Chapter 71

After two days of idleness, Shen Siyuan suddenly became busy.

First, Shen Siyuan, who was at work, felt a thread of merit descend from the air and enter his third eye.

Before he could react, Yin Xingyue rode in on a gust of yin wind, swirling into the office.

Shen Siyuan put down his work and turned toward the meeting room.

Even if someone saw this behavior, they wouldn’t find it strange, since many people went to the meeting room to make private calls.

Dou Dou, who had been sneaking around by the finance office door, spotted Yin Xingyue and immediately ran over.

“Sister, sister… I missed you so much, where did you go…”

The little thing chattered nonstop, trailing after Yin Xingyue like a chatterbox.

Yin Xingyue smiled, reaching out to pat Dou Dou’s small head.

“You still haven’t learned how to control the flame on your head?”

“I learned how to spit fire, Aowu , Aowu …” Dou Dou answered evasively, proudly.

Then he tilted his head, staring fixedly at Yin Xingyue.

“What’s wrong?”

“Sister, you’re different now,” Dou Dou said.

Even Dou Dou could tell Yin Xingyue had changed—Shen Siyuan naturally noticed too.

This time back, Yin Xingyue seemed much brighter overall; her lifelong furrowed brows had loosened, and her demeanor was vastly different from before.

When they reached the meeting room, Shen Siyuan asked, “How’s Grandma? Is she still well?”

Yin Xingyue nodded, then spoke again, “Grandma is fine.”

“That’s good,” Shen Siyuan said.

Shen Siyuan had initially worried that upon seeing Yin Xingyue again, Grandma might take it hard and follow her daughter into death.

Now it seemed he’d overthought it.

In truth, Shen Siyuan’s thinking wasn’t wrong—but Grandma was even stronger than he imagined; she had weathered countless storms in her life: lost her husband in youth, her son in middle age, and now her grandson in old age.

She had long accepted fate calmly; to her, life and death made no real difference—she felt neither joy at living nor sorrow or fear at dying.

She had little education, understood no grand philosophies, never pondered what life meant—she simply accepted fate passively, letting everything unfold naturally.

Of course, seeing her granddaughter again brought her great joy, yet she never considered ending her own life; she continued living as fate dictated.

And should death come suddenly one day, she would accept it just as calmly.

This was her life—she didn’t know if it had meaning, only that she walked the path fate laid out, even if no one remembered her, it didn’t matter.

“And now that your wish is fulfilled—are you planning to stay with me, or…”

As Shen Siyuan spoke, he grabbed Dou Dou’s ankle and pulled her off the meeting table, but the little thing scrambled right back up like a monkey.

Seeing this, Yin Xingyue broke into a broad smile.

It was the first time Shen Siyuan had ever seen her smile like that.

He didn’t rush her, simply waiting quietly for her decision.

Watching Dou Dou’s amusing antics, Yin Xingyue turned her gaze back to Shen Siyuan.

“Brother, do you want me to stay?” Yin Xingyue asked with a smile.

Having fulfilled her wish, she should have dissolved into the heavens and earth like other departed souls.

But the Ten Thousand Souls Banner bound her—only if Shen Siyuan released her could she return to nature, to this world.

Shen Siyuan gave her the choice, yet she returned it to him.

Shen Siyuan looked toward Dou Dou, who had climbed back onto the table, and said, “Of course I want you to stay—you can help me with daily tasks. This little thing is just a mascot, useless.”

To his surprise, Dou Dou understood, scrambled upright on the table, planted his hands on his hips, and huffed, “I’ve already ‘shan shui,’ soon I’ll be ‘shi shui,’ I heard you talking trash about me.”

“No, I was praising you—you’re adorable.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Pandas are mascots—aren’t they adorable?”

“Adorable.”

“Exactly. Calling you a mascot means you’re as adorable as a panda.”

“Oh~” Dou Dou’s face lit up with sudden understanding and excitement.

“Brother, can I raise a panda?”

“You haven’t even gotten a dog yet—don’t start dreaming about pandas,” Shen Siyuan said, exasperated.

Yin Xingyue stood beside him, eyes crinkled, laughing happily.

Seeing Shen Siyuan’s gaze return to her, Yin Xingyue said, “Since brother needs me, then I’ll stay.”

Her voice trembled slightly, tears gathering in her eyes, yet her smile remained.

Since her father’s death, she had been shunned, seen as superfluous—by classmates, teachers, her mother, even Grandma at first—this was the first time anyone had told her they needed her…

“Then I entrust her to you.”

Shen Siyuan pointed at Dou Dou, still scrambling across the table.

“Mm.”

Yin Xingyue nodded firmly, then grabbed Dou Dou’s ankle and pulled him close.

Dou Dou, like a baby chick, dangled in her hand.

“Sister~” Dou Dou whimpered pitifully.

“I’ll teach you how to control the flame on your head,” Yin Xingyue said.

“Be good to each other.”

Shen Siyuan gave a final instruction and turned to leave.

“Brother…”

“Who called me?” Shen Siyuan asked, puzzled as he stepped out of the meeting room.

Then he hummed a tune and returned to his desk, resuming his lazy routine.

Soon it was noon.

Ding Youguang and Zhou Zhengdao came looking for him.

“Isn’t Li Qunfang coming too?”

Among the group, Li Qunfang had yet to show up.

“She ordered takeout—ignore her for now, but she promised to join us for dinner tomorrow night,” Zhou Zhengdao said.

Since lunchtime was short, the three simply ate something quick downstairs—not a proper meal, just a shared meal—so Li Qunfang’s presence didn’t matter.

The three went downstairs, and Shen Siyuan immediately spotted Lu Guanchang waiting by the company entrance.

“You two go ahead and order—I’ll buy two drinks. What do you want?”

Ding Youguang and Zhou Zhengdao didn’t refuse—one asked for iced tea, the other for cola.

Watching them leave, Lu Guanchang finally had the sense to approach.

“How’s it going? Did your daughter come to Binhai?”

Seeing his beaming face, Shen Siyuan guessed something.

Sure enough, Lu Guanchang nodded, his face glowing with excitement.

“You came to see me just to meet her?” Shen Siyuan asked.

Lu Guanchang nodded, then bowed deeply to Shen Siyuan, saying, “Thank you, Master.”

Shen Siyuan nodded, not refusing.

He summoned the Ten Thousand Souls Banner into his palm, formed a hand seal, and instantly pulled Lu Guanchang into the banner.

But he released him just as quickly—the whole process was too fast for Lu Guanchang to react.

Yet now, all the lumps on his face had vanished, revealing his original kind, gentle features.

Though brief, Lu Guanchang understood what had happened once he regained his senses.

He grew even more reverent toward Shen Siyuan—once bound to the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, the banner master was their divine sovereign.

He bowed deeply to Shen Siyuan again.

“Go, fulfill your wish,” Shen Siyuan waved him off.

“But only tell your daughter the truth—don’t stir up trouble,” Shen Siyuan warned.

Was this kindness on his part?

Naturally not—it was a precaution. As banner master, Lu Guanchang could not defy his will; this prevented Lu Guanchang from developing ulterior motives—he wasn’t as innocent as Yin Xingyue or Dou Dou.

“Yes,” Lu Guanchang replied, dissolving into a gust of yin wind, yet leaving no trace of Ming fire.

Not all souls bound to the Ten Thousand Souls Banner gain abilities.

Even among those bound, there are ranks.

The highest are the Great Generals, commanding all souls within the banner, answerable only to the banner master.

Below them are the Eight Captains, then various Vanguard Commanders, and beneath them, troops—the cannon fodder for frontline charges.

The structure is simple, designed solely to make it easier for the banner master to command thousands of souls in battle.

Lu Guanchang, though bound to the banner, was merely the lowest rank—a common soldier.

Controlling yin wind and manifesting form were his only abilities.

Thanks to his control of yin wind, he arrived at his daughter Zhao Hongxia’s residence with great speed.