“Don't even get me started! During Qingming Festival this year, when my fourth uncle went back to our ancestral hometown to pay respects to the ancestors, he met a weasel on the road that blocked their way and wouldn't let them pass! You have no idea how terrifying it was!”
“None of that counts—that's all just rumors! Did you see the news half a month ago?
“An official news report said that the Western Xia Imperial Tombs were looted, and two lifelike corpses were dug up. They were just sent over to the National Museum.
“If you haven't seen the picture—oh lord!
“Those corpses were so well-preserved, their skin was radiant and flushed, and they even had smiles on their faces, just like living people. I got goosebumps all over just looking at them!”
Usually, people didn't pay much attention, but once brought up, everyone suddenly realized that weird occurrences around them seemed to be increasing, springing up like mushrooms after rain.
This kind of change was like boiling a frog in warm water.
At first, nobody paid it any mind, assuming they were just isolated incidents.
By the time they suddenly snapped to awareness, they realized the surrounding environment had long undergone an earth-shattering transformation.
“Didn't our building have a ghost incident a while ago too?”
Zhang Qiuyu couldn't help complaining:
“I feel like even the fake Taoists and fake monks near our building have increased.”
No, knowing what was going on, they might actually be the real deal, Nan Zhi silently snarked.
They might even be outside help brought in by the government.
...
During work that afternoon, the supervisor singled out Nan Zhi for a private talk. Many colleagues had their eyes glued to their computer screens, but their hearts had long since flown into the office.
—They all assumed it was because of what happened during the lunch break, thinking that foul-mouthed guy had gone to snitch on her behind her back.
Nan Zhi thought so too.
Before going in, she had even come up with her excuses and counters.
Worst case, she'd just resign.
Yet who would have thought that the supervisor didn't bring up that matter at all.
“Hehehe, Little Nan, you've been with the company for almost two years now, haven't you?
“How is your family doing health-wise lately?”
Holding a large tea mug, the supervisor carefully weighed his words, a layer of sweat beading on his chubby face:
“Are there any difficulties in your personal life or work? Hehe, I noticed that your demeanor has changed quite a bit recently. Have you run into any problems?
“Lately, several people have privately reported that you've been quite emotional...
“Don't worry. If anything's wrong, just speak up, and everyone can help solve it together!”
Nan Zhi instantly understood.
Asking about her family and then her health—he thought her “temperament had drastically changed” and was terrified she might pull a knife on a coworker one day!
There was an example in the neighboring building.
An honest, timid man suddenly discovered one day that he had cancer, advanced stage, incurable.
Without saying a word, he bought a fruit knife and stabbed the office manager who always squeezed him, ran his mouth, and stole his credit.
To people who didn't know her well, Nan Zhi's changes were even more dramatic than his.
She was either bluntly confronting colleagues or letting loose, speaking her mind whenever something crossed her, radiating a wild attitude of “if I'm not welcome here, I'll flourish elsewhere.”
Compared to her former plain-water personality, saying she had become a completely different person was no exaggeration.
The supervisor was actually a good person and treated Nan Zhi and the others pretty well.
Whenever he caught them running late, he turned a blind eye, letting it slide whenever possible.
So Nan Zhi didn't scare him, simply shaking her head with a smile:
“Supervisor, you're overthinking it. I've just loosened up recently and decided to live differently.
“As for who complained to you, I can pretty much guess—isn't it just those few who always look for trouble, steal credit, and run their mouths?
“Don't worry, arguing with them is one thing, but I won't let it affect my work progress.”
Only then did the supervisor relax, waving his hand:
“Then it's nothing. Some people raised concerns with me, so I just wanted to ask.
“Little Nan, if I remember your entry records correctly, your hometown is over in Xixiang, right?”
Nan Zhi nodded, not quite understanding where he was going with this.
“Won't the National Day holiday be coming up soon? The company wants each department to organize a team-building trip where everyone can bring family.”
The supervisor took a sip of tea, spat out a few tea leaves, and continued leisurely:
“I've looked at other tourist spots, but they'll be too crowded during the holiday, which isn't ideal. So I wanted to ask if there are any less crowded scenic areas near your home?”
Talk about perfect timing!
A pillow handed right to someone feeling sleepy!
“My hometown is close to Mulian Village. Inside are ancient wooden buildings left behind from a century ago, full of Xixiang flavor.
“The surrounding area has mountains, waters, natural caves, and unique rock formations—the scenery is great.
“I heard commercialization took off nearby in recent years, developing a commercial street with plenty of food and activities.
“Visiting in October would be just right, neither too cold nor too hot. It should be very pleasant for team building.”
Nan Zhi was secretly delighted, though she feigned consideration for a moment:
“However, I haven't kept in touch much with people back home over the last couple of years, so that's all I know.”
“I think near your hometown sounds great! It's close to an ethnic minority village, has farm stays, and offers a close-up taste of local culture.”
The supervisor beamed, his eyes squinting into slits:
“Truth be told, my daughter loves places like that. She studies architectural design, so whenever she sees ancient architecture and old wooden buildings, she can't bear to leave!
“They say Xixiang has beautiful mountains and waters, no wonder the girls raised there are so graceful and refined.
“Alright, you can head back now. I'll give more thought to the team-building trip.”
The moment those words were spoken, Nan Zhi knew it was practically a done deal.
Sure enough, after returning home that evening, the news of the October National Day team-building trip to Mulian Village spread through the work group chat.
Now she had a reason to return to her hometown in Xixiang.
She just didn't know if the things Grandma had left for her were still there.
Nan Zhi stroked her chin, deep in thought.
...
...
By day she worked, and by night she continued her journey.
The master and servant of the Wang family looked at the sky and dutifully pulled up the carriage, waiting for the shift change.
Opening her eyes once again, Nan Zhi skillfully climbed out of the carriage box, jumped down onto the ground, and stretched lazily:
“Whoa—the sky is so gloomy. It looks like it's about to rain.”
“Isn't it? Looking at those clouds, raindrops could fall any moment. It's likely to pour tonight.”
Holding an umbrella, Wanniang looked at the deep dusk at the horizon and couldn't help sighing:
“How could there be such a heartless master, summoning you to slay demons in your dreams by day and not letting you go until dark?
“With your days and nights constantly inverted like this, can your body really take it?”
—Whenever daytime came, Nan Zhi went AFK to cultivate, which to outsiders looked no different from sleeping.
So she lied, claiming she entered dreams during the day to hunt demons and could only wake up at night.
In reality, to Nan Zhi, the game was where the overtime happened.
She limbered up her limbs and casually replied:
“It's fine. Cultivation has its own wonders that rival a good night's sleep.
“Where are we now?”
“We should be approaching the borders of Shouzhou. A few more days of travel, and once we enter Shouzhou City, we can swap the carriage for a boat.”
Wanniang smiled softly:
“I just wonder if Sister Ye's silver can hold out until we board that boat?”
—Before leaving home, Nan Zhi had left half her silver with her family, and the rewards bestowed by the Demon Suppression Division couldn't be spent out in the open.
Along the way, buying supplies, staying at inns, and purchasing fodder for horses added up to a non-trivial sum of silver spent.
If three humans and one ghost chartered a boat to Kaifeng, the expenses would be even greater.
“If I'd known, I would have kept some gold for emergencies...”
Nan Zhi couldn't help clicking her tongue, looking somewhat frustrated:
“No wonder the old saying goes, ‘be frugal at home, but generous on the road.’ The speed at which silver drains is like flowing water. At this rate, by the time we reach Kaifeng, we won't even have enough silver to stay at an inn.”
Rate on N.U.
