"These ghosts are really bored to death, spewing nonsense!"
Outside the Eighteenth Hall, Niu Xiaoguo rolled his eyes.
Xu Duo Bao said, "Who says not?"
The two ghosts were initially angry, but gradually, they stopped bothering.
These minor ghosts, how much they envied them when they had good performance in the Eighteenth Hall, now they had just as much to say.
To put it bluntly, it was like not being able to get the grapes, so they called them sour.
Now that the Hall Master was on vacation, it just gave them a reason to call the grapes sour.
In fact, such sour remarks were not heard in the other halls.
Only these minor households, ghosts with no real ability, loved to gossip in corners where they couldn't see the important figures.
If the Hall Master were still in the hall,
they wouldn't dare to talk such nonsense even with a hundred times their courage.
Suddenly, Xu Duo Bao thought of something and asked,
"Are you okay?"
Not long ago, Niu Xiaoguo's significant other, perhaps having heard these rumors,
had broken up with Niu Xiaoguo.
Niu Xiaoguo said indifferently, "A ghost like that is better off without. Even if she doesn't leave now, she will leave eventually."
"And..."
His eyelids drooped as he looked at the ground, "And, it was just a matter of living together, there was no deep affection of facing life and death together."
"When she felt there was no profit to be made, she naturally saw no need to continue."
"Sigh—"
Xu Duo Bao patted his brother's shoulder, "There are thousands of ghosts, the next one will be even better."
"Welcome back to the single army."
Niu Xiaoguo smiled, "Right! Congratulations on my return to the great forest!"
Although he said that, when he looked up, a trace of imperceptible loss remained in his eyes.
Women leave just like that...
Even though he knew the reasons and logic behind it, it was impossible to say he didn't care at all.
Xu Duo Bao didn't say anything more.
Talking more about many things was useless; only time could solve them.
The two ghosts stood guard at the entrance of the Eighteenth Hall, each with their own thoughts.
When Jiang Lin returned, this was the scene he saw.
But he didn't pay much attention.
Ghosts, like humans, would have their worries.
As long as the important tasks were done, it was fine. Besides, there was nothing much happening in the Eighteenth Hall at the moment.
Jiang Lin walked directly into the Eighteenth Hall.
His steps were leisurely, but his speed was still very fast.
Seemingly in two or three steps, but with each step he took, he would appear in another place.
In the blink of an eye, he passed through the gate of the Eighteenth Hall and entered.
The two gatekeeping ghosts at the entrance of the Eighteenth Hall were stunned.
They felt as if a gust of white wind had just passed by.
"Did someone just go in?" Xu Duo Bao reacted first.
"Could it be Xu Nan and the others??"
Niu Xiaoguo said uncertainly.
Although the Eighteenth Hall had gatekeeping ghosts, there was a 'lock' within.
Ordinary ghosts could not enter without permission.
The two ghosts looked into the hall together, their gazes passing through the courtyard and falling on the wide-open main hall.
The hall was quiet.
But they could vaguely see a white figure standing within.
Wearing a white robe and a tall hat.
Tall and slender, with long hair cascading down his back.
He stood there quietly, and even without doing anything, he exuded an aura that could not be ignored.
Xu Duo Bao and Niu Xiaoguo looked at the familiar figure and inexplicably began to feel nervous.
Even though they hadn't seen his face clearly or heard his voice.
In their hearts, an answer had already formed.
—The Hall Master!
It was the Hall Master!
The Hall Master of the Eighteenth Hall had returned!
The two ghosts exchanged glances, seeing excitement in each other's eyes.
Everyone said that the Hall Master would be on vacation for at least half a year to a year after this trip.
—After all, it was common for ghost messengers on vacation to be away for three to five years, let alone half a year.
Even Xu Nan had gone from initial worry to acceptance.
Although they didn't say it out loud, they also thought so in their hearts.
Unexpectedly, the Hall Master returned in just about a month.
Xu Duo Bao and Niu Xiaoguo were excited.
They didn't even consider whether the Hall Master was still on vacation.
Their minds were filled with the thought: the Hall Master is back!
Their Eighteenth Hall had the Hall Master to oversee it!
...
"Captain Jiang is back?"
"Master is back?"
Not long after Jiang Lin returned to the Eighteenth Hall, Xu Nan and the mechanical sphere, having received the news from somewhere, returned to the Eighteenth Hall one after another.
Xu Duo Bao and Niu Xiaoguo were about to answer, but before they could speak, Xu Nan and the mechanical sphere had already entered the gate.
However,
looking at the two figures who entered one after another, the expressions of the two ghosts were a little strange.
Awkwardness? Or some other emotion?
They themselves couldn't quite say.
Inside the hall.
Jiang Lin had already 'looked' through the Eighteenth Hall.
Everything around him had not changed much from when he left.
If there were any changes, they were minor ones.
For example, there were more books and records on the bookshelves.
On the lotus pond behind, there were some scratches on the pavilion made by ghostly energy.
The aura belonged to Xu Nan.
And then...
Jiang Lin looked at the small iron balls flying around the room with the cleaning ghosts.
These iron balls were no bigger than marbles, with wing-like devices on both sides, constantly flapping.
He had seen them on his way back to the Eighteenth Hall.
Needless to say, he knew who had created them.
Through these subtle changes, Jiang Lin also had a general understanding of what Xu Nan and the mechanical sphere had been doing during this time.
What changes and growth they had achieved.
After inspecting the hall, Jiang Lin walked to the lounge.
In the lounge, on a cabinet, there was a white porcelain缸 the size of a fish tank.
The缸 did not need water, as clear water flowed out continuously.
But it would never overflow.
—This was a specialty from the North Hall that the system had brought back when he returned from the North Hall before.
By soaking ordinary paper in it,
after a period of time, it could be transformed into the special origami unique to the North Hall.
Because of this, Jiang Lin never lacked origami and paper figures.
Beside the water缸, a paper figure about a meter tall stood guard.
Every so often, it would follow the instructions within its body to place paper into the water for soaking.
After soaking, it would take it out and stack it nearby.
Repeating this process over and over.
Loyal to the instructions within its body, it never felt bored or tedious.
In the days Jiang Lin was away, quite a pile of white paper had accumulated on the bed.
As no one had tidied them up, some papers had fallen onto the floor.
Jiang Lin stepped forward and collected the papers from the floor and the bed.
Then he suddenly said to the paper figure that had been guarding the fish tank, "You've done a good job."
After saying this inexplicably, Jiang Lin couldn't help but pause.
Why did he suddenly say that?
It was just that he suddenly remembered when he was in the North Hall.
The paper figure that had always been loyal to its master's instructions, guarding the mountain.
It didn't know what day it was, but year after year it guarded that mountain, guarding the person on that mountain.
Even if... its master was no longer able to return.
"Captain Jiang!"
"Master!"
Two voices suddenly came from outside the hall.
...