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    Chapter 19

    The driver wept with blood streaming down his face, his head swollen to twice its original size. To become a ghost in such a pathetic state could truly be called a miserable existence.

    Tuan Jiyi hesitated, but Lu Wenqing recalled his near-pee-his-pants scare just moments ago. He had always been bullied by ghosts and never experienced turning the tables. Gazing at Wei Xi's cold expression, he suddenly felt an indescribable boost of confidence. With newfound courage, he straightened up and declared, "You scared the passengers, and you still want a five-star rating? Dream on!"

    The ghost driver whimpered, "Sob sob sob sob sob..."

    Lu Wenqing held his chest with both hands as he covertly glanced at Wei Xi, almost drowning in the thrill of confrontation.

    The ghost driver dared not plead anymore, fearing a negative review or further complaint. After reaching the outskirts, he eagerly got out of the car to open the door, his service attitude impeccable.

    Ruan Shihang and his previous group of friends were already waiting near the haunted mansion. As Lu Wenqing approached, several of them craned their necks, confused, and asked, "What happened to your driver? Why is he covered in blood?"

    Lu Wenqing paid the fare and vaguely replied, "There was a minor incident on the way..."

    His friends were puzzled. "???" How could such severe injuries be considered minor? What was even more astonishing was that despite the bleeding, the driver managed to deliver the passenger to his destination. Who was this incredible driver who moved China?

    Unwilling to elaborate, Lu Wenqing saw his friends urging him to give a five-star rating and quickly changed the subject. "How long have you guys been waiting? How is he doing?"

    Only then did they return to the main topic, looking at Ruan Shihang, who was protected in the middle, with worried expressions. Ruan Shihang's face was ashen, and there were two huge dark circles under his eyes. Ever since he left the haunted house, he had been ill, but the hospital couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. He couldn't sleep through the night; every time he closed his eyes, he would hear alluring voices in his mind. What was even more terrifying was that sometimes, after lying in bed for too long, he would inexplicably lose control of his limbs, as if someone was pressing down on him tightly.

    Therefore, he hadn't dared to lie in bed these past few days. When he felt extremely exhausted, he would sit on the sofa for a few hours during the day to rest.

    His family members said that he was under too much stress, which was why he was imagining encountering such things. He himself also found it plausible with the scientific knowledge he had learned over the years. However, deep down, he still had lingering doubts, which was why he had sought out Lu Wenqing as a last resort.

    Hearing Lu Wenqing's question, Ruan Shihang simply shook his head calmly, his gaze landing on Wei Xi, who had come with him. Their social circles hardly overlapped, so Ruan Shihang's friends were curious and asked Lu Wenqing who this person was. After Unity Righteousness distributed his business cards, everyone finally realized that this was the manager of Taicang Sect Company they had recently heard so much about.

    When Wei Xi saw Ruan Shihang, he seemed to have something to say.

    Ruan Shihang couldn't help wondering what this person, who had always secretly liked him, would say at such a moment. Then, the other party finally opened his mouth—

    "Are you willing to get a membership card now?"

    Ruan Shihang: "…"

    A familiar sense of humiliation surged forth, and he turned his head away silently. "Let's go."

    After the incident, the haunted house villa had been ordered to close for rectification, but its exterior remained the same. Due to the darkness and the absence of the original staff, the overall atmosphere had become even more eerie and sinister. As Ruan Shihang looked at the old house from a distance, the more he walked towards it, the more uneasy he felt. The voices that appeared in his mind every night urged him to come back and play again. Now that he was really back here, he felt chills run down his spine.

    At that moment, he caught sight of a figure out of the corner of his eye and involuntarily took a step back, exclaiming, "Ah!"

    The others also quickly noticed, and under the dusky twilight, they saw a slender silhouette seated on the rusted wall of the villa's entrance. They let out frightened cries. The figure on the wall seemed to hear their voices and slowly turned its head towards them. Only then did they realize that it wasn't a ghost, but a young man who appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. He was strikingly handsome, with eyebrows and eyes meticulously outlined as if by a brush, his narrow and sharp eyes exuding impatience and coldness.

    Someone stammered, "Y-You... Who are you? Sitting there at this late hour, scaring people to death!"

    The youth effortlessly jumped down from the three-meter-high gatepost with one hand supporting him, his agility bordering on unbelievable.

    He glanced at the speaker and then swept his gaze across Wei Xi before calmly returning his attention to them. "I heard there are ghosts haunting this place, so I came to take a look."

    Upon finally seeing him in full, everyone was collectively stunned, not because of his good looks but due to the numerous, large and small scars crisscrossing his arms, visible through his plain white T-shirt.

    The scars were old, and upon closer inspection, there were even some on his neck, as if he had been brutally slashed by someone. Coupled with his remarkable demeanor and appearance, they seemed all the more jarring and terrifying.

    There was a moment of silence before they realized he was a comrade and rushed forward to engage in conversation, learning his name was Lu Que.

    Lu Wenqing thought to himself, We share the same surname.

    Unity and Righteousness whispered to Wei Xi, "Master, did you notice that this person looks eerily similar to my husband?"

    This stranger exuded an intense yang energy, leaving Wei Xi too captivated to spare him any attention. However, Lu Wenqing did hear him and wore a look of astonishment as he examined the towering and robust figure of Unity Yi: "You have a husband?"

    Unity Yi: "It's Shuo Zong!"

    Lu Wenqing: "..."

    In the crowd, Lu Que, for some reason, also turned his head silently: "..."

    Unity Yi felt quite awkward: "I was just joking, it's not a big deal."

    Lu Wenqing was at a loss for words. He wiped the sweat from his brow and studied Lu Que closely before whispering, "…He's alright, I suppose? There's a resemblance in the eyes, but he's much younger than Mister Shuo Zong. Besides, Mister Shuo Zong doesn't have any scars; those are likely tattoos."

    Moreover, according to family news, Mister Shuo Zong had been preparing for seclusion recently, so it was impossible for him to be here. But such matters couldn't be disclosed to outsiders.

    Amidst their conversation, an agreement seemed to have been reached. In the end, Ruan Shihang offered to pay for hiring this newly emerged Lu Que to join them in investigating the haunted house.

    Lu Wenqing didn't object; the man seemed capable, and more people meant more strength! Wei Xi, of course, had no complaints either – he was already drooling over Lu Que.

    Ruan Shihang's friends did not accompany them. A few girls, staring at the closed door, were visibly anxious. "It's too dangerous. What if there really is something inside? What will you do then?"

    Wei Xi had a favorable impression of the women outside the mountain and explained sparingly, "It's fine, just catch them and give them a good beating."

    Ruan Shihang felt that something was off. He looked at Lu Wenqing, "Exorcising is that simple?"

    Lu Wenqing glanced at the empty-handed Wei Xi and couldn't help but touch the magical artifact in his own bag. Recalling the beaten-up ghost driver, he turned away, feeling deeply humiliated.

    Since the haunted house had been ordered to be rectified, its gate was naturally locked tight. Unity Yì found a wire from somewhere and cheerfully called out to Wei Xi, "Unlocking is my specialty! Master, come here, I'll teach you how to handle this. It'll only take three seconds."

    Wei Xi leaned over to learn this new skill, but suddenly, with a loud bang, Lu Que had already kicked the door open.

    Unity Yì was startled and looked up at Lu Que, who glared coldly back at him.

    From Lu Que's gaze, Unity Yì sensed a thick layer of reproach, leaving him utterly bewildered.

    Lu Que seemed wary of him and kept his distance, going ahead to turn on the lights after kicking the door open.

    After bidding farewell to his friend, Ruan Shihang cautiously followed Wei Xi and Lu Wenqing into the house. He found it unchanged from his last visit, with the dim yellow light casting a hazy and eerie atmosphere on the surroundings.

    The silence was eerie. As a strict materialist, he immediately reassured himself that it was all about ambiance – the spooky atmosphere created by the business.

    Unexpectedly, the next instant, a click echoed in the room, followed by the tune of "Jingle Bells" playing.

    Ruan Shihang's hair stood on end as he shuddered, slowly turning with the others to face the record player that had started working. His voice quivered as he asked, "You... Who turned it on?"

    Lu Que answered calmly, "No one went near it."

    Ruan Shihang was almost scared out of his wits by this eerie scene. With a pale face, he explained, "It's... It's this record player! When I entered the room that day, it was already playing this song!"

    Looking to Lu Wenqing for help after he finished speaking, Ruan Shihang saw Lu Wenqing grab his own arm in panic, exclaiming, "Damn! This is so scary!"

    Ruan Shihang: "..."

    He suddenly felt that his childhood friend might not be as reliable as he thought...

    Wei Xi leisurely walked over at that moment, seemingly quite curious about the record player. He reached out and touched the needle on the disc, causing the music to stop as the needle was moved away.

    Ruan Shihang's emotions were a bit unstable due to Lu Wenqing's reaction. "It's no use, you can't turn it off. Even if you move the needle, it will jump back on its own."

    Back then, he was certain it was some kind of automatic electronic device, but with the current circumstances, it only seemed more and more peculiar.

    As the words faded, a sharp cracking sound echoed.

    Ruan Shihang: "…"

    Wei Xi examined the record needle he had just snapped off but found nothing unusual. He then removed the spinning record and broke it in half.

    Since it hadn't attacked him, the object didn't seem to be inhabited by any spirits or demons. After a brief wait, he asked Ruan Shihang, "When will it jump back?"

    "…" Ruan Shihang was dumbfounded by Wei Xi's straightforward brutality. Lu Que, standing aside, spoke with a complicated expression, "…Never again."

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    1. Katlin Andry
      Jan 7, '25 at 00:42

      I’m sure Lu Que is Shuo Zhong maybe split his soul

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