Amidst the dispersing black mist, a man appeared. He knelt on one knee before Qin Ye, his expression incomparably respectful, his gaze filled with excitement.
After a thousand years, seeing Qin Ye again, he could hardly resist the urge to embrace Qin Ye.
"Stand up."
Qin Ye glanced lightly at the black mist man in front of him, then shook his head with a wry smile.
"Didn't expect you also followed me into slumber. Didn't I tell you that you don't have to keep following me? You could have established your own force. Following me is a waste of your talent. Hm…?"
Qin Ye did not conceal his surprise, his gaze now fixed on the black mist man's hand. His arm was bleeding.
"Xiao Hei, you're injured?" Qin Ye's tone carried astonishment.
"That's really rare to see. Who injured you…? Was it the current Zhongnan Mountain Immortal Elder?" He cast a sidelong glance at the wound on the black mist man's hand, where the lingering power of Zhongnan Mountain's earth veins swirled, already forming a guess.
"It should be. That old man has the Immortal Elder's staff passed down through generations and borrowed the power of Zhongnan Mountain's earth veins."
The black mist man responded respectfully and continued, "He originally wanted to trap me in Zhongnan Mountain to investigate my identity. I wanted to find you, Qin Zun. We had differing opinions, so we exchanged blows."
"No wonder. The Immortal Elder of this era does have some ability. Well, in Zhongnan Mountain, the Immortal Elder is practically invincible."
Qin Ye stepped forward, casually brushing his hand over the black mist man's wound. The next second, a miraculous scene unfolded.
The lingering power of Zhongnan Mountain's earth veins on the wound dissipated, the bleeding stopped, and the wound healed.
"Thank you, Qin Zun, for the treatment."
"No need to be so formal with me, and stop calling yourself my subordinate. I've told you from the beginning—I don't take disciples, I don't accept followers. I'm used to being free."
"Qin Zun rescued my entire family from disaster and gave my wife another chance at life. For this great kindness, I willingly serve you with utmost devotion. This is my own choice."
Saying this, the black mist man respectfully added another sentence. "This is also why I chose to enter slumber. You had left that era, so I stayed with my wife until she passed away from old age. Then I chose to sleep, waiting to serve you again. Because without you, living in that time was meaningless."
Faced with the black mist man's loyal-dog-like words, Qin Ye shook his head. "Then just work hard in this era. You don't have to always follow me. I prefer being alone."
He grinned. "This era is quite interesting, so don't come bothering me unless necessary. And don't reveal my whereabouts to anyone else. I don't want things to be like before. I just want to keep a low profile now, enjoy good food, and have fun."
"Listening to courtesan performances?" The black mist man instinctively asked upon hearing this.
"This era has more fun things than just listening to courtesan performances. You'll understand when you experience it yourself."
Qin Ye chuckled and looked off into the distance. "Didn't expect that besides you, those other guys are still around too. If I had known, I wouldn't have undergone my tribulation. One tribulation and I've drawn all sorts of unwanted attention."
"If Qin Zun is worried about being disturbed during your leisure, I can take care of them for you."
"That won't be necessary. If you all start fighting, how am I supposed to enjoy myself? You should just focus on finding your wife's reincarnation and rekindle your past love. Don't worry about me."
"Understood, your subordinate obeys." The black mist man responded respectfully but hesitated before adding, "Since Qin Zun wishes to enjoy yourself, should I inform this era's ruling emperor to ensure you aren't troubled by border inspections or government enforcers during your travels…?"
Smack!
Qin Ye knocked the black mist man on the head, cutting him off. "Xiao Hei, modern times aren't like ancient times. There are no more emperors; now, the people rule. You need to study modern knowledge."
"Understood, your subordinate obeys."
Seeing the black mist man's respectful reply, Qin Ye didn't say much more. He was already used to his dog-like devotion—even after a thousand years, he still hadn't changed.
"If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."
With that, he did not linger. But after walking a few steps, he turned back with a grin.
"Friendly advice: change your outfit, get a haircut. If you walk around like that, you'll stand out too much. Alright, I'm off. If something comes up, use the old way to contact me. Otherwise, don't bother me."
"Respectfully sending off Qin Zun." The black mist man watched as Qin Ye waved and left.
He immediately took out a piece of Hetian jade. The ancient jade was engraved with the character "Qin." It was through this jade that the black mist man had located Qin Ye—one of the few means in all of Daxia capable of tracking him.
Then he put away the jade and turned his gaze toward the distant Fengdu County.
"Now that Qin Zun is awake, those people will definitely come looking for him, especially the Ghost Queen Yanzhi. But she's still manageable—what's troublesome are the restless ones."
"Hopefully, they don't cause too much chaos. If they disrupt this era so much that Qin Zun can't enjoy himself… You know what, never mind. Qin Zun doesn't want me to intervene, so I won't." Muttering to himself, the black mist man stepped out of the deserted alleyway.
Outside the alley, Vehicles passed by on the road, and motorcycles and pedestrians occasionally moved through the non-motorized lanes.
Seeing this, the black mist man recalled Qin Ye's words before leaving. He glanced at his own attire, then at the clothing of the people nearby, noticing how out of place he looked.
"This era really is different from what Qin Zun described—just the clothing alone is vastly different."
Saying this, he caught sight of a Meituan delivery rider speeding past on an electric scooter. The rider was moving swiftly and urgently, yet no one around paid him any attention—he blended in completely.
"He's the one. He doesn't attract attention, perfect for hiding."
A wave of black mist surged around the black mist man. When the mist dissipated, his ancient attire was gone.
In its place was a full Meituan delivery uniform: a rabbit-ear yellow helmet and a yellow jacket.
Then, he swaggered out of the alley, prepared to follow Qin Ye's advice—to study modern knowledge and search for his reincarnated wife.
Not just him, the so-called "those guys" Qin Ye mentioned had also begun to awaken and emerge into the world.
Some, like the black mist man, chose to blend into human society quietly.
But, as he had said, among them, there were also those who were restless…
———
At this moment.
Fengdu County, at the old site of Fengdu Ghost City.
Once abandoned, it now resembled a ghost town—rather, a paradise for spirits and monsters.
Yin energy soared into the sky. Ghostly wails and wolf howls echoed.
Looking around, the mountains were filled with vengeful ghosts and spectral soldiers.
If not for the terrifying female ghost emerging from the Gates of Hell in a red wedding sedan, keeping them in check with her decree, these spirits would have long flooded Fengdu County.
However, even without her command, they could not leave easily. Because, as the forces of the Fengdu branch of the 749 Bureau waited anxiously, reinforcements from the 749 Headquarters had finally arrived.
There were only three of them. Yet their presence alone silenced the tens of thousands of ghosts and spectral soldiers, making them tense as if facing a great enemy—especially when they saw the leading figure among the three stepping forward.
All the ghosts instinctively parted, opening a path for this person and their two companions to walk through.
Finally, the three arrived before the Gates of Hell.
More precisely, before the red wedding sedan in front of the Gates of Hell.
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