People still have souls after death. One life ends, but there are still lives to come. But Su Xiaoman is really gone.
"She's already dead, so saying this doesn't count as leaking the Book of Life and Death. According to her original trajectory, Su Xiaoman still had another forty years to live." Hei Wuchang said.
Su Xiaoman graduated from university two years ago, turning twenty-four. She still had forty years left, meaning her lifespan would have ended at eight or nine. Originally, Su Xiaoman's career had been rocky, with misjudging people and suffering tragic deceptions. She'd spent half her life struggling in the entertainment industry, experiencing ups and downs but little success. Disillusioned, she retired in her forties, married her husband, and enjoyed a relatively comfortable later life.
It's an ordinary life.
But now all hope is gone.
Su Xiaoman disappeared completely from this world, and there will be no afterlife.
"The first three cases you mentioned, the last one was the ghost of that high school girl, what about the two before that?" Lu Cijiu asked with a frown.
Hei Wuchang said, "The first two incidents occurred a year ago. At that time, the Underworld was still operating in a traditional way, and no one noticed anything amiss. Six months ago, the Underworld began implementing modern management, transitioning from the old to the new. The Book of Life and Death was computerized, and they've been busy with reforms ever since. Only recently did they notice anything amiss."
This matter is very serious, and the underworld has begun a thorough investigation and handed it over to Hei Wuchang.
Without needing to ask more, Hei Wuchang recounted the life stories of the four victims he had found. They seemed unrelated, with different birth dates and locations, spanning a vast expanse of territory. However, they did have one thing in common: the victims were all women, and all had died unjustly, carrying a grudge and a deep obsession.
It means that he died in an accident before his life was over.
The youngest is a high school student ghost, who is obsessed with traveling through time and space to become a royal concubine. Although his mind is not clear, because he only has this in his mind, his obsession is so strong that he can survive in a place like the Forbidden City.
Two ghosts disappeared a year ago. One was a middle-aged woman in her forties. She was abused by her husband and bullied by his family. She had several miscarriages. Later, she became mentally ill and bought rat poison, killing all six members of her husband's family. Not only that, she chopped up the remaining breathless ones with an axe and then committed suicide.
After his death, his body was filled with blood and evil energy, making it impossible for him to be reincarnated, so he was imprisoned in a prison.
The other was a beautiful woman in her thirties, from a poor family. Her father, who favored boys over girls, sold his then-sixteen-year-old daughter to a wealthy family in town to find a wife for his son. She was subsequently sold from one person to another, subjected to abuse and beatings. In her thirties, she thought she had found a good man, but he turned out to be a pimp. With no hope in her life, she was tortured to death.
After her death, she was filled with resentment and became a fierce ghost. She took revenge on the man and family who had harmed her. As a ghost, she was involved in several deaths and was imprisoned after her death.
The last one is Su Xiaoman.
"That means the first two are female ghosts serving sentences." Lu Cijiu speculated, "Could this one who's causing harm be an evil ghost that escaped from the underworld or something?"
Hei Wuchang nodded, "I think so too, and we are currently investigating."
There are many evil people in the world. After death, they become evil ghosts. These evil ghosts accumulate over many lifetimes. The eighteen levels of the underworld, and those torture prisons are already overcrowded with ghosts of all kinds. It takes time to check them out.
"I've been investigating Su Xiaoman's life. She was acting strangely even when she was filming 'Hospital Tales.'" The cinema changed faces. These were all unusual phenomena. Lu Cijiu and Hei Wuchang agreed that he would investigate Su Xiaoman's life as much as possible to see if he could find any clues, while Hei Wuchang investigated below.
A two-pronged approach.
This conversation lasted until the early morning.
Su Xiaoman's boyfriend, Xiao Fang, was still waiting outside the villa. The door was cordoned off, and Xiao Fang couldn't get in. He looked distraught and in pain. Hei Wuchang said calmly, "He's Su Xiaoman's husband."
He was the husband who originally gave Su Xiaoman happiness in her later years.
But now there is nothing left.
Lu Cijiu couldn't describe his feelings and went back with Gong Xichao. Gong Xichao didn't teleport, but turned into Kunpeng and asked Lu Cijiu to come up.
It would be so cold flying back in the middle of winter. Lu Cijiu thought to himself and lay on it. Because Gong Xichao had grown bigger, his feathers were also very hard, but warm. After taking off, there was no cold wind at all, as if it was blocked.
Lu Cijiu knew what Gong Xichao did.
Lying on Gong Xichao's back, with his head against Kunpeng's neck, he said, "I'm actually used to seeing life and death. I've been doing work for my grandfather since I was a child. The first time I saw someone die was when I was a child in elementary school. I was originally going to scare the children in the village, but after that, I heard the chaotic crying and shouting in the village, and I learned that an aunt's child fell into the river and drowned."
"My grandfather was quite famous in the surrounding villages. The family found him carrying the child's wet body. It was the first time I saw a dead body. The child was a few years younger than me. He was a little swollen, with his eyes closed and his face pale and blue. I knew about life and death at that time, but it was the first time I saw death."
"The child was already dead. The aunt begged the grandfather to save him, but he couldn't. The aunt raised her fist and beat and scolded the grandfather. I was very angry at the time and wanted to confront her, but the grandfather protected me from behind."
Lu Cijiu didn’t know why he said this. It was his first time seeing a dead person and he was deeply impressed.
"When I got home that night, my grandfather held my hand and told me not to be afraid. He said death is not scary because there are still souls and they will be reincarnated. This life is short, and maybe the next life will be a good one. There is always hope."
"Are you scared?" Gong Xichao asked.
Lu Cijiu felt the warmth from the feathers beneath him, shook his head and said, "Actually, I'm not afraid. Later, I saw many people who died tragically, had bad fates, were miserable, and resentful, and became ghosts. Everyone has their own misfortunes, but I think the suffering I suffered in my previous life, after drinking Mengpo tea, has helped me forget the past, and there is still hope."
"Su Xiaoman died so tragically. No one knows who killed her. She doesn't even have a next life." Lu Cijiu said in a deep voice.
Gong Xichao said, "Lu Cijiu, you will catch the bad guy, and then I will help you beat him up."
"Okay." Lu Cijiu said.
After flying and talking all the way back to the shelter, the bad mood caused by Su Xiaoman's death had faded. Lu Cijiu was a little hungry, so he went to the kitchen to make a bowl of wonton noodles and added an extra egg for Gong Xichao.
The two of them sat in the yard eating noodles without turning on the lights. There was a night pearl on the table.
The soft light illuminates the small jade bed.
Lu Cijiu held the bowl and drank a mouthful of soup, then said naturally, "Gong Xichao, thank you."
Thank you for flying back and listening to me all the way.
Gong Xichao looked at the two poached eggs in the bowl and smiled happily.
"Who told you to be my wife?"
Lu Cijiu: ...Why would such a good boss talk?
This interruption completely dispelled his sadness. After eating a midnight snack and washing up, he went to bed. Gong Xichao automatically put on his pajamas and got on the small bed. Lu Cijiu got into the warm quilt. The cold night had nothing to do with him.
I slept until dawn.
Zhou Cheng prepared breakfast, and Lu Cijiu washed up and came to help, while telling him what happened to Su Xiaoman last night.
"Are you okay?" Zhou Cheng asked Lu Cijiu's mood.
Lu Cijiu knew that Cheng Ge was very attentive and might have noticed it last night. He made breakfast for him this morning and let him rest. He said, "It's okay. I just felt a little sad last night. The person is gone. Now the important thing is to catch the murderer. This thing is very dangerous. I have a feeling that if we don't catch him, more people will die."
"Currently, the victims are all women. Brother Cheng, tell your family to try not to go out at night. I'll give you another talisman. Also, don't go to places with strong yin energy recently."
Lu Cijiu remembered that there was an aunt in Cheng Ge's family.
The family situation was a bit complicated. His aunt's son, his half-brother Chen Caixing, was a bit special, so nothing would happen to his aunt. However, Zhou Cheng still thanked him, saying that Xiaolu treated him as a friend.
After breakfast, Lu Cijiu told the kids that there was a job coming up. He said seriously, "This time, an auntie has died, and the thing that killed her hasn't been caught yet. We have to help the auntie catch the murderer."
The kids are still young and may not understand, but Lu Cijiu doesn't want them to be happy no matter what happens. He may have coaxed the kids before, but now Lu Cijiu wants to teach them.
Respect death.
"Chirp, chirp, what is death?" Dalong asked without understanding.
Lu Cijiu: "When someone dies, they are gone. They disappear from this world and we will never see them again."
The cubs were still confused. Even if they had seen ghosts before, they had never seen a ghost from the death of a human. Lu Cijiu briefly explained it, but he was afraid to scare the children. Even so, Dalong and his four cubs surrounded him, wanting to hold him, and pleading with him, "Don't die, ever."
Lu Cijiu thought that everyone will die one day, but someone interrupted from behind: "Of course my wife won't die. The underworld will try to take her away!"
"..." Lu Cijiu knew Gong Xichao without even looking back, "Why are you still trying to imitate the monkey and cause trouble in the underworld?"
Gong Xi was furious: "I am the great Kunpeng, how can you compare me with a monkey?"
"It's not the monkey you're thinking of. It's the Monkey King, the Great Sage from Journey to the West." Lu Cijiu said, not wanting to dwell on the topic any further. "What time is it? Why aren't you going to work?"
Gong Xichao didn't want to go because he still had to accompany Lu Cijiu to catch the bad guys.
"You go ahead, I'll check the information first. Xiao Fang will be here today." Lu Cijiu went to the kitchen and handed the lunch box to Gong Xichao.
Gong Xichao hugged him and said dissatisfiedly: "If you go out, remember to bring the big stick with you."
I'm out catching evil spirits, why would I want to hold a fish? Lu Cijiu didn't want to, but Gong Xichao stared at him and insisted that he agree or he wouldn't go to work.
"Okay, I'll hold the big stick, got it." Lu Cijiu agreed.
Gong Xichao was satisfied and went to work leisurely.
Around ten o'clock, Xiao Fang arrived. His full name was Fang Shuan. He was twenty-eight years old, a rural native who had previously worked on construction sites. He had a muscular build and was only decent-looking. He had been building a farmhouse near where Liu Sankang was filming "Hospital Tales" when he spotted him.
Because of his tall stature and low price, he coaxed Xiao Fang into becoming an actor.
Lu Cijiu had seen "Hospital Tales" and couldn't think of what role Xiao Fang played after thinking about it for a long time. It was Xiao Fang who reminded him that he played the male lead's lackey who died first.
Commonly known as Passerby A. I have some impression of Lu Cijiu, that character is a bit rustic and speaks with an accent.
Xiao Fang now looks dejected, but his speech and behavior are different from the passerby in the initial shot.
"I graduated from junior high school and didn't know anything when I started filming. I knew they looked down on me, saying I had a rustic accent and was uneducated and a migrant worker. Zhou Ting was polite and warm to me on the surface, but she was wary of me behind my back. I heard her tell others she was afraid I would rape her, saying migrant workers had never seen a woman."
Zhou Ting is the female lead in "Hospital." She looks innocent. Lu Cijiu never expected she was actually like this in private.
Fang Shuan said: "Xiao Man is not like that. She is not particularly warm to me, just like she is to others."
Not looking at others differently without being superficially boastful is also a form of equal respect.
"...Xiao Man is beautiful. I know the crew didn't respect her. They spread rumors, saying she got the female lead because she slept with Liu Sankang. That's not true. Everyone was scared back then. Xiao Man just wanted to be famous, to act in movies, to be the female lead, and she asked for less pay."
It is normal for Su Xiaoman to have desires and ambitions.
"Master Lu, how did Xiaoman die? What killed her? Can I see Xiaoman again? Xiaoman's soul. I can give you all my money."
Lu Cijiu saw that Fang Shuan looked haggard, but he didn't say that Su Xiaoman was completely dead.
He simply said, "The human and the ghost have different paths. She's already dead, so don't bother her." Then he changed the subject, "Where is the address of the 'Hospital'? Can you take me there?"
Fang Shuan was disappointed that he couldn't see Xiaoman's soul, but he was also willing to avenge Xiaoman.
The filming location for "Hospital Tales" is not in Yuncheng, but in another small county town. The filming location was actually a mental hospital before, and it had a fire and was later abandoned.
Liu Sankang saw the news and found inspiration, and adapted the story into a true story.
It was convenient to take the high-speed rail from Yuncheng. Lu Cijiu packed his backpack and bought a ticket online. Zhou Cheng asked if he could go too. Brother Cheng was holding Xiaohong in his arms. Although Xiaohong was seriously injured, she could transform and looked quite fierce.
Maybe it will be useful at a critical moment.
Lu Cijiu agreed.
Zhou Cheng quit his job and sold all the houses he had bought in Shanghai. The houses he had bought were in good locations, had good sizes and layouts, and were also in the school district. He went to resign and handle the paperwork, and within half a day after the houses were put on the market, many people came to make appointments to view them.
Even after paying off the mortgage on the house in Magic City, there was still plenty left. Zhou Cheng had no plans to look for a job for the time being. He thought it would be nice to stay in Cloud City until Xiaohong fully recovered. So, Zhou Cheng had the money and the time, so he decided to broaden his horizons.
Lu Cijiu brought Hu Sanniang with him, so she was a Hu fairy after all.
When Lu Cijiu was leaving, he felt as if he had forgotten something. Dalong grabbed his clothes and said, "Jiujiu, Dabang is watching us."
Oh, right, the big stick!
Lu Cijiu had promised Gong Xichao that he would carry a large stick. He found a plastic jar, punched a hole in the top for ventilation, and went straight in. This didn't seem like they were catching evil spirits, it felt more like a picnic.
Fang Shuan was a little stunned.
Lu Cijiu did not explain and let Fang Shuan figure it out himself.
Zhou Cheng drove all the way to the high-speed rail station, swiped his ticket to enter the station, and got on the car. The kids munched on biscuits and bread. After two hours, they got off the car and ate noodles at a fast food restaurant. Then they divided into two cars and went directly to the filming location of "Hospital".
"You are from other places, right? How do you get there?" The driver didn't want to go when he heard the address.
Lu Cijiu hummed and said, "The fare will be doubled. Why can't we go to the master's place?"
When the driver heard the fare had doubled, he immediately started the car, saying, "It's haunted and spooky. Locals here all know about it. They say it was a leprosy hospital over 30 years ago."
"Isn't this a mental hospital?"
"They have it all. All kinds of infectious diseases were sent there. Then there was a fire for no apparent reason and so many people died. Now at night I heard that people nearby don't dare to go out. There are ghosts crying and wolves howling at night. Some people even met ghosts and were trapped inside and almost went crazy. They escaped back the next day." The driver shuddered as he spoke, as if he was very scared.
The county town is small, and all the locals know about this old and terrifying gossip.
Lu Cijiu was sitting in the passenger seat when the stick in his arms suddenly spun around and bumped his head against a can. He noticed the stick's tail swaying from side to side, then looked at the driver's expression and said, "Master, isn't that the right road? We're going the wrong way."
After he finished speaking, the tail of the stick swung to the right.
"You should have turned right." Lu Cijiu reminded calmly, "Are you a local?"
The driver originally wanted to take a detour, because outsiders didn't know the way, and the price doubled. He was not going to make a fortune today. But he didn't expect that he knew the way, which was embarrassing. He smiled and said, "The road condition over there is not good, so go this way without traffic jams."
"I don't believe it. Turn around and turn right." Lu Cijiu looked at the driver, showing his white teeth and smiling, "You may not know what I do."
The driver felt something was wrong. Why was this young man smiling so coldly?
"I catch ghosts and I also raise ghosts." Lu Cijiu said.
The car slid along like a snake, and the driver quickly gripped the steering wheel, saying fearfully, "Young man, I dare not say that."
"Uncle, drive carefully. We are all watching you."
Dalong in the back seat of the car suddenly said in a low voice.
The driver looked through the rearview mirror and saw two children sitting in the back seat, a boy and a girl, both of whom were very pretty. The one who was speaking had a dull expression on his face and was staring at him.
Could it be that one?
The driver was sweating profusely, and the man in the passenger seat was holding a plastic can in his arms, which was empty. He glanced carefully and found that not only was the water suddenly agitated, but there was also a pair of cold blue eyes staring at him.
"Ah! Ghost!" the driver shouted.
Lu Cijiu: "Where are the ghosts?"
"In your arms, in your arms." The driver pulled over, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said, "What are you holding in your arms? How come there are a pair of eyes?"
Lu Cijiu listened and looked down. Dabang was swimming happily. But he didn't think the driver was lying, so he said thoughtfully, "Didn't you see the fish I raised?"
"Fish? What fish? It's clearly an eye—" the driver questioned, terrified. Just now, there was nothing there, just a can of water. He remembered it so clearly, wondering how this guy could be carrying a can of water in the middle of winter. Now there was a fish in the water, but just now there was clearly no fish. What was going on?
The driver felt cold in broad daylight and wondered if he was pulling a truck full of something.
"Drive, I'll pay you." Lu Cijiu didn't plan to change the car.
The driver was scared to death and didn't dare to refute. He drove cautiously. This time he didn't dare to take a detour. He wanted to get there quickly and stopped chatting along the way.
Lu Cijiu held the big stick, tapped the jar lightly with his hand, and thought about something.
The stickleback isn't an ordinary fish.
And Gong Xichao, the one with eyes on the top of his head, actually praised a strange fish for its noble bloodline. He didn't get jealous or angry about the new member of the family, but instead urged him to hold the fish at all times. This is very strange.
Lu Cijiu thought of something and looked down at the big stick in his arms.
A very beautiful blue-purple color, swimming in the water with radiant light.
He had never seen such a fish before. If it wasn't a fish, then...
"We're here," the driver warned cautiously, "The road ahead is all dirt. Cars can't drive in."
This was a main road, but the driver pointed to a narrow, bumpy dirt road surrounded by wheat fields and weeds. Not far away, I could see an abandoned building covered in creeping plants. There were also scattered villages around.
Lu Cijiu happened to have some cash in his pocket, and when he handed it to the driver, he found that the driver was not very willing to take it.
"Take it." What are you afraid of?
Lu Cijiu paid the bill and got out, clutching his big stick. Dalong and Dudu also got out from the back seat. The driver, seeing this, immediately hit the accelerator and left the scene. He opened the window halfway and threw several large bills out, as if being slow had brought him bad luck.
Don't think he doesn't know that these evil spirits that appear during the day will turn the money given into ghost money in a moment.
He won't be fooled!
A few minutes later, Zhou Cheng, Fang Shuan, the kittens, and Wei Ba came down. The kittens, wearing down Taoist robes and carrying small backpacks, looked adorable, but now their expressions were serious. Jiujiu said, "Some bad guy killed the aunt who choked on the water."
They want to catch the bad guys.
"Where is it?" Lu Cijiu asked.
Fang Shuan nodded, not afraid at all, his expression still filled with nostalgia. This was where he and Xiao Man met. Fang Shuan walked in front to lead the way.
They soon arrived at the abandoned hospital. It was a two-story building, the ivy withered and reduced to vines. Just standing at the doorway was a gust of cold air. Zhou Cheng held Xiaohong in his arms. Xiaohong raised her tail and nudged Zhou Cheng with the horn on her head.
"Xiaohong is very uneasy. Is the path here unclean?" Zhou Cheng asked.
Lu Cijiu was puzzled: "I don't feel any Yin energy. Ask Hu Sanniang."
The tail opened the backpack, and Hu Sanniang, a fox cub, showed her head. She sniffed and said in human language, "I can't smell it, it's just a little damp, nothing strange."
Xiaohong bared her teeth and yelled at Hu Sanniang, as if she was calling her a waste again.
"If it's not a ghost, could it be a monster?" Lu Cijiu asked after looking at Xiaohong's reaction.
Xiaohong gave face and nodded.
It is a monster, Hu Sanniang can't smell it, then this monster is much stronger? Xiaohong was seriously injured, Hu Sanniang's ability was not good, although the four cubs were all monsters, there were also cows, but the cubs were still young, and they followed Cheng Ge Fang Shuan and two humans.
Lu Cijiu was a little shaken. He thought of something and looked down at his arms.
"Big Stick, we are going in. Will you protect us?"
The stick touched the fish's head.
Lu Cijiu said: "Let's go in and take a look."
Xiaohong licked the back of Zhou Cheng's hand, indicating that he was there. Zhou Cheng trusted Lu Cijiu very much, hugged Xiaohong, and said, "Don't be afraid, I will protect you."
This place has little sunlight even in the daytime. It is gloomy and dimly lit. There is a musty and damp smell which makes people feel very bad. There are no windows around and the wind blows from time to time, which makes it even more terrifying.
"That's where Zhou Ting was about to jump off the building."
This place is a two-story building with a small attic on the third floor. Lu Cijiu walked upstairs, asking the children to hold hands, thinking about his guess, and felt confident.
As long as we have a big stick, nothing will happen.
Going up to the second floor, there was nothing special except for the dilapidated and garbage. Zhou Cheng said, "Xiaolu, Fang Shuan is gone. He was just walking in front of me."
"Ahhhhhh!!! Xiaoman! Xiaoman, I'm here to save you. Liu Sankang, I'm going to kill you."
Fang Shuan's heart-wrenching cry came from the third floor.
Both of them knew that Su Xiaoman had disappeared completely, so who did Fang Shuan see?
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