Although they couldn’t be considered complete strangers, what was this feeling of joy and sorrow upon meeting as if they were old friends?

Her heart was about to leap out, and the emotions she hid on her face escaped from her mouth instead. “You… I… you—” Ji Tong bit down hard on her lips, steadying herself as she looked at his black cloak that reached down to his ankles. “I’ve seen you before… Last week when a One-Eyed Ghost was chasing me, it was you who helped me.”

Upon hearing this, He Feng turned his body and lowered his head. “It was me.”

“Just now, that… female ghost?”

“She’s gone now.”

“You killed her?… Or…”

“Something like that.”

“Ghosts can die too?”

“They can disappear.”

Ji Tong remembered the red bedsheet in her hands and looked around, finding nowhere to put it. She didn’t know how to handle it and was feeling troubled when a gust of wind with hands pulled the bedsheet from her grasp. She watched it rise into the air and land on the long rope for hanging clothes on the rooftop.

Ji Tong’s gaze lowered and fell back on him. “Have you always been by my side?”

“Not always.”

The night was cold and chilly. A cold wind blew past, making Ji Tong shiver. “I can’t tell the direction anymore. Can you take me out?”

He Feng didn’t answer her directly but asked in return, “Aren’t you afraid of me?”

Ji Tong shook her head.

“Why?”

“I feel like you seem to be a good person.”

“I’m a ghost, not a person.”

“Then you’re a good ghost.”

“I’m not a good ghost.” He slightly moved the corners of his lips, as if smiling. “You can’t be like this in the future. Whether facing people or ghosts, you must be wary. Both mouths and appearances can lie.”

He turned his back. “Follow me.”

Ji Tong maintained a distance of four to five meters from him as they walked slowly forward. She would steal glances at him from time to time and actually felt that this ghost gave her a great sense of security.

She sorted through the events of the past few days in her mind, feeling much more enlightened. Every time he appeared, it was when she encountered danger, but why did he want to protect her?

Countless bizarre plotlines flashed through Ji Tong’s mind.

Repaying a debt? Ancestor? Unfinished love?

Just as she was thinking, a disheveled female ghost suddenly appeared, kneeling on the ground to block their path. This scared Ji Tong into taking two steps back and unconsciously hiding behind He Feng.

“Master He, you must help me seek justice!” It was an old woman with graying hair, her voice trembling. “That bald donkey Yu Lao’er stole my money, and that was what my daughter had just burned for me.”

He Feng didn’t lose his temper but said gently, “This kind of matter isn’t under my jurisdiction. Go report it to the Underworld Court.”

“By the time my turn comes up, he’ll have spent all the money! Please, Master He, help me! I’ve been law-abiding and rule-following, just wanting to exchange for a new walking stick, but that—”

He Feng interrupted her wailing. “I said I don’t handle this, and I don’t have time.”

The old woman had just raised her head when He Feng sent her away with a gust of wind.

He turned back to look at Ji Tong. “Were you scared?”

Ji Tong shook her head.

After entering the residential complex, Ji Tong finally couldn’t help but ask him, “Are you an official?”

“Not really an official, just a small patrol envoy managing order.”

“She called you Master.”

“Some ghosts from ancient times can’t change their way of speaking and always call people ‘Master.’ Everyone else just follows along.”

“Is a patrol envoy equivalent to urban management?”

He Feng was silent for a moment. “Something like that.”

“Then why do you keep helping me?”

“I’m urban management.” He Feng followed her line of thinking to explain. Seeing that she had been holding back this question, he simply answered thoroughly. “This entire area is under my jurisdiction. I manage criminal ghosts and also protect humans from spiritual harm.”

Ji Tong nodded in understanding.

Several streetlights ahead were broken, making the road somewhat dark, but she wasn’t afraid at all.

Because he was by her side.

They reached the bottom of her building.

“I’m home.”

“Go up.”

“What about you?”

“I’m a ghost. I drift around everywhere.”

By the dim streetlight, Ji Tong vaguely saw that his left eye seemed to be covered with something black.

With just one glance, he turned his head away again.

“Will you always be nearby?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’m going up. Thank you.”

“Go on.”

Ji Tong walked to the second floor, then hurried back down, gripping the handrail as she asked him, “Could I ask… your name?”

“My surname is He.”

“I know. That old person just called you Master He.”

“My given name is Feng, with three water drops plus the ‘feng’ from ‘abundant harvest.'”

“He Feng, I’ll remember it.”

…

Ji Tong returned home to find a glass of milk and an apple on the table. She didn’t want to eat anything and went straight to her bedroom.

The window in her room wasn’t closed. A wind had picked up outside, making the curtains flutter back and forth. She slumped in her chair, staring blankly at the floating curtains.

She recalled his appearance but couldn’t describe what kind of person he was. He always kept his head slightly lowered, his hat brim pressed even lower, his entire face shrouded in darkness. She could only vaguely see his lips, slightly pursed with a very gentle curve. But Ji Tong had a faint feeling that his appearance wouldn’t be unattractive.

She wondered if he had left.

At this thought, Ji Tong suddenly stood up and pressed against the window to look down below.

There was nothing there.

“What are you doing?”

Ji Tong was startled and pulled her head back, closing the window as she looked at her grandmother standing at the door holding milk. “Why didn’t you bring the milk in?”

“I don’t want to drink it.”

“Even if you don’t want to, you must drink it for nutrition.” Grandmother walked in and placed the milk on the table. “Your mother specifically instructed me. I heated it up, it’s a bit hot, so let it cool for a while.”

“I understand.”

“Why did you come home so late today? I even fell asleep waiting.”

“I was delayed on the road. Nothing happened. Go to sleep quickly, Grandma.”

“You should rest early too. Study again tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

…

Ji Tong felt as if her soul had been hooked away. All morning, her mind was filled with thoughts of that urban management ghost.

After lunch, Gan Ting lay on the table and fell asleep. When she woke up, she drowsily saw Ji Tong holding a pen and drawing randomly on scratch paper. Though she called it random drawing, it actually looked quite proper. Gan Ting propped her face with her hand, looking at her with half-open eyes. “You can draw too.”

Ji Tong was completely absorbed and was startled by her sudden comment. She immediately tried to cover the drawing with her hand. “I can’t. I was just doodling.”

The more Ji Tong tried to hide it, the more Gan Ting wanted to see. She reached under Ji Tong’s armpit and quickly pulled out the notebook, turning away to look at it. “Who did you draw?”

It was He Feng.

Ji Tong didn’t answer her and stood up to snatch the notebook back. “Give it back to me.”

Gan Ting turned around to look at her. “A character from a new anime? Or some movie? I haven’t seen this before.”

“Neither.”

“Then who is it? Pretty cool.”

Ji Tong smiled lightly. “Cool?”

Gan Ting nodded. “Mm-hmm.”

“I think so too.”

“Why didn’t you draw the face?”

Because she had never seen it either.

“I don’t know how to draw it.”

Gan Ting lazily hummed. “You’re quite talented. You should sign up for art classes.”

Ji Tong felt like her heart had been poked, a sudden feeling of being exposed. She looked at the drawing in her hands in a trance until Gan Ting patted her.

“What art? Study properly. There’s a monthly exam next week, and I’m counting on you. If I rank at the bottom again, my mom will put me under house arrest.”

Oh right, the monthly exam was coming up—her first exam at the new school.

Ji Tong closed the notebook and pulled out practice problems, preparing to work hard.

Li Qu passed by the window outside. Gan Ting suddenly slapped Ji Tong. “Your little cricket.”

Ji Tong looked toward the door and saw Li Qu walking past with his head hanging down, looking lifeless.

Gan Ting called out, “Li Qu.”

Ji Tong quickly stopped her. “Don’t call him.”

“Aren’t you going to check on your little cricket?”

“Don’t bother him anymore.”

“What happened? Did he reject you?”

“No, just don’t go anymore.” Ji Tong didn’t know how to explain. She couldn’t tell her that a ghost had possessed Li Qu to protect her, causing him to be bullied by school bullies, could she? Gan Ting would probably think she had mental problems. “Let him study in peace.”

Gan Ting sighed. “Zhang Xinrui and her gang are such trash. They should be expelled.”

…

After school.

Ji Tong always felt she would encounter that mysterious urban management ghost again. She deliberately slowed her pace, looking left and right, but he didn’t appear all the way home.

Disappointed.

…

At this moment, He Feng was at the Tenth Hall, having just met with an old friend. As he was about to leave, he paused for a moment at the Oblivion Platform, watching groups of souls heading to reincarnation.

Several newly appointed minor underworld officials passed by. They didn’t recognize He Feng but felt his imposing aura and didn’t dare approach.

Seeing him leave, the minor officials chattered among themselves:

“Who was that just now? His outfit looked really impressive.”

“Don’t know.”

“He looked so dignified.”

“When you see him in the future, either greet him or stay far away.” An old underworld official approached and instructed his subordinates.

The minor officials were puzzled. “Why?”

“Didn’t you see the character ‘Patrol’ printed on the back of his robe? That’s a Patrol Envoy from the Eleventh Hall.”

“What about Patrol Envoys?”

The old official shook his head. “Patrol Envoys are fierce and formidable. One slap from them and your soul would be gone. What do you think?”

“I have heard a few things.” A minor official scratched his head. “But don’t the Patrol Envoys of the Eleventh Hall rely on soul weapons? Are their slaps also powerful?”

“Try relying on one and see.” The old official sneered. Having some free time, he chatted with these minor officials. “Do you think anyone can use soul weapons?”

“Don’t know. We’ve heard about them but never seen them.”

“The one who just passed is called He Feng. What he carries at his waist is a type of soul weapon called a Soul Whip.” The old official adjusted one of the minor officials’ head caps. “But that’s a Soul Whip in its normal state. I’ve never seen what the whip looks like in battle either.”

The minor officials were curious. “What’s this He Feng’s background? He looks scary.”

“There’s quite a story there.”

The minor officials leaned in and listened carefully.

“It’s said that when this He Feng first died, he didn’t report to the Underworld Court. He drifted in the East Sea for a long time and killed a boatload of people—thirteen lives. Later, he was captured by the Eleventh Hall and thrown into the Soul Cauldron. Do you know what’s kept in the Soul Cauldron?”

The minor officials all shook their heads.

“All the most vicious evil spirits. The suffering in there can’t be compared to ordinary hell.”

“What happened next?”

“Later, Lord Jiang was forging soul weapons and selected over a thousand fierce ghosts for sacrifice. He Feng was one of them. Most ghosts couldn’t hold on for long and were refined into nothing, but he stubbornly endured until the end, and this tenacity saved him.

When the Soul Cauldron was refined to the end, it became fifteen soul weapons—five whips, five locks, and five long hooks in green, red, white, black, and purple. The sacrifices then stopped.”

“But if they used him for sacrifice, how come they gave him a soul weapon now?”

“Don’t rush, let me continue slowly. Soul weapons are forged from fierce ghosts, so who should wield them? Who can suppress their malevolent aura? There’s another problem—you all know that officials all want to work in civil positions. Sitting in an office is so comfortable. Who wants to run around with whips and hooks? It’s not good for promotion either. Think about it, it’s tiring, and if you’re careless, you might even be backfired by the soul weapon.”

“Then what?”

Seeing the old official stop talking again, the minor officials urged, “Keep going!”

“When the Soul Cauldron was refined to the end, only thirty-two ghosts remained. Anyone who could survive to this point—none of these thirty-two ghosts were simple. Lord Jiang selected fifteen from among them, having them each suppress a soul weapon, guard various territories, and specifically capture criminal ghosts. Fighting evil with evil. The white whip at He Feng’s waist is the chief of the five whips. Anyway, you’ll gradually learn about this in the future.”

“But they’re all fierce ghosts after all. Isn’t the Eleventh Hall afraid they’ll rebel after giving them soul weapons?”

“They can’t rebel.” The old official shook his head and smiled. “And they don’t dare. Each of these fifteen Patrol Envoys has Soul-Calming Nails inserted in their bodies, specifically used to suppress malevolent energy. Only Lord Jiang can remove them. If they forcibly pull them out themselves, their souls would scatter. So they’ve been restrained like this all along, using these evil ghosts for the Underworld Court’s purposes. They’re much more useful than ordinary officials.”

“Isn’t that just being puppets?”

“Nonsense.” The old official covered his mouth. “You can’t speak carelessly. The people from the Eleventh Hall are all not to be trifled with. Be careful or they’ll pull out your tongue if they hear you.”

The minor official was scared and covered his mouth.

…

Ji Tong felt inexplicably irritated. She couldn’t study—her mind was full of ghosts. She even fantasized about encountering an evil ghost so that the urban management might appear again.

Over the years, Ji Tong had communicated with many ghosts, including male ghosts. But this time, she didn’t understand what was wrong with her—how could she be so obsessed with a ghost whose true appearance she had never even seen?

“Study seriously, don’t let your mind wander.” The voice drifted from outside. Ji Tong suddenly turned her head toward the window. There was nothing there.

It was He Feng’s voice; she remembered it.

Finally, the dismissal bell rang.

Ji Tong grabbed her schoolbag and was the first to rush out. She walked quickly, talking to herself, “Are you here?”

No response.

“Are you here or not?”

“I’m here.”

Ji Tong looked to the left—nothing there. When she turned around, He Feng was standing on her right side.

She gripped her bag strap tightly, her heart racing with nervousness. “When did you come?”

“This afternoon.”

Ji Tong controlled her inner joy, lowered her head, and walked quickly past the security guard. Once on the main road, she spoke again, “Are you very busy?”

Before He Feng could answer her, a white figure dropped from above, landing on his back.

Ji Tong watched this female ghost embrace He Feng’s neck intimately, smiling as she said to him, “Let me show you something good.”

The little flame in her chest was instantly extinguished.

He Feng said, “Get down.”

Listen to that—his voice was still so gentle.

Ji Tong’s heart turned cold.

Meng Yuan saw Ji Tong looking at her and jumped down from He Feng.

“Wan—” She stopped herself in time. “Ji Tong. I’m Meng Yuan. I’m his sister.”

So she was his sister.

A wave of relief flowed through her chest. Ji Tong greeted her, “Hello.”

“My brother likes you.”

“…”

He Feng grabbed Meng Yuan by the back collar and tossed her aside. “Stop talking nonsense.”

Ji Tong suddenly became nervous and started picking at her hands, not daring to look at the two ghosts. “I need to go home.”

After saying this, she quickly fled.

Meng Yuan stuck out her tongue. “I was wrong. I should have said, my brother loves you.”

He Feng reached out to hit her, but Meng Yuan laughingly dodged behind a tree. “She likes you too.”

He Feng glanced at her without speaking.

Meng Yuan leaned to dodge. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Really?”

“Why would I lie to you? My eyes can’t be wrong.”

He Feng was silent for a long while. “She’s only seen me three times.”

“What does the number of times matter?” Meng Yuan moved closer, leaning in to look at his face. “I think that although bodies are different, souls can sense each other. Even if she were willing to die for you now, I wouldn’t find it strange.”

…