Chapter 152

Chapter 152

◎The Female Ghost at the Car Accident Scene◎

Xie Paner blurted out a curse. She didn’t mind when she was the one half-leaning out to enjoy the view, as she couldn’t see herself anyway.

But seeing someone else half-leaning out like that freaked her out, and she instinctively ducked back into the car.

She felt like she’d been having a streak of bad luck lately. For so many years, she had been the only ghost around, with no one who could see her or talk to her. But lately, she kept running into ghosts.

Thinking back, Xie Paner realized that her frequent encounters with ghosts started after she began staying close to the Young Celestial Master. Thinking this, she couldn’t help but glance at Ji Nanxing with suspicion. Could this guy have a curse that attracts trouble, like Conan?

Ji Nanxing, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and looked at her: "Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking."

Xie Paner chuckled: "What? How would you know? You’re not a mind reader." She then pointed out the window: "There's a female ghost over there, take a look. She just sang along with me and nearly scared me to death."

If she were alone, Xie Paner's first reaction would have been to run. But with the Young Celestial Master around, she felt safe enough to watch the show.

Ji Nanxing turned his head to look out the window. The ghost in the other car had also pulled back inside, so at least Ji Nanxing didn’t see her half-body floating outside.

But he could still see a ghost in that car—a female ghost, not very old, probably in her twenties. She was now pressed against the car window, staring at him, seemingly curious about the ghost in his car.

Ji Nanxing said to the driver: "Slow down a bit; let’s check out that car’s license plate."

The driver slowed down slightly. The other car soon passed them, and the driver made a mental note of the license plate.

Xie Paner suggested: "Why not just crash into them? That’d give us a chance to meet and check things out."

Ji Nanxing looked at Xie Paner: "Crashing into them in the middle of the road would mess up how many cars behind us? Could it cause a chain reaction and lead to a traffic accident? Instead of crashing, why don’t you just float over and say hi? It’s quicker and easier, and you’re both girls. You even sang together."

The driver glanced at his young master in the rearview mirror. He could tell the master was talking to a ghost. From the conversation, it seemed that car had something weird going on.

He clicked his tongue silently at the thought. Since signing the high-salary contract with the Ji family, his life had become anything but ordinary.

As they turned a corner, Ji Nanxing was briefly blinded by a glare from a roadside sign. Though it was just a flash, he couldn’t help but close his eyes. A sudden sense of unease came over him, and he said: "Slow down."

The driver immediately reduced the speed. Xie Paner watched, puzzled, as the car with the ghost drove off. "What's wrong?" she asked.

As soon as she spoke, a screeching sound of tires skidding on the road erupted, followed by a loud crash. Before Xie Paner could see what happened, the car jolted violently. Being a ghost, she didn’t feel the movement unless she released her ghostly energy, so she remained unaffected.

But she saw Ji Nanxing grab onto the handle to steady himself. Their car started swerving wildly, and she was even tossed out.

Thanks to some quick maneuvering, their car dodged the accident ahead, even avoiding the car parts scattered on the road, and finally came to a smooth stop by the roadside.

The driver turned pale. As soon as the car stopped, he turned around: "Young Master! Are you okay?"

Ji Nanxing let go of the handle, showing no signs of panic from the near-miss. Calmly, he replied: "I'm fine."

With that, he opened the door and stepped out, looking at the collision at the center of the intersection.

The scene in the middle of the road was horrific. The car with the ghost had collided with a cement truck.

The cement truck had come from the east, while they were coming from the south. Due to its long body and heavy load, the driver instinctively swerved to avoid the collision, causing the truck to tip over. The cars behind it couldn’t brake in time, resulting in a pile-up.

On their side, the southbound traffic had slowed down as the light was about to turn red. Though a few cars couldn’t stop in time and crashed, the impact wasn’t severe, and no one was hurt.

After the collision, everyone who could move quickly got out of their cars, fearing further crashes or explosions. Traffic police arrived swiftly, and many onlookers stopped to watch, some even taking photos and videos.

Someone even gave their driver a thumbs up: "Nice one, dude! Your reflexes are killer. If you had reacted just a second slower, your car would've been in the middle of that mess."

The driver was still shaken, thinking that if it weren’t for Ji Nanxing telling him to slow down, he might not have been able to react so quickly and escape unscathed at his previous speed.

Xie Paner, who had been thrown out of the car, floated in mid-air. It was a rainy day, and although the rain wasn’t heavy, the overcast weather meant there was no sunlight to restrict her, allowing her to move freely.

She first flew over to Ji Nanxing to check if he was safe and sound. Seeing that he was unharmed, she patted her chest and said, "That scared the hell out of me! Right after I mentioned a car crash, it actually happened."

Ji Nanxing just looked at her expressionlessly, making Xie Paner feel uneasy. She took half a step back and asked guiltily, "Did I jinx it?"

Ji Nanxing sighed lightly, "I should have listened to you. We should have hit them earlier."

If they had hit the car and forced it to stop, any rear-end collision would have been less severe than directly hitting the cement truck.

The intersection was already congested. To prevent further congestion, nearby police rushed to the scene to clear the area and make way for ambulances.

Ji Nanxing didn’t get back into the car and told the driver to leave first. They were two cars behind the ghost car, and the driver had reacted quickly to avoid the accident. The car wasn’t even scratched, so there was no need to stay and block traffic. With all the surveillance cameras around, they could be contacted through the license plate number if needed.

After the driver left, Ji Nanxing looked at the cordoned-off scene. The accident involved five cars, with two sedans and the cement truck being the most severely damaged. The two cars behind just rear-ended each other, and the occupants were unharmed, but the status of those in the first three cars was unknown.

The female ghost who had been singing with Xie Paner earlier was now surrounded by dark energy, staring daggers at the cement truck driver.

A loud clap of thunder rang out, and the light drizzle suddenly turned into a heavy downpour, complicating the rescue efforts. However, the rain also scattered the roadside onlookers.

Just as the female ghost, shrouded in ghostly energy, was about to charge at the cement truck driver, Ji Nanxing flicked his finger, and the Golden Bell on his wrist rang. The ghost paused, her mind clearing for a moment.

She turned her head toward the source of the sound, her pitch-black eyes staring intently in their direction. Her long hair floated wildly as the ghostly energy surged around her.

Xie Paner couldn’t help but say, "This feels like déjà vu."

Just as they thought the female ghost would either pounce or continue her revenge on the cement truck driver, she glanced back at the sedan involved in the accident and then turned and fled.

Xie Paner’s eyes widened in surprise, "Holy crap! She can just take off like that?"

Back when she had caused a car accident, the Young Celestial Master had threatened her, and she had obediently followed without any resistance. So, it turns out she could have just run away!

Ji Nanxing made a hand gesture, and the Golden Bell on his wrist rang again, but the fleeing ghost seemed unaffected. Her speed didn’t slow down, nor was she subdued by his magical tool.

Ji Nanxing was surprised. The ghost wasn’t particularly fierce, yet she could resist the summoning power of his magical tool. She must have been carrying some powerful artifact.

As the ghost ran further away, Xie Paner urged anxiously, "Go after her! She’s escaping!"

Ji Nanxing wasn’t as hurried as Xie Paner and replied calmly, "How? She’s already gone."

Although he was a Taoist, he was still just an ordinary person who couldn’t fly. With the entire intersection cordoned off, he’d probably be chased off by the cops before he could even get close.

Xie Paner floated into the air and looked around, but the ghost had disappeared in the blink of an eye. She sighed regretfully, "She bolted. What if she harms someone?"

Ji Nanxing said, "You can run, but you can’t hide forever."

He forwarded the license plate numbers, including the cement truck’s, to the management bureau, asking them to check the owners’ identities through their system.

He also reported the female ghost who had fled the scene and reminded them that the ghost might be carrying protective items. He advised nearby Taoists to be cautious if they encountered her.

Just as he sent the message, Xiao Ye called.

Xiao Ye hadn’t been with Ji Nanxing today because his cousin had given birth. With his parents away and his brother and sister-in-law at work, he had to represent the family at the hospital and deliver a red envelope as a gesture.

As a result, he hadn’t been with Ji Nanxing for half a day, and now there was a car accident!

When he received the call, Xiao Ye felt like the curls on his head were about to straighten out from shock.

The driver made the call, concerned about Ji Nanxing being alone. Although Ji Nanxing had always been alone before, recently Xiao Ye from the Xiao Family had been accompanying him everywhere, inseparable.

Now that this incident had occurred, the driver, though uncertain, suspected it might be ghost-related. Fearing that Ji Nanxing would have no one to help him, he decided to call Xiao Ye.

Ji Nanxing repeatedly assured that he was fine, not even a scratch from the collision, but Xiao Ye insisted he wait for him to arrive immediately.

Outside, it was raining, ambulances came and went, taking away one after another, and it was unclear if those taken away were still alive.

Standing by the roadside without an umbrella made him quite noticeable, so he decided to wait in a nearby cake shop.

Xiao Ye ran over. The hospital where his cousin had given birth was just two streets away. When he left the hospital, he saw ambulances coming and going as if something urgent had happened, which scared him to death.

He ran all the way to the shop Ji Nanxing mentioned. Before Ji Nanxing could speak, Xiao Ye hugged him tightly: "You scared me to death! Just a short time apart and such a big incident! Even with a strong heart, I can't handle this kind of scare!"

Ji Nanxing was drenched by the moisture from Xiao Ye's body but just smiled, patting the rainwater off him: "I told you I'm fine, nothing happened, yet you keep scaring yourself like this."

Xiao Ye let go of Ji Nanxing, checking him over, touching his face, arms, and hands: "Really no collision? What about your head, did you hit it? Are you dizzy?"

Xie Paner wanted to say something but remembered they were outside, without cameras, and Xiao Ye couldn't see or hear her, so she silently floated aside.

Ji Nanxing opened a pack of tissues to wipe off what could be rain or sweat from Xiao Ye: "Really, I'm fine. The driver reacted quickly. How did you know about the accident? Did it make the news already?"

Xiao Ye, his throat dry from running, took a big gulp from the half-drunk beverage Ji Nanxing had: "The driver called me. He said the accident might be ghost-related, worried you'd be alone without help, so he asked me to come over."

After speaking, Xiao Ye looked around, seeing no one nearby and the staff out of earshot, he whispered: "Was it a ghost?"

Ji Nanxing nodded: "The accident probably wasn't caused by a ghost, but there was indeed a ghost."

If a ghost had caused the accident, Ji Nanxing would have noticed immediately, as a ghost wanting to harm someone would have to use its own ghostly energy. Even in the car, he could instantly disperse any condensed ghostly energy, not giving the ghost a chance to cause an accident.

But this incident happened suddenly, and he didn't sense any ghostly energy at the time. It was only after the accident that the ghost, wishing to kill the cement truck driver, surged with ghostly energy.

Ji Nanxing speculated that the accident was likely man-made, and the female ghost wasn't intending to harm anyone; she might even have been trying to protect someone in the car.

As for who was in the car and what relationship the ghost had with them, he would investigate once he found out who the car owner was.

Looking out from the shop's window, the scene at the intersection was still grim, with people trapped in cars due to severe impacts, requiring rescue. A crowd surrounded the middle of the road, with several ambulances parked nearby, trying their best to save lives.

Xiao Ye, still shaken, held Ji Nanxing's hand, feeling his warmth, and said with relief: "Thank goodness you're okay."

After such a severe accident, and his Naonao being safe, Xiao Ye decided to donate some money later, as if spending money to ward off disaster.

Ji Nanxing followed his gaze outside: "I told you, my ancestor's altar is very effective. Before the accident, a light flashed in my eyes, which made me feel something and told the driver to slow down. I recently helped many souls pass on, so I'm carrying good karma now, naturally nothing would happen to me."

Xiao Ye didn't dare to rely on such mystical luck for safety, saying: "Still, be careful. Let's not take cars recently, let's use public transport."

Seeing Xiao Ye completely soaked, Ji Nanxing said: "Let's go back first, change your clothes. You're all wet, and with the air conditioning, you might catch a cold."

Xiao Ye also felt his damp state was somewhat embarrassing. In front of someone he liked, he cared about his image somewhat. Looking around, he said: "There's a shop over there, I'll buy some clothes to change into."

After the heavy rain, it had almost stopped. As they left the shop, they were greeted by a warm, earthy smell mixed with the sharp odor of gasoline.

Xiao Ye looked over with concern: "Could there be an explosion?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head: "Probably not."

But with such a severe collision, it was unclear how the casualties were.

He tugged at Xiao Ye's clothes: "Let's go, quickly buy some clothes to change into, then we'll go to the hospital to check."

In such a severe car accident, the injured would be taken to the nearest hospital, which was conveniently nearby. After Xiao Ye changed into some dry clothes, the two of them walked directly to the hospital.

The hospital appeared chaotic but maintained an urgent, life-saving order. A dedicated lane was opened to transport the car crash victims, and some of the injured were rushed directly to the operating rooms via elevators. Many off-duty doctors were called back by phone.

After checking at the hospital's information desk about the floor where the car accident surgeries were taking place, Ji Nanxing and Xiao Ye went upstairs together. At that moment, the authorities sent him the information they had traced using the license plate number.

Ji Nanxing picked it up and looked: "The owner of the haunted car is named Lin Kai, the boss of Man Tian Xing Clothing Trade Company, thirty-six years old, unmarried."

Along with the information, a photo was also sent. Xie Paner bypassed Xiao Ye and leaned over to Ji Nanxing's side, glancing at his phone, and commented, "Average-looking, not particularly handsome."

Xiao Ye said, "You said there was a female ghost in that car, how old is she? Could she have been his girlfriend?"

Ji Nanxing: "I don't know if she's his girlfriend, she looks to be in her twenties. Let's look into Lin Kai's situation first."

They picked a less noticeable spot and had just sat down when many family members started arriving one after another.

This was a major surgery, and there wasn't just one operating room inside the large doors, so the more severely injured patients were all brought here. The family members of the car accident victims anxiously waited outside, some crying, some fainting from shock, creating chaos in front of the door.

Xiao Ye held Ji Nanxing's hand, feeling that just holding wasn't enough, so he simply pulled Ji Nanxing into his arms: "Disasters, natural or man-made, remind us how unpredictable life is."

Ji Nanxing didn't say anything, letting him hold. The image of Xiao Ye running towards him with a pale face replayed in his mind—running so desperately, the force of the hug even hurt him. Even without saying anything, that intense fear was palpable.

Ji Nanxing slightly tilted his head, his peripheral vision catching the person resting his chin on his shoulder, and asked, "Xiao Ye."

Xiao Ye hummed in response, the sound lightly resonating against his shoulder, but he didn't move away, still clinging to him: "What is it?"

Ji Nanxing suddenly laughed, turning his head away: "Nothing, I forgot what I was going to say."

Xiao Ye clicked his tongue lightly: "Do I need to buy you some walnuts? Forgetting what you were going to say in a second, that little brain of yours isn't working too well, huh?"

Ji Nanxing: "Aren't you getting hot?"

Xiao Ye wrapped his arms around Ji Nanxing's waist: "Not hot, holding you like this puts me at ease."

The two sat quietly for a while, until some of the emotionally charged family members calmed down. Xiao Ye shook the person in his arms: "Hungry? We have no idea how long we'll have to wait, should I go get some food?"

Ji Nanxing had just said he wasn't hungry when he saw a couple dressed in noticeably expensive clothes running out of the elevator, looking anxious.

Ji Nanxing looked at them and said, "Do you think they resemble Lin Kai a bit?"

Xiao Ye hadn't paid much attention to Lin Kai's appearance earlier. Hearing this, he opened Ji Nanxing's phone, flipped through the photos, and looked again, comparing: "Very similar to the man—probably his son."

Lin Kai's parents, hearing that their child was still inside being operated on and not knowing the extent of his injuries, nearly collapsed again.

She tightly gripped her husband's hand, pale with fear and dread.

Although Lin's father comforted his wife, he was also deeply afraid. Both his children were in the car, and the video of the car accident was now online. Even without being at the scene, the photos they saw online showed how severe the accident was, especially since it was their family's car that collided with the cement truck.

He didn't even dare to consider the worst-case scenario, as they couldn't bear such an outcome.

At that moment, two young men approached. The one with particularly fair skin looked at him with a cool, clear voice and said, "Hello, are you Lin Kai's father?"

Compared to the already distraught Lin's mother, Lin's father was relatively calm and nodded, "I am, who are you?"

Ji Nanxing said, "Can we speak privately?"

Lin's mother looked puzzled at her husband, then at the two boys.

Lin's father patted his wife's hand, helped her sit down on a chair, and said, "Let's talk over there."

The two walked to a quiet corner of the stairwell, and before Lin's father could speak, Ji Nanxing said, "What I’m about to say might seem hard to believe. You can choose to believe it or not, but if you can provide some help, that would be best."

Lin's father frowned slightly, "What is it?"

Ji Nanxing replied, "Take a look at this photo first."

He showed him a photo of the accident scene, but this photo had been altered with yin energy, making the female ghost standing at the center of the crash clearly visible.

Ji Nanxing continued, "Do you know this girl? I’m a Taoist, so I can see ghosts. Before the accident today, I saw her following your son's car. However, the accident wasn't caused by this ghost. Instead, she seemed to be trying to protect your son. At one point, she lost control and wanted to kill the cement truck driver. When I tried to capture her, she ran away. I hope you can provide some clues. If we can find her, it would be best to help her soul find peace as soon as possible."

Lin's father took a moment to digest the information. Whether it was because the young man was so calm, talking about ghosts as if it were a normal search for a person, or because the ghost seemed to have no ill intentions and even wanted to protect his son, he wasn’t as frightened as he could have been. He even instinctively zoomed in on the photo to get a better look at the ghost.

Then he shook his head, "I've never seen this girl before. I don't know her."

Only then did he realize with a delayed reaction that there was a ghost around his son!

Xie Paner, who had been floating around behind Ji Nanxing, exclaimed, "So now the monk’s gone, and we’re at the wrong temple?"

Ji Nanxing put his phone away. If Lin Kai's father didn't recognize her, they would have to wait until Lin Kai came out of the operating room to ask him—if he even makes it out.