Everything on her birthday night felt like a dream, from the beautiful ritual umbrella to the kiss that landed on Ruan Bei's palm.
When he opened his eyes, neither of them spoke, as if nothing had happened, yet as if something had changed.
At the end of August, Ruan Bei and Qin Gu were to leave Xuanqing Temple to go home and wait for the start of the new school term.
When we arrived, each of us had a small suitcase containing only a few cool summer clothes and some personal items. When we left, each of us had a large suitcase that we almost couldn't fit everything in.
Most of the items were prepared for them by their elders and fellow disciples, as well as gifts for their families. He had always wanted to get some self-defense items for his family as well.
After asking my master, he said he wanted to give it to his parents, preferably something that looked ordinary.
His master pointed him in the right direction: go to the mountains to find wild peach trees, deep in the mountains where no roosters crow or dogs bark, where the spiritual energy grinds away the peach flesh, and take the peach pits to make a bracelet that can calm the mind and ward off evil.
The fourth senior brother led the two of them, along with the young Taoist priest Weiming, deep into Yuntai Mountain. After searching for two or three days, they finally discovered a wild peach grove hidden deep in the mountains.
Such a large forest, there must be countless wild peaches. These wild peaches are small and astringent, with a bland taste, but the peach pits are a delicacy.
Ruan Bei happily carried a sack back. Although he might lose more than half of the peach flesh after grinding it, there would still be enough for him to share.
The little bit of spiritual energy in his body was just right; it wasn't enough for anything else, and he couldn't even learn spells, so it was perfect for grinding peaches.
The peach pit, freshly peeled from the peach, has deep and hard textures. After being polished smooth with spiritual energy, it is then drilled to make a bracelet.
He couldn't grind a peach pit at a time; it took him three times to recover his spiritual energy before he could grind one. Fortunately, he had a reliable childhood friend, Kunkun, who was much faster at it than him. Before leaving, Kunkun made enough bracelets for him.
The remaining wild peaches were distributed to the young Taoist priests he knew, so they could grind them and play with them.
Everything else is easy to put in the suitcase, but the umbrella, which has a hidden sword, is not foldable. It can fit in a large suitcase, but it's a bit cramped, and I don't dare to press it down.
Even though Qin Gu repeatedly assured him that the umbrella was very sturdy, much sturdier than ordinary umbrellas, Ruan Bei was still worried that his precious umbrella would be damaged.
He was worried about losing it if he tried to mail it, so in the end he had to bring an extra empty suitcase specifically to pack this precious umbrella.
After the umbrella was packed, Ruan Bei had a new question: "Will it pass through security?"
He didn't want his precious umbrella to be confiscated!
“Sure.” The fourth senior brother said this, sounding very experienced: “A wooden sword, unsharpened, can be used as a craft item.”
In terms of its condition, this umbrella is undoubtedly a work of art.
When the two returned, their family was stunned to see the several large suitcases. If they were just souvenirs from a trip, that would be one thing, but weren't they supposed to be practicing martial arts in the mountains? They ate and drank at other people's homes, and then brought back so much stuff. For a moment, Mr. and Mrs. Ruan didn't know what to say.
Ruan Beile excitedly took out a gift: wild tea given to him by his master, to present to his father.
Wild tea is different from wild peaches. The latter cannot be eaten, but the former can produce high-quality tea. The tea produced by these old tea trees in Xuanqing Temple has a long-lasting aroma and can be regarded as a top-grade tea.
He bought local specialties, pastries, and candies in Anling City.
There was also a large bag of wild peach pit bracelets. Ruan Bei brought enough so that each member of his family would receive one, and his relatives and friends would also receive one.
Ruan Bei put it on her mother's wrist herself, and as she did so, she instructed, "Mom, this was made by Kun Kun and me. We almost got blisters on our fingers. You must keep it with you at all times and don't take it off casually."
Mother Ruan touched the smooth, polished bracelet and said with a smile, "Wild peach pits are good. I remember when I was little, I also had a peach pit bracelet, but it was strung with a red string. It was made for me by your grandmother, but I don't know where it went later."
Mr. Ruan and Ms. Ruan Xi also wore them, as a token of their son's/brother's affection, handmade by themselves, which they couldn't let down.
Ruan Bei found a larger string of coins for Ruan Xi, who waved her hand and said, "I'm pregnant."
Ruan Bei pouted and remained silent, while Qin Gu chuckled and explained for him, "Sister, this is what Xiao Bei gave to Yin Zhuo."
Ruan Xi glanced at her parents quickly. The couple looked down at the gifts Ruan Bei had brought back, seemingly ignoring Qin Gu's words. Then, she took the bracelet, which was much larger than the bracelet in Ruan Bei's hand, and stuffed it into her pocket with a blush.
Yin Zhuo asked his sister to deliver the gifts on his behalf. Afterwards, Ruan Bei visited his two uncles' homes and the Ran family, delivering the gifts he had brought to them.
He had planned to rest at home for a day before visiting his ghost friends, but an unexpected phone call disrupted his plans.
When Ruan Bei arrived at Zhou Linlin's house, he found that the woman had changed drastically.
Her skin was deathly pale, as if she hadn't seen the sun in a long time, or as if she were seriously ill; she looked very unhealthy.
Two large dark circles hung under his eyes, his hair was messy and dull, and he exuded a dejected aura.
Upon seeing Ruan Bei, she rushed over with tears in her eyes: "Master Ruan, Master Qin, my Niu Niu is missing, I can't find Niu Niu."
Ruan Bei searched the house but couldn't find Niu Niu. He subconsciously looked at Qin Gu, who went to the memorial tablet for Niu Niu that the Zhou family worshipped, lit incense, and calculated: "Nothing happened."
"What exactly happened?" Ruan Bei asked, frowning. "And what's wrong with you?"
He has now learned to read qi and could tell at a glance that Zhou Linlin was possessed by yin qi. He had clearly told her not to have too much contact with Niu Niu and to get more sun.
Zhou Linlin covered her face and cried. Before Ruan Bei could comfort her, she fainted, startling Ruan Bei: "What happened?"
Qin Gu sighed and checked her breathing: "It's nothing. She was just under too much mental strain and pressure, and the yin energy entered her body, causing a sudden fainting spell."
As he spoke, he began to draw out the yin energy from Zhou Linlin's body. Ruan Bei channeled his spiritual energy to his eyes and watched as a gray-black ball of energy gradually gathered at his fingertips.
After the yin energy was drawn out, Zhou Linlin's complexion improved significantly, and she soon woke up.
Given her condition, Ruan Bei didn't dare to ask any more questions and could only say, "Let's go find Niu Niu first."
The search for Niu Niu went smoothly. With the presence of this yin energy, Qin Gu quickly found her whereabouts. To Ruan Bei's surprise, Niu Niu actually returned to the small park where they had met.
The little girl was wearing a pretty floral dress, and her hair had been retied. She looked no different from any other child walking down the street, if you ignored her overly thin figure.
“Niu Niu, what are you doing here?” Ruan Bei squatted down in front of the little girl, looked her in the eye, and said gently, “How did you get here? Did you leave a message for your mother? She will worry about you.”
The little girl hung her head and said in a muffled voice, "Brother, I know everything."
"What do you know?" Ruan Bei asked.
Niu Niu pouted, her face contorted with suppressed tears: "I know Niu Niu wasn't bewitched by the old witch; Niu Niu is already dead."
She clenched her little fists and wiped away her tears. Her baby voice was choked with sobs, and she looked utterly pitiful: "I heard Aunt Liu from next door talking to Uncle Chen. Grandma killed Niu Niu because she wanted a little brother, but Niu Niu didn't."
"And my dad, he was also arrested by the police because he pushed my grandma down and she hit her head."
The little girl started to cry, and Ruan Bei was at a loss, not knowing how to comfort her. In the end, he could only say dryly, "But Niu Niu still has her mother. Her mother loves you the most."
“I know.” Niu Niu sobbed loudly, “Mom loves Niu Niu the most, but… but I don’t want to stay with Mom anymore. Brother, it was big brother who took the bad grandma away, right? Tell him to take Niu Niu away too.”
"Why?" Ruan Bei asked in surprise.
Niu Niu rubbed her eyes and said dejectedly, "Because I've become Mommy's little burden, and I don't want to be a little burden."
She had a classmate whose father had passed away and whose mother had remarried. The older brother in her new family bullied her and called her a "little burden."
Ruan Bei still didn't understand: "How could Niu Niu be a little burden? Who told you that?"
Niu Niu was silent for a while before whispering, "Grandma said that Mom is still young and should start a new life soon, and not keep thinking about Niu Niu. Niu Niu is gone, there's no burden, but Niu Niu is still here..."
“Mom doesn’t agree. She says she wants to stay with Niu Niu. Grandpa and Grandma say Mom is sick and wants to give her lots and lots of medicine. I don’t want Mom to take medicine. Medicine is bitter and doesn’t taste good.”
Ruan Bei felt a heavy weight in her heart. Was Niu Niu's grandmother wrong? No, from a mother's perspective, she was indeed thinking of her daughter.
Zhou Linlin is not yet thirty years old, which is the best time of her life. She has a long life ahead of her and can completely let go of the past to start a new relationship and build a new family.
But Zhou Linlin couldn't let go of her youngest daughter, who had become a ghost. With Niu Niu around, she was destined to live alone. She couldn't explain to her future husband why she kept a memorial tablet at home, why she left a beautifully decorated empty room, and why she would sometimes talk to herself in the air.
Others, like her parents, would assume she was too heartbroken and had developed mental problems.
Niu Niu looked up at Qin Gu timidly and said, "Big brother, please arrest Niu Niu and lock her up like Grandma Guan did. Just don't lock us up together, I'm afraid she'll hit me."
“Niu Niu is a good girl, big brother can’t grab you.” Ruan Bei reached out to touch Niu Niu’s head, expecting to miss, but to his surprise, he actually felt the soft strands of the child’s hair.
It's a bit chilly.
He looked at Qin Gu in surprise, and Qin Gu waved the ball of Yin energy in his hand at him. Ruan Bei understood.
Kunkun can encounter those yin energies, and ghosts are collections of yin energy, so of course he can encounter them too.
Niu Niu was startled by the touch on her head. She looked up in confusion, pressed her little nose against Ruan Bei's hand, and exclaimed happily, "Brother, I can touch you!"
She was crying just a moment ago, but now she's laughing again. She's just a simple little kid.
He gently patted Niu Niu's soft hair and said softly, "Niu Niu, how about I take you home first? Mom was so worried about you that she fainted."
Niu Niu immediately became anxious upon hearing this: "What's wrong with Mommy? Is she sick?"
"It's okay, she's all better now. Shall we go back and see her first? If you have anything to say, you can tell her face to face. Otherwise, if Niu Niu sneaks away, Mom will think something happened to you, and that will make her very sad."
This time, Niu Niu didn't refuse and obediently followed Ruan Bei.
Ruan Bei brought the umbrella that Kun Kun made for him today. Although the talismans on the umbrella are not yet finished, it is not something that can be done in a day. The current functions are already enough for him.
Ruan Bei held up the umbrella and let Niu Niu stand under it. The little girl tilted her head back so hard she almost fell over, blinking her big eyes and praising, "Brother, this umbrella is better than the big black one before. This one is pretty, cool, and comfortable."
For ghosts, walking under the blazing sun is still too intense, even with an umbrella providing shade.
But this magical umbrella is different; its performance in all aspects is exceptionally superior, and blocking sunlight is a piece of cake for it.
Praising his umbrella is praising him!
Ruan Bei said proudly, "This is a birthday present from your older brother. Look how beautiful the painting is! He painted it himself."
"Wow, big brother is so amazing! Big brother is so kind to you."
A child's sincere compliments always bring genuine joy, and Ruan Bei and Qin Gu both smiled.
"Big brother, you're amazing." Ruan Bei winked at Qin Gu.
Qin Gu smiled broadly: "Yes, call out a few more times, big brother has even more amazing things to say."
Ruan Bei: "...Niu Niu, let's go."
After returning to the Zhou family, Qin Gu gave Zhou Linlin an eye-opening talisman and spoke his mind. Zhou Linlin felt heartbroken and sad. Her daughter was so thoughtful and sensible, how could she bear to abandon her?
But now her life is indeed in trouble. In fact, after the two murders, Zhou Linlin should have moved. The neighbors are too familiar with each other, and there may be some differences in their interactions, which is really heartbreaking.
Moving now isn't out of the question, but it won't solve the fundamental problem. For Zhou Linlin, raising a ghost daughter would mean giving up too much.
Her life has been completely disrupted, and she is now embroiled in intense family conflicts, a complete mess.
As the mother and daughter were talking, Ruan Bei pulled Qin Gu aside and whispered to him, "Is there any way to help them?"
Qin Gu hesitated, but Ruan Bei steeled herself and lowered her voice even further: "Big brother, do you have a way to help Niu Niu?"
"...Yes." Qin Gu's army was completely routed, with almost no resistance.
"What method?"
Qin Gu glanced at him and said, "Say it again."
Ruan Bei raised his voice and slapped him on the chest: "Brother, hurry up, we're talking about serious business."
Qin Gu: "..."
He clutched his chest and sighed, "Can you take care of him?"
"Me? How can I raise it? I don't even have a place to raise it."
He wouldn't raise a ghost, and even if he were willing, Zhou Linlin had prepared such a large room for Niu Niu, bigger than his own room. Where would he raise Niu Niu?
Even though she's a ghost, she's still a young girl, so it's not appropriate for her to live with him.
"Don't rush, let me finish." Qin Gu first introduced him to the profession of ghost keeper, who makes ghosts live and then drive them to do things for them.
For example, the famous Kumanthong in Thailand is based on the same principle, as is raising a ghost child.
However, being a ghost keeper is a respectable profession. Some may have gone astray, but others have successfully raised ghosts, achieving mutual benefit and success.
However, the latter is rare. Ghosts are, after all, evil beings, and few ghost masters can resist driving ghosts to do bad things. But once a ghost commits a crime, it incurs sin and must be punished before reincarnation.
“Not all ghosts follow the ghost master. They have special magical artifacts to hold ghost messengers, and some can even nurture ghosts and summon them when needed.”
For example, his Soul-Binding Banner could be considered one, but it was pitch black inside, no different from solitary confinement, and was generally used as a weapon.
"Of course, you don't need to go through all that trouble. Just find a container to hold Niu Niu, and you can let her go out to play by herself most of the time."
Qin Gu said, "You won't make Niu Niu do bad things. When you have the chance to meet the ghost messenger later, just ask him to help Niu Niu reincarnate."
Ruan Bei listened attentively, thought for a moment, and then asked hesitantly, "If it can hold a girl, how big would it have to be?"
Qin Gu: "..."
He clenched his fist: "It doesn't matter if it's this big, or even a little smaller."
Niu Niu is a ghost. Ghosts are essentially a mass of energy, formless and intangible, but they can manifest in a physical form. In her perception, this is how she is.
But how could a ball of energy be unable to be contained?
Ruan Bei considered it carefully and felt that this was indeed a good idea. He was already a cultivator, and a little ghost like Niu Niu could not affect him, nor would she be corrupted by the Yin energy.
Moreover, he can see Niu Niu, and even Kun Kun needs to use the Eye-Opening Talisman. Since the Eye-Opening Talisman can't be used all the time, it's more convenient to follow him.
My only concern is...
"Will it affect other people?" He carries a ghost with him; will that affect others?
Qin Gu said nonchalantly, "It's not that easy to be affected. Unless you're right next to a little devil like Niu Niu every day and she draws your Qi into your body, she might be slightly affected by Yin Qi after ten days or half a month. But if she gets plenty of sunshine, there won't be any problem at all."
Hearing this, Ruan Bei felt relieved. Now it all depended on whether Zhou Linlin and Niu Niu were willing.
Niu Niu was reluctant to leave her mother, and Zhou Linlin was also reluctant to leave her daughter. But after hearing what Ruan Bei said, the little girl spoke first: "Mom, I'm willing to go with my brother. If I leave, you can find another dad and have another baby."
Zhou Linlin burst into tears instantly.
Compared to when Ruan Bei first met her, Niu Niu has become much more sensible and mature. The experiences she has had during this period have had a huge impact on the child.
"Mom, don't cry. My brother is fine. I will..." She looked up at Ruan Bei and asked, "Can I come back to see you, Mom?"
Ruan Bei said, "Of course, my home is in this city too. I'll bring you back when I'm on vacation. You can think of it as accompanying your brother to school, okay?"
“Okay.” Niu Niu nodded vigorously: “Mom, you heard me, I’m going to school with my brother. Don’t be sad, Niu Niu is a big girl now and can take care of herself.”
After Zhou Linlin finished crying and calmed down, she had to admit that Ruan Bei's method was the most suitable.
She can't see Niu Niu, nor can she take good care of her. Even if Niu Niu is by her side, she is still all alone.
Moreover, Niu Niu will eventually be reincarnated. Master Ruan is a very capable person, and if Niu Niu follows him, she won't miss any opportunities.
Zhou Linlin wiped away her tears, asked Ruan Bei and Qin Gu to wait a moment, and went to the bedroom to get a bank card.
"What are you doing?" Ruan Bei frowned.
Zhou Linlin shoved the bank card into his hand, insisting, "Master Ruan, you must accept it. Last time you helped me, I didn't have enough money on hand, so I only gave you that little bit. I feel embarrassed about it now."
You are kind-hearted and often burn offerings for Niu Niu. I feel at ease with Niu Niu with you. This money isn't just for you; raising Niu Niu costs money. I am her mother, and there's no reason for you to spend this money.
Seeing Ruan Bei hesitate, Zhou Linlin pressed on, saying, "Don't worry, I really don't need any money now. I got most of Tong Hanming's assets when we divorced. That's when I found out he'd made a lot of money over the years without telling me anything."
Ruan Bei understood that Tong Hanming, as Lu Minghai's special assistant, had probably received a lot of bribes. The smaller companies below that wanted to get in touch with him or take on business from the Lu family couldn't afford to offend Lu Minghai, so they had to put their efforts on his special assistants.
Thinking about it this way, it could be considered as undermining the Lu family.
Having said all that, there was no point in refusing any longer. He accepted the bank card and assured Zhou Linlin, "I will take good care of Niu Niu and find a way to send her to be reincarnated."
"Thank you." Zhou Linlin bowed sincerely to the two still-young boys.
They needed to prepare a place for Niu Niu to stay, so Niu Niu would have to stay at home for a few more days. Both mother and daughter were happy to do so, as the thought of parting made their time together all the more precious.
Once outside the residential compound, Ruan Bei said, "Let's check how much it costs first, and we'll split it in half."
“Okay, then from now on when I take on a mission, the reward will be split in half.” Qin Gu didn’t stand on ceremony with him. They did everything together and contributed to each other, so this way of calculating the reward was quite fair.
"If I can help, I will; if I can't, then forget it."
As they talked, they found a bank ATM and checked their balance.
Author's Note:
Wang Bufan can communicate with his teacher, and since the teacher is old and lives alone, they keep each other company.
Niu Niu is different. She can't stay with her mother for long. People who are alive always have to start a new life. She will stay with Xiao Bei for now and wait for a ghost messenger.
Oh, by the way, that umbrella... it's Xiao Bei's magical artifact. I'd like to suggest a name for it, but coming up with a name is so difficult...
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