Chapter 121: A Season of Unrest

"Hmph!" Ling Tian let out a cold snort, his other hand launching a burst of pure Yang energy directly into the Soul-Calling Banner held by Black Impermanence.

Black Impermanence had not expected this move from Ling Tian and failed to dodge in time. The banner was struck with a loud thud, flying back into Black Impermanence’s hand, visibly damaged.

Ling Tian then flicked several silver needles into the body of Yuanbao’s father. These needles were placed with great precision—a technique known as the Soul-Returning Needles, perfectly suited for this moment. As the needles sank in, a light invisible to the naked eye emanated from Yuanbao’s father’s body, drawing his soul back within. Had they been any later, even if the Impermanence duo hadn't arrived, his soul would have fully transformed into a malevolent ghost. Reversing that would have been far more troublesome, requiring the purgation of all his resentment, whereas now it was relatively simple.

"You! How dare you interfere with our official duties? We shall take your soul instead to settle the account!"

Black and White Impermanence were truly enraged. Someone was actually robbing them of their quarry! They earned a commission for every soul captured; losing one meant losing money, and even in the Underworld, money mattered.

"Hmph! That depends on whether you have the ability to do so. Since I have saved him, it means his time has not yet come. Are you going to treat human life as grass just for a few coins?" Ling Tian did not show a hint of weakness. Having cultivated the Yin-Yang Scripture, he possessed knowledge of the Underworld's records and naturally understood its rules.

In the past, Ling Tian had been a skeptic, influenced by the materialistic and atheistic values of his previous life. It was only after encountering a century-old vengeful spirit at Li Youran’s place that he came to believe, and subsequently learned of the duties of Black and White Impermanence.

"You! Who exactly are you?" Ling Tian’s words startled the duo. Not only could this man counter their Soul-Calling Banner and Soul-Snatching Hook, but he also knew so much—it was far too uncanny. Could he be one of those entities they were never to provoke?

"I stand by my name: I am Ling Tian! If you are wise, leave now. Otherwise, you will pay the price, and the titles of Black and White Impermanence will have to be reassigned!"

Ling Tian looked at them with disdain. These titles were official ranks; if an incumbent spirit was incompetent, they would be replaced. They cherished their positions dearly, and whoever held the Soul-Snatching Hook and the Soul-Calling Banner was the true Black or White Impermanence—in simple terms, these were underworld artifacts.

"Hmph! Ling Tian, never heard of you. Today, we must drag your soul out!" With that, Black Impermanence struck out again with his repaired banner, joined by White Impermanence with his hook.

"You two are going too far! You truly do not know what is good for you!" Ling Tian, now unrestrained, prepared to use lethal force. He had held back earlier to avoid harming Yuanbao’s father, who was vulnerable to pure Yang energy while in a ghostly state, but now that the soul had returned, he had no such concerns.

"Heh! I just scattered a dozen ghosts tonight, and now I have to deal with the Impermanence duo. It seems my fate is at odds with the Underworld!" Ling Tian felt his recent exposure to Yin energy had been excessive; why was he constantly dealing with these entities?

"So, the dozen ghosts in Wei County were scattered by you? Hmph! You have truly ruined our grand plans!" The duo felt a pang of heartache—that was a lot of money!

"Greedy ghosts!" Ling Tian scoffed, unleashing a massive wave of pure Yang energy directly at them.

"Ah! Ah!"

Two screams echoed out. The duo had not expected such ferocity and were caught unprepared, struck by the bursts of energy. Pure Yang energy was exactly what spirits feared most.

Though they suffered a heavy blow, they were not destroyed. They launched a counterattack, sending waves of Yin energy raging through the area. While ordinary people could not see them, they felt an inexplicable, bone-chilling dread.

At that moment, Yuanbao’s father regained consciousness. The crowd, busy with his care, ignored Ling Tian, wheeling the father back to his room; they thought Ling Tian was acting quite deranged in the eerie atmosphere. Only Song Ziyue understood what was happening, but at a signal from Ling Tian, she left as well, though she tossed her Purple Moon Tang Dao to him before she departed.

It was deep into the night, and with no one left around, only Ling Tian and the Impermanence duo remained, along with the few bound souls the duo had already captured.

White Impermanence’s hook and Black Impermanence’s mourning staff swung toward Ling Tian. Ling Tian brandished the Tang Dao, infusing it with pure Yang energy. Suddenly, streaks of purple light mingled with golden radiance met their weapons.

With the sound of a violent collision, the hook and the staff were knocked to the ground.

The two spirits looked at Ling Tian in disbelief, realizing they had met their nemesis. Exchanging a glance, they snatched up their weapons and fled in a panic, dragging the captive souls with them.

Just like that?

Ling Tian watched them flee, feeling somewhat speechless. He had expected a grand battle, but they had run away after a single clash. It lacked any challenge; perhaps he would pay a visit to the Underworld when he was bored.

Since they had retreated, he saw no need to pursue. His priority was to check on Yuanbao’s father.

In the room, the father was fully awake. Though he had been delirious at the time, he remembered the incident clearly. He knew he had walked through the gates of death and that it was Ling Tian who had brought him back.

"Uncle, are you feeling better?" Ling Tian took his pulse and found his life was out of danger; with some proper recovery, he would be fine.

"Ling Tian, thank you. Thank you so much! You have truly saved my life!" Tears of gratitude streamed down the father’s face.

"Uncle, it was just a small favor. Yuanbao and I are brothers; this is what I should do. Just rest well." Ling Tian did not want to be treated like an outsider.

"Sigh, I truly don't know what to say." The father wiped his tears, still deeply moved.

Yuanbao and his mother joined in the gratitude, leaving Ling Tian feeling slightly embarrassed. He called Yuanbao outside to inquire about the specifics of the car accident and the situation regarding Dai Jin’s father.

Ling Tian felt it was all too coincidental. Why had trouble struck the families of both his brothers? He suspected someone was targeting his friends and family as a warning since they couldn't reach him directly.

He had seen this happen too often. In the underworld, there was an unwritten rule that one should not involve the family, but many ignored such ethics, using them as leverage. Because Ling Tian’s own family was wealthy and heavily guarded, they had gone after the families of Yuanbao and Dai Jin instead.

After some inquiries, it was as Ling Tian had suspected. The driver who caused the accident had long since fled, leaving no evidence. If the patrol officers hadn't found Yuanbao’s father and sent him to the hospital, he would have had no chance of survival.

As for Dai Jin’s father, it was said he had been framed by a subordinate. The legal representative and boss, his father, was left to take the fall for the subordinate’s actions, and that subordinate had already fled, reportedly abroad, leaving no trace.

"Damn it!" Ling Tian punched the hospital chair. It was definitely a premeditated plot. He had to find out who was behind this.

The thugs who had attacked Dai Jin and Yuanbao previously, Snake and Baldy, were members of the Purple Moon Gang and were still bedridden from his beating; he could rule them out. They lacked the influence for this.

The Black Dragon Gang? The Yamaguchi-gumi? Liu Zihao? Zhang Dalin?

These were the only names that came to mind. The Jin Gang was out of the question; their leader and third-in-command were dead, along with several lieutenants, leaving them without the strength to act.

Regardless, he would resolve the issue with Dai Jin’s father tomorrow. Feeling exhausted, Ling Tian drifted off to sleep leaning against the chair. Yuanbao looked at the sleeping Ling Tian, his eyes turning red. This was a brother—nothing more needed to be said.

The next day, rumors of the haunting in Wei County spread, but the authorities intentionally suppressed the news. Mainstream media dared not report it, though it circulated wildly in private. Some had even filmed videos, but they could only be shared in secret, leaving the public in a state of panic.

In the underground world, however, the news struck like an earthquake.

The Jin Gang leader died in the arms of a woman? The third-in-command and several lieutenants were scared to death? Even the police chief was frightened to death, and a National Security agent was strangled by the ghost of the Jin leader?

The rumors grew more outlandish with each telling. Some claimed the leader had been a vengeful spirit who killed his own men, while others insisted he had been possessed.

Before long, official word arrived: Jin Gang leader Qiao Dong and third-in-command Xu Shaobai had passed away. A funeral would be held in three days, though no cause of death was mentioned.

The announcement came from the gang's second-in-command, Yan Luo. His real name was Yan Luo, but due to his ruthless, cold-blooded nature, he was known by the name of the King of Hell.

Song Ziyue also received an invitation. In the underworld, when a gang leader died, it was customary for peers to attend the funeral, especially for a titan like the Jin Gang. In the era of warlords, Qiao Dong’s status would have been equivalent to the Shanxi warlord Yan Xishan himself.