The Villainous Senior Brother Doesn't Want to Wash White [Transmigration] - Chapter 40

Hearing Ji Yanqing’s proposal, the ghost cultivator was momentarily stunned before flatly refusing: “No way!”

【Villain Points +5.】

The system notification chimed in Ji Yanqing’s ear. He felt the ghost cultivator tighten his grip on his arm.

However, after a few seconds, the ghost cultivator likely realized that Ji Yanqing’s idea wasn’t entirely unfeasible. His tone softened by seventy percent as he tried to negotiate: “How about this… you let me ‘capture’ you, and I’ll share some of the spiritual stones with you!”

Ji Yanqing’s eyes lit up. He stated: “Fine, we’ll split it 80/20. I take eighty, you take twenty.”

Ghost Cultivator: “Let’s do 30/70. I take thirty, you seventy.”

Ji Yanqing looked indifferent: “90/10. I take ninety, you take ten. If you don’t like it, forget it—I’ll just go by myself.”

“Deal!” The ghost cultivator had never encountered someone who bargained like this, but seeing Ji Yanqing ready to leave on his own, he agreed hurriedly.

After all, if Ji Yanqing went to the Fengdu Ghost Palace alone, the ghost wouldn’t get a single spiritual stone.

What the ghost cultivator didn’t know was that Ji Yanqing only gave him a ten percent cut because he didn’t actually know the way to the Ghost Palace.

After leaving a note in the inn’s front hall, Ji Yanqing followed the ghost cultivator toward the Fengdu Ghost Palace.

Sitting aboard the Hundred Ghost Cloud Carriage—a unique mode of transport in the Ghost Realm—Ji Yanqing suddenly realized a problem: “By the way, why is your Emperor looking for anyone related to that cat?”

The ghost cultivator replied: “That cat has something very important to the Emperor on its person.”

Ji Yanqing: “…”

Did Lei eat the Emperor’s spiritual artifact or Dharma treasure?

Given Lei’s track record, this was the first thought that popped into Ji Yanqing’s head.

He began to wonder: if that was the case, the Emperor wasn’t offering a reward for the cat’s owner out of kindness—he was looking to settle the score.

If the Emperor found out that Lei belonged to him, would he be able to walk away with those 100,000—no, 90,000—high-grade spiritual stones alive?

Realizing this, Ji Yanqing stood up, wanting to get off the carriage immediately.

The ghost cultivator was fast enough to see through his intent. He grabbed Ji Yanqing to stop him: “What, changed your mind about ‘surrendering’ and want to slip away now?”

The ghost cultivator looked quite smug. He knew Ji Yanqing’s earlier talk was just a ruse to make him lower his guard.

Even a ghost who has died once shouldn’t be so greedy for stones that he forgets his life!

Besides, they were currently on the cloud carriage surrounded by other ghost cultivators. Even if he couldn’t stop Ji Yanqing alone, surely the crowd could prevent a single ghost from escaping?

However, just as the ghost cultivator was thinking this with full confidence, the atmospheric pressure around them suddenly shifted.

Ji Yanqing stood up, and the Golden Light Retroactive Glazed Lamp flew into the air, floating near him.

The other ghost cultivators on the carriage were suddenly partitioned off, as if they were in a different dimension; they couldn’t sense the anomaly happening right beside them.

Before entering the Ghost Realm, Shen Xiao’s secret technique had not only masked their life force to make them look like ghosts but had also blurred their features.

But now, as Ji Yanqing activated the lamp, the light illuminated everything within the barrier with absolute clarity, naturally revealing his true, original appearance.

“If I wanted to leave, do you really think you could stop me?” Saying this, Ji Yanqing gave the ghost cultivator a signature villainous, arrogant smile.

Ghost Cultivator: “…”

The ghost cultivator realized now that this person’s identity was likely extraordinary. He let go of Ji Yanqing’s arm as if he had been electrocuted.

Having intimidated the other party, Ji Yanqing stowed the lamp and sat back down.

He planned to wait until the carriage reached its stop and then take one in the opposite direction.

After this encounter, the ghost cultivator completely abandoned the idea of forcibly taking Ji Yanqing to the palace. He sat there as if on pins and needles, terrified that Ji Yanqing would kill him to silence him. But after a long time, Ji Yanqing still hadn’t moved.

He… doesn’t want to kill me?

The ghost cultivator peeked at Ji Yanqing. Seeing that the youth had returned to his previous appearance, his heart finally settled, and his courage gradually returned.

Thinking about the spiritual stones that were within reach, he couldn’t help but try to persuade Ji Yanqing again: “Aren’t you looking for that cat? Perhaps if you go to the Ghost Palace, you can make the cat give that thing back obediently.”

The ghost cultivator was quite clever; seeing he couldn’t force him, he tried to entice Ji Yanqing to go willingly.

Sure enough, hearing this, Ji Yanqing’s heart stirred, but then he muttered softly: “Can something that’s been eaten actually be spit back out?”

At least so far, he had never seen Lei spit out a single spiritual stone it had devoured.

The ghost cultivator didn’t hear the mutter, but seeing Ji Yanqing’s reaction, he knew there was a chance. He whispered mysteriously: “And if you don’t go, with a bounty of 100,000 stones, some powerful ghost cultivator will eventually use any means necessary to get that item. Instead of letting someone else get it, why don’t you try? Worst case… I won’t tell anyone that the cat actually came from the outside world with you.”

Ji Yanqing looked at the ghost cultivator, slightly surprised.

Though the ghost looked ordinary, he was quite capable to have guessed his origin from the Glazed Lamp.

But the ghost’s words made sense. Setting aside the stones, Ji Yanqing truly needed to find Lei to get the clue for the phoenix hairpin.

Ji Yanqing thought it over and replied with feigned difficulty: “If I take half the reward, I might consider it.”

“Deal! Half it is!” The ghost cultivator gritted his teeth, thinking that even half was 50,000—no, 5,000—high-grade spiritual stones (his math was failing him in the excitement). He didn’t realize he had just been scammed by Ji Yanqing again.

Finally, the carriage neared a sinister palace. The ghost announcer said lazily: “Arriving at the Emperor’s Divine Palace. Passengers getting off here, please prepare…”

“We’re here.”

The ghost cultivator whispered. The pair stood up and moved to the exit.

A flash of golden light later, Ji Yanqing found himself standing before the Fengdu Ghost Palace.

Ji Yanqing surveyed the solemn, pitch-black palace radiating a sinister aura, suddenly feeling worried.

The ghost said he was taking him to the Emperor, but the Emperor of Fengdu was a powerhouse only one step away from becoming a Ghost Immortal. Ji Yanqing didn’t believe a random ghost cultivator could just walk in and see him.

In fact, hiding his identity to enter the palace wouldn’t be easy.

Should I use an illusion to sneak in?

As he was debating his next move, a ghost cultivator holding a small red flag shouted through a voice-amplifying artifact: “Tourists visiting the Fengdu Ghost Palace, please follow me this way!”

Behind her was a crowd of ghost cultivators who followed her straight into the palace in a grand procession.

Ji Yanqing: “…”

What is wrong with this Emperor of Fengdu!

From the “QR Code” (Two-Dimensional Horse) to the public transportation of the Hundred Ghost Cloud Carriage, and now a tour group… Ji Yanqing seriously suspected that another transmigrator had infiltrated the Ghost Realm!

“Over there!” On the other side, the ghost cultivator finally found the channel for entering the palace.

Ji Yanqing stopped his speculation about the Emperor’s identity and looked in the direction the ghost pointed. He saw a sign written in strange characters, with ghost guards standing before it.

He couldn’t read the sign, but there was a drawing of a ferocious animal with bared fangs beneath the text.

Just as he was about to ask what it said, the ghost cultivator stepped up to the guard and said: “Brother, we are here for the bounty.”

“Here to tame the ‘Vicious Beast,’ right? Go in through here.”

Tame a ‘cute’ beast… do these ghosts actually find Lei cute?

Ji Yanqing thought, feeling a bit more at ease. He minimized his presence and followed the ghost cultivator through the passage.

The moment he entered the palace, he heard a roar.

The sound shook the heavens and earth, filled with rage—it was clearly a massive beast.

Several ghost cultivators came stumbling out of the palace, saying in terror: “Too terrifying, it’s just too terrifying.”

Clearly, they had been scared off by the beast.

Is Lei really inside?

Ji Yanqing stopped. He thought of something and sketched the characters from the sign outside from memory, asking the ghost: “What do these characters mean?”

The ghost was puzzled but translated: “Vicious Beast Inside, Enter with Caution.”

He added: “Why do you ask?”

Ji Yanqing: “…”

He lost track of how many times he had wanted to leave today.

But it was too late to turn back now. The guard nearby urged: “You two, hurry up and get in there!”

Since I’m already here, I’ll see what’s happening and leave… later.

Ji Yanqing told himself. Soon, he reached a closed, carved gate. The guard spoke solemnly: “The Emperor has placed a concealment spell here. Use whatever means you have. If you can subdue the spiritual beast inside and retrieve the item on it, the Emperor will fulfill his promise of 100,000 high-grade spiritual stones.”

“If you truly cannot handle it, do not force yourselves,” he added.

These words made the ghost cultivator nervous. He grabbed Ji Yanqing’s sleeve tightly as they entered the gate.

Behind the gate was a garden.

Ji Yanqing could tell it was once neatly manicured. In the Ghost Realm, where few celestial plants can grow, this place had once been filled with vegetation.

But that was in the past.

Now, the garden looked like it had survived a catastrophe. Under the assault of various spells, half the soil had been gouged out, plant remains were scattered everywhere, and the ground was covered in claw marks.

Ji Yanqing followed a large, deep claw mark forward and saw a white beast the size of a lion.

The beast was crouched in a freshly dug pit, its deep blue eyes watching the two newcomers warily.

Ji Yanqing focused and recognized the beast as Lei—who had expanded countless times in size.

Finding Lei brought a surge of joy to Ji Yanqing. He stepped forward.

Sensing Ji Yanqing’s approach, Lei suddenly stood up, baring its claws in an aggressive stance. Its mouth opened to reveal sharp fangs, letting out a heart-stopping roar.

Ji Yanqing had to stop, shocked. It actually absorbed the spiritual energy from the stones it ate; its cultivation is now at the Soul Manifestation stage!

Even worse, Lei was extremely wary of the outside world and wouldn’t let anyone near.

“Is this… really your cat?” the ghost cultivator asked, dumbfounded. He didn’t know why the cute kitten in the picture had become this.

And why was it so fierce toward its own owner?

Ji Yanqing didn’t know what was wrong, but based on his experience with “cloud-raising” cats (watching them online), he knew that if a cat is severely frightened, even the owner who raised it for years wouldn’t be able to get close with its favorite treats.

Not to mention, Ji Yanqing didn’t have any spiritual stones in his hand right now.

The best way now was to forcibly subdue it.

Lei had Soul Manifestation cultivation and was in a state of high alert; the ghost cultivator naturally couldn’t handle it.

But Ji Yanqing could.

He pondered for a moment and summoned the Golden Light Retroactive Glazed Lamp.

The garden was plunged into darkness. The golden light from the lamp turned into ropes, binding Lei tightly and making it unable to move.

“Awooo!”

Bound by the light, Lei struggled even more violently. It thrashed its body to escape. Because of this movement, Ji Yanqing saw several black wounds hidden beneath its white fur—marks left by the previous ghost cultivators’ attacks.

Ji Yanqing steeled his heart, tightening his hand seal. The light from the lamp grew stronger, trying to pull Lei toward him.

But for some reason, Lei stubbornly refused to move. Its four claws sank deep into the dirt, and its roars became increasingly angry.

Looking at the struggling, roaring Lei and its wounds, Ji Yanqing felt conflicted.

In this situation, he couldn’t make Lei calm down. The only thing he could do was attack.

Ji Yanqing didn’t think he was doing anything wrong. Since meeting this cat, it had brought him nothing but trouble—eating his savings, making him poor, and getting him trapped in the Ghost Realm.

Attacking now wouldn’t kill it; it would just incapacitate it so he could claim the 100,000 stones. Even if it got hurt, it was just a small punishment for its mischief.

Ji Yanqing told himself this, but he felt something was strange.

Many ghost cultivators had been here before, and it was covered in wounds. Why was it still guarding this spot without moving an inch?

What exactly is it guarding?

Taking advantage of Ji Yanqing’s distraction, Lei struggled more fiercely, nearly breaking the golden bonds.

The ghost cultivator hurriedly acted, summoning a long whip as a ghost tool and binding one of Lei’s hind legs.

But the ghost was weak; seeing the beast about to break free, he urged: “Hey, why aren’t you attacking yet?”

At that moment, Ji Yanqing finally made his choice.

He stowed the Glazed Lamp, and the golden light in the garden vanished.

Under the ghost cultivator’s disbelieving gaze, Ji Yanqing gave up the attack. He crouched down and reached out toward the ferocious white beast, saying softly: “Lei, come here.”

The man and the beast stared at each other in silence for a moment. Finally, the seemingly fierce beast blinked at Ji Yanqing. Its body lowered, gradually shrinking until it became a soft, cute white fluffball.

The fluffball moved clumsily. It picked up something from the ground in its mouth and wobbled toward Ji Yanqing.

It was only a few steps, but its speed was slow. Like a clump of dandelion rolling on the ground, it reached Ji Yanqing’s feet and finally lost its strength, toppling over forward.

Ji Yanqing reached out to support the fluffball.

Lei stood steady. It lowered its head and placed an object in Ji Yanqing’s palm.

Ji Yanqing felt a slight weight in his hand. He looked down; in his palm lay the Golden Phoenix Hairpin, its golden body gleaming and its jade tassels jingling softly.

At that moment, Ji Yanqing finally understood.

After falling into the Ghost Realm, Lei was trapped. It used up all its spiritual energy but still couldn’t leave.

The reason it wouldn’t let the ghost cultivators get close—the reason it stayed in one spot despite the pain—was to protect this… Golden Phoenix Hairpin.

Ji Yanqing held the hairpin, and the tassels clinked together with a crisp sound.

The fluffball’s blue eyes stared fixedly at the hairpin, its front paws kneading the ground restlessly as if it still wanted to play with it.

But in the end, it only raised its right paw and placed it gently on the back of Ji Yanqing’s hand.

Feeling the soft paw pad against his skin, Ji Yanqing’s heart felt complicated. He was glad he hadn’t attacked and felt a touch of “maternal” pride.

Outside the garden, hearing the silence, the guard opened the door cautiously to check—only to see this scene.

The guard’s eyes widened. He snapped out of it and ran off to spread the news with joy: “Success! Quick! Go report to the Emperor!”