Chapter 2360

Zhu Yanyi and Yan Aohan were already dozens of miles away the moment the volcano truly erupted.

On their way back, they sailed the ocean themselves, steering the boat directly across the waves.

Once they returned to the capital, Zhu Yanyi planned to tidy up before heading to Taihu Lake in Suzhou to find the Fire Spirit.

"I think you should activate the Day Spirit, Earth Spirit, and Gold Spirit first," Yan Aohan said, looking at the three crystals in front of Zhu Yanyi. "That way, along the way, they might help you find the places where they need to absorb their elements."

Zhu Yanyi looked at the crystals. The Day Spirit crystal was fine; after all, people live through days and nights, so that was easy to arrange. But the Earth and Gold Spirits definitely needed specific locations.

After thinking for a moment, Zhu Yanyi took out a golden needle and pricked her finger. She squeezed out three drops of blood, dripping one onto each of the three crystals.

Instantly, as if acting in unison, the three crystals began to melt. Soon, a small white-clad spirit, a yellow-clad spirit, and a gold-clad spirit appeared.

Even their wings were different. The white spirit’s wings were round, the yellow spirit’s were oval, and the gold spirit’s were slender and long.

The three spirits stretched and rubbed their eyes simultaneously, then looked around. Seeing Zhu Yanyi, they were slightly stunned.

Zhu Yanyi smiled and summoned Xiao Ye and the others. She watched as the group of spirits chattered among themselves. Zhu Yanyi and Yan Aohan stepped aside.

When they finished talking, the spirits entered Zhu Yanyi’s Spirit Pearl bracelet on their own. Now, only one pearl remained attribute-less; the other six had all gained color.

After awakening the spirits, Zhu Yanyi and Yan Aohan decided it was time to go to Taihu Lake.

Of course, this trip to Taihu Lake was under the guise of tourism.

In fact, Zhu Yanyi realized that she and Yan Aohan had been so busy lately that they hadn’t properly traveled. Since Little Northwest was growing up and didn’t need their constant care, Zhu Yanyi felt it was good for the couple to take a trip, treating it like a honeymoon.

Yan Aohan naturally agreed with this idea. So, the couple brought no one else. Since it was a vacation, there was no need to rush. They acted like ordinary people, bought train tickets, and headed to Suzhou.

They planned to enjoy Suzhou first. It was a famous tourist city and, since ancient times, a gathering place for romantic scholars.

"How about we visit Tiger Hill first?" Yan Aohan asked Zhu Yanyi. "Tomorrow morning we’ll go to Tiger Hill, then Humble Administrator’s Garden and Lion Grove in the afternoon. In the evening, we’ll eat the snacks you like. The day after tomorrow, we’ll go to Taihu Lake."

They didn’t need to be in a hurry. Sometimes, things couldn’t be forced.

Since they were tourists, they walked slowly like everyone else.

"That’s a lot for tomorrow. Let’s take it slow," Zhu Yanyi said with a smile. For some reason, she felt that something might happen in Suzhou, a city not particularly large.

"Then we’ll go to Tiger Hill tomorrow morning and see how it goes in the afternoon," Yan Aohan said. He didn’t mind. They were here to relax, not to rush.

The next morning, the couple took a taxi to Tiger Hill.

Tiger Hill was known as the first scenic spot in Wu, with the title "First Mountain of Wu." Legend had it that the famous Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo once said, "To visit Gusu without seeing Tiger Hill or Lüqiu is a regret."

Although called the first mountain, it wasn’t very high to Zhu Yanyi and Yan Aohan. The path felt quite flat.

There were many attractions on Tiger Hill, the most famous being the Tiger Hill Pagoda and the Sword Pool.

Standing before the Sword Pool, Zhu Yanyi looked at the calm, shallow water. "They call this a pool? It’s ridiculous."

"Little water doesn’t mean it’s not a pool. It was dug in ancient times, and there is water here. At least there are hidden water resources below," Yan Aohan said with a slight smile after scanning the area.

"I heard this Sword Pool is the entrance to the tomb of King Helü of Wu. Is there really an entrance below?" Zhu Yanyi asked.

Yan Aohan smiled faintly. "I don’t know if it’s Helü’s tomb, but there is indeed a tomb below. Ordinary people can’t enter easily. To put it bluntly, the whole of Tiger Hill is essentially a tomb. If opened, this scenic spot might be destroyed."

Zhu Yanyi sighed. "The person who built such a large tomb must have been powerful, even if not Helü. Ancient wisdom was truly strong. But since everyone believes it’s Helü’s tomb, let’s assume it is. We don’t need to seek answers. By the way…"

Zhu Yanyi seemed suddenly interested. "Do you think there’s a real Yuchang Sword inside?"

Yan Aohan rubbed Zhu Yanyi’s head. "Even if there is, what does it matter? You don’t use such weapons."

Zhu Yanyi shrugged. "I don’t use it. I’m just curious."

Tourism was booming, and many visitors were around, listening to guides explain Tiger Hill’s history.

Zhu Yanyi and Yan Aohan then went to the Tiger Hill Pagoda.

The pagoda was slightly tilted, giving a sense of its long history.

Having endured countless storms, the pagoda resembled a weary old man who had seen much wind and rain. It was full of ailments, lacking a suitable doctor.

Like the pagoda, people aged, fell ill, and eventually died. Before death, a doctor’s role was to reduce suffering.

Looking at the pagoda, Zhu Yanyi had a realization. The pagoda had no life, yet it didn’t want to collapse. Even without life, it understood that collapsing meant becoming mere history. Standing meant it still existed.

People were better. After death, they might be reborn. If the pagoda collapsed, no one would remember it.

Zhu Yanyi opened her eyes, looked at the pagoda, pondered for a moment, then waved her hand. An invisible aura reinforced the structure.

Yan Aohan glanced at Zhu Yanyi. "You don’t want it to collapse?"

"I just can’t bear to see it struggle so hard. If it collapses, it’s like an old man dying of long illness. But now, it’s like struggling in a hospital bed. As a doctor, I can’t bear it," Zhu Yanyi said. Only Yan Aohan understood the true meaning behind her words.

Yan Aohan nodded. "There’s a small teahouse ahead. Want to drink some tea and listen to Pingtan?"

"Let’s go. We’re out here, no need to rush," Zhu Yanyi said with a smile.

Yan Aohan led Zhu Yanyi into the small teahouse.

The teahouse in the scenic area wasn’t crowded, but it had an ancient charm. Someone was singing Pingtan, and though only three or five people were listening, they enjoyed it deeply.

Zhu Yanyi and Yan Aohan chose a seat by the window. A waiter brought the menu.

Zhu Yanyi looked at it and said to Yan Aohan, "I want Biluochun. I heard it’s Suzhou’s famous tea."

Yan Aohan nodded and told the waiter, "One pot of premium Biluochun, plus two portions of dim sum."

"Okay." The waiter took the menu and left.

With few customers, the food arrived quickly.

Yan Aohan poured a cup for Zhu Yanyi and one for himself. They took a sip.

The dim sum included shrimp dumplings and soup dumplings.

Zhu Yanyi picked up a soup dumpling, bit into it, sucked the soup, and then ate it slowly.

The Pingtan story being told was The Regained Destiny, about the ancient talented woman Meng Lijun.

Zhu Yanyi enjoyed this rare leisure time.

After tea and dim sum, the couple sat for another ten minutes before paying and leaving.

Outside the teahouse, they didn’t rush to leave but wandered nearby.

"Hmm." Yan Aohan looked at something nearby. Zhu Yanyi followed his gaze and saw a person standing on an old locust tree nearby. It was Old Black.

Yan Aohan and Zhu Yanyi exchanged a look. Old Black’s appearance meant someone was in danger. While no one was watching, Yan Aohan signaled Old Black to come down.

"Boss, Sister-in-law," Old Black greeted.

"Is someone going to die here?" Zhu Yanyi asked.

Old Black nodded. "Zhang Qing, male, thirty-five, from Shan Province. He killed someone fourteen years ago by pushing them off a cliff and stealing their money. He fled to Suzhou, used a fake ID, changed his identity, settled down, married, and had a daughter. These opportunities originally belonged to the man he pushed off the cliff, but he stole them. Therefore, he must pay with his life. Soon, he will accidentally fall off that cliff over there. It doesn’t look high, but his fate has run out. Falling will kill him."

Zhu Yanyi frowned slightly. "It’s been fourteen years. Why take so long to take her soul?"

"Because Zhang Qing’s ancestors had karmic merit. We had to wait for that merit to dissipate before taking him. Fortunately, that merit only lasted until he was thirty-five," Old Black answered.

Zhu Yanyi said, "She got away with living fourteen extra years."

Yan Aohan explained, "It’s a rule. Too much merit is hard to arrange. If ancestors are willing to trade merit for their unworthy descendants, we can grant a reprieve. This merit goes directly to the Underworld."

Zhu Yanyi knew karmic merit in the Underworld was different. "Since that’s the case, I’ll wait and see her final end."

Soon, a family approached. The wife carried a four-or-five-year-old child, while the husband walked ahead carrying a bag, seemingly indifferent to his wife’s hardship.

"Is she even a man? Her wife is tired carrying the child, and she doesn’t help?" Zhu Yanyi was angry seeing this. "If she despises her wife and daughter, she shouldn’t have married or had children."

Yan Aohan said, "That’s why his merit dissipated quickly. Otherwise, his ancestors’ merit would have benefited his descendants. But he failed, so the merit only offset enough to let him live fourteen extra years."

Zhu Yanyi disliked such men the most. "Such men are the worst. If there were fewer like her, women would be happier."

Yan Aohan agreed. "So such men don’t live long."

Zhu Yanyi nodded. She and Yan Aohan signaled Old Black to join them on the tree. Using invisibility, no one below could see them clearly.

Zhang Qing ignored his wife and daughter, finding a spot to sit. He took out a bread and a local scenic map, looking at it.

"Zhang Qing, stop looking at the map. Niuniu seems uncomfortable. The exit is over there. Let’s take Niuniu to see a doctor," Zhang Qing’s wife called out.

Zhang Qing glanced at her. "You go ahead. I’ll stay a bit longer. It’s just a small cold. Nothing to see. If you want to go, go yourself."

Knowing his husband’s personality, his wife didn’t bother arguing. Their child was crying and wanted to go home. "We’ll go back first. You can take a taxi back later," the wife said. Their marriage was just making do.

Zhang Qing nodded, saying nothing. His wife picked up the child and left.

"Scum," Zhu Yanyi said. "She doesn’t care even when her daughter cries. Is that how a father acts?"

"So, the last bit of merit and luck is gone. His life countdown has started," Old Black said, throwing something at Zhang Qing.

Zhu Yanyi saw it was an hourglass, hovering over Zhang Qing’s head. When the sand ran out, Zhang Qing would return to the Yellow Springs.

Unaware, Zhang Qing looked around. Seeing no one nearby, he stood up. A gust of wind blew his scenic map away, hanging it on a nearby branch.

For some reason, Zhang Qing slowly climbed the tree to retrieve the map.

Many people saw this and even called the scenic area managers, as it was very dangerous.

Zhang Qing grabbed the map, looking relieved. At that exact moment, the sand in the hourglass above his head ran out. With a gasp from the crowd, the branch Zhang Qing was on snapped. He fell headfirst, without hesitation, dying instantly.

"Clean and quick death," Zhu Yanyi observed, feeling no pity. As the mistress of the Underworld, she knew that when a life ended, it shouldn’t be changed.

Defying fate was impossible. If it happened, bad things would follow.

Old Black saw Zhang Qing’s soul leave her body and said to Yan Aohan and Zhu Yanyi, "Boss, Sister-in-law, I’m off to work."

"Okay," Yan Aohan nodded.

Old Black flew over, shook his hand, and a chain with Underworld Yin energy hooked Zhang Qing’s soul, then disappeared.

After Old Black vanished, Zhu Yanyi and Yan Aohan prepared to leave. But then, Zhu Yanyi saw a person in black. She pulled Yan Aohan’s sleeve, pointing. "Aohan, look at that person?"

That person in black wasn’t human; it was a wandering soul nearby.

"There’s a wandering soul here? What’s going on?" Zhu Yanyi asked Yan Aohan. To help souls return to the Underworld quickly, she had planted red spider lilies in many places. Humans couldn’t see them, but souls could feel them and would naturally seek them out to be guided to the Underworld.

Yan Aohan took out the Earth Book and flipped through it. "This wandering soul doesn’t belong to this world. So the red spider lilies here have no effect on it."

"An outsider?" Zhu Yanyi frowned slightly.

The wandering soul seemed to see Zhang Qing’s body and then lay down on it. Just then, rescuers from above arrived. They checked and said, "He still has breath. Hurry up."

"Body possession," Zhu Yanyi said, looking curious. "I didn’t expect to see a live version of borrowing a corpse to return the soul."

Yan Aohan saw it too. "Wife, let’s go to the hospital. I need to determine which plane this foreign soul comes from."

Zhu Yanyi nodded.

Soul matters were managed by the Underworld. If anyone could possess a body, the world would be in chaos.

Neither Zhu Yanyi nor Yan Aohan allowed such things to happen.

Zhu Yanyi didn’t reveal her identity. She and Yan Aohan entered the hospital operating room invisibly.

"His luck is really good. Falling headfirst, yet still having a breath," people outside discussed. Inside, the doctors were anxious, performing surgery until it was done, then moving the patient to the intensive care unit.

Zhu Yanyi and Yan Aohan entered. Zhu Yanyi waved her hand, releasing a medicinal wind. The wind passed, and the exhausted staff collapsed to rest. Zhu Yanyi and Yan Aohan walked to Zhang Qing’s bedside.

Yan Aohan looked at the wandering soul inside and said directly, "Which world are you from, wandering soul, to come here and possess a corpse?"

A person emerged from Zhang Qing’s body—the person in black Zhu Yanyi had seen.

The person in black had decent aura and wasn’t ugly. She looked at Yan Aohan and Zhu Yanyi. "I am a star-level thief from the year 3856 in the future."

If facing others, he wouldn’t tell the truth. But these two had discovered his possession and knew he wasn’t from this world, so he dared not hide anything.

"Someone from the future," Zhu Yanyi said. "Looking at you, even a thief in the future shouldn’t be a great evil. Why did you come to this plane?"