Chapter 63

Chapter 63

The top ten yin emissaries in the Jingbei district were engaged in cutthroat competition, but he was quite comfortable in the fourteenth position. After decades of being treated as cheap labor, he had long lost his initial drive and was now just coasting through life.

Even Yin Emissary 014’s dead eyes lit up as he suddenly thought that the intern yin emissary, Yuan Song, might have a new and clever use...

Thinking this, Yin Emissary 014 in the black robe decided not to leave. He paced back and forth in the duplex villa with his paper lantern, his dead eyes examining the decor.

'Not bad, the decoration is quite modern. When I was just a small yin emissary, I really wanted to buy a spirit house like this.'

He Yunxiao was still curious: 'Then you must have lived in one?'

The work demeanor of Yin Emissary 014 in the black robe was too strong; he seemed like a seasoned veteran, probably having been a yin emissary for a long time, and should be able to afford a house by now.

Yin Emissary 014 let out a creepy chuckle: 'Yes, I have lived in one, but I still have a few years left on my eighty-year mortgage. Do you want to ask about my car loan as well?'

Few in the underworld could afford a car; the most common means of transportation were paper horses and paper cows, or at least a paper donkey.

He Yunxiao shut his mouth; the question hit a bit too close to home.

Wu Heng felt that he might encounter this yin emissary more often in the future, so he glanced at the code on his lantern and asked: 'What should I call you, sir?'

Yin Emissary 014 said: 'I don't remember my original name, just call me 014. I've been in this position for decades, neither moved up nor down.'

Worried about Yuan Song’s corporeal body, even though they knew he had left his soul to go to the underworld, it was his first day on the job as an intern, and they were afraid something might go wrong, so they didn't dare to leave.

Su Chenyu seized the chance to ask Wu Heng: 'Dr. Wu, now that we know my fish-scale disease was caused by someone's mistake, can I take the medicine you prescribed that can fully cure me?'

Wu Heng nodded: 'You could have taken it anytime.'

Su Chenyu pulled up his sleeve to show his arm, which still had pale pink fish scales. The medicine he took earlier only halted the growth, but the scales that had already grown were still on his upper body.

'After taking the medicine, these fish scales will disappear, right?' Su Chenyu couldn’t resist touching them; they were cold and a bit prickly.

Seeing Wu Heng nod, Su Chenyu couldn't help but feel emotional. He had essentially gotten a temporary underwater experience. Unfortunately, he was afraid he would never learn to swim in his lifetime.

So, wouldn’t it be fine to take a beautiful scale as a keepsake?

Su Chenyu planned to take a scale from near his heart and turn it into a fish scale necklace to commemorate this unlucky and harrowing journey.

He had believed his family background would shield him from darkness, but he realized he was still prey in the eyes of those above. The push for global equality and communism made sense.

Just as Su Chenyu was thinking this, he saw a message from his older brother urging him to return home, so he said: 'Dr. Wu, I need to go home first. If you're not in a hurry, I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning for our flight back to Nanluo Village.'

He Yunxiao and the others watched with amusement, silently smiling, and Su Chenyu, unable to understand, quickly left Li Hao's school district house.

Not long after, Yuan Song's soul returned alone through the window, looking somewhat lost.

He had just personally escorted Tang Xueshan to the underworld as a yin emissary and helped her schedule her reincarnation.

But he couldn't help her with how to live in the underworld or find a temporary job.

Yuan Song became anxious; he began to understand why the white-robed yin emissary on the Dream Cruise that night was so keen on performance. He needed to guide more ghosts and demons.

'Little Yuan, since the higher-ups have assigned you to follow me, I won't treat you badly,' Yin Emissary 014 in the black robe said, putting his arm around Yuan Song's shoulder, showing a very good colleague relationship.

'Here, I'll teach you my nearly hundred years of experience in guiding ghosts and demons, to help you improve your efficiency,' Yin Emissary 014 asked with a creepy chuckle.

Yuan Song knew that ghosts and demons were all about interests and there was no such thing as unconditional kindness, but he was still tempted.

Emissary 014 continued, 'As long as you share some of your credits with me later, I'll only take one out of every ten ghosts and demons.'

Hah, this way he can slack off for a long time. Getting paid to slack off is the best.

Yuan Song didn't ponder too much and immediately agreed, 'Sure, thank you, senior.'

Seeing him agree so readily, Emissary 014 clicked his tongue in a strange manner. So this is the joy of being a capitalist; he finally got a taste of it.

'Then, senior, tonight we'll first...'

Emissary 014 suddenly darted out of the window and floated away, leaving behind a sentence, 'We'll talk next month, I'm out of here.'

Seeing this, Yuan Song could only return to his body and checked his phone calendar.

There were still four days until the first of next month, which felt like forever.

"Senior, there's still plenty of time, don't be too anxious," He Yunxiao patted Yuan Song's shoulder, "It's time for us to go to our night study session, can you make it back to school on your own?"

Yuan Song nodded. The incident where he stabbed Master Liu on the Dream Cruise had already spread across the internet. He needed to return to school immediately; the school administrators and counselor Xu Qian were waiting for him.

Yuan Song gave a deep bow to Dr. Wu, "Thank you, Dr. Wu, I'll send you the medical fee later."

Without Dr. Wu, he would have at most ended up in mutual ruin with those people, far from the satisfaction he felt now.

During his relationship with Tang Xueshan, she often sent him money, thinking he was younger and just a college student, and she would be unhappy if he refused. So he saved it all up, plus his scholarships, grants, and part-time income, it wasn't a problem to pay Dr. Wu a hefty medical fee.

They parted ways downstairs at the school district apartment. Yuan Song took the subway back to Jing City University of Science and Technology, while Dr. Wu dropped off Shi Xuan and the others at the gate of Jiaming High School.

"Damn, has our school turned into a fairyland?" Li Hao was so shocked he cursed.

As the one-hour break ended, the sky was completely dark, and the school was shrouded in a thickening light black mist. The lights from the classrooms on the senior high school floors flickered through the mist, like a mirage.

It was even heavier than the mist last night.

Li Hao and the others immediately moved closer to Shi Xuan, while He Yunxiao held Xi Xi tightly in his arms, planning to have his daughter join him for the night study session.

Dr. Wu said, "Put your masks on."

The group quickly put on the dark blue cloth masks given by Dr. Wu. As the bell rang, they followed Shi Xuan and rushed into the black mist.

The little white snake slipped out of Dr. Wu's sleeve and squirmed after them, "Xi Xi, Uncle He, godfather, wait for me."

Seeing this, Dr. Wu had to return alone.

He Yunxiao thought they all rushed into the school upon hearing the bell, thinking they were late, but upon entering the classroom, a third of the students and teachers hadn't arrived yet.

The classmates started discussing.

"What's going on? The weather forecast didn't mention any fog recently, why is our school always foggy?"

"It's quite fun wandering around in it. My dorm mates are sleeping, maybe I should call them to join the fun."

"Has anyone felt uncomfortable after inhaling the mist? My nose feels a bit off, maybe because I have rhinitis."

He Yunxiao looked down and saw the little gray snake he had secretly brought in nudging his backpack with its head. He immediately understood Xi Xi's intention and got up with the backpack.

"Recently, the mist might not be good for the body. These are cloth masks made by Dr. Wu, here's one for everyone."

Seeing this, Li Hao and the others stepped forward to help distribute the masks. There were dozens in the bag, enough for a whole class, with a few left to give to good friends in the neighboring class.

The deep blue cloth masks, clearly showing the stitching lines, were crudely made and not particularly refined in terms of aesthetics.

Students attending this school were either wealthy or of high status, and these cloth masks didn’t even come with plastic packaging, making them not hygienic at all. Some students flashed a look of disdain in their expressions.

However, there were also students who were quite interested.

A female student put on the cloth mask while expressing her thanks.

They were aware that He Yunxiao was acquainted with the recently popular shaman Dr. Wu, who was still an admin in his live stream.

"Oh my gosh, did Dr. Wu really make this himself? My best friend managed to get his mosquito repellent ointment last time, and it was super effective."

A girl excitedly said, "During the summer, my dog got bitten by a tick, and my friend tried applying a bit of that mosquito repellent ointment, and the tick came right off. Thank you so much, this mask even has a faint medicinal scent, I’m really into it."

Another student frowned and commented, "It’s quite ugly… but thanks anyway."

With that, they placed the mask in their drawer.

Seeing this, Li Hao was about to speak out in excitement, but He Yunxiao covered his mouth and dragged him aside.

When giving gifts, if people don’t want to use them, you can’t do much about it; you can’t force them.

The students in the class were pretty polite; even if they didn’t think much of it, they wouldn’t show it and would still express their gratitude.

As students made their way through the mist and entered the classroom, each room quieted down, and evening self-study began.

*

Wu Heng returned alone to Chengde Medical Hall, occasionally meeting a few early-arriving tourists who snapped excited selfies with him.

"Dr. Wu, we asked the Village Chief, is it the rehearsal for the village ceremony tomorrow night? We’re looking forward to it!"

There was also a girl carrying a high-definition camera that Wu Heng didn’t recognize, "I will definitely capture Dr. Wu in super high quality."

Wu Heng thanked them and returned to Chengde Medical Hall, where Zhou Yi was engrossed in a book.

Seeing Wu Heng come in and still focused on the book he was holding, Zhou Yi smiled, "Wu Heng, I plan to go back to school a few days after the village ceremony ends."

Zhou Yi had never forgotten his identity as a high school senior. After resting for several days, he started to unwind, and it was time to continue his studies.

Wu Heng nodded in agreement; this was indeed what Zhou Yi should be doing at his age, as long as he kept a good balance.

Seeing Zhou Yi reading, Wu Heng also spent some time studying before starting his live stream.

"Wu Heng is live! The incident on the Dream Cruise was so scary, it seems like everyone’s just a pawn, even someone with a background like Su Chenyu."

"Are there any readers of Muyu Yimian here? The book she left unfinished before her death not only was updated but also has extra chapters..."

"The official account of Nanluo Village said the village ceremony will be live-streamed, can you tell us the specific time?"

"Dr. Wu, has that lady’s spirit moved on yet? I’m so worried about her."

As soon as the live stream started, a flood of comments poured in. Nowadays, Chengde Medical Hall’s live streams always top the real-time charts.

Curious, Wu Heng stepped away from the live stream to check Tang Xueshan’s profile on Jinjiang Literature. The pure love novel she was serializing before her death was finally completed.

She had already announced the last twenty chapters in her live stream, and now not only was the main text complete, but there were also seven additional heartwarming bonus chapters.

Above the obituary in the article details, a new message was updated:

"While cleaning up her belongings, we accidentally found the draft of the subsequent chapters on her computer. To ensure nothing was left unfinished, we are posting them on her behalf."

——Muyu Yimian's boyfriend

This isn’t the draft Tang Xueshan wrote before her death; it’s what she wrote after realizing she was a ghost. Yuan Song couldn’t explain it openly, so he followed Tang Xueshan’s instructions and updated the article to mark it as complete.

The comment section was flooded with gratitude, wishing her a peaceful journey.

After watching for a while, Wu Heng switched back and said, "Tang Xueshan has already left. The village Nuo ceremony rehearsal is tomorrow night. Tonight, let’s connect with a few new patients for a consultation."

Soon, a pair of hands appeared on the opposite camera, with particularly dazzling nail art.

"Double-tap to flip; if I can’t see your face, I can’t diagnose you properly."

"Girl, where did you get your nails done? They’re stunning! Was it at a salon or press-ons?"

"I get nervous every time Dr. Wu connects with a patient, scared it might be another female ghost. Sis, you’re alive, right?"

"Alive, I’m definitely alive," came a hearty laugh from the other side.

Probably his first time connecting with a streamer, the patient was all flustered and took a while to flip the camera to show his face.

It was a middle-aged man with a stubble, looking quite healthy.

"??? Were those hands and that voice really yours? Are you here to mess with us?"

"Bro, you’re into nail art? Oh wait, I shouldn’t be sexist; both men and women can do nail art. It’s just… I can’t quite put it into words."

"Actually, it’s quite beautiful. This nail art would cost at least four figures at a salon. Bro, are you trying to ride on Dr. Wu’s popularity by wearing nail art as a man to create buzz and attract customers to your nail salon?"

"Those who do this for traffic should be damned; delaying other patients’ consultations is like murder."

The netizens’ speculations made sense, as among the ordinary patients Wu Heng connected with, there were indeed fake patients who came to advertise.

The uncle waved his hands repeatedly, "I’m not here to advertise. I think my nails might be sick."

The uncle showed some old photos of his hands, which were rough, with each nail cut to the edge of the flesh.

The uncle said distressedly, "I don’t know why I have such nails; they really interfere with my work."

"Huh? Nail mutation? The only nail disease I know is fungal nail, and this doesn’t look like it."

"? Damn, I’m so jealous! If I had nails like that, I’d look at them every day; they’re gorgeous."

"Bro, are you here to joke? If it’s inconvenient, just cut them off, right?"

"+1, just cut them off; why waste Dr. Wu’s time."

Seeing the discussion in the chat, the uncle immediately said, "Cutting them off doesn’t work."

With that, the uncle picked up the scissors he had placed aside earlier and swiftly cut off the nail of his left index finger.

A group of beauty-loving female netizens felt their scalps tingle at the sight.

"Stop! Cutting them like that will take forever to grow back!"

"This is too brutal; I can’t take it. If anyone did this to my nails, I’d go crazy."

The uncle didn’t care at all. He put down the scissors and placed his hand fully into the camera for everyone to see clearly.

Then everyone in the live stream witnessed—

The uncle's nails were growing back rapidly.

In just a few minutes, they grew about two centimeters, and the nail beds looked unusually pink and healthy.

Viewers in the live stream were baffled: "???"

"What the heck? How is this possible? His nails grew out in just a few minutes? I looked it up—adult nails grow at 1-1.4 mm per week!"

"Are these nails on steroids? Seriously, you can actually see them growing!"

"I study traditional Chinese medicine. Forget everything else—his nails look incredibly healthy and robust."

"Wait, the uncle grew months' worth of nails in just a few minutes? That's insane!"

After this, the viewers stopped accusing the uncle of wasting Dr. Wu's time. This was anything but normal.

The uncle added, "Sometimes I trim my nails before bed, and they’re fully grown back by morning—complete with nail art!"

The uncle was deeply frustrated: "This is ruining my life. I can’t even use toilet paper properly, and it’s messing with my work. People give me weird looks too."

He’s definitely sick. Who has nails that grow like this?

Countless beauty-obsessed viewers were insanely jealous. They’d kill to have this bizarre condition.

Seeing the uncle’s desperate expression, Dr. Wu paused and said, "Alright, I’ll write you a prescription."

"You don’t drink it. Boil the medicine, then sprinkle it around your room, leaving just one window with a piece of old ginger."

The uncle, confused, said, "I’ve seen your streams, Dr. Wu. I’ve tried drinking ginger water and applying it to my nails, but nothing worked."

As Dr. Wu wrote the prescription, the uncle reluctantly said, "Alright, I’ll grab the medicine right away. Thanks, Dr. Wu. I’ll let you know if anything changes."

Dr. Wu nodded, snapped a photo of the prescription, and sent it privately to the uncle.

After that, he saw a few more patients. Luckily, they had minor issues, so Dr. Wu advised them to visit a top-tier hospital. He wrapped up the stream on time.

-

"Young master, why hasn’t my son visited his dear old dad lately?" Wu Su asked casually, leaning against the table as Shi Xuan ate breakfast.

Shi Xuan replied, "Maybe he’s tired of helping you with those horror games?"

Lately, Shi Xuan noticed Wu Heng hadn’t used the well at his house. While other wells were more convenient, Shi Xuan sensed something was wrong, though he couldn’t pinpoint it.

Wu Su felt slighted. If it weren’t for the overwhelming yin energy here, why would he be stuck playing these creepy games?

Another day, another reason to quit.

Noticing the butler’s expression, Shi Xuan grabbed his backpack and hurried out.

Mr. Shi descended the stairs, his expression stern as he watched Shi Xuan leave. Turning to Wu Su, he said, "A master is coming today. Butler Wu, ensure he’s properly welcomed."

Wu Su gave Mr. Shi a puzzled look: "Oh."

"Isn’t young master Shi Xuan already at school? Why invite a master here?"

When Shi Xuan arrived at Jiaming High, he stepped out of the car and saw students milling around the entrance. Some clung to the person in front to navigate, while others waited for the school bus.

The fog was incredibly dense.

Shi Xuan felt the mask in his pocket but left it there. The fog was filthy—it would ruin his mask.

The weather turned cold, and Shi Xuan walked inside with his hands in his pockets.

"Shi, it's dangerous to go alone," a classmate called out.

This morning, a pregnant teacher slipped and fell because she couldn't see the road ahead in the fog and was rushed to the hospital.

Now, parents are demanding answers from the school in the parent chat group, either to clear the fog or take action. The school said they've already called in experts to look into it.

After entering the classroom, Shi Xuan found only a few scattered classmates.

He Yunxiao, looking nervous, said, "My dorm mates are still out cold like logs and haven't woken up yet. This isn't normal."

"Dr. Wu's masks work really well. We wore them today and quickly found our seats," Li Hao and others walked in wearing cloth masks.

"Only a handful of students from the other classes showed up, and the homeroom teacher hasn't come either," another female classmate expressed her concern.

Something definitely felt off.

With their teacher absent, they spent the whole morning studying on their own. Fortunately, as seniors, they didn't need to learn new knowledge and were just reviewing, so they managed to pass most of the day by doing a few sets of test papers.

"So, are we still hitting the cafeteria for lunch?" Li Hao looked at the foggy glass window.

As soon as Li Hao finished speaking, Wang Dong beside him suddenly shouted, "There's a message in the class chat!"

Everyone quickly checked their phones. The homeroom teacher, who runs the group, announced that school was canceled for the day and urged everyone to stay safe.

Li Hao glanced at his classmates' desks and indeed, many had the cloth masks sent yesterday in their drawers, unused.

"It's pointless trying to save those who are determined to die. Let's head back first."

The remaining few classmates were on edge too. Seeing that He Yunxiao, Li Hao, and the others who hung out with the shaman had made it to school safely, they quickly put on their cloth masks and left the classroom together.

Everyone left the school without a hitch, and Shi Xuan got into the car to go home.

As soon as he stepped out of the car, Shi Xuan eyed the nearby cars with a weird look. The cars looked normal, except for the yellow talismans plastered on their back bumpers—they were the master's cars.

Shi Xuan marched towards the Shi family home, and Wu Su, surprised, came up to greet him, "Young master, why are you home from school so early?"

Shi Xuan asked, "Why is the master here?"

The butler replied, "The head of the Shi family is causing trouble again, inviting the master to fill the well in the courtyard."

Shi Xuan's face went white in an instant, and he rushed towards the courtyard without even taking off his backpack.

When he stormed into the courtyard, he saw that a ritual had just wrapped up, with paper money and lime scattered all over the ground, and a compass standing in the center to determine the direction.

Several masters were guiding workers on the best angle to fill the well.

Shi Xuan lunged forward and kicked one of them aside, his voice filled with anger, "Get out!"

Everyone was startled. The head of the Shi family hadn't expected Shi Xuan to come home from school so early; he had specifically chosen a day when Shi Xuan was at school to fill the well.

Shi Xuan had always been composed, even when he was dragged into rituals, but this time, he was exuding a frosty rage.

The head of the Shi family stumbled a few steps and sneered, "You wouldn't even be this anxious if your own father died!"

"You're clearly possessed by some spirit, and it's going to ruin the whole Shi family."

The butler stood by, his gaze filled with disapproval.

The old bastard Boss Shi actually pulled such a stunt to torment his only son, what a piece of work.

Boss Shi turned to the masters and barked, "Stop him, fill it! Now, immediately!"

The masters clasped their hands together, murmuring incantations. Shi Xuan suddenly felt the collar around his neck tightening, the familiar suffocation instantly overwhelming him.

Shi Xuan's cold, pale skin turned faintly red from the lack of air. He gasped, only able to watch as the workers smashed a corner of the well with a hoe, stones falling into the well water and splashing up small ripples.

In his mind flashed the image of Wu Heng climbing out of here for the first time. He had thought it was a spirit inside, but later he often stood on his bedroom balcony, watching the well, hoping he would suddenly appear from it.

His lifeless existence had become colorful after Wu Heng appeared, and he gradually began to understand the meaning of life.

Destroying this ancient well was like snuffing out the only light.

Shi Xuan tugged at the collar around his neck, his hands gripping the edge of the well as he gazed into the clear water. On the other side of the well was the one he missed.

Across more than three thousand kilometers, the well water could still bring Wu Heng to him.

If there’s really a dragon king in this well, if the waters have gods, please take me to him.

For some reason, the masters couldn't get close to Shi Xuan, watching helplessly as he leaped down.

They couldn't stop him, they simply couldn't.

Shi Xuan closed his eye, plunging into the well. The icy water completely submerged his body, overwhelming his thoughts.

Boss Shi let out a scream, "Shi Xuan!"

Butler Wu witnessed the entire scene, utterly stunned. He immediately rushed to the well to attempt a rescue, then turned and cursed, "You old bastard, you've driven yourself to extinction! Anyone would call this crazy."