Chapter 179: Starlet’s Photo Scandal
Chapter 179: Starlet’s Photo Scandal
The two Little Ghosts were trapped separately inside soda bottles—one Coca-Cola, one Pepsi. Siyuan spent the whole car ride to the hospital studying them as he accompanied the actress.
He couldn’t sense much Malicious Aura. These were already tamed Little Ghosts. Unsure if they came from the group of child corpses, he had to get answers from the half-dead woman instead.
“Is she dying?” Ning Qingying kept glancing back while driving. “Please don’t die in my car… So scary.”
“No.” Siyuann shook his head calmly. “She’d already be gone if I wasn’t trying to ask where these came from.”
“Why?”
“Disasters from heaven are forgivable, but those brought upon yourself aren’t.” Siyuan’s eyes chilled. “She wouldn’t be like this if she hadn’t tried to hurt others.”
Keeping her alive cost him dearly. First, he crushed a Cold Jade Pearl into powder and fed it to her. Then came several Vermilion Fruits, painstakingly grown by Little Mountain Deity in flowerpots. All went into her stomach.
The effort made Siyuan realize killing was easy; reviving someone wasn’t. Rare treasures barely saved her. Yet what nearly killed her? Just a dozen tame Little Ghosts he wouldn’t spare a second glance for.
After Ning Qingying delivered the woman to Hong Kong’s best private hospital, prepped doctors rushed her into surgery. Siyuan and Ning Qingying waited silently on the emergency room’s lounge sofa.
“Hold this.” Siyuan placed a stone in her palm. “It’s yours now.”
“What is it?”
This stone? Speaking its origin would terrify her. Dull and plain, it had soaked beneath the River of Forgetfulness for millennia. An extreme Yin place, yet the water turned the stone ultra-Yang. It sensed ghosts or monsters from afar, even burning weaker ones. Siyuan grabbed it when Fox pulled him from the riverbank, never guessing it’d be a treasure.
Of course, Siyuan didn’t know such stones shouldn’t exist. Mere mortals couldn’t touch River of Forgetfulness water. Only his Guardian body saved him from being dragged into the abyss.
Explaining this to Ning Qingying was pointless—she wouldn’t grasp it. Still, to avoid her pestering, he patiently described reality’s framework.
“Ah, you mean Lord Laozi, Buddha, and God all exist together? Why?”
“Different beliefs create different systems. Your Ning family? Daoist lineage. Me? I’m technically a yaoguai now.” He spread his hands. “My pervasive Yaoqi/Demon Energy is irreversible. Strictly speaking, I’m not fully human anymore.”
“A shemale?”
“Ugh…” The question choked him. “Definitely not that.”
“Oh…” Ning Qingying nodded in sudden understanding. “So you’re not human?”
“Right. Scared?”
“Why? If all monsters were like you, they wouldn’t be scary at all.”
“And now?”
Siyuan willed the tattoo on his chest to spread across his face, triggering a Guardian transformation. In his yaoguai form, crimson flames flickered in his eyes. Blue-purple skin shimmered with fine violet-gold scales. Twin deer antlers crowned his forehead. A golden Heavenly Eye glowed at its center.
“Wow… So cool.”
Unfazed, Ning Qingying reached out and touched his face. Clapping, she exclaimed, “How?!”
Stunned, Siyuan reverted to human form, scratching his head. “How? Impossible! I only learned Demon Transformation yesterday. Even I screamed seeing it. But you? Calm as can be… And those Little Ghosts made you cry!”
“Hmph! Not scary once I know it’s you. Plus you’re different from them? Cool like a dragon! No, wait—actually… Super handsome! Not frightening at all. Three eyes—two ruby-red, one glowing gold? Doesn’t scream ‘monster’ to me. Women have sixth sense, okay? When you looked at me just now? I’ve never felt safer.”
Total flop. Siyuan slumped. He’d hoped to scare girls back home with this skill. Yet Ning Qingying remained unfazed. No way would it work on others… This sucked. Love felt impossible now.
Beyond intimidation, Demon Transformation offered few perks. Just extra strength, really—and serious mental drain. Ever since borrowing power from Myriad Spirit Cards, he hadn’t felt this exhausted.
“Show me again? Please?”
“Absolutely not.” He waved her off irritably. “Remember to keep that stone on you at all times. It heats up around yaoguai or ghosts. Weak ones won’t dare touch you.”
“Stop changing topics! Show me! You looked amazing…”
Feeling chummy after an uncharacteristically secure drive with Siyuan, her spoiled-starlet persona flared back up—flippant, playful, and demanding.
Just then, the operating room light switched off. Out came the doctor. Spotting Siyuan and Ning Qingying, he removed his mask and shook his head.
“Dead?”
Siyuan jumped three feet high. If those treasures couldn’t redeem one commoner’s life—especially that pearl gifted by Chenjing, his ex-flame! One century grew a single pearl… This loss was ruinous!
“Not dead. Life salvaged, but she’ll be wheelchair-bound forever. Severe nerve damage. Entire reproductive system removed. Rot set in badly… Tragic, truly.”
Siyuan grimaced, vividly picturing it. “Is she conscious yet?”
“Will be once anesthesia wears off. But, strangely, survival with those injuries? Impossible ordinarily. Her vitality is extraordinary.”
“Extraordinary”, his foot! Without my treasures propping her up she’d be ten times over dead. Sulking internally, he paid lip service to reverence for life.
It marked his second time feeling no pity for a shattered human—like Xiaoxiao’s BMW-driving ex-boyfriend.
“Ah… Wonder what Xiaoxiao’s up to…” Siyuan murmured then chuckled ruefully. “My life took such different roads…”
“What’s the mumbling? Let’s question her!”
“Quiet! You stay. I’m going to sleep.”
“Me?! Why?”
“Want to learn Spellcraft?”
“Yes! But—”
“‘But’ nothing. Apprentices serve tea and scrub toilets for three years. Guarding one patient? Minor duty.”
“Yet… Wait!” Her eyes suddenly shone. “Does that mean you’ll teach me?”
Siyuan stretched, inhaling deeply. “Depends on your attitude.”
At his words, the heiress snapped into sentry-duty posture and sat alert. He glanced back. Smiling silently, he turned to leave, adding, “Don’t camp out. Rest somewhere. I’ll join you later. If yaoguai appear? That stone warns you. Then fight or call me—your call.”
“Okay!”
Ning Qingying beamed with excitement over Siyuan’s hint at apprenticeship. Her replies became brisk, crisp. Gone was the pampered starlet act.
After walking out, Siyuan reflected—barely grasping Spellcraft yet four apprentices already? All female! Xialing, Sun Linlin, Ji Yanran, and probationary Ning Qingying. Talk about amateur overflow…
But why not? Fox insisted: Anyone willing, able, and of sound character could learn.
These little apprentices? Kind and serene: Xialing. Earnest and meticulous: Sun Linlin. Responsible and justice-driven: Ji Yanran. Ning Qingying? Though wilful, brave at her core, good-hearted. After last night’s character check, teaching her seemed fine. Talent decided outcome.
As Fox said—not everyone was Qi Siyuan; rewards required effort. Though Enlightenment Bestowal was now an option, non-Myriad Spirit Card users got brain-reset. Cue awkwardness.
These four? Xialing: Raw power. Sun Linlin: Mediocre gifts. Ji Yanran: Bright but low insight. Ning Qingying? Truly a Ning—talent screamed GENIUS status! Polishing her could yield an artificial master. Teaching her held merit. Her character flaws? Siyuan never pondered them. Before meeting Sword Immortal and Ghost Mother, Ning Qingying felt like a beauty. Now? Comparisons are ruthless—Ghost Mother beat her instantly, let alone the ethereal Sword Immortal.
After a hotel nap, he woke at noon. Seeing the time? Disaster struck! Sizing-up-the-land-step activated instantly—no holding back. Reaching the hospital took mere breaths.
But chaos welcomed him. Press cameras surrounded the entrance. Security fought vainly against the media stampede. Bursting flashbulbs drowned visibility.
He squeezed inward—futilely. Screaming reporters blocked escape routes.
“What’s happening?” Siyuan dragged aside a bespectacled photog. “Why this crowd?”
“Hick!”
Snorted the photographer. Elbowing back into scrum. Spotting muddy tabloid on ground. Headline: “Pure Girl Turned Wild Pleasure Queen”. Photo? Ning Qingying adjusting pajamas following Siyuan—her expression screamed, unmistakably, “post-coital bliss”.
“Damn it…”
Siyuan blanched. Pulling out his silenced phone revealed 110 missed calls—Qianruo: 37; Old Ning: 13; Ning Qingyuan: 60. Six-zero missed calls from Ning Qingyuan!!!
“We’re doomed.” His face turned green. “This trouble’s too big…”
Returning Qianruo’s call first, her tone felt sugary: “Having fun? Hong Kong’s nice?”
Warning bells shrieked in his heart. Female intuition? That sweetness signaled knives beneath.
“It was… Let me send photos.”
Coughing subtly, teleportation landed him inside the empty patient room. Snatching the medical report, he shifted again—straight to Qianruo. He handed her record and both soda bottles. “Get Big Guy analyze quick. Busy here.”
“Not out romancing our starlet?”
“Her?” Siyuan sighed, peeling eyelids wide at her. “See? Pure honesty!”
His clowning broke Qianruo’s glare. She laughed out loud. Anger vanished. Flapping hands dismissed him: “Go! Shoo!”
“Ghost Mother? Need to find her.”
“Work. Go yourself.”
“Got it!”
Ghost Mother Luofu worked reception at Ning Corp HQ—her own choice. She wanted human interaction and peace practice… Not counting ten would-be seducers suffering broken bones already. Dubbed “The Amputator”—men avoided her.
Siyuan’s arrival made Ghost Mother spring up. Clinging to his neck, she cooed: “Back from the starlet?”
“Damn, you know?”
Ghost Mother pointed at giant TV screen broadcasting news—with that photo blown up. Unmistakable evidence—Ning Qingying’s flushed face and messy clothes trailing Siyuan’s smirk. Morons would guess their “activity”.
“Angle choice… Professional.”
“Nothing! Men want women? Fine! Take all earth’s females? Fine!”
Killing intent!!!
Siyuan reflexively stepped backward. “Skip work. Mission time.”
“My lord, you’re favoring me?” Her eyes narrowed. “Sudden Qi Deviating?”
“Stop joking! I did nothing!” Teetering near tears, he couldn’t wash off mud even in Yellow River now. “Forget it. Come see.”
“Your servant obeys.”
As they left, colleagues gaped in shock. “The Amputator” both fawned over a man? Walked away with him? Plus… Why did that guy seem familiar?
Finally, Ning Qingyuan. Now CEO post-Old Ning’s retirement, she sulked inside her office. Tears unlikely for her character—but red rims gave her away.
“All of you…” Appearing behind her quietly, he whispered: “Sixty calls?”
Ning Qingyuan whipped around, shooting him resentful puppy-eyes. Turning away without reply—picture of tragic, wronged love.
“Sis, what’s with the look?” He sat opposite her. “Someone schemed. What could I do?”
“Yes. Photos say everything.” A cold smirk twisted her lips. “Hitting on anyone else? Acceptable. But Qingying? Directly rejecting me?”
Deep sighing, Siyuan seized her arm. “Mirror Demon! Lend power!”
Using Mirror Demon’s ability, he replayed last night’s events into Ning Qingyuan’s mind. Thank goodness for such skills—or this misunderstanding required dying to clear reputations.
After processing it all, she looked at him accusingly. “You knew I’m a ghost tracking expert! Why not ask my help?”
“You seemed busy…”
“My duty is Special Cases Division investigator! Come! Been resting too long—mission time!”