Chapter 079: I am an elder!

Chapter 079: I am an elder!

It was a typical night, or so it seemed for the man.

As usual, he returned home from the factory, the woman was cooking. His mood was good today, so even though the dinner wasn't ready, he only slapped her once, kicked her twice, and then settled down in the living room to watch TV.

The old man came over, complaining to the man, "I wanted noodles today, but she didn't give me a fried egg! She always denies me the good stuff! She wants me to starve!"

The woman bore a few more bruises, but no one seemed to care. The old man was pleased, and the man felt even more relaxed. He switched the channel to international news.

"...The number of employed women in the country has risen by 80% over the past decade. Faced with workplace gender discrimination, many women have taken to the streets demanding equal pay for equal work. Our correspondent reports..."

The woman, serving the dishes in the kitchen, glanced out. The man noticed her gaze and beckoned her over.

With lowered eyes and subdued demeanor, she approached him. Years of hard work had worn her down, her submissive appearance evoking not pity but annoyance. In a burst of anger, he slapped her again, "Who do you think you are? Living off my money, eating and wearing what I provide, you should be obedient. You think you're like the women on TV?"

Her cheek swelled and turned purple, blood trickled from a cut in her lip, but she remained silent.

Her silence only agitated him further. He kicked her repeatedly, "Lost your voice? Did I tell you not to speak?"

Still, she remained silent.

The old man egged him on, "Beat her! She'll only listen when it hurts! Women need to be disciplined!"

Fifteen minutes later, she limped back to the kitchen, serving their meals.

Tonight, she made several dishes with strong flavors, just the way he liked.

The man relished the meal, devouring the braised pork and spicy hot pot. The woman took a few bites of plain rice, the corners of her bruised lips lifting in a smile, one she hadn't shown in years.

The effects of the poison were swift. Before they could finish their meal, both the old man and the man clutched their chests and collapsed, writhing in agony. Calmly, she cleared the dishes, sitting back to watch their slow demise.

First, they struggled for breath, frothing at the mouth, then came intense pain. The man vomited his dinner, but the poison had already taken hold. Even immediate medical attention would've been futile.

Desperation filled his eyes. Using the last of his strength, he tried to reach out to her, intending to slap her once more, to make her pay. He was determined to drag her to hell with him.

Just as he was about to touch her, his limbs spasmed uncontrollably. He slumped on the sofa, his eyes fixated on the ceiling light. His lips quivered, but all that emerged was a murky fluid.

Even in death, he never uttered that malevolent curse—becoming a ghost, he would return to kill the woman.

——

Chi Shen observed the shadow on the sofa, recounting the man's past with a gentle and amiable smile. His tone was so calm, as if he was narrating a mundane tale.

"So, he's on the couch, not in the light."

As Chi Shen spoke, he shifted the sofa, revealing a severed hand hiding beneath. The hand, akin to a startled cockroach, tried to scuttle away. However, Chi Shen was quicker, stepping on it and turning to the woman, "Is this all that's left of him?"

Unable to retreat to the kitchen, the woman simply stood still outside, listening to Chi Shen’s stories of the past. As he spoke, more blood oozed from her, pooling around her feet.

The woman glanced at the severed hand, clutching her head as if in turmoil. Soon, she broke into a gruesome smile, "Yes, I chopped up the rest! I've heard that if I suffered enough in death, I'd return as a vengeful ghost to torment him. I thought of feeding his flesh to the dogs, but even the neighbor's dog wouldn't touch it! Even the dogs were barking in disgust at what I offered!"

As her excitement surged, a dark aura enveloped her and filled the entire living room. The old man seemed distressed, curling up, while the boy appeared uncomfortable. He attempted to approach the woman, but she retreated, avoiding his gaze.

The trapped hand wriggled under Chi Shen’s foot, trying to break free, but his stance remained unwavering.

Bai Wan and the woman in red were undeterred by this ghostly aura. Naturally, Chi Shen protected Ji Xing Chen, ensuring no harm came to him from the dark energies.

Ji Xing Chen adjusted his glasses and looked at the woman, "So you scared off every tenant to continue tormenting them?"

The woman spat out, "I was doing them a favor. Living with such beings would bring them misfortune. It’s not my fault that the sound of chopping meat at night scared them off."

"Given your current living situation, I doubt you'll be singing 'We Are All Friends' together," Chi Shen mused, "Let's take a vote then. Who gets to stay, and who must leave? Majority rules."

Despite the overwhelming darkness, the old man jumped up, "Kick her out! This is my house!"

Ignoring the outburst, Chi Shen asked, "All in favor of the old man staying, raise your hand."

Not a single spirit raised a hand in the living room.

The trapped hand twitched frantically, as if trying to cast its own vote.

Chi Shen pressed down slightly, causing the hand to tense up and then disintegrate into black mist. The shadow on the sofa vanished as well. Smiling, he remarked, "Only those who live in the house can vote. How can a single hand count as a person?"

As he watched the dissipating hand, the old man seemed on the verge of shouting. But catching sight of Chi Shen's smile, the words died in his throat.

Chi Shen continued, "All in favor of evicting the old man, raise your hand."

The woman and boy both raised their hands. Bai Wan raised hers too. The woman in red looked around, seemingly confused by the situation, but energetically raised both hands, performing a playful salute.

"Alright, it seems the majority agree to evict you," Chi Shen remarked with a smile, "Please leave this house now."

"No! This is my home!" The elderly man shouted in fury, "How dare you, an outsider, drive me away! Don't you know the principle of respecting the elderly and cherishing the young? You're nothing but—"

Bai Wan was already behind the old man, lifting him with one hand. The balcony door swung open in front of her, and she threw the old man out, with the red-clothed ghost excitedly watching the spectacle.

"Now, for both of you," Chi Shen continued, "Do you agree to live together?"

Suddenly, the red-clothed ghost scrambled back from the balcony, hiding behind Bai Wan, exclaiming, "There's something! Something's out there!"

A sharp, childlike laughter echoed from the balcony.

Chi Shen glanced outside, seemingly unbothered, and turned to the boy and woman still present, "Do you both wish to continue living together?"

The woman avoided everyone's gaze and remained silent.

The boy, still looking at the woman, nodded forcefully, "I'm willing. Mom, you didn’t kill me. I took my own life. Please, don’t blame yourself."

The woman fiercely banged the kitchen door with the cleaver in her hand. The dark aura emanating from her intensified. The boy, in anguish, turned to Chi Shen, who opened the bathroom door for him.

"Mom, don't grieve any longer. Goodbye." The boy cast one last look at his mother and entered the bathroom.

As the boy left, the woman's pounding weakened. She suddenly turned towards the bathroom, tears of blood streaming from her eyes.

"A mother-son reunion and the wicked ousted. What a fitting ending," Chi Shen said, gazing deeply into the woman's eyes, "I have one last question though. Who told you that the more tragic the death, the likelier one becomes a vengeful spirit?"

The woman's eyes wavered as she scanned the room, her gaze finally resting on Ji Xing Chen.

*

Author's note:

Promoting a sweet romance by a friend—

"Descent to Her Heart" BY Fei Budong's Fat Chirp.

Unrequited love.

A secretly admired gaming coach X a long-planned eSports demon king.

Jiang Wan found a new part-time job as an eSports coach.

Her boss came from the esports club of her most admired player, Fire. He's a junior trainee with outstanding skills, a melodious voice, and willingly shares numerous tidbits about Fire.

Such a huge difference!

Cheng Xing Ran, known as Fire, is the supreme demon king of PUBG professional players and a world-class top freelancer. His sniper shots are unparalleled.

Ever since his debut, he has led his team to clinch nearly all championship titles, causing tremors in every competition region under his reign.

With broad shoulders, long legs, and ethereal good looks, it's just a pity that he's so indifferent to a fault. Even during his live streams, he always plays solo, causing fans to dub him a "worldly delusion."

In a city tournament, Fire attended as a special guest.

Jiang Wan asked her trainee boss for Fire's autograph, and he told her to pick it up from the backstage emergency exit.

She arrived at the spot and indeed, there was a man waiting.

But, why did his silhouette seem so familiar...?

Jiang Wan approached him.

The man turned around and handed her the freshly inked autograph, "I thought it'd be best to give it to you personally."

Under Jiang Wan's stunned gaze, he smiled gently, "Thank you for your encouragement these days, coach."

To her surprise, the one sharing gossips and listening to her constantly was not the trainee, but Fire himself.

That day, Jiang Wan felt like she had rocketed off the Earth.

Much later, Jiang Wan learned that Cheng Xing Ran had a special someone.

For the first time in her life, she mustered the courage to confront someone in the hallway: "They say you have someone you like... I want to know who she is."

He remained silent, and her voice softened, "You promised to answer one question for me once I helped you reach the Grandmaster rank on your alt account. You can't back out."

Cheng Xing Ran looked down, "I haven't. She was from the class next door in high school."

"I've been waiting for her all these years."

"Ah..." Jiang Wan paused, bewildered, "Then, she must be quite exceptional, right?"

Cheng Xing Ran smiled, "Indeed, she claimed she could get my alternate account to the Grandmaster rank in just three days."