Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Facing death for the first time, and such a swift death at that, Chen Ji should have been a little dazed.

But...

"Huh? I'm not dead?" The young man in yellow opened his eyes. He looked at Chen Ji, who was still holding his phone, and puzzledly reached out to rub his chest. Not only did it not hurt at all, but he also felt remarkably good.

"Wow... made it seem like I was about to die. False alarm, false alarm—Hey, man, thanks! My injuries probably make it hard to move. Could you call the police and an ambulance for me? This roadblock situation isn't great!"

Chen Ji released his hand, his blood-stained fingers fumbling to retrieve his own phone. He dialed the emergency number: "Hello, this is Xiaoqing Mountain. A hiker just died in front of me... No, no, I'm on the mountainside. He fell from above... Yes, he's already gone. He said a few words to me and then passed away."

The young man in yellow suddenly sat up: "Hey! That's pretty rude! I'm perfectly fine! What do you mean 'passed away'?!"

Chen Ji didn't even raise an eyebrow and continued into the phone: "Bright yellow jacket, unbranded but looks expensive. About 1.75 meters tall, early twenties... Yes... My name is Chen Ji, ID number 320XXX... Yes, my hometown is Shangyang Village. I returned to the village a month ago and have been living on the mountain. I don't know this person."

Seeing that Chen Ji ignored him, the young man in yellow reached out to grab Chen Ji, only to find his hand went right through Chen Ji's arm. He stared in disbelief, waving his hand repeatedly, each time passing through Chen Ji's body. He froze, listening to Chen Ji's words.

"Phone? His phone is here, nearby. He just wanted to call for an ambulance himself." Chen Ji knew the password, but it was too coincidental, and he didn't want trouble, so he simply said he didn't know the unlock code. He pretended to bend down, his clothes rustling, then said with some surprise: "Huh? I already picked it up... Oh, okay, put it down, right? Done."

"Okay, that's it. I'll wait here for you."

The young man stiffly turned his head, looked at the corpse on the ground, his eyes slowly widening. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he stared fixedly at his own body, unmoving.

Chen Ji hung up the phone, leaned against a tree, lit a cigarette, and glanced sideways at the young man—so ghosts get cold sweats too? How peculiar.

He didn't know how the accident happened, but someone coming alone to climb a desolate mountain without a guide—anything could happen.

Pale smoke drifted from his thin lips. The young man's expression was calm, his demeanor relaxed, as if what lay before him wasn't a corpse whose warmth hadn't fully faded.

The young man in yellow suddenly turned back, seeing this scene, his eyes turned a frightening shade of red: "Why did I have to die? I'm only twenty-five! My life was just beginning. I had everything—why did I die? Why wasn't it you?!"

As he spoke, he slowly stood up. Wispy black mist climbed from the soil onto his ankles, making his eyes seem to drip with blood. Step by step, he approached Chen Ji, consumed by hatred: "I shouldn't have died. You didn't save me, right? You killed me, right? I'm so young—I can't accept this... Come down and keep me company..."

Chen Ji lowered his head, biting the cigarette between his fingers, and pulled out his phone to scroll through news.

Just then, the white tiger leaped out from the forest, its roar echoing through the sky. The young man jolted in shock, the black mist around him instantly scattering. He blurted out instinctively: "Holy shit! A tiger!"

The white tiger's ice-blue eyes were like ice, muscles tensed, ready to strike. Chen Ji casually pushed the tiger's head down, pushing it slightly: "Shh... Xiangxiang, be good."

Only then did the young man in yellow realize what he had done. He stared blankly at the handsome young man before him—this person had tried to stop his bleeding, called the police immediately, and even stayed to wait for them. How could he have had such thoughts?

He even wanted to take someone with him?

Was he really that kind of bad person?!

He had been law-abiding his whole life, and as soon as he died, he almost committed a crime! Thank god for the tiger... Wait, why is there a tiger here?!

The white tiger circled around Chen Ji, scooting closer to protect him, eyeing the young man warily. Chen Ji rubbed its head, still not bothering to look directly at the young man.

The white tiger continued to stare intently at him.

Under such a cold gaze, the young man didn't dare take another step forward. Chen Ji finished his cigarette, tossed it on the ground, and stamped it out. He simply sat down leaning against the white tiger, stroking its neck repeatedly with one hand while scrolling through short videos on his phone with the other.

The young man knew the tiger wouldn't pay him any attention—he'd heard animals could see unclean things, and now he was that unclean thing. Watching Chen Ji so carefree, he helplessly tried to get his attention: "Hello? Hi? Can you see me?"

"Even the white tiger you raised is looking at me—can you really not see me?"

"Hey, come on! I died right in front of you—how can you still scroll through your phone?!"

The young man rambled on for a while, but seeing Chen Ji focused on his phone, he suddenly felt drained and lay down. He curled up on his side, hugging his knees, murmuring: "How did I die... How did I die..."

Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes, silently falling into the soil: "How did I die... I just slipped... How did I die... I shouldn't have come... Mom... Mommy..."

When he wanted to kill Chen Ji, Chen Ji remained unmoved. But hearing him murmur to himself, Chen Ji felt a pang of pity. Between a ghost and a living person, it's just a breath of difference—yet that breath makes all the difference in the world.

The dead cannot be brought back to life, and there was nothing he could do. He simply called the Taoist priest from the neighboring City God Temple. The priest, after Chen Ji had pressured him, had already released him, but he still sounded impatient answering the video call: "What is it?"

Chen Ji said casually: "Nothing much, just wanted to chat... Hey, don't hang up. I just encountered a victim here, waiting for the police. Don't hang up—I'm freaked out."

The priest's expression seemed to say, "Keep lying."

The white tiger, however, glanced at Chen Ji in surprise and tightened its circle around him.

Chen Ji asked: "Seriously, no joke. Want me to turn the camera around and show you... Hey, aren't you a Taoist priest? Do you know what happens after death?"

As he spoke, Chen Ji turned the camera. The priest immediately saw the corpse on the ground and the young ghost curled up crying nearby. He choked up, but Chen Ji didn't turn the camera back, just let him watch.

The priest said: "After death, it's pretty much the same. Hell guards will come to collect the soul. For ordinary people who haven't done much wrong, it's just a formality. They'll attend a social school for a while, the underworld court provides subsidies to ensure basic living, and they just wait for reincarnation."

The young man's sobbing stopped as he listened intently.

"During holidays, they can send dreams to their families or visit them." The priest said calmly: "It's similar to being alive, just not being able to see family often... Think of it as moving abroad."

Chen Ji teased: "So, is reincarnation like a lottery system? With the birth rate so low nowadays, can they even get a turn?"

Though he couldn't see Chen Ji, the priest glared in his direction: "Why are you asking so much?!"

"Just curious," Chen Ji laughed.

Just then, a rumbling sound came from afar. Chen Ji turned the camera back and said to the priest: "Hey, the helicopter's here. Can't chat anymore. I dug up some good herbs—I'll bring them to you when I go down the mountain."

Before the priest could say, "Who the hell wants your stuff?" Chen Ji had already ended the video call. The priest cursed a few times, then suddenly remembered: What was Chen Ji leaning against? That pattern, that size...?

—Definitely not something good.

The young man, his fear mostly dispelled by the priest, couldn't cry anymore. He simply sat waiting.

Xiaoqing Mountain's terrain was complex, making it impossible for the helicopter to land. Two special police officers and a forensic doctor descended. The masked officers were stern with Chen Ji: "Are you Chen Ji?"

Chen Ji had already taken out his ID and handed it over. He stood obediently: "Yes, I'm Chen Ji."

Chen Ji cooperated fully, answering every question. The police had already investigated Chen Ji, and everything matched. Their attitude softened slightly. While they questioned him, the forensic doctor completed a preliminary examination. He nodded to the officers, indicating it was likely an accident—at least the injuries matched. The officer said: "Please come with us. We need to gather some additional information."

Chen Ji didn't hesitate. He picked up his bamboo basket and said: "I can't climb this. I'll need your help."

The officer saw the basket full of freshly dug herbs, still smelling of earth, and trusted Chen Ji even more. He stepped forward to fasten Chen Ji's safety harness.

The young man's body was placed in a body bag and hoisted into the helicopter first, followed by Chen Ji, escorted by one of the officers. The young ghost followed alongside. Seeing the officer checking safety equipment while explaining precautions to Chen Ji, it dawned on him: "Hey, wait! Officer, why aren't you looking at the white tiger?!"

The young man pointed at the tiger in astonishment: "Can't you see that huge white tiger?!"

The white tiger lazily glanced at him.

The young man instinctively reached for the officer's sleeve, but his hand passed through the arm. He paused, pressed his lips together, and gave up on trying to get their attention. Just then, he met Chen Ji's eyes.

He seemed to be looking right at him.

The young guy said dejectedly, "Why can't they see the white tiger? That's not scientific!... No, wait, nothing about me right now is scientific... It's so strange, but you can clearly see it?!"

Suddenly struck by an idea, the young guy shouted at Chen Ji, "I get it now—you're a *chang* ghost, aren't you?!"

A vicious tiger would turn those it killed into *chang* ghosts, making them stay by its side and lure more victims.

Chen Ji laughed.

—What a dumbass.