Chapter Twenty-Eight: A Powerful Soul

As he wandered aimlessly nearby, his phone suddenly rang. Glancing at it, Qin Yang was surprised to see that the call was from Yang Yaxin.

“Hello?” Qin Yang answered with a smile. “You’re awake already?”

“Thank you,” Yang Yaxin’s voice sounded weary, tinged with regret. “About that night…I’m really sorry.”

Qin Yang laughed heartily. “Forget it, I’m not one to hold grudges. You just need to rest. There’s no need to ruin yourself over things that don’t matter—it’s just not worth it.”

“Mm.”

Perhaps she truly was exhausted, for after hanging up, Yang Yaxin went straight to sleep. Qin Yang, meanwhile, drove out to the cemetery, where he absorbed today’s hundred souls into Hell. By now, there were already seven hundred souls in Hell, though so far he’d only fulfilled the wish of one among them—Gao Jinfai. As for the rest, their last wishes either required reading their memories or were trifling matters that neither he nor the butler deemed worth undertaking.

Today was no different.

“Let’s stroll through the antique market. I’ve only got ninety soul points left—it’s pathetically little,” Qin Yang said, frustrated.

“Soul points are accumulated just so, through constant consumption and effort,” the butler replied. “I forgot to mention, once you complete certain special tasks in Hell, you can also earn considerable soul points. But the task system isn’t unlocked yet—you’ll need at least ten thousand souls in Hell before that becomes available.”

Qin Yang sighed and made his way to the antique market. After parking the car, he began wandering through the various shops.

“Do you really think there are treasures here imbued with spiritual energy?” Qin Yang looked around, finding nothing out of the ordinary. “How are we supposed to spot them?”

“The Yin-Yang Eyes can see through anything—you’re just not adept at using them,” the butler said, sounding rather impatient.

Qin Yang gave an awkward smile, focused his eyes, and soon a cool sensation flooded his mind. His pupils, black as gemstones, became entrancing. As he swept his gaze around, the scene before him sharpened into extraordinary clarity. He could even see things drifting in the air, invisible to the naked eye. But what left him speechless was that, through his eyes, nearly everyone around seemed utterly bare.

“This won’t do, I can’t take it.” The sight of so many young women coming and going made his blood race. He quickly shook his head, withdrawing the Yin-Yang Eyes.

The butler spoke up, “The Yin-Yang Eyes reveal the world’s truest form—born with nothing, leaving with nothing. Besides, you’re the death god to be. If you can’t handle a scene like this, you might as well bash your head against a wall.”

“Come on, I’m still a young man with a pulse,” Qin Yang grumbled.

He spotted a jade and antique shop nearby and sauntered in. The Taiji Yin-Yang Jade he wore was already a treasure, able to cyclically replenish spiritual energy, so he favored jade artifacts when searching for spirit-infused items. As the butler had explained, the denser the spiritual energy, the deeper the color seen through the Yin-Yang Eyes. However, his Taiji Yin-Yang Jade, though it could recycle energy, still stored very little at present—there was hardly anything to be seen through the Yin-Yang Eyes.

“After years of war, Earth’s spiritual energy has grown ever scarcer, and the energy in treasures has slowly dissipated as well. Those hidden away in deep mountains or secret caves might fare better, but anything in public view has long since lost its power,” the butler said with resignation. “Qin Yang, once the task system opens, you’d best visit some ruins. There, you’ll not only replenish your soul points but also gain powerful souls to increase your own strength.”

“I know that. But for ten thousand souls, I’ll need at least a hundred days of hard work,” Qin Yang thought to himself. “And then there’s that gang of jewel thieves—that damned bunch put me through hell. I have to settle that score, don’t I? And that bastard in Jianghai City who tampered with my car—I need to dig him out too. I don’t want anyone keeping an eye on me.”

The butler could not be bothered to argue further.

Qin Yang continued scanning the jade shop, opening and closing the Yin-Yang Eyes, but found nothing with the telltale aura of spiritual energy.

“Young man, either buy something or stop touching everything. These are treasures, you know,” the shop owner grumbled. “If you break anything, you won’t be able to pay for it.”

“There’s nothing here worth much,” Qin Yang replied with a laugh. “But if something actually caught my eye, I could certainly afford it.”

The owner gave him a once-over. The suit he wore marked him as a white-collar sort, but the sharp-eyed shopkeeper could tell those were just ordinary suits, nothing like what real rich folks wore. He waved a hand dismissively. “What do you know? Real treasures aren’t something a greenhorn like you could recognize.”

“A true treasure carries its own aura—hold it, and you’ll feel refreshed in mind and spirit,” Qin Yang retorted bluntly. “The things you have here look nice, but they’re all show and no substance.”

Nothing is more taboo in this line of business than someone calling your wares inferior. The shopkeeper’s face flushed with anger. The other customers, perhaps swayed by Qin Yang’s words, also seemed unimpressed and a few left outright. The owner snapped, “Get out, kid! I’m running a business here, not hosting troublemakers. Out!”

Rolling his eyes, Qin Yang didn’t linger. He headed for the other shops, but still found no worthwhile treasures. Disappointment welled up as he prepared to leave—when suddenly, a lively young girl hurried past, clutching a box tightly. She seemed terribly anxious, glancing left and right without looking ahead, and ran straight into Qin Yang.

“Ouch.” The girl stumbled back a few steps, but said nothing. She shot a cautious look behind her, then hurried around Qin Yang and left.

He found it odd, and then noticed two or three men in black suits tailing her, their eyes fixed on the girl.

“Did you see that?” The butler’s voice was suddenly excited. “A powerful soul! An incredibly powerful soul!”

Qin Yang was stunned. “Where?”

“In that box, the one she’s holding,” the butler said, barely containing his excitement. “At least third level or higher—I can sense its consciousness, and it’s extremely strong!”

“What?” Qin Yang’s eyes widened. Instantly, he activated the Yin-Yang Eyes and looked at the fleeing girl. At once, he saw a solitary figure—one whose lifeless eyes nonetheless brimmed with emotion, staring straight back at him.