Chapter 209

Chapter 209

◎Causing Trouble◎

He Xuan's information quickly reached Ji Nanxing's hands. Though just a few pages, the document was heavy with sorrow and tragedy.

He Xuan is 42 years old, divorced, and once had a daughter. Her daughter passed away three days shy of her 18th birthday, right after the college entrance exam, while saving a drowning child.

He Xuan got married at the age of 20 and had her daughter the same year. She spent several years as a full-time homemaker after marrying. Only when her daughter started elementary school and took an interest in dolls did He Xuan venture into the BJD doll industry.

At first, she did it to spend time with her daughter. As her daughter grew, their conversations dwindled. He Xuan wasn't the type of mother who forced her child to study all the time. She dedicated time to let her daughter experience the joys she missed in her own childhood.

Over time, she grew to truly love these things, which some might deem trivial. Her genuine passion brought them closer, and they bonded like best friends.

Her daughter, Nini, though her father was often absent, Nini's inner world flourished thanks to He Xuan's constant presence. Nurtured with love, Nini grew into an exceptional individual—kind, bright, and beautiful—without a hint of spoilage.

He Xuan tended to her daughter like a delicate bloom, showering her with unparalleled affection. Despite her in-laws' insistence, she refused to have another child, ensuring her daughter remained her sole focus.

Tragically, Nini, in the prime of her youth, never had the chance to explore the world. She lost her life saving another, just before her 18th birthday.

Reviewing He Xuan's profile, Xiao Ye began to grasp her attachment to the dolls. It was a way to channel her emotions, preserving the love she had for her daughter.

As Xiao Ye leafed through the rest of the documents, he sighed, "Had her ex-husband remained supportive, she might not have poured all her emotions into the dolls."

After Nini's death, He Xuan's ex-husband proposed having another child. At 38, He Xuan was of advanced maternal age but still fertile.

But He Xuan chose divorce over having another child.

Xiao Ye returned the documents to Ji Nanxing, "I get it. From what's written, Nini's father was always tied up with work, rarely making time for his daughter. He only checked in on her grades now and then, neglecting everything else. After Nini's death, he mourned briefly but was more focused on quickly having another child. Such a person is more concerned with securing support for old age than genuinely loving a child. He Xuan bore the deepest scars. Losing a child she'd raised from birth—even a pet couldn't be so easily replaced after its passing."

A mother who loved her daughter so much, even unwilling to have another child to share the love meant for her, how could such a mother want another child right after her daughter's death?

Ji Nanxing remained silent while looking at the documents. Eliminating the lingering ghosts' obsessions was something he was used to, but dealing with a living person's obsession, whose lingering ghost had probably already reincarnated, was something he couldn't figure out how to handle at the moment.

He couldn't even tell He Xuan about it. If He Xuan knew that the dolls she made could develop spirits due to her obsession with her daughter, she might create a doll daughter for herself as an emotional outlet.

Xiao Ye flipped through the documents, "Is there nothing about He Xuan's ex-husband in here?"

Ji Nanxing pulled out one of the pages, "It's mentioned. He remarried, and his son is now three years old."

Xiao Ye clicked his tongue in disdain, "Nini has only been dead for four years. Men really are something else."

Ji Nanxing turned to him, "We are men too."

Xiao Ye covered his mouth, "Oops, I accidentally spoke my mind."

Knowing this was a tough situation, Xiao Ye suggested, "Let's deal with the one in her shop first, then keep an eye on her. Not every doll she makes will develop a spirit. We'll handle any Doll Spirits as soon as we detect them."

Ji Nanxing, "But how do you know which of her dolls will develop a spirit and which won't? Besides her physical store, she also takes online custom orders. Are we supposed to screen every doll she sells through me from now on?"

That did seem impractical. Xiao Ye stroked his chin, "Let's think of something else. Is there a way to seal her ability? Like how the Yin-Yang eyes can be sealed to become normal eyes?"

Ji Nanxing, "Yes, by extracting her Fushen, or life soul."

Xiao Ye, "But wouldn't that kill her?"

Ji Nanxing, "The life soul governs consciousness. Without consciousness, she wouldn't be able to do anything."

Xiao Ye rested his head on the sofa arm, "That won't work either. Let's think of another way."

For custom-made dolls like He Xuan's, it can take anywhere from a month to two or three months to complete one. Ji Nanxing wasn't too concerned about any immediate problems. That day, he looked around the shop and found that, apart from the one in the cabinet, the other dolls were quite pure.

Before figuring out a good solution, he didn't plan to do anything to avoid tipping anyone off.

So, in the small, rundown building, a group of people sat in a row.

Jiang Tangtang cupped her face in her hands: "This is indeed a tough situation. Is her daughter's soul really gone? Didn't she linger out of reluctance to leave her mother?"

Ji Nanxing: "She's gone."

Zhang Yuan: "Senior isn't around either."

Chen Shiyi turned to look at him: "What if Senior were around? Would you have her watch over the shop?"

Zhang Yuan: "If Senior were around, she could pose as her daughter and help ease her lingering attachment."

Jiang Tangtang laughed unkindly: "What kind of crazy idea is that? How could you possibly pretend in such a situation? No mother would mistake someone else for her own daughter."

Lin Yi whispered to Ji Nanxing: "Can't we just let the Doll Spirit remain by her side? It hasn't caused any issues all these years."

Ji Nanxing: "Just because nothing has happened so far doesn't mean it won't in the future."

Knowing there's an uncontrolled Doll Spirit around, as a Taoist, he couldn't simply ignore it. But he also couldn't handle it forcefully, as it was the emotional anchor for a mother who had lost her child.

If he were to act more forcefully, he could find some pretext to shut down the shop, confiscate the equipment, and block the WeChat account. But that would be too unfair to He Xuan, and Ji Nanxing couldn't bring himself to do such a thing.

Guo Xun popped his head out from behind a broken wall and whispered to Ji Nanxing: "You could tame that Doll Spirit."

Ji Nanxing: "Tame?"

As soon as he spoke, the others looked at him, but seeing his gaze fixed on an empty space, they realized he was talking to that genius senior.

Guo Xun nodded: "Two tigers can't share the same mountain. If you tame the most powerful one, you can have her keep an eye on the shop. Once a new Doll Spirit appears, she can inform you, acting as your spy."

Ji Nanxing smiled: "It's not so simple."

He had thought of this method before, but the Doll Spirit exists due to He Xuan's love. Its love for He Xuan far exceeds what ordinary people can imagine. Even the one at Jiang Yunyun's home only does everything for Jiang Yunyun because He Xuan instructed it to listen to its new mother. At their core, their love is still for He Xuan.

Therefore, the Doll Spirit cannot be tamed by him. The Doll Spirits created by He Xuan are like siblings to that Doll Spirit. Because He Xuan loves them, it will protect them and would never be threatened into submitting to him as a spy.

If he could tame it by force, he would have done so long ago.

A solution isn't something that can be thought of in a day. Even with collective brainstorming, a good solution couldn't be found immediately. Ji Nanxing looked at everyone: "It's fine, there's no rush. We'll solve it slowly."

The Doll Spirit has existed for so many years without causing trouble, so it's unlikely to cause any issues now. As long as it doesn't harm anyone, it's okay to let it stay a bit longer.

But sometimes, the more you think something won't happen, the more likely it is to occur.

During a Chinese class, the golden bell on Ji Nanxing's wrist vibrated slightly.

Since Xie Paner left after her lingering attachment was resolved, Ji Nanxing hadn't stamped any lingering ghosts. Only last time at the doll shop, fearing that the Doll Spirit might one day go out of control and harm someone, he left a mark on the glass of the display cabinet.

If the Doll Spirit were to act, the mark he left would temporarily control it, making it easier for him to monitor its movements.

Now that the golden bell vibrated, it meant something had triggered it. Either a new Doll Spirit had been created by He Xuan, or the Doll in the display cabinet had come out to harm someone.

It was too late to rush to the shop now. Ji Nanxing poked Xiao Ye beside him: "There's movement at the doll shop. I'll go check it out in spirit form."

Xiao Ye: "Now?"

Ji Nanxing nodded. "I'll be back soon."

With that, he pulled his hood over his head and pretended to sleep at his desk. After all, teachers usually wouldn't call on him if they saw him sleeping.

Following the mark he had left, Ji Nanxing's soul left his body and instantly arrived at the doll shop.

The doll shop was in complete chaos. Dolls were knocked to the ground, their beautiful clothes and delicate accessories scattered everywhere. Amid the mess, the most terrifying sight was the shattered display case that had held a doll dressed in a pastoral outfit. It looked like something had smashed it open.

Inside, the doll, about the height of a person's calf, was now pinning down an old woman. Its slender, delicate hands were tightly gripping the old woman's neck.

Apart from the old woman, only He Xuan remained in the shop. He Xuan had collapsed to the ground, her face pale as she stared in shock, unable to comprehend the scene. Seeing the old woman about to suffocate, her eyes rolling back, He Xuan crawled over, trying to pull the doll away.

The doll's once beautiful blue eyes, like a starry sea, were now completely red. When He Xuan's blood stained its body, the doll's grip tightened, as if it wanted to crush the neck in its hands.

Ji Nanxing stepped forward. As a spirit, he had no talismans, so he could only release Yin energy to separate the doll from the old woman.

But the Doll Spirit, perhaps triggered by He Xuan's blood, had gone completely berserk. Sensing Ji Nanxing's interference and the same energy that had tried to seal it earlier, the Doll Spirit turned its attack on him.

Ji Nanxing wasn't afraid. He formed a hand seal, and strands of Yin energy flew from his body, forming ropes that bound the doll.

The doll struggled fiercely, gathering strength and breaking free, shattering the Yin energy binding it.

As the two forces collided, the surrounding objects were instantly blown away by an invisible force, including He Xuan, who was not far from them. She was thrown backward by the impact, landing hard on the ground.

Seeing this, the doll immediately lunged toward He Xuan.

Ji Nanxing quickly formed another energy net, blocking the doll's path. "This is your mother's beloved shop. Do you really want to destroy it?"

The doll glared at Ji Nanxing with hatred in its eyes. Ji Nanxing layered more Yin energy, preventing the doll from breaking free again. "I'll handle what happened today. Don't hurt anyone else. If you hurt anyone, I won't be able to let you stay."

The doll had been with He Xuan for many years. It wasn't a newly formed spirit. It had spent every day in the shop with her, meeting many people. While its intelligence wasn't on par with a normal human's, it could still understand Ji Nanxing's words.

Glancing at He Xuan, who was lying on the ground in obvious pain, and the blood scattered everywhere, the doll slowly lowered its hands, ready to resist.

It didn't want its mother to get hurt, but it also knew that there were many things humans could solve that it couldn't. It wanted to kill everyone who had wronged its mother, but more than that, it wanted to stay by her side, for as long as possible.