Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Outside the door, watching Shen Wang talk to thin air, Wang Kai and the others felt a chill run down their spines.

Wang Kai clung to Li Pingping: "Ping, protect me!"

In Wang Kai’s mind, since Shen Wang was so powerful and mysterious, his brother Li Pingping couldn't be far behind, considering the family background.

The real Li Pingping: Big brother, save me, I'm scared!

The boy who came for help gathered his courage to shout: "Brother Shen, my roommate isn’t de... isn’t he okay?"

The roommate’s head had just banged on the table with a deafening sound and then remained in that strange, motionless position with his forehead on the table, making it hard not to wonder if he was still alive.

Shen Wang turned back to look and, seeing everyone standing far away, waved at them kindly: "Why are you standing at the door? Come in."

Those who dared not enter: "..."

Finally, under Shen Wang's gentle gaze, they reluctantly walked into the dormitory, trembling behind him.

"Your roommate is fine," Shen Wang glanced at the weeping ghost on the floor and told the boy, "He was possessed by a ghost and his vitality was affected. Just let him rest well and eat some vitality-boosting food and he’ll recover."

The boy blurted out: "Like Shenbao tablets?"

Shen Wang, with a subtle look: "... Not a bad idea."

Modern college boys, in their prime, already need to stock up on vitality supplements? It seems he still had much to learn about this demographic.

Under the eerie gazes of a group of people, including a ghost, the boy faltered for a while before changing the subject: "So, what’s his condition now?"

Shen Wang said, "He's exhausted and asleep."

Ghosts, not knowing fatigue, greatly reduce the sense of weariness when possessing a living body. But a human's physical functions are limited, and it’s normal for them to pass out from exhaustion due to the ghost's relentless use.

Shen Wang casually checked the otaku roommate’s pulse; "He should wake up in about eighteen hours."

The others: "..."

They could see he was indeed exhausted.

Li Pingping and the others moved the otaku roommate to his bed and kindly covered him with a blanket: "Brother, you've had a tough time, have a good sleep."

After this incident, the previously apprehensive crowd felt significantly more relaxed, even daring to look towards the empty space where the ghost was.

Wang Kai couldn't resist asking, "Brother Shen, what kind of ghost is this?"

The rest showed curious expressions too.

Shen Wang, observing these guys who had just opened the door to a new world and were cautiously lingering at its threshold, smiled meaningfully: "Curious?"

The four standing side by side nodded obediently like schoolchildren in front of a teacher, their eyes brimming with a thirst for knowledge.

"What’s the point of me narrating? Wouldn’t it be more satisfying for you to see for yourselves?" Saying this, Shen Wang quickly touched the center of their foreheads before they could react, "Here’s a temporary gift of the ability to see ghosts, part of the package. It’s free."

Wang Kai only felt a chill where Shen Wang's fingertip touched, rapidly spreading to his eyes. Instinctively, he closed and then reopened his eyes, finding the world before him utterly transformed.

The dormitory, previously bright, now seemed covered in a faint gray shadow. Turning his head, he leaped up, exclaiming: "Holy shit!"

On the shadowy part of the dormitory floor, he saw a strange entity emanating black mist. As it raised its head, blood streamed from its eyes: "Give me back my life..."

"Holy shit!"

"Brother Shen, save me!"

"Oh my god, help!"

Amidst the screams and howls of the others, Shen Wang burst into laughter, and the ghost, in on Shen Wang's little prank, also laughed mischievously.

After a while, their hearts returning to their chests, the group huddled behind Shen Wang, watching the ghost with lingering fear.

The ghost, too, curled up, cautiously eyeing the humans.

Both parties were frightened.

Shen Wang knocked on the table, addressing the little ghost: "Tell us, what's your story?"

The little ghost glanced at Shen Wang nervously: "Big guy, are you a Daoist priest? Are you going to exorcise me? I swear, I've never harmed anyone..."

Shen Wang frowned: "You possessed a living person and you say you haven't harmed anyone?"

The ghost shivered, no longer daring any tricks, and spilled everything about itself.

The little ghost was named Zhou Xiangbei, originally a student at this school, two grades above Li Pingping and his friends. He died suddenly last year during the final exams due to staying up late studying.

After his death, Zhou Xiangbei found himself as a soul, only able to drift around the school.

No one could see him, and there were no other ghosts near him. He couldn't leave the school... With no one to talk to, Zhou Xiangbei could only wander around, eavesdropping on classes and sneaking peeks at books in the library.

That was until he sat next to the otaku roommate and saw his lackadaisical, aimless way of life, which infuriated him.

He was angry that the living didn't appreciate their time, wasting their days away. The otaku wasn't even studying for midterms, and in a fit of rage, Zhou Xiangbei somehow ended up possessing his body.

"To not waste this opportunity, I decided to take the exams for him!" Zhou Xiangbei clenched his fists, determined. "I planned to leave after the exams were over and the grades were out."

Little did he know that Shen Wang would appear as an obstacle, disrupting his plans. Thinking of this, Zhou Xiangbei's gaze towards Shen Wang was filled with resentment.

He didn't intend to harm anyone; he just wanted to take the exams for someone else. After all, he thought he was doing a good deed!

Shen Wang: "..."

The ghosts of the modern world are indeed innocently straightforward.

After hearing Zhou Xiangbei’s story, Wang Kai exclaimed sincerely, "What kind of saintly act is this, possessing someone just to take exams for them?"

"I'm strong, I can handle it. Why don't you possess me? I'm totally willing!" The boy who sought help, still recovering from his shock, quickly added.

The two slackers exchanged a look of mutual understanding.

Xu Cheng, always a good student, threw cold water on their idea: "Didn't you hear Brother Shen? Being possessed by a ghost affects a person's vitality. What if there are lasting effects?"

As he spoke, he glanced meaningfully towards the area three inches below Wang Kai's belly, causing Wang Kai to clamp his legs together, as if bracing for battle.

"...The dilemma between a man's dignity and not failing a course is truly a tough choice." Wang Kai, tears streaming down his face, painfully chose his dignity.

"I seem to recall hearing about a senior who died suddenly due to the stress of studying..." Li Pingping reminisced for a moment, then pulled out his phone and found a news article, "Is this news about you?"

Everyone looked closely, and the headline read "Sudden Death of a Top Student at C City University Due to Overnight Studying, Reflecting the Immense Pressure on Contemporary College Students."

Zhou Xiangbei quickly scanned the article, his expression complex: "Yes, that's me."

It was only upon seeing this news that everyone remembered hearing about this incident last year, shortly after they had joined the university, but the memory wasn't vivid since they hadn't experienced it personally.

Because of Zhou Xiangbei's incident, C City University arranged psychological counseling for students and even relaxed the passing standards... Realizing they were beneficiaries of these changes, Li Pingping and the others completely lost their fear of Zhou Xiangbei.

They even felt some pity for him.

"Why were you so obsessed with studying to end up like this?" Li Pingping sighed, "Your parents must have been so heartbroken after learning about it."

Hearing this, Zhou Xiangbei was silent for a long time: "Are they... doing okay?"

As soon as he finished speaking, without waiting for a response, he changed the subject: "Master, what are you going to do with me? Frankly, I've been wandering alone for so long, I've wanted to be reincarnated, but for some reason, the messengers of death never came for me... Can you send me to the underworld?"

Shen Wang glanced at him and said indifferently, "There are no underworld or messengers of death in this world. After death, souls directly enter the cycle of rebirth. The reason you've been lingering is because you have unfulfilled wishes and attachments."

"Young man, don't believe in feudal superstitions, believe in science."

Zhou Xiangbei was startled: "I turned into a ghost, which is so unscientific, and you're telling me to believe in science?"

"The messengers of death and the underworld are feudal superstitions," Shen Wang shook his head, his expression one of regret, "What matters is this life, not fanciful ideas about the next. Live this life well."

Although death allows for re-entry into the cycle of reincarnation, it's like a flower that wilts into the soil and a new one blossoms from it. Can you say the new flower is still the same as the previous one?

This life and the next are entirely different, and you might not even be human in the next life; you could become an animal.

"Master, I've realized," Wang Kai's eyes lit up as he immediately said, "You mean to enjoy the present and not waste life on illusory things."

Shen Wang shook his head: "My point is to believe in science, not feudal superstition."

Wang Kai: "...Brother Shen truly is profound, concise and to the point!"

Ignoring Wang Kai's flattery, Shen Wang, stroking his chin, looked at Zhou Xiangbei: "I could forcibly send you into reincarnation. But since you've never harmed anyone and still have unresolved attachments, are you sure you want to leave just like that?"

"I can stay?!" Zhou Xiangbei was overjoyed, "Then, Master, I’d like to wait until the exam results are out before I leave. Is that okay with you?"

Shen Wang continued stroking his chin: "It's possible, but where should I keep you?"

Letting him roam free wasn't an option; he'd have to be kept nearby and sent into reincarnation once his attachments were resolved after the results.

As for whether the otaku could pass or not after the results... that would be left to fate.

The others looked horrified: They did feel some pity for their former senior, but they certainly didn't intend to keep a ghost!

Help! Who the hell wants to live day and night with a ghost?

...Except for someone extraordinary like Brother Shen.