Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Business Interrupted

"Huo Yanchi."

The atmosphere had reached its peak of ambiguity. Shen Junlan pulled his shirt off his shoulders, his eyes curved into crescents as he leaned in to kiss Huo Yanchi's lips.

His sharp teeth pierced the crimson lips as Shen Junlan mumbled, "Brother, I'm ready for this today."

He had made up his mind—he was going to be with Huo Yanchi for a lifetime. Whether it happened sooner or later didn't matter, as long as it was Huo Yanchi.

Huo Yanchi's breath hitched. He hooked his arm around Shen Junlan's waist, his thumb pressing against Shen Junlan's collarbone as he looked up, his eyes filled with unreadable emotions.

He had so much to say, but in the end, it all melted into a messy, lingering kiss.

There was no turning back now, was there? He had long dragged Shen Junlan into the mire he was in. Desecrating the divine? He wasn't afraid of divine retribution.

The items Shen Junlan had bought earlier were still tossed in the basement. Huo Yanchi kissed the corner of Shen Junlan's mouth, then trailed down to his collarbone and his waist.

Just as their love was most intense, something knocked twice against the door—thump, thump.

Then, a series of dense thunderclaps followed.

Huo Yanchi paused. He wiped away the moisture at the corner of Shen Junlan's mouth, pulled him up, and quickly dressed.

He was in an extremely foul mood, his eyes brimming with irritation at the interruption. He casually picked up a piece of clothing from the floor to cover his waist, brushing off the dust.

"Xiao Yezi, let me see what's going on."

When the door opened, a thick fog rushed in, followed by a sinister wind. Huo Yanchi caught a faint, very faint, scent of blood.

In the blink of an eye, Shen Junlan floated to Huo Yanchi's side, vigilantly shielding him.

Huo Yanchi hooked his fingers around Shen Junlan's wrist to soothe him. The thing in the fog was still unclear—whether human, ghost, or demon—he was afraid Shen Junlan might act impulsively.

The fog suddenly turned blood-red. Huo Yanchi stared at the blood-red mist, his head throbbing dully. A wave of disgust and nausea washed over him. His throat tightened as he suppressed the discomfort, silently pulling Shen Junlan into his arms.

The fog dispersed.

Huo Yanchi vaguely glimpsed slimy tentacles, but they vanished in an instant.

Standing before them was something neither quite human nor non-human.

Huo Yanchi couldn't find the right word to describe it. Hidden beneath the black robe was likely an exceedingly handsome face.

An ethereal, pure voice rang out. To Shen Junlan, it sounded like heavenly music.

"I'm looking for someone."

Only two people stood facing him. Shen Junlan's heart tightened—could it be him?

He hadn't seen such a creature on Mount Buzhou before. He sensed something unusual.

Through the thin mist, Huo Yanchi locked eyes with the figure. His heart clenched, suddenly feeling that the visitor was here for him.

An indescribable emotion surged so strongly that Huo Yanchi involuntarily took a step forward. It was a strange sensation, as if connected by blood.

"Who are you looking for?"

Shen Junlan heard Huo Yanchi's low, suppressed voice.

His Huo Yanchi was not himself.

Shen Junlan looked up at Huo Yanchi. His eyes had turned dark red, and even a casual glance carried an overwhelming pressure. Shen Junlan unconsciously held his breath.

The figure didn't speak further. Instead, his gaze shifted to Shen Junlan, as if he had stumbled upon something amusing, a flicker of playfulness crossing his expression.

"A flower with Merit is quite rare."

Merit clung to him, glowing with a golden radiance that was almost blinding to look at.

"Who are you? Or rather, what are you?"

Shen Junlan was on high alert, fearing that this being had come to cause trouble for Huo Yanchi. Someone like this was likely beyond his ability to handle.

"This is none of your concern. I'm merely passing by."

Wow.

Quite the pass-by—showing up in someone's home, specifically when he was about to get intimate with Huo Yanchi.

Shen Junlan was also irritated. He had finally mustered the courage, only to have it ruined by this thing. He showed no warmth in his expression.

The figure craned his neck, as if searching for something.

His gaze fell on the clivia orchid on the balcony, swaying without any wind. A small flower stem had sprouted from the center of its leaves. He narrowed his eyes and reassessed the two before him.

They were far more formidable than he had assumed.

"You still haven't said who you are or who you're looking for."

Shen Junlan reached out but grasped empty air. The black robe dissipated like mist, and the figure vanished into the fog, leaving as mysteriously as he had appeared.

He left behind a single phrase: "We'll meet again."

"Brother, this is so strange. I've never seen anything like this on Mount Buzhou. Could there be something wrong?"

Huo Yanchi rubbed his tense forehead. His head was throbbing and dizzy, and his lips quickly turned pale.

"Brother, are you okay? Don't scare me."

Huo Yanchi leaned heavily on Shen Junlan's shoulder, breathing heavily. His arms tightened around Shen Junlan, his mind blank as if his soul had been jolted, leaving him feeling stifled.

"Xiao Yezi, it's okay, it's okay. I just suddenly feel a bit stifled."

It was different from the suffocating sensation of having his palm squeezed—this was more like restlessness.

"Did that thing do something?"

Shen Junlan was so flustered he didn't know what to do. He helped Huo Yanchi lie down on the bed and leaned over to listen to his heartbeat. The rhythm seemed normal, so what was happening?

"Xiao Yezi, don't worry. I should be fine after some rest."

"It's just... I'm sorry. Maybe today isn't the day after all."

Shen Junlan smacked Huo Yanchi's head in frustration. What kind of time was this to be thinking about that? His health was what mattered most.

"I'll video call Brother and ask him. He might know something."

According to Liu Qishan, he had recently been helping Lin Hang's friend with feng shui. Since he had no talent for the entertainment industry, Lin Hang had given up on that path and was now fully immersed in the mystical arts.

The video call rang several times before Liu Qishan appeared on the screen, towel-drying his hair.

"Xiao Lan, why are you calling at this hour? Is something wrong?"

Liu Qishan sat down on the sofa, stopping what he was doing. Seeing Shen Junlan's distressed look, his tone softened.

"Brother, do you know of any creature that appears wreathed in thick mist, dressed in a black robe, with a mask covering everything but the eyes?"

"Someone like that just showed up at our place. Huo Yanchi isn’t feeling well now. Could it be that he used some kind of trick to harm Huo Yanchi?"

Liu Qishan frowned; he had never heard of such a thing.

"Usually, things that come with thick fog are either ghosts or beings from the sea."

Whatever it was, showing up at their door was anything but normal.

"He said he was looking for someone but didn’t say who or why. It just makes me uneasy."

Liu Qishan reassured him quickly, "Don’t worry, Xiao Lan. He means no harm. From what you’ve described, he’s far more powerful than both of you. If he wanted to hurt you, it would’ve been effortless."

"Point the camera at Huo Yanchi. Let me see what’s wrong with him."

Huo Yanchi’s face was pale, wreathed in a thin mist that vanished too quickly for the camera to capture, leaving no trace.

"He’s fine. He just got a dose of the fog. He’ll recover after some rest. Don’t worry. If you’re still concerned, I’ll come by tomorrow to check on him."

"Okay." Shen Junlan, still on edge, felt it was better to have someone take a look.

After hanging up, the little ghost popped up out of nowhere, tapping timidly on the open door, his gaze fixed on Huo Yanchi.

"Little ghost, what brings you here?"

"It’s cold. I came to check."

The thick fog had brought a bone-chilling cold that even a ghost could feel. Shen Junlan, protected by his Merit, didn’t feel it, but ordinary people and ghosts were affected.

The little ghost wasn’t sure what was wrong with Huo Yanchi. It seemed different from his own experience—not like an injury from the fog.

"That thing isn’t a ghost. I’d know if it were. It’s not."

Shen Junlan nodded. He also felt it wasn’t a ghost. If it were a vengeful spirit, Huo Yanchi would have heard ghostly wails. Moreover, if a vengeful spirit had attacked him, Huo Yanchi would have more than just chest pains.

"Boss, I want to go out and look around. My chest has been hurting these past few days, and my head aches too. I’ve been remembering some things and want to check outside."

"Boss?"

What kind of address was that?

"The python vine said I should call you ‘Boss.’"

Shen Junlan couldn’t help laughing. The python vine was afraid of Huo Yanchi, whose possessiveness was so strong that the vine couldn’t call him by name. So it made up a random title, and now even the little ghost was following suit.

"You’ve become acquainted with the python vine?"

"Yeah, I was bored at night, so I chatted with it."

Shen Junlan let out a surprised ‘wow’. The little ghost was impressive—he could understand what the python vine said.

"Brother, I’ll go out with the little ghost. You should rest."

Huo Yanchi rubbed his temples and grabbed Shen Junlan’s wrist, saying with a light laugh, "The little ghost can float over. What about you?"

Shen Junlan was about to retort when he remembered he could no longer transform into a spirit form. Using spiritual energy to fly around freely would scare people to death.

"Xiao Yezi, pour me a glass of water. I’ll go with you."

Huo Yanchi was feeling much better. After the video call with Liu Qishan, the tightness in his chest had noticeably eased.

He rubbed his fingers together, keeping his thoughts to himself. If Shen Junlan found out that person was here for him, he might panic.

There was no need to add to his worries.

"Brother, drink slowly."

Shen Junlan held the cup steady, helping him drink.

As dusk fell, Huo Yanchi drove according to the little ghost’s directions, heading toward the outskirts of the city.

The further they went, the more remote it became—a wilderness. Huo Yanchi found a spot, turned the car around, and pulled over smoothly.

"Little ghost, what did you remember?"

Huo Yanchi gazed into the distance. This place seemed to have been a graveyard before. His company had once considered buying the land nearby but decided against it due to poor Feng Shui, deeming it unsuitable for development.

The little ghost stood blankly by a locust tree, holding its leaves, and spoke in a whisper, "There should have been a house here."

A three-courtyard compound, the locust tree standing in the front yard. He remembered wearing light blue robes, climbing the tree to catch cicadas.

"I’ve been dead for many, many years."

So long that the world had changed beyond recognition. Returning to his old haunt, the little ghost couldn’t find a single trace of the past.

"Did you remember anything else?"

Seeing the little ghost’s downcast spirits, Shen Junlan quickly changed the subject.

"I think my living soul was expelled from my body, and that’s how I died. Someone took over my body, and I couldn’t return."

He had vague memories but couldn’t recall the details.

Even if the house was gone, there should be some traces.

Frantically, the little ghost dug around the large locust tree. He had hidden something under one of the flagstones.

His nails grew sharp as he pushed aside the overgrown weeds, digging through layers of soil until he uncovered a decayed box beneath a broken stone.

The box likely had intricate patterns, adorned with gold tracery, but now it crumbled to dust at the slightest touch.

In the next moment, resting in the little ghost’s palm was half of a jade piece, emerald green and shaped like a fishtail, exquisitely crafted.

A mournful wailing sound echoed.

It was the cry of a ghost.

Unable to shed tears as a spirit, the little ghost wailed so bitterly that it felt as though the very ground might split open.

Huo Yanchi gripped Shen Junlan’s wrist tightly, pulling him close and covering his ears.

It took a long time for the little ghost to compose himself a little.

He was kneeling on one knee, his fingers spotless, yet his eyes remained fixed on the jade pendant, refusing to look away, looking completely devastated.

That all happened over three hundred years ago.

In a daze, the little ghost braced himself against the locust tree (a type of tree) and stood up. He raised the jade pendant, and under the moonlight, a small character glimmered.

Cui.

That was his surname.

Cui Jie, pronounced "xiá," meant a bird soaring upward—a reflection of his family's hopes for him to excel in studies, succeed in the imperial examinations, and achieve fame.

Shen Junlan patted Huo Yanchi's wrist, signaling him to let go.

He slowly walked over to the little ghost and gently patted his shoulder with a spirit-charged hand, helping to stabilize his soul, which looked ready to scatter completely.

"Boss, thank you."

Cui Jie remembered his name and recalled some unbearable memories. His heart ached with sorrow, and it took him a long time to gently clutch the jade pendant in his palm.

"Those things... I need some time before I can talk about them."

The sudden recollection had left him emotionally shattered, making it impossible for him to articulate everything clearly.

"It's alright, it's alright. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to." After all, they were outsiders, unaware of what connection they might have.