Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Jingxi eventually gave up, realizing that having only theoretical knowledge and no practical experience wasn’t ideal. He could always cook for himself when the Master wasn’t home.

To celebrate moving into the new house, Xie Qingfeng thought about it and messaged the only person he was somewhat familiar with since arriving here, Hao Jixin, and also his adoptive parents, inviting them over for dinner.

His adoptive parents were excellent cooks, which was why they dared to run a snack shop. Both took turns being the chef. Hearing about going out to eat, they suggested bringing over some dishes to celebrate together at home, rather than wasting money eating out.

Jingxi initially didn't want his adoptive parents to go through the trouble, but they were eager to help. After discussing with Xie Qingfeng, they agreed. Jingxi suggested he would assist in the kitchen, taking the opportunity to learn cooking.

Xie Qingfeng gave Jingxi an extra look upon hearing this and smiled without refusing. However, if Jingxi really ended up cooking a dish, he was absolutely not going to eat it.

Jingxi glanced at him resentfully but said nothing. He learned other things quickly; cooking should be no different. The videos made it look easy, and with his adoptive parents there, it couldn't be that bad.

Just as Jingxi was brimming with confidence, Xie Qingfeng received a message from Ai Yefeng asking for a favor. The special department had encountered a tricky case in the past few days and wanted his help, not for free, but at market price, as a hired consultant.

Xie Qingfeng thought it over. There was still time before the dinner, so he could make the trip. Plus, this was his first job outside of those he got through Hao Jixin, and he was curious about how the special department handled these matters.

Most importantly, maintaining good relations with the officials was always beneficial.

Xie Qingfeng informed Jingxi, who was going to pick up his adoptive parents. Jingxi wanted to accompany him, but he also knew that Xie Qingfeng didn’t plan to take him along this time. Trusting Xie Qingfeng's abilities, Jingxi waved a hand: “I'll stay here to entertain the adoptive parents. Go ahead, and if there's an emergency, feel free to use the jade stones from the small treasury.” He insisted Xie Qingfeng use them if needed, not minding even if they were all used up.

Xie Qingfeng, knowing Jingxi wasn’t joking, felt warmth in his heart but still advised, “The kitchen is smoky, just help with washing the vegetables. Don’t do anything else.”

Jingxi: “…” His well-meaning advice was appreciated, but unnecessary next time.

Xie Qingfeng, wearing a mask and hat, arrived outside the community at the agreed time. After waiting for over twenty minutes, a low-profile military vehicle stopped in front of him. The rear door opened, revealing the excited face of Ai Yefeng: “Master! Come in, have a seat!”

Ai Yefeng was the only one in the back seat. He moved aside, making plenty of room for Xie Qingfeng.

As soon as Xie Qingfeng got in the car, Ai Yefeng, both enthusiastic and excited, handed him a bottle of water and introduced the other two in the car: the driver, Xiao Li, and the man in camo pants and a black T-shirt in the passenger seat, named Mu Zhang.

Mu Zhang’s family had been Feng Shui consultants for generations, but he preferred not to follow this path and joined the army early. After retiring, he joined the special department due to his basic knowledge of these matters.

Over the years, he had become capable of handling such cases, although not as expertly as a professional.

Moreover, after entering this field, he took some courses to improve his skills. He was somewhat of a colleague to Xie Qingfeng, though obviously not as skilled.

Mu Zhang hadn't met Xie Qingfeng before as he wasn’t in the department at that time. He had only heard Ai Yefeng constantly praising Xie Qingfeng's abilities. He had assumed Xie Qingfeng was a middle-aged man and was surprised by his youth but didn't underestimate him. If Ai Yefeng, someone quite capable, praised him so highly, he must be truly exceptional.

Mu Zhang nodded in greeting to Xie Qingfeng and, without wasting time, briefed him on the case, highlighting the problematic aspects.

The incident involved the only son of an elder in Mu Zhang's family, surnamed Wu. Elder Wu and Mu Zhang's grandfather were close friends, but the connection was lost when the Mu family moved away. The relationship was rekindled when Mu Zhang encountered them after moving to City C for work.

Over time, Mu Zhang had met the Wu family's only son, Wu Herong, a few times and had a decent relationship with him. This request for help was something Elder Wu, after much deliberation, brought to Mu Zhang.

The issue began three months ago. Wu Herong was Elder Wu's late-life son. When younger, Elder Wu and his wife struggled to have children and had almost given up, but surprisingly, at the age of forty, they had Wu Herong. After some discussion, they decided to keep the child despite the risks.

Fortunately, Wu Herong was healthy from birth and inherited his parents' excellent genes. He was exceptionally brilliant from a young age, the envy of others, but perhaps due to the Wu family's small size, he was always solitary and somewhat cold, interested in nothing but academics.

This became more pronounced when he went to medical school, growing even more distant. But such a reserved and unsociable person suddenly announced to Elder Wu three months ago that he had a girlfriend.

And that was where the strangeness began.

Xie Qingfeng, looking at Mu Zhang in the front seat, raised an eyebrow in confusion: "How is getting a girlfriend strange?"

Mu Zhang hesitated, worried Xie Qingfeng might view it negatively or with disdain, as not everyone accepts such non-traditional relationships. But realizing Xie Qingfeng was there to handle the situation and would need to know the details, he continued.

"It's strange because Wu Herong has always been independent and planned his life meticulously. He's strong-willed. At eighteen, when he started university, he openly told Elder Wu that he was gay, unlikely to have children or find a life partner, but had his own convictions and hoped for their understanding."

Xie Qingfeng then understood, his brow furrowing. It was indeed odd for someone who had openly admitted to being gay to suddenly change their sexual orientation.

Mu Zhang added, "Elder Wu was progressive in their thinking. They had accepted the likelihood of being childless and were grateful for Wu Herong's existence, seeing it as fate. They understood that their son's orientation was unchangeable and accepted it. But this year, in his final year of university and about to start his hospital internship, Wu Herong, who had already been assisting at the hospital due to his skills, said something unexpected during his summer break."

"Three months ago, he came home from the hospital, his eyes shining, and announced he had a girlfriend. The elders were stunned, not comprehending at first, especially as Wu Herong's demeanor when saying this was odd, as if convinced of the matter, his eyes filled with passion and obsession, an intensity they had never seen in their son."

But at the time, the elders were simply bewildered, and due to their age and lack of understanding, thought perhaps Wu Herong's previous admission of being gay was a misunderstanding, as he had never mentioned liking any specific man.

Plus, it was his first romantic relationship, and they, as elders, didn't want to interfere, so they let it be.

But over the next three months, they watched their son increasingly become unwell, his energy and spirits declining daily, even often having dark circles under his eyes. Moreover, he later moved to the dormitory, using the busy hospital summer schedule as a reason.

During this period, though they heard him mention a girlfriend frequently, they never met her.

Mu Zhang's frown deepened: "Just a few days ago... Elder Wu and Wu Herong had agreed to have dinner together over the weekend. But by ten o'clock that night, there was no message from Wu Herong. When they called him, his phone was off. And from that night on, Wu Herong disappeared."

Ai Yefeng chimed in, finding the whole situation eerie: "Master, you wouldn't believe how strange this is. The night Wu Herong went missing, the elders went to his hospital to look for him, only to be told he had taken sick leave and hadn't come in. His dormitory was empty too, and neighbors said he hadn't returned all day. When they opened his dorm room, it only had Wu Herong's belongings, nothing related to a woman. Moreover, guess what everyone in the hospital who knew Wu Herong said?"

Xie Qingfeng: "What did they say?"

Ai Yefeng, patting his chest: "They said Wu Herong didn't have a girlfriend at all, or rather, they hadn't seen him close with anyone in the last three months, always keeping to himself. But indeed, he seemed off during those months, often staring into space alone. When asked, he appeared dazed. Surveillance from

Wu Herong seemed to have vanished into thin air.

As days passed, Elder Wu and his wife grew increasingly anxious, especially when the rosary beads the old lady always wore suddenly broke. Recalling their son's odd behavior over the last three months, they sought help from Mu Zhang.

Knowing that Mu Zhang had some capabilities, and being part of the special department, they wondered if their son had been ensnared by a female ghost.

Ai Yefeng sighed, looking at Mu Zhang whose face was taut with worry. The two families had a good relationship; if something happened to Wu Herong, the thought of Elder Wu having to bury their son was unbearable.

"Our special department team visited once, using special tools to scan Wu Herong’s dormitory. They found something amiss – heavy yin energy and even ominous signs in divinations. But beyond that, they found nothing. Wu Herong just disappeared, and as days pass, the likelihood of finding him alive diminishes."

Thinking of Xie Qingfeng, they approached him in desperation. After all, it was a matter of life and death, and Ai Yefeng had personally witnessed Xie Qingfeng’s abilities before.

Xie Qingfeng nodded: "Let's go there first and see."

They quickly arrived at City C’s First Affiliated Hospital. It wasn’t far from City C University, so the journey didn't take long. They went directly to the staff residential complex’s underground parking lot, built behind the hospital.

Reaching the elevator in Building 5, they pressed for the 4th floor: "The accommodations here are quite good – single rooms for each person. The rooms aren’t big, but the environment is decent. Wu Herong lives in Room 404."

It was mid-afternoon, and most of the staff were at work, leaving few people around. Fortunately, no one else was in the elevator when the four of them entered.

As soon as Xie Qingfeng stepped in, he felt an uncomfortable aura spread out. He waved his hand and could clearly sense a trace of yin energy in the elevator, though it was faint and likely to disappear completely by tonight.

Xie Qingfeng was now certain that Wu Herong had indeed encountered something sinister or supernatural.

The only question was whether he had been taken for a ghost marriage or if someone had deliberately approached him to steal his life force.

Or perhaps someone had used a love spell or a mutual affection curse on Wu He Rong, despite him being unwilling.

But regardless of the method, Wu He Rong’s situation seemed more dire than fortunate.

The elevator reached the fourth floor with a ding and opened, leading directly to a corridor with many doors – four on the left and four on the right. Wu He Rong lived in room 404 at the end on the right.

Wu's elderly couple, supporting each other, anxiously waited at the elevator. Each time it opened, they peered hopefully, their eyes red. When they saw Mu Zhang and the others, they rushed over, but their disappointment was palpable when they didn’t see the person they expected. Mrs. Wu dabbed her tearful eyes with a handkerchief, “Did the master refuse to come?”

Ai Ye Feng, seeing the two elderly people, couldn't bear it and stepped aside: “He’s here, he’s here. Not only is the master skilled, but he also has a good heart. As soon as he heard about this, he came with us. This is Master Xie, a real talent, the treasure of our special department!”

Xie Qingfeng's mouth twitched at the last four words: "What kind of title is that?"

But seeing the hopeful light in the elderly Wu couple's eyes, he didn’t deny it and simply nodded at them without saying a word.

The elders, though noticing his youth and somewhat doubtful due to his mask and hat, were about to kneel before Xie Qingfeng, believing him to be the one they were looking for. This startled Xie Qingfeng, who quickly reached out to stop them.

Ai Ye Feng was also startled and quickly said, "Elders, you mustn’t do this, it'll shorten your life!" Good heavens, the master is only eighteen!

How much life would this kneeling take away!

Realizing their error, the elders hastily apologized: “We just wanted to... express our gratitude. If Master Xie can save our He Rong, we are willing to repay him even if it means everything we have!”

Xie Qingfeng, observing the elders’ faces, remained silent: “First, take me to Mr. Wu's dormitory.”

The elders, filled with renewed vigor and hope, quickly led the way, their steps brisk, and opened the door ahead of everyone else.

Mu Zhang, who had seen everything clearly, felt uneasy, "Isn't this... not so good?"

Xie Qingfeng glanced at him and said, "If I'm not mistaken, Wu Herong has only half an hour left to live."

"What?" Mu Zhang's heart sank. He had anticipated something bad, but not this bad. Worried about alarming the elders, he whispered, "Can you tell where he is?"

Xie Qingfeng replied, "Let's start with the dormitory. Since he disappeared from there, there must be some traces left behind."

Mu Zhang suppressed his rising anxiety, unable to imagine facing Wu Herong's corpse if they were too late, fearing that today might end in three tragedies.

The elders were already in poor health; the pain of losing their son could be unbearable for them.

Mu Zhang was torn between gratitude that Wu Herong was still alive and fear for his remaining half-hour.

Not wanting to waste a second, Mu Zhang hurried, especially careful not to disturb anything in the room. He planned to let only the Master enter, hoping that finding Wu Herong within half an hour might save him.

Xie Qingfeng did not stop Mu Zhang. Entering Wu Herong's dorm, he noticed its small size, with just a room and a bathroom, a tiny balcony, and a tightly shut door. Despite the stillness, Xie Qingfeng could sense the lingering yin energy inside, shrouded in a bloody aura – a sign of great misfortune.

Mu Zhang's team had been correct; the omens were indeed ominous. Xie Qingfeng scanned the room – nothing of value was left behind, but this did not hinder him.

Standing in a spot, he raised his hand and silently chanted something, then drew symbols in the air with his finger. Almost instantly, the residual yin energy in the room surged, chilling the air and causing the curtains to flutter without wind. Mu Zhang and the others watched, dumbfounded and silent.

As the yin energy coalesced into a fog, Xie Qingfeng drew a symbol within it and pointed to a spot, chanting, "Lead!"

At the same moment, the yin energy drifted out of the dorm, unseen by others. Xie Qingfeng turned and walked out, passing by Mu Zhang and the others: "Follow me!"

Mu Zhang's eyes lit up with hope: "Okay!" The Master’s actions suggested he might know Wu Herong’s location. Could they still make it in half an hour?

With this thought, he followed, his heart filled with trepidation, fearing they might not have enough time.

Ai Yefeng and Xiao Li, taking care of the elders, followed behind. Buoyed by the newfound hope, they moved swiftly, though not as fast as the others.

Xie Qingfeng re-entered the elevator, and after waiting for everyone to gather, Mu Zhang noticed that Xie Qingfeng pressed the button for the 12th floor, not the ground floor.

Mu Zhang was taken aback: Could it be on the rooftop? Surely not?

But to avoid upsetting the elders, he chose to remain silent.

When they reached the 12th floor, they were greeted by an eerily silent corridor. Moreover, the door of one apartment was wide open, with two funeral wreaths placed outside.

As they stepped out, Mu Zhang whispered, “The apartment ahead recently had a young intern doctor die of a sudden heart attack at home. Since his family isn't from here, they decided to hold the funeral in the dormitory. Why are we going here?”

Ai Yefeng and the others also wondered if they were there because of the heavy yin energy in the place. Was Wu Herong hidden here, taking advantage of the funeral?

Xie Qingfeng, without answering, walked straight to the door with the wreaths. It had been a few days since the death, and the visiting mourners had dwindled. Inside, a couple in their forties with graying hair knelt, placing burning joss paper into a fire pot.

The yin energy that had been led here now hovered in front of the door, then silently dispersed and vanished into thin air after fulfilling its purpose.

Xie Qingfeng looked into the small dormitory without saying a word, his gaze fixed on a young man's portrait on a table, with an urn in front of it. Realizing something, Mu Zhang’s face paled. Ai Yefeng, not privy to the earlier quiet conversation, whispered in confusion, “Master, don’t tell me you calculated that Wu Herong is here?”

But how could there be any connection? The one who might harm Wu Herong would likely be his so-called "girlfriend," possibly a ghost or something. But this young intern doctor was a man, and his untimely death right before graduating was truly tragic.

The couple finally noticed the visitors and, wiping their tears, said, “Are you my child’s colleagues? We’re taking him back to our hometown for burial after today. Thank you for coming.” They assumed the visitors were just another group coming to pay respects.

Xie Qingfeng, however, remained motionless, calmly addressing them: “We are not his colleagues. We are here looking for someone.”

The couple showed no immediate reaction, their numb faces slowly registering confusion: “Looking for someone? Who are you looking for?”

Hearing this, Mu Zhang and the others felt chills, especially looking at the portrait of the young man who seemed to be staring into the distance.

Realizing something, the Wu elders tried to rush in but were stopped by Ai Yefeng, fearing the couple might harm them.

“Do you know where our Herong is? Please return our child to us…” The Wu elders mistakenly thought the couple knew Wu Herong’s whereabouts and pleaded desperately.

The couple's faces grew more numb: “If you’re here to find someone, go ahead. If they’re missing, report to the police. We just lost our son, are you here to pick a fight?”

"Xie Qingfeng scanned the room and focused on a wooden table covered with a tablecloth, hiding a wooden box underneath. The box was inconspicuous unless one paid close attention."

"Seeing Xie Qingfeng's interest in the box, the couple suddenly stood up, angrily attempting to close the door and expel everyone. However, their movement was effortlessly halted by Xie Qingfeng's hand, rendering them immobile. Realizing something was amiss, they tried to call for help, but Xie Qingfeng instructed Mu Zhang to restrain them."

"Mu Zhang, already prepared, immediately stepped forward. Trained in the military, he easily subdued the ordinary couple, despite their surprisingly strong resistance."

"As the couple was held down, screaming to stop Xie Qingfeng from approaching the box, the commotion attracted the attention of neighbors. One exclaimed, 'What are you doing to these old people who just lost their son?'"

"The next moment, everyone watched in astonishment as the young man effortlessly pulled out the large box from under the portrait. The sight of the box’s strange symbols and talismans stunned the onlookers into silence."

"Seeing the box, the restrained couple went into a frenzy, trying to intervene. Ai Yefeng, realizing the gravity of the situation, quickly joined in to control them."

"As Xie Qingfeng waved his hand, the talismans scattered and burned in an eerie flame, filling the air with a strange, burnt, blood-like scent mixed with something unidentifiable."

"When Xie Qingfeng opened the box to reveal a pale, weak young man curled inside, everyone was shocked beyond belief."