and put on the wig, instantly taking on the venerable air of a true master.

Beside them was a newly issued Daoist certificate, which listed his monastic name: Qing Lingzi.

Yumiko clapped her hands. “Ooh, I can be a Daoist too! My secret code name is Yumiko!”

Qingzi chimed in, “My name has ‘zi’ at the end, so I can be a Daoist too.”

Chen Qingdi asked them thoughtfully, “So you two believe in ghosts?”

The two women exchanged a look and smiled. “We’d rather believe in ghosts.”

Chen Qingdi added silently in his head, ‘…than believe a single word that comes out of your master’s mouth, right?’ But he didn’t expose their thoughts, instead going along with their wishes and arranging for Daoist robes for them too.

After he made the request, two sets of female Daoist robes were delivered. When the two women changed into them, they indeed possessed a unique charm. Chen Qingdi sighed.

“If I’d known I’d be accompanied by such beautiful priestesses, this humble Daoist wouldn’t be so keen on going ghost-hunting anymore.”

In truth, none of the three believed in ghosts. The so-called ghost-hunting was merely a cover for their investigation.

The two women said, “Let’s stop talking about this. We should hurry and meet with Chairman Wang.”

The three of them had a quick breakfast. When they went outside, several luxury cars were already waiting, and a number of bodyguards stood by to ensure their safety.

The three of them got into a single luxury car. The people sent to welcome them were extremely courteous, escorting them to the Jiuge Group headquarters with a full entourage.

In the reception area, maids served them tea and refreshments. The trio was sipping their tea elegantly when, a short while later, someone announced, “Our Chairman is here.”

The three of them stood up at once. They heard the crisp CLICK-CLACK of high heels approaching from outside. A beautiful woman with hair that cascaded all the way down to her heels walked in.

Chen Qingdi silently applauded in his mind. ‘Based on that hair that nearly touches the ground alone, she’s a top-tier beauty.’

However, the beauty’s face was etched with an immense sorrow, making her look utterly haggard.

A formidable presence approached Chen Qingdi.

“Disciple Wang Meijuan pays my respects to Daoist Master Qing Lingzi of Maoshan.”