Chapter 054: You Left Your Head Here.

Chapter 054: You Left Your Head Here.

Ten minutes later, Chi Shen stood before the Bai family's ancestral home's main hall.

Whether it was Ji Xing Chen waking him, suggesting outfits, aiding with interviews, helping him find accommodations, or even alerting the police in some cases, Chi Shen had come to rely heavily on Ji Xing Chen.

So, when Ji Xing Chen asked for a small favor, how could he decline?

“Every seven days, at midnight, he slips into a sleep lasting around ten minutes. Every seven cycles of these seven days, he enters a deeper slumber, lasting about half an hour,” Ji Xing Chen paused momentarily before adding, “The next prolonged sleep is in 13 days. You can take him then. It's troublesome, and you can refuse. It's merely my personal request.”

"Let's see him first," Chi Shen replied, "and get his opinion."

As Chi Shen entered the main house, a river of vengeful resentment washed over him. This wrathful and fierce resentment surged, yet Chi Shen remained composed. He turned and said, "Wait here for me."

Ji Xing Chen withdrew the foot he'd stepped forward, silently watching Chi Shen.

Starlight shimmered on Chi Shen's handsome features, his expression serene, a portrait of tranquillity in that moment.

With a mere nod, Chi Shen proceeded towards the main house. Ji Xing Chen knew the palpable malevolence that awaited there—hatred capable of unearthing one's darkest, bloodiest impulses. He was also aware of the bone-chilling specter inside the house.

Chi Shen was no stranger to these dangers, but simply at Ji Xing Chen's request, he was willing to revisit this formidable spirit.

Though he was evidently worth nothing, Chishen could have easily treated him like a mere ghost servant. Yet, Chishen still respected his opinions and would even consent to requests he found unreasonable.

As Chishen's handsome silhouette disappeared into the darkness of the main house, Ji Xingchen touched his chest. It felt calm, yet he could've sworn he felt a heartbeat.

Chishen returned quickly, his clothes torn in several places, marks left by ghostly energies. He seemed unconcerned, telling Ji Xingchen, who hadn't looked away since his departure, “He's agreed to leave and promises to contain his emotions by 2 a.m. tomorrow.”

The main house's realm, feared by all ghosts, was essentially the emotions exuded by the malevolent spirit there: hatred.

Ji Xingchen's gaze shifted slightly, awkwardly looking away from Chishen's face, suggesting, "We should move him tonight. But transporting a corpse isn't easy. I suggest renting a car..."

Chishen interrupted, "I don't have a driver's license."

He couldn't afford driving lessons in college and once he started working, he never had the time, hence no license.

Ji Xingchen's voice halted, stymied at the very first step.

"Also, carrying a body in a car at night would look very suspicious," Chishen added, "and taking a taxi is out of the question. It could land the driver in trouble if discovered."

Pushing up his glasses, Ji Xingchen noted, "It would indeed resemble a murder scene. Plus, most people wouldn't be able to withstand the ghost's aura."

"Don't worry, there's an easy solution," Chishen assured, "First, let's drop off my luggage, then we'll return for him."

Ji Xingchen looked at Chishen, intending to ask how he planned to manage, but seeing Chishen's calm demeanor, he held back and simply said, "Alright."

Chishen took the bus to the city with his luggage. It was still early, just past eight when he reached his rented apartment in Tongfu Yuan, where the landlord had already given him the keys.

As he entered the apartment, Chishen heard crying and footsteps approaching the door. But, pressed for time, he left his luggage by the entrance, shut the door, and departed without acknowledging his future roommate.

The noise inside seemed to pause awkwardly before the footsteps retreated, and quiet returned.

After storing his luggage, Chishen quickly bought a large suitcase from an underground mall. With that task complete, he casually asked Ji Xingchen if there was a movie he wanted to see.

Ji Xingchen chose the most popular film, and the two, one living and one ghostly, went to the cinema.

Sitting in the theater, after some thought, Chishen chose corner seats and purchased two tickets. After a moment's hesitation, he also bought two servings of popcorn and cola.

Had Ghostface been here, he'd surely tell Chishen that he'd miss the last train after the movie, or remind him that ghosts can't consume popcorn and cola, and don't need tickets. Such spending would be deemed wasteful.

But Ghostface, tormented nightly by exorcism videos, was too exhausted and was lying in the old house as a corpse, and thus didn't accompany Chishen.

After watching the movie, it was almost midnight. As the credits rolled and the cleaning crew came in, the cleaner, an older woman, noticed the untouched popcorn and soda next to Chi Shen's empty seat and remarked, “Young man, with looks like yours, did you have a fight with your girlfriend?”

Chi Shen smiled and poured the untouched soda into the popcorn, ensuring that no unsuspecting person would consume them. Handing the trash to the cleaner, he replied without addressing her assumption, “My friend just went to the restroom. Thank you, ma'am.”

“No worries,” the cleaner chuckled, taking the trash, “I thought a handsome guy like you got dumped. If that's the case, there's little hope for the rest of us!”

Chi Shen just gave a polite smile, got up from his seat, collected his stored suitcase from the counter, and left the cinema.

Standing outside, he glanced at the time: 11:35 PM.

The night was still vibrant in the harbor city, and even at this hour, there were groups of pedestrians on the streets.

Dragging his suitcase, Chi Shen leisurely strolled while taking out his phone, reopening the supernatural forum he had perused earlier.

He scrolled briefly; the previous post about the haunted Tengfei Building had been pushed down, overtaken by newer threads. He skimmed the titles, searching for what he needed.

[Anyone know about the ghost doll? The one that cries blood at night.]

[Don't look back. It's watching you.]

……

[Guys, don't ride-share alone late at night.]

Chi Shen directly tapped on the "Guys, don't ride-share alone late at night." thread. The post was written haphazardly by a user with a jumbled name.

[Today, I swear I encountered a ghost in a ride-share! I'm sure it was a ghost! The driver’s head was bleeding continuously. When I asked if he needed to go to the hospital, he turned to me, his face covered in blood. So creepy! And it was exactly at midnight when I got in! I didn't even dare to breathe! He even asked for a five-star rating! I checked my ride history afterward, and guess what? Money was deducted, but the ride wasn’t there. I even called customer service, and they said…]

System

Error, and even refunded my money! This is so bizarre!]

Chi Shen continued to read, realizing it wasn't only the original poster who had experienced this. Other users had shared similar experiences.

[I hailed the ride around 12:30 AM and had the same thing happen! It was frightening at the moment, but thinking back, a free ride felt good! I remember the license plate, it started with ‘Harbor A…’ and ended in 4.]

[Y'all are trying to take advantage of even a ghost? Aren't you afraid of karma? When I had my ghost encounter, I fell sick for three days! The plate number was Harbor A18774. You're welcome!]

Ji Xingchen had already anticipated Chi Shen’s next move.

If transporting a corpse would trouble a normal taxi driver, why not seek one that's far from ordinary?

In the brief time spent reading the forum, Chi Shen had reached an intersection. Glancing at his phone, he hailed a ride-share the moment the clock struck midnight.

Harbor City was a metropolis, and ride-share drivers accepted jobs swiftly. Not a minute after placing his order, a driver had already accepted.

Chi Shen reviewed the driver's information, then immediately canceled the request.

He placed another order but once again canceled it.

Continuing like this would only inconvenience the genuine drivers. He reconsidered the conditions to successfully hail this peculiar ride.

Firstly, it had to be between midnight and 1:00 AM, when the yin energy was strongest. Secondly, it should be at an intersection, known for ghostly encounters. While he met these two criteria, his unsuccessful attempts might simply be a matter of bad luck.

In the terms of the netherworld, he might lack the necessary yin energy.

Chi Shen moved a few steps, this time reaching a desolate intersection. He handed his phone to the entity beside him, saying, "You hail the ride."

A shadowy figure formed behind him, eventually materializing into a young man with glasses, Ji Xingchen. Using Chi Shen's hand, he input the destination and pressed "call now."

Chi Shen glanced at the phone screen, which displayed the license plate number “Harbor A18774”.

Chi Shen pondered, “A ghost hailing a ride would, of course, summon a vehicle from the underworld. It’s only natural.”

Ji Xingchen simply replied, “...Yes.”

In less than three minutes, the ride-share arrived at the intersection. It was a black business car, seemingly ordinary. The driver, a middle-aged man, appeared almost normal, except for his unusually light attire for Harbor City's autumn chill and his strikingly pale face.

After greeting the driver and confirming his ride, Chi Shen placed his sizable black suitcase in the trunk and settled into the back seat.

The car's interior was chilly. Chi Shen understood and refrained from asking the driver to turn on the heater, feeling it would be an unreasonable request.

The ride was smooth, and Chi Shen broached, “Driver, I'll need a ride back later. Could you wait for me outside?”

The driver nodded, his voice sounding somewhat rigid, “Okay.”

But as he nodded, his head suddenly fell off. He hastily tried to catch it, only for his hand to fall off too.