Chapter 24: Southern Spirit Crane - Challenge
As the incomparably huge baptismal spiritual power gushed out from the Book of Life and Death like a surging river, and gathered into Nan Linghe's body, everyone nearby, whether it was the wandering soul who had finished tearing the book first, or Xie Xinyu who was mocking him, were all shocked by the surging spiritual power and could not utter a word for a long time.
"What's going on? I've never seen such a strange phenomenon during a spiritual baptism..."
"Just now it was only a third-class baptism, but the surging spiritual energy it emitted brought about a shocking vision. Now the spiritual power and vision are far greater than before. Could it be that the baptismal gift level is higher than the third class?"
"Does anyone know what that person did when she tore the book? I only saw her deliberately throw the Book of Life and Death to the ground. Could it be that because of this, she was able to obtain a high-level spiritual power baptism?"
Hearing everyone's exclamations, even Xie Xinyu revealed a look of doubt and uncertainty, her heart fluttering. "This is impossible... This is the sign of a first-level baptism. What on earth did she do? Why did she receive such a gift?"
Unfortunately, no one could answer Xie Xinyu's doubts at the moment. Even though her heart was already in turmoil, she could only stay where she was, staring blankly at Nan Linghe who was wrapped in a huge mist of spiritual power.
"How about it? Do you understand now that there are always people better than you?" Ye Jie came behind her at some point and spoke slowly.
"Tsk..." Ye Jie's words earned Xie Xinyu a cold glance. She reached out and took out the torn page she had just torn off. Soon, the torn page in Ye Jie's arms also vibrated.
Ye Jie took out the torn page and saw the words written on it:
【Book of Life and Death:】
In the winter of the twelfth year of the Zhenguan reign, the ghost messenger Jie received one thousand merits from the ghost messenger Yu.
【Current Yin De: 6,000】
"I admit defeat. I underestimated her this time. I never imagined her method of tearing off the remaining pages would be so unique, the secret of which even I couldn't understand. However, apart from her, the other wandering spirits are not worthy of my attention."
Seeing that he had lost, Xie Xinyu did not argue any further and readily handed over the lost Yin De to Ye Jie.
At this moment, Nan Linghe ran over with a look of joy on her face. After the baptism of first-class spiritual power, her strength had soared, reaching the peak of the first level, only one small realm behind Ye Jie. She raised the bronze token in her hand high. It was engraved with the word "Crane". It was obviously her Ghost Messenger Token.
"Brother Jie, did you see that? I finally became an official ghost messenger..." Nan Linghe's face was full of joy.
Ye Jie smiled approvingly and clasped his fists in congratulations: "Now you have become an official ghost messenger. With your talent, in time, you may have the opportunity to ascend to the position of ghost immortal. So I congratulate you here, Ghost Messenger He."
Facing Ye Jie's congratulations, Nan Linghe was beaming with joy, her eyes curved like crescent moons, and her eyes were filled with gentleness like water. However, she heard a hum of dissatisfaction coming from her:
"Ghost Messenger He, right? I'll remember you. This time, I let you win because my training wasn't good enough. This is my Ghost Messenger's order. I'm going to challenge you again!"
Following the sound, he saw a pitch-black token being thrown from the air. Nan Linghe held his head in his hands, cried out, and squatted on the ground. Ye Jie, quick-eyed and quick-handed, reached out and accurately caught the tossed token. He turned his wrist and saw the word "rain" engraved on the token.
Only after confirming that there was no danger did the pitiful Nan Linghe stand up and look at Ye Jie with helpless eyes: "Woo...why did she throw something at me?"
Ye Jie shook his head: "She didn't mean to hit you, but left you a Ghost Messenger Token. With this token, she can quickly contact you. It seems that she is very dissatisfied with this failure and wants to challenge you again."
"Ah, then what should I do?" Nan Linghe looked at Ye Jie at a loss.
"Don't worry, I believe in your luck, you will definitely win!" Ye Jie was full of confidence in her. Since Xie Xinyu had no intention of repenting and continued to offer her good deeds, she should accept them all.
After comforting Nan Linghe, Ye Jie asked Xie Xinyu, "How do you want to compete?"
"Let's compare the performance rankings for the entire next year! The one with the lower ranking will have to give all the good karma he has earned in the entire year to the other one. How about it? Do you dare to accept it?" Xie Xinyu crossed his arms in front of him, with a hint of provocation in his words.
Nan Linghe was undecided and could only look at Ye Jie for help. Ye Jie certainly would not refuse: "Why would you be afraid? But if you lose, you must apologize to Nan Linghe for what you did today."
Xie Xinyu was displeased and turned her head away, saying, "Alright! I want to see what you guys are going to do to defeat me this time."
After she finished speaking, she turned and left. Nan Linghe, who was left behind, could only look at Ye Jie with puzzled eyes. What on earth could he use to defeat her?
"Anyway, let's quickly take on the missions. With your natural talents and abilities, you should be able to get a good one," Ye Jie reminded him, pulling out a black stone and a dead branch from his arms. They were the spoils he had taken from the boy not long ago. "These are the Earth-Shrinking Stone and the Azure Nether Branch. Ghost Messengers use them to travel back and forth to the human world. When the number of times they use up is used up, you need to consume Yin De to replenish them. Normal soul-calling missions can reimburse the consumption of the Earth-Shrinking Stone and the Azure Nether Branch."
Nan Linghe took it, with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. She had seen Ye Jie use these two magic weapons, but this was the first time she tried it herself.
Under Ye Jie's guidance, the two of them quickly arrived at the task list. Looking at the dazzling array of tasks on the list, Nan Linghe was dazzled.
Ye Jie pointed at the notices of varying sizes on the list and explained, "Now that you've become an official ghost messenger, you can accept any of the missions listed here. With your current strength, it's best to accept Class C and Class D missions. Class A and Class B missions are very difficult and may involve encountering enemies of the third or fourth level. If you're not careful, you could be in danger of losing your soul. Of course, the higher the level of the mission, the more merit you'll receive..."
After a pause, Ye Jie continued, "However, there are exceptions. There are also tasks in Class A that are well-paid but very simple to complete. When ordinary ghost messengers accept tasks, they must carefully select and consider whether the reward is appropriate. They must also consider whether they can bear the punishment for failure. But you don't need to worry about these things. It's better not to think about it. Just close your eyes and pick one at random!"
Ye Jie is full of confidence in Nan Linghe's natural magical powers. For her, she can get the correct result by closing her eyes and making random choices. Once she thinks too hard, it will make things worse.
Ye Jie rubbed his hands, and bursts of black clouds emerged from his palms. He placed his palms in front of Nan Linghe's face, and the spiritual power in his body surged. After he took his hands away, thick black clouds blocked Nan Linghe's eyes.
Nan Linghe touched his face curiously, his hands constantly groping forward: "Brother Jie, why did it suddenly get dark?"
"Don't worry, everything will return to normal once you choose a task." Ye Jie straightened her body and let her walk towards the task list in front of her in a daze.
Nan Linghe waved her hands wildly and staggered forward like a drunk. She grabbed a task notice at random. Ye Jie then stepped forward and dispersed the black cloud that blocked her sight.
Nan Linghe glanced down at the notice, a little puzzled: "Brother Jie, is the A-level mission the best mission?"
"Wait...let me see."
Ye Jie was stunned. The rewards for Class A missions were generous, but the danger and the penalties for failure were incomparable to other missions. If he received any dangerous mission, it would be difficult to deal with. Even the fourth-level Black and White Impermanence could not guarantee that he could complete the Class A mission without any injury.
Ye Jie walked forward and took a look at the contents of the notice, then he breathed a sigh of relief.
At this moment, the torn page in Nan Linghe's arms vibrated slightly. She took out the torn page and was surprised to find that new lines of ink were emerging on the torn page.
【The Book of Life and Death records:】
In the winter of the 12th year of Zhenguan, the ghost messenger He accepted a Grade A mission: Identity Verification.
Mission Summary: A ghost messenger has captured a mysterious wandering soul in the human world. There's no record of it in the Book of Life and Death, and it can't be thrown into the Samsara Well, causing the Judge great concern. Those who accept this mission must uncover the mysterious soul's identity and origins within three years.
【Task Reward: 200,000 Yin De】
【Failure Penalty: Deduction of 200,000 Yin De】
"Judging from the mission description, this isn't a dangerous mission. Although it's a Class A mission, even an ordinary Ghost Messenger could complete it. However, the penalty for failure is quite harsh, making it daunting... An ordinary Ghost Messenger can only earn 10,000 Yin De in a year. If you can complete this mission, you'll earn 200,000 Yin De, equivalent to twenty years of work for an ordinary Ghost Messenger. It's enough for you to defeat Xie Xinyu in the competition."
Seeing the mission information, Ye Jie was delighted. As long as he completed the mission within one year, he would receive a reward of 200,000 Yin De, which was enough for Nan Linghe to win the competition.
Soon, a ghost messenger from the temple brought a strange-looking first-level wandering soul to the two of them.
Ye Jie looked Youhun up and down and saw that she had snow-white hair that fell to her waist. Her pupils were blood red like a demon's. Her eyes did not look fierce, but rather seemed a bit melancholy and sad. Her hands were tied tightly with black ropes and her feet were shackled, making it impossible for her to escape.
Nan Linghe also saw the target of the mission, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. Even in the underworld where ghosts gathered, she had never seen a wandering soul with such a special appearance.
Ye Jie frowned and expressed his opinion: "She looks very special, unlike any creature I have ever seen... Oh, right, let me use the power of the Book of Life and Death to investigate her background."
Ye Jie took out the torn page and placed it in the white-haired ghost's hand. A brand new record soon appeared on the torn page. After taking the torn page back, he looked at the content on it and couldn't help but be slightly stunned.
【Life and Death Book Files:】
【Name:???】
【Rank: ???】
【Kung Fu learned: ???】
【Innate magical power: ???】
Yin De: ???
"That's impossible. How could there be no file?"
Ye Jie glanced at the white-haired wandering soul in front of him, and once again put the torn page in her hand, but the result on it remained unchanged.
After trying to no avail, Ye Jie shook his head. "Now I understand why this mission is ranked A. Even if the Judge were to investigate, let alone me using the Book of Life and Death, I'm afraid there would be no results... This is really troublesome. If I can't even use the Book of Life and Death, where else can I find clues?"
Ye Jie frowned, until he saw Nan Linghe standing beside him, then he suddenly realized: "I understand. Maybe others can't find the origin of the mysterious wandering soul, but it is easy for you. Let's go back to the wine country and find a solution."
At the side, Nan Linghe stared at the empty-eyed white-haired wandering soul with curious eyes. It was not until she heard Ye Jie's words that she looked up in confusion: "What are we going to do?"
Ye Jie did not answer, but took her and the white-haired ghost and quickly returned to the basement of the wine country. From the miscellaneous items that had been counted earlier, he found the Tang Dynasty map that Yulan used when looking for her parents.
After hanging the map on the wall and handing the longbow and arrows to Nan Linghe, Ye Jie said with satisfaction, "Now it's up to you. Other ghost messengers may be confused about the origins of the white-haired wandering soul and don't know where to start, but with your ability, you should be able to find out the wandering soul's address."
Hearing this, Nan Linghe nodded happily. She followed Ye Jie's instructions, closed her eyes, drew her bow and arrow, and with a jerk of the bowstring, the arrow missed the target and hit the wall nearby.
Nan Linghe covered his mouth and exclaimed, then hurried over to pick up the arrow: "Sorry, Brother Jie, I'd better shoot one more arrow..."
Ye Jie waved his hand. "No need. Your arrow is correct. So there's only one possible answer. She's not from the Southern Continent, but from another region... This is a bit difficult. To cross a continent, you need to pass through the unbreakable earth barrier. Only beings at the immortal level can do this. The shrinking stone in the ghost's hand can't cross the earth barrier. Even if we find her address, there's no way we can go and investigate."
Nan Linghe was slightly surprised: "If that's the case, then what should we do... Could it be that my first mission is going to fail..."
As she spoke, Nan Linghe puffed up her lips, drooped her ears, and was completely immersed in the distress of mission failure. It was not until Ye Jie patted her shoulder that her expression improved.
"Don't worry, the mission will take three years, and the competition with Xie Xinyu will also last for one year. You have enough time to complete the mission." Ye Jie comforted her, saying that there was still plenty of time and it was too early to give up.
Soon, Ye Jie turned his attention to the white-haired wandering soul. Since the detection method was ineffective, he could only think of another way from her body. He asked, "What's your name?"
Facing Ye Jie's question, the white-haired wandering soul said nothing and had an indifferent look in his eyes.
Ye Jie continued, "I can help you. Do you have anything to say? Or... do you understand what I'm saying?"
Seeing that the white-haired wandering soul looked confused and didn't pay any attention to his question, Ye Jie scratched his head. It seemed that there was no way to communicate with her, and the situation became complicated.
"Anyway, you should try to communicate with her first and see if you can get any information. No matter what, this is a huge task worth 200,000 Yin De. I'm going to the human world now."
Ye Jie reminded him, and when he saw Nan Linghe set his sights on Youhun, he left with peace of mind.
