After returning home, Qin Gu told Ruan Bei that the ghost at the school was a student who jumped to his death.
"Jumped to his death? I've never heard of that before," Ruan Bei asked, puzzled.
Qin Gu thought to himself, "You don't even know the gossip in your own class, so of course you wouldn't know about the rest of the school, especially since it happened several years ago."
That's what he thought, but he couldn't say it like that. He explained, "He's been dead for several years. We hadn't even started school yet, and when something like this happened, the school would naturally try everything to suppress the news."
"So the boys' dormitory is really haunted? Can he touch real objects? Otherwise, how can he grade papers? Also, is it magic or hypnosis to make three students fall asleep at the same time? Uncle Ran can't do these things, and Ma Chunhua doesn't seem to be able to either; she's an even older ghost."
Ruan Bei raised a whole bunch of questions. Although he was still afraid of ghosts, he had also developed some interest in that supernatural world and a desire to explore it.
Qin Gu always spoke frankly and openly to him, and he was also very willing for Ruan Bei to know more about this matter. He explained carefully, "This ghost is different. He is a suicide ghost. His lifespan has not ended, so the underworld will not accept him. He will only be allowed to die when the time comes in the Book of Life and Death, at which point the gates of hell will open and the underworld officials will take his soul."
"Moreover, because he committed suicide, he was guilty of murder and his ghostly body was burdened with sin. He became a bound spirit at the place of his violent death, repeating the process of his death every year on the anniversary of his death until the sin of murder was cleansed."
Otherwise, there would be no way that a ghost could have remained at the school he attended; it's just that the ghost couldn't escape.
Qin Gu said, "Earthbound spirits are called spirits, but they are actually ghosts. However, in their domain, which is the land of their bondage, they have power that surpasses that of ordinary ghosts and monsters. Therefore, they can temporarily touch some light and small objects, such as pens."
There are also some special spells, some strong and some weak. Most of them are not very useful, but some are interesting. I will tell you about them slowly later.
Personally, I don't think that was hypnosis; it was more like the power of words. Several students used books to hypnotize themselves, relying on the power of words, like making a wish to a bound spirit, and then the three of them fell asleep.
Ruan Bei was stunned. Most of the information he knew about ghosts before came from his own experiences and Ran Yusheng.
Later, when Kunkun came back, he told him about Ma Chunhua's situation. However, Ran Yusheng was just an ordinary ghost, and Kunkun only told him about Ma Chunhua's situation, so he really didn't know there were so many other details.
Regarding earthbound spirits, he was at a loss for words. If one couldn't go on living, who would think of committing suicide? Yet, after death, one still suffers torment, reliving the experience of death again and again. Just thinking about it is terrifying.
To be honest, when he couldn't hold on any longer in his previous life, he would occasionally contemplate suicide. But when he thought that he would die before Kunkun returned, leaving his sister all alone, he would grit his teeth and persevere.
Looking back now, it's fortunate he didn't lose his mind and commit suicide. Otherwise, if Kunkun came back, he would have seen his ghost constantly committing suicide, which would have been too shameful and disgraceful.
"What? Do you feel sorry for him?" Qin Gu could tell what Ruan Bei was thinking at a glance.
Ruan Bei nodded dejectedly: "A little. If someone commits suicide because they were forced to, how unjust that would be!"
Qin Gu was quite open-minded. He had been taught by his master since childhood and possessed the professional qualities of a celestial master. He separated ghosts from humans, did not regard them as the same species, examined them indifferently, and made the most rational judgment.
The evil spirits that commit wrongdoings and break the rules will be eliminated.
He turns a blind eye to ghosts that stay peacefully, but if they offend him, he can easily eliminate them. This is one of the negative consequences of them not returning to the underworld on time and evading the underworld officials to linger in the human world. Without a legal residence permit, the Celestial Master, as a semi-enforcer, has a legitimate reason to deal with them.
However, Ruan Bei was naturally kind-hearted, which is why she was moved by Ran Yusheng and his wife's relationship and offered to take him home.
Qin Gu knew Ruan Bei's nature and simply comforted him, saying, "There's nothing we can do. These are the rules of the underworld. You have to abide by the rules of the place you live in. When you're alive, you have to obey the law, and when you die, you have to abide by the laws of the underworld, right?"
Ruan Bei nodded sullenly, and Qin Gu said again: "But if he was really forced to his death, the murderer will not have an easy time either. Once he enters the underworld, he will suffer the consequences of his evil deeds in life. He might not even be able to be reincarnated. He will have to go to the eighteenth level of hell to suffer a good punishment."
Ruan Bei was happy. He liked the idea of evil being punished. People like Lu Sibai could bewitch a bunch of lunatics, but the King of Hell wouldn't be fooled by him. He was a god!
He was happy for a while, then a question came to mind: "Didn't you say you didn't know any ghost messengers? How do you know about these things?"
Qin Gu gave a subtle smile: "I have connections."
Ruan Bei: "?"
"My sect has been passed down for many years. These are all recorded in the sect's classic texts. In the Dharma-ending Age, spiritual energy is shallow, and the path to immortality through cultivation has been cut off. But it is said that a thousand years ago, one of our sect's ancestral masters cultivated to become an immortal."
Immortals are far more captivating than ghosts, and Ruan Bei exclaimed in amazement, "Amazing!"
Qin Gu immediately seized the opportunity to tempt him: "If Xiao Bei decides to keep his Yin-Yang Eyes, why not just join the Dao and become my junior brother? Otherwise, you can only see them, but you can't do anything about those ghosts and monsters. What if I'm not by your side one time and you run into an evil spirit?"
Ruan Bei grew anxious: "Where are you going? If you're going somewhere else this time, tell me where you're going first, or I'm afraid I won't be able to find you."
Qin Gu felt a pang of pain in his heart and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I won't leave alone again."
Once Ruan Bei received the assurance, he felt relieved. Then, belatedly realizing he had overreacted, he scratched his face sheepishly, "I wasn't restricting your movements, I was just asking..."
"I know Xiao Bei is worried about me." Qin Gu gently hugged him, his heart aching with tenderness.
Ruan Bei didn't know what was wrong with him; his face inexplicably felt hot.
His eyes darted around, and he hesitated before asking, "Would your sect be willing to accept me? I don't know anything."
Such a sect, with its long-standing tradition, sounds very difficult to join.
"Of course, you have the ability to see ghosts. There's almost no school of metaphysics that you can't enter. Right now, you can only see ghosts. Once you've mastered the basics, your master will teach you to read qi. You can even try to take over the jobs of feng shui masters. Their line of work deals with wealthy people, and it's a quick way to make money."
Ruan Bei was very interested; this sounded safer than catching ghosts.
But it's just a thought. His family member, Kunkun, is a Taoist priest, a front-line combatant, which is very dangerous. Since he has this talent, he can't waste it. He should work hard so that he can help him in the future.
"When are we going?" Once he accepted this idea, Ruan Bei became excited. Could he now be considered a cultivator? Even if he wasn't a cultivator of immortality, he was still cultivating the Dao.
"Let's wait until summer vacation," Qin Gu said helplessly. "It's fine for me, but you can't just take leave whenever you want."
Ruan Bei immediately deflated: "Oh yeah, I still have to go to school, and you're taking the college entrance exam, so I was planning to take extra classes during the summer vacation."
"Why is it that your grades are so good, but your tutoring is so bad..." Ruan Bei was full of resentment. Otherwise, it would have been much easier to find Kunkun than to save up questions and wait to see the tutor on the weekend.
When he couldn't solve a problem, he tried asking Kunkun, but to his surprise, Kunkun skipped all the intermediate steps. It wasn't that Qin Gu didn't want to explain; he just felt that jumping from the first step to the third step was perfectly reasonable.
Qin Gu coughed lightly, then suddenly had a brilliant idea: "I'll find you a private coach!"
Ruan Bei was puzzled: "Private coach? But I've already found one, don't you know that?"
Qin Gu said, "Didn't you want someone to teach you how to do problems anytime? This is the one I found for you. He can be with you all the time, and you can ask him any questions you want."
Ruan Bei quickly shook his head and refused: "No, no, how can I take someone with me everywhere I go? How am I supposed to explain that to my classmates and teachers?"
“They can’t see it,” Qin Gu said. “The one I found for you is the ghost we were just talking about.”
Ruan Bei: "...Isn't that a bit inappropriate?" Carrying a ghost around is a little scary.
"Besides, that ghost might not necessarily be a good student, and even if he is, he might not be a good teacher." Ruan Bei glanced at him sideways, clearly seeing this as an example.
“With a local spirit by your side and you still in school, of course I have to investigate his background.”
Qin Gu said, "That ghost who jumped off the building was the top scorer in the provincial college entrance examination five years ago. At that time, the banner that the school had hung up for him had not yet been taken down. As a result, shortly after he filled out his college application, he returned to the school and jumped off the teaching building."
Although Xiao Bei, who was timid and clingy, was cute, Qin Gu thought it would be pitiful to see him constantly being scared by ghosts and monsters in the future. So he wanted to toughen him up.
There just happened to be a suitable ghost candidate right in front of them. The ghost who jumped off the building was about the same age as Ruan Bei. When it wasn't the anniversary of his death, he would still look like a whole ghost, so he wouldn't reveal the truth and wouldn't be scary.
In addition, knowing his background, I figured he wouldn't dare to do anything under my nose. It's a good opportunity to make use of him and bring him along to tutor Xiao Bei.
Ruan Bei's focus shifted: "Top scorer in the college entrance exam? That's amazing! Then why did he jump off the building?"
"I don't know." He only inquired about how he died, but had no patience to find out why he died.
"How heartbroken his parents must be." Ruan Bei sighed, feeling a pang of sadness. They had raised their child to adulthood, and he was doing so well in his studies, only to have him commit suicide.
However, the fact that he was able to bring himself to jump off the building suggests that he must have suffered some unbearable injustice.
"Do you want him to tutor you? Think about it, he's a ghost, nobody can see him. If he follows you around, and you have a question you don't understand, just point to him and he can explain it to you. Isn't that convenient? You don't want to bring a ghost home. He's a bound spirit, he can't leave the school, isn't that perfect?"
Ruan Bei was intrigued by his words and stammered, "What if he can't explain the problem?"
Qin Gu: "We'll know once we try."
Ruan Bei considered it carefully, then nodded hesitantly: "Shall we go find him? But we can't force him. I'll ask him if he's willing, and if so, if there's anything he wants. I'll burn it for him as tuition."
Qin Gu hadn't really thought about whether the ghost who jumped off the building would agree to it. After all, the year he enrolled in school, the ghost thought he was there to get rid of him and was so scared that it almost cried itself unconscious.
Well, I still avoid him whenever I see him. He's been so active lately for two reasons: first, the college entrance exam is approaching, and the anniversary of his death is getting closer; second, Qin Gu isn't at school, so this ghost has been running wild.
After lunch, Qin Gu called his master. He couldn't explain Ruan Bei's situation clearly in a short time, and he planned to keep the news of his rebirth a secret from everyone. He only gave his master a general description of Ruan Bei and Lu Sibai's situation.
It's obviously abnormal that Ruan Bei always has bad luck whenever she meets Lu Sibai, and Lu Sibai's clingy attitude towards Ruan Bei is also strange. I wonder if there's really something fishy going on.
Xu Ziduan was quite surprised: "Didn't you see anything yourself?" With his disciple's skill, if he had really used magic, he wouldn't be able to leave no trace.
Qin Gu really couldn't see it, otherwise he wouldn't have asked his master for help. Logically speaking, if Lu Sibai really did something to Ruan Bei using metaphysical methods, it's impossible that he only did it on himself, because Ruan Bei was the recipient and there would definitely be traces of the spell left on his body.
However, it's also possible that Lu Sibai hasn't had a chance to make a move yet.
But he couldn't tell his master that, otherwise how could he explain that he could foresee the future? In the end, he could only vaguely say that he wasn't quite sure and asked his master to help him organize the relevant techniques.
Previously, he wasn't interested in these "unorthodox methods" and only focused on spells that could enhance his combat power. Now, he's reaping the bitter consequences of his unbalanced approach.
When I mentor my junior apprentices in the future, I'll need to be omniscient and omnipotent. I'm afraid I'll have a lot of lessons to learn.
However, if it's his little Bei who's with him, he'd be happy to do it.
Xu Ziduan was quite pleased that his apprentice was finally willing to develop in a balanced way. It was not a good thing to pursue offensive methods alone. The young man was ambitious and talented, and few of his peers could compare with him. It was inevitable that he would become arrogant.
So no matter what caused his mindset to change, Xu Ziduan felt it was a good thing. He was still young and hadn't finished his apprenticeship yet, so if he suffered a loss, his master would make up for it. If he stumbled again when he was independent, the price would be much higher.
With the matter settled, he was just waiting for his master to help him organize the relevant information. Before hanging up the phone, Qin Gu felt he should mention Xiao Bei's apprenticeship, so he casually added, "Master, I've taken on a little apprentice for you."
Xu Ziduan almost thought he had misheard: "What did you say?"
Qin Gu couldn't help but frown. Was his master getting hard of hearing at his age?
Out of respect for his teacher, he raised his voice and repeated, "I said I've taken on a little apprentice for you, my junior brother."
Xu Ziduan: "...You don't need to speak so loudly, I can hear you. When did I say I was going to take on disciples?"
Qin Gu: "I will accept disciples on behalf of my master."
Actually, not yet. Their sect's initiation procedure is quite complicated and solemn. He hasn't prepared anything, so of course he can't let Xiao Bei's apprenticeship ceremony be perfunctory.
Xu Ziduan's good mood, which had just been because his apprentice knew how to improve, vanished instantly. He said irritably, "All you do is cause me trouble. I won't take you on!"
Is taking on apprentices such a casual matter? He carefully selects each apprentice, ensuring they are of excellent character and talent before accepting them into his fold. He teaches and nurtures them well, treating them as his disciples in name only, but in reality, he regards them as his sons.
Furthermore, he's quite old. Although he hasn't said it explicitly, everyone in the temple, including himself, considers Qin Gu his last disciple. He simply doesn't have the energy to teach a new apprentice from scratch. What if his apprentice hasn't graduated yet, and he dies before he can die in peace?
Qin Gu was displeased. He had already boasted to Xiao Bei, was he going to be embarrassed? Impossible.
"Master, you really won't accept it?" Qin Gu asked.
“No, you should explain this to the child as soon as possible. Don’t delay them. If the child’s parents cause you trouble because of this, you will have to bear the consequences yourself.”
"Alright then." Qin Gu sighed dramatically. "It's rare to find someone with the ability to see ghosts. Such a wonderful talent. The child is also very well-behaved, gentle, and obedient. I was thinking of reserving this child for you, Master, but you didn't want it. So forget it. I'll go ask Master Kan. Such a good child would be well suited for the Feng Shui school."
Kan Yunzi was a close friend of his master and a master of Feng Shui. His status in the Feng Shui lineage was similar to that of his master in the Celestial Master lineage; both were leading figures.
"Nonsense! The ability to see ghosts is most suitable for the Celestial Master lineage!"
Xu Ziduan was anxious: "Why didn't you say so earlier? Where is that child? Hurry up and settle his status for me. From now on, he will be your junior brother. Give me the address, and I will come to pick up my little apprentice right now."
With such great talent, why bother learning feng shui? You'd just be looking at houses and decorations all day. The Celestial Masters are much better able to utilize their Yin-Yang Eyes.
As for character, the fact that his temperamental apprentice praised him so highly shows that he is truly obedient.
Qin Gu was petty and vengeful, even teasing his own master. He said slowly, "Forget it. Let me think about it carefully. Our line of work is indeed quite dangerous. What if the child's parents cause me trouble? I'm an orphan, and I have no elders to stand up for me."
If it weren't for the telephone line separating them, Xu Ziduan would have already ordered the discipline whip to give this unfilial disciple a good beating. Is this how you treat your master?!
The old Taoist priest was so angry that he glared and berated Qin Gu over the phone, warning him that if he couldn't bring his young apprentice back, he wouldn't need to come back either.
Qin Gu really wanted to say something cheeky: "Then I'll take him to another school."
Finally, considering that his master was getting old and might get sick from getting angry, he lowered his head first and said, "Alright, it's settled then. He'll be my junior brother. You don't have to teach him, I'll teach him. No other senior uncles or masters are allowed to take him as a disciple."
Although they are all fellow disciples, those who share the same master are closer.
The master and apprentice, both deeply ingrained with a penchant for holding grudges, immediately mocked, "Are you even capable? All you know how to do is throw grenades. Are you going to teach him how to throw grenades too?"
In fact, Qin Gu knew more than just thunder magic, but he certainly mastered thunder magic the best and used it the most.
These words struck a nerve with Qin Gu, and he gritted his teeth and said, "What simple spells don't I know? Even if I don't know them, I can learn them easily and I won't hold him back."
Xu Ziduan chuckled to himself, thinking, "You little rascal, you've finally met your match."
"Then send my little apprentice over first. If it's inconvenient, just tell me the address and I'll send someone to pick him up."
"That won't do. The child is at school. If we take him away now, his parents will really cause trouble."
Although Xu Ziduan was old, he was not pedantic and supported the young Taoists in the temple to learn more. When a young Taoist who had started learning at a young age was admitted to university, the temple would help pay for his tuition.
Therefore, upon hearing Qin Gu's words, he did not urge him further. He only instructed Qin Gu to take good care of the person and to take him to the temple as soon as possible during the holiday to hold the apprenticeship ceremony and formally establish his status.
Qin Gu was in high spirits after successfully finalizing Ruan Bei's apprenticeship. Ruan Bei, seeing his smiling face, asked him what good thing had happened.
Qin Gu then took the opportunity to show off his achievements, telling Ruan Bei a slightly edited version of his conversation with his master, saying that his master really wanted to take him as a disciple and was so excited that he almost flew over to pick him up, but he managed to persuade him to stop.
When Ruan Bei heard that he was being valued so much, he was overjoyed. His eyes curved into crescent moons as he said shyly, "It's because Master is so kind."
Qin Gu teased him, "Isn't it good to be a senior brother? Come on, call me senior brother."
Ruan Bei punched him, letting the senior brother feel the enthusiasm from his junior brother.
In the afternoon, they went to school as usual. After class, Ruan Bei and Qin Gu ate something quick in the cafeteria to fill their stomachs, and then went to find that academic genius.
Although Ruan Bei's ability to see ghosts was useful, he himself didn't have much skill, so he couldn't see ghosts unless they were right in front of him.
Qin Gu is different. Although he is blind, he has strong magical powers and can sense ghosts with just a little bit of perception.
He said the ghost of the top student is in dormitory building number four of the men's dormitory, which happens to be the location of Lin Dengke's dormitory. It seems that his roommate was not joking when he said it was haunted.
Ruan Bei made an excuse to visit his classmate and brought him some fruit and his notes, which was probably what Lin wanted most right now.
Qin Gu went to find the "Ghost of the Academic Prodigy." Ruan Bei had just come out of Lin Dengke's dormitory when Qin Gu called him to say that the ghost had been found.
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