As Harry watched Victor's figure disappear into the distance, he sighed inwardly. In the end, he has been won over by the promises of rewards.
The follow-up tasks, reports, and reimbursements were no longer his responsibility. Apart from the dangers during confrontations, everything else seemed quite comfortable.
Vin, who had been standing nearby for a while, couldn't help but show a hint of envy in his eyes. He knew that when Victor made promises, they were real.
For Victor to make such an effort to recruit Harry, it was clear that Harry was worth every bit of it.
"Where are you headed? I can give you a ride," Vin offered, smiling as he approached. "I've finished my work anyway, nothing to do for now."
"Thanks, I'm headed here," Harry replied, giving him an address.
As they started walking, Harry took out the jade pendant and asked, "Is there a way to let her come out during the day?"
Vin glanced at the pendant but didn't touch it. "Should be fine indoors," he said. "But she's close to fading away. This pendant won't hold her much longer."
"In that case, let's go."
As they walked, Harry suddenly remembered the person Victor had mentioned earlier—the one who had won a huge prize.
"Do you know about Ironclad Martial God from the Blazing Sun Sect?"
"Of course! He's the top fighter of the Blazing Sun Sect in Southern Martial County. A martial arts fanatic, always training, rarely appearing or taking action. Last year, there was a domain discovered in Clear Sky Mountain, said to contain an ancient sealed demon. The Blazing Sun Sect's first scouting team suffered heavy losses."
"They even bombarded the mountain, but couldn't eliminate the domain. It became the first level-six domain in Southern Martial County."
Vin continued with admiration, "Then, Ironclad Martial God, who hadn't been seen for a year, entered the domain at 8 PM. By 9 PM, his overwhelming yang energy had burned through the domain, and he walked out."
"I was over 20 miles away and could feel his terrifying aura. Just standing there, his mere presence forced all the hidden evil entities in the area to flee overnight."
"Isn't that a bit exaggerated?" Harry asked, astonished.
"Its not. The Blazing Sun Sect caught quite a few of the fleeing entities. I even nabbed a little demon radiating with blood energy and traded it for some good stuff at the sect."
"Afterward, the housing prices in Jade Prefecture shot up again. Some say it's partly due to this event, as many Blazing Sun Sect members' families live there."
"If I ever have enough money, I'd move to Jade Prefecture too. Then I'd go out to work when I need more cash."
Harry was speechless. He had never considered how these hidden events influenced ordinary people's lives.
They continued chatting until they arrived at Jenny's home in the Doner Residential Area.
The neighborhood had a pleasant environment, with plenty of greenery and spacious distances between buildings. It was one of the most expensive areas in Serene City.
As they approached the gate, a security guard stopped them. Vin exchanged a few words with the guard, whose expression quickly changed. He opened the gate and let them through.
"What did you say to him?" Harry asked, curious.
"I told him his boss had invited me. If he didn't let me in, I'd change into my robe and start performing rituals right at the gate."
"Do you actually know his boss?"
"I checked the feng shui for this place before it was built."
"You know how to do that too?"
"I do what I need to get by."
Harry suddenly felt he might have underestimated Vin. And thinking about it, he realized Victor wasn't the type to call someone in just for show. If Old V had been urgently summoned, he was definitely the real deal.
Besides, the idea of a Taoist priest setting up an altar right at the entrance to perform a ritual was enough to cause property values to plummet instantly.
They arrived at the entrance to Jenny's building. There was a door code system in place, so Harry handed the jade pendant to Vin.
"This is where we part. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to go inside."
Harry worked at a mortuary, and there were unspoken rules for people in his line of work. These rules were mostly about respecting others and avoiding unnecessary conflicts.
During festivals, mortuary workers didn't visit people's homes, and it was generally best to avoid dropping by unless one was very close to the family.
Vin nodded, took the pendant, and pulled a black umbrella from his backpack. After opening the umbrella, he muttered a few incantations, and streams of mist flew out from the pendant, forming the image of Jenny beneath the umbrella.
The nurse's figure was slightly translucent, and her face carried the pallor of death. It seemed like she could float away at any moment.
"Go on," Vin instructed. "Remember, don't touch anything, and don't linger too long. It won't be good for your family if you stay too long. Harry's already taking a big risk bringing you here."
Vin's tone was serious.
Initially, he had thought Harry was planning to keep a ghost for himself. Later, he realized Harry was just trying to do a good deed, which was why Victor had turned a blind eye.
But this only worked if everything went smoothly. If anything went wrong, Harry would have to bear the consequences.
Vin respected someone who was willing to go to such lengths. That's why he had decided to come along—people like Harry were rare.
"Go on," Harry said, waving at Jenny.
Jenny hesitated, unsure how to express her gratitude. After a moment, she simply bowed deeply to both men, then turned and phased through the wall into her home.
Vin held up the umbrella, letting out a sigh.
"This girl must have been kind-hearted. To have stayed in that domain for so long, yet still have such clear eyes and no resentment... She's weak, almost faded, but it shows she's never harmed anyone. That's rare."
"When I first stumbled into the domain, she helped me. After that, she gave me a lot of useful information."
"It's a shame."
Harry fell silent. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered it to Vin. The two men stood at the building entrance, wordlessly waiting.
Upstairs, Jenny wandered through her home, tears threatening to fall as she took in the familiar surroundings. But her weakened state made it impossible for her to even cry.
In the kitchen, her mother sat on a small stool, wearing reading glasses, meticulously peeling mung beans—just as she had always done.
Jenny stood by her side, watching in silence for a long time, just as she used to do when she was little, eagerly waiting to suggest adding more sugar to the dessert.
Her mother finished peeling the beans, stood up with a smile, and glanced toward the kitchen door. But a moment later, the smile vanished. She stared blankly at the small stool by the door, where Jenny used to sit and watch.
Back then, her mother would always tease her by asking how much sugar to add. From wanting more sugar as a child to insisting on less sugar as an adult, Jenny had always been there.
Now, Jenny stood at the door, her expression a mix of tears and smiles, and softly said, "It's good even without the sugar."
Her mother seemed to hear the words, looking around in confusion.
At that moment, Jenny's father emerged from another room and saw her mother holding the sugar.
"Don't add any sugar. Your blood sugar was over 8 this morning," he scolded.
Her mother wordlessly put the sugar back.
Jenny looked at her father, noticing how much whiter his hair had become. He hadn't bothered dyeing it, something he used to care deeply about.
After saying just a few words, her father picked up a broom and rag, starting to clean the house.
He even entered her room, wiping her desk and dusting her bookshelf, even though there wasn't any dust.
Jenny stood there, watching the little details of their daily life. She sniffled, unable to hold back her tears.
After half an hour, she finally walked to the door, whispering softly, "Mom, Dad... Take care of yourselves. Eat less sugar, stay healthy... And... goodbye."
As Jenny left, her mother, still in the kitchen, turned her head toward the door.
"Darling, did you hear something? I think... I think I heard Little Jen telling me to eat less sugar."