FI Ch4: The First Client

Early in the morning, Wei Dong sneaked into the second-year teachers’ office. His intentions were self-evident.

Lin Su stepped out from the staircase, saying, “Actually, his line of thought is correct. It’s just unfortunate that my identity is fake, my birth date is fake, my…”

Xue Ni Ma interjected skillfully: 【But your beauty is real.】

“…” Lin Su’s steps faltered slightly, then he glanced at it. “Cut down on those TV shows.”

It pretended to change the topic casually: 【…So, what do you plan to do next?】

Lin Su, forgivingly, let it slide. “No need to worry for now. I’ve caught Wei Dong’s attention, so he’s bound to seek help from his ‘Heavenly Master’ behind the scenes—”

In a few words, they’d already arrived at the classroom.

Morning light was gently spreading, with only a few students scattered around. Just then, a ray of sunlight broke through the clouds, filtering in through the window, making Lin Su’s eyes appear to momentarily glimmer with light.

“The thoughts generated by a Heavenly Master seem much richer than those of ordinary people.”

【!!!】

Xue Ni Ma looked at Lin Su in shock: it had only intended to collect a bit of energy from the client. It hadn’t expected Lin Su to leave no stone unturned, sparing no one in this entire story!

After a pause, it murmured: 【…You seem like a merchant unwilling to leave empty-handed.】

Lin Su had already calmly taken his seat.

“I’m just maximizing efficiency.”

Xue Ni Ma recalled Wei Dong’s hurried footsteps that morning, suddenly unsure whom he was running for.

【…But it feels like you’re stripping him bare.】

“…”

—

Lin Su dismissed Xue Ni Ma’s remark as nonsense and ignored it.

During a break, he went to find Pei Jin again.

The nightmare curse had already been exorcised. Having replenished his energy, Lin Su had restored Pei Jin’s fate in a single decisive stroke yesterday.

Pei Jin emerged from the classroom, looking much better than the day before. Seeing Lin Su, a rare hint of light appeared in his gaze, along with a hint of respect, as he said, “Junior Lin.”

Although he addressed him as “Junior,” his tone carried a slight deference. “I didn’t have nightmares last night.”

Lin Su smiled at him. “Besides that?”

Pei Jin was momentarily taken aback. His most obvious problem lately had been the nightmares. Now reminded by Lin Su, he realized that the hazy feeling in his mind had also disappeared.

Pei Jin pressed down his surprise, “I feel great. I should do well on the exam this afternoon…”

A mocking voice suddenly called out, “Feeeeling great~!”

Lin Su looked over toward the voice and saw the same few boys who had commented on Pei Jin before, exchanging glances and laughing after their taunt.

Pei Jin’s gaze subtly darkened.

“You guys, if you have nothing better to do, go study!” Class monitor He Qian happened to pass by and scolded them with a frown, then encouraged Pei Jin, “Just ignore them. Focus on the exam this afternoon; good luck.”

One of the boys sneered, “Oh~ girls love to stand up for pretty boys.” He shot a glance at Lin Su. “Just seeing a good-looking face must make your legs weak, huh?”

He Qian’s face flushed with anger. “You…!”

Lin Su spoke up, “Then when girls see you all, shouldn’t they be sprinting away?”

He Qian broke into laughter instantly. “Pfft!”

The boy slapped the desk and stood up, shouting, “You little—”

His anger was cut short by a stern reprimand, “Zheng Fei, what are you doing?” The homeroom teacher had appeared at the doorway, surveying them coldly. “If any of you fall out of the top 200 again, prepare to bring your parents in!”

Zheng Fei choked back his words and sat down.

The homeroom teacher left, and a moment of silence fell over the classroom. Lin Su turned to Pei Jin, “What was your rank when you were at your worst?”

Pei Jin pressed his lips together in shame. “Eighteenth.”

Instantly, a greater sense of shame washed over the boys on the other side of the room.

He Qian let out another unreserved laugh. Amid her silvery, crisp laughter, Lin Su patted Pei Jin on the shoulder. “You’ve got this for the afternoon exam.”

Pei Jin smiled too. “Yeah.”

Lin Su glanced at a certain unusually quiet figure in the classroom, then looked away without further attention and left.

In the hallway, Xue Ni Ma mused:

【Those ranked outside the top 200 mocking someone in the top 20.】

Lin Su explained this mindset to it, “There’s a sense of surviving in the mud.”

Once again, Xue Ni Ma sighed at his precise choice of words.

—

During the lunch break, Lin Su invited Bai Wuchang to the rooftop.

Bai Wuchang descended gracefully, his robes flowing, glancing around and complimenting, “Nice place.”

It was noon, the peak of yang energy. But under his comment, the rooftop, basked in sunlight, seemed to suddenly chill by a few degrees. If Wuchang praised a place as “nice,” it certainly wasn’t referring to its good feng shui.

Lin Su, uninterested in ghost stories, raised a hand to silence Bai Wuchang’s excitement and handed over a piece of paper.

“The list you wanted.”

Bai Wuchang glanced at it, smirked with satisfaction, “Ah… much appreciated.”

Lin Su felt little pity. Ordinary people who wanted to extend their lives could either accumulate virtue or seize fortune. No one on that list was the former; all had escaped their fates by stealing the lives of others.

“Now things are much simpler; I only need to register with the Heavenly Master Surveillance Association.”

“The Heavenly Master Surveillance Association?”

“Yes, they just appointed a new leader, and he’s cracking down hard.”

Lin Su only knew of the Heavenly Master Association. “When was this association established?”

Bai Wuchang’s expression suddenly turned a bit complicated. He looked as though he wanted to speak yet hesitated, finally showing a feigned sympathy, as if handling a fragile porcelain object. “Seventeen years ago, after you fell into a deep sleep… Oh, I shouldn’t have mentioned something so sad for you.”

“…” Lin Su replied, “I’m not sad.”

But Bai Wuchang was already engulfed in sorrow. “Oh! All your spiritual energy dispersed, leaving you in a deep sleep from which you couldn’t wake…”

Lin Su couldn’t take it anymore and took a deep breath. “Have you ever slept for seventeen years?”

Bai Wuchang froze.

Lin Su continued, “Forget seventeen years. Have you ever taken a vacation longer than seven days? Seven days without work, seven days without worry, seven days of just lying there peacefully…”

“Enough, stop talking!”  

Bai Wuchang’s emotions broke, his eyes reddened, resembling a wrathful ghost. “Where do you think the peace comes from? Only because someone else shoulders the burdens in silence!”

He paced back and forth, his tongue hanging out like a ghost, swaying as he went. “Yes, I’ve never had a break… I work voluntarily! I love my job, and I can’t stop! Huh? Why aren’t you saying anything? Who works without going a little mad, ha-ha-ha…”

His tongue quivered, flapping in the wind.

Lin Su quickly soothed him, “Alright, close your mouth now… Aren’t you worried your tongue might get hurt in this wind?”

After a few calming breaths, Bai Wuchang finally pulled his tongue back in, resuming his usual quiet, handsome demeanor.

Lin Su hadn’t expected him to get this emotional, so he changed the subject, “Let’s put the Surveillance Association aside. I’m planning to join the Heavenly Master Association in the next few days. Can you help me arrange the paperwork?”

Bai Wuchang gave him an odd look, “You still need to join an association?”

Lin Su responded simply, “Makes things easier.”

After thinking about it, Bai Wuchang nodded, “Alright. But as a ghost, I can’t go in person. In a few days, I’ll find a Heavenly Master from the living world to accompany you.”

—

It was Friday, and the weekend was ahead.

There was no school, and there was no rush for Heavenly Master Association business, so Lin Su enjoyed two peaceful, uneventful days.

Monday arrived quickly.  

As soon as Lin Su entered the school, he saw the bulletin board in front of the teaching building, surrounded by students in a lively crowd.

At this prestigious high school, academic performance was highly valued. After each exam, the school posted the rankings for each grade level.

With last Friday’s exam just finished, today was the day the results were announced.

“First place… Pei Jin, Pei Jin!”  

“Whoa, is the legendary Pei Shen back? Even though his score isn’t as high as before, he’s still over twenty points ahead of the second place!”

“Damn, let me see?” The students were crowded around, trying to get a glimpse of the board.

“Impressive! Damn, Pei Shen is awesome! Maybe he was just in a slump before?”

In the midst of the enthusiastic discussions, Pei Jin stood tall among the crowd, his straight shoulders filling out his shirt as he gazed at the top name on the list.

“Congratulations, Pei Jin!” He Qian was the first to pat him on the shoulder. Several other classmates followed suit, congratulating him. Pei Jin accepted the praise with calm nods.

Then, his gaze shifted, and he caught sight of Lin Su outside the crowd.

Through the throng, Pei Jin finally broke into a slight smile of gratitude. Noticing, a nearby classmate followed his gaze, surprised and curious:

“Who’s that, Pei Jin?”  

“…The junior who came to find you before? What a handsome kid. Are you two close?”

Lin Su didn’t linger, giving Pei Jin a small smile before leaving.

He had only walked a few steps when someone caught up with him. “Hey, hey, Lin Su! Wait up.”

He turned to see Chen You, the class monitor, coming over. With his baby face and slight chubbiness, he was a little out of breath from running, “Heading to class?”

Lin Su slowed his pace considerately. “Sure.”

Chen You held his chest, slightly out of breath and a little starstruck, “Were you just talking to Pei Shen? How do you know him?”

Lin Su paused, then mused, “…We’re online friends?”

Fate brought us together on the internet.

Chen You: “??”

News of Pei Jin’s return to first place spread quickly throughout the school.

Lin Su entered the classroom, where his classmates were still buzzing about it. He set his backpack down, musing aloud to the spirit accompanying him:

“I’m starting to understand why Wei Dong went off the rails.”

The ghost, Xue Ni Ma, responded right on cue: 【Oh? And why is that?】

Lin Su began counting off, “Look—when Pei Jin ranks first, everyone’s attention is on ‘Pei Shen is amazing!’ When Pei Jin’s performance drops, everyone’s talking about ‘Pei Shen has fallen!’ When he comes back, it’s ‘Pei Shen is back!’”

Xue Ni Ma answered with pity: 【But as for Wei Dong, no one cares.】

“But that doesn’t justify stealing others’ luck.” Lin Su turned to look out the window, “If he wants attention, there are so many other ways…”

Xue Ni Ma was about to agree, only to hear Lin Su add, “Like getting his name in the news, for instance.”

【…】

The spirit awkwardly changed the subject: 【With Pei Jin back on track, this commission should be about done, right?】

“Mm…” Lin Su gazed out at the interplay of light and leaves outside, lost in thought. “The rest… will probably come for me.”

Pei Jin’s return to first place kept the school buzzing all morning.

Only near noon did things start to settle down.

After lunch was the midday break.  

Lin Su was resting in the classroom, leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed and basking in the sunlight, when a stir came from the doorway.

“Whoa… check this out…”

Someone returned to the classroom, calling others over with a low exclamation.

“?” Lin Su opened his eyes.

Before he could make out what the small group was murmuring about, the class monitor Chen You suddenly rushed in, phone in hand, heading straight for him:

“Lin Su, check the school forum!”

Lin Su sat up and looked down at the post on Chen You’s phone. A headline, bolded and dramatic, caught his eye—

[The Truth Behind ‘Academic God’ Pei Jin’s Comeback? Divination, Spirit-Summoning, Ghost Pets!]

The main post was a photo of Pei Jin’s “transaction” record.