### Chapter 318: Operation Begins
It’s been years since I’ve cut ties with Chen Yunshi, and frankly, there were many reasons for it. Chairman Chen did think about trying to mend things, but he figured, hey, this works too—he’s in a line of work where disaster could strike at any moment.
Dealing with evil ghosts and evil gods every day? Yeah, that’s a recipe for trouble. I mean, if it weren’t for an Que leading the charge last time, I would’ve been a goner for sure.
So, it’s probably better for Chen Yunshi to live a simple, mundane life like a regular person and marry some decent guy, right?
“Where is she?”
“Down in the reception room.”
“Great, I’ll head over now.” Chairman Chen shrugged on his coat like it was just an oversized napkin and made his way downstairs.
Meanwhile, in the reception room, Chen Yunshi cradled a cup of tea in her hands, staring at the table like it was about to give her life advice.
On her way over, she was thinking: wow, she really has changed. The old Chen Yunshi would never have come here. She probably would’ve been at home like a cat, waiting for the world to end—maybe tossing in a witty remark about how none of the gatekeepers had half a brain between them.
In this situation, Qian Mu wasn’t bold enough to show his face, even if this counted as a “meet the parents” moment.
Not that he was afraid of Chairman Chen—he’s been dealing with evil gods, after all. Seeing her wouldn’t faze him much. But dealing with an irritated Chen Yunshi? Yeah, that’d probably lead to some smackdowns.
“Yunshi.” Chairman Chen appeared at the doorway, his tall frame practically bending to get through.
“I didn’t come to discuss the past.” Chen Yunshi put her cup down and lifted her chin, “You have a partnership with the Tianfa Sect, right?”
Chairman Chen waved the gatekeeper out, closing the door behind him. He sat across from Chen Yunshi, initially wanting to chit-chat about her life over the years, but she cut right to the chase as if small talk were forbidden.
“Yunshi, I don’t know how you got this news, but you need to understand, as your father, I don’t want you involved in this. Aren’t you a teacher at the school? You’re on break right now, so why not just enjoy a little vacation while you’re here?”
“No need.” Chen Yunshi replied with an air of indifference, “Do you have any idea what the repercussions of your actions tonight will be?”
“Cutting to the chase, huh? Fine, I’ll be blunt. The person you’re up against tonight is the Black Sun God, which I assume you know. But there’s another name you might be familiar with: Gluttony.”
Chairman Chen paused, suddenly looking like he’d bitten into a sour lemon. “Gluttony? How do you know that?”
“Does it matter? You can still back out. If you want the Tianfa Sect’s territory, just wait. They’re going down tonight, and you’re free to take over afterward.”
“All you need to do is provide evil ghosts. The more, the merrier. The Black Sun God only wants the evil ghosts; there’s no need for confrontation.”
“I’ve said my piece; it’s up to you to believe it or not.”
“Oh, and the Tianfa Sect is looking to me to pilfer intelligence from you to control the Black Sun God.”
“Watch your back with your subordinates, or you might end up not knowing how you met your demise.”
Chairman Chen fell silent. The old Chen Yunshi used to hate him for pulling these stunts. Now, it was like she’d flipped a switch and transformed into a different person. How on earth did she learn all this?
If everything Chen Yunshi said was true, they were standing on the edge of a disaster.
“Are you absolutely sure?” he pressed.
This wasn’t a small matter. He already had everything planned out—people in place, equipment ready. Pulling the plug now would not only cause internal chaos; he’d have to explain things to the Tianfa Sect as well.
If they didn’t take action, their plans for tonight were toast. They’d have to call in someone else for backup—anyone, even other factions of gatekeepers led by Li Tianan.
“Believe what you want; I’ve said my piece. Just know if things go south, that’s on you.”
“No, Yunshi, it’s not that I don’t trust you,” Chairman Chen said gravely. “You know this isn’t a minor issue. Can you please tell me how you found out?”
“I’m the chairman—the leader of the gatekeepers. Every decision I make must be cautious; a misstep could cost lives. These lives belong to people with families, elderly parents, and young children to care for. I have to protect them.”
“Yunshi, you’re all grown up now; there are so many things I couldn’t tell you before.”
“Honestly, it’s not like I didn’t want to find you all these years. I just couldn’t. Now that I’m in this position, I have to say—I don’t care about life and d*ath anymore. What terrifies me is how this could affect you.”
“You’re my only child, my everything. I’m just trying to find a way to pass everything I’ve built over to you.”
“So when I heard you were coming today, my first thought was disbelief, and the second was dread.”
“I’m scared of you getting tangled up in all this.”
Chairman Chen started pulling the sentimental card. He desperately wanted to uncover the source of Chen Yunshi’s intel.
This information she had wasn’t something to be taken lightly—after all, it involved Gluttony, and that was no small matter!
“Telling me this is pointless; I don’t need your approval,” Chen Yunshi raised an eyebrow, “I can only tell you I have some connections with Gluttony.”
“Fine, then.”
Chairman Chen mentally connected the dots.
He needed to go; the arrow was already on the string, so he had to take the shot. He would play it by ear when the time came.
If Chen Yunshi was right, the Tianfa Sect was headed for disaster.
He could just run for it when the time came. After all, better late than never.
With nearly two hundred members of the Tianfa Sect, even if they were as dumb as pigs, Gluttony would have a field day. He could use that as a cover to slip away.
Better prepare for Gluttony to seal off the area too—gotta make sure they’re ready ahead of time.
And if that didn’t work, he’d just leverage Chen Yunshi’s connections. Who knew? It might come in handy.
Plus, they could strike a deal with the Black Sun God—she wanted evil ghosts, right? Once she took down the Tianfa Sect, Hejiang City would be without a leader, and the gatekeepers could swoop in.
“What are your plans for tonight? If you’ve got nothing going on, I could set something up for you.”
“No thanks; I’m here with friends.”
Up she got, and Chen Yunshi headed for the door.
·
·
“They sure can be patient, deciding to strike only now,” Dragon Lady leaned against the door, watching Zhao Mingyue do White Feather’s makeup like they were prepping for a runway show.
It wasn’t easy for her to figure out where to even start. Most people in times like these would be arming themselves or rehearsing tactics.
Zhao Mingyue, on the other hand? Her first order of business was to give White Feather a glam-up.
You’d think she was getting ready for some extravagant gala or something!
“Totally normal. They have to be prepared; otherwise, it’s like letting White Feather go to town with a machete on their behinds.”
“Even if they are prepared, it won’t save them from their fate,” Dragon Lady rolled her eyes.
“They don’t know that.”
“Anyway, back to you. What exactly are you up to?”
“Makeup! White Feather’s got no plans, and neither do I.”
Zhao Mingyue whipped out a curling iron, and Dragon Lady finally couldn’t hold back, “White Feather, just let her spoil you!”
This was outrageous! White Feather putting up with Zhao Mingyue’s hands all over her face? If it were Dragon Lady, White Feather would’ve given her the “are you insane?” look.
White Feather glanced at Dragon Lady through the mirror but chose silence; she was just used to it by now.
“Seriously, Mingyue, what’s the endgame here, beautifying a female ghost?”
“To make her look more human.”
“Is that it?”
“Isn’t that enough? At least she looks presentable. Otherwise, she’s way too pale, like she hasn’t seen the sun in forever!”
After an hour of fussing around, Zhao Mingyue nodded in satisfaction at White Feather’s final look.
She curled some locks, giving a hint of wave, then tied the long hair on both sides into cute little braids behind her, adorned with all sorts of adorable accessories and bows.
She thought the bow element just screamed “White Feather,” so of course, the dress had to match.
A black-and-white strapless dress, complete with a massive, dark red bow right at the chest.
Upon seeing that dress for the first time, even Dragon Lady had to wonder if the designer had some screws loose. But the more she looked, the better it got—especially when paired with White Feather’s somewhat pale complexion and demeanor. The whole look screamed “ghostly bride.”
The combination of colors, decorations, and makeup made White Feather seem a touch melancholic yet still exquisite. Her snow-white legs and strappy sandals really tied the look together.
“How’s this?” Zhao Mingyue beamed, getting super close to Dragon Lady, resting her chin on her hand as she admired her handiwork.
“Forget it; I’d rather not get punched,” Dragon Lady shrugged, “Let the believers critique it instead; they’ll probably say White Feather looks like the evil queen from a dark fairy tale who stole Snow White.”
“Pfft.” Zhao Mingyue couldn’t hold back her laughter.
As night fell, it was time to head out.
They hopped in a cab and arrived in a small county just below Hejiang City.
In this little nook, there stood a ghost gate hidden away in an abandoned construction site. It was the nearest ghost gate since they had swept through days before.
To be exact, it was a half-finished apartment complex, and the ghost gate was tucked inside one of the buildings.
“They did a pretty good job hiding, didn’t they? I only spotted five people in the whole place.”
Perched on the roof of the adjacent building, Zhao Mingyue and Dragon Lady peered through binoculars at the structure across from them.
From their vantage point, they could clearly see members of the Tianfa Sect lying in wait.
“These guys are something else; they’re even wearing reflective gear, looking like disco balls all decked out.”
Dragon Lady flipped her hair back, “Isn’t that obvious? If they’re brave enough to show up, they might as well prepare a little!”
