Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Wei Xi was exhausted to the point of feeling pain in his hands and legs. Lying on his disciple's arm, he breathed in the scent of his disciple, listening to the steady heartbeat by his ear, and only just remembered before drifting off to sleep that he had forgotten to take off the jade pendant from his chest.

Today, the pendant had been unusually calm. Normally, when it absorbed his disciple's yang energy, it would heat up painfully, but this time it was unexpectedly gentle. As Wei Xi pressed it against his skin, he sensed only a mild warmth. Occasionally, it seemed to rise in temperature, but then promptly fell back down, as if deliberately avoiding burning him. Thus, it was naturally overlooked.

However, it was just a jade pendant. Why did he subconsciously feel that it didn't want to burn him?

This thought flashed through his mind, but with the drowsiness settling in, it vanished in an instant.

In the middle of his sleep, Shuo Zong faintly heard irritating noises. A slight shift in his thoughts stirred, but before he could fully awaken, Wei Xi, lying so close to him, sensed the movement in his body.

A low grumble escaped Wei Xi's lips, disturbed from his peaceful slumber. The sound immediately ceased, leaving only silence.

Half-awake, Shuo Zong released the hand he had been holding with Wei Xi's. He patted the person in his arms, sensing nothing out of the ordinary. But then, his arm brushed against something warm. Instinctively, he reached out to touch it and realized that Wei Xi had forgotten to remove the jade pendant before going to sleep.

He lifted the pendant from Wei Xi's chest and examined it under the moonlight. He didn't notice anything unusual at first, but suddenly felt the temperature in his palm soaring!

At the same time, Wei Xi, now awakened by the disturbance, glanced over with bleary eyes. Probably realizing that the hand he had held before sleeping was no longer clasped, he instinctively grabbed hold of it again.

If there was a sound, it might have been the hiss of an inflated balloon being deflated.

Almost as soon as Wei Xi's palm reached out, the jade pendant returned to its normal temperature. The scorching heat was like a fleeting appearance of a blooming flower. Before Shuo Zong could ponder over it, his hand was claimed by Wei Xi. Though the man wasn't fully awake, his movements were abundant. His slender fingers wriggled between Shuo Zong's, insistently seeking a finger interlock with his apprentice.

Without thinking, Shuo Zong released his grip on the object and held onto him instead.

It was strange how someone with such high martial prowess like Wei Xi would always sleep in a curled-up position, as if seeking comfort and security.

At that moment, he instinctively grasped his disciple's hand, seemingly content as he fell back into a deep slumber, emitting gentle and quiet breaths.

Before Shuo Zong realized it, his gaze softened. He adjusted their positions, drawing Wei Xi back into his embrace, no longer paying attention to the peculiar jade pendant.

He had nothing to fear anyway. Besides, the sudden rise in temperature within his palm was so fleeting; perhaps it was just an illusion.

Forget it, it was unimportant anyway.

Sleep.

In the dead of night, the "unimportant" Taicang Sect Leader's Token, nestled closely against Wei Xi's skin, unwilling to cause any feverish warmth yet also wary of disturbing Shuo Zong and waking Wei Xi up, remained silent: "..............."

Lately, United Righteousness felt an impending doom looming over him, an inexplicable sense of danger that resembled an animal sensing its predator lurking around every corner.

He shared his intuition with his master, who merely glanced at his face and dismissed it with, "Nonsense."

His facial features might suggest some recent misfortune, but how could it be related to a life-threatening situation?

Next, he confided in his junior apprentice brother, who looked at him gravely and chuckled softly.

Feeling ignored and a chill running down his neck, as if a guillotine hung above his head ready to fall, United Righteousness couldn't help speculating, "Junior Apprentice Brother, do you think I might have offended someone? I consulted the book and calculated my fate – it indicates trouble from a petty person!"

Junior Apprentice Brother: "...Huhu."

United Righteousness: "? ?"

What did "huhu" mean? His junior apprentice brother was so unfriendly.

But his master was too preoccupied to bother with him. There were still statues requested by the devotees to be finalized, and on top of that, the boss had just called early in the morning to say that the small statues for Taicang Sect had cracked twice during firing.

The shop owner was deeply perplexed. "This shouldn't be happening. I've been in this business for decades, and I've never made a mistake with the firing process."

The owner specialized in crafting divine statues and had some understanding of supernatural matters, so he couldn't help but feel it was eerie. "Is something not quite right here?"

Wei Xi decided to take his apprentices to examine the situation on-site.

Upon entering the shop, they saw the owner staring at a table full of clay prototypes with a worried expression. When Wei Xi recognized the batch of clay prototypes, he was momentarily stunned.

The last image in his mind was Wei Dedao's serene sleeping face, so when he gave the order to the owner, he requested that the statue's eyes be closed.

The owner's craftsmanship surpassed his expectations. With just a subtle hint, the clay prototype truly captured the essence of Wei Dedao. The flowing robes, relaxed demeanor, closed eyes with a gentle smile— it seemed as if the statue would open its mouth to preach at any moment.

After observing for a while, Wei Xi approached the owner, who lamented, "This is the most challenging commission I've ever received. It cracked before even entering the kiln, and it still cracked after. All the other statues in the same batch were fine, but not a single one of your family's divine statues turned out whole. We used the same clay for all of them!"

Wei Xi nonchalantly stepped forward as the owner cautiously speculated, "It's too bizarre. Could it be that the deity itself doesn't want to be sculpted? What purpose do you intend to use this statue for?"

Wei Xi answered truthfully, "I've established a sect, and some believers wish to invite two small statues back for worship."

One hoped to alleviate constipation, and the other sought relief from athlete's foot.

The boss, however, was clueless and found it odd. "Isn't that great? With such thriving incense, why would the deity object?"

No sooner had he spoken when a clay arm from the nearest statue nearby wobbled and fell off.

Shuo Zong: "..."

Boss: "It seems they're really not pleased..."

Wei Xi, unfazed by the situation, approached and picked up the detached limb amidst the boss's fearful speculations. He examined it closely.

The break in the arm was clean and neat, as if it had been sliced off. This frightened Tuan Yi. "Mas... Master, might the Supreme Ruler truly not wish to be invited back by his believers?"

Wei Xi didn't think so. He replied casually, "How could that be? Your grandmaster has a heart for all living beings. Even when encountering an ant in the mountains, he wouldn't hesitate to preach and enlighten."

The broken-arm statue: "…"

As Wei Xi spoke, he forcefully pushed the arm back into the crack. The boss was about to warn that the clay wasn't sticky enough and had almost dried, but then Wei Xi released his grip, saying, "See? It was just coincidence."

The arm of the statue reattached seamlessly, as if it had never been severed. It pretended to be as good as new.

"Let's put them in the kiln," Wei Xi instructed the owner, then turned his attention back to the clay sculptures and leaned toward his silent second disciple.

The second disciple studied his unreadable face for a moment before tenderly running his hand through his hair. "Missing him?"

Wei Xi snatched away his hand. "How could I?"

That old coot, Wei Dedao, did nothing but eat and sleep every day.

He traced the disciple's slender, fair fingers with his own, gently caressing the scars on the back of his hand. The disciple reciprocated by holding his hand. Wei Xi paused, then replied with a hint of disdain after a moment, "If anything, just a tiny bit. After firing, we can place one in our sect for worship."

As the owner continued to pack up the clay sculptures, his expression became odd.

Accidents always seemed to occur during the firing process of these sculptures for Taicang Sect. Cracks would inexplicably appear after being placed in the kiln, or the sculptures would suddenly disintegrate without warning. Sometimes, even the slightest misjudgment while handling them could cause the once supple statues to shatter into pieces.

Just now, as he was packing, he accidentally dropped a deity statue onto the table. The table was narrow, and the dried sculpture tumbled towards the edge.

The owner had experienced such mishaps countless times, and he knew there was nothing he could do about it. He was still holding other statues, and any sudden movement could lead to disaster.

The deity statue rolled and rolled, inevitably reaching the edge of the table. However, a bizarre scene unfolded: the statue suddenly stopped rolling and began swaying back and forth at the brink.

It seemed to be engaged in a fierce inner struggle, rolling half a circle towards the safety of the table's center and then teetering precariously towards the abyss outside the table's edge.

Boss: "...."

Checking his watch, the boss realized it had been swaying for five minutes. Wouldn't even the strongest inertia have been shaken off by now? Would this deity jump or not?

*****

Wei Xi was preparing to organize a company gathering when he received the good news from the boss that the kiln firing had been a success.

Tai Cang Sect had been promoted by the Underworld Bureau, transforming from a private enterprise into a public institution with limitless potential. This was incredible news for a small start-up company still in its early stages.

Such wonderful news couldn't be kept from the employees. As it happened, the company had never held any group activities since its establishment. Proper team-building events could significantly enhance internal camaraderie. Thus, at the suggestion of General Manager Tuanyi of Tai Cang Sect, Chairman Wei Xi, in an unprecedented move, approved an outbound training trip.

Shuo Zong, the head of Tai Cang Sect's finance department, reacted with: "...."

The allocation of positions had unfolded like this:

On that day, after Wei Xi prompted his disciples to frame their certificates and hang them beside the business license in the living room, Wei Tianyi, still unsatisfied with dinner, strolled over with his hands behind his back, frowning as he glanced at the certificates.

At first glance at the certificate's festive red cover, he thought it was an award or that Wei Xi had obtained some technical certification. But on closer inspection, what the hell was this? It mentioned the Netherworld and demons and ghosts.

Wei Tianyi found it highly inauspicious. He frowned and said, "What is this? Take it down now!"

Tuan Jieyi explained that it was an accolade from the government for their company. From now on, Taicang Sect would no longer be an ordinary company but an official institution.

Wei Tianyi didn't believe a word of it. Instead, he felt that his eldest son and his favorite disciple were both insane. What the hell was this "Netherworld Office"? Only a brain-dead person could come up with such an idea. He sneered and asked, "Oh, so impressive. Have you joined the Communist Party? Or entered the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference? Which department does your company belong to? The Central Committee? The National People's Congress? The State Council?"

Wei Xi: "?"

Tuan Jieyi began to ponder, "Which one do we belong to?"

Shuo Zong: "...None."

Wei Tianyi wasn't fully satisfied, but since he had finally gained the upper hand, he was quite pleased with himself. He taunted, "I've been in business for years. I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice. Your little company is always up to some mystical nonsense, praying to gods and ghosts every day, not knowing what you're doing. You can't even clarify job positions, yet you call yourselves an official institution. Calling you a micro-enterprise would be flattering!"

As they say, there's always something to learn from others. Wei Xi frowned deeply upon hearing this.

Putting aside the series of intimidating institutions that Wei Tianyi had mentioned, his suggestion was actually quite insightful. Since the reconstruction of Taicang Sect, apart from Shen Shu, the human resources manager, whose position was officially recognized, no other management roles had been appointed.

Since the goal was to strengthen the sect, they couldn't treat it like a game anymore.

He held the company's organizational chart that Unity and Righteousness had found. As the sect leader, he would naturally be the chairman. Then, below that—

"What positions do you want?"

Unity and Righteousness was overjoyed. "Master! I want to be the general manager!"

Wei Xi said, "Alright, Que'er, what about you?"

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

Bearing the complicated gaze from Wei Tianyi, he couldn't resist Wei Xi's earnest expression. He tapped on the finance department option.

After witnessing the division of Tachang Sect's key departments with disbelief, Wei Tianyi was also appointed as the head of the reception department. He left in amazement, hands behind his back—should this company survive for two years without collapsing, he'd willingly kick his own brain out as a soccer ball.

*****

Thus, the first employee trip of Tachang Sect was organized under the call of the three elders.

When Uncle Shen heard about the certificate issued by the Netherworld Bureau to his company, he was overjoyed. Although the Netherworld Bureau couldn't influence the Tachang Sect's entry into the Political Consultative Conference, it was an absolute authority for ghosts like them. Compared to that, the appeal of entering the Political Consultative Conference seemed much less significant.

The local City God Office had even given the Tachang Sect some official positions! Official positions! Not only wayward spirits but even those who had reincarnated normally would have to take grueling exams to secure such posts. For the wandering souls, these positions were more than just a secure job in the mortal world. With work came income, and with an official position, one could count on steady earnings, along with prestigious jobs. In better positions, like in the local City God or Land Office, even low-ranking Soul Collectors could have additional, unofficial income due to their power over souls and handling complaints. They commanded respect from ordinary ghosts; who wouldn't treat them politely? More importantly, once they had an official position, they could enjoy preferential treatment in reincarnation!

If they ever decided not to be ghosts anymore, they could submit an application to the bureau. If their performance in their current job was outstanding, they might even be reborn as wealthy offspring in their next life!

Many people in the mortal world often said that these rich or politically connected second-generation offspring were good at choosing their birth. However, few humans knew that, apart from a few with great merits in their previous lives, most of these fortunate souls were monopolized by the registered staff of various City God Offices.

Uncle Shen, who had traveled far and wide and started from nothing, had heard plenty of gossip. There was a rumor that the beloved only grandson of a wealthy family in the capital was the reincarnation of a minor leader in the local City God Office. This leader had submitted an impressive application, having judged nearly a thousand cases in the Netherworld without a single miscarriage of justice. Shortly after his resignation, the wealthy family's only grandson was born.

Thinking about this, Uncle Shen couldn't help feeling pleased. With the allure of official positions, the ghost employees in his company might voluntarily work overtime like programmers in the mortal world, striving for regularization.

What a joyous occasion!

At once, the haunted house and detective agency announced temporary closures. Uncle Shen led hundreds of intern ghost employees, along with the elderly mediators, to prepare for their outing with great enthusiasm.

Wei Xi mentioned the employee trip to Qiu Guokai, mainly because the newly signed group of spirits could also be considered employees of the Tachang Sect. Since it was a team-building event for the employees, they shouldn't be excluded.

Qiu Guokai didn't have any objections. The spirits were new to the company and lacked resources, so they were all idle anyway. It wouldn't disrupt anything if they went out. However, the thought of Wei Xi bringing a group of monsters along with his human employees made him slightly worried. "Master Wei, is it a good idea to bring them along for the company retreat? They're not the same species. What if they scare your employees?"

Wei Xi replied, "No way, no way."

Qiu Guokai didn't dare to persuade him further. After hanging up the call, he could only give the additional warning to the Pig Demon and other spirits: when they went out to play, they must disguise their abnormalities well and not reveal them in front of the staff at Taicang Sect.

If they frightened someone to the point of calling the police, everyone would be doomed!

After being out for several days, the spirits all agreed that life outside the mountain was indeed more comfortable than inside. Moreover, they were well aware of the consequences if they were exposed, so they nodded cautiously in agreement.

Thirty minutes later.

The Pig Demon stood stiffly, with his siblings huddling fearfully by his side. Surrounding them was a group of terrifying substitutes, some with bloody faces, some with half their heads, and others with one eye hanging out.

The substitutes sized them up critically. "These are the colleagues from the branch office, right?"

"One of them is quite good-looking."

"I heard Manager Shen say they're all going to become stars."

"Oh, how I envy them. Before I died, I actually dreamed of entering showbiz too, but unfortunately, I wasn't good-looking enough..."

Boar Demon: "..."

A trembling Squirrel Demon nearby said, "Brother Pig, I'm scared."

The Boar Demon thought to himself, you're scared? I want to call the police.

*****

Wei Xi and his disciple chose several locations for the company's expansion, eventually settling on the Jingcheng Forest Zoo.

This zoo was very famous, with beautiful scenery, and it was a dream destination for many new employees of the talent agency branch. Most importantly, Wei Xi himself was very interested in it.

The only downside was that the zoo didn't operate at night, so the employees could only visit during the day. Although the Taicang Sect's special techniques allowed the ghostly employees to not fear the daylight, it was still a less than ideal experience for ghosts to be out and about in broad daylight.

But what could they do with so many ghosts? Besides, there really wasn't much to do in the capital at night. They couldn't possibly have seven hundred ghosts go clubbing together.

Fortunately, the day of departure was an overcast one, with the sun not too intense.

The ghostly employees in the company had been dead for as short as four years and as long as two centuries. It was their first time having the opportunity to go out and play as a group after death, and they were all incredibly excited. From the moment they gathered, they couldn't stop sharing the offerings they had brought for the picnic.

The spirits stood motionless on one side, surrounded by various objects...

"I brought white candles. Would you like to try them?"

"This is incense I saved from yesterday noon. It smells great, you should give it a sniff."

All responses were met with silence.

Over seven hundred ghosts standing together was quite a spectacular sight, even though ordinary humans couldn't see them. To Wei Xi, however, the scene appeared incredibly crowded.

It was the perfect time, bright despite the absence of the sun. Shen Shu suggested to Wei Xi, "Patriarch, why don't we take the subway? It's broad daylight, and it would be quite a hardship for them to float all the way to the zoo."

"Wei Xi": "The subway?"

He had never taken the subway before.

Unconsciously, he sought his two disciples' opinions. Unity, who came from Fengyang, had also never seen a subway. Only the silent second disciple of Taicang Sect, who had seen subways before, gazed ahead at the excited ghosts holding their offerings, "..."

Letting them all get on the subway together...

Wei Xi, not receiving a reply, turned to Shen Shu and said, "Then let's go."

On that day, during the daytime, the commuters on the Beijing subway felt that the air inside was unusually cold.

Rubbing their arms in complaint about the subway department's stinginess for not turning up the heating, Shuo Zong carried Wei Xi aside, watching in silence as a few unknown employees in the crowd commented on the living passengers around them—

"She has such slender legs."

"This outfit is nice. It's much more fashionable than what was popular when I died. I'll save up a few months' salary and ask Manager Shen to burn it for me later."

As soon as the subway doors opened, ghosts and humans swarmed inside, instantly filling the entire carriage. The commuters were much more comfortable now with the heating on; the crowded space made it feel hot, but after the ghosts squeezed in, the air became refreshingly cool.

The spirits remained composed, while those unaccustomed to the Beijing subway were stunned. Squeezed into the carriage, they yelled to avoid overlapping with humans, floating above their heads, "There's no more space!! Don't come in anymore!!"

The monsters, with their attractive appearances, wore hats and masks, keeping a distance from the main group, feeling deeply that their abnormal species should be considered part of the norm at this moment.

It was Wei Xi's first time on the subway, and he had already lost two disciples as soon as they boarded. People kept pushing him from behind, and someone stepped on his shoes, forcing him to be pushed to the other side of the carriage. The pressure from the crowd continued to push him relentlessly.

This was a situation that no martial arts master could handle. Wei Xi was completely overwhelmed and numb, pressed dumbfounded against the subway door.

Amidst the cacophony of complaints about the overcrowding, Wei Xi found himself squeezed immobile. After a while, he caught a glimpse of a familiar face from the corner of his eye: "Que'er!"

His second disciple was dressed in all black, tall and slender with an handsome countenance. Amidst the crowd, he stood out like a swan among chickens, attracting furtive glances from those around him. Unaffected, he pushed through the throngs with a composed expression, steadily making his way towards Wei Xi.

Stopping right in front of Wei Xi, he leaned against the railing, bending down to smooth out Wei Xi's tousled hair. "Are you alright?"

Shielding him from the pressing crowd with his back, a small pocket of space finally opened up around them.

Still recovering from the scare, Wei Xi exclaimed, "This is the subway? How can it fit so many people?!"

Looking down at him, the disciple smiled, seemingly amused by Wei Xi's rare vulnerability. "Most humans do lead hard lives... Feeling uncomfortable?"

Fixing his gaze on the disciple's uncommon smile, Wei Xi appeared somewhat dazed.

"If you're feeling uncomfortable, lean on me," the disciple said, his eyes still curved in a gentle smile. Releasing one arm, he took Wei Xi's hand and wrapped it around his waist. "Hold on tight."

Surrounded by people, as Wei Xi held onto his disciple's waist, he somehow got the illusion that their immediate vicinity was eerily quiet.

He gradually drew closer, his arms encircling the disciple, who widened his shoulders and leaned against him, gazing down at Wei Xi in silence.

Wei Xi lifted his head to meet his gaze, then his eyes drifted downward, fixating on the disciple's lips.

There was a slight urge to touch.

The disciple seemed to sense his desire intuitively, "Are you hungry?"

Wei Xi shook his head.

For some reason, the disciple's lips curled up again as he moved even closer, his hand sliding down to rest on Wei Xi's shoulder. He whispered, "Not here."

Their current position resembled an intimate embrace.

Wei Xi leaned into him and asked, "Then where can we?"

"Outside," the disciple replied, twirling a strand of Wei Xi's hair around his finger and rubbing it thoughtfully, "I'll satisfy you once we're out."

Wei Xi let out a lazy hum and remained nestled against him. The disciple, taking advantage of the situation, wrapped an arm around Wei Xi's waist to prevent him from being jostled.

Surrounded by a thousand paper cuts of distress, the office workers muttered, "........................................."

The carriage swayed, and Wei Xi leaned against his disciple. As they leaned, he overheard a conversation nearby: "Hey, did you know? I heard someone jumped in front of the train on this stretch of the subway last month. Someone on the forum said they encountered a ghost here while riding the subway last week."

"Wow, seriously? That scary? You can even meet ghosts on the subway?! How can anyone focus on their work properly?!"

Wei Xi: "......."

Fixing his gaze on the girl who spoke, he then silently turned his attention to his own employees, who were loudly complaining about the lack of seats in the corner of the carriage.

As the train passed through a tunnel, someone else cried out, "What's that?!"

Without thinking, Wei Xi turned his head and instantly caught sight of a blurry floating object outside the subway window. Despite the train's speed, it remained eerily close, causing the passengers to scream in alarm, "Aaaah! What is it?!"

Wei Xi narrowed his eyes, and at the same time, his disciple's voice echoed in his mind, "The one who committed suicide."

Many ghosts who had taken their own lives would linger at the site, each with their own motives. Some might be searching for a substitute, while others simply wanted to scare people.

Given that this ghost appeared during rush hour, it was likely the latter. Perhaps it had been overlooked in life, and now found solace in the attention and screams it provoked after death.

In terms of drawing attention, it was indeed a resounding success, as not only did the passengers in the train car see it, but also over seven hundred employees of Taicang Sect, hearing the cries, curiously swarmed over, stepping on each other's heads and climbing on shoulders: "Ghost?! Where's the ghost?!"

Wei Xi: "...."

Shuo Zong: "...."

The ghost outside the window was highly satisfied with the response from the office workers. Twisting its body, it attempted to reveal its mangled face, so it turned its bloodshot eyes to secretly peer into the train carriage.

Then, it found itself facing a multitude of grotesque counterparts inside.

Over seven hundred ghostly eyes stared at it, some with broken skulls and others with ripped open abdomens. In terms of eerie horror, both sides were on entirely different levels.

Track-Lying Ghost: "........................."

The Taicang Sect employees, having seen it, were somewhat disappointed and began to critique it critically:

"Well, that's it?"

"Sigh, it's just so-so. If I were there, I'd definitely scare people more."

"However, it was running so fast. What's the top speed of a subway train? Did anyone check?"

"It should be around 80 kilometers per hour."

"That's not too bad, I guess."

"It seems its waist is broken. Oh, poor thing, why would it choose to lie on the tracks? Jumping off a building was already embarrassing enough for me. Look at my dented head; it won't bounce back no matter how hard I hit it now."

"What's going on? Why isn't it moving? Hey, hey, hey! Where did it go?"

The ghost, feeling embarrassed, sped away: "………………………… Excuse me."

The employees of Taicang Sect didn't stop there and continued discussing if the ghost might have social anxiety, or else why would it run away upon seeing another ghost – that wouldn't help it make friends.

Office workers in the subway: "… Huh? It's gone again. Was I just hallucinating?"

Shuo Zong held Wei Xi close: "…………"

Wei Xi, leaning against Shuo Zong, fell silent for a moment: "… Group activities do seem rather enjoyable."