"Brother Xiao Hei!"
Nian Nian took her short little legs and spread her arms wide. Like a little butterfly, she pounced straight into the arms of the Black Impermanence.
The Black Impermanence caught her steadily and picked her up.
The action was incredibly skillful, and his expression was full of doting.
The little girl and the ghost officer seemed to be on very familiar terms.
Chu Dacheng didn't know for a moment whether he should be envious or surprised.
"Brother Xiao Hei, why didn't Brother Xiao Bai come?"
Nian Nian tilted her little head up and looked around inside the passageway. Not seeing the other familiar figure, she asked curiously.
"What? Nian Nian doesn't miss me at all? You're only thinking about your Brother Xiao Bai?"
The Black Impermanence pretended to be angry and gently pinched Nian Nian's nose tip.
The little girl felt a tickle on her nose and nestled in the Black Impermanence's arms, giggling.
"No, no, I miss Brother Xiao Hei so much! I like Brother Xiao Hei the most!"
"Humph, that's better. Xiao Bai has gone on a mission to another place and doesn't have the time. If you miss him, you can go to the Underworld the next time you're in the realm of the dead to see him."
Having received the certification of being her favorite, the Black Impermanence immediately put away his feigned anger and resumed his loving expression.
The little girl nodded vigorously.
Clapping her hands, she replied, "Okay! It just so happens that I haven't been to the Underworld to play for a long time!"
"Well then, during the Ghost Festival next month, Xiao Bai and I will both have a half - day off. You come to find us then, and we'll take you to the Ghost Market."
"Okay! Okay!"
At the mention of the Ghost Market, the little girl's eyes suddenly lit up.
She had long heard that during the Ghost Festival, a market would open in the ghost world. Many people from the mystical arts world and ghosts from the Underworld would go there to set up stalls and sell things.
It was just a pity that her master had never allowed her to go before.
Even though she had been to the Underworld countless times, she had never seen the real Ghost Market.
"By the way, Brother Xiao Hei, could you please take these two ghosts back?"
Nian Nian caught a glimpse of the two ghosts that had been trembling against the wall. She slapped her forehead and only then remembered the important matter.
The Black Impermanence cast a cold glance at the two of them.
The cold look in his eyes was in sharp contrast to the soft, gentle look he had when looking at Nian Nian.
The Black Impermanence gently flicked his wrist, and the iron chain in his hand whooshed over to the two fierce ghosts.
It wrapped tightly around them.
When he turned to look at Nian Nian again, his face once again showed that sweet, doting expression.
"Sure, I'll take these two ghosts back. I can't stay here for too long. I'll leave now. During the Ghost Festival, I'll bring Xiao Bai to wait for you at the Naihe Bridge."
"Okay!"
Nian Nian nodded vigorously again.
The Black Impermanence put her on the ground.
Then, dragging the two ghosts along, he returned to the tunnel.
As he was leaving, he still cast a reluctant glance at the little girl twice.
He looked just like a young bride seeing off her beloved.
Nian Nian waved her arms with a smile, saying goodbye to the Black Impermanence.
The whole little girl was as cute as a lucky cat.
As the Black Impermanence's figure disappeared into the dark tunnel, everything around returned to normal.
The oppressive feeling brought by the Black Impermanence vanished, and Chu Dacheng let out a long sigh of relief.
But when he saw his family's heirloom bell, he felt so regretful that he almost cried.
Damn it!
He was so nervous during his first encounter with the Black Impermanence that he forgot about the dozen or so ghosts in his family heirloom!
He should have reminded the little girl to take these ghosts away with her!
Chu Dacheng looked at the heirloom and then at the little girl.
After a while, he made up his mind.
"Little girl, can you deal with the ghosts in this copper bell?"
"Yeah, I can get rid of them!"
Hearing the old man's question, Nian Nian thought seriously for a while and gave a definite answer.
Hearing this, Chu Dacheng immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to his life, the heirloom didn't matter at all.
"Then how about I give this copper bell to you?"
"Ah, isn't this your magical tool, Grandpa?"
Nian Nian hesitated for a moment.
To be honest, she kind of wanted it.
Because the sealing formation on that magical tool was extremely mysterious.
She had only understood a little of it during the day.
If she had more time, she was sure she could figure it out.
But it was the old man's thing.
Her master had said not to take other people's things casually.
Seeming to see the little girl's hesitation, Chu Dacheng had an idea and said in a different way, "I won't give it to you for free. Can I exchange it with you for a few talismans?"
Exchange?!
Nian Nian immediately stopped hesitating.
Exchanging talismans with the old man wasn't taking it for free, so it didn't go against her master's teachings!
"Sure! Of course!"
Nian Nian quickly reached into her little satchel and rummaged around for a long time.
When she took her hands out again, both of her little chubby hands were full of talismans.
Nian Nian didn't even look at what kind of talismans they were. She just stuffed them all into Chu Dacheng's hands.
"Hehe, these are all drawn by me. They might look a bit ugly, but they're still useful. If it's not enough, I have more!"
The little girl felt a bit embarrassed.
She shyly smiled.
She was still small, and holding a writing brush was still a bit awkward for her. Her talismans always turned out crooked.
Her master always laughed at her talismans for being ugly and not beautiful at all.
So the little girl thought that the old man must be at a loss if she only used a few ugly talismans to exchange for the bell.
It didn't matter. If they weren't beautiful enough, she could make up for it with quantity.
She just didn't know if so many talismans would be enough.
Chu Dacheng stood there, stunned, holding a whole bunch of talismans in his arms.
When he made this proposal, he had only thought of getting one or two talismans.
After all, he had witnessed the little girl's abilities.
Even if she gave him just two, they would be more useful than that broken bell.
He never expected that the little girl would just stuff two handfuls of them into his hands.
Happiness came so suddenly. What should he do if he felt dizzy?
Chu Dacheng didn't respond for a long time.
Nian Nian thought she had given too few.
She quickly grabbed two more handfuls of talismans from her little satchel and continued to ask, "Grandpa, is this enough?"
Snapped back to reality by the call of "Grandpa", Chu Dacheng quickly stopped the little girl from taking out more talismans.
"Enough, enough. Don't take out any more!"
If she took out any more, he would feel too guilty!
"Okay, as long as it's enough."
Nian Nian lifted her smiling face and stopped rummaging.
She turned around, picked up the copper bell, stuffed it into her little satchel, and happily patted the satchel twice.
"Hey? By the way, little girl. Why are you here? Do you live near here?"
Now that everything had settled down, Chu Dacheng finally remembered that this villa was located in the wilderness.
How did this little baby girl come here in the middle of the night? Did her parents know?
"No. My home is... is..."
Nian Nian confidently started to speak, but when she was about to say where her home was, she realized.
Oh, I actually don't know where my home is.
But it didn't matter. She just had to go back the way she came.
Seeing her hesitant look, Chu Dacheng's eyebrows twitched.
This child couldn't be lost, could she?
Sure enough! He knew that the little girl's parents were unreliable.
They could lose their daughter twice in one day.
And once was in the middle of the night.
The little girl didn't even know the way home. What kind of parents were they?!
Chu Dacheng recalled seeing Yu Shanhe in a suit and tie during the day, and he suddenly felt his blood boiling.
He immediately labeled Yu Shanhe as a scoundrel.
Yu Shanhe, who was sound asleep at home and had no idea that his daughter had climbed out of the window and run away: ???