I Am Not a Master - Chapter 56

The elevator incident finally came to an end. The hotel staff, from beginning to end, had no idea what had actually happened. To them, the elevator malfunction had occurred suddenly and resolved itself just as inexplicably. Only a handful of people who had overheard bits of the truth were left utterly terrified, too scared to utter a single word about what they had learned. When others asked, they would shake their heads vigorously, claiming they knew nothing. “Don’t ask us,” they’d say. “We’re victims too.”

Could they possibly go around talking about monsters eating other monsters? Did they have a death wish?

The hotel, for its part, couldn’t find any logical explanation for the incident. Handling their own employees was relatively simple-some extra compensation and a few comforting words would suffice. But dealing with Shao Yizhou was a whole different story.

Shao Yizhou’s manager was infamous for being tough as nails. Now, with their team having gone through an ordeal that nearly cost them their lives, how could this matter be brushed aside? Even if it hadn’t been Shao Yizhou but an ordinary guest, there was no way this could be settled casually.

In the end, several key hotel managers gathered outside Shao Yizhou’s room, their attitudes humble and apologetic. They earnestly sought forgiveness from Shao Yizhou and his team, admitting that the incident was indeed the hotel’s fault. They promised to improve their procedures and offered appropriate compensation.

To their surprise, the manager, who was rumored to be notoriously difficult, didn’t lash out at them. Instead, he sympathetically patted one of them on the shoulder and said, “I understand. No one wanted this to happen. But I do hope you’ll come up with an emergency response plan soon. If something like this happens again, will you be able to carry out a rescue operation as quickly as possible?”

The hotel managers were at a loss. The elevator’s erratic behavior had been completely beyond their expectations. And then there was the power outage that left the entire hotel in darkness-except for the elevator, which continued its wild up-and-down frenzy. How could anyone explain an elevator functioning without electricity? It was like something out of a ghost story.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry,” one of the managers assured him. “We’ll definitely handle this properly. After this experience, if anything similar happens again, we’ll make sure to rescue our guests immediately.”

After some back-and-forth discussion, the matter was more or less resolved. Shao Yizhou’s agency even issued a statement, praising the hotel’s emergency measures and mentioning that Shao Yizhou had been helped by some kind-hearted individuals. The statement reassured fans that he was now safe and sound, urging them not to worry.

The statement left the hotel staff deeply moved and immensely grateful. They hadn’t expected Shao Yizhou’s team to be so reasonable, contrary to the harsh reputation they’d heard about. Despite such a major incident, they hadn’t caused trouble for the hotel and had even helped explain the situation to the public. Such magnanimity was truly extraordinary. What a decent person, they thought.

The manager, however, didn’t expect to be handed a proverbial “good guy card.” If he hadn’t seen Zhuang with his own eyes, if he hadn’t witnessed those lustful ghosts fighting over Shao Yizhou and nearly tearing the hotel apart, he would have certainly had a serious talk with the hotel. He would’ve sued them until they were crying for mercy and blacklisted the place, ensuring they’d never stay there again.

But knowing the truth-one of those rare truths that only a select few were privy to-changed everything. In this case, the hotel, like them, was just another victim.

Who could they blame? Zhuang, for being blinded by lust? Or Shao Yizhou, for being too good-looking?

The manager wiped his face with a hand. Forget it. He decided he’d better go find seventeen or eighteen amulets for peace and hang them all around his neck.

The hotel’s official statement was released shortly afterward. It first detailed the sequence of events leading to the accident, then expressed sincere apologies for the harm caused to Mr. Shao Yizhou during the incident. The hotel also thanked Shao Yizhou for his understanding and magnanimity, promising to take greater care in the future to ensure such mistakes would not happen again.

Both the statement from Shao Yizhou’s team and the hotel’s response were measured and conciliatory, avoiding any direct blame. On the surface, it seemed like a harmonious resolution.

However, this very approach ignited an uproar among netizens, particularly Shao Yizhou’s fans. They couldn’t accept that the matter was simply brushed aside. To them, it was clearly the hotel’s fault, and reconciliation was out of the question.

Fans began to lash out at Shao Yizhou’s management team, accusing them of negligence. “How could they let this slide when Yizhou suffered the most? The hotel was completely incompetent-they took half an hour to rescue him, and then there was a massive power outage. Fans waiting outside the hotel were injured in the chaos, even if it wasn’t serious. How can this just be forgiven?”

“What is the manager even doing? Yizhou was nearly killed because of them, and now they’re just letting it go? Forgiveness? If it were me, I wouldn’t forgive them!”

“Exactly! I wouldn’t let it go either. This was a huge incident. I heard Yizhou was stuck on the thirty-something floor for over half an hour. I was terrified the elevator might suddenly plummet! But if the management team made this decision, there must be a reason behind it.”

“What reason could there possibly be? Are they seriously claiming it was ghosts and there’s no one to hold accountable? That’s just ridiculous.”

“Scoff. If Yizhou were smart, he’d switch to a new management team immediately. His life was at risk, and they still managed to reconcile. And he’s even staying at the hotel overnight? That’s some nerve.”

“Alright, everyone, calm down. Yizhou’s safe now, and that’s the most important thing. Let him rest instead of dragging him into more chaos.”

“My friend told me the hotel might actually be haunted. Apparently, the rescue team and the staff from the logistics department looked completely shaken after being trapped in the elevator. Their faces were pale, and they seemed unwilling to talk about what happened. Do you think they know something?”

“Am I the only one curious about who the kind-hearted person was that saved Yizhou?”

The online frenzy showed no signs of dying down, with speculation about the incident running wild. The discussion was relentless, and theories about what had happened multiplied by the hour.

Meanwhile, Shao Yizhou had no energy to concern himself with the online chaos. Ever since he was rescued, he had become Master Gu’s shadow, following her everywhere like an attachment to her leg. If he strayed more than three steps away, he’d break out in a cold sweat, overcome by a gnawing fear that someone-or something-was still lurking nearby, coveting his beauty.

He even contemplated setting up a makeshift bed outside Master Gu’s door at night. That way, if anything happened again, he could rush to her for help immediately. And it wasn’t just Shao Yizhou who felt this way-his manager was also tempted. Though Master Gu had an eerie and intimidating presence, her abilities were undeniable. She was their savior, after all. Anyone capable of capturing that formidable King couldn’t possibly be an ordinary person. Who wouldn’t want to cling to the coattails of such a powerful figure?

Master Gu had developed the habit of keeping Zhuang close by, holding onto him wherever she went. Despite Zhuang’s current state-missing an arm and tightly bound-his appearance still managed to be unnervingly intimidating.

Shao Yizhou remained highly wary of Zhuang. He leaned in close to Master Gu and whispered, “Master, are you really planning to visit his burial site with him?”

Gu Feiyin nodded without hesitation. This was a rare opportunity, practically heaven-sent. How could she let it slip away?

“But aren’t you worried he might try something?” Shao Yizhou pressed on. “What if he deliberately leads you into a dangerous place to harm you? Sure, you’re great at dealing with ghosts, but you’re still human. You can’t leap across rooftops like those spirits. If something does go wrong, it could be a real mess!”

Gu Feiyin considered his words. Zhuang was indeed cunning and might try to lead her astray. But it didn’t matter-no matter how much he schemed, he wouldn’t be able to escape her grasp. Besides, Zhuang likely had a considerable stash of wealth, and she couldn’t carry it all by herself. That was a problem worth solving.

“Don’t worry,” she said calmly. “Zhuang can’t hurt me.”

Shao Yizhou pouted, realizing that Master Gu had already made up her mind. He knew better than to argue further.

After hesitating for what felt like an eternity, he finally stammered, “Then… can I set up a sleeping mat outside your room?”

Gu Feiyin raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“I… I’m scared,” Shao Yizhou admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t dare sleep alone…”

Before Gu Feiyin could respond, his manager suddenly chimed in, “Me too! Can I join?”

Shao Yizhou shot his manager a look, who responded with a sheepish grin. “Heh heh.”

Shao Yizhou: “…”

The Red-Dressed Ghost: “…”

The female fan: “…”

Gu Feiyin: “…”

She didn’t mind, though. Sleep was sleep, no matter where it happened.

Shao Yizhou and his manager wasted no time hauling their belongings over and setting up makeshift beds outside Master Gu’s door. After the harrowing events of the evening, neither of them could fall asleep right away. It felt as though they were seeing the world through entirely new eyes.

The manager broke the silence. “When you went missing on Dalong Mountain, was it Zhuang who kidnapped you?”

That incident had been classified as top secret. Everyone who had entered the mountain villa had signed confidentiality agreements, forbidding them from discussing it with anyone-not even their own parents. Naturally, the manager, who hadn’t been involved, was in the dark. But given everything that had happened tonight, secrecy seemed irrelevant now.

Shao Yizhou nodded. “Yeah. At the time, Zhuang had already been captured. I don’t know how, but he managed to escape.”

The manager looked dazed, letting out a long sigh.

He marveled at the fact that ghosts truly existed-and not just any ghosts, but ones driven by lust and infatuation. He also couldn’t help but reflect on his own situation: a man in his thirties, camping out on the floor outside someone else’s room.

Life truly was unpredictable.

Unable to sleep, they chatted for a while. Hunger eventually set in, prompting them to order some late-night delivery. Soon enough, they were enjoying a midnight snack.

They had opted for barbecue and even ordered a couple of beers to wash it down.

Gu Feiyin could never resist the allure of barbecue. The moment the aroma wafted through the air, she climbed out of bed without hesitation. After all, even though she had snacked on an arm earlier, it wasn’t exactly filling. And with such a tantalizing smell, how could she not be tempted? Her mouth was practically watering.

It had been ages since she last indulged in barbecue. With plenty of fish and meat at home, she rarely had the excuse to splurge on something like this. But tonight? Tonight was different.

Shao Yizhou, as expected, was living up to his reputation of being loaded. While Gu Feiyin would usually settle for just a few skewers to satisfy her craving, Shao Yizhou went all out, ordering enough to feed a small army. Not only was he eating to his heart’s content, but he was also making sure to fill up.

Potato slices, lotus root, and chives? Three or four skewers of each. Beef, pork belly, lamb, chicken wings, duck feet, duck tongues, squid? Not a single one left out. On top of that, he added two servings of spicy crawfish and two roasted eggplants.

Gu Feiyin had tried crawfish before, but roasted eggplant? That was a first. The eggplant, grilled over charcoal, was soft and tender, its surface coated with a special blend of seasonings. Minced garlic, stir-fried in oil, mixed with a few spoonfuls of Pixian bean paste, diced red and green chilies, and a pinch of salt. The mixture was spread generously over the split eggplant and grilled to perfection. The final touch? A sprinkle of chopped scallions and cumin powder. It smelled heavenly and looked just as appetizing.

One bite, and the flavors exploded in her mouth. The sauce clung to the eggplant, rich and savory. It was so delicious it could bring tears to your eyes.

She devoured an entire roasted eggplant in one go, then moved on to chicken wings, duck tongues, beef, and pork belly. Oil dripped from her lips as she ate, her joy evident with every bite. She couldn’t help but feel that this trip had been worth it after all.

But still, fifteen yuan for a single eggplant? That was outrageous. She could buy several whole eggplants for that price. When she got back home, she decided she’d make it herself. Sure, being blind made things a bit tricky, but with Jumpy and the Old Lady around, they’d gotten pretty good at handling these tasks. As long as she had all the right seasonings, her homemade version should be just as tasty. Though, it might end up using a bit more natural gas.

…

The next morning, Gu Feiyin stepped over the two “little ones” sleeping at her door and headed to the hotel’s fifth floor for the breakfast buffet.

The two had stayed up late, and by the time they finally fell asleep, dawn was already breaking. Now, they were out cold, snoring loudly, sprawled out in all directions. Not even the sound of Master Gu getting up and leaving could rouse them.

She brought Zhuang along with her, of course, and the Red-Dressed Ghost trailed behind. Given her current poor vision, she still needed someone to guide her.

At the buffet, Gu Feiyin helped herself to a bowl of century egg and lean pork congee, some vegetables, and fresh fruit, along with a steaming cup of milk.

The congee was exceptional. Cooked to just the right consistency, it was fragrant and thick, perfect when paired with cold cucumber salad and stir-fried cauliflower. It was so satisfying that she could easily down three bowls in one sitting.

She was happily enjoying her meal when someone suddenly plopped down in the seat next to her.

Gu Feiyin turned her head slightly to glance at the newcomer.

The man had only seen her back when he approached. From her simple attire, he immediately assumed she was poor. Her cotton coat and shoes looked like they cost no more than a few dozen yuan. He didn’t even want to spare her a second glance.

But now, as the Long-haired Woman turned to face him, her pitch-black, unfocused eyes swept over him. He felt a chill run down his spine, his back breaking out in cold sweat. Still, his arrogance wouldn’t allow him to show fear in front of a woman. Scoffing, he muttered to himself while eating, “Some people, huh? No idea what tricks they pulled to get into a place like this. And now, what? Trying to pull another stunt?”

Gu Feiyin glanced at him and took a bite of cucumber.

“Heh, why are you staring at me? Staring without speaking-are you mute?”

The man had barely finished his sentence when the Long-haired Woman stretched her neck, curled her lips into a faint, eerie smile that somehow still looked oddly sincere, and said, “It seems like you’re sitting on someone.”

The man froze. “…?!”

He looked left and right in confusion. There was no one else around, and certainly no one on his chair. How could there be?

A chill crept up his spine as he stammered, “…What nonsense are you spouting? There’s no one here! Don’t think you can pull some cheap trick to get my attention!”

“But there is,” she replied calmly. “You’re sitting on her.”

“…”

“She says her name is Fang Shuyu. An old acquaintance of yours.” The Long-haired Woman’s lips moved as she spoke, her words sending a shiver down his spine. Her cold, piercing gaze made his skin crawl. “Do you know her?”

Of course, he knew Fang Shuyu. But the Fang Shuyu he knew had been dead for years. He had even watched her cremation, seen her reduced to a pile of ashes. How could he possibly be sitting on her? Could it be that she had been following him all these years?

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and his hands trembled, nearly knocking over his bowl. His eyes widened in anger as he barked, “Who are you? Why are you saying such things to scare me? I don’t know any Fang Shuyu! What are you trying to pull? Extortion? Let me tell you, I don’t have money, and even if I did, I wouldn’t give a cent to a fraud like you!”

The Red-Dressed Ghost let out a derisive snort. “This guy’s got some nerve. Turning the tables so smoothly-makes you wonder how many people he’s wronged before.”

Gu Feiyin nodded in agreement. “You’re absolutely right.”

Zhuang rolled his eyes, only to receive a smack on the back of his head from the Red-Dressed Ghost. He crouched on the ground, looking pitiful and not daring to protest. That’s right-his lowly status meant he didn’t even have a chair to sit on. Squatting on the floor was all he could manage.

The man watched as the Long-haired Woman turned to the empty space beside her and said, “You’re absolutely right.” Then, she shifted her gaze back to him, her voice chilling as she added, “She says you don’t recognize her and that I’m a fraud.”

“…?!”

What was that supposed to mean? Who was she talking to?

A cold sweat broke out on his back, and an ominous feeling began to creep over him.

No, this Long-haired Woman was too strange. He had to get out of here. He stood abruptly, tossing his chopsticks aside, and turned to leave without a second thought. But after taking just two steps, he felt something tighten around his neck. His breathing grew labored, and his face turned a deep shade of purple. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to take another step, but his vision blurred, and he collapsed to the ground.

His fall caused an uproar among the onlookers. “Oh no! Someone’s passed out!”

Hotel staff rushed over. One of them dialed for an ambulance while another crouched beside the man, asking urgently, “Sir? Sir, can you hear me? Are you feeling unwell?”

The man’s face was flushed red, and his hands clawed at his neck as though trying to remove something. But apart from a thick gold chain, there was nothing there. The staff removed the necklace, but it didn’t seem to help. He continued to struggle, his pain evident.

“Ahhh!”

A woman in the crowd suddenly screamed, her face pale with terror. Trembling, she stammered, “L-look at his neck! Are those… finger marks?”

“Where? …Holy crap, there really are! Did someone strangle him?”

The crowd stared intently, and sure enough, there were several dark finger marks on the man’s neck. The marks looked ominous, as if they carried some kind of malevolent presence.

“This doesn’t make sense,” said the person who had helped remove the necklace, their voice trembling with unease. “There weren’t any marks there before. How could they suddenly appear?”

Moreover, the marks didn’t look like they were self-inflicted. If the man hadn’t made them himself, then who-or what-had? Thinking back to the strange occurrences at the hotel the previous night, a chill ran through their hearts. Could it really be something… unclean?

Someone muttered nervously, “Could it be a ghost? Maybe those marks were made by a ghost. How else can you explain it?”

“No, that’s impossible. Ghosts don’t exist! We should just get him to the hospital. He looks like he’s suffocating!”

The man, however, was truly terrified now. He could distinctly feel a pair of hands gripping his throat. Those hands were icy cold, rigid, like the hands of a corpse. Panic surged through him, and his fear reached a fever pitch.

Suddenly, he remembered the Long-haired Woman who had spoken to him earlier. She must have seen something. She had to have seen something!

Summoning strength from who-knows-where, the man shoved the people in front of him aside and crawled forward desperately. The crowd parted, forming a path, and he saw her-the Long-haired Woman sitting at the table. She sat there, high and aloof, her pitch-black eyes fixed on him with an eerie emptiness. Her cold demeanor suddenly carried an air of arrogant disdain, as if she were looking down on him from a throne.

“Help me… please, help me!” he gasped, struggling to breathe, tears streaming down his face. His once-proud visage, with its expensive outfit worth tens of thousands, was now reduced to a pitiful mess. He was groveling, utterly humiliated. “I’ll give you anything you want, just save me!”

Gu Feiyin couldn’t quite make out what was happening to the man, but his voice alone made it clear that things weren’t looking good. The Red-Dressed Ghost scoffed from the side, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Weren’t you just acting all righteous, accusing us of being crazy? And now you’re begging for mercy? Own up to what you’ve done. Typical scum-won’t shed a tear until they see the coffin.”

The man had crawled all the way to Gu Feiyin’s feet, his forehead veins bulging and his eyes wide with desperation. He gasped out, “Help me… please… save me… save me!”

He looked up at her, only to see the Long-haired Woman staring down at him with a sinister glint in her eyes. Her voice was cold and unkind as she said, “I can’t save you. You should be begging Fang Shuyu to let you go.”

The crowd exchanged puzzled glances, looking from the sobbing man on the floor to the eerie Long-haired Woman. None of them could make sense of what was happening. Shouldn’t they be calling for a doctor instead?

“What’s going on? That Long-haired Woman is so creepy.”

“Yeah, why is he begging her for help?”

“…”

The man, however, felt nothing but despair. Beg Fang Shuyu to let him go? But would Fang Shuyu ever forgive him?

He vividly remembered that night-it was pouring rain, the kind that drenched everything in sight. He had been out late, dining with a few business partners, and had indulged in a few too many drinks. By the time he got behind the wheel to drive home, he was groggy, teetering on the edge of sleep. Then came the deafening crash, jolting him awake. It was only then that he realized he had hit someone-a pedestrian crossing the street had been thrown into the air by the impact.

The hour was late, the streets were nearly deserted, and the rain blurred his vision, making it impossible to see clearly. Panic surged through him, cold sweat breaking out on his skin. He didn’t dare to look, let alone step out of the car. Instead, he slammed on the gas and fled the scene, speeding home as fast as he could.

The next day, the police came knocking, ready to hold him accountable.

But it wasn’t him who ended up in jail-it was his driver. He had paid the man a million yuan to take the fall.

How could he go to prison? It had been an accident, an unintended mistake. If he were locked up, what would happen to his company? His business deals? He couldn’t afford to lose everything. After weighing his options, he called his driver and asked him to take the blame. The man’s family was struggling financially, and with a million yuan, he could buy a nice house in his hometown. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement, or so he convinced himself.

Years had passed since then-long enough for him to almost forget the incident. He hadn’t breathed a word of it to anyone, not even his wife. But now, out of nowhere, a stranger-a Long-haired Woman-had brought it up.

The grip around his neck tightened, suffocating him without delivering the final blow. The sheer absurdity of the situation made it clear that this was no ordinary occurrence.

Just as despair consumed him, a hazy figure materialized before his eyes. It was a frail woman, her entire body soaked-not with water, but with blood. It dripped from her hair and clothes, falling onto his face in rhythmic droplets. Her face was marred by a massive, gaping wound, and half of her body was grotesquely mangled, flattened from the crushing force of impact. Her eyes, lifeless and gray, burned with an unrelenting fury-a murderous intent that chilled him to the bone.

-Fang Shuyu. It had to be her.

The man’s composure shattered completely. He wet himself in terror, trembling uncontrollably as he stammered, “It wasn’t me-it wasn’t me! Please, I beg you, let me go!”

The ghost’s expression darkened, and the blood pouring from her body intensified, pooling on the ground beneath her. “You hit me. Why didn’t you stop? Why didn’t you check on me? I wasn’t dead yet-I could’ve been saved! Why didn’t you save me? Why? My daughter… she was only fifteen. I couldn’t bear to leave her. I couldn’t bear it…”

“You deserve to die. You deserve to die! I’ll kill you!”

“No-don’t kill me!” The man’s voice cracked as he shook like a leaf. “The person who killed you is already in prison! You should go after him for revenge-go after him!”

The ghost leaned closer, her bloodshot eyes boring into his soul, as though she wanted to devour him whole. “It was you. You killed me. It was you…”

“I saw it-I saw it with my own eyes. It was you!”

“No-no!”

Suddenly, chaos erupted in the crowd. Someone screamed as the restaurant’s bright lights flickered erratically before plunging the room into darkness with a sharp click.

The dining area was swallowed by pitch blackness. Amid the confusion, someone tripped and fell to the floor. Their hands landed on something sticky and wet. Panicked, they grabbed their phone and turned on the flashlight, only to discover their hands were smeared with blood.

Their face turned pale with horror. Had someone been hurt-or was it something else entirely?

As everyone stood in a state of bewilderment, a voice drifted through the darkness, haunting and ethereal: “It was you, you killed me, it was you…”

“You killed me, it was you…”

“It was you…”

The voice seemed to float from the horizon, yet whispered intimately in their ears. The dim atmosphere in the restaurant felt like a chilling breeze, sending shivers down their spines and leaving them in a state of panic.

The flashlight from a phone illuminated the restaurant, revealing faces filled with fear and confusion.

“What’s going on? Who’s speaking?”

“I don’t know, I’m so scared. We need to get out of here!”

“Damn it, this hotel is creepy.”

Drip, drip, drip, drip.

It seemed like droplets were falling from the ceiling. Someone reached out to catch one, only to find it was blood, causing his legs to give way as he collapsed to the floor.

“Be careful.”

A woman’s eerie voice came from behind. The man turned around to see a ghostly woman with long hair hanging down, staring at him with a sinister grin, her lips parted to reveal crooked teeth. “Get up, the blood is spreading.”

“Don’t be afraid, she’s reasonable. She only seeks revenge on her enemies.”

“…………”

The man’s teeth chattered as he looked down to see a pool of blood reaching his feet…

Unable to bear it any longer, he closed his eyes and fainted.

…

The man, realizing no one was paying attention to him, was terrified by the ghostly chaos before him. He could no longer care about his company or his money, pleading desperately, “I was wrong! It was me, I hit you with my car, but I didn’t mean to, it was an accident. I regret it, I’ve always regretted it, please forgive me.”

“I shouldn’t have left you there, I shouldn’t have fled the scene, and I shouldn’t have had someone take the blame. I was wrong! I’ll make sure your daughter is taken care of… I’ll send money to her, I can even turn myself in to the police, I’ll go to the police!”

“…Please, let me go, I’ll turn myself in right away!”

The people around were stunned by this sudden confession. They couldn’t see Fang Shuyu, the ghost, only the chubby man groveling on the ground, incoherent, confessing to hit-and-run and framing someone else!

“Damn, this guy is awful, he looks decent but he’s a hit-and-run driver!”

“Maybe he’s mentally ill now, the stress from the accident made him paranoid, thinking the person he killed is coming back for revenge, maybe he’s delusional?”

“Even if he’s delusional, he deserves it. If he hadn’t done wrong, he wouldn’t be in this mess!”

“Quick, call the police, this guy needs to be arrested!”

Well, now he not only needs to be sent to the hospital but also to the police station. Concerned onlookers had already called the police.

…

When Shao Yizhou and his agent came down for breakfast, they saw the police taking a man away. People were still talking about it, saying the man was involved in a hit-and-run and had just confessed his crimes in front of everyone. Strangely enough, though he had been so ill he could barely breathe, after confessing, he seemed to gradually recover, for reasons unknown.

Shao Yizhou grabbed some fruit, added a bit of salad, and carried a glass of milk over to sit beside Master Gu, who was nearly finished with her breakfast. As he approached, she remarked, “There’s a ghost here.”

Shao Yizhou: “…”

The agent trailing behind Shao Yizhou: “…”

They shifted to another seat, but Gu Feiyin said, “There’s one here too.”

Shao Yizhou: “…”

Agent: “…”

Oh.

The two simply changed direction and sat elsewhere, glancing at the empty seats before them. They shivered slightly, thinking to themselves how impressive it was that they could now dine alongside ghosts. = =

Shao Yizhou popped a cherry tomato into his mouth and asked, “Master Gu, what happened earlier?”

Gu Feiyin replied, “Just a little incident where a kid who committed a hit-and-run was confronted by the child he killed, seeking justice.”

Shao Yizhou: “…” He regretted asking.

Agent: “…” So the first seat was occupied by the Red-Dressed Ghost, and the second was taken by the child seeking justice? Zhuang didn’t have any status, so he wasn’t even considered for a seat at the table.

Fang Shuyu no longer appeared as terrifying as before, though she was still drenched and dripping water everywhere. She awkwardly wiped the blood from her face and said, “I’m sorry for interrupting your meal.”

Gu Feiyin waved her hand dismissively, indicating that such a minor issue couldn’t possibly disturb her meal. Even if the sky were to fall, it wouldn’t disrupt her dining.

The Red-Dressed Ghost asked, “Have you been following him all these years?”

Fang Shuyu nodded, confirming it. All these years, she had been trailing her enemy, hoping to scare him into confessing to the police and seeking revenge for herself. Unfortunately, she hadn’t succeeded until today, thanks to Miss Long Hair’s help in scattering his soul, which gave her the opportunity she needed. Her obsession was half fulfilled.

As for the other half, she certainly wouldn’t miss such a good chance, nor would she let that man off easily. She planned to give him a proper welcome at the police station.

Fang Shuyu didn’t linger long. After expressing her gratitude, she headed to the police station, where more important matters awaited her. People say that admitting one’s mistakes and correcting them is good, but shouldn’t the opportunity to correct one’s wrongs be given to the criminal by her?

She hadn’t forgiven him, so why should anyone else give him the chance to amend his ways?

…

After breakfast, Gu Feiyin was ready to bid farewell to Shao Yizhou. Despite his attempts to persuade her to stay, she insisted she had more important matters to attend to.

“What matters, Master? I’m scared; I can’t sleep without you around!”

“I’m going to inherit a legacy. I’ll be back soon. Goodbye.”

“…”

Shao Yizhou tearfully saw Master Gu off, internally grumbling and cursing Zhuang once more. What was the point of having so much money? It had even managed to lure Master Gu away!

Of course, Gu Feiyin didn’t make this trip in vain. She received a hefty red envelope of 99,999 yuan, though she donated most of it, leaving herself with just 10,000 yuan. Before heading into the mountains, she used the money to buy over a dozen oversized nylon bags-big enough to hold a fortune, and perfect for her needs.

Back in the day, Zhuang had so much money that he literally threw it around for fun. The stash in his hideout must be substantial, though Gu Feiyin wondered if she’d underestimated and should’ve bought more bags. No matter-if the bags weren’t enough, she could always make multiple trips.

She had sold Zhuang off cheaply before, not realizing he was the same guy who had thrown money around at his wedding. When she learned the truth later, she felt cheated. She should’ve taken over everything in his hideout before selling him off-that would’ve been a fair deal.

In the end, Zhuang tried to escape but was caught by her again. It seemed fate had favored her after all.

Gu Feiyin had prepared thoroughly for this inheritance mission. But just as she returned to City A, Zhang Daoist called her. “Master Gu, I heard you caught Zhuang! Is it true? Are you hurt? Where are you now? I’ll come over right away!”

Gu Feiyin quickly replied, “Wait a moment, Xiao Zhang!”

Xiao Zhang: “…??”

Gu Feiyin said earnestly, “I won’t sell Zhuang off just yet. Let me find his stash first. Once he’s no longer useful, I’ll sell him to you. How does that sound? Heh heh.”

Xiao Zhang: “…!!”

What? Is that even possible? What kind of genius move is this?

Zhang Daoist was stunned. “Master Gu, are you heading to Zhuang’s hideout?”

Gu Feiyin answered, “Of course. Once he’s dead, the stuff in his stash will be useless anyway. Why let it go to waste?”

Zhuang, overhearing: …He’s not dead yet! Can we be a little more considerate with our words? 🙁

Zhang Daoist wiped his face, concerned. “Master Gu, Zhuang is extremely cunning. Don’t let him fool you. Are you going alone?”

“Yep, just me and a bunch of ghosts.”

“…”

…

Gu Feiyin was determined to raid Zhuang’s hideout, but she couldn’t do it alone. There was too much to carry, so she planned to bring along a team of ghosts. Neighbor Miss and Old Lady volunteered to join her. The Headless Ghost and Armless Ghost were also willing to tag along. The Middle-aged Female Ghost couldn’t make it since she had to stay home with her son, which worked out fine-she could house-sit. The Red-Dressed Ghost hadn’t had time to torment her scumbag ex recently, but she figured she could catch up on that later and decided to join the raid.

Additionally, Gu Feiyin recruited about a dozen relatively strong ghosts from her tenants. By “strong,” she meant ghosts who could at least carry her belongings. The weaker ones, like the Little Ghosts who couldn’t even lift chopsticks, wouldn’t be much help and were left behind.

Of course, payment was necessary for such a big operation. She couldn’t expect the ghosts to work for free.

Given the importance of the mission, over twenty ghosts gathered at her house to strategize. Zhuang could only watch helplessly as these pesky Little Ghosts and the woman with Long Black Straight Hair plotted how to divide his assets-and discussed selling him off once he was no longer useful.

At that moment, perhaps only the Water Ghost could empathize with his pain.

So, two days before the New Year, Gu Feiyin set out with her backpack and walking stick. This time, the destination was City E.

Zhuang was a sly fox with more than one hideout. Over the past century, he had built more than just the stash on Dalong Mountain. He had at least one other hideout ready for a comeback.

In the past, Gu Feiyin would pack some snacks for her trips. Now, she didn’t bother. Her backpack was filled entirely with nylon bags for money. If she got hungry, she could just drag Zhuang over to cook for her-convenient and cost-effective.

Zhuang: … 🙁