"Yaoyao, have Yan Nan check our old base again. Have those three experts left yet?" I said. The villa wasn't a place we could stay long-term; it lacked space and supplies.
"She already scouted it. No one is guarding it," Yaoyao replied.
This was the perfect time for a surprise counter-attack.
"Then you all go back."
"We're already here!"
"...Impressive, you lot." I shook my head. It seemed they could handle things well, perhaps even better, without me. If not for the lack of people surrounding me, I might have even felt a sense of loneliness!
However, I wasn't in a hurry to return. Instead, I took them to Chen Lu's house. That morning's meal had truly disgusted us; we needed lunch to recover!
Chen Lu, I discovered through her qi observation, was still sleeping, probably out partying the night before. When I knocked, the housekeeper looked at me quizzically. "Sir, who are you looking for?"
It then dawned on me that I hadn't changed my face back. But it didn't matter. I called Chen Lu directly. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she peered down from her window.
"It's me," I shouted. Chen Lu immediately recognized my voice and hurried downstairs to let us in.
I introduced the new members of our team to her. When she learned that one of them was Daji, Chen Lu was astounded, almost to the point of needing to consult history books.
After a sumptuous lunch, I went to Chen Lu's bedroom and spent two hours with her. Meanwhile, Chen Ke took Chu Qi and the other two girls out shopping for some daily necessities, primarily winter clothes for Xu Ran.
At three in the afternoon, Chen Lu arranged a minivan for us. I drove, taking the four girls on the highway, and we returned to Jinjiling before sunset.
After introducing the new and old team members and arranging their rooms, Chu Qi immediately approached me, asking me to practice with her.
"Why?" I asked, confused. "We just got home; shouldn't we rest?"
"You drove back, the car didn't drive you. You've slacked off for three days!" Chu Qi said with a smile.
She had a point. So, I descended to the hidden harbor with Chu Qi to continue our training. Today, we wouldn't be practicing arms or legs. Instead, we sparred and fed moves in the water until eight in the evening. As expected, after emerging from the sea, my body was aching all over. Chu Qi carried me back to my room. On the way, I ran into Xu Ran, who asked what was wrong. I told her I was sore from training.
"Oh, I know some techniques. I can try them on you," Xu Ran offered.
Chu Qi then led me into her room, and Xu Ran began to massage me. Her technique was unique; it felt as though her slender hands could directly reach into the muscles and bones. While a little painful, it wasn't an unbearable ache. The areas she worked on felt cool and very comfortable afterward.
Just as she had completed about seventy percent of the massage, Zheng Bingbing burst in, handing me her Soul Seizing Token. "Why aren't you answering your phone? Wu Zhao is looking for me."
Wu Zhao and Zheng Bingbing often contacted each other while playing chess, so they were acquaintances.
My Soul Seizing Token was hanging on a coat rack by the door along with my pants. The sound of the sea outside masked the token's ringing, and Xu Ran might have heard it, but she wouldn't have known what it was.
I answered Zheng Bingbing's call. "Esteemed Wu, how did the matter go?"
"Wan'er is back, just returned. She brought back an order from the King of Hell. Would you like to see it?" Wu Zhao's voice sounded somewhat stern, indicating that things hadn't gone as smoothly as I'd imagined.
"Then I'll have to trouble you to come over, please. Oh!" I exclaimed, as Xu Ran's hands were still working.
"Alright, where are you?"
I looked at Bing Bing, who took the Soul Seizing Token outside to continue communicating with Wu Zhao.
Ghosts move incredibly fast. About a minute later, Wu Zhao materialized directly through the window, kneeling on the bed between Xu Ran and me. Xu Ran yelped in surprise and instinctively struck out with a palm, but it passed through nothing, as Wu Zhao hadn't solidified into a physical form yet and was transparent.
"She's a commander from the Underworld. She's one of us," I quickly interjected, grabbing Xu Ran.