Chapter 62: Mutual Retaliation

"Pfft," Ling Ji couldn't help but laugh the moment she saw the man, quickly clutching her stomach and bending over as her laughter became uncontrollable.

"Hahaha!" Tears of laughter almost streamed from her eyes. "Kon Lan, what on earth have you done to yourself?"

Kon Lan's joy at reuniting with an old friend turned to ashes amid her laughter. He clenched his fists, his face turning ashen. "Is it really that funny?"

"Absolutely," Ling Ji managed to stop laughing, but hearing his question almost made her lose it again. "Didn't you look in the mirror before coming out?"

Kon Lan: "..."

No, he hadn't looked in the mirror.

"I'm naturally beautiful; why would I need a mirror?"

Mirrors were for people who needed to check and adjust their appearance. He,Kon Lan, was always handsome!

Ling Ji quickly diverted her gaze and waved her hand, summoning a mirror from the vanity table. She placed it before Kon Lan. "Take a look."

Kon Lan looked into the mirror. The person reflected had snow-white skin, black hair, red lips, and exquisite features—an unparalleled beauty. But his outfit was another story.

He wore a red shirt, green jacket, blue pants, black sneakers, and a pair of yellow socks peeking out from his ankles. Kon Lan turned in front of the mirror.

The tailored suit fit his well-proportioned body perfectly, showcasing broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs—a physique to make women scream.

Seeing that Kon Lan still hadn't realized the problem, Ling Ji had to spell it out. "Don't you think your color coordination is off?"

Before Kon Lan could answer, she continued, "If I hadn't recognized your scent, I would have thought you were a color palette."

Red, yellow, green, blue, and black—add a few more colors, and he'd be a rainbow.

Kon Lan's face darkened. "You just don't appreciate my beauty. Everyone else thinks I look great!"

Ling Ji snorted with laughter again. "Who said that?"

Kon Lan: "..."

Squinting, he countered, "Weren't you supposed to be imprisoned in Mount Yu? How did you get out? Did the seal loosen over time, and you escaped?"

Ling Ji raised her chin proudly. "Impossible. I was released after serving my sentence."

"You gathered enough faith?"

"Of course."

"What wishes did you grant to your followers?"

"I helped them..." Ling Ji abruptly stopped, realizing she'd been tricked. She glared at Kon Lan. "How did you know?"

"I know everything," Kon Lan replied smugly.

Ling Ji didn't believe him.

Kon Lan, noting her skepticism, sighed and shook his head. "You once said you'd never care about humans again. Five thousand years later, you've forgotten."

He continued, "Oh, five thousand years is a long time. It's normal to forget. Since you're out now, let the past be the past."

Ling Ji: "..."

Clenching her fists, she resisted the urge to punch him.

"You remember my words well."

"Of course, we're friends."

Ling Ji's fists tightened further. She tried to recall any dirt she had on him but came up empty. Just as she was about to lash out, a familiar male voice interrupted.

"The past should stay in the past, but I'm curious about something." Ye Jianghuai, in his military uniform, walked in, glancing at Ling Ji before noticing her clenched fists. He stepped forward, gently prying her fingers apart. "Relax."

Ling Ji instinctively relaxed her grip.

Satisfied, Ye Jianghuai patted her head, pulled out a bottle of fruit drink, inserted a straw, and handed it to Ling Ji. She took a sip, the sweet and sour taste soothing her anger.

"What makes you linger in this world, Great Peacock King, when all other gods and deities left two thousand years ago?"

"Who are you?" Kon Lan scrutinized Ye Jianghuai, wary. Though the man seemed ordinary, something about him made Kon Lan uneasy. Perhaps it was the glow of merit around him.

"I'm Ye Jianghuai," Ling Ji started, but Ye Jianghuai cut her off, handing her a candy box. "Sit and enjoy this."

Ling Ji obediently took the candy, sat in the corner, and unwrapped one.

Seeing Ling Ji's compliance, Kon Lan's suspicion deepened, accompanied by a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen this scene long ago.

"You haven't answered my question," Ye Jianghuai pressed, his smile polite but unyielding.

"I'm here by choice," Kon Lan blurted, then realized his mistake and clammed up, glaring at Ye Jianghuai.

Unfazed, Ye Jianghuai continued, "It's odd to stay here with such thin spiritual energy. It hampers one's cultivation."

"Leaving would hinder my progress even more," Kon Lan admitted before catching himself, then fell silent, eyes sharp with anger.

Ignoring his change in demeanor, Ye Jianghuai said, "You seem to have done well here, given your substantial merit."

"Wishes?" Ling Ji's ears perked up at the familiar term.

Xing Miao, now beside Ling Ji, whispered, "Merit is similar to faith, stemming from people's sincere beliefs."

"Do wishes need to be fulfilled?" Ling Ji asked.

"Yes," Xing Miao confirmed. "The terms differ, but the essence is the same. Daoists call it faith, Buddhists call it merit."

"Oh," Ling Ji nodded, then glared at Kon Lan. "Pot calling the kettle black!"

Kon Lan: "..."

Two against one, that's unfair!

Gritting his teeth, Kon Lan memorized Ye Jianghuai's face, determined to remember this insult.

Just then, Zhao Jiong arrived. Seeing Ye Jianghuai, he paused. "Officer Ye, what brings you here?"

"Mission complete, I'm on leave," Ye Jianghuai replied. "The missing child is my friend's nephew. I'm here to help."

"Oh." Zhao Jiong didn't understand why someone from a different field spoke so confidently but chose not to question him publicly.

Approaching the changing room, Zhao Jiong saw Ling Ji and was glad he hadn't said anything foolish. "Lady Ling Ji," he greeted warmly, then turned to Xing Miao. "Have you found any clues?"

He noticed the open vent and quickly deduced the child was taken through it. Someone or something must have helped.

"Lady Ling Ji smelled a spider," Xing Miao reported.

Zhao Jiong's eyes narrowed. "How many spider demons are in T City?" he asked Kon Lan.

Kon Lan considered, then shook his head. "I haven't heard of any."

"Two possibilities," Ye Jianghuai analyzed. "The spider sneaked in, or T City has a place that blocks your spiritual sense."

"I think both are possible," Ling Ji added, her mood lifted by the candy.

"Impossible," Kon Lan objected. "No one can block my spiritual sense."

"Yet you didn't find him," Gu Xiaowu muttered, unable to resist.

Kon Lan: "..."

Blushing, Kon Lan decided to reclaim his dignity.

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