Chapter 40 has been provoking us all along.

Fu Qinghuai's words sounded like he was enjoying the drama.

There was a hint of schadenfreude in it.

Xie Xun kicked him under the table expressionlessly, his fox-like eyes flashing a clear warning, silently telling him to behave.

However, Fu Qinghuai was not angry when he was kicked. Instead, he tilted his body to the side and put his arm naturally on the back of the chair behind Xie Xun, forming a possessive semi-encircling posture. He even turned around and curled the corner of his lips at him.

This is clearly a provocation.

This ancient evil spirit has been provoking us all along!

This small gesture, and the intimacy and tacit understanding between the two that went beyond that between employer and employee, did not escape Wen Xubai's notice. He was slightly taken aback, and thinking of his own relationship with Lu Haowen, a look of understanding flashed in his eyes.

The chill she felt from Fu Qinghuai's words dissipated somewhat, and she turned to give Xie Xun a complex look.

Xie Xun: "..."

He received that look, but he didn't want to delve into what the other person was imagining.

"To be honest, my luck has been particularly bad for about two years now. My career has been plagued by problems at the last minute, and I'm always inexplicably tired. In the last two weeks, things have gotten even worse. Just like Assistant Fu said, I did smell a dead rat on the tightrope..."

Wen Xubai took a sip of coffee, his expression slightly anxious. "This is all terrifying! Mr. Xie, I suspect that some unclean spirit has possessed me? If this continues, I might even lose my life! I'll offer any reward as long as you help me..."

"I said I don't want any payment."

Xie Xun interrupted him and reiterated, "Master Liu should have told you that if the matter is resolved, you can give it to me willingly, however much is up to you. However, I need to observe you closely for a while before I can determine the problem."

These words sounded harsh, but Wen Xubai grasped at them as if they were a lifeline.

“No problem! I’ll be a regular guest on a lifestyle variety show called ‘Our Homestay’ soon, which will be filmed in a relatively closed environment for a while. I’ll recommend you to the production team as a folk culture consultant.”

"That way, you can legitimately follow the crew and observe without arousing suspicion from outsiders. Do you think this is acceptable?"

Our guesthouse?

He recalled that it was a slow-paced variety show about running a business, filmed in a remote and quiet guesthouse.

The enclosed environment and fixed personnel make it an excellent place for observation.

Over here, Wen Xubai had already turned his phone towards Xie Xun, and the program's promotional poster clearly listed the list of regular guests.

Fu Qinghuai raised an eyebrow as his fingertips traced a certain name.

"This person..."

He tilted his head to look at Xie Xun, a hint of amusement in his eyes, "Is he that incredibly famous movie star?"

Before Xie Xun could find him, Wen Xubai nodded hurriedly, a proud smile unconsciously appearing on his face.

"Yes, it's Haowen. He's here as a special guest for one episode. The list was just announced yesterday, and the show's official Weibo account exploded with activity, with the topic immediately trending at number one on the hot search."

His tone was filled with obvious pride, as if the honor Lu Haowen received was his own, and he added with a smile, "This hasn't even started recording yet."

Upon hearing this, Xie Xun's gaze lingered for a moment on the excessively handsome promotional photo.

The photo shows Lu Haowen with a bright smile, exuding confidence and charisma, which contrasts sharply with the haggard and gloomy Wen Xubai in front of him.

Suddenly, Fu Qinghuai let out a meaningful chuckle, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table, and laughed even more heartily.

"That's really interesting."

His voice wasn't loud, but it made Wen Xubai's smile freeze slightly. "Your presence hasn't even arrived yet, and your aura has already gone viral. Judging from your restless appearance, you must not have slept well last night, right? Do you have the same dream every night? Dreaming that someone is taking something from your chest?"

Upon hearing this, Wen Xubai's face instantly drained of color, and the coffee in his hand shook violently.

He never mentioned that recurring nightmare to anyone!

"You... how could you..." he blurted out, his voice hoarse with shock.

Thinking of the face of that person in my dream, it was completely different from his usual gentle appearance; in my dream, he was ferocious and terrifying.

Wen Xubai kept telling himself that it was because he was under too much pressure that he demonized the people closest to him.

Besides, isn't it said that dreams and reality are opposites?

But Fu Qinghuai's words were all true. Could it be that Haowen really did something to him...?

The doubt lasted only half a second before the deep-seated trust in Lu Haowen immediately overwhelmed the fear.

"impossible!"

Wen Xubai shook his head violently, almost subconsciously refuting, "It absolutely can't be Haowen! He... we've known each other for many years. He had a very difficult time when he first started out, and I watched him get to where he is today step by step."

He seemed to be trying to persuade Fu Qinghuai, or perhaps he was trying to persuade himself; his voice was trembling with excitement.

"Do you have a clear photo of the necklace this person is wearing on their chest?"

Xie Xun suddenly interrupted their conversation. Instead of arguing with Wen Xubai, he pointed to the poster on the screen and said calmly, "Arguing is pointless. Just look at it and you'll know whether it's true or not."

Wen Xubai was taken aback by the question. He subconsciously unlocked his phone's photo album, his fingertip lingering on the category of private collections for a moment before clicking on a personal photo.

In the photo, Lu Haowen is wearing home clothes and taking a nap on the sofa, with the necklace clearly visible at his neckline.

The obsidian base is inlaid with runes that are not very clear. Upon closer inspection, they look like countless distorted human faces, and in the very center is a black Buddha statue with a half-smile, its mouth stretched into an unnatural arc.

Xie Xun's eyes narrowed suddenly.

He snatched Wen Xubai's phone and zoomed in on the black Buddha statue in the center of the photo with two fingers. It looked exactly like the black smiling Buddha enshrined in the Liu family's haunted house!

Almost instantly, Xie Xun felt a chill run down his spine.

So the monster from the Liu family didn't die?

Or was it that the monsters they destroyed back then were just puppets, and the truly powerful evil creatures were still in the Liu family of that port city?

That's not all; the evil entity's reach has extended here, and it has even become associated with Southeast Asian sorcery.

Suddenly, Xie Xun felt as if he were being pushed along by an invisible hand.

The records in my great-grandfather's notes match many of the phenomena in the Liu family's haunted house, including the black smiling Buddha that was worshipped by blood relatives, the bronze mirror and the spirit banner that the Liu family bought...

All these things, at this moment, were connected by the black smiling Buddha necklace combined with Southeast Asian sorcery, piecing together a huge jigsaw puzzle in his mind.

He felt as if he were standing on the edge of a giant spider web, and the Liu family was the giant spider coiled in the center of the web.

Those seemingly unrelated things—the Liu family's live human sacrifice, the entertainment industry's scheme to borrow fortune, and even the possibility of witnessing tonight the Liu family's attempt to revive some old monster...

The smiling Buddha seems to be contained within it.

"How long has he been wearing this necklace?" Xie Xun's voice was as cold as falling ice shards.

This time, Wen Xubai was also taken aback by his reaction. He was asked again before he stammered, "It's been almost two years... They said it was blessed by a famous high monk from Southeast Asia..."

Xie Xun handed the phone back, his eyes filled with deep thought, but his expression softened slightly.

He didn't immediately assert the connection between the necklace and the nightmare, but simply looked up and quietly gazed at Wen Xubai.

"See you with the production team once you've made all the arrangements."

Seeing Wen Xubai's confused expression, he continued calmly, "Since you firmly believe that it has nothing to do with him, I will confirm it with my own eyes when the time comes."

Upon hearing this, Wen Xubai opened his mouth, but the words he wanted to say ultimately turned into a sigh, "Okay, I understand, thank you, Mr. Xie."

Xie Xun took out a small brocade pouch from his pocket. The dark green satin surface was embroidered with calming talismans in red thread.

"I wear this close to my body."

He placed the brocade pouch in front of Wen Xubai, saying, "It will allow you to sleep peacefully."

Seeing Wen Xubai hesitate, Xie Xun lightly touched the brocade pouch with his fingertip, and a faint sandalwood fragrance instantly filled the air. He then continued, "Inside is agarwood powder mixed with cinnabar, treated with a special method. Remember, wear it while bathing as well."

Suddenly, Fu Qinghuai took the brocade pouch, smelled it, and narrowed his peach blossom eyes slightly.

"They even added your blood?"

He looked at Xie Xun disapprovingly, "Xunxun is quite generous to draw a calming talisman with pure Yin blood."

Xie Xun ignored him, snatched the brocade pouch from his hand, and pushed it to Wen Xubai.

"If you trust me, wear it. It's better than wearing a walking corpse to work."

He looked into Wen Xubai's eyes and said seriously, "Take good rest during your breaks from work, and don't see any unimportant people, especially that Lu Haowen."

Upon hearing this, Wen Xubai abruptly looked up, "Not meeting? But we made plans for tomorrow..."

"Do as I say if you want to live."

Xie Xun's voice left no room for negotiation, stating bluntly: "Every time you see him, your head feels dizzy, doesn't it?"

Wen Xubai's face turned pale instantly.

Xie Xun had pinpointed this symptom, which even his assistant was unaware of.

"If you can't help wanting to see him, stick this on your forehead."

Fu Qinghuai put his arm around Xie Xun's waist, glanced at Wen Xubai with a jealous look, slapped the paper he had casually written into Wen Xubai's hand, and smiled wickedly, "I guarantee I'll make you sober up immediately."

After the two got up and left, Wen Xubai picked it up and took a look.

There was a simple drawing of a little man on the paper, with three needles stuck in his chest, and two words written next to him in a flamboyant style: "Awaken the Mind".