No One Is Allowed To Lay Eyes On The Evil God’s Precious Beauty - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Careful Not to Anger the Spirits

With a sudden howl, the surrounding trees trembled, sending a shower of fallen leaves to the ground.

Wu Yi chased the source of the sound and found the man who had stolen his bag sprawled miserably on the earth. His limbs were twitching as if cramped, sticking out at awkward angles.

His bag, meanwhile, was hanging steadily on a branch protruding from a nearby wall.

He gave a small huff, walked over to retrieve his bag, and stood over the man with a look of superiority.

“You thief! I’m calling the police.”

By then, Qing Zhu had already returned to Wu Yi’s wrist, quietly gathering into a circle of black mist.

“What happened to him?” Wu Yi asked, startled by the man’s state.

“Cramp,” came the cold reply.

“…”

Wu Yi thought to himself that with a scream that loud, he’d assumed Qing Zhu had broken the man’s legs.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He couldn’t help but kick the man’s arm. “Stop yelling! You have arms and legs; why on earth are you stealing bags?”

The man’s cotton coat was tattered but not dirty. Though he looked a bit foolish, his intelligence seemed intact. Why would a healthy young man resort to this?

Upon hearing this, the man grabbed Wu Yi’s leg and began to wail at the top of his lungs, which actually stunned Wu Yi.

My god, is this guy an actor?

“You… you don’t understand at all,” Li Qingquan sighed. Looking at the boy’s dazed, cute expression, he stood up against the wall with theatrical effort, frowning and shaking his head. “You mortals don’t get it. I’m doing this for your own good, you know?”

“…”

Wu Yi turned to look at the “non-mortal” floating on his own shoulder, momentarily speechless.

“Call the police,” Qing Zhu’s voice was icy.

“Okay.”

Wu Yi reached into his bag for his phone, but his peripheral vision caught the man suddenly shaking with excitement.

Thinking the man was going to lung for the bag again, he instinctively stepped back. But before Li Qingquan could reach him, his knees buckled once more, and he hit the ground in a kneeling position.

Wu Yi looked at him with disdain, but before he could press the call button, the man started shouting in a panic.

“I was wrong, I was wrong! Listen to me! I really didn’t know it was You. If I had ten times the courage, I wouldn’t dare lay a finger on you!”

He even used the respectful form of “You.”

Wu Yi didn’t want to pay him any mind, but seeing the man’s excited expression, his finger paused.

“My name is Li Qingquan. I am a ‘provisional’ Heavenly Master.”

Wu Yi: “…” What the heck is that?

He had heard of Heavenly Masters—exorcists, basically. But what on earth was a provisional one?

However, he soon noticed that Li Qingquan wasn’t speaking directly to his face. His gaze was shifted slightly, landing squarely on Wu Yi’s right shoulder.

Right now, the shadow of Qing Zhu was coiling there. Wait… can this guy actually see Qing Zhu?!

A shock went through him, and Wu Yi felt a surge of panic.

“I’m so sorry. I was a bit scared just now, so I pretended not to recognize you. Actually, I’ve admired you online for a long time.” Li Qingquan stood up, an odd bashfulness appearing on his face. “I didn’t expect you to look like this in person. So handsome! And is this your pet? Very stylish, hahahaha…”

His laughter was awkward, and Wu Yi’s expression was equally hard to describe.

This guy is so weird.

Turning to look at the silent Qing Zhu, Wu Yi didn’t quite know how to handle this situation.

…

Ten minutes later, the two were sitting in a coffee shop outside the alley.

Li Qingquan had been rambling from the moment they sat down until the waiter served the coffee. Foam was practically flying from his mouth. Finally, he downed his coffee in one go. “And that’s why the method I used earlier was a bit… extreme.”

Wu Yi looked at him with an unreadable expression. “Can you really see ‘evil energy’ on people?”

“Yes, it’s innate. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have the talent to be a Heavenly Master,” Li Qingquan smiled. “I just left my master to begin my travels. I thought you were possessed by something evil and wanted to help drive it away. Turns out… if that much energy were on anyone else, they wouldn’t have made it out of that alley alive.”

Wu Yi thought to himself that the energy certainly didn’t come from him, but he wasn’t in the mood to chat. He asked tentatively, “So… you can see him?”

He didn’t point, but Li Qingquan’s eyes flickered fearfully toward his wrist. During the walk, Qing Zhu had coiled back into a bracelet.

With just one glance, he quickly looked away and nodded cautiously.

Having been with Qing Zhu for so many years, this was the first time Wu Yi had met someone who could see him while he wasn’t dormant. He found the situation tricky.

Seeing his hesitation, Li Qingquan immediately pledged his loyalty. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul about this.”

He saw Wu Yi’s expression soften slightly and scratched his head shyly. “Actually… I’m also an old fan of the ‘Plushie Guardian God’ super-topic online. Back when my master used to punish me by not letting me eat dinner, I used to wonder if I’d ever meet you so you could send me a doll.”

“…”

Upon hearing that keyword, the smile on Wu Yi’s small face nearly crumbled. He hated that term; it always made him worry about his true identity being exposed.

“I’m not,” he said, his voice full of guilt and the obvious tone of someone trying to cover things up.

Since Qing Zhu never warned him of danger, Wu Yi didn’t maintain much guard against Li Qingquan. Considering the man’s special abilities and the possibility of future encounters, he agreed to exchange contact info.

“By the way, do you know where Chixi Bay is?”

Wu Yi froze for a second at the familiar name. “Three intersections away.”

“Thanks. I’ve been isolated on the mountain for too long; I don’t even know how to read this GPS.”

“What are you going to Chixi Bay for?” Wu Yi asked.

“In a few days, I’m going there to check the Feng Shui for someone,” Li Qingquan grinned, his white teeth shining. “Making some extra cash.”

Wu Yi knew about that. He had once thought about asking Qing Zhu to help him scam some money, but Qing Zhu had promptly manifested several large gold bars, instantly killing that idea.

“Good luck to you.”

“Thanks! I’ll treat you to dinner once I get paid.” Li Qingquan was naturally friendly, clearly already considering him a friend.

After parting ways, Wu Yi returned home with a heavy heart.

Feeling the bracelet on his wrist turn slightly, he quickly asked, “Does he have any Mind-Power?”

“No.”

Wu Yi couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

“Contact him,” Qing Zhu suddenly said. “The place he’s going to in Chixi Bay is Fu Liuye’s house.”

Startled, Wu Yi opened his phone and messaged the newly added Li Qingquan. The other must have been staring at his phone, as the reply came instantly.

Li Qingquan The Bag-Snatching Master: I’m not sure of the details, but the person who contacted me was a lady surnamed Cen.

It was Cen Yue.

Wu Yi was absolutely certain now.

“Go with him,” Qing Zhu said.

Wu Yi sent the message. Li Qingquan didn’t mind; in fact, he happily agreed and sent the specific time and address.

When the conversation ended, Wu Yi sighed with relief, but a new worry cropped up.

“What if you fall asleep again when the time comes?”

“I won’t.”

“You can’t guarantee that,” Wu Yi sat cross-legged on the carpet, his mood drooping. “I finally made it to Fengyue today and you wouldn’t wake up. Plus, this Li Qingquan knows who I am now.”

“He won’t talk,” Qing Zhu remained brief. “The company is fine.”

When did he wake up in the middle of all that? Wu Yi suspected he was purposefully avoiding conversation and had never actually been asleep. Otherwise, how did he wake up so fast when the bag was snatched?

“The problem is at Chixi Bay.”

Wu Yi wanted to ask more.

“I have a guess,” Qing Zhu said, his voice sounding vague and ethereal. “If we can figure it out, we shouldn’t need to absorb Mind-Power for quite a while.”

Wu Yi’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Absorbing Mind-Power was a grueling process. In the past, occasional encounters were enough to sustain Qing Zhu, but lately, they had to actively hunt for targets. The constant stakeouts had left Wu Yi exhausted.

“Yes. I might even be able to take human form.”

He always knew exactly what would entice Wu Yi. As expected, the little guy’s expression immediately shifted from drooping to full of confidence.

“So what am I looking for when I go?”

Qing Zhu didn’t speak. In the blink of an eye, Wu Yi felt a chill surge into his body.

“Find the place that gives you the strongest sense of unease.”

…

When they met again, Li Qingquan had changed into a new Chinese-style coat and carried a wooden chest. He had clearly groomed himself; the scruffy, haggard look was gone, replaced by an air of sage-like elegance.

Wu Yi found it novel and asked, “Should I change my clothes?”

He was acting as Li Qingquan’s assistant today, but he was wearing a common down jacket and sweater—nothing that fit the vibe of a Heavenly Master.

“No, this is fine.” Li Qingquan looked him up and down, seemingly impressed. “You really are a clothes rack; this outfit looks great on you.”

Wu Yi put on a pure, innocent act and followed him into Chixi Bay with a smile, though he immediately started complaining to Qing Zhu in his head.

See? Even others can see how good my new clothes look.

Qing Zhu said nothing, but the bracelet tightened slightly, giving his wrist a firm squeeze.

Arriving at the familiar courtyard, Wu Yi put on a mask and hat and took the chest from Li Qingquan, playing the role of a faithful assistant.

The housekeeper came to open the door. Inside, Cen Yue was indeed waiting. She greeted the two politely and, without wasting time, asked them to begin.

Wu Yi set down the chest with a sigh of relief and helped Li Qingquan take out his strange props. He watched the man walk around with a serious expression, telling Cen Yue which directions needed changing and which items were bad for business luck.

Cen Yue listened intently, though it was hard to tell if she believed him.

However, her gaze occasionally drifted to Wu Yi. He wondered if she found him familiar.

“Is he being accurate?” Wu Yi asked curiously, touching the bracelet.

“Fake,” Qing Zhu replied.

Well, Wu Yi’s “filter” for Li Qingquan shattered instantly. The man’s professional act had almost fooled him, too. It was all nonsense.

“Master Li, do we need to look in the garden?”

“Yes.”

Wu Yi had walked around the hall and felt no discomfort, so he followed them out.

Just as they stepped out, he heard Cen Yue discussing something with Li Qingquan.

“Do you have a Buddhist shrine at home?” Li Qingquan asked calmly. “Building a new one isn’t impossible, but the timing today is wrong. We’ll need to pick an auspicious day.”

“It’s not Buddha, it’s…” Cen Yue seemed unsure how to put it. “It’s a ‘God’.”

Hearing this, Wu Yi felt something was wrong.

“Take me to see it.”

The two walked around to the backyard. The moment Wu Yi stepped into the back, a chill shot up his spine. The feeling was so strong and distinct that he knew instantly: this was the place Qing Zhu had mentioned.

While the villa and front yard were in the same style, the backyard featured a very jarring, prominent shrine. It was extravagant and eye-catching. Cen Yue had clearly made an offering that morning, as the area was thick with incense.

Even Li Qingquan was startled by the luxury of the shrine. “It looks very new.”

“We refurbish it every three years,” Cen Yue said softly. “It’s our family tradition.”

Standing in the back, Wu Yi frowned slightly. He moved closer, wanting to see exactly what deity was being worshipped. But before he could step forward, Cen Yue suddenly grabbed his wrist.

Snapped back to reality, he turned to see Cen Yue’s smiling face.

“Little Master, why don’t you go to the front for some tea? Don’t get too close—you might anger the Spirit.”

She was smiling, but it wasn’t the warm smile Wu Yi had seen at Fengyue. It was sharp, alert, and cold.