Chapter 79

Wang Tao thought he could bury this secret for a lifetime, even if he was plagued by nightmares every night; even if he always remembered Xu Ying; even if recalling what happened that night caused him unbearable pain, and even in countless dreams, Xu Ying came back to demand his life. He didn’t care; he just wanted to live, to live and succeed.

That day, he learned from Xu Ying that Sun Min had arranged to meet her. At that time, he was still hesitating, not having completely broken up with Xu Ying, nor having gotten together with Sun Min, because he knew that he liked Xu Ying. His thoughts about Sun Min were more about her surname and family-Sun Min was now the only daughter of the Sun family and would be the sole heir in the future.

He was no longer the naive fool in school who thought he could make a name for himself with his own abilities. He had deeply experienced the cold stares of others and had his achievements stolen by less capable colleagues, simply because they were related to someone in a higher position… The world was unfair, and he wanted those who looked down on him to regret it!

Sun Min was his only stepping stone, his shortcut to success.

But he never thought he would cause Xu Ying’s death. When he arrived, it was already too late. Sun Min had hurriedly left, and Xu Ying was lying on the ground with her head bleeding. He was terrified and knew he should call the police, but then he thought, if Sun Min was convicted of manslaughter, who knew how many years she would be sentenced, and how many years he would have to wait for her? He didn’t have time to wait.

He carried Xu Ying to that unfinished building, intending to seal her in the underground parking lot. Once the building was completed, it wouldn’t be demolished for decades, making it much more hidden than simply throwing her into the river.

What he didn’t expect was that while he was mixing cement and sand, Xu Ying, whom he thought was dead, suddenly woke up! She really woke up, her eyes wide open, looking at him: “Save me, save me…”

Initially, when he discovered Xu Ying was awake, he was very happy. But after the happiness, more concerns emerged. Not to mention what he was doing now, wouldn’t Xu Ying cause trouble for him and Sun Min after being rescued? If things got out of hand, how would others view him, what would they say about him? They would say he was with Sun Min for the Sun family’s wealth, and Sun’s father, who was already dissatisfied with him, would be even more displeased, and then he and Sun Min wouldn’t be able to be together.

He hesitated, clearly seeing the desire for survival in Xu Ying’s eyes gradually turn gray, becoming despair and understanding. She even smiled self-mockingly, and until her death, she never looked at him again.

After her death, he never went to Fumin Road again-when he first graduated from university and was looking for a job, he didn’t have much money and didn’t want his family to know he was doing poorly. He couldn’t afford to live in a high-end apartment, and Fumin Road had a good location, convenient transportation, and most importantly, cheap rent. He lived there for two years. After Xu Ying’s death, he moved away.

Recently, there had been rumors of hauntings on Fumin Road, which made him a bit worried. Later, he learned that the unfinished building was going to be redeveloped, and he was constantly anxious, hoping the worst wouldn’t happen. But unexpectedly, it did happen, and Xu Ying’s body was dug up.

But he had a backup plan; he still had Sun Min.

Things indeed proceeded as he had hoped, seemingly about to succeed, but ultimately failed because he hadn’t expected there really were ghosts in this world!

He shrank behind the iron door, watching as a ghostly figure appeared in the empty room, like a wisp of smoke. Her hair was long, and her pale face looked stiff and eerie, especially those gray eyes, which stared at him gloomily, making his skin crawl!

What was even more terrifying was that he was too familiar with this face; it had tormented him countless times in his dreams-it was Xu Ying!

He trembled all over, as if trapped in a nightmare of eternal descent into the abyss. Impossible, impossible, Xu Ying was dead, Xu Ying was already dead, so who was in front of him? He was sick, it was him who was sick…

Xu Ying stared at him with an eerie gaze, hopping closer to him. Sometimes she hopped so high that half her head got stuck in the ceiling, and when she fell, her feet sank into the ground, making her look extremely discordant, as if her limbs were uncoordinated.

Suddenly, Wang Tao remembered that when Xu Ying woke up halfway, he had already mixed half of her body into the cement, and her legs had been frozen into stone…

Finally, Xu Ying reached him, staring at him coldly and viciously: “Who killed me? It was you!”

The chilling aura made Wang Tao scream, frantically pounding on the iron door, “It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me, I didn’t kill you, it was Sun Min, Sun Min killed you!”

“When I arrived, you were already dead, you were already dead! It wasn’t me who killed you, if you want revenge, you should go after Sun Min!”

“I didn’t refuse to save you, I didn’t, I didn’t…”

Xu Ying stared at him with eyes like she was watching a clown.

Watching Xu Ying hop closer and closer, her head began to bleed, dripping down and soaking into the ground, slowly approaching him. Wang Tao’s eyes widened in horror, bloodshot, with a voice whispering in his ear, asking him who, who…

“Help, help!”

“I was wrong, I was really wrong, please forgive me, I didn’t mean to…”

…

The case of the corpse hidden in the unfinished building took several twists and turns. Initially, it was thought Wang Tao was the murderer, but when he confessed his crime, Sun Min jumped out and said she accidentally killed Xu Ying, and Wang Tao only helped her hide the crime. Just when everyone thought the case was settled, it was discovered that after Sun Min pushed Xu Ying, Xu Ying didn’t die immediately. Instead, she woke up when Wang Tao was hiding the body, and fearing trouble, he simply went along with it…

The case had so many twists and turns that it almost fooled the police. Because Xu Ying’s cause of death was excessive blood loss, Wang Tao was very clever, not inflicting secondary harm on Xu Ying; he simply froze her in cement, watching her die bit by bit. So if it weren’t for Wang Tao losing control of his emotions in the detention center and saying things he shouldn’t have, revealing the truth, this secret would have been very difficult to uncover.

Fortunately, the truth has finally come to light.

Jumpy’s parents rushed over from both families to take her body back home.

On the same day, Jumpy Xu went to accompany the two elders, hopping along with them. She returned at night, went to the riverside to dig up a hole, and took out all the private money she had hidden there, hopping along to find the Long Black Straight Hair.

She wanted to exchange it for money!

This was all her savings from the past few years, thanks to her participation in disaster relief work, which earned her a substantial bonus. Otherwise, with her meager income as a wandering ghost with no offerings, she would have been truly destitute.

After scraping together everything, she managed to exchange it for over 20,000 yuan, which was quite impressive.

The Xu family’s elders were quite surprised when they received the money. They looked cautiously at the long-haired girl in front of them, who appeared quite intimidating, and exchanged a glance. They asked why she was giving them money and what her relationship was with their daughter. Were they classmates or friends? They didn’t want the money!

“This is your daughter’s money. I’m giving it to you on her behalf. We are neighbors, hehe.”

“…???”

The Xu family’s elders were startled by this overly friendly yet eerie smile. They wondered if this neighbor was too kind. When their daughter went missing, she had just graduated from college for two years and was just starting her career, barely earning any money. Yet, she insisted on sending money home every year, even though she had her own expenses. They never wanted it, but she forced it on them. After tallying everything, she couldn’t save much in a year.

Moreover, their daughter had been dead for several years. This neighbor suddenly gave them so much money, claiming it was from their daughter. It seemed impossible no matter how they thought about it.

Yet, the police beside them said, “The two elders should accept it. Master Gu was indeed a neighbor of your daughter.”

The Xu family’s elders accepted the money, feeling uneasy yet deeply moved. This little girl looked quite scary, but she had a good heart. Unlike some people who appeared gentle and quiet but were capable of anything!

Gu Feiyin received a wave of gratitude, while Jumpy Xu gloomily lowered her head.

That night, Jumpy Xu appeared in the dreams of her touched parents, telling them that the money was hers, earned through hard work. Although she exchanged it with the Long Black Straight Hair, it wasn’t given for free.

“…???”

The Xu family’s elders woke up the next morning feeling bewildered. Did they have a strange dream? Thinking of their daughter, they decided that a strange dream was better than no dream at all.

When they left City A, their eyes were swollen from crying. They had always thought their daughter was missing and had been trying to find her, guessing that she might have been tricked by traffickers into marrying someone in a remote village. Maybe she would return after a few years, believing she was still alive. They never imagined that Xu Ying had died when she went missing.

Now, sending their black-haired daughter off as white-haired parents was naturally heart-wrenching. Fortunately, the murderer had been caught, providing them with some solace.

Jumpy Xu’s death naturally required a funeral. She returned to her hometown with the Old Lady, the woman in red ghost, the Middle-aged Female Ghost, and many little ghosts from the overpass Ghost House. Since their deaths, they hadn’t attended a banquet, and now they had the chance to feast, so they followed along in a grand procession.

Gu Feiyin wanted to go too. She had attended banquets before and knew how wonderful they were, with tables full of sumptuous dishes. It was like being in paradise, so extravagant that one meal could last her a month. Unfortunately, she had to work and couldn’t go, so she watched enviously as the little ghosts followed Jumpy Xu, feeling half-dead with envy.

If only she were a ghost too, instead of a human struggling for a living… Well, it’s better to work hard. After all, life in the human world is tough, with fierce job competition. Slacking off could mean missing not just one meal but several.

…

This trip naturally took a few days. However, with Jumpy Xu’s injustice resolved and the two murderers apprehended, they would face legal punishment and special attention from the little ghosts. Even after death, they would have to soak in an oil pot for a few years. Now, they couldn’t have a good time alive or dead.

The woman in red ghost said, “Jumpy Xu has avenged her great grievance and fulfilled her wish. Is she going to the Underworld now?”

“What? Is Jumpy Xu leaving?”

“Now that her revenge is complete, there’s nothing left for her to do in the human world. She must be leaving.”

Upon hearing this, the little ghosts were shocked and turned to look at Jumpy Xu, who was gnawing on a candle. She had a gloomy face, rolled her eyes, and continued gnawing on the candle.

Honestly, if Jumpy Xu were leaving, Gu Feiyin would feel a bit reluctant. After all, they had gotten along so well and had been neighbors for so long. The bond was more than just a little.

Gu Feiyin thought for a moment and said, “Why don’t we throw a farewell party for Jumpy Xu? Send her off and wish her a good reincarnation in the next life. Being born into a wealthy family might be difficult, as the requirements are quite high. Well, as long as she has all her limbs, that’s good enough.”

The woman in red ghost was surprised, “A farewell party?”

The Middle-aged Female Ghost said, “A farewell party sounds good. Since Jumpy Xu is leaving, we should all gather one last time and have a lively celebration.”

The Headless Ghost and the other Headless Ghost raised their hands in agreement. They loved lively gatherings.

The Ghost Lady, while admiring her newly done nails, said, “When is it? Let me know, and if you need help, just ask Xiao Xi.”

Xiao Xi giggled.

Old Lady: “…”

Jumpy Xu: “…”

Jumpy Xu’s farewell party had to be lively. All the little ghosts from the overpass Ghost House wanted to come. They initially planned to give her some parting gifts, but since Jumpy Xu was going for reincarnation and not a long journey, any gifts would be useless to her and would benefit other ghosts instead. That would be too much of a loss, so they decided against it.

Moreover, a farewell party without hearty meat and wine wouldn’t be satisfying. So they pooled some money, exchanged it with the landlord for a thousand yuan, bought some pork and chicken, and had the Water Ghosts catch some fish. They could be steamed or braised, and the taste was excellent.

Gu Feiyin said, “Everything is so expensive now. Even an old hen costs over a hundred yuan. If you have time, go catch some wild chickens and ducks, and dig up some wild ginseng and angelica. It’s organic and free, quite a bargain. It’s just a pity that wild boars are protected animals and can’t be caught. Otherwise, catching one would make us rich!”

The little ghosts thought this was a great idea. Wild chickens could be caught in the mountains, but for wild ducks, they’d have to rely on the Water Ghost.

Water Ghost: “…???”

Now he not only had to catch fish and shrimp but also wild ducks? This truly was a group of insatiable devils!

While preparations for Jumpy Xu’s farewell were in full swing, Monk Liao Yuan finally arrived in City A. The moment he saw City A, he couldn’t hold back his tears, which blurred his vision.

He didn’t even know how he made it through the journey. Even Jingxing looked exhausted and worn out.

They had encountered all sorts of troubles along the way. A train breakdown was a minor issue, just a matter of spending more time. The worst was having their wallets stolen and phones snatched, ending up at the police station twice. In a world where you can’t move an inch without money, it was a nightmare.

Reaching City A alive was truly a stroke of luck for them.

If they were in such a state, Zhen Du was even worse. He fell while chasing a thief, worsening his already fractured hand. It hurt with every movement, yet he was still cheerful, which terrified Liao Yuan and Jingxing, making them break out in cold sweat.

Fortunately, they were about to part ways! Finally!

Liao Yuan clasped his hands together, “Amitabha, we’ve reached City A. Let’s part ways here. We have other matters to attend to.”

Zhen Du said, “Alright.”

Liao Yuan pulled Jingxing away without looking back, fearing Zhen Du might suggest they travel together, which would truly be a nightmare. He was afraid that spending too much time with Zhen Du might lead to his untimely demise, preventing him from seeing Sis Gu!

Jingxing glanced back and whispered to his Shifu, “What kind of fate does Zhen Du have? Why is he so unlucky, as if something is deliberately targeting him?”

Liao Yuan couldn’t see through Zhen Du either. In the years he followed his Shifu, he had never encountered such a strange fate. But since it couldn’t be seen through, it meant the heavens didn’t want others to see it. This was Zhen Du’s destiny, and everything depended on fate.

“If my Shifu were still alive, he might know something and perhaps help Zhen Du.”

Jingxing knew that Liao Yuan’s Shifu, who was also his grandmaster, founded Baiyu Temple.

The legendary grandmaster had profound knowledge of Buddhism, knew astronomy and geography, and could see past lives and predict the future. On the day he preached, dignitaries from miles around would flock to listen. It was because of the grandmaster that Baiyu Temple grew from a small village temple to the grand Buddhist hall it is today.

…

After parting with Zhen Du, Liao Yuan and Jingxing felt much lighter. They transferred several buses and safely arrived at Shizhu Gu’s doorstep. At this moment, Gu Feiyin was at home with the little ghosts, stewing wild chicken and duck. There was no need for her to slaughter the chickens and ducks; the Water Ghost had already taken care of it by the river, and just needed to clean them up a bit. They also bought some braised pork, as it was the farewell party that night, and preparations had to be made.

Thinking about seeing his sister soon, Liao Yuan was so excited that climbing five flights of stairs was effortless!

Despite being eighty-nine, he was quite spry.

But he didn’t expect that upon reaching the top, he would see Zhen Du standing at the door knocking???

He was dumbfounded, “Why are you here too?!”

Zhen Du cheerfully explained, “Oh, since I’m already in City A, I thought I’d visit Shizhu Gu to see how she’s been.”

Liao Yuan squinted his eyes, “How do you know Shizhu Gu’s address?”

Zhen Du patted his pocket. To be honest, he owed Shizhu Gu some money and had signed an IOU, which had her phone number and address. He just followed it here.

Liao Yuan: “…”

Jingxing: “…”

This must be fate.

Gu Feiyin was quite surprised to see Liao Yuan, Zhen Du, and Jingxing. Why were there three little monks? But it was good they came. Jumpy was about to reincarnate, and having these monks chant scriptures would give her a grand send-off, even if she was going to hell.

Liao Yuan looked at Jumpy and assured, “No problem, leave it to me. I’ll make sure she leaves cleanly without leaving anything behind.”

Jingxing said, “Shizhu Gu, don’t worry. My Shifu and I will help.”

Zhen Du quickly added, “No problem, I can chant from dusk till dawn.”

Jumpy: “…………”

For some reason, the woman in red ghost, the Middle-aged Female Ghost, and the Headless Ghost suddenly felt a bit sorry for Jumpy. Being cared for by these radiant monks, they weren’t sure if it was a blessing or a curse.

That night was indeed lively. Many little ghosts came to bid farewell to Jumpy. The Old Lady followed behind Jumpy, sweeping with a lowered chin, looking even more eerie.

The woman in red ghost rarely felt a sense of parting sorrow, “Sigh, I didn’t expect Jumpy to be the first to go.”

The Middle-aged Female Ghost said, “Yes, we’ve been together for so long. It’s hard to let go suddenly.”

The Ghost Lady picked at her nails and said, “What’s there to be reluctant about? Sooner or later, you all have to leave. Do you think you can stay here for hundreds or thousands of years?”

“Staying for hundreds or thousands of years would be nice. I think it’s great now. I can do whatever I want and punish scumbags to vent my anger. I don’t want to leave.”

“Stop dreaming. You little ghost want to be a ghost for hundreds or thousands of years? It’s like humans wanting to live a hundred years. The first hundred or two hundred years might pass easily, but as time goes on, if you don’t become a Ghost Immortal and can’t go to the Underworld, you’ll just dissipate. Otherwise, why do you think there are ghosts in this world but no Malevolent Ghosts that have lived for hundreds or thousands of years? That’s because Ghost Immortals are extremely rare. So live well for a hundred years, and if you get the chance, go to the Underworld. Reincarnating as a human is the right path.”

The woman in red ghost had also heard that becoming a Ghost Immortal was difficult. She didn’t expect that even the Ghost Lady, with her century-long cultivation, would find it even harder. “Well, it’s still early. Let’s talk about it when the time comes.”

The Ghost Lady didn’t say much more, only sighed mournfully, “I didn’t even get to torment that scumbag of mine much; Long Black Straight Hair did it all.”

The woman in red ghost suddenly remembered, “By the way, where’s Zhuang? Why haven’t I seen his ghostly figure?”

“He was sold long ago. A few days ago, I saw Long Black Straight Hair throw Zhuang to the Special Unit, sold along with the Fortune-Borrowing Ghost. I heard they sold for a hundred yuan each, two for two yuan.”

“So fast? Long Black Straight Hair is really ruthless.”

Gu Feiyin was eating fragrant braised pig head meat, with a bit of chili powder. It was so deliciously spicy and chewy that she almost swallowed her tongue.

The three little monks beside her could only watch her eat, as they couldn’t eat meat or drink alcohol. They could only fill their stomachs with some porridge and greens, and looking at the feast of meat that Shizhu Gu was enjoying, they could only put their hands together and say, “Amitabha.”

Gu Feiyin ate until her belly was round, and only then did she have time to speak with them, asking when they planned to leave.

Liao Yuan immediately stated, “I’m not leaving. I’ll stay in City A.”

Jingxing naturally had to follow Monk Liao Yuan. Zhen Du said he didn’t have any other plans for the time being, especially since his hand was still injured. He wanted to rest a bit before deciding on anything else, so he would also stay in City A.

Gu Feiyin responded with an “oh” and then mentioned that the kind boss had recently taken on a job, taking the entire haunted house staff to participate in a program recording. Naturally, she had to go too, for a business trip out of town, which would take about two or three days.

Liao Yuan felt a pang of regret; how come Sis Gu was leaving just as he arrived?

Maybe he should just go along too? With that thought, he instantly felt happy and decided to join them.

However, the immediate priority was to perform the Transcendence for Jumpy. The little ghosts had been lively all night, and as dawn broke, the purest “Diamond Sutra” began to echo under the overpass, making the little ghosts dizzy and teary-eyed.

“Jumpy, we’ll miss you!”

“Jumpy, may you reincarnate into a good family in your next life and never meet a scumbag again. Live a happy life.”

“If we have the chance, we’ll come to see you and play with you.”

“Are you stupid? Jumpy will drink the forgetfulness soup before reincarnating and will forget us. If we go to find her, she’ll be scared to death by us!”

“Then what should we do?”

“Just visit her in a dream. Humans always say it’s fake when they encounter ghosts in dreams, so they won’t be scared.”

“Alright then…”

As a layer of golden light emerged around Jumpy, her figure gradually became transparent. Her gloomy face turned clear and bright, looking like a young, vibrant girl.

Gu Feiyin waved at her, “Bye-bye!”

The Old Lady also waved her broom, standing stiffly aside, staring at Jumpy. The woman in red ghost and the Middle-aged Female Ghost were so emotional they almost cried, blood tears streaming down as they lamented how they couldn’t bear to see her go. Even the Headless Ghost and Armless Ghost were full of parting sorrow, their stiff faces showing the sadness of farewell, while the little ghosts howled incessantly, waving goodbye.

The Water Ghost hid in the river, blowing bubbles, his hair dyed red with blood tears, rolling his eyes disdainfully. Was it really necessary?

Jumpy looked at them, lifted her hand slightly, and waved.

Goodbye.

Jumpy Xu’s figure finally disappeared above the overpass.

…

The next morning, Gu Feiyin was preparing her luggage, as she was about to go on a business trip and needed to get ready. She called out a few times to the Old Lady, telling her to take good care of the house, as with Jumpy gone, she was the only one left to watch over it. It was a heavy responsibility and couldn’t be taken lightly.

The Old Lady clutched her broom, staring at her gloomily, her head drooping weakly, looking quite dispirited.

Gu Feiyin scratched her head, thinking the Old Grandma was reluctant to part with Jumpy. But what was there to be reluctant about? Jumpy was going to reincarnate, not vanish into thin air, so there was no need to be sad.

Old Lady: …

She turned her back, ignoring Long Black Straight Hair’s calls, facing away from her, not even wanting to sweep the floor.

This situation persisted until that evening. Gu Feiyin thought of giving the little friend some space to think about Jumpy. Once she thought enough, she wouldn’t think about it anymore. Who knew a little ghost would come running in a panic, saying, “Something’s wrong, something’s wrong, Jumpy is back!”

Jumpy is back?

Gu Feiyin and the Old Lady were both shocked, wondering why Jumpy had returned. Could it be that she was sent back by the Yin Messenger from the Underworld?

To their surprise, Jumpy indeed floated back, and the Old Lady was stunned. Gu Feiyin was also shocked, “Why are you back? Did the little monks not chant the sutras properly?”

Jumpy’s face was stiff, silent for a long time, and then she lowered her head and uttered a single word, “Queue.”

“…???!!!”

…Who would have thought the Underworld was so overwhelmed with ghosts?