Chapter 6: Is Fu Qiqi Even More Formidable Than the Association Members?

The Daoist tradition demands much; back when Fu Qiqi had no great skills, no one dared to claim they were from the Daoist sect, nor would they dare utter their master’s name.
They feared losing face!
Yet now, many who have learned just a smattering can call themselves masters.
This gave rise to a new term—“charlatans.”
Fu Qiqi sighed as she munched on sunflower seeds, truly a victim of unfortunate times.
She looked up to find Xiao Li staring intently at her hands, instantly raising her guard. “No, I’m not sharing with you, no way.”
Xiao Li was puzzled.
He was simply curious where those seeds came from!
He had thoroughly checked before entering, watching how those people worked.
After Fu Qiqi’s caution, she boldly studied his face for a long moment.
“Xiao Li, has your mother been pressuring you to go on blind dates lately?”
Fu Qiqi suddenly blurted this out, leaving Xiao Li stunned.
“No, she hasn’t.”
“Oh, then she probably will soon.”
“...”
“Are you guys sitting in a café?” Shen Du suddenly asked.
Xiao Li shuddered and quickly poured himself a glass of water, sliding it over and forcing a smile. “Captain Shen, you’re quite the joker.”
He then turned, sat upright, and assumed a very serious demeanor.
Shen Du’s gaze never left Fu Qiqi. Seeing her toss the seed shells into a red plastic bag, he nodded approvingly—good manners.
He sipped his tea, moistening his throat, then spoke in a low voice.
“We investigated the area where you dug; there was no trace of anything. As for the girl you mentioned, Xiaotao, even with the Daoist Association’s help, they found no ghost of hers.”
Xiao Li was stunned—was that a bit too detailed?
Fu Qiqi brushed the shells from her palm. “That’s because her spirit isn’t there. Oh no—”
“To be precise, her corpse isn’t there.”
From the underworld’s perspective, ghosts who can’t find their way home tend to linger near their bodies.
Shen Du paused. “You know where it is?”
“At the hospital.”
Shen Du pondered, his long fingers resting on the teacup’s edge, the sharp contours of his profile half-lit by the lamp.
Xiao Li glanced at them, a flicker of deeper thought in his eyes. Did his Captain really believe this girl’s ghost tale?
The Fuyun Taoist Temple had been formidable once, but records from a hundred years ago already showed no true masters remained.

“Go start the car.”
Xiao Li: “Ah...? Oh, I’m on it.” He really bought it.

—

Outside the Ninth Squad’s headquarters, waiting for Xiao Li to bring the car.
Fu Qiqi stood under a tree, speaking to Xiaotao. “That’s Shen Du.”
Xiaotao glanced at the bandaged man nearby, his arm in a sling, looking hesitant. “Can he really help me get revenge?”
“Of course.”
“Hm, he looks pretty handsome,” Xiaotao’s focus clearly wandered.
“Fu Xiaomei, we’re leaving.” Xiao Li waved from the driver’s seat.
Fu Xiaomei Qiqi: “Wait a moment.”
In the car, Shen Du texted with one hand, then turned to look out the window. He saw Fu Qiqi speaking softly to the air before approaching.
“Holy cow! Captain Shen, my mom really is pressuring me to go on blind dates!”
At that moment, Xiao Li, who had been looking at his phone, pushed it forward. The screen showed a WeChat message from his mother:
[No excuses! You must go on a blind date tomorrow. The location is... If you don’t show up, hehe.]
Xiao Li chuckled. “Incredible.”
He wasn’t unfamiliar with such uncanny fortune-telling, but Fu Qiqi was different.
Fu Qiqi opened the rear door and saw an injured hand, ignoring it as she got in. “Stop by the Taoist supply shop on the way.”
Xiao Li nodded, showing newfound respect. “Understood, Miss Fu.”
Promotion from “little sister Fu” to “Miss Fu.”
The car was not silent; Xiao Li was mostly the one making conversation.
When they arrived, Xiao Li asked, “Miss Fu, do you want to buy any spell-casting supplies?”
“Yes and no,” Fu Qiqi tilted her head. “I just want you to expense it.”
Her bag held many interesting items, but she would never spend her own money.
Xiao Li was momentarily surprised but wisely grabbed his phone and got out, reminding Shen Du, “Captain Shen, keep track of expenses.”
Two broke souls together—paying out of pocket was impossible!
Shen Du: ...
In the end, Fu Qiqi bought a few talisman papers, a candle, and an ordinary compass.
At three in the morning, the hospital was very quiet, only the emergency room occasionally stirring.
Xiao Li followed Fu Qiqi like a shadow and couldn’t help but ask, “Miss Fu, don’t you need to pick an auspicious time or something?”
The Daoist Association people not only carefully selected the timing but also prepared many tools, only then starting the ritual.

—

Fu Qiqi: “No need. We’re looking for Xiaotao’s corpse now; only a soul-summoning requires specific conditions.”
Xiao Li hesitated. “But you’re just holding this cheap... ordinary compass. Will it really work?”
Fu Qiqi had spent a long time picking it out, choosing one half-worn and battered.
“Of course. Except for magical instruments and artifacts, all tools lack a soul; simply put, they’re basically the same.”
She used tools because it wasn’t yet time to use her own power, while the Daoist Association relied solely on tools.
Xiao Li listened, half understanding.
Shen Du, unusually tolerant of Xiao Li’s chatter, often glanced at Fu Qiqi.
“We’re here.”
Xiao Li instinctively scanned the surroundings—it was the hospital’s back entrance.
Just as his curiosity surfaced, he saw Fu Qiqi seriously studying a divination chart—this was the first time she had looked so earnest since they met.
Xiao Li quickly zipped his lips and moved beside Shen Du. “Captain, if she actually pulls this off, wouldn’t she be stronger than those at the Daoist Association?”
Shen Du’s expression remained unchanged. “Do you need me to teach you again why you must never underestimate anyone?”
Xiao Li immediately mimed zipping his mouth.
Within a minute, the divination was complete.
“Ding, Qian, Xu, Kan, Ji, Xun Gate, the Qian hexagram points northwest.”
Fu Qiqi pulled out two talisman papers and stuck them to the foreheads of Shen Du and Xiao Li.
“Don’t move until I say you can take these off.”
Xiao Li quickly withdrew his hand, not daring to touch the papers again. “Miss Fu, what does that divination mean?”
“It means Xiaotao’s corpse is in the hospital’s northwest direction.”
Shen Du removed the talisman from his forehead and stuck it onto the injured hand.
Xiao Li was startled. “Captain Shen, Miss Fu said not to move it.”
Shen Du glanced at him, unusually mild—rarely so blunt.
Xiao Li tilted his head, following innocently, the talisman only slightly obscuring his view but otherwise no problem.
Fu Qiqi just put away the compass when Shen Du’s steady voice came softly:
“The northwest should be the inpatient ward.”