Chapter 11

Chapter 11

◎Family Without Blood Ties◎

At first, it was believed to be an accidental murder stemming from emotional or financial disputes, with the body buried conveniently at the construction site. However, it turned out to be a case of "living piling," a ritual where a person is buried alive to serve as a spiritual foundation for a building.

A pregnant woman, full-term, was subjected to the ritual of living piling.

Ji Nanxing looked at Xia Junyan: "You asked about the boss of Guangli, suspecting that the Ghost Baby went to him?"

Xia Junyan, while driving, replied: "I haven't found any trace of the Ghost Baby yet, but after discovering the Feng Shui issues at the White Building, I specifically went to stake out the place."

The purpose of the living piling was to break the accumulated Feng Shui curse in the area around the White Building, to revitalize the mall's energy and generate wealth.

People who would kill for money are unlikely to be small employees of the company or the contractors who rebuilt the White Building. After identifying this Feng Shui setup, Xia Junyan's first suspect was Meng Hongwei, the boss of Guangli Group.

Although they are considered to have public roles, they are not law enforcement agencies. They have some investigative authority, but without substantial evidence, they can't do much.

Therefore, without any evidence, they can't openly visit the boss of Guangli under the guise of investigation. They had to use the traditional method of staking out.

And sure enough, he caught something.

Xia Junyan: "The boss of Guangli is surrounded by a strong aura of yin energy. From a distance, my compass was spinning wildly, but I couldn't get close enough to inspect."

Ji Nanxing: "So, what do you need me for now?"

It's not like they can break into someone's house at night and go straight to their home.

Xia Junyan: "You can really help with this. Meng Hongwei lives in the same neighborhood as you, so I'm taking you home now. Please let me stay overnight."

The Ji family owns many properties, including an old estate in the mountains, but it's too far from the city center and usually uninhabited, only used during holidays for a few days as a vacation spot.

The older siblings also have their own large apartments closer to their workplaces, which serve as their private spaces, and they generally don't visit each other.

Then there's the villa in the Zhuangge Li neighborhood, located in the Ronghui Road area, where the land is extremely valuable. These standalone villas average about a thousand square meters, truly affordable only for the wealthy. Therefore, the security is exceptionally strict, with each household having their own security personnel and 24-hour surveillance.

Ji Nanxing spends his holidays at the villa in Zhuangge Li and occasionally at the large apartment in the city center, usually when he has tasks that require convenience. During normal school days with weekends off, he returns to Zhuangge Li, and if his older brother and sister have time, they also come back for family meals and catch-ups.

However, Ji Nanxing didn't know that the boss of Guangli lived in the same neighborhood. Zhuangge Li is a large community with about a hundred households, and Ji Nanxing doesn't go out much, so he naturally doesn't pay much attention to who his neighbors are.

The car drove all the way to Ronghui Road. Since it was an unfamiliar vehicle, it was thoroughly checked before entering the neighborhood. Fortunately, Ji Nanxing was in the passenger seat, and a quick look was all it took to let them through.

Once inside the neighborhood, Ji Nanxing turned on the navigation: "Just follow the directions."

Usually, if he takes a taxi back, he would switch to the neighborhood's shuttle at the entrance, so he doesn't have to find the building himself. Now that Xia Junyan is driving and hasn't been to his house before, without navigation, even Ji Nanxing would get lost in the neighborhood.

As the car drove in, Xia Junyan couldn't help but express his envy of the wealthy, genuinely asking: "Do you ever get lost in your own house?"

Ji Nanxing nodded: "Yes."

It's easier now that he's grown up, but as a child, he often got lost, walking until he was tired and then sleeping wherever he ended up, making his family search the whole house for him.

Following the navigation, they arrived at the front gate, which was already open. Xia Junyan drove in, circled around the large flower bed, and parked at the main entrance.

As soon as the car stopped, a middle-aged man who looked like a butler came over and opened the door for Ji Nanxing: "Master Ji."

Ji Nanxing smiled at him: "Uncle Luo, this is my friend, Mr. Xia. Please arrange a guest room for him."

Butler Luo smiled and replied: "Of course, Mr. Xia, please come in. Do you have any food allergies or special requests? I'll have someone prepare it in advance."

Xia Junyan quickly waved his hand: "No, I'm good with anything. Thank you for your trouble."

As Ji Nanxing walked into the house, he asked Butler Luo: "Uncle Luo, do you know which building the boss of Guangli Group lives in?"

Butler Luo replied: "He lives in Building 28, quite a distance from our house. Do you need something, Master Ji? If you need to contact Mr. Meng, I can go and arrange it first."

Ji Nanxing said: "No need. Has anything happened at his house recently?"

Butler Luo thought for a moment: "Are you asking about the White Building? The specifics of the White Building might be better known by your eldest brother."

After all, it's a matter of business relations. Even though they are not in the same business field, Yulan City is not that big, and any significant movement by such a large enterprise is hard to miss in the same circle.

Ji Nanxing shook his head: "I mean, has anything happened at his home?"

Butler Luo thought for a moment: "His child seems to have fallen ill a couple of days ago, was sent to the hospital, but was quickly brought back. Then, in the past two days, there have been many people coming and going at his house. Beyond that, I'm not sure. Should I inquire further?"

Ji Nanxing glanced at Xia Junyan and then said: "No need to inquire further, I was just curious. I'm hungry, let's go eat."

Although Ji Nanxing didn't announce his return in advance, the household usually prepares. As soon as his car entered the neighborhood, the security at the entrance had already informed them, and the chef had started cooking.

By the time Ji Nanxing and Xia Junyan washed their hands and sat down at the dining table, six dishes and a soup were steaming hot on the table.

Xia Junyan couldn't help but express his envy again: "Is this how the wealthy live? I won't say who's jealous."

Ji Nanxing: "You can let us know this afternoon what you'd like to eat. Since we came back unexpectedly at noon, we'll have to make do with what's prepared."

Looking at the table filled with chicken, duck, fish, meat, and fresh vegetables, Xia Junyan had an exaggerated expression: "And this is without any prior notice? If your family had prepared in advance, would it have been a full banquet?"

Comparing yourself to others can really be frustrating, especially when they are in the same profession. Looking at this luxurious mansion, with butlers and servants everywhere, and then at himself, braving the elements for a meager monthly income, the contrast is stark.

Even though he knew Ji Nanxing's family was wealthy, the actual experience was not as vivid. Now, feeling it so clearly, there's a sense of disconnection with his identity as a Taoist.

A young master of a modern wealthy family, yet a Taoist who deals with dark entities daily, there's an inexplicable blend of East and West.

Ji Nanxing doesn't feel the disconnection. He became a Taoist because he lacks a life span and needs to accumulate merits to survive. But his family's wealth is just a testament to his master's ability, who found him a golden rice bowl.

Born from a coffin, with an unknown father and a mother who passed away before his birth, he was brought to the Ji family with the umbilical cord still attached.

The first milk he drank was fed by Mrs. Ji herself, his first steps were supported by Mr. Ji, his diapers were changed by his older siblings, and his first ghost capture was guided by his senior brother. Every step of his growth was accompanied by the Ji family.

Despite the lack of blood ties, they are his family.

Although due to his fate, he can't directly call them parents, in Ji Nanxing's heart, his master is his father, Mr. Ji is also his father, the mother who died giving birth to him is his mother, and Mrs. Ji is also his mother.

Therefore, he never feels that enjoying the benefits of this relationship without blood ties is wrong. They treat him as their own child, and he naturally regards them as family.

After dinner, Ji Nanxing had Butler Luo bring a map of the neighborhood and handed it to Xia Junyan: "Take a look yourself, but I must remind you, almost every household here has 24-hour surveillance. If you get caught, don't say you know me."

Xia Junyan rolled his eyes: "Do you still want those twenty Thunder Talismans or not!"

Ji Nanxing: "That's a separate matter. You owe me that."

If it weren't for his heavy innate yin energy, making it impossible for him to form talismans, no matter how he tried, each attempt would result in a failure, he wouldn't be so 'controlled' by a few talismans.

His senior brother can draw them, but his talent is too mediocre, barely managing to draw some miscellaneous talismans, but powerful ones like the Thunder Talisman are beyond him.

His family is wealthy, Xia Junyan is in need of money, and Ji Nanxing is quite willing to support him at a high price, making him a private talisman repository.

Unfortunately, Xia Junyan is unwilling and insists on 'self-reliance.'

Realizing that Ji Nanxing wouldn’t help, Xia Junyan had no choice but to rely on himself. He wasn’t sure what the night had in store, so he decided to catch up on some sleep during the day.

Ji Nanxing really didn’t want to get mixed up in this. Since Xia Junyan had already taken on the platform’s task, Ji Nanxing naturally wouldn’t interfere. After giving Xia Junyan the lay of the land, he left him to figure it out on his own. After all, Xia Junyan was an adult; there was no need for a minor like Ji Nanxing to worry about him.

Ji Yunting, Ji Nanxing’s eldest brother, was tied up at work and didn’t get home until after 10 PM.

Ji Nanxing was chilling in the garden, munching on barbecue and watching a horror flick. The family chef was nearby, grilling up some fresh skewers for him.

Catching the familiar scent of home, Ji Yunting got out of his car, tossed his suit jacket to Butler Luo, and walked into the garden.

Ji Nanxing’s face lit up with a smile, his phoenix eyes crinkling in a way that could warm even the coldest heart: “Hey bro, you’re back.”

Even though his eldest brother and his senior brother were blood brothers, they looked nothing alike. The senior brother looked like their mom, while Ji Yunting was the spitting image of their dad. The senior brother was the handsome type, while Ji Yunting had that classic CEO swagger.

Right then, in his simple shirt and slacks, backlit as he strolled into the garden, Ji Yunting looked like he’d stepped straight out of a CEO romance novel.

Ji Yunting glanced around: “I thought you said you brought a friend home. Why are you out here eating by yourself?”

Ji Nanxing: “Just a colleague.”

At the word “colleague,” Ji Yunting caught on. He plopped down next to Ji Nanxing, skipped the skewers, and grabbed a glass from the butler, filling it halfway with juice: “This is about the White Building, isn’t it?”

Ji Nanxing had no secrets from his family. He laid out the whole story: “We don’t do business with the Mengs, do we?”

Ji Yunting: “We’re all about pharma R&D, with a side of everyday chemical products. We’re not even in the same ballpark as their industry.”

Ji Nanxing nodded: “Good. It’s better to steer clear of folks like that.”

Ji Yunting: “So the Ghost Baby you’re after could be Meng Hongwei’s kid?”

Ji Nanxing: “It’s not set in stone, but it’s looking likely. The White Building’s location gives off some serious bad vibes. During the reconstruction, the lion statue used to suppress the negative energy was damaged. That statue had probably been buried there for years. Once the suppression artifact was broken, the accumulated negative energy rebounded exponentially. That’s why the reconstruction of the White Building was so chaotic. To get the White Building operational without paying a huge price, the only solution was to use a living sacrifice to suppress the negative energy. Who else but the owner of the White Building would do such a thing?”

Ji Yunting: “If they didn’t use a living sacrifice, could the White Building’s predicament have been resolved at that time?”

Ji Nanxing nodded: “Yes, but the cost would have been significant. The entire layout would have needed to be altered. Not just the White Building, but the surrounding area as well. The road would have had to be widened by several meters, and the residential buildings on the north side would have had to be demolished to create a wide artificial lake or a flat open park. This would have allowed the negative energy to be released to the north, carried away by the constant flow of people and vehicles. Additionally, two more artifacts would have needed to be placed, one in the south and one in the north, to act as guardians. Only then could the mall have been peaceful.”

The artifacts weren’t the biggest issue, but the reconstruction of the northern residential buildings, which couldn’t be commercialized, would have been an enormous expense, all for the sake of the White Building’s land.

In comparison, using a living sacrifice to suppress the negative energy was practically cost-free for those business owners. Moreover, if the person used for the sacrifice had a deeper, more intimate connection with the beneficiary, the wealth and fortune brought by the sacrificial ritual would directly affect the individual, not just the mall.

What could create a close connection between someone with no blood relation? Naturally, it would be carrying their child. In other words, the true living sacrifice wasn’t Tan Shuyi, but the child in her womb that was destined never to be born.

Author’s note:

Three-sentence ghost story:

Late at night, an empty elevator.

You step inside.

Beep—the elevator is overloaded.