Chapter 54

Chapter 54

In the end, Xie Weisheng could only watch helplessly as Xie Qingfeng and his companion walked away. He dared not stop them, nor did he have the face to. He felt embarrassed by his earlier request, overshadowed by an inescapable sense of desolation.

When he first learned his younger brother was switched at birth, he was surprised. Already being groomed as the heir at seven years older than Xie Weihuan, he was too busy to bond, despite initially liking his newborn brother. With his studies and various responsibilities, his affection gradually faded.

As he became busier, his concern for Xie Weihuan was more dutiful than affectionate. Learning of the switch left him indifferent; whether it was the brother he had known for eighteen years or the one with blood ties he had never met, he felt more responsibility than emotional attachment.

After returning to the country and learning of the severed ties, he thought a face-to-face meeting and conversation would suffice, believing no one could refuse immense wealth. Besides, the limited support from foster parents pales in comparison to a wiser choice he could offer.

He was raised to believe this by his parents since he was young, and he had always thought the same. But now, he felt a sense of bewilderment; everything he valued seemed insignificant in front of the other person, even his own biological brother, whom he thought little of, had never regarded their family with any significance.

Xie Weisheng felt increasingly embarrassed, especially recalling his parents' comments about their biological son.

Sitting in his car for a long time, Xie Weisheng finally answered a call from his father. "How did it go with the Master? Will he help? No matter the cost, agree to it! We can afford it, but your brother must be saved!"

Xie Weisheng hesitated, exhausted by recent bad news from the company and his father's demanding tone, coupled with his mother's intermittent crying. He realized his parents had never treated the two switched children equally.

Initially, keeping Xie Weihuan was just due to years of emotional attachment. It was convenient, not out of equality.

Now, Xie Weisheng couldn't help but think about Xie Qingfeng's brief stay with the family, knowing how he must have been treated.

His father's impatient voice came through, "Why are you silent? Didn't you meet the Master? This is about your brother's life. Why don't you care?"

Xie Weisheng replied, "He's not my biological brother."

His father snapped, "What do you mean, blaming us now? It was that damned kid who chose to sever ties with us! He's just throwing a tantrum. He'll return eventually. Right now, Weihuan's life is at stake…"

Xie Weisheng interrupted, "Didn't you hear Captain Mu? He's hurt people. Even if he wakes up, he must face punishment."

His father retorted, "That's just what the Yin family's kid said. Do you believe our son is capable of that? I don't! They're trying to slander Weihuan. Once he wakes up, they'll see…"

Xie Weisheng questioned, "What if saving Xie Weihuan costs my life?"

His father, missing the hint of reluctance, became more agitated, "Are you refusing to save him? Are you resentful because we care more about him? Don't we care about you? Why else would we entrust the family business to you? You need to care for your brother. If it costs some of your lifespan, you're young, find a way to wake him first…"

Xie Weisheng suddenly laughed, a strange sound that startled his father, who quickly added, "I didn't mean it that way. I'm just worried. Weihuan's always been frail, and you've been healthy, so…"

Xie Weisheng felt clearer than ever and stopped his father from continuing: "I just met that master. He refused, saying he doesn't save those with malicious intentions. He warned that if we approach him again, he won't hesitate to act. He's a master, and his methods are not something we ordinary people can afford to offend. If we truly provoke him, even a slight move on his part could have consequences we can't bear. So... let's find another master."

Xie's father was also startled, especially hearing about the masters' curses and talismans, which were mysterious and undetectable. He muttered, "Forget it, maybe it's just a bluff. Let's see if there are other experts available and find them quickly."

Xie Weisheng listened to the unhesitatingly disconnected phone call, slumped over the steering wheel for a long time, and the question he managed to ask: If Xie Weihuan is indeed a child of the Xie family, does it mean his role as the so-called elder brother and heir was just to clean up the mess for Xie Weihuan later? Even if it was true at the start, his heart had long since shifted towards favoring Xie Weihuan.

Meanwhile, Xie Qingfeng and Jing Xi were leisurely walking towards the residential area, not far from where they were.

Xie Qingfeng wasn't affected by Xie Weisheng's appearance, but after walking a distance, he still noticed the occasional glances from Jing Xi. On the next glance, he looked sharply: "What are you looking at? If you have something to ask, just ask."

Can he really see a flower on his face hidden by the mask from staring like that?

Jing Xi, however, crossed his arms and feigned an exaggerated expression of terror: "National Teacher, you were too intimidating just now, I was scared."

Xie Qingfeng looked him up and down: "Oh? Is that so? Is the Emperor implying that I am fierce?"

Jing Xi initially wanted to seek comfort, but sensing the mood shift, he quickly backed down: "Of course not, I meant to say... such a demeanor from the National Teacher gives a great sense of security."

Xie Qingfeng slowly shook his head and sighed, continuing forward: "Speaking of which, it reminds me of something. We cultivators should avoid violence. I remember once during a palace banquet, there was an assassin. At that time, the Emperor, then the Crown Prince, used his sword to...”

Before Xie Qingfeng could finish, he felt a weight on his shoulder and turned to see Jing Xi resting his head there, almost hanging onto him. Looking at him, Jing Xi appeared weak as if still recovering from a serious illness: "Hearing the National Teacher say that, I remember now. To protect the National Teacher, I fought the assassin despite my fear of blood..."

Xie Qingfeng was already reaching to pull him off when he froze: Fear of blood? Did he even believe what he was saying?

Jing Xi closed his eyes: "Feeling even dizzier now..."

Xie Qingfeng was not used to such close contact from Jing Xi. As people began to notice them and stopped to look, Xie Qingfeng felt his face heat up. He took out a talisman from his pocket and said, "Fine, I have a special talisman for fainting at the sight of blood. Stick this on and let the Emperor perform a feat like breaking a stone with his chest. That'll cure everything!"

As Xie Qingfeng tried to affix a talisman on Jing Xi's forehead, Jing, unsure if it was real and not well-versed in talismans, instantly recovered from his feigned dizziness and leaped back gracefully, his long hair flowing, making him look like a character from a film.

Xie Qingfeng circled around, giving Jing Xi a warning glance before walking away.

Realizing he had gone too far in his teasing, Jing Xi hurriedly followed a few steps behind, trying to lighten the mood as he feared Xie Qingfeng might be upset about the Xie family's behavior.

Upon reaching their building's lobby, crowded with residents, they waited for others to board the elevator first. A young man, head down and laden with groceries, didn't notice them until he looked up and was startled, particularly by Jing Xi's distinctive long hair, recalling a recent incident of peeking through the peephole.

The young man shied away from Jing Xi, pressing himself against the wall, fearing he had crossed paths with trouble.

Jing Xi noticed the young man's behavior and, with a piercing look, asked if he appeared frightening, sarcastically calling him a good neighbor.

The young man, nervously lowering his head, mumbled an excuse about forgetting to buy something, overwhelmed by the encounter's intensity.

Xie Qingfeng glanced back at the sound and then at Jing Xi.

Jing Xi quickly straightened up, innocently smiling at Xie Qingfeng, claiming to have just run into their neighbor for a chat.

Xie Qingfeng looked at the young man, who quickly averted his gaze, muttering an apology, perhaps recalling his past actions.

Surprised, Jing Xi hadn't expected the neighbor to admit his wrongdoing so readily, as he had only intended to intimidate him a bit.

Xie Qingfeng frowned slightly, sensing something, and Jing Xi followed his gaze towards the young man.

The young man, lacking the courage to repeat his apology and feeling too intimidated to engage further, remained silent and kept his distance.

As they entered the now-empty elevator, the young man hesitated outside. Jing Xi held the door open, inviting him in.

Startled, the young man locked eyes with Jing Xi's gaze and cautiously stepped in, stiffly keeping to the corner, avoiding any interaction.

The young man, feeling obliged, hesitantly followed them to the 12th floor. As Jing Xi opened the door, he glanced at Xie Qingfeng, who usually wouldn’t comment, but clearly, the young man had some issues that caught the master's attention. Previously, there was always a strange smell of burning paper money around him. Could there really be a problem?

Besides, Master Xie doesn’t seem like someone who interferes without reason.

Xie Qingfeng waited until the door was open and followed Jing Xi inside. The young man, relieved, approached their door only to find it left open.

Xie Qingfeng, observing the young man's facial features, suddenly offered, “A talisman for driving away spirits costs 8888. Interested?”

The young man, who initially thought they were going to confront him about his previous peeping, was taken aback.

Xie Qingfeng’s voice remained even as he added, “You can think it over for the night. But remember, after midnight, the night fee doubles.”

The young man finally grasped the situation, responding in disbelief, “Huh?”

After speaking, Xie Qingfeng gave him a final look and closed the door right in the young man’s face. The choice was his to make. Xie Qingfeng had chosen to speak up because they were neighbors, and a sudden death at their doorstep would surely bring police inquiries.

Secondly, knowing the young man might be in danger and having witnessed it, Xie Qingfeng couldn’t simply pretend to be oblivious.

But if the young man didn’t believe, even with a warning, he wouldn’t buy the talisman. So, the decision was left in the young man's hands.

Once the door was closed, Jing Xi casually broached the subject, “You revealed your identity to Xie Weisheng earlier. If he tells the Xie family, will they come looking for you?”

Xie Qingfeng glanced at Jing Xi, who seemed to be fishing for conversation, and chose not to expose his motive. He was confident Xie Weisheng wouldn’t disclose his identity, which would only widen the rift with his family.

Xie Weisheng, having not shown up for over three months since learning about the switched brothers, clearly had a lukewarm relationship with Xie Weihean, driven more by a sense of duty and a desire for parental approval, especially when feeling overlooked.

Realizing that no matter his efforts, his parents favored Xie Weihean, who shared no blood relation and effortlessly committed misdeeds, was a crushing blow to him.

This revelation would likely result in defiance, not only withholding the information from his parents but perhaps even wishing to see their reaction upon discovering the truth as a form of revenge.

Thus, Xie Weisheng would not only refrain from revealing the truth, but he would also help conceal it until it became impossible to hide any longer.

Jing Xi touched his nose and continued making small talk, knowing he had upset Xie Qingfeng. If he didn't make amends, he might end up eating dinner alone again: "Did our neighbor encounter that thing? He didn't seem affected before, or else the master would have spoken up sooner."

Xie Qingfeng nodded in confirmation: "Yes."

Jing Xi sighed in relief, glad to be acknowledged again, and took the initiative to pour a glass of water for Xie Qingfeng: "He always had the smell of burning paper money on him, and it’s stronger now. Did he cause someone’s death, or is he an innocent victim?"

Xie Qingfeng glanced at the glass being persistently offered to him and finally accepted it: "Haven’t you guessed already?"

It was a typical attempt to make conversation, but Xie Qingfeng was willing to engage, evidently having some free time.

Jing Xi pulled up a chair next to him, watching Xie Qingfeng drink water, thinking even this simple act was worth watching all day. Of course, the master wouldn’t keep drinking forever: "So, he’s quite unfortunate, then."

Clearly, for those of questionable character, even if they genuinely saw something, they wouldn’t be warned. Since the master spoke up, the neighbor must be the latter case, and even someone Xie Qingfeng finds pitiable.

Xie Qingfeng, observing Jing Xi’s curious face, didn’t hide the truth, especially as they might be disturbed tonight by this sneaky, paper-burning-smelling ghost. To prevent any mishaps, he looked at Jing Xi and slowly said, "Stay alert tonight. If a ghost enters the wrong door and takes you away, thinking it’s a mistake, you’ll be the one in trouble."

Jing Xi, far from feeling mocked, leaned in closer, seemingly flattered: "Is the master implying I’m so attractive that even female ghosts would be charmed by me?"

Xie Qingfeng laughed unexpectedly: "Who said anything about a female ghost?"

Jing Xi looked puzzled: "A male ghost?"

Xie Qingfeng raised an eyebrow without speaking, apparently conceding by his silence.

Xie Qingfeng spoke up, feeling somewhat sympathetic towards his neighbor. The neighbor had a string of bad luck: fresh out of university with good grades, he joined a big company but faced jealousy from a classmate. The classmate, as a prank, added himself online pretending to be a girl, initiated a fake online romance, and revealed the truth only after the neighbor fell for it.

To his surprise, he discovered the neighbor's secret: he was gay. Feeling safe behind the screen, the neighbor openly shared his true thoughts, treating the classmate like a stranger.

The honesty, however, began to affect the classmate, who slowly grew more invested. But he refused to admit his own attraction to men, and, sticking to his original plan, exposed the neighbor's orientation.

The neighbor's parents couldn't accept it, and, feeling hurt, he moved out to live alone. Up to this point, it wasn't too tragic, as he had a job and was done with school, so revealing his orientation wasn't a big deal.

Seeing his indifference, the male classmate confessed that he was actually a man and even professed his love for the neighbor.

The neighbor was shocked and instantly refused. He never intended to start a relationship online. Angered by the rejection, the classmate stopped talking to the neighbor for a few days and then messaged as his parent, claiming that the account owner had died by suicide due to heartbreak.

Since then, the neighbor couldn't contact him and was terrified, thinking his rejection had led to the classmate's death. He couldn't find the classmate since he didn't know his real name or address.

Wracked with guilt and self-blame, his mental health declined, and his work performance suffered, leading to his eventual dismissal.

Believing he had caused a death, the neighbor feared retribution and became increasingly reclusive, staying indoors and secretly burning joss paper.

Jing Xiu realized, "No wonder he always smelled like burnt paper. He's not setting up a shrine at home, is he? He doesn't even know who the classmate was. That was a cruel prank."

Xie Qingfeng nodded: "The classmate, realizing his plan worked too well and destroyed the neighbor's life, felt pleased and went on a trip, where he unfortunately died in an accident."

Jing Xiu: "If he died accidentally, why come after the neighbor?"

Xie Qingfeng: "After death, he probably felt lonely and wanted to take the neighbor with him..." In the end, the neighbor was the real victim, suffering for nothing.

Jing Xiu: "That is quite tragic." He decided to forgive the neighbor for peeping through the door viewer; compared to the neighbor's misfortunes, it seemed insignificant.

Xie Qingfeng and Jing Xiu didn't sleep early that night. Xie Qingfeng was meditating until the early hours when he felt a disturbance in the atmosphere, furrowing his brow and lifting the protective barrier around them. Immediately, he felt the air grow colder.

Xie Qingfeng's expression stiffened. Had he jinxed it in the daytime? Had the male ghost really come to the wrong door?

Almost at the same moment, there was a knock on the room door. Getting a response, Jing Xiu opened the door: "National Master, the neighbor is here to buy a talisman to ward off ghosts."

Xie Qingfeng glanced at Jing Xiu: "Do you feel something's not quite right?"

Jing Xiu: "Is there?"

Xie Qingfeng looked at the male ghost staring intently at him from not far behind Jing Xiu. The ghost's drooling expression made Xie Qingfeng frown, but clearly, the ghost couldn't approach due to the strong yang energy around Jing Xiu.

Or perhaps the ghost had already tried to approach but felt danger and could only watch from a distance.

The ghost, with a dark and sullen face, followed Jing Xiu's gaze, and its pupils, void of whites, brightened upon seeing Xie Qingfeng. It floated over but was blocked by Jing Xiu and repelled far away.

Xie Qingfeng: "..."

Jing Xiu, noticing Xie Qingfeng's silence, asked, "What's wrong?" But instead of responding, Xie Qingfeng stood up and walked towards Jing Xiu, even getting closer on his own.

Although Xie Qingfeng could easily exorcise the ghost, he disdained the way it looked at him and wouldn't allow its spirit to dissipate in his home.

Jing Xiu watched in confusion as Xie Qingfeng voluntarily came close: "???"

Ignoring the ghost as if he didn't sense it, knowing the temperature drop around them, Jing Xiu reached out, put his arm around Xie Qingfeng's shoulder, and whispered, "Is it because of that?"

Xie Qingfeng glanced at his hand, thought for a moment, and didn't push away. Compared to the annoying presence of the ghost, he preferred the natural ghost repellent that was the Emperor.

The two reached the door and opened it to find their neighbor hesitating about returning, who then lowered his head and said softly, "I've thought about it, I'll buy one..."

Meanwhile, the ghost had already floated to the corridor. Seeing the neighbor and then Xie Qingfeng and Jing Xiu, it hesitated about whom to take. Xie Qingfeng, without hesitation, set up a barrier on the door and threw a revealing talisman at the ghost.

At the same time, Jing Xiu kicked out, sending the ghost, who dared to covet his person, reeling with an overwhelming ghostly aura, almost unable to maintain its form.