Because of limited funds, Shang Lin and Old Man Chai only went to the provincial capital. Even so, he still felt strapped for cash when it came to spending money. Compared with their village, the cost of living outside was ridiculously high.
Instead of staying in a hotel, the two chose a simple guesthouse where they could cook their own meals. Shang Lin was always with Old Man Chai, except when he went to the toilet; they were incredibly careful.
Shang Lin couldn't say anything about it, but on his first day here, he noticed that the people here were somewhat—judging by appearance. Looking down at their clothes, Shang Lin immediately decided to buy some clothes first; they didn't need to be fancy, but at least they should be fashionable.
Although it hurt to buy him clothes, Old Man Chai had no choice but to agree. After all, he was a native and had experienced more of the ways of the world and the coldness of human relationships than Shang Lin, an outsider.
The proprietress of the guesthouse was kind and approachable, and didn't look at them with any prejudice. Of course, this could also be a result of her business acumen and shrewdness.
That evening, Shang Lin and Old Man Chai only cooked some noodles for dinner before washing up and going to bed. Shang Lin, exhausted from the journey, even had to stop his daily cultivation. There was nothing he could do; the original owner's body was too weak, so he could only let it rest and dared not push it too hard.
In the middle of the night, Shang Lin suddenly heard a dull thud, as if something had hit the ground hard. He immediately sat up in bed.
The sudden movement startled Old Man Chai, who was sleeping beside him, and he hurriedly asked with concern, "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"
As Shang Lin reached out to turn on the bedside lamp, he replied, "No, I heard something fall."
Although their house was on the ground floor, it had iron bars on the doors and windows, making it very safe for most people. So, Old Man Chai instinctively looked around before asking, "Wasn't that sound from inside our house?"
"No, it seems to be outside the window." Shang Lin said as he walked towards the window. If he hadn't been startled awake from his sleep, his judgment of location would be more accurate now.
Old Man Chai followed, yawning. "It's past two in the morning, are you sure you heard me right?"
But the next moment, Shang Lin said with a serious expression, "Someone jumped off the building." After saying that, he quickly closed the curtains that had been drawn back.
"What?!" Old Man Chai froze. "You didn't see that wrong?!"
After saying that, she quickly walked to the window, intending to pull back the curtains and look outside, but Shang Lin quickly pulled her back, saying, "Don't look. Godfather just had surgery and shouldn't be disturbed by this kind of thing."
Too shocked to think much of Shang Lin's words, Old Man Chai simply cooperated by being pulled back to the bedside and sitting down. Then, still unwilling to give up, he asked, "Are you sure you didn't see wrong?"
Shang Lin pulled back the thin blanket and quickly lay down. "We'll know in the morning."
He hoped he was mistaken, but it was too dark outside for him to see clearly, yet he could see the shadowy figure drifting in perfectly. How could he have encountered another one besides Qiu Niang, and one that was "freshly made"?
Why would someone be so despondent? To end such a hard-won life in such an extreme way? Considering the huge fall from grace I've experienced, I'm still alive; how can someone be so careless with their own life…
Shang Lin's emotions were somewhat fluctuating at this moment. Although it was not easy for an old-fashioned person like him, it showed that after being in the human world for a long time, he was becoming more like an ordinary person.
Seeing Shang Lin lie down, Old Man Chai finally recovered from his shock and immediately patted his head, saying, "Don't be scared, don't be scared, your godfather is here."
Shang Lin's fluctuating emotions calmed down instantly, and then he felt a little amused and exasperated. Did they really think he was a fifteen-year-old boy? But he felt warm inside. "Godfather, I'm fine. Go to sleep early."
“Okay.” Old Man Chai was genuinely worried that Shang Lin would be scared, so he said as soon as he lay down, “Let’s find somewhere else to stay tomorrow.”
Shang Lin thought about Old Man Chai's health condition and immediately agreed, "Okay."
Soon, various car and human voices appeared outside the window. Shang Lin hurriedly sat up again, staring intently at the window, as if trying to glare the dark figure that had drifted in.
Sensing Shang Lin's hostile gaze, the dark figure paused for a moment and actually retreated.
Old Man Chai also sat up, putting one arm around Shang Lin's shoulder and stroking his head with the other, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, we'll find another place to stay right away."
Shang Lin looked at Old Man Chai with a wry smile, "Godfather, do you really think I'm a little girl? I'm not afraid at all. Besides, it's a mess outside right now. How are we going to find a hotel? Let's just wait until dawn."
Old Man Chai was still worried, "Are you really alright?!"
Shang Lin emphasized, "It's really nothing."
Old Man Chai then released Shang Lin and sighed softly, "It's not that your godfather treats you like a little girl, but your health has been poor since you were a child. You've only gotten a little better in the last two years, so you can't be careless."
Shang Lin subconsciously looked at his small frame. Compared to most fifteen-year-old boys, he was really thin and small, looking only eleven or twelve years old. So being underage was not only a major disadvantage, but also his appearance!
However, the dark figure outside the window did not leave, and Shang Lin had no time for sentimentality, his mind focused entirely on the scene outside. While his appearance was not impressive, he wasn't afraid of such things imbued with yin energy, but Old Man Chai was different; he had only been in surgery for a little over three months and couldn't withstand the invasion of evil spirits.
When did I become so susceptible to evil? Could it be the original owner of this body?! So, is his poor health since childhood related to this? Young children are easily influenced by evil spirits because their souls are unstable. Unfortunately, I have no memory of the original owner of this body, and I can't ask Old Man Chai. I can only let nature take its course.
Just as dawn was breaking, Old Man Chai got up to pack his things, while Shang Lin, having been on guard for several hours, was fast asleep. However, when he woke up, he didn't see Old Man Chai on the other side of the bed; instead, he saw a young man…?!
Imagine waking up in the morning to find that the person you remember is not there, but a completely different, even ghostly, person. What kind of terrifying scene would that be?
However, Shang Lin only frowned slightly and asked helplessly, "What do you want? Aren't you afraid of being reduced to ashes in broad daylight? Hurry up and go where you need to go."
However, the male ghost looked delighted and exclaimed, "You can actually see me?!"
Shang Lin rolled her eyes at the male ghost, then started dressing herself, saying, "You'd better leave quickly, my godfather's health isn't good and he can't stand you."
The male ghost immediately floated in front of Shang Lin with a fawning expression, "Little brother, could you help me see my family one last time?"
Shang Lin paused, momentarily annoyed, and scolded the male ghost, "If you're so reluctant to leave your family, why do something so foolish? Haven't you read any classic texts?"
Blood tears streamed down the male ghost's pale face. "I didn't want this to happen, but I have a terminal illness. The pain is so intense, I really want to die. In the middle of the night, the pain became unbearable, and then..."
Shang Lin was taken aback, then asked somewhat dejectedly, "How can I help you? I..."
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