Chapter 126: The Rapid Growth of Song Zhong

Song Zhong did not understand what I meant. He pulled me aside and asked, "Jiang Huai, are we really going to help him look for a corpse?"

I rolled my eyes at him and said, "What makes you think we're looking for a corpse? What are you thinking?"

I took a deep breath and continued, "Yu Hong is still alive, though I don’t know for how much longer."

Song Zhong’s eyes widened as he stared at me. "You... you were telling the truth just now? You weren't just trying to comfort Qin Nian?"

I gave him a look of disdain. "I really thought you had understood by then."

Song Zhong wanted to press for more, but at that moment, Qin Nian pulled out a red hairclip. "This was my wife's favorite. She wore it all the time, but so much time has passed—is it still useful?"

I pressed my lips together. Qin Nian's concerns were valid; too much time had elapsed, and no one could say how much of Yu Hong’s essence remained on the object.

"Let's try."

I handed the hairclip to Song Zhong and said goodbye to Qin Nian. "Live your life well. There is only hope if you are alive. Your wife’s survival is tied to your persistence; when she returns, she certainly won't want to see you in this state."

Back at the shop, I sat on the sofa while Song Zhong sat cross-legged before the altar, his hands forming finger seals around the hairclip. He had been sitting there for half an hour. I had instructed him to cast the spell, but he didn't seem to grasp the technique. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be drenched in sweat with nothing to show for it.

"Jiang Huai, I don't think I can do this. Why don't you try?"

There was no point in letting him struggle further. I took the hairclip from him and sat where he had been. Before long, I, too, was drenched in sweat. Could it be that too much time had passed, making it impossible to track Yu Hong through this object? No, there had to be a way. There must still be a trace of her essence left.

Song Zhong watched me from the side, his expression shifting. In his eyes, my face had begun to turn crimson, as if I were being scorched by fire. Yet, I felt no heat at all; I poured every ounce of my energy into the hairclip, trying to sense which direction Yu Hong’s aura was coming from. I didn't know how much longer I could hold on; blood had already begun to trickle from the corner of my mouth.

Suddenly, just as I felt I was about to collapse, a flash of insight struck my mind!

The North!

I opened my eyes, spat out a mouthful of blood, and grinned at Song Zhong. "Instructor, don't blame yourself. This was quite difficult."

Before I could explain to Song Zhong, I immediately notified Wang Zihao that the investigation should focus on the north. Song Zhong didn't understand the significance of this; even knowing the direction, the matter wouldn't be resolved overnight. I told him that while there wouldn't be an immediate result, everything is advanced bit by bit through such efforts.

"Everyone does a little something. It may seem insignificant on its own, but when combined, these small actions become something monumental. Do you understand?"

Song Zhong nodded, though he seemed only half-convinced. He quickly realized, however, why he was taking advice from someone a generation younger than himself.

Qin Nian’s hope rested on me and Wang Zihao, but progress was slow. Since that day, the Golden Cicada Society seemed to have vanished, leaving no trace for a long time.

Months passed, and it was late autumn. People began wearing thicker coats. One morning, Song Zhong walked into the shop carrying a bag of steaming buns. He placed them on the table, unbuttoned his jacket, and stretched his limbs. "When is the Boss coming back? The last time he was here to guide me for two days, I felt like I had become much stronger than before."

A week after we caught Seventh Brother, my grandfather had returned for a four-day stay. After being pestered by Song Zhong for two days of instruction, he packed his bags and set off again. I truly didn't know where he went this time; he only said he wouldn't be back before the New Year and left the shop in the care of me and my "noble benefactor."

True enough, after my grandfather’s two-day guidance, Song Zhong’s cultivation had progressed by leaps and bounds. If he were to run into someone like Seventh Brother now, the yin-evil energy would have no effect on him at all.

I picked up a bun and popped it into my mouth—it was scorching hot. "You were there when he said he wouldn't be back for the New Year, weren't you?"

"Sigh, I just miss the Boss."

Hmph, this guy.

"By the way, is there any progress from Wang Zihao? It’s been months. There hasn't been a single lead on that 'Corpse Pool'."

I felt helpless about this as well. It wasn't that Wang Zihao and his team were slow; it was just that the Golden Cicada Society was hidden too deep.

"Enough, you don't need to worry about that. I'll let you know when there's news. Eat up; we're going to a client's house in a bit."

"Is there a case? Did someone die? Do they need to pick out an urn?"

Over the last half-year, Song Zhong had completely integrated into the shop.

"It's not funeral services. A child at a client's home seems to have been 'startled' by something, and they’ve asked us to take a look."

"Then you go. I have a feeling this is probably a fake case—the kid probably just doesn't want to go to school and is making up stories."

I smiled. Song Zhong’s logic wasn't unreasonable; after all, both he and I had encountered such things before. Since he didn't want to go, I didn't force him. I finished my bun and set off alone. However, the moment I stepped into the residential complex, goosebumps broke out all over my body, as if someone had been watching me from the shadows the entire time.