Chapter 268: I Really Am His Grandson

Volume 3: The Work of a Witch

“…”

After hearing Lu Yibei’s request, Jiang Li turned her head to look at the broken sword on the ground, pondered for a moment, and then nodded, “Alright.”

Lu Yibei was taken aback, “Huh? You agreed just like that? Don’t you want to come along?”

She had originally thought that getting this troublesome woman to agree to her acting alone in such a situation would require a lot of persuasion.

But to her surprise, Jiang Li agreed without much hesitation.

This amiable Jiang Li must have something wrong with her.

Could there be some kind of scheme?

Lu Yibei suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable.

Jiang Li shot Lu Yibei a glance and said indifferently, “What’s the point of following you?”

“Even if I tried to stop you, you’d probably spout a bunch of trash talk to distract me and then find a chance to slip away, right?”

“Wow, don’t act like you know me so well, okay? Be careful, or I might think you have a crush on me!” Lu Yibei teased.

Jiang Li tilted her head, looked at Lu Yibei’s cheeky expression, and rolled her eyes, “You’re overthinking it. I already have someone I like.”

Damn! What a bombshell! A girl who lives like a machine hunting hauntings actually likes someone? That’s not right! Lu Yibei thought to herself.

Her gossipy soul was instantly stirred. If it weren’t for the constraints of her current role, she could have pulled Jiang Li aside and chatted all night, digging out every bit of information about the guy.

As Lu Yibei was lost in thought, Jiang Li interrupted her, “Alright, have you figured out where you want to test these things?”

“Well…” Lu Yibei frowned slightly, “Wouldn’t any deserted place do?”

Jiang Li looked at Lu Yibei as if she were an idiot, shook her head, and said, “Of course not. Testing unknown psychic artifacts follows a strict protocol.”

Lu Yibei didn’t know what unpredictable consequences might arise from casually trying out psychic artifacts with unknown effects, but Jiang Li, who had been working for The Midnight Watchers Society for several years, knew all too well.

A few years ago, when she first joined The Midnight Watchers Society, she had the opportunity to see a catastrophe-class psychic artifact at the headquarters that resembled a matchlock gun.

According to the operator from The Midnight Watchers Society who introduced the artifact, the great explosion during the Tianqi era was subtly linked to that psychic artifact. It was suspected that someone had made a very reckless attempt without knowing the specific effects of the artifact.

Therefore, Jiang Li did not object to Lu Yibei trying out the psychic artifacts she had acquired that evening. However, for safety reasons, she absolutely could not let her act recklessly.

With this in mind, Jiang Li spoke in a serious tone, “Of course, we can’t just pick any random place. If you haven’t thought of a suitable location for testing, I can recommend one.”

“What place?” Lu Yibei asked curiously.

Jiang Li didn’t answer directly. Instead, she stood up, brushed off the dust from her clothes, and said, “Wait here for a moment. I’ll take you there.”

Ten minutes later.

On a road leading out of Hua City to the suburbs, a matte black sports motorcycle carrying two girls sped under the glow of orange streetlights.

On the back seat, Lu Yibei held onto Jiang Li’s slender, almost boneless waist, wearing her cat-eared helmet.

Inside the confined space of the helmet, a faint, lingering fragrance filled her nose.

The scent was pleasant, identical to the one that occasionally wafted from Jiang Li’s hair.

Having lived this long, Lu Yibei had never even held a girl’s hand, let alone experienced anything like this.

From the moment they left the riverside until they arrived at their destination, her mind was in a daze, filled with a jumble of unrealistic and potentially reportable fantasies. For once, she was unusually quiet.

By the time she snapped out of it, Jiang Li had already parked the bike near the ruins of the Floral Sunshine Resort Hotel.

“We’re here. Get off,” Jiang Li said calmly.

“Okay!” Lu Yibei responded, quickly withdrawing her hand from Jiang Li’s waist.

After getting off the bike and removing her helmet, Lu Yibei’s expression changed slightly as she saw the charred land and the skeletal remains of buildings a few hundred meters away.

“…”

Damn, why did she suddenly bring me here?

Has she had enough and decided to stop pretending, bringing the suspect to identify the crime scene?

As Lu Yibei nervously pondered, Jiang Li suddenly turned around, staring directly into her eyes, making her feel uneasy and almost ready to confess on the spot in hopes of leniency.

“Not long ago, a terrifying haunting was born here, causing significant damage. Now, all residents within a five-kilometer radius have been evacuated.”

“Due to the lingering psychic energy fluctuations, even the haunting itself is gone.”

“Here, you can fully unleash your abilities without worrying about harming innocent people,” Jiang Li explained.

So she still doesn’t know! Well, I do look quite different now compared to how I did back then… Lu Yibei thought to herself, secretly relieved.

Seeing Lu Yibei’s hesitant gaze and silent demeanor, Jiang Li mistakenly thought she was waiting for her to leave but didn’t know how to bring it up. So, she got on her bike alone, tying up her golden hair as she casually said to Lu Yibei, “I’ll head off then. Contact me when you’re done here.”

As her words faded, the hum of the engine gradually carried her out of Lu Yibei’s sight.

Watching Jiang Li’s figure disappear into the distance, Lu Yibei couldn’t shake the feeling that she seemed different from when they first met at The Midnight Watchers Society or in that burning building in this eerie place.

What exactly was different?

Lu Yibei couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

“Whatever, it’s none of my business how she’s changed!” Lu Yibei muttered, placing the guitar case on the ground. She crouched down, pulled out the ancient sword, and held it up to examine it closely. “The most important thing now is to study this ancient sword.”

“Calling me ‘grandson’ earlier, huh? Just wait, I’ll make you call me ‘daddy’ later!”

Lu Yibei placed the ancient sword on a jagged, soot-blackened rock, using the light from her phone to carefully inspect the broken blade that had cost her two ancestral kitchen knives.

The sword’s design resembled that of early bronze swords, with a willow-leaf shape and intricate openwork patterns. A faint glimmer of firelight seemed to flow through the patterns, though the broken blade made it impossible to see the full design.

What struck Lu Yibei as odd, however, was that this ancient sword had a guard.

She had once seen a miscellaneous book in Professor Ma’s office, which mentioned that swords from the Warring States period were “without guards or pommels.”

But this ancient sword, with its early bronze sword design, also had a ring-shaped, intricately crafted guard that rivaled modern lathe work. This combination was somewhat peculiar.

“Ugh-!”

Lu Yibei suddenly thought of a serious issue, taking a deep breath and muttering softly, “Oh no! Could it be a fake?”

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Lu Yibei quickly picked up the ancient sword, gently tapping the blade as she whispered, “Hey, hey, sword spirit? Are you there? Come out and greet me!”

“I am the sword’s bone, with a heart of iron and glass!”

“Baby, baby, turn around!”

…

Incorrect command. No response.

“…”

Lu Yibei shouted a few more times, but the ancient sword showed no reaction, making her increasingly anxious.

After paying such a high price, what if it turned out to be a fake? That would be a huge loss!

In a fit of frustration, she growled, “I’m your father!” and hurled a red flame flash at the sword.

A fiery red orb, the size of a washbasin, hurtled toward the broken sword. Just as it was about to hit the blade, it suddenly hovered in mid-air for two seconds. Then, the previously stagnant air around it seemed to awaken, transforming into a fierce gust of wind that swirled around the sword, creating a white vortex.

The black ash stirred up by the wind blinded Lu Yibei, forcing her to shield her face with her hands. In the darkness, she heard a resonant sound, like the tolling of bells and drums.

The majestic, profound sound felt like part of a sacred ritual, striking deep into her soul and cleansing her spirit.

Soon, everything fell silent.

Cautiously, Lu Yibei lowered her hands and looked at the broken sword, which remained unscathed despite being hit by what felt like twenty or thirty red flame flashes. Her eyes flickered with doubt and surprise.

Did it just… absorb my spell formation?

She glanced at the ground around the ancient sword, which had shed its charred appearance and returned to its natural soil color. Shaking her head, she dismissed her initial thought.

No, it wasn’t absorption. This feeling was more like…

Purification?

Impressive. This time, it wasn’t a loss-in fact, it might even be a small gain!

Lu Yibei secretly rejoiced as she reached out to pick up the ancient sword for a closer inspection. But then, something unexpected happened.

A pure, clear light, like a mountain spring, condensed around the broken blade. The steel’s majestic aura erupted from within, radiating in all directions.

The light grew brighter and more dazzling, tearing through the darkness and heralding the arrival of illumination.

The light emanating from the blade surged like an unstoppable torrent, carrying an indomitable, righteous force that sought to purify, dismantle, and destroy everything in its path.

Lu Yibei, unable to dodge in time, was instantly enveloped by the sword’s light. She shrugged helplessly, feeling her eyes grow hotter and hotter as strange, flowing lights began to appear before her. Resigned, she lay down on the ground, letting herself sink into darkness as she had done many times before.

As if countless times before, Lu Yibei felt herself gradually shattering, dispersing like an intangible gas, sinking deeper and deeper amidst a murmur of incomprehensible sounds.

Then, suddenly, her back touched the cold, hard ground, and she awoke on the familiar rooftop.

Opening her eyes and gazing at the sky, she was momentarily stunned. The familiar sky, though still heavily polluted and a dirty grayish-blue, was far more bearable compared to the previous times when it seemed as if the heavens were about to collapse and the world was on the brink of apocalypse.

“Hey, power leveler! I’m here! What’s the situation this time? Can you explain it to me?”

Lu Yibei shouted at the top of her lungs, sitting up with a sudden movement, her eyes scanning the area for the mysterious girl she strongly suspected was another version of herself. Instead, she was met with an unexpected scene.

On the dilapidated rooftop, a rusty water tank lay collapsed on the ground, a gentle breeze swirling the debris. The mysterious girl was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a man dressed in a dark robe, carrying a box on his back, with a long braid, as if he had traveled from ancient times, stood with his back to her, holding a sword.

And the sword in the man’s hand was none other than the ancient sword.

A complete ancient sword.

The archaic blade shimmered with a silvery light, at times transforming into blooming lotuses, at others into flying cranes and auspicious clouds, exuding a pure aura.

Lu Yibei, “…”

What the hell?

Not only has the poster girl disappeared, but now there’s this weird-looking uncle?

As Lu Yibei silently cursed the sudden appearance of the man while cautiously stepping back to maintain a safe distance, the sword-wielding man, as if sensing something, suddenly turned around.

Upon seeing the man’s face clearly, Lu Yibei’s pupils contracted violently, her body trembling slightly from the intense emotional shock.

That face, she knew it all too well. For over a decade, she had seen it almost every day.

Yes, the man looked almost exactly like her father, Lu Ming.

Oh no, oh no, oh no, I must have been happily sent away by that ancient sword.

Otherwise, how could I be seeing my father’s ghost?

Is this hell?

But doesn’t “The Midnight Tome” say that there’s no such thing as an underworld in this world?

…

As Lu Yibei was caught in an internal struggle, her mind flooded with trash talk like a barrage of subtitles, the man who looked strikingly like her father walked over and bowed slightly towards her.

“Greetings, young lady. I am Qing Ji. May I ask for your name?”

Lu Yibei, “…”

He doesn’t recognize me?

Right, right, even if my father saw me like this, he probably wouldn’t recognize me.

But what did he say his name was? Never mind, he’s definitely not normal!

“Wang Buliuxing,” Lu Yibei responded indifferently, her expression blank.

“Huh? Isn’t that…” Qing Ji scratched his cheek. Wasn’t that a medicinal herb used to promote blood circulation, stimulate menstruation, and reduce swelling? How could someone have that name?

However, out of respect for the young lady’s dignity, he ultimately refrained from asking Lu Yibei about it.

“Miss Wang, it’s a pleasure,” Qing Ji said politely, taking a few steps forward and sitting down cross-legged about two or three meters away from Lu Yibei.

Throughout the entire process, Lu Yibei kept scrutinizing the man before her, who bore an uncanny resemblance to her father, while remaining vigilant of the ancient sword he held.

Noticing Lu Yibei’s occasional glances toward the ancient sword in his hand, Qing Ji seemed to realize something and chuckled lightly, asking, “Oh ho, it seems the young lady is quite interested in the sword I hold?”

Lu Yibei didn’t dare to speak, only nodding her head repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice.

She was actually quite afraid of her father, and unfortunately, the man before her had a face identical to her father’s.

So…

She was scared!

“This is an heirloom of my sect, known as the Pure Lotus Sword. It’s just a pity…” As Qing Ji spoke, a hint of gloom flashed in his eyes, and he shook his head, “Never mind, never mind!”

“Speaking of which, I have a question that puzzles me, and I hope the young lady can enlighten me.”

Lu Yibei nodded weakly and said, “Go ahead.”

“What you see now should be a remnant image I left within the Pure Lotus Sword, originally intended as a final blessing for future generations. I just don’t understand how the Pure Lotus Sword ended up in your hands?”

As Qing Ji spoke, his expression remained unchanged, but his eyes suddenly turned cold. Though the change was subtle, it made Lu Yibei feel as if his demeanor had shifted dramatically, transforming from a gentle scholar into a swordsman capable of killing with a single strike.

“This… this…”

Lu Yibei stammered for a moment, her peripheral vision catching Qing Ji inching closer. As if making a firm decision, she clenched her teeth and blurted out, “It’s a family heirloom, yes, it’s been passed down in my family!”

“Oh?” Qing Ji narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Lu Yibei up and down, and asked, “May I ask, is your husband’s surname Lu?”

“…” Lu Yibei fell silent for a moment, feeling as though she was on the verge of grasping something important, yet she couldn’t be sure. She simply responded faintly, “Yes, how did you know?”

Upon hearing Lu Yibei’s affirmative response, Qing Ji’s furrowed brows relaxed, and the cold aura emanating from him gradually dissipated. A bitter smile appeared on his face as he sighed, “That’s right.”

“But I wonder, what is your husband’s name?”

“Lu, Lu Yibei…”

“Hmm?” Qing Ji frowned. “And what about Lu Yibei’s father’s name?”

“Lu Ming.”

“Still not right…” Qing Ji muttered, continuing to press, “And Lu Ming’s father?”

“Lu Bayi.” After saying this, Lu Yibei noticed Qing Ji’s furrowed brows and, anticipating further questions, quickly added, “Lu Bayi’s father was Lu Yuebo. Beyond that, I don’t know.”

“Right, right! Lu Yuebo is indeed my son!”

“…”

As Qing Ji’s words fell, an abrupt silence descended between the two, followed almost simultaneously by…

Both pointed at each other in astonishment and exclaimed, “You are my great-grandfather! / You are my great-great-granddaughter-in-law!”

Qing Ji, “…”

My great-great-granddaughter-in-law is so beautiful; my great-great-grandson really has some skills!

Truly worthy of being my descendant!

Lu Yibei, “…”

I was thinking of dealing with him, but it turns out I really am his descendant…

This is awkward. If I tell him now that I am Lu Yibei, would he grab his sword and clean up the family right here and now?

As Lu Yibei anxiously pondered, Qing Ji moved closer and asked, “Great-great-granddaughter-in-law, let me ask you, this sword was supposed to have been reforged into several kitchen knives and in Lu Yibei’s possession. Why did it suddenly restore itself? Could it be that something has happened at home?”

“Indeed, my husband has unfortunately passed away.”

Damn it, I’ll never lie again (this time only)!

As the old saying goes, one lie requires a hundred more to cover it up.

What a damnable behavior to curse oneself to death while still alive, you jerk!

Lu Yibei thought, holding her forehead, not daring to look at Qing Ji’s expression, and quietly awaited his response.

Then…

“Great-great-granddaughter-in-law, are you pregnant?”

Lu Yibei, “???”