Chapter 151: Beauty in the Painting.

Chapter 151: Beauty in the Painting.

The first challenge in returning was... how to open the door?

In that death game full of vengeful spirits, Chi Shen was only concerned about escaping; he never considered returning.

But he wasn’t too anxious. Zhang Yao had suggested he read the Zhong family's ancient books. He had only read one so far; perhaps there'd be new discoveries once he finished them all?

"Let's take a break and have a meal," Chi Shen cheerfully opened the food delivery app, "Wondering what to have today. I wish there was a kind-hearted ghost willing to cook for me. That'd be perfect! How about a stroll later tonight? I read a local ghost story about a restaurant..."

Ji Xingchen stood up from the shadows, "I'll cook."

Watching Ji Xingchen's retreating figure, Chi Shen, holding his tablet in one hand and resting his chin in the other, smiled.

Gradually, the smile on his face faded a bit. He realized he wouldn’t mind continuing life this way.

He shifted his gaze from Ji Xingchen, refocusing on the ancient book from Zhong Jingsong. He was never one to dither or struggle. If he wanted to continue this lifestyle, there were matters he had to address first.

By the time Ji Xingchen called him for dinner, Chi Shen had read another story. Referring to it as a 'short story' might be a misnomer. Each incident had details like time, location, and who resolved it. It was more apt to call it the Zhong family's exorcism records.

The book Chi Shen began with was the first volume, detailing incidents resolved by the first generation of the Zhong family—the founder.

The second book he picked up detailed events handled by the Zhong family's second generation.

Chi Shen took a moment to count. The first book contained just over twenty incidents, spanning over forty years, covering the grandmaster's youth all the way to his old age. One could only wonder if he deemed minor events unworthy of record or if there simply weren't as many spirits and demons back then.

Judging by the supernatural beings Chi Shen currently encounters, he could write an entire book of exorcism records in just a year.

Ji Xingchen's culinary skills have certainly improved. At the very least, he could whip up more than just scrambled eggs with tomatoes. That evening, Chi Shen savored a warm bowl of soup and, surprisingly, found himself a tad emotional. The progress from scrambled eggs to egg drop soup must've required immense effort on Ji Xingchen's part!

After dinner, Chi Shen had planned to continue reading. Bai Wan had even bought a reading light, which he thought would be perfect for reading on the balcony at night. But before he could fetch the light, a call interrupted him.

An elderly voice from the other end introduced himself as Zhang Shu—the man who, one evening, had asked Chi Shen to pay respects to the Bai family's ancestral tablet. He courteously inquired about Chi Shen's availability, mentioning they'd found something and were unsure how to deal with it. They hoped Chi Shen could come, promising to send someone to fetch him.

Chi Shen responded that, as an ordinary citizen, he was obligated to cooperate with the police. And so, he gladly set off.

The police car swiftly brought him to the coast. It didn't take long for Chi Shen to recognize the place—it was the very beach where Bai Hengqing had attempted an exorcism the other night.

However, this spot was a distance away from where Bai Hengqing had performed his rituals—roughly two or three miles. This particular area was set a bit further from the shoreline, surrounded by a forest planted for urban greenery. Owing to its distance from the city center, the woods had grown wild and lush, with thick vegetation covering the skies, and half the pathways being overtaken by weeds.

Now, the forest was cordoned off by police tape. A young man, shivering uncontrollably, sat on a bench outside, with two others beside him for company.

"We work at a photography studio. We came here scouting for shoot locations. He said he needed the restroom, and since we didn't know where one was, we just let him go into the woods—nobody was around anyway. Not long after he entered, he ran out screaming," explained one of the young men with glasses, clutching a tripod, his bag of miscellaneous props by his feet. He looked rather anxious.

The other young person, a girl dressed in a forest-themed long dress with a thick down jacket, glanced fearfully at the woods, adding, "I was the one who called the police. There's a coffin in there! With a corpse inside!"

"I didn't personally see the body—only he did. But I saw the coffin, there was definitely a coffin!" The girl's voice quivered as she spoke. A junior officer handed her a bottle of water, which she took a sip from before continuing, "I thought he was just playing a prank, trying to scare us. But when I saw it for real, I ran out and called the police. Regardless of the truth, leaving a coffin here is just not right! Who in their right mind places a coffin out here?"

The girl's voice held a hint of agitation. The junior officer offered some calming words, reassuring her they were looking into the matter and would keep her informed.

At this juncture, the trembling young man whispered, "The body in the coffin was dressed in Qing Dynasty attire. It wasn't decayed... even the face was preserved."

The officer looked taken aback, probably surprised someone would approach the coffin for a closer look. But before he could say anything, the young man continued.

"I thought someone left it there as a prank, so I even touched it... The fabric felt fine. The face, it was... soft. Or maybe not exactly soft. It felt like, well, like touching frozen pork—hard, yet unmistakably skin."

Upon hearing this, the officer glanced at a plain-clothed older man nearby and said, "You should go back and rest. We'll drive you home and provide some counseling along the way."

The girl nodded in gratitude. The young man, however, remained silent, his shivering unabated.

A junior officer helped the young man to his feet, with other officers assisting them with their belongings. Noticing the girl staring blankly in one direction, the junior officer had to call out to her a couple of times.

"It's quite a sight," the girl remarked, glancing again in that direction with a soft voice. "Is that person a police officer too?"

The young officer followed her gaze, noticing Uncle Zhang, who had come to reinforce them, entering the woods. Someone seemed to be ahead of him, but it was hard to discern who. He called out, "Who's there?"

The girl shook her head, "Let's head back."

The street lights here are spaced far apart, casting a dim yellow glow. Beneath one such light, a young man glanced in our direction. Bathed in that faint illumination, his features resembled an aged painting.

She must have been mistaken.