TL: Hua

Chapter 17: Merits

Xu Cong was puzzled at first but then showed a look of astonishment: “Th-This is…”

You Xingyue quietly set the golden toad right-side up.

The golden toad had big eyes and a round belly, plated in gold all over, with a very charming appearance. The whole ornament, including its base, was about twenty centimeters in diameter and nearly ten centimeters high.

Most importantly, it was brimming with spiritual light, faintly radiating a divine presence.

To a cultivator with a solid foundation like Xu Cong, the cold eyeballs of the golden toad held a subtle, indescribable flowing spirit.

Xu Cong pulled a talisman paper out from his sleeve and tapped it between his eyebrows. Upon removing the paper, a “third eye” drawn in cinnabar appeared on his brow.

You Xingyue used his glasses to achieve the effect of the Yinyang eye, but what Xu Cong drew on his forehead was the heavenly eye, which was far more powerful.

No wonder he was the director of Boyun Temple.

With a serious expression, Xu Cong asked: “Fellow Taoist, may I take a closer look?”

You Xingyue set down the golden toad: “Please.”

Xu Cong cupped the golden toad with both hands, its heavy mass causing his hands to drop instantly.

It was much heavier than he had imagined.

Xu Cong couldn’t help but glance at You Xingyue. The lines of the other man’s wrists were crisp and defined. Clearly, beneath that neat dress shirt was a body that exercised regularly.

Soon, Xu Cong had no time to focus on You Xingyue. He smelled a faint, elusive scent of incense ash coming from the golden toad. Xu Cong focused his gaze—

Inside the gleaming golden toad ornament crouched a phantom image identical to the physical piece. The phantom’s eyes rolled around and locked onto Xu Cong.

The golden toad had been by You Xingyue’s side for over half a month without receiving sacrifices of raw meat or similar offerings. The spiritual energy flowing through its core was faint but pure, and the evil energy it had accumulated was almost entirely gone.

It originally possessed malevolent intent, but luckily it had been stopped in time before causing a major disaster. The golden toad still had a chance to return to the righteous path.

Xu Cong gasped: This…this is a vessel spirit?!

In this day and age, a vessel spirit actually existed!

It was a thousand times harder for inanimate objects to gain spirit than living creatures. Xu Cong had never seen a vessel spirit with his own eyes, let alone one with such deep cultivation.

Even in Boyun Temple, the few magical artifacts passed down by the patriarchs had never developed intelligence.

No wonder! No wonder Fellow Taoist You dared to say this item could suppress the evil yin energy in the mall.

Xu Cong solemnly returned the golden toad to You Xingyue: “Truly an extraordinary spiritual object.”

Wu Xingfang asked cautiously: “So my pool can stay?”

He wasn’t afraid to spend a bit of money tearing down the pool, nor was he afraid to spend a fortune to buy a golden toad, but he was worried that without the pool, he wouldn’t gather wealth. After all, the feng shui master Wu Xingfang consulted later firmly stated that pools gather wealth.

For a shrewd businessman like Wu Xingfang, as long as the mall could continuously attract wealth, what did a little extra upfront cost matter?

Wiping away the heavenly eye drawn in cinnabar, Xu Cong praised, “With such a spiritual object suppressing it, the pool doesn’t need to be destroyed. Moreover, the golden toad belongs to the element of metal, and metal generates water. The mutual generation of metal and water gathers both wealth and vital energy.”

It could be said that with the golden toad, the pool, which originally would have been a disastrous flaw, instead became the finishing touch that brought the whole setup to life.

Wu Xingfang brightened up: “That’s wonderful!”

The golden toad spoke in a voice only You Xingyue could hear: “Boss, is this really going to be a good home for me?”

You Xingyue feigned ignorance. He couldn’t suddenly talk to a golden toad in front of so many people.

You Xingyue said, “Please ask the workmen to remodel the pool a bit and leave a spot in the center to enshrine the golden toad.”

The pool was the best spot to enshrine the golden toad. Building a platform above it with a circulation system in the middle would allow the golden toad to sit there and look down upon the masses.

Wu Xingfang said happily, “Very good. I’ll contact the workmen right now to modify the pool; it can be finished today. Since this place isn’t fully ready yet, on the day I cut the ribbon, I’ll personally go to your shop to invite the golden toad over…”

“No.”

Ignoring politeness, You Xingyue interrupted Wu Xingfang directly.

Wu Xingfang froze. Thinking You Xingyue was worried he might renege on the deal, he quickly smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Master, I will definitely come in person later to invite the golden toad. Or should we sign the contract first now, and I’ll pay you a deposit?”

You Xingyue stared at the pool. Through his lenses, he could see the yin energy slowly swirling inside it. Anyone passing by the pool couldn’t help but shiver.

From what Wu Xingfang had said earlier, the pool had only been filled today, yet in just one day, it had gathered so much yin energy already. Even if they drained the water now, without exposure to sunlight, the accumulated yin energy wouldn’t dissipate.

Once night fell and the yang energy waned, the yin energy would cause trouble. Even late at night, the workers renovating the shops in the mall might not have left yet.

You Xingyue said calmly, “The golden toad must take its post in the mall tonight. Otherwise something will go wrong.”

Wu Xingfang looked around, unable to spot anything amiss: “But it’s not even finished being renovated yet. Isn’t this too disrespectful to the golden toad?”

“Disrespectful?” You Xingyue picked up the golden toad and smiled, “Do you feel disrespected?”

The golden toad shook its body vigorously: “No, no, not disrespectful at all!”

You Xingyue: “It says no. Let’s leave it here for now. You can pay the deposit first, and I’ll come check on it tomorrow.”

As an ordinary mortal, Wu Xingfang couldn’t see a thing. Hearing You Xingyue sound so serious, though still puzzled, he nodded: “Okay, alright.”

Wu Xingfang paid the deposit.

The wealthy boss was superstitious and had witnessed You Xingyue’s abilities firsthand. Adhering to the principle that he must stay on good terms with the master, Wu Xingfang offered a price of three million yuan, along with two red envelopes for Xu Cong and You Xingyue.

This was payment for assessing the feng shui and catching the ghost.

You Xingyue didn’t care much about the price.

Anyway, both the golden toad and the Pixiu were obtained for free, so anything he earned was pure profit.

Being a big boss with other matters to attend to, once the mall’s issues were sorted out, Wu Xingfang hurried off to a meeting.

You Xingyue and Xu Cong took their leave.

Before leaving, You Xingyue looked back at the golden toad, the chain on his bag ringing softly.

You Xingyue was nearsighted, but his eyes were unusually spirited. When he locked his gaze onto something, it looked like he was watching prey.

“Be good.”

You Xingyue mouthed the words.

Inside its physical form, the golden toad nodded like a woodpecker: Got it, got it!

Out of the mall, Xu Cong admired him from the bottom of his heart: “Fellow Taoist, your cultivation is truly profound. I hope when you have time, you can visit Boyun Temple so we can exchange insights.”

Xu Cong regarded You Xingyue as a genius of the Taoist sects.

In truth, from head to toe, You Xingyue was completely relying on cheat codes. His path had nothing to do with orthodox metaphysics at all. The moment he went, his cover would definitely be blown.

Of course, his biggest cheat code was right behind him: a living, breathing person.

You Xingyue smiled faintly and said, “Taoist Xu, you’re praising me too much. If I have time, I will definitely go.”

Going for sightseeing was possible, but exchanging insights was out of the question.

Xu Zong, having cultivated all his life, didn’t understand such polite pleasantries and firmly believed You Xingyue would definitely visit after some time. Thus, he politely and excitedly cupped his hands to bid farewell.

You Xingyue watched him take a taxi away with a smile, then reached out to pull Shi Wuyan with him, retreating into the shadow of the floor. He asked with a smile, “Is it hot?”

Shi Wuyan shook his head; he certainly wasn’t hot.

As a ghost deity, he was like a jade sculpture of just the right temperature, possessing a cold yet gentle warmth.

You Xingyue went to a milk tea shop to buy two ice creams. He held one up and asked Shi Wuyan, “Want to try one? Ice cream is very sweet.”

Shi Wuyan hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take it. He accidentally touched You Xingyue’s fingers, which immediately reminded him of the sensation of the other’s fingertips caressing his true form.

Shi Wuyan took a light sip of the cream. The coldness of the ice cream melted on the tip of his tongue, soft and slightly sweet.

He asked, “Selling it to him for three million? Won’t that be a loss?”

Shi Wuyan had no concept of money in the human world, believing that the currency in the mortal world was subject to inflation, just like in the underworld.

You Xingyue took a bite off the tip of his ice cream, lowered his head, and said with a smile, “No. I didn’t spend any money on either the golden toad or the Pixiu.”

He briefly explained the origins of the golden toad and the Pixiu, then sighed, “I really want to call Cao Duo right now.”

Shi Wuyan didn’t understand: “Why?”

A sense of longing appeared in You Xingyue’s eyes: “If I tell him that the two things I got for free sold for over three million in total, would he explode with anger?”

You Xingyue’s facial features were very gentle. Wearing a pair of gold-framed glasses with a chain, he said such words with that precise, refined, and elegant face.

Shi Wuyan: “…”

It was hardly surprising, considering he had previously been scheming to force-sell the golden toad to Yu Tu.

After yearning for a moment, You Xingyue realized a fact and said regrettably, “Ah, I don’t have Cao Duo’s phone number. What a shame.”

Shi Wuyan couldn’t help but curve his lips into a subtle smile.

The ice cream was sweet, and the person beside him seemed to be as well.

…

Summer nights arrived rather late. At 9:15 PM, the sky had completely darkened, leaving only a few shops inside the shopping mall still under renovation.

Yang Jing installed the last light bulb and wiped away her sweat.

She was a small catering business owner planning to open a store in the mall’s food street. However, since stall-keeping didn’t make much money, she could only run her business during the day and handle the renovation herself at night.

Yang Jing had a daughter who was still in elementary school, quietly doing her homework inside the store.

“Baby,” Yang Jing was about to turn on the power drill and feared it would disturb her daughter, “how about you go outside to a place with lights to do your homework first?”

Her daughter, sporting a ponytail, answered crisply, “Okay!”

She obediently packed up her homework and moved outside.

At this time, the only places with lights on were the shops under renovation. Holding her homework, the daughter thought for a bit and walked toward the entrance. The lights there were still on, and there was the edge of a pool she could lean against.

The daughter sat on the ground. Looking up, she saw the golden toad. She blinked, suddenly feeling as if the golden toad had moved slightly. But when she looked again, the golden toad was still sitting quietly on the pool.

The daughter thought about it, smiled, and waved at the golden toad: “Hello, I’m borrowing this spot to do my homework.”

Such a young girl had eyes and a mind as clean and gentle as clear water, occasionally able to see strange things.

The golden toad looked at the little girl in astonishment.

It knew it wasn’t as cute as the Pixiu, nor as pretty as Zitan. It had always been favored by money-hungry merchants, or more accurately, they favored its good omen.

After greeting it, the little girl spread out her homework and focused on solving the problems.

While she bowed her head to study the questions, resentment inside the pool quietly gathered, quickly coalescing into a vague human shape.

The original landscape lake had claimed too many lives, many of whom were children swimming behind their parents’ backs. Drowned ghosts already possessed heavy resentment, and the premature death of children made the grievance soar sky-high.

This resentment retained the water ghost’s obsession with dragging people under, silently creeping closer to the pool’s edge.

Clack.

The light overhead flickered once.

The golden toad and the little girl looked up at the same time.

The next moment, the resentment grabbed the daughter’s wrist and dragged her into the pool!

Under You Xingyue’s request, the water in the pool had been drained until only a very shallow layer remained, barely covering a person’s soles. Yet in such shallow water, the daughter was completely unable to get back up!

The golden toad snapped its head down. It hesitated for a brief second before You Xingyue’s cold gaze suddenly surfaced in its mind.

The boss had told it to “be good.”

But did the boss mean for it to stand by and do nothing? No, it didn’t!

The golden toad spat out the copper coin in its mouth. The phantom image of the coin gathered fortune and spiritual energy, casting a golden light that plunged into the pool, instantly dispelling the shadowy black energy.

The moment the golden toad acted to save the little girl, the red threads sealing it peeled away layer by layer. Like an invisible affirmation from the boss, the golden toad was emboldened. It leaped out of its main body, grabbed the daughter’s collar with its mouth, and brought her out of the pool.

The daughter choked on a few mouthfuls of water, though fortunately none got into her lungs. In her daze, she seemed to see a large golden toad by the poolside, staring at her with bulging eyes.

As the golden toad rescued the girl, a golden light of merit sank into its body, washing away its remaining evil energy.

The golden toad released the girl. Feeling the growing merit inside its body, it showed a shocked expression. It was merit!

It had received so much incense and so many offerings, but it had never obtained merit before.

The daughter sniffled, holding back her tears, and looked at the golden toad with wet eyes.

She had just bumped into the shadowy black energy, so her yang energy was weak, allowing her to see the golden toad very clearly. She wasn’t afraid; instead, she even gave a soft, gentle smile.

Such a tiny girl whose features hadn’t fully developed yet, despite almost being dragged underwater and drowned by resentment moments ago, she could still smile upon seeing it now.

The golden toad felt a complex mixture of emotions. Catching a glimpse of the red threads slowly disappearing from the corner of its eye, it let out a soft breath. Thankfully, thankfully, it had stepped in to save this girl.

The boss wasn’t here in person, but his mind had been watching over all along. Indeed, the boss had noticed something was going to happen at the mall earlier today. How could he possibly be careless enough to leave it unattended?

The commotion of the girl falling into the water caught the attention of others in the mall, and workers renovating in nearby shops all came running over.

Yang Jing ran out as well, seeing her drenched daughter at a single glance.

Her face turned deathly pale from fright, and her legs went soft as she threw herself in front of her daughter: “Baby, what happened?”

The daughter said softly, “Something pulled me into the pool. I couldn’t get up at all, and it felt like the water was very deep.”

Several people who came to help looked into the pool. There was only a shallow layer of water inside, yet the girl was soaked from head to toe, clearly looking as if she had fallen into a deep lake.

Suppressing her sobs, Yang Jing took off her coat to wrap up her daughter.

“In such a shallow pool?” someone asked in confusion.

A man wearing a safety hat suddenly said, “This place used to be a landscape lake where many people drowned. I heard you can hear children crying at midnight.”

As soon as these words were uttered, everyone present broke out in goosebumps.

Yang Jing touched her daughter’s face, genuinely terrified after the fact: “How did you get out?”

The daughter looked toward the golden toad.

The golden toad turned around and jumped back into its main body, leaving the little girl with a lofty, solitary back view.

Accomplishing the deed and brushing off one’s robes, hiding deep one’s fame and merit.

The daughter smiled sweetly: “There is a guardian divine beast here!”

The golden toad smacked its lips and savored that smile for a long time: This taste was even sweeter than receiving human incense and offerings.

—

On Nanbei Street, half a city away from the shopping mall

You Xingyue opened his eyes in the dark and reached out his hand.

The red threads that had landed in the mall slowly appeared on his hand, swimming affectionately between his fingers.

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