In the end, the marriage certificate was naturally not registered.

Not to mention registering it—if Master Li hadn’t intervened in time, the mortified and enraged Young Master Ye would probably have fought desperately against those three.

Even so, the Ghost Emperor really did stay by Young Master Ye’s side, looking utterly impossible to drive away—of course, no one dared try.

Even Tang Fang communicated with the people present for a long time, but the Ghost Emperor didn’t want to say a word to them. Only when Young Master Ye spoke did he finally deign to speak.

“I know you have admired me for a long time. This is your chance to show it. Surely you don’t want to refuse?”

Xie Jiu said, his expression self-evident.

…Young Master Ye almost charged at him again.

“Who admired you! I just met you for the first time!”

Young Master Ye shouted in despair.

The Ghost Emperor only raised an eyebrow, wearing an expression like: “Say whatever you want. I’ll believe it if I lose.”

…Tang Fang watched helplessly as the eldest and third branches clenched their fists beside him.

“They’ve led them astray—what eldest, second, third branch?” Tang Fang muttered, slapping his forehead after realizing what happened.

At that moment, the association’s message arrived. Tang Fang read the work assignment and his vision went black.

“I know the situation. Xiao Tang, stabilize the other party first and try to understand their needs. We’ll hold a meeting to discuss a solution.”

“Me? Understand the Ghost Emperor’s needs?”

Recalling the leaders’ long meetings and expert blame-shifting, Tang Fang thought: “…”No, he also had to find someone to take the fall. The vice president election was coming up, he couldn’t get involved in this mess.

Thinking this, he quickly contacted someone who had taken the fall for him many times before: Zhou Tianning.

The heir of the Zhou family, also someone Tang Fang had clung to in his climb upwards. Zhou Tianning had done a lot for Tang Fang over the years, but Tang Fang hadn’t told anyone about their relationship.

Recently, Zhou Tianning had expressed dissatisfaction, and his visit to Qingfeng Temple this time was because of some conflict with Tang Fang.

Unexpectedly, they encountered the red-clad fierce ghost, forcing Zhou Tianning to send a help message. Tang Fang didn’t act smug, instead, he approached with a concerned expression.

He knew that such behavior would get him called a “phoenix man” online, but he felt justified. His talent was poor, he couldn’t get the Master’s certificate. To rise, he naturally had to use connections, and Zhou Tianning had just taken the bait.

They were all adults and had to bear the consequences of their choices. Tang Fang had never admitted a romantic relationship with Zhou Tianning.

He believed he differed from those unscrupulous predecessors. He hadn’t cheated for money—he merely leveraged the Zhou family’s influence and Zhou Tianning’s abilities.

He had even provided Zhou Tianning with emotional support.

“Tianning, are you okay? You can sulk at me, but why risk your life?”

Tang Fang said, his handsome face showing worry—a perfect tragic second male lead look.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Tianning, seeing him approach, seemed to react to the situation, instantly removing his dazed expression and glancing at Tang Fang with a hint of disdain.

But the disdain seemed like a mirage, in the next moment, it vanished, and Zhou Tianning returned to his usual proud demeanor.

“Do you understand your mistake?”

His voice was cold.

Tang Fang skillfully admitted: “I understand. I shouldn’t have failed to acknowledge our relationship to everyone.”

But he quickly added: “The key point is that you are now the heir of the Zhou family. Your father expects you to inherit the family business. You will eventually marry and have children, not be with me. If I revealed this, it would be a blow to you—”

“All right, consider it passed. This matter is over.”

Tang Fang hadn’t finished speaking when Zhou Tianning cut him off rudely and declared the matter closed. Tang Fang wasn’t pleasantly surprised—he was shocked.

How could it be over just like that? This didn’t fit Zhou Tianning’s character at all. Shouldn’t the young master have ignored him for days over this?

He had even planned to use those days to court the daughters of high-ranking officials and network.

Zhou Tianning’s move left Tang Fang completely off guard. Even more unsettling was that Zhou Tianning refused to help persuade the Ghost Emperor.

“…You know evil ghosts strengthen themselves by devouring others. My ghost-controlling ability is a mere snack to him. I’ve nurtured it for so long, and you want me to serve it like a dish? Or are you saying you can’t handle this minor task?”

Zhou Tianning said, with a trace of disdain in his expression.

Tang Fang couldn’t continue speaking.

He wanted to shamelessly plead with Zhou Tianning, but unfortunately, Zhou Tianning’s ghost-controlling power seemed to misbehave again, drawing him aside.

Tang Fang had no choice but to give up.

However, he silently crossed Zhou Tianning’s name off in his mind.

It seemed Zhou Tianning had discovered something.

The Zhou family’s influence probably couldn’t be fully used anymore. Although he might maintain some superficial contact, he had to plan his exit from Zhou Tianning’s sphere.

Tang Fang thought to himself.

He only wanted some influence, he didn’t truly have feelings for Zhou Tianning. Extracting himself in time was the best plan.

After Tang Fang finished planning, cold reality confronted him again.

—The Ghost Emperor was still following Young Master Ye!

And he showed no sign of leaving, he had even started calling him “wife”!

Young Master Ye was already so infuriated that his eyes went blank!

Meanwhile, the man surnamed Lu and the little boy named Yu Yi were still arguing with the Ghost Emperor. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to act, if any of them showed an intent to attack, Young Master Ye would punish them.

The others would be dealt with by Young Master Ye, and if the Ghost Emperor tried to act, Young Master Ye would put a knife to his own neck. So they were still stuck in a kindergarten-level verbal battle.

Tang Fang felt a little reluctant to assign the time-delaying task to Ye Wangxing, seeing his current state. This was almost like a kindergarten teacher—but a truly dangerous kind.

Still, his own future outweighed the others’ troubles, and Tang Fang solemnly chose his future.

“…The Association really has no choice. You know the Ghost Emperor is extremely powerful, but the Association also needs to protect ordinary people. They need time to come up with a solution satisfactory to both sides.”

Tang Fang spoke with an expression of extreme difficulty.

He knew Young Master Ye responded to gentleness, not force. If you spoke politely and begged him—unless it touched a principle—he generally agreed.

This time was no exception.

Young Master Ye ultimately couldn’t resist Tang Fang’s request, but the two by his side weren’t easy to deal with. Lu only agreed to let Ye Wangxing take charge after confirming the Association’s president and team would arrive within four hours and after calling Master Li as a witness.

“I tried to ask his requirements, but…”

Young Master Ye looked unpleasantly at the Ghost Emperor hovering nearby.

“You also need to urge the Association to hurry—the Ghost Emperor already managed to get married to someone he just met once. I really don’t know what he’ll do next.”

Ye Wangxing said, his delicate face showing numbness, and a faint hint of resignation in his voice, like a dog used to having its food bowl taken by a mischievous child.

As he spoke, he held the little boy named Yu Yi, who was still crying. Who knew how so much water existed in his tiny body?

Tang Fang had never seen this little genius like this. When Master Li had first brought him into the Religious Association, he had been full of vitality, clearly a college student who hadn’t yet entered society.

He had just graduated, hadn’t found a job, and was planning to take the postgraduate exam when Master Li discovered his talent and brought him into the Religious Association.

—Soon after, he earned his Master Certificate and a one-month stipend of 10,000.

All official, plus a basic salary of 3,000 with six insurances and two funds. Missions added extra travel allowances, and medical expenses were fully reimbursed.

Tang Fang had envied him when he saw the salary and benefits approved.

Tang Fang himself earned 8,000 per month with full social insurance and two days off, which seemed high to others. Occasionally he worked overtime, but the Association paid for that.

Compared to Ye Wangxing, it was infuriating.

The meager 3,000 basic salary was actually from the Religious Association, which honestly had little money, the valuable items were mostly magical tools, kept as assets, usually rented rather than sold.

Officially, a Master received 5,000 in allowance, and talent could increase it further.

But it made sense. It was a life-risking profession, encountering a powerful vengeful ghost could endanger oneself and family. High pay was necessary to attract talent, otherwise, who would take missions?

If not for some old-fashioned Association members blocking them, they would have already joined the official side.

Tang Fang thought this, while Ye Wangxing seemed to draw a deep breath as if facing execution. He left Yu Yi behind and turned to the Ghost Emperor.

For some reason, the phrase “The wind rustled over Yi River, the brave man went and did not return” appeared in his mind.

—Next, the “brave man” apparently said something to the Ghost Emperor, who nodded with interest.

Ye Wangxing then turned to Tang Fang and said: “All right, he agreed to state his needs. I’ll negotiate with him—”

But before he could finish, the previous scene repeated.

—The Ghost Emperor swept him up in a surge of black energy into a room in the temple. The others didn’t have time to stop him.

Before leaving, the Ghost Emperor even threw out a parting remark.

“I will tell the madam what I want to say. Outsiders don’t need to listen.”

The others started to get nervous, but Tang Fang, besides feeling tense, instinctively looked at the two who were left behind.

Good, one of them was flushed, and the other had started crying again.

‘The struggle among the three houses is really fierce…’

Tang Fang realized he had been thinking again when he smacked his own forehead.

He had been led off track once more.

While the people outside the door waited anxiously, the two inside, after setting up the soundproof array with the cloth, immediately dropped their acting masks, and their expressions relaxed.

【Host, Master Li Guan outside the door has already taken out the life token and confirmed that your life is perfectly normal. There is no need to worry about them breaking in.】

19’s calm voice sounded, and Ye Wangxing finally exhaled.

【That’s good, that’s good. It’s been two hours already. I didn’t dare relax for a single minute. I’m exhausted.】

Ye Wangxing said, sitting wearily on the chair in the room, sprawling completely.

This room was actually where Qingfeng Temple stored miscellaneous items, and because it was a storage room, there were no windows, which conveniently helped Ye Wangxing prevent eavesdropping and spying.

After resting for a while, Ye Wangxing finally caught his breath and opened the task panel.

[Task Panel]

Name: [Ye Wangxing]

Gender: [Male]

Age: [24]

Current Role: [Taoist Master]

Attention Value: [53,794]

Mini World Currency: [5,125,635 yuan]

Gold (transferable to real world): [3,600 grams]

Main Quest: [Capture the protagonist’s attention]

Progress: [20%]

Reward: [100,000 Attention Value]

Side Quests:

Quest 1: [Destroy the protagonist’s protector who devours evil spirits]

Progress: [100%]

Reward: [2,000 attention, 2,000,000 mini-world currency, 1,500 grams gold (transferable to real world)]

Quest 2: [Disrupt the protagonist’s plot to steal merits]

Progress: [0%]

Reward: [2,500 attention, 3,000,000 mini-world currency, 2,000 grams gold (transferable to real world)]】

Ye Wangxing sighed in relief while marveling at the generous rewards. He had finally completed a task.

After all, it was his first time taking on such a difficult mission. They had just arrived in this world two hours ago and immediately encountered the first task, which coincided with a critical point in the original plot.

The attack of the Red-Clothed Fierce Ghost.

The Red-Clothed Ghost’s newlywed husband was also her childhood sweetheart. On the way home from outside, he had been killed by members of a bandit stronghold. Heartbroken, she had jumped into a well to commit suicide and had spent decades seeking revenge against the bandits.

Finally, she appeared here.

In the protagonist’s previous life, the Red-Clothed Ghost had regained rationality at the last moment after receiving relevant news from the original body owner.

But in this life, the protagonist’s partner wasn’t so kind. After emerging, his ghost husband directly devoured the Red-Clothed Ghost who dared to attack his wife. After gaining strength, he even became a benefactor to the original body owner and his friends.

This was the beginning of everything and the task Ye Wangxing and his team needed to stop.

Now the first task had been completed. The sister had already entered reincarnation, and the protagonist couldn’t devour her anymore.

【But I still find it strange. Why was this task assigned to us? The protagonist seems very clear-headed, not like someone blinded by love.】

Ye Wangxing asked with some confusion.

This was a question he already had from observing the original plot.

In the original plot, in the protagonist’s past life, he had been deceived by Tang Fang, who used the family’s influence to help Tang Fang rise to the position of Religious Association president, then pushed him aside.

Later, the Zhou family, because of their ancestral ghost-controlling techniques, was declared heretical by the Religious Association.

Tang Fang did nothing to stop it and even sealed it with his stamp, causing the protagonist’s entire family to lose their cultivation and become ordinary humans.

Zhou Tianning, unable to endure a mundane life, committed suicide at age thirty.

But it seemed fate thought Zhou Tianning suffered too much, so it gave him a chance at rebirth. After reincarnation, Zhou Tianning cleaned his vision and decided to reclaim everything.

He succeeded. He exposed Tang Fang’s true face, ruined his reputation, and ousted him from the Religious Association.

He also used opportunities from his previous life to seek out fierce ghosts to empower his ghost husband, making even the Religious Association have to respect him.

The first goal for this ending was the original body. After all, only the original body had the opportunities. From beginning to end, he knew about the original body and even saw Ye Wangxing as a romantic rival.

This caused him to repeatedly sabotage Ye Wangxing, but the original body neutralized it each time, inadvertently becoming a stepping stone for the original body to rise to Taoist Master.

In this life, Zhou Tianning decided to seize the original body’s opportunities and pair him with Tang Fang.

Unexpectedly, after losing cultivation, the original body became a civil servant and eventually the secretary of a remote town.

Though Zhou Tianning pretended not to care, he still sabotaged the original body a few times, making him miss a promotion before leaving satisfied.

Ye Wangxing had been shocked when he saw the original plot, unable to understand how such a person could be the protagonist.

But such villainous protagonists were popular in those old controversial novels—only this kind of evil character, who would harm anyone in passing, could be the main character.

Yet Ye Wangxing still didn’t understand why such an evil protagonist was “love-struck.”

Meanwhile, 19, pretending to argue, explained:【Host, some people’s love-struck behavior can shift to different targets. Based on the protagonist’s behavior from last life to this life, he helps whoever is his romantic partner.】

【But that’s normal, isn’t it? Everyone helps their own.】

Ye Wangxing asked again, puzzled.

【That’s the point. This protagonist helps people to the extent of losing sense of right and wrong.

19’s calm voice continued:【In his past life, he helped Tang Fang cover work mistakes and even assisted ordinary people just to make Tang Fang’s achievements look good, ignoring their suffering.】

【Zhou Tianning knew it was wrong, but in his next life, he used it to overthrow Tang Fang. He didn’t see it as punishment but as Tang Fang’s retribution for betraying him.】

19 presented tables from the original plot in Ye Wangxing’s mind as he spoke.

【In this life, he continued the same disregard for right and wrong while helping his ghost husband. The Red-Clothed Ghost’s attack and devouring were understandable. But from then on, whether good or evil ghosts approached, they would all be devoured.】

【Even if his ghost husband acted out of jealousy and harmed innocents, Zhou Tianning’s approach was to cover it up, preventing others from discovering it.】

Ye Wangxing finally understood.

【No wonder Zhou Tianning was labeled as love-struck. It’s because of this.】

Ye Wangxing said knowingly:

【His love-struck level seems mild, he realizes betrayal in time and seeks revenge. But if his lover doesn’t betray him, he is completely love-struck. Even if the lover kills or destroys, he follows along—that’s why the main AI assigned this task to us.】

19 nodded.

Ye Wangxing sighed: 【I’ve truly seen the variety of love-struck behavior. I didn’t expect such a type.】

Its destructive power was greater than the previous two combined.

The earlier two weren’t really dangerous, which explained why this was a beginner’s task.

Ye Wangxing immediately felt the task’s difficulty, and along with 19, adjusted the script, finally feeling at ease.

At this moment, he also had time to appreciate 19’s uniqueness.

【So this is what a ghost feels like—cold, but very light.】

Ye Wangxing curiously pinched 19’s arm.

19 allowed it, calmly saying: 【Yes, Host. You can sleep leaning on this body at night. It will be comfortable in summer.】

Ye Wangxing: “…”

If I didn’t know you were basically an intelligent fridge, and you spoke without any ulterior motive, I really would’ve thought you had feelings for me, 19.

While Ye Wangxing was speechless, people from the Religious Association and authorities arrived at the foot of the mountain.

Vice President Ding initially doubted whether the Ghost Emperor had really appeared.

Until she arrived at Qingfeng Temple and saw Master Li Guan shaking like he had Parkinson’s, she finally believed it.

She immediately applied protective talismans all over herself to survive long enough to request reinforcements.

However…

Vice President Ding was surprised that the Ghost Emperor was actually quite reasonable. Previous contingency plans were unnecessary, they negotiated a near-final plan and waited to formally sign the agreement.

The agreement basically allowed the Ghost Emperor to appear in the human world but required him to stay with Ye Wangxing. He couldn’t attack mortals randomly, though he could defend himself if provoked.

Naturally, Vice President Ding also recognized Ye Wangxing’s role. As the human the Ghost Emperor favored, he maximized intelligence gathering about the Ghost Emperor using this identity.

—He had endured serious mental torment in that small room.

Vice President Ding already decided to give him a raise when she returned.

Although only a thousand could be added.

Her authority didn’t allow more without complaints from the elders.

Yet…

Vice President Ding was still puzzled watching the Ghost Emperor, who seemed so calm. Could this Ghost Emperor actually have a good temper?

Just as this thought emerged, Junior Ye’s friend approached with a phone. A middle-aged woman’s voice came from it:

“Junior Ye, I heard you’re registering your marriage on the mainland! That’s wonderful! Auntie has long hoped to become part of your family!”

Before Vice President Ding could figure out who the woman was, Junior Ye skillfully placed a knife at his own neck.

Only then did Vice President Ding notice that the Ghost Emperor’s nails had grown wildly and almost poked the friend’s eyes.

He looked at Ye Wangxing, speaking fiercely but with a hint of grievance: “—Ye Wangxing! You threatened me, your husband, to death for this mortal?”

Vice President Ding: “…”

—Wait, this killer is feeling aggrieved?

 

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