Xiuxian County was a slow-paced old town, free from the noisy bustle of a metropolis. Bluestone roads wound and intersected, old alleys crisscrossed, and the air was thick with the comforting warmth of daily life.
As such, Bai Ci had a wonderful time wandering around. Back when she was still alive, she had never had the time to travel and visit places with such antique charm.
Seeing how happy she was and how she found everything so novel, Ming Yi let her have control of the body for longer periods of time.
During this period, Ming Yi's inquiries to other Ghost Immortals finally received some replies.
Initially, he had sent messages via red cloth birds, sending mass inquiries to several veteran Ghost Immortals he knew. He had wanted to find out what to watch out for after a benevolent soul awakened, and how to nurture her.
Although the messages had been sent to several different Ghost Immortals, the replies were unanimous: none of them knew.
Normally, a Ghost Immortal had to absorb the benevolent soul formed from incense and prayers to stabilize their own soul state, ensuring they wouldn't be consumed by past hatred and resentment, before they could advance further.
Even if they temporarily shelved the benevolent soul for a time without absorbing it, there had never been a case where a benevolent soul developed an independent will.
A case like Ming Yi's—where the benevolent soul was preserved and even gained consciousness—was unheard of.
It wasn't just rare; it was completely unprecedented.
Therefore, as for how to nurture an awakened benevolent soul and what precautions to take, let alone these Ghost Immortals of the same rank, even existences of a higher realm would likely be unable to find an answer.
Other than saying they didn't know, what else could they possibly say?
Ming Yi showed the replies to Bai Ci. Although he didn't need to physically show them to her—since she could see them through his eyes anyway—he still made the superfluous gesture of passing them over.
Whether she could learn divine abilities, and what kind of divine abilities she could learn, was entirely unknown. This much was clear from the replies.
This gesture was his way of expressing an optimistic, encouraging attitude.
In contrast to his optimism, however, was Bai Ci's own understanding of the situation.
Even before seeing the replies, she knew she would absolutely never be able to learn them.
Because this was an unlimited flow instance, not some quick-wear web novel world. How could the Anomalous Infection possibly allow players to easily learn supernatural methods outside of their class skills?
Otherwise, if every player could just learn exorcism spells and bypass the restrictions of classes and artifacts, the entire evaluation system of the Anomalous Infection would collapse, and the system would break down sooner or later.
Having figured this out, Bai Ci dismissed any thoughts of practicing orthodox divine abilities.
Since she couldn't learn native divine abilities, her only option was to disguise what she did have.
She still needed to figure out how to disguise Gluttony as a divine ability.
However, she couldn't afford to be completely ignorant. She needed to learn some basic concepts first—like supernatural lore, the heavenly master system, and the methods of Ghost Immortals.
Only then could she explain the effects of Gluttony in a logical way without giving herself away.
Thus, Bai Ci took the initiative to make a request to the dormant Ming Yi.
“Ming Yi, I want to read ancient texts on anomalies, heavenly master scriptures, and the local miscellaneous records of Xiuxian County. I want to read everything related to them.”
Ming Yi was slightly surprised. Once Bai Ci relinquished control of their throat, he smoothly took over and asked, “What use do you have for these mundane books?”
“Divine abilities cannot be rushed, and forcing them is useless,” Bai Ci replied calmly.
“But since I also bear the name of Lady Ming, I must at least know some of the basics. If someone comes to the shrine seeking help in the future and I know absolutely nothing, it would be too embarrassing and make you lose face.”
These words instantly struck a chord with Ming Yi.
He could be lazy and disinclined to deal with mundane matters, but he absolutely would not tolerate being looked down upon.
And he wouldn't allow Bai Ci to be looked down upon, either.
After all, she was also a part of him.
In the days that followed, Bai Ci completely settled into a peaceful, relaxed routine of spending her days reading.
As for Ming Yi, he took a completely hands-off approach, silently observing the entire time. He neither interfered nor offered guidance, leaving her to figure things out on her own.
This peaceful lifestyle continued for about ten days. Then, early one morning, someone arrived.
It was Wu Daoqing.
He walked in with a respectful bow. His features were still youthful, but his brow carried a heavy, somber exhaustion.
He carried fresh incense, candles, and tributes. With practiced, devout movements, he walked straight to the altar, lit three sticks of sandalwood incense, and respectfully placed them into the burner.
Having done all this, he did not pray or kowtow like a normal pilgrim. Instead, he pulled out a small knife and, without hesitation, sliced open the inside of his wrist.
Warm, crimson blood slowly seeped out, dripping entirely into the ashes of the incense burner, repeating the tribute ritual from about half a month ago.
Normally, the contract tributes of the Heavenly Master lineage were offered once a month. Not even half that time had passed, yet here he was, arriving early with a bag full of offerings.
This sudden, abrupt visit felt incredibly out of the ordinary.
“An unsolicited offer of service is rarely without ulterior motives.”
Ming Yi briefly took control, commenting on the situation with his usual sharp sarcasm, instantly exposing the young man's hidden motives.
Hearing this, Wu Daoqing froze, his knife halting against his wrist. His face flushed a rapid succession of colors, utterly mortified and at a loss for words.
He pursed his lips tightly, stammering for a long time without being able to string a coherent sentence together. His eyes darted around, not daring to look up at the statue.
Seeing the young man's intense embarrassment, Bai Ci helplessly took full control of the body and softened her tone.
She deliberately chose a gentle, soothing tone to wash away the intimidating pressure of the male voice.
“There is no need to be so tense.”
“Since you have come to offer a tribute, you must have a request.”
“Since we are bound by a tribute contract and I accept your incense, I will help resolve your troubles. There is no need to be so cautious or try to curry favor.”
“You may speak plainly. I will not go back on my word.”
Wu Daoqing's tense shoulders instantly relaxed, and the apprehension in his heart dissipated.
Over the past few weeks, he had repeatedly recalled their first meeting, believing he had already figured out the pattern.
Lady Ming seemed to have two completely different voices, and her temperament was like night and day depending on which one spoke.
The male voice was cold, harsh, and intimidatingly majestic, while the female voice was gentle, benevolent, peaceful, and very easy to talk to.
He had privately flipped through countless ancient texts and supernatural records, secretly coming up with an explanation he deemed reasonable.
He hypothesized that since Lady Ming was a protective deity of the region who watched over women and children, her default state was to use a gentle female voice to be closer to common folk.
If she encountered evil spirits or wicked people, or became displeased, she would reveal her fierce, ghostly nature, transforming into a chilling male voice to deter them.
This hypothesis was deeply rooted in his mind. He had never dared to reveal it to anyone, fearing he might offend her, keeping it entirely to himself.
Alongside his reverence, he had also figured out how to interact with her.
This led to a simple logic: when her Ladyship was in a bad mood, the male voice spoke; when she was in a good mood, the female voice spoke.
Hearing the gentle female voice now, Wu Daoqing completely cast aside his worries. He took a deep breath, looked up, and spoke honestly.
“Replying to your Ladyship, this disciple has indeed encountered a thorny matter. At my wits' end, I had no choice but to come to you for help.”
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