Chapter 383

Chapter 383

◎This was the fate he had decided for himself◎

The city remained as bustling and lively as ever, when the city truly came alive after dark.

Restaurants with long queues, milk tea shops crowded with young men and women—You Shuang wove through the throngs of people, taking in scenes of prosperity and peace unlike anything he’d ever known.

His short fifteen years of life had been filled with endless studying. He and his younger brother were late-born children; their parents had been quite old, unable to conceive for a long time. Later, they supposedly sought out a sorceress, and through some unknown method, they came into existence.

You Shuang hadn’t known back then. It was only after his death that he realized he and his brother were the result of their parents’ desperate longing—children who were never meant to be. Thus, they were destined not to live past adulthood.

At the time, he hadn’t known his own future. When he and his brother were born, their parents were already in their forties. By the time they turned fifteen, their parents were in their sixties. He knew that the family, and his younger brother, would one day be his responsibility, so he never allowed himself to relax, always driving himself relentlessly.

For three years after his death, he had either been driven by hatred and murder or captured and imprisoned by Taoists. This was his first taste of freedom, wandering a bustling, prosperous street.

It felt like the first time he had ever observed the world with such calm. Though the world had never treated him kindly, he still thought it was a good place—it was only the damned people who ruined it.

But his strength was waning. During his two years of imprisonment, because he had refused to be exorcised, he had resisted constantly. The more he resisted, the more his energy drained. Even now that he had escaped, he’d never regain his full strength.

You Shuang knew the Taoists were hunting him. What he should do was find a place to hide, ideally by taking over a living host, using their Yang energy to mask his own Yin energy.

But possession wasn’t something he could do carelessly. If a lingering ghost possessed someone for too long, the person would die.

Just as he was pondering how to break free from this predicament, a heated argument caught his attention.

It came from a residential building behind the shops. Some commercial districts couldn’t be completely demolished and rebuilt, so low-rise residential buildings coexisted with the shops. These were islands of poverty in a sea of wealth—located in the most expensive commercial areas, yet housing the most dilapidated homes.

The voice inside belonged to a middle-aged man, berating and beating his child. The sound of slaps landing on flesh mixed with impatient complaints and scolding: "I work from dawn to dusk to earn money for your tuition, and you bring home a sixty on your test?! A hundred-and-fifty-point exam, and you couldn’t even score half?! What’s the point of raising you? Might as well raise a dog—at least a dog would wag its tail and listen to me!"

The boy being beaten wore a high school uniform. Though he was taller than his father, he still hunched his shoulders, not daring to utter a word. He endured the heavy slaps without resistance, helplessly clutching the test paper that required a parent’s signature as he stood in the corner.

You Shuang hovered outside the window, watching. The place was cramped and run-down—one bedroom, one living room, and a tiny balcony. The boy’s “room” was clearly the balcony, separated from the main room only by a curtain. The sound of laundry came from the bathroom—likely the boy’s mother.

The man continued to vent his frustrations about work and life onto his failing son.

As You Shuang listened to the stream of curses, a dark haze clouded his eyes. He had been struggling to find a target, and now one had practically served himself up.

How did a man like this deserve to marry and have children? He worked to put food on the table, yet he shifted the burden of his labor onto his son, claiming, “Everything I do is for you,” as if marriage and kids were the only reasons he broke his back.

Yin energy seethed around him. The man was in the prime of his life, with plenty of Yang energy. Taking him over wouldn’t be easy, but it would allow You Shuang to hide longer. When the body was near death, he could make sure the man’s death paid out, leaving some money for this impoverished family. At least then, the man’s death would serve a purpose.

Just as he prepared to drift inside and wait for the right moment to possess the man, a sharp bell chimed.

You Shuang’s expression instantly changed. His body dissipated into smoke as he tried to flee, but this time, escape was impossible. Unbeknownst to him, an array had been laid around him. Talismans hung suspended in the air, blocking his path no matter which direction he turned.

Ji Nanxing stood on the rooftop of an empty private building. “You won’t get away this time.”

You Shuang narrowed his eyes slightly. “How did you find me?”

Ji Nanxing: “With traces of your ghostly aura, it’s not hard for a Taoist to track an evil spirit.”

You Shuang scoffed. “Then why did it take you months?”

Ji Nanxing: “Ghosts vary in strength, and so do Taoists. Since you’ve come after me repeatedly, I had to put in some effort to find you. Consider this a reward for walking right into my trap.”

Though much of his strength had dissipated, You Shuang was still an evil spirit who had struggled for so long in Yuchun Temple. He had some power left. Facing Ji Nanxing, he showed no sign of retreat. Instead, he summoned his Yin energy, ready to clash with this young Taoist.

But before fighting, he wanted to confirm one thing: “I know you took Shulei. Holding him gets you nothing.”

Ji Nanxing: "He's already at the Management Bureau. His condition can't be concealed."

You Shuang stared at him: "What gives you that right?"

Ji Nanxing lowered his eyes and remained silent.

You Shuang's resentment grew stronger: "I avenged those who killed me. They were in cahoots, using money and power to manipulate lives behind the scenes. What’s wrong with such people dying? And those who bullied others at school, those who took bribes and acted unjustly—what’s wrong with me taking them out? Do you know how much those corrupt officials embezzled? Do you know what kind of money they stole? A few million could buy approval—do you know how many people would die if those unqualified buildings collapsed? Or do you always wait for people to die before acting? What about those who’ve already died? Did they deserve it?"

You Shuang pointed at the house where the father was still berating his son: "Does this kind of man deserve to live? How much suffering has his existence caused? I did nothing wrong, yet I was brutally murdered. I removed those monsters from the world, and you label me an evil spirit."

You Shuang looked at Ji Nanxing and sneered, demanding: "What gives you the right? You say I can’t decide others’ lives and deaths—then what about you? What gives you the right to judge mine? Just because you’re Taoists, because you’re 'righteous,' waving the flag of justice, standing on moral high ground? You’re doing the same thing as me—passing judgment—yet you act like you’re justified?"

Ji Nanxing: "That doesn’t justify killing indiscriminately. If you’re dissatisfied, if you resent injustice, if you can’t stand corruption and oppression—then go change the rules yourself. The underworld has no shortage of officials. If you’re capable, become a judge and wield the pen to rectify injustice. Don’t play judge, jury, and executioner based on your own narrow perspective."

As Ji Nanxing finished speaking, sobs came from the house. The drunken father hugged his failing son and cried: "Your old man… this is as good as I'll ever get. I couldn’t make life better. Your mom and I gave everything to raise you—not so you’d take care of us, but so you could escape this. Don’t end up like your no-good old man, stuck in this dump. Damn it, make something of yourself! Study hard, have a better future—stop messing around!"

He wiped his tears, muttering that it was all his fault. If he’d been capable, if he’d had money, a big house, a fancy car, his son wouldn’t have to struggle. A useless father could only rely on his son’s efforts.

His grief deepened: "It’s all my fault… I’m useless. I couldn’t give my son a good life… I’m worthless…"

The teenager, seemingly accustomed to this, set down the test paper and sighed before heading into the cramped bathroom to help his mother wring out laundry.

Ji Nanxing didn’t look at the family, but You Shuang couldn’t tear his gaze away.

Ji Nanxing watched him: "Your judgment is clouded by personal bias. Even if those people were guilty, even if they deserved death—you could seek justice, expose their crimes. But you shouldn’t take their lives yourself."

You Shuang sneered again: "I did. So what?"

Several streaks of spiritual light shot from the distance as Mu Chun and his team surrounded You Shuang: "The underworld is where you belong. Don’t resist. Your brother defied fate to live three extra years—but the balance of yin and yang can’t be disrupted. It’s time to restore the balance."

You Shuang: "The path I should take? What fucking path is that? The road I choose to walk is mine alone to decide!"

As soon as the words left You Shuang's lips, he dissolved into a mass of dark mist and surged toward Mu Chun and the others. Though he had never formally fought Ji Nanxing, there was something about him that filled You Shuang with deep dread—not the soul-stealing golden bell, but something else Ji Nanxing hadn’t even revealed yet.

He didn’t know what it was, but whenever Ji Nanxing drew near, a primal terror gripped him. Driven by self-preservation, he naturally chose the easier targets.

Mu Chun’s exorcism team had their own formations and well-coordinated members for ghost capture. Seeing this, Ji Nanxing stepped back, guarding the rear to prevent You Shuang from finding an escape route. However…

Ji Nanxing watched as You Shuang fiercely battled Mu Chun’s group and sighed inwardly. It seemed he had no intention of fleeing at all.

Thunderclouds churned overhead, the sky darkened, and a keening wind razor-edged with resentment howled as You Shuang clashed violently with them. He constantly sought opportunities to possess one of the Supernatural Bureau members. While their talismans suppressed wraiths, possession would drastically weaken the talismans' effects—giving him leverage as a hostage to intimidate the Taoist masters.

Unfortunately, these hunters were far more professional than those before. Their attacks and defenses were in perfect sync, their protections impenetrable, leaving him not a single opening.

From the rooftop, Ji Nanxing called out, "If you refuse to be exorcised, how about staying in the mortal world to atone? That way, you can still visit your brother occasionally."

You Shuang sneered. "What fucking crime? You play the moral high ground, and suddenly I’m guilty?"

Seeing his unrepentant defiance, Mu Chun abandoned restraint and shouted, "Lock it down!"

This evil spirit had to be captured today. They’d already wounded him—if he escaped now, (and with his injuries, he'd need fresh souls to heal) he’d prey on the living to restore his spirit.

Outside the alley, You Shulei sprinted desperately, pushing himself faster. If only he could reach his brother in time.

Spotting his approach from afar, Ji Nanxing opened a gap in the alley’s barrier, letting You Shulei through before sealing it again. Without the barrier, the ghost-hunting commotion would trend on social media by dawn.

The sealing array, fueled by the combined strength of the team, locked into place. You Shuang looked up at the net of spiritual energy ensnaring him, his Grudge boiling like tar. Memories flashed before his eyes, and suddenly—between the searing pain of the array and the memories—he grinned. Maybe riding this life to hell hadn’t been such a bad trip after all.

He had hated, resented, gotten his revenge, been loved, and loved in return. Though there was more pain than joy, in this final moment, what came to mind wasn’t the suffering, but childhood memories—him holding their father’s hand while his little brother held their mother’s, skipping along the road together.

Holding the back of his brother’s bike as he learned to ride.

Threading the needle for his mom, whose eyesight had begun to fail.

On school trips, he and his brother would buy different snacks to swap.

Lying on a bamboo mat in the summer, fanning themselves while talking about the future.

Back then, they didn’t know—they were never meant to have a future.

Watching the person running toward him, You Shuang smiled. That little tagalong who always followed him had grown up, now a college student.

The brother who had nearly died at the hands of those demons like him—was still alive.

You Shulei stared at his brother, shrouded in Yin energy, and screamed desperately, “Brother! Come back! Don’t go!”

You Shuang smiled at him. “I told you—my path is mine to choose. Take care of Mom and Dad for me. Live well, for both of us.”

You Shulei shook his head as he ran. “No! I won’t! If I was meant to die, then I’ll go with you! Brother, I don’t want you to sacrifice anything for me—come back!”

You Shuang looked up at the sealing array overhead, then back at his brother. Without another word, he hurled himself straight into it.

The clash of Yin energy and spiritual force erupted with devastating power, sending the Taoists guarding the array stumbling back. One of the team members reacted swiftly, grabbing You Shulei and pulling him down just as they hit the ground.

The energy unleashed by a lingering ghost’s final outburst was sometimes too much even for seasoned Taoists to withstand, let alone an ordinary person. A direct hit could take half your life.

Ji Nanxing rarely obliterated lingering ghosts. No matter how malevolent, he always chose to exorcise and send them on their way. He refused to be their judge—but he had seen ghosts torn apart before. Those spirits had always raged with resentment, cursing with their last breath.

You Shuang was the first he’d seen smile as he faded away.

The array blazed overhead, its talisman light flaring. The ghostly energy around You Shuang dissipated bit by bit, revealing a face identical to You Shulei’s.

With one last look at his brother, his soul vanished completely within the array.

Ji Nanxing lifted his hand. A wisp of residual Yin energy drifted onto his palm, then dissolved into the air. He knew—this had been You Shuang’s chosen end from the very beginning. He never planned to move on.

Three years ago, outside the emergency room.

—"You were never meant to be born. Twin souls, bound by fate. If you want him to live, the cost will be high."

—"I’ll pay it. No matter the cost, I’ll pay it."

That day, while You Shulei fought for his life inside the hospital, their father had brought the sorceress from back then. The moment she arrived, she saw him and spoke those words.

He was dead already. He couldn’t let his brother die too. If their fates were intertwined, then as long as his brother lived—he’d live on through him.