FI CH24: A Ghost of Seemingly Great Origin

He was looking at his phone when Xuenima floated over from the side: [A new client?]

It leaned in for a look: […Who?]

Lin Su’s gaze lingered on the few pieces of information for two seconds, then he turned off his phone. “Whoever it is, it’s the middle of the night. Let’s sleep first.”

With that, he lay back on his pillow.

[Oh.] A ball of sleep-inducing light appeared before him.

…

He slept until morning.

When Lin Su arrived at school, he took out the order and looked at it again. It was still the same as yesterday.

He thought for a moment and sent a message to He Zhenling:

In the middle of the night yesterday, someone sent me something censored.

Ling: Have some self-respect.

[Su to Natural Wake]: Where did your mind go? It was a scratch-off ticket.

Ling: Heh, I don’t redeem prizes here.

Lin Su sighed softly and showed the phone to Xuenima. “You see, I’m trying to talk to him about something serious, and he’s always joking around.”

Xuenima couldn’t help but let out a: [Heh!]

He picked up his phone again to reply to the message: The Sanqingyan matter, did you watch the live stream?

The topic changed too quickly, but the person on the other end was extremely adaptable.

Ling: There was no live stream for that one.

Lin Su tapped his fingertips on the desk.

That’s right. Even Ge Lili only found out about it afterwards.

Xuenima squinted at him: [You think that client is…]

“Most likely.”

Lin Su said, “The information of all clients who place an order is automatically generated based on their birth date and time. No information means it’s not a ‘person’.”

What’s more, that ghost was clearly unwilling all along.

He sent another message asking: No accidents?

Ling: The person has recovered.

This answer was very subtle.

To put it bluntly, whether it was the Tianshi Association or the Tianshi Surveillance Association, they were both organizations of the human world. The judgment of an “accident” was only based on whether a “person” was harmed.

But Lin Su and He Zhenling were both divine officials; they saw more than just “people.”

In the few seconds he didn’t reply, the person on the other end seemed to have understood his meaning and sent a message:

“I’ll go take a look later.”

Lin Su’s brow raised, and the corner of his lips curved slightly: “Together.”

“My prize redemption center is there.”

He put away his phone after sending the message.

Xuenima curled up in front of him: [Why do I feel like you’re in a good mood?]

Lin Su leaned back in his chair and said leisurely, “You’ll know when you’ve been in the workplace long enough. It’s such a pleasant thing to work with someone who shares the same aspirations and has a mutual understanding.”

Today happened to be Friday.

Because the boarding students were going home, school ended a little earlier than usual.

The sky had not yet darkened when Lin Su left the school.

As soon as he stepped out of the school gate, a familiar black car was parked in the shade of a tree not far away.

Lin Su walked over and pulled open the back door.

He Zhenling was sitting inside.

He was dressed in a light gray formal suit, his long legs crossed, with a laptop open on his lap. Seeing him open the door, the other person looked over, a bit of light reflecting in his deep, dark pupils.

“Not getting in?”

Lin Su got in, once again having a direct experience of He Zhenling’s multiple roles.

“The Inspector is so busy, you don’t have to make this trip personally.”

“It’s nothing.”

The person beside him said faintly, “After all, it’s your business.”

Lin Su’s fingertips trembled at the words.

Xuenima praised: [He has also learned to say such things that invite the wolf into the house, just like you.]

“…”

Lin Su ignored its choice of words and calmed his mind. “To prevent me from stirring up trouble?”

He Zhenling let out a scoffing laugh. “To prevent that place from turning into another party.”

Lin Su, “…”

…

By the time they arrived at Sanqingyan, it was nearing dusk.

The two got out of the car.

The afterglow of the sun slanted across the grass, trees, and yellow earth at the head of the village. Lin Su took out a compass, turned it, and headed straight in one direction.

“Let’s go.”

He Zhenling glanced at it, said nothing, and followed directly.

They passed through the village and arrived at a small earthen mound under a tree behind the village.

The soil still had traces of being recently turned over.

There was no one around at this time. Lin Su called out, “Nima.”

A ball of light flashed before him.

Immediately after, a figure in a tuxedo with gray hair combed back appeared. Xuenima transformed into the appearance of a butler.

Lin Su, “…Why did you turn into this?”

“Buji.” Xuenima had already started digging with a shovel. “I just feel that this image is very suitable for manual labor.”

Lin Su, “…”

He Zhenling, “…”

He Zhenling cast a long, deep glance. “I was wondering why the butler always looks like that every time he comes back.”

Lin Su said calmly, “A look of someone who toils for sweetness.”

“Heh, maybe.”

Before long, something was dug out.

Xuenima turned back into a ball of light and returned to his consciousness.

In the overturned earth, a small earthenware jar was buried. The mouth of the jar was sealed, and twisted strands of black and white hemp rope were tied around it. Several talismans were stuck tightly to the rim of the jar.

Lin Su picked up the small earthenware jar. “Soul-refining curse. After forty-nine days, the soul will be scattered.”

He held it up to He Zhenling, gesturing.

He Zhenling’s eyes fell on it, and with a reverse flick of his hand, a bright blade of light flashed past. The hemp rope fell to the ground with a sound.

The Tang knife was sheathed in a second.

Lin Su opened the earthenware jar, and a mass of ghostly energy “poofed” out. Before he could speak, the ghost, seeing the light of day again, began to wail loudly, looking extremely sad.

“Wuwuwuwuwu…”

Along with the wailing, a gust of sinister yin wind blew.

Lin Su was blown by the yin wind for a long time and couldn’t help but hand over a piece of paper. “Wipe it. Your…” He glanced at the empty, dry eye sockets. “…eyes are all cried out.”

Ghost, “…”

He Zhenling, “…”

The ghost took the paper and wiped its dry eye sockets. A pair of pitch-black eyes turned over.

Lin Su, “Are you that indecent dead ghost?”

Ghost, “Woo?”

He Zhenling’s brow twitched. He spoke calmly, “Was last night’s commission from you?”

The ghost seemed a little afraid of him and backed away a bit. “Yes.”

Lin Su pulled up the webpage and showed it to him. “Your information is incomplete. Your name is… what Qiu?”

The other seemed a bit dazed. “I don’t remember.”

Lin Su was silent for two seconds, put away his phone, and asked, “What are your demands?”

As soon as he finished speaking, those just-wiped-dry eye sockets seemed to overflow again. The ghost looked up slightly at the sky, melancholy flowing from the bottom of its sockets. “Once, I also wanted to be a good ghost…”

Lin Su, “Speak human.”

Ghost, “…”

The melancholy demeanor was immediately put away. “They forcibly tore up my transaction. I was not willing. The new Feng Shui master also sealed me in the small jar where I kept my life-buying money, wanting my soul to be scattered.”

He hung his head. “I clearly remember being told not to harm people, not to become a malevolent ghost.”

“I have been a good ghost, waiting for five or six years…”

Lin Su took out the Book of Fate. “Do you still remember how long ago you died?”

Ghost, “Buji.”

Xuenima peeked out: […Huh? Is he my brother?]

“…”

Lin Su gently patted it back.

Not remembering his name, nor the date of his death, was like finding a needle in a haystack in the Book of Fate.

He put away the Book of Fate.

The ghost immediately looked aggrieved. “I don’t want my soul to be scattered, otherwise I can never go back…” He paused. “Huh? Never go back where…”

A ghost fell into a daze of contemplation.

Lin Su was silent for a long moment, then said, “You can go stay at my friend’s house for now.”

The ghost looked up hopefully. “Really!?”

Lin Su nodded and sent a WeChat message.

He then cut out a paper man and put it back in the jar, resealed the opening, and buried it back in the earth.

…

Before long, White Impermanence came to pick up the ghost.

“Oh, a new little cutie! Come on, follow me home. I love it when my house is lively~”

The ghost followed happily. “Okay!”

After the two figures left, Lin Su opened his phone and tapped his fingertip:

[Status: Accepted]

He Zhenling spoke, “You’re going to help him.”

“To the living, the living are more precious. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Lin Su’s gaze fell on the incomplete information, his voice faint. “But the dead were also people when they were alive. Perhaps they were also someone’s relative or lover.”

People can cherish people more.

But he was a Fate Immortal, a scale between the two realms. He would not be biased towards anyone.

…

The slanting sunlight spread over the hillside.

It enveloped the gentle and serene contours of his profile, casting a touch of deep gold in his clear eyes.

He Zhenling looked at him for a long time, then turned his head:
“I’ll go back and look through the records of people who passed away five to six years ago and beyond, whose names contain ‘Qiu’.”

Lin Su said softly, “Mm.”

A gentle breeze blew past. He said in his consciousness: Nima, he pities me so much.

Xuenima had already closed its eyes: [………Heh heh heh.]

He Zhenling was extremely efficient.

The next day at noon, Lin Su received a call.

A steady voice came through the receiver, not showing any fatigue at all: “I’ve looked through the case files from the past five to ten years and found one identity that is currently the closest match.”

Lin Su asked, “Who is it?”

“Among the four great Feng Shui families, the current head of the Lu family, Lu Yanzhou, is the youngest head in history. He is in his early thirties and once had a lover named Shen Qiu.”

“How close do you mean by ‘close’?”

He Zhenling paused. “Eighty percent, still needs confirmation.”

Eighty percent was already very high.

But to rashly bring a ghost into a Feng Shui family was too dangerous.

Lin Su said, “How about this, let’s go pay a visit first.”

On the phone: “…”

As he spoke, he had already started looking up flights. “I remember the Lu family is in Qidu. It’s a two-hour flight. If we leave now, we can reach the Lu family before dinner.”

Xuenima drew near: [Is the Lu family’s dinner delicious?]

Lin Su was multitasking and replied directly, “Even if it’s delicious, you can’t eat it, unless you turn into an alpaca.”

On the phone: “…”

He Zhenling seemed to take a deep breath and interrupted, “Then we’ll leave in the afternoon. I’ll have Lao Zhang pick you up.”

…

The Lu family was one of the four great Feng Shui families.

The main residence was located in the suburbs of Qidu. The architecture retained a traditional Chinese style, and the layout of the corridors and pavilions all contained subtle Feng Shui elements.

By the time they arrived, it was past four in the afternoon.

From a distance, they could see the upturned eaves, staggered near and far, partially hidden among the red-to-green Roufu maples.

Lin Su, “The Feng Shui here at the Lu family is much more comfortable than the Qi family’s small den.”

He Zhenling glanced sideways. “You haven’t been here before?”

Lin Su shook his head. “I probably came about eighty years ago, to attend the previous family head’s full-month celebration.”

He Zhenling, “…”

In the span of a few sentences, they had already reached the entrance.

He Zhenling had sent a calling card in advance, so a disciple from the clan came to receive them:
“President He, Mr. Lin, please come in.”

The two followed him through a circular gateway.

The purpose of their visit this time was mainly to confirm whether that ghost was the Lu family’s Shen Qiu.

He Zhenling turned his head slightly and asked in a low voice, “Have you thought of how to confirm it?”

Lin Su nodded. “I have his portrait.”

They had already reached the entrance of the main hall.

He Zhenling didn’t ask any more questions, and the two walked in together.

Entering the main hall, they saw a man in his thirties sitting in the main seat opposite them. His eyes were like cold stars, his bone structure excellent. He wore a silk robe, exuding an air of elegant and steady composure.

Seeing the two of them enter, Lu Yanzhou did not rise.

Lin Su swept his gaze over him and realized his legs were probably unable to stand.

Lu Yanzhou seemed a little sickly. He coughed lightly and said apologetically, “You two, forgive me for not welcoming you from afar.”

He Zhenling, “Not at all.”

He also had the identity of someone from the Surveillance Association.

Lu Yanzhou’s expression slightly tightened. He asked, “You two are here, has something happened to my Lu family?”

He Zhenling, “No, it’s just some private matters.”

Lin Su got straight to the point, taking out a portrait from his pocket. “Family Head Lu, take a look. Do you recognize this ‘person’?”

The drawing paper was taken out and flashed by.

On it was his own drawing of two holes and two rows of teeth: O皿O

He Zhenling, “…”

He Zhenling slammed his hand down on it! He looked at him grimly. “Do you think it looks like him?”

Lin Su looked back. “Where does it not look like him?”

Lu Yanzhou in front of them was still looking over in confusion.

He Zhenling met his gaze for two seconds.

Then he took out a pen and, with a rustling sound, filled in the holes. He glanced at it: ●皿●

He Zhenling: “That’s about right.”

He handed the paper over and said impartially, “Recognize him. It’s drawn like this, you can’t possibly not recognize him, right?”

Lu Yanzhou, “…”

__

Author’s note:
Lu Yanzhou: …Eh? Who? My lover? (pointing)
Ghost: Q皿Q