Volume 2, Chapter 91 – I Really Want to Make Friends with Those Ghosts

Qi Huang wore an expression of mysterious confidence as she activated the Doppelgänger Mark to contact her main body. In the next moment, she vanished right before everyone’s eyes.

“Huh? She disappeared? Was she really recalled by the main body?”

“Could it be some kind of illusion technique?”

“Who knows? Elder Zhou is the only Incarnation Realm expert here—only he can tell if it’s real or fake.”

The cultivators from other sects buzzed like a swarm of startled bees, whispering among themselves in shock.

Elder Zhou stood frozen, his face cycling through a myriad of expressions—shock, disbelief, then something unreadable. His divine sense had clearly detected the unmistakable Soul Tether moments before.

A short while later, Qi Huang came running back and addressed Elder Zhou with a grin. “Elder Zhou? Would you like to see it again? Though I wouldn’t recommend a repeat performance.”

“Unnecessary.”

Elder Zhou suddenly waved his hand dismissively. “Just cheap trickery. What nonsense about a ‘genius’! Ridiculous!”

Qi Huang’s smile stiffened. Qin Quan, Xu Mei, and the others were equally dumbfounded, completely baffled by the old man’s sudden reversal.

“Tch! So it was a trick! I knew there was no way a fifteen-year-old could be that strong!”

“Let’s go! This farce has gone on long enough!”

“The Honghua Sect is full of liars from top to bottom. Who’d ever trust them now? I’m ashamed to be associated with them.”

“Why isn’t the Immortal Alliance stepping in? Letting a sect like this tarnish all cultivators’ reputations…”

The representatives from the major sects cursed under their breaths as they dispersed.

“Wait—look carefully! What trick? Do you want me to do it a few more times? Free of charge!”

Qi Huang was frantic. At this point, she was starting to wonder if the old man’s eyesight was failing.

But Elder Zhou ignored her completely, turning on his heel and walking away.

With his departure, the remaining outsiders quickly followed suit.

The Honghua Sect’s elders exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions complicated.

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“Master… what do we do now?”

Qi Huang had no choice but to timidly turn to her nominal master for guidance.

“It’s fine. You did your best.”

Xu Mei sighed deeply, offering a gentle, if resigned, smile.

“We’ve done all we can. If the heavens decree the Honghua Sect’s downfall, there’s nothing more we can do.”

Qin Quan’s voice was heavy with resignation.

“This isn’t the heavens’ doing—it’s that Elder Zhou from the Huxiao Sect lying through his teeth!”

Qi Huang mustered her courage to correct him.

“What can we do? He’s the only Incarnation Realm expert present, and a Huxiao Sect elder to boot. Who would believe us over him?”

Qin Quan’s smile was bitter.

“Actually, this might not be entirely bad. Your cultivation is too weak right now. If you were confirmed as Hongling’s doppelgänger, certain ill-intentioned individuals might target you.”

Xu Mei tried to console her.

Qi Huang mulled it over and realized there was truth to that. Her resentment eased slightly.

Meanwhile, the Heyi Sect had also left the Honghua Sect’s grounds. Sect Leader Lin Feng hadn’t stopped grinning the entire time.

“Perfect. The Honghua Sect’s little charade has been exposed. Now we can act without any reservations.”

Lin Feng exhaled in satisfaction. His eagerness to be the first to arrive at the Honghua Sect hadn’t just been due to proximity—it was also out of guilt.

“Exactly. With the Honghua Sect’s reputation in tatters, we’re the closest major sect. All of Huangtian Prefecture’s resources will soon be ours.”

Lin Chao couldn’t contain his glee.

“Since that so-called Incarnation Realm expert is fake, it’s time to close the net on our plan.”

Lin Chao gazed into the distance, his face the picture of a strategist seeing his scheme come to fruition.

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The Huxiao Sect, too, had departed from the Honghua Sect—but they stopped midway.

“Wang Yong, listen carefully. Take two junior brothers and return to monitor the Honghua Sect’s movements. Report to me the moment those outsiders leave. And make sure no one spots you.”

Elder Zhou issued the order.

The disciple acknowledged and immediately set off with two others.

“Master, why? If that Honghua Sect disciple isn’t really an Incarnation Realm genius, why waste effort spying on them?”

A tall male disciple couldn’t help but ask.

“Who said she’s fake?”

Elder Zhou shot back, as if the question was absurd.

“Huh? But… you said so yourself!”

The disciple was baffled.

“Did I say it to you? I was speaking for outsiders’ ears.”

Elder Zhou raised an eyebrow.

“Then… what was the point?”

The disciple’s face was a mask of confusion.

“Must I spell everything out? Use your brain! What was our goal in coming here? To recruit that genius! If this got out, competitors would swarm in, forcing the Huxiao Sect to pay ten times the price. Is that so hard to grasp?”

Elder Zhou scolded him like a disappointed teacher.

“But… who in Yongning Prefecture could possibly rival us?”

The disciple still didn’t get it.

“Not in Yongning Prefecture—but beyond? That’s another story.”

Elder Zhou’s expression darkened. “I don’t know how a phoenix could emerge from a rat’s nest like this, but even if she flies out of Huangtian Prefecture, she won’t escape my grasp.”

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“We’ll stay in a nearby town. The moment the timing is right, we move in to poach her. Whatever it takes—with her, the Huxiao Sect will dominate the entire Western Radiance Dynasty.”

Elder Zhou’s eyes gleamed with ambition.

Qi Huang returned to her main body, too sheepish to speak. After all, she’d technically failed her mission.

“Why would that Huxiao Sect elder lie? As an Incarnation Realm expert, he should’ve seen the Soul Tether.”

Cheng Hongling muttered to herself.

“Who knows what he’s scheming? Our only hope now is that the cursed land in Meng County holds out a little longer. Once you truly break through to the Incarnation Realm, no one will be able to restrain you.”

Xu Mei tried to encourage her.

“Well, this might be a blessing in disguise. If Elder Zhou had told the truth, not only would I be trapped here, but she wouldn’t be able to leave the Honghua Sect either. If they can’t recruit me, they’ll try to eliminate the threat instead.”

Cheng Hongling consoled herself before turning to Qi Huang. “Rest up and set out again. Your senior sisters are probably waiting for you, right?”

Qi Huang hesitated. Those so-called senior sisters had likely been searching everywhere for her—and she had no way to find them.

“You summoned me back so suddenly, I didn’t even get to tell them. They probably think I’ve gone missing by now!”

She fabricated an excuse to explain the difficulty.

“No matter. Before you left, Master gave Senior Sister Lingyu a ‘Thousand-Mile Communicator’ to track your progress. Distance isn’t an issue.”

Cheng Hongling explained before leading her doppelgänger to Xu Mei. Soon, they pinpointed the senior sisters’ location.

Once prepared, Qi Huang bid her mother farewell—again—and set off under the escort of several disciples.

By the next afternoon, she’d reunited with her senior sisters in a small town. Of course, her unexplained absence earned her no shortage of scolding.

‘It’s not like I had a choice! My main body called me back!’

Qi Huang grumbled internally.

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“Alright, as long as you’re safe. We’ve wasted too much time—let’s resume our mission.”

Ruan Lingyu, the eldest sister, quickly intervened.

Following their original plan, the group investigated the next reported haunting—only to find the same situation as before. Though this incident turned out to be a misunderstanding, the Heyi Sect had already resolved it, uninvited.

Qi Huang and the others rushed to the next location, only to find the exact same scenario.

Left with no choice, Qi Huang repeatedly employed her earlier tactics, salvaging some of the Honghua Sect’s reputation.

“Since when did the Heyi Sect become so public-spirited? Actively helping commoners in our territory exorcise spirits? Once is understandable, but every time?”

Ruan Lingyu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“They’re not doing it out of kindness—it’s for money and influence in Huangtian Prefecture. Don’t mistake their cunning for goodwill.”

Su Qingying pointed out bluntly.

The group continued their investigations until the seventh haunting. This time, there was a ghost—but, as usual, the Heyi Sect had already taken care of it.

After questioning the villagers, Qi Huang learned it was a drowned drunkard’s spirit haunting a nearby river. Several fishermen had died there over the years.

She hurried to the spot where the drunkard had drowned and scanned the area with her divine sense. Before long, she discovered another “Ghost Tomato” hidden in the riverside grass.

‘This is what that book calls rare?!’

Qi Huang nearly tore the manual apart on the spot. All that anxiety over using one earlier had been for nothing!

‘Hah! Now my farming plan is back on track!’

She was ecstatic—though her face betrayed nothing.

Eagerly, Qi Huang urged her sisters to the next haunting. At this point, it wasn’t an investigation—it was a harvest!

“Heavens, please let the next ‘haunting’ have an actual ghost!”

Qi Huang prayed silently. She was starting to genuinely like these lonely spirits. After all, where there were ghosts, there were Ghost Tomatoes. If possible, she really wanted to make friends with them