Chapter 134 - 131: Happy New Year

Chapter 134: Chapter 131: Happy New Year

Jiang Chaosheng’s pupils contracted sharply.

’Bacteria from a Deity?’

He had been exploring the secret of the Deities’ fall.

’And now, Liu Weiqian has actually found a trace of the Deities?’

Jiang Chaosheng thought to himself that he had found the right person.

He feigned nonchalance and said,

"I heard you announced your death to the public."

Liu Weiqian paused for a moment, then nodded.

"The things I’m researching are too dangerous."

"Until I get results, it’s safest to cut ties with my family."

Jiang Chaosheng said,

"If you need help, you can look for Xia Li."

Liu Weiqian replied,

"Xia Li has already provided me with a high-precision research lab. I’ll be going to run my experiments now, sir."

With that, Liu Weiqian prepared to stand and leave.

"Wait."

Jiang Chaosheng suddenly stopped Liu Weiqian.

Liu Weiqian turned back to look at Jiang Chaosheng, his eyes filled with suspicion.

Jiang Chaosheng pursed his lips.

"Today is New Year’s Eve. Stay for dinner. It’ll be more lively."

Liu Weiqian was stunned.

Before he "left," he had instructed Liu Tianci to keep the funeral simple and not let it interfere with the family’s New Year celebration.

The members of the Liu Family from all over the country would have returned to Li Jiang City. It must be very lively.

A slow smile spread across Liu Weiqian’s face.

"Okay."

Jiang Chaosheng glanced at the Evil Crow perched on the candlestick.

"Serve the tea."

The Evil Crow flew down, grasping the teapot in its talons. It flew to the front of the table and muttered,

"Little guy, drink the tea poured by Master Hei, and I guarantee you’ll live another hundred years."

Liu Weiqian stared at the Evil Crow in astonishment.

’This talking Crow... called me ’little guy’?’

...

Night fell, and fireworks and firecrackers began to go off outside.

Jiang Chaosheng walked outside, leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, and gazed at the brilliant night sky. The magnificent fireworks were reflected in his pupils.

There wasn’t a single person on Anxiang Street tonight; it was utterly deserted.

During a holiday meant for reunion, this old street felt like a world apart.

Just then, the black shadow on Jiang Chaosheng’s wrist stirred. It transformed into a tiny figure, which bowed to Jiang Chaosheng with clasped hands.

Jiang Chaosheng glanced at the little figure.

"What is it?"

The little figure began to speak.

"My esteemed master, the world’s greatest Mr. Dusk."

"Your most loyal servant, Happy Ghost Yang Xiao, offers you his most sincere blessings."

"I wish you a new year full of happiness and joy, free from all troubles."

Jiang Chaosheng was silent for a moment.

"Where are you?"

The little figure continued to bow.

"In a place you cannot see, silently looking up to you, protecting you, admiring you..."

Jiang Chaosheng looked toward the ground not far away.

"Come out."

The little figure:

"Right away."

Across the street, shadows gathered.

Yang Xiao climbed out of a black hole of shadow and walked toward them.

As he walked, he rubbed his hands together to cover his awkwardness and chuckled sheepishly.

"I wasn’t slacking off, really. The Cleaner Fish team is still up and running. I just missed you and wanted to come see you."

Jiang Chaosheng jerked his head toward the shop behind him.

"Come on in. We’re about to have New Year’s Eve dinner."

Yang Xiao froze for a second.

"I can come in for New Year’s?"

Jiang Chaosheng was silent for a moment.

"Who doesn’t want to have a proper New Year’s?"

He wasn’t the one who said that.

He couldn’t say something with so much warmth.

It was something his mother had said to him.

Yang Xiao was as happy as a child, skipping and hopping into Antique Shop Zero.

Soon, he came hopping back out, holding a bag of fried grasshoppers.

The indignant voice of the Evil Crow echoed from inside Antique Shop Zero.

"You’re not a damn bird! Why the hell are you eating grasshoppers?!"

Yang Xiao ignored him and joined Jiang Chaosheng in watching the splendor in the sky.

After a while, Daji came down from upstairs, holding a trench coat, and draped it over Jiang Chaosheng’s shoulders.

Yang Xiao looked at Daji and said with a grin,

"The Mistress and Master are so affectionate. This humble one wishes you a life of inseparable love!"

Daji’s pretty face flushed with shyness. She secretly glanced at Jiang Chaosheng, only to see his gaze fixed on the end of the street.

Soon, a red Ferrari drove up.

A purple-haired beauty with a stunning figure stepped out of the car.

The Jealousy Witch, Jin Meiting.

She glanced at Jiang Chaosheng, took a pile of tea leaves from the car, walked up to him, and said timidly,

"Master, a New Year’s gift for you."

With great tact, Yang Xiao took the tea. Then, with a complete lack of tact, he asked Jin Meiting if she wanted to try some fried grasshoppers.

Jin Meiting ignored Yang Xiao. Looking at the expressionless Jiang Chaosheng, she lowered her gaze.

"Well, Master, I’ll be going then."

She wanted to stay, but she didn’t have the face to.

After all, she was the one who had insisted on leaving Antique Shop Zero in the first place.

Jiang Chaosheng said,

"Upstairs, there’s just a kid and an old man making dumplings. Go help them."

Jin Meiting froze for a second, her eyes reddening. She said, pleasantly surprised,

"Okay!"

With that, she ran inside, her high heels clacking.

Jiang Chaosheng watched Jin Meiting run upstairs, then turned his gaze to Yang Xiao.

Yang Xiao shrugged helplessly and complained,

"That woman has no sense at all!"

"Someone offers her something to eat, and she doesn’t even know to accept it."

Daji actually burst out laughing at Yang Xiao’s antics.

Jiang Chaosheng said,

"Almost everyone is here. We’re just missing one more."

Yang Xiao smiled and nodded.

"I’ll go get Xia Li right now."

When Yang Xiao was being foolish, he was laughably so; but when it was time to be smart, he was sharper than anyone.

He understood Jiang Chaosheng very well. When Jiang Chaosheng said something without naming names, he knew exactly what he meant.

...

「South Sea, a high-end apartment, on a high floor.」

Soothing music played in the living room.

Xia Li, dressed in a red silk robe, carried a bottle of red wine to the floor-to-ceiling window and sat on the sofa.

Ever since she killed her own younger brother, she had been all alone in the world.

In truth, even when her brother was alive, he would be out fooling around on New Year’s Eve.

Xia Li was used to opening a bottle of red wine on New Year’s Eve and quietly accepting the ensuing hangover.

When she woke up the next day, it would be a new workday for the workaholic Female President.

Xia Li muttered,

"Is the air conditioner broken? Why is it so cold?"

Just then, a smiling face made of a Ghost Shadow suddenly appeared on the window.

Immediately after, a few crooked words appeared around the smiling Ghost Shadow.

"Hey there, gorgeous Xia Li, Happy New Year!"

Xia Li tucked her hair back, a seductive smile on her face.

"Happy New Year to you too. Where are you now?"

The Ghost Shadow writing on the window vanished and reformed into new words:

"Antique Shop Zero."

A trace of envy appeared in Xia Li’s eyes.

"Ah, you’re with the Master?"

Ghost Shadow words:

"And the very clueless Jin Meiting."

A hint of disappointment flickered in Xia Li’s eyes.

"She’s there too, huh."

Ghost Shadow words:

"You’re the only one missing!"

Xia Li froze for a second.

"The only one missing is me?"

Ghost Shadow writing:

"Hurry! The dumplings are almost ready!"

Xia Li scrambled to her feet.

The apartment suddenly didn’t seem so cold anymore.

Xia Li quickly got dressed and ran into her storage room.

She looked around the room full of luxury goods, grabbed a case of high-end red wine and her car keys, and hurried downstairs.

...

Xia Li rushed into Antique Shop Zero, travel-worn, and the first thing she saw was Daji standing at the entrance, staring blankly at the fireworks.

She froze, stunned by Daji’s beauty.

Daji gave her a small smile.

Xia Li grew reserved.

"H-hello."

Yang Xiao ran out of Antique Shop Zero and, laughing, introduced them.

"This is the Mistress."

Xia Li glanced in astonishment at Daji, whose pretty face was slightly flushed.

’Only a peerless beauty like her could be worthy of the Master’s magnificent style.’

Xia Li asked,

"Where is the Master?"

Yang Xiao said,

"He went to the back room. Let’s go in and help serve the food."

...

「The back room.」

Jiang Chaosheng stood before the Dragon Pearl.

From within the Dragon Pearl, the Elder Dragon’s utterly venomous roars echoed continuously:

"Give me back my son! Give me back my son!"

Jiang Chaosheng said softly,

"Elder Dragon, Happy New Year."

The voice inside the Dragon Pearl fell silent.

Slowly, the Elder Dragon’s voice emerged.

"Happy New Year, sir."

Jiang Chaosheng gently caressed the Dragon Pearl.

"Don’t worry, I will find the killer."

"And then, I will let you take revenge with your own hands."

The bitter laugh of the Jing River Dragon King came from the Dragon Pearl:

"I am just a wisp of resentment. I don’t even have a body."

Jiang Chaosheng said,

"There is a Taboo Item that can serve as a physical body for a departed soul to possess. When I find it, you can be revived."

Taboo number: 3-12, the Slaughter Scarecrow.

Any vengeful spirit or negative emotion can possess the Slaughter Scarecrow.

While gaining the Slaughter Scarecrow’s power, they also gain the mobility of a normal human.

The Jing River Dragon King said excitedly,

"Thank you for your mercy, sir."

...

Jiang Chaosheng walked to the back door. He lit three sticks of incense before the Vengeful Ghost Vintage Car and placed offerings of fruit and a roasted chicken in front of its grille.

The Ghost Souls inside the Vengeful Ghost Vintage Car peeked their heads out.

The family of three, all in a row, looked utterly confused.

They couldn’t understand what Jiang Chaosheng was doing.

Jiang Chaosheng glanced at them.

"I don’t know the customs abroad, but this is how it’s done in the Xia Kingdom."

The smoke drifted into the car, and the faces of the ghost family of three showed an intoxicated bliss.

...

Jiang Chaosheng returned to Antique Shop Zero.

The members of the Taboo Association, who had been chatting and laughing, fell silent the moment Jiang Chaosheng arrived.

Jiang Chaosheng silently walked to the head of the table, picked up the glass of red wine that had already been filled for him, and raised it.

"Everyone, Happy New Year."

The members of the Taboo Association broke into smiles, and the lively atmosphere at the dinner table returned.

Xia Li and Liu Weiqian were eagerly discussing matters of the laboratory.

Daji raised her glass to Jiang Chaosheng.

"Husband, please drink."

Yang Xiao, on the other hand, raised his glass with a grin.

"Master, Mistress, a toast to you both!"

A faint smile touched the corner of Jiang Chaosheng’s mouth.

"Alright."

Meanwhile, the Evil Crow quietly nudged Helian and gestured toward Yang Xiao with its beak.

"Kid, you’ll most likely be sticking with that most clueless guy in the future. Better sweet-talk him a bit."

Helian blinked, unsure of what to do. He could only raise his glass of red wine to Yang Xiao and say,

"Um, big brother, let’s drink."

Yang Xiao said casually,

"Sure."

Suddenly, Yang Xiao paused and whipped his head around.

He stared intently at Helian, as if trying to see right through him.

Yang Xiao seemed to understand something and let out a laugh.

"I like you."

This kid was a living Demon.

.....

PS: Happy New Year, bros.

Jiang Chaosheng:

"We’ve had enough to drink. Let’s give our New Year’s greetings to the bros."

Yang Xiao (clasping his hands in a fist):

"Wishing all the bros find a patron who recognizes your talent!"

Daji (glancing at Jiang Chaosheng):

"Wishing everyone finds the love they seek and a heart to call home this new year."

Evil Crow:

"Wishing the bros buffer-free ’short films’!"

Old Dragon King:

"Blessing everyone with family reunions in the new year."

"May fathers be kind, and sons be filial."

Xia Li:

"May you all get rich. Just a little bit richer than me is fine!"

Liu Weiqian (glancing at Xia Li):

"May you all achieve academic success. Just a little more successful than me is fine."

Everyone looked at Jiang Chaosheng:

"What about you, sir?"

Jiang Chaosheng took out a diary and said seriously,

"My thanks to Taishang Wangqing for the 588 tip, to Xingyu Muyan for the 1666, to Yi Guang for the 1666, to ’No Wings But Wants To Fly’ for the 1666, and to Xingyu Muyan again for the 588."

Jiang Chaosheng closed the diary and took out the Wishing Stone.

"Whatever wishes you have, say them out loud! Antique Shop Zero is footing the bill!"

A certain reader:

"More Chapters!"

Bell on the Peach Tree:

"Sob sob sob~ After the New Year passes, I’ll definitely release a ton of Chapters!"

"I’m in the countryside, it’s so inconvenient to write!"

Bell on the Peach Tree:

"Also, thank you to ’Qingfeng Chui Lichou’ for the 100,000 Reading Coin donation! I’m kowtowing!"

Bell on the Peach Tree:

"Thank you all for your support this past year. You’ve made it so this humble one has not walked the path alone."

"Thank you. I’ll really release a flood of Chapters when I get back. If I’m lying, I’m a puppy."