Chapter 187

Chapter 187

◎On Official Business Again◎

The torment of that night was something Lv Yang couldn't bear to recall. His stomach felt like it was constantly on the verge of bursting, and although it was in a dream, the pain felt incredibly real—so real that he knew he was in pain while asleep, struggling to wake up but unable to do so.

When dawn finally broke and his roommate's alarm rang, Lv Yang was freed from the dream. However, what followed wasn't the relief of waking up but the continued severe pain in his stomach.

Though it hurt, it wasn't as unbearable as it had been in the dream. Lv Yang sat on the bed, clutching his stomach, trying to pull himself together. His roommate, noticing his pale face, frowned and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Lv Yang replied, "It's nothing. Maybe I ate something that didn't agree with me. I'll be fine after a while."

Seeing that he was a grown man who could probably handle going to the hospital on his own, the roommate didn't press further. "We're off to class. You should get some more rest."

Lv Yang rested for a while, but the pain didn't subside. He had no choice but to drag himself to the hospital for help. However, the hospital couldn't find anything wrong with him—physical exams, X-rays, and blood tests all came back normal, showing no issues, despite his constant complaints of pain.

After a whole day of agony, Lv Yang didn't expect the pain to come back that night. Once again, the moment he lay down and closed his eyes, he was pulled into a dream where his stomach started to swell painfully.

When he woke up the next morning, Lv Yang felt his stomach. Since he hadn't eaten much the day before, his stomach wasn't swollen, but it still hurt terribly, as if it had been stuffed with hard objects and then squeezed forcefully.

At this point, he still didn't give it much thought, only thinking that he must be sick, but the cause remained unknown.

The day before, he had still been able to go to the hospital on his own, but today he couldn't even straighten up enough to get out of bed.

Seeing him in such pain, his roommate had no choice but to take him to the hospital for help.

Since Lv Yang often stayed out, his relationship with his roommates wasn't particularly close. After dropping him off at the hospital, they didn't have time to stay with him for his check-ups. After all, Lv Yang seemed to have a part-time job and earned quite a bit, so he could afford to hire a caregiver to stay with him during his treatment and examinations.

Unfortunately, even after switching hospitals, the test results were the same—nothing was found. The additional tests only added to the expenses. Seeing him in such pain, almost needing a wheelchair to move, the hospital suggested he be admitted for further detailed examinations and observation.

Lv Yang stayed in the hospital. The fact that his condition worsened twice in his sleep gave him a psychological fear of sleeping.

But humans cannot avoid sleep; it's something difficult to control. No matter how much one tries to stay awake, sleep inevitably comes.

However, that night, Lv Yang didn't feel stomach pain but the agony of being thrown into boiling water and having his skin peeled off.

In his dream, he struggled desperately. The sensation of being boiled alive and then skinned made him wish for death, but he couldn't die. He couldn't even escape; he was forced to endure it.

When he woke up the next morning, Lv Yang's mental state was even worse. His eyes were sunken, his face pale. The pain in his stomach had slightly subsided, but the agony had shifted to his skin.

Although his skin looked intact, the feeling of being torn apart still terrified him.

The previous incidents, combined with the inexplicable sensations of the past few nights and the hospital's inability to diagnose his condition, led Lv Yang to consider the possibility of something supernatural.

He grabbed the doctor and asked, "Doctor, do curses exist? I just remembered, before I got sick, someone burned a talisman in front of me, and then I fell ill. Doctor, do you think I might be cursed?"

The hospital he was in was just a regular tertiary hospital, not affiliated with any special administration. So, when the doctor heard this, they began to suspect his mental state. Sometimes, illnesses aren't physical but psychological, like phantom limb pain in amputees—it's a mental issue.

Hearing this, the doctor considered calling the psychiatric department for a consultation to assess his condition.

But before they could arrange for a psychiatrist to see him, Lv Yang left the hospital. He didn't know who had burned the talisman in front of him, but he knew who the dog's owner was and had her phone number.

So, he called Lin Man.

Unfortunately, Lin Man had changed her number.

Previously, she had posted numerous ads offering a high reward for finding her dog, and even now, many people called her whenever they saw a dog that resembled hers. If it were just about the dog, it might have been manageable, and the calls would likely decrease over time.

But some people, seeing the high reward, assumed she was wealthy and began adding her on WeChat and harassing her with calls. This annoyed Lin Man immensely. She was still spending every day at the hospital with Money, who was undergoing treatment, and had no energy to deal with such matters. In the end, she decided to change her phone number.

Unable to find the dog owner, Lv Yang began to panic. He was in severe pain all over his body, just like the residual sensation he felt after waking up from a stomachache the previous night. Now, he also had lingering pain on his skin, as if someone had really torn it off.

Lv Yang couldn't bear it anymore. He was really scared someone had cursed him, so he decided to call the police.

The police found his report utterly bizarre: "Are you saying you found a dog, and because you were afraid it would disturb the neighbors, you taped its mouth shut to keep it from barking, kicked it a couple of times and injured it, and then the dog's owner came looking for you and cursed you for revenge?"

Lv Yang nodded repeatedly: "Yes! He burned a paper talisman in front of me, and then I got sick. Officer, you gotta believe me, they're using some superstitious crap to hurt me!"

The officer couldn't help but say, "You know that's superstitious nonsense, right? It's all fake. If burning a talisman could really harm someone, what would we need the police for?"

Lv Yang, anxious, insisted, "It's true! If you call that guy over and ask him, you'll see. He must have done something!"

The officer tapped the table and said, "Whether it's investigating a case or calling someone in, we need evidence. You claim he did something, but where's the proof? Did he physically hurt you or something? We can't just bring someone in based on your unproven claim of a curse. Does that make sense to you?"

Zhang Yuan, who had come to deliver food to his father, asked a familiar officer nearby, "What's this about a curse?"

The young officer whispered to Zhang Yuan, "He says he found a dog, hurt it, and then the dog's owner cursed him for revenge."

Zhang Yuan thought, took a photo of the man, and sent it to Ji Nanxing: "Can you see anything off with this guy? He says someone cursed him."

Ji Nanxing replied, "Yeah, I'm the one who cursed him."

Zhang Yuan: "..." The world is indeed small.

Zhang Yuan: "Impressive!"

Then he decided to stay out of it.

After delivering the food to his father and coming out, Zhang Yuan saw the man still clutching the officer's hand, demanding that they arrest someone. Zhang Yuan walked over and said, "Have you considered this? If someone really cursed you, do you think they'd just remove it so easily?"

Lv Yang turned and saw Zhang Yuan in a T-shirt and shorts: "What?"

Zhang Yuan continued, "You know curses are just superstitious nonsense, right? Even if the cops bring him in, do you think he'd confess?"

Lv Yang shook his head: "Definitely not."

Who would admit to something like that? Even if they did, who would believe it? Even he himself didn't believe it when the talisman was burned in front of him. Only after days of suffering did he start to believe it might be real.

Zhang Yuan: "Exactly. If you bring him in and he denies it, he might even get mad and curse you again. Do you think you could survive another round of this?"

Lv Yang shook his head, his grip on the officer's hand loosening. That guy was clearly capable. He might act one way in front of the police and another way behind their backs. If he cursed Lv Yang to death, that would be the end of him!

Lv Yang's face went even whiter. He had already been tormented to the point of looking like a ghost, and now he looked even worse.

Zhang Yuan added, "And I think you're not being completely honest. You know it yourself, right? You didn't tell the police the whole truth, so what can you do if you bring that person here? You say he cursed you, so he must be powerful, right? If he has the means to curse you, taking your life would be easy. But he didn't kill you; he's just tormenting you. What do you think his goal is?"

Lv Yang hadn't slept well for days. When people are sleep-deprived, their thinking becomes sluggish. Combined with his extreme fear, he was completely led by Zhang Yuan's words: "What is it?"

Zhang Yuan: "Real remorse. Have you truly repented?"

Lv Yang couldn't help but take a step back. Looking at the room full of uniformed officers, he felt as if their gazes could pierce through him. Panicking, he turned and ran.

Watching the man finally leave, the officer who had been grabbed by him earlier smiled at Zhang Yuan and said, "Not bad, Xiao Yuan. You've got a way with words."

Another officer nearby asked, "Is it okay to let him go like that? He does seem a bit mentally unstable."

An experienced officer had already tapped the information the man had filled out earlier: "I'll contact his school first and have them keep an eye on his mental state."

As for curses and lifting curses, if someone has mental issues, the police can't just join in the madness, can they?

Zhang Yuan waved at them, holding an empty bag: "I'm heading home, bye."

Once he left the police station, he called Xiao Ye: "What have you guys done again? Why did you curse that guy? What did he do?"

Xiao Ye: "He abused and killed cats and dogs. I consulted Naonao, and it's about making him relive everything he did to those animals. As long as he never does it again, he'll be fine. But if he even considers it, he'll have to face the consequences."

Zhang Yuan frowned upon hearing this: "I really didn't expect him to be such a monster. He's been going through a lot these days, looking miserable."

Xiao Ye: "He had it coming."

While many people don't place much value on the lives of cats and dogs, arguing that if you care so much about them, why not care about pigs, cows, and sheep, some things aren't seen that way. Even when pigs, cows, and sheep are slaughtered for meat, it's done swiftly, not through torture.

So for Lv Yang, it's just karma coming back to bite him. No matter how much he suffers, he deserves it. What he's feeling is just the torment he once inflicted on those animals.

After hanging up, Xiao Ye rested his head on Ji Nanxing's shoulder: "It's a small world. Zhang Yuan ran into Lv Yang at the police station while delivering food to his dad. Heard he's been going through a lot."

Ji Nanxing: "This is just the start. I hope he's strong enough."

Then he glanced back at Xiao Ye: "Aren't you warm?"

Xiao Ye shook his head seriously, his eyes full of innocence, thinking nothing else: "Not warm. It's almost autumn, and I'm worried you're cold, so I'm staying close. Winter is almost here, and this winter, let's share a blanket. I'll warm it up for you."

Previously, although they slept in the same bed, they always had separate blankets. When Xiao Ye was afraid Ji Nanxing was cold, he would just reach out a hand from his blanket to touch Ji Nanxing, nothing more.

But now they're so familiar, having lived together for so long, right? They should be closer.

Ji Nanxing looked at him: "I can make room for you to sleep in."

Xiao Ye sat up straight in a second: "Where would we find another room?"

There's no extra room in the school apartment, only one bedroom!

Ji Nanxing: "I can clear out the room with the ancestor's altar for you."

Xiao Ye immediately made a fuss, afraid he was serious: "Ji Naonao! You better drop that disrespectful idea. That's the ancestor's altar! How can I take the ancestor's room? You're really crossing the line. I mean, wouldn't the ancestor be upset hearing this? Huh? Come on, let's go apologize to the ancestor together, say you'll never think like that again!"

Ji Nanxing found his reaction amusing.

Seeing him laugh, Xiao Ye relaxed, and he reached out to tickle Ji Nanxing's waist: "Alright, Ji Naonao, now you can tease me with anything, huh? That's too much, isn't it?"

Ji Nanxing had no ticklish spots on his waist and wasn't afraid of being tickled. As Xiao Ye pounced on him, he directly grabbed Xiao Ye's ear.

Xiao Ye tilted his head, letting Ji Nanxing pull his ear, shouting: "Ji Xiaoxing! You're pushing it, don't think I won't retaliate!"

As the two tumbled on the carpet, a light cough sounded at the door.

Neither of them had heard when the door opened. Ji Yuanting, Ji Nanxing's second brother, had been standing at the door for who knows how long. Seeing they finally noticed him, he said: "With such little vigilance, you wouldn't even know if the house was emptied."

Xiao Ye quickly let go of Ji Nanxing and helped him up, then said: "Hello, Second Brother!"

Ji Yuanting glanced at the boy, entered the room, closed the door, and took a couple of sips from a bottle of cold water in the kitchen: "What's all the noise? I could hear you from the door."

Ji Nanxing straightened his clothes and stood up: "When did you get back, Second Brother? Weren't you in Paris a couple of days ago?"

Ji Yuanting: "Naturally, I came back for a reason. Pack up and come with me."

Xiao Ye looked around and asked: "Can I come too?"

Ji Yuanting narrowed his eyes and looked at the boy, bluntly saying: "No."

Xiao Ye's ears drooped immediately, and Ji Nanxing directly asked, "About how many days?"

Ji Yuanting thought for a moment, "About three to five days."

Xiao Ye was reluctant to part with Ji Nanxing, but he also knew that they had important matters to handle. He held back other questions and didn't ask where they were going, only inquiring, "Are the living supplies readily available at the place you're going? Should I prepare some food for you?"

Ji Yuanting then looked at Xiao Ye more seriously and said, "That would be good, pack some self-heating meals."

Xiao Ye also found a backpack and packed some food and drinks. It wasn't too heavy when he lifted it. He also packed a stack of talismans for Ji Nanxing, almost taking all the stock from home: "If you can solve it with talismans, don't waste your own energy. Use them as much as you need, and I'll draw more for you when you return."

Ji Nanxing nodded, "Then keep up with your classes."

Xiao Ye smiled and said, "Okay, you must be careful. Call me if you need anything, anytime. If it's too dangerous, just pull back and call for backup. Don't take unnecessary risks, okay?"

Ji Nanxing hummed in agreement, quickly packed his things, and left with Ji Yuanting. Xiao Ye saw them off downstairs, watched them get into the car and leave, and stood alone on the roadside for a while.

If only he were a Taoist priest, he could at least help. Unfortunately, he wasn't cut out for this line of work.

Back upstairs, the living room, which had just been lively with Ji Nanxing, now felt empty. He missed him, even though they had only been apart for less than ten minutes.

In the car, Ji Yuanting gave a quick rundown of the situation to Ji Nanxing: "An ancient ethnic sacrificial ground was discovered. There was something suppressing it, but a few days ago, heavy rain caused a landslide, and the suppressing magical tool was washed away. The entire area was overwhelmed with resentment. Some people have already gone there. Master informed me to take you there to help with the purification and liberation."

Ji Nanxing nodded, another chance to earn merit: "How serious is the situation there now?"

Ji Yuanting: "Quite serious, even the national authorities have been alerted."

Their country has specialized equipment to monitor yin energy. If the yin energy concentration exceeds the standard anywhere, the system will issue an alarm. But nowadays, most areas have been developed, and there are few lands that haven't been disturbed, so alarms are rare.

After the heavy rain, the entire area had excessive yin energy. Even though the rain had stopped, the dark clouds in the sky still lingered. If not handled quickly, some natural or man-made disasters could happen again.

With Ji Nanxing not at home, Xiao Ye seized the chance to go back home for a couple of days. The old man exclaimed when he saw him, "Whose kid is this? Did you walk into the wrong house?"

Xiao Ye put his backpack on the sofa and sprawled on it without any proper sitting posture: "Naonao isn't home. I don't know where the trouble is, but his brother came back and took him away."

The old man said, "It must be..."

Xiao Ye immediately jumped up, leaning on the sofa to look at the old man in the living room tea room: "Where? Grandpa, do you know? What happened, is it dangerous?"

The old man leisurely poured a cup of tea.

Xiao Ye couldn't wait and ran over to sit in front of the old man: "What exactly happened? Grandpa!"

The old man looked at him, "Why are you so worried? It's not like your sweetheart is gone, why so nervous?"

Xiao Ye thought to himself, not now, but if he worked hard, maybe his dream would come true.

But he didn't dare to say that, only urging his grandfather, "Grandpa! Where exactly, what happened, you're killing me with suspense!"

The old man stopped teasing him, "In Changlin."

Hearing the name of the place, Xiao Ye knew what it was about: "The heavy rain a few days ago? What happened? I heard they evacuated in advance, and although there was some property damage, there were no casualties. So why are Taoists being called in?"

The old man had retired, and although he still had some channels for information, he didn't know the details, only saying, "I heard something was unearthed, but I'm not sure about the specifics. But since they're sending Xingxing, it shouldn't be too troublesome."

Xiao Ye didn't like hearing that, "Grandpa, you can't underestimate Naonao. He's super powerful, among the Taoists in the mystical circle, few are as strong as him!"

The old man exclaimed again, "Already defending him? I didn't say he's not powerful, but because he's still young, the higher-ups wouldn't send young people to dangerous places."

Ability is one thing, experience is another, and more importantly, Taoists are rare. A young Taoist, barring accidents, can ensure the continuation of the tradition for decades. Just this point alone would make the higher-ups consider carefully, so the places they send the young ones to are generally not too dangerous.

Seeing Xiao Ye holding his phone and starting to search for flights, the old man pressed down on his phone: "Be serious about your studies. Even if you go, you won't see him. A good relationship doesn't mean being glued together all the time; what's important is mutual trust."

At first, Xiao Ye didn't quite understand, thinking that his grandfather just didn't want him to run around. But later, he realized what his grandfather meant. Did he know about his feelings? But that couldn't be, as he had never shown any signs whenever he returned home, rarely even mentioning Ji Naonao.

The old man looked at his silly grandson and snorted. What kind of good child sticks to one person all the time and doesn't even return home? He wasn't that out of it yet.

Although the old man had some thoughts about having a great-grandson, he didn't dwell on it too much. Since his grandson was hopeless, he could only hope that his eldest grandson would give him something to be happy about soon.

In the office, Xiao Song suddenly shivered and looked up at the air conditioner. The temperature wasn't set too low.

A few days later, Zhang Yuan, who was delivering food to his overworked father at the police station, saw Lv Yang again. Compared to the last time when Lv Yang was just mentally exhausted and somewhat haggard, this time, after just a few days, he had become emaciated.

His hair was a mess, his beard hadn't been shaved for a long time, his eyes were sunken and filled with red veins, and he looked like he hadn't slept for quite some time.

He knelt on the ground, grabbing the police officers and begging them to help him find that boy. He was truly being tortured to the point where he couldn't go on living.

During this period, he didn't dare to sleep, but as soon as night fell, he would uncontrollably enter a dream, completely beyond his control. The torment day and night had already worn him down.

He was truly at his wit's end, with no one to turn to, and had come to the police station to threaten suicide, showing just how desperate he was.