Chapter 273: with translation of chapter title

272. Chapter 272 Clown performance: tens of thousands listening to……

Ling Yue placed the black cat in water; after soaking, the paint on the black cat grew ever darker, like a lump of paste, and the originally clear water seemed to be instantly dyed through.

However, as Ling Yue's next actions unfolded, everyone's expressions turned to shock——

Her fair fingers wiped over the black cat, and strands of black instantly peeled off, sinking to the bottom; the soot‑black cat revealed a golden base color.

Seeing this, everyone else froze, including the netizens in the livestream, whose gazes burned hotly as they stared at Ling Yue's actions, their eyes blazing as if they wanted to bore into the screen.

【Could it really be what I'm thinking?】

No one answered that netizen's question; everyone was drawn by the extraordinarily brilliant gold, and Ling Yue's hand seemed to become the best plane, wherever it passed the black lacquer was stripped away.

"Impossible! Impossible!" the original stall holder clutched his chest, feeling his heart disease about to flare up; if it were really a big lump of gold, he wouldn't even have time to cry!

Because gold is dense, this lump of mysterious cat—no, the golden cat sculpture—should weigh several dozen jin; at today's market price of four hundred per gram, the stall owner plopped down on the ground.

They stared longingly at the golden cat, but the money and goods were settled; everyone knew the transaction was complete and could not be altered!

By then, no one was paying attention to him anymore.

Everyone's gaze gathered on Ling Yue; she glanced at the dazed crowd around her and said firmly, "It's gold. In ancient times, wealthy families liked to make cat sculptures because, as the ancient texts record: 'Mysterious cat, an object to ward off evil. Place it in the south, and descendants will all benefit. Often they would deliberately paint gold black.'"

Hearing her explanation, everyone suddenly understood.

【So the mysterious cat can also bring wealth—Mom, can I buy one now?】

【My goodness, they just casually bought and got a huge lump of gold!】

【Envy and jealousy, it feels like I've stuffed a ton of big lemons in my mouth QAQ】

【Anyone upstairs would know—our streamer has appraisal skills; back when that young lady inherited her family's estate, one of the national treasures was identified by the streamer! And it was done through the screen!】

【It's probably on display in some museum now—truly stunning!】

【To be honest, I'm more curious about what the feng shui turtle picked out—what's that pile of broken pottery shards?】

Ling Yue didn't know the netizens' discussion; as soon as her golden cat appeared, the onlookers swarmed in three layers inside and three outside, mostly bargain‑hunting tourists, who saw her buy the golden cat and were even more excited than she was.

The spectators craned their necks, faces flushed, and their phone shutters clicked nonstop.

The production crew was both happy and worried, and Ling Yue didn't plan to stay long; she held the cat and left.

Basically, no one dared to approach.

Although Ling Yue's earlier action was simple, anyone could see that the thick black lacquer, which should have been built up there, was flicked off by her casual gesture and fell away.

By now someone was muttering, "This girl is practically born with divine strength!"

Ling Yue paid no heed to those remarks, her eyes scanning as she wanted to leave.

On one side, Song Youli was excited, her little face flushed, eyes darting to the bag in Ling Yue's arms: "Ling Yue, is this real?"

"I heard it's really soft—want me to take a bite? See the tooth marks?"

Ling Yue: "……"

She almost couldn't help laughing; Dan Ru had already burst out laughing, amused by this lively character, and even the veteran cadre Qin Mingwei couldn't help touching his nose tip.

Then another voice cut in; although its speaker appeared calm, anyone could see his clumsy disguise, and the resentment in his eyes was about to erupt like fire.

Xu He wore a false smile: "Ling Yue, you're so lucky—you even managed to buy the golden cat; look, the stall holder just now regretted it so much his heart disease was about to act up."

Those words made people uncomfortable, as if slyly saying she was just lucky, and moreover, by bringing up the stall holder's heart trouble, it seemed as if her buying his treasure had made him sick.

The surrounding air instantly stagnated.

Even the viewers in front of the screen sensed something was off.

【What's going on? It sounds like they're making Ling Yue out to be the culprit—without her, the stall holder wouldn't be angry; isn't this moral blackmail?】

【My dead husband spent thirty thousand last year buying me a glass bracelet; I was so angry my head felt like it would explode—what did I say?】

【Frankly speaking, most of the stuff at antique stalls is fake—wholesale trinkets that cost ten or eight yuan can be resold for thousands or tens of thousands; they cheat far more than they lose!】

【Hey, look—what's the black‑cat stall holder up to?】

The stall holder, who had just regretted it so much his intestines turned green, quickly composed himself, seized the traffic to drum up business, and with his improvised pitch shouted, "Passersby, don't miss out—the golden cat just now was sold at my stall; come buy it, I, Old Zhang, deal honestly—you might just be the next millionaire!"

That remark was blunt but not wrong at all!

In front of the stall, quite a few people squatted down and began to pick and choose; none were still dazzled by the earlier million‑yen gold, and nobody haggled—it looks like curious tourists will soon buy everything out.

This business acumen made even Ling Yue have to praise it: even if he lost a few million, he could reap tens of thousands in just a moment.

Xu He finally sensed the subtle atmosphere and, laughing to himself, said, "Hahaha, I was just joking earlier. But the moment I saw that black cat in your arms, it instantly reminded me of our family's mysterious cat—look, aside from the color, they're practically identical."

As he spoke, he waved at the cat; an awkward scene ensued—the mysterious‑cat big shot heard the sound, didn't even glance at him, master and pet as stiff as strangers on the street.

Ling Yue clearly heard the cat's low hiss: "Get lost, you're noisy!"

Having said that, the cat flicked onto the eaves, striking a big‑shot pose, and flicked its tail impatiently.

She stared at Xu He in surprise; his face went rigid, as if he'd been marched onto a fire to roast—even if he's shameless and thick‑skinned, he couldn't bear such mockery!

Yes, he took Ling Yue's gaze as mockery, suddenly remembered something, and produced the small teacup he had just bought.

Ling Yue:???

Xu He chuckled: "Ling Yue, you're so good at appraisal—help me check, what dynasty is this bowl from? The moment I saw it, I felt a connection."

More importantly, this is the porcelain that the old turtle fancied—it's sure to sell big!

Feng shui turtle master: resting, do not disturb!

Ling Yue glanced at the bowl in his hand; Xu He watched her expectantly, unconvinced that after discovering the bowl was a genuine antique, Ling Yue could refrain from regretting it.

After all, this is an antique he snatched up for ten thousand!

The surrounding tourists, who had not yet dispersed, suddenly heard his words and grew excited again, their gazes burning as they stared at the bowl; Xu He could even hear their whispered comments.

"No way—are these people really that lucky? First a golden cat, now an ancient porcelain bowl?"

"Brother, you've got experience—take a look and tell me if this bowl is really an antique."

"This… hard to say—I see the bowl is translucent, the glaze lustrous and shiny, not like a craft piece; nine out of ten it's the real deal!"

The bowl vendor, who had just been mocking the blind black‑cat stall holder, now hearing the surrounding chatter felt a jolt—what the hell?!

He stared in disbelief at the person who took out the bowl; Xu He, though oily‑haired and powdered‑faced, had become a top star and filmed several TV shows, so his entertainment‑circle aura still differed from that of ordinary people.

Therefore, the stall owner was quite impressed with him—oh, mainly because this gullible person paid up so readily!

He was secretly gloating when he heard someone say the tea bowl might be an antique; instantly he threw his head back and his expression froze.

At that moment, Ling Yue glanced at the smugly pleased Xu He, not understanding why he was so happy, or perhaps he really thought this was genuine Song porcelain?

That would be embarrassing.

Ling Yue forced down the smile that wanted to rise, and explained: "Sorry, this probably isn't Song porcelain; judging by the glaze and clay body, it's a later imitation—but—"

Xu He collapsed, feeling as if he had instantly fallen from the clouds to the bottom of a valley; hearing Ling Yue's detailed analysis, he didn't understand those terms, but he knew what she meant by "imitation."

Xu He's head buzzed instantly, a rush of blood surged to the back of his head, he didn't dare look at the surrounding gazes, he could barely restrain his hatred—she did it on purpose! Definitely on purpose!

She did it on purpose to make me lose face!

No, she lied to me! She's been lying to me from the start!

Xu He held his neck stiff, gasped a few rough breaths, he no longer wanted to see the broken bowl in his hand; his finger slipped, and the fragile porcelain bowl immediately smashed onto the blue‑stone tiles, shattering into pieces.

Ling Yue frowned at him, and Xu He forced a smile: "I just accidentally let my hand slip."

【emmm……I was holding it steady just a moment ago, then my hand slipped? I don't believe it. JPG】

【Holy cow, the gullible one is actually me?】

【Xu He is way too impulsive—who wouldn't see that obvious "hand slip"? Too bad he's still a star; losing money and then smashing it!】

【My brother is just too angry, what are you spouting? What a big sucker—even if he tossed a million down the drain, he'd still be happy! A bunch of poor losers!】

【Well, Xu He's brain‑dead fans are back!】

【Wait, didn't you notice? Host Yueyue just said "but"—what does that "but" mean?】

Ling Yue shook her head, brows slightly furrowed, and said: "But I haven't finished yet."

"Although this isn't Song porcelain, it's a later imitation, but it's also not a modern craft—it's a Qing‑dynasty imitation of Song ware, the condition is decent; if sold, it could fetch over ten thousand, cough cough." Ling Yue paused: "If you hadn't broken it, it wouldn't be a loss."

!!!

The surrounding people were shocked beyond words, even drawing in a few gasps; obviously they were also confused by the reversal—originally they thought it was a worthless craft, but in an instant its value rose to over ten thousand!

"I said it, I said it—this is definitely an antique, worth over ten thousand, not bad at all!"

"What a pity……" that person clicked his tongue twice, his voice somehow strange, Xu He heard it crystal clear, like a demonic sound constantly drilling into his ears, he said: "What a prodigal—over ten thousand just for a sound."

Xu He finally couldn't hold back, his whole mind was on the verge of madness, he completely collapsed!

He stared fixedly at Ling Yue; in just a few seconds, bloodshot lines filled his eyes: "What did you say?"

He stiffly said: "That isn't a craft—it's a Qing‑dynasty antique?"

He personally smashed it?

Xu He could already imagine how others would judge him; he had originally intended to use this opportunity to market his own koi‑carp persona, but who knew it would end like this.

In the live‑stream room, the screen was full of depressing complaints.

【Holy cow, you got a chance and you're useless!】

【Are stars really that rich now? They say "smash" and they smash over ten thousand⊙▽⊙】

【Big brother, you're wrong—it's not a smash, it's his stupidity; Yueyue hadn't finished speaking and he already flew into a rage, and now look—this over‑ten‑thousand‑worth porcelain is smashed to pieces!】

【Even a duck about to be eaten could make it fly away—Xu He just can't do it!】

【Xu He can't do it!】

Xu He finally got his wish to trend—accurately, it was "Xu He can't do it" that trended! He didn't spend a penny; it was all thanks to netizens' word‑of‑mouth.

However, even seeing that free‑to‑trend term made him want to vomit blood from anger.

He is now nothing but a pure clown, the show's comic relief!

Many people even came just for Xu He to speak in the live‑stream.

【Hey hey, don't you find Xu He especially funny? Every time I see him make a fool of himself, I can eat two extra big bowls! Especially good with rice!】

【Me too, upstairs sisters—I declare Xu He is this year's top electronic pickle that goes best with rice! 【clap】【clap】】

The only silver lining is that Xu He still doesn't know the online comments about him, nor that his agent, remembering the few blisters on his lips, linked a male star with "can't do it"—that's considered a fairly negative impact.

After all, even ordinary people don't want to be associated with those two words.

If not kept in check, perhaps in the future mentioning Xu He will immediately be followed by "can't do it," just like another black‑red male star in the entertainment circle whose legend still lingers.

In front of the camera, Xu He not only became the audience's lunchtime laughingstock, but also had to clean up the floor—after all, those are sharp porcelain shards.

He hung his head, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into—anything would be better than now, when the pointing fingers of the crowd left him nowhere to hide; after leaving, every passerby's gaze made him feel like a hedgehog, bristling with defenses.

He thought everyone was mocking him, but in fact nobody paid any attention to those things.

After coming out, it was already evening; they played a few more mini‑games, and the production team announced they had booked the best hotel in Water Creek—after all, it was the first day of the live stream, so everyone needed an adjustment period.

Most importantly, the buzz was already enough.

This move earned a lot of goodwill; Ling Yue remained quiet, tapping and drawing on her phone, while Tan Ru inadvertently glanced at it and seemed to see a museum?

"Wow!" a soft exclamation stole her attention.

After noticing the surroundings, Song Youli felt moved to tears, instinctively letting out a "wow," but her eyes stayed fixed on the opposite side.

Because the place right across the road from the hotel is Water Creek's most famous snack street!

The sun hadn't set yet, but snack carts were already lighting up with colorful lanterns, brilliantly beautiful.

The girl's black‑and‑white eyes rolled around, and she whispered to herself, "How great would it be to find someone to share a late‑night snack!"

Now free from her strict manager, Song Youli was like the Monkey King who had leapt out of Five Finger Mountain—full of terrifying energy.

She also had her own considerations; the gentle‑voiced film‑queen and film‑king aura was too great—if she rashly approached, sensitive fans would surely scold her—but Ling Yue, Song Youli thought their relationship was fine, they weren't far apart in age, both young, so it would certainly be convenient.

As the sun just set, Song Youli knocked on Ling Yue's door, eagerly telling her the idea; Ling Yue had no objections and agreed right away.

Behind her, a beautiful porcelain shard emitting a soft, warm glow attracted Song Youli's attention.

The girl exaggeratedly covered her mouth, her round eyes like glass beads: "How beautiful."

She didn't dare speak loudly, standing before a pile of dark pottery shards as deep and vast as the night sky.

Song Youli noticed that Ling Yue seemed to be sorting these shards; one pile was a messy mix of colored shards, while another small pile had shards of nearly uniform color, speckled with a lustrous blue, and at a glance it stunned her.

She could have gotten to her current position in the entertainment industry without being a fool, even possessing a bit of cleverness; seeing that Ling Yue seemed unconcerned, she asked aloud, "What kind of shards are these? They're so beautiful."

Ling Yue glanced, pinched her temples—her neck sore from long hours of desk work—and said, "These should be shards of a kiln-change Heaven's Eye bowl."

Not intending to explain yet, Song Youli nodded; she hadn't planned to ask in detail, and because she knew little about ceramics, she didn't understand what Ling Yue's words meant, planning to look it up on Baidu when she had time.

Any cultural relics expert standing before Ling Yue would be overcome with excitement upon hearing her words.

The kiln-change Heaven's Eye tea bowl is a black-glazed Jian bowl from the Song dynasty, a rare surviving Southern Song masterpiece, its preciousness shocking.

Among existing kiln-change Heaven's Eye bowls, only three intact specimens survive as heirlooms, now housed in the Seikado Bunko Art Museum in Tokyo, Japan, designated as Japanese national treasures; a half bowl unearthed in Hangzhou, China, was already fragmented when discovered.

If what Ling Yue has found is genuine, one can imagine the entire cultural relics world would be shaken by a major upheaval.

Unfortunately, the only two people who know, one is clueless and the other unwilling to speak much.

Song Youli grabbed Ling Yue's arm as soon as she opened the door, her voice trembling with excitement: "Yueyue, do you have anything tonight?"

Ling Yue lifted her eyelids slightly: "What's up? I should be fine." Since returning to her room, she had been sorting the shards; only a few pieces of the kiln-change Heaven's Eye bowl remained to be finished, and she planned to go to the museum when she had time.

Ling Yue herself had little interest in cultural relics; donating or presenting such a treasure to a museum would be better.

Thinking that, she heard Song Youli say enthusiastically, "I want to treat you to a late-night snack!"

Ling Yue:???

Seeing her confusion, Song Youli pouted and said, "I've already looked it up—right across the street is a snack street, but as a girl going out at night I'd eat little and be scared; Ling Yue, will you come with me? I'll cover whatever you like to eat."

Ling Yue remained silent, Song Youli's heart fluttering anxiously as she gazed at her pleadingly: "Will you? Will you please?"

Ling Yue finally nodded: "All right."

Song Youli instantly revived: "Then I'll go back to my room to tidy up, you tidy up too, and we'll set out at eight!"

Ling Yue nodded, watching her skip away happily, couldn't help but shake her head and laugh; staying alone in her room was boring, so she might as well go out for a stroll.

"And what about me?"

On the desk, a white plush little tiger picked up a stray black pottery shard and slowly carried it into the pile of kiln-change Heaven's Eye bowl shards.

From its practiced movements, it was clear it had done this many times before.

Ling Yue pulled out a chair, sat down, hearing Jun Jun's voice, and couldn't help but laugh: "I'll take you along."

Jun Jun eagerly fixed her gaze on Ling Yue's fingers as Ling Yue's eyes wandered over the separated shard piles, her fair fingertip touching one piece.

The little tiger immediately stretched out its forepaws, moving the shard into the kiln-change Heaven's Eye bowl, and they went back and forth; in no time the heap of broken shards was sorted out.

Lights began to glow, nightfall descended.

A person sneaked out of the room, wearing a mask, glasses, and a hat, blending into the crowd.

He turned into the alley, suddenly hearing a resentful voice; his agent gave him a cold look and said, "You finally showed up……"

The man jerked back half a step, sizing up the woman from head to toe; his dark circles rivaled a panda's, and the resentment radiating from him surpassed even a female ghost's.

"You, you scared me to death! Who knew people could frighten people to death!" the man complained, pulling off his mask to reveal an overly gaunt, deathly pale face—it was Xu He.

For a moment, it was hard to tell whether the agent resembled a ghost more or he did.

Upon hearing that, the agent couldn't help but feel a chill run through her heart.

All these years of her efforts—even a dog would wag its tail for her—but the person before her, seeing her inhuman state, offered no comfort, only launched into insults, making her wonder if all she'd done meant anything at all.

While she was thinking, Xu He snapped, "What are you standing there for? Is there anything that can't be said over the phone?"

The agent glanced at him indifferently and said, "It's not clear over the phone; we'd better talk face to face."

Xu He, provoked by that glance, felt a sudden surge of anger: "What do you mean? What kind of attitude is this?"

He hadn't expected this to be just the start; he would soon be almost furious, and no one imagined that a top-tier star would end up arguing with his agent in a pitch-black alley.

In the end, his defeat was sealed; the agent launched into a tirade, saying he lacked brains, didn't know how many losses he'd suffered, and yet dared to linger near Ling Yue.

Shoving his recent hot-search results in front of him, the argument ended with both sides losing out; Xu He burst out of the alley and dove into the crowd.

He walked on, cursing, unaware of how many passersby gave him strange looks; eventually he didn't even know where he had ended up, surrounded by pitch-black darkness, the yellow streetlights swaying in the cold wind.

Compared to the bustling snack street just moments before, it was a stark contrast between heaven and earth.

Only then did Xu He realize his impulsiveness; for some reason, a chill crept up his spine, making his legs go weak, a sensation he could hardly describe.

The three lamps on his shoulders seemed to reflect his state of mind, beginning to sway and flicker unpredictably.

With a "bang."

Xu He turned his head warily; a black shadow darted across the ground to the opposite side, perching on the security net behind a resident's window, and in the light its true form was revealed.

A gray-striped tabby cat.

Only then did he relax, yet he felt his earlier jumpiness was utterly embarrassing, and he began to curse angrily.

"What a lousy cat, daring to scare me! If I get the chance, I'll skin you!"

He didn't realize that one of the lamps on his shoulder had gone out due to his earlier turn.

Folklore says that humans are beings of the yang realm, possessing yang energy that gathers into three lamps, keeping a hundred ghosts at bay. When one lamp goes out, yang suffers a great defeat; by chance, perhaps one might then see something different.

He cursed a few times, then heard footsteps and felt a cool breeze brush his neck before slipping away.

Xu He was no longer afraid; he turned his head and shouted, "Who the fuck——"

His voice cut off abruptly.

He stumbled back a few steps, finally making out the person before him: an old man with bark‑wrinkled skin, leaning on a cane, skin and bones, gaunt and thin.

He stared at the man's cloudy eyes; whether from illness or not, the whites were large, the black pupils only a small sliver, giving him a sickly look.

"Kid, how do you get to Jiu Shi Road?" the old man rasped, his voice rough and gloomy.

Xu He finally snapped to attention; at those words he jerked violently: "What's Jiu Shi Road? Why are you asking me? Where did this old coot come from?"

He tried to break away, but the old man seemed to latch onto him, persistently following and asking for directions.

Xu He was anxious, unaware that someone was gradually approaching him on the dim street.

The cameraman shouldered his camera, a Bluetooth earpiece in his ear, hearing the PD's instructions through it—no one expected the production crew to be this damn ruthless!

They had long guessed the celebrities would come out, and had even dispatched someone to tail them specifically; Xu He's earlier argument with his agent had already hit the hot searches!

Anyone who saw the agent's appearance would be startled.

Right now his personal livestream was a sea of people—hardly any brainless fans, all just here to watch the jokes!

The camera trained on Xu He, and netizens couldn't help but wonder.

【What's going on? Why is he just standing there not moving?】

【What is Xu He doing with all those gestures? Why do I feel he's performing an imaginary act? Has he finally found his conscience, feeling guilty for those awful films he made and wanting to make it up to the audience? Secretly honing his acting skills?】

【Damn, what the hell are you talking about upstairs? Saying he's possessed by a ghost is a better excuse than this bullshit!】

【Ghost ghost ghost ghost ghost QAQ!】

【Why do I feel Xu He is just talking to a ghost? Ahhh, he's still talking and gesturing!】

The cameraman suddenly felt a chill; the netizens, watching through the screen, couldn't quite grasp it, but he was right there beside him, hearing it clearly—Xu He's impatient expression and frantic tone instantly made his legs go weak.

"W-what is he doing?" he muttered, swallowing his saliva, asking: "Xu-He teacher must be performing, right."

But deep down, he would never believe his own words, no matter what!

With Xu He's trash acting, every role is just a wooden face—if this were true, he'd twist his head off!

Thinking that, the empty street suddenly rang with a scream!

Xu He roared: "You're crazy! I told you I don't know Nine History Road! I don't! I've never even heard of it from childhood! Get lost!"

In a flash, the cameraman's face turned pallid, his body hair stood on end, his legs trembling: "He-he-he-he, who is he talking to?"

The livestream's netizens were even more shocked by this eerie scene, breaking out in cold sweat that poured down.

【Ahhhh ghost! Ghost!】

【God Jesus Buddha Jade Emperor, bless bless, Xu He has encountered a ghost!】

In that moment, everyone could be certain Xu He had encountered a ghost—he was actually shouting and yelling at thin air, jumping about like thunder.

He didn't even realize that the livestreamed Xu He was making him so angry his brain was about to explode—truly eight lifetimes of bad luck, the old man kept clinging to him.

He covered his ears, wanting to leave, when the old man suddenly split his mouth into a ghastly grin: "You don't know Nine History Road? You don't know Nine History Road?"

Xu He: "I don't know—"

Before he could finish, the old man's face turned a sickly greenish-white, as if instantly given a netherworld special effect; his cloudy eyes held only a pale blue sclera!

Xu He's heart gave a violent jolt; in an instant, his whole body felt as if struck by lightning, his legs shaking like a sieve, he instinctively tried to run, but found he couldn't get away at all.

The old ghost stepped closer, its icy hand like a chicken claw gripping his throat tightly, a sensation of suffocation washing over him; Xu He struggled and flailed, those hands feeling as if filled with lead, firmly locked around his neck: "Save… save me…"

The pain of being unable to breathe made his eyes roll back, and he faintly heard the old ghost's voice: "If you can't answer, you will die!"

Xu He:!!!

In the livestream, some atheists were looking for excuses.

【Maybe it's not a ghost; maybe it's schizophrenia!】

The next moment, Xu He's feet left the ground, his hands clenched tight around his own neck, wearing a ferocious expression of strangling himself to death if he couldn't kill himself, his eyes rolled back, his tongue lolling out.

The supernatural phenomenon made everyone shut their mouths instantly; the cameraman, about 1.8 meters tall, swayed like a roly‑toy on the verge of toppling.

The worst off was Xu He, because the suffocation and levitation made him keep kicking his legs, the air in his lungs already squeezed out, his face flushed as he shouted: "Cat… cat…"

Why hasn't the black cat come to save him yet!

He couldn't spare any attention, let alone notice one side; the pitch‑black mysterious cat boss, like a statue, crouched on the wall, opened its pale yellow cat eyes, watching humans fall into desperation.

It even leisurely licked its paws.

Xu He's oxygen‑deprived brain was about to shut down permanently.

The next moment, a sword light swept past; the old ghost reacted instantly, darting to the side, but even with the fastest reaction, its soul, like a snowflake meeting the sun, began to melt away.

Ling Yue sheathed her sword, and the binding seal shot forth.

She didn't strike hard, using only a trace of sword aura; the old ghost had no escape, so Ling Yue turned to Xu He, who lay trembling on the ground, gulping fresh air, his face still deathly pale.

Obviously, he was badly frightened.

Ling Yue glanced at the camera lens; her eyes and brows were icy, like a biting wind, the killing intent that swept over made one's heart leap, as if stepping on a wire, stimulating the brain to dizzy.

【Ahhh! Sis is so cool and beautiful!】

【Sis, sis, I want to be your dog!】

【……Don't let beauty fog your minds; you can't handle this level of looks, let me come! Sis, please face me, ahhh!】

With Ling Yue, the camera operator's legs aren't weak, his waist isn't sore, and carrying the camera he can go up five floors in one breath!

He immediately jogged over to hug her thigh, but saw Ling Yue casually gesture, wrapping a yellow talisman into a little packet that seemed to throb, and he couldn't help wondering: "What is this?"

Ling Yue glanced sideways: "You really want to know?"

Camera operator: ⊙▽⊙

Ling Yue chuckled: "It's just the dirty thing from earlier."

Camera operator:!!!

He bolted three meters, carrying the camera toward Xu He, saying as he went: "You, you handle it well; I'll help check on Teacher Xu He."

He even used an honorific.

Not just him; even an ordinary person suddenly hearing Ling Yue playing with ghosts couldn't take it.

Ling Yue, meanwhile, didn't care much; she lowered her eyes, and in the binding seal in her palm, the evil ghost from earlier was already suffering torment, needing no extra means from her as it obediently knelt.

"Sir! Sir, spare my life! I was forced too; release me and I'll never dare again!"

Hearing this, Ling Yue couldn't help raising her brow: "What do you mean?"

The old ghost immediately explained: "I—I was ordered by a person, no, by a ghost; she told me to kill this man, or else she'd have me killed!"

Ling Yue: "Who is she?"

Old Ghost shook his head: "I don't know, I don't know either."

He recounted everything he knew in full detail, portraying himself as an oppressed pitiful ghost; Ling Yue saw his resentment and let out a light laugh.

Ling Yue let out a light scoff: "Innocent?"

If it weren't for needing to uncover his mastermind behind the scenes, she would have already slain him with her sword; after all, the heavy bloody aura clinging to his ghostly body would inevitably seep out no matter how concealed.

This old ghost definitely has multiple lives on his hands, all of them unjustly killed!

Having heard the clues from him and knowing there was a mastermind behind, Ling Yue lightly waved her hand; the talisman ignited without fire, and the evil ghost wrapped inside turned to ashes.

Her matter settled, but Xu He wound up in the hospital—overly frightened, malnourished, with a double buff stacked, and he actually fainted straight from fright.

The next morning, after finally returning to the group, the late‑spring weather in Shuixi—a city notorious as a furnace—made everyone want to wear short sleeves, yet he showed up in a high‑neck sweater.

Song Youli: "How strange—I can't help but take another look."

Xu He wore a blank expression, showing no reaction to the strange stares; perhaps having endured too much, he had now become completely Buddha‑like, believing nothing could defeat him.

The host clapped his hands: "Good morning, everyone!"

"This time, the place we're going to is of great significance for one of you! Moreover, most importantly, they have there a precious animal that can already be called a specialty!"

Not knowing why, hearing these introductions, Xu He's eyelids twitched wildly; immediately he heard the host guessing: "Teacher Xu He, you must have guessed it by now, right?"

Xu He: "???"

He stared at the host's mysterious smile, barely keeping his composure—"What did you guess? What do you mean?"

Host: "Ding ding ding ding! The place we're going to this time is Teacher Xu He's alma mater, Shuixi No. 1 High School! Not long ago, Shuixi No. 1 High School saw a state‑protected second‑class animal appear—especially cute!"

The host was about to say more when his Bluetooth earpiece suddenly rang; listening to the production crew's instructions, a hint of surprise welled up in his eyes.

On one side, upon hearing those words, Xu He had completely petrified, his expression stiff, fear and shock mingling in his eyes.

The Buddha‑like persona he had set up just a minute earlier collapsed on the spot, and he even protested vehemently: "No! I don't agree!"

The host blinked, then laughed evasively: "Teacher Xu He must be nervous about returning home; you're too excited, that's why you said that—deep down you're actually looking forward to it, right?"

Without letting him speak, the host continued: "Just now I suddenly received news that the red panda at Shuixi No. 1 High School has disappeared!"

He frowned worriedly: "People might not know that, although red pandas and giant pandas differ by only one character, they are two entirely different species, and for various reasons red pandas are inferior to giant pandas, so they often fall victim to illegal poaching and smuggling by criminals."

Ling Yue clearly noticed the host occasionally glancing her way; hearing him speak like that, she couldn't help but frown.

Ling Yue asked sharply: "Is something wrong with the red panda?"

The host stared for a moment, then nodded solemnly and explained: "Not long ago, a red panda wandered into Shuixi No. 1 High School by accident; the school immediately notified the Forestry Bureau and the Police Bureau, but before they could arrive, the red panda suddenly vanished."

"The incident happened three days ago, and they heard our production team had come to Shuixi, so they wanted to invite you to investigate."

The netizens in the live‑stream chat hearing this were even more excited than Ling Yue.

【Ah, please have our Yueyue host find the animals—they've definitely found the right person! Our Yueyue can understand animal speech, that's a perfect match!】

【Anytime, anywhere, Detective Yueyue, seriously solving cases!】

【Does anyone still remember what variety show we are?】

【Huh? Isn't it about deduction and slapping faces? 【Sure】【How could it be wrong?】【Confident smile: ）】】：，，.