Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Wei Xi initially didn't take the original ghosts of the Hong Kong Building seriously, but to his surprise, their professional skills were unexpectedly outstanding.

As soon as the mediation event started, it received an enthusiastic response. Many local temples, through Kuang Zhiming, reached out to Taicang Sect, this newly established and unknown sect, extending olive branches for collaboration. After all, nowadays, various temples would inevitably encounter such tricky yet necessary tasks. People's attitudes towards such situations were similar to Kuang Zhiming's.

From Kuang Zhiming, Wei Xi heard an anecdote from the industry.

The protagonist was Daoist Feng from Fung Year Temple. A few years ago, a believer requested him to perform an exorcism ritual in their home due to a haunting that had left their family terrified and unable to sleep or eat. Upon hearing this, Daoist Feng immediately went to the house, set up an altar, and asked the wandering spirit to leave on its own. However, the spirit was stubborn and refused to go, behaving aggressively and making communication impossible. It even attempted to attack the homeowner. Not understanding the situation, Daoist Feng, prioritizing human safety, engaged the ghost in a fierce battle with a peach wood sword, originally intending to drive it away. Unintentionally, he ended up dispersing the ghost's soul.

Before disappearing, the female ghost was already weak and unable to speak, only able to stare at Daoist Feng with bloodshot eyes while shedding tears.

Upon learning that the female ghost had vanished, the homeowner expressed immense gratitude to Daoist Feng, even lighting a perpetual lamp worth 30,000 yuan at Fung Year Temple. Daoist Feng, however, was perplexed by the ghost's tears before her death, and this thought lingered in his mind for a long time. Eventually, he sought information about the homeowner through someone else.

To his surprise, the result was unexpected. The house had once belonged to the wife of a war hero. With her husband away fighting and no news, she spent her life waiting for him, unwilling to leave until her death. Before passing, she worried that her husband's soul might not find her after his death, so she requested to be buried under the soil in front of their home.

The homeowner later admitted that before encountering the haunting, they had illegally constructed a basement. During the excavation process, the construction team accidentally unearthed a set of bones that had been buried for many years. Concerned about bad luck and aware of their illegal construction, they didn't dare report the discovery, instead asking the workers to dispose of the remains far away.

After that incident, Daoist Feng fell seriously ill, overwhelmed by guilt. He almost wanted to give up running the temple.

A single moment of negligence had sealed the fate of a ghost who had waited patiently underground for her husband for decades. Yet, if the situation were to involve Kuang Zhiming or any other practitioner of Taoism, what could they have done differently?

The conflict between life and death was often irreconcilable. Was it not a mistake when a living person inadvertently committed a grave error? But as cultivators, could they simply stand by and watch as a family suffered retribution?

The responsibilities of the Mystic Sect were far heavier than the world perceived. When right and wrong were unclear, either choice on the scales bore an indelible guilt.

This time, however, the owners of the three coffins were eventually persuaded by a few elderly women. They agreed to cremate the bodies and bury them in a local communal cemetery in exchange for a Taoist ritual ceremony and annual offerings for the next three years.

The current owner of the house was more than willing, but without this intervention, given the initial rigid stance during mediation, Kuang Zhiming would likely have had no choice but to expel those household spirits into wandering ghosts, devoid of a mutually beneficial outcome.

Thus, while Kuang Zhiming still found the newly formed mediation team of the Heavenly Dao Sect absurd, he harbored a sense of gratitude. He not only facilitated connections for Wei Xi and other familiar Taoist temples but also proactively extended an invitation: "Fellow Daoist Wei, have you taken on any rituals recently? If not, I have a well-compensated job that I can recommend. The believers have invited several temples, and I can propose that we join forces."

Wei Xi: "Huh? What kind of ritual?"

Kuang Zhiming explained, "It's an invitation from a film production team. The financiers are quite wealthy; you might have heard of them. The project manager is Qiu Guokai. Their company recently invested in a supernatural fantasy film, and apparently, quite a few bizarre incidents have occurred since filming began."

*****

In the end, there was no need for Kuang Zhiming's recommendation, as Qiu Guokai approached them himself.

After some time apart, he had become even more obscenely plump, as if he was about to drip with oil.

Wei Xi glanced at him and whispered to his second disciple, "It seems his mother really did grab the cooking spoon after buying your talisman."

The second disciple had been sitting quietly beside him the whole time. He remained unperturbed by Wei Xi's words and only extended his arm to stop Qiu Guokai when the latter eagerly approached to greet Wei Xi, just like before.

Poor Qiu Guokai, an ABC who had studied abroad since childhood, had never managed to successfully hug Wei Xi since they met. With his forehead pressed back, he couldn't help but divert his gaze from Wei Xi to look at the equally handsome but intimidating little disciple standing next to him. After some thought, he decided to retreat and settled for hugging Unity Yi instead.

Unity Yi warmly wrapped his arms around Qiu Guokai's shoulders. "CEO Qiu, you look radiant and healthy! Everything going well?"

Qiu Guokai wore a sorrowful expression. "Let's not talk about it. The divorce is finally over, and she took the child with her. Thankfully, the media didn't find out. Oh, how could this happen? She was so innocent and naive before we got married, yet she was completely hysterical during the divorce... It really broke my heart."

His father had also given him a good beating in anger.

But the thought of reuniting with his deceased mother after so many years cheered Qiu Guokai up again. He turned gratefully to Wei Xi. "Master Wei, I actually came here today with a request."

After struggling to sit down with his heavy body, he explained slowly, "Our company invested in a fantasy movie called 'Scream' earlier this year. It's about ancient monsters and spirits. We started filming two months ago, but we've encountered endless problems, causing panic among the crew."

He sighed. "At first, everything was fine. The early parts were shot in a studio, and we only experienced minor setbacks. But when we started filming on location and moved the entire crew to Mount Mahua in the neighboring province, the issues escalated. Staff frequently complained that the environment felt eerie, whether it was at the hotel in the mountains or the filming site. Initially, our company didn't pay much attention. You know, with ghost movies, there are bound to be some supernatural elements involved. Many horror film crews have reported similar incidents in the past, attributing them to actors becoming too immersed in their roles due to prolonged exposure to the set environment."

"I thought so too. But last week, our team was shooting a major fight scene involving gods and demons. We were short on extras, so we brought in two vans of them from outside the mountain. Who would have thought that soon after these extras entered the mountain, they all claimed to have encountered ghosts and felt haunted. Some said they heard curses, while others found their costumes torn into shreds for no reason. Out of fear, they refused to continue filming and left on their own, eventually spreading the news to the paparazzi. Now, the incident has caused quite a stir online, with some netizens accusing us of seeking publicity and others criticizing us for not valuing the actors. It's had a terrible impact."

"Actually, at first, I only wanted to invite you," Qiu Guokai said. "But the company board thinks that since the truth is unclear, it's better to make a bigger show of it. You know, several actors in the team are so scared that they're considering leaving. If more of your people join, it'll reassure them. As for the compensation, you don't need to worry about that."

*****

With the request from a Golden Card member and the generous payment, the outcome was predictable.

After making his request, Qiu Guokai offered incense to the newly appointed Celestial Venerated of Taicang Sect and promised to light a perpetual lamp for the sect's deity once the issue was resolved.

A perpetual lamp, besides incense, was another measure of a temple's prosperity. Wei Xi was immediately enticed; according to Kuang Zhiming, there were over a dozen believers who lit perpetual lamps in their temple, but Taicang Sect had none.

Leaving in a pleasant mood, he playfully patted the brass incense burner, jesting, "Just wait, you'll have a lamp soon enough."

Despite the winter chill, the burner's surface didn't feel cold, probably due to the increasing number of devotees' offerings. Tuan Jiyi looked at the burner strangely, wondering if he was hallucinating. Was it the wind? Why did the incense suddenly burn so brightly?

Shuo Zong also overheard the excited chatter of an old lady, Wang, who had unexpectedly offered much incense today, exclaiming, "The Celestial Venerated truly is miraculous!"

"..."

Seeing his expression, Wei Xi asked, "What's wrong?"

Shuo Zong looked at him with a complicated gaze and replied with mixed emotions, "... Nothing."

This sect truly left one speechless from top to bottom.

*****

Hua Maoshan was located in a neighboring province, a journey of nearly five hours by car. By the time the trio arrived, it was already dark.

Other Daoists hired by Qiu Guokai's company had beaten them to the location. Tuanyi had finally come to his senses and sighed at the sight of the packed parking lot. "Ah, even though President Qiu was sincere in his words, their company must still feel that our Tanchang Sect isn't well-known enough to hold its own. Otherwise, they wouldn't have spent money to invite so many peers. Ah."

That was the reality for small sects like theirs; they lacked the prestige to intimidate others. Lately, he had been pleased with the impressive performance of his company, but now, the harsh truth had brought him back to reality.

Upon hearing this, Wei Xi's expression remained calm. "Don't worry, one day, the Tanchang Sect will gain fame far and wide, with countless disciples."

Tuanyi chuckled, thinking to himself that his master was indeed optimistic, setting such a distant goal. How could it be achieved so easily?

Wei Xi turned to his two disciples, his curly hair and long coat billowing in the mountain breeze, but his figure remained steadfast. "This is your great-grandmaster's wish."

Both disciples watched him in silence. The eldest, having just finished laughing, found Wei Xi's rare seriousness somewhat awkward. The second disciple, after observing him for a moment, calmly placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It will come, all that you desire," he replied with a casualness that belied the warmth of his palm seeping through the fabric to Wei Xi's skin. Wei Xi felt him shift his gaze, looking off into the distant hills. "Go inside, the wind is strong."

In the mountains, there stood only this solitary hotel, isolated and somewhat eerie, yet nestled amidst picturesque surroundings by the hillside and water.

Even before Wei Xi stepped into the lobby, he heard Lu Wenqing's voice. "Wei Xi! You're here too?"

Despite Lu Wenqing's modest abilities, his family background was impressive, and he knew many fellow Taoist practitioners in the area. Thus, he was naturally on Qiu Guokai's company's invitation list.

Kuang Zhiming also took the initiative to greet everyone while introducing Wei Xi's background to the Taoists around him. Some of those present had already been acquainted with Taicang Sect through their astonishing mediation team and thus approached to meet Wei Xi. Others, however, had never heard the name before and exchanged inquiries about his origins.

Upon learning that it was a newly established temple, their interest waned. If they hadn't even heard of it, it probably wasn't anything remarkable.

At this moment, the responsible person from Qiu Guokai's company, holding the guest list, approached apologetically. "Honorable masters, there's only one hotel in the mountains, and part of it is occupied by the film crew. Unfortunately, we simply don't have enough rooms, so I'm afraid you'll have to share a room with another person."

Many of the older Taoists present frowned, but they had no choice. The journey up the mountain had indeed shown them the desolation of the area. Frankly, having a decent-sized hotel at all was quite surprising.

Wei Xi was taken aback and turned to look at his two disciples. "Both of you in one room?"

He had brought along two disciples. How should they be assigned?

The second disciple seemed to be stunned by the news, with a complicated expression.

But Lu Wenqing, the devoted fan, immediately perked up. "Wei Xi, come live with me. Let your two disciples share a room, then I'll sleep soundly without any snoring or teeth grinding!"

The first disciple of Taicang Sect glared. "No way!"

The second disciple of Taicang Sect frowned. "... No way!"

The two of them rejected the idea in unison, leaving Lu Wenqing puzzled. "Why not?!"

Tuanzhuyi stared at him, his gaze like that of a thief-catcher. "What makes you think you can share a room with my master? It'd be more appropriate for me to share a room with him! What are your intentions?!"

Lu Wenqing shot back, "Are you crazy? You're the one who seems to have ulterior motives! Acting all gayish all the time! What do you plan to do to Wei Xi?!"

Tuanzhuyi retorted, "Stop talking crap about being gay, you jerk!"

Lu Wenqing: "What now? You were just calling Mr. Shuo Zong 'husband'! Are you denying it?"

Tuan Jieyi: "..."

Frustrated and embarrassed, Tuan Jieyi clashed with Lu Wenqing, their eyes locked in a tense standoff.

The second disciple of Taicang Sect fell silent for a moment before taking the key offered by the staff and lifting the suitcase on the ground. He then looked down at Wei Xi and calmly said, "Let's go."

The room was on the sixth floor. The old elevator was narrow, and as they exited, Wei Xi noticed the second disciple glance up at the ceiling and ask the guide, "Is everything above empty?"

The staff member was taken aback. "How did you know? Those are our hotel's luxury suites, and indeed, no one is staying there."

Shuo Zong: "If there are empty suites, why did you tell us that there weren't enough rooms? There should be multiple rooms within a suite, right?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Xi also grew puzzled and looked at the staff member, who suddenly seemed reluctant to speak about the matter, his face turning pale. As if afraid of being pressed for information, he hurriedly led them to the room and left without delay, not willing to linger even for a moment.

Shuo Zong watched her hurry away in silence until he heard Wei Xi's voice. "What are you waiting for? Open the door."

Coming back to his senses, he glanced at Wei Xi and then fixed his gaze on the room ahead, Room 609.

Extending his arm, the access card beeped, unlocking the door. However, Shuo Zong stood rooted to the spot. He hesitated for a moment, thinking about the single room...

After a brief pause, he rationalized, It's not a big deal. It's just a room.

Then, Wei Xi's voice echoed from ahead as he pushed open the door, "Huh? Why is there only one bed?"

Shuo Zong: ".................................."

Stunned for a moment, he lifted his gaze to look around.

In the slightly cramped and dimly lit room ahead, there was astonishingly only a double bed.

On the bed rested a fake rose, casting a honeymoon-like warmth in the dim light.

Before his second disciple could react, Wei Xi made another discovery. He turned to a small area with a bathtub, his tone filled with surprise, "Huh? Why is this part transparent?"

To the right of the door, the frosted glass shower area was so transparent that one could clearly see the sink inside. Of course, the bathtub and shower stall were also visible. Since descending the mountain, this was the first time he had seen such decor.

Wei Xi was incredibly innocent, clearly having no lewd thoughts in his head, "It looks quite nice."

Shuo Zong started to feel the weight of the box in his hands: "..."