After a person dies, if their lingering obsession is too deep, a ghost will appear.

However, whether it’s the ghost of a common person or that of a First Grade Martial Artist, they cannot harm humans, as they are merely spiritual entities, like a wisp of air, and with the strong Yang Qi of the living, they cannot be attacked.

The difference is that the ghost of a First Grade Martial Artist can walk under the blazing sun.

In the records of the Dao Scripture, ghosts are classified as malevolent spirits.

When a person becomes a ghost, their three souls and seven spirits are lacking, making their temperament unpredictable, and due to their obsessions in life, they continuously cling to the person associated with that obsession.

Ordinary ghosts are not much of a threat, at most they can only frighten people.

But if a ghost has succeeded in cultivation, it can turn from virtual to real, thereby causing harm.

And since the dead cannot come back to life, even if a cultivated ghost wishes to be reborn, it must transcend the Heavenly Dao through possession.

But whether it’s an ordinary ghost or a cultivated one, if it clings constantly to a living person, it will cause that person’s Yang Qi to decrease, their body to weaken day by day, becoming plagued by disease, and shortening their lifespan.

No matter if the ghost of the Nine Yin True Stone is Luo Zhen’s father or not, at least for now, it’s only an ordinary ghost, incapable of speaking a complete sentence, with an unstable temperament.

Staying by Luo Zhen’s side is not a good thing.

But as it is related to Luo Zhen, Chen Mo certainly cannot let it scatter into oblivion.

After receiving Luo Zhen’s consent, Chen Mo sealed it within the Nine Yin True Stone using True Qi.

Then gave the Nine Yin True Stone to Jiang Ruoqing.

Jiang Ruoqing was close to reaching the First Grade, lacking only in mindset and comprehension, this Nine Yin True Stone would be just right to aid her.

...

The winter night was serene.

Weiyang Palace.

A brass brazier glowed warmly within the hall, and for ventilation, the window was slightly ajar, yet outside was a pitch-black night, which evoked a feeling of loneliness and oppression.

Xiao Yunxi sat on the soft couch, holding a letter secretly sent by Chen Mo in her right hand, reading it word for word.

Xiao Qing’Er sat in front, holding Xiao Yunqi’s left hand, trimming her nails.

Once the nails were trimmed, she handed Xiao Yunxi the "Great Song Plants", and using the numbers left at the end of the letter, Xiao Yunxi turned through the pages of Great Song Plants, piecing together a complete sentence.

"My waistband grows loose, yet I do not regret it, for you linger in my thoughts, causing me to wither away."

This was the special form of communication Chen Mo had told Xiao Yunxi about before he left.

Given their sensitive identities, although they secretly communicated through letters, the letters contained trivial matters, for if the letters were intercepted and it was discovered they were meeting in private, it would spell trouble.

Therefore, it’s better to keep things hidden.

"That rascal has become eloquent lately," Xiao Yunxi mumbled softly, yet felt a sweet fondness in her heart, as if she had tasted honey.

"Qing’Er, grind the ink for me," Xiao Yunxi said as she rose to the desk.

On the desk lay a few pieces of paper with written characters.

"May your heart mirror mine, never failing in our shared longing."

"There is a beauty, whom I behold and cannot forget; a day without seeing her makes me mad with longing."

"Once having seen the sea, it is hard to remain impressed by rivers, all but the clouds of Wushan are desolate."

"..."

All these verses were sent to her by Chen Mo through this method previously.

Xiao Yunxi was quite fond of them and copied them down.

When Chen Mo sent her the line "once having seen the sea, it is hard to remain impressed by rivers," Xiao Yunxi jokingly retorted, "This rascal with so many women, yet utters such devoted words."

Xiao Qing’Er, grinding ink beside Xiao Yunxi, looked at the verses next to her, with a somewhat inexplicably complicated feeling.

Ever since that night he possessed her.

Even if Xiao Qing’Er didn’t want to respond.

Chen Mo’s shadow involuntarily lingered in her mind.

Thus, when she saw the love verses Chen Mo wrote to Xiao Yunxi, there was an inexplicable discomfort in her heart.

"What’s wrong with me?"

...

...

Celestial River City, Qi Mansion.

Qi Mansion was not far from Luo Mansion, even just next to it.

"Sister, what’s wrong?" Quan Qiyang rushed to Qi Nichang’s room as soon as he returned to the mansion and learned that Qi Nichang was ill, anxious to check her condition.

These days, Quan Qiyang had not been in Celestial River City.

After Chen Mo reached Nanyang County, he formed an intelligence organization named Mo Bingtai, combining intelligence and assassination, and since Quan Qiyang had worked in the Imperial City Department, the establishment of Mo Bingtai was entrusted to him.

At the very start of Mo Bingtai’s establishment, it was naturally the time when manpower was most lacking and busy, so Quan Qiyang had been out running and hadn’t been able to attend to Qi Nichang’s matters.

"Brother, you’re back. I’m fine, the doctor said I just caught a chill, and with good care, I’ll be fine." Seeing Quan Qiyang, Qi Nichang forced a smile, struggling to sit up.

"Sister, don’t get up, just lie down." Seeing Qi Nichang’s thin, haggard appearance, Quan Qiyang angrily called up the maid taking care of Qi Nichang and interrogated:

"How are you looking after the young lady that she has fallen this ill?"

The maid was so frightened that she knelt down, saying that the young lady had been listless ever since they arrived here, unable to lift her spirits despite the maid’s many attempts to amuse her, ultimately pleading for Quan Qiyang’s forgiveness.

"Brother, don’t frighten her, it’s nothing to do with her," Qi Nichang explained.

The reason she was so downcast upon arrival in Celestial River City was that compared to Bianliang, Celestial River City was too quiet, almost like the countryside, and coupled with the fact that she had no acquaintances there, stepping outside often brought encounters with Chen Mo and the others...