Before, Xie Lian had always felt that he had not seen Hua Cheng for a long time and missed him very much, although this "long time" was only a few days. Who knew that Hua Cheng had been hiding beside him all this time? Suddenly, he was in a very good mood, forgetting all his worries before, and laughed so hard that he could hardly get up. Hua Cheng said, "Brother is teasing me."

Xie Lian picked up the pen and the wooden board and said, “How dare you say that! It was obviously San Lang who teased me first. Let me think… you have been here since I knocked the stove down, right?”

Hua Cheng praised: "Ah, that's true, how did you know that, brother? You are truly amazing."

Xie Lian waved his hands and said, “What god? Sanlang, if you want to pretend to be someone else, just do it seriously and don’t be so perfunctory. If I can’t tell, then you’re a god. I actually thought there was really a second person who could eat… cough, but, ‘Which one is the most handsome? Which one is the most powerful? Which one is the richest? Which one do you admire the most?’ Hahahaha…”

"..." Hua Cheng said softly, "Brother, forget about this."

Xie Lian flatly refused: "No. I will remember it forever."

Hua Cheng said helplessly: "Brother, although I am happy to make you happy, but is it really that funny?"

Xie Lian laughed out loud, “Of course. After meeting you, I rediscovered that being happy is such a simple thing. Hahahahaha…”

Hearing this, Hua Cheng blinked. Xie Lian's laughter weakened slightly, and he suddenly realized that what he said just now was a bit revealing. After realizing it, he felt a little embarrassed. He coughed lightly, rubbed the corners of his eyes, and said with a forced serious face: "Okay, stop being naughty. Where is the real Lang Ying? Why are you pretending to be him? Change the child back quickly."

Hua Cheng said slowly: "I have invited him to the Ghost Market as a guest for the time being."

Since Hua Cheng had taken him away, Xie Lian felt relieved and nodded. He was about to speak again when he heard the wooden door creak and Ling Wen walked out of the Puqi Temple with his hands behind his back, saying, “Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Hua Cheng had no intention of revealing his identity, and Xie Lian kept silent about it, treating him as Lang Ying in front of others. Seeing Ling Wen's solemn expression, he couldn't help but become serious as well, and his smile disappeared completely. He asked, "What's wrong? Jin Yi... Is there something wrong with Bai Jin?"

Lingwen said: "No. He has no problem. But, I seem to smell a strange smell coming from the kitchen. Is His Highness cooking something?"

Xie Lian said hurriedly, “Oh, yes, it’s cooking.”

After thinking for a while, Lingwen still used a tactful tone to say something that was not tactful, and said: "Put it away, Your Highness. Whatever you are cooking should be rotten soon."

“…”

An hour later, night fell.

Inside the Puqi Temple, Huacheng, Lingwen, and Quan Yizhen sat in a circle around a small wooden table beside the altar. Xie Lian brought out a pot from the kitchen and placed it on the table. When he opened the lid, dozens of cute, round, smooth little balls were nestled in the pot.

Quan Yizhen said: "Didn't you boil it in water? Why did it turn into meatballs?"

Xie Lian introduced: "This is called 'Jade Purity Pills'."

Quan Yizhen said: "Didn't you boil it in water? Why did it turn into meatballs?"

Xie Lian continued to introduce, “Because in the process of kneading the balls, you need to use both hard and soft hand strength, so it takes quite a while.”

Quan Yizhen said: "Didn't you boil it in water? Why did it turn into meatballs?"

“…”

Since Quan Yizhen was so persistent, Xie Lian said gently, “It was indeed boiled well, but because of a small problem with the heat and time control, the whole pot was boiled dry, so I simply added some new ingredients and made meatballs.”

After hearing this, Lingwen sincerely praised: "Your Highness the Crown Prince's wonderful ideas are truly unprecedented, and I admire them very much."

Xie Lian said, “Thank you, thank you.”

Ling Wen said: "No. At least I believe that there will never be another person in the world who can create such a 'Jade Purity Pill'."

Xie Lian handed over the chopsticks and said, “Okay, okay. Come on, everyone, please.”

Lingwen and Quan Yizhen both took the chopsticks with their right hands, and then reached out to the plate of cold steamed buns on the edge of the altar with their left hands. Only Huacheng picked up a Bingqing Yujie pill and put it into his mouth. After a moment, he said, "Very good."

Seeing this, Quan Yizhen's eyes widened. Hua Cheng said again: "The taste is a little lighter."

Xie Lian said, “Okay, I’ll remember that.”

Watching the boy with a bandaged face eating five or six meatballs that shone with the luster of a mudslide, and his sincere evaluation, Quan Yizhen seemed to be convinced. After thinking about it, he also picked up one.

Xie Lian kept smiling the whole time. He smiled as he watched him eat, smiled as he watched his face turn pale, smiled as he fell to the ground, and finally, smiled as he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Hua Cheng said: "Maybe he ate too fast and choked."

Ling Wen smiled. At this moment, Xie Lian suddenly heard a familiar voice ringing in his ears: "Brother."

This was neither Lang Ying's stammering voice nor Hua Cheng's clear and leisurely voice now, but Hua Cheng's voice in the past. He was actually using spiritualism to speak to Xie Lian. Xie Lian raised his eyelids slightly and responded, "What's the matter?"

Hua Cheng said: "Ling Wen is cunning, cold-blooded, and ruthless. If you bring her back, I'm afraid it won't be so easy to get away with it."

It was the first time Xie Lian heard someone comment on Ling Wen in this way. After thinking for a moment, he replied, “I saw that she had some good intentions towards the Jinyi Fairy, so it should be true.”

Hua Cheng said: "Having some kindness does not conflict with being ruthless. She is the number one literary god in the heavens. She has eyes and ears, and her hands are long. Brother, you have to be careful that she doesn't ask for help."

Xie Lian asked, “General Pei?”

Hua Cheng said: "It shouldn't be. If Shui Hengtian was still here, she would definitely ask Shui Hengtian to suppress it, because the master would not help his relatives but not his relatives. But if it was Pei Ming, you just need to explain the whole story, he may not choose to help the tyrant. Brother, be careful."

Xie Lian said, “Okay, I’ll be careful. Fortunately, the one-day deadline passed quickly.”

But Hua Cheng's voice in his ears said solemnly: "No. Brother, you misunderstood. What I said about being careful is another matter. Someone is coming."

At this moment, a series of clear bell sounds came into Xie Lian's ears. Hua Cheng frowned slightly. Xie Lian looked out through the window and saw a middle-aged Taoist priest shaking a bell and staggering towards the entrance of Puqi Village.

The Taoist was wearing a gorgeous robe and carrying a treasure chest covered with yellow talismans. The bell rang as he walked. Xie Lian knew what was good and knew it was a good item. If it were an ordinary demon or ghost, it would get a headache and retreat. Before he got close, several tall monks with white eyebrows and yellow robes came slowly, holding magic staffs.

Not long after, fifty or sixty people arrived one after another, as if they had made an appointment. They were not surprised to see each other and surrounded the Puqi Temple.

These people were not just show-offs. They were covered with various magical instruments and their hands and feet were very steady. It was obvious that they had some skills. The priests drew their magic power from the offerings of believers, and some Taoists and Buddhists could also seek magic power from the priests they believed in. These monks and Taoists might have more magic power than Xie Lian, the priest. So many of them came at once, it must be bad news. Xie Lian frowned slightly, feeling that they were not friendly.

Hua Cheng put down his bowl and chopsticks and stood up. Xie Lian heard him snort in his spiritual communication and said, "The old monk and the stinky Taoist priest actually followed me here. They have caused trouble for me. I will go and lead them away."

Xie Lian grabbed him and said, “Don’t move.”

Ling Wen was puzzled and asked, "What's wrong?"

Xie Lian used his spiritual power to speak to Hua Cheng, “Don’t leave. Tell me honestly, did the reopening of Tonglu Mountain have a big impact on you?”

Hua Cheng said: "No."

Xie Lian stared at his eyes behind the bandages and said, “Stop lying. You are the Ghost King of Despair, and you don’t need to be afraid of mortals like them. Why don’t you just beat them away, but lead them away? You’ve become like this, in fact, you are not trying to joke at all, right?”

When Tonglu Mountain reopens, the higher the level of the demons and ghosts, the greater the impact. Xie Lian saw with his own eyes how uncomfortable Huacheng was when the demons were agitated for the first time. And the closer the day of leaving the mountain is, the greater the shock. In such a situation, if it were Xie Lian, he would choose to temporarily seal his original form and transform into a younger form to store his magic power and avoid rampage, and then unseal it after the mountain is officially opened.

Although this would save him from the pain of chaos, because his strength was sealed, it would also provide opportunities for others to take advantage of him. Xie Lian cursed, “Qi Rong…”

That night Qi Rong had threatened to call all the Taoists and monks who had grudges against Hua Cheng, but he didn't expect that it was just a threat. Hua Cheng shook his head slightly and said, "Brother, they are coming for me, I can just leave. Although I can't kill them in one move in this form, it's no problem to make them get out of here."

Xie Lian said, “If you leave now, don’t ever come to see me again.”

“…”

Hua Cheng said: "Your Highness!"

Hua Cheng has always been calm and composed, and has never made any mistakes. He has helped Xie Lian so many times in the past. This time, Xie Lian finally has the opportunity to help him, so how could he let him leave alone?

Xie Lian said in a deep voice, “Sit down. I’ll meet them.”

Quan Yizhen opened his eyes reluctantly and said in a daze, "Is there someone outside? Do you want me to... drive them away?"

“…”

His voice was hoarse. Xie Lian helped him close his eyes and said, “Qiying, you should just lie down. Also, you can’t hit mortals randomly, or you’ll lose your merit.”

Xie Lian pressed against the wooden door, carefully observing the movements outside. Some villagers who had just finished work outside and had not yet had time to go home for dinner were very surprised to see so many Taoists and monks coming all of a sudden. They all asked, "What are you all doing here? Are you looking for Taoist Xie?"

A murderous monk clasped his hands together and said, "Amitabha. Benefactors, do you know that this place has been invaded by evil creatures?"

"What!" The villagers were shocked: "Evil things??? What kind of evil things?!"

Another monk said in a profound and mysterious way: "A devil king unprecedented in history!"

Villagers: “What should we do?”

The Taoist priest in fancy clothes who came first said, "Leave it to us! We, the Taoist priests, gathered here today for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to capture this evil creature!" He was about to step forward, but was pulled back by the village chief. The Taoist priest glared and said, "Who are you? What do you want to do?"

The village chief said: "Well, masters, I am the village chief of this village. Thank you very much, but, hey, I'm telling the truth. You, you look very expensive..."

“…”

The Taoist in fancy clothes said, "We are here to subdue demons and monsters, do you think we are here for reward?" He was about to charge forward again, but the villagers stopped him again. The monks and Taoists were a little unhappy, but they couldn't force their way in, so they patiently asked, "What's wrong?"

The village chief rubbed his hands and said, "It would be great if you don't charge me. Thank you all for your selfless efforts to subdue demons and monsters. But... all the work in this village has long been contracted by Taoist Xie. The masters come here to grab the work, and as the village chief, I can't explain to Taoist Xie."

The monks looked at each other in bewilderment: "Thank you, Taoist Priest?"

So, they gathered together to discuss a few words: "Is there any famous Taoist master in the industry with the surname Xie?"

"Maybe not."

"I haven't heard of it. It's probably some third-rate stuff."

"If you don't have it, then you're not famous. Don't worry about it."

After the discussion, the Taoist in fancy clothes turned around and asked, "Is the Taoist Master Xie you are talking about the one who lives inside?"

The villagers said, "Yes." They all shouted, "Thank you, Taoist priest! Thank you, Taoist priest! You have companions here! There are so many people! Are you home?"

An old monk in yellow clasped his hands together and said, "Amitabha, it doesn't matter whether Taoist Master Xie is here or not. But the evil creature is hiding in this room now!"

The villagers were stunned: "What???!"

Just at this moment, Xie Lian calmly pushed the door open and came out, saying, “I’m here. What are you doing here?”

The villagers hurriedly said, "Master, these monks and old Taoists said that there is... a... ghost hiding in your house..."

Xie Lian smiled and said, “Huh? You figured this out?”

Everyone outside the temple was shocked and asked, "Really?"

"You admitted it quite readily!"

Xie Lian threw out a jar: "Yes, there is indeed a ghost!"

The Taoist in fancy clothes took the jar and was delighted at first, but when he opened it, his smile fell and he asked, "A half-face-made-up girl?"

Then, he threw the jar back, angrily saying, "My fellow Taoist, please stop pretending. This low-level monster is not even evil! You know exactly what we are talking about."

Xie Lian caught the jar and felt that the man had thrown it with great force. He had indeed practiced hard for many years and was definitely not a fake. Several monks said to the Taoist in fancy clothes, "Brother Taoist, I see that this Taoist has a demonic aura. Could it be that he is..."

The Taoist in fancy clothes said, "Whether it is true or not, I can tell it with my divine eyes!"

As he said this, he yelled, bit his finger, and made a vertical mark on his forehead, as if he had a third eye. Seeing his technique, Xie Lian secretly praised it and leaned against the door to admire him casting the spell. The Taoist in gorgeous clothes stared at him for a moment and said, "Sure enough... there is a ghost aura! Such a spooky ghost aura!!! Ghost King! You really have changed your skin again!"

Xie Lian was shocked.

How could he be a god serving in heaven? How could he have a ghostly aura? I just thought he was quite capable, but how come he suddenly started talking nonsense?

Hearing this, the fifty or sixty magicians in the circle were ready to fight as if they were facing a formidable enemy. Hua Cheng said to Xie Lian through his spirit: "These people are so annoying."

Xie Lian said, “It’s okay. It’s okay. Just sit down.”

After a while, the Taoist in fancy clothes asked again in doubt: "... Isn't that right?"

A monk nearby asked, "What's wrong?"

The Taoist in fancy clothes rubbed the bloodstain on his forehead, as if rubbing his eyes, and said, "It's really strange. When I look at this person, sometimes he looks spooky, sometimes he looks bright, and sometimes he looks dull and lifeless... It's really strange."

"What? How could this happen? Brother Dao, can you do it? If not, let us do it."

"Yeah, why is it so weird?"

The Taoist in fancy clothes said angrily, "What? I can't do it? If I can't do it, then you can?! I have been in the Taoist world for so many years, and I have never made a mistake before!"

Xie Lian rubbed his brows, shook his head and said gently, “Then why don’t you take a look at where on my body the ghost energy is the most sinister and the heaviest?”

Tianyankai rubbed his forehead vigorously again, looked for a moment, and said firmly: "Lips!"

“……………………”