Chapter Eighty-Nine

Chapter Eighty-Nine

Seeing the former owner nearly fainting from Xiao Kong's antics, Shen Wang cleared his throat and intervened, "Xiao Kong, stop it, go play by yourself."

Xiao Kong pouted, made a genuinely spooky face at the former owner, and drifted off to the backyard.

As the little ghost leisurely disappeared from sight, the former owner relaxed a bit and looked at Shen Wang with a peculiar expression, "Master Shen, who is he?"

"You mean Xiao Kong?" Shen Wang said with a half-smile, "When you sold me the house at such a low price, he came as a free bonus with the property."

At this, the former owner's expression turned awkward, and he quietly defended himself, "I had no choice..."

Though selling a haunted villa wasn't exactly ethical, it was a detached villa near the city center, sold for less than a million yuan – practically a charity.

Shen Wang remained non-committal, "What brings you here today?"

Under Shen Wang's piercing gaze, the former owner scratched his head, hesitantly admitting, "My other property has also started to have... ghostly disturbances recently."

The former owner, named Lu Yongjun, was a nouveau riche who had stumbled into wealth. Despite having money, he never managed to blend into the upper echelons of City C.

Knowing his limitations, he didn't venture into complex investments but bought several properties in City C as investments.

Little did he know, the villa he had bought at a bargain turned out to be haunted. Living there for just a few days nearly drove Lu Yongjun to a nervous breakdown, prompting him to hastily sell it off.

Although Lu Yongjun felt a bit guilty about passing the haunted house on to Shen Wang.

He thought the matter would be over, but soon after, another property he purchased began to exhibit ghostly disturbances.

Speaking of this, Lu Yongjun showed a face full of grievance: "I've lived peacefully for over forty years without encountering ghosts, and this year, I've run into them twice. Maybe I should try my luck with the lottery."

Shen Wang scrutinized Lu Yongjun: "How did you find me?"

Lu Yongjun, rubbing his hands together and chuckling, said, "I have to thank you, Master Shen. I've struggled to fit into City C's elite circles, but during a recent conversation with some business owners, I realized we all have a connection with you..."

This opportunity allowed Lu Yongjun to strike up conversations with those businessmen, a twist of fate he himself could hardly believe.

When he mentioned wanting to find a reliable master for his haunted house, someone wondered why he sought help far away.

That’s when Lu Yongjun realized that Shen Wang was indeed a master!

"No wonder you dared to buy this house," Lu Yongjun marveled. "I didn't expect you to have such abilities."

Shen Wang didn't need to guess to know that the businessmen Lu Yongjun referred to were from the Yu and Song families.

Faced with Lu Yongjun's hopeful gaze and the faint shade of gloom in his eyes, Shen Wang didn’t refuse his request.

Although the house sale was a fair deal, Shen Wang didn’t mind helping Lu Yongjun out, considering the benefit he had received.

Deciding to act, Shen Wang asked Lu Yongjun to lead the way to his haunted property.

They drove to Lu Yongjun's address, and upon arrival, Shen Wang, observing the villa, felt a twitch in his brow: "You really do like detached villas."

This property was also a detached villa, seemingly larger, newer, and more luxurious than Shen Wang’s.

Lu Yongjun grinned sheepishly, unabashedly saying, "I like bigger houses, more spacious."

"It's indeed big," Shen Wang nodded and added as Lu Yongjun's smile grew, "But it lacks liveliness."

Lu Yongjun's smile froze on his face: "Master Shen, what do you mean by that?"

After circling the villa, Shen Wang said slowly, "I meant it literally."

"The more secluded and less inhabited a place is, the more likely it is to accumulate yin energy. That's why in ancient texts, spirits and monsters are often found in desolate mountains and wild areas."

Lu Yongjun’s preference for detached villas wasn't inherently bad... It's just that being too far from neighbors and rarely inhabited made the houses more prone to yin energy.

"So, if I buy a house and don't live in it, something else will move in?" Lu Yongjun's face twisted momentarily as he asked in a shaken voice.

Shen Wang thought for a moment, "In theory, yes."

"However, while that might be the case with the house I live in, this one is different."

Lu Yongjun looked puzzled and watched as Shen Wang walked straight to a corner of the fence. He noticed several fresh footprints and wondered, "What's this…"

Almost scared into thinking these were ghostly footprints, Lu Yongjun suddenly remembered that ghosts don’t walk—they fly!

He became furious: "So someone has been causing trouble here?!"

"That's right," Shen Wang nodded, speaking lightly.

It didn’t take long for Lu Yongjun to figure out what was happening.

After selling his haunted house for a very low price due to the disturbances, someone had set their sights on this property, causing mischief in hopes of buying it cheaply.

Their intention was to acquire the coveted property at a bargain by creating a haunting.

Having personally experienced the terror of a haunted house, Lu Yongjun was still apprehensive and didn’t question the idea, instinctively believing it and seeking a master to exorcise the spirits.

If he hadn’t found the real master, Shen Wang, who knows how he might have been deceived.

Shen Wang sighed and patted Lu Yongjun’s shoulder, "Take it easy. They may underestimate your intelligence, but not to an extreme degree."

Lu Yongjun, still angry, was perplexed: "???"

Shen Wang gestured towards the house, "It's true someone was causing trouble, but the haunting is also real."

Lu Yongjun's eyes widened in shock: "What? The haunting isn't fake?!"

"No," Shen Wang said leisurely, "The yin energy clinging to you is enough for you to see Xiao Kong. How could you think it's fake?"

You see, apart from certain special circumstances, only those who have been affected by yin energy and have weakened yang energy can see ghosts.

Lu Yongjun gasped in shock, trembling uncontrollably, "Master, please don't joke with me, what exactly is going on here?"

A grown man in his forties, his voice quivering with the verge of tears, was a pitiful sight.

"How can you be so faint-hearted?" Shen Wang sighed in resignation and explained, "Someone has been throwing a small ghost into your house. They lack the strength to keep the ghost here permanently, so they have to send a new one every day."

Lu Yongjun couldn't hold back and cursed out loud, "Damn it, it's like throwing rats into my room, a new one every day!"

He hadn't been this angry even when he first found out his house was haunted.

Having one ghost in the house versus a new ghost every day felt entirely different, akin to seeing a cockroach in the room – chilling to the bone and making one wonder how many more might be lurking in unseen corners.

After cursing, Lu Yongjun asked, quivering, "So, how many are there... in the house now?"

"Don't be afraid," Shen Wang, understandingly, stepped in front of Lu Yongjun and opened the door, "If I'm not mistaken, there should only be one."

The moment they opened the door, a dry ghostly shadow was sitting on the sofa, mimicking watching TV. It faced Shen Wang and Lu Yongjun.

The next second, two screams echoed simultaneously.

Lu Yongjun looked terrified, and the ghost was no less startled. Man and ghost screamed at each other for several minutes until, abruptly, the ghost stopped as if remembering its own nature and whooshed up to the second floor.

Shen Wang's expression was indescribable, "...I've never heard a man's voice so high-pitched."

It almost left his ears ringing.

Rubbing his sore throat, Lu Yongjun felt a shared misery, sticking close to Shen Wang, "Master, please take care of that ghost."

"Master? Are you a celestial master?" The ghost hiding upstairs peeked out its eyes and suddenly spoke, startling Lu Yongjun so much he nearly jumped onto Shen Wang.

Shen Wang, looking disgusted, pushed him away: "You didn't react like this when you saw Xiao Kong. I thought you were braver than this."

Lu Yongjun, on the verge of tears, lamented, "That little ghost looked only a few years old. If he wasn't floating and pale, I wouldn't have even realized he was a ghost."

But this ghostly shadow in front of him...

Lu Yongjun suddenly closed his eyes, refusing to look any longer.

"What's wrong with me?" The ghostly shadow protested, floating out halfway, indignant, "You're discriminating against me!"

The ghost only appeared dry and desiccated but was actually an adult. Its waist seemed crushed by something, elongating the body eerily.

And its face perfectly matched every living person's idea of a ghastly specter. Even those unafraid of ghosts would feel repulsed at the sight of such a distorted, gruesome visage.

Lu Yongjun pleaded, "...Master, Master, please say something!"

Shen Wang replied, "...Shut up." This dialogue was just too bizarre.

Although the ghost appeared frightening, it was only a low-level earthbound spirit. Shen Wang easily subdued and captured it with minimal effort.

To avoid frightening the only ordinary person present, Shen Wang looked around and then placed a black garbage bag over the ghost's head.

Faced with a walking black garbage bag, Lu Yongjun's fear noticeably subsided, and he regained his composure.

Shen Wang casually sat on the sofa and said calmly, "Alright, now, explain what's going on."

The black plastic bag asked, "Explain what?"

Before Shen Wang could respond, Lu Yongjun, emboldened by his presence, demanded, "Explain why you came to my house and who sent you to harm me!"

The black plastic bag was perplexed: "???"

The black plastic bag protested loudly, "Master, I've been wronged!"

As an earthbound spirit, it had been lingering peacefully at its place of death when suddenly it was snatched away and dumped in this strange location.

As a pitiful and helpless earthbound spirit, what could the black plastic bag do? It too wanted to return to its familiar haunt.

Hearing its plea, everyone fell silent.

Lu Yongjun looked conflicted, "Master, he seems... a bit pitiful."

Shen Wang sighed as well, "Yes, quite tragic."

Seizing the opportunity, the black plastic bag pleaded, "Then Master, can you let me go?"

Faced with its earnest request, Shen Wang was unyielding, "No."

Although the black plastic bag didn't know who the mastermind was, whoever it was would likely continue to send ghosts. Shen Wang planned to wait and catch them in the act.

As for the black plastic bag...

Shen Wang offered a slight smile, "I'll give you two choices."

"First, go reincarnate happily on your own."

"Second, I make you cry and wail before you reincarnate."

"Choose."