That was the ironclad evidence the case needed.
Tang Hao was mournful. Cheng Zhijie must have kept such a notebook to fulfill his perverse fantasies because he thought that he would never be caught.
Tang Hao breathed a sigh of relief. The case was as good as settled, and justice could be restored to the victims.
“Unfortunately… The dead can’t be revived!” Tang Hao lamented as he looked at a photograph in his hands.
On the photo was an innocent-looking young girl in a red dress that billowed gently in the wind.
On her radiant face was a smile like a blooming flower. It was so carefree and so pure.
Chapter 121 - Cultivator’s Abode
The long night was finally over.
The sun was up when Tang Hao left the police station.
Tang Hao went to the rooftop of a skyscraper. One night had passed, and the Gourd of Soul Purification should have done its job.
He unplugged the cork. A cloud of smoke appeared with a poof, then the smoke coalesced into the silhouette of a girl. She wore a red dress and was as charming as she looked in the photograph.
Before this, her grudge made her expression look frightening. After the purification, she looked gentle and calm.
She looked at Tang Hao and sighed. “Why did you stop me? That Qian Yifei deserved to die!”
Her soul might be purified, but the memories remained.
“Don’t worry, she’ll receive her due punishment. She’s been arrested by the police. Cheng Zhijie too, and his father has fallen from grace,” Tang Hao said.
“Also, the other people who were involved in your murder have all been arrested and will soon receive the punishment they deserve.”
Zhou Lingxue was stunned.
“The police will be announcing the findings of yesterday’s case to the public today. This, of course, includes your murder case from five years ago. Your parents will finally receive an answer, even if the answer isn’t something they might want to hear.
“I’ve heard from Captain Zhou that your parents have been going to the police station every year for the past five years…” Tang Hao was low-spirited as he spoke.
He could not imagine how Zhou Lingxue’s parents must have felt for the past five years.
“I hope that Cheng Zhijie will be brought to justice. At least your parents might find some closure, now that they have a definite answer of what happened to you.”
Zhou Lingxue was silent for a long while. She looked dejected.
She abruptly turned her head to look at one corner of the city. Her home was there!
“Thank you!” She said softly.
She understood that her case would not have concluded satisfactorily if Tang Hao had not helped her.
“Don’t mention it!” Tang Hao smiled. “Now that the case is settled, there’s no need for you to remain in as a ghost. How about I guide you toward reincarnation?”
Zhou Lingxue thought for a while, then shook her head. “No, I think I should stay here. There are many things in this world that I can’t let go just yet. I still like to visit them from time to time.
“And I still have a massive debt of gratitude to repay you too!”
Tang Hao laughed. “There’s no need to.”
Zhou Lingxue chuckled. “I have to. It’s just that I’m a ghost now, so I can’t devote my body to you. But I still can help you with a lot of things!
“For example, I can help you protect your loved ones. I might be no match for you in a fight, but I’m still pretty capable.”
“Well…” Tang Hao hesitated.
Zhou Lingxue was indeed capable. Her level of cultivation was much higher than normal ghosts.
“Hm? Something’s not right! You’re only dead for five years! How could you have attained such a high level of cultivation in just five years?” Tang Hao asked curiously.
Usually, only a ghost with a hundred years’ worth of cultivation would attain her current level. It was impossible to do so in just five years, unless… she had a fortuitous encounter.
“How would I know?” Zhou Lingxue was a little confused too. She did not know anything about the world of cultivation.
“Where do you usually haunt?” Tang Hao thought for a while and asked.
“I’m usually in the area where I was buried. Ah, right! I remember now. There’s an ancient tomb there. I’ve always haunted the ancient tomb,” Zhou Lingxue answered.
“Ancient tomb?” Tang Hao furrowed his brows. “This might have something to do with it.”
Tang Hao wanted to go there immediately. On second thought, he guessed that there should still be police officers in the area.
He thought more thoroughly about it and guessed that there should still be police officers in the vicinity. He decided to go there in the evening or at night instead.
Furthermore, he had to meet his future brother-in-law later in the morning to give him the special manhood potion.
“Can you bring me to the ancient tomb tonight?” Tang Hao asked.
“Alright!” Zhou Lingxue agreed.
“Right, I know some cultivation techniques for ghosts. I can teach you and you can start practicing on your own. I can’t bring you around with me though, you’ll have to find a place to haunt…”
“Where should I go?” Zhou Lingxue asked cluelessly, tilting her head.
“This is a little tricky!” Tang Hao mumbled.
He thought for a while more and answered, “How about this. You can haunt my factory, and you can keep watch at night. Of course, you shouldn’t be scaring my workers.”
“You have a factory?”
Zhou Lingxue was shocked. Her beautiful eyes were round and wide as she stared at Tang Hao. “Who are you? You don’t look too old.”
“I’ll have to call you Senior Sister!” Tang Hao said.
“You’re from First High too?” Zhou Lingxue became more and more amazed.
Tang Hao nodded and continued, “I happened to chance upon some ancient knowledge. I’ve started a company recently to sell healthcare products.”
“Wow!” Zhou Lingxue exclaimed in admiration, “So you’re a big boss!”
“I guess so!” Tang Hao smiled.
Tang Hao drew her back into the gourd and went downstairs. He received Qin Xiangyi’s phone call.
He told her that he was safe, then chatted for a while more before ending the call. Before he could put his phone back into his pants pocket, his phone started ringing again. It was from his future brother-in-law.
“Hey hey hey! My dear little brother-in-law!” Qin Gang greeted Tang Hao coyly after the call went through.
Goosebumps rose from Tang Hao’s body. He nearly tossed the phone away. “What are you doing, Brother-in-law?”
“Heheheh! My dear little brother-in-law. I’ve tried your potion and I can’t believe how amazing it is. Have I told you about how long I lasted last night? After so many years, I’ve finally found my confidence as a man.”
Tang Hao rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell me you drank the whole bottle?”
“No… No! Why would I?” Qin Gang said guiltily.
“I can hear it from your voice. You sound weak. You must’ve drunk more than you should! Remember, you don’t have to drink so much next time. Your body won’t be able to take it,” Tang Hao said sternly.
“Understood!” Qin Gang said awkwardly.
“I’m in the city center now. Come look for me and I’ll hand you the potion!” Tang Hao said.
“Alright, alright!” Qin Gang replied urgently.
Qin Gang arrived in ten minutes.
After giving him the potions, Tang Hao went to Dragonrock Village, then to the company.
At night, after Sis Xiangyi slept, Tang Hao sneaked out of the mansion and went to the uninhabited mountains in the western countryside, where Zhou Lingxue was buried.
He found the location of the burial, then soon found the ancient tomb that she had mentioned.
What made him curious was that
the ancient tomb was not underground, but rather carved into the mountain. More curiously, the flow of qi in the vicinity was a lot stronger than the surroundings.
“No wonder. A ghost could easily absorb power just by dwelling here,” Tang Hao mumbled.
He arrived at the entrance of the tomb and took a closer look. He was shocked by what he saw, then immediately understood. It was not an ancient tomb, but a cultivator’s abode from ancient times.
Chapter 122 - Scumbag Stepfather
The entrance to abode showed signs of heavy weathering, though he could still see faint traces of talismanic runes.
It was a simple concealment spell. He could deduce that the place was an ancient cultivator’s abode.
The cultivating world was a lot more advanced in ancient times. Tang Hao further deduced that the flow of qi was stronger because there had to be a qi gathering formation there.
The conclusion made him very excited.
An ancient cultivator’s abode might contain rare treasures.
He examined the entrance for any booby traps, then pushed the stone door.
Boom!
The stone door fell inward and revealed a pitch-black cave. A stale gust of air rushed against his face.
Tang Hao furrowed his brows, held his breath, then stepped inside. He channeled the qi into his eyes to open the third eye and carefully scanned his surroundings.
The passage was narrow and long, though it was free of any danger.
Soon, the passage reached an end. It opened up into a cavern.
The cavern was extremely high. There was an opening at the top, which allowed a beam of moonlight to shine onto the center of the cavern.
A sedge cushion was placed there, and a skeleton sat on top of it.
Tang Hao was surprised when he saw the skeleton. ‘So this is a tomb after all,’ he thought.
“Looks like this Senior has reached the end of his natural life and passed away here,” Tang Hao mumbled to himself.
Cultivators were not immortals, and had life spans just like normal people, though they lived a lot longer. For example, someone in the State of Qi Channeling could live up to a hundred and fifty years old.
A cultivator in the State of Foundation Establishment could live even longer, for more than two hundred years.
If they did not break through to the next State, they would still die a natural death after two hundred years.
Tang Hao looked around the cavern. Shelves were placed next to the walls, and on them were many wooden boxes. In the wooden boxes were many small vials made of porcelain and jade.
‘Elixirs?’ Tang Hao’s eyes sparkled when he saw that. He became very excited.
He opened the vials to check. Unfortunately, the vials only contained rotted dregs instead of elixirs which he had expected.
“Too bad!” Tang Hao was disappointed.
He eventually checked all the boxes and vials. None of them contained anything usable. After centuries or even millennia, even elixirs would have rotted and decayed.
Tang Hao saw a door on one of the cave walls and opened it. Another wide cavern was found behind it. In the cavern were some wooden furniture and metal containers.
In the middle of that cavern was a black cauldron.
“An alchemist’s furnace?”
Tang Hao’s eyes sparkled and he grinned.
An alchemist’s furnace was an incredibly rare item. Tang Hao could not refine alchemical pills or distill elixirs because he was lacking in both ingredients and an alchemist’s furnace.
Without an alchemist’s furnace, there was no use even if he had the ingredients!
He quickly walked ahead, picked up the alchemist’s furnace, and carefully examined it.
The alchemist’s furnace was small in size, about the same as a kettle. It was entirely black and was unnaturally tough. Patterns of herbs and flowers were carved around its body. It looked and felt ancient.
Tang Hao stroked the alchemist’s furnace. “This is good stuff,” he exclaimed.
With the alchemist’s furnace, he could start practicing pill-making once he gathered the necessary medicinal ingredients.
After keeping the alchemist’s furnace in his pocket dimension, Tang Hao went around the cavern and found many books about pill-making, all of which he also kept in his pocket dimension.
He took another spin around the cavern to make sure that he did not miss anything. Then, he returned to the earlier cavern and bowed to thank the skeleton.
He resealed the stone door once he was outside, then cast another concealment spell on it.
From the mountains, he went to his factory. He buried a piece of jade in a secluded spot, then opened the Gourd of Soul Purification to release Zhou Lingxue.
“You can stay here if you want! Remember, don’t scare my workers!” Tang Hao reminded her once more.
Then, he taught her a set of ghost cultivation techniques.
…
A few more days passed in the blink of an eye.
The days were uneventful. His daily routine consisted of cultivation exercises, studying pill-making and talisman-crafting, and taking care of company matters.
The number of personnel and production lines had increased, and so product output increased tremendously. However, it still could not match the overwhelming demand.
Fortunately, they had already started expanding the factory space after purchasing several surrounding abandoned factories. Once construction was complete, production would increase by several more times.
The Bizhi brand weight-loss potion was incredibly popular and could be easily found in major supermarkets and pharmacies. Many people were stunned by its incredible potency, and it became even more famous through word of mouth.
Adding that to the advertising campaigns run by the company, everyone talked about it on the Internet.
Meanwhile, good news came from Dragonrock Village. Cousin Brother Shi Dazhu finally held his wedding.
The wedding was a momentous event. Even Liu Dajun and the other bosses attended it.
Meanwhile, the Public Security Bureau had released some information. The case of the missing young girl from five years ago was once brought back to public attention. The crimes of Cheng Zhijie and his friends caused a massive public outcry.
District Mayor Cheng was disgracefully removed from his position because he covered up the murder. In the city, his brother, Chen Fugui was also arrested when his crimes were brought to light.
Secretary Lin said that he had received a promotion and would be transferred to the city soon.
According to Captain Zhou, even though Cheng Zhijie’s trial had not started, it was but a foregone conclusion that he would be sentenced to death. His crimes were too serious and had a bad impact on society.
The other accomplices should also be sentenced to prison for a very long time.
Tang Hao was relieved when he heard the news.
One day, Tang Hao went to Sunshine Plaza to deliver a batch of aphrodisiac potions to Liu Dajun.
By now, Liu Dajun and the others did not need the weight-loss potion anymore. However, the aphrodisiac potion was still extremely popular among the bosses.
He took the elevator down to the lobby. Just when he was about to leave the building, he heard an argument happening in the foyer.
“You damned girl, I’ve raised you and now that you’ve grown up, this is how you repay me? Let me tell you, there’s no chance in hell! I’m still your father no matter what!”
The roar echoed in the cavernous foyer.
Tang Hao looked toward the source of the commotion. A short and thin middle-aged man was standing near the building entrance. Standing in front of him was Ma Fangfang.
Ma Fangfang’s expression was cold. “You are not my father. I only have one father, and he passed away a long time ago. You’re nothing more than a stepfather. No, you’re not even my stepfather.”
Her words were icy, and her gaze on that man was filled with disgust.
&nbs
p; “You…” The man was furious. He pointed a finger at Ma Fangfang and cursed, “You filthy b*tch, you’re just like your mother, all useless trash!
“Look at you! Your makeup makes you look like a temptress. I wonder how many men have you slept with!”
The man’s eyes flashed with perversion as they hovered all over Ma Fangfang’s body.
Chapter 123 - Stay Away From Her
Ma Fangfang felt a chill up her spine and took a few backward steps.
The disgust in her eyes became more intense.
Then, she straightened her brows and chided, “Leave Mom out of this! You’re not worthy. You’re a grown adult man, but all you do every day is eat, drink, gamble, and flirt with women. You squander Mom’s hard-earned money but give nothing in return.
“A man like you is nothing but human scum and trash. You’re not worthy to be my stepfather! Now, I want you to get lost! I, Ma Fangfang, have no relation with you, Huang Haijiang.”
“You…” Huang Haijiang was instantly furious. His eyes were like bronze bells and his expression was ghastly.
He glared at Ma Fangfang viciously, then started to smirk. “You filthy b*tch, you think you can get rid of me just because you’re grown up now. No chance in hell! I’m still your stepdad!”
Then, he turned and looked around him.
“Tsk tsk! This is a nice place! Look at the decor here. It’s a big company, and your salary should be high, right? I’m not asking for a lot. I’ll be happy if you can give me half of what you earn.
“If you don’t want to give me, sure! Don’t blame me for what I’m about to do to you. I’ll come here every day to make a fuss. I’ll see how you survive here!” Huang Haijiang’s face turned savage as he spoke.
“Half?” Ma Fangfang’s face was incredulous.
“You might as well go rob a bank then!” She shrieked, “This is my hard-earned salary. What right do you have to take it from me? Go away from me at this instant. I will not give you a single penny.”
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