The Ghost Insists on Giving Me a Beautiful and Powerful Wife! - Chapter 18.1

Yu Ruoyin had accumulated many questions, but Jiang Huaining wasn’t going to answer them.

Jiang Huaining would simply change the subject whenever she realized she had slipped up, not even bothering to concoct a few lies to deceive her.

“Ruoyan, we need to go find Tong Sangqian.”

Xing Ruoyan should have dealt with the Jade Puppet a long time ago. Now that the Jade Puppet’s case was entangled with He Meijie’s, Tong Sangqian was indeed a good starting point.

“I’ll check where Tong Sangqian is right away.”

Just as Jiang Huaining nodded, a spiritual light flickered on her wrist.

She took out a piece of colored jade glanced at it, and said, “No need to check. She’s in Fengyuan.”

Fengyuan!

Yu Ruoyin was still holding onto Jiang Huaining’s leg, but she immediately scrambled up from the ground when she heard Jiang Huaining say “Fengyuan.”

She was no stranger to the Fengyuan district.

It was where she lived, and where they had found He Meijie last night.

But how did Jiang Huaining know where Tong Sangqian was?

Xing Ruoyan voiced the question in her heart. This time, the answer wasn’t something Jiang Huaining was unwilling to reveal. She put away the jade token and said calmly, “From He Meijie’s soul, she died because her head was split open. A person cannot survive with their head in two halves, so her body must have been dead for a while. Therefore, it’s unlikely that her step-sister and step-mother occupied her body for money. Who would give up being a perfectly good living person to occupy a dead body? Besides, after she died, her step-sister became the sole heir, so there was no need for such a roundabout scheme.”

“Why would a living person occupy a dead body for money? Unless she wanted to become a zombie.”

Become a zombie?

Yu Ruoyin instinctively asked, “A Jade Puppet?”

Xing Ruoyan quickly dismissed Yu Ruoyin’s guess. “Although a Jade Puppet isn’t as powerful as a Jade Corpse, it has the strength of a Wandering Corpse. It takes a huge amount of time to create a Jade Puppet, at least a hundred years, if not a thousand. He Meijie has only been dead for a short time.”

Yu Ruoyin also felt her guess was too far-fetched, but Jiang Huaining ignored Xing Ruoyan and gave her an approving look. “Very clever.”

“Huh?” Yu Ruoyin was a little taken aback.

Xing Ruoyan, feeling ignored by Jiang Huaining, didn’t seem to mind. She was more focused on trying to understand Jiang Huaining’s words. “My lady, are you saying He Meijie is a Jade Puppet?”

“I had Xia Yu and Ayin go look for the Jade Puppet. They followed its trail to Fengyuan, where they lost its aura but saw someone who looked exactly like He Meijie.”

The person in He Meijie’s body was Tong Sangqian, so the person who looked exactly the same must be Tong Sangqian.

Xia Yu and her companion were chasing the Jade Puppet to Fengyuan, so it was possible that Tong Sangqian and the Jade Puppet were connected.

But Xing Ruoyan still couldn’t believe that Tong Sangqian was the Jade Puppet. “My lady, they shouldn’t have been able to turn the body into a Jade Puppet in such a short time, right?”

“We’ll know after we see for ourselves.”

Jiang Huaining was clearly not yet certain about the Jade Puppet’s identity. Xing Ruoyan hesitated and opened her mouth, “Then, my lady…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Xing Ruoyan swallowed the question she wanted to ask, which was why Jiang Huaining would praise Yu Ruoyin if she wasn’t even certain.

If Jiang Huaining was happy to praise her little wife, why should she stand in her way?

Yu Ruoyin was still spacing out when Jiang Huaining gently pushed her head. “A-yin, let’s go.”

“Oh, right, okay.” She started walking, following Jiang Huaining.

Xing Ruoyan walked behind them, her usually tired and lazy eyes now wide awake, silently observing the two of them.

Fengyuan was some distance away from them.

Jiang Huaining drove, and Yu Ruoyin sat in the passenger seat, leaving Xing Ruoyan and He Meijie in the back.

The sunlight was not good for a pure ghost like He Meijie. Xing Ruoyan had to share a wisp of her soul power with her so she could barely tolerate the sun.

He Meijie clasped her hands tightly, and her soul began to tremble as they got closer to Fengyuan.

Xing Ruoyan was a decent Yin Constable.

Even though she had argued with He Meijie before, when she noticed He Meijie’s soul’s emotions fluctuating more and more, she still advised her, “Calm down. How are you going to get revenge if you get lost in hatred before you even find out the truth?”

He Meijie squeezed her clasped hands on her lap. “I will get revenge, I must get revenge!”

She was both telling herself and indeed calming down after her self-admonition.

Jiang Huaining drove the car out of Longyu Street and asked her, “He Meijie, if you hadn’t seen Tong Sangqian occupying your body, who in your family would you have suspected?”

He Meijie seemed a little lost. “Sangqian, it must be Sangqian.”

She mumbled something, then suddenly changed her mind. “No, not Sangqian.”

He Meijie’s family had many people, but her only true family were her biological father, step-mother, and step-sister. The others were all servants.

If she hadn’t seen Tong Sangqian occupying her body, the person she would have suspected was… her biological father, He Fengxi.

Sangqian was a very good person.

She came into the family not long after her mother died. He Meijie originally disliked her, but Sangqian was very good to her.

Sangqian loved to smile, and her eyes would curve into crescents when she did.

She was so sweet and adorable.

He Meijie didn’t know if those words were appropriate to describe Sangqian, but Sangqian really did give her that feeling. She was like a mother who acted like a younger sister, especially as she and Tong Sangqian grew older. It became more and more obvious. She didn’t call her by her name; she liked to call her “Miss” and Tong Sangqian “Little Sister.”

It was as if she was reminding them that she was the older sister and Tong Sangqian was the younger sister.

She was very good at acting spoiled and was very clingy. She sometimes seemed a little unreliable, but she would give them the most warmth when she and Tong Sangqian needed it.

When she first met Sangqian, He Meijie was a porcupine with sharp quills. Every time Sangqian tried to hug her, she would bite her hands until they bled.

Their relationship officially changed when she was twelve and fell gravely ill. She had a high fever for seven straight days, and it was Sangqian, the woman she called her “wicked step-mother,” who took care of her for those seven days without changing clothes.

In her daze, He Meijie thought she saw her mother.

When she decided to reconcile with Sangqian, she seriously asked her if she ever got angry about how badly she and her mother had treated her.

She still remembered Sangqian stroking her head and telling her softly, “My lady, we are a family. There is no such thing as holding grudges between family.”

He Meijie’s brazenness was also a result of Sangqian spoiling her. She would occasionally reflect on her own behavior.

She once seriously asked Sangqian if she had too good a temper.

But Sangqian told her that as long as she didn’t harm others or do evil, having a strong temper was a good thing because it meant she wouldn’t have to put up with being wronged.

She didn’t want He Meijie to be wronged.

He Meijie sometimes felt that Sangqian was even better to her than to Tong Sangqian.

He Meijie’s classmates whose fathers had remarried weren’t as lucky as she was. Their step-mothers were mostly harsh, unlike her gentle step-mother, and they didn’t have a cute and clingy sister like Tong Sangqian.

Before she died, He Meijie thought she would be happy forever.

Compared to Sangqian and Tong Sangqian, her biological father, He Fengxi, was a little unfamiliar to her.

Because He Fengxi was rarely home, He Meijie would only see him two or three times a year. He was only responsible when it came to sending money and never neglected her financially.

If she hadn’t seen Tong Sangqian occupying her body, and someone told her that her family was the one who harmed her, she would have guessed it was He Fengxi.

Jiang Huaining had a vague feeling something was off. “You said you thought you saw your biological mother when you were very sick?”

“Yes.” He Meijie nodded. “My mom… Sangqian was so good to me. We were just like biological mother and daughter… My friends all said I looked more like her than Sangqian did.”

She must have been truly happy during the twelve years she lived with Sangqian, because she couldn’t help but smile as she spoke.

“You’re saying you look more like her than your sister does?”

Jiang Huaining immediately pointed out the key point. “Ruoyan, I remember you said Tong Weixue has a paternal half-sister.”

Xing Ruoyan was startled and quickly pulled out her. “I’ll have someone look into it.”

Yu Ruoyin turned to look at Jiang Huaining. She was quicker on the uptake than the less rational He Meijie. “Pretty wife, are you suspecting that Sangqian is Tong Weixue’s sister?”

Facing Yu Ruoyin’s question, Jiang Huaining was less serious and more gentle. “Yes. My A-yin is so smart.”

“No, not really.” Yu Ruoyin blushed with embarrassment.

Jiang Huaining had made it so obvious that it would have been foolish for her not to figure it out.

As Xing Ruoyan arranged for someone to investigate Sangqian, Jiang Huaining had already driven the car to Fengyuan.

Fengyuan was in a remote location and not as bustling as the city center, but there were still a good number of people.

This would pose a problem for them in finding the Jade Puppet. Although the Jade Puppet’s combat strength was only a step up from a Wandering Corpse, its appearance was similar to that of a Jade Corpse, making it difficult to distinguish from a human. They could easily hide in a crowd, silently kill a few people, and leave without a trace. Compared to zombies who feared the sun, Jade Puppets were easier to hide during the day.

Even an experienced Yin Constable could be fooled.

Luckily, Yu Ruoyin and her team had a different division of labor from Xia Yu; they were looking for He Meijie’s face.

Jiang Huaining hadn’t even fully driven into Fengyuan when she saw a red light appear not far away. The red light gradually transformed into a red pillar, which then grew and grew until it became a red wall.

Xing Ruoyan immediately sat up straight. “Who’s setting up a barrier in broad daylight in a place like this?”

“?”

Yu Ruoyin was a little confused. Jiang Huaining pulled over and explained to her.

After the war over four thousand years ago, all factions suffered varying degrees of damage, but they also maintained cooperation. The Underworld, the demon race, and the mages have been in a cooperative relationship for all these years. At that time, the Underworld King, who had the most say, made a demand of all three sides: try not to disturb the lives of ordinary people and ensure that most of them live their lives without knowing about ghosts and demons.

Although ordinary people couldn’t see ghosts or barriers, there were many people in Fengyuan, especially many elderly.

The elderly were nearing the end of their lives, and their life fires were weak, making them the most susceptible to being invaded by negative energy.

With such a large barrier, it would be a big problem if a few ordinary people were accidentally swept inside.

If someone died of fright because of such a thing, the Underworld King would definitely get involved.

The Underworld King wouldn’t easily go after the mage who set up the formation, but they would definitely hold the Yin Constable in charge of the area accountable.

This was why Xing Ruoyan’s face was so grim.

Jiang Huaining was the first to open the car door. “Maybe it’s a young descendant of a family who doesn’t know the rules yet. I heard from Ajin that the new generation of talent in the Yin-Yang world is flourishing, and they’re able to use techniques that surpass their predecessors at a young age.”

“My lady, you’re giving them too much credit.” Xing Ruoyan’s face turned even grimmer. “I think they’re getting worse. Their talent is only a little better, but their arrogance is sky-high. They all act like they’re the greatest, and when they need a Yin Constable’s help, they don’t speak properly and just threaten to scatter souls. My people have been complaining about them for a long time.”

Jiang Huaining got out of the car with Yu Ruoyin and handed Xing Ruoyan a black umbrella. “Ajin wouldn’t speak without reason.”

Xing Ruoyan got out and opened the black umbrella.

She tilted the umbrella towards the car door, and only then did He Meijie, who was sitting in the car, dare to float out and take shelter under it.

Xing Ruoyan held the umbrella for He Meijie and said, “My lady, there is one who is very powerful, it’s just that…”

She stopped mid-sentence, which made Yu Ruoyin turn back to look at her.

Seeing Yu Ruoyin’s curiosity, Jiang Huaining asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xing Ruoyan sighed. “That child is from the Huawu lineage.”

Yu Ruoyin didn’t know what a Huawu was, but Jiang Huaining’s expression showed a momentary trace of compassion when she heard the words “Huawu descendant.”

Before she could ask, two people suddenly ran towards them.

Their expressions were terrified and panicked. They fell to the ground but immediately got up and continued to flee, screaming, “It’s… eating people!”

“Oh no.”

Xing Ruoyan stuffed the black umbrella into Yu Ruoyin’s hand and immediately rushed towards the two people.

Yu Ruoyin took the black umbrella and realized how cool it was under it. The sunlight couldn’t penetrate at all.

Jiang Huaining was a trustworthy businesswoman who was willing to protect He Meijie’s soul before the transaction was complete. Yu Ruoyin glanced at He Meijie, who was huddled cautiously next to her under the umbrella, and turned her attention back to Xing Ruoyan.

She knew that if she put the umbrella down, He Meijie’s soul would definitely be burned, or else she wouldn’t be so scared.

But she wasn’t that angry anymore.

After realizing that Jiang Huaining had been calculating every step, and that even doing business with He Meijie was to stand up for her, her anger had long since dissipated.

He Meijie died for no reason and still didn’t know who the murderer was.

She was also a pitiable ghost.

Xing Ruoyan was very fast. She appeared behind the two people and patted them on the back. They both fainted at the same time.

Their current position was an alley.

Xing Ruoyan reached out and caught them, then carried them to the wall and propped them up.

“Their life-souls have been scared out of them.” Xing Ruoyan’s expression was slightly solemn. She took out her, patted their foreheads, and then stood up in a hurry. “My lady, can we go over there first? I’m afraid they’ll cause trouble.”

Yu Ruoyin pointed at the two girls. “What about them?”

“My Yin Constables will come and pick them up and help them find their souls.”

While Yu Ruoyin and Xing Ruoyan were talking, Jiang Huaining took out her jade token and looked at it again. “Let’s go. Xia Yu and her team are there, too.”

“Lord Xia is there, so why didn’t she stop them…” Xing Ruoyan’s words trailed off, and she smiled helplessly. “I forgot. That’s Lord Xia, not Lord Qiu.”

Jiang Huaining had told Yu Ruoyin that Qiu Luo was easy to get along with, and Lu Qingzhen also said she preferred Qiu Luo.

Now, even Xing Ruoyan showed a regretful expression that Xia Yu wasn’t Qiu Luo at the moment, which made Yu Ruoyin extremely curious about Qiu Luo.

“Constable Xing, what kind of spirit is Qiu Luo?”

“Has my lady not told you yet?” Xing Ruoyan asked. Seeing that Jiang Huaining didn’t stop her from talking, she answered Yu Ruoyin, “Lord Qiu Luo is the easiest spirit to get along with at the Four Spirits Store. She’s also the most warm-hearted and the best spirit.”

She said it and then realized her mistake, quickly backtracking. “My lady, I didn’t mean to say you’re not good.”

Jiang Huaining didn’t seem to mind. “You’re right. Qiu Luo is kinder than all of us.”

“My lady, no…”

Xing Ruoyan quickly defended herself. From her frantic explanation, Yu Ruoyin gained a deeper understanding of the Four Spirits Store’s employees. Jiang Huaining was a true businesswoman. Most of the time, she would only help the Underworld when a customer asked her to. Of course, if the Underworld really had a problem, she would also help if Lu Qingzhen asked her to.

Actually, it wasn’t Jiang Huaining’s fault; it was because of the bigger picture.

The leaders of all factions hoped that the Four Spirits Store’s employees wouldn’t easily leave the store, because their power was too terrifying. If they were too active in the Yin-Yang world, they could easily bring back memories of the dark times and cause panic among newcomers.

The Four Spirits Store’s employees were already rumored to have power close to that of a god. If they showed their power more often, wouldn’t they confirm the rumors?

What the Yin and Yang worlds needed least right now were gods. Such powerful forces would either cause endless panic or blind worship and even exploitation. This was not good for the already stable three-way balance. Worse, some people might propose to destroy and share this power.

The Underworld King did not want to see any of these scenarios.

Jiang Huaining herself didn’t want to see it either, so she had confined this power to a completely independent space. Using power in the independent space was the safest way.

Yu Ruoyin asked curiously, “Does that mean the Four Spirits really have the power of a god?”

“None of us have ever seen a god, so none of us know what kind of power a god possesses.” Xing Ruoyan deliberately lowered her voice. “It’s just that in legends, controlling the changes of the seasons and the power of nature is what a god does. However, as spirits, the Four Spirits’ power is indeed too strong.”

Xing Ruoyan was a Yin Constable from Chong City.

The Four Spirits Store’s employee passage was on Longyu Street in Chong City, so Xing Ruoyan was the Yin ghost from the Underworld who interacted with the Four Spirits Store the most, besides Lu Qingzhen.

Xing Ruoyan would be much more relaxed during the autumn because Qiu Luo would come out to help.

Qiu Luo was a warm-hearted and good spirit. Even when doing business, she didn’t like to take things from others.

But the Four Spirits Store could not make a loss. Once they started giving things away for free, the number of people who wanted to have their wishes fulfilled for free would only increase. Especially with some old demons who had more dealings with them, Jiang Huaining would be wrong no matter if she agreed or not. There had to be an exorbitant price so that those who didn’t want to risk their lives to achieve their wishes would back down.

To be honest, Qiu Luo was not suitable for guarding the store; she often became overly sympathetic.

She was willing to help people fight ghosts and catch demons, and Jiang Huaining wouldn’t stop her as long as she didn’t reveal her identity.

With her help, the Yin Constables could be much more relaxed, which was why Xing Ruoyan and Lu Qingzhen liked her the most.

This didn’t make sense.

The more Yu Ruoyin listened, the more confused she became. “Isn’t she a spirit? Wouldn’t she expose her power if she used her spiritual energy?”

“Lord Qiu Luo doesn’t usually use her spiritual energy.” When she mentioned Qiu Luo, Xing Ruoyan’s face lit up. “She understands Buddhist teachings and is proficient in many Taoist spells. She looks more like a mage, and Lord Xiaoyan has learned some things from her, too.”

A spirit using Taoist and Buddhist spells?

Yu Ruoyin felt a strange sensation in her heart. She looked at Jiang Huaining with a confused expression.

Jiang Huaining said calmly, “She’s lucky.”

This sounded familiar. Xia Yu had said the same thing not long ago.

Yu Ruoyin instinctively repeated what Lu Qingzhen had said at the time. “Don’t the Four Spirits have the same fate?”

When Jiang Huaining looked back at her, her eyes held too many emotions that Yu Ruoyin couldn’t understand.

She didn’t explain. She just said, “The fate is the same, but everyone’s experiences are different.”

“Qiu Luo…” Jiang Huaining’s eyes held a flash of envy. “She’s a little different.”

As for how she was different, Jiang Huaining refused to say.

What even Lu Qingzhen was confused about, Xing Ruoyan couldn’t answer either.

Besides Qiu Luo, the next easiest to get along with among the Four Spirits was Dong Yan.

Dong Yan listened to Jiang Huaining the most. If Jiang Huaining said east, she would never go west. She was also quite soft-hearted. If someone asked her for help, she would always lend a hand.

Dong Yan also had a clear flaw: she cried a lot.

Of course, compared to Chun and Xia, this wasn’t even a flaw.

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