Jing Jiujiu's energy remained as high as ever.
On the contrary, it was Bai Yuhuai who seemed to have had his vitality drained by this ghost named Jing Jiujiu. A hint of fatigue was etched in his brow, and he fell asleep on the couch as soon as he closed his eyes.
When Bai Yuhuai woke up again, Jing Jiujiu was sitting on the floor in front of that box.
He thought Jing Jiujiu was already looking through the contents inside, but as he approached, he realized Jing Jiujiu was playing on his phone, with one leg casually resting on the box. His pant leg had slipped down slightly, revealing a glimpse of smooth, fair calf.
At this moment, the sun had just set, and a sliver of light spilled in. This scene was even more serene and beautiful than a meticulously crafted painting by an artist.
Bai Yuhuai's throat tightened, and he slightly averted his gaze before crouching down next to Jing Jiujiu.
"What are you looking at?" he asked in a low voice, trying his best to make his tone sound calm, as if he had no worries and had lost the coldness he displayed when facing impure energy.
Jing Jiujiu handed him the phone. "Your home made the news."
Bai Yuhuai felt a twinge in his heart upon hearing this.
So this wasn't Jing Jiujiu's home anymore?
Just a couple of days ago, when he was drawing for him, he had said it was their home together.
When Jing Jiujiu got angry, he didn't show it outwardly, but it stung sharply.
Bai Yuhuai suppressed the tumultuous emotions within him and took the phone, looking down at it.
"Strange Phenomena at the Bai Residence Again! Glass Shattered Everywhere! Fiery Clouds Appear in the Sky!"
Although the villa area was quiet and sparsely populated, ever since the "thief" incident at the villa last time, more reporters had been staking out nearby.
They always felt they could capture something strange again, and even if they couldn't, taking photos of superstar Bai and that young Master Jing would be good too. If they happened to catch some explosive scenes, it would definitely be trending!
And now they had indeed captured something.
Bai Yuhuai clicked to read more.
This soft article described the scene in detail.
[When the light appeared, the reporter faintly heard wailing and screaming, but for some reason, when the video was played back, all the sounds were distorted]
The comments were also lively:
[Which immortal is undergoing tribulation here?]
[Bro Bai should probably go pray at a temple]
[Yeah, things keep happening. I hope no one was hurt by the glass shards]
[Come to think of it, strange things seem to be happening all over the place lately. The day before yesterday, there was a sudden thunderclap in Nanzhou City, and then lightning gathered on the horizon]
[There's even a mountain in Qingzhou that eats people, let me tell you about it!]
[Has anyone been to that city near Beijing? The temperature there suddenly dropped drastically. A driver said that when he was giving someone a ride at night, he drove onto the main road and couldn't get out for a long time]
[Oh... Speaking of which, isn't Bai Yuhuai's new drama filming there?]
The comment section quickly turned into a large-scale paranormal story exchange.
Bai Yuhuai didn't hastily close it, but first imprinted all the supernatural stories shared in the comments into his mind, before calmly saying, "The reason Master Tingyi is in such a hurry to find Mount Gushe is probably because supernatural phenomena are occurring in various places."
"Countless souls unable to enter reincarnation are losing control," Bai Yuhuai said as he put down the phone and placed a hand on the box.
Hearing this, Jing Jiujiu imagined the scene.
A parade of ghosts.
Chaos and disorder.
"That must be terrifying..." Jing Jiujiu curled up his legs.
Bai Yuhuai opened the box in front of him.
Inside was the skeleton of an adult male, with faint golden characters inscribed from the top of the skull all the way to the soles of the feet. The text was curved and twisted, in a script that Jing Jiujiu couldn't recognize.
But Bai Yuhuai clearly could.
"You're really strange, why would you carve messages onto a corpse?" Jing Jiujiu said in a low voice. "Didn't you have laws against desecrating corpses back then?"
"..." Bai Yuhuai immediately corrected him: "It wasn't me. It was Zhuo Wu."
Jing Jiujiu: "...Oh, okay then."
Only then did Bai Yuhuai continue seriously: "Because this skeleton, even after millions of years, will not decay or disappear. The words carved on it can be preserved for a very long time."
"Hm?"
"It's the skeleton of a god."
"Gods leave behind skeletons too?" Jing Jiujiu was startled.
"Gods can perish, so of course they leave behind remains." As he said this, Bai Yuhuai frowned slightly, unconsciously raising his hand to lightly press his brow. He said in a low voice, "This thing... there's more than just one."
"More than one?" Jing Jiujiu suddenly turned his head to look at Bai Yuhuai.
Bai Yuhuai pressed his brow more forcefully, responding softly: "Mm. Tingyi only found one."
Jing Jiujiu opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Bai Yuhuai had already said in a low voice: "Using the bones of gods to forge your body, then filling it with chaos... wouldn't that be more perfect?"
Jing Jiujiu: ?
Even if Jing Jiujiu didn't fully understand, he vaguely felt that this must be an enormous undertaking. It might even be something that defied the laws of heaven...
After saying this, Bai Yuhuai didn't seem to expect Jing Jiujiu to agree.
He closed the box.
Jing Jiujiu couldn't help but ask quietly, "What exactly is written on it?"
"A part. ...Just a part of the plan."
"Write it down for me to see." Jing Jiujiu looked eagerly at the box. Who told him he couldn't read a single character?
Bai Yuhuai of course wouldn't refuse him, and got up to fetch paper and pen.
The Dixi star falls, and the Xuxiu star descends...
Dixi, Di, means root and foundation, like the roots of a tree, able to support the pillars of heaven. It is the third constellation of the Azure Dragon of the East.
Xuxiu, ominous, carries the meaning of desolation and killing.
When the two are put together, it certainly doesn't mean anything good.
Jing Jiujiu scanned it haphazardly, along with Bai Yuhuai's unhurried explanations from the side. He quickly understood the general idea.
Just as Tingyi had said on the phone, the message carved on the bones told of how after Zhuo Wu's death, stars fell and gods perished, spiritual energy disappeared from the world, chaos scattered, a mini ice age arrived, tectonic plates moved, the underworld was swallowed up, and the realm of the dead sank into an even deeper darkness.
A thousand years later, human faith disappeared, and the last remnants of divine power left in the world by the gods gradually vanished.
The six realms of reincarnation collapsed, ghosts roamed the world, the King of the Underworld fell and became an evil god, the underworld was left without a ruler, chaos prevailed, until disasters struck. Humans fled in panic, and in the midst of hardship and despair, rekindled their faith.
At this time, the gods would return to their positions, chaos would recreate the world, and everything would return to the starting point, beginning anew.
"A thousand years ago, Zhuo Wu could already know what would happen a thousand years later?"
"Yes, through astrology and divination, and knowing some of heaven's will. Of course he could calculate it."
That was indeed impressive, to the point of being almost terrifying.
Jing Jiujiu raised his head slightly bewildered and asked Bai Yuhuai: "Then could he have predicted that a thousand years later, you would walk into the Sleeping Beauty castle and meet me?"
Bai Yuhuai froze.
But soon, Bai Yuhuai shook his head and said: "Fortune-tellers find it difficult to predict their own fate. This has always been the case since ancient times."
Jing Jiujiu quietly let out a sigh of relief and nodded. "Mm."
At this moment, Bai Yuhuai's phone rang.
After ringing three times, it switched to Jing Jiujiu's phone ringing.
"It's Master Tingyi," Jing Jiujiu said after a glance.
Bai Yuhuai reached out to take it. He lowered his eyes to gaze at Jing Jiujiu and asked in a low voice, "Shall I answer it?"
Jing Jiujiu: "Mm, go ahead. Why are you asking me?"
Bai Yuhuai held the phone without moving: "I'll do as you say."
Such words were strangely sentimental.
But the corners of Jing Jiujiu's mouth finally turned up slightly, and he nodded, saying, "Mm, go ahead and answer it."
The things Jing Tinghua left for him were truly awful, becoming a small shadow in his heart. Perhaps only Bai Yuhuai could care for that small shadow in the depths of his heart like this.
After asking for their new address, Tingyi brought Master Zhou and the Cloud Return Sect members over.
The little ghosts were still left at the villa to watch the house.
As soon as he entered, he asked, "Have you looked at it?"
"We have," Jing Jiujiu replied.
Tingyi looked at Bai Yuhuai with a complex expression: "Then Mr. Bai also knows that the god-making plan was first proposed by Zhuo Wu?"
But Bai Yuhuai didn't respond to this, only saying, "The message on a single skeleton isn't enough to piece together the complete content. You should look for others."
"Others? There are more?" Tingyi's expression changed slightly.
"Mm."
Tingyi opened his mouth, then closed it again.
He suspected that Bai Yuhuai had already regained his past life memories.
"Are these bones really the remains of gods?" Tingyi changed the subject to ask another question.
The Cloud Return Sect member nodded and replied, "That's correct."
Tingyi couldn't help but exclaim in surprise: "How could Zhuo Wu possess multiple divine skeletons?"
The Cloud Return Sect disciple was also taken aback.
How could they have pondered such a question before?
Tingyi speculated in shock: "Could he have killed gods?"
The Cloud Return Sect disciple shook his head repeatedly: "Impossible, impossible! How could our ancestral master do such a thing?"
In the end, it was just speculation.
This old monk's face, wrinkled like orange peel, showed traces of worry.
Actually, ever since he no longer had to eat coarse grain buns, had a stable income, and received financial support from his disciple Yin Mo, which allowed him to easily provide for the entire temple, the old monk rarely showed such an expression.
"The metaphysics circle has recently received many complaints and requests for help. The most serious... is that people say there have been many paranormal events near the film and television city."
Jing Jiujiu chimed in: "That road is now crowded with ghosts."
"No wonder," Tingyi frowned, "Encountering a ghost wall is considered mild. If not curbed, I'm afraid paranormal incidents will cause disturbances everywhere."
Tingyi thought for a moment and said: "I'm stretched thin, but I can send Yin Mo to chant sutras and perform rites."
"The number is too large, Mr. Yin can't handle it all," Bai Yuhuai interrupted him, "I'll deal with this matter."
His relationship with Jiujiu was teetering on a precarious edge. Adding Yin Mo to the mix? Not acceptable.
Tingyi had no choice but to keep quiet.
Compared to his worried expression, Master Zhou's demeanor was much more relaxed. He even went over to share with Jing Jiujiu an amusing incident he encountered today.
After learning about other skeletons, Tingyi didn't linger long and immediately set out to search for them.
Bai Yuhuai also took Jing Jiujiu back to the film and television city, followed by Xu Sanyu, whose worldview had been shattered and hadn't yet recovered.
Master Zhou stayed behind to watch the house.
After this delay of a day, the film and television city was already surrounded by many ghosts, inside and out. These spirits wandered aimlessly, as if they had lost their bearings.
Until Bai Yuhuai's car drove in.
Only then did these ghosts surge forward again.
Jing Jiujiu was stunned for a moment, but then came up with a new approach: "...Good, this way in the future, I just need to sit here, and all the ghosts will have to crowd around here, without a single one slipping through the net."
Xu Sanyu: ?
You're impressive!
At this time, the crew was still filming.
As soon as they entered the city, they saw countless extras wandering back and forth, looking quite eerie.
"What's this scene called?" Xu Sanyu couldn't help but ask.
Director Gong heard the question and slowly turned his head, saying: "The March of a Hundred Ghosts." He paused, breathing slightly heavily, and continued slowly: "The Celestial Master wants to create a new era. In this era, there are gods and ghosts, and the glory of the past Celestial Master clan. So he sends ghosts to the altar, encouraging their arrogance. Big and small ghosts roam everywhere, humans live in constant fear, and in desperation, they can only seek help from Celestial Masters and deities. The Celestial Masters will regain the respect of thousands..."
Jing Jiujiu was slightly stunned.
He felt that this segment described by Director Gong seemed to have a subtle correspondence with the direction inscribed on the skeleton.
Director Gong stopped speaking and looked at Bai Yuhuai, smiling: "You still have a scene to shoot."
"This scene is particularly important..." Director Gong said, coughing heavily several times.
Jing Jiujiu stepped back a bit, moving out of the camera frame.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind: "This script was written for you." He turned his head to see it was the man who often pushed Director Gong's wheelchair.
Jing Jiujiu frowned slightly but didn't speak.
The man continued on his own: "The Celestial Master creating ghosts is ultimately inferior. Zhuo Wu creating gods, creating you, that's the superior method!"
"You will be the first deity to return to this world."
Hm?
Was this also what Zhuo Wu had predicted a thousand years ago?
He knew that I would evolve from a ghost to a god?
The man said: "This play is performed for you to watch, do you understand?" He continued: "The next part is the most important scene in the script - the Celestial Master killing ghosts. You're so clever, you must know what this refers to?"
"Zhuo Wu, as a person, was cold-hearted and indifferent. To achieve his goals, there was nothing he wouldn't sacrifice. Before his death and the disappearance of his way, he slaughtered countless deities in one go, even extracting their divine skeletons. Where they are buried now, no one knows," the man said through gritted teeth. "You can see what an arrogant and ruthless character he was. How could he be an Immortal Lord? Dark Lord would be more fitting."
"In his script, you are also meant to be sacrificed for this purpose. But... we are willing to become your followers, willing to enshrine you, and ask you to lead us in restoring our past glory."
He lowered his voice, bending down and bowing his head, his tone full of temptation: "We have prepared everything for you. Under your command, you will soon have an army of deities at your disposal, to serve and protect you. Please come with us, become our common god, the greatest god in this world..."
When he raised his head again, his shoulder was already being held down.
Bai Yuhuai stood before him, his face cold and gloomy. Bai Yuhuai pressed on his shoulder, not using much force, yet the man couldn't move.
The man looked at Bai Yuhuai in shock.
Evidently, because the previous group that had invaded the Bai family villa had been completely wiped out, no one had relayed the news that Bai Yuhuai was Zhuo Wu's reincarnation.
So the man had no idea that he was revealing secrets in front of the very person he was talking about.
No, this wasn't even just revealing secrets...
A cold light flashed in Bai Yuhuai's eyes.
Now he also really wanted to know what nonsense he had predicted in his past life, and what stupid things he had done, to create such a group of fools who came to compete with him for his wife?
The man forced a smile: "Brother Bai..."
Bai Yuhuai turned back and kissed Jing Jiujiu's forehead: "...Did you see? This is mine."
The man suddenly felt all his pores tighten, involuntarily wanting to kneel down.
He heard Bai Yuhuai say: "I heard you call me a Dark Lord?"
The man was dumbfounded.
He is Zhuo Wu? No. Zhuo Wu is still alive? No, no. Zhuo Wu kissed the new deity? Zhuo Wu and the new deity are having an affair? This wasn't how Zhuo Wu's own divine prophecy was written!