Chapter 045: Rewriting
Upon seeing the ghost, Bai Ran involuntarily took a step back and quickly said, "I don’t know him."
"Let me jog your memory then. That afternoon on the 13th, I was riding a shared bicycle towards the Bai residence," Chi Shen said, taking a step forward.
Bai Ran's pupils dilated in terror. He observed Chi Shen but found no trace of Bai Wan. Chi Shen seemed to have only brought this particular ghost. Gritting his teeth, Bai Ran turned and scrambled towards the door, shouting, "I don't know him!"
"Still can't recall?" Chi Shen pondered, "Let's try this. He—was the old lady."
Upon saying this, Chi Shen released the ghost.
The ghost turned to glance at Chi Shen, who gave him a reassuring wave, revealing a string in his hand and a warm smile.
Seeing that smile, the ghost felt as if he had seen a real specter and quickly crawled towards Bai Ran, reaching out to grab him.
Bai Ran's hand was already on the door handle. Sensing danger, he instinctively looked back. Seeing the approaching phantom, he reacted swiftly. He grabbed some cinnabar and talismans from the bag that Xu Xiu Yun prepared for him. Yet, when he sprinkled them on the ghost, they seemed ineffective.
"Impossible!" Bai Ran's eyes widened in panic. He tried to open the door, but the ghost was faster, grabbing his ankle and dragging him back.
Chi Shen casually remarked, "Do you remember now?"
A cold sensation seeped through his skin, and an intense chill spread throughout his body. His bones cracked under the ghost's grip. The ghost's claws pierced Bai Ran's calf, and blood started to soak his trousers—
"I remember!" Overwhelmed by the imminent threat of death, Bai Ran yelled, "It was the day the ghost pushed the old lady and collided with you!"
Chi Shen smiled and nodded, "Good that you remembered."
The one-armed ghost did not halt. The crimson blood on the trouser leg ignited a fiery gleam in his eyes, turning them a blazing red. Drawn by the scent of blood, he opened his broken jaw and bit down hard!
"Ahh!" Bai Ran's scream pierced the silence.
Chi Shen subtly twitched the fishing line in his hand. Just as the apparition was about to take another bite, it suddenly stopped, momentarily stunned. The next instant, its head slid to the ground.
The decapitated body still moved, its hands reaching as if trying to retrieve its fallen head. Chi Shen stepped forward, crushing the ghost's head underfoot and then stomping its body to pieces. The one-armed ghost dissipated into a black mist.
"Ran Ran!" The voice of Xu Xiu Yun echoed anxiously from outside, her tone a mix of tenderness and concern. "What happened?"
Xu Xiu Yun, concerned about Bai Ran and living nearby, had rushed over upon hearing his cry.
"Mom!" Bai Ran's voice was filled with desperation, "Don't come in! Chi Shen is here for revenge. Go get Second Grandpa!"
"Was it you who summoned this ghost that day?" Chi Shen inquired, ignoring Bai Ran's plea for help.
Bai Ran turned pale, feeling a deep chill throughout his body. Trembling, he responded, "It was me."
"So you're the main culprit behind the old lady's injury?" Chi Shen pressed.
"Yes... No! Not me!" Backed against the wall, Bai Ran's tone became increasingly hostile, "Do you think I tried to sabotage you on your way to Bai's house out of jealousy? No... it was our father's orders."
This revelation caught Chi Shen off guard, sparking his interest, "Oh?"
Laughing bitterly, Bai Ran retorted, "You came for this? And here I thought you sought revenge! How naïve! You know nothing of this place, our esteemed families, and their twisted traditions."
Looking at Chi Shen as if he were an innocent child, Bai Ran sneered, "Raised outside this world, how could you understand our rules?"
With an amused smile, Chi Shen urged, "Go on."
"You are of the Bai family's main lineage. In a family where blood ties reign supreme, you'd be the heir upon your return. Father wanted to test your character," Bai Ran smirked, "He wanted to see how you'd handle the aftermath of the accident."
Just then, a pale ghostly face appeared at the window. Having overheard Bai Ran, it remarked sarcastically, "So, he takes good care of the victim, compensates generously, and this doesn't pass your 'character test'? What kind of twisted logic is that?"
Seeing the ghostly face, Bai Ran laughed instead of showing fear.
Chi Shen, with a contemplative expression, mused, "I'm starting to think this 'character test' wasn't about measuring how good I am, but rather assessing if I fit into the Bai family's mold."
"Exactly!" Bai Ran laughed triumphantly, "Despite it being the victim's fault, you took responsibility, even sending them to the hospital. Someone as... naïve and ignorant of the world's wickedness as you is just a liability in the Bai family."
Tears of laughter threatened to spill from his eyes, but he continued to chuckle, "One day, you'll surely uncover the dirty secrets of our family, dream of saving the world like those from the Special Security Bureau, and betray the Bai family. The Bai family doesn't want someone like you. They want someone like me, selfish and self-interested, someone who ties their own interests with the family's, willing to sell their soul for gain."
"Keeping you away from the Bai family is for your own good," Bai Ran said, his voice softening towards the end. He looked intently at Chi Shen, "It's not to harm you."
Gui Lian's face was scrunched up in thought, "That makes sense. Would Chi Shen return to the Bai family? Such a family doesn't deserve him!"
"That seems logical," Chi Shen nodded in agreement.
Seeing Chi Shen nod, a look of delight appeared in Bai Ran's eyes.
"But why involve an innocent person?" Chi Shen lifted his eyelashes slightly, directing his gaze at Bai Ran.
It was only then that Bai Ran realized, after all his words, Chi Shen wasn't moved. His eyes remained calm, even observing Bai Ran as though he was another species. "You could've directly asked me or informed me. Even if you had set up a 'trash collection' task as a test upon my arrival, I wouldn't have minded. But why involve an unrelated old woman?"
"Honestly, I don't get it," Chi Shen spoke leisurely. "You seem to place yourselves above others, treating ordinary people as mere tools... I'm not interested in correcting that mindset. Today, I'm here for you to own up to your actions."
Bai Ran glanced at his bloody leg and quickly replied, "All this for that? You should be confronting Bai Xi Ming! It's not my concern!"
Chi Shen shook his head, inquiring, "Choosing that old lady, was it your decision or Bai Xi Ming's?"
Bai Ran's eyes wavered, seemingly wanting to say something.
However, Chi Shen interrupted him, "I believe Bai Xi Ming just wanted to test my character. How to test it was your call. The one who chose the old lady was you."
In the memories of the amputated ghost, Chi Shen saw everything. The old woman just happened to be waiting at the traffic light that day, inadvertently becoming Bai Ran's target.
"No, it was Bai Xi Ming's choice!" Bai Ran struggled vehemently. "Not me!"
Yet Chi Shen calmly stood up, "Now that we've clarified, as the executor of this act, you must pay the due price."
"Sorry for intruding so late. I think I need to find another responsible party for this matter." After politely finishing his words, Chi Shen turned and nimbly leaped out of the window.
Gui Lian followed suit. Before exiting the window, he cast one last glance at Bai Ran, whose wound from the ghost bite was rapidly darkening. Agonized screams filled the room.
Just as Chi Shen landed, before he could ascertain Bai Xi Ming's location, the garden lights blazed to life, and a crowd emerged from the mansion's main door, encircling him.
On the second floor, leaning by the window, Bai Ran cried out in pain, "Second Grandfather, it's him! He's the one who raised the ghost that killed He Chao and Lu Xiangyang!"
Bai Xi Ming emerged from the crowd, staring at Chi Shen, "A life for a life. Chi Shen, you owe the He and Lu families an explanation."
Surrounded by the crowd, Chi Shen remained unruffled. He even chuckled, glancing up at Bai Ran on the second floor. "I forgot to mention, there's an old friend who wishes to see you and reminisce about old times."
A foul stench wafted in the air. On the outskirts of the garden stood a ghostly figure covered in tumors, gazing up at Bai Ran.
Chapter 045: Rewriting
Upon seeing the ghost, Bai Ran involuntarily took a step back and quickly said, "I don’t know him."
"Let me jog your memory then. That afternoon on the 13th, I was riding a shared bicycle towards the Bai residence," Chi Shen said, taking a step forward.
Bai Ran's pupils dilated in terror. He observed Chi Shen but found no trace of Bai Wan. Chi Shen seemed to have only brought this particular ghost. Gritting his teeth, Bai Ran turned and scrambled towards the door, shouting, "I don't know him!"
"Still can't recall?" Chi Shen pondered, "Let's try this. He—was the old lady."
Upon saying this, Chi Shen released the ghost.
The ghost turned to glance at Chi Shen, who gave him a reassuring wave, revealing a string in his hand and a warm smile.
Seeing that smile, the ghost felt as if he had seen a real specter and quickly crawled towards Bai Ran, reaching out to grab him.
Bai Ran's hand was already on the door handle. Sensing danger, he instinctively looked back. Seeing the approaching phantom, he reacted swiftly. He grabbed some cinnabar and talismans from the bag that Xu Xiu Yun prepared for him. Yet, when he sprinkled them on the ghost, they seemed ineffective.
"Impossible!" Bai Ran's eyes widened in panic. He tried to open the door, but the ghost was faster, grabbing his ankle and dragging him back.
Chi Shen casually remarked, "Do you remember now?"
A cold sensation seeped through his skin, and an intense chill spread throughout his body. His bones cracked under the ghost's grip. The ghost's claws pierced Bai Ran's calf, and blood started to soak his trousers—
"I remember!" Overwhelmed by the imminent threat of death, Bai Ran yelled, "It was the day the ghost pushed the old lady and collided with you!"
Chi Shen smiled and nodded, "Good that you remembered."
The one-armed ghost did not halt. The crimson blood on the trouser leg ignited a fiery gleam in his eyes, turning them a blazing red. Drawn by the scent of blood, he opened his broken jaw and bit down hard!
"Ahh!" Bai Ran's scream pierced the silence.
Chi Shen subtly twitched the fishing line in his hand. Just as the apparition was about to take another bite, it suddenly stopped, momentarily stunned. The next instant, its head slid to the ground.
The decapitated body still moved, its hands reaching as if trying to retrieve its fallen head. Chi Shen stepped forward, crushing the ghost's head underfoot and then stomping its body to pieces. The one-armed ghost dissipated into a black mist.
"Ran Ran!" The voice of Xu Xiu Yun echoed anxiously from outside, her tone a mix of tenderness and concern. "What happened?"
Xu Xiu Yun, concerned about Bai Ran and living nearby, had rushed over upon hearing his cry.
"Mom!" Bai Ran's voice was filled with desperation, "Don't come in! Chi Shen is here for revenge. Go get Second Grandpa!"
"Was it you who summoned this ghost that day?" Chi Shen inquired, ignoring Bai Ran's plea for help.
Bai Ran turned pale, feeling a deep chill throughout his body. Trembling, he responded, "It was me."
"So you're the main culprit behind the old lady's injury?" Chi Shen pressed.
"Yes... No! Not me!" Backed against the wall, Bai Ran's tone became increasingly hostile, "Do you think I tried to sabotage you on your way to Bai's house out of jealousy? No... it was our father's orders."
This revelation caught Chi Shen off guard, sparking his interest, "Oh?"
Laughing bitterly, Bai Ran retorted, "You came for this? And here I thought you sought revenge! How naïve! You know nothing of this place, our esteemed families, and their twisted traditions."
Looking at Chi Shen as if he were an innocent child, Bai Ran sneered, "Raised outside this world, how could you understand our rules?"
With an amused smile, Chi Shen urged, "Go on."
"You are of the Bai family's main lineage. In a family where blood ties reign supreme, you'd be the heir upon your return. Father wanted to test your character," Bai Ran smirked, "He wanted to see how you'd handle the aftermath of the accident."
Just then, a pale ghostly face appeared at the window. Having overheard Bai Ran, it remarked sarcastically, "So, he takes good care of the victim, compensates generously, and this doesn't pass your 'character test'? What kind of twisted logic is that?"
Seeing the ghostly face, Bai Ran laughed instead of showing fear.
Chi Shen, with a contemplative expression, mused, "I'm starting to think this 'character test' wasn't about measuring how good I am, but rather assessing if I fit into the Bai family's mold."
"Exactly!" Bai Ran laughed triumphantly, "Despite it being the victim's fault, you took responsibility, even sending them to the hospital. Someone as... naïve and ignorant of the world's wickedness as you is just a liability in the Bai family."
Tears of laughter threatened to spill from his eyes, but he continued to chuckle, "One day, you'll surely uncover the dirty secrets of our family, dream of saving the world like those from the Special Security Bureau, and betray the Bai family. The Bai family doesn't want someone like you. They want someone like me, selfish and self-interested, someone who ties their own interests with the family's, willing to sell their soul for gain."
"Keeping you away from the Bai family is for your own good," Bai Ran said, his voice softening towards the end. He looked intently at Chi Shen, "It's not to harm you."
Gui Lian's face was scrunched up in thought, "That makes sense. Would Chi Shen return to the Bai family? Such a family doesn't deserve him!"
"That seems logical," Chi Shen nodded in agreement.
Seeing Chi Shen nod, a look of delight appeared in Bai Ran's eyes.
"But why involve an innocent person?" Chi Shen lifted his eyelashes slightly, directing his gaze at Bai Ran.
It was only then that Bai Ran realized, after all his words, Chi Shen wasn't moved. His eyes remained calm, even observing Bai Ran as though he was another species. "You could've directly asked me or informed me. Even if you had set up a 'trash collection' task as a test upon my arrival, I wouldn't have minded. But why involve an unrelated old woman?"
"Honestly, I don't get it," Chi Shen spoke leisurely. "You seem to place yourselves above others, treating ordinary people as mere tools... I'm not interested in correcting that mindset. Today, I'm here for you to own up to your actions."
Bai Ran glanced at his bloody leg and quickly replied, "All this for that? You should be confronting Bai Xi Ming! It's not my concern!"
Chi Shen shook his head, inquiring, "Choosing that old lady, was it your decision or Bai Xi Ming's?"
Bai Ran's eyes wavered, seemingly wanting to say something.
However, Chi Shen interrupted him, "I believe Bai Xi Ming just wanted to test my character. How to test it was your call. The one who chose the old lady was you."
In the memories of the amputated ghost, Chi Shen saw everything. The old woman just happened to be waiting at the traffic light that day, inadvertently becoming Bai Ran's target.
"No, it was Bai Xi Ming's choice!" Bai Ran struggled vehemently. "Not me!"
Yet Chi Shen calmly stood up, "Now that we've clarified, as the executor of this act, you must pay the due price."
"Sorry for intruding so late. I think I need to find another responsible party for this matter." After politely finishing his words, Chi Shen turned and nimbly leaped out of the window.
Gui Lian followed suit. Before exiting the window, he cast one last glance at Bai Ran, whose wound from the ghost bite was rapidly darkening. Agonized screams filled the room.
Just as Chi Shen landed, before he could ascertain Bai Xi Ming's location, the garden lights blazed to life, and a crowd emerged from the mansion's main door, encircling him.
On the second floor, leaning by the window, Bai Ran cried out in pain, "Second Grandfather, it's him! He's the one who raised the ghost that killed He Chao and Lu Xiangyang!"
Bai Xi Ming emerged from the crowd, staring at Chi Shen, "A life for a life. Chi Shen, you owe the He and Lu families an explanation."
Surrounded by the crowd, Chi Shen remained unruffled. He even chuckled, glancing up at Bai Ran on the second floor. "I forgot to mention, there's an old friend who wishes to see you and reminisce about old times."
A foul stench wafted in the air. On the outskirts of the garden stood a ghostly figure covered in tumors, gazing up at Bai Ran.
