Sheer nonsense

Although Lin Yuyu was eager to report the matter immediately, work took precedence for now.

At the village entrance, Second Aunt Wang’s daughter-in-law was giving birth today. Lin Yuyu needed to be present to bestow blessings and ward off evil spirits, lest wandering souls slip through the cracks and not only harm the newborn but cause the birth of a ghostly infant—an ominous and unfortunate occurrence!

The research team followed quietly behind, whispering among themselves.

“Everyone, any thoughts?” Chen Yi, the team leader, asked calmly.

“Boss, you know me—I have no objections,” Ye Wuchen replied, devoted to the Dao and indifferent to trivial matters, simply playing the role of the mood-maker to lighten the atmosphere. “But this little girl is not bad at all. I thought she’d report it right away, but surprisingly, she’s still focused on the work…”

Of course, as vice head of the morale squad, Ye Wuchen’s job was just to keep spirits high, while the research team members had more to consider.

Gu Yuan pondered for a moment before slowly saying, “The actions of the Five Defilements Lord remind me of the foot of Spirit Mountain, where the eight hundred li of Shituo Ridge lie strewn with corpses... Divine power stems from believers, yet the lofty gods always crave more. Thus, it is better to keep the people ignorant than enlightened, nurturing bandits to maintain their own strength and suppress others with fear!”

Fang Zheng nodded slightly and added, “As the character for ‘multitude’ suggests, the small people lift the great ones high. The great ones should shield the small from the wind and rain, but the small are hard to maintain. If the great want to ascend further…”

As he spoke, he pressed his fingertips together, then slowly brought his palms to join in a prayer-like gesture. “They suppress the small as one, using them as stepping stones to climb higher!”

Now the pressure fell on Xiao Chunan.

“Think fast, you blockhead!”

Ah, got it!

“Outwardly one thing, secretly another. Nowadays, the unspoken rules are almost out in the open, which proves that the filth hidden in the shadows can no longer be concealed. I don’t know if this incense-burning game is just the Five Defilements Lord playing alone, or if everyone’s in on it.”

Though his words were a deep analysis of Fang Zheng and Gu Yuan’s remarks, Xiao Chunan skillfully wove in his own interpretation—just right, neither too much nor too little.

Chen Yi smiled faintly but said nothing, only calmly remarking, “Our little rookie is starting work. Let’s see how a newly minted deity handles things.”

With that, he turned and silently drifted into a humble earthen house like a ghost, with Ye Wuchen and the others naturally following closely behind.

The door’s guardian spirit painting seemed to stir, fluttering without wind as a corner peeled away, just enough to cover the lifelike eyes.

Inside the earthen house, the lights burned bright.

The pregnant woman’s cries of pain rang loud, scolding her timid husband.

Second Aunt Wang stood outside the door, holding a blessing pouch filled with incense ash from the Fish Empress Temple, eyes closed as she chanted softly:

“Pray to the Fish Empress for mother and child’s safety, whether girl or boy, as long as both survive safely, we ask the Fish Empress to bless…”

Her sincere prayers turned into a faint glow, quietly merging into the nearby spirit of the Fish Empress, causing the delicate form to tremble slightly.

Lin Yuyu felt a warm surge, as if her strength had grown. She raised her hand and cast a calming spell, bringing a refreshing clarity to the pregnant woman’s nearly fainting mind and greatly easing her intense pain.

Then, with both hands forming seals, golden light burst from his eyes as he scanned the surroundings, warding off the restless spirits and wild ghosts, protecting the newborn life to be safely born.

Though the mortal family inside the house could see nothing, they inexplicably felt a deep sense of peace settle in their hearts.

“Thank you, Lady Yu Su, thank you, Lady Yu Su...”

Second Aunt Wang gripped her lucky pouch even tighter. Having been through this before, she knew that even though Lady Yu Su hadn’t manifested, this feeling... was definitely a blessing granted by Her!

Night had grown deep when suddenly a gust of eerie wind swept through. Thick, heavy clouds swallowed the full moon, making the darkness even more profound.

A dark, windy night—the perfect time for ghosts to wail and wolves to howl.

“Awoooo~~~”

A piercing wolf howl echoed through the night.

Splashing sounds followed.

The clear water of the Qing Shui River behind the Yu Su Temple suddenly churned violently.

A gigantic catfish head, nearly thirty feet long, slowly surfaced, and two alabaster-white, long legs slapped against the riverbank as it climbed ashore.

Yes, two pale, slender legs!

Topped with a thirty-foot-long catfish head!

Quite perky, too!

“Gak gak gak...”

The catfish head opened its massive mouth, releasing nine semi-transparent ghostly figures.

Muttering incoherent words, the nine ghostly shapes twisted into terrifying visages and headed straight for the small mountain village.

“Hee hee hee...”

The catfish head let out a tinkling, bell-like laugh, then spread its legs wide, sprawling backward as it made its way toward the Yu Su Temple.

Droplets of slime dripped along the path, sullied the once pristine walkway.

But just as the catfish head reached the temple’s main gate, about to smash the deity statue enshrined within,

A low hum vibrated through the void. A faint divine presence descended in an instant!

In a flash, the fearsome catfish head’s legs went limp, and it collapsed to the ground, suppressed and slowly shrinking into a writhing three-inch cube.

At the same time,

Inside Second Aunt Wang’s home, Xiao Chunan smirked slightly and quietly withdrew his divine awareness, acting as if nothing had happened.

In truth, everything occurring outside the Yu Su Temple was crystal clear to every member of the research team.

A mere fish demon barely formed from a demon core, with a combat power not even reaching a hundred thousand, was nothing more than a minor annoyance to Lin Yuyu, the little newbie. For Lin Yuyu, this would be a crushing defeat; if the statue was broken, death or crippling injury was inevitable!

But for any member of the research team, a mere thought would be enough to annihilate it.

Having the big shots intervene would be embarrassing, so the weakest member, Xiao Chunan, naturally had to be more self-disciplined.

After all, he was just an average half-step Fusion stage cultivator, with a combat power barely scraping nine million eight hundred thousand—a timid little team member afraid of violence.

“The baby’s head is almost out, push a little harder...”

At that moment, inside the house, the birth had reached its critical moment.

The restless spirits and wild ghosts lurking outside the earthen hut grew desperate.

Once the child was born and touched the world’s yang energy, its soul would stabilize, meaning they would lose any chance to possess its body!

“Please, Lady, let me in. I swear I’ll be a good person. I don’t want to be a restless ghost anymore...”

“Lady, do you remember me? When I was alive, I even offered incense to you...”

“Please let me reincarnate, I beg you, let me reincarnate! I’ve been wandering as a ghost for thirty years—I don’t want to be a spirit anymore...”

What does it mean to talk nonsense?

This right here is pure nonsense!

If Lin Yuyu were still that clueless new deity she used to be, she might’ve actually fallen for their lies.

But once bitten, twice shy!

After personally creating a stillborn ghost infant and helplessly watching that wild spirit devour the fragile soul of the newborn, her heart turned harder than iron, colder than ice!

“Get lost! Or I’ll scatter your souls to the winds!”

Her gentle brows furrowed, and though she seemed to be pouting playfully, there was unmistakable authority in her tone.

“Little rookie, just blowing hot air...”

Ye Wuchen, deputy leader of the research team, on-site recorder, and resident mood-maker, teased with a chuckle.

No sooner had his words fallen than nine semi-transparent figures, more solid and fierce than ordinary restless spirits, charged forward with ferocious snarls!