"That's too much!" "What a bully!" "Master, we absolutely cannot let this go!" "Yes, go teach him a lesson, make him kowtow and apologize to Xiao Xiao." The other little spirit messengers started clamoring. Having followed Lin Rui, waving the banner of Huo'er and Liu Di, they were used to swaggering through Lixin City. Now, the situation where a human had made Xiao Xiao cry repeatedly had occurred, and they couldn't stand it. Furthermore, although that man was nominally Xiao Xiao's father, he had sold her off, leading to her death. Any familial bond should have been exhausted by then. The fact that Xiao Xiao wasn't seeking revenge was only because she was young and kind-hearted; yet he dared to turn around and "bully" her now—he had certainly grown bold! Lin Rui frowned and said, "Alright, alright, stop brainstorming wild ideas there. Xiao Xiao, I have an idea for you, guaranteed to make him cherish your photograph, how about that?" Xiao Xiao looked at her Master, in whom she placed absolute trust and dependence, and nodded vigorously. Lin Rui bit his lip, eyes darting around. When Huo'er finally opened the door and announced, "Fox, you can eat... I saved the chicken for you!" Lin Rui simply tossed back, "I have something to do, I'll eat later," and jumped out of the window. Huo'er stared after his retreating back, bewildered. Gui'er tapped its head, "See? I told you not to be so disloyal. Is the little fox angry?" "No way... He shouldn't be that petty..." Huo'er grumbled, though a flicker of unease settled in its heart. It grabbed the roast chicken and chased after him, "Fox, look, I didn't eat your chicken... I really saved it for you..." Gui'er watched their receding figures and shook its head with a bitter smile.

The man was slightly distracted the entire night. After waking up this morning, he couldn't quite recall the appearance of the mutated photograph from yesterday. Did another person really appear in it? Or had he seen things mistakenly when he left? After a night's rest, he couldn't clearly piece together the circumstances of that time, unable to distinguish between reality and hallucination.

But the nightmares he suffered all night—those visions he remembered with perfect clarity.

In his dreams, he returned to the small farmhouse courtyard of his hometown. His children, wife, and mother joyfully rushed out to greet him. But just as he pulled out the gifts he had bought for them in the city to distribute, a small figure suddenly dashed in from the gate, glaring fiercely at him and demanding, "Where is my gift?" In that instant, the surrounding scene was drenched in a crimson hue—a blood-red color, as if the entire courtyard was submerged in blood water...

Throughout the night, he was startled awake countless times by such dreams. He sat in the ** for half the morning until daylight, still unable to discern whether he was in reality or still dreaming. Because he remained in a state of mental fog, he missed breakfast. Upon arriving at work, he felt his head throbbing and lacked strength in his limbs. While pushing a cart loaded with bricks, he suddenly lost his footing, and the entire load overturned by the roadside. He stared at the scene blankly for a moment, sighed, and squatted down to pick up the bricks piece by piece. Just then, a voice sounded from directly above him. "Benefactor, this humble Daoist greets you." The man looked up to see an old Daoist with white hair and a white beard standing before him. It was difficult to estimate this old Daoist's age. Looking at his white hair and beard, he seemed to be seventy or eighty, yet his ruddy, wrinkle-free face suggested the vigor of a man in his prime forty years old. Especially his deep eyes, brimming with wisdom and benevolence, gave rise to an unfathomable feeling, compelling reverence.

The man was superstitious. Since childhood, he had grown up observing the annual offerings his grandmother and mother made to various deities. Whenever something happened in the family, it would result in clouds of incense smoke, fluttering paper money, and sleepless nights filled with the sounds of kowtowing and praying. His wife was just such a village woman.

He rarely personally burned incense or worshipped Buddhas, but that didn't mean he was a materialist. On the contrary, he harbored immense awe for gods, Buddhas, demons, and monsters. He was terrified of anything he couldn't explain, and when such things occurred, he invariably sought help from the more ethereal existence of divine beings.

When this Daoist, exuding an air of otherworldly mastery and immortal bearing, appeared before him, the man, already tormented by that terrifying photograph and those horrific nightmares, couldn't help but look at the Daoist and let out a choked sob. "Benefactor, if this humble Daoist is not mistaken, have you encountered some strange phenomena?" the Daoist asked kindly. The man nodded forcefully without conscious thought. "Indeed. As I passed by this area today, I sensed a churning blackness and a chilling, ghostly atmosphere. When I came closer, I saw you... alas..." He didn't elaborate on the man's situation but replaced it with a long sigh, intensifying the man's various suppositions. Terrifying images nearly made him collapse onto the ground. He quickly grabbed the Daoist's sleeve and pleaded, "Daoist Master, immortal, please, please take a look for me. Have I been afflicted by some evil spirit? Why do I dream... dream of her, and, and..." He opened his mouth, only to realize he couldn't articulate what he had encountered. To begin speaking meant revealing the entire sequence of events, which meant recounting the event that he, his entire family, refused to face, refused to mention again, refused to recall even a single frame of—not just to himself, but to a complete stranger. No, no. The man's original fear was replaced by a colder dread welling up from the depths of his soul. That fear gripped his spirit, making him forget the previous apprehension: "No, I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine, perfectly fine." The man hastily gathered the bricks on the ground and tried to push the cart away.

Impossible! He, who prided himself on being Lixin City's foremost charlatan. Whether high officials, scholars, foreign businessmen, professors, or common folk—had he not fooled them all? Had they not all willingly handed over their money under the spell of his silver tongue? This construction worker, already trembling from frightening himself, who clearly lacked much education, was refusing to be duped? This severely damaged the Daoist Master's self-esteem. It seemed his professional competence was being questioned. He absolutely could not give up now. It wasn't just because someone had entrusted him with a matter, but also for the sake of his lifelong reputation.

The Daoist thought this, quickly sped up a few steps to intercept the man, and uttered a phrase that struck the man like a thunderclap: "Benefactor, you have three children in total: two daughters and one son. Am I mistaken?" The man's hand loosened, and the wheelbarrow tipped over once more. The bricks inside sustained another fall, displaying their quality—nearly half of them cracked. "You, how did you know? No, no, what nonsense are you speaking? Where would I get three children? I only have two children, only two..." The man abandoned the cart and stumbled away in flight. The Daoist's movements possessed a nimbleness that belied his appearance. He took another swift step and blocked the man again, saying, "Benefactor, if this humble Daoist is not mistaken, among your three children, the second one should no longer be alive, correct? And, well, indeed... she died horribly..." "No... no... I don't have three children... I only have one son and one daughter..." The man cried out as if he had seen a ghost, scrambling away, shouting as he ran, "I don't have three children, I don't have three children..." The Daoist wore an expression of helplessness, and Xiao Xiao, who had been watching the entire process from the side, burst into loud sobs again: "He said he only has two children, he said he only has two children! Master, he just said..." Lin Rui gently patted her head while staring at the man's retreating back, his brow furrowed tightly. Huo'er asked, confused, "Is that the one who bullied Xiao Bu Dian? Why waste words on him? Just drag him over and eat him. Lu wei ma, you are too useless!" Hearing this, Xiao Xiao's crying intensified, and Lin Rui couldn't soothe her no matter how he tried. Xiao Xiao had no interest in torture, flaying, or being plunged into boiling oil. She ignored Huo'er's threats and enticements. Her demand was simple and firm: she wanted a family portrait that included her, and she wanted the man to take it home, back to the home where she once lived. For this little spirit messenger who had only lived five springs, the greatest pain in her heart was not the immense and cruel suffering of her death, nor the various punishments she received as a spirit messenger compelled to commit evil for failing to execute orders. It was the day her father sold her and forcibly took her away from home. Even knowing she could never return, she refused to accept fate. "I want my family portrait... I want my family portrait..." Thus, Lin Rui spent the entire afternoon in Xiao Xiao's wailing. He truly couldn't understand why girls could cry so much, maintaining continuous weeping for three or four hours. In the face of such sound, anyone would be defeated. "Xiao Xiao, have you cried enough! Stop crying!" Lin Rui, who wanted to watch cartoons, finally couldn't stand it and roared at Xiao Xiao, "Cry, cry, cry! All you do is cry! You're driving me crazy! If you keep crying like this, I won't want you anymore. Go back with that heartless, ungrateful old man of yours and take your own family portrait!" He had never been so harsh with Xiao Xiao. She instantly couldn't bear it. She was already sad and aggrieved, only seeking comfort from her most trusted Master, only to be berated. Her Master even threatened to abandon her. Was she about to be abandoned again? Was she so detestable that no one wanted her? Thinking this, Xiao Xiao cried even harder, covered her face, flew out the window, and vanished. Lin Rui frowned, "What kind of spoiled behavior is this now!" Lin Rui certainly had no intention of discarding Xiao Xiao, nor did he want to refuse to help her; it was just that he was utterly exhausted by her crying that he spoke those angry words. He hadn't seriously considered the deepest wound in Xiao Xiao's heart, and his words had precisely grazed that scar. Lin Rui initially paid no mind to Xiao Xiao running away. He continued watching television, doing homework, and playing games, and ate dinner with his aunt. It wasn't until deep into the night that he realized Xiao Xiao had not returned. "Where is Xiao Xiao? Hasn't she come back yet?" he asked the other spirit messengers. "She... didn't she run away from home?" "Yes, yes, this afternoon." "When you yelled at her." "Master, you scared her away." "That's right..." "Master was so mean, Xiao Xiao cried so sadly." "Master was terrifying, like a devil, at that moment." "Yes, yes." Listening to their fragmented accounts, it sounded as if Xiao Xiao's tantrum was his fault. Lin Rui felt a surge of anger. Was he like a devil? If he were, would they dare to be so unrestrained! It seemed he had been too lenient with them usually, causing them all to become so disrespectful now. "Don't go look for her, let her run away!" He angrily threw down this statement, pulled the covers over himself, and lay down on the bed. The few spirit messengers exchanged glances, realizing their Master was genuinely angry. What should they do now? Should they really abandon Xiao Xiao?

Lin Rui woke up early to an empty room. His aunt had already left for work early, and the little spirit messengers, usually darting around the room, were nowhere to be seen. "Hmph..." He knew they would go look for Xiao Xiao. What troublesome creatures. He shouldn't have taken them in in the first place. Lin Rui muttered to himself while heating up his own meal. "Fox, let's go play." Since Lin Rui was on holiday, Lixin City was his and Huo'er's playground. Today, Huo'er appeared at Lin Rui's house as usual, only to find Lin Rui sitting there pouting, eating his meal half-heartedly. "Why are you still eating? Huh? Weren't your spirit messengers fighting with someone just now? Didn't you command them? Aren't we going to assist in the brawl?" "What?" Lin Rui jumped up instantly. He knew the little spirit messengers had snuck out. Knowing they were looking for Xiao Xiao, Lin Rui hadn't worried about leaving her outside for so long. However, maintaining his dignity as their Master was important, so he kept quiet. He hadn't expected them to start fighting with someone after they left. He had repeatedly warned them, forbidding them to cause trouble or play tricks, but they had treated his words as background noise! (He didn't stop to consider his own usual behavior; under his own example, how could the nine little spirit messengers heed his sermons?) "Who are they fighting with?" Lin Rui quickly ran through the known Yokai of Lixin City in his mind, wondering which one dared to trouble Lin Rui's spirit messengers, or if it was an unknown Yokai. Lixin City was large, and there were plenty of Yokai he didn't know, and who didn't know him. Should he ask Liu Di to mediate? Or should he and Huo'er just storm over there? To Huo'er's surprise, the answer was unexpected. "They got into a fight with a human, someone we don't know." "What? A human?" Lin Rui became even angrier. His order to "not provoke humans" was a standing, absolute command. How dare they disobey it! "Yeah, Shadow and I saw them fighting with a Daoist. When we went over, it turned out to be one of Zhu Da Kuan's (Lixin City's famous expert, Zhu Enliu) uncles. We chased him away. I told the spirit messengers to come back, but they refused, saying... they had run away from home?" Huo'er finally caught on; the little spirit messengers saying they ran away from home meant... they had defected from Lin Rui's residence. "Wow, they are so disobedient! Let's play the 'Catch the Bad Kids' game today! Let's see who can catch them first! The winner gets the game account we snatched from Liu Di last time." Huo'er assumed it knew the previous whereabouts of the spirit messengers and would surely find them faster than Lin Rui, forgetting that Lin Rui was their Master—a simple incantation was enough to summon them back. "Ignore them, let them run away!" Lin Rui was furious and decided to let the little brats suffer a bit outside on their own. Huo'er's impression of the spirit messengers only extended to them being Lin Rui's subordinates. Sometimes it couldn't even tell them apart. Hearing Lin Rui say that, it immediately set the matter aside. "Let's go play." Lin Rui pondered for a moment. Though his words were harsh, he still worried. "Wait a moment, I'll give Zhu Enliu a call." Zhu Enliu was a businessman with broad connections, especially maintaining good relationships with many Yokai in Lixin City, even hiring numerous Yokai to work in his company. For instance, the security director of his company was a two-headed bird, whose heads took turns sleeping to ensure not a single fly could enter his skyscraper. Lin Rui called him, explaining the conflict between his spirit messengers and his uncle, and asked for understanding—despite his harsh words, he couldn't bear to see the spirit messengers truly suffer. Zhu Enliu readily agreed, promising to tell his uncle not to provoke the spirit messengers again, and that he would inform Lin Rui immediately of any movement from them. Only then did Lin Rui exhale a breath of relief and go out to play with Huo'er.

Lin Rui had intended to ignore the spirit messengers for a few days to teach them a lesson, but less than a day later, he received a call from Zhu Enliu, urging him to get to the hospital quickly because his spirit messengers were in trouble. Lin Rui rushed to the hospital, finding a chaotic scene: Zhu Enliu, a foreman-like man, and several construction workers paced anxiously outside the emergency room. His few little spirit messengers were there too, some flying, some standing, all looking dejected. Beside them, an old Daoist glared fiercely at them, his face etched with righteous indignation. And Xiao Xiao was on the ground, desperately clinging to Nan Yu's leg, crying loudly, "Senior Nan, please save him, I beg you, save him... Waa... It's all my fault... Waa..." Nan Yu frowned, looking as if even her composed demeanor was strained by Xiao Xiao's wailing. Lin Rui kicked one of the spirits aside and demanded, "What is going on here? What's with this mess..." "Master..." The moment the spirit messengers saw him, they scrambled away in a flurry, hiding under the hospital bench, pushing each other, none daring to step out to face his anger. "Who can tell me what happened? Who is inside being rescued!" Lin Rui continued to point at the emergency room door. Zhu Enliu rubbed his hands and came over, sighing before speaking, "Alas, Xiao Lin, your spirit messengers have gone too far. They actually pushed one of the workers from our construction scaffolding down. Now... alas, we don't know if he will live or die!" "What!" Lin Rui's gaze shifted to Xiao Xiao. He knew with his knees that the worker thrown from the scaffolding was the man from before. Lin Rui exclaimed angrily, "Xiao Xiao, didn't I tell you? You can't add to your sins of slaughter anymore! If you wanted to deal with him, you should have let me do it—killing or boiling! Why did you go again..." Upon hearing his words, the Daoist's brow furrowed deeply. If he hadn't seen Huo'er flying in right behind Lin Rui, he would have already stood up and erupted—the saying "A fox borrowing the tiger's might" (Hú jiǎ 'Bìfāng' wēi) had a very literal and visual representation in Lixin City. "Master... I was wrong... Master... I won't dare again... Please, beg Senior Nan to save him..." Xiao Xiao continued crying brokenly. Under Lin Rui's relentless questioning, Spirit Messenger Four was finally kicked out from under the bench by his companions to report the sequence of events. It turned out that after the few little spirit messengers found Xiao Xiao, because they had repeatedly disobeyed Lin Rui's orders, they didn't dare return immediately. They accompanied the aggrieved Xiao Xiao, who refused to return and apologize to their Master, wandering around a construction site. Coincidentally, Zhu Enliu arrived to inspect the site. Coming from a Daoist lineage, he immediately spotted several vengeful spirits—spirit messengers and vengeful spirits bear a strong resemblance in appearance. Zhu Enliu, being a half-baked expert in such matters, it was understandable that he mistook them. The boss immediately grew tense. No boss wanted their construction site to be haunted by demons and ghosts shortly after work began. Although Zhu Enliu had close ties with Yokai, he was not immune to this common anxiety. He had intended to call the Yokai employees from his company to handle the situation. If he had summoned the Yokai from his company, they would have instantly recognized the spirit messengers' identities, and subsequent events would not have occurred. But his uncle happened to be visiting the company and rushed over personally, eager to indulge in some ghost-catching. Thus began the scene where Zhou Ying and Huo encountered the spirit messengers being chased and fought by a human Daoist on the road. Although Zhou Ying mediated the fight later, the incident gave the spirit messengers an idea—that Daoist kept saying they were going to cause trouble and harm people. Why not truly try it and teach that man a lesson?

The group conferred, and then, along with Xiao Xiao, they approached the man. One by one, they manifested before him in their most terrifying forms—the horror of a child's appearance after brutal abuse needs no further description—repeating the same line over and over: "Father, why did you sell me!" The phrase wavered and echoed in the man's presence.

The man was certainly strong-willed. Initially, he tried to deceive himself, using illusions as an excuse, steadfastly refusing to see the phantom messengers. However, as time wore on and the intensity of the haunting escalated, he could no longer avoid reacting. The sky grew darker, and his fear of the spirits, which seemed far more real in the shadows, deepened. In his panicked attempt to evade the messengers, he finally lost his footing and tumbled from the scaffolding.

"Master, we really just wanted to scare him a little, to make him apologize to Xiao Xiao. We never meant to scare him to death," Xiao Si complained aggrievedly to Lin Rui. "Master, please don't be angry. This idea was mine; if you must punish someone, punish me. Please don't punish Xiao Xiao."

"Hmph, loyal, are we?" Lin Rui was incensed by the look the Daoist priest next to him gave him. The priest's expression clearly conveyed: Stop the act; this was clearly orchestrated by you, the seductress fox spirit, feigning the messengers acting on their own accord. This Daoist master has seen right through it.

"Hmph," Lin Rui snorted dismissively, then deliberately spoke loudly, "What are you crying about? Isn't he just a human who deserved to die anyway? Stop crying! Consider it revenge for Xiao Xiao. If anyone dares object, tell them I ordered it. Tell them to come find me!"

As soon as his words fell, Huo'er thrust its head toward the priest and asked fiercely, "Well, do you have any opinion? I'm quite democratic; you are welcome to express your will to your heart's content!"

The priest stared at Huo'er, meeting its gaze for a few seconds, then sat down heavily and turned his head away.

Hearing Lin Rui's words, Xiao Xiao's crying paused slightly. She managed to say, "Master, I really don't want him to die. I don't want the family portrait anymore, is that okay?" Then she started crying again.

Lin Rui gently stroked her head. This child only had one small wish. She didn't ask for revenge, didn't demand an apology, and didn't even ask to go home; a single family portrait was enough to satisfy her. If even this simple request couldn't be fulfilled, what right did he have to be her Master, especially after vowing fiercely to protect them? "Xiao Xiao, don't worry, I will definitely fulfill your wish. If he refuses, I will go to your hometown and place your photograph on your family's wall where he can never remove it!" Lin Rui announced viciously.

Xiao Xiao looked up at him, tears still glistening in her eyes.

The man ultimately survived, much to everyone's relief. His legs were broken, and the recovery would take many days, but such minor injuries were nothing to Nan Yu, just as the medical expenses were negligible for the wealthy Zhu Enliu. Now the man could lie peacefully in the hospital to recuperate, but all the trouble had been dumped squarely on Lin Rui.

"Xiao Xiao, are you satisfied?" Lin Rui asked, stroking her head.

Xiao Xiao nodded, staring intently at her family portrait without a word.

Lin Rui sighed, knowing she definitely wasn't satisfied or reconciled. What she wanted was for her father to take the photo with her in it home, not for her to hold this useless photo herself. But whenever her father heard anything concerning his daughter, regardless of whether the words came from an aloof, immortal-seeming figure or from a ghost, he exhibited extreme panic. In the most severe instance, he actually jumped out of the hospital window—and his room was on the eleventh floor. Given the current situation, pushing further might not only prevent her father from taking the photo home but could risk causing his death.

After dinner, Lin Rui watched a boring cartoon listlessly. Suddenly, a familiar sound of crashing echoed from upstairs. Lin Rui knew instantly, just by the sound of it, that Liu Di, who was mooching a meal at Zhou Ying's place, was fighting with Huo'er again. These altercations happened almost daily. Usually, Lin Rui cast a spell to silence the roof to prevent them from disturbing his mother, but since his mother wasn't home these few days, he'd skipped that step. To his annoyance, hearing their racket now was still bothersome.

The fighting lasted for a few minutes, and then a handsome face suddenly materialized on the ceiling of Lin Rui's room. Next, Liu Di appeared headfirst, burrowing down through the floorboards, hands tucked into his pockets. Just before hitting the ground, he executed a smooth flip, landing in an incredibly dashing pose.

"Hmph..." Lin Rui made it clear his "visit" was unwelcome.

"Little Fox Spirit, you didn't feed me enough earlier. Bring out whatever good food you have, and go down to that little shop downstairs and get me a bottle of wine." Liu Di swaggered over to the sofa, demanded food from Lin Rui, and simultaneously slapped a few hundred-yuan bills toward Xiao Si.

Xiao Si, seeing the cash, cheerfully snatched it up, but instead of going out, he zipped back into the bedroom and tried to stuff the money into Lin Rui's coin jar. However, before he could finish, the banknotes in his hand generated a force that violently dragged him out the window, flying toward the small convenience store nearby. No matter how Xiao Si struggled, he couldn't resist that pull.

Seeing Liu Di using magic to tease his ghost messenger, Lin Rui glared fiercely at him.

"Little Fox Spirit, I hear you're in trouble?" Liu Di unceremoniously helped himself to ham and sausages from the refrigerator, then brought out the pizza, cola, and fried chicken Lin Rui had just bought for dinner. He opened the strong liquor the ghost messenger had procured and began eating and drinking merrily. After a while, he asked Lin Rui, who was preparing to summon Huo'er to help beat the dog spirit, "What's the matter?"

Lin Rui completely ignored him. In Lixin City, all the monsters knew that once Liu Di got involved in any matter, it was guaranteed to escalate from minor to major, create something from nothing, and turn into a complete mess. Therefore, except for Zhou Ying, no one would seek Liu Di's help unless they were absolutely desperate. Because he lived so close to Zhou Ying's house, Lin Rui understood Liu Di's inherent bad nature even more deeply, making him even less likely to confide in the man.

"I hear your ghost messenger almost scared her biological father to death, is that right? Patricide is a grave offense, you know," Liu Di added casually.

"How did you know!" But there was no point in asking. Lin Rui knew it was futile; Liu Di was the local wolf of Lixin City. He had lived here since before the city even existed, watching it rise from nothing. This city was like his living room; he knew about every cobweb in every corner. It was incredibly difficult to hide anything from him.

"Little one, come here, come here..." Liu Di beckoned Xiao Xiao with a wolfish smile. "Do you want your father to take your picture home and keep it there forever?"

Xiao Xiao instantly forgot that this grinning fellow was actually a wolf in sheep's clothing—Liu Di. She flew in front of him and asked timidly, "C-can I?"

"Of course! Who do you think is speaking? Is there anything I can't accomplish? Say, why is all the food in your house cold?"

"Oh! I'll heat it up right away!" Xiao Xiao was so excited by his words that she ignored Lin Rui's stern expression. She gathered the dishes and rushed into the kitchen, quickly reheating them and bringing them back out one by one. She even added a dish of scrambled eggs with tomato—the only thing Xiao Xiao knew how to cook, which Lin Rui rarely got to eat. Her preparing this dish for Liu Di now showed she was desperately grasping at straws.

"Hmm, not bad. Your impolite Master hasn't ruined you too badly," Liu Di ate a mouthful of food and took a swig of wine, deliberately ignoring Xiao Xiao's expectant gaze. Lin Rui sat opposite him and said sternly, "Don't toy with Xiao Xiao. She’s suffered enough misery. If you keep teasing her, I won't let you off!"

"Relax, relax. When have I ever teased you lot?"

The ghost messengers began counting their fingers on the side, recalling the countless times they had been tormented by him.

"I will definitely help her with this favor. If you don't believe me, just wait and see. I am the smartest person in Lixin City, you haven't forgotten, have you?"

Lin Rui pursed his lips and looked away. His ghost messengers clamored together, "Our Master is the smartest person in Lixin City!"

"Tch, then why can't he help this little one?" Liu Di said, picking up a forkful of scrambled eggs with tomato. As he chewed, he suddenly let out a strange cry, "Water, water..." He grabbed the wine bottle from the table and tipped it back, gulping down the entire bottle before finally catching his breath. "This is too salty! Lin Rui, did you just rob the salt company or something?"

Lin Rui laughed triumphantly. "Serves you right! You dare eat food Xiao Xiao cooked? Even Huo'er is afraid of it!"

The man lay in his hospital bed, staring blankly. His foreman and the construction site owner—a distinguished, imposing boss—had just visited. Not only did they bring him plenty of fruit and nutritional supplements, but they also assured him they would cover all his medical expenses and that he would receive his full wages and bonuses without deduction.

The man knew he was lucky to have met such an exceptional boss who hadn't abandoned him after the injury but instead promised to help him as much as possible. Yet, his mind still wouldn't rest. The extra person in the family portrait, the children's ghosts appearing in broad daylight—it all felt like a nightmare that surfaced the moment he closed his eyes. He knew he would never escape the burden of his conscience in this lifetime. Alas, that child... she must hate me terribly, did she really come to take my life this time?

Just then, the ward door opened, and a young man sneakily slipped in. He looked around to ensure no one was there, then darted straight to the bedside and whispered in a low voice, "Hey, I'll give you 100,000. Talk to your daughter for me, okay? Ask her to guarantee I won't be caught."

Although the man didn't understand the words, he reacted to the huge figure of "one hundred thousand," looking up at the youth in a daze.

Seeing the man remain silent, the youth immediately asked, "100,000 isn't enough? 150,000, that's enough, right? The people from the Underworld are chasing me too tightly. Get your daughter to smooth things over for me, and I won't mistreat you."

Underworld, 150,000, daughter... these dozens of unrelated words churned into chaos in the man's mind.

"Isn't your daughter the Inspector of the Nine Realms? I haven't violated any heavenly laws, so it's just a matter of her saying a word to spare me. People need to be flexible. Your life isn't easy either, 200,000, 200,000, is that acceptable?"

"My daughter... she's fine at home, she's still a student. How did she become... what's that thing?" the man stammered.

"Who are you trying to fool..." The youth eyed him suspiciously. "Didn't your second daughter become the Inspector of the Nine Realms after undergoing tribulation? Every demon and monster under heaven knows this. Who are you trying to hide it from... 300,000, take it or leave it!"

"My second daughter... she, she died a long time ago..." The man squeezed the words out from the depths of his throat.

"Isn't that nonsense? If she didn't die, how could it be a tribulation? If she didn't die, how could she become an immortal? Just give me a straight answer, yes or no! If you won't agree here, I'll go find her follower to pull strings. Don't waste my time!"

"You mean... she became an immortal after she died..." The man asked, half-believing, half-doubting.

"It's not that she became an immortal after dying; she was one to begin with. She was reincarnated to face a tribulation, and she returned after passing it. You don't have contact with your daughter, do you? Then I've come to the wrong place. I should just go pull strings... nearly wasted 300,000..." Saying this, he turned to leave.

Hearing these bizarre words, the man was filled with doubt, yet he couldn't bear to let go of the sum, which seemed astronomical to him. After several moments of hesitation, just as the youth was about to exit, he called out, "Excuse me, is what you said true? That child... her death was necessary for an immortal's tribulation, and I didn't cause her death, did I?"

The youth nodded and stared at him, adopting an impatient posture as if to say, 'My time is precious; say what you need to quickly.'

"So, she was reincarnated as my daughter just to face a tribulation... I didn't cause her death... I didn't kill her..." The man muttered these words repeatedly, then suddenly burst into loud sobs.

A few days after selling the child, he was summoned by the police because the mutilated body of a little girl was found murdered in the suburbs. Someone recognized it as his daughter. The man rushed over, and what he saw—the shattered corpse—was none other than the daughter he had just sold!

He had initially thought that selling the child to a wealthy family would allow his own family to have another boy, that they could live better with that money, and that his daughter would also have a better life. But how could her body have appeared before him so mutilated just a few days later? And why did she die so horribly?

That incident became a nightmare for their whole family, a massive stone forever lodged in his heart. Whenever he recalled the scene he witnessed, the image of that child lying in the refrigerated morgue, her empty eye sockets staring vacantly at him, made him feel as if he had plunged into icy water. Even though he had a son to carry on the family name, even though their lives had improved significantly over the years, that child remained a thorn in his side; thinking of her made it impossible to eat or sleep peacefully.

For years, no one in their family dared mention this child. Only by pretending the child had never existed could their lives continue in peace. That was why, even after seeing the photograph with an extra person, even after truly seeing the child's ghost appear before him, he couldn't bring himself to admit he had ever had that daughter, couldn't admit she had ever existed.

But what was this youth saying now? That his daughter was not mortal, and her tragic death in reincarnation was part of her tribulation, the only way she could become an immortal again? Did that mean such a tribulation was unavoidable, regardless of whether he sold her or not? Did this mean he hadn't caused her death?

While the man was lost in thought, the youth suddenly let out a strange yelp. Then, the man watched, wide-eyed, as the youth dropped onto all fours and transformed into a black dog, disappearing under the hospital bed.

A demon... a monster...

There really are monsters...

The man felt as if his entire body was shaking like a sieve.

Watching a person change into a beast was something a culturally uneducated farmer like him couldn't even begin to describe.

At that moment, a beam of red light suddenly pierced the hospital room window, dyeing the entire space in a fiery hue. Outside the window, a group of figures approached, riding on auspicious clouds. In the center was a little girl wearing a phoenix coronet and ornate robes; though small in stature, she possessed an extraordinary presence and a distinct air of authority. Flanking her were several young attendants skipping along, and ahead of her, a fiery red phoenix fluttered up and down, guiding her to the window.

"Er Yatou..." The face that haunted his nightmares materialized clearly before him, appearing in this manner. The man's eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

The actors present were instantly stunned.

"Liu Di, what is going on? Didn't you say your script was flawless?"

"Yeah, why did he faint before I could even say my lines!"—Huo'er was eager to deliver the line, "Audacious dog demon, fleeing after committing a crime, daring to harass mortals—are you not afraid of heavenly law!" It was written so perfectly! It suited Huo'er so well!

Liu Di crawled out from under the bed, took a look, and said helplessly, "How was I supposed to know he's such a rough, fragile-nerved man?"

"I think your script was completely unnecessary..." Lin Rui frowned. "Why not just tell him Xiao Xiao doesn't hate him? Do we have to wait for him to recover before continuing the performance?"

"You don't understand. He refuses to acknowledge Xiao Xiao's existence because of extreme guilt and fear. Only by letting him know Xiao Xiao's death wasn't his fault can this knot be untied."

"Xiao Xiao's death was entirely his fault!"

"Exactly, exactly! How can this person be so shameless, doing something wrong and then trying to deny it!"

"So he just wanted to shirk responsibility! Hmph..."

"People like this are despicable!"

The other little ghost messengers started berating the man.

Xiao Xiao stared blankly, tears welling up, unsure what to think.

"Xiao Xiao, you decide. If we follow this dog demon's script to the end, any shred of guilt he feels for you will completely vanish... If you hate him, then don't let him off so easily."

"I... I..." Xiao Xiao's tears began to flow.

She looked at the man; she truly hated him, yet she truly couldn't bring herself to hate him. He had aged so much, and even in unconsciousness, his face was etched with terror. He was afraid—afraid of the daughter he had abandoned, and afraid of his own conscience.

In truth, in the past, although he single-mindedly wanted a son, he treated her well. Whenever he came home from outside, he would always pick her up and kiss her. Her mother never kissed her, though, because she disliked girls...

"I... I..."

Huo'er urged, "Stop dithering and decide quickly! I'm waiting to say my line!"

Xiao Xiao looked pleadingly at Lin Rui, who shook his head. On a matter like this, no one else could make the decision for her.

"I... I don't want to hate him... Even though I hate him a little, I don't want to truly hate him... Master... Waaah..." After much deliberation, Xiao Xiao burst into loud sobs.

Silence descended, broken only by her crying echoing in the ward. During this time, the man almost woke up but was pushed back into unconsciousness by Liu Di, waiting for Xiao Xiao to make her decision before continuing the performance.

"Xiao Xiao..." Lin Rui said softly. "You don't actually hate him in your heart anymore, do you? It's just that you feel you should hate him, so you don't know what to do..."

Xiao Xiao thought seriously and nodded vigorously.

"I understand, that makes it easy... Is there anything else you want to say to him?" Lin Rui stroked Xiao Xiao's head.

Xiao Xiao shook her head. "I just wanted a family portrait... I really, really wanted one..."

"Then do you want to go home with him?"

Xiao Xiao shook her head vehemently. "I'm with Master now; I'm not going back... I can't go back..."

Lin Rui said, "I understand what you truly mean. Then why don't you go home first? Let me handle the rest, okay?"

Xiao Xiao trusted him completely and immediately nodded.

"You few, take Xiao Xiao back—and Liu Di, don't even think about leaving! Hand over the money!"

"Are you robbing me? This is my money!"

"It's between me and the fox now. You got a problem with that!"

"You two-faced bastard! Hmph, I knew I shouldn't have helped you go on a date with your girlfriend!"

"Hey Fox Spirit, why are you letting them all leave? I haven't said my lines yet!"

Just then, the man groaned and slowly opened his eyes.

In a very inconspicuous corner of Lin Rui's wardrobe, there was now a photograph pasted there: a picture of Xiao Xiao’s whole family, with Xiao Xiao smiling happily among them.

"Xiaoxiao, you can look at this photo as much as you like, but you absolutely must hide it the moment you hear my mother opening the wardrobe, do you understand!" "Mm." Xiaoxiao stood frozen beside the photograph, refusing to go anywhere for the last few days.

"Master, does he really have to take it back?" "Yes, he’s taking it back, happily." When that man awoke, Lin Rui, posing as an immortal's attendant, gave him three hundred thousand and instructed him to take Xiaoxiao's photograph home, telling him that doing so would ensure the safety of his entire family.

The man was genuinely overjoyed; clutching the money and the picture, he looked like he could fly home even if both his legs were broken.

Yet, he didn't ask a single thing about how Xiaoxiao was doing now, nor whether she missed home, if she was happy, or if she hated them.

He asked nothing.

It was fortunate that Xiaoxiao asked nothing either.

Perhaps, for this little girl, this was enough; she hadn't yet learned those complicated thoughts.

Looking at the family portrait, Xiaoxiao truly seemed content.

Lin Rui patted her head and walked out.

Mom is coming back today; I miss her so much...