Seeing old friends
Wen Ya seemed used to this. Sensing that the ghost was normal and posed no threat, she stopped her movements and was about to put away the talisman when her arm was restrained. She tried to pull away, but Si Mucheng held on tightly and wouldn't let go.
Wen Ya turned to look at him and saw that he looked tense, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his body was trembling slightly. He was obviously terrified. She sighed and said, "Can you hold on? You're not going to faint again, are you?" You've seen several different ghosts before, so why are you still so scared?
Si Mucheng swallowed hard, recalling the time he fainted in front of Wen Ya. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay awake and keep his legs from giving way, relying on the willpower that "I can't faint in front of a girl again."
But this ghost was even more terrifying than the one who bled from all seven orifices last time. Not only did "he" bleed from all seven orifices, but his entire face was covered in blood, blurring his features. Even so, it was not hard to see that his face and even his skull were dented. His body was also soaked in blood, which dripped down as he walked. His body was limp, as if all his bones were broken, with only his skin and flesh holding him together.
He approached slowly. As he got closer, it became clear that he was a young man.
Si Mucheng felt a pang of pity and whispered, "This... this death is too gruesome..."
Wen Ya didn't deny it. She stood up straight and waited for the ghost to come up to her. She looked it up and down, then her eyes suddenly flashed, and she asked, "Where did you come from?"
Her question seemed a little strange. Si Mucheng turned to look at her and saw that her brows were slightly furrowed, as if the origin of this ghost was very important.
When the ghost heard her question, it only stammered, "...Qicheng."
Si Mucheng raised an eyebrow. "Oh, fellow villager here."
Wen Ya's brows furrowed even more: "Qi Cheng? How did he find his way here?"
The ghost shook his head, the blood unable to conceal the cowardly look on his face: "I don't know either, there was a voice after I died that told me if I still had any unfulfilled wishes, I should come to you, and you can bring me back to life."
"Wait a minute." Si Mucheng's eyes cleared up when he heard the words "resurrection." He turned to Wen Ya and asked, "It's not that magic weapon from your house, is it?"
Wen Ya lowered her eyelashes, seemingly lost in thought. After a moment, she said, "Let's go back first." With that, she walked forward, but after taking only two steps, she turned back curiously to look at Si Mucheng, who had followed her: "Why did you follow me? Weren't you scared?"
Si Mucheng said enthusiastically, "I'll go with you. As your little brother, I have no choice but to follow you."
Wen Ya hesitated, knowing that no matter what she said, the big man wouldn't listen. "Fine, let him follow if he wants."
Si Mucheng's dog eyes narrowed into slits as he followed Wen Ya a few steps: "How do you know 'he' comes from somewhere else?"
"Nobody around here would dress like that, would they?"
Si Mucheng suppressed his fear and looked back at the blood-soaked ghost again. He was wearing a white shirt tucked into his trousers, and if it weren't for the bloodstains, you could tell that he was dressed neatly and was indeed quite different from the villagers.
He wrinkled his nose again and muttered to himself, "This blood is so strong, I can almost smell it... Will a ghost still have a smell?"
Wen Ya wanted to sigh again, but she just casually tossed a talisman. The yellow talisman landed on the ghost, and instantly, the ghost was transformed—the dark red blood faded, and the bones on its face and body returned to normal. Only then could Si Mucheng see his appearance clearly.
The man had short hair, wore glasses, and a plaid shirt. His features were plain, and his posture was not particularly upright. He looked like any ordinary pedestrian you would see on the street, unremarkable and even a bit timid.
"Huh," Si Mucheng's eyes widened, "So this is what you look like. Great God, you can change him back?" He remembered her saying that ghosts can only maintain the state they were in when they died.
Wen Ya said calmly, "It's just a smokescreen."
The male ghost looked completely intimidating at that moment, and Si Mucheng almost forgot that "he" was a ghost, even striking up a conversation with him: "Hey, what's your name?"
Wen Ya was utterly exasperated. Why did this person always like asking people's names?
The male ghost was clearly not expected Si Mucheng to chat with him. He hesitated for a moment before saying slowly, "...Zhang Wei."
"Oh... his name suits him perfectly."
The two people and the ghost arrived at the Wen family's old house.
As soon as he entered, Si Mucheng took out the rice he had brought for Wen Xiaofeng and called it to eat. However, the ungrateful little chick ignored him completely, walking around with its head held high and circling around Wen Ya, showing no interest in the fragrant rice that Si Mucheng had brought.
Seeing this, Si Mucheng reached out in annoyance to touch Wen Xiaofeng's pink-dyed head, but before his hand could even touch it, Wen Xiaofeng noticed his intention and, with a cluck, raised her head to peck. Si Mucheng quickly withdrew his hand, patting his chest in fright: "Hey, you chicken, you don't appreciate my kindness!" He was about to complain to Wen Ya when he saw Wen Ya holding the Soul-Returning Lamp, her face grave.
The resurrection lamp in her hand began to buzz. Zhang Wei stood obediently to the side and asked, "Is this the thing that can bring me back to life?"
Wen Ya shook her head: "The Soul-Returning Lamp has been dormant for many years, and its usage has long been lost. I don't know it either. I don't know what attracted you here, but since you've come to me, I will grant your wish and send you into reincarnation."
Hearing Wen Ya say this, Zhang Wei remained silent, as if he would only obey orders no matter what was arranged for him.
Upon hearing this, Si Mucheng quickly leaned closer: "Is there anything you don't want?" He then turned to Wen Ya and asked, "Any wish is fine?"
Wen Ya didn't know where her patience with Si Mucheng had come from these past few days, but now she was willing to explain to him gently: "When people die, they are unwilling to accept their fate, and their obsessions take shape and form a soul. Ghosts linger in the human world because their obsessions are too deep. Only by eliminating their obsessions will they be willing to enter the cycle of reincarnation. And obsessions should be the only thing that one cannot let go of in life."
Si Mucheng only half understood, thinking of the gossipy ghost: "So you gave Lele candy because...her mother was worried about her? Then why just one piece of candy?" Can a mother's concern for her daughter be satisfied with just one piece of candy?
Wen Ya said, "That was just a way for 'her' emotions to find a place to reside."
Si Mucheng was still waiting for what would happen next; he had a lot of questions. But Wen Ya seemed unwilling to say more. After thinking for a moment, she asked Zhang Wei, "Is your unfinished business in Qicheng?"
Zhang Wei nodded.
Hearing the expected answer, Wen Ya wore a "this is going to be tough" expression and muttered to herself, "This is really troublesome..."
"What's wrong?" Si Mucheng asked hurriedly.
Wen Ya only said, "Logically speaking, ghosts only linger around the place where they died. The fact that 'he' was able to travel from Qicheng to Xiqiao Village must be due to the Soul-Returning Lamp, but I can't figure out the reason for it right now. But Qicheng, no matter what, we still have to go there."
Anyway, the Wen family lineage follows a self-taught path, without any sect or affiliation, managing their own affairs. She usually travels around, exorcising wandering ghosts. This time, she returned to Xiqiao Village for a funeral, but unexpectedly arrived a step too late. She stayed here to deal with the newly deceased ghosts in the village. If it weren't for the incident with Si Mucheng, which attracted the long-tongued ghost, she would have left several days ago.
Wen Ya was still figuring out what she needed to take care of at the old house if she set off early the next morning. She didn't even notice that Si Mucheng's eyes lit up the moment he heard she was going to Qicheng.
The next day.
As dawn broke, Wen Ya slung her cloth bag over her shoulder and turned to lock the gate of the old house.
The old house, quiet and dilapidated, held Wen Ya's childhood memories but was absent from her growth, making it both familiar and strange to her. Even her grandfather was gone, leaving her all alone. This old house was perhaps her only remaining connection to the world. But with the door locked, she didn't know when she would return.
Perhaps sensing Wen Ya's mood, the colorful chick perched on her shoulder tilted its head and gently touched her cheek with its beak. Wen Ya stroked it, chuckled softly, and said, "Let's go." Then she picked up a travel bag and headed down the mountain path.
There is a bus to the city at the entrance of the village. The earliest bus departs at 5:30. At this time, the village is waking up, and villagers with travel plans have begun to head towards the entrance of the village, including Wen Ya.
Wen Xiaofeng, perched on her shoulder, looked around with an air of superiority, while people on the roadside watched this colorful and seemingly human-like chicken with curiosity.
The morning mist was like a thin veil, making it difficult to see the surrounding scenery clearly. The bus was parked there quietly, but besides the bus, another shadow in the mist caught Wen Ya's attention.
The person was tall and had a familiar appearance. There was a rectangular object standing next to the figure.
However, as she approached, dawn broke and the mist dissipated, confirming her premonition.
Si Mucheng's puppy-dog eyes were misty and wet, with a smile playing at the corners of his eyes and the little brackets that marked his smile. He waved to her and said, "Hello!"
Wen Ya found it hard to describe the inexplicable emotion welling up inside her, but she simply raised her face slightly, glanced at the suitcase beside him, met Si Mucheng's gaze, and asked knowingly, "What are you doing here?"
"I'll come with you!" Si Mucheng's smile deepened.
Wen Ya sighed: "Why are you so persistent?"
"What are you saying!" Si Mucheng stepped forward, took the travel bag from her hand, and hung it on the suitcase next to him. "Other places are fine, but Qicheng is my territory, I know it well. Since you're going, I have to accompany you. By the way, haven't you ever been to Qicheng? Let me tell you, there's a really good barbecue place there, you have to try it..." As he spoke, he carried his and her luggage onto the bus together, bought two tickets from the ticket seller, and then waved to her from the bus.
"Hurry up and get on the bus, sir! Do you prefer sitting in the back or the front? Either way is fine with me. How about I save you a window seat?"
Wen Ya just stared at him quietly, her lips twitching slightly, but in the end she said nothing and got into the car.
Twenty minutes later, the bus drove away from Xiqiao Village, bathed in the rising sun.
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