Chapter 94 The Metaphysics Master's Fiancée 11

It's all my fault.

"Senior Ghost, why do you say that?" Jiang Yiqing asked, puzzled.

Before the female ghost could answer her, Luo Shuyu pushed open the door and rushed in. This was the morgue on the second basement floor. She didn't know why there was such a gloomy place in the sanatorium, which made her feel that something was very wrong.

Jiang Yiqing and Luo Shuyu looked at each other and she clearly saw the anxiety in Luo Shuyu's eyes. In Jiang Yiqing's memory, there was only her elder sister who could look at her with such eyes and care about her. Now Luo Shuyu was the second.

She knew she wasn't the original Yi Qing, and this care, even if it was out of consideration for a client, belonged only to her.

Luo Shuyu wanted to move forward, but the female ghost pointed her sharp nails at Jiang Yiqing's cheek and said, "Don't move. If you move, something might happen to her pretty little face."

Luo Shuyu loosened her grip on the talisman, placing both hands within the female ghost's field of vision, and said, "Don't be impulsive, I won't do anything. I just want to know, why are you targeting her?"

The female ghost did not answer her question, but looked at Jiang Yiqing's face with a hint of admiration. Back then, her Qi'er also had such a beautiful face.

"Qi'er, you love beauty the most. I'll use this girl's flesh and blood as nourishment to restore your life. What do you think?"

"I won't let you do that," Luo Shuyu said coldly. "Let her go. If you have any tricks up your sleeve, come at me."

Jiang Yiqing was moved, but she didn't dare to look up at Luo Shuyu. She turned her head to look at the bed next to her. Could the person lying on it be Qi'er, the one the female ghost had mentioned?

But how could there be a dead person in a sanatorium? And even if they were dead, how could they stay there in this state? Most importantly, how could a ghost be with a dead person? Could this ghost be thinking of some extremely evil plan?

"Luo Shuyu, I know your name." The female ghost laughed upon hearing this: "No matter how powerful a ghost is, it will tremble with fear when it encounters you. Tell me, why do you insist on making things difficult for me? Even if I cannot fulfill my wish, even if I lose to you, I will not let you get away with it."

The female ghost suddenly made a pulling motion with her other hand, and Jiang Yiqing felt her right hand being pulled by a force, so she subconsciously raised her right hand.

"You and she are bound together by a strong red thread, which I envy so much. It's because Qi'er and I lost this thread that we are now separated by death." The female ghost laughed. "Luo Shuyu, tell me, if I help you cut this thread, what will happen between you and her?"

"...What red line?" Jiang Yiqing asked, wondering why she didn't understand.

The system explained, "This ghost possessed spiritual insight during his lifetime, enabling him to see red threads invisible to ordinary people. This is a legendary phenomenon that exists only between destined individuals. When they are within ten meters of each other, these threads will automatically appear. If they break, it means that their connection will be severed from that point on."

What do you mean? Has there always been something between her and Luo Shuyu?

Can Luo Shuyu see it too?

“Of course she can see it,” the system said. “It’s just that you, the host, can’t see it.”

"Why?" Jiang Yiqing asked, "Why did she see it but not say anything?"

"This thread is very strange. As time goes by, it may become weak from strong, or it may become strong from weak. It may even suddenly disappear at any time. Luo Shuyu knows the fickleness of fate, so she probably doesn't want to mention it and cause you unnecessary trouble."

"Oh no, I want to see that line too!" Jiang Yiqing said. "I need to buy props that will allow me to see the red line."

The system said, "...It doesn't seem like it's impossible."

It did a search and said, "'Red Line Visualization Toolkit' comes in three versions: basic, intermediate, and advanced. Which one do you want to buy, host?"

"You're such a shrewd businessman," Jiang Yiqing said, speechless. However, since it concerned her marriage, she said, "I'll buy the high-end one."

It turns out that all the fragments were given to her by Luo Shuyu, so it seems she needs to find more plants with spiritual energy.

The system seemed to feel a little guilty and said, "I'll give the host a limited-time discount of 20%, so it'll be 399 gold coins in total."

After the transaction was completed, Jiang Yiqing indeed saw a red thread on Luo Shuyu's right ring finger. The thread was tangled up in a mess, but the other end was indeed tied to Luo Shuyu's left ring finger.

Luo Shuyu seemed to notice her gaze and turned her head slightly, looking as if she was embarrassed.

"...?" Jiang Yiqing was shocked. Could it be that from the very first day they met, Luo Shuyu had been speaking to her while she could see this wire?

It can only be said that even masters of metaphysics have their own troubles. Knowing things too clearly, even though they are involved, they have the perspective of an outsider. No wonder they feel confused and don't know what to do.

The female ghost noticed the subtle emotional shift between the two and said with some displeasure, "Luo Shuyu, if you don't speak, I'll cut off the call?"

"...Whatever you want." Luo Shuyu looked at her, her expression now calm, and said, "It's because you're so heartless and didn't accumulate enough good karma in your life that she left you so early."

"You!—" The female ghost was completely enraged.

In the instant Luo Shuyu was controlled by her emotions, she reached out and threw out a talisman. Unexpectedly, the female ghost's long hair extended like thorns, instantly piercing the talisman. Seeing Luo Shuyu's discomfiture, she fiercely grabbed Jiang Yiqing's neck.

"Hahahaha... Luo Shuyu, you underestimate me too much. Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? If you want to save your little lover, you'll have to ask me for my permission first."

Luo Shuyu's expression also turned somewhat unpleasant. This female ghost had stayed in the sanatorium for too long, and her ghostly aura permeated the entire place. For the moment, Luo Shuyu was unable to break the deadlock. She simply said, "I don't necessarily want your little lover to die, nor do I want to break up your destiny. How about this, Luo Shuyu, you do something for me, and after it's done, I'll return her to you. We'll have a fair trade, shall we?"

"What kind of deal?" Luo Shuyu frowned, knowing she wouldn't offer anything good.

"I've heard that some of your metaphysical masters create ghosts to catch them, and they've greatly promoted the art of ghost refining. As a genius in the metaphysical world, Luo Shuyu, you couldn't possibly be unaware of the forbidden art of ghost refining, could you?"

What do you want?

"If you help me turn Qi'er into a ghost, so that I can stay with her, I will not only return the little girl to you, but from now on we will also be willing to do things for you."

"You're crazy. I'm not that kind of person who does unorthodox things. Besides, Miss Qi'er might not even agree."

Luo Shuyu possesses exceptional intuition and would naturally disdain engaging in activities like summoning ghosts. Furthermore, forbidden arts are forbidden arts, naturally rejected and even despised by the mainstream. Besides, given Luo Shuyu's pride and self-respect, she would not allow herself to do something that would ruin her reputation.

"That's not up to you," the female ghost said. "If you don't agree, I'll have the little girl come and keep me and Qi'er company too."

The female ghost seemed to have a real murderous intent. Jiang Yiqing felt a chill run down her spine, and her neck felt scratched by the fingernails, causing her obvious pain. Her neck was being controlled, preventing her from speaking. However, she still used her eyes to tell Luo Shuyu not to worry about her.

The female ghost is still tormented by love, unwilling to let go of her obsession. One can imagine the depth of her resentment. And now that she's been captured and is being held hostage, things are very unfavorable for Luo Shuyu. Jiang Yiqing doesn't want to see Luo Shuyu sacrifice her own possessions for her, as that would mean her existence is a burden.

Thinking of this, before the female ghost could make a move, Jiang Yiqing went to cut the red thread herself. Since the female ghost was so focused on this red thread, if it were really cut, she would probably reveal her true weakness.

"what you do?!"

Seeing Jiang Yiqing's actions, the female ghost indeed spoke up, and Luo Shuyu also stared intently at Jiang Yiqing, a hint of pain in her eyes.

"Yi Qing, don't you believe me?" Luo Shuyu said.

Even without the female ghost's suggestion, she had a way to get Jiang Yiqing out of there unscathed. Was it her rejection that hurt her, leading her to do something so resolute?

Luo Shuyu hadn't expected that Jiang Yiqing had also noticed the red thread. Had they been testing each other all along?

The female ghost loosened her grip slightly, and Jiang Yiqing immediately coughed. Her hand, which she had tried to cut the red thread, was slapped away by the female ghost, who seemed shocked: "So you can see this thread too. There are such heartless people in the world!"

Before Luo Shuyu could even make a move, the female ghost collapsed and screamed, clutching her head.

Hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. Jiang Yiqing took a step closer to Luo Shuyu and saw the dean walk in, panting. Seeing that no one was in trouble, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Zheng Wen, please don't do this again. Qi'er won't be happy if she finds out," the dean said.

The female ghost took one last look at the people on the hospital bed, then suddenly fled from their sight, as if she had encountered something she couldn't accept.

The dean walked up to the two of them and said, "You two are really something, managing to make Zheng Wen waver."

Luo Shuyu glanced at Jiang Yiqing with her beautiful eyes, concealing the matter of their marriage, and said, "I wonder what exactly happened between that Miss Qi'er and Ms. Zheng Wen?"

The hospital director came to the bedside, lifted the white sheet, and the two of them looked over. Underneath the sheet was a mannequin, not a dead person, nor was it Qi'er.

The dean covered the body with a white sheet and gave a bitter laugh: "Zheng Wen knows best that Qi'er cannot be brought back to life, not even with the forbidden technique of refining ghosts, because I buried Qi'er's body myself."

"...What...what's going on?" Jiang Yiqing asked.

Just now, when Zheng Wen said that, Jiang Yiqing really thought that Zheng Wen was using the flesh and blood of the living to nourish the dead, and then trying to use forbidden techniques to bring the dead back to life.

"Do you two believe in the existence of a karmic red thread?" the dean suddenly asked.

"Don't believe it, I know it's real." Luo Shuyu said, moving her left hand slightly. Even though there was a bunch of silk threads between them, Jiang Yiqing felt as if her right hand was being pulled, and her wrist pulse throbbed violently.

"Before Qi'er passed away, she and Zheng Wen were bound by a red thread of fate. Qi'er was my childhood friend. I watched them date and get married for eight years and gave them my blessings for eight years." The director, lost in memories, had a sad expression on his face. "But fate played a cruel trick on them. In the year they got married, their red thread of fate broke. Qi'er contracted a serious illness and was admitted to this sanatorium I run. Qi'er didn't tell Zheng Wen the truth. Instead, she pretended to have argued with Zheng Wen and broke up with him. Qi'er was very sad living alone in the sanatorium. Little did she know that Zheng Wen would secretly visit her every night after she fell asleep."

"Wasn't the red thread broken? Why is it still there?" Jiang Yiqing asked.

"The red thread can only indicate that there is a connection between two people, but it cannot represent true love. When two people who deeply love each other decide to deceive each other, whether the red thread exists or not is no longer important," Luo Shuyu answered the question.

Jiang Yiqing looked at her, not expecting that the aloof Luo Shuyu would give her such an answer. It seems that she has a very deep understanding of feelings.

“Yes, that’s right,” the director said. “But the existence of the red thread is also meaningful. Its disappearance means that there is really no fate between them. The day after Qi’er passed away, Zheng Wen hanged herself on a tree behind the sanatorium, which I did not expect.”

Jiang Yiqing and Luo Shuyu both fell silent. Such a devoted person is truly rare in this world. Yet, they simply cannot be together.

"After she died, she became a ghost some time later, and I personally buried Qi'er, as arranged by her family. Zheng Wen, now a ghost, kept asking me where her Qi'er was. I had no choice but to set up a morgue and tell her that Qi'er said she couldn't look at her face, otherwise she would never forgive her in this life. Zheng Wen believed her and even wanted to turn Qi'er into a ghost to accompany her. But she only appeared at the sanatorium from time to time, occasionally disturbing the patients, and never did anything to harm them. You two girls, I'm really sorry about this, but I hope you can turn a blind eye and not blame Zheng Wen. She didn't do it on purpose."

“Of course not,” Jiang Yiqing said. It turned out that seeing her trying to cut the red thread had provoked Zheng Wen, reminding her of the broken bond between her and Qi’er. That’s why she didn’t hurt herself but chose to run away.

She was originally a gentle ghost.

"Yi Qing, let's go back." Luo Shuyu also said, "It was a false alarm."

Seeing the red thread in their hands every now and then, Jiang Yiqing felt awkward, but Luo Shuyu's expression returned to normal.

"Sister Luo, thank you for saving me," Jiang Yiqing said, feeling that she understood Luo Shuyu better than before.

As the two arrived at the entrance of the sanatorium, Jiang Shangwei and Li Fangting came to meet them. Seeing that they were both alright, they smiled knowingly.

Jiang Yiqing sat in the back seat, deliberately covering the wound on her neck with her collar. Luo Shuyu took out a first-aid kit from the trunk, took out iodine, and said, "...Let's treat it."

"So Yiqing was injured?" Jiang Shangwei asked in surprise.

"It's nothing, just a minor injury." Ghosts are generally quite strong, so a red mark and a small wound were left behind.

Luo Shuyu lifted Jiang Yiqing's collar and looked at her wound. Her eyes turned dark and scary, which frightened Jiang Yiqing.

Luo Shuyu disinfected the wound with iodine using cotton, then treated Jiang Yiqing's wound with a small piece of gauze. She kept staring at the somewhat obvious red marks, her dark pupils revealing no emotion.

“After meeting Yi Qing, it seems like she’s been constantly getting hurt. It’s all my fault for calling myself a master of metaphysics,” Luo Shuyu said.