Worldwide Awakening: My Soul Kinds Are Lost

A major case arose within Yuan City: the household of Lord Qi, south of the city, thirteen souls in total, was entirely wiped out, including the family's guard dog.

What made this a major case was Lord Qi's position as a wealthy man in Yuan City. Had it been an ordinary household, the matter would naturally have been hastily brushed aside.

"Why did you decide to call yourself Chang Wei?" the Fox Ghost curiously inquired.

"The atmosphere demanded it; there was no way around it," Wang Linchi mused, finding the coincidence incredible.

As for the notion that ancestral deeds don't concern descendants, Wang Linchi's stance was clear: he was an outsider, fully embracing the role of a "despicable foreigner." His understanding of himself was crystal clear: he was a bully who was also a coward, hypocritical, and shameless. He believed that good people didn't last long. If he possessed the power of the Yan Ming King, he too would aspire to be a good person. Lacking it, however, meant he had no choice but to inconvenience others.

"The Jealous Wife River God is formidable. It's probably best to turn me into a Ghost Pattern before you go after her," the Fox Ghost abruptly advised.

As a Home-keeping Immortal, the Xu Family had raised him from a young age without ever shortchanging him. They treated him as one of their own, without any prejudice. Therefore, the Fox Ghost naturally felt a deep debt of gratitude; otherwise, he wouldn't have willingly allowed the Court to reduce his yin lifespan by fifty percent back then. Now, if he could help the Xu Family seek revenge, dying a little earlier mattered not. After all, he didn't have much time left anyway. Conversely, if Wang Linchi got into trouble because of this, the Fox Ghost knew he wouldn't find another person willing to get involved in this messy affair.

"I've thought about it, but I need to find the Detained Fox Ghost method first. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to fully utilize your abilities," Wang Linchi admitted. Having tasted the sweetness of pushing past his limits, he naturally craved more. The difference between a Ghost Pattern from a Fox Ghost with incomplete abilities and one with complete abilities was incomparably vast.

"A Detained Fox Ghost method? Is there such a Ghost Sigil Method?" the Fox Ghost was somewhat perplexed. Having lived for over seventy years, he had encountered Ghost Sigil Methods before and had assumed they were all the same. He never imagined there could be such distinctions.

"Oh, yes. I have the Confinement of Great Power Ghost King Law and the Detained Snake Bone Hag method on hand. They can maximize a ghost's abilities," Wang Linchi stated.

"Then those probably wouldn't work for me," the Fox Ghost kindly reminded. "Although I am a Fox Ghost, I am also a Home-keeping Immortal. Apart from my appearance, I no longer share the inherent nature of a Fox Ghost. Unless you can find a Detained Home-keeping Immortal method, that is."

"If I had a Home-keeping Immortal, why would I contain it? Wouldn't it be better to keep it as a family heirloom?" Wang Linchi grumbled. A Detained Fox Ghost method might exist, but a Detained Home-keeping Immortal method almost certainly did not.

Unless one is converted midway; a Home-keeping Immortal raised from youth, for instance, would undoubtedly be loyal. Furthermore, their lifespans were longer than ordinary people. Even if one chanced upon a Longevity Fruit, feeding it to a Home-keeping Immortal could extend its yin lifespan by a hundred years, allowing it to continue serving the family for another generation. Only someone like Wang Linchi would entertain the thought of turning a Home-keeping Immortal into a Ghost Pattern.

After all, this Home-keeping Immortal wasn't his; it belonged to the Xu Family. This kind of spiritual entity couldn't simply have its allegiance transferred. If it could become his Home-keeping Immortal, Wang Linchi wouldn't be in such a dilemma; he would have just fed the remaining two Longevity Fruits to the Fox Ghost, and the problem would be solved.

Coveting a Home-keeping Immortal presented significant difficulties for other forces. Firstly, it couldn't be stolen. Secondly, such spirits brought good fortune. Finally, Home-keeping Immortals were fiercely loyal. If an enemy wiped out the family and then tried to turn the Home-keeping Immortal into a Ghost Pattern, the spirit would likely self-destruct. This was the case with the Xu Family's Home-keeping Immortal Fox Ghost; because Wang Linchi was helping it achieve vengeance, it was willing to become his Ghost Pattern.

It was unclear what terrible deed the Xu Family had committed to provoke a Jealous Wife River God, leading to their utter annihilation.

"So, you should consider this soon. With my cooperation, you won't expend too much of your lifespan," the Fox Ghost said, essentially advising against chasing perfection.

"I might not be able to find it, but perhaps you can," Wang Linchi abruptly suggested.

The Fox Ghost was confused. "How do you mean?"

"I previously found my acquaintance with Mr. Xu Lian rather odd. Thinking about it now, it all makes sense," Wang Linchi said, connecting the threads of his recent experiences. The Home-keeping Immortal Fox Ghost had played a part in this. Although Xu Lian had become an Exam Ghost, he was still a Xu, still part of the Xu Family.

By a fortunate coincidence, he obtained the Confinement of Great Power Ghost King Law. Subsequently, Chen Wen found him and planned to offer him to Wang Linchi as a Ghost Pattern. Fortunately, Wang Linchi was not interested. Instead, Wang Linchi was asked to help with wine offerings, which ultimately led to him assisting the Xu Family with their revenge. In the grand scheme of things, the protective influence of the Home-keeping Immortal had indirectly orchestrated this situation.

In the past seventy years, others might have come. It's possible many, drawn by the Home-keeping Immortal's protective influence, had attempted to kill the Jealous Wife River God before Wang Linchi, but none had succeeded. Otherwise, how could the Qi family have fallen from being prominent figures to mere local gentry? Clearly, they had been subjected to 'retribution,' step by step. Yet even the Fox Ghost himself was clueless about all this, largely because his abilities were passive.

"If he hadn't invited me for wine offerings, none of this would have occurred. Now, if I need the Detained Fox Ghost method to assist me, can your abilities as a Home-keeping Immortal ensure such a fortuitous connection for the Xu Family?" Wang Linchi teased.

He was also taking a gamble. The Snake Bone Hag situation wasn't urgent anyway, and Chen Wen had given him more than one location for them. Conversely, if he could indeed obtain the Detained Fox Ghost method, he believed he could study the specifics of the Xu Family's Home-keeping Immortal Fox Ghost and, using the Detained Fox Ghost method as a basis, potentially create a Detained Home-keeping Immortal method. After all, this Home-keeping Immortal was a variation of a Fox Ghost; there were still traces to follow.

"Well... there's certainly some truth to that. But if I possessed such power, why would I be in this state?" The Fox Ghost didn't believe his abilities were that grand. If they were, he wouldn't have ended up in such a predicament.

"Whether you have it or not, we can discuss it later. For now, come with me to the river and let's take a look at this Jealous Wife River God," Wang Linchi said, though he had no intention of actually stopping and waiting. His time was limited and very precious. The Longevity Fruit could indeed extend his time in the Secret Realm, but he hadn't used it yet. It wouldn't be too late to use it in the last few days.

The river in Yuan City was not small; it traversed the entire city and was thus named the Yuan River.

With the Fox Ghost leading the way, Wang Linchi quickly arrived at the Jealous Wife River God's location. The entity had established a Shui Mansion at the bottom of the river and proclaimed herself a Water God. However, she didn't stir up storms or demand tributes of young boys and girls, because she could catch her own food.

The Jealous Wife River God came from a family of Officials. Furthermore, her father had once used the Court's power to injure the Fox Ghost, so she was likely aware of the Court's might. Unlike other solitary, wild ghosts, she wasn't so reckless, especially given her location within Yuan City.

The higher-ups in Yuan City likely knew about this but chose to ignore it. The Jealous Wife River God only preyed on the poor, never targeting city Officials, the wealthy, or members of the Great Families, thus adhering to certain unspoken rules. The deaths of a few impoverished commoners naturally wouldn't concern anyone, nor would anyone bother to cause trouble for the Jealous Wife River God.

"This is the place. If needed, I can lure this jealous woman out for you," the Fox Ghost said, pointing to a stone tablet not far away.

Wang Linchi shook his head. "No need. That would be too much trouble. Besides, if we lure her out, she'll be on alert. How could I launch a sneak attack then?"

"..." This was the first time the Fox Ghost had heard someone speak of a sneak attack so brazenly.

"Stay back, don't alert her." Wang Linchi quickly found the Jealous Wife River God's Shui Mansion using the multiple perspectives of his Soul Vision.

It had to be said, someone from an official family was different; this Shui Mansion was impressively constructed. It was a mystery how it was built, considering she had been a young lady from a prominent family in her lifetime—hardly someone with construction knowledge.

The Jealous Wife River God was in her Shui Mansion, voraciously feasting on a human leg. Crimson blood diffused into the surrounding water, but she paid it no mind.

Suddenly, she stopped her gnawing, as if she had sensed Wang Linchi's gaze.

Interesting. Could she have truly obtained some of a Water God's powers? Wang Linchi couldn't help but wonder.

She called herself a Water God, and the Jealous Wife River God she had become was indeed related to water. But there were no gods in this Secret Realm... probably.

Alright, Wang Linchi wasn't entirely sure if gods existed in this Secret Realm. He had seen ghosts in the Ghost Record—like those resembling a Judge or Wuchang—that bore divine names and possessed god-like abilities, yet still engaged in ghostly activities. Examples included Chen Wen's Food Law Ghost and the Giant Spirit Guest's Powerful Ghost King.

Ghosts of this nature were incredibly difficult to generate and exceedingly rare, perhaps comparable to Home-keeping Immortals. After all, if a Home-keeping Immortal had sufficient power or backing, it could theoretically be artificially created. Even a newly manifested Fox Ghost wasn't impossible to produce; one could mass-breed foxes using secret methods, and eventually, one might appear.

Therefore, the Jealous Wife River God was arguably the first ghost he'd encountered with a connection to a deity, despite being a ghost herself.

What a pity. If I hadn't met the Fox Ghost, I might have chosen you, Wang Linchi thought, then without hesitation activated the Soul Seed Page: Fanciful and Fickle.