Chapter 73

Chapter 73

Unfortunately for the slender-armed, slender-legged six-year-old Shen Qiuji, he stood no chance against Liu Buhua. With a grip on his pajama collar, he was brought right in front of Xie Yinxue.

With a gloomy face, Shen Qiuji approached Xie Yinxue. Bowing his head in a formal salute, he respectfully greeted, "Master."

Xie Yinxue had a soft spot for children of this age; he felt an overwhelming urge to pinch their cheeks. Perhaps this was because he was destined to be alone in this life, having neither kin nor friend. Or maybe it was because he spent his own childhood confined to a sickbed, and seeing a child full of life and as radiant as the rising sun stirred envy within him.

However, Xie Yinxue was well aware that his young disciple had a reserved temperament and disliked being touched.

Thus, he simply crouched down to straighten the collar that Liu Buhua had tugged askew and softly inquired, "Why do you look so pale? Are you feeling unwell? I'll get you a leave for tomorrow."

While most children would rejoice at such news, Shen Qiuji not only showed no enthusiasm but was also cautious, replying firmly, "No, I want to attend class."

Xie Yinxue sighed softly, "No, you might not be able to go tomorrow."

Shen Qiuji: "?"

A foreboding feeling began to creep over Shen Qiuji.

Xie Yinxue, gripping his arm, led Shen Qiuji to the trunk of Liu Buhua's Lamborghini, saying, "Come, meet the ghost your Master and Brother Liu have brought back."

Liu Buhua promptly opened the trunk.

The malevolent spirit, now freed from confinement and exposed to daylight, remained curled up in the depths of the trunk, hugging its head tightly. It seemed as if even a brief exposure to the outside air would cause its second death.

Xie Yinxue, Shen Qiuji, and Liu Buhua gathered around, observing it with a hint of finality.

Indeed, given the presence of the graves of past masters, including Master Chen Yuqing, at Mingyue Cliff, evil entities seldom prevailed. Ordinary ghosts would dissipate almost immediately upon arrival. That this particular ghost had persisted was a testament to its malevolence. Yet, here, unless it was a millennia-old specter, it was vulnerable to Liu Buhua's whim, without even needing Xie Yinxue's intervention.

"Ah Ji, you have a unique fate; evil spirits shy away from you, and you're immune to malevolence. It's a good thing, but life is unpredictable. While it's unlikely you'll encounter evil entities, I must still teach you how to defend yourself. Other arcane methods might be too complex, and given your aptitude, you might struggle with them. So tonight, I'll teach you just one technique," Xie Yinxue advised, patting Shen Qiuji's shoulder with the gravity of a seasoned mentor.

Shen Qiuji: "..."

Was he implying that he wasn't adept?

Shen Qiuji silently appreciated Xie Yinxue's tactful words.

He asked Xie Yinxue, "Will I only learn one technique?"

"Yes," Xie Yinxue replied with a smile, "One is sufficient. I learned this method too but never had the chance to use it."

Shen Qiuji felt a bit relieved, thinking that learning just one technique wouldn't take long, and he could go back to sleep afterward.

However, being so young, he failed to grasp the underlying implications. If the technique was simple, why did Xie Yinxue hint he might miss school tomorrow?

Even if Shen Qiuji could decipher this, he wouldn't have guessed that the technique Xie Yinxue was about to teach him comprised merely two words:

"Bite it."

Shen Qiuji: "...?"

"Bite what?" Feeling that he might have misheard, Shen Qiuji asked again for clarification.

Xie Yinxue leaned over, pulling the ghost's wrist from the trunk and presenting it to Shen Qiuji, explaining, "Initiates of our sect become immune to the impurities of the supernatural. Therefore, you can consume a ghost without harm. If you ever encounter malevolent spirits too powerful to handle, consuming them might be the answer."

After saying this, Xie Yinxue teasingly moved the ghost's wrist closer to Shen Qiuji's lips.

The gesture was reminiscent of a doting father offering a juicy chicken leg to his child, saying, "Try this, it's tender and flavorful."

"Thank you, Master, but I believe I've grasped the technique," Shen Qiuji quickly replied, "So, there's no need to actually eat the ghost, right?"

"That won't do," Xie Yinxue frowned, "Understanding in theory isn't the same as practice."

Oh, the emphasis on actual practice.

Shen Qiuji made one last desperate plea, "But it's too big; I can't eat it all at once."

Xie Yinxue replied with an understanding smile, "If you can't finish it now, you can always continue tomorrow."

Shen Qiuji: "..."

Ghost: "..."

Why not just end it quickly? Why the need for this drawn-out torment?

Knowing Xie Yinxue's decisiveness, Shen Qiuji realized arguing would be futile. Reluctantly, he consumed the ghost.

Driven by the idea that it was better to get it over with quickly, he ingested the entire entity.

However, the experience of consuming the ghost wasn't as Shen Qiuji had imagined. While the flesh was cool and the bones were crisp, the taste was unbearably putrid, akin to swallowing a decaying corpse that had been rotting for weeks. As he swallowed the ghost's viscera and fingers, Shen Qiuji felt as if maggots were wriggling inside his mouth, scratching his throat, inducing gag reflexes.

He had to press his lips tightly, using his tongue to prevent regurgitation.

Xie Yinxue circled him, observing thoughtfully, "Ah Ji, you certainly have an appetite. You managed to eat such a large entity. It's a shame we only found one ghost tonight; otherwise, you could've eaten even more..."

Hearing this, Shen Qiuji couldn't hold back any longer. He knelt and violently regurgitated the spectral entity he'd just consumed.

The ghost had already been chewed to pieces by him. Yet, a human body couldn't digest ghostly flesh, so remnants of the ghost's nails, shattered bones, and even the outline of a partially chewed lung were visible.

Shen Qiuji looked at them briefly, turned his head, and vomited. Given his young age and sensitive tear ducts, his eyes reddened, though he tried not to cry.

After throwing up, Shen Qiuji's face turned pale, and he slumped to the ground like a dead fish.

Xie Yinxue approached him, patting him on the back, and said, "I'll get you a day off tomorrow. Rest at home."

Shen Qiuji remained silent.

Seeing this, Xie Yinxue paused for a moment and then softly asked, "Ah Ji, do you resent your master for being so harsh?"

"No."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qiuji lifted his head, staring directly into Xie Yinxue's eyes and firmly said, "Because the one who truly has a ruthless heart isn't you, Master."

This answer left Xie Yinxue momentarily stunned.

He looked at the young boy in front of him, who, after wiping his mouth, stood upright, bowed his head in respect, and said, "You needn't worry too much about me. There's no need to ask for leave on my behalf; I'll still attend class tomorrow."

Xie Yinxue gently touched the top of Shen Qiuji's head. It seemed he had more to say, but all he eventually uttered was, "Good boy, go get some sleep."

Shen Qiuji gazed at his pale face, pursed his lips, and voiced his concern, "Master, you're not in the best of health either. You should rest soon."

Only when Xie Yinxue nodded did Shen Qiuji turn and head to his bedroom.

As the door was about to close, Shen Qiuji took one last look at Xie Yinxue. In the serene moonlight, the young man's silhouette appeared frail and lonely. Despite the summer's heat, he seemed as if he stood amidst a winter chill, surrounded by cold solitude.

"Buhua, you should get some rest too."

Xie Yinxue glanced at the ghostly flesh and blood regurgitated by Shen Qiuji and said to Liu Buhua, who had brought a broom and dustpan, "You don't need to clean this up. It will vanish on its own soon."

"Oh, alright." Liu Buhua obediently replied, placing the broom and dustpan back. She then advised him, "It's a hot summer night. Take care of yourself."

Her words were a gentle reminder for Xie Yinxue not to linger outside for too long.

Xie Yinxue smiled, "Alright, I'm heading in too."

Liu Buhua watched Xie Yinxue enter his room before she too retreated to her own quarters.

However, once inside, Xie Yinxue didn't head to bed immediately. Sitting by the window, he stared at the fading remnants of the ghostly flesh, but his memories from when he was five or six years old grew clearer—

He too had consumed such entities, even more so than Shen Qiuji, and his reactions were even more agonizing.

Due to his weakened state, he vomited more blood than the ghostly flesh he had ingested. Yet, he didn't cry. The ones crying were Chen Yuqing and the ever-concerned Mother Chen.

"Yinxue, don't blame your master for being harsh. But you must eat this..."

Back then, Chen Yuqing sat in front of him, tears staining his face, whispering, "You need to understand the agony of this process, to treat it as normal, because we must survive through this 'normalcy'."

"I understand, Master," Xie Yinxue replied, wiping away his master's tears, "Please don't cry."

Chen Yuqing managed a sorrowful smile intertwined with pain, apologizing, "... I'm sorry for what I've put you through."

Even though Xie Yinxue was unwell at the time, he knew Chen Yuqing's pain surpassed his own by a hundredfold.

Chen Yuqing was inherently kind and compassionate, saving countless lives. Even towards someone despicable like Zhu Yikong, he couldn't bear to stand by and let him die. Witnessing his beloved disciple Xie Yinxue spitting blood was akin to stabbing his own heart.

Now, Xie Yinxue was experiencing a similar heartache.

But he was never like Chen Yuqing. He couldn't love Shen Qiuji the way Chen Yuqing loved him. Therefore, his grief was only a fraction of Chen Yuqing's, and he would never explain to Shen Qiuji the reasons behind his harsh methods.

Xie Yinxue felt it unnecessary.

The bond between him and Shen Qiuji as master and disciple didn't need to be too profound.

This way, if someday he truly passed away, Shen Qiuji wouldn't walk the same painful path as him.

The next morning, Xie Yinxue rose early and began browsing on his phone in the courtyard, searching for highly-rated escape rooms around the city center plaza, hoping to find ones with innovative and fun designs for another game with Liu Buhua.

"I've heard there are these massive escape rooms with numerous NPCs, and some even chase you with chainsaws," Liu Buhua animatedly described, "How about we try that one? If there are real ghosts there, there'd surely be more of them."

"Indeed," Xie Yinxue found Liu Buhua's argument compelling, "Let's go with that one then."

"Great! I'll check out the tickets."

Eager to book tickets for the afternoon adventure, Liu Buhua was about to make the purchase when a push notification from a news article caught his attention instead.

Liu Buhua instinctively wanted to exit the news but froze upon catching a glimpse of a suspect's photo.

The individual was none other than the staff member who had greeted them at the haunted escape room the night before.

"Godfather, look at this!" Liu Buhua handed his phone to Xie Yinxue in shock, exclaiming, "Isn't this the staff member?!"

Xie Yinxue looked where Liu Buhua pointed and shared his astonishment.

The news reported that the police had raided a □□ center early in the morning. The ringleader, the aforementioned female staff, injured two officers. Cornered with no escape, she and her fellow □□ members committed suicide on the spot. The injured officers, after receiving medical attention, were out of danger.

"Our nation's investigative efficiency is impressive. Han Dongni and the others just provided her sketch yesterday, and they've already located their hideout overnight? I'm just relieved the officers are alright."

No wonder when they had killed the ghost sent after them last night, nothing happened afterward. The □□ gang was too occupied with their own problems to deal with them.

After expressing his feelings, Liu Buhua voiced his confusion, "But why did they all commit suicide?"

Xie Yinxue furrowed his brows, saying gravely, "The police officers... might be in danger."

Liu Buhua, perplexed, asked, "Why would they be?"

"If she could summon the ghost to pursue us last night, she's no ordinary foe," Xie Yinxue stated solemnly. "Considering the police could locate their headquarters overnight, they must have been under surveillance for a while. Being cornered by the police and seeing no way out, their suicides were expected."

If ordinary people could commit suicide to escape their crimes, why not these criminals?

Xie Yin Xue was concerned, saying, "She bore a grudge against us for interrupting her affairs while alive, commanding spirits to harm us. How would she spare the police chasing them after her death?"

"If my guess is right, they must've worn red when they took their own lives, intending to return as vengeful spirits on the night they'd revive, seeking vengeance."

Revenge.

He pointed at the phone screen, remarking, "But details like suicide in red might not be something the media dares to report."

Even if they did write about it, they'd need to be able to publish it.

If it's censored immediately upon publication, writing about it becomes pointless.

"What should we do?" Liu Bu Hua was deeply concerned for the police. "Should I send an anonymous letter to warn them?"

But would the police believe it?

Most people probably wouldn't believe such things, right?

After a moment of contemplation, Xie Yin Xue said, "Let's send them a banner."

"Huh?" Liu Bu Hua was even more perplexed.

Only when Xie Yin Xue handed him the banner, inscribed with her own blood-infused ink, did Liu Bu Hua understand the meaning behind her words.

Xie Yin Xue added, "This way, if something happens on their end, I'll sense it. This banner should provide them some protection, at least until I can get there."

As he spoke, he bent down to put away his ink and brush, but Liu Bu Hua remained silent.

Xie Yin Xue looked up at Liu Bu Hua and, seeing him staring intently at her, asked, "What are you looking at?"

Liu Bu Hua chuckled and moved closer to say, "Godfather, you wouldn't have bothered with these trifles before."

"What I can't see, I don't concern myself with," Xie Yin Xue replied with a slight arch of his brow, whispering, "I'm not like my master, who'd even save scum like Zhu Yi Kun."

"But you're his disciple, aren't you?"

With a cheeky grin, Liu Bu Hua replied to that and left, holding the banner.

Watching his retreating figure, Xie Yin Xue couldn't help but smile and shake his head.

Strangely, as time rapidly approached their fourth entry into the "Lock of Longevity," nothing out of the ordinary occurred at the police station. Liu Bu Hua would stealthily patrol around the police precinct daily, ensuring that the banner he gave was properly displayed.

It's not that such tranquility is unwelcome, but Liu Bu Hua couldn't figure out, "Godfather, did you guess wrong? They didn't wear red clothes?"

The problem was, even Xie Yin Xue himself was puzzled. Frowning, he told Liu Bu Hua, "Even so, given their wicked deeds in life and their resentful suicides, there's no way they wouldn't become vengeful spirits."

After deep contemplation, Liu Bu Hua asked Xie Yin Xue, "Could it be because of their excessive evil deeds that they were immediately taken by underworld envoys to the netherworld upon death?"

Hearing this, Xie Yin Xue paused for a moment and then relaxed his brow, "I might have overthought it."

Police are the guardians of justice in the mortal realm, and underworld envoys uphold the rules of the afterlife. Just as police won't tolerate evildoers, these envoys probably wouldn't let them wreak havoc among the living either.

"Regardless, as long as they're safe, that's what matters," Liu Bu Hua sighed in relief, then recalled an incident from their previous in-game dungeon. "Godfather, you didn't make any deals in the last dungeon. Will you continue trading in the new one?"

Xie Yin Xue replied, "Of course."

He always had a propensity to overheat, and recently, he had been feeling unwell. Even Aunt Chen noticed he had lost considerable weight.

"Then, I think you shouldn't go empty-handed. Otherwise, if new players see you, an elderly figure, without goods, they might think you're unreliable and not do business with you," Liu Bu Hua earnestly advised Xie Yin Xue, offering suggestions. "Are you going to continue posing as a Ferryman NPC?"

Thankfully, Xie Yin Xue heeded Liu Bu Hua's advice and nodded in agreement, "Alright, this time before entering the dungeon, let's prepare some items to take with us."

"Great, what should we bring?"

Rubbing his hands together with excitement, Liu Bu Hua contemplated acquiring some powerful weapons. Even if that wasn't possible, obtaining one of those intimidating chainsaws from the zombie horror room they'd visited would do the trick.

Unexpectedly, the next moment, he heard Xie Yin Xue suggest, "Let's bring some bubble milk tea."

Liu Bu Hua: "..."

True to his word, Xie Yin Xue once again demonstrated his determination. On the thirtieth day, instead of logging into the game, the two headed to a mountainside bubble tea shop with suitcases in tow.

Oddly enough, Xie Yin Xue showed little interest in other types of milk tea but had a singular love for bubble milk tea, buying enough to fill an entire suitcase.

Liu Bu Hua couldn't help but remind him, "Master, milk tea won't last overnight. I'm afraid we won't be able to drink it all."

"Then we'll share it with the other participants in the dungeon," Xie Yin Xue replied nonchalantly, "Such a delicacy, it'd be a pity for me to enjoy alone, wouldn't it?"

...That did seem to make sense.

Thus, the two stood beneath the shade of a tree outside the milk tea shop, suitcase in hand. About seven or eight minutes later, the scenery before them began its familiar twist and transformation.

The once bright and resplendent blue sky gradually darkened to a gloomy hue.

Seeing such a scene, the first thought that came to Xie Yin Xue's mind was: I wonder if the overcast weather will clear up. If Bu Jiu Zhao is in this dungeon, the absence of sunlight would certainly darken his mood.

Author's Note:

Poor Shen: Thank you, Master. I've already learned that technique. There's no need to consume a ghost.

Master Xie: No, you still need to. Consume a bigger one.

Poor Shen: ...