Chapter 14
“Uh, Master, Jin Shao… is he… gone?”
“…More or less…”
Jin Youqian vaguely heard voices, sounding like Wenge and the Master. What were they saying? Dead? More or less? Did that mean… I’m dead?
It made sense. So many vengeful spirits, densely packed, it would take hours to count them. Once the Master fell, the rest were like fish on a chopping block, at the mercy of… ah, no, at the mercy of the ghosts. In that situation, there was no way to survive.
…But, did the Master fall? It didn’t seem like it…? He only remembered seeing half a head emerge, then… uh, he must have fainted from fright. It was embarrassing, but better than being eaten alive by vengeful spirits.
When watching zombie movies, he had thought that if the apocalypse ever came, his best bet would be to smear himself with zombie blood, get infected, and become a zombie, escaping all suffering. Whether he’d become someone else’s suffering later… was up to fate.
So, I’ve sort of fulfilled that thought? I just feel bad for my parents. They raised me for so many years, and I died before I could repay them, and they probably won’t even find my body.
But on the bright side, they’re not that old. They could try again. We have plenty of money; maybe they’ll hit the jackpot and get an S+ intelligence stat!
…Sigh, I still regret it. I shouldn’t have been so stubborn. Ignorance is bliss. I had to ask why! And ended up paying the price.
Jin Youqian, you’re such an idiot!
…When you scold yourself like this, shouldn’t you also slap yourself?
As he was thinking this, he heard a “slap,” like something hitting his face. Did I become so powerful after death that I can slap myself with my mind? Jin Youqian was shocked.
Suddenly, a voice echoed in his ear, “Hey, wake up!”
This voice seemed to have a special power. Jin Youqian slowly opened his eyes. Then, within a second, he closed them again.
It was the sun! So bright!
“Xiaoyu, move the flashlight a little.” He heard the Master’s calm voice.
“Okay.” That was Xiaoyu’s obedient voice.
“Okay, you can open your eyes now.” The Master’s voice again.
Jin Youqian opened his eyes again. Wenge’s face was close, concerned, “Jin Shao, you’re finally awake!”
Jin Youqian turned his head. The Master and her daughter were also there.
“Didn’t I… die?” Jin Youqian asked, his mind still foggy.
“Don’t say such things!” Wenge spat to the side. “You just passed out!”
“I clearly heard you say…” Jin Youqian instinctively wanted to retort, but stopped mid-sentence, realizing he had probably misheard. It was embarrassing. He quickly changed the subject, “Where are we?”
He sat up. A bright moon hung overhead; mountains were visible in the distance, dotted with countless lights. The wind blew on his face; he heard rustling leaves, bird calls, and insect chirps.
“Southern suburbs, I’m not sure exactly where,” Luo Wenshu said calmly. “I’m sorry, the situation was a bit complex and uncontrollable. I killed the female ghost; there were no survivors.”
“It’s okay…” Jin Youqian wasn’t ungrateful. In that situation, saving him and Wenge was enough; he couldn’t ask for more.
“But I still need payment.”
“…But I can give you a discount.”
Luo Wenshu looked at him.
Jin Youqian didn’t hesitate, “That’s fair!”
“Yes,” Luo Wenshu subtly nodded and started calculating. “I said 18,888 to take you away; that’s waived. But the travel fee of 8,888 is non-negotiable. Then there’s the ghost-catching fee. I said the starting price was 28,888, but the white ghost alone was worth more. And the spirits and the little girl in red, especially the little girl, who was a powerful ghost. Because of my mistake, there are some flaws in this transaction, so I’ll give you a discount. Let’s call the powerful ghost 80,000, and the rest are free. That’s 88,888 total. Transfer the money.”
Jin Youqian: “…What?!”
Luo Wenshu looked puzzled. “What? Too much?”
Jin Youqian quickly shook his head. “No, no, I thought it would be more…” He recalled the chaos and thought the Master should’ve charged hundreds of thousands. Less than 100,000 was surprisingly reasonable.
“Can I transfer it to Master’s child’s account?” Jin Youqian asked.
Luo Wenshu nodded.
Jin Youqian swiftly transferred the money.
An announcement came from Luo Xingyu’s phone: “WeChat payment received, 88,888 yuan.”
Luo Xingyu: …
He was speechless. Wenge was also speechless.
Jin Youqian finished the transfer and wanted to ask what happened later. He was curious how the Master had dealt with the ghosts. Maybe she’d transformed and used a super move? …Okay, he was being childish.
Suddenly, a ringtone sounded.
Wenge: “Not me. I don’t know where my phone is, and that’s not my ringtone.”
Jin Youqian and Luo Xingyu checked their phones; no calls.
They looked at Luo Wenshu.
“Oh, I forgot to mention, I found someone else in that ghost realm…” Luo Wenshu pointed.
They looked—black hair, white dress, pale face… Yu Zhen, the source of the night’s misfortunes.
“Holy crap! Ghost!” Jin Youqian screamed, jumping and hiding behind Luo Wenshu. Wenge was calmer but pale.
“Master, didn’t you say you killed her?” Jin Youqian whispered.
“I killed the female ghost,” Luo Wenshu corrected. “This is a living person. When I found her, she had strong negative energy. The ghost must have possessed her.”
Jin Youqian breathed a sigh of relief, then his eyes lit up.
“So, the person I saw was her, right?” Meaning he fell for a human, not a ghost.
“I don’t know,” Luo Wenshu shook her head. “But judging by the residual negative energy, the ghost possessed her for a while.”
“That’s it!” Jin Youqian felt happy…
“…Forget it…” He couldn’t face her anymore.
The ringtone sounded again.
“Should we answer?” Jin Youqian asked, pointing to Yu Zhen. It was likely her family.
“Answer it,” Luo Wenshu said.
“…Me?” Jin Youqian pointed at himself. “That’s awkward… What if it’s her family?”
“She called you out; what’s there to be afraid of?” Luo Wenshu took Yu Zhen’s phone and handed it to him.
“Fine,” Jin Youqian answered the call. It was her mother.
The woman’s anxious voice came through the phone, “Yu Zhen, you finally answered! Where are you?”
Jin Youqian said stiffly, “Hello, Auntie…”
“Who is this? Where’s Yu Zhen?” the woman’s voice grew more urgent.
“Auntie, please calm down, I’m Yu Zhen’s friend. She had an accident and is unconscious… I’m not a bad person. We’re in the southern suburbs, but I don’t know the exact location. My car broke down, and I can’t call a cab. I’ll call a friend for help… Or, if you’re worried, come yourself. Add my WeChat, and I’ll share my location.”
Jin Youqian added Yu Zhen’s father on WeChat and shared his location.
He then contacted his friends for a ride. They waited.
“It’s good Master was nearby; otherwise, Wenge and I would have been done for… Speaking of, how was Master here? Did you sense I would be in trouble and came here? That’s so embarrassing!”
He felt he had given the Master too little money.
Luo Wenshu looked at him strangely, “Who said I was nearby?”
Jin Youqian was puzzled. “But you came very quickly after I messaged you…”
“I said I was on my way, that’s why I charged you for travel,” Luo Wenshu replied.
“Where were you when I messaged you?” Jin Youqian asked carefully.
“Home.”
“Your home is…?”
“Xinghua Street.”
Jin Youqian: “Holy crap!!!”
The distance was similar to his trip from the bar. He and Wenge had driven for half an hour, but the Master had only taken two or three minutes… Amazing!
“Master, do you have any more amulets?” Jin Youqian opened WeChat, ready to transfer money.
“The one you bought is broken. I want to buy another… no, three… no, six…”
“Master, how many do you have? I’ll take them all!”
Luo Wenshu rolled her eyes. “Drawing amulets requires spiritual energy. I can only make two a day.”
“I’ll pre-order a month’s worth!” Jin Youqian said without hesitation.
“Six, come get them in three days. Pay then,” Luo Wenshu said calmly.
“No, Master…” Jin Youqian’s face fell.
“I don’t have more.”
“Fine, six then…”
Twenty minutes later, bright headlights and car sounds approached.
“They got here fast,” Jin Youqian mused.
A WeChat call came from Yu Zhen’s father.
“Hello, Uncle…” Jin Youqian answered politely.
“Xiao Jin, we’re nearby. Where are you?” The man’s voice was calm, but slightly tense.
“I see your cars, two of them, right? …I can’t describe my location; I’ll shine a flashlight, maybe you can see it.”
“I’ll do it,” Luo Wenshu said.
Jin Youqian didn’t understand. Luo Wenshu raised her hand, a faint light appearing, then becoming a strong beam shining into the sky.
“…Holy crap!” Jin Youqian exclaimed.
“…I see the light, are you there?” the man asked.
“Yes, here.”
The Yu family arrived, two cars, four people—Yu Zhen’s parents and two men, one casual, the other in a suit, out of place.
“Yu Zhen! Yu Zhen!” Yu Zhen’s mother was anxious.
Jin Youqian thought they should be worried about him…
“There,” he pointed.
“Yu Zhen!” Yu Zhen’s mother rushed to her.
Yu Zhen’s father spoke to Jin Youqian, “Xiao Jin, right? Do you smoke?…Thank you for taking care of our Yu Zhen…” Then, “What were you doing here so late?”
Jin Youqian denied any involvement. “Around 11 pm, I received Yu Zhen’s call… I found her unconscious here. I don’t know what happened; you’ll have to ask her.”
The Yu family left with Yu Zhen.
Luo Wenshu narrowed her eyes, watching the taillights.
“Master, what’s wrong?” Jin Youqian asked.
“That girl is strange,” Luo Wenshu said. “She has no connection to her parents.”
“What do you mean?”
“They’re not related by blood.”
Jin Youqian’s eyes widened. “Holy crap, they’re not her parents? Are they kidnappers?!”
“…Don’t jump to conclusions. They may not be related by blood, but their fates are intertwined. They’ve likely lived together for a long time; she’s probably adopted,” Luo Wenshu said.
Jin Youqian patted his chest. “That’s good!”
His friends arrived soon after. They left the southern suburbs for the city.
The next day, Luo Wenshu woke up at noon. Her body felt weak. She’d been busy: drawing amulets, collecting the water ghost, and fighting the powerful ghost. Her strong soul saved her. She wouldn’t have taken the risk without backup.
She sat up and saw Luo Xingyu at the door, worry etched on his face.
“I’m fine,” she smiled.
Luo Xingyu looked at her carefully, then his worry lessened.
“Mom, are you hungry?” he asked.
Luo Wenshu’s stomach grumbled in response.
“Wait, I’ll heat up the food,” he went to the living room.
After washing up, Luo Xingyu had the food ready: braised pork, stir-fried vegetables, mushroom chicken stew, milk, and rice.
“Only one milk?” Luo Wenshu asked.
Luo Xingyu shook his head. “I don’t drink it; you drink it.”
Luo Wenshu sighed and pushed the milk towards him, “Don’t worry about saving money. Buy what you need and want; we have money now.”
Luo Xingyu stared at her and pushed the milk back, “You drink it first; I’ll buy more later.”
“Okay,” Luo Wenshu said. “Let’s buy some other things later.”
Their home was poor; everything was just barely enough. It wasn’t bad, but Luo Wenshu wasn’t used to it, and now they could improve their living standards.
After eating, they prepared to go out. It was a sunny day. Luo Wenshu called a car, the destination being Xinghua Plaza.
However, things didn’t go as planned. The driver called, saying his car broke down. She had to call another car. Then, the new driver said there was traffic.
After waiting 20 minutes, the driver finally arrived. They left the residential area, and the car’s air conditioning broke.
She felt a sense of déjà vu. They had to endure the heat, eventually reaching Xinghua Plaza. As the car stopped, she got out immediately. The driver apologized profusely. Luo Wenshu gave him a good rating.
As she was leaving with Luo Xingyu, she heard the driver, “…Huh, the air conditioning is working again?”
The karmic retribution had come, but it was less severe than yesterday. As she thought that, she sensed danger and pulled Luo Xingyu.
“Clang—” The manhole cover beside them popped open, emitting a foul odor.
“Mom…” Luo Xingyu looked worried.
“It’s okay,” Luo Wenshu smiled. “Let’s go.”
Near the mall entrance, someone shouted, “Slow down, kids!”
Two children bumped into a girl holding a奶茶 (milk tea), spilling it on the glass door.
“Sorry…” the girl apologized.
“It’s okay,” Luo Wenshu shook her head.
The children started playing again. The girl grabbed one, “What are you running for? Apologize!”
The man, who had been on his phone, yelled, “What are you doing? Let go!”
The grabbed child started crying; the other child joined in, and started scratching the girl.
“Let go of my brother!”
“Damn…” the girl’s expression twisted, but she didn’t let go. The man reached for her shoulder.
“Don’t,” Luo Wenshu stopped him. The man hesitated, then saw the small woman and started to yell, but stopped when he remembered the strength in her grip. He turned to the girl, “Let go of my child!”
“Let him apologize first,” the girl retorted. “Then I’ll let go. And stop scratching me!”
Many people were watching. Luo Wenshu saw a tall figure approaching, and a low voice sounded.
“Tang Yue, what are you doing?” The man, in a well-tailored suit, sounded annoyed.
It was the man who had gone to the southern suburbs with the Yu family.
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