Chapter 131 The matter is finally over
As dawn broke, the sounds of sirens and ambulances woke up the entire street.
When Mr. and Mrs. Chen rushed up to the seventh floor, Xie Xun and Fu Qinghuai were already standing by the window.
Liu Wenbai lay on the ground, his chest wrapped in a strip of cloth, still breathing. Beside him was a pile of black ash and broken bamboo pieces, which looked ominous.
The eerie atmosphere in the ancestral hall was gone, but the smell of incense ash and burnt food was still quite strong.
Xie Xun's phone rang at that moment; it was Zhou Wei.
He walked to a slightly quieter corner and answered the phone: "Hello, Captain Zhou."
"Xiao Xie! How's it going over there? I just received a report from my colleague in Gangcheng that Uncle Chen called the police. What's the situation at the scene?"
Zhou Wei's voice was fast and urgent, and there was the sound of keyboard typing in the background, so he was probably keeping an eye on things at the bureau.
"nailed it."
Xie Xun succinctly stated, "The lanterns are destroyed, not even ashes remain. That old ghost inside, Liu Hanshan, has been put to the afterlife, completely extinct."
Zhou Wei visibly breathed a sigh of relief: "Where's Liu Wenbai? Is he still there?"
"Yes, he's not dead."
Xie Xun glanced at Liu Wenbai, who was being carried onto a stretcher. "I stabbed him in the chest; it's quite a serious wound, but I avoided vital organs. I stopped the bleeding, so he won't die for now. However..."
He paused for a moment, then said, "The man is probably ruined. He was possessed and corrupted by that old ghost for quite some time, and his soul was severely damaged. Even if he is saved, his mind may never be clear again."
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, then Zhou Wei's voice turned somber.
"There's nothing we can do about it... Are there any other anomalies at the scene? Are there any... 'leftovers' that require special handling?"
He asked the question cryptically, but Xie Xun understood.
It refers to vengeful spirits or evil entities controlled by lanterns.
"It's gone."
Xie Xun said, "Once the lantern was destroyed, all the miscellaneous things tied to it scattered. Now this ancestral hall is just a dilapidated house, nothing but dust."
"well."
Zhou Wei said "okay" twice, "Then you should leave quickly and not stay at the scene any longer."
“Our colleagues in Gangcheng will be here soon. They will handle the subsequent on-site investigation, Liu Wenbo’s treatment and statement taking, as well as negotiations with local community groups. Your current situation is sensitive, so it is not advisable for you to stay any longer.”
"I know," Xie Xun replied. "We'll be going now."
"The tickets have been changed. The earliest flight back to Hangzhou is here. I'll send the message to your phone. Call me when you arrive, and I'll come pick you up."
Zhou Wei added, "Be careful on the road, pay attention to safety."
"Um."
After hanging up the phone, Xie Xun walked back to Fu Qinghuai's side: "Team Leader Zhou ordered a withdrawal. The people from Hong Kong will be here soon."
Fu Qinghuai was watching with great interest as the medical staff connected the monitoring equipment to Liu Wenbai when he heard this, he raised an eyebrow.
"That's it? I thought I'd have to have a proper 'communication' with the local cops... cough, the local police officers."
"What are we going to discuss? Why did you demolish someone's ancestral hall?"
Xie Xun glanced at him. "Let's go back and have breakfast."
The two said a brief goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Chen, declined their invitation to have morning tea together, and left with their belongings.
On the plane back to Hangzhou, Xie Xun closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Fu Qinghuai wasn't asleep; he was right next to him, tilting his head to watch him, playing with his hair with his fingers, seemingly not finding it boring at all.
After getting off the plane, I saw Zhou Wei's car at the exit.
Upon getting in the car, Zhou Wei's first words were: "Your friend's girlfriend woke up this morning."
Xie Xun put his worries to rest.
"The doctor said she was just frightened and a little weak. She just needs to stay in the hospital for two days for observation."
Zhou Wei looked at him in the rearview mirror and said, "Your friend stayed up all night, and I heard his eyes were red."
He was referring to Jiang Lehui.
Zhou Wei knew of this person, but had never met him. He only knew that he was Xie Xun's friend and that his girlfriend was implicated in the Liu family's belongings.
"The matter has been dealt with,"
Zhou Wei continued, "It was 'handled' according to the rules of your line of work, and it's currently being kept at the station. After the girl woke up, she said she didn't remember exactly what she dreamed about, but she felt it was dark and cold, there was green light, and someone was crying... but the feeling of being watched was gone."
Xie Xun hummed in agreement.
Once the source is gone, the aftereffects will naturally disappear.
"I've also informed Lao Liu and Lin Huairou,"
Zhou Wei said, "Lin Huairou kept insisting that you treat her to a meal, saying that she made a great contribution this time. As for Lao Liu, he said he felt a bit more relaxed, but I don't know if it's just psychological."
The car drove to the hospital first.
Xie Xun didn't let Zhou Wei come along; he took Fu Qinghuai up himself. Zhou Wei knew it wasn't appropriate for him to be there in this situation, so he waited in the car.
In the ward, Jiang Lehui was carefully feeding Shen Zhaoyao water from a bowl.
Shen Zhaoyao's face was still a little pale, but her eyes were brighter.
"Ah Xun! Brother Fu!"
When Jiang Le saw them, she was so excited she almost spilled her water. "You're finally back! Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
Shen Zhaoyao also looked over, her voice soft: "A-Xun, Brother Fu..."
"fine."
Xie Xun walked over, looked at Shen Zhaoyao's complexion, and casually took her pulse. "She's a little weak, but she'll be fine after some rest."
“Ah Xun,”
Shen Zhaoyao hesitated for a moment, "I think... I dreamt of a very fierce old man who kept cursing people... Later, it seemed like someone was trying to persuade him, and he cried, and then... and then that was it."
Xie Xun and Fu Qinghuai exchanged a glance. It seemed that when they performed the ritual to help Liu Hanshan pass on, some of his lingering resentment did manage to dissipate.
"Nightmare, it'll be over once you wake up," Xie Xun said casually.
Jiang Le thanked him profusely and tried to give him a red envelope, but Xie Xun pushed it back, saying, "Alright, you take good care of her."
After Xie Xun finished speaking, he left the ward with Fu Qinghuai.
Back in the car, Zhou Wei didn't ask any more questions and drove them directly back to the paper craft shop.
The shop hadn't been open for a few days, and a few leaves had fallen at the entrance.
The convenience store owner next door was sweeping the entrance when she saw them and her eyes lit up.
"Hey, you're back? Finished your business? You look exhausted, go back and rest!"
"Thank you for your help during this time."
"Why are you being so polite with me?"
Pushing open the shop door, the familiar scents of incense and paper greeted me.
Little Green slipped out of Xie Xun's sleeve, swam familiarly to the windowsill cushion, curled up, and began to sunbathe.
This time its fangs were tainted with yin energy, so it needs to be dried in the sun.
Fu Qinghuai slumped into the old sofa and let out a long sigh: "It's still more comfortable here."
Xie Xun didn't say anything. He went to the kitchen to boil some water and made two cups of tea. He placed one cup in front of Fu Qinghuai and took the other for himself, sitting down on a chair next to him.
The afternoon sun slanted in, making it warm and cozy.
"What are we having for dinner?" Fu Qinghuai asked with his eyes closed.
"casual."
"Let's cook noodles, and add two eggs."
"……Um."
The shop was quiet, with only the soft hum of the kettle and the occasional hissing of Little Green.
The broken lantern that had been through so much trouble for over a hundred years is finally gone.
The bad luck that had plagued the Xie family for four generations seemed to have dissipated as well.
Xie Xun took a sip of tea and his gaze fell on the sofa opposite him.
Sunlight shone on Fu Qinghuai's face, and that face, which was usually either playful or ruthless, was now somewhat... peaceful with his eyes closed.
He put down his teacup, his voice low but clear:
"The rent will be calculated starting this month."
Fu Qinghuai's lips curled up, but he didn't open his eyes: "I know, you'll get your share."
Outside the window, Hefang Street was bustling with people, noisy and lively.
The shop was quiet.
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