Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Wu Heng yawned and said, "Did you understand what your senior taught you?"

Lai Yin Chai’s face was full of a cold sneer. Having been a bully in the village, he wouldn’t give face to outsiders, mocking, "He doesn’t get it. How can you get promoted without putting in the effort?"

He wasn’t about that life of soaking goji berries in a thermos. Lai Yin Chai had grand ambitions, aspiring to rise from a small-town yin emissary to a true ghost official.

'This kid’s hopeless, I’m out.' The black-robed yin emissary No. 014 picked his nose with his little finger, and as the sky began to lighten, he flipped over and jumped out the window, disappearing instantly.

Off the clock, time to head back to the underworld and have some fun! There seems to be a ghost opera recently, might as well go and enjoy the show.

Work’s always a drag, but the off-duty life? That’s where it’s at.

Nan Nuo Village and Jing City aren’t in the same time zone. Here, the sky’s almost light but not quite bright yet.

Lai Yin Chai was furious beside him, "Wu Heng, did you see the code on his lantern? Jingbei District Zero One Four! How does a slacker like that even make it into the top fourteen in the district?"

Wu Heng said, "Yeah, even slackers can make it to fourteenth."

Lai Yin Chai paused for a moment. Those who make it to the top must be some serious yin emissaries. Once you get there, you might be able to slack off like that!

Lai Yin Chai was filled with adrenaline, "I’ve gotta work hard, get promoted fast, and outdo them all. I’m off, I need to rush back to work overtime."

Lai Yin Chai, carrying the lantern, disappeared into the morning mist in a flash, leaving in a hurry.

Wu Heng: "..."

Wait, did he just get reverse-motivated?

Wu Heng looked at the dimly lit sky outside. Roused by Lai Yin Chai, he gave up on going back to sleep, ready to open the Chengde Medical Hall, and said to the shivering Wang Dong and others, "The yin emissary’s gone. You’ve got class today, so get ready. I’m hanging up."

Wu Heng hung up decisively, and the group of people on the other side looked at each other with dark circles under their eyes.

Dr. Wu must’ve still been half-asleep—did he forget about the female ghost sister not coming back?

But luckily, yin emissary No. 014 is gone, and Tang Xueshan isn’t here, so the group’s courage gradually grew.

Wang Dong advised, "Brother Hao, I don’t think we’re cut out for serving the people after studying. We were finally ready to hit the books, but no such luck."

The female ghost sister went to fetch the homework and still hasn’t come back, who knows where she...

'I think getting into college might be a stretch for you guys.' Suddenly, Tang Xueshan’s cold and eerie voice came from beside them.

Wang Dong and the others reflexively huddled together, looking like scared turtles at the floating Tang Xueshan, almost crying. "Ghost sis, can you quit being so sneaky? You went to get the homework for several hours! It’s almost dawn, sister."

Tang Xueshan’s faint ghostly head was holding Li Hao’s blank test paper.

Tang Xueshan handed over the test paper, saying, 'Huh? I was gone for hours? I don’t remember, your school was all foggy, and I got lost for a bit, but it felt like just a few minutes.'

Tang Xueshan’s only obsession now is Yuan Song. She’s desperate to see the man who was the only one to ever show her love in this world. So when she spotted the yin emissary waiting at home, Tang Xueshan bolted and hid far away.

As the sky started to brighten, she toughed it out, waiting for the yin emissary to leave before heading back.

She got lucky. Another stubborn yin emissary would’ve insisted on catching her before leaving.

Tang Xueshan knew dodging the yin emissary wasn’t a smart move. If she kept it up, she might get slapped with a 'fugitive' label when she checked into the underworld.

But her inner obsession kept her from wanting to leave.

Li Hao took the blank test paper handed over by Tang Xueshan and glanced at the time, on the verge of tears: "It's already six o'clock. We need to wash up and go to the morning study session. There's no time to write it now."

He just wanted to serve the people in the future, but this wish couldn't be fulfilled.

Tang Xueshan watched the high school boys rushing to wash up. She leaned outside the bathroom and said, 'Why is your prestigious school so cutthroat? There were actually quite a few students studying in the classroom in the middle of the night, without even turning on the lights or using a flashlight, like the ancient scholars who chiseled walls to steal light? When I was in my third year of high school, I wasn't as diligent as you.'

Li Hao and Wang Dong, with toothbrushes in their mouths and foam all over, asked: "What?"

Actually, their school wasn't as competitive as other schools. Usually, only a small number of students were obsessively chasing grades. Studying in the classroom in the dark at night? They had never heard of such a thing in all their years at this school.

"Comrade Li, could it be that we didn't care about studying before, so we simply didn't know about this situation?" speculated the second black-haired boy.

That could be it!

Li Hao slammed the water cup onto the sink and cursed, "How dare they sneak in studying behind our backs? That's just despicable."

Their grades were already poor, and now discovering that their classmates were secretly studying piled on the pressure.

It's okay to secretly play games, but secretly studying behind their backs? Totally unacceptable, got it?

Li Hao washed his face and issued an order: "Let's go, drink some yang-boosting tonic and then head to school."

Tang Xueshan: '?'

What tonic?

Then Tang Xueshan saw Li Hao and the others go to the kitchen to brew some yang-boosting tonic that Wu Heng had prescribed for them last time. They drank it in one gulp and left the house in a hurry.

Well, these high school boys actually called yang-boosting tonic "potency tonic." So, doesn't that make Wu Heng a seller of potency tonic?

Tang Xueshan thought to herself, then drifted to the door, her slender hand gently touching the words etched firmly on the wall.

'Yuan Song, I'm still here waiting for you.'

Wu Heng opened the door of Chengde Medical Hall early in the morning and was sweeping the entrance with a big broom.

-

The little white snake arrived quite early too, practicing its water-spraying trick Wu Heng had taught it a few days ago. It gulped water like an elephant and sprayed it wildly onto the flower beds to water the plants.

Seeing the Village Chief approaching, the little white snake quickly hid in the flower bed.

Zhou Dagui asked with great concern: "Wu Heng, why are you up so early today? I'm going door-to-door to spread awareness. The tourists will arrive at our village as soon as tomorrow or the day after. How’s the prep for the village Nuo festival coming along?"

Wu Heng nodded: "It’s all under control."

In the past, the biggest Nuo dance was the national Nuo. The village Nuo festival wasn't difficult for him.

Zhou Dagui had already heard from old lady Lai that Wu Heng hadn't secured the main dancer role. He asked, "How about making some subtle changes to your costume? Make it stand out so tourists can pick you out right away?"

Zhou Dagui was puzzled. If Wu Heng was really the Nuo gods’ pick, why didn't they consider the tourism economy of their eighteen villages and choose Wu Heng, whom the tourists most wanted to see?

As soon as this thought arose, the Village Chief quickly dismissed it. They deeply believed in the Nuo gods, and such arrangements must have divine reasoning.

Wu Heng shook his head: "No, let’s not risk being accused of playing favorites."

"Alright, I'll move on to the next house to spread awareness. If anyone messes up, I’ll give them hell." The Village Chief waved his hand and quickly headed to the next house.

Wu Heng pondered for a moment and then went to Lai’s place.

"Old Lady Lai, can I buy a piece of homespun cloth from you?"

Old Lady Lai was tending to some rather peculiar plants, beneath which lay some pottery jars inscribed with cinnabar symbols, from which insect noises could be heard.

Hearing Wu Heng's words, Old Lady Lai smiled, her smile had an eerie and unsettling quality.

She went into the back room and brought out a large bundle of deep blue homespun cloth, stuffing it into Wu Heng's arms, saying, "Sell? I'll just give it to you. Thanks for looking after my grandson."

South Nuo Village is still quite traditional, and the women in the village have been making cloth since they were young. The costumes they wear for major festivals are all made from this homespun cloth.

Wu Heng had helped Lai Yin Chai accomplish so much, so getting a piece of cloth from his grandmother for free wasn't taking advantage of her.

Wu Heng didn't refuse and thanked her, taking the cloth back. He then brewed a pot of some mysterious medicinal concoction and soaked the entire piece of cloth in it for over an hour.

Zhou Yi came down wearing headphones, curious to see Wu Heng had placed scissors and needles on the consultation table, "Wu Heng, are you sewing clothes?"

Wu Heng replied, "How could I sew clothes? I'm planning to sew a cloth mask."

Always feeling indebted to Shi Xuan, Wu Heng thought it was only right to reciprocate between good friends, so after some thought, he decided to sew a cloth mask.

It was windy in South Nuo Village at the time, and the deep blue homespun cloth, fully soaked in the medicinal concoction, was hung on the clothesline behind the clinic. It would dry in the wind in just over an hour.

Zhou Yi's eyes lit up behind his thick glasses, "Wu Heng, can this mask be mass-produced? If we sell it when the first wave of tourists arrives, it could open up a market."

Zhou Yi stroked his chin and muttered to himself, "In that case, you'd need to buy a lot of homespun cloth from the village women. They usually don't earn much, and this could boost their income."

"Once the tourists take to the masks, it might gradually spark their interest in the village's cloth dyeing and other crafts."

Wu Heng hadn't thought that far ahead initially, but upon his suggestion, it did seem feasible.

However, if it was a gift for a good friend, it couldn't be mass-produced. Wu Heng clumsily picked up a needle, "Hmm... alright, but I'll hand-stitch a pattern."

He was skilled at acupuncture with silver needles, but threading a needle and sewing were challenging.

Zhou Yi thought for a moment, "My mom is great at embroidery. I'll get her to teach you."

Seeing her son finally making an effort to talk to her, Zhou Yi's mother immediately dropped her work and came over to teach Wu Heng embroidery.

Wu Heng said, "Just show me a simple pattern that I can pick up quickly."

Zhou Yi's mother smiled, "Then it's only triangles, diamonds, circles, and hearts that can be quickly mastered."

Flowers and other patterns are tough for beginners to pick up quickly, and Wu Heng didn't push for it. After some consideration, he managed to embroider a bit of a pattern following Zhou Yi's mother's guidance.

The little white snake came over for a look and exclaimed, "Wu Heng, you've embroidered an egg! A yellow egg!"

Wu Heng replied flatly, "It's the sun. If you can't see, don't talk."

Wu Heng immediately connected the grey and white snakes to Yang Xing's study live stream, feeling physically and mentally soothed listening to Yang Xing curse without using foul language. Then he took the needle again and embroidered Shi Xuan's initials, SX, on the inside.

Done! Easy peasy!

-

Perhaps because the weather in the city had turned cold, and with a mountain behind Jiaming No. 1 High School, the fog from the mountain drifted in, enveloping the school in mist.

Even early in the morning, the fog hadn't dispersed, and some students had wandered around in the mist for who knows how long before finding the teaching building.

Li Hao brought the test paper to He Yunxiao, asking while catching up on homework, "He Yunxiao, do students like you, who are neither here nor there, really sneak into the classroom to study and read in the middle of the night?"

He Yunxiao: "?"

Are you making fun of his average grades?

He Yunxiao didn’t feel like dealing with Li Hao and the others. When the homeroom teacher arrived, he noticed that one-third of the class was missing, even his dorm roommate.

The well-informed guy with black hair, known as No. 3, whispered, "I heard those students were so exhausted from studying that they fell asleep and haven’t woken up yet. They’re still snoring, so they’re probably okay."

He Yunxiao was surprised—weren’t they all fine yesterday?

He Yunxiao noticed that not just their class, but almost every class had a few students missing.

He couldn’t help but glance at Shi Xuan. Since meeting Dr. Wu, Shi Xuan had been fine.

So maybe he was overthinking it? Catching a bug in winter is pretty common.

After class, Li Hao and a few others, feeling chilly, headed to the cafeteria for some hot pot to warm up. They saw a message in the group chat on WeChat.

"Baby Heng Heng: @everyone, I’m at the school gate."

He Yunxiao glanced out the window and spotted a small gray snake perched on the sill, its eyes gleaming.

His daughter had come to pick him up from school, just a little early.

The group forgot about eating, grabbed Xi Xi, and bolted out.

The school gave the seniors an hour for dinner before evening study.

Following Shi Xuan, they slipped through the fog with ease. As they left the school, they spotted a slim figure huddled by the stationery store, hiding from the wind.

Wu Heng never got used to Beijing’s freezing, windy weather.

Shi Xuan frowned at Wu Heng’s red nose and stepped closer to shield him from the wind.

When they appeared, Wu Heng rubbed his hands, stood up, and handed Shi Xuan a yellow paper-wrapped package from his bag.

Shi Xuan opened the paper and pulled out a dark blue cloth mask with a faint medicinal smell. It had a sun stitched on it and the initials SX inside.

Shi Xuan smiled as he held the mask. "Thanks, I love it."

He Yunxiao and the others watched, wondering if they were just there for show.

Li Hao, eyeing Shi Xuan’s gift, tried to strike up a conversation. "Dr. Wu, did you come from the well by the school?"

He Yunxiao shot back, "Duh, it’s the closest one, so..."

Wu Heng interrupted, "No, I came from a well a kilometer away. The well behind your school has some issues."

The little white snake, tucked in Wu Heng’s sleeve, had once delivered medicine to Tang Xueshan from the school well. It had seen black fog and run away, forgetting to mention it to Wu Heng afterward. Could it be that fog?

Wu Heng opened his bag and pulled out a stack of cloth masks to hand out. "These are for you. You can share the extras with your classmates."

Shi Xuan glanced subtly. They were just ordinary cloth masks, very different from his, with no patterns. Only his was special.

Li Hao and the others didn’t mind that these were mass-produced cloth masks and quickly accepted them.

Wu Heng had actually come at noon but decided to go back and only returned in the evening.

He Yunxiao, holding a bag of cloth masks, had a bad feeling. "Some classmates didn’t come to school and are sleeping in the dorm. Could they be sick?"

Wu Heng didn’t answer, just looked at the fog inside the school. "We’ll have to wait for the principal to call in a Daoist Physician from Xuanmen. They’re the experts."

Chen Zhao, the Daoist Physician from the Mystic Sect, was still rushing towards the southern Nuo Village with the large group of tourists from the Dream Cruise. He was constantly mindful of the 500,000 yuan job Wu Heng had given him.

Hearing this, Li Hao and the others quickly put on their cloth masks. Unlike Shi Xuan or He Yunxiao, who had a protective snake spirit as a daughter, they needed to prioritize their own safety.

"Dr. Wu, it's still early. How about we grab some hot pot for dinner outside the school? It's freezing and the heating's not on yet, so hot pot would warm us up," Wang Dong asked, rubbing his hungry stomach.

Wu Heng glanced at the sky, now pitch black. The yin emissaries were already on duty.

The black-robed yin emissary from North Jing District left promptly and hurried off. Those who could climb to that position had strong work capabilities.

Laziness was just a front; they always came through when it mattered.

Last night, they caught the scent of Tang Xueshan's ghost but didn't collect her. Tonight, they should go to guide her right away.

Though Tang Xueshan was a victim, frequent escapes were a grave offense in the underworld. Yuan Song must know this too. If he wasn't detained, he'd be racing to Jing City like mad, desperate to see her one last time.

Wu Heng said, "How about we eat at your place?"

Li Hao and the others couldn't refuse. It was a school district apartment, very close to the school. They could order hot pot delivery and arrive home together.

The group quickly arrived at the school district apartment. Li Hao took the hot pot from the delivery guy and went into the kitchen. Tang Xueshan wondered why they were back instead of attending evening self-study. She spun around and spotted Wu Heng in the crowd.

Tang Xueshan cried out excitedly, "Dr. Wu!"

Wu Heng raised a finger to his lips, "Shh."

Wu Heng looked at Li Hao in the kitchen, "Make a paper bowl, fill it with hot pot meat, and set it in the southwest corner of the window. Then light three incense sticks."

It was an offering for the yin emissaries.

As the saying goes, a fed hand is a soft hand, so they could buy some time.

Tang Xueshan had an inkling of the reason and was inwardly anxious, "Can I still see Yuan Song? I really want to see him."

A black top hat emerged from the window, and a deathly face leaned in with an eerie grin, "It might be a bit difficult to see."

The black-robed yin emissary, Zero One Four, had arrived.

Wu Heng sat with them, eating hot pot, while Li Hao and the others kept their heads down, nearly buried in their bowls.

Zero One Four sniffed the air; there was a strong scent of yin-nourishing medicine in the room.

The yin emissary's gaze immediately fell on Wu Heng. He had checked on Wu Heng later; it was this guy who caused him to miss Professor Zhao Qingyun!

Wu Heng smiled and asked, "Sir, would you like to eat something first? The underworld probably doesn't have meal allowances, right?"

The last sentence hit home for Zero One Four. Indeed, there were no meal allowances.

Zero One Four looked at the bowl of hot pot meat offered, grinning. Eating snacks during work was pure joy. He picked up the bowl and sat by the window, inhaling the aroma of the meat.

The doorbell rang, and before the black-haired guy could open the door, Tang Xueshan flew over to open it.

A breathless young man, covered in dust, appeared at the door. His eyes turned red the moment he saw Tang Xueshan.

Yuan Song thought he would be stuck for a while after stabbing Master Liu, but after being handed over to the special affairs department, he was released after giving a statement. They even said he acted bravely. Mystical events couldn't be judged solely based on who got hurt.

He immediately took the fastest flight back to Jing City after leaving the police station, but he was still one step behind the yin emissary. Fortunately, Tang Xueshan hadn't left yet.

Su Chenyu stood behind him outside the door.

Su Chenyu originally planned to follow the group directly to the Southern Nuo Village for tourism, but his brother urgently insisted he return, so he came back with Yuan Song.

He intended to meet his elder brother first, then fly to the Southern Nuo Village to watch the local Nuo festival.

The Su family was indeed wealthy, arranging a private jet to return immediately; otherwise, Yuan Song wouldn't have made it in time.

Su Chenyu initially didn't plan to come up, but he was worried about Yuan Song's mental state and decided to see him to the door. However, seeing Dr. Wu and the others inside eating hot pot, he couldn't help but walk in.

Unexpectedly, he could actually meet Dr. Wu here.

Inside, Tang Xueshan watched as Yuan Song rushed into her arms, weeping blood tears: 'Why did you kill me? I was finally about to have a home.'

Both of them were orphans, relying on each other for warmth on cold winter nights, yet they were facing loneliness once more.

They had even promised each other during the New Year that once Yuan Song reached the legal marriage age, they would get married. From then on, two lonely people would form a new, warm family, no longer solitary wanderers, with a multitude of lights shining just for them.

But that would never happen, not in this lifetime.

Yuan Song laughed and cried at the same time, tears streaming down his resolute eyes into his mouth: "Wait for me below, I'll be there soon."

Dr. Wu put down his chopsticks and said, "You know suicide is a grave offense in the underworld, right?"

Suicide means not fulfilling one's destined lifespan, and the deceased will repeatedly experience their suicide until their natural death.

Dr. Wu looked at Yuan Song, at a loss for words momentarily. Yuan Song's lifespan was quite long; he could live well into his eighties.

Yuan Song remained silent; he knew. But at least he would be closer to her.

Hearing this, Tang Xueshan sobbed: 'I want you to be well! Don't do anything rash!'

The yin emissary Zero One Four had finished consuming the hot pot meat, the originally pale red meat now turned deathly white. He said, 'Finished talking?'

Tang Xueshan tightly grabbed Yuan Song's sleeve and suddenly said, 'I don't want to go to the underworld.'

Zero One Four made a strange clicking sound with his tongue, this was the futile obsessions of spirits.

How many spirits, because of their obsessions, break the underworld's laws and escape, becoming wandering ghosts? By then, they would no longer have the chance to go to the underworld, only if they were lucky enough to encounter a complimentary liberation ritual could they go.

They wouldn't know how many things and people the living would encounter in the coming decades. At least among relatives, there is the bond of blood, but love is the most unreliable.

How many people are heartbroken over lost lovers, yet can happily remarry the very next year.

Yuan Song sternly said, "Out of the question!"

Yuan Song had lived with his uncle since childhood; his grandfather and uncle earned their living through metaphysical practices. Additionally, Yuan Song's eight characters were purely yin, so he had been influenced by this environment since he was young and knew a lot.

He would rather suffer decades of solitude like the wheelchair-bound old man on the Dream Cruise than let Tang Xueshan become a wandering spirit lingering in the mortal world. She must first report to the underworld and get in line for reincarnation.

"Isn't this just the star-crossed lovers from stories? It looks a bit pitiful," He Yunxiao commented emotionally, "Dr. Wu, can you resurrect the ghost sister?"

Dr. Wu paused while drinking his soup: "?"

"Do you think it's as easy as watching a thirty-second ad to resurrect someone?"

He was merely a shaman, not a wish-granting turtle in a wishing well.

The deceased do not come back.

Even Professor Zhao Qingyun was only able to swiftly ignite the lamp to extend life in his final moments before passing.

But Tang Xueshan naturally did not possess the virtue recognized by the heavens to prolong her life like Professor Zhao Qingyun.

She had to leave.

"Yuan Song, if you truly can't bear to part with her, personally escort Tang Xueshan along the Yellow Springs Road to the underworld."

Li Hao and the others, acting like the cheer squad, immediately nodded in agreement without thinking when they heard Wu Heng say this. Escorting someone on their journey, that's what people usually say.

But soon they realized that the meaning behind these words didn't sit right.

Personally escort the female ghost sister along the Yellow Springs Road?

"What are you saying, Dr. Wu? Didn't you say suicide is a serious crime? How can one personally escort?" He Yunxiao, feeding Xi Xi some meat, was totally baffled.

Shi Xuan's expression shifted slightly, and he picked up a piece of meat for Wu Heng without speaking.

Wu Heng looked at Yuan Song and asked, "Have you thought about applying for an internship as a yin emissary in the underworld?"

Yuan Song stood there, stunned, looking at Wu Heng.

Wu Heng continued, "But this job offers no salary, no holidays, no set hours, and requires you to be on call 24/7. Your lifespan might even be shortened due to yin energy."

Hearing this, the yin emissary in black robes couldn't help but mutter, 'Only a fool would take it.'

Posting this position, the King of Hell isn't handling ghostly affairs.

After venting, the yin emissary in black robes looked at Yuan Song and saw a slight glimmer in his eyes.

The yin emissary in black robes was at a loss for words, muttering, 'Wow, there really is someone.'

Su Chenyu wasn't close with these high school juniors, so he had been quietly eating the hotpot.

But upon hearing this, Su Chenyu, a college student, couldn't help but interject, "If they offer nothing, do they at least give an internship certificate?"