The system says there are no ghosts.

Chapter 3 The Lost Soul Ah 7

It took Chen Yi about an hour and a half to walk from the abandoned spiritual vein to the Spirit Bridge Station.

Ah Qi floated beside him, her mouth never stopping the whole way.

"You know, I used to walk this road all the time. Back when it wasn't abandoned, this spiritual vein was an important resource point for Lin Yuan City, and there were all sorts of people coming and going every day. There were all kinds of people, including rogue cultivators, sect disciples, merchants, and hunters. Later, the spiritual vein dried up, and the number of people gradually decreased. Then the system said there was abnormal data here and wouldn't let anyone in, so I got trapped inside."

Chen Yi didn't reply and focused on walking.

"Let me tell you, there used to be a spiritual food stall on this road that sold incredibly delicious spiritual noodles. The stall owner was an old man with exceptional skills, but unfortunately he stopped running it later. Back then, I would always stop and eat a bowl every time I came out of the spiritual vein, sometimes even two bowls. After eating, I would feel warm all over, which was really comforting."

Chen Yi still did not respond.

Ah Qi didn't mind and continued talking.

"By the way, where are you from? You don't have a Lin Yuan City accent at all. Oh, right, you're a cleaner. It seems most cleaners come from out of town. Locals don't want to do this job; it's dirty, tiring, and doesn't pay much. But I've heard that being a cleaner has one advantage: you get to see all sorts of strange and unusual things, which is much more interesting than just studying in the sect."

Chen Yi finally spoke.

"Are you in the Qi Refining stage?"

Ah Qi paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, the Qi Refining stage. I reached it at twenty, which is considered fast among independent cultivators."

"Three years?"

"Three years." Ah Qi's expression was somewhat complicated. "When I was executed three years ago, I was in the middle stage of Qi Refining. I'm still in the middle stage of Qi Refining now. I can't regress, and there's no way for me to progress."

Chen nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

The two continued walking forward.

As they approached Lingqiao Station, Ah Qi suddenly spoke.

Why did you bring me out?

Chen Yi paused for a moment, but did not stop.

"have no idea."

"You don't know?" Ah Qi's tone was somewhat surprised.

"Hmm," Chen Yi said, "They probably find it troublesome."

Ah Qi paused for two seconds, then laughed.

"Trouble? You brought me out here, and you call me trouble?"

Chen Yi ignored him.

Ah Qi floated in front of him, walked backwards, and looked at him.

"Are you actually a good person?"

Chen Yi frowned slightly.

"no."

"Then why did you help me?"

"I didn't help you."

"Bringing me out wasn't helping me?"

"That's to help myself," Chen Yi said. "Those things in the spiritual vein have been disturbed, so it's not safe for me to stay inside."

Ah Qi stared at him for a while, then suddenly burst out laughing.

"Fine, if you say it's helping yourself, then it's helping yourself," he said. "Anyway, I don't care."

Chen Yi didn't say anything and continued walking forward.

We've arrived at Lingqiao Station.

Several people were waiting for their flying swords on the platform, dressed in various styles. Chen Yi went to join the queue, with A Qi floating beside him.

"What are you doing?" Ah Qi asked, looking at the people on the platform with some confusion.

"Waiting for the bus."

"A flying sword? You're going to ride a flying sword back?"

"Um."

Ah Qi glanced at the public flying sword on the platform, then at Chen Yi.

"Is it okay for me to go up with you?"

Chen Yi thought about it.

"Didn't you say no one could see you?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid I'll scare people."

Chen Yi glanced at the people on the platform. They were either swiping their spiritual terminals or spacing out; no one was looking in his direction.

"Go up," he said. "Don't say anything."

Ah Qi nodded and quieted down.

The flying sword arrived. Chen Yi got into the car and found a window seat. Ah Qi floated in and sat in the empty seat next to him, his body low to the ground, looking like a wisp of mist.

There weren't many people in the carriage, and no one noticed him.

The flying sword started and slowly drove away from the platform.

Chen Yi leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

Too much has happened today; he needs to sort it out.

A medium. A dead soul. System execution. Abnormal data.

These words swirled and churned in his mind.

How did he acquire his abilities? Is he really a psychic? Has the system already detected his anomalies? If so, the consequences are unimaginable.

He thought about it a lot, but he didn't have an answer.

Ah Qi was quiet for a while, then suddenly spoke up again.

"You're thinking about your abilities, aren't you?"

Chen Yi didn't open his eyes, but nodded slightly.

Ah Qi was silent for a while, then spoke.

"My master once told me that psychics can see things that others cannot, and that is their talent. But talent is also a curse, because once you see something, you can't pretend you can't see it."

Chen Yi opened his eyes and looked at the scenery rushing past the window.

"You mean, I can't pretend nothing happened?"

"Pretty much," Ah Qi said. "You saw me, you saw those things, you saw another side of this world. From the moment you saw it, you could never go back."

Chen Yi remained silent for a few seconds.

"I know."

He said it calmly.

"I have no intention of pretending nothing happened."

Ah Qi paused for a moment, then laughed.

"Okay, then I'm relieved."

He leaned back, though he didn’t need to lean on anything.

"What are your plans next?"

Chen Yi thought about it.

"Let's go back first. If the mission isn't completed, there might be trouble."

"What mission?"

"Cleanse residual spiritual energy."

Ah Qi said "oh" and didn't ask any more questions.

The carriage was quiet for a while.

Ah Qi suddenly spoke again.

Let me tell you.

Chen looked at him.

Ah Qi's gaze was somewhat complicated, as if he were recalling something from a long time ago.

"When I died three years ago, what I was most unwilling to accept was not death itself," he said, "but the fact that my master's things were gone just like that."

Chen Yi remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"My master was a rogue cultivator who never joined any sect and spent his entire life figuring out his own cultivation. He didn't have much money or fame, but he had one amazing skill."

Ah Qi paused.

"He has a set of martial arts techniques called the Azure Cloud Heart Method."

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Cultivation techniques?"

"Yes, traditional techniques. The kind that aren't controlled by the system," Ah Qi said. "Do you know what the problems are with techniques assigned by the system?"

Chen Yi thought about it.

"High efficiency? Stable?"

"That's from the system's perspective," Ah Qi said. "For cultivators, the problem with system-based cultivation methods is that you can only ever operate within the framework defined by the system. Every step of your cultivation is monitored by the system, and every breakthrough you make requires system certification. You think you're cultivating, but you're actually just executing the system's instructions."

Chen Yi remained silent for a few seconds.

"What about traditional exercises?"

"Traditional methods are different," Ah Qi said. "Traditional methods are your own. You figure it out yourself, practice it yourself, and break through your own limits. The efficiency may not be as high as systematic methods, but it is more flexible, and... the system can't control you."

He looked at Chen Yi with a serious gaze.

"Systems hate things that are not controlled. The Qingyun Heart Sutra that my master passed down to me is just such a thing."

Chen looked at him and waited.

"After my master was executed, I kept thinking about how to pass on this martial art," Ah Qi said. "I tried many methods, but none of them worked. Then I died, and there was no way to continue."

He paused, looking at Chen Yi.

"But things are different now."

Chen Yi frowned slightly.

"What do you mean?"

Ah Qi took a deep breath.

"You are a psychic. You can see me and communicate with me. This means... I can also pass on what I know to you."

Chen Yi was stunned.

"Send it to me?"

"Yes." Ah Qi nodded. "Spirit mediums have a special ability called soul absorption. You can absorb the memories, experiences, and even power of the dead by contacting them."

He looked at Chen Yi with a serious gaze.

"I remember the entire Qingyun Heart Sutra of my master. If you're willing, I can pass it on to you."

The carriage was quiet for a few seconds.

Chen Yi looked at A Qi, his brows furrowing slightly.

"What is the price?"

Ah Qi was stunned for a moment.

"What?"

"What's the price for passing on your cultivation techniques to me?"

Ah Qi remained silent for a while.

"There was no cost to it."

"Impossible," Chen Yi said. "System cultivation techniques require spirit stones to purchase. Traditional cultivation techniques are even rarer. You can't just give them to me for free."

Ah Qi looked at him with a complicated expression.

You're overthinking it.

He said it with a hint of helplessness in his voice.

"I'm already dead, what use is this technique to me? Passing it on to you will at least allow it to continue to exist. This is my master's stuff, and I can't let its legacy end with me."

Chen Yi remained silent.

Ah Qi continued.

"Moreover... you are a psychic. In the entire cultivation world, you might be the only psychic left. If you can learn this technique, your future path will be much easier. At least, you won't have to put up with the system's temper anymore."

He looked at Chen Yi, his eyes holding something indescribable.

"You saved me," he said. "Although you say it was for your own benefit, the truth is you brought me out. As a way of repaying you, I'll teach you the martial arts. Isn't that reasonable?"

Chen Yi remained silent for a long time.

The scenery outside the carriage was rushing past, and sunlight streamed in through the windows, making Ah Qi's figure appear somewhat transparent.

Are you sure?

He spoke, but his voice was very soft.

Ah Qi nodded.

"Sure."

Chen Yi thought for a moment, then asked again.

"What will happen to you after I pass on the cultivation technique?"

Ah Qi was stunned for a moment.

"What, how is it?"

"Your condition," Chen Yi said, "You said you're a remnant soul of the gray mist, capable of lasting seven or eight years. After the cultivation technique is passed on, will you still be able to exist?"

Ah Qi remained silent for a few seconds.

He looked down at his translucent hands.

"this……"

He didn't finish speaking.

Looking at his expression, Chen Yi suddenly understood something.

"It will get worse."

Ah Qi didn't speak, but his silence was the answer.

"After I pass on the technique, your condition will worsen," Chen Yi said. "It might shorten your time or weaken your strength. You mean what you said earlier about 'we'll talk about the consequences later'?"

Ah Qi looked up at him, her expression somewhat surprised.

"How could you...?"

"I guessed," Chen Yi said.

The carriage was quiet for a while.

Ah Qi suddenly smiled.

"You're quite smart."

He said it with a touch of emotion in his voice.

"I've been dead for three years and have seen quite a few people. But someone like you is a first."

Chen Yi didn't respond.

Ah Qi looked at him, her gaze becoming serious.

"But I won't regret it."

He said his voice was soft, but firm.

"When my master passed this technique on to me, he didn't expect anything in return. He just felt that it was something he had figured out over his entire life and should be passed down. I feel the same way."

He paused.

"I've been trapped in this spiritual vein for three years, watching those people in the mist dissipate one by one. I know my time is running out. But at least before I vanish, I want to do something meaningful."

He looked at Chen Yi.

"Passing on the Qingyun Heart Sutra to you is the most meaningful thing I can do."

The carriage fell silent again.

Chen Yi leaned back in his chair, looking out at the sky. The old town of Lin Yuan City swept past below him; the dilapidated houses, narrow streets, and hazy air were exactly the same as when he first arrived three years ago.

He suddenly spoke.

"I won't learn it yet."

Ah Qi was stunned for a moment.

"What?"

"The technique," Chen Yi said, "I won't learn it yet."

Ah Qi looked at him, her expression somewhat confused.

Why?

Chen Yi thought about it.

"It's not that I don't want to learn," he said, "it's that I don't want you to waste your effort."

Ah Qi frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"You just said that your condition would worsen after the technique is passed on," Chen Yi said. "But you didn't say how bad it would be. What if you collapse after the technique is passed on? I might as well find another technique myself."

Ah Qi opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.

Chen Yi continued.

"I'm not a good person, nor am I as noble as you think. But I don't want to owe anyone a favor. I just brought you out, you taught me the techniques, and then you went your own way. I can't repay this debt."

He paused.

"So I need to figure out first what will happen to you after I pass on this technique."

Ah Qi looked at him, her expression becoming somewhat complicated.

"you……"

"Um?"

"You're really strange."

Ah Qi said, with a hint of a smile in his voice.

"I've met a lot of people, but I've never met anyone like you. You seem cold and aloof, but you're actually incredibly soft-hearted."

Chen Yi frowned.

"I told you, I'm not a good person."

"Yes, you're not a good person," Ah Qi said with a smile, "but you're an interesting person."

Chen Yi ignored him and continued looking out the window.

The flying sword was slowly descending; Lingqiao Station was almost there.

Ah Qi floated to his side, lowering her voice slightly.

"The impact of the transmission of the cultivation method on me is not as great as you think."

Chen Yi turned to look at him.

"The remnant soul of the gray mist has its limits," Ah Qi said. "In a few years, I will dissipate just the same. Whether I dissipate sooner or later doesn't make much difference. But if I can accomplish something meaningful before I dissipate, then this life won't have been in vain."

He looked at Chen Yi with a serious gaze.

"If you're willing to learn, that's enough."

Chen Yi and he made eye contact for a second.

"...Let me think about it some more."

Ah Qi paused for a moment, then laughed.

"OK."

He said, "Take your time to think about it."

The flying sword stopped.

Chen stood up and walked towards the car door. Ah Qi floated beside him, her body low to the ground.

"Where are you going next?" Ah Qi asked.

Chen Yi thought about it.

"Go back to the dorm first. The mission isn't finished; I'll have to explain it tomorrow."

"and then?"

"Then..." Chen Yi stepped out of the car and stood on the platform, "let's see what to do."

The sunlight fell on him, somewhat dazzling.

Ah Qi floated beside him, looking at the sky above, her expression somewhat dazed.

"Three years," he murmured to himself. "Three years. Finally, I can come out and see the sun."

Chen Yi ignored him and walked towards the dormitory.

Behind him, Ah Qi floated up.