{"id":7995,"date":"2026-06-01T08:44:25","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T06:44:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/?p=7995"},"modified":"2026-06-01T08:44:25","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T06:44:25","slug":"a-love-struck-brain-is-nothing-in-the-face-of-melodrama-chapter-56","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/2026\/06\/01\/a-love-struck-brain-is-nothing-in-the-face-of-melodrama-chapter-56\/","title":{"rendered":"A Love-Struck Brain Is Nothing In The Face Of Melodrama &#8211; Chapter 56"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">No one knew what exactly happened that day between Zhou Tianning and Pei Si in the Jade Gourd.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">All anyone knew was that after that day, Master Zhou Tianning\u2019s mood suddenly improved a lot, and Pei Si, who used to occasionally pull pranks, hardly appeared in the association anymore.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Tang Fang breathed a sigh of relief, as he had been Pei Si\u2019s main target.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The reason was that after Zhou Tianning began valuing Pei Si, Pei Si, surprisingly, got jealous in the form of a ghost and even caused trouble for him.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">It was then that Tang Fang realized how helpless the staff in the informed association truly were.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u2018<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>Perhaps this is the retribution for helping Zhou Tianning cover up those things back then,\u2019 <\/i><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Tang Fang thought with a bitter smile.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">So when the ghost controller beside Zhou Tianning disappeared, Tang Fang and the other staff felt similarly\u2014they were very happy.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Since that incident, good news had come one after another.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">First was Yu Yi\u2019s matter. This individual, who had caused a big commotion that day and whose reincarnation identity was exposed by Lu Shi, surprisingly stayed obediently by Master Ye\u2019s side.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u2014<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The contract signing had been handled almost like a wedding ceremony, which caused three people to scowl at the wedding that day.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">One of them was Chief Li Guan, who was clearly unhappy with the officials holding such a ceremony for the contract signing.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">But this minor objection was drowned in the vast sea of the people.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">After the \u201cwedding\u201d\u2014no, after signing the contract with Master Ye\u2014Yu Yi stayed obediently by Master Ye\u2019s side every day, occasionally acting coquettish or jealous, and sometimes appearing near high schools or large company offices.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">At other times, he posed no danger at all.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The world crisis seemed to have been resolved, which shocked people a little.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Minister Lu also calmed down and did not engage in much physical conflict with the other party, at most clashing verbally.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">But when it came to real combat, small matters about tea scents could easily be handled by Ye Wangxing.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The officials, realizing the reincarnation matters in their minds, accelerated development.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">All kinds of high-tech weapons and specialized weapons to counter spirits and demons after the revival of spiritual energy were being developed.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Given the officials attention and progress, they would probably see mass production at the internal weapons exhibition by the end of the year.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Meanwhile, the Ghost Emperors, with the addition of living humans managing things, began speeding up the reincarnation process for ghost mouths. Even with a backlog due to lower birth rates, a few million each year were enough to reincarnate those who did not need punishment.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">According to the Southern Ghost Emperor, he had never felt the underworld so empty.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Because of this, the remaining two Ghost Emperors nearly knocked on the officials door, trying to get a few living humans to help with work, while the officials were still arguing.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">But\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">What was the cost?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Tang Fang looked at the computer in front of him, staring at the completed work content. He first let out a long breath, but when he glanced at the rest of the work filling the entire room, he felt his vision go black.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u2014<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Why had he chosen to transfer to the Southern Ghost Emperor\u2019s side?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Tang Fang regretted it.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">He had only thought that the other side was eager for talent, forgetting that their eagerness was based on the fact that the workload was already almost unbearable.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">By transferring, he now faced decades\u2014even hundreds of years\u2014of accumulated work.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">After Tang Fang learned the underworld\u2019s operating rules, he wanted to scream.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The underworld\u2019s reincarnation system fully demonstrated that it ran on bugs.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Moreover, negligence in governance was frequent. Even Tang Fang, slick-talking and resourceful, had been forced to lose his temper multiple times and quarrel with several old ghosts.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Fortunately, with Tang Fang\u2019s intelligence, he managed to recruit a few employees to help him with the work.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u2014<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Although those employees secretly complained about him behind his back.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Tang Fang did not care much, as long as someone did extra work, it was fine.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Then, this new assistant of the ghost chancellor, pretending not to care, assigned even more work to the living employees.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Returning to the topic, Tang Fang now looked at the accumulated workload, saw that there were only ten employees in the office, and finally decided to send a request to the Southern Ghost Emperor via DingTalk.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">He needed to recruit a few more people to help him handle this.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Otherwise, it was uncertain whether they could finish this pile of work before retirement\u2014or even finish it before dying.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">It was possible they would be dragged back after death to continue the hard labor.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Tang Fang looked at the phone screen seriously and thoughtfully. Just like this DingTalk app, although the underworld currently had no internet, it did not stop the Southern Ghost Emperor from coming to the human world to buy a phone and manage their living employees daily through DingTalk.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u2014<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">As for the ghosts, they had more advanced methods.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">They directly identified through spiritual energy which employees did not meet the work standards that day and immediately dragged them back to continue working.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Compared to that, the treatment of these few living employees seemed pretty good.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">After all, the Southern Ghost Emperor had rented an entire floor in the Religious Association just for them, which looked luxurious. But in reality, they worked overtime every night, and even Yu Yi, whose resentment was extremely heavy, had visited their floor several times.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Still, their resentment could not be considered light. Although the six insurances and one housing fund had been maximized, their salary had been raised above 8,000 yuan, restoring what Tang Fang had earned as director, but\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">A ghost stayed in the underworld for one or two hundred years at most. Even though their work experience lasted no more than 200 years, counting their lifetime in the human world, they had to work for the Southern Ghost Emperor for at least 260 years!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Tang Fang, however, did not consider transferring back. Even if he worked himself half to death every day here, the spiritual reward was full, and every day at work someone addressed him as \u201cLord Tang.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">He had no sense of guilt about poaching talent from his old company.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u201c\u2026<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Yes, Your Majesty, I plan to visit the Religious Association, meet with my former colleagues, and greet my previous superiors. After all, they nurtured me and that cannot be forgotten.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Tang Fang\u2019s words reached the Southern Ghost Emperor, and things were not as simple as they sounded. The boy had just submitted a request to recruit more people, and now he planned to go back to the Religious Association. Surely, this was poaching his old company\u2019s talent.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Tang Fang\u2019s deliberate display naturally aimed to let the Southern Ghost Emperor cover for him for a while.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The Religious Association currently had Ye Wangxing in charge. If Vice President Ding requested people from Ye Wangxing, and Ye Wangxing mentioned it to the Ghost Emperor beside him, whether Tang Fang could poach the people depended on whether the Southern Ghost Emperor could withstand Xie Jiu.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The Southern Ghost Emperor, naturally unwilling to show weakness in front of subordinates, especially since this concerned his vacation, pounded his chest and guaranteed he could block Xie Jiu.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Tang Fang, however, did not put all his eggs in one basket. Even if the Southern Ghost Emperor promised firmly, what if the Ghost Emperor shamelessly called in his two close brothers to oppose him?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u2014<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">After all, the households around Master Ye seemed relatively harmonious recently. At most, they just quarreled.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">If they really fought, Tang Fang did not believe the Southern Ghost Emperor could show much strength.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Tang Fang squinted and called a high-ranking official he had cultivated before. Even though this person had not spoken up when Tang Fang had been demoted, he was still a person. Now that Tang Fang had risen again, his weight in the official\u2019s eyes would be greater.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">He planned to have that person help persuade Vice President Ding, so he would not make a fuss in front of Master Ye.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">As expected, Tang Fang\u2019s request was granted.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The next day, when Tang Fang returned to the Religious Association, he received very high treatment. Many colleagues came to greet him.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Since the underworld\u2019s employee benefits had been made public, colleagues who had previously been worried, upon seeing the salary standards, confirmed it was not ghost money and became enthusiastic.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">It just happened to be a time when the underworld was short on staff. Smart people were everywhere, and many shared Tang Fang\u2019s thinking. When he boldly advertised recruitment, they surrounded him.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">For a time, Tang Fang was the center of attention, feeling triumphant. This made him very happy, as this was the reward for all his efforts to climb higher.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Thinking of this, Tang Fang even laughed aloud.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Amid the bustling crowd, Tang Fang suddenly shivered.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">He felt a chill\u2014not from the air conditioning or any physical reason, but from the sense that someone was staring at him intensely.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">However, when Tang Fang turned, he found no one in that direction\u2014not even a ghost. The office temperature was pleasantly cool.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Yet he felt someone was watching him, and the gaze was cold and vicious, like a venomous snake or some monster.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Tang Fang turned and laughed at himself, thinking he was scaring himself. After all, this was the Religious Association. Who would dare act recklessly here?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Here were ghosts, monsters, masters, and officials from relevant departments\u2014all gathered. This was no less than a den of dragons and tigers, what vengeful spirit would be foolish enough to cause trouble here?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Speaking of vengeful spirits, Tang Fang remembered Zhou Tianning.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">He had heard that Zhou Tianning\u2019s recent days were difficult.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Ever since Zhou Tianning tried to seize the Tongxin Array ahead of schedule in the secret realm and even made a Tongxin oath with his ghost controller, the Religious Association\u2019s trust in him had gradually decreased.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Although there had been little trust originally, now even simple tasks were no longer assigned to Zhou Tianning or the Zhou family, showing just how much the association had lost trust in them.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The Zhou family had maintained their usual arrogance, as if the association was begging them to take on tasks. But when the officials started participating, even officially allowing the establishment of the Masters Association and the practice of heart methods, they began to panic.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">All masters relied on their heart methods and cultivation techniques. Now that these were openly revealed by the officials and handed to ordinary people, it was a huge blow.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">However, the masters in the Religious Association accepted it. With official six-insurance-and-one-fund benefits, a salary too high to spend, and single-person dorms provided, they did not rebel.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">But the Zhou family could not cope. The association had already distrusted them, and Zhou Tianning\u2019s attempt to seize the array had put him on the officials\u2019 key watchlist. Now, even welfare benefits were no longer theirs.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The officials even planned to start an investigation into the Zhou family.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Seeing Ye Wangxing\u2019s anxious expression, Vice President Ding paused in his own anxiety, but then he spoke again, his tone tense.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">You know, right? Something happened to the Zhou family. Tang Fang\u2019s corpse was found in the alley next to the Religious Association. According to the surveillance there, Zhou Tianning was the one who did it, and after Tang Fang died, he also captured his soul.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">As Vice President Ding spoke, he felt it was incredible. He knew about Tang Fang\u2019s pursuit of Zhou Tianning. He also knew that although Zhou Tianning appeared to reject Tang Fang, it was actually Tang Fang who had refused to make things public.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">And now it was obvious why Zhou Tianning had attacked Tang Fang.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u2018<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>So never mess around with relationships, there\u2019s a ready-made example right here,\u2019<\/i><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"> Vice President Ding thought, sighing deeply. Then he looked up and saw an even more complicated relationship.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u2018\u2026<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>Junior Ye doesn\u2019t count, he\u2019s contributing to the country.\u2019<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Vice President Ding, thinking a reason that even ghosts wouldn\u2019t believe, successfully hypnotized himself, then began instructing the Association\u2019s precious members.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">This mission may be dangerous, remember to be careful\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">But as he spoke, he felt something off about his own words.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Then he saw the Third House man behind junior Ye.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u2018\u2026<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>Damn, how did I get distracted?\u2019<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Vice President Ding quickly brought his thoughts back to the Zhou family situation, but\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u2018<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>If it\u2019s these few people taking action, it seems the Zhou family should be worried instead.\u2019<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">And in fact, that was not far from reality.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">When they stormed the Zhou family\u2019s main gate with a search warrant, the courtyard was still okay, but the closer they got to the residence, the stronger the smell of blood became, making everyone present hold their hearts in their throats.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">When the officials used professional equipment to break down the gate, the scene inside the broad gate made everyone gasp and cover their mouths.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">If they hadn\u2019t covered their mouths, Vice President Ding suspected he would have vomited immediately.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u2014<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Bodies. The gate was full of bodies.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Some were intact, some were incomplete, some bore ghost handprints, and some were covered in human-faced sores. It was hard to believe that all this could have been created in just twenty minutes.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Their souls were being torn by other fierce spirits, screaming in agony.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">When the fierce spirits saw the people at the gate under the sunlight, they seemed to regain some rationality. Seeing the fresher living humans, they immediately tried to rush forward.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The present Taoists immediately drew their weapons, ready for a difficult battle.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">At that moment, Ye Wangxing, who had stood expressionless, threw out many purification talismans. The talismans seemed alive, attaching themselves to the fiercest spirits in front of them.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The fierce spirits screamed.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The Taoists froze, unsure how Ye Wangxing had suddenly become so powerful, or if they had simply never realized his strength before.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Just as they recovered and were about to praise Ye Wangxing,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u2014<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">a large mass of familiar black mud appeared in front of them.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">This time, the black mud surged like a flood from underground, engulfing the fierce spirits and covering the blood and corpses at the scene.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">For a moment, the Zhou family seemed censored, the people present could no longer see the horrors.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The Ghost Emperor immediately contacted the Ghost Chancellor to bring people to clean up the Zhou family situation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Vice President Ding was puzzled. He turned to ask Ye Wangxing but saw Lu Shi holding Junior Ye in his arms, seemingly preventing Ye Wangxing from seeing the corpses to avoid nightmares.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Vice President Ding: &#8220;\u2026&#8221;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The other Taoists present: &#8220;&#8230;&#8221;We seem weaker by comparison.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">When Vice President Ding and his team located Zhou Tianning, the other Taoists went to chase the released fierce spirits.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The remaining people searched the Zhou family estate for the culprit.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">According to a brief interrogation, Zhou Tianning had done all this alone, which made Vice President Ding incredulous and curious about what the Zhou family had done to him.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">What could we do to that unfilial son? I had hoped he could make a name for himself in the Religious Association and support the family, or at least come back to continue the lineage if he failed. But look at what he\u2019s doing now!\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The head of the Zhou family, already a ghost, shouted angrily, blood tears streaming down his face, clearly furious.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Loving a man would be fine, eventually, surrogate or any woman could bear children, and the Zhou family\u2019s lineage would continue. But now he killed someone because of that man\u2019s betrayal and brought the person home. That man belonged to the Southern Ghost Emperor. He wants to destroy the Zhou family!\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u2018<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>He\u2019s actually already done it,\u2019 <\/i><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Vice President Ding thought.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">I struggled to persuade him to release the person, but that unfilial son killed his father in front of the entire Zhou family! He also released all the fierce spirits the Zhou family had kept\u2014these were our hundreds of years\u2019 stockpiles, that bastard!\u201d The Zhou family head\u2019s voice grew more pitiful, like a miser seeing his treasure stolen.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Vice President Ding felt some sympathy, but reconsidered, realizing from the Zhou family head\u2019s words that he wasn\u2019t entirely innocent.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u2018<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>But\u2026 the Zhou family head didn\u2019t say how Zhou Tianning killed them?\u2019<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Vice President Ding frowned, sensing the Zhou family head was hiding something.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">When they followed the compass to the final location, what the Zhou family head had hidden appeared.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Vice President Ding looked at Zhou Tianning in disbelief, her mouth opening and closing, unsure what to say.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Zhou Tianning in front of him was<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u2014<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">semi-transparent.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Vice President Ding felt strong music in his ears.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u2018<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><i>Zhou Tianning\u2026 is no longer human?\u2019<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Seeing Vice President Ding and Ye Wangxing behind him, Zhou Tianning, who had been torturing Tang Fang with Pei Si, finally set down what he was holding and turned around.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Vice President Ding, what brings you to the Zhou family today?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Zhou Tianning smiled wickedly.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Pei Si beside him also smiled wickedly, but stiffly\u2014they looked like a ghostly couple.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">From Pei Si\u2019s stiff expression, he seemed uncomfortable.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Indeed, he was uncomfortable, he couldn\u2019t understand why his Taoist wife suddenly decided not to remain human.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">When Zhou Tianning had said he would always stay with him, Pei Si had been pleased.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Until Zhou Tianning said he wanted to become a fierce spirit and stay by Pei Si\u2019s side, he had been incredulous.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">He had even been a little jealous when Zhou Tianning personally killed Tang Fang, joking that his wife planned to bring back her ex-boyfriend to share the pleasure.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u2014<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Until Zhou Tianning actually killed his father.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Pei Si was stunned.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">He watched Zhou Tianning kill his father, uncle, and family elders, and even use their contracts to help him kill.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">And that wasn\u2019t enough\u2014Zhou Tianning went to the Zhou family training grounds and released all the fierce spirits.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">These were physically released, not figuratively.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">He smashed all the jars holding the fierce spirits.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The Zhou family estate became like a haunted house. The fierce spirits, already vicious from previous torture, now encountered other souls, seeking revenge.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The Zhou family head hid, the remaining family members weren\u2019t so lucky. Dirty and exhausting work fell to them.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The fierce spirits primary target of hatred was them. Their souls were repeatedly torn and reformed, consuming much energy, relegating them to minor spirits in the underworld.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">As the Zhou family members died off, the fierce spirits turned to attack Zhou Tianning, who then smiled strangely and slashed his own neck.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Blood gushed from the major artery, spraying far.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">After death, Zhou Tianning directly ascended to a fierce spirit. Pei Si was shocked, he had thought it would take hours to solidify.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Vice President Ding also noticed something wrong about Zhou Tianning.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Normally, Zhou Tianning had been dead only a few hours, insufficient time to become a fierce spirit.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Fierce spirits usually transformed two hours after death, needing time to recall their past lives, like a human waking grump.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Now Zhou Tianning was too powerful. According to Vice President Ding, his strength rivaled a ghost dead for over ten years, and it kept increasing, as if\u2026 digesting something.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">As Vice President Ding pondered, Ye Wangxing asked in disbelief: \u201c\u2014Zhou Tianning, you devoured those fierce spirits!?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">This seemed to unlock Vice President Ding\u2019s senses. He widened his eyes at Zhou Tianning, whose smile grew even larger.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Pei Si trembled beside him.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">So that was why he looked like a submissive little wife, letting him do whatever he wanted.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">No choice. His wife was terrifying, he had never seen a ghost so fearsome at devouring fierce spirits.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">He wondered if he or his wife had been a fierce spirit longer.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Pei Si thought, while Vice President Ding prepared to question Zhou Tianning. He then saw Zhou Tianning casually lift Tang Fang\u2019s unstable tortured soul.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Ye Wangxing truly is the Association darling. Yes, I devoured those fierce spirits, but it was only to become stronger. They were already deeply sinful, weren\u2019t they?\u201d Zhou Tianning said, exuding fierce spirit charisma.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">But you shouldn\u2019t have done it. You have no right. And release Tang Fang\u2019s soul, he hasn\u2019t provoked you recently.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Vice President Ding frowned, imagining the Association would face immense criticism after this.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">However, when she mentioned Tang Fang, Zhou Tianning\u2019s previously calm aura suddenly changed, black energy surrounded him, making him look like some kind of demon.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Vice President Ding instinctively became alert, though her habitual mindset didn\u2019t act\u2014she just frowned at Zhou Tianning.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Zhou Tianning, with a ferocious expression, grabbed Tang Fang\u2019s ghostly soul, and Tang Fang immediately looked like he was about to die.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">He truly regretted provoking Zhou Tianning. He also deeply regretted deceiving someone\u2019s feelings in the first place.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">All that \u2018mutual consent\u2019 talk\u2014I knew it was a lie, but I never expected Zhou Tianning could go this insane! He wouldn\u2019t even let me rest in death! Is this my karma?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Tang Fang, barely clinging to life, thought that if he survived, he would spend the rest of his life working obediently for the Southern Ghost Emperor and would never again try to climb the ranks through deception and manipulation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">However, after hearing Zhou Tianning\u2019s words, Tang Fang realized that this time, he was truly doomed.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Release him?\u2014Back when our Zhou family was collectively expelled from the Religious Association and stripped of our cultivation to become ordinary people, who would release us?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Zhou Tianning\u2019s words silenced everyone present.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Vice President Ding\u2019s expression turned numb, he hadn\u2019t expected that there was a reborn person here, and that they would make such a dramatic entrance.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Great\u2014there was no way their unit would win the \u201cOutstanding Unit\u201d award this year.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">He thought numbingly: Rebirth has become so common? With this person, that makes four already, add one more, and it\u2019s complete chaos.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Meanwhile, Zhou Tianning continued recounting the suffering of his previous life, and Tang Fang\u2019s glory after becoming president, along with the Taoist Ye who had stayed by his side.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Then, his emotions suddenly calmed, and he addressed Ye Wangxing.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u201c <span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Taoist Master Ye, before you arrived, I already cleaned up all traces. At least to a Taoist who hasn\u2019t studied spirit-control techniques, it would appear that I merely destroyed or tore apart those fierce spirits. Spirit-control techniques have always been the Zhou family\u2019s closely guarded secret.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">So tell me, how is it that in less than half a year as a Taoist, you concluded that I devoured them?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Zhou Tianning asked coldly.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u201c\u2014<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">You\u2019re reborn too, aren\u2019t you, Taoist Ye?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Vice President Ding: &#8220;\u2026&#8221;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Really, complete chaos.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Boom\u2014!\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Before Vice President Ding could react, there was a seismic rumble, accompanied by dust and the clattering of falling stones.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">When the dust settled, Vice President Ding hadn\u2019t even opened his eyes yet, but he felt scorching sunlight fall on her from above.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Wait\u2014above?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">He suddenly realized that the Zhou family\u2019s roof had been broken.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">And the culprit was standing there, looking shocked\u2014Yu Yi.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The next second, the delicate-faced boy\u2019s expression went blank, but the black mud surrounding him surged directly toward the equally shocked Junior Ye.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">It bound him tightly.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Ye Wangxing could only move his eyes, then, tears suddenly began to fall from the boy\u2019s face.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Brother, don\u2019t leave me.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>Support translation:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/bePatron?u=25191841\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"217\" height=\"51\" class=\"wp-image-338 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/become_a_patron_button.png?resize=217%2C51\" alt=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 217px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 217\/51;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/lajnaa\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/kofi3-3.png?resize=185%2C47\" alt=\"This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is kofi3-3.png\" width=\"185\" height=\"47\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 185px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 185\/47;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<p><!--EndFragment--><\/p>\r\n<p><!--EndFragment--><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>No one knew what exactly happened that day between Zhou Tianning and Pei Si in the Jade Gourd. All anyone knew was that after that day, Master Zhou Tianning\u2019s mood suddenly improved a lot, and Pei Si, who used to occasionally pull pranks, hardly appeared in the association anymore. Tang Fang breathed a sigh of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7815,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[118],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-a-love-struck-brain-is-nothing","entry","has-media"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20250409131120_300_420.jpeg?fit=300%2C420&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7995","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7995"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7995\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7996,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7995\/revisions\/7996"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7995"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7995"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7995"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}