Face in the Water

After dealing with the female water ghost, Gu Qingfeng promptly sealed her away in a dimensional space and then returned to shore.

On the shore, Wang Fatty and Xu Daizi, who had been anxiously waiting, suddenly noticed ripples forming in the center of the pond. They quickly turned their attention to it, only to see the water surface explode violently as a figure shot out, performing six consecutive backflips in mid-air before landing gracefully.

It was already dark, and Wang Fatty and Xu Daizi couldn’t make out the figure’s face clearly. However, based on the flamboyant entrance, they were certain it was their master. They rushed over to Gu Qingfeng with excitement.

"Master Gu, are you alright? What about the water ghost?" Wang Fatty asked urgently.

Gu Qingfeng shook his head, sending his wet black hair flying behind him, revealing his handsome face. He smoothed his hair, making sure his appearance was perfect, and then said, "With me personally handling it, of course it was taken care of. Let’s head back to Yin Mountain County and celebrate at the finest tavern."

Upon hearing they were going to the best tavern in town, Wang Fatty and Xu Daizi reacted differently. Xu Daizi was thrilled, but Wang Fatty’s heart sank as he mentally calculated how much money he had left.

After spending so much time with Gu Qingfeng, Wang Fatty had come to understand his master’s stingy nature. Since the day they met, Gu Qingfeng had never spent a single coin, except for one time when he spent two copper coins—but that was a story best left untold. The memory of the last time Gu Qingfeng "treated" them was still fresh in his mind.

Wang Fatty’s sixth sense told him that it was best not to let Master Gu pay, as every time he did, something bad happened.

The three of them, each with their own thoughts, headed to the largest tavern in Yin Mountain County.

Why did they each have their own thoughts?

Xu Daizi was looking forward to trying the local specialties of Yin Mountain County.

Wang Fatty was worried about whether he had enough money to cover the bill.

And Gu Qingfeng? He was thinking about how to surprise He Fenghua.

Dining at the finest tavern was the first step in his plan—to create an alibi.

The largest tavern in Yin Mountain County was called the Drunken Immortal Tower, and it was bustling with activity even late at night. Many guests were drinking and enjoying themselves.

As soon as Gu Qingfeng and his companions entered the Drunken Immortal Tower, the lively atmosphere suddenly fell silent, creating an eerie vacuum.

Countless eyes, both overt and covert, focused on Gu Qingfeng and his group—or more precisely, on the black Mysterious Fish Robe he was wearing.

In these times, those who could afford to dine at a tavern, especially the largest one in town, were not poor commoners. They were people with some wealth and, consequently, some knowledge.

Thus, most of the patrons in the Drunken Immortal Tower recognized Gu Qingfeng’s official robe—it was the uniform of a Dark-rank Demon Eliminator.

A Dark-rank Demon Eliminator was a figure of immense authority in Yin Mountain County.

With such a personage present, the guests naturally didn’t dare to speak carelessly, instead speculating about his purpose. Was there a demon in the Drunken Immortal Tower?

It wasn’t until Gu Qingfeng spoke that the tension eased slightly: "Waiter, find us a table by the window and bring us some of your signature dishes, along with ten pounds of Huadiao wine."

The waiter was momentarily stunned before realizing that this important person was speaking to him. He quickly put on a smile ten times more enthusiastic than usual. "Right away, esteemed guests. Please follow me."

The waiter led Gu Qingfeng and his companions to their seats and hurriedly wiped the chairs with the towel slung over his shoulder. However, noticing that the towel was dirty from overuse, he quickly switched to using his cleaner sleeve to wipe the seats thoroughly.

Once the seats were clean, he bowed and invited Gu Qingfeng and his companions to sit.

After they were seated, the atmosphere in the tavern gradually returned to normal, though the conversations were much quieter than before.

Some drunkards who had been causing a ruckus immediately sobered up upon seeing Gu Qingfeng, quickly paid their bills, and left, fearing they might be mistaken for demons and dealt with accordingly.

In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the dishes and wine Gu Qingfeng had ordered were served, filling the table with an array of delicacies.

As they began to feast, Gu Qingfeng excused himself to use the restroom, where he summoned his Mirror Image Clone.

Having recently broken through in his cultivation and with the profound foundation of the Pure Yang Infinite Technique, the duration of his Mirror Image Clone had increased to the time it takes to burn two incense sticks.

The clone nodded to Gu Qingfeng and then used the Shadow Shift technique, disappearing into the shadows of the restroom.

...

At the Demon Suppression Bureau’s branch in Yin Mountain County, in He Fenghua’s residence.

He Fenghua had just finished using the restroom and called for his servant to prepare hot water for a bath.

This was a habit he had developed ever since Gu Qingfeng became a Yellow-rank Demon Eliminator.

Every time he used the restroom, he felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort, a slimy, nauseating sensation that washed over his entire body, almost like an obsessive-compulsive need to bathe.

Once the servant had prepared the hot water, He Fenghua removed his clothes and stepped into the wooden tub.

The warm bathwater steamed gently, and He Fenghua let out a sigh of relief as the slimy, nauseating feeling began to fade. Of course, with this relief came an increase in his hatred for Gu Qingfeng.

Every time he bathed, he couldn’t help but think of Gu Qingfeng’s detestable face.

This time was no different, but as he thought about it, He Fenghua couldn’t help but laugh. He felt his plan was absolutely brilliant.

Gu Qingfeng, that idiot, was probably still basking in the joy of having sole authority, completely unaware that he was walking deeper and deeper into the trap He Fenghua had laid.

Lost in his self-satisfaction, He Fenghua failed to notice the pair of eyes watching him intently from the shadows in the corner of the room.

It was the Mirror Image Clone.

Through the clone’s perspective, Gu Qingfeng watched as He Fenghua bathed and laughed to himself, finding the scene utterly revolting.

After today, he decided, he would need to find the little Corpse Enchantress to cleanse his eyes—at least once with the black and white flesh nets—to restore his vision.

Knowing that the Mirror Image Clone couldn’t last long, Gu Qingfeng wasted no time and quietly opened a portal to the dimensional space, preparing to release the female water ghost.

He positioned the portal’s opening right in He Fenghua’s bathtub.

It didn’t need to be large; just a small crack was enough for the water ghost to slip through and enter the bathwater.

As for whether He Fenghua would notice?

There was no need to worry about that. A mere Qi Condensation realm martial artist would never be able to sense spatial changes.

Once the position was set, Gu Qingfeng controlled the Mirror Image Clone to open the dimensional space, and a tiny, almost imperceptible rift formed silently in He Fenghua’s bathtub...

He Fenghua was happily bathing and humming a tune, completely at ease.

But as he washed, he suddenly felt a cold, slimy sensation below him.

He paused, reached down, and pulled something out. His face turned pale with shock—it was a clump of pitch-black hair!

His expression twisted in horror as he looked down into the water.

His heart nearly stopped.

There was a face in the water!

A pale, bloated woman’s face with a receding hairline!