The young man’s forehead hit the bluestone floor heavily, letting out a dull thud, pious and humble.
“Thank you for your mercy, Lady Ming, for granting this disciple a chance to try.”
His voice was hoarse and weak, carrying the airy breath of someone who had lost too much blood.
“It is because of this disciple’s dull aptitude and shallow cultivation that I failed to complete the tribute ritual, letting down your grace, Lady.”
“Regarding this outcome, this disciple has absolutely no complaints.”
With that, the young man slowly stood up. Dejected and lost, he turned around to pick up his backpack by the pillar, packing up to prepare to leave.
Just as he slung the backpack over his shoulders and was about to step over the temple threshold, Ming Yi, unable to watch any longer, spoke up.
“You’re just leaving like that?”
The young man paused in his tracks and turned back blankly. His clear eyes were filled with confusion, and his face still bore the lingering dejection from the failed ritual.
He turned around fully and bowed slightly, his tone respectful. “The ritual has already failed. This disciple is incompetent and does not dare to continue disturbing you, Lady. I wonder if you... still have any instructions?”
In his view, since the ritual had failed, it was already a great mercy that the Ghost Immortal did not punish him or condemn him. How could he dare to ask for anything else?
Although a Ghost Immortal had the word “Immortal” in their title, the word “Ghost” ultimately came first. It was only normal for them to be temperamental and unpredictable in their likes and dislikes.
At least, that was how it was recorded in the books, and that was how his master had taught him.
Ming Yi asked further, seemingly casual, “The ritual was not successful. If I were to task you with something now, would you truly feel no resentment in your heart? Do you not find it unfair?”
This casual disguise did not seem very clever to Bai Ci; the testing intent behind it was a bit too obvious.
Furthermore, with this way of questioning, whether the respondent truly felt no resentment or was merely pretending, the only answer that would ultimately come out of their mouth was that they had no complaints.
Because even if they genuinely harbored resentment, any fool would know that they had to swallow it at a time like this, unable to utter a single word of complaint.
Fortunately, these words were meant solely for the young man, and judging by his expression and reaction, he was indeed successfully fooled.
A newcomer who had just entered the professional world was pure to a terrifying degree.
Almost as soon as Ming Yi finished speaking, the young man immediately shook his head. His gaze was open and firm, without a single stray thought.
“The failure of the ritual is due to this disciple’s own insufficient cultivation and weak resolve. It is because I cannot meet your standard for tribute, Lady; it has nothing to do with you.”
“If you have any instructions, Lady, please command me. Although this disciple might be expelled from the association very soon, after several years of hard study, I have still learned a few skills and can get some things done properly.”
Even if the road ahead was bleak and dark, he still held onto his original heart and the moral principles taught by his sect.
Seeing that the young man still hadn’t realized what was happening, Bai Ci felt a bit like laughing.
“This silly child is truly pure and foolish.”
Huh?
Bai Ci froze. How did she seem to hear her own voice speaking?
The force confining her body had dissipated, and the control over her physical form, which had previously not belonged to her at all, was slowly flowing back bit by bit.
She could feel the existence of her body now.
This meant that the control over this body had been handed over to her by Ming Yi, even if only temporarily.
Bai Ci’s heart was filled with surprise.
Then, in the next second, her control over her vocal cords and throat briefly vanished for a few moments. After a familiar tongue-clicking sound, the control returned once more.
Taking back the vocal cords temporarily just to make that “tsk” sound?
From her understanding of the current situation and her general grasp of Ming Yi’s personality, combined with the undisguised disdain in that “tsk,” Bai Ci quickly understood what Ming Yi meant.
Clearly, Ming Yi was too lazy to waste any more words on the young man.
He was probably expressing his annoyance at how the person who passed his ritual and test turned out to be such a dull and rigid greenhorn.
And since the benevolent soul was awake now, he would just leave this matter to her. He had absolutely no desire to continue speaking with such a pure-minded, uncomplicated fool.
The young man had naturally heard Bai Ci’s remark about being “pure and foolish.”
The sudden shift in the vocal tone left the already dazed young man completely stunned.
He blinked hard and turned his head left and right in a daze, looking around.
Aside from himself and the statue, there was not another soul in the temple. Yet, that gentle female voice was undoubtedly real; he had heard it crystal clear.
Wasn't Lady Ming a male Ghost Immortal? What was with the female voice just now?
He was stunned for a few seconds, then spent another few seconds mentally preparing himself. With a flustered and helpless expression on his face, he tentatively asked in a low voice.
“Was... was the one speaking just now... you, Lady Ming?”
“I... this disciple isn’t that stupid, right? If you have something to entrust to me, I won't mess it up.”
Be that as it may, when saying this, the young man lacked confidence, causing the credibility of his words to plummet.
“It’s me.” Seeing him trying hard to act calm while actually panicking inside, Bai Ci laughed outright without giving him any face.
“I don't think I have anything to task you with. Rather, you’ve overlooked one thing.”
Upon hearing this, the young man’s body visibly tensed up.
With a deep frown, he lowered his head and frantically reviewed the entire ritual from start to finish, recalling it over and over again, desperately trying to figure out where he had slipped up or made a mistake.
Yet, no matter how he racked his brain, he couldn’t find a single flaw, let alone any so-called overlooked detail.
The more he thought, the more anxious he became. Fine sweat beaded on the tip of his nose, and his eyes were filled with confusion and anxiety. Standing there helplessly, he looked exactly like a student who couldn't answer an exam question.
Seeing the young man racking his brain in utter bewilderment, Bai Ci really couldn’t bear to play the riddle-monger any longer and continue making things difficult for this honest kid.
“Why are you so sure that the ritual failed?” she asked.
The young man whipped his head up. His expression and eyes were both filled with shock and disbelief, his voice trembling slightly. “Huh?”
“Didn't you realize the ritual succeeded?” Bai Ci even stated it directly.
“S... succeeded?”
The young man was stunned for a full two seconds. Once he confirmed he hadn't misheard, the previous gloomy atmosphere vanished instantly, replaced by a face glowing with the relief of a survivor.
He hadn’t messed up the task entrusted to him by his sect, and he wouldn't be expelled from the association.
The immense joy rushed to his head, almost making him lose his composure and cheer out loud.
But once he snapped out of it, he immediately fell to his knees and kowtowed heavily several times toward the statue. Each knock was powerful, genuine, and filled with the utmost devotion.
“Thank you, Lady Ming! Thank you for your mercy, Lady!”
When he raised his head, the rims of his eyes were slightly red.
“This disciple, Wu Daoqing, is favored by Lady Ming today to form a tribute contract.”
“For the rest of my life, this disciple will strictly uphold moral principles, practice diligently, exorcise demons and vanquish evil, sweep away the world’s wicked spirits, and protect the peace of this region. I will certainly not fail your deep affection and expectations, Lady Ming.”
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