Chapter 63

Chapter 63

◎The Price of Getting What You Wish For◎

Once Wu Yang finished speaking, he turned and left. He had only come to check if Gang Sheng was innocent, and now it seemed he was not. Now, he just needed to investigate how many people the female ghost had killed for Gang Sheng and then close the case.

After the mysterious man left, the agent looked at Gang Sheng with a scrutinizing gaze: "Be honest with me—does what that guy just said have anything to do with you?"

This industry is no stranger to shady practices. To get ahead, some even resort to raising little ghosts, though most of it is ineffective. Real supernatural powers aren’t something you can just wish into existence; many do it just for psychological comfort.

So when the agent heard what the so-called Taoist had said, his first reaction wasn’t to dismiss it as nonsense but to suspect whether Gang Sheng had indeed done something.

Gang Sheng instinctively shook his head, confused: "How could that have anything to do with me? My mom has been gone for so many years. Even when she was alive, she was just a regular person, even beaten to death by my father. Even if she became a ghost and looked out for me after death, how could she dare to kill anyone?"

Gang Sheng took out his phone and showed the agent a photo of his mother, the only photo he had with her. The woman in the photo looked innocent and beautiful, holding a five or six-year-old him with a gentle smile.

"Look, this is my mom. She was a very good person, but she married the wrong man."

The agent glanced at the photo on Gang Sheng's phone. Gang Sheng’s good looks, which had made him stand out, were likely inherited from his mother. Considering Gang Sheng’s usual obedient nature, always seeking his advice before making any decisions, not very smart, and not very brave, someone like him didn’t seem capable of controlling ghosts to kill.

The agent said, "It’s better if it’s not you. Get ready—we’re starting soon."

After leaving the dressing room, the agent thought for a moment and contacted a few friends to inquire about masters in the industry.

Because Gang Sheng’s luck was just too good. From his debut, every time someone got in his way, they’d inevitably have some kind of accident—first Zheng Yihang, now Jia Yuanxu. This made the agent nervous.

But Gang Sheng had already been cultivated. It's not easy to nurture a rising star. Small fame can be manufactured, but big fame really comes down to luck. So, he wasn’t ready to give up on Gang Sheng. If something really happened later, he would try to save him; if not, it wouldn’t be too late to give up then.

Gang Sheng didn't know what the agent was thinking. After the agent left, he tried to steady his slightly trembling hands.

At that moment, it felt like the sky was falling.

He knew there was something different about him, or rather, he had a vague suspicion that there was something around him, like his prematurely deceased mother.

His mother had been beaten to death by his drunk father when he was in junior high. His father went to prison, his grandparents blamed him, and his maternal grandparents hated the other half of his bloodline and didn't care for him. With what little savings were left, he barely made it through high school.

But no one cared, making his high school life difficult, especially with a father in prison for beating someone to death. At school, anyone could pick on him or look down on him.

Until one time, he was locked in the school's small sports equipment storage room overnight. No matter how much he cried and shouted, no one came. In the pitch-black, dirty storage room, in the empty school at midnight, he curled up in a corner in despair.

Why did he have to endure all this? Why couldn't he have a normal father, a gentle mother, a life without bullying?

He didn't know how he survived that night. The next morning, a teacher found him locked in the storage room and immediately reported it to the school.

The school didn't ignore the matter and asked who had locked him in. But before the school could take action, the student who led the bullying died from an accidental electric shock at home.

At the time, he just thought the guy deserved it, that it was his own bad luck. But soon, those who had bullied him started having various accidents. Some fell off their bikes, scraping their faces badly and losing teeth.

Someone fell down the stairs and broke their leg.

Another got locked in a bathroom for three days, nearly starving to death, only discovered when their parents returned from a trip.

Big and small incidents happened from time to time, always involving those who had bullied him. At first, Gang Sheng thought it was a coincidence, but as it kept happening to those people, he began to feel it was too much of a coincidence, though he didn't think much of it then.

Until he was scouted by a talent agent and dropped out of school. During his training at the company, those who looked down on him, competed with him for resources, or used their family background to grab training rooms and teachers, and excluded him with others, continued the fate of some from high school.

They either fell or got injured, lightly disfigured and left the company for cosmetic treatment, or severely broke arms and legs, unable to perform.

Even when he went to the talent show, someone had an accident, and the spot fell to him.

Gang Sheng knew someone must be helping him, and he guessed it must be his mother, because in this world, apart from his deceased mother, no one would help him like this, and no one could orchestrate one accident after another without anyone noticing.

Gang Sheng was clear in his heart, but he pretended to know nothing on the surface. He would whisper prayers before some competitions, hoping that so-and-so wouldn't be able to compete. They were smarter and came from better family backgrounds than him, unlike him, who had learned nothing since childhood. If they competed, he would definitely lose.

After the final night, because he only got second place, he hid in his room and cried, wondering what to do next. The resources for second place wouldn't get the company's support, unlike the first place, where record and film resources would come directly to the door.

When he played a minor role in the crew, he would enviously look at the male lead, who had a similar appearance, and sigh, wishing he had the chance to play the male lead.

When vying for some variety show opportunities, he would lament that he didn't have the strong connections others had, and this opportunity would definitely not fall on him.

Or when he got a call from his father in prison, he would cry, panicked and confused, wondering why he had such a father and whether he'd be tied to him for life after his release.

Besides these, he would also cry over old photos on his phone late at night, saying he missed his mother and wished she were still here, so he wouldn't be a motherless child, vulnerable to bullying.

Everything had gone very smoothly. He got the chance to debut, secured the champion's resources, landed the role of the male lead, edged out other competitors, and became a regular on a hit variety show. Even a luxury brand endorsement was about to come his way.

But at this time, someone came to tell him that a Taoist had taken his mother.

She was all he had left—why did they take her away?

But he dared not ask or fight. He was afraid of revealing that he'd always known his mother was by his side. He feared that his mother's actions would eventually come back to haunt him.

But what did those things have to do with him? He didn't ask his mother to kill those people. What did those injuries and accidents have to do with him? He didn't push them.

Staring at his pale reflection, Gang Sheng kept telling himself it was okay. Everything had nothing to do with him. He knew nothing. Even if his mother couldn't help him in the future, it was okay. His current standing had improved, and he could build a successful career on his own.

After adjusting his emotions, Gang Sheng just walked out of the dressing room when someone asked him to go to the producer. He and his agent were then told that his role might be replaced—a wealthy woman's boyfriend had taken an interest in it and added investment to take his role.

Their agency wasn't a big artist company. They had some small resources but couldn't compete with big capital. Not wanting to offend the director and producer, they could only take the compensation for breach of contract and leave.

On the way back to the company with his luggage, Gang Sheng thought that if it were before, the person who took his role would definitely not see the sun tomorrow.

But no one could help him now. His mother had been captured by those damn Taoists.

At this moment, his heart was no longer filled with the fear of his hidden secret being known or the panic of failure being exposed. Instead, it was the fear of the future, because suddenly he clearly realized that no one would help him in the future.

Along the way, the agent was also silent. Gang Sheng's luck had always been good—usually, only heavenly resources came his way, not something already in hand being taken away. But just after a Taoist came to talk about those things, the role he had already signed a contract for in the afternoon was taken away.

If it was a coincidence, it was too much of a coincidence.

When they returned to the company, the agent took Gang Sheng to the office and asked again, "I ask you again, are those things true?"

Gang Sheng shook his head in panic. He dared not tell anyone. He had always been deceiving himself like this—it wasn't him; it had nothing to do with him. He was innocent.

The agent didn't say anything, letting him go back first. He then turned to contact the master. He had to confirm whether Gang Sheng's matter could be turned around. If not, he had to quickly distribute the things in Gang Sheng's hands to other artists and not let him drag down the whole company.

Even if the female ghost didn't speak, it wasn't difficult to investigate the matter of her killing people. Wu Yang sorted out the timeline related to Gang Sheng after Luo Ran's death and investigated the things during his student days.

As for the years as an artist, it was even easier to investigate. Many messages could be found online, and someone had specially compiled Gang Sheng's lucky past. The information was ready-made.

Wu Yang took the things he had investigated and saw the female ghost Luo Ran again.

Luo Ran, who was sealed in the porcelain jar, had already begun to disintegrate. She had killed many people in the past few years, and her evil spirit was heavy. In the management bureau, Taoists would chant sutras every day to transform the resentment and evil spirits of the lingering ghosts, so her spirit body was so unstable.

Looking at the female ghost, Wu Yang spread out a pile of name information: "After your death, because of your obsession with your son, you did not enter the cycle of reincarnation and stayed in the human world. You killed six people in total—two of Gang Sheng's high school classmates: one was electrocuted, and the other was pushed into the water and drowned. The one who was electrocuted was because he locked Gang Sheng in the warehouse, and the one who drowned was because he blocked Gang Sheng in the bathroom and pressed him into the toilet."

The hatred on Luo Ran's body surged, and she stared at Wu Yang.

Wu Yang continued: "The other four—one is the talent show champion Zheng Yihang, whose resources you took for Gang Sheng; one is Chen Bin, Gang Sheng's stunt double. This stunt double was also killed by you, right? Why did you kill him? As your son's stunt double, he shouldn't have the status to bully your son, right?"

Luo Ran said with hatred, "He tampered with my son's clothes, trying to make him fall from a height and take his place!"

After Wu Yang added the information with his pen, he continued, "There's also Qin Yun, who fell to his death by accident, to secure that variety show spot for your son, right? And your husband who died suddenly in prison, including this time's Jia Yuanxu. If it weren't for the timely arrival of a Taoist, that would have been seven lives lost."

Wu Yang closed the folder and looked at the female ghost, "If you had the courage to resist back then, you wouldn't have been beaten to death. After your death, you could have stayed by your son's side to protect him, but you didn't cherish the opportunity. If you hadn't killed or done evil, we wouldn't have forcibly exorcised you. Look, there are many lingering ghosts in this administration who missed their chance at reincarnation but are still working hard, earning money and accumulating blessings for their living relatives. As for you, not only will you face judgment in the underworld, but your son will also suffer the consequences because of this."

Luo Ran suddenly rushed forward, but before she could touch Wu Yang, she was blocked back by the barrier set up by the talismans. Luo Ran fell to the ground, panicked, "It was all me; it has nothing to do with my son! If I killed people, then punish me! Why should you punish my son?"

Wu Yang couldn't help but laugh, "You've been to university; you know it's not up to us to decide who gets retribution. You know in your heart that your son doesn't have the destiny to bear the things you snatched for him. Now that you can't bear it for him, naturally, there will be consequences."

Luo Ran, full of resentment, frantically tried to break through the talismans to escape. She couldn't leave her son alone; what would happen to her son without her?

They say she didn't resist domestic violence, but could she really? Domestic violence wasn't just about beating her; resisting could have meant killing her whole family. What could she do?

When she was alive, no one was there to help her. Those so-called mediators only advised reconciliation, not separation. If someone outside hit you, they could be detained and fined, but domestic violence was just a quarrel between the bed and the bedpost. The world is inherently unfair, so why is it that now that she's striving, someone comes to seek justice for others, but no one ever sought justice for her?

Luo Ran's hatred grew more twisted, but no matter how she struggled, she was ultimately firmly suppressed by the power of the talismans.

She didn't regret killing; those people had bullied her child. She only regretted not being strong enough to continue protecting her son by his side.

Wu Yang shook his head and placed Luo Ran back into the porcelain jar. The Cold Clothes Festival was this weekend, and all these lingering ghosts would be sent away. Once in the underworld, those who should reincarnate will reincarnate, and those who should repay debts will do so.

In this world, nothing can be absolutely fair. Fortunately, they are not law enforcers or judges. Sending the lingering ghosts to where they should go is considered a task completed; otherwise, judging such matters would be a headache.

The day before the Cold Clothes Festival, Xiao Ye received photos from his boss. The things he had customized were ready. Although not lifelike, they were definitely exquisite and worth every penny.

Xiao Ye handed the phone to Ji Nanxing, "Look, the big house I customized for my grandma, great-grandma, and great-grandpa, with a garden and cats and dogs. I don't remember the relatives above them, but I wrote a note. If there are still relatives around, let my grandma share some money with them, and then give me a dream, and I'll burn offerings for them later."

Zhang Yuan looked at the red and green mess on his phone and asked, "What's this?"

Xiao Ye, "Cold Clothes Festival, tomorrow at Yuchun Taoist Temple, are you coming?"

Zhang Yuan, "The Cold Clothes Festival is for burning offerings to deceased relatives, right? Are you going?"

Xiao Ye put away his phone and nodded, "Yes, Nanxing and I are going together. Are you coming? If you are, I can pick you up on the way. If you're going, you need to find out the names of the relatives you want to burn offerings for in advance. They'll be written on the sacrificial items. By the way, the sacrificial items are a bit expensive; if you're going, it'll cost you a small thousand."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuan shook his head directly, "Then forget it; it's not easy for me to save up some pocket money."

His family is ordinary, not poor, but not rich either. His weekly allowance is five hundred, including meals. He saved up to buy human body models and didn't have much left.

Xiao Ye didn't insist, "Alright then, we'll go ourselves."

Zhang Yuan sneered, "You didn't want me to go anyway."

After so many years of friendship, who doesn't know who.

Xiao Ye immediately showed a look of how could you say such a heartless thing, "Am I that kind of person? It's just a bit of gas to pick you up on the way; how can you say that!"

Zhang Yuan said, "I'm not going; can you burn offerings for me? Just some paper money for my grandpa and grandma."

He managed to get into a criminology lecture this weekend and really didn't have time to go to the Taoist temple for the Cold Clothes Festival.

Xiao Ye looked at Ji Nanxing, who nodded, "We can burn offerings for you."

Usually, it's more sincere for family members to come in person for such rituals, but it's not impossible to have someone else do it. We'll just write the names and birth dates on a talisman, and if his relatives are still around, they'll definitely receive it.

Just as Zhang Yuan was about to say it would be troublesome for them to burn offerings for him, he heard Xiao Ye suddenly shout, "Don't move."

He thought Xiao Ye was telling him not to move, but then he saw Xiao Ye cupping Ji Nanxing's face, as if he had discovered something new, "Don't move, don't move."

Ji Nanxing blinked, puzzled: "What's wrong?"

Xiao Ye gently pinched above his eyes, then extended a finger: "Hurry, your eyelash fell off—make a wish!"

Zhang Yuan just stared, speechless.

He yanked up his hood, feeling that even a glance at this childish idiot was too much for his eyes.

Ji Nanxing glanced at the eyelash on Xiao Ye's hand, then at his serious expression, and turned away helplessly to start reciting his textbook.

Xiao Ye continued beside him: "You're not making a wish? Haven't you heard of making a wish on a fallen eyelash?"

Ji Nanxing covered his ears: "Don't bug me while I'm studying."

Xiao Ye sighed regretfully: "Alright then, I'll make a wish for you."

He held the eyelash between his fingertips and silently made a wish—nothing big, just wishing Ji Naonao could stay over this weekend. Then he tucked the unusually long eyelash behind his phone case for safekeeping.

Ji Nanxing caught a glimpse of his actions from the corner of his eye and couldn't help but rub his forehead. Just when he thought Xiao Ye had matured into a responsible man, he would reveal that childish side that left him speechless.

Yuchun Taoist Temple, the largest Taoist temple in the area, is a relatively famous tourist attraction located on Maple Leaf Mountain.

One side of the mountain is for hiking; the other, halfway up, hosts Yuchun Taoist Temple. At the summit of Maple Leaf Mountain, there is also a Maple Leaf Hotel. The hotel invested heavily in constructing a mountain path, so this mountain offers multiple ways to ascend: hiking, cable cars, and winding mountain roads.

To reach Yuchun Taoist Temple, one must hike from the temple's side to the halfway point, as there is no road for vehicles. If you don't want to hike, you can drive up to the hotel and then take the cable car to the temple.

Xiao Ye was in peak physical condition, having often accompanied his grandfather on hikes. Although they hiked Maple Leaf Mountain before, this was his first time visiting Yuchun Taoist Temple.

Ji Nanxing was even more physically fit, having crossed mountains and valleys since childhood. However, since the start of the semester, although he had dealt with a few supernatural incidents, they were all relatively simple cases that didn't require much effort, so he's been a bit rusty lately.

Unlike Xiao Ye, who would squeeze in a game of basketball during the ten-minute class breaks and, in an effort to maintain what he considered his last remaining advantage as the "boss," even picked up morning runs again.

As Ji Nanxing began to pant, Xiao Ye had already climbed up and down once, returning with a handful of golden crabapples: "Here, Naonao, I washed them with mineral water. These are the sweeter ones."

Ji Nanxing looked at the pile of fruits in his clothes, presented like a prized find: "Do you even know what these fruits are? Be careful, you might poison yourself."

This is a tourist spot, but it's still a mountain, and there are all sorts of unnamed fruits, some of which are toxic. Generally, he wouldn't eat anything he couldn't identify.

Xiao Ye chuckled: "How could I dare to give you something I don't recognize? Maple Leaf Mountain is practically my backyard. This is golden crabapple, a fruit that's both wild and cultivated, growing here for years. When I was a kid, I used to search for these fruits with my grandpa. I can tell at a glance if they're sweet."

Xiao Ye took a bite of one: "Sweet! Come on, Naonao, try it. I'm not lying, it's really sweet."

Ji Nanxing finally reached in and took one, taking a small bite. It was indeed crisp and sweet, just as Xiao Ye had said.

Xiao Ye packed the washed fruits into a bag and tied it to his backpack.

They packed light, as the items they needed to burn would be delivered to Yuchun Taoist Temple by the paper offerings shop owner, so they didn't need to carry anything. His backpack contained some food, drinks, and a few clean changes of clothes.

Being at Maple Leaf Mountain, they decided to stay overnight at the summit hotel.

After packing up, Xiao Ye pulled out a tissue to wipe his hands, then reached out to Ji Nanxing: "Come on, let me hold your hand. You must be tired."

Ji Nanxing extended his hand, but just as Xiao Ye was about to grasp it, he slapped his palm: "You're the one who's tired."

With that, he quickened his pace up the mountain.

Xiao Ye laughed and chased after him: "You little troublemaker, Ji Naonao! Don't run—if I catch you, you're toast!"