Chapter 093: Fast-forward to the Soul's Deliverance.
Another weekend rolled around.
In the morning, Chi Shen visited the flower market and returned with a bunch of brilliantly blooming chrysanthemums, which he was now planting on the balcony.
The sun loungers on the balcony were all set up, and so was the sunshade. The sun was quite pleasant today. He had laid on the lounger for a few minutes earlier, looking at the barren surroundings, feeling something was amiss.
Noticing the imperfections on his balcony, he immediately got up from the lounger to improve it.
Even though the autumn sun was gentle, Chi Shen still opened the sunshade. A few ghosts took up positions beneath it. The red-dressed female ghost was the first to claim a spot on the lounger. Everyone gathered around, eager to watch Chi Shen plant flowers.
Chi Shen felt a bit pressured.
"You can't plant them like that!" Gui Lian advised from under the sunshade, "One pot for each plant!"
Bai Wan, holding a tablet, referred to a planting tutorial and told Chi Shen, "It's better to trim the flowers; otherwise, they might die during transplantation."
Even Ji Xingchen, right behind Chi Shen, adjusted his glasses and commented, "I've grown cacti before. Planting like this will drown the flowers."
Holding a trowel in his hand, Chi Shen turned with a smile, "How about you all give it a try?"
Gui Lian quickly looked up at the top of the sunshade, "The weather's nice today, isn't it..."
Bai Wan remarked, "These chrysanthemums are truly beautiful. I've never seen such lovely ones before..."
Ji Xingchen sternly adjusted his glasses again, "One should handle their own affairs."
Chi Shen glanced at Ji Xingchen. Why did he feel that Ji Xingchen acted differently around him, as if he was special? This arrogance needed to be checked.
Holding the small trowel, Chi Shen took a step closer to Ji Xingchen.
Ji Xingchen looked somewhat puzzled, but he remained still.
Chi Shen reached out and removed Ji Xingchen's glasses.
Clearly not expecting this, Ji Xingchen only reacted once his glasses had been taken. He tried to protect them, but it was too late.
With the glasses off, Chi Shen gazed into Ji Xingchen's eyes. His tender and affectionate gaze seemed as if it could pierce one's soul.
The next moment, Ji Xingchen vanished on the spot, retreating into Chi Shen's shadow.
Chi Shen shook his head and wore Ji Xingchen's glasses on his own face. "He's so easily embarrassed. He fled just from a simple gaze. It's a pity he's a ghost, with a forever pale complexion, otherwise, I bet he'd be blushing all over, right?"
Without anyone directing him, Chi Shen happily planted a row of blooming chrysanthemums. Seeing the day grow late, he cheerfully had lunch and then headed out.
He held a pendant made from a dried ginkgo leaf encapsulated in resin.
Soon, he rode a shared bicycle to the residence of Du Jun's female classmate. Du Jun had mentioned they get a half-day off in their senior year, and she would probably be returning home around noon. Chi Shen waited for her outside her complex.
After a short wait at the entrance, Chi Shen spotted a girl with a backpack heading towards the gate. That must be the classmate Du Jun was so fond of.
"Hello, are you Yu Qianqian?" Chi Shen approached her.
The girl, deep in thought and startled by his approach, looked up to find Chi Shen. Perhaps sensing he meant no harm, she calmed down and inquired, "Yes? How can I help?"
Chi Shen smiled, presenting the ginkgo pendant, "Du Jun had this made for you. He wanted to send it to your address but never paid for it. Now, I understand why he couldn’t pick it up. I wanted to convey his sentiments, so I brought it here for you."
Yu Qianqian glanced at the pendant. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked back at Chi Shen, seemingly in disbelief.
"He said he wanted to attend the same university as you," the pendant gleamed in the sunlight as Chi Shen softly added, "Now, let this pendant accompany you instead."
Taking the pendant, Yu Qianqian reached for her purse, "How much is it? I’ll pay you."
"No need," Chi Shen replied with a smile, turning to leave, "Passing on the sentiment is enough."
"Wait!" Yu Qianqian looked up, but he had already vanished. She looked around, waiting at the entrance for a while longer. Only when her mother called her did she finally leave.
Chi Shen was already on his way back to the flower market. Planting flowers seemed addictive. After planting one row, the empty space on the other side seemed too bare. It felt uneasy not to buy more to fill it.
"Do you think she'll cherish it?" Chi Shen asked Ji Xingchen as they headed towards the flower market.
Ji Xingchen replied indifferently, "Life is long."
Chi Shen burst into laughter.
By the time he had finished planting flowers again, it was already dark. Chi Shen received a call from Yuan Yiping, who came to pick him up.
The haunted construction site case in the North District of Hong City had been closed. The mastermind was sentenced to prison, so the Special Security Bureau started arranging for the headless ghost's release. Given everyone's schedules, the release was set for tonight. To accommodate the ghost's movement, they chose the nighttime.
Chi Shen, along with Ji Xingchen and Gui Lian, descended the stairs. It was obvious why he brought Ji Xingchen. As for Gui Lian, it was mainly because of the significant combat capability she had shown at Bai Hengqing's house. To keep up appearances, he had to bring her along.
Yuan Yiping was waiting for him at the entrance of the community in his car. There were already two people in the car, Li Xu and Xu Jiayuan. Huang Lingling and the Floral Skirt Ghost were also present, but Li Xu obviously couldn't see them. Li Xu looked excitedly and expectantly at the blood-stained axe in the car.
Chi Shen had briefed Yuan Yiping and the others about Huang Lingling and the Floral Skirt Ghost. The other ghosts around Li Xu had long been persuaded to leave by him, making it seem like Li Xu had only brought two ghosts.
Yuan Yiping drove them to the suburban crime scene of the Hong City serial killings. He took the wheel mainly to protect Chi Shen and Li Xu, believing both to be in need of protection.
Yuan Yiping had visited the crime scene not long ago. Once Chi Shen got into the car, he deftly activated the navigation system and input the address.
Before Chi Shen could speak, Xu Jiayuan started the conversation, "Brother Li, I heard you develop games. Your game is based on the Hong City Lotus Murder Case, right? Interested in meeting the original culprits?"
Li Xu's eyes widened immediately, "Yes, of course! I want to interview them, see what they think of my game!"
Yuan Yiping tried to interject, "Don't..."
But it was too late. Xu Jiayuan had already pulled out an eye-opening talisman and pasted it onto Li Xu's forehead.
Heat surged through Li Xu's eyes, and he suddenly saw two additional figures beside him.
A little girl sat to his left, swinging her legs on the seat and curiously staring at him with her head propped up.
And then there was an emaciated, shriveled woman... clinging to his neck, her dry long hair dangling on his chest.
Li Xu screamed.
Yuan Yiping sighed in resignation, "I told you not to."
——
The scene of the Hong City serial killings.
A lavishly dressed woman parked an SUV by the roadside. In her high heels, she stepped out, opened the trunk, and dragged out two large black bags. As the bags landed heavily on the ground, one was torn open, releasing a pungent, foul odor.
The woman paid no heed and marched determinedly towards a dilapidated house, holding a bag tightly. A scarlet liquid seeped from a tear in the bag, dripping steadily onto the ground.
Her high heels sank into the soft mud, leaving behind a series of impressions. The red liquid then flowed into these holes, forming puddles that resembled pools of blood.
The woman carried two black plastic bags into the crumbling house and softly called out, "Sweetie, it's time to eat."
Her voice quivered slightly, but she tried to maintain her composure.
From within the shadowy confines of the house, Bai Ran, covered in blood, emerged from a door. Blood gushed from his neck, staining his entire body. The wound, a hole punctured when he tried to commit suicide with a toothbrush, was the source of the profuse bleeding.
He looked in distress, the unstoppable bleeding clearly irritating him. Upon seeing the black bags, he sniffed disdainfully and remarked, "Animal organs again?"
Xu XiuYin took a step back, her gaze fixed on him, "Those... resources, your father has taken control of them. I couldn’t get any. But I've brought you something else."
Saying so, Xu XiuYin pulled out some funerary items from her bag, items exuding a dark aura, and placed them carefully on the floor.
Bai Ran still appeared displeased. He angrily took a bite from the bloody organ, declaring, "There are no true evil gods here. It's all fake!"
A wooden statue of the God of Wealth lay discarded on the ground, its magic staff shattered.
"Ran Ran, be patient. There will be a treat for you tonight," Xu XiuYin comforted him.
Bai Ran licked his blood-tinted lips. His eyes had turned a menacing red. Smiling at Xu XiuYin, he said, "Yes, a fresh treat, not this trash."
Seeing the way Bai Ran looked at her, Xu XiuYin instinctively wanted to step back, but she steadied herself, forcing a smile, "Ran Ran, rest up. After tonight, I'll take you to the nearby village for a stroll. Once you've grown stronger, you'll be Mommy's most formidable treasure, irreplaceable by anyone."
Chapter 093: Fast-forward to the Soul's Deliverance.
Another weekend rolled around.
In the morning, Chi Shen visited the flower market and returned with a bunch of brilliantly blooming chrysanthemums, which he was now planting on the balcony.
The sun loungers on the balcony were all set up, and so was the sunshade. The sun was quite pleasant today. He had laid on the lounger for a few minutes earlier, looking at the barren surroundings, feeling something was amiss.
Noticing the imperfections on his balcony, he immediately got up from the lounger to improve it.
Even though the autumn sun was gentle, Chi Shen still opened the sunshade. A few ghosts took up positions beneath it. The red-dressed female ghost was the first to claim a spot on the lounger. Everyone gathered around, eager to watch Chi Shen plant flowers.
Chi Shen felt a bit pressured.
"You can't plant them like that!" Gui Lian advised from under the sunshade, "One pot for each plant!"
Bai Wan, holding a tablet, referred to a planting tutorial and told Chi Shen, "It's better to trim the flowers; otherwise, they might die during transplantation."
Even Ji Xingchen, right behind Chi Shen, adjusted his glasses and commented, "I've grown cacti before. Planting like this will drown the flowers."
Holding a trowel in his hand, Chi Shen turned with a smile, "How about you all give it a try?"
Gui Lian quickly looked up at the top of the sunshade, "The weather's nice today, isn't it..."
Bai Wan remarked, "These chrysanthemums are truly beautiful. I've never seen such lovely ones before..."
Ji Xingchen sternly adjusted his glasses again, "One should handle their own affairs."
Chi Shen glanced at Ji Xingchen. Why did he feel that Ji Xingchen acted differently around him, as if he was special? This arrogance needed to be checked.
Holding the small trowel, Chi Shen took a step closer to Ji Xingchen.
Ji Xingchen looked somewhat puzzled, but he remained still.
Chi Shen reached out and removed Ji Xingchen's glasses.
Clearly not expecting this, Ji Xingchen only reacted once his glasses had been taken. He tried to protect them, but it was too late.
With the glasses off, Chi Shen gazed into Ji Xingchen's eyes. His tender and affectionate gaze seemed as if it could pierce one's soul.
The next moment, Ji Xingchen vanished on the spot, retreating into Chi Shen's shadow.
Chi Shen shook his head and wore Ji Xingchen's glasses on his own face. "He's so easily embarrassed. He fled just from a simple gaze. It's a pity he's a ghost, with a forever pale complexion, otherwise, I bet he'd be blushing all over, right?"
Without anyone directing him, Chi Shen happily planted a row of blooming chrysanthemums. Seeing the day grow late, he cheerfully had lunch and then headed out.
He held a pendant made from a dried ginkgo leaf encapsulated in resin.
Soon, he rode a shared bicycle to the residence of Du Jun's female classmate. Du Jun had mentioned they get a half-day off in their senior year, and she would probably be returning home around noon. Chi Shen waited for her outside her complex.
After a short wait at the entrance, Chi Shen spotted a girl with a backpack heading towards the gate. That must be the classmate Du Jun was so fond of.
"Hello, are you Yu Qianqian?" Chi Shen approached her.
The girl, deep in thought and startled by his approach, looked up to find Chi Shen. Perhaps sensing he meant no harm, she calmed down and inquired, "Yes? How can I help?"
Chi Shen smiled, presenting the ginkgo pendant, "Du Jun had this made for you. He wanted to send it to your address but never paid for it. Now, I understand why he couldn’t pick it up. I wanted to convey his sentiments, so I brought it here for you."
Yu Qianqian glanced at the pendant. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked back at Chi Shen, seemingly in disbelief.
"He said he wanted to attend the same university as you," the pendant gleamed in the sunlight as Chi Shen softly added, "Now, let this pendant accompany you instead."
Taking the pendant, Yu Qianqian reached for her purse, "How much is it? I’ll pay you."
"No need," Chi Shen replied with a smile, turning to leave, "Passing on the sentiment is enough."
"Wait!" Yu Qianqian looked up, but he had already vanished. She looked around, waiting at the entrance for a while longer. Only when her mother called her did she finally leave.
Chi Shen was already on his way back to the flower market. Planting flowers seemed addictive. After planting one row, the empty space on the other side seemed too bare. It felt uneasy not to buy more to fill it.
"Do you think she'll cherish it?" Chi Shen asked Ji Xingchen as they headed towards the flower market.
Ji Xingchen replied indifferently, "Life is long."
Chi Shen burst into laughter.
By the time he had finished planting flowers again, it was already dark. Chi Shen received a call from Yuan Yiping, who came to pick him up.
The haunted construction site case in the North District of Hong City had been closed. The mastermind was sentenced to prison, so the Special Security Bureau started arranging for the headless ghost's release. Given everyone's schedules, the release was set for tonight. To accommodate the ghost's movement, they chose the nighttime.
Chi Shen, along with Ji Xingchen and Gui Lian, descended the stairs. It was obvious why he brought Ji Xingchen. As for Gui Lian, it was mainly because of the significant combat capability she had shown at Bai Hengqing's house. To keep up appearances, he had to bring her along.
Yuan Yiping was waiting for him at the entrance of the community in his car. There were already two people in the car, Li Xu and Xu Jiayuan. Huang Lingling and the Floral Skirt Ghost were also present, but Li Xu obviously couldn't see them. Li Xu looked excitedly and expectantly at the blood-stained axe in the car.
Chi Shen had briefed Yuan Yiping and the others about Huang Lingling and the Floral Skirt Ghost. The other ghosts around Li Xu had long been persuaded to leave by him, making it seem like Li Xu had only brought two ghosts.
Yuan Yiping drove them to the suburban crime scene of the Hong City serial killings. He took the wheel mainly to protect Chi Shen and Li Xu, believing both to be in need of protection.
Yuan Yiping had visited the crime scene not long ago. Once Chi Shen got into the car, he deftly activated the navigation system and input the address.
Before Chi Shen could speak, Xu Jiayuan started the conversation, "Brother Li, I heard you develop games. Your game is based on the Hong City Lotus Murder Case, right? Interested in meeting the original culprits?"
Li Xu's eyes widened immediately, "Yes, of course! I want to interview them, see what they think of my game!"
Yuan Yiping tried to interject, "Don't..."
But it was too late. Xu Jiayuan had already pulled out an eye-opening talisman and pasted it onto Li Xu's forehead.
Heat surged through Li Xu's eyes, and he suddenly saw two additional figures beside him.
A little girl sat to his left, swinging her legs on the seat and curiously staring at him with her head propped up.
And then there was an emaciated, shriveled woman... clinging to his neck, her dry long hair dangling on his chest.
Li Xu screamed.
Yuan Yiping sighed in resignation, "I told you not to."
——
The scene of the Hong City serial killings.
A lavishly dressed woman parked an SUV by the roadside. In her high heels, she stepped out, opened the trunk, and dragged out two large black bags. As the bags landed heavily on the ground, one was torn open, releasing a pungent, foul odor.
The woman paid no heed and marched determinedly towards a dilapidated house, holding a bag tightly. A scarlet liquid seeped from a tear in the bag, dripping steadily onto the ground.
Her high heels sank into the soft mud, leaving behind a series of impressions. The red liquid then flowed into these holes, forming puddles that resembled pools of blood.
The woman carried two black plastic bags into the crumbling house and softly called out, "Sweetie, it's time to eat."
Her voice quivered slightly, but she tried to maintain her composure.
From within the shadowy confines of the house, Bai Ran, covered in blood, emerged from a door. Blood gushed from his neck, staining his entire body. The wound, a hole punctured when he tried to commit suicide with a toothbrush, was the source of the profuse bleeding.
He looked in distress, the unstoppable bleeding clearly irritating him. Upon seeing the black bags, he sniffed disdainfully and remarked, "Animal organs again?"
Xu XiuYin took a step back, her gaze fixed on him, "Those... resources, your father has taken control of them. I couldn’t get any. But I've brought you something else."
Saying so, Xu XiuYin pulled out some funerary items from her bag, items exuding a dark aura, and placed them carefully on the floor.
Bai Ran still appeared displeased. He angrily took a bite from the bloody organ, declaring, "There are no true evil gods here. It's all fake!"
A wooden statue of the God of Wealth lay discarded on the ground, its magic staff shattered.
"Ran Ran, be patient. There will be a treat for you tonight," Xu XiuYin comforted him.
Bai Ran licked his blood-tinted lips. His eyes had turned a menacing red. Smiling at Xu XiuYin, he said, "Yes, a fresh treat, not this trash."
Seeing the way Bai Ran looked at her, Xu XiuYin instinctively wanted to step back, but she steadied herself, forcing a smile, "Ran Ran, rest up. After tonight, I'll take you to the nearby village for a stroll. Once you've grown stronger, you'll be Mommy's most formidable treasure, irreplaceable by anyone."
