Chapter 215: Go Back
A stack of tax books had dwindled down to the last page.
Yu Guang turned over the final sheet and announced to the group of youths, “All the missions are complete.”
The group had already calculated this themselves and knew the end of their tasks was near.
At first, they were thrilled.
They could feel their own growth—where before their legs would shake at the sight of an evil spirit, and an entire squad was needed to kill even one, now two or three people could handle one together.
Those more skilled, like Pei Wenjue or Ban Ying, could even take one down alone.
It was something they couldn’t have imagined before.
Even compared to their predecessors, who had been training under the Exorcism Bureau for years, they were arguably stronger.
The power they cultivated within themselves had grown significantly, and even the occurrences of divine resonance when wielding consecrated weapons had increased.
With such rapid progress, how could they not be happy?
Moreover, the past three months had been like living as vagabonds—occasionally camping out in the wilderness, constantly enduring the stench of evil spirits, and eating barely tolerable food.
Though they had gradually gotten used to it and could bear it, longing for their soft, fragrant beds and delicious home-cooked meals was only natural.
To say they were happy would not be entirely accurate.
The time to return was just around the corner, and the problems they had been avoiding were now right before their eyes.
They had stolen the task books and run away, repeatedly driving off the squads from the Exorcism Bureau over the past three months, thoroughly offending them.
When they had done it, they had felt elated, thinking they could deal with any consequences later. But now that it was time to go back, everyone was feeling a bit uneasy.
It didn’t take much thought to know that punishment was inevitable once they returned.
While worrying about themselves, they were even more concerned about their big brother. As the one in charge, their big brother had no one backing him. No one knew if the academy’s teachers could protect him.
Unable to sleep, a group of youths gathered secretly that night, avoiding their big brother to discuss ideas.
One suggested hiding their big brother in a secluded courtyard at home to lie low for a while.
Another proposed having him disguise himself and sneak back into Zhuzhou to scout the situation.
Eventually, the group started arguing, their voices growing louder and louder. Forgetting it was supposed to be a secret meeting, they ended up shouting at each other.
Yu Guang, who was in the next room, knocked on the wall to remind them to keep it down and not disturb others in the middle of the night. Only then was the “conspiracy” reluctantly disbanded.
…
The next day, everyone had dark circles under their eyes.
“Big Brother, are we really going back to Zhuzhou now?” Pei Wenjue hesitantly asked.
“The job is done, so of course, we have to go back,” Yu Guang replied, completely oblivious to everyone’s concerns about him.
Suddenly, Shi Bai spoke up. “The job isn’t done yet.”
He pointed at Yu Yin, his expression somewhat stiff. “He asked me to tell you, ‘There’s still a place with evil spirits.’”
Everyone couldn’t help but look at Yu Yin, but their gazes quickly slid away from his face, never lingering for more than three seconds.
It was obvious to everyone that Yu Yin had been in a bad mood these past few days.
The oppressive, gloomy aura surrounding him seemed almost tangible, as if it could condense into a raincloud and wring out dark, heavy raindrops above their heads.
Even Shi Bai didn’t dare provoke him and spent the whole day obediently trailing behind him like a little shadow.
“How does Little Brother know where there’s still an evil spirit?”
“If there really is an evil spirit, we’ll definitely need to go there. It looks like we can’t go back just yet.”
Shi Bai relayed what Yu Yin had told him in his mind: “The evil spirit is at Tiantai…”
Before he could finish, Yu Guang interrupted, “Youngest, come talk to me over here.”
…
Outside the house, Yu Guang handed a small stick to Yu Yin and gestured for him to write.
Yu Yin used the stick to write on the layer of dirt on the ground: “Tiantai Township, Zhen Family Pearl Farm.”
Zhuzhou had been famous for its pearl production since ancient times, earning its name due to the high-quality pearls it produced.
Families like Pei Wenjue’s Pei family and Ban Ying’s Ban family all owned pearl farms.
However, the largest pearl producer in Zhuzhou was the Zhen family, who owned several farms across the region. The one in Tiantai Township was the most peculiar of them all.
No one knew the secrets of the Zhen family’s pearl farm in Tiantai Township better than Yu Yin.
For years, in pursuit of higher-quality pearls, the Zhen family had secretly raised a demon ghost in Tiantai Township.
The shell demon improved the quality of their pearls, allowing the Zhen family to maintain a unique status and reap enormous profits.
In exchange, the Zhen family created evil spirits in Tiantai Township to feed the shell demon, sustaining a mutually beneficial relationship.
The reason Yu Yin knew all of this so well was that, in his previous life, that shell demon had eventually become one of his subordinates.
After the Silk Nest took control of Zhuzhou, the Zhen family was the first to secretly align themselves with him.
As subordinates, the Zhen family had a keen sense of timing, contributing vast sums of money and offering the finest pearls annually to the Silk Nest.
On the side of the Exorcism Bureau, it was the Zhen family who had been passing him information.
Even the shell demon feared him. Its woven mirage dreams were amusing, and aside from its insatiable appetite, there wasn’t much about it he disliked.
However, it was unfortunate for the shell demon that Yu Yin had only one stance toward his subordinates—sacrifice them when needed.
Loyal subordinate from a past life? If it were truly loyal, it should feel grateful to become his nourishment. If it resisted, could it still be called loyal? It deserved to be devoured.
Right now, Yu Yin only wanted to strengthen his power as quickly as possible. He could hardly wait to go and consume that shell demon.
The only regret was that, aside from creating mirage dreams, the shell demon wasn’t particularly strong. Consuming it might only barely allow him to pierce through Yu Guang’s golden light protective barrier.
Unfortunately, his stronger subordinates were either too far from Zhuzhou or hadn’t yet matured. Otherwise, if he could devour them all, how could he possibly fail to contend with Yu Guang?
Yu Guang suddenly flicked his pale forehead with his fingers.
“Got it. Before we return to Zhuzhou, we’ll first head to Tiantai Township,” he said.
He glanced at Yu Yin with an odd expression and sighed softly.
…
When Yu Guang announced to the group of boys heading toward the heavens that they were going to Tiantai Township, they reacted like students on the last day of vacation suddenly told they had one extra day off. In unison, they wore smiles as if narrowly escaping doom.
“I remember Tiantai Township is near the sea. We can go to the beach while we’re there!”
“Isn’t it a bit far? It might take two or three days. Should we grab some dry rations before we go?”
As they chatted excitedly, they suddenly heard Yu Guang say, “This time, I’ll go with Youngest. The rest of you can head back to Zhuzhou City first.”
Everyone froze: “…”
After a moment of stunned silence, they collectively burst into wails of protest.
“Big Brother, how could you leave us behind?!”
“Nooo! Big Brother, please take us with you!”
“Why isn’t Big Brother taking us with him? Is he tired of us? I promise I won’t complain about the rough conditions anymore, okay? Waaaah!”
Yu Guang easily shoved aside the boys who tried to throw themselves at him, one with each hand. “You all should just head home first. For those who can’t return home, go back to the Divine Academy for now. Someone will come to pick you up.”
“Oh, and Shi Bai, take him back to the academy with you as well.”
No one could change Big Brother’s decision. The group of boys, wearing expressions as if the sky had fallen, watched tearfully as Yu Guang and Yu Yin left together.
No matter how long they waited and stared after them, Big Brother didn’t turn back or change his mind. Left with no choice, they trudged toward Zhuzhou City with drooping heads.
What could be scarier than going back to face punishment? It was the thought of Big Brother not being with them to face it.
“I was hoping that if Big Brother returned with us, at least we could take the brunt of the punishment for him,” Pei Wenjue said.
“Even though I’m worried, Big Brother must have his reasons,” Ban Ying added.
After spending three months in the wilderness, the towering walls of Zhuzhou City felt strangely unfamiliar.
Before they even reached the city gates, a Pei family carriage was already waiting by the roadside. A trembling old steward and a young servant stood on the official road, watching anxiously.
“Young Master!” The servant waved vigorously at Pei Wenjue.
“It’s terrible, Young Master! The Master’s illness has taken a turn for the worse. He’s on the verge of passing! You must hurry back to see him!” the old steward said with a tearful face.
Hearing this, Pei Wenjue’s heart clenched, but he quickly calmed down and asked suspiciously, “You’re not trying to trick me into going home first, are you?”
“Young Master, how could we joke about the Master’s life?! You know his health has always been poor. With you gone for three months without any word, the Master worried about you every day, and it has worsened his condition,” the old steward replied, wiping his tears.
Pei Wenjue’s expression turned guilty. He hesitated, glancing back at his companions.
Ban Ying persuaded him, “You should go back and check on your father first. If anything happens, we’ll let you know.”
Pei Wenjue hurried back to see his critically ill father, leaving the group.
The others continued on with heavy hearts, but they hadn’t gone far before two more groups arrived.
The first group consisted of servants from the Chen family, who had come to fetch Wu Jin.
“Young Master, the Madam asks you to return home,” they said.
Wu Jin waved them off. “You go on ahead. I’ll return on my own later.”
Although the Chen family servants addressed him as “Young Master,” Wu Jin was the child his mother had brought into the Chen family after remarrying. He still bore the surname of his deceased biological father, Wu, and had never changed his name.
The Chen family servants didn’t dare insist and reluctantly stayed nearby.
The second group was looking for Ming Yu.
Ming Yu’s family was also a prominent one. This time, it was his elder brother who came personally. With a stern face, his brother scolded him a few times but didn’t force him to return immediately. Instead, he lingered, subtly positioning himself as a protector for the group of students.
At the city gate, someone from the Ban family waited. It was Ban Ying’s wet nurse, who quietly told her about the main household’s concern and longing for her.
“Even the Second Miss misses you a lot. You’ve suffered quite a bit these past few months, haven’t you? Just look at your clothes and hair! Come back with Nanny Ying and tidy yourself up.”
“Nanny Ying, let me escort them back to the academy first, and then I’ll return,” Ban Ying replied.
From the outskirts of the city, family members and servants arrived one after another to collect their own. For this stretch of the journey, no one from the Exorcism Bureau appeared, likely due to an unspoken understanding reached after months of back-and-forth between the Bureau and several families.
Once they entered the city, two instructors from the Divine Academy came to take charge of the remaining students who had no family to fetch them. Shi Bai was also taken back to the academy.
Finally, Ban Ying bid farewell to Wu Jin and Ming Yu, and the three of them returned to their respective homes.
On her way back to the Ban family, Ban Ying couldn’t help but think that Big Brother must have foreseen everything unfolding this way.
Each of them had someone to rely on. As long as they didn’t appear alongside Big Brother, their families would take them in.
Was Big Brother deliberately drawing all the attention to himself? Did he intend to shoulder the entire burden alone?
By choosing not to appear with them today and then showing up on his own later, he would leave the Exorcism Bureau—already holding a grudge against him—with no reservations. They likely wouldn’t let him off easily.
And on top of that, he had Yu Yin with him.
Zhuzhou City was as bustling as ever, seemingly unchanged since they had left.
But Ban Ying could sense the oppressive tension of an impending storm, making it hard for her to breathe.
Thinking back on the past three months, those carefree days, she realized she might never experience such freedom and joy again in her life.
Even if this matter was resolved, they wouldn’t be able to go back to the way things were before.
Ban Ying smiled bitterly. She could already imagine how her father would reprimand her once she returned. Perhaps he would even insist on finalizing her engagement to the Zhen family ahead of schedule.
*
Meanwhile, on the road to Tiantai Township, Yu Guang and Yu Yin sat at a small roadside stall eating.
With the sudden absence of the noisy group of boys, even Yu Yin felt a brief moment of unfamiliar quiet.
In his dim vision, apart from his bright, golden Big Brother, there had always been over thirty faint golden figures flickering around.
Over the past three months, those faint figures had grown brighter and brighter. Although they couldn’t compare to his big brother, together, they resembled a group of walking lanterns.
“It’s much quieter without them chattering in my ear,” Yu Guang said, placing his empty bowl on top of the stack beside him.
“Let’s go, Youngest. Let’s finish up here quickly and reunite with them soon!”
