"Tang Ning?"
Tang Ning's bewildered mind took three seconds to process before he suddenly remembered Old Liu, the driver of the funeral car.
"Are you the one driving the funeral car?" Tang Ning asked.
Old Liu pushed the car with a body bag outside and, with a faint acknowledgment, Tang Ning quickly followed beside him. "Excellent, Master Liu! I have something to ask you!"
Old Liu didn't glance sideways; the cold light in the corridor illuminated him lifelessly, giving Tang Ning the eerie feeling that he was facing a walking corpse.
Tang Ning's pace slowed, and he looked at Old Liu's shadow once again. Confirming the presence of a shadow, he lifted his head, meeting Old Liu's intense gaze.
Old Liu continued pushing the car, his head turned towards Tang Ning, eyes fixed on him without blinking. Tang Ning felt a spine-chilling sensation under the unrelenting stare and stammered, "Did you have a fever yesterday?"
"Yes."
As Old Liu approached the elevator, Tang Ning feared he might miss it if Old Liu kept looking at him. However, Old Liu confidently stopped the car at the elevator entrance, his eyes still fixed on Tang Ning. "What do you want to ask?"
Tang Ning felt a bit afraid of Old Liu. He was always wary of people who seemed difficult to approach.
"My friend and I came to see you yesterday, knocking on your door, but you didn't answer," Tang Ning involuntarily used a respectful tone.
"I took medicine and slept, didn't hear the knocking," Old Liu replied indifferently.
The elevator door opened, and Old Liu pushed the car inside. Tang Ning followed closely, like a small tail. "Oh, I see. Are you feeling better now?"
As the elevator's display continuously changed, the confined space made Tang Ning uneasy. Old Liu, who seemed to be in his fifties or sixties, with age spots on his face, appeared almost lifeless in the dim light, invoking thoughts of corpse spots. Tang Ning nervously asked, "On the night before yesterday at midnight, did your funeral car pick up a passenger during the journey?"
Old Liu's eyes, clouded with turbidity, seemed ready to pop out. His expression turned unpleasant as he sharply raised his voice, "I don't know what you're talking about!"
Startled by Old Liu's sudden hostility, Tang Ning took a step back, his back against the cold elevator. He realized there was no way to retreat.
The elevator doors opened at this moment.
Without even looking at Tang Ning, Old Liu pushed the car out.
Hesitating for a moment, Tang Ning still followed. Carefully trailing behind Old Liu, he suddenly turned around. Old Liu, with his eyes fixed on Tang Ning, warned, "If you don't want to die, don't follow me."
In that moment, Tang Ning suddenly understood why he was so afraid of Old Liu's eyes.
Ghost infants also stared at him with that same gaze.
Cold, ruthless.
Tang Ning stood frozen, watching Old Liu's figure disappear as he pushed the cart.
When Old Liu completely vanished from Tang Ning's sight, he regained the strength to move. He didn't want to linger in the hospital, quickly leaving the premises. Standing under the bright sun, he felt a bit better.
Taking a deep breath, Tang Ning retrieved Lu Yingxing's phone from his pocket. The phone had obvious cracks, and it wouldn't turn on. He decided to go to a nearby phone repair shop. The owner said it would take over an hour to fix the phone, so Tang Ning left it there temporarily. He planned to visit the funeral home and inquire about Old Liu's background.
Old Liu must know something. This was the only breakthrough Tang Ning could find, and he wasn't willing to give up easily.
【System, who did Lu Yingxing meet at the funeral home last time?】
【Director Lin.】
Arriving at the funeral home, Tang Ning informed the security guard that he needed to see the director. After waiting for some time, Tang Ning met the kind-looking director again.
Director Lin expressed sorrow, "Such a good person, why did he leave like this? Young friend, what brings you here?"
"I want to learn more about the funeral car driver, Master Liu. Thank you, Director Lin." Tang Ning spoke cautiously.
He wasn't good at handling interpersonal relationships.
"You want to know about Old Liu, huh? He's also a pitiable person." Director Lin's tone was full of lament, "If his wife hadn't had an accident back then, his child would be about your age now..."
Director Lin mentioned that Old Liu had great courage, even among those in this profession, he had the most courage.
Old Liu didn't believe in ghosts or gods, wasn't afraid of walking at night, and focused on his job. At the age of thirty, Old Liu's wife became pregnant, and during that joyful period, tragedy struck. One day, while his wife was bathing, she accidentally slipped, resulting in a double tragedy.
Since then, Old Liu changed. He placed the spirit tablets of his wife and child in his room, became unusually superstitious, spending a significant amount of money on Taoist priests. He also became taciturn.
"Daoist?" Tang Ning keenly seized the keyword. The system mentioned finding a truly skilled person who could seal the ghost infant. Old Liu spending so much money and effort on a Taoist might indicate the person was genuinely capable. Almost impatient, Tang Ning asked, "Do you know which Taoist Master Liu consulted?"
"It's Daoist Hao on the funeral street in front of Old Liu's community."
Tang Ning bid farewell to Director Lin, took a taxi to the funeral street in front of Old Liu's community, a place he had seen from afar many times but visited for the first time today. Walking past flower shops, shroud stores, and coffin shops, he approached an ordinary shroud store, nervously asking, "Excuse me, is Daoist Hao here?"
A thin old man sat up from a recliner. His hair was white, and he wore a bright red Tang suit, an attire that would be praised as spirited elsewhere but felt somewhat eerie in a shroud store.
"Here to buy a shroud?" the old man asked.
Tang Ning shook his head and was about to explain that he was here to see Daoist Hao when the old man leisurely said, "People are about to die, don't they deserve to buy something for themselves?"
Tang Ning shivered. He looked at the thin old man with deep respect. "Are you Daoist Hao?"
"Just call me Boss Hao."
At this moment, Boss Hao seemed incredibly towering in Tang Ning's eyes. Looking at the only expert he could find, Tang Ning pleaded, "Master, I'm haunted by a ghost. Can you help me seal it?"
Boss Hao calmly said, "What happened? Tell me slowly."
Tang Ning quickly recounted everything he knew, and Boss Hao shook his head. "You've attracted an evil infant. It's clinging to you, intending to gain rebirth through your body."
Thinking of the nightmares he had, Tang Ning couldn't help but feel a tightening in his abdomen. "B-but I'm a man!"
"What's wrong with being a man? I've heard you young people talk about male mothers. Can't a man give birth?" Boss Hao's words left Tang Ning deeply shocked.
"You encountered ghostly illusions in the bathroom, hallway, and morgue, created by the Ghost-Blinding Eyes and Ghost-Deceiving People techniques. Fortunately, you were lucky enough to consistently break through these illusions," Boss Hao squinted, "However, your friend's death is not as simple as an illusion. If you don't properly resolve his resentment, another evil spirit might attach itself to you."
Trembling, Tang Ning asked, "Master, what should I do?"
Boss Hao rubbed his fingers together. Looking at Tang Ning's blank expression, Boss Hao cast a disdainful look, as if disappointed with an unruly child. "First, pay the fee."
Tang Ning hastily inquired, "How much?"
"One million for your friend turned evil spirit, and five million for the evil infant," Boss Hao stated astonishing figures.
【System, do I have money in my account?】
【816,246.60 yuan】
Hearing this, Tang Ning was moved to tears. He pitifully pleaded with Boss Hao, "Can it be a bit cheaper?"
Boss Hao reclined in his chair again, closed his eyes, and said, "I can give you a discount on the shroud."
Unable to negotiate, Tang Ning left the shop and called Mo Yunchu. "Mo Yunchu, can you lend me some money?" It was the first time Tang Ning had asked someone for money, and he quickly concocted a reasonable excuse.
"How much does Tang Ning need?" Mo Yunchu asked gently. "Is ten million enough?"
Tang Ning was stunned, but after reacting, he hurriedly said, "No need for so much, five million and two hundred thousand will do."
"Okay." Mo Yunchu smiled, "I have something to attend to here, let's not chat for now."
After hanging up, Tang Ning received two transfers: five million two hundred thousand and one million three hundred and fourteen thousand.
【System, have you noticed that Mo Yunchu suddenly became more handsome?】 Tang Ning said seriously.
【...】
Tang Ning didn't immediately transfer the extra money back. He planned to keep it for emergencies, return it to Mo Yunchu after completely dealing with the ghost infant. However, spending that money meant there was little chance of repayment unless real-world money could be transferred into the game.
Returning to the shroud store, Tang Ning handed over the money, and Boss Hao's attitude instantly became warm. He smiled and said, "I observe your broad forehead, bright eyes, and full chin; all good signs. However, there is a deficiency. Young friend, your life palace is dim. There must be a looming calamity, even with a benefactor's help, it is perilous. If you survive, it will be a bright future."
Listening to Boss Hao's words, Tang Ning was dumbfounded. If his face had a sign saying "gullible with money," it couldn't have been more accurate. "Master, what should I do?"
"First, handle the matter of your friend, Lu Yingxing. Since he died because of you, he must hold a grudge. When he is buried, you need to accompany him all the way. On the way, turn around every seven steps. After the burial, take a handful of soil from his grave, bring it home, and worship morning and night. After forty-nine days, everything should be fine. However, in the future, during the four seasons and eight festivals, you also need to perform rituals and offerings."
Tang Ning opened his phone's notes app nervously. "Master, please repeat that; I'll write it down."
Boss Hao repeated the instructions, then added, "As for the ghost infant, carry some candies and drinks with you. If it tries to trouble you again, offer these to it—after all, it's still a baby. Innately, it doesn't distinguish between good and evil. As long as you treat it kindly, it won't harm you again."
"He's also pitiful. I observed that the doll he possessed has both legs broken, likely forcefully trapped. If you're willing to show some kindness, find an opportunity to sew the legs back for him. Then he can move on to reincarnation, and naturally, he won't trouble you again."
Boss Hao's guidance left Tang Ning feeling as if he had struck gold. Grateful, he repeatedly exclaimed, "Master, I understand now."
"He is also pitiful. I observed that the doll he possessed has both legs broken, likely forcefully trapped. If you're willing to show some kindness, find an opportunity to sew the legs back for him. Then he can move on to reincarnation, and naturally, he won't trouble you again."
Boss Hao's guidance left Tang Ning feeling as if he had struck gold. Grateful, he repeatedly exclaimed, "Master, I understand now."
Boss Hao nodded, let out a sigh that seemed a bit tired, and said, "Alright, go and handle it."
Finally, he glanced at Tang Ning again, "Young friend, the darkness on your forehead is unpredictable; there might be mischief from petty people. Be careful of those around you recently."
People around him? Tang Ning cautiously inquired, "Master, can you elaborate?"
"Be wary of your friends, superiors, colleagues, relatives, and..."
"Your bed companion."
"Tang Ning?"
Tang Ning's bewildered mind took three seconds to process before he suddenly remembered Old Liu, the driver of the funeral car.
"Are you the one driving the funeral car?" Tang Ning asked.
Old Liu pushed the car with a body bag outside and, with a faint acknowledgment, Tang Ning quickly followed beside him. "Excellent, Master Liu! I have something to ask you!"
Old Liu didn't glance sideways; the cold light in the corridor illuminated him lifelessly, giving Tang Ning the eerie feeling that he was facing a walking corpse.
Tang Ning's pace slowed, and he looked at Old Liu's shadow once again. Confirming the presence of a shadow, he lifted his head, meeting Old Liu's intense gaze.
Old Liu continued pushing the car, his head turned towards Tang Ning, eyes fixed on him without blinking. Tang Ning felt a spine-chilling sensation under the unrelenting stare and stammered, "Did you have a fever yesterday?"
"Yes."
As Old Liu approached the elevator, Tang Ning feared he might miss it if Old Liu kept looking at him. However, Old Liu confidently stopped the car at the elevator entrance, his eyes still fixed on Tang Ning. "What do you want to ask?"
Tang Ning felt a bit afraid of Old Liu. He was always wary of people who seemed difficult to approach.
"My friend and I came to see you yesterday, knocking on your door, but you didn't answer," Tang Ning involuntarily used a respectful tone.
"I took medicine and slept, didn't hear the knocking," Old Liu replied indifferently.
The elevator door opened, and Old Liu pushed the car inside. Tang Ning followed closely, like a small tail. "Oh, I see. Are you feeling better now?"
As the elevator's display continuously changed, the confined space made Tang Ning uneasy. Old Liu, who seemed to be in his fifties or sixties, with age spots on his face, appeared almost lifeless in the dim light, invoking thoughts of corpse spots. Tang Ning nervously asked, "On the night before yesterday at midnight, did your funeral car pick up a passenger during the journey?"
Old Liu's eyes, clouded with turbidity, seemed ready to pop out. His expression turned unpleasant as he sharply raised his voice, "I don't know what you're talking about!"
Startled by Old Liu's sudden hostility, Tang Ning took a step back, his back against the cold elevator. He realized there was no way to retreat.
The elevator doors opened at this moment.
Without even looking at Tang Ning, Old Liu pushed the car out.
Hesitating for a moment, Tang Ning still followed. Carefully trailing behind Old Liu, he suddenly turned around. Old Liu, with his eyes fixed on Tang Ning, warned, "If you don't want to die, don't follow me."
In that moment, Tang Ning suddenly understood why he was so afraid of Old Liu's eyes.
Ghost infants also stared at him with that same gaze.
Cold, ruthless.
Tang Ning stood frozen, watching Old Liu's figure disappear as he pushed the cart.
When Old Liu completely vanished from Tang Ning's sight, he regained the strength to move. He didn't want to linger in the hospital, quickly leaving the premises. Standing under the bright sun, he felt a bit better.
Taking a deep breath, Tang Ning retrieved Lu Yingxing's phone from his pocket. The phone had obvious cracks, and it wouldn't turn on. He decided to go to a nearby phone repair shop. The owner said it would take over an hour to fix the phone, so Tang Ning left it there temporarily. He planned to visit the funeral home and inquire about Old Liu's background.
Old Liu must know something. This was the only breakthrough Tang Ning could find, and he wasn't willing to give up easily.
【System, who did Lu Yingxing meet at the funeral home last time?】
【Director Lin.】
Arriving at the funeral home, Tang Ning informed the security guard that he needed to see the director. After waiting for some time, Tang Ning met the kind-looking director again.
Director Lin expressed sorrow, "Such a good person, why did he leave like this? Young friend, what brings you here?"
"I want to learn more about the funeral car driver, Master Liu. Thank you, Director Lin." Tang Ning spoke cautiously.
He wasn't good at handling interpersonal relationships.
"You want to know about Old Liu, huh? He's also a pitiable person." Director Lin's tone was full of lament, "If his wife hadn't had an accident back then, his child would be about your age now..."
Director Lin mentioned that Old Liu had great courage, even among those in this profession, he had the most courage.
Old Liu didn't believe in ghosts or gods, wasn't afraid of walking at night, and focused on his job. At the age of thirty, Old Liu's wife became pregnant, and during that joyful period, tragedy struck. One day, while his wife was bathing, she accidentally slipped, resulting in a double tragedy.
Since then, Old Liu changed. He placed the spirit tablets of his wife and child in his room, became unusually superstitious, spending a significant amount of money on Taoist priests. He also became taciturn.
"Daoist?" Tang Ning keenly seized the keyword. The system mentioned finding a truly skilled person who could seal the ghost infant. Old Liu spending so much money and effort on a Taoist might indicate the person was genuinely capable. Almost impatient, Tang Ning asked, "Do you know which Taoist Master Liu consulted?"
"It's Daoist Hao on the funeral street in front of Old Liu's community."
Tang Ning bid farewell to Director Lin, took a taxi to the funeral street in front of Old Liu's community, a place he had seen from afar many times but visited for the first time today. Walking past flower shops, shroud stores, and coffin shops, he approached an ordinary shroud store, nervously asking, "Excuse me, is Daoist Hao here?"
A thin old man sat up from a recliner. His hair was white, and he wore a bright red Tang suit, an attire that would be praised as spirited elsewhere but felt somewhat eerie in a shroud store.
"Here to buy a shroud?" the old man asked.
Tang Ning shook his head and was about to explain that he was here to see Daoist Hao when the old man leisurely said, "People are about to die, don't they deserve to buy something for themselves?"
Tang Ning shivered. He looked at the thin old man with deep respect. "Are you Daoist Hao?"
"Just call me Boss Hao."
At this moment, Boss Hao seemed incredibly towering in Tang Ning's eyes. Looking at the only expert he could find, Tang Ning pleaded, "Master, I'm haunted by a ghost. Can you help me seal it?"
Boss Hao calmly said, "What happened? Tell me slowly."
Tang Ning quickly recounted everything he knew, and Boss Hao shook his head. "You've attracted an evil infant. It's clinging to you, intending to gain rebirth through your body."
Thinking of the nightmares he had, Tang Ning couldn't help but feel a tightening in his abdomen. "B-but I'm a man!"
"What's wrong with being a man? I've heard you young people talk about male mothers. Can't a man give birth?" Boss Hao's words left Tang Ning deeply shocked.
"You encountered ghostly illusions in the bathroom, hallway, and morgue, created by the Ghost-Blinding Eyes and Ghost-Deceiving People techniques. Fortunately, you were lucky enough to consistently break through these illusions," Boss Hao squinted, "However, your friend's death is not as simple as an illusion. If you don't properly resolve his resentment, another evil spirit might attach itself to you."
Trembling, Tang Ning asked, "Master, what should I do?"
Boss Hao rubbed his fingers together. Looking at Tang Ning's blank expression, Boss Hao cast a disdainful look, as if disappointed with an unruly child. "First, pay the fee."
Tang Ning hastily inquired, "How much?"
"One million for your friend turned evil spirit, and five million for the evil infant," Boss Hao stated astonishing figures.
【System, do I have money in my account?】
【816,246.60 yuan】
Hearing this, Tang Ning was moved to tears. He pitifully pleaded with Boss Hao, "Can it be a bit cheaper?"
Boss Hao reclined in his chair again, closed his eyes, and said, "I can give you a discount on the shroud."
Unable to negotiate, Tang Ning left the shop and called Mo Yunchu. "Mo Yunchu, can you lend me some money?" It was the first time Tang Ning had asked someone for money, and he quickly concocted a reasonable excuse.
"How much does Tang Ning need?" Mo Yunchu asked gently. "Is ten million enough?"
Tang Ning was stunned, but after reacting, he hurriedly said, "No need for so much, five million and two hundred thousand will do."
"Okay." Mo Yunchu smiled, "I have something to attend to here, let's not chat for now."
After hanging up, Tang Ning received two transfers: five million two hundred thousand and one million three hundred and fourteen thousand.
【System, have you noticed that Mo Yunchu suddenly became more handsome?】 Tang Ning said seriously.
【...】
Tang Ning didn't immediately transfer the extra money back. He planned to keep it for emergencies, return it to Mo Yunchu after completely dealing with the ghost infant. However, spending that money meant there was little chance of repayment unless real-world money could be transferred into the game.
Returning to the shroud store, Tang Ning handed over the money, and Boss Hao's attitude instantly became warm. He smiled and said, "I observe your broad forehead, bright eyes, and full chin; all good signs. However, there is a deficiency. Young friend, your life palace is dim. There must be a looming calamity, even with a benefactor's help, it is perilous. If you survive, it will be a bright future."
Listening to Boss Hao's words, Tang Ning was dumbfounded. If his face had a sign saying "gullible with money," it couldn't have been more accurate. "Master, what should I do?"
"First, handle the matter of your friend, Lu Yingxing. Since he died because of you, he must hold a grudge. When he is buried, you need to accompany him all the way. On the way, turn around every seven steps. After the burial, take a handful of soil from his grave, bring it home, and worship morning and night. After forty-nine days, everything should be fine. However, in the future, during the four seasons and eight festivals, you also need to perform rituals and offerings."
Tang Ning opened his phone's notes app nervously. "Master, please repeat that; I'll write it down."
Boss Hao repeated the instructions, then added, "As for the ghost infant, carry some candies and drinks with you. If it tries to trouble you again, offer these to it—after all, it's still a baby. Innately, it doesn't distinguish between good and evil. As long as you treat it kindly, it won't harm you again."
"He's also pitiful. I observed that the doll he possessed has both legs broken, likely forcefully trapped. If you're willing to show some kindness, find an opportunity to sew the legs back for him. Then he can move on to reincarnation, and naturally, he won't trouble you again."
Boss Hao's guidance left Tang Ning feeling as if he had struck gold. Grateful, he repeatedly exclaimed, "Master, I understand now."
"He is also pitiful. I observed that the doll he possessed has both legs broken, likely forcefully trapped. If you're willing to show some kindness, find an opportunity to sew the legs back for him. Then he can move on to reincarnation, and naturally, he won't trouble you again."
Boss Hao's guidance left Tang Ning feeling as if he had struck gold. Grateful, he repeatedly exclaimed, "Master, I understand now."
Boss Hao nodded, let out a sigh that seemed a bit tired, and said, "Alright, go and handle it."
Finally, he glanced at Tang Ning again, "Young friend, the darkness on your forehead is unpredictable; there might be mischief from petty people. Be careful of those around you recently."
People around him? Tang Ning cautiously inquired, "Master, can you elaborate?"
"Be wary of your friends, superiors, colleagues, relatives, and..."
"Your bed companion."
