The Three Pure Ones' Secret: Expressing Spirit

Seeing that Old Liu had completely backed down and given in, we temporarily put aside our grudges, and the two sides reached a complete agreement. The tense atmosphere in the cave finally eased completely.

Huang Xian, Huang Canye, looked at us, his face regaining its calm and composed smile, the tension from the previous confrontation gone. He stood tall, his fingers lightly gripping his pipe, and spoke to us in a gentle tone: "Now that your conflict has been resolved and there are no more disputes, remember everything I told you tonight. I am a descendant of the Huang family of the Five Immortal Clans, of the Can generation, my name is Huang Canye."

He frankly introduced himself, his eyes open and honest: "I am relaying this message on behalf of Young Master Fei, simply to forge a good relationship. If you ever encounter difficulties or strange and sinister matters that you cannot resolve, feel free to have Young Master Fei relay your message to me. I owe you, the descendants of the Three Pure Ones, a favor, and I am willing to lend a helping hand to you, as a way of accumulating merit through the Heavenly Way."

I stood quietly listening, my mind still a little fuzzy. Tonight's events had taken such a rapid turn. We started by tracking Old Liu's ghost, but ended up in this underground cave, then stumbled upon the reclusive Yellow Immortal. And then he told us about the Investiture of the Gods technique from the Three Pure Ones' Three Secrets. One thing after another, and I still couldn't quite process it all. I had absolutely no idea what he meant by "human relationships" and "good karma"; it all seemed so mysterious and beyond my everyday understanding.

Old Fan remained calm, though his brows were slightly furrowed; he still harbored some wariness. After all, the ways of immortals and ghosts were unpredictable, and tonight's reconciliation had gone too smoothly, so smoothly that it made him uneasy.

He stared at Huang Canye, his tone serious, and solemnly confirmed again: "I've remembered what you said, but my brother and I only believe in results. Let's forget about empty promises. I can put this matter aside for now, provided that Boss Huang's family is completely back to normal and that this old man Liu won't bother us again in the future."

His tone turned colder, revealing an uncompromising bottom line: "But if we find out again that Grandpa Liu is scaring people or harassing Boss Huang, then don't blame me and my brother for being ruthless and settling all scores, old and new."

Huang Canye smiled faintly, not angry at all, and simply nodded: "Of course. The cause and effect are already determined, and there will be no further trouble."

Then, he stopped smiling and carefully told Lao Fan and me the specific location where Fei Shao had gathered.

My friend was secretly shocked when he heard that. That place was more than 100 kilometers away from the city, outside the boundaries of our city. It was in the deep mountains of the neighboring area, remote and secluded. No wonder they chose to discuss important matters of the demon race there.

Tonight's unexpected experience ended abruptly and inexplicably, with a successful reconciliation in the end.

The entire underground cave returned to silence, the yin energy dissipated, leaving only a faint, pure spiritual energy lingering around. Old Fan and I didn't want to stay in this deep, oppressive cave any longer; the place was eerie and mysterious, and staying any longer would make us uneasy.

We exchanged a glance, perfectly in sync, and turned to head back along the ventilation duct we had come from.

Just as we were about to leave, Huang Canye suddenly called out to us from behind: "Wait a minute, let Lao Liu lead the way and take you out. The secret passages here are complicated and you'll easily get lost if you walk on your own."

Old Liu, who was standing to the side, nodded quickly, all his hostility gone, and his attitude became extremely respectful.

He looked at us earnestly and said, "Young friends, just follow behind me. I know all the secret passages here, and I guarantee I'll get you out safely."

I followed behind Lao Fan, nodding silently, but I dared not relax completely.

Having spent so much time with Lao Fan, I knew perfectly well that ghosts and monsters were masters of bewitching people and creating illusions and traps. They might appear docile and submissive on the surface, but who knows what schemes they might be hiding behind the scenes. Even though he had already backed down, I didn't dare to let my guard down completely. I kept my eyes fixed on Lao Fan's back, constantly on guard against his every move.

Fortunately, Old Liu was exceptionally honest and well-behaved throughout the journey, without exhibiting any unusual behavior.

He walked briskly at the front, leading the way with an air of familiarity, guiding us through a maze of underground tunnels, making several turns. What were once narrow and steep ventilation ducts gradually transformed into a spacious and enormous underground sewage main pipe. The surroundings were damp and cold, the walls covered with moss and water stains, and the air was filled with a damp, earthy smell.

This is clearly the city's underground drainage system, connecting the city and its suburbs. It is extensive and deeply buried underground, a place that ordinary people would never be able to access in their lifetime.

After following him for a few minutes, a faint ray of night light finally appeared at the front of the passage, breaking the oppressive darkness of the entire journey.

As we stepped out of the last section of the pipe, a chilling evening breeze swept over us. Looking up, we realized we were now below the embankment of a suburban road, with tangled weeds beneath our feet and a smooth asphalt road overhead—finally back on the ground.

The moment I finally emerged from the underground tunnel, my nerves, which had been taut all night, finally relaxed.

Old Liu stopped and turned to look at us. His aged face was covered with wrinkles, and his eyes held a mixture of guilt and earnestness. He said seriously, "I can only take you two this far. You can go back on your own."

After saying that, he hesitated for a moment, then earnestly pleaded with us again: "I promise I won't scare Huang Bapi anymore, and I'll put aside my grudges and stop scaring him. But I also sincerely ask you for one thing: please help me tell him to pay my wife every penny of the outstanding project payment and all the compensation he owes me. My son is still in college, and our family depends on this money. It doesn't matter if I die, but I can't let my family suffer."

After hearing his words, Lao Fan and I exchanged a glance, feeling a mix of emotions, and a sense of relief welled up inside us.

After a whole night of running around chasing this old man Liu, witnessing all sorts of eerie and terrifying scenes, I finally realized that this old man Liu was quite a coward and was not a bloodthirsty evil spirit at all.

The reason he lingered in the mortal world and became a vengeful ghost to haunt Boss Huang was simply because he was filled with resentment and bitterness. In life, he was cheated out of his hard-earned money and died in a construction accident. Even in death, he couldn't let go of his wife, children, and family, so he could only haunt that irresponsible Boss Huang every night to vent his anger.

Even when his resentment was overwhelming and he transformed into a vengeful ghost, he only ever threatened and sought revenge, always maintaining a bottom line and never actually taking anyone's life.

Ultimately, he was just a pitiful man, forced into this pathetic state. Old Fan looked at him, his expression softening considerably. He nodded gently and solemnly agreed, "Don't worry, we'll take care of this for you."

Then he earnestly instructed, "We will help you fulfill your wish, and all grudges will be settled. You should leave in peace and enter the underworld to be reincarnated as soon as possible. Don't linger in the mortal world for too long. You didn't die of old age; your lifespan was not over, yet you died unjustly in the mortal world. If you stay in the mortal world for a long time without entering reincarnation, sooner or later your mind will be eroded by the turbid energy of heaven and earth, and you will become a wandering soul. When your consciousness dissipates, you will have no chance to be reincarnated. It will be a loss that doesn't outweigh the gain."

Old Liu nodded emphatically, agreeing readily, his eyes filled with relief and gratitude.

After explaining everything, his figure slowly faded away and disappeared into the darkness of the night.

Lao Fan and I didn't linger. We climbed up the overgrown slope and made our way onto the wide main road.

Not far away, on the roadside, were the two shared electric scooters we had ridden here tonight, quietly parked under the streetlights.

It was past 3 a.m., and the entire city was fast asleep. The streets were deserted, with only the occasional vehicle passing by and the lonely streetlights casting long, yellow shadows. A cool, desolate breeze blew through the air.

Lao Fan and I hopped on the electric scooter, turned on the lights, and followed the navigation on our phones, slowly making our way back to Boss Huang's villa area.

We walked in silence, both of us mentally reviewing all the strange things that had happened that night. About half an hour later, we finally arrived back at the entrance of the residential complex where Boss Huang lived.

The community gate was unusually quiet late at night, and the security guard in the booth was a different person; it was no longer the old man who had argued with Lao Fan and was quite arrogant during the day.

The person on duty tonight is a young man, who looks no older than us. I originally thought that if outsiders entered or left the community late at night, he would definitely step forward to question them, stop them, and register them, and I even had a prepared explanation in mind.

Upon closer inspection, we found that the young man completely ignored us. He was sitting in the security booth, wearing headphones and engrossed in watching an adult instructional video. The screen was blindingly bright, and he was so absorbed that he was oblivious to his surroundings.

We walked straight past the security booth, and he didn't even lift his eyelids. He completely ignored us the whole time, without any attempt to hide anything. Lao Fan and I were speechless as we slowly walked into the residential area.

Following the familiar roads of the villa area, we soon arrived at Boss Huang's house. We gently knocked on the villa door, and after a few seconds, the door was opened from the inside.

Peng Guoqiang opened the door. After a few hours, the smell of alcohol on him had mostly dissipated, and he was much more sober; his eyes were no longer cloudy and glazed. Seeing us return so late at night, he looked us up and down with surprise, then asked suspiciously, "Brothers, why were you gone for so long? I thought you found it too troublesome and just slipped away!"

Old Fan and I exchanged a glance, instantly becoming tacitly in sync. Of course, I couldn't tell him the truth about tonight's experience. How could an old liar like him understand things like the chaos caused by gods and ghosts? Telling him would only increase his panic and easily invite gossip and trouble.

Such a strange thing can only be covered up with a simple lie. Old Fan gave me a subtle wink, signaling me to speak.

I had no choice but to bite the bullet and make up a lie that even I found ridiculous, pretending to be serious as I tried to fool him: "Uncle, how could we run away! We went out just now specifically to chase after that persistent evil spirit."

I tried to make it sound as vivid as possible, borrowing scenes from classic Hong Kong zombie movies, embellishing the story with a string of exaggerations: "That ghost outside was incredibly fierce and incredibly difficult to deal with. Old Fan and that evil spirit fought fiercely on the spot, the two of them exchanging blows, pulling and tugging at each other, fighting until the sky darkened and neither side gained the upper hand. They struggled for most of the day, unable to gain the upper hand. Finally, having no other choice, Old Fan pulled out his most treasured talisman, timed it perfectly, and finally subdued the vengeful ghost. Now that the ghost has been eliminated by Old Fan, no more evil spirits will bother Boss Huang's house anymore, and they can finally sleep peacefully!"

After saying all this nonsense, I felt a little guilty, but I still had to pretend to be tired and calm, as if I had just gone through a fierce battle.

Peng Guoqiang listened intently, but couldn't help but smile: "You two kids are really telling the truth, even acting. I'm starting to believe you."

I looked at him speechlessly. I didn't expect this old guy to be such a wise crow who knows how to drink water.

The villa was quiet and still late at night, and a strange incident was ultimately covered up by a few lies I told.

But I knew in my heart that everything tonight was far from over. The gathering a hundred miles away on the fifteenth of this month, what the mysterious successor of the Conferred God Technique really looks like, what exactly happened to the demon race, why they need our Three Pure Ones successors, and Old Man Liu's unspeakable last wish buried deep in his heart—none of these seem simple.

The next day, the soft morning light pierced through the clouds, dispelling the chill of the night, and the entire villa was gradually bathed in the bright light. After a whole night of fussing, Lao Fan and I rested for a bit before getting up to wake up Boss Huang and his family one by one.

Looking at the sleepy faces of the family, we calmly informed them that the strange events that had plagued the house for so long had been completely quelled, and that no more evil spirits or strange occurrences would appear in the house from now on. The family could live in peace and no longer have to live in fear.

Upon hearing this, Boss Huang immediately put on a polite smile, speaking with impeccable manners and repeatedly thanking us. However, the past events revealed by Old Liu last night were still vividly imprinted in my mind. Looking at Boss Huang, who was so smooth and courteous in his dealings with people, I secretly understood. This man was shrewd in his dealings, but not exactly generous or righteous towards his workers. If he truly cared for others, he wouldn't have withheld wages or ignored compensation for injuries and deaths; instead, he would have been willing to simply take out ten thousand yuan just to settle this strange entanglement. Comparing these two situations, his inherent calculation and stinginess were immediately apparent.

Peng Guoqiang, standing to the side, didn't mince words and brought up the agreed-upon payment. He directly discussed it with Boss Huang. Using the excuse that the ghost was difficult to deal with, the process of subduing it was dangerous, and that Fan Biao's help had taken a lot of effort, he insisted on asking Boss Huang to increase the payment.

Boss Huang, shrewd yet incredibly stingy, immediately lost his smile upon hearing that more money was required. He hesitated, considering making an excuse. He waved his hand dismissively, his tone a mixture of perfunctory reluctance: "Brother, I'm certainly willing to increase the payment. The originally agreed-upon ten thousand yuan was already quite a sum, and making money isn't easy in any industry these days. Let's consider it a gesture of goodwill from you all; let's compromise. I'll add another thousand yuan, and I'll transfer the money tomorrow at noon sharp."

After saying this, he looked wary and sighed, continuing, "It's not that I don't trust the three of you, but I've been so frightened by these strange events for the past few days that I can't help but feel uneasy. I need to make sure everything is completely safe at home before I can finally relax."

Upon hearing these words, Peng Guoqiang immediately realized that he had been manipulated by the other party, and felt utterly helpless.

Standing to the side, Fan Biao remained calm, unconcerned. Instead, he softly offered words of comfort to Peng Guoqiang. He glanced at Boss Huang, his words carrying a subtle threat: "Uncle Peng, let's just do as he says, tomorrow it is. A day's delay in settlement is no big deal. Since Boss Huang is so hesitant, let's wait until tomorrow. Since we have the ability to suppress ghosts, we naturally have plenty of ways to deal with those restless ghosts again..."

A few simple words instantly made Boss Huang lose face, his expression becoming awkward and embarrassed, and he could only force a stiff, forced smile.

My friend thought to himself, "This guy is really worldly and hypocritical. Last night, when he was terrified by the ghost, he was all respectful to us. Now that it's over, he's completely changed his tune." We couldn't be bothered with his attitude; there was no need to waste our breath arguing with him.

Seeing that there was nothing else to do, we didn't linger and walked out of the villa courtyard together. The old man, Mr. Huang, feigned concern as he saw us off downstairs: "Since you all have cars, I won't see you off. I'll transfer the money to you tomorrow after noon!"

We got into Lao Fan's car and didn't pay attention to what he said.

Old Fan drove slowly out of the villa area, driving smoothly all the way, first dropping Peng Guoqiang off at his shop. As soon as the car stopped, Peng Guoqiang checked the time; it was only a little past nine in the morning. He was incredibly enthusiastic and insisted on treating us to breakfast. Old Fan and I declined his offer, but in the end, he treated us to breakfast as a way of thanking us for our help the previous night.

I often see this old guy running to the school gate to borrow money from his older brother. If he can't borrow from him, he tries to get money from the four of us in our dorm. The old guy is dirt poor himself, but he still tries to treat us to meals, which Lao Fan and I refuse.

After we refused, the old man looked a little embarrassed, rubbed his hands together, and stood there chatting casually with us. He spoke sincerely, saying that if he encountered similar supernatural events again in the future, he would still come to us for help immediately.

Dude, as I listened to his words, I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. If it weren't for the fact that I needed to buy a camera for Yin Yuhong, I wouldn't have gone to scam people with you, old geezer, and we didn't even manage to scam anyone—we ran into a real ghost!

On the other hand, while it's true that this kind of thing is profitable, and the money comes quickly, these kinds of sinister and dangerous things are always thrilling, and a slight misstep can put you in grave danger. Fortunately, although this time it scared me quite a bit at first, it turned out to be a false alarm in the end. I silently resolved to avoid it as much as possible in the future!