Chapter 61

Chapter 61

◎Catching Ghosts Bare-handed◎

In the hospital, Jia Qiuyu was still comforting his uncle and aunt: "That Taoist may be young, but he's incredibly powerful. Last time I was trapped in the basement of the White Building, he saved me. He will definitely have a way to save Yuanxu!"

The entire Jia family knew about Jia Qiuyu's ordeal in the White Building. How could they not know about something so significant? It was through this incident that they learned about the existence of the Management Bureau. That day, Jia Yuanxu's family accompanied Jia Qiuyu's parents to pick him up.

Jia Yuanxu's father looked at his nephew: "I never thought your previous antics might actually save your brother's life this time."

Ye Wenfang, her face puffy from crying, said: "What on earth did Yuanxu get himself into? We thought it was an accident, but it turns out someone is trying to harm him!"

Jia Yuanxu's manager sat to the side, his face pale and dazed. When Jia Yuanxu was wheeled out of the operating room, his family wanted to wipe his body, only to discover the ghostly handprint on his ankle. It felt as if the whole world had turned upside down.

As the family was shrouded in gloom, a shadowy figure floated into the room. Seeing that Jia Yuanxu's vital signs had stabilized, a hand slowly extended from the shadow, reaching for his neck.

As everyone in the room waited for the Taoist to arrive, Jia Qiuyu suddenly cried out.

He then jumped up and pulled out a custom-made pendant from around his neck, which contained a folded triangular talisman: "It's burning! It's so hot!"

Xia Lan, Jia Qiuyu's mother, quickly turned to her son: "What's going on?"

Jia Qiuyu held the pendant away from his skin with one hand: "I don't know, it suddenly became really hot."

At that moment, the monitor next to Jia Yuanxu began to beep. Ye Wenfang immediately rushed to her son: "Yuanxu! Yuanxu, don't scare me! Doctor!"

Jia Yuanxu's father suddenly had a thought. He snatched the pendant from Jia Qiuyu's neck and placed it on Jia Yuanxu. Immediately, those gathered around Jia Yuanxu felt a chilling breeze sweep through the room, and the beeping monitor gradually quieted down.

The doctor rushed in, checked the monitor, and examined Jia Yuanxu's eyes, but found nothing amiss.

He told the family not to crowd the patient, opened the window for ventilation, and after confirming that the patient's vital signs were stable, he left.

The people in the room exchanged uneasy glances. Ye Wenfang stayed by the bed, tightly holding her son's hand. The talisman was tucked under the blanket, and she clung to it as if it were her last lifeline. She tearfully glanced at her nephew: "Xiao Yu, when will that Taoist arrive? How much longer? Who on earth wants Yuanxu's life?"

Jia Qiuyu, trembling, pulled out his phone and stepped aside: "I'll ask, I'll ask right now!"

It was terrifying, absolutely terrifying. Just now, the talisman had burned, and his brother's monitor had alarmed. That meant the ghost who wanted his brother's life might still be in this room, watching them!

The thought scared him so much that he couldn't even type on his phone.

He wished he had bought more talismans earlier. Could this single talisman really hold off the vengeful ghost?

Ye Wenfang turned to her son's manager: "Tell me the truth, have you done anything immoral? Have you harmed anyone?"

Cheng Wan shook his head repeatedly: "No, absolutely not! Yuanxu comes from a well-off family, he doesn't lack money. He entered this industry because he loves it. He has never done anything to harm others for the sake of advancing his career!"

Unless Jia Yuanxu was some kind of time management master, hiding things from her and doing shady things behind her back, she was certain he had done nothing wrong.

Soon, the talisman seemed to lose its power. Ye Wenfang clearly felt it burning. She slightly opened the blanket and saw that the talisman inside the triangular pendant had turned to black ash.

Then, a gust of wind swept through the room. Xia Lan quickly went to pull Jia Qiuyu away. Her son had recently encountered a ghost, and his yang energy might not have fully recovered yet. While her nephew was important, she didn't want to risk her own son's safety.

Jia Qiuyu's father shielded his wife and son: "You two go out first!"

Before he could finish speaking, the door to the room slammed shut.

The malevolent ghost's intentions were clear—it wanted to trap them all inside.

Xia Lan rushed to the door, trying to open it, but no matter how hard she pulled, it wouldn't budge. She banged on the door, but the doctors, nurses, and patients outside seemed oblivious. She could even see people through the small window on the door, but no matter how much she shouted, no one outside responded.

Jia Yuanxu's father picked up the talisman that had burned to ashes and rushed to the door, hoping to stick it on the door to see if it would open. He thought that even though it had turned to ashes, there might still be some residual power.

Before he could reach the door, an invisible force sent him flying. The man, who weighed over 160 pounds, was lifted into the air and slammed against the wall near the window before crashing to the ground.

Ye Wenfang screamed, "Husband!"

She hurried over, but at that moment, the monitor started beeping.

Jia Yuanxu, lying on the hospital bed, seemed unable to breathe. Though unconscious, he instinctively began to struggle.

Ye Wenfang ran back to her son. She couldn't see anything on him, but she knew the ghost was trying to kill her son. She waved her hands, crying and begging, "Don't kill my son! If he's done anything wrong, take my life instead of his! I'll give you my life, just spare him! I'll give you my life!"

As Ji Nanxing got out of the car, he frowned at the dark clouds looming over the hospital.

Xiao Ye looked up with him, "What's going on? It doesn't look like rain."

The cloud-like formation seemed to hover only over the hospital.

Ji Nanxing took off his bracelet and began to chant softly, his fingers moving over each bead one by one. When he reached the last bead, he tossed the bracelet into the air. With a flick of his wrist, a talisman appeared in his palm. He quickly formed a hand seal, causing the talisman to ignite and burn brightly in the air.

The flames landed on the golden bell hanging from the end of the bracelet, causing it to sway and emit a series of clear, resonant chimes.

The female ghost attempting to strangle Jia Yuanxu was immediately suppressed by the sound of the bell, frozen in place.

Xiao Ye watched this scene, which defied all logic, as the bracelet floated in mid-air. Before he could express his amazement, Ji Nanxing grabbed the bracelet and said, "Let's go. A fierce ghost is killing someone."

The ghost's malevolent aura was the best guide. Ji Nanxing followed it easily and soon found Jia Yuanxu's hospital room.

As soon as he pushed the door open, a wail erupted, "Taoist, you're finally here! If you hadn't come, our whole family would have been doomed!"

Jia Qiuyu, shielded by his parents, almost rushed to hug Ji Nanxing's leg when he saw him enter.

Ji Nanxing glanced at the crying person. The fact that they could still cry meant they were full of vitality and wouldn't die. He turned to Xiao Ye, who had followed him, and said, "Close the door."

Xiao Ye immediately shut the door and stood guard by it. He couldn't see the ghost, and with so many people already in the room, he stayed by the door to avoid getting in Ji Nanxing's way.

Seeing the woman clinging to Jia Yuanxu, Ji Nanxing commanded, "Step back!"

Ye Wenfang instinctively obeyed and quickly moved aside.

Ji Nanxing saw the female ghost still gripping Jia Yuanxu's neck tightly. He stepped forward, grabbed the ghost's hair, and slammed her to the ground. "If you have a grievance with him, explain the cause and effect. If it's a justified revenge, I won't stop you. But if you're just being manipulated to do evil, you won't leave this room today."

Ghosts have no physical form; they are just a mass of ghostly energy. Normally, even a Taoist can't touch them, so most Taoists rely on talismans to deal with fierce ghosts.

Ji Nanxing was different; his body carried heavy yin energy, allowing him to directly interact with lingering ghosts. However, he usually avoided direct contact because it was very cold.

But now, with Xiao Ye to warm him, and since direct action was faster and more effective than using talismans, he immediately threw the fierce ghost to the ground.

The people in the room couldn't see the ghost, but they felt the tremor and the cold, oppressive aura that spread after Ji Nanxing's action. They quickly retreated to the corners.

After throwing the ghost to the ground, Ji Nanxing pulled out a stack of thunder talismans and tossed them into the air. He channeled his spiritual energy to form a thunder array, pinning the fierce ghost firmly to the ground.

Once he was sure the ghost couldn't escape, he walked over to the bed, holding the bracelet in one hand while chanting a calming spell. He then swept the bracelet over Jia Yuanxu's body.

Soon, Jia Yuanxu's breathing stabilized, but the marks of the ghost's hands began to appear visibly on his neck and ankle, especially on his neck, where the marks were horrifyingly clear.

Ye Wenfang covered her mouth, holding back tears. Her son had almost died—the ghost had been strangling him!

Ji Nanxing looked at the people in the room, "I've cleared the yin energy from his body, but the injuries from his fall are a medical matter. Whether he recovers depends on the doctors."

Ye Wenfang wiped away her tears: "Thank you, it's lucky you arrived in time, otherwise Yuanxu would have almost been gone."

Xiao Ye stood at the door, watching the talismans he had drawn float in mid-air, feeling quite proud. He thought to himself that he would draw more talismans for Naonao in the future, so that Naonao could catch ghosts with such extravagance, throwing out a whole stack of talismans whenever he was displeased!

Ji Nanxing turned to look at the female ghost on the ground: "Do you have any grievances to speak of?"

The female ghost glared fiercely at Ji Nanxing, even trying to gather ghostly energy to break free from the talismans suppressing her, but the power of the talismans rebounded, striking her repeatedly.

Ji Nanxing looked down at her: "If you continue to struggle, the power of these eight Heavenly Thunder Talismans will be enough to annihilate your soul."

The ghostly energy on the female ghost was gradually dispersed by the rebounding force, and the thick black malevolent energy slowly dissipated, revealing her true appearance.

Her hair was disheveled, and she was dressed in a summer-style short-sleeved long dress. She didn't look very old, probably in her thirties, with a somewhat pitiful appearance. Unfortunately, her resentment at being suppressed had distorted her once beautiful face, and the black malevolent energy surrounding her made her look like a true demon.

On the other side, Ye Wenfang, now assured that her son was temporarily safe, turned to Ji Nanxing: "Taoist, I want to know what grudge that ghost has against my son. If my son has wronged her, our family is willing to compensate. If not, then my child shouldn't have been hurt and nearly killed for no reason!"

Jia Yuanxu's father, who had been thrown aside by the ghost and hit hard, was still rubbing his waist as he stood: "Taoist, my child is in the entertainment industry. Could he have been targeted by someone, framed?"

Xiao Ye walked over from the door: "Please calm down, we will definitely get to the bottom of this. We are currently interrogating the ghost."

Ji Nanxing stared at the female ghost: "You don't want to talk?"

The female ghost's expression was resistant, completely uncooperative.

Ji Nanxing raised his hand, and the eight Heavenly Thunder Talismans, which had been softly floating in mid-air, instantly became rigid. They circled around his hand and then landed in eight different positions.

"One last chance. If there's a reasonable explanation, I might spare you."

The female ghost glared fiercely, wishing she could tear Ji Nanxing apart: "Get lost!"

Ji Nanxing thought to himself that she could speak after all, but she just refused to cooperate. Given the malevolent energy of someone who had killed, it wouldn't matter if he annihilated her soul right then and there.

But he had never liked being so ruthless. Even if she was guilty, it wasn't his place to judge. Once sent to the underworld, the underworld officials would handle her.

Seeing her refusal to cooperate, Ji Nanxing gently pressed his hand down, and the eight Heavenly Thunder Talismans were instantly activated. The combined power was so overwhelming that even a murderous ghost couldn't withstand it.

The female ghost writhed in agony on the ground, screaming in pain, her ghostly energy forcibly dispersed. The lights in the room flickered as if the connection was faulty, and a cold wind centered around the talismans blew in all directions, making it hard for everyone in the room to keep their eyes open.

The power of the talismans was overwhelming. The female ghost felt her ghostly energy fading away, and the loss of power made her think she was about to be annihilated. Consumed by resentment, she attempted to crawl towards the door, her eyes streaming with bloody tears, silently calling out the name Gang Sheng.

Her Gang Sheng, her beloved.

Seeing that the ghostly energy was almost completely dispersed, Ji Nanxing finally withdrew the talismans. He looked at the female ghost, whose soul was now unstable: "Do you think that just because you killed someone, it has no bearing on the person you wanted to protect? A person's fate is predetermined, and his destiny cannot bear great wealth and honor. You forced these things upon him, and when others died, he gained what should have belonged to them. What he gained will eventually backfire."

The female ghost turned to look at Ji Nanxing, shaking her head in panic: "No, it has nothing to do with him. I killed people, it was me, it has nothing to do with him."

Ji Nanxing: "You killed people, but he ate the cake. You forced a three-tier cake on someone who could only handle one bite. What do you think the result would be? Of course, he would be overwhelmed. His original fate was modest and uncomplicated, but at least he could live to a ripe old age. Because of you, he lost the lifespan he was supposed to have."

The female ghost crawled towards Ji Nanxing, trying to grab his clothes and beg: "No, it has nothing to do with him. He knew nothing, he knew nothing!"

"Damn it!"

The exclamation from the corner drew the attention of the others in the room who couldn't see the ghost. Jia Qiuyu's father tapped his head: "What's wrong with you? Can't you be quiet?"

Didn't you see they were dealing with a ghost over there?

Jia Qiuyu clung to his mother and father with both hands: "A ghost! I saw it! It's a female ghost!"

Jia Qiuyu's parents were stunned. How could he see it when everything appeared to be normal?

Jia Qiuyu's uncle hurriedly asked, "Can you make out the female ghost's face clearly? Is she someone we know?"

Relying on the presence of a powerful Taoist in the room and his parents by his side, Jia Qiuyu mustered the courage to peek and then shook his head, "I don't recognize her. Holy crap, I can actually see ghosts now!"

Xia Lan slapped her son on the forehead, "Watch your language!"

The female ghost still tried to pin all the blame on Ji Nanxing, but what good would that do? Ji Nanxing wasn't the one to decide guilt or innocence.

It was just a guess at first, but the female ghost's reaction confirmed it. The female ghost had killed people to eliminate obstacles for the celebrity, Gang Sheng. It was unclear whether Gang Sheng was truly unaware, genuinely innocent, or just pretending.

But Jia Yuanxu was clearly an innocent victim. Ji Nanxing didn't see any causal connection between Jia Yuanxu and the female ghost.

Ji Nanxing rang the golden bell and immediately captured the female ghost, whose ghostly aura had been dispersed.

In the corner, Jia Qiuyu was shocked again, "The ghost was just taken care of like that?"

Ji Nanxing looked at Jia Qiuyu, "Your family was caught up in an unfortunate disaster. There's no direct enmity with that female ghost. She has been captured by me, and I will handle the aftermath properly."

Xia Lan quickly added, "Master, could you take another look at my son? Why can he suddenly see ghosts?"

Ji Nanxing said, "He recently had a ghostly encounter, and this time he was overwhelmed by yin energy, so he can see them temporarily. But don't worry, once he recovers his yang energy, he won't be able to see them anymore."

Jia Qiuyu was eager, "So, Master, can I keep this ghost-seeing ability forever?"

Xia Lan couldn't help but slap her son on the back of the head again. Being able to see ghosts isn't a good thing!

Ji Nanxing, "No."

Jia Qiuyu's parents breathed a sigh of relief, thankfully not.

Jia Qiuyu sighed in disappointment, "Oh."

Xiao Ye took the dimmed cinnabar talismans in his hand, "Is everything taken care of?"

Ji Nanxing glanced at the person on the hospital bed and nodded, "The Jia family's situation is resolved."

As for Gang Sheng, with the female ghost captured, the benefits he gained from her would inevitably backfire.

Jia Qiuyu quickly typed a message on his phone and handed it to his uncle.

His uncle, Jia Yuanxu's father, glanced at it and walked over to Ji Nanxing, "Thank you, Master, for saving my son's life. Today's events unfolded so suddenly, and we were caught off guard. Tomorrow, my wife and I will definitely come to thank you in person."

Ye Wenfang stood beside her husband, bowing repeatedly in thanks. Fortunately, this young Taoist was capable, or her son might have really lost his life.

Ji Nanxing shook his head, "No need for thanks. Taking payment to resolve issues is a fair transaction."

He then looked at Jia Qiuyu, "I'll send you the payment details later."

Jia's father quickly added, "Master, I would like to request a few talismans. Could you provide some for my family?"

Ji Nanxing, "One protective talisman per person is sufficient. A standard peace talisman costs two thousand each and also serves to disperse lingering ghosts and issue warnings. The more potent thunder talisman costs twenty thousand each. Decide which one you want and contact him directly."

The 'him' naturally referred to Xiao Ye, who immediately stepped forward.

The Jia family wasn't short on money and naturally opted for the better choice, "We'll take the thunder talismans. Six of them, please."

Xiao Ye opened his bag and took out six thunder talismans. Ji Nanxing casually folded them into triangles for easy carrying and to prevent damage.

After resolving the Jia family's issue, Ji Nanxing and Xiao Ye left the hospital. Xiao Ye took Ji Nanxing's hand directly, "Are you cold?"

Ji Nanxing looked at him, somewhat surprised.

Xiao Ye smiled and said, "Wondering how I knew? Of course, I saw it. Although I couldn't see that female ghost, I saw you lift the female ghost off the bed and throw her out. I also noticed you slightly furrowing your brow and instinctively clenching your hand."

"I don't know much about this kind of thing, and I'm not sure if directly dealing with ghosts like that could harm you. When I saw you frown, I couldn't tell if it was from cold or pain. If it was pain, I might not be able to help, but if it was cold, I could still be of some use. So, was it cold or painful?"

Ji Nanxing: "Cold."

Hearing this, Xiao Ye breathed a sigh of relief and smiled again. He then unbuttoned his coat, pulled Ji Nanxing into a tight embrace, and wrapped him in his coat.

With one arm tightly around his waist over the clothes and the other hand caressing the back of his head, Xiao Ye wished he could envelop Ji Nanxing entirely with his own yang energy: "Good thing it's only cold. Let me hug you for a bit and warm you up."

The scent of Xiao Ye's fresh and clean presence filled Ji Nanxing's nostrils, and his entire body was enveloped in Xiao Ye's yang energy. The chill from touching the lingering ghost was instantly gone on this night where even breaths turned to white mist.

Ji Nanxing moved his hands a little. He had meant to push Xiao Ye away at first, but the warmth felt too comforting, much more so than just holding hands.

Or perhaps it wasn't just the warmth that felt good; maybe it was simply the embrace itself.

Since he was a child, Ji Nanxing had known to avoid physical contact with his family, even though they often reached out to touch his face or ruffle his hair, always trying to convey their love through physical gestures. Yet, every touch left him uneasy and guilty, never truly comfortable.

There had never been someone like Xiao Ye, whose embrace seemed to genuinely offer a moment of peace.

As Ji Nanxing moved, Xiao Ye tightened his hold and said, "If you're still cold, put your hands inside my clothes, against my back to get warm."

Ji Nanxing rested his chin on Xiao Ye's shoulder, his hands clutching the hem of Xiao Ye's coat: "My hands are really cold."

Xiao Ye chuckled, "Of course, I know how cold your hands are, like little ice blocks. Come on, put them inside my clothes, and they'll get warm. I'm ready."

Ji Nanxing: "Should I do it?"

Xiao Ye hummed in agreement, feeling his coat being pulled open and a pair of icy hands slipping inside. The cold made his face twist slightly as he hissed softly. After a second or two of the icy shock, Xiao Ye tutted: "Little ice block."

Ji Nanxing: "If I'm an ice block, then what are you?"

Xiao Ye: "Me? I'm a big heater, of course. If I weren't a big heater, how could I handle a little ice block like you?"

Whether it was because he had gotten used to the cold of Ji Nanxing's hands or because his own body heat had truly warmed him up, Xiao Ye sighed, "Next summer will be much better. With you being so cool, it'll be so comfortable."

Ji Nanxing: "This year isn't even over yet, and you're already thinking about next year. Who knows if we'll still be desk mates next semester."

Xiao Ye: "We definitely will be, we have to be. I'll go tell my brother that you can't live without me, crying and begging to be my desk mate."

Ji Nanxing pinched the flesh on Xiao Ye's lower back, causing him to yelp, "Ouch, that hurts!"

Author's note:

Three-sentence ghost story:

Late at night, someone knocks on your door.

You look through the peephole, but no one is outside.

At the doorstep, a pair of embroidered shoes lies quietly.