115 The Watchful Gaze

Fengdu City was filled with an atmosphere of joy; it was a momentous occasion, and everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion.

Nveluo had temporarily entrusted all matters concerning reincarnation to Shikong, and Shikong was quite pleased with this arrangement. Having been through a journey to the Underworld, Shikong was gradually changing. There are some things that, once attempted, reveal new discoveries. Just as with Shikong now, her time in the Underworld allowed her to experience the preciousness of life once more and to realize the extent of Nveluo’s dedication.

Her power had seemed so insignificant in the Underworld, a realization she had never felt so acutely before. The reincarnation of spirits was the creation of new life, and she could take the opportunity to bolster her own strength. Shikong remained busy, gladly accepting every challenge, a result that Nveluo was also pleased to see.

However, a dark figure appeared outside Fengdu City. He deliberately concealed his movements and suppressed his aura, burying his entire presence in the shadows, revealing only a pair of pitch-black, sharp eyes. He was monitoring Fengdu City—or more accurately, he was waiting for the appearance of the Four Seasons.

It was the shopkeeper. Since arriving in the mortal realm, he had been hiding in the outskirts of Fengdu City. He had not returned to Baili City; that place where he had lived for several years no longer offered him any refuge. His primary task now was to find the spirit hidden by the Four Seasons.

He could not openly appear in Fengdu City. The seemingly peaceful city was surrounded by a powerful barrier, a force he could not contend with. If his presence were discovered, he would be unable to escape in time. Moreover, his face had been seen by the Goddess of Earth, and he could not afford to reveal his whereabouts.

The anxious shopkeeper waited, but the one even more anxious than him was the Goddess of Four Seasons. For the past few days, she had been restless, feeling as though something was about to happen. She wanted to leave, but due to Nveluo’s orders, she could not. However, since Shikong was responsible for the reincarnation affairs, her own role was extremely limited. Thinking this, she decided to leave briefly; such a short absence should not cause any trouble. Recently, Nveluo was in the Main Divine Temple, Shaoguang was busy with unknown tasks, Shikong was occupied with the spirits, and the mysterious Niaoniao was nowhere to be found. She did not need to worry about being discovered.

With this thought, the Four Seasons decided to depart that night. The night-veiled Fengdu City remained mysterious and quiet. The Four Seasons looked back, found no suspicious figures, and left quietly without disturbing anyone. Her figure quickly vanished into the vast darkness.

"I’ve finally waited for you." The shopkeeper, waiting anxiously in the dark, finally saw her appear. He followed closely behind her.

The Four Seasons did not notice the shopkeeper trailing her. She headed straight for the small town; a nameless town was sometimes the best cover. Suddenly, she stopped. She did not look back but listened intently. There was no sound. Was it just her imagination?

The shopkeeper, following behind, was startled. Had he been discovered? He remained motionless, hidden in the darkness, suppressing every trace of his presence. The Four Seasons glanced back for a while, still seeing nothing. She chided herself for being too suspicious.

She continued on her way, and the shopkeeper let out a sigh of relief. If he had been discovered and aroused her suspicion, he would never be able to get any news of that spirit again.

The Four Seasons soon reached her destination. Once she confirmed everything was normal here, she had to return to Fengdu City immediately. If she were really discovered, it would be a disaster.

Upon entering the residence, everything was normal. The spirit was still sitting quietly inside. Seeing the Four Seasons enter, there was no change in his expression. Perhaps he had accepted the facts; this life, while dull, possessed a certain tranquility that was bearable. Moreover, the spirit knew he had no choice; everything depended on the goddess before him, and he could only passively endure. Though he did not know her true intentions, at least for now, he could enjoy such peaceful moments. Even if he didn't know what the true Underworld was like, it certainly wouldn't compare to this.

"You’re still the same; you’re not the least bit afraid when you see me." The Four Seasons did not understand where he found the courage to remain so composed, neither agitated nor panicked. She, on the other hand, was the one feeling uneasy over this matter.

"Afraid?" It was that question again. He could not think of a reason to be afraid. "If Your Highness wanted to harm me, you wouldn't have kept me until now. What is there to fear? Unable to leave, yet not being harmed—given my current status, I am already very fortunate."

His words struck deep into the heart of the Four Seasons. Indeed, she could not destroy him, and she did not want to torture him; doing so would only lower her own status. With the dignity of the Goddess of Four Seasons, she could not torment a spirit, and there was little else she could do. She could only keep him imprisoned here.

"Don't even think about leaving. If you dare to act against my wishes, your days ahead will not be as comfortable as they are now."

The spirit looked at her calmly. He heard the clear warning. But surely, Your Highness was overthinking it. In his current state, what could he do? The only thing he could do was wait here. Perhaps one day he would regain his freedom, or perhaps his whereabouts would be discovered, and he would be taken to the Underworld to face punishment. Of course, these were all assumptions. For now, all he could do was accept reality.

"Your Highness is overthinking."

"Whether I am overthinking it, you know best. I am merely reminding you to remember your status." Could her inner unease not be coming from him? He looked no different than before, yet the strange feeling in her heart had not diminished; it had intensified.

The Four Seasons looked out the window, wondering if she should strengthen the barrier. Although he had no ability to resist, he was, after all, a spirit and not a real human. Strengthening the barrier was the right thing to do. Thinking this, she stepped outside and applied an even more powerful barrier.

Satisfied with the result, she was about to leave when suddenly, the outer layer of the barrier shook violently.

"Who is it?" The Four Seasons felt a jolt of alarm. Had she been discovered? But even if Nveluo had found her, given the Goddess's way of handling things, it shouldn't have come to this. So, who could it be?

The barrier only shook once. The Four Seasons steadied her mind; whoever it was, they could not easily break her barrier. Even Her Highness would need time.

Outside the house, the shopkeeper looked at the barrier with annoyance. The Four Seasons had been inside for so long; if his guess was correct, the spirit must be inside. But the barrier here was too strong, and he could not break it easily. Was the Goddess of Four Seasons not as useless as he thought?

The shopkeeper sneered. If she thought such a barrier could stop him, she was mistaken. If the spirit was truly inside, all he needed was time. As long as he had enough time, he would certainly break through this barrier.

The shopkeeper carefully observed the barrier, searching for flaws. His gaze finally locked onto one spot. He concentrated all his power and struck the weakest point of the barrier. It shook violently once more.

This time, even the spirit felt it deeply. He looked at the goddess in front of him, puzzled. Who would be bold enough to challenge her here?

The Four Seasons frowned. The opponent's strength was at least equal to her own. What was most terrifying was that he had actually discovered a flaw in the barrier. How could the weakness of the barrier she was so proud of be found so easily? She, too, wanted to see who was so bold.

Outside, the shopkeeper increased his attack. He could feel the barrier losing its initial strength. He was about to break through. Suddenly, a beam of light shot toward him, carrying the sharpest killing intent, piercing straight into his heart. He dodged the attack.

At that moment, he saw the Four Seasons’ furious gaze. She had never imagined that she would see the god who had always hidden his identity. Why was he the one attacking her barrier?

All this time, the Four Seasons had not known his true identity, nor did she care to! Since he had provided information suggesting the Xiuyi clan might threaten the safety of Her Highness, she had followed the principle of "better safe than sorry," cooperating with his actions in some respects. Now, it seemed his true purpose was not just that. He was attacking her barrier with such fierce intensity, and his only goal was the spirit inside.

The Four Seasons suddenly remembered the complex look in his eyes when he had asked for this spirit and was refused. She hadn't understood the meaning then, but now, everything was clear.

"Goddess of Four Seasons, it has been a while!"

The Four Seasons gave a cold smile. "Who exactly are you? Why are you here?" She suddenly recalled the strangeness she had felt on her way here. "You have been following me." It was not a hallucination.

"How can you call it following? You and I have worked together for so long, and both of us are interested in the spirit inside. Knowing each other's movements is simply a better way to fulfill the agreement we reached."

"Don't you dare think you'll get him." The moment she said it, she regretted it. She had fallen into his trap.

"He is indeed inside. Hand him over." The shopkeeper stared at her with a grim expression. Since the spirit was truly there, the rest would be easy.

Since she had been exposed, the Four Seasons had nothing left to hide. "You want him? In your dreams. Although I don't know your true intentions, they are definitely not what you claimed earlier." The Four Seasons felt exceptionally angry; she vaguely sensed that she had been used all along.