Chapter 62

Chapter 62

◎Xiao Ye: I Can't Accommodate Him◎

The female ghost was sealed inside the golden bell, but the murder case involving her still needed investigation. How many people she killed, whether Gang Sheng was truly innocent in all this, and what the relationship between the female ghost and Gang Sheng was—these matters are best left to professional interrogators.

Xiao Ye had never visited the Management Bureau before. Hearing that ordinary people could also enter, he cheerfully followed Ji Nanxing, acting as his personal heater.

Ji Nanxing reminded him: "Besides living people, the Management Bureau also has many lingering ghosts who haven't been reincarnated and are making a living in the mortal world. So don't wander off. You have strong yang energy, and if you accidentally bump into a lingering ghost, you might be fine, but they might not."

Hearing this, Xiao Ye immediately moved closer to Ji Nanxing: "I'll stick with you, I promise not to wander."

Seeing him almost glued to his back, Ji Nanxing sighed helplessly: "You don't need to stick so close."

Xiao Ye tugged at the corner of his clothes: "Yes, I do. It's my first time in a place like this, and I'm scared."

Ji Nanxing glanced back at him. If he didn't look so curious and wide-eyed while saying he was scared, his words might have been slightly more believable.

The Management Bureau was more lively at night than during the day, especially on the upper floors. Many lingering ghosts who had worked at the bureau for years floated by and greeted Ji Nanxing. But when they saw the person next to him, they exclaimed: "Such strong yang energy! Is this a new Taoist priest?"

Ji Nanxing: "No, he's a friend of mine."

Xiao Ye, seeing him talk to empty air, whispered: "Is there someone there?"

Ji Nanxing nodded: "Yes, a young man who died from overwork is speaking to me."

Xiao Ye whispered in amazement: "He died from overwork, and instead of reincarnating, he's still working at the Management Bureau?"

He must really love his job.

Ji Nanxing: "His family situation is tough. He has a young sister and a mother who has cerebral palsy. He couldn't let go, so it turned into an obsession. Because his obsession won't fade, he refuses to be reincarnated. Plus, he's quite capable at work, so he's allowed to work in logistics here, organizing case files. His salary is calculated based on mortal world standards and donated to his mother's hospital account, which helps ease the burden on his sister."

Xiao Ye had no idea that such things were possible after death. In that case, death didn't seem so terrifying after all.

Seeing his expression, Ji Nanxing could guess what he was thinking: "Death means the separation of yin and yang. Although he can occasionally visit his family, they can't see him. Those left behind are the ones who suffer the most. And having an obsession doesn't necessarily mean you'll become a ghost after death. Ghosts are still a rare minority in this world."

Xiao Ye smiled: "You keep emphasizing the separation of yin and yang. Are you afraid that after seeing too much of the ghost world, I might lose respect for life?"

Ji Nanxing nodded: "Some self-taught Taoists, after suddenly being exposed to a different world, become confused about the boundaries between yin and yang. They stop taking death seriously, thinking it's just another form of eternal life, and even believe that living is more exhausting than dying, so they end up committing suicide."

Xiao Ye: "And then?"

Ji Nanxing: "Those who commit suicide are punished after death. They don't become free spirits as they imagined. Instead, they are immediately taken to the underworld to be punished and wait in line for reincarnation."

Xiao Ye asked curiously: "Under what circumstances does someone become a self-taught Taoist?"

Ji Nanxing: "For example, encountering supernatural events that grant them the ability to control talismans, suddenly gaining the ability to see spirits, or due to their fate, they might attract strange occurrences that force them into this line of work to survive."

Self-taught Taoists often have great talent, sometimes even more so than those who have trained in Taoist temples or Buddhist monasteries since childhood. In the past, these self-taught Taoists had to figure things out on their own.

Now, with the state-backed Management Bureau, they have the opportunity to learn systematically, and their growth is rapid. Many of the registered Taoists at the bureau are self-taught, and they play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of yin and yang across regions.

As they talked, the elevator arrived at their floor. Ji Nanxing went straight to the area where lingering ghosts were handed over and placed the female ghost from the golden bell into a sealed porcelain jar: "This is the female ghost from Gang Sheng's side. She wanted to kill Jia Yuanxu. The Jia family asked me to handle it, so I captured her."

After handing the jar to the staff, Ji Nanxing asked: "I remember there was a task posted for Gang Sheng's haunting, and a Taoist took it. Why wasn't it handled, and why did it almost lead to another death?"

The receptionist at the handover desk knew Ji Nanxing, but they dealt with so many lingering ghosts daily that they couldn't keep track of everything. She logged into the system to check the information of the Taoist who had taken the task.

After reviewing the records, the receptionist said: "It was Wu Yang who took it."

Ji Nanxing said "oh" to show he understood, handed the porcelain jar to her, and said, "Then this matter is settled as far as I'm concerned."

After handing over the female ghost, Ji Nanxing left with Xiao Ye. Once they were out of the management bureau, Xiao Ye asked, "Who is that Wu Yang? Does he get any special treatment for taking on cases?"

Ji Nanxing replied, "He's not a bad guy, but... he's a bit of an enigma as a Taoist."

Xiao Ye opened the car door for him, and after the car started, he curiously asked, "What do you mean by enigma?"

Ji Nanxing explained, "Wu Yang is an orphan. His master was a Taoist priest who used to have a small Taoist temple. Later, the temple was demolished. His master originally wanted to join another temple, but then he encountered a haunted village. The ghosts in that village were very fierce, and due to the village's terrain and environment, his master almost died there. Although he eventually came out alive, he was infected with corpse toxin."

Drawing from his knowledge of movies, Xiao Ye asked, "Does he need glutinous rice to draw out the toxin?"

Ji Nanxing said, "Regular corpse toxin can be extracted using treated glutinous rice, but Wu Yang's master's condition was different. The toxin had penetrated his bones. To survive, he needed to soak in specially made herbal medicine and undergo regular blood transfusions. The bureau has a dedicated hospital, so there are places for treatment, but it's very expensive. Even with the bureau's healthcare subsidies, the cost of sustaining life is significant."

The driver, who was from Xiao Ye's family, glanced back curiously upon hearing their conversation. Xiao Ye laughed and diverted, "Brother Zhang, stop eavesdropping. We're having a private chat. Play some music."

Brother Zhang chuckled, "Private chat, huh? Fine, I'll stop listening in."

As music started playing in the car, Xiao Ye leaned closer to Ji Nanxing and asked, "And then?"

Ji Nanxing continued, "Then his master didn't want to burden Wu Yang and left, not joining any other temple. Later, Wu Yang found his master and took on cases desperately to pay for his master's treatment."

Supernatural events aren't that common, especially in wealthy households. They tend to pay more attention to feng shui and karma, often being more particular than ordinary people. So, while it's not unheard of for wealthy individuals to encounter ghosts and spend hundreds of thousands or even millions to resolve the issue, such cases are rare.

Most supernatural cases involve areas with too much yin energy or lingering ghosts unwilling to move on. If one encounters such a situation and resolves it casually, it's just accumulating yin merit. Ghosts can't give money to the living, or one can take on cases through the management bureau, but the pay isn't much. Tricky cases might pay thirty to fifty thousand, but most are just a few thousand for the effort.

Wu Yang was raised in a Taoist temple by his master and didn't excel academically. Finding a job outside wasn't as profitable as taking on tasks from the management bureau. This led Wu Yang to often take on multiple tasks at once, otherwise, he wouldn't earn much.

There's a limit to how many tasks one can take on at a time—no more than three. Wu Yang always maxed out his limit, naturally prioritizing the more urgent cases and leaving the less urgent ones for later.

It seems Wu Yang considered Gang Sheng's case not serious since the female ghost wasn't targeting Gang Sheng. Unlike Ji Nanxing, who has an innate spiritual sight and can easily see the ghost's malevolent aura, Wu Yang probably ranked this case lower, resulting in a delay of just a day or two, during which the female ghost almost killed again.

Xiao Ye sighed upon hearing this, "So he didn't intentionally neglect the task; he just didn't expect the female ghost to act so quickly. Naonao, if you hadn't caught the female ghost this time and she had killed someone, what would have happened to Wu Yang?"

Ji Nanxing replied, "He would face an investigation. If it was because he couldn't handle the ghost, he would be educated once to act within his capabilities. If he took on the case but didn't act promptly, leading to someone's death, he would be warned or reprimanded. Repeated offenses could lead to the revocation of his Taoist credentials."

Although Taoists don't necessarily have to stay with the management bureau, there's a saying that it's easier to enjoy the shade under a big tree. Most resources and information channels are in the hands of the management bureau, so many freelance Taoists work part-time there to earn some money.

If one relies solely on themselves, who knows where the ghosts are or who needs to spend money to avert disaster.

Every field has its pecking order. If you have the ability to reach the top of this circle, like his master, even if you leave the management bureau, you can still have people offering money to seek your help, so you don't need to rely on any organization.

But most Taoists don't have such strong abilities. To make a living, they have to rely on the big tree.

That's why Ji Nanxing said Wu Yang is hard to describe. He can understand Wu Yang's eagerness to earn money but doesn't quite agree with his methods. For example, in today's case, taking on a task but not handling it promptly could have cost Jia Yuanxu's life. Who would compensate for that?

Back at their neighborhood entrance, seeing Xiao Ye about to get out of the car, Ji Nanxing pressed him back into the seat, "Head back. Nothing else should come up today."

Xiao Ye said, "My clothes and school bag are still at your place."

Ji Nanxing replied, "I'll take them to school tomorrow. Remember to donate part of the money from selling the charms. Goodnight."

With that, he closed the car door and headed home.

Xiao Ye sighed, leaning against the car window. He had hoped to stay over at Ji Nanxing's place. After all, they had just dealt with a supernatural case together, even if he was just watching from the sidelines. It would've been fun to chat in bed about the case.

Meanwhile, Wu Yang, who had just caught his breath and was squatting by the roadside eating a big meal, received a call from the management bureau. Upon hearing that the task he had taken on had nearly resulted in a death due to his delayed action, his face turned pale.

The front desk staff who had just handed over the case to Ji Nanxing said, "This case was taken care of by the Taoist the Jia family hired. Although no one died, we can't ignore your responsibility. Wrap up what you're doing and make sure to come by the bureau."

After hanging up the phone, Wu Yang paused for a moment, quickly finished his meal, and then got up to head to the Administration Bureau.

The Jia family acted swiftly. Almost as soon as Ji Nanxing arrived at his home, he received a notification of a deposit—500,000 yuan. This was just his fee for his services; the payment for the talismans was given directly to Xiao Ye.

Ji Nanxing confirmed receipt with Jia Qiuyu and promptly donated the money.

These days, the charity world is pretty shady. To ensure that donations truly reach their intended recipients, the Ji family established a charity project in Ji Nanxing's name when he was very young.

The Ji family doesn’t trust other charity organizations much. Their charity work isn’t just for appearances—it’s to build merit and extend Ji Nanxing’s life, so they don’t trust others with it.

Their own project is audited annually, so Ji Nanxing trusts it completely. He almost always donates his earnings directly.

After transferring the funds, Xiao Ye immediately texted him, asking which charity organization was reliable.

Ji Nanxing sent him the donation details for the Ji family's charity.

Even at night, donations are logged right away. Seeing the donation account, the staff member remarked, "It's the young master again. I heard he has his own private business, and his donations are the largest every year."

They don’t know much about other charities, but as employees, they know every donation is tracked properly. As for their salaries, those are paid from the company's main account and aren’t taken from the charity funds.

Right after the staff member spoke, another 60,000 yuan donation came in. The account number was unfamiliar, but the donor's name was recognizable—it was their company's young master.

Once Xiao Ye confirmed half the money was donated, he opened the box of blank talisman paper and cinnabar. If donating money really brings good karma, he hoped it would go to Ji Nanxing. After all, Xiao Ye already has everything he needs. If he were to wish for anything, it would be for Ji Naonao's safety.

The next day at noon, after school, Ji Nanxing and Xiao Ye were walking to a small restaurant across from school when they heard a familiar "psst." Ji Nanxing stopped and turned around.

It was the same alley, and the same Xia Junyan, hiding at the entrance like a thief, trying to get his attention.

Ji Nanxing told Xiao Ye and the others, "Go ahead, I’ll catch up."

Xiao Ye turned around and saw the guy from last time, then waved to Zhang Yuan and Chen Shiyi, "You go ahead, we'll be right there."

He followed Ji Nanxing but stayed back, standing across the street to avoid interrupting but close enough to step in if necessary.

Wu Yang gave Xia Junyan a confused look. "Why are you sneaking around like a thief?"

Am I some kind of secretive figure?

Xia Junyan shook his head with a serious expression. "You wouldn't understand."

He only comes to see Ji Nanxing when he’s broke and needs to sell talismans. With Ji Nanxing’s looks, he’s always the center of attention at school. If they were seen doing business like this, it wouldn’t look good.

He doesn’t want people thinking he’s always hitting up Ji Nanxing for cash.

Ji Nanxing walked up to the two and stood still. Before he could speak, Wu Yang said directly, "Thank you for the Gang Sheng case. If it weren't for you, I would have been in big trouble."

Everyone has their own struggles. Ji Nanxing isn't short on money, but he understands the difficulty of being strapped for cash. He wouldn't stand there and criticize without understanding. They're all adults and know what they're doing.

So he just shook his head, "No need to thank me, it was just a coincidence. What will the Administration Bureau do about this?"

Wu Yang: "Fortunately, the aftermath was handled in time, so I only got a verbal scolding."

Ji Nanxing nodded and asked, "How's your master doing?"

Wu Yang smiled, "Same as always. Being able to spend money to keep him alive is already good enough."

Indeed, as long as he's still alive, it gives his loved ones something to hold onto. Ji Nanxing looked at them, "So, what brings you here today?"

If it was just to express gratitude, there was no need to make a special trip.

Wu Yang: "Although the female ghost has been captured, the case isn't closed yet. I came to ask if I should transfer the case to you since you've handled it."

The case was his, and after the follow-up investigation is completed and the case is fully closed, the case bonus will be transferred to him. But now that the female ghost was resolved by Ji Nanxing, it's better to transfer the case to Ji Nanxing for handling. He needs money, but not enough to steal someone else's credit for a few bucks.

Ji Nanxing said, "No need, I accepted the Jia family's commission, which doesn't conflict with your case. Handle it however you see fit. I've taken the Jia family's money and completed their task, so as far as I'm concerned, this matter is finished. The rest is on you to wrap up the case."

Xia Junyan put his hand on Wu Yang's shoulder: "See, I told you Xiao Nanxing wouldn't make a big deal out of this. You, don't come for such matters again in the future. This time it was lucky, someone from the Jia family had encountered a ghost and could contact me, and then I relayed it to Xiao Nanxing. Otherwise, if your master found out about this, the consequences would be unimaginable!"

After speaking, Xia Junyan chuckled and looked at Ji Nanxing: "Need any charms?"

Ji Nanxing looked at him: "How many you got?"

Xia Junyan made a victory sign, and Ji Nanxing was somewhat surprised: "Twenty? You've been busy."

Xia Junyan clicked his tongue: "Two! Twenty, I'd be drawing till I drop dead in a month! Want them or not!"

Now Ji Nanxing wasn't too impressed with just two charms. After all, this morning Xiao Ye had given him ten more, saying they were used up last night and replenished this morning.

But hey, two thunder charms are better than nothing, and Ji Nanxing reached out his hand.

Xia Junyan immediately took out two charms from his bag and placed them in Ji Nanxing's palm, then took out his phone and opened the payment code: "With the 1288 package, I can buy nine and still have 400 for two takeouts!"

Ji Nanxing transferred the money to him and put the charms in his pocket: "Anything else? If not, I'm off to grab some food."

Xia Junyan waved at him, and Wu Yang also said goodbye.

As Ji Nanxing turned around, he saw Xiao Ye waiting across the street, smiled at him, and walked over.

Wu Yang looked at Xia Junyan, who was eager to spend his 1288 package: "Just like that?"

Xia Junyan fiddled with his phone: "I'm not like you, you have a master to take care of, your master is your spiritual pillar. I'm alone, games are my spiritual pillar. For gacha pulls, I can live on bread and water!"

Wu Yang didn't get it but respected his choices.

When Ji Nanxing walked over, Xiao Ye put his arm around him: "I saw him give you charms, am I not enough for you?"

Ji Nanxing glanced at him: "Just two, he's broke so he came to sell me charms."

Xia Junyan snorted lightly, it seems he didn't give enough. In the future, he'd stockpile hundreds for Ji Naonao to use, see if he still cares about those two from others!

Wu Yang found Gang Sheng in the film set's makeup room. He took this case because he used to be a celebrity assistant and knew some people in this circle, had some connections, so it was easier to find someone on set.

After opening the door, before the agent could kick him out, Wu Yang showed his management bureau work ID and Taoist priest certificate: "Mr. Gang Sheng, we need your help with a few incidents under investigation."

The agent was stunned, but seeing his credentials weren't police, he looked confused: "Who are you? What's this about? Are you a cop? What department are you with?"

Wu Yang: "I'm not a cop, I'm a Taoist, but the bureau has law enforcement powers. Now I'm here to ask for your cooperation in the investigation. We can handle this quietly. If you don't cooperate, I'll have to report it and let the enforcement team take you in publicly."

The agent glanced at Gang Sheng, who was also somewhat confused, and couldn't help but ask: "What are you investigating, what do you need us to cooperate with?"

Wu Yang looked at Gang Sheng: "Is Zheng Yihang's car accident related to you?"

Zheng Yihang was the champion of the talent show. After the car accident, he was initially saved, although severely injured, he was still alive. But less than a month later, Zheng Yihang died, the cause of death was listed as complications from infection.

But the female ghost had the aura of having killed someone, so Zheng Yihang might have been like Jia Yuanxu this time, first severely injured, then chased to the hospital and killed.

Gang Sheng looked at Wu Yang in confusion: "How could his car accident be related to me? Who are you, this is so strange. If you're not a police officer, then please leave. If you need me to cooperate with any investigation, then please have someone with law enforcement authority come."

Wu Yang doesn't have the yin-yang eyes, nor does he have the natural spiritual eyes like Ji Nanxing. He can't see a person's aura, but over the years he has handled many cases. Even with an actor like Gang Sheng, that momentary flicker of expression was caught by him.

Upon hearing Gang Sheng's words, Wu Yang chuckled, "Do you think the police can't find anything, so you're fearless? It seems you're not innocent either. You must know Luo Ran, right? Don't tell me you don't know her. She's your mother. Although she died early, she has always been by your side, watching over you. You know that, don't you? You also know that she killed for you, right? Your apparent innocence is actually a silent complicity."

"I regret to inform you that a couple of days ago, your mother tried to clear the obstacles in front of you by killing again, and she has been captured by a Taoist. She will soon be forcibly sent to the afterlife. Your mother killed for you, and indeed, the evidence won't fall on you. You can deny it, but I want to tell you that she has been caught now, and your retribution is about to begin."

Gang Sheng's situation isn't entirely unsolvable. If he were truly innocent, he could avoid the retribution and disaster by giving away the wealth that his fate cannot bear.

He has already made a name for himself in the entertainment industry. Even if he starts to decline from now on, even a fallen star is still a star, and he won't end up in poverty.

But now, Wu Yang doesn't intend to help him resolve it. The law in the mortal world is based on evidence, and the law can't punish him, but the underworld operates on cause and effect. The retribution he has coming won't be avoided.