["This Harmony Hexagram Hat, from tonight onward, shall belong to you," Director Hu placed her own hat onto the girl's head, but because the hat was too large, it nearly covered the girl's entire head. "Remember, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Director's responsibility is to guide lost lambs and direct them toward the afterlife. This duty, I now entrust to you…"]
[It seemed Director Hu was still unaware of what exactly had happened within this Harmony Hexagram Hat; otherwise, he probably wouldn't have entrusted it to her own granddaughter.]
["But, I can't bear to part with Grandpa…" The girl bit her lip tightly, her beautiful large eyes filled with tears. "Could you… please not leave me?"]
["Hu Tao, we all will eventually reach another world someday. I've never truly left; I'm merely waiting there," Director Hu wiped away his granddaughter's tears with his withered fingers, smiling gently, "Please smile. Grandpa loves nothing more than seeing you smile."]
[Hu Tao held back her tears, forcing out a faint smile upon her tear-streaked face. Seeing this smile, Director Hu's hand slowly relaxed, finally falling onto the bed.]
[Director Hu passed away peacefully. Yet, even in death, a smile lingered on his lips. You gazed at this old man who had sealed you away, feeling no real hatred. After all, being subdued by him turned out to be a blessing in disguise.]
[Of course, you felt no gratitude toward him either. At this moment, all you wished was to use his granddaughter's body as a vessel and revive!]
[Indeed, though your powers had recovered, you had no physical body to use. Thus, you could only select the body nearest to the Harmony Hexagram Hat as your medium for resurrection. Naturally, only the girl named "Hu Tao" could fulfill this condition.]
[Now that Director Hu had died, the restraints on your power weakened further. You intended to seize the opportunity to break through the final seal. Unexpectedly, just as you were about to breach the barrier, an invisible force blocked your way.]
[You suddenly realized that Director Hu, worried the young Hu Tao might be unable to suppress the evil spirits inside the Harmony Hexagram Hat, had used the last of his life force to construct an extremely powerful seal. Unless the hat's owner willingly removed the seal, you would require strength far greater than what you possessed to break through.]
[However, since no new spirits would be sent into the hat's world anymore, the Yin energy you could absorb was limited. You calculated the remaining number and strength of resentful spirits within the hat's world; even if you devoured them all, it might still not be enough to break the seal.]
[Nevertheless, you had no intention of giving up so easily. To occupy Hu Tao's body and consciousness, you devised another method.]
[Though you couldn't break the seal outright, you could project part of your consciousness into the hat owner's mind. One night, while Hu Tao was deeply asleep, you projected your consciousness into her dreams.]
[Entering Immersive Mode]
[Mission Objective: Make Hu Tao willingly surrender her body]
This seemed like an impossible task.
Lucas slowly opened his eyes, and what appeared before him was a strange yet magnificent world—a graveyard, surprisingly.
As expected, Hu Tao was different from ordinary girls.
Shouldn't a girl her age dream of something brighter and more romantic?
If it were Klee, she'd probably dream of a midsummer island. Fischl would likely dream of a fantasy castle.
Perhaps only someone like Hu Tao would dream about a cemetery.
Maybe it was because she had just lost her closest relative, but young Hu Tao appeared quite downcast. She leaned against a tombstone, looking rather lonely.
"Hello there," Lucas stepped forward and greeted her naturally, "Miss Hu Tao."
Indeed, since his opponent was a girl, Lucas naturally returned to his true nature within this simulator.
Even without a physical body, he could freely alter his appearance within the realm of consciousness. Thus, right now, he naturally chose the form of a gentle, handsome, and approachable older brother figure.
Comforting a girl when she was feeling sad was definitely the quickest way to earn her trust.
Though deceiving such a young girl was a bit shameless, there was no other way if he wanted to resurrect.
Only then did Hu Tao raise her head, looking at the unfamiliar young man before her. She murmured, "Who...who are you?"
"I am the guardian spirit of the Harmony Hexagram Hat," Lucas shamelessly lied, "Your grandfather asked me to protect you in his place."
Though this was an extremely clumsy lie, people naturally lost some rationality within dreams.
Moreover, when dealing with such an innocent girl, Lucas felt very confident.
"Re—really?" As expected, Hu Tao immediately showed a touched expression, "Grandpa asked you to look after me?"
"That's right," Lucas spread his arms toward Hu Tao, smiling warmly, "You must be feeling very sad right now. Come, cry your heart out in my embrace."
As long as Hu Tao became emotionally dependent on him, controlling her consciousness would become easy.
"Mhm!"
Hu Tao nodded and rushed toward Lucas.
Seeing Hu Tao actually believed his nonsense, Lucas secretly rejoiced.
However, what awaited Lucas was not a warm hug. Halfway there, Hu Tao suddenly leaped upward, performing a beautiful spinning kick that landed squarely on Lucas's cheek, sending him flying instantly.
Lucas could only project his consciousness into Hu Tao's dream, so naturally, his strength couldn't compare to that of the dream's owner, Hu Tao.
Perhaps due to sheer shock, Lucas even accidentally let out a chicken-like cry: "What are you doing~"
"Don't think I don't know. Grandpa's Harmony Hexagram Hat is a magical artifact used specifically to purify evil spirits," Hu Tao stood in front of Lucas with arms crossed, sneering coldly, "How could there be something like a guardian spirit? You guy—you're clearly taking advantage of Grandpa's death and the weakened seal, trying to escape the Harmony Hexagram Hat by invading my consciousness!"
She guessed correctly!
As expected, even in this simulator, Hu Tao was just as clever and quirky as her real self, immediately seeing through Lucas's scheme.
"In that case, I'll stop pretending," Lucas stood up, brushing off non-existent dust from his body and getting straight to the point, "Little girl, hand over your body to me!"
"So that's how it is..." Hu Tao subconsciously covered her chest, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, "Seems you're also a perverted ghost."
"I'm not!" Lucas hastily explained, "Many years ago, your grandfather sealed me inside that stupid hat. That old man probably never imagined that instead of properly passing on, I would regain my strength again—"
"Regained strength?" Hu Tao raised an eyebrow, "From what I've seen, you're pretty weak."
"That's only because I haven't fully broken through the Harmony Hexagram Hat's seal yet," Lucas wrinkled his nose, "Little girl, soon I'll break through the seal and return to the mortal world. I advise you to submit to me now. Perhaps then, I may even spare your life!"
Since softer methods had failed, it was time to resort to tougher ones.
The fact that Lucas could forcibly break through the seal with his consciousness and descend into Hu Tao's dream already showed that, at least within the Harmony Hexagram Hat, his cultivation had grown sufficiently powerful. Coupled with his extraordinary presence, intimidating an ordinary person would indeed be no difficult matter.
Unfortunately, Hu Tao didn't buy this act at all.
"Hey hey hey, who are you trying to scare?" Hu Tao showed an amused smile on her face. "A mere lonely and helpless vengeful spirit actually thinks he can frighten me? Don't make me laugh my head off."
What an incredibly arrogant brat!
Lucas had dealt with plenty of women before, but this was the first time encountering a type like Hu Tao.
Clearly, she didn't look very old, yet she acted so high and mighty, topped off by that mocking smile filled with provocation. Could it be that this was the legendary… smug brat?
"What, nothing to say now? Did I hit the mark?" Hu Tao approached Lucas, looking down at him, poking his chest with a finger as she said, "I think you're probably just some small fry spirit. Otherwise, my grandpa wouldn't have sealed you away so easily."
"I… I was only subdued by accident," Lucas blushed slightly, retorting, "Given enough time, I absolutely can return to the mortal world…"
"You're just stubbornly running your mouth, aren't you?" Hu Tao continued mockingly. "If you're really that powerful, why don't you try to possess my body right now?"
Saying this, Hu Tao spread her arms open generously, adopting a pose as if saying, "Come and take me," and added, "I definitely… won't resist."
Damn it!
Hu Tao might be a smug brat, but Lucas wasn't some pathetic old man who'd endure humiliation quietly. Gritting his teeth, he reached out directly toward Hu Tao. Yet just as his fingertip touched the corner of her clothes, there was a sudden crackling sound—an arc of electricity appeared between them. Lucas instantly felt pain course through his entire body as if electrocuted.
As expected… it was that old man's doing!
Thinking about it, the Harmony Hexagram Hat sealed countless vengeful spirits. Naturally, the former funeral parlor director wouldn't hand it casually to his beloved granddaughter without precautions. Evidently, he had already placed a protective curse beforehand, preventing any sealed spirits within the hat from harming Hu Tao.
"Tsk tsk, I gave you the chance, but you're useless," Hu Tao giggled, continuing, "Just now you were arrogantly saying you'd possess me, but now it seems you can't do anything except spit saliva all over my face."
So infuriating!
Lucas had been roaming among women for years—never once had he been teased by a girl like this. Yet right now, facing Hu Tao, he couldn't do anything at all, forced instead to quietly endure her humiliation.
Seeing him remain silent, Hu Tao continued, "Say, you really want to leave this place immediately, right?"
Lucas furrowed his brows. Though hesitant, he still nodded and said, "Which vengeful spirit trapped in the Harmony Hexagram Hat wouldn't want to leave that damned place?"
"Actually, it's not entirely impossible," Hu Tao lightly tapped her finger against her lips as she said, "How about this: as long as you fulfill a thousand conditions I set within the dream, I'll let you leave."
"Are you serious?" Lucas exclaimed in shock. "You… You're not messing with me, are you?"
"Well, my main purpose is indeed to mess with you," Hu Tao smiled. "But if we establish a contract, you shouldn't doubt me anymore, right?"
Indeed, as a city of commerce, honesty and trustworthiness were especially important to the people of Liyue. Once a contract was made, even treacherous scoundrels absolutely could not violate it, or else they'd suffer the punishment of "Rock's judgment."
"Fine, merely one thousand conditions," Lucas nodded. "I accept."
"Hmm, your willpower is pretty strong," Hu Tao giggled. "Grandpa told me that powerful vengeful spirits are usually born from extremely intense grudges against the mortal world. Why exactly are you so desperate to return to the living?"
"And why should I tell you?" Lucas maintained his last bit of pride.
"Alright then, my first condition is for you to tell me exactly that," Hu Tao perfectly utilized the rules. "Anyway, there are still nine hundred ninety-nine conditions left; wasting a few doesn't matter."
Lucas remained silent for a moment before replying, "For… revenge."
Hearing this, Hu Tao fell quiet for a moment. Lucas coldly remarked, "What? Now that you know I want revenge, you don't intend to let me leave anymore?"
"No, I just think your bitter and vengeful look is very amusing, like… a stray dog," unexpectedly, Hu Tao burst into laughter. "In that case, for the second task, how about you act like a puppy? Squat down~"
Facing the incredibly insolent girl before him, Lucas really wanted to lash out. But considering that his chance to leave depended entirely on this girl, he had no choice but to endure silently. He hesitated briefly before squatting down obediently.
"Haha! A doggy with such a serious face isn't cute at all!" Hu Tao laughed heartily, extending her small hand toward Lucas and saying, "Come on, shake hands."
Seeing Hu Tao reach out, Lucas felt slightly wary. He didn't want to experience that painful electric shock a second time.
"Relax," noticing Lucas's hesitation, Hu Tao stuck out her tongue playfully. "As long as you don't attack me, it won't 'zap' you, so come on."
Only then did Lucas relax slightly, carefully placing his hand onto Hu Tao's palm. However, the moment his fingertip touched her palm, there was another "zap," and he was electrocuted into a puff of black smoke.
Lucas immediately withdrew his finger and angrily shouted, "You tricked me!"
"Who told you to be so easy to trick? Haha!" Hu Tao laughed uncontrollably, continuing, "Alright alright, I was just messing with you. This time, I really won't shock you again. Come on."
Lucas furrowed his brows, but helplessly, he placed his hand onto hers again.
The warm sensation made Lucas, who had been endlessly battling among vengeful ghosts and malicious spirits, feel a long-absent trace of human warmth.
"Good boy, good boy," Hu Tao gently shook Lucas's hand, smiling. "There are still a thousand tasks left. I'm looking forward to it."
"Wait a second!" Lucas was startled, quickly protesting, "Haven't I already completed two? How come there are still a thousand left?"
"Because we haven't signed a contract yet," Hu Tao placed her hands on her hips, smiling brightly. "Of course those two just now didn't count."
Damn it, tricked again.
Lucas had suffered plenty of losses in his lifetime, but in less than half an hour, the number of times he'd been tricked by this girl might even exceed all the losses he'd suffered combined.
"Signed and sealed."
Hu Tao waved the contract in her hand and smiled, saying, "From now on, come whenever I call you. Otherwise, you'll be considered as having unilaterally violated the contract."
"I...I got it," Lucas replied fiercely. "Any other tasks?"
Right now, Lucas only wanted to quickly finish the thousand tasks and get as far away from this bratty girl as possible.
"None for today." Hu Tao waved her hand. "You may go. When something interesting comes to my mind, I'll naturally summon you."
Lucas's mouth twitched slightly, yet he still nodded and slowly disappeared from Hu Tao's sight.
But as Hu Tao stared at the place where Lucas disappeared, the smile gradually vanished from her face.
"Grandpa, could it be that you were worried I'd be too lonely, so you sent that guy to cheer me up?" Hu Tao murmured to herself, "Don't worry, Grandpa. I'll definitely live energetically and run Wangsheng Funeral Parlor prosperously!"
[Mission failed: No reward]
[Exiting Immersive Mode]
[Entering Text Mode]
The mission actually failed.
Such a situation was truly rare.
However, failing now didn't mean that he would fail forever. Given enough time, when Hu Tao relaxed her guard, he might have a chance to forcibly occupy her body.
At that time, he would thoroughly avenge today's humiliation!
[After the former director passed away, Hu Tao officially succeeded the position and held a perfect funeral for her grandfather. This convinced everyone around her that this young girl was indeed capable of carrying out the director's responsibilities.]
[Although you can't return to reality, you can observe real events through the Harmony Hexagram Hat. You experienced the entire funeral together with Hu Tao. It was hard to believe that this seemingly frivolous, quirky girl could also be so serious and solemn.]
[Age 31: Due to the contract established with Hu Tao, your life started becoming "colorful." Within the Harmony Hexagram Hat, you are an unparalleled ghost king above countless spirits, arrogant and invincible. Yet, inside Hu Tao's dreams, you became a helpless, easily bullied middle-aged loser.]
[As for those thousand "tasks," honestly speaking, they seemed more like tricks Hu Tao used to toy with you. After all, you're just a strand of consciousness in her dreams, theoretically unable to perform any substantial acts for her.]
[The first task: Hu Tao asked you to pretend to be an immobile wooden figure and remain motionless for one hour. The slightest movement would mean mission failure.]
[This would have originally been quite easy for you. Having cultivated Daoist arts since childhood, meditation and controlling breathing were skills you're extremely proficient in.]
[But naturally, Hu Tao wouldn't allow you to complete the mission so easily. While you remained motionless, she used various methods to tease and provoke you, forcing your body to "move."]
["Hey hey, closing your eyes counts as moving! That's right, you must keep your eyes open the entire time."]
["You've been staring at me this whole time, haven't you? What a disgusting look in your eyes, loser uncle."]
["If this were the real world, staring at a girl like that might get you arrested by the Millelith."]
[You clearly knew this was Hu Tao's way of messing with you. Even the slightest loss of patience would provide her an opening, forcibly concluding your "mission failure."]
[Thus, this seemingly "simple" task, you actually failed dozens of times. Finally, one time, you managed to hold still for fifty-nine minutes straight. But unexpectedly, Hu Tao used her final "killer move" right in front of Lucas, directly removing the last of her clothing.]
[It seemed that in the dream world, Hu Tao's courage was much greater than in reality. Although you had almost endured to the end, upon seeing those deep-red plum petals, you still lost the battle.]
["You can't endure even this much? Even the slightest twitch anywhere counts as moving, you really are weak, uncle." Hu Tao patted your cheek, her face filled with playful mockery. "But seeing that helpless look, wanting to do something to me yet unable to, makes me extremely happy. So, I'll consider this task as passed."]
[You never imagined that the first task would be this "difficult." Given Hu Tao's unpredictable personality, even you couldn't foresee what strange tasks she'd come up with next.]
[After all, this was Hu Tao's dream. Here, she not only controlled everything, but more importantly, as this place was an extremely private space, Hu Tao practically had no limits whatsoever.]
[As for why Hu Tao treated you this way, it wasn't entirely impossible for you to guess. In reality, having just taken over as director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor at such a young age, she had constantly faced criticism from all sides. Even family members of the deceased sometimes refused to let this "immature" little girl preside over their loved one's funeral.]
[The stress Hu Tao couldn't release in reality was naturally vented entirely onto you in her dreams.]
[Of course, for you, this was undoubtedly another kind of torture. You once cultivated the "Extreme Yin Dual Cultivation Technique." This cultivation method not only allowed you to greatly enhance the yin energy within your body through absorbing yin, but also let you interact with numerous women.]
[But within the Harmony Hexagram Hat, there were only grotesque monsters. Let alone attractive women, even creatures that could be considered female were exceedingly rare. Hu Tao's sudden appearance into your world was undoubtedly like a delicious meal emitting an enticing fragrance. Yet, not only were you unable to taste it, you were also constantly restrained and teased by her.]
[Age 32: A year swiftly passed, yet you had only completed a few dozen missions, not even reaching one-tenth of the required thousand.]
[However, the difficulty of these missions was anything but ordinary, always revealing Hu Tao's twisted sense of humor. Not only did you have to complete these bizarre tasks, you also had to endure Hu Tao's mocking and ridicule. In her eyes, you were nothing more than an utterly defeated, pathetic middle-aged ghost desperately wanting to escape your predicament.]
[On the other hand, Hu Tao in reality gradually began to improve. People slowly acknowledged her capabilities, no longer treating her as an unreliable child.]
[One day, while sorting through her grandfather's belongings, Hu Tao accidentally discovered a strange diary. Shockingly, the contents recorded within were actually the former director's notes on sealing evil spirits!]
[The contents recorded in that notebook were precisely the experiences of the former Director in sealing evil spirits over several decades. Almost every spirit's characteristics, abilities, behaviors, and methods to counter them were meticulously documented.]
[You were born into an exorcist clan. Although only from a branch family, it was still a sect specializing in sealing spirits and exorcism, thus you naturally learned many exorcism techniques. Yet, the contents recorded in this notebook differed greatly from the knowledge you had acquired.]
[Of course, the biggest difference lay in the method of handling evil spirits. The approach of your exorcist clan was naturally to eradicate them directly or use them as materials for medicine refining. Hu Tao's grandfather, however, sought ways to liberate these spirits. If a spirit couldn't be liberated, he would seal it within the Harmony Hexagram Hat to aid its passing.]
[You naturally scoffed at this method. After all, even you merely saw these spirits as nourishment to enhance your own strength. Liberating spirits was troublesome and unrewarding, completely meaningless to you.]
[However, Hu Tao's eyes shone with a brilliance you had never seen before. Even the plum blossoms within her pupils seemed to sparkle. She closed her grandfather's spirit-sealing notebook and made an incredibly bold decision—to inherit her grandfather's will and continue liberating evil spirits.]
[This was by no means an easy task. Although Hu Tao's strength was not weak, aided further by a Vision, exorcising and sealing spirits were not matters solved by power alone.]
[Even more troublesome, attempting to liberate spirits before the exorcist clans could eradicate or capture them would sharply increase the difficulty.]
[Age 33: Nonetheless, Hu Tao resolutely began her plan. At first, she only liberated weaker wandering ghosts. As her strength and experience grew, aided by the detailed guidance of the spirit-sealing notebook, Hu Tao achieved considerable success.]
[Naturally, you were pleased with this. After all, new spirits appeared within the Harmony Hexagram Hat, meaning your own reserves of Yin energy would swell accordingly, adding another bargaining chip toward your escape.]
[Of course, Hu Tao could never openly do this. After all, liberating spirits was likely unacceptable to most people. If discovered by the exorcist clans of Liyue Harbor, she would inevitably become a target.]
[Thus, Hu Tao often acted at night, traveling across Liyue to find spirits to liberate or deposit into the Harmony Hexagram Hat.]
[Although her solitary actions were discreet, it was inevitable that some clues would leak out. Before long, the exorcist clans realized that an unknown expert in capturing spirits was "stealing their business."]
[For the exorcist clans, this naturally could not be tolerated. They had monopolized the exorcism trade for a long time, allowing no interference from outsiders. Moreover, those spirits had long been considered the exorcist clans' "private property."]
[Once, in the wilderness forest outskirts, just after Hu Tao had painstakingly subdued a spirit, three figures suddenly appeared behind her.]
[Entering Immersive Mode]
"Phew..."
Hu Tao wiped the sweat from her forehead. Looking at the resentful spirit she'd defeated, she chuckled and said, "Relax, I won't destroy you. Of course, the premise is that you behave yourself."
Meanwhile, Lucas silently observed all this from within the hat atop Hu Tao's head.
He had to admit, Hu Tao's strength had indeed improved rapidly—much stronger than he had been at her age.
Back then, he had barely managed to handle powerful spirits with Shenhe's assistance. Yet Hu Tao, relying solely on herself and her grandfather's notebook, had reached this level. Had she been in the exorcist clan, perhaps she would have been considered a talent on par with Shenhe.
However, before Hu Tao could fully catch her breath, she suddenly heard faint footsteps behind her. Just as she became alert, three people wearing the robes of the exorcist clan had already formed a triangular formation, surrounding her.
Leading them was a man in his thirties, appearing somewhat vulgar. The other two, one male and one female, were both young, under twenty years old. The girl had long blue hair and lively, intelligent eyes, a spirited young woman with a scholarly aura.
As for the last man, he was even younger, seemingly around Hu Tao's age. His short, pale blue hair was quite conspicuous, and his baby face still carried traces of childishness.
Lucas focused his eyes and found all three somewhat familiar.
The man in his thirties was none other than Ju Han, who had once served as a "spectral servant" under him. Unexpectedly, during the years of Lucas's sealing, Ju Han seemed to have lived comfortably and probably even attained the position of a clan leader.
The teenage boy was Chongyun—his appearance and age matched perfectly.
As for the blue-haired girl, Lucas felt she was vaguely familiar, yet among the women he knew, none seemed to match. For a moment, he couldn't recall who she was.
"We've finally caught you, troublemaker who's been opposing our clan," Ju Han stepped forward with a cold sneer. "Didn't expect you'd be such a short runt. Young man, remove your mask!"
Indeed, to conceal her identity, Hu Tao usually wore tight black night clothes and a mask when liberating spirits.
But unexpectedly, due to her excessively "slender" figure, she was mistaken for a man!
This immediately touched upon Hu Tao's sore spot. She yelled angrily, "This lady here is a girl! Besides, these spirits aren't raised by your family. Who are you to interfere?"
"Based solely on our family's centuries-long legacy of exorcism in Liyue Harbor!" Hearing the other party was a girl, Ju Han's face revealed an indecent grin. Reaching out one hand with ill intentions, he smirked maliciously, "I suspect you're a spirit refiner. Come, let me search you!"
The so-called "spirit refiners" were practitioners who refined spirits for profit. Since spirit-refining had long been monopolized by exorcist clans, "spirit refiners" were naturally deemed sinister and evil by them.
Seeing Ju Han's hand reaching toward her, Hu Tao instantly conjured a spear in her hand, sweeping a wave of flames toward Ju Han. The scorching fire element immediately ignited Ju Han's hair.
Ju Han hadn't anticipated the sudden counterattack. He immediately released a miserable scream. At that moment, a sphere of water abruptly splashed onto his head.
The water sphere splashed down, instantly extinguishing the flames on Ju Han's head.
Although the fire was successfully put out, Ju Han's hair had already been scorched into curls, emitting an unpleasant smell, leaving him rather awkward and embarrassed.
"Thank you very much... Junior Martial Niece Xingqiu," Ju Han frowned slightly and said, "I didn't expect that this girl actually has a Vision."
Junior Martial Niece Xingqiu?
Only then did Lucas realize that in this simulator, Xingqiu had not only joined an exorcist clan but had also inexplicably lost his "Little brother."
Different simulators actually represented different parallel spaces, which could cause certain characters to have some variations and differences.
Personality, background, experiences... or even gender.
As Zhongli was a god, gender was already ambiguous by nature, making this understandable. But Xingqiu was a genuine boy in the prime world, and had now become a girl in this simulation. No wonder Lucas found her familiar yet failed to recognize her immediately.
"There's no need to thank me, Martial Uncle Ju," Xingqiu's words were polite, but the smile on her face was clearly disdainful as she said, "You don't have a Vision, so it's no wonder you're not a match for this girl."
These words immediately made Ju Han feel a burst of resentment in his heart, but he dared not vent his anger.
Although Xingqiu was a disciple of the main family and a generation younger by seniority, as the second young lady of the Feiyun Commerce Guild, she had joined the exorcist clan purely out of interest. Moreover, she possessed a Hydro Vision and was incredibly talented, thus acting without restraint, completely disregarding him, her so-called "Martial Uncle."
"Xingqiu, don't speak nonsense!" Chongyun slightly frowned and said, "Martial Uncle Ju was merely careless for a moment. How could he not match this demon-slaying master?"
Chongyun had an honest nature, and naturally spoke these words sincerely. However, to Ju Han's ears, they inevitably sounded somewhat sarcastic.
Unfortunately, these two junior martial disciples were both highly valued rising talents in the clan, and Ju Han couldn't scold them. Thus, he put on a forced smile and said, "Dealing with such a minor character doesn't require me to personally take action. It's better to leave it to my two exceptional martial nephew and niece. If you can't handle her, I'll then step in to assist."
Upon hearing these words, Lucas, who was dwelling inside the hat, sneered coldly in his heart. Clearly afraid that he couldn't defeat her, Ju Han still pretended to be a hidden master behind the scenes. Sure enough, this man's character hadn't changed at all.
"In that case, let me be your opponent," Chongyun stepped forward with a serious expression and said, "However, weapons have no eyes. If you willingly surrender, we don't need to fight."
"Stop your nonsense!"
Hu Tao raised her spear and instantly attacked. Her strike was extremely swift; Chongyun was startled, quickly manifesting a claymore in his hands and summoning a layer of Cryo elemental shield. Unexpectedly, the crimson flames on Hu Tao's spear blade surpassed his ice shield, instantly piercing through it and leaving a sharp cut beneath Chongyun's ribs.
Although star ratings and strength in the game might not always correspond, Hu Tao possessed outstanding talent and was indeed stronger than Chongyun. This could be clearly seen through their elemental powers alone.
Seeing Chongyun struggle, Xingqiu immediately stepped forward from the side. Several Hydro-elemental blades instantly appeared behind her, stabbing at Hu Tao's back: "Junior Martial Brother Chongyun, I'll assist you!"
She didn't possess Chongyun's principles and had no psychological burden about launching a sneak attack. Hu Tao didn't anticipate this sudden strike and felt a sharp pain behind her as the Hydro blades struck her back.
"Xingqiu!" Chongyun hurriedly called out, "This is a fight between her and me. We shouldn't gang up on her!"
"She's our enemy. What's wrong with ganging up?" Xingqiu showed no intention of stopping. Although Chongyun hesitated, he knew their opponent was strong, so he had no choice but to join Xingqiu in fighting Hu Tao together.
In a one-on-one fight, Hu Tao naturally wouldn't be weaker than Chongyun or Xingqiu. But facing two against one, she inevitably grew somewhat strained.
"Hey, girl, if this continues, you'll lose," Lucas spoke through consciousness into Hu Tao's mind. "Let's make a deal. Give your body to me, and I'll help you deal with these two brats."
For Hu Tao, Chongyun and Xingqiu might be tricky opponents, but for Lucas, they were easy opponents to toy with. Forget Hu Tao—even if Lucas had any normal body, even without a Vision, he could defeat them with absolute certainty.
But how could Hu Tao let Lucas's cunning scheme succeed? She hadn't intended to defeat them anyway.
"Secret Calming Ritual!"
She suddenly turned around, and fierce flames burst from her spear shaft, forcing Chongyun and Xingqiu to retreat a few steps to avoid the flames. At this critical moment, Hu Tao didn't hesitate, immediately turning around to escape. With her agility and speed, fleeing from these three people's pursuit would naturally pose no issue.
However, just as Hu Tao was about to take her first step, her ankle suddenly tightened. Looking down, she saw two withered and terrifying ghostly hands had unknowingly emerged from underground, tightly grasping her slender ankles.
"Earthbound Ghost Hands!" Hu Tao's expression turned startled, and she turned her head to look. Indeed, Ju Han, who had been watching the fight from afar, was quietly chanting an incantation. As expected, the cunning old fox had long anticipated Hu Tao's possible escape and prepared accordingly.
"Martial Uncle truly has deep foresight," Xingqiu remarked with a hint of sarcasm, "After all, ginger gets spicier as it ages."
"This..." Although Chongyun felt their victory was somewhat dishonorable, it wasn't his place to say anything. He helplessly said, "In that case, we should quickly take her back."
"Hmph, and you dare call yourselves righteous clans..." Although restrained, Hu Tao remained defiant, "Ganging up, and using such despicable and shameless tricks—it disgusts me."
"Shut up!"
Ju Han quickly made another hand seal. The two ghostly hands yanked Hu Tao down, forcing her to fall onto her knees. Then two more ghostly hands emerged from underground, binding Hu Tao's wrists.
Thus, Hu Tao had no choice but to support her body on all fours. Ju Han's face revealed a strange smile as he said, "Chongyun, Xingqiu, you two go back to the clan first to report. I'll stay here and carefully 'inspect' whether this girl is hiding any dangerous items."
Chongyun, honest by nature, naturally didn't suspect anything. Xingqiu, although clearly seeing Ju Han's intention to take advantage of Hu Tao, didn't intend to meddle. She smiled and said, "In that case, we'll leave first."
Watching Ju Han getting closer and closer, beads of sweat began to appear on Hu Tao's forehead. Could it be that she really was going to be humiliated here today?
Seeing Ju Han's malicious hand about to reach out, Hu Tao finally bit her lip tightly and communicated with Lucas through her consciousness.
"My body, take it and use it!"
But this time, Lucas' reply carried a rather carefree tone: "Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
"Cut the nonsense! Hurry up!"
If that filthy hand truly touched her, Hu Tao would rather hand over her body to Lucas.
"In that case, I'll reluctantly borrow your body for a bit."
In an instant, Hu Tao's body trembled slightly. Her originally crimson pupils instantly turned white, while the whites of her eyes turned pitch-black, giving off a horrifying impression.
Ju Han, who was closest, immediately felt an inexplicably familiar chilling aura.
When Hu Tao raised her head, those eerie eyes caused Ju Han to subconsciously retreat half a step.
Hu Tao—or rather, Lucas, who was possessing Hu Tao's body—merely released an aura of yin energy. The four ghostly hands restraining her instantly shriveled into dried chunks of flesh and scattered all over the ground.
"Ah..."
Lucas took a deep breath of the worldly air, an expression of absolute pleasure appearing on his face as he murmured to himself, "The sensation of having a physical body is simply wonderful."
Indeed, within the Harmony Hexagram Hat, no matter how much Lucas restored his strength, he had no physical sensations and nowhere to use it. Now, not only did he have a body to control, but it was also Hu Tao's body—a body extremely compatible with his yin energy—which naturally made him feel immensely delighted at this moment.
"Ghost Hand Ultimate Bind!"
Although Ju Han was terrified inside, he still possessed some skill. Immediately adjusting his state, he chanted an incantation. From beneath the ground burst forth a terrifying ghost hand over ten feet long, spreading wide open as if intending to smash the "little girl" before him into pulp.
Unexpectedly, Lucas neither dodged nor avoided. He merely coldly glanced at the ghost hand and squeezed out a single word from the corner of his mouth: "Scram."
The faceless, headless ghost hand immediately began trembling violently and retreated swiftly back underground like a frightened puppy, not daring to emerge again.
"You... what exactly are you?" Ju Han swallowed his saliva. He had felt this kind of fear once before, yet this suffocating sensation was even stronger than the previous time.
"I am nothing at all," Lucas softly replied.
Xingqiu and Chongyun, who had not yet gone far, immediately noticed something was amiss and quickly turned back, positioning themselves on Lucas' left and right to confront him.
Lucas' gaze swept across the three people, finally landing on Xingqiu.
After all, the "Extreme Yin Dual Cultivation Technique," the method he had relied on for success previously, required a woman to cultivate. Now, finally encountering a woman—and one of such good quality—naturally made his heart itch somewhat.
Although Xingqiu knew the masked person before her was a girl, she still felt uncomfortable under "her" gaze. Without another word, she directly drew her sword and thrust forward, shouting: "Pretending to be mysterious—take this!"
Lucas sneered coldly and casually waved his hand. A powerful wave of sinister yin energy instantly formed a gust of wind, immediately shattering the longsword in Xingqiu's hand and sending her body flying several meters away, landing heavily on the ground.
"Little girl, I'll deal with you later," Lucas brushed off his hands, staring at Ju Han and sneering: "Long time no see, my ghostly servant."
Hearing the words "ghostly servant," Ju Han suddenly understood, and his eyes immediately revealed terror as he murmured, "You... you're not dead!"
"I've already died a long time ago," Lucas coldly said, "It's just that I'm still unwilling to leave this world."
With a loud "thud," Ju Han immediately knelt down, repeatedly kowtowing: "Lord Ghost King, I finally waited for you! Now I have considerable status within the exorcist clan. If we join forces again, we can definitely..."
"Martial Uncle!" Chongyun heard these words clearly and suspiciously said, "What do you mean by that?"
"Chongyun, my nephew, you... listen to my explanation..." Ju Han stood up, placed one hand on Chongyun's shoulder, and whispered into his ear: "I'm sorry."
Before Chongyun could react, a dagger had already pierced his chest. An expression of disbelief appeared on his face, blood gushing from his mouth. He reached out his hand, trying to grab Ju Han, but Ju Han forcefully pushed him away. Chongyun fell to the ground, struggling briefly before finally ceasing all movement.
Even in death, Chongyun probably never imagined that his martial uncle, who usually greeted him with smiles, would also hide a dagger behind those smiles.
"You see? I'm using my nephew's life as proof of loyalty!" Ju Han showed not the slightest trace of guilt, smiling as he said, "Now I know many secrets of the clan. Keeping me alive like a dog is definitely more useful than killing me."
"What you say makes sense, however..." Lucas smiled faintly, "Sometimes, the dead are more useful than the living."
"W-what...?" Ju Han trembled all over, "What use could a dead person possibly have? Of course the living are useful."
"These years, I've cultivated diligently and learned many interesting techniques." Lucas approached Ju Han, stretching out a finger and pressing it against Ju Han's forehead, saying: "For example, as long as I consume someone's brain, I can gain their memories."
Ju Han's eyes filled with despair as he murmured, "How... how is that possible!"
"Whether it's possible or not, we'll find out soon enough." As Lucas spoke, the finger pressing against Ju Han's forehead suddenly exerted force. The sharp nail instantly pierced Ju Han's skull.
The intense pain immediately caused Ju Han's body to struggle violently, but Lucas stood firmly, unmoving. Soon, Ju Han's head rapidly shriveled up, and his body limply fell to the ground.
Through absorbing Ju Han's brain, Lucas roughly learned what had happened in Liyue during these past years.
After Lucas was severely injured by Shenhe and subsequently subdued by Hu Tao's grandfather, the exorcist clans no longer faced any obstruction. Thus, in the matters of exorcism and demon suppression, they became peerless, dominating all others.
In addition, with the increasing number of demons and evil spirits over the years—almost entirely managed by the exorcist clan—their status in Liyue Harbor sharply rose. The clan's size expanded rapidly, becoming a formidable force within Liyue Harbor. This explained why Ju Han dared to bypass law enforcement authority to apprehend Hu Tao directly; he likely relied on his family's power to act without fear.
As the butterfly effect described, even minor differences could lead to tremendous changes in the simulated world.
At that moment, Hu Tao's voice suddenly sounded in Lucas' mind: "That's enough! Give my body back!"
Indeed, Hu Tao and Lucas's positions had completely reversed at this moment.
Previously, it was Lucas who had been trapped within Hu Tao's consciousness, unable to escape. Now, the situation had flipped—Hu Tao was the one trapped inside Lucas's consciousness.
"Return it to you?" Lucas chuckled darkly and said, "Haven't you heard the saying, 'It's easy to invite a devil, but difficult to send one away'?"
"You... you really were scheming against me!" Although Hu Tao knew clearly in her heart that Lucas wouldn't obediently return her body, she couldn't help but lose her temper a bit. "Despicable! Shameless! A mere small fry like you actually dares..."
"Is it really okay for you to insult me like this?" Lucas removed his veil, revealing Hu Tao's face, and smiled, "Right now, this body belongs to me. Whatever I do with it is my freedom. For example... stripping naked and running around Liyue Harbor three times. What do you think?"
Hu Tao felt a shock in her heart. She couldn't help recalling the past incidents when she had toyed with Lucas. If he really intended to use this opportunity for revenge, it wouldn't be surprising at all.
If he truly did that, losing face herself would be one thing. But as the Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, even the parlor's millennia-old reputation would be ruined. Even if she committed suicide to atone for the shame, going to the other world, she'd still have to endure accusations from dozens of former directors—especially her grandfather.
"Absolutely not!" Hu Tao quickly said, "But... you're really not planning to return the body to me?"
"Let's discuss that later." Lucas glanced coldly at Xingqiu, who had collapsed onto the ground, and sneered, "I have more important things to do right now."
"Chong... Chongyun..."
Xingqiu struggled to move, crawling toward Chongyun. Seeing his pale face and realizing he had already stopped breathing, Xingqiu's eyes grew red, and tears uncontrollably began to flow.
Since joining the exorcist clans, Chongyun had been her closest friend. Now seeing him killed by someone from their own clan, dying tragically in the wilderness, naturally she found it difficult to accept.
"Tsk tsk tsk, what a pitiful death," Lucas approached Xingqiu, smiling faintly. "This boy must be very important to you."
"You... you are... the Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?" Seeing Hu Tao's face clearly, Xingqiu's expression grew even more shocked and she murmured, "Why would you do this to us..."
"Clearly, it was you who came looking for trouble first." Lucas squatted down, pinched Xingqiu's cheek, and smiled cheerily. "Looking closely, you little girl, you do look quite delicate."
"Kill or torture me, do as you please!" Xingqiu's character was exceptionally stubborn. "I won't submit to you like that guy did!"
"Don't forget, I'm the Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor," Lucas sneered. "Even if you die, you won't escape my grasp."
"What?"
Xingqiu's expression turned to shock, only to see Lucas stretch out his palm. It seemed as if a youth's soul was trapped, struggling endlessly like inside a cage. Looking carefully, Xingqiu realized that soul was actually Chongyun's!
"I can guide souls to the afterlife, naturally I can imprison them too," Lucas said coldly. "If you commit suicide, I guarantee it'll be ten thousand times worse than staying alive."
A rare glimmer of despair appeared in Xingqiu's eyes, and she whispered, "What... what exactly do you want?"
"I can grant Chongyun's spirit peace, and spare your life," Lucas whispered softly into Xingqiu's ear. "However, you'll have to..."
After hearing Lucas's next few words, Xingqiu's face instantly flushed deep red. She once again looked at Hu Tao, complicated emotions filling her eyes. "But... you're clearly a girl..."
"Let me tell you the truth. Actually, I'm precisely that 'Dream Lover' who mysteriously disappeared years ago," Lucas said rather proudly. "Due to some unexpected circumstances, I had to possess Hu Tao's body. So strictly speaking, I'm currently a man."
"You're the Dream Lover!"
Xingqiu recalled that indeed, many years ago, rumors about a "Dream Lover" had spread through Liyue Harbor. After a few years, he completely vanished. The exorcist clans had claimed that the Dream Lover was an evil spirit and had been eliminated. Unexpectedly, not only had he not disappeared, but had instead resurrected using Hu Tao's body!
"But even if you're the Dream Lover..." Xingqiu murmured, "The body itself is still a girl's, right?"
She had no experience in such matters, but she still understood basic human anatomy. No matter who the entity possessing Hu Tao was, how could this slender girl, seemingly even more petite than herself, possibly... do something like that to her?
"I have my own methods for this," Lucas sneered. "Still, I don't like forcing girls. If you don't agree, I won't kill you. However, Chongyun's soul will likely be tortured by me forever."
As he spoke, Lucas lightly tightened his fingers. The imprisoned "Chongyun's soul" immediately emitted a miserable scream.
"Don't... Don't do that!" Xingqiu quickly said, "I... I'll agree!"
Anyway, the other party had a female body. Even if she agreed, she figured it would likely just be some superficial touching. To save her friend's soul, this small sacrifice would be worth it.
"Very good," Lucas showed a triumphant smile. "Then I won't... hold back."
After saying that, Lucas suddenly revealed a long spear. Not only Xingqiu, but even Hu Tao within Lucas's consciousness wore an expression of absolute shock.
"What... what exactly are you doing!" Hu Tao's voice even began to tremble. "Why... why would something like this appear on my body?"
"Relax, it's just a small spell," Lucas explained in his consciousness. "This spear isn't physical, but formed purely from Yin energy. It doesn't connect to the body, but directly to your and my spirit."
"Wait... wait a second!" Hu Tao exclaimed in surprise, "What do you mean, connecting to 'your and my' spirit? Isn't this thing yours alone?"
"Please, right now we're sharing the same body," Lucas explained. "My sensations are naturally yours too. As a girl, having this kind of experience is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"I... I don't want this kind of experience at all!" Hu Tao shouted angrily, "Hurry up and remove this thing from my body!"
"Don't worry, even if I don't remove it, it'll naturally disappear after use," Lucas clapped his hands and said, "This is the price for always toying with me!"
...
Half an hour later..
Lucas left the spear inside Xingqiu. This served as insurance to prevent her from betraying him.
"After some time passes and the Yin energy disperses, it will disappear by itself," Lucas comforted her, "but only if you behave obediently."
"Behave obediently?" Xingqiu suddenly felt a chill crawl up her spine and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Lucas spoke slowly and deliberately, "Did you know that your Uncle Juhan was once just like you are now…"
"What?" Hearing this, Xingqiu immediately showed a look of disgust and said, "I never expected you to be interested even in men…"
"No, that's not it!" Lucas's old face flushed a deep red, and he quickly corrected himself, "I'm saying, I once showed mercy and spared his life. But as you saw, he betrayed me, and that's why I've ended up in this state."
Xingqiu was exceptionally bright and immediately grasped Lucas's intentions. Slightly furrowing her brows, she said, "You're afraid I'll betray you just like he did."
"Rather, it would be more unusual if you didn't betray me," Lucas nodded, saying, "So, leaving my dragon inside you is my insurance. As long as you obediently behave and don't expose my secrets, I'll let you live comfortably. But if you dare betray me…"
A trace of fear flashed through Xingqiu's eyes, and she murmured, "Will it explode?"
Based on her past reading experiences, the big villains usually threatened innocent people using this kind of method.
"I wouldn't use such a violent method," Lucas waved his hand, revealing a gentle smile, "However, if something happens to me, that thing will gradually become harder and harder, growing sharp, barbed spikes that slowly embed into your flesh. You'll feel excruciating pain, but your body won't bear any visible wounds. Even the most skilled physicians would never find the root cause…"
"Stop…stop talking!" Xingqiu's expression grew increasingly ugly, her voice trembling slightly as she said, "I understand… I'll behave obediently."
Xingqiu was never the rigid type to begin with. Moreover, she joined the exorcist family purely out of personal interest and didn't feel any particular attachment to the main family. She had no desire to get involved in the grudges between Lucas and the clan.
"Still…" Looking at Chongyun's "corpse" beside her, Xingqiu showed a trace of grief and said, "How shall I explain these two deaths to the sect?"
"Two deaths?" Unexpectedly, Lucas smiled slightly and said, "Only your Uncle died, didn't he?"
"What?" Xingqiu was momentarily stunned. Turning to Chongyun's body again, she saw that his originally pale face actually regained a trace of color, and his halted breathing gradually stabilized. She exclaimed in astonishment, "How…how is this possible?"
"This boy possesses the rare Pure Yang constitution. He won't die so easily," Lucas flipped Chongyun's body over with the tip of his foot and smiled, "The Pure Yang Qi within him protected his vital channels, and he's currently recovering."
Xingqiu checked Chongyun's breath and indeed found him alive. However, after spending the past hour and a half "facing off" against Lucas, her stance had subtly shifted. Now, she anxiously asked, "But if Chongyun wakes up, how should I explain what just happened?"
"It's simple. When his Pure Yang Qi flares up, Chongyun's power will greatly increase, but he'll lose memory of that period," Lucas stroked his chin confidently, "We'll disguise the scene. After Chongyun wakes up, just tell him that Juhan's sneak attack triggered his Pure Yang Qi, causing him to go berserk. In his frenzy, he killed Juhan and seriously injured me. This way, everything will make sense."
"Alright, let's quickly start tidying up…" Xingqiu was about to move, but suddenly, a puzzled look appeared on her face as she muttered, "Strange, why… do I subconsciously want to help this guy…"
Was it because Lucas's phantom limb still lingered within her, or had her mind really been unconsciously controlled by what had transpired?
Just like those scenarios in sensual novels?
At this moment, Xingqiu naturally had no time to ponder further. She and Lucas were already bound together like grasshoppers on the same rope.
Before long, the two quickly cleaned up the scene. Lucas even took Chongyun's greatsword and smashed Juhan's drained head several times, turning it into a bloody mess.
"This should be good enough," Lucas clapped his hands and said, "You're clever enough. You should know what to do next."
"You're… you're leaving now?" Xingqiu suddenly asked, "Will I…ever see you again?"
"Oh?" Lucas teased, "Do you really want to see me again?"
"Of…of course not!" Xingqiu hurriedly defended herself, "Only you know how to remove that thing… from my body."
"Since I'm using Director Hu's body, naturally I'll stay at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor," Lucas turned around, saying, "Remember, you'd better not let a third person know about what happened between us, or else…hehe."
Lucas used Hu Tao's cute face to give a mischievous little grin before leaping up and disappearing into the forest.
Xingqiu remained standing in place, staring at the devastation around her, as if still unable to believe what had just occurred.
Only the faint trembling of Lucas's phantom limb inside her constantly reminded Xingqiu that all of this was real.
She didn't know how long had passed before Chongyun slowly woke up. He still appeared weak, muttering, "What… exactly happened? Martial Uncle Juhan… how did he die?"
"You're still calling him Martial Uncle? He nearly killed you," Xingqiu helped Chongyun up, repeating the explanation Lucas had taught her, "The Pure Yang Qi within you saved your life. You not only killed Uncle Master Juhan, but also… chased away the person who was possessed by the evil spirit earlier."
"I actually… killed him?" Chongyun looked down at his own hands, his face showing a complicated expression, "Although he deserved death, still… sigh."
"It's not your fault," Xingqiu patted Chongyun on the shoulder, "I'll help you explain clearly to the family. No one will trouble you."
"Thank you, Senior Sister Xingqiu…" Chongyun felt inexplicably moved. Looking at the girl before him, he noticed her face was slightly flushed, and for some reason, she seemed far more charming than before.
Considering that Xingqiu had surely been taking good care of him while he was unconscious, and that his youthful pure Yang energy had not entirely dissipated yet, Chongyun gathered his courage and said: "Senior Sister Xingqiu, actually I…"
Xingqiu naturally saw through Chongyun's thoughts at a glance. Before he could finish speaking, she spoke first as if to herself: "Right, Chongyun, I have a secret I want to tell you."
"A secret?" Chongyun was slightly stunned and asked, "What secret?"
"Actually…" Xingqiu suddenly felt Lucas's phantom limb move abruptly. She immediately bit her lower lip and blushed slightly, saying: "I already have someone I like. I've always treated you as a younger brother, so I'm telling you this secret. You mustn't tell anyone else."
At that sudden movement just now, Xingqiu almost couldn't hold back.
Although the phantom limb had been constantly affecting Xingqiu from the start, after some time she had at least barely gotten used to it. Unexpectedly, it would move again.
Of course, Xingqiu didn't know that Lucas hadn't actually left earlier. Instead, he was hiding in the shadows of the trees, secretly observing Xingqiu, seeing if she would obediently follow his instructions. Just now, he had suddenly felt mischievous and manipulated the phantom limb to give Xingqiu a little "surprise."
Indeed, Lucas had previously told Xingqiu he couldn't control the phantom limb, but that was merely a lie.
In truth, he could not only control the phantom limb remotely, but even connect it directly to his consciousness—just like connecting via remote Bluetooth.
Meanwhile, Chongyun naturally felt his heart sink upon hearing Xingqiu's words. With a bitter smile, he said, "I…I see. That's… congratulations, Senior Sister Xingqiu."
Poor young man. In the previous simulator, his aunt had been taken by Lucas. Now he finally had a childhood friend and fellow disciple, yet again she was taken by Lucas. Lucas truly wondered if his current hair color was becoming exactly like that of the Traveler.
...
Within the consciousness space.
This place was originally Hu Tao's exclusive sanctuary, where she could freely command and tease Lucas, and no matter what, this guy would never resist.
But now, the roles had completely reversed, with Lucas gaining the upper hand.
As soon as Lucas appeared in the consciousness space, Hu Tao immediately rushed over, raising her foot and kicking fiercely toward Lucas: "Give me back my body!"
In the past, Lucas would probably have meekly endured this kick, then been sent flying back. But times had changed, and facing the aggressive Hu Tao, Lucas casually reached out his hand, grabbed Hu Tao's ankle, and lifted her up directly.
Although there was no gravity in the consciousness space, Hu Tao's skirt still slid down accordingly.
"How... how is this possible?" Hu Tao asked in surprise: "Why doesn't my defense mechanism work on you anymore?"
"Because you're no longer the master of this body," Lucas smiled: "Now, you're the intruder, which means..."
Suddenly, from Lucas's palm burst a flash of electricity. Instantly, invisible electric currents spread throughout Hu Tao's entire body, causing her to let out a painful howl.
"Now you should understand how I felt when you punished me," Lucas looked at the slightly trembling Hu Tao and said calmly: "I remember very clearly all the times you teased me before."
"Hmph... hmph!"
Even knowing she was currently at a disadvantage, Hu Tao maintained a defiant attitude, sneering: "You're just a small-fry old man. Just because you have a slight advantage, you're getting full of yourself? You should know that you can't control this body forever. As soon as you show the slightest lapse, I can take it back!"
Hu Tao was right. Simply put, Hu Tao's body was like a game account. Lucas was currently logged in, so Hu Tao naturally couldn't log in. But if Lucas "went offline" even briefly, Hu Tao could seize the opportunity and kick Lucas's account off.
Unless Lucas could remain conscious at all times, but even demons and spirits needed rest.
"You're right," surprisingly, Lucas appeared completely calm and said: "So, I plan to establish a new contract with you. During this period while I'm looking for a new vessel, I can freely use your body."
Hu Tao was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter: "Why would I establish such a contract with you? If you never find a new vessel, is the Parlor Director's body supposed to be at your disposal forever?"
"Don't worry, I don't want to use a girl's body forever either," Lucas shook his head and said: "After all, using a phantom limb to absorb Yin energy is rather inefficient. I still... prefer the original equipment."
Hu Tao naturally knew what he meant by "phantom limb," and her small face blushed slightly as she said: "I'm not like those spineless ones. In the name of my grandfather, I won't aid the tiger in doing evil!"
"You have backbone, I admire that," Lucas nodded. Then, using his familiar technique, he created a silver spear from Yin energy and said: "What if I use the method I used on Xingqiu to deal with you?"
Hu Tao instinctively swallowed and said: "A mere phantom limb, I'm... I'm not afraid at all!"
"Who told you it was 'one'?" Lucas gently snapped his fingers, and the Yin energy phantom limb instantly divided into three. He smiled gently and said: "You're so brave, how could one be enough?"
At this moment, Hu Tao had no power to resist whatsoever. Soon, Lucas's first phantom limb had successfully broken through Hu Tao's barriers.
Even so, Hu Tao still gritted her teeth and mockingly said: "Is that all? Are you even capable? Tiny dog..."
Why did that phrase sound so gamery?
However, trying to act like Miss Cheng wouldn't lead to a good outcome.
"So, you think this is tiny?" Lucas said unhurriedly: "No problem, soon... you won't think so anymore. The 'phantom' in phantom limb isn't the 'phantom' of illusion, but the 'phantom' of... transformation."
And so, the next second, Hu Tao, who dared to mock Lucas as a tiny dog, received her deserved punishment. Her originally delicate and beautiful face instantly became streaked with tears, her gaze disoriented.
Even without a physical body, merely as consciousness, Hu Tao still experienced an excruciating feeling.
"This is just the beginning, my dear Director Hu," Lucas patted the little girl's cheek.
----