FI Ch13: The Second Client

The afternoon sunlight slanted across his body.

He Zhenling glanced at the cookie crumbs on the sofa chair, his thin lips parting slightly. “That must have been tough for you.”

Lin Su detected the perfunctory praise in his tone.

He shook his head and sighed. “Of course. Unlike the inspector, who just stands around with his arms crossed, playing the hands-off boss.”

“…”

“Pass me the scissors.”

He Zhenling looked at him for two seconds before turning to grab the scissors.

Lin Su snipped away at the paper he was folding.

Xue Nima pressed against his shoulder and neck, unable to resist whispering into his ear: [You sound like a housewife complaining about her useless husband.]

The scissors made a crisp snip.

Lin Su shot back, ‘Then you’re the brat who followed his mom after the divorce.’

“…” Xue Nima didn’t gain the upper hand and quickly changed the subject: [Does He Zhenling know about this kind of setup?]

‘…It doesn’t matter. Settings are disposable.’

The figure in front of him shifted slightly.

He Zhenling pulled up a chair and sat down. “You specifically went to see Qi Jiayuan today. Are you trying to provoke them into making a move?”

“It’s not exactly provoking, more like drawing their fire.”

Lin Su set the scissors down and leaned back in the sofa chair, his voice calm. “Qi Jiayuan wasn’t supposed to exist. Over the years, he’s survived by siphoning Qi Jiachu’s life force and fortune, but his body remains weak. Especially when the day comes that Qi Jiachu is completely drained…”

He Zhenling stared at him steadily. “They’ll need to find another suitable vessel.”

“Exactly. This time, they invited me here to assess whether my body is a good fit. But now that Qi Jiayuan has suddenly ‘fallen ill,’ I’ve become their only option.”

As Lin Su spoke, he frowned gravely. “Besides…”

He Zhenling’s expression grew more serious.

“Is there anything about my noble body that could possibly disappoint them?”

“…”

The person in front of him took a shallow breath. He Zhenling pinched the bridge of his nose, quickly regaining his composure. “In any case, protect your… noble body and don’t let your guard down.”

Lin Su smiled faintly. “Of course.”

…

He gave them ample opportunity to act.

It wasn’t until he’d filled his stomach and satisfied his worries in He Zhenling’s room that he returned to his own guest room.

Not long after, there was a knock on the door.

Lin Su opened it to find the butler standing outside. His gray-white hair was slicked back neatly, and his tailored butler’s uniform was immaculate. His face was calm, but a sharp glint flickered in his hawk-like eyes.

“Mr. Lin, where were you just now? The master asked me to deliver a message, but I couldn’t find you.”

Lin Su stared at him for two seconds, raised an eyebrow, and adopted a haughty posture.

“What business is it of yours?”

With that, he slammed the door shut.

Outside: “…”

Inside, Xue Nima floated mid-air, dumbfounded.

[You just shut the door on him?]

Lin Su dusted off his clothes, looking refreshed. “Did you see that? When someone is guilty, they tend to talk too much. The more detailed my explanation, the more suspicious I’d seem.”

[But I feel like there was some personal emotion in that door slam.]

“…You’re overthinking it.” Lin Su was serious. “I just picked up a bit of acting from Xiao He.”

Xue Nima sighed. [It’s rare for you to acknowledge his acting skills.]

“Sometimes you have to learn a thing or two from the younger generation.”

“…”

After wrapping up their casual chat, Lin Su scanned the room. He opened his backpack, wardrobe, and drawers one by one, checking each thoroughly. Finally, he pulled out a pair of pants and noticed that the inside pocket had been snipped at one corner.

It was subtle—almost unnoticeable unless inspected closely.

“How devious.”

Xue Nima pricked up its ears. [What’s the deal?]

“If I had absentmindedly stuffed seeds into the pocket, I’d have fallen into their trap.” Lin Su sneered. “This is no different from stealing the seasoning packets from instant noodles.”

[…]

Xue Nima cautiously asked, [So besides such sinister tricks, what else have they done that’s insignificant?]

Lin Su tossed the pants onto the bed casually.

“Just some ordinary life-stealing and soul-swapping techniques.”

Life-stealing involved taking a person’s personal belongings, hair, or nails and sealing them in a “soul-summoning talisman.” This was combined with burning 3.6 pounds of spirit money into ash, using five pieces of wood from coffins that had held corpses, and five handfuls of graveyard soil, all mixed with water from three wells to mold a clay figure. The talisman was sealed inside.

The figure was then tied up with a black-and-white thread measuring 18 feet, with seven death knots, and placed in a small coffin made of coffin wood.

“First, they steal the life. Then, they swap the soul.”

“Once the person is dead, they lay the body flat, drive a corpse oil nail through the soles of the feet, and use a yin-yang mirror to reflect the soul out of the body. A replacement soul is then planted into the mouth using a talisman. After 15 minutes, the body awakens with a new soul inside.”

“The corpse oil nail requires three years to refine.”

Lin Su explained, “Which means they’ve been scouting for a suitable body for at least three years.”

Xue Nima shuddered, sticking to Lin Su’s face. [Don’t let them touch you. I’ll cosplay as you!]

“…”

Lin Su picked it up and gave it a squeeze. “No need for you to cosplay. We’ll move somewhere else in a couple of days.”

If nothing unexpected happened, the Qi family would make their move against him soon. But before that, they’d likely find a way to send He Zhenling away. In other words, He Zhenling wouldn’t be at the Qi family’s residence in a few days either.

Xue Nima peeked out. [Where to?]

“To a friend’s place.”

Lin Su sent He Zhenling a message informing him of his plans and told him to contact him if anything came up. After putting his phone away, he said, “Let’s go. Time to pay a visit.”

__

Licheng was a semi-developed small city.

Rich in historical sites, it still preserved some old buildings.

In a secluded inn, the wooden windows were half-closed, allowing slivers of light to filter into the room. Piles of talismans were scattered across the table and bedside.

A figure in plain cloth robes was sitting and drawing something with a brush.

The door creaked open.

Lin Su pushed it open and entered. “Lao Xue!”

The hand holding the brush trembled, ruining the half-finished talisman.

Xue Zhibai didn’t care about the ruined talisman. He turned around in shock, and when he saw who it was, his mouth fell open wide:

“Ha… Did I just draw a mirage?”

Why do I see an old friend coming from afar… from over ten years ago?

Lin Su stopped and said, “Do you think you’re the Grandpa Sun or something?”

Xue Zhibai snapped back to reality, regaining his composure.

Ten minutes later.

The windows were wide open, and the room was bright. The messy desk had been tidied, and two cups of tea sat on it.

Lin Su crossed his legs and sipped tea leisurely.

Opposite him, Xue Zhibai held a teacup, his gaze filled with amazement. “Although I’ve never seen you change before, I didn’t expect that after more than ten years, you’re still…”

Lin Su interrupted, “Still the same young man as before, not a single change. Gulp~”

“…Don’t sing while drinking water.”

Lin Su shut his mouth and continued sipping tea.

Xue Zhibai observed him for a moment, finally adjusting to the situation. He slowly asked, “Why did you visit all of a sudden?”

“There’s something going on lately. I’m staying at the Qi family in Li City, but I’ll be moving out soon. I happened to hear that you’re in Li City, and since your inn is so spacious, why not graciously host me for a few days?”

“…”

Xue Nima: [So inns have emotions now?]

Xue Zhibai ignored his choice of words. “That’s fine. Are you in some kind of trouble?”

“It’s a long story; I’ll explain later.”

As Lin Su spoke, he pulled out two talismans from his pocket. “Take a look at these first. How’s the drawing?”

Xue Zhibai examined them closely, showing some appreciation. “They have a certain spiritual energy. Where are they from?”

“A kid from the Qi family drew them.”

“What’s the name again, Qi Jia… Yuan?”

“No.” Lin Su looked at him and smiled. “The name is Qi Jiacuo (Mistake).”

Xue Zhibai frowned slightly in confusion.

Lin Su left it at that, not delving deeper into the story, merely planting a seed of curiosity in his mind.

“I’ll bring them over for you to see in a couple of days.”

“Alright.”

After agreeing, Xue Zhibai added, “Ah… I’m hosting a Dao discussion in a few days.”

Lin Su paused. “Have you set the date?”

“Not yet, just sometime soon.”

“Then postpone it a few days.” Lin Su held his tea cup, his eyes curving like a relaxed cat. “Don’t worry, you won’t regret it.”

Thanks to Lin Su’s help in the past, Xue Zhibai had avoided countless disasters. Hearing this, he agreed without hesitation. “Alright.”

The two didn’t chat for long before Lin Su’s phone vibrated.

[Ling]: The butler is looking for you. Try to return early.
[Ling]: …Try to return early from my room.

“…”

Lin Su stared at the last message, finally understanding how He Zhenling must feel when handed a script he wasn’t prepared for.

He turned off his phone and stood up. “I’ll head back first.”

Xue Zhibai was about to see him off when Lin Su glanced at the table. “No need to send me off. By the way, I’ll take these talismans.”

With that, he quickly grabbed a few.

Xue Zhibai sat back down. “…Alright.”

__

By the time Lin Su returned to the Qi family, the sun was setting.

Although he didn’t know how He Zhenling had dealt with the butler, he guessed someone must now be watching his and He Zhenling’s room.

The Qi family wouldn’t be foolish enough to install surveillance or listening devices in the room, so the monitoring must be coming from outside the window.

The west side of the residence had a few empty guest rooms.

Lin Su used a few wall-passing talismans to sneak in.

As soon as he entered, the light dimmed sharply.

The curtains were tightly drawn, and He Zhenling’s tall figure loomed in the shadows. He looked up at the sound of movement.

The scene startled Lin Su.

“…Am I being overly sensitive, or does this feel like trapping prey in a jar?”

He Zhenling straightened up. “You’re being overly sensitive. I’ve been waiting in the jar for you for quite some time.” As he spoke, his gaze fell on a spot near Lin Su.

“Why isn’t your life-size figure in the room?”

Xue Nima: [?]

Lin Su replied, “From now on, it’s best if it doesn’t appear in my likeness.”

He Zhenling seemed to understand and nodded. Then he said, “The Qi family is keeping a close eye on you. When the butler came looking for you, I could only say you were in my room.”

“…” Lin Su asked, “He didn’t ask anything else?”

He Zhenling gripped his Tang sword and coldly replied, “Anything else is none of his business.”

Lin Su took a deep breath and praised him, “Your acting skills… truly a one-trick pony, but it works everywhere.”

He Zhenling: “…”

Lin Su: “Forget it. Open the curtains.”

He Zhenling turned and, with a long arm, pulled the curtains open.

As the tightly closed curtains moved, light poured in.

In the distant courtyard, hidden among the bushes, the butler held a walkie-talkie, intently watching the window.

“Butler, there’s movement. It’s He Zhenling…”

A suspicious voice crackled through with static. “What about Lin Su?”

“Still hasn’t appeared.”

Inside, He Zhenling pulled the curtains wide open.

Lin Su paused for two seconds and followed suit. He Zhenling turned his head. “What now?”

Lin Su stood in full view by the window. “Might as well confirm our secret meeting.”

…

On the other side of the bamboo forest.

The butler squinted, walkie-talkie in hand. “Sir, both of them have appeared and are talking.”

“Look closely. What are they saying?”

The butler’s sharp eyes read their lips:

“…Slept so long.”

“It’s all your fault, you rascal.”

__

Author’s Note:

Butler: Sir, it’s confirmed.

He Zhenling: ?

Soul-swapping technique: Inspired with alterations, purely fictional, for entertainment only. Believe in science!