Chapter 166

Chapter 166

◎Raising Little Ghosts◎

Seeing Xi Jiangyue's condition, Ji Nanxing's expression visibly darkened.

Xiao Ye, who was most sensitive to his emotions, immediately noticed and hurried over: "What's wrong? Did something happen? Did the soul not come over?"

Ji Nanxing replied: "It came over, but she didn't die by suicide."

Shu Rui exclaimed in shock: "Not suicide? How do you know? Is it Sister Jiangyue? Did she tell you?"

If Xi Jiangyue didn't die by suicide, then the person who killed her was likely Yu Weichi!

Looking at the female ghost who was now somewhat disoriented, Ji Nanxing gently shook the Golden Bell and stored her inside: "Her soul isn't clear right now; it needs some nurturing. We'll ask her when she's more lucid. As for who killed her, it's best not to jump to conclusions without evidence."

Shu Rui quickly asked: "What if Sister Jiangyue points to someone, but we can't find evidence?"

Xi Jiangyue has been dead for several months, and her death was already ruled as a suicide due to depression. If there were any evidence left behind, it's likely been cleared by now.

If the deceased points to someone, but ultimately no evidence can be found to bring the murderer to justice, Shu Rui couldn't bear to think of how despairing that outcome would be.

Bai Guanqi, standing nearby, said: "The metaphysical world has its own way of handling cases. Many pieces of evidence aren't the kind that can be presented openly. As long as the lingering ghost has grievances, we will definitely seek justice for them."

Hearing this, Shu Rui felt somewhat reassured and then asked: "What can I do? Is there anything I can help with?"

Whether it was Xi Jiangyue's past support for her or the protection she provided even after death, Xi Jiangyue had always been good to her, yet she had never been able to repay her. If she could help catch the person who killed Sister Jiangyue, it would be some comfort to Shu Rui.

Ji Nanxing said: "You can help investigate Xi Jiangyue's social network, some of the more hidden relationships in the industry, and who she might have had suspicious interactions with. These suspicious individuals could be her rivals, celebrities or bosses with whom she had conflicts of interest, and so on. Also, if you can find out anything unknown about Yu Weichi, such as whether he has a hidden lover outside, or if there's any sudden rising star in the industry recently."

Shu Rui noted down everything Ji Nanxing instructed and repeatedly reminded him to inform her immediately if there were any updates about Sister Jiangyue.

Knowing that Sister Jiangyue needed her soul nurtured, Shu Rui transferred 100,000 yuan to Ji Nanxing: "I don't know if this is enough, but if you need anything hard to obtain for nurturing her soul, let me know, and I'll try to figure something out."

Ji Nanxing replied: "No need, incense and charms will suffice for nurturing her soul. This amount is enough."

He didn't refuse Shu Rui's transfer. Shu Rui was his cousin's girlfriend, so he could help her without charging, but now he was helping Xi Jiangyue, and that was a separate matter.

Bai Guanqi, of course, also knew about Xi Jiangyue's suicide. His master was involved in the entertainment industry, and such a major event had caught his attention. He just didn't expect there to be more to the story.

He arranged a car to take Ji Nanxing and the others out, and before leaving, he quietly asked: "Can I tell my master about this?"

Ji Nanxing nodded: "Sure."

It wasn't anything important, so there was no need for secrecy.

Bai Guanqi gave him an OK sign and then turned to inform his master.

Bai Yilong, who had just finished helping someone with a startup ceremony, returned home and, after hearing his disciple's account, frowned: "Little Nanxing took Xi Jiangyue's soul away?"

Bai Guanqi nodded: "He said he did, but I didn't use the Heaven's Eye Charm, so I didn't see what condition Xi Jiangyue's soul was in."

Although he wasn't particularly talented in this area, after following his master for so many years, he had barely managed to get started. He could use simple Heaven's Eye Charms, but they were quite draining. Plus, seeing ghosts as a living person wasn't exactly a good thing, and his curiosity wasn't that strong, so he didn't use it.

Bai Yilong said: "If he says Xi Jiangyue didn't die by suicide, then she definitely didn't."

If Old Yan's disciple could get something like this wrong, Old Yan would probably come rushing back from the border city.

Bai Yilong looked at his disciple: "What's the situation at Yu Weichi's house now?"

Bai Guanqi: "I've been keeping an eye on him. He left more than an hour ago and hasn't returned yet."

Bai Yilong: "I remember he hasn't gone out for almost a month. Did he leave right after Xi Jiangyue's soul was taken?"

Bai Guanqi nodded, and Bai Yilong sneered, "It seems he might not be entirely innocent either."

After saying this, he took out his phone and opened Weibo. Bai Guanqi's eyebrows twitched, "Master, what are you planning to post?"

Bai Yilong: "What else? Of course, to capitalize on the moment for some marketing and to divert attention from Xiao Nanxing. Maybe someone with a guilty conscience will reveal their fox's tail."

Bai Guanqi thought to himself, isn't it supposed to be a fox's tail?

As soon as Bai Yilong's Weibo post went live, both insiders and outsiders were stirred.

Lao Bai of the Mystic Gate:

"Someone better hide their tail well. The cycle of karma, retribution is already at the door. #Xi Jiangyue's Suicide#"

The general public was in an uproar because many who don't pay much attention to the mystical arts didn't know who Lao Bai of the Mystic Gate was, thinking he was just riding the wave of popularity.

"Who is this guy? It's been so long since Yueyue passed away, and now someone's trying to capitalize on it. Is profiting from tragedy tasty?"

"I'm speechless. I hate it when people are so vague."

"Is this considered superstitious nonsense? Isn't anyone going to regulate this?"

"Marking my spot, I want to see who will face retribution."

"What do you mean, Master? Can you clarify? Does this imply there's more to Yueyue's suicide?"

"Wow, just noticed a lot of celebs follow this Lao Bai. Who is he?"

The insider circle was in an uproar because even if they didn't know Lao Bai of the Mystic Gate personally, they had heard of him. The most famous case involved a washed-up actor, once popular but had been sitting on the bench for over a decade, unable to secure even a supporting role, only getting minor parts.

He sought out Lao Bai, bought a pricey luck bead, and followed his advice. In less than a month, he landed a role in a web series that many didn't have high hopes for, playing a deranged villain.

The series blew up, and the actor staged a comeback. Though he was a bit older, in his forties, he slid right into the 'silver fox' niche, becoming hot property. While he couldn't play leading roles anymore, he could still secure important supporting roles, much better than being ignored before.

This wasn't an isolated case. Whenever Lao Bai of the Mystic Gate took on a case, whether it was something unpromising or someone faded, it always turned around. Some anticipated hits would consult him for blessings or naming, and those he turned down always flopped or crashed—uncannily accurate.

So now, seeing him post this Weibo with Xi Jiangyue's hashtag, many were rattled. Who is the retribution for? Could it really be, as outsiders speculated, Yu Weichi murdering his wife for money?

Everyone was itching to use their connections to dig up dirt, trying to find out what had happened, why Lao Bai of the Mystic Gate suddenly posted such a Weibo months later, and whether it was hinting at something.

Some gossip hounds even had their assistants snoop around with staff they had worked with, but despite all the inquiries, they couldn't find out anything, lamenting that even within the circle, their intel wasn't as sharp as outsiders'.

With Bai Yilong's Weibo post, insiders and outsiders alike were abuzz. The matter of Xi Jiangyue's suicide, which had gradually calmed down, was stirred up again.

What outsiders thought didn't matter. After stirring the pot, Bai Yilong shut off his phone and casually went for tea with an old friend.

Xiao Ye also saw this Weibo post, which had already topped the hot search list. He frowned, "Won't this alert the snake?"

Ji Nanxing glanced sideways, "It doesn't matter. He's in the open. Even if there's a snake in the dark, it sees him, not hindering my investigation."

It also conveniently helps divert attention.

A seasoned Mystic Gate veteran, he knew how to stir the pot and rattle the snake, killing two birds with one stone.

Ji Nanxing rarely brings back such disoriented spirits. Knowing he intended to nurture the spirit, Xie Paner generously offered her small room, which had talismans and a spirit-nurturing array set up, as her daily outings and play were quite draining.

Especially when she saw that the female ghost was actually Xi Jiangyue, although she died early, she grew up watching Xi Jiangyue's TV dramas in her early years. She never expected to have such close contact with a celebrity even after death. The beautiful big sister was truly a sight to behold, never enough to look at.

Ji Nanxing: "No need to give up your room, she is nurturing her soul in a porcelain jar."

Xie Paner exclaimed, somewhat unwilling: "The jar is so small, is it comfortable to stay in there? I'll just give up my room. Song Yitan is away for a competition these days and isn't around. I'll stay quietly at home and won't go out, so I won't use up much."

Ji Nanxing: "That kind of jar is better for her."

Only then did Xie Paner relent.

While Shu Rui was investigating Xi Jiangyue's relationships within the circle, Xiao Ye was also asking around. The rich second-generation friends he knew had information networks no less extensive than the entertainment industry, and many times they knew even more.

Unexpectedly, he did manage to find out something through his inquiries.

"You're also here to gossip because of the trending topic, hahaha, I don't know who that Lao Bai from the Xuanmen is, but he really dares to speak. However, I heard there's really something to this."

Xiao Ye: "What is it? What have you heard?"

Unimportant rich second-generation: "It's said that Xi Jiangyue was backlashed. In their circle, how many people raise little ghosts for fame and fortune? It's said that Xi Jiangyue also raised one, and that's why she didn't have children after so many years of marriage. Little ghosts are jealous; how could they tolerate a real child in the family? They can't even tolerate a second child."

Xiao Ye said: "Where did this news come from? Is it reliable?"

Unimportant rich second-generation: "Of course it's credible, because just before Xi Jiangyue committed suicide, someone heard that her husband, the actor Yu Weichi, was asking around about how to send away a little ghost. Not long after, Xi Jiangyue committed suicide. It must be that they felt they were getting older and wanted a child. They had fame and fortune and didn't want to continue raising the little ghost, but couldn't get rid of it and were backlashed."

After hanging up the phone, Xiao Ye told Ji Nanxing the information he had gathered.

Ji Nanxing had just finished showering and came out of the bathroom with his hair half-dry. Upon hearing this, he said: "She didn't raise a little ghost. I once handled a case involving a little ghost backlash. The person was killed by the little ghost and almost eaten by it after death. Those who have raised little ghosts have a line, which can be considered a parent-child line. The parent-child line of a normal child is red, while that of a little ghost is black. Xi Jiangyue only had a broken red parent-child line, no black one."

Xiao Ye: "A broken parent-child line, did she have a child before?"

Ji Nanxing nodded: "Probably, but it's gone now."

Xiao Ye used a towel to dry his half-dry hair again, and even took some essential oil, rubbed it on his hands, and massaged it into his hair for care: "Do you think the murderer could be Yu Weichi?"

He also felt that Yu Weichi was very suspicious. Xi Jiangyue came from a poor family, lost her mother early, and her father was in debt. To repay the debt, she entered the industry by participating in a beauty pageant at the age of sixteen.

Later, her father passed away. If she died, all her property would be inherited by her husband. After being famous for so many years, the amount of inheritance is unimaginable. Even though Yu Weichi comes from a good family and can earn money himself, wealth can move hearts, and who can say for sure about such things.

Ji Nanxing: "I haven't met Yu Weichi, so it's hard to judge. Let's sleep, it's getting late."

Xiao Ye: "If you're sleepy, why didn't you dry your hair thoroughly before coming out? I thought you were going to play with your phone for a while."

Ji Nanxing: "It will dry soon. What did you put on me?"

Xiao Ye: "The essential oil your parents bought. I just organized the box and found two bottles in it. If we don't use them, they'll expire. It smells so good, feel it, after applying, the hair is smooth and soft."

Ji Nanxing's hair quality is very good, as he hasn't permed or dyed it much, and with a balanced diet and continuous supplements, his hair is naturally healthy and shiny. So Xiao Ye hadn't paid much attention to his hair before.

Now that he remembered there was such a thing as hair essential oil, he planned to apply it to Ji Nanxing every day. He wanted to nurture his little desk mate from head to toe to be tender and white, even the strands of hair had to be exquisite and glowing!

Ji Nanxing didn't reject these things, he just didn't have the patience to do them. Since he didn't have to do it himself, he just let it be. After getting along for so long, he understood Xiao Ye. Whatever Xiao Ye wanted to do, he would persist until he achieved it. It was better to just let him do it from the start, to avoid wasting energy in a tug-of-war.

Sitting on the bed playing with his phone for a while, mainly scrolling through Weibo to look at topics about Xi Jiangyue, and reading many analyses about Xi Jiangyue's suicide.

The two most important people in these matters are Xi Jiangyue's husband Yu Weichi, and the repeatedly mentioned Xue Yang.

Xue Yang and Xi Jiangyue are of different types. Xi Jiangyue has a leading lady face, capable of being sweet and commanding, while Xue Yang has a first love face, very beautiful but not as commanding as Xi Jiangyue. They are of different types, so they are not on the same track, comparisons are mostly about their looks, their works are incomparable.

But after the rumors with Yu Weichi during the "Qingyao Biography", her fame gradually increased. She even sued those marketing accounts and publicly clarified, which helped salvage her reputation to some extent. Since then, whether it was Yu Weichi or other male stars she collaborated with, she would deliberately avoid suspicion.

After Xi Jiangyue's suicide, old matters resurfaced, and many people felt that Xue Yang was also responsible. Some fans even blamed Xi Jiangyue's suicide on Xue Yang and Yu Weichi, believing that their secret affair had driven Xi Jiangyue to her death.

This led Xue Yang to maintain a low profile recently. Every time she trended, she'd pay to get it taken down, trying to fly under the radar to avoid trouble.

The effect was, of course, evident. People were clearly more focused on Yu Weichi, and the buzz around him was louder. In contrast, Xue Yang, once rumored to be Yu Weichi's lover, was talked about less.

It could be said that Xue Yang nearly got off scot-free, but that was before Bai Yilong's tweet came along. That tweet dragged Xue Yang back into the spotlight. After all, karma—everyone who had ever crossed paths with Xi Jiangyue, including those who had tried to bring her down, was now under the microscope.

Just as Xue Yang's photo was zoomed in on, Xiao Ye, fresh out of the shower, leaned in: "I know her, Xue Yang. She's been quite popular these past two years. Want some blueberries?"

Ji Nanxing: "I've already brushed my teeth, so no thanks. Did she blow up after 'Qingyao Zhuan'?"

Xiao Ye shook his head: "I don't know. I don't watch TV dramas. These days, you can't film this, you can't air that. The plots are all over the place, and the acting is cringe-worthy just to get past the censors. It's unwatchable. Why? Is she mixed up in this too? Could she be in on it with Yu Weichi?"

Ji Nanxing: "I checked out her old photos and her recent ones. In the early photos, she didn't have the makings of a star. She was quite plain, the kind of face you'd recognize in the industry but nowhere near A-list status. But now..."

Ji Nanxing pulled up a recent photo of Xue Yang: "Her face has transformed. It's clear that her appearance has entered a dormant phase. If she can make it through the next year or two, she'll hit it big. As long as she doesn't self-destruct or cross legal and moral boundaries, she could probably have a lifelong career in the entertainment industry."

Xiao Ye exclaimed: "Her face is that promising? Wait, although facial features aren't set in stone, they don't change that drastically, do they? Can plastic surgery change one's face?"

Ji Nanxing: "Plastic surgery only changes one's appearance, not their face. Minor adjustments, like removing a mole or enhancing certain features, can slightly alter one's face, but it's more of an enhancement rather than a complete transformation."

Xiao Ye sat up a bit: "What has she been up to behind the scenes?"

Thinking of the red threads entangled behind Xi Jiangyue, directly stealing luck—it's hard to say whether the other party was bold or simply reckless.

Ji Nanxing put down his phone and got under the covers: "Turn off the lights and sleep."

Xiao Ye widened his eyes slightly: "You piqued my curiosity and then just went to sleep? Ji Naonao, aren't you being a bit too much?"

Ji Nanxing: "I'm tired. No more noise."

Xiao Ye bumped his head against Ji Nanxing's back: "Living under someone else's roof, wuwuwu, I'm so pitiful."

Ji Nanxing: "If you keep talking, I'll throw you out."

Xiao Ye stopped moving, half-sitting up and peeking at Ji Nanxing, who was sleeping with his back to him, testing the limits: "Wuwu?"

Ji Nanxing opened his eyes and was about to lift the blanket when Xiao Ye quickly turned off the light, pressed Ji Nanxing's movement with one hand, and hurriedly said, "Sleep, sleep, good night." He even deliberately snored twice.

Ji Nanxing smiled and closed his eyes to sleep.

In the middle of the night, a cold breeze swept through, and a ghostly figure floated in, drawn by the scent. Guided by the red thread, it easily entered.

Under the moonlight, a child no older than three, with a dark bluish complexion, completely black eyes without a trace of white, floated in. He looked similar to the Ghost Baby Ji Nanxing had once captured, but this little ghost had sharp teeth and a fierce look in his eyes.

Once inside, the little ghost lost his target. The room was filled with the scent he was searching for, but he couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from.

He wandered aimlessly around the room, sniffing the air, and then drifted into one of the rooms. As soon as he entered, the little ghost tilted his head back and inhaled deeply.

He was a Kuman Thong, needing human offerings, but he also craved yin energy, especially in this room where incense was burning. It was a completely different scent from his usual snacks—more enticing, more delicious.

The little ghost floated over, hugging the incense stick and inhaling deeply. He liked it here. Then, with greedy eyes, he scanned the surroundings.

He had been raised in a special way, different from ordinary yin children.

He knew human greed. He could scare the owner of this house first, then offer them a little sweetness, making them offer incense to him in the future. But first, he needed to drain the woman with the aura of luck. That was the agreement he had with his provider.

But where was that woman? He could clearly smell her scent here.

Just as the little ghost was about to finish absorbing the incense offerings before searching for the person, a magic array lit up beneath his feet.

The little ghost tilted his head slightly, feeling something was wrong, but he didn't understand what it was. Hesitating for a second between leaving and continuing to consume the incense offerings, he decided to leave first. However, as soon as he moved, the red light beneath his feet brightened again, and a terrifying force like a mountain pressed him to the ground.

The little ghost was pressed to the ground, and his already pitch-black eyes immediately exuded a terrifying spiritual energy. He bared his sharp teeth and snarled viciously.

Xie Paner, covering her ears and squatting outside, saw Ji Nanxing come out of the room in his pajamas, her eyes accusing: "My room is dirty now!"

After being occupied by such a terrifying little ghost who had even eaten people, her pristine princess-themed room was no longer clean!

Ji Nanxing glanced at her: "I'll buy you a small cake as compensation."

Xie Paner immediately said: "I want a cake with succulent green grapes!"

Ji Nanxing nodded, pushed open the door to the small room, and saw the struggling green-skinned little ghost on the floor. He quietly compared it with the Ghost Baby he had captured before, finding this one far less cute.

After the comparison, he ruthlessly performed a hand gesture and struck the green-skinned little ghost. The thick black spiritual energy around it was instantly dispersed by half.

The little ghost felt as if his soul was about to be shattered, unable to even scream. He wanted to escape, but the red light beneath his feet, whatever it was, held him firmly in place.

Gathering his strength, he glared fiercely and menacingly at his attacker. The next moment, a powerful force yanked him over, and after a dizzying spin, he found himself trapped in a small, pitch-black space.

Ji Nanxing trapped the little ghost inside the mystic bell, lightly shaking it and listening to the ghost's ear-piercing shrieks inside. He sneered and flicked the mystic bell lightly with his finger: "Daring to break into a Taoist's home, this little ghost really has some nerve."

Xiao Ye, standing at the door yawning, said: "No wonder you removed the talismans placed around the house. I thought you were planning to update them, but it turns out you were leaving the door open for the little ghost."

Ji Nanxing: "Without leaving the door open, he couldn't have entered."

Xiao Ye: "Now that the little ghost is caught, what will happen to the person behind him?"

Ji Nanxing: "After I cut the fate threads on Xi Jiangyue tomorrow, those who deserve retribution won't escape."