That was what happened yesterday morning.
Qin Luo drifted from the floating island toward the marketplace, planning to buy groceries as usual.
Though he could have just ordered online for delivery,
Qin Luo still preferred to handpick everything himself.
However,
just as he stepped into the marketplace, he ran into a few familiar faces.
Wang Yong, Jiang Xueqi, Xiao Tian, and Feng Yueke.
The four of them had heavy dark circles under their eyes, their steps unsteady, as if drained of all vitality.
"What happened to you all…?"
Qin Luo raised an eyebrow. "Did you pull an all-nighter training?"
"De—Dean!!"
Xiao Tian let out a wail and threw himself at Qin Luo, clinging to his leg. "W-we—we saw a ghost in the mental hospital last night!!"
"A ghost?"
Qin Luo paused. "In this vast world, there are still ghosts?"
"Not just any ghost!"
Jiang Xueqi's face was pale, her voice trembling. "It was… the kind you can’t see, but you can feel it staring at you…"
Qin Luo frowned. "Are you sure you weren’t just dreaming?"
The mental hospital was eerie, sure, but he had checked it before—there were no evil spirits there.
Besides, that place was connected to the Heavenly Dao. What ghost would dare enter?
"W-we’re serious!"
Wang Yong hugged himself, shivering. "Q-Qin… Master Qin…"
"Last night, my junior sister and I went to inspect the rooms, but then…"
"Then a person suddenly appeared in the hallway!"
Feng Yueke cut in, her eyes wide with terror. "So we immediately woke up Xiao Tian and Jiang Xueqi, and the four of us went to check together!"
"But… when we went in, there were four of us… and when we came out, there were five sets of footsteps!"
Qin Luo was speechless.
Seriously?
Are you all out of your minds? You knew there was a ghost, and you still went to inspect the rooms? And not only that, you dragged Xiao Tian and Jiang Xueqi along with you?
In a horror movie, you’d be the first to die.
Hilarious.
"Take me there."
Qin Luo hadn’t visited the mental hospital since arriving in this vast world.
A short while later,
Qin Luo and the others arrived at the edge of the Netherfrost Divine Realm.
Looking up at the mental hospital, its exterior was dilapidated and gloomy, vines crawling up the walls, the iron gate rusted and barely standing.
But when they pushed the door open—
"Oh?"
Qin Luo was surprised.
The interior was extravagantly luxurious!
A crystal chandelier cast warm light, the marble floors gleamed, the hallway was lined with priceless paintings, and a faint scent of incense lingered in the air.
"Did you… renovate the mental hospital?"
"Not us!"
Wang Yong shook his head. "It turned into this a few days ago after we returned from the Great Thousand Battlefield. Doctor Ya said it might be the influence of the world’s rules, causing the building to… ‘evolve.’"
Qin Luo pondered.
A place where the Chosen gathered, nourished by fate’s energy—it was possible.
Besides… if Doctor Ya was involved, that explained a lot.
Just then, Xiao Tian suddenly grabbed his sleeve, trembling. "D-Dean… it’s here again!"
"I—I feel cold! It must be here!"
"Hm?"
Qin Luo glanced around.
Then, as if realizing something,
he turned to look behind him.
Qin Luo narrowed his eyes.
There,
a small hand was clutching the hem of his sleeve.
Looking back at Xiao Tian and the others,
their faces were deathly pale, their lips purple.
Clearly, they had been tainted by malevolent energy.
"Leave first," Qin Luo said softly.
The four of them bolted like their lives depended on it.
Once they were gone, Qin Luo turned to the empty hallway and spoke gently:
"Little one, do you need something from me?"
His [Heavenly Eye] could perceive the unseen, so he could see spirits.
At the same time, his constitution repelled all evil entities.
Any spirit with ill intent couldn’t approach him.
Unless…
the spirit meant him no harm.
Silence.
A few seconds later, the air rippled slightly, and a petite figure slowly materialized.
Dressed in white, with long black hair, barefoot and floating three inches off the ground, her face as pale as paper—but her eyes were clear, devoid of malice.
A little girl in a white dress stood behind Qin Luo.
She tilted her head, staring intently at him.
"You… can see me?"
The girl blinked. "So… the rumors are true…"
"I can," Qin Luo nodded. "You know me? What rumors?"
Hearing this,
the girl’s eyes lit up. "The spirit world is buzzing about you! They say there’s a big brother named Qin Luo who helps ghosts fulfill their wishes!"
Qin Luo: "…"
Well, damn. He had a reputation in the supernatural community?
Though, to be fair, he did run into these things often.
"What’s your name? What do you need help with?"
"I’m Little He,"
the girl murmured, lightly tapping her toes against the floor. "I got separated from my grandpa… I can’t find my way home."
"Where’s your home?"
"By a small river… there’s a wooden boat. Grandpa always waits for me there…"
Qin Luo closed his eyes, performing a quick divination. After a moment, he smiled. "I’ll take you there tomorrow, alright? Today, I have to accompany the young miss."
Little He nodded obediently. "Okay!"
With that, her figure gradually faded away.
The next morning,
Qin Luo prepared meals in the fridge, left a note, and headed to the mental hospital alone.
Little He was already waiting at the entrance. When she saw him, she floated over happily.
"Let’s go."
Qin Luo took her icy little hand and flew in the direction his divination had pointed.
They passed through withered forests, crossed barren mountains, and finally stopped before a dry riverbed.
Along the way, Qin Luo even replied to a message from Su Muwan, amused.
Since when did the young miss wake up early to cook? How rare.
"Is this the place?"
Little He shook her head. "No… but Grandpa is here!"
She pulled free from Qin Luo’s grip and ran toward the center of the riverbed.
Qin Luo focused his gaze—
There, in the middle of the riverbed, stood a rickety wooden boat that hadn’t been there before.
At the bow was an old man in a straw raincoat, his face kind but just as pale as Little He’s.
"Grandpa!"
Little He threw herself into the old man’s arms.
Looking up, she beamed. "I like Qin Luo big brother!! So, so much!!"
The old man chuckled, patting her head before turning to Qin Luo with a grateful smile. "Thank you, young friend, for bringing my granddaughter home."
Qin Luo cupped his hands in respect. "It was nothing."
The next moment,
the old man reached into his robe and tossed something to Qin Luo—
A pitch-black token engraved with two words: [Nether River].
"If you’re ever interested, come visit the Nether River."
"With this token, you may pass freely!"
Before Qin Luo could respond, the scenery around him shifted violently!
Whoosh!
The withered trees, the riverbed, the wooden boat—all vanished!
Even the morning light had inexplicably turned into the dead of night!
??
Seriously? Spirits just come and go like that?
Qin Luo stood in the dark wilderness, the token icy in his palm.
"Nether River…"
He muttered the name, feeling like he’d heard it somewhere before.
Nether River… Nether River…
Then it hit him.
The Ferryman of the Nether River?!
That Nether River Sovereign?!
Qin Luo’s lips twitched. He pocketed the token.
No way it’s that much of a coincidence…
As he left,
far away, the branches of the Tree of Fate swayed without wind.
A golden silhouette slowly materialized, its gaze solemn as it watched Qin Luo and the spirit’s direction.
"The aura of the Lord of the Styx... Why is the Styx faction involved now?"
The golden shadow murmured, its tone laced with deep apprehension.
"This... complicates things immensely."
Now, all three factions had made their appearance.
The Heavenly Dao, the Abominations, and the Styx.
Sigh...
Original, did your script account for so many players?
Judging by the situation, the other two sides seem to want Qin Luo as well.
The mere thought of that peculiar Janitor made the golden shadow sigh softly.
Qin Luo... You truly are the most unique existence.
It's just a shame you were never destined to live an ordinary life.
And the one by your side... was never meant to stay with you.
After all...
She's nothing more than a Daughter of Destiny tainted by villainous fortune.
How could you possibly hold onto her...
amidst the struggle of so many forces?
......
......
Back to the present.
"So, that's everything that happened today... Uh, Young Mistress, are you okay?"
As Qin Luo spoke, he suddenly noticed Su Muwan had curled up under the blankets, trembling, only her pale face peeking out.
Tears welled in her eyes as she wailed, "You stupid Qin Luo! Why did you have to scare me with ghost stories, waaahhh!!"
"Get in here and sleep with me right now!"
"Huh? Young Mistress, I haven't even showered yet."
"Who cares! You're holding me tonight!"
"Alright, alright~~"
Hmm.
A young mistress afraid of ghosts—utterly adorable, no matter what!
ose... to cooperate with the protagonist! Shen Yuan: I have a system! Protagonist: What? System: Holy crap, you're just spilling it out like that? Shen Yuan: Let's team up, we'll split the system rewards! Protagonist: Fifty-fifty split? Shen Yuan: No way! Protagonist: What!? I'm the one getting beaten up, and I don't get half? Shen Yuan: Forty-sixty split, I get forty, you get sixty! Protagonist: Deal! Big brother, come on, hit me! As long as it doesn't kill me, beat me like you mean it! Shen Yuan: Don't worry... I will definitely protect all of you! No one but me can lay a finger on you! Guard our Heaven's Chosen Ones! I'm the only one allowed to bully them!
ress Kneels to Admit Wrong] [Dealing with Love-Struck Fools] [Forced to the Throne] Ren Tianye transmigrated into a female-oriented novel world, only to find everyone in it was utterly insane. He risked his life to save a young girl from barbarians, but was accused of arriving too late and branded the real murderer. He held a knife to a military officer's neck, demanding the troop tally, but the officer only cared about questioning his wife: "Do you not love me anymore? All these years of affection and time together, they were all a mistake, a mistake!" After seizing Yunji City, the original defending general, to save face with the Empress, knelt on the ground: "You must give Yunji City back to me, or I'll hang myself at the city gate and let everyone know you're a villain!" The young lord of the Duke's mansion, to please a woman, directly ordered a merchant: "The menstrual pads you buy for her must be studded with diamonds. Loving her means giving her the best." Having become a great general, he was about to marry a merchant's daughter, who set a pre-nuptial rule: "I can divorce you anytime. When that happens, you must give me half of your troops and soldiers!" Even the Empress was a severe love-struck fool, who ordered the execution of 70,000 elite troops simply because they stood in the way of her romance. Ren Tianye was speechless. He was done. Let it all burn! This deranged female-oriented novel world! ...
saw a female celebrity tied up and stuffed in the trunk! Little did he know, countless cameras were aimed at him at this moment - this was a new type of reality show. The first randomly selected passerby was caught in less than an hour. But when Xu Moru was selected, things started to take an unexpected turn. "Damn, this isn't how the script goes. This Xu Moru is too bold, he's not following the rules at all." "Crap, is this guy taking it seriously?" "The female celebrity has been scared to tears!"
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
