White Impermanence felt elated, bursting into hearty laughter and even humming a pop tune.
Hei Wuchang came over, his voice laced with resignation. "Seventh Master! What are you planning to do?"
White Impermanence replied cheerfully, "Such a person should be befriended. Even Baxia was subdued by him; his strength must be remarkable. Eighth Master, with that stern face all day, who would want to befriend you? Leave this kind of work to me."
Hei Wuchang nodded. "Seventh Master, I have something to show you."
White Impermanence asked, "What is it?"
Upon reaching the Impermanence Palace, Hei Wuchang took out a scroll. "Do you recognize this?"
After a glance, White Impermanence expressed his surprise. "Isn't this the couple from eighteen years ago?"
The scroll depicted a portrait of a husband and wife, with a "pledge" character inscribed on it.
Hei Wuchang nodded, his face perpetually downturned. "Yes, doesn't the man look very much like Brother Chu?"
The man in the painting indeed bore a striking resemblance to Chu Hao. White Impermanence exclaimed, "Indeed, he does! And his surname is also Chu. Could it really be—!?"
After a long moment, Hei Wuchang put away the scroll, his face sullen as he said, "Should we report this to Yanjun? If he truly is the child of this couple, then we must apprehend him to prevent any disaster."
White Impermanence thought for a while, then shook his head. "That doesn't make sense! According to the Book of Life and Death, this couple had no children. I don't think it's Brother Chu."
Hei Wuchang also nodded. "I was probably overthinking it."
White Impermanence laughed heartily. "Rest easy. I was responsible for their case back then; that couple absolutely had no children. Today is a good day! Eighth Master, let's go for a drink!"
Hei Wuchang replied, his face still downturned, "I don't drink."
"Come on! If you don't drink, who will drink with me? Can't you manage a smile for once? With that eternally morose look of yours, the other Ghost Officiants might think I owe you money," White Impermanence complained.
Hei Wuchang responded, his expression still sorrowful, "I drowned. I drank too much water back then."
White Impermanence: "..."
Chu Hao returned to the Yang Realm, finding himself not at Sanqing Pavilion, but in a small, candle-lit temple.
The temple was tiny, barely large enough for one person to enter and exit. Beside it stood a stone statue: an intimidating likeness of a Ghost God, its facial features fierce and commanding even without expressing anger.
"Damn it! Where is this?" Chu Hao walked outside.
Beneath the stone staircase outside the temple, a group of about a hundred people, all wearing masks and holding candles, had gathered. In the dead of night, their presence was silent and eerie.
The atmosphere strongly resembled that of some evil cult.
At the top of the stone staircase, a masked person holding a candle proclaimed with open arms, "Friends! A new era of prosperity is dawning upon the Ghost Dao Sect, for the True Word Brush has appeared in this world!"
Below, they whispered among themselves.
"What is the True Word Brush?"
"Don't know, but it sounds pretty powerful," another responded.
"Who cares? If the Ghost Dao Sect prospers, we'll benefit too! As long as the sect is strong, my business will continue to grow."
"I'm on the verge of becoming a CEO, all thanks to the sect. I was just a lowly office worker back then."
This group of masked individuals consisted of high-profile figures from society.
The Ghost Dao Sect, with its long and notorious history, counted Ouyang Zhen and Wang Ku among its core members. These other people were outer disciples of the Ghost Dao Sect.
The Ghost Dao Sect had continuously deployed agents to aid those in society driven by greed for wealth, power, and other desires, helping them to grow their influence and become financial backers for the sect.
It was worth noting that the combined riches of this group were truly terrifying.
The Ghost Dao Sect operated like an evil cult; to put it plainly, it was akin to a terrorist organization.
Agents of the Seventh District had been in hot pursuit of Ghost Dao Sect disciples, and any captured would face severe punishment.
At that moment, among the masked crowd, there were undercover agents from the Seventh District, hidden among them and constantly watching the tycoons.
The Ghost Dao Sect was cunning; they made everyone entering the venue wear a mask to conceal their identities.
In a corner, an undercover agent from the Seventh District said to another, "These people are too cautious. Everyone is wearing a mask; it's very difficult to identify who is who."
Another agent replied, "Our target is Wang Anlong. As long as we capture him, we'll get the identities of these tycoons. Follow my lead when they disperse."
On the stone steps, the masked Wang Anlong addressed the crowd, "Disciples of the Ghost Dao Sect! The fortune you enjoy today is brought by the God of the Ghost Dao. The Divine Deity has issued a command: when the Ghost Dao Sect becomes powerful, the God of the Ghost Dao will descend to the world and accomplish the great enterprise of unifying all under heaven."
"Let us pray, believers."
Wang Anlong was the first to kneel and worship towards the temple.
The disciples of the Ghost Dao Sect also knelt, one by one, opening their arms in worship, their eyes filled with fervor and faith.
Does the Divine Deity really exist? they wondered. Thıs text ıs hosted at Nove1Fire.net
These people firmly believed that the God of the Ghost Dao had to exist, with their current success in society serving as the best testament.
Among them, some had been nobodies just a few years ago, while others had been on the brink of bankruptcy, even considering suicide. It was the arrival of people from the Ghost Dao Sect, using inconceivable methods, that had saved them.
Now, wasn't each one of them a tycoon with assets in the hundreds of millions, a mogul involved in various industries?
However, many of them had reached their current positions through coercion, bribery, and murderous evil techniques.
They felt a fanatical devotion to the Ghost Dao Sect.
As this group was worshipping the God of the Ghost Dao, someone walked out from the temple, arms open wide as if embracing the sky and earth, proclaiming, "I have returned from Hell!"
"DING... Host has successfully shown off, gaining 500 Pretentiousness Points."
What in the world? I just got back and I'm already making a scene? Isn't that a bit much? Brother Hao, I truly am a walking master of pretentiousness!
The crowd below erupted in an uproar, completely stunned.
On the stone steps, Wang Anlong was also baffled. Where did this guy come from?
A believer, overcome with excitement, pointed at Chu Hao and shouted frantically, "Is... is it the God of the Ghost Dao making an appearance?"
"Ah! The great God of the Ghost Dao has returned from Hell?"
"Is... is there really a Divine Deity!?"
The group of believers was uncontrollably excited, endlessly worshipping Chu Hao, truly believing him to be a divine being.
Hidden in a corner, the undercover agents from the Seventh District were also shocked. One of them cautioned, "Calm down! This might be a brainwashing tactic arranged by the Ghost Dao Sect."
Another agent from the Seventh District swore, "Damn it! I almost believed it myself."
Chu Hao looked at the group of people worshipping him, apparently mistaking him for some divine being, and was rendered speechless.
I've just come back from the Underworld, what kind of opening act is this? he thought, feeling rather embarrassed. I'm no deity. He was just about to explain...
...when he heard Wang Anlong roar, "Who are you?! How dare you intrude upon the Sacred Land of the Ghost Dao Sect! Seize him!"
Several men glared at Chu Hao with predatory intent, as if they wanted to devour him alive.