The Cousin Arrives (Part Seven)

If it had been right after catching Qian Hui last night, He Lingyu might have felt pity for her—after all, she had experienced Ah Shu’s methods herself. Ah Shu was born on a dark month, day, and hour, destined for a fully yin fate. In life, she suffered endless humiliation; in death, her resentment surged to the heavens. Afterwards, she was carefully cultivated by the people of Fallen Immortal Slope. Back then, if He Lingyu hadn’t happened to carry a superior talisman, capturing Ah Shu would have been far from certain.

Ah Shu had a bad temper, but she never bullied the weak. Little Baldy got along with her well. Yet, seeing Qian Hui’s miserable state now, it was clear she had suffered under Ah Shu’s hands.

He Lingyu gave a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, her voice gentle and kind, “You’re new here, so you probably don’t know where the tenants who leave me end up, do you?”

Qian Hui didn’t understand, but at the mention of “leaving,” hope suddenly ignited within her. Now, she thought being a wandering ghost wasn’t so bad. She might get bullied, but only occasionally, and she could hide or flee. But inside this inexplicable ring, she had nowhere to hide, nowhere to escape.

She hurriedly shook her head, “I don’t know.”

He Lingyu’s smile was chilling, “Those who leave me—if we’re on good terms, they reincarnate. As for those who aren’t…”

Qian Hui shivered, a dreadful thought flashing in her mind. She quickly shook her head—no, surely not, she couldn’t be that unlucky.

He Lingyu suddenly dropped her smile. “Their souls are scattered, doomed never to reincarnate. They can’t be human, can’t even be ghosts, not even animals.”

Qian Hui broke down crying. Ah Shu, annoyed by the interruption to her TV show, shouted to Little Baldy on the chandelier, “Spray her!”

Upon hearing this, He Lingyu quickly put on a mask, though it wasn’t fitted properly yet. Little Baldy leapt from the chandelier, opened his mouth wide, and spewed a cloud of black smoke at Qian Hui. Qian Hui screamed, crawling on the floor, her yellow aura growing paler and paler, almost vanishing entirely. He Lingyu shouted, “Little Baldy, get back!”

Little Baldy, enjoying himself, reluctantly closed his mouth and looked at He Lingyu with displeasure.

Helpless, He Lingyu picked up her phone, opened an episode of “Bear Adventure,” which Little Baldy snatched and climbed back to the chandelier to watch his favorite bears.

He Lingyu doubted Little Baldy could really understand it, but it didn’t matter—this was his favorite cartoon.

After some time, the yellow shadow on the floor gradually grew clearer, though still much fainter than when she first emerged from the ring.

“Spare me…” Qian Hui’s voice was barely a whisper.

He Lingyu, mimicking Ah Shu’s tone, snorted coldly, “Stop acting and drop the pitiful routine. I’ve long known what kind of person you are.”

Qian Hui shuddered, flattening herself to the floor.

He Lingyu asked, “Tell me, was Wu Ying scared to death by you?”

Wu Ying practiced yoga, not strenuous exercise—how could she suddenly suffer a fatal heart attack, and pass away in less than a minute? Regardless of the coroner’s verdict, He Lingyu was convinced it was fright—specifically, frightened to death by a ghost.

Today, after learning from Zhou Xiaojun that Wu Ying had a younger brother who was a student and painter, He Lingyu was even surer of her suspicion.

Qian Hui trembled like a leaf, “I don’t know any Wu Ying. I have barely a speck of spiritual power, can’t do anything but get bullied. How could I scare someone to death?”

He Lingyu smiled, “Is that so… Little Baldy, don’t stare at the phone so much, it’s bad for your eyes.”

As soon as she spoke, Qian Hui begged desperately, “I’ll talk, I’ll talk—spare me, Master!”

Perhaps her voice unconsciously rose and interrupted Ah Shu’s TV again. Ah Shu turned irritably, “Disgraceful!”

Qian Hui shrank back, swallowing her sobs.

He Lingyu thought Ah Shu was absolutely right—Qian Hui truly was disgraceful.

“There’s always a cause and a culprit. You were run over by Ah Feng, so you should seek revenge on him. Why target Ah Feng’s sister?” He Lingyu asked.

This time, Qian Hui was genuinely terrified, worried Ah Shu might let Little Baldy deal with her again. Her paltry spiritual power was nothing before these two.

She’d heard the old ghosts talk about exorcists—no matter their power, all were Daoists. So, when she wandered the world, she always avoided temples, thinking herself cautious enough. She never imagined she’d meet an exorcist in this remote inn, and that the exorcist would be a young girl!

She was even more shocked that the girl kept two ghosts—one of them a vengeful spirit!

Qian Hui closed her eyes, knowing that playing the victim wouldn’t work. She could only pick what she could say and get through it.

“Ah Feng helped that wretched Shi Jing harm me. I died unjustly, unable to reincarnate, wandering aimlessly. I tried to find Shi Jing, but couldn’t. Later, I found Li Qing, then followed her to Ah Feng. I overheard them talking—Li Qing wanted Ah Feng to help her trick Shi Jing’s cousin out of money. Ah Feng refused, so Li Qing threatened him. Ah Feng turned and left.

“I hated Ah Feng so much. That night, I wanted to kill him. But when I got to his place, I saw him with an older woman. Afterward, he asked her when she would send him abroad, said she’d promised to let him study overseas. She told him, ‘Tell Li Qing, go with her to see Shi Jing’s cousin. When you return, I’ll send you abroad and give you two million for living expenses.’

“Ah Feng thought it over, lay on the bed, and called Li Qing. He told her he’d go with her to see Shi Jing’s cousin, but only this once.”

He Lingyu was surprised—she hadn’t expected someone backing Ah Feng.

“What’s the older woman’s name?” He Lingyu asked.

Qian Hui shook her head, “I don’t know. But I remember her face—if I see her again, I’ll recognize her.”

The implication was clear: if He Lingyu destroyed her soul, no one would be left to identify this woman.

He Lingyu saw through her ghostly schemes and said, “Enough nonsense. Go on.”

Qian Hui shrank, continuing, “After the woman left, Ah Feng called Wu Ying. But I didn’t know her name then—he called her ‘Big Sister.’ He said he was going abroad to study, but couldn’t raise the tuition. He asked how much money Wu Ying could spare.

“Wu Ying hesitated, then said she could only manage a hundred thousand. She said Zhang Baofu was bored with her, not as generous as before, and the hundred thousand was her own savings.

“Ah Feng said, ‘A hundred thousand is fine. I’ll come to town in a few days, get the cash ready—I only want cash.’

“After Ah Feng hung up, I was impatient to appear. But he called another number, saying, ‘Shi Jing, how have you been lately?’

“I was startled and didn’t show myself. I wanted to kill Ah Feng—but I wanted to kill Shi Jing even more!”