Chapter 709: Extra Chapter 2: Favorable Timing, Advantageous Location, and Harmony Among People

They all came to look for me?

What does that mean?

I followed Li Qingying out.

After passing through the front hall, I was just about to step over the threshold and go out to see what was happening, when Li Qingying stopped me: "Just stand in the doorway and look out; see as much as you can, don't go out."

Li Qingying's tone was grave, and I sensed a hint of danger.

I obeyed and stayed in the doorway, sticking my head out to look.

Today it was overcast, foggy, the air seemed mixed with ice shards; that cold could pierce the soul.

At first, I saw nothing.

I glanced back at Li Qingying in doubt, and she gestured for me to keep looking.

My gaze swept across the street back and forth, then suddenly turned to the entrance of Xijiekou.

There, a faint red halo glowed in the mist.

The moment my eyes met it, that red hue deepened, gradually condensing into a red figure.

That was a woman… no, to be precise, a female ghost.

She wore her hair in a high ponytail, donned armor, held a long spear, and draped herself in a great red cloak, looking heroic and spirited.

Our eyes locked, and we stared at each other for a while.

A fleeting image flashed through my mind, yet I could not grasp it.

Immediately, the female ghost clasped her fists toward me, bowed deeply, then turned and left.

As she turned, I noticed shadowy figures in the mist behind her—there were others!

There seemed to be quite a few!

It seemed not just people… souls, and something was flying above, with faint hoofbeats.

I was greatly startled, and instinctively looked at Li Qingying again.

Obviously, Li Qingying could also see what I had just seen; she was already used to it.

I composed myself, and when I looked toward Xijiekou again, I found that the spot where the red halo had appeared now showed a different scene.

There, a young couple appeared.

This young couple looked under thirty, dressed in ancient attire; judging by the style, it should be Ming dynasty clothing.

What surprised me was that the woman's eyebrows and eyes bore a three- to four-tenths resemblance to mine.

Huh?

Could it be my past life?

But not that much alike.

Before I could examine them further, the couple standing at Xijiekou changed.

They turned into another couple.

This couple looked a bit younger, their clothes leaning toward early Qing style.

Likewise, I saw a resemblance in the woman's brows and eyes to my own.

Soon, it changed again…

The whole process was utterly fantastical, giving me the illusion of watching a movie.

Gradually, I found myself drawn in, unconsciously lifting my foot to walk toward Xijiekou.

"Fu Wan, come back to yourself!"

Li Qingying's voice suddenly rang out; I snapped back to attention, instantly retracting the right foot I had lifted.

But when I looked toward Xijiekou again, there was nothing to see.

I immediately asked, "Sister Li Qingying, who are those people? Why did they appear at Xijiekou? Are they really all here for me?"

Li Qingying didn't rush to answer my question; instead, she pulled me to sit on the living-room sofa, then turned and fetched an incense burner from the Funeral Shop.

The burner held three sticks of yellow incense, just lit.

Li Qingying pushed the burner toward me; I took several deep breaths, and my Soul Body felt much more at ease.

She then said, "The day you returned from the Wangchuan River, they appeared once, but soon vanished; I sent people to investigate, yet found nothing."

"Nothing found?" I wondered, "Sister Li Qingying, with your status, so many souls entering the realm—you shouldn't be unable to investigate. What's going on?"

My first thought was, perhaps these souls' cultivation is too high? Or perhaps the forces behind them are too great? That's why Li Qingying can't find them?

Li Qingying gave an unexpected answer: "Wan Wan, those… are not souls."

Ah?

I couldn't believe it: "Not souls, could they be human? They don't look like it!"

Li Qingying was certain they weren't souls, but she couldn't give a reasonable explanation, merely telling me not to rush and wait a bit longer.

Xiao Jiu and the others aren't here; I think they might have gone to investigate too, and we'll have answers when they return.

What worries me more now is this: "Sister Li Qingying, no matter what those things are, after all they're coming for me—won't they cause you trouble? Or…"

Or should I temporarily leave the pawnshop and lure them elsewhere?

"What are you daydreaming about all day?" Li Qingying scolded, "Wan Wan, the Wufu Town Pawnshop now is nothing like it was a year or two ago; even setting others aside, with my current status and ability, do you think we'd fear those things?"

I nodded; the reasoning was indeed sound.

If they really were souls, I wouldn't need to lift a finger; Xiao Jiu and Seventh Lord would naturally contact the Seven Halls Yama or the City God, and someone would come to deal with them.

But the problem now is that these aren't souls, we don't know where to start; Xiao Jiu has gone out on some business, and before leaving he especially charged me to watch over you, not let you leave the pawnshop, because whatever those things are, they're surely aimed at you.

Those things can't enter the pawnshop; the pawnshop is my best protection.

As long as I don't court death, I won't die.

While we were chatting, footsteps sounded, light and approaching from afar.

Soon, that person entered Dang Pu.

I turned my head and saw him.

The visitor turned out to be the Red Flag Child.

The Little Guy was barefoot, holding the Red Flag in his hand, and strode over.

Li Qingying asked, "How is it? Did you see where the problem lies?"

"I see." The Red Flag Child said, "Those appearing at Xijiekou are certainly not souls, but they should have once truly existed, and even now they still exist. The heavy yin qi at Xijiekou has been used by someone to create a phantom mirror there, and what we see… is that phantom mirror."

Li Qingying sucked in a cold breath: "A phantom mirror? To create such a phantom mirror right under our noses, unbeknownst to gods or ghosts—how powerful must that be?!"

The Red Flag Child shook his head: "It's not necessarily that the opponent is extremely powerful; perhaps it's just because the conditions for such a phantom mirror to appear have arisen around Dang Pu—favorable timing, location, and people—making anything possible."

He said this, his gaze already falling on me.

I… am that factor of favorable timing, location, and people.

After all, the opponent is still coming for me.

I carefully asked, "Then how should we break this phantom mirror? What do I need to do?"

The Red Flag Child looked at Li Qingying.

Li Qingying pondered, then said, "Let's not rush into anything; let's see what the opponent really wants to do, follow the vine to the melon, and then we can catch them all in one net."

The Red Flag Child said, "Alright, I'll follow your lead."

I felt uneasy, my heart in turmoil.

Li Qingying urged me to return to the west room to continue my Ghost Cultivation, and when it's truly time to act, she will come call me herself.

I paced anxiously in the west room a few rounds, but ultimately chose to sit in meditation beside the spirit tablet.

As soon as I entered meditation, a familiar voice sounded: "Wanwan…"

I flung my eyes open, followed the sound, and indeed saw… my father and mother…