[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele":3,"chapter-the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-chapter-132":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Invincible Female Ghost Is A Bit Of A Hopeless Romantic",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1706511,2180,"Chapter 132: Take It Out and Let Me Have a Look…","the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-chapter-132",132,"\u003Cp>Lu Yuan followed the direction Chen Fushun pointed to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the very center of the tent area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gray-white tent, one size larger than the others, stood quietly on the snow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reed mat on the roof was pressed down neatly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind ropes were pulled tighter than the rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door curtain was double-layered, the outer layer thick canvas, the inner layer sewn with an extra cotton flap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You could tell someone had put effort into it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan was a little surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His two beautiful aunts-in-law had actually spent the night right here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The snow underfoot had been compacted, making small crunching sounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Morning light already spread across the camp, and cooking smoke thinned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People began drifting toward the mess tent in twos and threes,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and many who had gone early were returning, carrying bowls and pocketing dry rations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their faces showed the contentment of a good meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Passing one tent, he heard loud, cheerful laughter from inside—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a few older women chatting idly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They talked about which daughter-in-law was expecting twins, how many acres of corn to plant in spring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Passing another tent, its cotton flap half lifted,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a middle-aged man crouched fixing a folding stool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three or four boys surrounded him, eyes bright with expectation,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>handing over a screwdriver or a nail now and then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan softened his steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, though he was eager to see them,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>when he finally reached that tent, he suddenly stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cotton flap hung tight, hiding the inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a very thin, dim yellow light leaked from the gap between the flap and the ground,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>dragging a narrow golden thread across the snow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He heard voices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Aunt Qiao'er’s voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Last night’s bedding, I still can’t get used to it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There were three layers under the mattress, and I still felt it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her tone had a touch of coquettish complaint, but kept very low, as if afraid of being overheard,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>followed by Aunt Qin’s light laughter, gentle,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>with some resignation and indulgence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You were naked; I woke freezing in the middle of the night!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good grief, who knew you’d steal the covers so well? From now on we’re not sharing the same blanket with you!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Qiao'er laughed in a soft voice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That won’t do!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In such winter, one person sleeping alone gets even colder.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Qin couldn't help teasing back:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then why don’t you split the blanket with me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Qiao'er immediately replied with a playful voice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It rolls away on its own while you sleep, I can’t stop it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Qin burst into a snort-laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After their laughter faded, the tent fell quiet for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they spoke again, Aunt Qin’s voice dropped considerably,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>carrying a faint, almost imperceptible fatigue:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, get up quick. We need to help settle things here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We can’t let the villagers feel wronged.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Otherwise, when our men come back and see this mess, they’ll be so anxious.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Qiao'er softly hummed in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan stood motionless outside the flap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lowered his head, his face hidden in shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His Adam’s apple moved uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone passed by and recognized him, about to greet him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He waved his hand; the passerby nodded in understanding,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>softened his steps, and walked away quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan lifted his head against the biting wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He squeezed his sore, stinging eyes shut hard,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>then reached up and gently pushed the cotton flap aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The morning light, carrying the sharpness and clarity of the snowy plain, flooded into the tent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, two women sat side by side at the edge of a camp cot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their shoulders touched, each holding a cup of hot water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Qiao'er still wore that silver-gray sable cloak,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>though her hair was a bit loose, the jade hairpin at her temple tilted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her face was paler than usual, faint dark circles under her eyes, yet she still smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Qin wore a deep blue cotton qipao, covered by a matching outer robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A red scarf lay casually over her shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eye rims were a little reddened; clearly she had not slept well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her nose was red too, likely frozen through the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both turned toward the silhouetted figure at the doorway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan opened his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thousand words surged at once, emotions rising like a tide, but gratitude and pity clamped them in his throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to say thank you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to say you worked so hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to say what kind of fortune had let him meet both of them in this life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But those words stuck in his throat; not a single one came out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Lu Yuan simply stepped forward quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pulled the two still-stunned beauties tightly into his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his \"small\" embrace trying to hold both of the \"big\" Aunt Qiao'er and Aunt Qin together, it was a little of a struggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the two women, finally recovered, were obedient and sweet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They squeezed together in his arms,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>lifted their delicate chins, and raised those world-conquering, exquisitely mature faces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overflowing with uncontrollable delight, they said in coquettish voices:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When did you come back~?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just held them tightly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>then bowed his head, and in front of Aunt Qiao'er’s slightly stunned eyes, kissed her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he turned and kissed Aunt Qin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, both mature beauties instantly blushed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the tent, the morning was perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cooking smoke dissipated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The aroma of pork stewed with pickled cabbage drifted from the mess, mixed with the wheaty scent of fresh steamed buns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It warmed the cold air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Fushun squatted at his tent entrance holding a bowl of hot porridge,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>squinting in the sun and slurping now and then, clearly enjoying it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the distance, Fengtian City’s gates slowly opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carriages, horses, and people began flowing into the city that had slept through the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A new day was beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding the two beauties close, Lu Yuan was silent for a long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, he mumbled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The old man at home wants liquor. It must be Maotai.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Qin blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Qiao'er smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Got it~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I already prepared some~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fengtian City, the Zhao household, rear courtyard main room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After returning from the tent area, Lu Yuan had planned on casually grabbing a bite,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>or letting the servants at Aunt Qiao'er’s house quickly make some nourishing noodle soup—after a night like that, no one would care about fancy food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before he could speak, he was pressed down onto the kang in the warm main room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sit, don’t move.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Qin removed her outer robe and hung it over the screen, an imperious playfulness in her tone that left no room for argument.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All the cold should be driven out, warm your hands first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Qiao'er had slipped out without him noticing, leaving only a soft \"I’ll be right back\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice gentle, the end carrying a barely concealed affection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan sat on the kang edge, looking around the warm room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The earth dragon stove was burning strongly; the warm bricks transmitted heat through his shoes to his soles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The window was covered with fresh cotton paper, turning winter’s harsh light into a soft milky glow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A copper basin in the corner burned silver frost coal, and alongside it lay pricey spirit meat, giving off no smoke, only a steady warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could inspect it further, the door flap lifted and Aunt Qiao'er returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two maidservants followed, one carrying a red-lacquered, gold-painted food box, the other bearing a steaming copper pot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wash your hands first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Qiao'er personally wrung out a hot hand towel and handed it to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan took it; it was hot, carrying a faint scent of tallow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wiped his face and was about to protest that it was unnecessary—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door flap rustled again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time an old housekeeper in a gray jacket entered, holding a large blue-and-white bowl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside was rich ginger-jujube tea; the jujubes pitted, ginger shredded fine, steam rising sweetly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For driving out the cold.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Qiao'er took it, blew gently, and put it to his lips:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good boy~ Be obedient~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Drink it while it's hot~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan: ...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This whole setup...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>felt like being fussed over like a child!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan obediently opened his mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ginger tea slid down his throat, burning all the way to his stomach, chasing out a night’s worth of chill from his bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the tea, the main room’s table was already filled with food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It turned out Aunt Qiao'er had sent people hurrying back from outside the city to prepare the meal early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After the meal, take a good nap. Look at you—your face is all chapped from the cold!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Qin tugged him toward the table, speaking with tender reproach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan, however, shook his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not today. I just got back; there’s a lot to do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today he had to see two people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was Celestial Master He Xun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other was Shen Shulan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would visit Celestial Master He Xun partly as a junior paying respects after returning,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and partly to ask if, given the current situation, he could help sway the villagers’ vote or something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, He Xun was a Celestial Master of the Upper Three Gates; his words carried weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If He Xun took the lead, this might be resolved quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Shen Shulan was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last time things had been too rushed after the Nurturing Malevolence Site. There hadn’t been a chance to thank her properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The matter at the Nurturing Malevolence Site owed much to Shen Shulan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just Shen Shulan herself, but the valuable artifacts she’d brought from home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, those remaining Nurturing Malevolence Sites wouldn’t have been taken down so easily, nor would so much time have been saved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan truly felt he owed her a lot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He owed her in every way—not just favors, but materially as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Favors could be returned later when there was a chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the expensive ritual tools had to be returned immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan selected some powerful items from his system space,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>so he had prepared a top-tier ritual tool, the same grade as the Divine Heaven Thunder Technique Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This couldn’t be a token equal to the hundred-coin item Shen Shulan lent him; he needed to express real thanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He understood the principle of repaying a drop of kindness with a fountain of gratitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan wasn’t stingy nor miserly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, he could always earn such items again through the Vanquish Demons and Exorcise Evil system!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time he left the Zhao household, it was nearly noon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He carried that heavy sword casket and climbed into the carriage Aunt Qiao'er had prepared, heading to the rear compound behind Beihua Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The casket was fine golden-threaded nanmu wood, corners bound in white bronze, cool to the touch and heavy in the hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside lay the top-tier ritual weapon he’d obtained from the Vanquish Demons and Exorcise Evil system:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xuan Yuan Evil-Slaying Edict Sword!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Same rank as the Divine Heaven Thunder Technique Sword, but not of the thunder lineage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its core came from a millennium lightning-struck jujube wood from the Zhongnan Mountains, embedded with Five-Thunder Talismans, the Dootian Lawmaster seal, and three true-form edicts from the Northern Polar Demon-Repelling Institute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the day it was forged, birds in a thirty-li range had cried out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The system’s appraisal read eight characters: Evils flee a hundredfold, all arts return to their source.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It really was top-quality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan didn’t have many items of this level,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but for Shen Shulan, he was more than willing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since crossing over more than a year ago, Lu Yuan had seldom felt indebted to anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Shen Shulan left him feeling deeply owing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Shen Shulan never altered her attitude just because of these debts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She still called him senior uncle and earnestly helped him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more she acted like that, the more uncomfortable Lu Yuan felt—he felt he owed her too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, it made him puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sword was not only to thank Shen Shulan, but also to clear the knot in his conscience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riding in the carriage, Lu Yuan soon reached the rear compound behind Beihua Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing at the courtyard gate, he knocked the ring three times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, the door opened a crack and an old man peered out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lu Yuan of Zhenlong Temple seeks an audience with Senior Sister Shulan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan cupped his hands:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please inform her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man sized him up, his gaze pausing on the sword casket in Lu Yuan’s arms, then wordlessly turned and went inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door did not close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan stood on the threshold and waited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, footsteps sounded from within. Not hurried, not slow—boots on green brick, carrying the composed air of a noble household.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not Shen Shulan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan lifted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The newcomer looked around fifty, thin, with three wisps of beard, wearing a half-worn dark Daoist robe, sleeve edges faded white but neatly pressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He held a string of agarwood prayer beads in his hand, the beads darkened and polished from long use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Jizhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan had seen him at the last grand Luo Tian assembly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That time he’d only observed from afar; now he stood this close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan froze briefly, then bowed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Junior disciple of Zhenlong Temple, Ling-generation disciple Lu Yuan, pays respects to Master Uncle!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Jizhou did not respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood in the shadow inside the door, scrutinizing Lu Yuan from head to toe through the half-open door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze was not fierce but grave,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>like still water whose depth you cannot gauge; it made Lu Yuan’s spine tighten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lu Daochang, you come now,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Jizhou said, voice low but every word clear:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"to seek my little daughter?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan answered plainly: \"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The last matter at the Nurturing Malevolence Site was greatly aided by Miss Shen. I have nothing to repay her with, so I prepared a small token to express my thanks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He extended the sword casket forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Jizhou glanced down but did not take it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tone was indifferent:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shulan helped you of her own will.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However, after this, your fates are done. There is no need for future meetings.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lu Daochang, please leave.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said this, he turned to go inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan was taken aback. This...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Jizhou seemed resentful of him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That could be expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When everyone returned from the Nurturing Malevolence Site, they were indeed exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Jizhou had only one precious daughter, and seeing her come back like that, who would be pleased?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lu Yuan had come precisely to give thanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regaining his composure, Lu Yuan stepped forward half a pace:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master Uncle Shen!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Jizhou halted and turned his face slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His profile was stern, his eyes carrying scrutiny and a subtle... displeasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lu Daochang.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice remained low but sounded tempered like iron—cool yet hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your two women at home... it’s no easy matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shulan is young and inexperienced; she doesn’t see some things clearly, and as her father, I cannot be blind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke implicitly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, everything clicked in his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh—so that’s what this is about!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan opened his mouth to say, \"I only came to return a gift, nothing more,\" but swallowed it back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any words now would be wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could only extend the casket again and say earnestly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master Uncle, I have no other intentions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At the Nurturing Malevolence Site, Senior Sister Shulan brought many treasures from Wuqing Temple to help.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is a small token from me, merely to compensate for the loss...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Jizhou did not take it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not even look at the casket again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wuqing Temple is the foremost temple beyond the Great Wall; ordinary ritual tools can be compensated.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said lightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lu Daochang need not worry. Please go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, he stepped inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan stood there holding the casket, unable to go forward or retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly he felt regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he had known, he should have had someone deliver it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By coming himself, he had only deepened Shen Jizhou’s misunderstanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had come and held the casket out—leaving empty-handed now would be embarrassing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked down at the white-bronze corner caps on the box and sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would send it by messenger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tucked the casket under his arm and turned to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe from a night’s fatigue, or because the box was too heavy, his arm loosened as he turned and the casket slipped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reached to catch it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingertips barely hooked the edge, but the sudden force popped the latch open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Click.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A light sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lid opened a sliver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No earth-shattering signs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No lightning, no dragon’s cry, not even a breath of sword qi escaped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Jizhou’s footsteps suddenly halted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His boots ground on the green bricks, producing a short, sharp \"eh\" sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Lu Yuan could press the lid closed, that dark figure strode back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Jizhou moved quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So quickly that the agarwood beads rolled anxious circles in his palm, clacking softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped in front of Lu Yuan, his gaze fixed on the opened crack of the casket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not reach out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He only looked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is in there?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was still low, but entirely different from before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier it had been dispassionate distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it seemed to contain restrained emotion…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>not shock, not greed, but the solemn delight of finding a prize and forcing oneself to be composed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan blinked at Shen Jizhou’s feigned calm, then glanced down at the casket in his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This sword is called the 'Xuan Yuan Evil-Slaying Edict,'\" Lu Yuan continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I obtained it by chance. Its core is made from millennium lightning-struck jujube wood, embedded with Five-Thunder Talismans, the Dootian Lawmaster seal, and three edicts from the Northern Polar Demon-Repelling Institute.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"On the day it was forged, birds cried out within thirty li.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Jizhou said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at the casket’s seam, his eyes deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he suddenly asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When was the sword forged?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is there an inscription on the hilt?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan thought a moment:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There is.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"An inscription card inside the casket reads: 'Thirty-seventh year of Wanli of the Great Ming.'\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Jizhou fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long time,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…That thing…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take it out and let me have a look..\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan stared at Shen Jizhou trying to keep composed, blinked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he immediately held the casket in both hands, smiling as he stepped up to Shen Jizhou and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All right~\"\u003C\u002Fp>",3130,"2026-06-06T14:45:54.833Z",1,"novelbin.me","8624ddb4d0cb15e57d61a5180e2b5b7ed8c62a924593421e79ac96526df77574","the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-chapter-133","the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-chapter-131",241,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-cover.jpg"]