Chapter 93 "The House-Viewing Man" "We'll live and die together in this life, and never again in the next..."
Hours later, Wen received a call from his daughter. He had been providing free checkups for housewives at the community center recently, and had only started working on it this afternoon when the exorcist learned about the incident at the Jiali Building. Liao Xinjie even exclaimed, "Daddy, Ah Xiang got himself into the ICU because of a ghost! If you don't come, it might really be the last time we see each other!"
His face was pale. He immediately took off his doctor's license, put on a coat, asked a neighbor to watch the shop, and drove alone to the church hospital. He was so nervous that he didn't say a word even while smoking, but perhaps only the front-view mirror knew how many times Brother Wen secretly prayed for everything to be alright and for God to bless him.
He also regretted not asking his daughter, Xin Jie, whether her son, Xin Jie, was dead or not.
Brother Wen scratched his head in distress: "Sigh! They say good people don't live long, but bad people live a thousand years. This bad guy can't be that unlucky, right?! Why did it have to be that Jiali Building!"
After Liao Wen finished speaking, he felt a little guilty. He suddenly remembered the great vow his disciple's mother, Sister Mei Hui, had made before she closed her eyes: "Ah Wen, I entrust my son to you, and I swear to this Pure Lotus-Eyed Tathagata statue that from this day forward for countless eons, I am willing to save all the sinful beings in the three thousand worlds, to deliver them from the three evil realms of hell, hungry ghosts, and animals, until they are all reborn. Only then will I be willing to achieve the good result of being reborn as a living being in the next life... I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty. If the son is wrong, the mother is sad. Mike, Mommy's biggest mistake is not giving you a good and complete family!"
Then, after the car arrived, a supernatural event unexpectedly occurred.
Wen was almost certain he'd seen two ghosts who weren't of this world. The evidence was that the weather forecast on TV had predicted no rain, but when Wen was looking for the elevator, he witnessed a man and a woman walking down the corridor together under an umbrella. The hospital's design was quite church-like, so their unusual behavior must have a reason. Sure enough, the woman's lower body was covered in blood. Wen walked past Ding Xirong with his shoulders hunched and head down. He hadn't dared to pay attention to her since seeing her red dress, but he soon realized that the man next to her was truly unforgettable!
There was no way around it; the other person's profile was simply too dazzling, complete with his signature long hair and a silver cross around his neck. And this long-haired man really did walk incredibly fast; in the blink of an eye, he and the female ghost beside him vanished.
Their shadows on the steps vanished without a trace. Wen Ge stood there, muttering to himself as he looked at the cross, "It looks so familiar. I feel like I've seen it somewhere before."
As he was speaking, Liao Xinjie also arrived. Coincidentally, Wen Ge and his daughter had just seen the same mysterious man, and both of them thought he looked like a holy angel carved on a Roman column of a church.
Xin Jie felt very apologetic at this moment, and she couldn't help but ask her father with concern: "I'm sorry, Dad, did I scare you just now? You look terrible. Xiang is out of danger now!"
Wen Ge breathed a sigh of relief, glared at her, and said, "Let's go upstairs first! Also, don't wander around all day! Hospitals are full of ghosts! I just saw one! A really fierce ghost that's hard to find in all of Hong Kong! Aren't you scared?!"
Upstairs in the ward, Sun Guofu, who had been admitted, was still unconscious. He was older and his injuries weren't serious, but the anesthesia had a stronger effect. Jian Dieda had multiple fractures, but because he was young, he woke up first.
When Brother Wen encountered two ghostly friends downstairs, he was silently touching the spot with the cast on his arm, and was also processing a dream he had just had after investigating an exorcism.
He was puzzled by the reason for his survival, but just now, Ding Xirong met him in his dream. After Ding Xirong pulled him aside for a private chat, Jian Dieda realized that the female ghost had no intention of leaving. She was still there to negotiate with the real estate agent. The two exchanged some information about the case, and it seemed that their grudges in the building before their deaths had been settled in another way instead of their lives.
Ding Xirong: "This matter is not over yet. I have learned some information from others, and I am certain that you are not the mastermind. My enemy is someone else. But I want you to go to the old district of Sham Shui Po after you are discharged from the hospital and help me look after my mother. After that, we need to meet once every night before we can have any further cooperation."
Jane Dieda asked weakly, "...Your mommy?"
Ding Xirong said expressionlessly, "She has dementia. Before I died, I wanted to take her to live in a big house and live a good life. Now she is still alone in public housing. Do you think I should care whether she lives or dies?"
Jane was stunned for three seconds, a wave of guilt washing over her. She lowered her head and said softly, "Sorry."
Having spent years mingling in the lower rungs of society, Ding Xirong possessed a keen eye and immediately recognized that this man and Jian Xiang were truly two souls of the same body. She began to believe the Happy Ghost's words: the tragedy that occurred at the Jiali Building was no ordinary accident; someone needed to resolve its causes and consequences, and Jian Dieda might be sent by God and Yama to jointly save the residents of the building.
Thinking of this, Ding Xirong glanced back at the ward door, where the Happy Ghost's white clothes peeked out from under her clothes. To the female ghost, his act of covering his face with an umbrella in broad daylight seemed strange. However, the guy simply raised a finger to signal to the female ghost not to reveal his presence, then snapped his fingers and transformed into a beautiful dove of peace, flying past the two of them to the patient's side.
"Coo-coo." A pigeon suddenly flew in, and Jian Dieda noticed it. He had been pondering a problem, but after making eye contact with the pigeon, he subconsciously felt that the pigeon's fiery enthusiasm was a bit eerie. Moreover, it was indeed a very proactive pigeon. In front of a female ghost, its white beak pecked at the back of Jian Dieda's bandaged hand. Its movements were focused and devout, giving Jian Dieda's palm a rare warmth, like a nun blessing a newborn baby.
"It feels like I was given a baptismal kiss by a pigeon."
When Jane Dieda realized this, seeing how understanding he was, he could only gently pat his pure white back. Mr. Pigeon immediately broke the rules and insisted on sticking to him, his expression as if he wanted to be his girlfriend and date him today, leaving no room for anyone to back down.
Ding Xirong secretly rolled her eyes, deliberately turned around and coughed loudly, trying to remind the lecherous man that there were innocent passersby present.
It turned out that Jane had misunderstood. Thinking that Ah Zhi's soul was still in her hands, he raised his hands above his head again and made repeated assurances, "I will find out what the Carrie Building and Uncle Qiao are up to. Amanda, although there are reasons, I apologize to you for what I have done. Your mother will be taken care of."
He proactively expressed his desire to cooperate, with a lecherous pigeon wrapped around his arm. The annoying pigeon winked at him cheekily, as if to say, "Miss, did you hear that? Hurry up and agree! My wife's a good person; she's already said so. Please give her some face, okay?"
...
After that, Jian Dieda welcomed his master and senior sister. At the same time, the doctor was examining two patients. With so many people, the small ward became extremely crowded. Brother Wen had a bad temper and immediately tried to interfere with the patients' affairs with his hands on his hips. His acts of kindness also included his apprentice whom he had not contacted for a long time.
[“Ding! Liao Wen's favorability has increased to 10! Congratulations on unlocking the advanced course ticket for the Ten Methods of Seeing Ghosts skill book!”]
The plot finally took a turn for the better. Jian Dieda really wanted to analyze some strange knowledge with Liao Wen, and Brother Wen could tell that he still had something to say. After that, he insisted on letting his daughter go out and wait alone.
"Alright then... Ah Xiang, Dad, you two should talk things out!" Senior Sister helped close the door.
Only two figures remained.
Liao Wen walked to the window and vented his dissatisfaction with his apprentice by turning his back to him. "You're so useless, you shouldn't concern yourself with anything anymore. If anything comes to you, just leave it to me. You don't understand the situation at Jiali Building."
Jian Dieda: "Brother Wen, I won't agree."
Liao Wen frowned: "Hey! You're about to die! And you're still dreaming of climbing the social ladder? Do you even know that building is full of earthbound spirits?"
"I didn't want my senior sister and you to help me." This kind of person would never bow his head and admit his mistakes. This situation made Brother Wen unable to get angry; he could only glare at him. Jian Dieda's lower abdomen suddenly twitched, as if he vaguely needed to urinate. Despite his leg injury, he still insisted on slowly putting on his sweater. Brother Wen was furious and roared, "Do you even consider me your master?!"
Jian Dieda admitted his mistake: "I just didn't want to keep troubling you all... I refused when you asked me to marry my senior sister..."
Brother Man's face turned completely red with anger: "My daughter is a Miss Hong Kong, would she even be interested in you! Besides, this is troublesome even if it wasn't already! Why do you keep saying these things? When did anyone say they wouldn't help you?"
Wen Ge had no idea that the whole misunderstanding was a ruse by this cold-hearted kid. He cursed loudly, then helped Jian Dieda into the restroom to relieve himself, and even began to ease tensions between the two sides.
However, Jian Dieda, who was thrown back onto the bed, always knew that Liao Wen's unresolved issue was that Jian Xiang hadn't agreed to his request to marry into the family.
One of the men looking at apartments was initially selfish and arrogant, wanting to curry favor with the powerful and wealthy. He didn't want to ruin a good girl for nothing. Now the problem seems to be resolved satisfactorily. The misfortune and pitifulness he displayed were genuine. He could only weakly ask his mentor a question.
"...Brother Wen, can I ask you a question, cough cough."
Brother Wen spoke bluntly: "Is it still about exorcising the demons at the Jiali Building?"
Jian Dieda pushed up his glasses, clutching his chest in discomfort: "Um, could I ask you what cause and effect is? I'm a modern person, and this concept is very vague to me. What kind of religious theory does it specifically represent? Does cause and effect mean that if you do something, you must pay a price? If that's true, why don't many bad people and bad deeds get their comeuppance, while good people don't get good rewards?"
Upon hearing this, Brother Wen fell into deep thought.
About a minute later, Wen Ge's solemn voice reached Jian Dieda's ears.
Brother Wen: "If you want to understand cause and effect, you must understand one thing: cause and effect is not the cause and effect of one person; it belongs to everyone in the world of sentient beings."
Jane Diedda: "I still don't understand."
“Let me put it this way. Imagine the world is a building, and you are a resident on one of its floors. One day, you throw a cigarette butt in the elevator. That cigarette butt is the ‘cause,’ right?” Brother Wen took out a pen and paper, drew a circle, and, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth—unbecoming of a doctor—took two deep drags before continuing, “But later, the cigarette butt caused a fire, burning everyone in the building to death. And coincidentally, you were in a hurry to leave for work that day. So, looking at the fire, it’s like the cause you planted became the effect for others. But in the context of the whole process, this effect is also the ‘effect’ of the building. So, looking back at cause and effect, how do you think we should prevent all of this from happening in the building?”
Jane Dieda replied: "Go back in time and kill 'me'?"
Brother Wen shook his head: "What if another smoker takes a puff another day?"
Jian Dieda quickly understood and added a condition, beginning to understand the problem: "Then he will become the second 'cause,' and the same fire will still be postponed. The result will still be the same. The key issue should be that the building strictly manages smoking, that no one actively smokes, and that anyone who sees someone smoking stops them. In this way, the fire will be completely prevented."
"Yeah, to be honest, you seem to have gotten a bit smarter. You finally understand." Brother Wen finally nodded his chin at the swirling smoke rings. "So that's why Buddhists sacrifice themselves to perform meritorious deeds for all sentient beings. The more people in the world do good deeds together, the less bad consequences everyone will suffer. If everyone does bad things, then no matter if you're directly involved or not, you'll still be innocently affected by the bad things. It's a pity that many bad people don't understand. They mistakenly think that it's enough for them to enjoy the good things alone. Little do they know that if the world gets so bad, Earth will be directly over. There won't be any chance for you to immigrate to Mars."
Jian Dieda understood the situation: "Do you think that by working for Master Qiao, I'm also sowing the seeds of bad consequences?"
Brother Wen snorted coldly: "Isn't everyone in Hong Kong saying this is a bad outcome? Have you ever listened to me before?"
Jian Dieda was speechless. He was healed by an elder who loved Jian Xiang very much. He didn't know how to tell the other person that the real Jian Xiang would never understand.
Fortunately, my senior sister's voice came to my rescue again at the door: "Hey you two, more bento boxes! How about pineapple buns and milk tea? And sir, don't smoke when you're angry, a smile makes you ten years younger!"
...
Later, Wen went to visit Uncle Sun first, but the temporary lunch at the hospital today was quite pleasant for the three of them.
Liao Xinjie tucked the blanket in and asked gently, "Ah Xiang, are you sure you don't need me to stay with you?"
Jian Dieda was powerless against such a warm and genuine person. He was still thinking about the exorcism issue when he heard this and said in a soft tone, "I'm an adult, it's okay for me to stay in the hospital alone at night. Could you please go and check on Sister Azhi for me, Senior Sister?"
He never lied about what he said. Back in the real world, his health was also poor; he often went in and out of the hospital alone. It was only after Zhong Yu entered his life that he was able to accept the fact that he could be loved by others.
But the promises and betrayals he made to him ended before he even entered the game.
Without continuing to play this game, Jian Dieda really couldn't think of any other way to see Zhong Yu's soul fragments again and prove that the memories of the two people from those previous worlds existed.
"Senior sister, I will definitely cherish my life." A different light shone in Jian Dieda's cold and ruthless eyes.
His life is like an allegory from an ancient legend. He is Sisyphus pushing the boulder, repeatedly playing the game of betting with Death and being punished, simply because... he must bring someone back to life.
The kind-hearted senior sister finally agreed to help Sister A-Zhi again, but her reason was not that she thought Jian Dieda could handle it alone. She deeply suspected that her junior brother was using this as an excuse to send her away so that he could contact the sweetheart who had not shown her true face last time.
Liao Xinjie thought about her father's phone call earlier, which told her to cheer up and not to get too caught up in romantic relationships anymore. She felt she should let go of that thought. She patted her cheeks and forced a strong, optimistic smile at the pigeons that had somehow appeared by the window.
"Ah Xiang, I wish you a long and happy relationship with the right person. In the future, when you're tired, you'll have a shoulder to lean on. Pigeon, don't you agree?"
Mr. Pigeon's ruby-red eyes gave her a peculiar glint.
Its eyes seemed to say,
"I will, don't worry. I will accompany him to the very end."
"We will live and die together in this life, and never regret it in the next."
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