Chapter 131: The Fifth Livestream

Lu Xing's injuries were far more severe than they appeared. His spell battle with Lu Jin had severely depleted his vitality, and the subsequent destruction of the Fate Ghost he had nourished with his natal essence blood had shaken his very foundation. His meridians withered, and his internal organs suffered heavy damage.

"Drive." It took him a long while to force the word out, and then he passed out in the back of the car.

The twins didn't dare linger. They immediately sped off toward the outskirts of the city.

The police finally arrived over ten minutes later. Wu Meng led the team up to the sixth floor, dispersing the crowd before spotting Tie Ningxiang and me.

"Step aside! Police!"

Things proceeded simply from there. Tie Ningxiang, Lu Jin, and I were taken to the hospital. The police temporarily locked down Century New Garden to review the security footage, screen suspects, and interrogate the witnesses.

The incident caused an absolute uproar. An attack on the captain of the Criminal Police Brigade was a blatant show of contempt for the authorities and a direct challenge to public order.

By all rights, this should have dominated the front page of tomorrow's Jiangcheng Daily. Instead, an invisible hand seemed to press down on the entire affair, suppressing it entirely—turning major issues into minor ones, and minor issues into nothing.

I didn't know which big shot had intervened. I only knew that the critically injured Lu Jin was rushed to the Provincial Hospital overnight, escorted by a team that included at least four active-duty armed police officers.

Perhaps thanks to Lu Jin, the public remained completely in the dark about what had actually happened at Century New Garden, which meant I didn't have to worry about my own secrets being exposed.

After a night of treatment, I was well enough to get out of bed and walk around. When I pushed open the ward door, I found detective Zhao Bin standing guard outside. He had been there all night. Even though I knew he was mostly there for Tie Ningxiang, I still felt a trace of warmth in my chest.

"Little Zhao, is Captain Tie alright?"

"Why are you up? Hurry back to bed. Just call me if you need anything."

Zhao Bin stood up, reaching out to support me, but I waved him off. "Don't worry about me. Which room is Tie Ningxiang in?"

"I'll take you there."

I followed Zhao Bin to an intensive care ward on the fourth floor. Pushing the door open, I found a couple in their fifties standing inside.

The woman was a stranger to me, but I had met the man once five years ago. Back then, he was the deputy director of the Jiangcheng Public Security Bureau.

'Are they Tie Ningxiang's parents?' Awkwardness washed over me. I glanced past them and saw that Tie Ningxiang had just fallen asleep. She looked peaceful, meaning she was likely out of danger.

Relieved, I bowed my head to the older couple. "Sorry, wrong room."

My usual quick wit was completely useless here. My mind was a muddled mess, and my tongue felt tied into knots. I pulled the door shut and slipped away in embarrassment.

Seeing this, Zhao Bin burst out laughing. I shook my head helplessly. "Where's Bai Qi? I haven't seen him around."

"Captain Wu took him to the surgical department for stitches. The best surgeon in Jiangcheng is personally patching him up. How's that for VIP treatment?" Zhao Bin slapped his forehead. "Ah, almost forgot. As a reward for your bravery, the higher-ups granted you a bonus of ten thousand yuan in cash. They also explicitly requested that you keep everything that happened last night strictly confidential."

"Is this hush money?" When I did the Route 14 Spirit Bus livestream, that fugitive murderer had indirectly died because of me. The fifty thousand yuan reward I was owed for that was still caught in bureaucratic limbo. Both were considered acts of bravery, yet this time the money was handed over in under twelve hours. The contrast made the unspoken implications blindingly obvious.

I discharged myself and Bai Qi before noon. Today was the day the Underworld Live Show issued its next task, and I still had a lot of preparations to make.

Returning to Ting Tang Road, I locked the shop door, drew the curtains, and went up to the second floor alone.

Yesterday had been a close brush with death, but my haul was equally massive—such as the Many Treasures Pouch I had looted from Lu Jin.

As a genuine disciple of a Daoist sect, his status was highly unique, and the pouch he carried was packed with precious items.

I placed the torn Many Treasures Pouch on the table and emptied its contents.

Inside was one Drawn Ground Prison Talisman crafted by a Celestial Master; two gleaming Suppression Talismans made from top-grade materials; a single Water-Suppressing Edict that pulsed with a faint glow, its divine patterns rippling like flowing water; and several Calming Spells and Golden Light Spirit-Refining Talismans meant to aid in cultivation.

Lu Jin had burned through nearly all of his offensive talismans during his battle with Lu Xing. The ones left behind were entirely support-oriented Talisman Papers meant for aiding cultivation, gathering qi, and harmonizing fortune.

Aside from the assorted talismans, there were two items in the pouch that truly caught my eye. The first was a jade pen.

The top of the shaft was flat, and the body bore a single continuous line-carving of a flying dragon. The dragon was vividly detailed with scales, four claws, an open maw baring fangs, and deeply carved eyes. Its long mane trailed backward into a flaming tail. The pen cap featured hollowed-out hexagonal patterns, and both ends were etched with elegant cloud motifs.

A single line of text was carved into the pen's case: "In the Xinmao month of the Yiwei Year, gifted by Master Lu Yuan to his beloved disciple Ziqiu."

"His master must have given this to him. A Celestial Master can't draw talismans without the proper brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. This Carved Dragon Jade Pen has an elegant, imposing presence and holds its own spiritual energy. It's an absolute treasure for talisman crafting."

I gladly pocketed it without a shred of guilt before turning my attention to the second item—an incredibly complex and precisely crafted Compass.

I couldn't tell what it was made of just by touching it. Roughly the size of a palm, it consisted of nineteen interlocking concentric rings. It ranged from a yin-yang fish at the very center, all the way out to the celestial degrees and the Twenty-Eight Mansions on the outermost edge.

The sides of the Compass bore an inscription: "Encompassing all creations; measuring the Heavens and Earth."

Three ancient characters were carved into the very top—Chu Palace Compass.

I didn't know how to use a Compass, but my instincts told me that this was the most valuable treasure in Lu Jin's entire collection. "I should have Blind Liu take a look at it when I get the chance. The Liu family specializes in Feng Shui, geomancy, and fortune-telling. If he can use it, I might as well give it to him."

Blind Liu had helped me countless times in the past. I never said it out loud, but I always kept those favors in mind.

After stowing away Lu Jin's treasures, I took out the other Black Embroidered Cloth Bag and tipped the Black Eyeball into my palm.

I had experienced the true terror of a Fate Ghost firsthand. To me, this tiny eyeball was a ticking time bomb that could detonate at any moment. Keeping it on my person was extremely dangerous.

I stared at the frail little figure trapped inside the eyeball. When Lu Xing's Fate Ghost had been destroyed by the thunder talisman, its lingering resentment had scattered. While a portion of it had dissipated into the air, the rest had been absorbed by the Fate Ghost in my hand.

I could clearly see that the tiny Fate Ghost inside had grown slightly, and its facial features were beginning to take on a sharper definition.

"If this keeps up, will it eventually turn on me?" Despite being an evil entity, it was incredibly valuable. Cultivating a Fate Ghost required a massive price, and I really couldn't bear to destroy it.

I watched the Fate Ghost shivering inside the eyeball before dropping it back into the Embroidered Cloth Bag. "Forget it. I'll just let nature take its course."

I was fairly satisfied with my haul. Once everything was accounted for, Bai Qi and I drank two cups of Child Immortal Wine. Then, I didn't waste any time and immediately began cultivating the Profound Truth Mental Method.

After circulating my energy through several major cycles, I completely absorbed the nourishing spiritual properties of the Child Immortal Wine. By then, it was already getting late.

I took Bai Qi out for a massive dinner. Once we got back, I sat alone in the quiet shop, keeping watch over the Underworld Live Show Phone.

Leaving the lights off, I silently lit a cigarette and waited for the incoming horror.

The hands of the clock aligned. It was eight in the evening.

A faint, icy glow emanated from the phone's screen, casting flickering shadows that gave the room a distinctly eerie atmosphere.

Taking a deep breath, I snuffed out my cigarette, picked up the phone, and pressed it to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

The voice on the other end was incredibly familiar, yet in that split second, I couldn't recall where I had heard it before.

"Ask away."

"If everyone wanted you dead, would you choose to kill yourself, or would you kill everyone else?"

I frowned. Instead of giving a rash answer, I asked one of my own. "Can you tell me why they want to kill you?"

"I don't know, but I'm so scared! I'm hiding in the closet, and they're right outside in the hallway! Save me! Please, save me!"

The call disconnected. Along with the busy dial tone, a text message popped into my inbox.

"We often think that forgiveness is a simple matter. Yet sometimes, granting a pardon is far harder than death."

"Remember this well: those you have harmed will eventually become your nightmare!"

"Livestream Task: Arrive at the Jingying Sanatorium before midnight, and use the Paulownia Mulberry Talisman to recreate Huang Xue's dream."

"Optional Task 1: Uncover the truth hidden within the dream and obtain the location of the Wordless Ancient Painting."

"Optional Task 2: Ensure Huang Xue survives."