Chapter 34: The Ghost Master (7)
“You have absolutely lost your mind…” Shen Hu had never seen anyone do this.
There was only a fine line between a living soul and a ghost. A soul that had been torn apart so violently was essentially a dead ghost.
Dead people couldn’t come back to life, so could ghosts?
Shen Hu wanted to knock him out and drag him to the hospital, but Jiang Si’s state was terrifyingly intense. He looked like a drowning man clutching the last straw, silently expressing his determination to achieve his goal even if it drained his very lifeblood.
“I finally understand a truth: one finds life only in the face of death. Outside the laws of heaven, there is always a glimmer of hope. I’m using my life to exchange for his return. If I don’t go to the extreme, how can I succeed?”
Jiang Si’s face was visibly growing paler. His body temperature dropped due to blood loss, and his kneeling posture began to waver.
He barely held himself up, clinging to that last shred of hope, betting everything on this one throw.
Back when he applied for the status of Intangible Cultural Heritage successor, he had combed through his grandfather’s notes. He remembered an ancient method called “Exchanging Life for Life”—using his own flesh and blood to nourish Hai Di back to existence.
“If you’re this much of a gambler, why open a paper effigy shop? You should be trading stocks,” Shen Hu grumbled, pacing back and forth beside him, glancing at Jiang Si every few seconds.
He was terrified that if he looked away, this one would die too.
Suddenly, he stopped and stared straight at the head.
“Apprentice, come here.” Shen Hu pointed at Jiang Si. “Does that look familiar to you?”
The apprentice squinted, examining it carefully, then stammered in confusion, “Master… isn’t this person the Hai family’s young master?”
Shen Hu confirmed he wasn’t seeing things.
What does “darkness under the lamp” mean?
This was it!
He never imagined that the Hai family heir’s soul, which everyone had been searching for, would turn up here.
Shen Hu asked guiltily, “How confident are you in stabilizing his soul?”
“I don’t know.” Jiang Si shook his head.
Shen Hu tried to negotiate. “Look, I have a method here too. As long as you stabilize his soul, I can get him back into his original body.”
Jiang Si’s eyes snapped open, scrutinizing him. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
“…Okay.” Jiang Si nodded. “As long as I’m alive, he won’t die.”
Shen Hu, who had just started to relax, was terrified by his words again. “It won’t come to that. Your safety is the priority. Don’t push yourself!”
Jiang Si acted like he didn’t hear, intently studying Hai Di’s face.
Refined brows, soft skin—he looked every bit the high-born young master. Who knew he could be so foolish after losing his memory? Taking the brunt of an Evil Ghost’s attack for someone he’d only known for a month… was it really worth it?
Time moved forward, slow but resolute. After an indeterminate amount of time, Jiang Si could no longer hold the knife.
With a soft clatter, it fell straight to the floor.
Accompanying the sound of the falling blade was Jiang Si’s unconscious body. Shen Hu frantically scooped him up and sped all the way to the hospital.
Meanwhile, a helicopter was dispatched from Ning City to Rong City to pick up the Grandmaster.
Upon learning that her son could finally wake up, Mrs. Hai was overwhelmed with emotion, practically jogging down the hospital corridor.
Shen Hu’s senior brother, Xiang Guxun, walked solemnly into the ward holding a small doll. The man on the bed was wasting away, his skin pale, lying in a deathly stillness as the group observed him.
Xiang Guxun formed a hand seal and chanted the spell. “Soul, rise!”
The living soul sleeping within the doll slowly returned to the body. The machines beeped rhythmically as everyone held their breath, watching his condition.
Mrs. Hai was the most nervous, feeling that even blinking was a luxury she couldn’t afford.
Under the gaze of a dozen eyes, the man on the bed finally opened his eyes.
Hai Di was startled to see a crowd surrounding his bed. He couldn’t quite adjust. “What is…?”
“Son, how do you feel? Does your head still hurt?” Mrs. Hai stepped forward anxiously.
“Mom…” Hai Di shook his head. “I’m fine. Why am I in the hospital?”
“As long as you’re fine.” Mrs. Hai covered her face, emerging from her fear and almost bursting into tears.
“Your soul wandered off again, did you know that? You scared me to death. How did you end up all the way in Rong City?”
Hai Di looked blank. “I… went to Rong City?”
As soon as he spoke the unfamiliar place name, Hai Di felt as if he had said it countless times before. Just thinking of the place stirred a strange emotional fluctuation within him.
His heart pumped heavily, sending hot blood rushing through his limbs.
Even though it was flowing inside his veins, a metallic taste of blood seemed to spread in his mouth.
Seeing he couldn’t remember, Mrs. Hai didn’t push him. The important thing was that he was awake. She returned to her usual efficient self, ushering everyone out to thank them and leaving Hai Di space to rest.
After today, the headline news in Ning City returned to Hai Di. Those watching for drama were disappointed—no wealthy family inheritance battles? How unscientific!
While outsiders dealt with their disappointment, Hai Di recovered enough to call his company assistant to report on the last month’s affairs.
Hai Di listened intently, his finger scrolling through the tablet as the assistant spoke.
“The company plans to merge into the film and television industry this year. During your absence, we’ve selected a few potential media companies for collaboration. Here is the list, Boss. Please review it.”
“Mm, finalize it yourselves.” Just as Hai Di finished speaking, a news alert popped up at the top of the tablet: Autumn in Rong City, We Welcome Your Visit!
Hai Di paused. “Have you ever been to Rong City?”
Caught off guard, the assistant paused but immediately reverted to a professional attitude. “Not yet. But if you are interested, I will draw up a development plan for projects in Rong City immediately upon my return.”
“No need.” Hai Di had just asked on a whim. “The company is busy; there’s no need to go to Rong City.”
The two resumed their discussion on work.
…
Boo-hoo… sobbing… wailing…
The sound of weeping, rising and falling, drifting from all directions, was endless.
The person sleeping really couldn’t stand the gloomy, eerie crying anymore. He snapped his eyes open and snapped, “Can you stop mourning? I’m not dead yet.”
In his view, aside from the wall at the head of the bed, the other three sides of the hospital bed were surrounded by ghosts. Some he knew, some he didn’t. A crowd of them, all with pale faces and blank expressions, looking like they were sending Jiang Si off to the afterlife.
“Everyone is worried about you.” Little Phoenix wiped a nonexistent tear from the corner of her eye. With a wave of her hand, the ghosts behind her bowed in unison and chanted, “We wish Boss Jiang a speedy recovery and a return to the peak of life.”
“…” Ignoring the IV needle in the back of his hand, Jiang Si yanked the blanket up over his head.
So embarrassing.
Little Phoenix saw he wasn’t physically dead, so she wanted him to die of social embarrassment, right?
“Get out, everyone out.” Little Phoenix shooed the extra ghosts away before turning to discuss serious matters with Jiang Si.
“What exactly happened? Where is Hai Di? I haven’t seen him.”
It was fine until she mentioned him. As soon as she did, Jiang Si remembered the scene before he passed out—Hai Di torn into pieces on the floor. The thick scent of blood felt like a fog that wouldn’t disperse, threatening to swallow him whole.
Jiang Si couldn’t help but throw off the covers, leaning over the side of the bed to dry heave. He even felt his breath carried the sweet, rusty scent of iron.
His stomach was empty, so no matter how much it convulsed, nothing came out. His fingers gripped the bed rail so hard it looked like he might snap it. Physiological tears pooled in his eyes, blurring his vision.
“No way…” Little Phoenix’s eyes went wide. She rubbed his back to help him breathe. “Such a big reaction! what did you encounter?”
“…” Jiang Si pushed her hand away. After recovering for a moment, he collapsed back onto the bed, exhausted. “It’s nothing. It’s all in the past.”
“What do you mean ‘it’s all in the past’? Do you know you were being resuscitated all night? I heard you nearly drained all the blood in your body.” Little Phoenix was furious. “Who did this? I’ll go settle the score!”
Jiang Si glanced at her righteous indignation and said quietly, “I stabbed myself. As for Hai Di, he should have gone back.”
“What nonsense are you talking? Why would you stab yourself for no reason?”
Seeing she wouldn’t let it go, Jiang Si explained the events briefly to get some peace and quiet.
“Let’s not talk about the Evil Ghost for now. Can you let me rest?”
He was forcing himself to speak. His eyes were bloodshot, his lips and cheeks as pale as paper. Little Phoenix swallowed the rest of her questions, nodded, and floated out of the room.
“Phew…” Jiang Si stared up at the ceiling and sighed deeply.
Although he had been saved, Jiang Si remained listless due to blood deficiency. He didn’t want to take more than two steps a day, spending his time eating and sleeping to recover his energy.
However, he noticed people were looking at him with increasingly strange expressions.
One day, while heading out to find a doctor, he passed the nurses’ station and heard two nurses whispering: “Is the patient in Bed 37 really a suicide attempt? He’s so young, why couldn’t he think it through?”
Another nurse replied confidently, “I heard from the friend who brought him in that it was martyrdom for love. Apparently, his lover died, and he couldn’t live without them. He originally tried self-immolation, but that failed, so he switched to stabbing himself. When he arrived, he was nearly drained dry. The hospital’s blood bank wasn’t enough; they had to call in emergency supplies from a nearby station to save him.”
“Hiss… we need to keep a close eye on him then. What if he tries something again in our hospital…”
Patient in Bed 37, Jiang Si, covered his face and sucked in a cold breath that chilled his teeth to the roots.
Martyrdom for love? Suicide? What on earth were they talking about?!
When he got back, a depressed Jiang Si tried to open the window for some fresh air, only to find it was locked and wouldn’t budge.
“…” Great. Very cautious.
In the midst of his gloom, he suddenly heard the commotion of Wang Zhao bursting through the door. Turning around, he saw Wang Zhao sweating profusely, wearing an expression somewhere between crying and holding it back.
“Jiang! Oh, Jiang—” Wang Zhao choked out. “There’s nothing we can’t get past. You have to look on the bright side. Don’t do anything rash!”
As he spoke, he looked Jiang Si over. Due to the blood loss, Jiang Si looked like a porcelain doll—colorless and radiating a cold aura. His thin eyelids drooped lazily, his eyes full of exhaustion.
“…Sigh.” Jiang Si couldn’t help but sigh.
Wang Zhao, heart in his throat, rushed forward to support him, taking small steps to guide him back to the bed. “Careful, careful. Let’s rest properly. No bad thoughts, okay?”
“I’m really fine,” Jiang Si said helplessly.
“Stop pretending. If you can’t take it, just cry on my shoulder. You still have me as a friend!” Wang Zhao was convinced Jiang Si was putting on a brave face.
“What’s that saying? Men cry, cry, it’s not a crime…” Wang Zhao comforted him. “If you’re sad, just say it. I won’t laugh at you.”
“…” Jiang Si said firmly, “I really am fine!”
“Look at you… sigh. Right, you’re fine! It’s all in the past.” Wang Zhao thought he understood Jiang Si and decided to play along.
Seeing that he couldn’t explain his way out of this, Jiang Si simply shut his mouth, lay back down, and went to sleep.
In his dreams, chaotic scenes flashed like fragmented film clips. The Evil Ghost choking him, Hai Di blocking the attack and being torn apart…
Emotions merged and replayed like a revolving lantern, finally freezing on the moment Hai Di held him in his arms.
Jiang Si, live…
Hai Di’s final words boomed like an ancient bell, then shattered into countless pieces, dissolving into the air.
Jiang Si woke with a start. The creeping sense of horror hadn’t yet faded when he vaguely heard Shen Hu’s voice outside the door.
“Should we tell him? Would it be too big a blow for Little Friend Jiang? But keeping it from him isn’t good either…”
His voice was lowered intentionally, drifting intermittently into Jiang Si’s ears.
Jiang Si stepped onto the floor with bare feet, decisively opened the door, and looked at the man whose expression changed rapidly. He asked calmly, “Say it. There’s nothing I can’t handle.”
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