The young boy Tan Xiaodong glared at Jiang Lin, "What are you looking at me for?"
Jiang Lin raised an eyebrow, put away the Soul Ferrying Ledger, and asked,
"You can see me?"
This child, though he hadn't recovered his divine power, could already see things others couldn't?
"Aren't you afraid of me?" Jiang Lin asked.
"Why should I be afraid of you?"
Tan Xiaodong tilted his head, lifting his chin slightly, "Not only am I not afraid of you, but I also know who you are, where you came from, and where you're going."
Jiang Lin: "Oh? Tell me then?"
Tan Xiaodong snorted and turned his head away.
"If you want me to talk, I'll talk. Then where would my Divine Sword's prestige be placed?"
He refused to say.
Jiang Lin: "..."
While Jiang Lin was silent, in the hospital room—
The old man with messy hair, who had helped the boy, looked around.
His expression shifted from strange to suddenly enlightened.
He got off the bed, prostrated himself on the ground again, and crawled towards Tan Xiaodong's hospital bed.
His movements were like those of special forces soldiers in jungle warfare from a TV drama.
Reaching Tan Xiaodong's bedside, he sat up with his back against the bed and looked around.
He whispered, "Daoist friend, who are you talking to? Could it be that a powerful expert has come to assist?"
Tan Xiaodong snorted lightly, "Indeed."
"This is the unique sword spirit of my thirteenth generation Divine Sword. Only I can see it."
"My divine power has recently weakened, all to help this sword spirit."
"Now, the sword spirit has matured, can communicate in human language, and can act independently."
Saying this, he looked at Jiang Lin, sizing him up from head to toe:
"Since you are my sword spirit, I shall bestow upon you my Ou family surname. From now on, your name will be Ou Bai. Do you understand?"
Jiang Lin raised an eyebrow, Sword Spirit? Ou Bai?
Didn't you say your surname was Tan?
Never mind.
Jiang Lin found it amusing, shook his head, and didn't object.
Ghostly energy surged in his hand, and he began to examine Tan Xiaodong's physical condition.
During this time, Tan Xiaodong continued to talk to himself.
Even though he was tied to the hospital bed and unable to move, it did not diminish his confidence and pride.
"Since you are my sword spirit, whatever I say goes."
"Go where I point, do not act on your own accord..."
As Tan Xiaodong spoke, Jiang Lin carried on with his work.
After examining Tan Xiaodong's body, Jiang Lin frowned.
According to the mission information, this child was already on his seventh reincarnation.
Yet, the erosion of demonic energy within him...
Showed no signs of improvement, and seemed to be continuously worsening.
"Hey, are you listening to me?"
Tan Xiaodong strained to lift his neck and look over, "Ou Bai, are you listening?"
Jiang Lin casually replied, "Listening."
Then, he took out a red stone purchased from a ghost child.
Using ghostly energy as a thread, he strung the stone and tied it to Tan Xiaodong's wrist.
"If you feel unwell in the future, crush this stone."
Tan Xiaodong: "And then you will appear?"
"Yes."
Tan Xiaodong strained to lift his neck and looked at the thing on his wrist.
His eyes showed joy, yet he feigned pride, "Not bad, not bad. It seems you've taken my words to heart."
"As a sword spirit, you must be available whenever called, and go wherever I point."
Jiang Lin: "I'm leaving now. I will come to see you periodically."
Tan Xiaodong nonchalantly said, "Go, go."
Jiang Lin didn't pay much attention to Tan Xiaodong's attitude.
After recording his condition in the Soul Ferrying Ledger, he turned and left.
Behind him, clear voices could be heard.
The old man with messy hair asked, "Daoist friend, has your sword spirit left? Isn't it your sword spirit? Why did it leave?"
Tan Xiaodong glanced at him, "You're making a fuss over nothing. Sword spirit, sword spirit, born from the sword. When there's nothing to do, it naturally returns to the sword."
Where the sword is, there am I.
"Besides, maintaining its form requires spiritual energy. It's naturally different from a Divine Sword like me, who possesses abundant divine power."
"So that's how it is..."
The old man nodded earnestly, "It seems the sword spirit is inferior to you, Daoist friend."
"Naturally," Tan Xiaodong replied without hesitation.
...
After flying out of the Volcano Psychiatric Hospital, Jiang Lin opened the underworld passage.
As soon as he returned to the Underworld, he was called.
"Jiang Lin?" a voice with a hint of surprise called out.
Jiang Lin looked and saw a ghost officer with a delicate face, wearing a logistics uniform, walking over.
He thought for a moment, also somewhat surprised, "Ban Ze?"
Back then,
Jiang Lin, Ban Ze, and Xu Shuzi were all ghost officers from the same internship cohort.
Due to work, they had interacted a few times.
They had even shared hardships.
However, during the subsequent assignments, due to their respective wishes and abilities, they went to different posts.
One became Bai Wuchang, one became Hei Wuchang, and one went to the logistics team.
As for Ban Ze...
They had gotten along quite well during their internship.
But after starting work, this fellow dedicated himself entirely to pursuing his wife.
They contacted each other less, and the times they drank and ate together became fewer and fewer.
They barely kept in touch.
"It really is you, hahaha!"
Ban Ze walked over, smiling, "How have you been lately? I heard you're quite famous now."
Jiang Lin: "Pretty good, and you?"
Ban Ze winked, "I have good news for you, I'm getting married."
Jiang Lin exclaimed, "Still the same one from before?"
"Of course, I must be faithful to the end!" Ban Ze chuckled.
His face was beaming, and his eyes were full of joy.
After pursuing her for centuries, they had finally achieved their goal. How could he not be happy?
"It's rare..."
Jiang Lin sighed, sincerely saying, "Congratulations."
"Don't just congratulate me."
Ban Ze stepped forward, put his arm around Jiang Lin's shoulder, winked, and said, "Come to the wedding, bring your wife along."
As he spoke, Jiang Lin froze for a moment.
Ban Ze: Σ(⊙▽⊙"a
"You're still single, aren't you?!"
Jiang Lin glanced at him, "Is that not possible?"
"Hahaha..."
Ban Ze burst into unrestrained laughter, just like back then.
Afterward, the two ghosts chatted for a bit longer.
Ban Ze had work to do, so he left first.
"Find a partner soon."
Before leaving, Ban Ze's smile faded, and he said earnestly,
"Life in the Underworld is quite long."
"It's too lonely for one ghost. Find yourself a companion."
Before Jiang Lin could reply, he grinned, "Only you are still a single dog. Xu Shuzi already had a wife and children long ago."
"Alright, I'm leaving. Remember to come to the wedding!"
Watching Ban Ze quickly escape, Jiang Lin suddenly felt like punching a ghost.
"Showing off."
Finding a partner...
Jiang Lin hadn't really thought about it.
Didn't people say that such things depend on fate?
Since fate hadn't arrived yet, there was no need to rush.
Perhaps having grown accustomed to life in the Underworld, Jiang Lin felt his current life was quite good.
When he had free time, he practiced his artifacts, made paper effigies, developed his skills, and so on...
It was quite fulfilling.
...
Returning to the Eighteenth Hall,
Jiang Lin had only sat for a moment when he sensed the red stone on Tan Xiaodong's wrist shatter.
"Something happened?!"
Jiang Lin thought of the demonic energy within Tan Xiaodong, immediately got up, and flew out of the Eighteenth Hall.
In the blink of an eye, he opened the underworld passage and rushed to the human world.
Destination: Volcano Psychiatric Hospital.
...
(ps: Go to bed early tonight, one update~)