Chapter 46

Chapter 46

◎Soul Departure to Rescue a Ghost◎

At the crack of dawn, upon hearing the Young Celestial Master getting up, Xie Paner breezed in eagerly. Seeing the person sitting by the bed, still groggy, she deliberately circled in front of him: "Do I look any different?"

Ji Nanxing glanced up and noticed that the ghostly aura around her had diminished slightly, and her complexion looked more lifelike. He then asked, "How are you feeling?"

Xie Paner thought carefully: "I feel more solid. What's going on? Is it because of the life-borrowing ritual yesterday? I feel like my ghostly aura has lessened, as if something has been siphoned off from me."

The ghostly aura is what sustains her existence, equivalent to a ghost's life force. After all, if the ghostly aura dissipates completely, she would cease to exist. However, because her complexion looked so good, almost like the rosy hue of a living person, she couldn't help but admire her own beauty.

The last time she looked this rosy was when the Young Celestial Master had someone do her makeup and add filters. So, even though her ghostly aura had weakened a bit, seeing herself looking so beautiful, Xie Paner didn't mind the borrowed ghostly aura.

As she continued to preen in front of the mirror, Ji Nanxing got out of bed to wash up and brush his teeth.

Xie Paner kept chattering beside him: "I'm so curious about how that person is doing now. Young Celestial Master, do you have a way to find out who that person is?"

"Young Celestial Master, could you burn some lipstick for me? I think my lips are a bit pale. I've hardly ever worn lipstick in my life."

"Could you burn some more clothes for me? I only have these two sets of clothes to wear. I want some pretty dresses."

Ji Nanxing stood at the bathroom door: "Out you go."

Xie Paner pouted, her excited expression instantly drooping: "Oh." Then she obediently floated out.

Ji Nanxing thought he should hang a talisman in his bedroom; this girl had no sense of propriety.

Seeing the Young Celestial Master come out in his school uniform, Xie Paner floated over again: "Do you think if a few more people borrow life from me, I could be revived?"

Ji Nanxing, while packing his schoolbag, said, "How much ghostly aura do you have left to spare?"

Xie Paner hummed, then persisted: "Can we really not find out how that person is doing now?"

Ji Nanxing reached out and pulled a strand of ghostly aura from her, wrapped it around his prayer beads, and then sent it back to Xie Paner: "You should be able to feel something now."

Xie Paner felt it, and it was quite mystical. She instantly seemed to know where to find that person.

After sending away the pesky ghost, Ji Nanxing hoisted his schoolbag onto his shoulder and went downstairs. As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, he saw Xiao Ye standing at the entrance of his building.

Xiao Ye, who had been idly kicking stones, turned around and saw the person he was waiting for. A smile instinctively spread across his face. The early autumn morning sun cast a soft, bright light on Xiao Ye, making his good looks even more striking.

Xiao Ye walked up and naturally took Ji Nanxing's schoolbag: "Have you had breakfast?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head. Xiao Ye slung an arm over his shoulder: "I haven't eaten either. I haven't tried the breakfast around here. What's good?"

Ji Nanxing let him keep his arm there, squinting to adjust to the sunlight, then asked, "Why are you here?"

Xiao Ye: "To go to school."

Ji Nanxing: "Why didn't you head straight to class?"

Xiao Ye, with one schoolbag slung over his shoulder and another in his hand, smiled: "The weather's nice today. I went for a morning run and figured it was still early, so I came to wait for you to have breakfast together. What's wrong? I won so many stuffed animals for you last night, and now you won't even have breakfast with me?"

Ji Nanxing, as usual, ignored his self-proclaimed "big brother" talk and headed straight out of the neighborhood.

The two growing teenagers ate quite a bit: a bowl of fish paste noodles, a serving of steamed buns, a cup of egg wine, and a bag of small fried dough sticks.

Watching Xiao Ye, who seemed still hungry after all that and bought a grilled sausage, Ji Nanxing remarked, "You sure can eat."

Xiao Ye handed a grilled sausage to Ji Nanxing, who shook his head. He doesn't like overly greasy food once he's full. Xiao Ye, with the sausage in his mouth, scanned the code to pay: "After exercising this morning, my appetite is especially good. Do you want anything else?"

"No, thanks."

Xiao Ye: "Let's head back to the classroom. I haven't finished my math homework yet." He had planned to do it last night, but ended up going to find the little kid, so he had to rush it this morning.

Seeing him still taking his time and not in a hurry, Ji Nanxing said: "There are only five minutes left before class, and the first period is math."

Xiao Ye suddenly exclaimed, "Crap!" He had thought the first period was Chinese, hence his leisurely pace. He hadn't realized he misread the timetable. Since Ji Nanxing's health wasn't good for running, he grabbed his backpack and ran towards the classroom: "You take your time, I'll go ahead!"

When Ji Nanxing entered the classroom, he saw Xiao Ye hurriedly finishing his homework while saying, "Don't buy into that stuff, feudal superstitions are just nonsense!"

Ji Nanxing walked back to his seat: "What feudal superstitions?"

The group leader who was collecting the homework somehow got into a conversation with them. He was about to leave but, hearing Ji Nanxing's question, sat back down and recounted last night's strange encounter: "Last night, my brother had appendicitis. While waiting for the results in the ER, I heard people arguing. It seemed like a man was terminally ill and didn't have much time left, but he didn't want to die, so he turned to superstition, like tossing money on the roadside, believing whoever picked it up would take his illness. They threw the money during the day, and by night, he was vomiting blood and ended up in the hospital."

Xiao Ye covered Ji Nanxing's ears: "Don't pay attention to such feudal superstitions. That man was already terminally ill, vomiting blood is normal. You can't connect everything to mystical nonsense."

He remembered his deskmate was a little superstitious, believing that contact with certain people could cause bad luck. He didn't know who put such ideas in his head, but if he ever met such a charlatan, he'd beat him to a pulp!

A classmate across the aisle said: "But some things really can't be dismissed. My mom said when she was young, there was someone in their village who was always sick. It wasn't an incurable disease, just constant minor illnesses. Later, he put his birth date in a red envelope and tossed it on the roadside, saying if someone took it, his health would improve. And after that, he really got better."

The group leader, Han Zhen, curious about what happened next, jumped back into the lively discussion again.

Ji Nanxing lowered his eyes, thinking he would have to find out the rest from Xie Paner, but unexpectedly, his classmates coincidentally brought it up. He pulled Xiao Ye's hand away from his ears and looked at the large blank spaces in his homework: "Aren't you going to finish? The first bell's already rung."

Only then did Xiao Ye remember his homework. With no time left, he skipped all the steps, just wrote the answers, and handed it to the group leader collecting the homework.

The chat ended, and the classmates dispersed to their own tasks. Xiao Ye was still trying to brainwash his deskmate: "These things are all nonsense. If it were that miraculous, people would just throw money when they're sick, and there wouldn't be so many deaths. Such stories are just for fun."

Ji Nanxing nodded: "Yes, all feudal superstitions, not to be believed."

A staunch atheist also represents a strong will. As long as the will is strong enough, one can be impervious to ghosts and gods. After all, ghosts generally cannot touch the living, but they can scare people to disperse their yang energy. When the yang energy of the living weakens, those ghosts and gods can get closer.

So someone like Xiao Ye, who firmly doesn't believe, with a strong enough will, won't be frightened.

Seeing him so obedient, Xiao Ye took out a box of candies from his desk, picked a sour lemon flavor, and handed it to Ji Nanxing: "Good boy, this is your reward."

Ji Nanxing glanced at the box: "I want the strawberry one."

Xiao Ye chuckled: "You're picky now."

Though he complained, his hands honestly picked out a strawberry one for him.

The weather was nice today, sunny and bright, which was tough for Xie Paner. She tried her best to avoid the sunlight and finally found the hospital based on that faint sense.

Since Yu Hai was terminally ill, his family had somewhat given up on treatment. After a brief emergency treatment last night, his vital signs stabilized, and he was directly moved to a general ward, not even entering the ICU. Staying there for a day would cost over ten thousand, which their family could no longer afford.

Yu Hai's mother sat by his hospital bed, wiping tears, while his father went in and out, fetching hot water to clean his son's body. There were still traces of blood from last night's vomiting on his face and ears, making it hard to look at.

Xie Paner floated nearby, staring at Yu Hai for a while. Just as she felt a pang of pity for this unfortunate man, she heard his mother say: "No! I must go back and find my old sister. She will have a solution. She said our son's borrowed life money was picked up by a ghost. If we can get the money back, our son won't die!"

Yu Hai's father had resigned to fate. This was his only son, and he was more reluctant than anyone to let him go. But fighting for a few more months would only mean a few more months of suffering. The pain from liver cancer is unbearable, even painkillers can't stop it.

Seeing his wife unwilling to let go, he tearfully advised: "Let him go. You can't bear it, but look at our son's condition. Seeing him suffer like this, can you bear it? At least we still have a grandson, there's still hope for the future. Don't torment yourself anymore."

Yu Hai's mother stood up angrily: "What do you mean by tormenting myself? He's my son! Have you thought about it? The money was picked up by a ghost, and our son ended up like this. Doesn't that mean the borrowed life money works? We can try again. This time, I'll watch, I'll see who picks it up. I must go find my sister, preferably have her come and find the ghost that took our son's life and deal with it!"

Hearing this, Xie Paner was instantly furious. The slight pity she had felt vanished. She was about to scare them like she did with her mother, perhaps breaking a water cup on their table or flipping something to create a disturbance. But soon, Xie Paner had a new idea.

"Borrowing life, huh? Every time you borrow, she picks it up. Let's see how many lives your son has left for her to snatch!"

"You didn't hear how outrageous that old woman was. She even wanted to find someone to exorcise me! As if someone in her family could communicate with the spirit world."

Xie Paner spent a day at the hospital where her parents were staying. Her mother had already been discharged, but her father and younger brother were still in the hospital. However, both her father and brother had woken up, so she had some free time and went to scare them again.

Seeing them pale and on their knees, begging for mercy, she felt a deep satisfaction and went home to report her day's activities to the Young Celestial Master.

Ji Nanxing: "Are you planning to watch and see when they'll go to throw away the borrowed life again?"

Xie Paner nodded: "We can't let them hurt others again."

Ji Nanxing: "Then you don't need to keep watch. Some things can be done once, but not repeated. Once it's done, there will be immediate backlash. Moreover, that person is already close to death. No matter how much they try to borrow, it won't make a difference."

Xie Paner leaned on the coffee table, looking at him: "So, does his death have anything to do with me? After all, he borrowed my life."

Ji Nanxing smiled: "Scared?"

Xie Paner made a small gesture with her little finger: "A bit. What if I end up owing a life debt? It would be excruciating if my soul were to scatter."

Ji Nanxing: "It's related, but also not. He was the one who initiated it, actively borrowing your life. You were passively accepting it. So while there's a link, the karma isn't on you."

Xie Paner patted her chest: "That's a relief."

Seeing that he was actually doing his own homework, Xie Paner belatedly realized that her job had been taken: "Hey hey hey! Why are you doing your own homework? What am I supposed to do if you're doing it?!"

Her incense, her meals, and her cute dresses all depended on this job.

Ji Nanxing was shoved aside by Xie Paner, who looked like she was afraid of losing her job.

Watching her clutch the pen and guard the notebook, her look screamed 'back off, this is mine!' Ji Nanxing didn't argue and got up to go to the kitchen to pour a glass of juice.

Reclaiming the coffee table, Xie Paner rolled up her sleeves and sighed: "Holding onto a job these days is tough. Even ghosts have to hustle now."

Ji Nanxing leaned against the kitchen counter with his juice, watching her scribble furiously, afraid of losing her job. He let out a soft chuckle. Afraid of pain yet clinging to life, both humans and ghosts are equally complex.

Yu Hai's hometown was close to Yulan City. It was just a two-hour high-speed train ride. Yu Hai's aunt, after receiving her sister's call, decided to come and see, whether to see the ghost who picked up the money or to see Yu Hai. After all, Yu Hai's life was hanging by a thread, and as his aunt, she would have to attend his funeral.

As soon as she saw her older sister, Yu Hai's mother burst into tears: "Sister! He's my only son, your only nephew. Please save him. Xiangxiang is still so young. What will happen to him if he loses his father?"

Liu Sujuan wasn't swayed by her sister's tears. Born with a destined fate, her familial ties were thin. In her early years, even her parents dared not get too close to her. If she hadn't figured things out and perhaps was destined to eat this bowl of rice, she might have starved to death.

It was only in recent years, when the crackdown on feudal superstitions wasn't as severe, and because she knew some yin-yang arts, that the villagers feared but also respected her, allowing her to have a place to settle down.

She came this time only because they were her only family, but that didn't mean she would do anything for them.

Hearing her sister's tearful pleas, Liu Sujuan responded bluntly: "I only have some knowledge of communicating with spirits. I'm not a god. I can't decide life and death. If I had that ability, why wouldn't I make myself immortal?"

Yu Hai's mother's sobs choked: "Then can you catch the ghost who picked up the money and return the borrowed life to Xiao Hai?"

Liu Sujuan sighed: "Let's go to the hospital first."

Yu Hai's condition was quite bad. Even with a ventilator, he couldn't breathe on his own. The hospital had said that since they had decided to give up, they should take him home. There was no need to wait for death in the hospital.

But Yu Hai's mother refused to give up. Her son could have lived for several more months, and now he was gone. How could she bear it? So she insisted on not leaving the hospital, demanding that her sister come to see if there was any way to save him.

When Liu Sujuan saw Yu Hai on the hospital bed, she finally shook her head: "It's no use. When you wrote down his birth date and time, and when the ghost picked it up, a contract was formed. This is a transaction agreed upon by both parties. Let him go."

Yu Hai's mother grabbed Liu Sujuan's hand: "What if we kill the ghost? He's already a ghost. He shouldn't be in the human world. Sister, please solve that ghost and return my son's life. Please, sister, I beg you. That's Xiao Hai, who you watched grow up. Please, sister, I beg you. He's my son. I'll give my life for him. Please help me, help me again!"

Unfortunately, no matter how much Yu Hai's mother cried and begged, what was impossible remained impossible.

Just as she was about to offer some more words of comfort, Liu Sujuan sensed a trace of ghostly aura approaching. Hospitals are places of life and death, so it's normal for there to be ghostly auras here. However, she noticed that this ghostly aura was identical to the one currently surrounding Yu Hai, and she immediately knew the ghost who had taken Yu Hai's borrowed lifespan was nearby.

Liu Sujuan's face hardened in an instant. She wouldn't actively seek out the ghost for Yu Hai's sake, but if the ghost was already nearby, she wanted to see if there was still a chance to resolve this matter.

Chasing Xie Paner out of the hospital, Liu Sujuan scattered the Yin Rice in her hand. The Yin Rice, which repels lingering ghosts, splattered onto Xie Paner, the pain forcing her to reveal her true form.

In the dark alley where the sun couldn't reach, Yin Rice was scattered all over the ground. Xie Paner, clutching the spot where she had been hit by the Yin Rice, looked at Liu Sujuan and said, "Listen, I’m no ordinary ghost! If you dare to capture me, my Young Celestial Master won't let you off!"

Seeing that Xie Paner's ghostly aura wasn't strong and that her complexion was rosy, clearly indicating that she had taken lifespan from a living person, Liu Sujuan directly asked, "Did you pick up the borrowed lifespan?"

Xie Paner stared at her intently, afraid that she might attack again, but in her heart, she wished there was a way to contact the living world. She had no idea how to call for help from the Young Celestial Master, hoping that the bell mark he had placed on her would actually work.

Seeing that she remained silent, Liu Sujuan said, "The matter of the borrowed lifespan was my nephew's momentary lapse of judgment. It was his fault, but he was supposed to have a few more months of life. Because you took the money from the borrowed lifespan, the ghostly aura that came with it affected his remaining lifespan, and now he doesn't have much time left. If he dies, you will also be burdened with the karmic sin. If this matter can be resolved, I hope we can come to a peaceful agreement."

Xie Paner snorted coldly. Karmic sin? If not for the Young Celestial Master’s advice, she might’ve fallen for this. But now, she was outmatched and trapped by a few grains of Yin Rice, so she had no choice but to go along with it: "What do you want to do?"

Seeing that Xie Paner wasn't a ghost who had lost her reason, Liu Sujuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "What do you want? I can do whatever is within my power for you, as long as you give me the birth date you picked up."

Xie Paner asked, "What happens after I give it to you?"

Liu Sujuan replied, "Naturally, the lifespan will be returned, and the ghostly aura will be restored. You picked up the money just for wealth, right? I can burn gold and silver ingots, paper money, and incense for you. If there's anything else you want, I'll try my best to satisfy you."

Xie Paner looked at her and said, "What if I don't return it?"

Liu Sujuan hadn't expected the matter to be resolved just by talking. She didn't intend to destroy the female ghost, but without subduing her, it would be difficult to resolve the issue. So she directly took out some purified water and said, "You’d better back off while you can. I'm speaking kindly to you because you don't have any evil aura and aren't a malevolent ghost. Otherwise, lingering ghosts don’t belong in the mortal world, and I could just send you away directly."

Xie Paner didn't want to confront her head-on, so she said, "That piece of paper has already been burned."

Liu Sujuan didn't believe her and thought she was just making excuses. She didn’t waste any more time and directly sprinkled the purified water.

Xie Paner had never encountered a Taoist other than Ji Nanxing, and Ji Nanxing had never attacked her before, so she didn't know the tricks of the Taoist trade. When she saw the water being sprinkled, she tried to bolt, but her feet were rooted to the spot, preventing her from moving. She instinctively closed her eyes and turned her head, waiting to be hit.

But to her surprise, when the water landed on her, a Golden Bell Mark appeared on her forehead, and the water was completely repelled, not a single drop landing on her.

Seeing this, Xie Paner stood taller, her confidence surging: "I told you I'm not some wandering ghost! Your nephew's borrowed lifespan was his own doing, no one forced him. If someone else had picked up that money and borrowed a life, would you return that person's life? Why should I return it just because I picked it up? You think I’m some pushover?"

At school, Ji Nanxing, who was in class, felt the Golden Bell Mark activate and frowned slightly.

He had only placed the Golden Bell Mark on Xie Paner, and now that it had activated, it meant that Xie Paner was either out of control and hurting someone or being hurt herself. He sensed the distance between himself and Xie Paner. If he asked for leave and rushed over now, whether she was hurting someone or being hurt, her soul would be long gone by then.

Ji Nanxing had no choice but to look up at the teacher who was currently lecturing and then turned to Xiao Ye beside him: "I’m exhausted, gonna catch some sleep. If the teacher asks, just say I'm not feeling well."

Xiao Ye quickly asked, "Are you okay? Are you really not feeling well? If you're not feeling well, don't push yourself."

Ji Nanxing shook his head: "No, I just didn't sleep well and I'm tired. I'll take a nap, let me be."

After saying that, he lay down on the desk. After a while, making sure that Xiao Ye had just draped a coat over him and wasn't talking to him anymore, Ji Nanxing finally let his spirit slip free from his body.