[{"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-206":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},1706394,2180,"Chapter 206: Your Father... Won’t Be Coming Back","the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-chapter-206",206,"\u003Cp>Lu Yuan listened to Li Guanqi and Fu Yuanshan speak, but his face showed little surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaned slightly against the carriage wall, watched them calmly, and said slowly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve encountered this sort of thing before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s similar in nature to the Life-Severing Wang Family’s nurturing-malevolence site back then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, I’d already considered this even if you hadn’t mentioned it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whether it was the parent-child malevolent deity I met previously, or the predecessor of the Deity of Beauty, these evil gods’ places of worship are mostly outside, maintained or guarded by the Commanding Ghosts Liu Family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now that Liu Xuanyin is dead, even if the Commanding Ghosts Liu Family isn’t completely finished, they certainly won’t show their faces again, and they’ve probably run off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No one manages those places anymore, and sooner or later trouble will break out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, his tone still calm:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“However...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan shifted the topic, his gaze sweeping over Li Guanqi and Fu Yuanshan with a hint of scrutiny and doubt:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You two stepped up so eagerly to talk about this...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you want to do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan’s bluntness left Li Guanqi and Fu Yuanshan a little taken aback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They hadn’t expected Lu Yuan to be so composed, even having thought of the follow-up in advance,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and to show such obvious suspicion toward the help they offered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They exchanged a glance and saw the bitterness and helplessness in each other’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They knew last night’s events—especially Lu Yuan’s distrust and reprimand—had already branded them in his mind as a nest of snakes and rats, beyond redemption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now trying to reverse that impression would be far from easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanqi inhaled deeply and decided to be frank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His purple pupils flickered with light, and his tone carried an unprecedented weight and honesty:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Daoist Lu, I know that because of Hu Huxu’s deeds and because of Liu Xuanyin, you hold a deep prejudice against the Ten Families beyond the Great Wall, thinking we’re all of one blood, a nest of snakes and rats.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Ten Families beyond the Great Wall, in their current inheritance, have long since strayed from the original intentions of our ancestors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Yuanshan sighed and took the follow-up, his voice hoarse and weary:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In recent years, some families’ actions have grown increasingly outrageous, with fewer and fewer moral limits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nurturing corpses and refining souls, imprisoning evil worships, even colluding with heterodox paths—we’ve long departed from our founding teachings.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If this continues, the Ten Families beyond the Great Wall will likely be rejected and despised by the orthodox forces across the region.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That would bring hostility and reckoning down upon all Ten Families.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That would be a true...catastrophe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanqi nodded, looking at Lu Yuan with sincerity:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Liu Family’s downfall is their own doing, but it is also a rectification.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We don’t want the Ten Families beyond the Great Wall to drift further down the wrong path and ultimately become the common enemy of the region.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We, the Du’e Li Family and the Backing Yin Fu Family, may have done shameful things, and we may have once turned a blind eye to the Liu Family’s evils, but our roots still lie on this land beyond the Great Wall.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We...want to do something for this land and for our families, to salvage some reputation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To leave at least one...not completely severed way out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Yuanshan’s tone was earnest:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So we want to help.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Find the lingering poisons left by the Liu Family and assist the Daoist in cleaning them up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is both to atone for our previous failure to report and prevent what happened,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“and to show the orthodox forces beyond the Great Wall—and you, Daoist Lu—our stance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not all Ten Families beyond the Great Wall are like the Liu Family or the Hu Family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We are also willing to contribute to the region’s peace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their words were candid and heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan listened quietly, his face still expressionless,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but the scrutiny and doubt in his eyes gradually softened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could see that what the two men said now was genuine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, for the most part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had been frightened by Gu Qingwan’s power and shaken to their core by last night’s “cleansing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They understood the internal problems within the Ten Families beyond the Great Wall and saw the looming crisis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They wanted to seize this opportunity to completely distance themselves from the Liu Family and win a relatively “clean” future for themselves and their clans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were calculations and self-preservation motives, but there was also a lingering sense of responsibility and conscience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, that was far better than Hu Huxu’s pure betrayal and scheming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, their voluntary offer to help would indeed save a lot of trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having locals to guide them was better than stumbling around blind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan remained silent for a moment, then his gaze swept over the still-unconscious old man again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man had lived righteously and had not always opposed the Ten Families; he emphasized judging contemporary heads by their goodness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the old man woke and found Li Guanqi and Fu Yuanshan willing to make amends and assist in cleaning up the Liu Family’s remnants,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he would likely be willing to give them a chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand your intentions,” Lu Yuan finally said, his voice still calm, but less icy than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you truly want to help, show concrete action.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First, organize the information you have on the Liu Family’s peripheral strongholds and their approximate locations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Guanqi and Fu Yuanshan showed relieved expressions and hurriedly cupped their hands in acknowledgment:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Give us fifteen days and we’ll sort everything out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan said no more. He closed his eyes and sank his mind inward, attempting to sense the zhenran sealed by the Spirit-Locking Forbidden Land,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>while continuing to monitor the old man’s faint pulse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Deity of Beauty kept her eyes closed, apparently ignoring the conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriage rolled on toward Zhenlong Temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence returned to the carriage, but the atmosphere was different than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was less suspicion and distance, and a subtle, tacit understanding based on shared interests had taken root.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriage bumped along the rough mountain road for more than half another hour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, Lu Yuan shut his eyes tightly, his brow knitting as he poured all his attention inward to counter the residual sealing power of the Spirit-Locking Forbidden Land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried to guide the faint filament of zhenran inside him to circulate gently, nourish dried meridians, and repair damaged viscera.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a thought flickered, and two small figures flashed across his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Huxu’s two daughters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Yangyang and Hu Tutu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Huxu’s betrayal deserved death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But these two little girls...they knew nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were still waiting with longing for their father to come home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Huxu’s sins should not be carried by two innocent little girls who understood nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man always said that those on the path should distinguish right from wrong and separate grievances clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One should not let calamity reach the wives and children; what crime have the little ones committed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now these two little girls were orphaned—mother already gone, father gone too—and if no one cared...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop the carriage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan’s voice rang out suddenly, calm but firm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The driver was startled but quickly pulled the reins with a sharp exhale,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and the carriage slowly halted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, Li Guanqi, Fu Yuanshan, and even the Deity of Beauty, who had been resting with closed eyes, all opened their eyes and looked at Lu Yuan with confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Daoist Lu, what’s the matter? Is Master Li...?” Li Guanqi asked hastily, fearing something had happened to Li Xiuye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan shook his head and looked at the Deity of Beauty, saying in a low voice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Deity of Beauty, escort my master back to Zhenlong Temple first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Deity of Beauty arched her perfect brows slightly and asked softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where are you going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your current condition...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no need for Lu Yuan to hide anything about this matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Deity of Beauty knew of Hu Tutu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Li Guanqi and Fu Yuanshan, they were people of the Ten Families and likely knew as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, there was nothing to be ashamed of; Lu Yuan had already decided to take the two little ones back to Zhenlong Temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sighed and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hu Yangyang and Hu Tutu...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, the Deity of Beauty understood, looked at Lu Yuan for a few seconds, and finally nodded lightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You...be careful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The zhenran is sealed and your wounds haven’t healed. Don’t force yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally the Deity of Beauty wanted to accompany Lu Yuan, but at this crucial moment she needed to escort the old man back to Zhenlong Temple first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan replied, then looked at Li Guanqi and Fu Yuanshan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You two go back to Zhenlong Temple first with Senior Deity of Beauty and wait there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The conditions at the temple are simple, but it’s quiet. You can recover from your wounds and organize the information on the Liu Family’s strongholds.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll return soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan said no more. He took a deep breath, suppressed the pain, gently removed his hand from the old man’s wrist, and carefully tucked the old man’s cloak around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then turned, lifted the carriage curtain, and jumped down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mountain wind blew cool and lifted his spirits slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He identified the direction: the Continuing the Lamp Hu Family’s village lay the other way and wasn’t far from here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his current pace, even injured, he could reach it in less than a day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan forced himself to ignore the pain and the sluggishness from the sealed zhenran, and ran hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After nearly a day of climbing ridges and crossing valleys, as dusk fell again, he finally saw the familiar small village tucked into a mountain hollow from a distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The village looked the same as before—small, with a few dozen households laid out thinly along the mountain’s base.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Houses were built of nearby stone, roofs patched with darkened thatch and a few oilcloths to keep out the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoke from chimneys was thin; it wasn’t yet time for most to cook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chickens were tucked in their coops and dogs curled up in their kennels. Everything was as quiet as usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last sliver of sunset gilded the village in a hazy dark-gold light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crooked old willow tree at the village entrance stood leafless as ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This village looked indistinguishable from any ordinary, mountain-dependent settlement beyond the Great Wall—quiet and simple,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>even with a touch of isolated loneliness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without knowing the truth, no one would have guessed it housed a branch of the Continuing the Lamp Hu Family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan didn’t disturb anyone. He skirted the village entrance, took the small path, and made his way with practiced familiarity to Hu Huxu’s house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The courtyard wall was low, and through gaps in the stone Lu Yuan glimpsed the yard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was small but tidy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the central well sat two small wooden buckets, their rims wet as if recently used.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main room’s door stood ajar, a dim, flickering oil lamp casting light inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon Lu Yuan stood outside the slightly open courtyard gate of Hu Huxu’s home and watched the quiet figure sweeping inside the yard, feeling oddly moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the yard, Hu Yangyang had her back to him, holding a battered broom nearly as tall as she was, sweeping leaves with steady, unhurried strokes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hair was tied into two simple horn braids, and she wore a faded floral jacket washed nearly white. Her small frame looked thin and pitiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet her movements were unusually composed, carrying a focus beyond a child’s, almost coldly detached,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>as if she weren’t cleaning so much as performing a fixed ritual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the gate give a small creak, Hu Yangyang stopped but didn’t immediately turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tilted her head slightly and glanced at the gate with peripheral vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she recognized Lu Yuan, the eyes that should have held childlike surprise and curiosity showed none of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a calm near indifference clashed with her young face,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and...a faint, barely perceptible sense of distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t run over or greet him cheerfully as a normal child might.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t even ask about her father, Hu Huxu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead she turned quietly, broom in hand, and stood watching Lu Yuan as if waiting for him to speak first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Time to eat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan pushed down his own complicated emotions and tried to make his voice sound calm and natural as he stepped into the yard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Daoist Lu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Yangyang’s voice was clear but flat; she nodded slightly as her greeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evidently, she had already heard something from somewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was unsurprising—what Hu Huxu knew, Hu Yangyang naturally would know some of as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan felt a pang but also a strange sense of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing beforehand made it easier—otherwise, he wouldn’t have known how to break the news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Hu Huxu hadn’t been killed by Lu Yuan’s hand, it made little difference in truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Huxu had schemed against Lu Yuan first and sought his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Explaining the situation to the two children was difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where’s Tutu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan shifted the topic and glanced at the slightly open main room door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the room, just woke not long ago.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At mention of her sister, the cool indifference on Hu Yangyang’s face finally flickered with the tiniest change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A genuine worry and...fatigue showed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed that during Tutu’s unconsciousness, this barely eight- or nine-year-old sister had borne far too much alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan nodded and walked toward the main room. He needed to check on Hu Tutu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pushed the half-open door and in the dim light immediately saw the small, curled figure on the little wooden bed against the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Tutu had woken but was clearly in poor condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She sat propped at the bed’s head, covered by a thin patched quilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her face was pale to the point of translucence, her lips drained of color.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those already-large, hollow eyes had lost all spark, shrouded in a grayish haze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stared ahead as if her soul had not yet fully returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hand exposed beyond the quilt was thin as if it might snap, skin an abnormal, almost translucent porcelain white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could faintly see pale bluish, paper-like veins under the skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The creases on her neck and palms typical of paper-dolls on a full-moon night were not visible now, but the entire child radiated an inhuman fragility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing footsteps, Hu Tutu’s hollow pupils turned extremely slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When her gaze focused on Lu Yuan’s face, the gray haze seemed to ripple faintly as if a pebble had disturbed water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Daoist?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thin, hoarse voice drifted from her chapped lips, as if she hadn’t spoken in a long time, filled with uncertainty and timidity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That “Daoist” contrasted sharply with Hu Yangyang’s coolly distant “Daoist Lu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It held no wariness or estrangement, only the pure dependence and closeness of someone drowning clutching a lifeline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Lu Yuan could answer, when Hu Tutu clearly recognized him she asked immediately:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My father?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan didn’t know how to answer for a moment and stood there stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Tutu then looked behind Lu Yuan, blinked her large eyes, and added:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She said my father went out to handle things with Daoist Lu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the little porcelain-like child in front of him, Lu Yuan drew a deep breath and forced his emotions down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your father won’t be back for a while. I’ll take you to live at Zhenlong Temple, okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Tutu trusted Lu Yuan completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t overthink his words and immediately nodded, her porcelain forehead bobbing as she chirped:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All right!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Hu Tutu accept without question steadied Lu Yuan. He went to the bedside and gently patted the small head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rest a bit first. Then we’ll pack your things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Tutu obediently answered, still weak but seeming slightly brighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan’s chest ached; he straightened her quilt and soothed her with a few words before stepping out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the yard, Hu Yangyang still stood in place, broom in hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hadn’t eavesdropped; she simply looked toward the village entrance, her profile quiet in the dim lamp light—serene and profoundly lonely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Lu Yuan’s footsteps she slowly turned, her calm eyes meeting him as if she had already expected him to say what he did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan approached the prematurely mature, worrisomely steady little girl, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke in a low, solemn voice:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yangyang, your father...won’t be coming back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not soften it with euphemisms like “gone far away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a child like Hu Yangyang, subtlety might feel like an insult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan chose bluntness—cruel, but truthful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Yangyang’s body trembled almost imperceptibly, her knuckles white on the broom handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet her facial expression barely changed,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>still that near-indifferent calm, but something deep within her serene eyes seemed to shatter and go out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She gave a small “uh-huh,” her tone flat and emotionless as if confirming something irrelevant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan felt a stab of pain and continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He did wrong—very wrong. He harmed others and himself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That was his choice and his retribution.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Yangyang again replied with a flat “uh-huh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She showed no further reaction, only lowering her eyelids slightly as her long lashes cast a small shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you two are not at fault.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan’s tone hardened:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your father’s mistake should not be shouldered by you and Tutu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are innocent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Yangyang finally raised her eyelids and looked at Lu Yuan steadily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no resentment or sorrow, only a near-empty comprehension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She seemed to have understood this for a long time, or perhaps had already accepted the worst outcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan took a deep breath and announced his decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll take you away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leave here and go to Zhenlong Temple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That is my home, and from now on it will be yours too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I will take care of you, protect you, teach you skills, and keep you safe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you...willing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan didn’t ask “is that okay”; he asked “are you willing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He handed the choice to this prematurely composed, emotionally deep child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Yangyang looked at him for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So long that Lu Yuan almost thought she would not answer or would refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she barely whispered a single word:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No questions, no doubts, no bargaining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a simple “all right,” spoken as if it took all her strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After saying it she seemed to relax a fraction,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and the hardened shell she wore as “big sister” or “little adult” cracked slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still she did not cry or show weakness. She quietly leaned the broom against the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan exhaled a long breath and felt a surge of tender sorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped forward to do what he had for Hu Tutu—reach out to pat Hu Yangyang’s head—but his hand stopped midway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sensed this cold, steadfast girl might not need or be used to such comfort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go pack you and Tutu’s things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan withdrew his hand and softened his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only bring the essentials—clothes and small favorite items. The temple has the rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Yangyang nodded without asking more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned and walked steadily, though weightily, into the adjacent room and began to pack in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan lingered in the yard listening to the faint rustle of packing from the other room, feelings mixed in his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the bright side...this might be for the best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, with a father like Hu Huxu, the children would be dragged into more trouble and could be harmed or even lose their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least at Zhenlong Temple, Hu Yangyang would no longer live as she did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Hu Tutu...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, it was still a thorny problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Hu Tutu was to live, she might have to continue “sustaining a deity” for the god.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there weren’t many gods beyond the Great Wall to take her in for such continuation—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>unless the evil gods were counted in as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yuan thought it over and decided to leave that question to the old man when he woke.\u003C\u002Fp>",3370,"2026-06-06T14:45:54.834Z",1,"novelbin.me","b4ec635563b47e51fc84acb80db9ba0000aa8e5e38249fef55de39c89fede51e","the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-chapter-207","the-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-chapter-205",241,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-invincible-female-ghost-is-a-bit-of-a-hopele-cover.jpg"]