Chapter 141

Chapter 141

◎The Ghost Within◎

Although Xie Paner is a ghost herself, she’s genuinely scared of ghosts. Every time she encounters a ghost, it’s usually one brought back by Ji Nanxing. The ghosts Ji Nanxing brings back are usually intact and normal-looking, not particularly terrifying.

Though she didn’t see what the ghost outside looked like, its sudden appearance behind her freaked Xie Paner out.

After hiding inside and listening carefully for a while, she remembered that the house was protected by the Young Celestial Master’s talismans, so ordinary ghosts couldn’t enter. Summoning her courage, she called out, “Hey, are you still there?”

Li Hongqian, who had been squatting helplessly at the door, immediately stood up. “Yes! I’m not a bad guy—er, ghost. I just want to know if the owner of this house is a Taoist. If so, I have something I need help with.”

Xie Paner didn’t venture out rashly. What if he’s just trying to trick her into coming out so he can eat her? The Young Celestial Master wasn’t here right now, and if something happened, he wouldn’t be able to save her in time. She’d be toast.

So Xie Paner remained inside, on high alert. “How do you know the owner is a Taoist? How long have you been following us?”

Li Hongqian quickly replied, “I haven’t been following you. I was just hanging around the intersection the other day when I saw you with that guy. He even talked to you, but there was another guy with him who had a lot of Yang Energy, so I didn’t dare approach.”

He had been drifting around for a long time, and finally, he encountered another ghost who didn’t seem dangerous and could communicate with the living. Desperate to get out of this mess, he had no choice but to seek help here.

But to his surprise, he couldn’t get inside the house.

During the day, he found a place to hide, only daring to come out at night. But the owner of the house was never home, and the female ghost who lived here was MIA day after day. Today, he had even decided to hide in the stairwell during the day and wait until now, finally catching sight of the female ghost.

Xie Paner nodded and continued, “So why are you looking for a Taoist? Do you have some unfinished business or a grudge?”

Li Hongqian sighed heavily. “If I were really dead, I’d accept it. But I’m not dead.”

Xie Paner suddenly popped her head out the door, peeking through the door panel as she looked at Li Hongqian. “You’re not dead? Are you a living soul? But your aura doesn’t seem right.”

After sticking her head out, Xie Paner finally got a clear look at the ghost’s appearance. He was quite handsome, but he had the look of a rich, charming playboy. He looked like the kind of guy who knew how to party.

Seeing this, Xie Paner retracted her head a bit further. This guy looked like a smooth talker who could easily trick someone. She had died at eighteen, without much life experience, and after death, she hadn’t encountered many ghosts. Without the Young Celestial Master by her side, she’d rather stay cautious than get tricked.

Seeing her retreat further into the house, Li Hongqian quickly said, “Really, I’m not lying! I’m still alive. Is that guy a ghost-catching master? If not, does he know any powerful masters? I have money, a lot of it. Can you help me?”

Xie Paner replied, “Stay put. I’ll get in touch with the Young Celestial Master. If you’re lying, my Young Celestial Master is a total badass and will call your bluff!”

Li Hongqian assured her, “I’m definitely not lying! I swear!”

Xie Paner retreated back into the house and glanced at the time. It was almost seven. She wasn’t sure if Ji Nanxing was awake yet. Since the vacation started, he’d even been skipping his morning rituals at the ancestor’s altar, preferring to sleep in.

But if the ghost outside was a living soul, waiting too long might mess with his chance to get back to his body. Xie Paner decided to send Ji Nanxing a message on her tablet, thinking that if he didn’t reply within five minutes, she’d video call Xiao Ye.

Ji Nanxing was awake. He’d woken up in the middle of the night when Xiao Ye snuck into his room.

Xiao Ye knew Ji Nanxing slept deeply. Sometimes, even when he got up in the middle of the night and moved around, Ji Nanxing wouldn’t wake up. So after tossing and turning and unable to sleep, Xiao Ye figured Ji Nanxing was probably in deep sleep and decided to sneak into the room.

But before he could climb onto the bed, Ji Nanxing sat up and looked at him. “What are you, a burglar?”

Xiao Ye’s sneaky posture froze. Since Ji Nanxing was already awake, there was no need to be stealthy anymore. So he boldly climbed onto the bed, pulled Ji Nanxing into his arms, and sighed contentedly. “It’s much more comfortable sleeping together. I couldn’t sleep earlier. Alright, let’s sleep. Goodnight.”

Ji Nanxing pushed Xiao Ye. “You said you’d sleep in the guest room.”

Xiao Ye held Ji Nanxing’s hand. “Let me adjust to the new environment for a couple of days. Be good, let’s sleep. I’m so tired.”

With that, he tilted his head, not sure if he genuinely fell asleep instantly or was just pretending.

Ji Nanxing gave up and let it slide. He pinched Xiao Ye’s cheek and tugged at it, only for Xiao Ye to grab his hand and tuck it into his chest, muttering, “Stop messing around.”

When Ji Nanxing finally gave up and stopped moving, Xiao Ye smirked subtly.

Ji Nanxing felt like a snake was coiled around him. It was warm and cozy, but being unable to move was exhausting. And he was told to stop fussing—he’d been sleeping just fine; who was the one making a scene?

After a night of tossing and turning, Ji Nanxing opened his eyes immediately upon hearing the vibration of his phone's WeChat.

Wrestling his hand free from Xiao Ye’s grip, Ji Nanxing grabbed his phone and saw a message from Xie Paner. He sent her the address and told them to find their way here.

By the time Ji Nanxing finished breakfast, Li Hongqian and Xie Paner had finally arrived. The moment they floated in, they started complaining, "I should’ve just come back with you in the first place. After all that running around, we still ended up here. Wow, Young Celestial Master, your place is massive! The view here is incredible. Can you see the whole city at night?"

Xie Paner drifted to the window, gushing excitedly.

Ji Nanxing ignored her and turned to the other ghost. "You're looking for me?"

Xiao Ye, still leisurely eating breakfast across the table, immediately grabbed his camera. "A ghost? Who’s this?"

Li Hongqian sat down not far from Ji Nanxing and said, "Hello, my surname is Li, and my name is Li Hongqian. You know Liming Film and Television? That’s my family’s company. I’m in a bit of a bind and was hoping you could help me."

Xiao Ye said, "First, tell us what’s going on."

Xie Paner floated over and sat next to Ji Nanxing, also ready to hear what this guy's problem was.

Li Hongqian said, "I’m not dead. Someone else has taken over my body."

Xiao Ye was slightly surprised. "You’re saying you’ve been possessed?"

Li Hongqian nodded. "Yes, that ghost has taken over my body. She’s living in the human world as me. I can't drive her away. Can you deal with ghosts? Can you help me? I don’t want to die."

Xie Paner whispered to Ji Nanxing, "Is it like that girl who got possessed last time?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head. "It’s different. Ghost possession means two souls sharing one body, but here, he’s been completely replaced."

Xie Paner asked, "What’ll happen? Will he die?"

Ji Nanxing replied, "It depends on how the possession went down. If it’s forced, the body and soul won’t sync up, and the yin-yang imbalance will kill him fast, just like in ghost possession. Those possessed by ghosts don't live long. But if the body was willingly given up and the body and soul are compatible, it's a different story."

Xie Paner couldn't help but say, "Who would willingly give up their body?" That would be too foolish.

Ji Nanxing didn't respond, just glanced at Li Hongqian. Xiao Ye raised an eyebrow and said to Li Hongqian, "Be honest. Although Taoists capture ghosts, they don't capture every ghost they see. There are laws and order in the human world, and the underworld also follows the cycle of cause and effect."

Xie Paner looked at Li Hongqian in surprise. "No way, did you willingly give up your body?"

Was this guy out of his mind, or was he tired of living? If he was tired of living, why is he now seeking a Taoist to help him reclaim his body?

Li Hongqian pursed his lips. He hadn't expected that after just one encounter, this young Taoist had almost completely seen through him.

He had originally thought that since the body was his, reclaiming it was the most natural thing in the world. Moreover, since Taoists capture ghosts, it was their duty to deal with a ghost that had taken over a living person's body.

Additionally, this Taoist was young, and he had assumed he would be the most passionate and righteous type. But after this interaction, it was completely different from what he had imagined.

Xiao Ye tapped the table. "If you don't speak up, the door is over there. Feel free to leave."

Ji Nanxing took a sip of water, leisurely and in no hurry at all.

Li Hongqian had finally encountered someone who could capture ghosts and didn't want to give up so easily. He finally spoke up, "It was me. I said I didn't want to live anymore. Whoever wants this crappy life can take it. But that was just a vent. Who would have thought something like this would actually happen? It was just a casual complaint. I really didn't know things would turn out this way."

He then tried to seek empathy, his tone somewhat urgent, "It really was just a casual remark. In today's society, with all the pressures from every direction, sometimes complaining 'I don't want to live anymore, let the world end, someone else can take over my job' is pretty normal, right? How was I to know that just this one complaint would lead to this?"

Li Hongqian covered his face, filled with regret. "I didn't know ghosts really existed, let alone that there was one right by my side. If I had known, I would never have dared to say such things. Taoist, please help me. I have money. Once I get back into my body, I'll reward you handsomely."

Ji Nanxing: "Do you know who the ghost who has taken over your body is?"

Li Hongqian shook his head: "I don’t know, I don’t recognize her at all!"

Xiao Ye handed his phone to Ji Nanxing, displaying the information he had just looked up about Li Hongqian.

Li Hongqian, the second son of Li Ming Film Industry, 28 years old, returned after studying abroad, had dated several internet celebrities, and most of the search results were gossip. Currently, Li Ming Film Industry is managed by the eldest son of the Li family, and there is also a younger daughter still in school.

The most recent news about Li Hongqian was from over two months ago, when he was seen kissing a young model passionately at the entrance of a nightclub.

Ji Nanxing glanced at his information and asked, "How long has your body been taken over?"

Li Hongqian: "Almost two months. At first, I tried to talk sense into her, asking her to return my body, but she wouldn’t listen. Later, I threatened her, saying if she didn’t return it, I would find a powerful master to exorcise her, but she remained unafraid. However, finding a powerful master is not easy. I didn’t even know ghosts existed before, so how could I know any powerful masters? Then I wandered around until I met you at the intersection. I saw you talking to this girl, and I thought since you can see ghosts, you might be able to help me, so I came to you."

Ji Nanxing said, "First, I need to meet the person who has taken over your body, to see if there’s any room for negotiation. Since you voluntarily gave up your body, it’s like an item—once you give it away, it belongs to the other party. Legally, you have the right to reclaim it, but in the spiritual realm, a causal contract has been established. She didn’t take it by force; you gave it willingly. If you regret it now and can’t come to an agreement, then you’ll have to bear the consequences yourself."

Li Hongqian didn’t understand and couldn’t accept it: "But she’s a ghost! She should be reincarnated! She’s wandering in the human world and has taken over a living person’s body. Isn’t that disrupting the balance of yin and yang?"

Li Hongqian ruffled his hair, visibly agitated: "If this is allowed, then anyone who doesn’t want to live could make a deal with a ghost, give up their body, and let someone else live? And some ghosts, to keep living, could just coerce or tempt people into 'voluntarily' giving up their bodies, and they could continue to live? Then couldn’t I just find someone willing to give up their body and take over theirs to live on?!"

Ji Nanxing stayed calm despite his agitation and said, "If you can encounter that one in a million chance, then yes, you could."

Li Hongqian was surprised: "One in a million?"

Ji Nanxing nodded: "Everyone, every soul’s magnetic field is different. Think of the body as a container for the soul. Even naturally, some bodies don’t match the soul, let alone a posthumous replacement. The ghost that entered your body shows that your magnetic fields were already similar. Two months have passed, and she’s still alive, while you’re transitioning from a living soul to a dead soul, which proves that she has merged well with your body. This kind of thing only exists in theory because the possibility of such a fusion is extremely low, almost negligible, but you just happened to encounter it."

Li Hongqian was resentful: "Why am I so unlucky? A casual comment has led to this."

Xiao Ye, who had been silent, spoke up: "I found out that this 'Li Hongqian' is hosting a three-day art exhibition, selling some works by famous artists."

Hearing this, Li Hongqian stood up abruptly: "Those are all the treasures I’ve collected over the years! How dare she sell them! They’re mine!"

Some rich kids enjoy indulging in pleasures, while others have additional collecting hobbies, and his was paintings.

Over the years, he had collected many works by famous and lesser-known artists, both domestic and international, including some Chinese paintings that had been lost overseas. He didn’t have much artistic talent himself, but he loved these things.

Besides paintings, he also had some antique collections, but these items were extremely valuable. The better the item, the more expensive it was, and without enough expertise, one could easily buy fakes. In recent years, his family had become stricter with his finances, so he had gradually bought less.

But no matter how short of money he was, he never thought of selling the treasures he had painstakingly collected!

Seeing the ghostly aura slowly rise from him, Ji Nanxing flicked his finger, and the Golden Bell on his wrist rang crisply, causing Li Hongqian to calm down after a moment of confusion.

Ji Nanxing then marked him with the Golden Bell to prevent him from suddenly losing control and harming others.

Now that they knew the whereabouts of the 'Li Hongqian,' Ji Nanxing and Xiao Ye packed up and headed out. Xie Paner hesitated for a moment but couldn’t resist her curiosity and followed, wanting to see what the ghost who had taken over Li Hongqian’s body was like.

Since it was an art sale, the exhibition didn’t require tickets, and even passersby looking to enjoy the air conditioning could enter.

After getting out of the car, Ji Nanxing and Xiao Ye saw quite a crowd and glanced at Li Hongqian: "Looks like you’re quite popular."

Li Hongqian stared at the exhibition entrance without a word, his eyes dark and his expression grim.

Xie Paner hid behind Ji Nanxing and whispered, "His collected treasures have been taken over by someone else. He probably wants to blow this place up now."

Ji Nanxing said, "Don’t talk nonsense, be careful what you say."

Xie Paner immediately made a zipping motion over her mouth, remembering the lesson from earlier about careless words.

Xiao Ye picked up a brochure from the side, flipped through it, and handed it to Ji Nanxing: "There are indeed a few good paintings here, but I’m not sure if they’re replicas or originals."

Li Hongqian followed behind them, "They're all authentic. I had them appraised by several institutions when I first got them."

Ji Nanxing was somewhat curious, "You don’t strike me as the type who’d be into this kind of stuff."

It might sound judgmental, but Li Hongqian looked every bit the carefree playboy, and such artistic and culturally rich items didn’t seem to match him.

Li Hongqian replied, "I've loved painting since I was a child, but every family has its own struggles."

Running a film company surely meant his family was well-off, and Xie Paner had already conjured up images of a wealthy family feud.

As they walked in, they saw a man in a suit, standing tall, his head slightly bowed as he spoke to a staff member beside him.

Upon seeing him, Li Hongqian’s eyes instantly filled with hostility.

Ji Nanxing also looked at the person ahead. Although it was the same face, the inner aura was different, making even the identical face seem worlds apart.

The person before them had relaxed eyebrows and moist eyes, with a demeanor that carried a hint of softness, yet this temperament blended on him without seeming effeminate, instead exuding a peaceful elegance of a noble family.

Even just standing there, he had a gentle, jade-like warmth, as gentle as a spring breeze, exuding a timeless serenity.

Even though it was Li Hongqian’s face, one could tell at a glance that it wasn’t him.

After the staff left, 'Li Hongqian' noticed someone looking at him and turned around, seeing two strikingly handsome youths standing not far away. He smiled gently at them, his voice soft, warm, and scholarly, "Hello, is there anything I can help you with?"

Xiao Ye smiled and asked, "Are you the owner of the exhibition?"

'Li Hongqian' smiled with slightly curved eyes, "Not exactly the owner, just the temporary custodian of these paintings. Are you here to browse, or would you like a guided tour? I can find someone knowledgeable to show you around."

Ji Nanxing took a couple of steps forward and stood in front of one of the paintings, a rose bathed in light, rising from the soil, the stem beneath the soil thorny, while the rose bloomed, the thorns transformed into vibrant green leaves.

After looking at the painting for a while, Ji Nanxing turned to 'Li Hongqian', seemingly curious, "Why do you want to sell these collections? It must’ve taken a lot of time and effort to collect so many."

'Li Hongqian' stood beside him, hands clasped behind his back, looking at the painting together, and smiled, "Because I don’t understand them, and because I don’t understand, I don’t want them locked away in dark, forgotten rooms forever. The artists of these paintings must want their painstakingly created works to be loved and seen."

The real Li Hongqian beside them said fiercely, "Of course you don’t get it! You’re nothing but a thief! You stole my things and took over my life!"

Unfortunately, no matter how he cursed, 'Li Hongqian' couldn’t hear him. It seemed that as he integrated into this body, he gradually became a normal person, unable to see any lingering ghosts or spirits.

Ji Nanxing said, "This might be forward, but I have to ask, are you selling these paintings because you’re strapped for cash?"

'Li Hongqian' didn’t find it forward but instead nodded with a smile, straightforwardly saying, "Yes, I’m strapped for cash, really strapped."

Seeing his puzzled look, 'Li Hongqian' took a business card from his pocket and handed it to him with both hands, "This is a girls’ school I started. If you have any unused textbooks or even clothes that are still in good condition, you can send them here."

Xiao Ye walked over to Ji Nanxing and glanced at the business card in his hand, "Girls’ school, Qingchuan?"

'Li Hongqian' said, "They’re lucky to be born in a better time, yet unlucky to be born in the remote mountains. I want to bring them out, at least let them see the world, give them a chance to thrive. Even if I can only help one, it’s worth my journey in this world."

In that era of war and turmoil, they had no right to education, no human rights; they were treated as commodities, bought and sold at will. Even daughters from good families were rarely respected; once they reached a certain age, they became bargaining chips in men’s family trades.

This era is better, far better for her. They can walk in the sunlight, go to school, work, and be independent without relying on anyone.

But even in such a beautiful era, there are still girls trapped, even before they reach adulthood, traded off as tools for others to carry on their family line.

She came to this world, saw its beauty, and wanted to help more girls who were once trapped like her to come out. So she is short of money, very short, and also short of time. She doesn’t know if she’ll still be around tomorrow, so she can only race against time to do what she wants to do.

Ji Nanxing glanced slightly at Li Hongqian, who was filled with resentment, only harboring hatred and unwillingness for his body being taken. He even repeatedly charged at 'Li Hongqian', trying to push him out of the body, but each time he failed.

Just as he raised his hand to stop his charging movements, a girl ran over from the side, her voice sweet and clear, calling, "Second brother! What are you doing here? I’ve been looking everywhere for you!"

The girl ran over and hugged Li Hongqian's arm right away, her demeanor very affectionate, gazing at him with warmth.

Li Hongqian tidied up her slightly messy hair from running, smiling as he gently brushed her cheek with the back of his finger: "I told you to wait for me at the office."

The girl tugged at his arm: "I'm hungry, when are we going to eat?"

Li Hongqian apologetically looked at Ji Nanxing and Xiao Ye: "Sorry, I need to take my sister out to eat. If you need anything, just ask any staff member with a badge."

Ji Nanxing nodded at him, watching the girl skip away, hand in hand with him.

Ji Nanxing turned to Li Hongqian: "Is that your sister?"

Though Li Hongqian tried to keep his expression neutral, a hint of disgust still slipped through: "Yes, the third child in the family, Li Xin."

Ji Nanxing said nothing, turning to Xiao Ye: "Let's go."

Xiao Ye placed his hand on Ji Nanxing's shoulder and asked: "Is this something we can easily fix?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head, and Xiao Ye frowned: "Not easy? But then again, who’d want to give up their body after coming back to life?"

Ji Nanxing said: "It’s not that. Even if he’s willing, it’s still not easy."

Before Xiao Ye could ask why, Li Hongqian and Xie Paner spoke simultaneously: "Why?"

Ji Nanxing looked at Li Hongqian: "Because he has been recognized. His recognition means you’ve been rejected."