Seeing old friends

At night, Si Mucheng tossed and turned in bed. He turned to his right, while Qin Yu lay sprawled out, snoring.

Si Mucheng: "..."

Wow, that's amazing! Even with ghosts in this world, he's still sleeping so soundly.

How could there really be ghosts in this world!

Si Mucheng was internally devastated. So what if he saw it? What could he possibly do? Was it just to scare him?

Si Mucheng sat up, unable to bear it any longer, and slammed his fist on the bed. This was too humiliating!

But he would never dare to go back to the old house.

Si Mucheng silently lay back down.

But what will he do in the future? He can see ghosts, but what happens then? Will these ghosts harm him? Is he destined to remain such a pathetic figure? He still has so much of his life ahead of him!

Suddenly, he remembered someone; the girl's phoenix eyes and sharp gaze appeared before his eyes.

The next second, Si Mucheng hesitated again. That person was just a charlatan; would he really be effective...?

Finally, Si Mucheng clenched his fist and thought, "Fine! Even though she's acting strangely, I'll give it a shot!"

The next morning, the second aunt yanked off her son's blanket and roared, "Qin Yu, aren't you up yet! Your older brother got up and ate breakfast a long time ago and went out to exercise. Can't you learn from him? He's in college and still so disciplined. You still have a ton of homework and you still have the nerve to sleep in! Get up now!"

Qin Yu sat up groggily, glanced at the clock on the wall, and angrily threw a pillow down.

No way, is Si Mucheng crazy?! It's only 5:30, what kind of nonsense is it for him to get up so early to exercise?!

Meanwhile, Si Mucheng was already on his way to find Wen Ya.

He casually inquired about the Wen family with his second aunt that morning, and learned that the Wen family lived on the mountain east of the village, and that the Wen family had dwindled in number, leaving only Wen Tianyan and his grandson Wen Ya. Wen Ya had gone away to study on her own since she was sixteen, leaving only the old man Wen at home, but fortunately, a close nephew came to take care of him.

Two weeks ago, Grandpa Wen suddenly passed away. By the time Wen Ya received the news, it was too late. The body couldn't be kept for too long, and Grandpa Wen's nephew, unable to wait for Wen Ya, had to follow his wishes and bury him first, placing him alongside Wen Ya's grandmother. By the time Wen Ya returned, the funeral was long over.

Hearing this, Si Mucheng felt a pang of sadness. At least he could have said goodbye to his grandmother. Hearing that Wen Ya and her grandfather were each other's only family, yet she couldn't see him one last time, was quite pitiful.

Si Mucheng clicked his tongue. Oh well, he might as well pity himself for being a ghost! He hoped that charlatan would believe him.

At dawn, Xiqiao Village was shrouded in a thin veil, the crisp chirping of birds and the crowing of roosters blending together, creating a vibrant atmosphere. The bright daylight brought Si Mucheng a sense of security, and he hurried through the village, walking along a winding mountain path, finally catching a glimpse of rooftop tiles among the trees.

Si Mucheng finally climbed up the mountain and found that this old house was even older than his family's old house. There were even spider webs on the eaves, and he suspected that the house would leak when it rained.

However, the gate was tightly closed, and it didn't look like anyone lived there.

Not here?

Si Mucheng walked around the room once, then went to the window and looked inside.

This was a bedroom, tidy enough, with a few girl's belongings. Si Mucheng realized this might be Wen Ya's room and immediately felt uneasy. Just as he was about to straighten up, his gaze was drawn to an old object on the table by the window.

It was a bronze lamp, with an antique style and exquisite patterns. What was even more strange was that the bronze lamp was now emitting a faint light, flickering.

"Oh, is it time to change the batteries?" Si Mucheng pursed his lips, marveling at how realistic toys are these days.

It was, after all, a young girl's room, so Si Mucheng didn't dare to look too much. Just as he was about to straighten up, a shadow suddenly flashed before his eyes and pounced over, startling him so much that he jumped high in the air.

"Ridiculous!"

Before he could recover from his shock, he looked closely and saw a chicken standing on the table. It was a real chicken, an ordinary white-feathered chicken, but its feathers were dyed in a messy, haphazard way, with at least three bright and contrasting colors. The chicken was tilting its head, curiously looking at him through the glass.

Si Mucheng felt like he was going to have a mental breakdown from being scared these past two days. Who would keep chickens in their room?

Well, it's understandable that charlatans talk nonsense.

But now he was in a bind. He scratched his head; he couldn't find Wen Ya, and he had no one else to turn to…

According to her second aunt, Wen Ya's whereabouts are a mystery, and she is often not at home. This time she came back to attend Grandpa Wen's funeral, but she missed it. This period of time is only a short stay, and she may leave the village at any time.

Si Mucheng looked down the mountain. He had seen Wen Ya in the bamboo forest where he had taken his grandmother up the mountain last time. Although the hope was slim, he still wanted to give it a try.

Thinking this, Si Mucheng went down the mountain again.

So in just one morning, Si Mucheng climbed two mountains. He couldn't help but sigh, "Going to school is worse than seeing ghosts. Isn't this more interesting than the daily morning marches at my school?"

Such intensity had no effect on Si Mucheng. He remained calm and composed, his breathing steady as he continued climbing the mountain with ease. This mountain was more desolate and steeper than the one at Wen Ya's house. Several grave mounds appeared along the path from time to time. In the past, Si Mucheng would not have paid any attention to these things, but now that he knew there were ghosts in this world, he was truly afraid. Although he had only seen the hanged female ghost so far, this was a cemetery, and there was no guarantee that another wandering ghost would appear.

However, the thought that his grandmother was also on this mountain made Si Mucheng feel inexplicably at ease. If it was his grandmother, then even if she were a ghost, Si Mucheng would only feel that his inexplicable ability to see ghosts was a kind of luck.

However, as he approached the bamboo forest, Si Mucheng felt something was wrong. His body felt heavier and his steps slowed. He tried to adjust his breathing, but it was still erratic. Not only that, he also felt a chill on the back of his neck, which made him shiver.

As he was muttering to himself, he suddenly sensed something was wrong and froze on the spot.

A premonition formed in his heart, his breathing quickened, and he dared not move. A gentle breeze blew around him, and the sun hung high in the sky, fully risen, its bright light unable to dispel the chill that clung to him.

In reality, most of the time, people are terrified by the fear of the unknown and their own imagination. Just like Si Mucheng at this moment.

He told himself, "Don't look back, never look back."

But he couldn't bear the feeling of the unknown hanging over his back. There might be something behind him, or there might be nothing. Maybe he was overthinking it, or maybe he was just hallucinating from exhaustion, but constantly guessing was agonizing.

He closed his eyes. So be it, let him die!

Si Mucheng turned around abruptly, and what came into view was a bluish-purple face with a long tongue sticking out and eyes rolling back.

So close, yet a devastating blow.

Si Mucheng let out a roar and charged forward like a man possessed.

He was wrong!! He shouldn't have turned back. What's with all this talk about dying? He doesn't want to die at all!

Si Mucheng didn't know why the female ghost was here, but it was clear she wasn't just confined to the old house; she had simply become attached to him!

"Every wrong has its source, every debt its debtor. Auntie, I have no grudge against you, so please don't bother with me. I'm easily scared, so please don't frighten me!"

Si Mucheng wailed all the way, putting his racing skills to the test, running like crazy until he saw a bamboo forest ahead, with a faint figure in the forest.

Si Mucheng wasn't sure if the female ghost had caught up with him, but he desperately needed someone, anyone, as long as they were human, to make him feel safe.

The closer they got, the clearer they could see in the woods. Two figures stood face to face, seemingly conversing. Si Mucheng breathed a huge sigh of relief. He had yelled, "Help!!"

The person facing him tilted their head and looked over upon hearing the voice. Long, ink-black hair fell from their shoulders, and those aloof features belonged to Wen Ya.

Si Mucheng looked closely and was overjoyed. He had finally found her after searching high and low!

He sped up, shouting, "Wen Ya! Master! Help me!!"

Wen Ya raised an eyebrow.

In a few breaths, Si Mucheng had run up to the two of them. He leaned on his knees, catching his breath, before looking up at Wen Ya: "I've finally found you..."

He was about to mention the ghostly female ghost when the simply dressed middle-aged man standing in front of Wen Ya, with his back to him, slowly turned around.

Si Mucheng subconsciously looked at him, only to see a pale face with bright red blood flowing from all seven orifices.

Si Mucheng: "..."

The two consecutive visual shocks stunned him, and he stared at the gruesome ghost.

Wen Ya suddenly frowned and said, "You..."

Before he could finish speaking, Si Mucheng let out a sharp crack from his throat, then his eyes rolled back and he fainted.

Wen Ya: ...

*

Chen Wang wiped the blood from his face, but more blood immediately gushed out, though he didn't seem to care. He glanced at the big man slumped on the ground, then at Wen Ya, his accent heavy: "Master, he's unconscious."

Wen Ya frowned, lost in thought, and after a moment said simply, "Let him stay unconscious for now." She looked at Chen Wang and saw him wiping his blood-smeared face again, without changing his expression. "I've already sent the things out for you, you can go now."

Chen Wang nodded: "It's alright, you can see me off."

Wen Ya held a talisman between her fingers and began to chant. The bamboo leaves rustled in the wind. She raised the talisman, and as she chanted her incantation, the talisman began to burn on its own. Chen Wang's body became more and more transparent, finally turning into starlight before dissipating.

After seeing another one off, she let out a soft breath, then looked at the female ghost with a long tongue sticking out not far away: "So, what unfinished business do you have?"

The female ghost couldn't speak because her tongue was too long; she could only make two whimpering sounds.

Wen Ya sighed: "You can come looking for me, but why scare him?"

The female ghost let out another whimper, and a look of grievance could still be seen on her bluish-purple face.

Wen Ya looked at Si Mucheng on the ground and was speechless for a moment.

It's hard to judge someone so big for their size if they have the courage of a grain of rice.

*

When Si Mucheng opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the emerald green bamboo leaves.

He paused, recalling the scene before he fainted, and suddenly sat up.

"You're awake?" It was that same clear, cool voice.

Si Mucheng quickly turned his head, only to be met with a familiar face with a long tongue and a bluish-purple tinge.

He jumped three feet high, but before he could utter a curse, he was silenced.

"Don't shout."

Si Mucheng moved swiftly, taking a step to hide behind Wen Ya. He tried hard to keep his voice from trembling as he whispered to Wen Ya, "Master... can you see it?"

Wen Ya paused for a moment before asking, "What did you see?"

Si Mucheng didn't dare to look at the female ghost again. Hearing Wen Ya's words, he became even more frightened. Oh no, this master can't see!

He lowered his head and cried out in despair, "A ghost! A female ghost! A female ghost who was hanged! Her tongue is so long! Aren't you a master?! Can't you see it?!"

Wen Ya turned to look at Si Mucheng with a strange expression. It seemed that he was more problematic than she had imagined.

Wen Ya then asked, "When will you be able to see it?"

Her tone was so calm that Si Mucheng instantly understood: "...You can see it too?"

“It’s normal for me to be able to see it; it would be strange if you could.” Wen Ya thought of Si Mucheng’s state when she was sending off the old lady’s soul at the Si family’s old house, and she had the answer. “He can see it after he wakes up, right?”

Since Wen Ya could also see the hanged ghost, it meant that this charlatan had some real skills. Si Mucheng's eyes lit up, and he nodded quickly.

"Master, what's wrong with me?"

"Don't call me Master," Wen Ya said calmly. She leaned closer to Si Mucheng, raised her hand to lift his eyelids, and stared at his eyes for a while.

This was the first time Si Mucheng had been so close to a girl. He could almost feel her breath, and he held his breath, his heart inexplicably racing.

Si Mucheng swallowed hard, about to say something, when Wen Ya stood up straight, raised an eyebrow, and couldn't be sure for a moment: "You really never saw these things before?"

"Which ones?" Si Mucheng realized what was happening and cried out in despair, "How was I supposed to know that ghosts really exist? You guys are so tight-lipped!"

Ignoring Si Mucheng's breakdown, Wen Ya had a guess in her mind and simply said, "Keep it. It's something your grandmother wants to remember you by."

Si Mucheng was stunned: "Grandma?"