Ten Thousand Soul Banner: Deceased, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?
Chapter 1233 - 1229: United Against a Common Enemy
Shen Siyuan’s fingertips brushed over the array of treasures, unable to conceal the joy in his eyes.
He first tucked the City God Seal close to his chest, then stored the twelve Golden and White Talismans, the Three-legged Small Tripod, the Jade Scroll, the Short Sword, along with the Soul Suppressing Talisman Dou Dou had brought, into the Ten Thousand Soul Banner.
He swept his Divine Sense over the entire chamber to ensure nothing was left behind, and only then did he leave the chamber.
"Let’s go, we’re heading home."
Shen Siyuan called out, taking the lead up the stone steps.
The three little ones immediately followed, Dou Dou holding the Lotus Lamp and bouncing at the forefront, Xiao Yue still taking up the rear, while Duoduo stayed close by Shen Siyuan’s side, her eyes vigilantly scanning their surroundings.
They passed through the crumbling main hall and exited the ruined gates of the City God Mansion. Duoduo did not hesitate, twisting the umbrella handle, and the group vanished from the spot instantly.
A flash of light passed before their eyes, and when they opened them again, they were back in Bin Hai, the sky just beginning to lighten, and the morning Sea Wind bringing a slight chill.
After sending off the three little ones, Shen Qingzhou didn’t return to his room but instead pulled a vine chair onto the balcony and, in the faint dawn light, took out the newly acquired treasures one by one to carefully study them.
His fingertips stroked the Bronze City God Seal, feeling the vast and magnificent aura flowing through his palm, binding the earth veins and water veins of the Xuzhou Netherworld, capable of commanding the Yin Department power of a whole province with a single thought.
Then he looked at those twelve Golden and White Talismans, which corresponded to the Command Tokens of the twelve departmental officials of the City God Mansion, able to collectively wield the power to reward good and punish evil throughout a province’s Yin Department.
The Three-legged Small Tripod could gather incense and refine talismans.
The Jade Scroll recorded complete City God Yin Department Magic and the geographical map of Xuzhou’s earth veins.
Even the Short Sword was a City God’s Sword, specifically for slashing ghosts and dispelling filth, its sharpness sufficient to scatter ordinary Fierce Ghosts.
Shen Siyuan examined each item, growing more delighted as he did, his Divine Thought entwining with the treasures, slowly attuning to them, entirely oblivious to the passage of time.
When he came back to his senses, the sky was already bright, the golden morning sun leaping over the horizon, its warm rays covering the entire balcony.
"Yawn~"
A gentle yawn came from behind, and Shen Siyuan turned to see Taozi walking over in cotton pajamas, rubbing her drowsy eyes, her hair still a bit tousled, a sleepy look on her face.
Seeing Shen Siyuan sitting in the vine chair, she paused, then quickly walked over, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, her tone full of concern: "Did you stay up all night again? Out working late again?"
"I just got back not long ago and didn’t notice the sky was already bright."
Shen Siyuan smiled as he put the talismans away, reaching out to pull her onto his lap, teasingly saying, "But you, why are you up so early today? Don’t you usually sleep until the sun’s well up?"
Taozi’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she lightly slapped him: "Nonsense, I wake up early every day, okay?"
Just as they were talking, a babyish "oh oh" sound came from inside the room — it was Tang Tang.
The little one had just woken up, clad in a sky-blue dress, her chubby little feet bare on the floor, her short legs pattering across the living room, muttering continuously as if searching for someone.
As she ran, she glimpsed the flower-patterned ball she had left in the middle of the living room last night, immediately ran over to pick it up, and, hugging the ball, continued her short-legged run towards the balcony.
But just as she reached the edge of the sofa, she stopped.
Dou Dou was nestled right in the center of the sofa, tiny hands holding the Bright White Pearl brought back from the City God Mansion, closely examining it with a slightly furrowed brow, so focused that he didn’t even notice Tang Tang running over.
Tang Tang’s eyes fixed on the round, shiny pearl, instantly spellbound.
Without a second thought, with a "plop," she dropped the flower ball from her arms and reached with her chubby hands towards the pearl in Dou Dou’s hands.
"Hey, what are you doing..."
Dou Dou reacted quickly, immediately hiding the pearl behind him, shrinking as his small body nestled into the sofa, warily watching Tang Tang.
"Mine, mine..."
Not getting the pearl made Tang Tang’s face turn bright red with urgency. She climbed onto the sofa with her short legs, stretching her chubby hands to reach behind Dou Dou, continuously mumbling, "Just want to play for a bit, it’s so pretty."
"No, it’s mine. It’s a treasure given to me by the Potato."
Dou Dou pressed her back firmly, using her other hand to push Tang Tang’s little body away. The two chubby little girls squeezed on the sofa, poking and grabbing at each other, each refusing to give way.
Tang Tang rummaged for a long time without finding the pearl, anxious to the point that her eyes turned red. She pouted and reached out to pinch Dou Dou’s cheek, giving it a gentle tug.
Dou Dou wasn’t to be outdone, reaching out to grab the little tuft on top of Tang Tang’s head.
The two little ones tussled and tumbled on the sofa, both exclaiming in their childish voices, one saying "mine," the other saying "no way."
After a long commotion, neither managed to get it, but they end up with their hair all disheveled, looking like two little ruffled-up balls.
Just as their scuffle reached its peak, the door leading from the living room to the bedroom was gently pulled open.
Ruan Hongzhuang walked out wearing loose, off-white cotton pajamas, her long hair loosely tied at the back with a hair tie, a few strands hanging by her cheeks, her face showing signs of having just woken up.
As she approached, she spotted two little balls tangled on the sofa, one tugging at the other’s cheek, the other clutching the other’s little tuft, struggling against each other with their hair in a disarray, like two kittenish little cubs engaged in a fierce battle.
"Hey, stop, stop."
Ruan Hongzhuang, amused and annoyed, quickly walked over to separate the two intertwined little ones, one on each arm.
"What’s going on? Why are you two fighting so early in the morning?"
Dou Dou puffed her cheeks, angrily pointing at Tang Tang, "She’s trying to take my treasure. This was given to me by Potato."
Tang Tang, equally aggrieved, pouted while pointing at Dou Dou, upset, "Stingy ghost."
Only then did Ruan Hongzhuang notice the pearl Dou Dou was guarding fiercely behind her back. She sighed and opened her palm towards Dou Dou, "Give me the pearl. You two are fighting over this, so neither of you gets to play with it. It’s confiscated for now."
"Huh?"
Dou Dou’s eyes widened instantly, full of disbelief, as she clutched the pearl even tighter, "No, it’s my treasure."
Ruan Hongzhuang said nothing, just looked at her sternly.
Dou Dou was clever; she knew in this household, Sister Ruan was terrifyingly strong, even Potato would step aside for her.
So Dou Dou gave in, pouting reluctantly as she placed the pearl into Ruan’s palm, her little head drooping like a sparrow caught in the rain.
Tang Tang was also taken aback; she only wanted to grab the pearl to play with, but now it was outright taken away. Her chubby hand froze in mid-air, her mouth hanging open, unable to close for a long time.
The two little ones glanced at each other, and the tense atmosphere from before vanished in an instant.
They exchanged looks, seeing the same grievance and dissatisfaction mirrored in each other’s eyes, immediately turning their heads in unison, their round eyes glaring at Ruan Hongzhuang unitedly.
"Give it back to me, it’s mine."
Dou Dou was the first to puff her cheeks again, shouted bravely, psyching herself up.
"Give, give it back..."
Tang Tang joined in, nodding emphatically, her chubby hand forming a fist, looking determined to seek justice, the little tufts atop her head shaking with her effort.
Ruan Hongzhuang held back a smile, putting the pearl into her pajama pocket, deliberately shaking her head sternly, "You both fought over it, so I can’t give it to you. Once you stop fighting, we can talk."
Upon hearing this, the two little ones sprang into action.
Dou Dou cried, "Owww," and flung herself at Ruan Hongzhuang, wrapping her chubby little hands tightly around her leg, shifting all her weight onto it, grunting with effort, "Tip over, tip over..."
Tang Tang was not to be outdone, circling around to cling to Ruan Hongzhuang’s neck from behind, her chubby arms wrapping tightly around it, her short legs pushing against the sofa, her little face reddened with exertion, also chanting, "Tip, tip sofa..."
One hugged the leg, the other clung to the neck, using all their strength as if to topple Ruan Hongzhuang.
Watching their serious little faces and determined antics, Ruan Hongzhuang couldn’t hold back any longer, bursting into laughter that grew uncontrollable, bending over as tears of laughter streamed down her face.
Then, with one in each arm, she carried them off towards the balcony, intending to hand them over to Shen Siyuan to sort out.