Chapter 61 A Happy Ending
"Congratulations to you both, your wishes have been fulfilled. Mr. Cui, why don't you offer tea and pay your respects to your godfather?"
Cui Youxin quickly called his son Cui Jiang over, picked up the teacup on the table with both hands, knelt down next to Li Fen, and said respectfully, "Godfather, please have some tea!"
Li Fen then turned around, took the drink with one hand, put it to her lips, took a small sip, and said, "Get up."
"Yes, godfather."
The father and son quickly stood up. Now that they had this relationship, they were not so afraid anymore, and they stood next to Li Fen.
"Mr. Lu, if you need anything in the future, just send a message to Mr. Cui in his dream. Don't let him possess your goddaughter-in-law's body anymore. Although it won't harm her life, the evil energy will erode her body. Her body is already weak and can't withstand a few more of this."
"From now on, we'll be family, and I understand that perfectly well."
"Alright, I'll have Mr. Cui make your shrine tomorrow. I'll personally consecrate it. From now on, you can treat it as your own temple and live there."
"Then I'll have to trouble you, young Taoist priest!"
Li Fen bowed to Chen Cheng with her hands clasped together.
"Cui Youxin, you should thank this young Taoist priest. If it weren't for his mediation, we might have become enemies. You should keep your promise, and I will keep mine. Young Taoist priest, this old man will take my leave now!"
After these words were spoken, the lights in the room immediately returned to normal, and the real Li Fen mumbled, "Honey, I feel so tired."
Cui Youxin quickly helped her up and said, "Fen, it's alright, everything will be alright from now on!"
"She has been possessed by Mr. Lu's ghost several times, and her soul is unstable due to the impact of the yin energy. You two go outside first, and I will use magic to remove the yin energy from her body. After returning home, she can recover completely after a few days of nourishing food."
The Cui father and son were overjoyed and said, "Thank you, Master Chen."
Chen Cheng waved his hand, and the father and son quickly walked out of the old teahouse and closed the door behind them, leaving Li Fen still in a daze.
"Sisi, I'm going to summon Lu Xiachan and have it absorb the Yin energy from this woman. Are you afraid?"
"Don't be afraid, with you here, I'm not afraid of anything!"
Zhang Qian held his hand and said.
"Okay, that's good!"
Then he muttered some incantations, and a red shadow flashed out from the pendant on his chest.
Li Fen didn't have the ability to see ghosts, so she couldn't see them and was still in a daze, unaware that a thousand-year-old vengeful ghost was standing in front of her. Zhang Qian, however, could see them. Compared to the first time at Chu Tianqing's house, Lü Xiachan was less ferocious and looked very weak.
However, Zhang Qian was still shaken, and her hand holding Chen Cheng trembled slightly.
"Master, the mistress is well!"
Zhang Qian was surprised that the vengeful ghost Lü Xiachan would address her in that way and give the two of them a deep bow. She wanted to ask but dared not, and could only look at Chen Cheng.
Chen Cheng understood that Lü Xiachan was on the same wavelength as him in his dojo. She knew everything he had said and done, otherwise she wouldn't have given him a warning or appeared to protect him. So he patted Zhang Qian's hand and turned around, saying, "Miss Lü, thank you for helping me in the mine. Now that you know, would you be willing to help us both?"
"Master, if you had died that night, Xia Chan would have perished in your temple as well. So, you don't need to thank me. Since I have decided to follow you, I am acknowledging you as my master. I am willing to change my fate as my master's wife!"
Zhang Qian was astonished, but knowing that Chen Cheng had important business to attend to, she suppressed her curiosity and didn't ask.
"Alright, since you trust me so much, I will do my best to help you become a ghost cultivator. Now, absorb the yin energy from this old woman. When we have time, I will take you to a place with heavy yin energy to help you stabilize your soul as soon as possible!"
"Thank you for your kindness, Master. If Xia Chan achieves enlightenment in the future, she will definitely protect her mistress and stay with her through life and death!"
After saying that, Lü Xiachan stopped talking and her body flashed behind Li Fen. She reached out and placed her hand on Li Fen's back, instantly absorbing all the Yin energy in Li Fen's body into her own. Although it was a small amount, it could still accumulate over time.
After doing all this, Lü Xiachan bowed gracefully to Chen Cheng and Zhang Qian once more, then transformed into a red shadow and disappeared into Chen Cheng's pendant.
Zhang Qian felt like she was dreaming, but she had seen and heard it with her own eyes and ears. While she was still in a daze, she heard a cry of "Oh dear!" and Li Fen suddenly stood up and asked, "Where am I? Who are you?"
"Ms. Li, please calm down."
As Chen Cheng spoke, he quickly walked to the door, opened it, and called Cui Youxin and his son in.
The two quickly entered the house and saw Li Fen standing there. Although her face was full of surprise, her eyes were bright, and she no longer had that foolish look.
"New!" "Fen!"
Cui Youxin and Li Fen called out to each other at the same time. At the same time, Cui Youxin walked up to Li Fen, grabbed her hand, and said with a slight sob, "You're finally awake!"
"What's wrong? Where is this?"
"Mom, you're finally awake! You have no idea how much trouble you've caused Dad, Xiaoyu, and me these past few days..."
Next, Cui Jiang recounted the whole incident to his mother. A dozen minutes later, Li Fen, who had been in a daze, finally learned of the bizarre and complicated events that had transpired at home. She looked at Chen Cheng with a complex expression.
"Ms. Li, there's no need for further thanks. What you need now is to rest well. Your body is already weak, which is why you were possessed by a ghost. But it definitely won't happen again in the future, because Mr. Cui and that century-old ghost have become father and son, and it will protect you and keep you safe and sound from now on!"
"Thank you, thank you."
Li Fen did not remain silent because of Chen Cheng's words; instead, she was even more grateful to him.
"Alright, no need to thank me. This is all thanks to my girlfriend. If it weren't for what she said that gave me inspiration, we might still be negotiating right now!"
Only then did the Cui father and son realize that it was indeed this girl who had advised them, and the three of them immediately thanked Zhang Qian again.
Zhang Qian was initially happy to hear Chen Cheng announce that she was his girlfriend, but then the Cui family father and son and Li Fen kept thanking her. She quickly waved her hand and said no thanks. In the end, Chen Cheng persuaded them to go home early that night and settle the matter of the shrine tomorrow. Only then did the Cui family father and son leave with Li Fen, expressing their gratitude profusely.
Chen Cheng closed the door, took Zhang Qian back to the back room, turned on the air conditioner and said, "I'm going to take a shower first," then left Zhang Qian with a flushed face.
This old house is different from the current ones. It still follows the old tradition. The bathroom, toilet, kitchen and other facilities are all in the back courtyard. Adhering to the old tradition of east being superior and west being inferior, the washroom and toilet are in the annex on the west side. Chen Cheng quickly washed up before putting on his clothes and returning to his room.
Zhang Qian was different this time compared to last night. Last night she was passionate, but tonight she was a little hesitant and uneasy. She sat on the bed thinking about something. When she saw Chen Cheng come back, she curled up like a frightened little rabbit.
Chen Cheng chuckled inwardly. She was afraid too, but she said seriously, "Qianqian, go take a shower too. It's so hot. You've been sweating all day. You'll feel uncomfortable if you don't shower."
"Mind your own business!"
After a long while, Zhang Qian replied, then took out her prepared pajamas and toiletries and walked quickly past Chen Cheng out.Chapter 62 My brother only salutes you
More than half an hour later, Zhang Qian walked in wearing pajamas with her hair still wet. When she saw Chen Cheng sitting on the bed, she was so embarrassed that she didn't know what to do.
In the past, Chen Cheng would never have provoked her, but things are different now. The conflict between their destinies has been resolved, and they had already consummated their relationship last night. To maintain the girl's dignity, he naturally knew that he should take the initiative now. So he walked up to her, took her hand, and said, "Qianqian, since we've chosen to be together, I will cherish you, protect you, and love you for the rest of my life. Please rest assured, I will only be devoted to you. As long as you don't leave me or give up on me, I swear, no one can separate us!"
Zhang Qian looked up at Chen Cheng, who had a serious expression on his face, and her eyes gradually welled up with tears. She had always felt that she was the one pursuing Chen Cheng, which made her feel a little uncomfortable. Later, she realized that Chen Cheng also had feelings for her. Now she felt both happy and wronged, and her eyes gradually reddened.
Chen Cheng didn't say anything more, but instead cupped her face and kissed her. Then he carried her in a princess carry to the bed and whispered in her ear, "Qianqian, you did a great job tonight. You didn't hold me back, and you helped me a lot. So I've decided to take back what I said before."
What did you say?
"I'm blinded by love," Zhang Qian murmured.
"I promise you, you can hold me back or get me off the hook from now on..."
For once, Zhang Qian reacted quickly, covering his mouth and saying, "You big pervert, you big bad guy!"
"Hmm..."
Chen Cheng removed her hand, lowered his head, and kissed her lips...
Afterwards, Zhang Qian lay gently in his arms, her hands constantly drawing circles behind his back.
"What are you doing? Are you drawing a circle to curse me?"
With a "pfft," Zhang Qian couldn't help but laugh, then pinched him on the back and said, "Pervert, you're a big bad guy!"
After the two bickered for a while, Zhang Qian remembered what Lü Xiachan had said—about being rescued from the mine and about changing her fate. She kept pestering him for details. Under her persistent coaxing, Chen Cheng had no choice but to recount his uneventful trip to the Xi'an Ping Coal Mine and the methods that Master Jingyang had taught him. Zhang Qian was both surprised and delighted. She was surprised because she hadn't expected Chen Cheng to be in such danger sometimes, but delighted because she could finally relax and get along well with him. Between these feelings of gain and loss, she gradually fell asleep with her head in the man's arms.
The next day, the two were awakened at the same time by the sounds of vendors outside. After what happened last night and Chen Cheng's heartfelt confession, Zhang Qian felt much more at ease. The two kissed each other in perfect unison before getting up to wash up.
When they arrived at the front hall, Old Zhang was cleaning. Chen Cheng greeted him naturally, and Zhang Qian smiled back at him. Old Zhang knew in his heart that his attitude towards the two of them was both natural and friendly.
Around 10 a.m., Cui Youxin hurriedly arrived at the old teahouse carrying something wrapped in red cloth. Since there were tea drinkers in the front hall, Chen Cheng led him to the back hall.
Cui Youxin carefully untied the red cloth and handed a memorial tablet inside to Chen Cheng with both hands. Chen Cheng took it and saw that it read: "The spirit tablet of the late godfather Lu Tianyou".
The memorial tablet was exquisitely crafted, with characters written in regular script, clearly showing that Cui Youxin had put a lot of thought into it.
Chen Cheng placed the memorial tablet on the table, took out a soul-guiding talisman, lit it with Taoist qi, and drew on the tablet while holding the talisman's flame in the air. When he finished drawing, the entire tablet flashed with golden light. Of course, Cui Youxin and Zhang Qian couldn't see it today because they didn't have their Yin-Yang eyes open.
"It's done. After you get home, place it in the center of the living room. In front of the tablet, you need to place a shrine, a sacrificial plate, a wine cup, and an incense burner. Tonight, after Lu Tianyou moves into the tablet, he will appear in your dream to tell you. From now on, you must keep your promise and make sincere offerings during festivals, Qingming Festival, and the fifteenth of the seventh lunar month. I guarantee that your Cui family will prosper and your home will be safe and sound!"
While expressing his gratitude, Cui Youxin took out a paper package wrapped in newspaper from his bag and placed it on the table: "Master Chen, this is the incense money that I, Cui Youxin, am adding for the ancestral master. I hope you will accept it."
Chen Cheng estimated that the paper package contained about 50,000, and said with a smile, "Mr. Cui, thank you for your kindness!"
"Sincerity brings results, sincerity brings results!"
Cui Youxin skillfully continued the conversation, then wrapped the memorial tablet with a red cloth before getting up to take his leave.
Zhang Qian watched as he earned 50,000 yuan in just two days, but she didn't tease him. She knew that Chen Cheng used most of the money to do good deeds and accumulate merit for the people around him.
Meanwhile, Chen Cheng was absorbing the Heavenly Dao's reward—the subtle golden light of spiritual power. Once all the power was absorbed into his dantian, a faint white light appeared above Zhang Qian's head and his own, then entered their bodies. Chen Cheng had mentioned this white light to Master Jingyang, but his master wasn't sure what it was, only telling him it was definitely something beneficial and harmless. Chen Cheng secretly wondered if it was because they had formed a spiritual connection, and Heaven had sent a helping hand to change their destinies. He could only find the answers to these questions when he saw his master again.
And so, the two spent a few days in sweet romance without any specific plans. One noon, Zhang Qian was discussing with Chen Cheng what to have for lunch when her phone rang.
"Captain He".
"Sisi, you've rested for a few days, shouldn't you be going back to work?"
He Wenhui spoke calmly and unhurriedly over the phone.
Zhang Qian frowned, glanced at Chen Cheng and said, "Captain He, didn't my dad give me a two-week leave?"
"Here's the thing, a major robbery of a gold shop happened in Xijing yesterday. Today, Mayor Zhang from the city came to hear the analysis report on the case. He said that the case has a huge impact and the criminal investigation team needs to go all out and recall all the personnel on leave. There are indeed not enough people right now, so you have to return to the team ahead of schedule."
Mayor Zhang, isn't he my father? He's just indirectly trying to get me to go back sooner, Zhang Qian thought bitterly.
Seeing the change in her expression, Chen Cheng asked, "Qianqian, is something wrong at the bureau?"
"Yes, there was a robbery in the city, and Captain He wants me to return to the team."
"Then go to work, don't let it interfere with your business."
Seeing that she didn't speak, Chen Cheng continued, "Don't you like exciting and challenging work? Why are you looking so miserable with such a big case?"
"Are you in such a hurry for me to leave?"
Zhang Qian said with dissatisfaction.
"Haha, I thought it was something else, but it turns out you just can't bear to part with me."
"Pah, you big pervert, all you do is bully me."
She was about to pinch him when Chen Cheng grabbed her and pulled her into his arms: "You're my woman. If I don't bully you, who will I bully? Do you expect me to bully other women?"
"You dare! If you dare to find another woman, I... I'll..."
"So what?"
Chen Cheng looked at her with a wicked smile.
"I'll just cut it off!"
After saying that, she felt embarrassed and buried her head in the man's chest, wrapping her arms around him.
"Haha, little sister Sisi, don't worry, my little brother is only saluting you. Go back to work with peace of mind, I'll come to see you when I have time."
Zhang Qian gently bit his neck: "You bad guy."Chapter 63 Get on the bus first, pay the fare later
Zhang Qian originally wanted to cook for Chen Cheng herself, but He Wenhui's phone call ruined the pleasant atmosphere, so the two could only go out to eat something.
At her insistence, Chen Cheng drove her to Xijing. Zhang Qian wouldn't let him leave, but instead dragged him back to the mall. She bought him two sets of clothes, pajamas, towels, toothbrushes, and other daily necessities. Under Chen Cheng's astonished gaze, she drove to an ordinary residential area.
At this moment, Chen Cheng remembered that she had mentioned that she owned a two-bedroom apartment, and his heart warmed. This would be their love nest from now on.
Upon arriving at the house, Chen Cheng looked around. The room was bright and airy, with simple furniture. The dust on the furniture indicated that no one had lived there for a long time. So, the two of them spent the afternoon cleaning the two bedrooms, the living room, the kitchen, and the bathroom inside and out, and they didn't finish until evening.
The two were exhausted and lay down on the bed. Suddenly, Zhang Qian turned over, propped her chin up with her hand and looked at Chen Cheng: "You can't leave tonight. Call Lin Zihan and her boyfriend Yu Wei to have dinner together. They came to see you off last time, and you haven't treated them to dinner yet."
"You're staying here?"
"What, you don't want to be with me?"
Zhang Qian knew Chen Cheng to some extent and knew that he was sometimes just teasing her.
"Yes, I'm willing, but I have a small wish."
As expected, he started causing trouble, Zhang Qian thought to herself with a smirk. Actually, she quite liked his roguish charm.
"I've been bothering you all afternoon, so please don't bother me anymore tonight, okay?"
Seeing his wicked grin, Zhang Qian was both amused and annoyed. She reached out and pinched his ear, saying, "You big pervert, who's messing with you? It's always you who messes with me. You talk like you're the one who suffered a huge loss."
"hehe".
Chen Cheng chuckled and let her gently twist his ear.
"Hey? Why aren't you crying in pain now that I'm twisting your ear?"
"Haha, I'll just copy you. If you don't call out, I naturally won't either."
Zhang Qian was stunned for a moment, her face flushed, and she used a little force to say, "You bad guy, pervert!" Then she pinched and scratched him. Chen Cheng pulled her into his arms and kissed her until her breathing became heavy. Just as they were about to take the next step, Zhang Qian's phone rang at an inopportune moment.
Zhang Qian struggled to get out of the man's embrace, reached for her phone on the bedside table, glanced at it, and made a shushing gesture to Chen Cheng. At the same time, she placed the phone in front of him, and the screen was labeled "Dad"!
Since her father apologized to her last time, and Qiao Hui had already been brought to justice and successfully got together with Chen Cheng, Zhang Qian no longer harbored any resentment towards her father. After answering the phone, she called out, "Dad!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhenhua was overjoyed, as his daughter had clearly let go of her worries. He quickly said, "Qianqian, you feel better after going out for a walk, right?"
"Um".
"Your mother contacted Zihan and said that you are not at her house. You are all grown up now, and your parents will no longer interfere in your life. Just be careful when you are out. Also, a major case has happened here, and He Wenhui has been given a death order. He is extremely anxious. If you have had enough fun, you should come back to the team. Not working for a long time will not be good for you or me. You should understand this."
"Okay, I understand. I'll start work tomorrow."
"Okay, uh, Sisi, when you have time, bring your friend Chen Cheng along. I'd like to meet him."
"See him? What for?"
Zhang Qian asked warily.
Chen Cheng understood, squeezed her small hand, and nodded in agreement.
"It's nothing, I just wanted to meet him and have a chat."
"Okay, I'll ask him out for a meal when I'm done with my work."
"Okay, I have something to do, so I'll leave now."
Zhang Qian put down her phone and looked at Chen Cheng thoughtfully. In fact, she knew that someone had helped him through this difficult time, but she didn't expect who had such great power. Her father said he wanted to see Chen Cheng, partly for her own sake and partly for his own.
Seeing her in a daze, Chen Cheng pulled her into his arms again, but Zhang Qian gently pushed him away, saying, "My dad wants to see you."
"Sure, a son-in-law has to meet his father-in-law eventually."
Chen Cheng said with a grin.
"Pah, who said I wanted to marry you? Father-in-law, that sounds awful."
"I've already boarded the train, and you don't want me to buy a ticket?"
"You dare not pay the fare!"
After saying that, Zhang Qian started pinching him again, and the two of them instantly hugged each other. After a moment, Zhang Qian removed his groping hand and said with a flushed face, "Stop messing around. I made an appointment with Zihan at 6:30. It's almost time. Let's hurry up and leave. We can talk about it when we get back tonight."
Chen Cheng pinched her delicate little face and said with a grin, "I'll do whatever you say."
Zhang Qian could tell that he was implying something, but luckily she was used to it. She rolled her eyes at him and then got up and went to the bathroom.
The restaurant where they ate dinner that evening was a very romantic place. As soon as Chen Cheng and his companion sat down at their reserved table, Lin Zihan walked over with a tall, handsome man wearing a professional white shirt and gold-rimmed glasses.
"Sisi, where have you been these past few days? Your phone is off and you haven't been going to work."
Lin Zihan immediately took Zhang Qian's hand affectionately and said...
"Work pressure is high, so I need to relax outside."
"You're not going to spend a few days with this guy, are you?"
Lin Zihan leaned close to her ear and whispered.
Zhang Qian blushed slightly and gently slapped her: "Hurry up and order."
"Hey, Chen Cheng, how did you manage to trick our Xixi into leaving?"
Lin Zihan said with a questioning tone and a smile.
"Hehe, Xixi likes to travel and enjoy the scenery. It just so happens that our county has mountains and rivers, so I tricked her into going there for a couple of days to relax."
"Oh, right, let me introduce you. This is my boyfriend, Yu Wei," she said, then turned to Yu Wei and said, "This is Chen Cheng, Qianqian's friend."
The two men shook hands, and Yu Wei said professionally, "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Thank you, me too."
Chen Cheng responded in a similarly neither humble nor arrogant manner.
The four sat down, and the waiter came forward and handed over the menu. Yu Wei took it in a gentlemanly manner and then handed it to Zhang Qian, saying, "Ladies first."
"Thank you, let Zihan order. It's my treat tonight."
Zhang Qian glanced at him and said.
"I can't let you spend the money, let me treat you."
After Yu Wei finished speaking, he gave Zhang Qian a meaningful look.
Lin Zihan, however, said foolishly, "Chen Cheng should have invited you tonight. You've tricked such a beautiful ice goddess out of you. You should be secretly happy."
Yu Wei's pupils contracted.
Chen Cheng saw through his expression.
"Hehe, that's for sure. Even if you guys don't come, I'm still planning to treat my Qianqian to a big meal. After all, she took me to the mall this afternoon and bought me a few outfits and household items!"
After saying that, he even showed off his T-shirt.
Yu Wei's gaze grew even colder.
"You two are living together?"
Lin Zihan asked in surprise.
"Shh, keep your voice down. My daughter is shy, just you two know that."
Zhang Qian glared resentfully at Chen Cheng and Lin Zihan, but said nothing, continuing to drink her tea.
Chen Cheng noticed a slight twitch on Yu Wei's face. This hypocritical guy, Lin Zihan was quite a beauty, yet he had actually set his sights on Zhang Qian. If it were before, he wouldn't have bothered with such trivial matters, but Zhang Qian was now his woman, so he couldn't let anyone else touch her.Chapter 64: Provocation from Wei
"Mr. Chen, I heard from Zihan that you don't have a job, but instead run an old teahouse?"
Yu Wei asked meaningfully.
Lin Zihan and Zhang Qian both frowned slightly upon hearing this.
"Yes, that's how I make a living. Although Xixi said she would support me, I don't want her to work too hard. If I earn some money, she'll have less of a burden."
Chen Cheng replied with a grin.
"How can a grown man like you rely on a woman to support him? Isn't that just being a gigolo?"
"The doctor said I have a bad stomach and can't eat hard food, so I can only eat soft food. Besides, would Sisi be willing? Right, Sisi?"
Zhang Qian also sensed that Yu Wei was acting strangely tonight. In the past, she felt that he was a gentle and refined person. Sometimes when he showed concern for her, she always thought it was because she was his girlfriend's best friend, so she didn't take it to heart. But tonight, it seemed that was not the case.
However, she wouldn't be as blunt as Chen Cheng. She simply picked up the snack in front of her and handed it to Chen Cheng, who opened his mouth. Helpless, Zhang Qian could only smile and put the snack into his mouth. Although she didn't say anything, this action implicitly acknowledged what Chen Cheng had said.
"The snacks my daughter Sisi feeds me are just so delicious."
Under the surprised gazes of Yu Wei and Lin Zihan, Zhang Qian felt a little embarrassed and playfully hit Chen Cheng lightly with a smile, which the two of them interpreted as flirting.
"You're something else, Chen Cheng. You even managed to win over the so-called Ice Goddess, Xixi. Qiao Hui, no, let's not talk about him. Zheng Yushan and Fan Jiasheng both tried hard to win Xixi over, but to no avail. I never expected that you, an unknown person, would win her over."
Lin Zihan clapped his hands and laughed.
"What nonsense are you talking about, Zihan?"
Zhang Qian smoothed her hair and said.
"My daughter Qianqian has a discerning eye; how could those ordinary people be worthy of her?"
Yu Wei felt like a million grass mud horses were galloping through his mind. Wasn't this saying that others were just ordinary people while he himself was the chosen one?
"You're just spouting nonsense too."
Zhang Qian rolled her eyes at Chen Cheng, but to the others, that glance was indescribably charming.
Yu Wei looked at the grinning, shameless man and kept adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses in anger, but he couldn't say a word. He could swear, but that would ruin his image as a cultured person. Besides, if he were any more sharp-tongued, Lin Zihan might become suspicious.
"You're so vain! But you'd better keep treating Qianqian well, or Lingzhu and I won't let you off the hook!"
"Don't worry, Zihan, you're in charge of Qianqian's friendships. From now on, I'll protect her love life. I won't let her lose!"
After Chen Cheng finished speaking, he took Zhang Qian's small hand and kissed it as if to assert his ownership.
This made Zhang Qian blush, but her heart was filled with sweetness. She let him hold her small hand. That was just her personality—pure, kind, and stubborn. Once she made up her mind about a person or a thing, she wouldn't easily change it. It was because of her persistence that the two of them were able to come together.
"I also heard that you were arrested and imprisoned for a murder case. If it weren't for Xixi and her family's efforts, you would still be in jail."
Lin Zihan gave Yu Wei a dissatisfied look, and Zhang Qian was also a little annoyed.
"Ah, right, if it weren't for Xixi and my father-in-law being very satisfied with me, would they have gone to such lengths to help me out of this predicament? This afternoon I was discussing with Xixi that we should meet with my father-in-law soon to properly thank him. Not only did he entrust his precious daughter to me, but he also helped me solve a huge problem."
Zhang Qian lightly hit him again: "What are you saying?"
Yu Wei was speechless, feeling disgusted and annoyed as if he had swallowed a dead fly. He also noticed the displeased looks from Lin Zihan and Zhang Qian, so he laughed and said:
"That's good, that's good. It shows that you really have something special. I was just helping her make a selection as Sisi's friend. Take Qiao Hui, for example. He looks respectable and refined on the outside, but who knows how many dirty things he did behind the scenes."
"Yes, how many people are just beasts in human skin, ambitious and greedy, eating what's in their bowl while eyeing what's in the pot, not realizing that they should just guard what's in their bowl? Like Qiao Hui, who was thinking about what's in the pot, but got scalded to death by the person who brought the pot. Guess who that person was?"
Chen Cheng started off with a smile, but his face turned serious after the last two sentences. An invisible pressure suddenly emanated from him, making Yu Wei on the other side feel suffocated. Fortunately, Chen Cheng quickly put on an innocent smile again, which relieved Yu Wei. He realized that this shameless man was not someone to be trifled with, and that such a person was definitely not a pretty boy.
"Yu Wei, Chen Cheng was framed by the Qiao family. The Qiao family is finished now. But our family doesn't have that kind of power. It was people from the capital who made the move, who are also Chen Cheng's elders. Otherwise, would the police system be holding people accountable, demoting some, or dismissing others because of this case? And how come the highest-ranking Qiao family member in the province was also brought down?"
Zhang Qian's words shocked Yu Wei and Lin Zihan. Yu Wei felt as if he had been doused with cold water in winter, instantly sobering up. Qiao Hui's family background was dozens of times better than his own, yet he couldn't defeat the other party. So what was he in Chen Cheng's eyes? He admired Zhang Qian not only because of her beauty but also because of her illustrious family background. After Qiao Hui's death, he felt he had another chance. Who knew that the man in front of him, whom he had been constantly provoking, would be even more ruthless? He was certain that what the man had just said was a warning to him! In an instant, cold sweat soaked the back of his white shirt.
At this moment, the waiter began to serve the prepared dishes, and Lin Zihan also noticed that the atmosphere was not right, so she began to change the subject.
"Hey, let me tell you some gossip. My current school is on the new campus, right next to Hougang. There's a four-story student dormitory on the old campus that's completely empty. I heard that there are often supernatural events happening there, and people have even died there. So the school moved the students from that dormitory to other dormitories. But I heard that a few months before I started working there, a student hanged himself in the stairwell of the dormitory. Now I can see that building from my apartment on the new campus, especially when I'm studying in the evening. That building looks really eerie and creepy, isn't it scary?"
After listening to Lin Zihan's words, Zhang Qian habitually turned to look at Chen Cheng.
Chen Cheng, however, acted as if it were none of his business, eating his own food and even affectionately serving Zhang Qian food.
"That's probably all just hearsay. What era are we living in now? There's no such thing as ghosts and gods anymore."
Yu Wei adjusted his mindset and also served a bowl of soup to Lin Zihan.
In the past, he would have been eager to serve Zhang Qian a bowl of food, but now he no longer had the courage or the mood. Chen Cheng had warned him that he only needed to keep an eye on Lin Zihan in his own bowl.
"Not necessarily. The world we see now is just the world as seen by ordinary people."
Zhang Qian said thoughtfully, "Before I met Chen Cheng, I might have had the same viewpoint, but now I understand."
Lin Zihan looked at her in surprise: "What's wrong with you, Qianqian? Weren't you a staunch materialist and atheist before?"
"Hehe, what I mean is that you'll only understand once you've personally experienced some things. There are some things that science can't explain!"
Zhang Qian took a sip of her drink and said.Chapter 65 We'll talk about it later
"So what did you go through?"
Lin Zihan asked curiously.
"Zihan, I didn't mean anything by it. It's just that sometimes my work is different, and I come into contact with different people and things, so my mindset has gradually changed."
Zhang Qian understood Lin Zihan; she was kind, innocent, curious, and timid, just like herself. With Chen Cheng protecting her, who would care if Lin Zihan caused trouble? So she didn't directly tell Lin Zihan about seeing ghosts.
Seeing that Yu Wei had changed his attitude towards him and Zhang Qian, Chen Cheng stopped targeting him and started chatting with him, thus changing the subject of the supernatural.
By the end of the meal, everyone was having a great time. Yu Wei asked Chen Cheng for his phone number, and Chen Cheng, regardless of his motives, readily exchanged numbers with him.
Back in their cozy little home, the two washed up before going to bed to rest.
"Brother Cheng, I don't know if what Zihan said about the school is true or not. Will she be alright?"
"Curiosity killed the cat. As long as she doesn't step into that dormitory building, nothing will happen."
"Why don't you give her a talisman just like mine? She and Bai Lingzhu are my best friends."
"But will she believe it? Will Yu Wei believe it after seeing it?"
"I'll have Zihan wear it close to her body. Yu Wei loves her very much, so he probably won't mind."
"Speaking of Yu Wei, he's a decent person overall. Before I gave him a warning, he also had feelings for you."
"Hehe, are you jealous? He is him, and I am me."
Zhang Qian is very intelligent. She already understands what Yu Wei did tonight, but with Lin Zihan present, she decided to give him face and hope that he can cherish it!
"From now on, you will be my woman. Others may envy you, but they cannot covet you. Otherwise, I will make them regret ever being born!"
Zhang Qian turned over and hugged him, murmuring, "Cheng-ge, I love you."
After waiting for a while and not hearing Chen Cheng speak, she looked up at him with dissatisfaction and said, "Why don't you say you love me?"
"We'll talk about it later!"
Chen Cheng looked at Zhang Qian with a wicked smile.
"you,,"
"Hmm, honestly..."
"Sissi, I love you!"
Afterwards, Chen Cheng said while holding the woman in his arms.
Zhang Qian heard what she wanted to hear, and then contentedly pressed her face against the man's chest and fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Zhang Qian got up early and made a simple breakfast for Chen Cheng: two fried eggs, a piece of bread, and a glass of milk. If she didn't have to go to the police station later, she wouldn't have gotten up so early; she wanted to spend some time with her sweetheart.
After she finished everything, Chen Cheng woke up, hugged her from behind, and kissed her neck: "You got up so early to make breakfast for me? How virtuous of you."
"Pah, you're so vain."
As she spoke, she turned her face and pressed it against his lips.
Are you going back today?
"Okay, let's go back. Once you get busy, you don't know when you'll have a moment to relax. When I get back, I still need to figure out how to improve Lü Xiachan's spiritual cultivation as soon as possible. If she becomes stronger, she can help us sooner. I won't have peace of mind until this matter is finished."
Zhang Qian put down the milk in her hand, turned around, put her arms around his neck, stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the lips: "Okay, I'll come see you when I have time, and you'll come see me when you have time."
Chen Cheng moved his hand down from her back and patted her pert buttocks, saying, "I know, darling."
"Bad guy!"
After the two had breakfast, Zhang Qian made the bed while Chen Cheng cleared away the dishes. As they were leaving, Zhang Qian handed him a key, saying, "This is a spare key. Whenever you arrive first, just wait for me at home."
Do you usually live here?
"Not necessarily. If I get off work late, I stay at the police station dormitory. Sometimes I go back to my mom's place."
"Do we only stay here after I arrive?"
"Um".
Chen Cheng drove her to the police station. He thought Zhang Qian would be reserved for fear of being seen by her colleagues, but he didn't expect this woman, who was once as cold as an ice goddess, to be so passionate and warm as she hugged him and kissed him. She then reluctantly got out of the car and only turned around and went into the police station after Chen Cheng drove away.
Chen Cheng returned to Fengjiang close to noon. He had already made up his mind to find a place with heavy yin energy to enhance Lü Xiachan's spirit. Zhang Qian and he were already very close. Originally, he did not plan to go so early, but Lü Xiachan completely protected her from the fate-destroying influence. He told Zhang Qian that he did so, but she was so enthusiastic that he had to go six months earlier.
After replying to Zhang Qian's message, Chen Cheng rested in his room. It wasn't until evening that he drove out to an abandoned funeral home in Zengcheng. He had heard that the place was haunted, but no one had come to him for help, so he hadn't bothered with it. Tonight, he planned to go there and release Lü Xiachan to absorb the yin energy there. If he was lucky, he could devour a few living souls. It would be even better if he encountered any evil spirits or vengeful ghosts.
Zengcheng is about 60 or 70 kilometers away from Fengjiang. Chen Cheng arrived at 8 p.m., found a small restaurant and ate something, then turned on the navigation and arrived near the abandoned funeral home. He turned off the engine and lay down in the car to rest.
"Did you miss me?" (Playful expression)
I had just taken out my phone when I received a call from Zhang Qian.
"Guess." (Smiling face)
"I won't guess, I want to hear what you have to say." (Looking aggrieved.)
"In no mood".
Then he posted another message: "Yeah, right!" (smiley face).
"Bad guy!" Fist.
"How's the case going? Any progress?"
"Not yet. I just finished a case analysis meeting and I have to work overtime later. I'll contact you when I have a moment."
"Okay, focus on solving the case. We'll see you again when you're free."
Where are you?
Zhang Qian didn't follow his lead and asked the question.
"I'm in Zengcheng, looking for a place with heavy yin energy to help Lü Xiachan stabilize her soul."
"Is it safe? I really want to go with you and experience this thrill."
"Wasn't last night exciting?" (Smiling face)
"Pervert, bad guy, be careful. I have to go now, my colleagues are all busy."
"Okay, you can go ahead and get busy."
I miss you, I love you!
Zhang Qian also sent a shy emoji.
"I love you too"!
Chen Cheng knew she liked hearing him say it himself, so he sent another kissing emoji.
Zhang Qian sent another playful emoji and then there were no more messages.
Chen Cheng closed his eyes to rest until 11:30 before getting out of the car and walking up the small hillside. When he reached the top of the hill, he looked at an abandoned building in the valley not far away. This was the former funeral home of Zengcheng, Qilipu Funeral Home!
The abandoned funeral home, shrouded in darkness, appeared deathly silent from a distance. The dim moonlight cast a sinister glow on the dilapidated building, outlining a sinister silhouette. The door was tightly shut, with a rusty padlock hanging on it, as if to say, "Keep out!"
The funeral home was surrounded by weeds, and the frames of some wreaths and the weathered, yellowed paper swayed in the wind, making a rustling sound, as if countless ghosts were wandering among them. The paint on the walls was peeling off, revealing mottled marks, giving it a dilapidated feel.
Chen Cheng nimbly climbed over a collapsed corner of the wall and immediately felt a wave of yin energy, which was generated by a long period of absence of human presence.
He looked around. The windowpanes were shattered, and the dark, gaping windows looked like gaping maws, as if they were about to devour everything. Occasionally, a gust of wind would blow through, making the windows creak and groan, which was chilling to hear. But Chen Cheng was no ordinary person; he was naturally unafraid of such things. This was exactly the kind of place he was looking for. For humans, it was terrifying, but for ghosts, it was a favorite.Chapter 66 Paranormal Blogger
Stepping into the funeral home, a musty, old smell hits you. The hall is empty, with only a few worn-out chairs and tables covered in dust and cobwebs. The floor tiles are cracked, revealing the cement floor underneath.
Walking down the corridor, you can see some rooms with their doors open, containing old trolleys and funeral supplies.
Chen Cheng casually waved his hand, and a red shadow flashed by. Lü Xiachan suddenly stood in front of him and bowed gracefully to him.
"Owner".
"Well, Miss Lü, the yin energy here is thick. You can absorb the yin energy here. It's not time yet. I don't know if there are any living souls or ghosts inside. If there are, you can devour them yourself. If I'm here, some things might not dare to show themselves. I'll meditate in the courtyard. We've already established a connection. If you encounter a more powerful ghost than you, I'll come to save you."
"Yes, Master. There shouldn't be any vengeful ghosts here. As long as they're no more than a hundred years old, I can handle them with my current strength."
What Lü Xiachan said was true. If it hadn't fought that thousand-year-old ghost general in the mine, even a hundred-year-old ghost would have been nothing to it.
Chen Cheng nodded to it, then walked out of the hall and came to a relatively clean spot in the courtyard, where he sat cross-legged in meditation.
Meditation cannot directly improve one's cultivation level, because the growth of cultivation level requires the continuous accumulation of mental power and actual combat. However, meditation can help him concentrate his attention, calm his mind, and thus better enter a meditative state. At the same time, meditation also helps maintain good physical and mental strength. His master taught him that when there is no place to rest in the wild, he should use meditation to relieve fatigue and cope with anything unknown that may happen.
Soon, it was past midnight, the time of day when the yin energy was at its strongest. Chen Cheng compressed his Taoist qi to the smallest possible size around him to avoid startling any wandering souls. He could also sense that Lü Xiachan was absorbing yin energy near the morgue, where the yin energy was strongest.
Suddenly, he heard voices outside the wall. When he opened his eyes, he saw several beams of flashlight beams sweeping back and forth across the wall.
"Army, I've heard this place is eerie. Do we really want to go in?"
A girl's voice came through.
"What are you afraid of? With the two of us here, you don't need to be afraid. We've explored abandoned hospitals before and nothing happened to us."
A deep male voice said.
"Exactly. Besides, we already said during our live stream that we were going to explore this place. If we don't go in, we'll lose followers. If the live stream goes well, we can easily earn tens of thousands of dollars a night."
"That's what the other man said."
"If you ask me, even if there's nothing special this time, we still have to come up with something. The more exciting it is, the more generous the fans watching the live stream will be in sending gifts!"
The first man to speak said.
"It's okay, Xiao Cai, I will protect you."
"Thank you, Army."
These money-grubbing idiots, if they get hit by evil energy, could be fatal or at least seriously ill. Their earnings wouldn't even cover their medical expenses. But how can I stop them? I don't want to be on camera if they're livestreaming; who knows how many people will watch? Besides, if I try to persuade them, they're even less likely to listen when they see a living person. But as a member of the Taoist sect, I can't just watch them die. I can only secretly notify Lü Xiachan to scare them away.
Just as he was thinking, a light flashed and a man had already climbed over the wall. Chen Cheng quickly hid behind a row of evergreen plants.
The man climbed onto the wall, shone his flashlight around, and said to the two people below, "There's no movement. Come on up!"
Then a girl was lifted up by the people below and pulled up by the man above, followed by another man.
The three of them shone their flashlights around for a few moments. The first man jumped down from the wall, then turned around and said, "Xiao Cai, come down, I'll catch you."
"Okay, Army, you'd better catch me carefully, don't drop me."
"Don't worry, go ahead and jump."
The girl named Xiaocai slowly squatted down and jumped towards Lu Jun. Lu Jun reacted quickly and caught her, but the momentum caused them both to fall to the ground.
"ah"!
Xiao Cai let out a gasp.
Fortunately, neither of them was hurt.
"Wang Qing, jump! You're a grown man, surely you can jump down from this height."
"Who do you think you are!"
The man still calling out "Wang Qing" from the wall pursed his lips, then slowly squatted down and jumped down.
"How eerie."
Xiao Cai shone her flashlight on the funeral home building again.
"What's there to be afraid of? Abandoned hospitals are even darker and taller than this, and we still managed to break through them."
Wang Qing said.
"That's different. At least that hospital is in the county town, with bright lights and bustling traffic. This place is so far from the county town, you can't even see any lights."
As Xiao Cai spoke, she shivered from the wind.
"What's there to be afraid of? I've been in the army and I've seen everything, except ghosts and gods. With me here, no demons or monsters can get close to me!"
Wang Qing said with great masculinity.
"I'm not afraid, Xiao Cai, I will protect you!"
The army showed no weakness.
"Alright, it's almost 1 a.m. now, let's start the live stream!"
Xiao Cai took out her phone, fiddled with it for a bit, and started the live streaming program.
"Hi, dear family members, we are the outdoor adventure trio. At the request of many of you, tonight we have come to the Qilipu Funeral Home in Zengcheng. For some reason, this funeral home has been abandoned for many years. According to legend, the continuous occurrence of paranormal events led the authorities to abandon it. Tonight, Lu Jun, Wang Qing, and Xiao Cai will take you on a first-person perspective to explore the place. We also want to thank you all for your long-term attention and encouragement. Thank you. Now, I will show you the whole picture of this place!"
Xiao Cai spoke quite professionally, and when introducing Lu Jun and Wang Qing, the camera focused on the two of them respectively. Now, turning the phone around, with the lights on the group, she began to show the fans the full view of the funeral home.
"My dear family members, isn't this place particularly eerie and terrifying? Haha, you're only experiencing it through a live stream, while we're there in person, with a more direct sensory experience. Now, the three of us are about to enter the funeral home's lobby to see what's inside!"
After Xiao Cai finished speaking, Wang Qing was the first to walk forward with a flashlight, followed by Xiao Cai and Lu Jun, who kept shining the flashlight left, right and behind them. It was obvious that he was not as brave as Wang Qing.
Wang Qing was also unsure, but wanting to outdo Lu Jun in Xiao Cai's eyes, he braced himself and walked into the hall. Apart from the sacrificial offerings scattered all over the floor, there were other miscellaneous items. The dilapidated windows creaked and groaned as they closed in the wind.
Xiao Cai grabbed Wang Qing's clothes with one hand and held her phone to live stream with the other, saying in a trembling voice, "Dear family members, we have now entered the hall of the funeral home. This hall should be the passage for the deceased and the area for relatives to wait... Ah!"
While Xiao Cai was giving her commentary, she suddenly noticed a portrait of an old woman in the corner of the wall illuminated by an army flashlight. Through the reflected light, it seemed as if the old woman was staring at her!
Her scream startled the two people in front and behind her, but Xiao Cai also realized that this was a perfect opportunity to take a picture. She immediately took out her phone and took a close-up shot of the old lady's portrait in the corner. Wang Qing and Lu Jun, who had just realized what was happening, also hurriedly shone their flashlights over.Chapter 67! There's a ghost!
"Family, I'm so sorry. When I suddenly saw the photo just now, it really looked like an old lady squatting there looking at us. It scared me to death! Wow, thank you so much for the rocket from the top donor. Love you!"
Seeing the gifts from fans, Xiao Cai and her two friends seemed less afraid and continued walking inside.
When they entered a room, they instinctively shone their lights inside and saw two handcarts, presumably used for transporting corpses.
"Family members, the little pusher inside... Ah! Ah!"
As the three of them were engrossed in live-streaming from the shopping cart, the door opposite them slammed shut behind them with a loud "bang," as if someone had slammed it shut from the inside. This terrified the three of them, and Xiao Cai's scream even changed tone.
"No, don't be afraid, it should be the wind..."
Wang Qing calmed himself down and comforted the two of them.
With a creak, the door opened automatically again, startling the three of them so much that their scalps tingled and they couldn't even move their feet. At that moment, they heard a series of creaking sounds coming from the room where the trolley had been. The three of them knew that this was the sound of the trolley's wheels moving!
The three men, mustering their courage, slowly turned their heads. In the lamplight, they saw a small cart slowly turning in circles, gradually approaching them. At that moment, their flashlights began to flash, while the cart sped towards them, hurtling towards them.
"Run!"
A scream rang out, and Lu Jun was the first to run out, followed by Wang Qing, who, after a couple of steps, ran back and grabbed the still-stunned Xiao Cai, pulling her outside. The phone she was using to livestream was thrown to the ground in her fright. All the fans saw was a black screen and the screams of the crowd.
The three staggered into the courtyard. Lu Jun was on the verge of collapse, and said in a tearful voice, "Please let us go. I will never come here again."
"Coward, there's no use talking about this now. The important thing is to get out of here!"
Wang Qing was furious.
"Hehehe, hahaha, come on, I haven't had enough fun yet, come on, let's play hide-and-seek!"
A strange, shrill voice exploded in the ears of the three people. No matter whether they shook their heads or covered their ears, the voice still reached them clearly.
"Oh my god, I'm never coming here again, I'm never being a paranormal streamer again, please let me go, please let me go!"
The army collapsed and screamed in despair.
"Hehehe, hahaha!"
At that moment, with that chilling laughter, the doors and windows of the funeral home and the interior doors began to close automatically. Instantly, clattering and crackling sounds filled the air, scaring the three of them so much that they scrambled to the wall, but they no longer had the strength to climb up it.
Chen Cheng, hiding in the shadows, couldn't help but laugh. These paranormal bloggers had never suffered a loss before, but once they did, they couldn't bear it. Tonight, he would have Lü Xiachan scare them and teach them a lesson. If he weren't here, these people would definitely be tainted by the evil spirits and encounter ghosts. Lü Xiachan told him through her consciousness that she had already devoured two ghosts, and others had already hidden themselves, indicating that the ghosts here had gained consciousness and were no longer confused souls. If he weren't here, these three young people would definitely be in big trouble.
The three huddled together in the corner. By then, the funeral home had returned to normal and was no longer as noisy.
"Wang Qing, it's quiet inside now, are we safe?"
Xiao Cai, still shaken, asked.
"I don't know either. Let's hurry up and find a way to get out of here. Let's never come back here again."
Wang Qing, a former soldier, was bolder than the other two. He was originally a materialist and did not believe in ghosts or gods at all, but tonight's events overturned his worldview. He secretly vowed to himself that he would never be a paranormal anchor again, because his life was more important.
"I... I dropped my phone inside, what should I do?"
"Never mind, Xiao Cai, it's just a phone, I'll give you one."
"But, but there are many unedited adventure videos on our phones!"
"Is your phone more important, or your life?"
Wang Qing suddenly said something.
The three of them fell silent. Then Lu Jun stood up and looked at the wall, seemingly searching for a suitable climbing point.
Finally, Wang Qing was at the bottom. Lu Jun first stepped on his back to climb over the wall, then pulled Xiao Cai up, and then Wang Qing. The three of them hurriedly jumped down and disappeared into the vast darkness. Chen Cheng believed that after tonight, they would never do any more paranormal live streams.
After the others ran away, Chen Cheng emerged from the shadows, returned to the original spot, and calmed down to begin meditating.
At 4:30 a.m., the Yin energy gradually subsided, and Lu Xiachan was summoned back. Through a night of effort, it had recovered one-tenth of its strength. If a few more places like this were found, Lu Xiachan should be able to recover to its peak strength and then help Zhang Qian bear her destiny.
Back in Zengcheng city, Chen Cheng found a breakfast shop, planning to grab a quick bite before finding a small hotel to get a good night's sleep. He planned to visit the funeral home again that night and try his luck at a cemetery the next day. Any place with yin energy could help Lü Xiachan stabilize her soul and improve her cultivation. Ideally, it should be a place with ghosts, as ghosts devouring ghosts wouldn't violate the laws of nature!
While he was eating his steamed buns, the conversation between the two people at the next table caught his attention.
"Sigh, I'm not going today. I might earn money but not live to spend it. Look at Old Cui, he was working fine yesterday when a half-brick fell from the sky and hit him on the head, leaving him bleeding profusely. It's a good thing he was wearing a helmet, otherwise, someone would have been killed."
"Yeah, if you don't go, I don't dare to go either. Although the boss pays a high salary, it feels weird to work there. It's so hot, but it's still chilly inside. It's not normal, it's too abnormal. Brother Liu, everyone says that the building is unclean. At first, I didn't believe it, but now it seems that there's some truth to it."
"I heard that the landlord has consulted several masters and spent a lot of money, but it's all been of no use. I estimate that less than ten people will go to work today; they're all people who value money more than their lives."
"That's what Brother Liu said."
Chen Cheng looked at the two men, both dressed like migrant workers and eating very simply. An idea struck him, so he picked up his soy milk, went to their table, found a seat, and said, "Brothers, I've always loved hearing strange and unusual stories. What place were you two talking about?"
"Who are you"?
"Brother Liu asked."
Chen Cheng didn't answer him, but instead called out, "Boss, a few more baskets of steamed buns!"
"Okay."
The boss responded.
Soon, a woman brought over three baskets of steamed buns and placed them in front of the group.
"Big brother, I don't eat much either, let's eat together as a group!"
Chen Cheng tried to get closer to him.
"Young man, why are you asking about this?"
"Brother, I just like listening to these weird stories and then bragging about them to my girlfriend."
As Chen Cheng used serving chopsticks to put steamed buns on the plates in front of the two people, he said with a grin.
"Oh, I thought you wanted to earn a high salary. You mustn't risk your life for money."
"No way, brother, tell me about it, satisfy my curiosity."Chapter 68, Building No. 13
"Okay, I hope you won't be scared after hearing this!"
The older of the two men is named Liu Jianhui, and the other is named Gao Yong. Both of them are construction workers from townships in Zengcheng who came to the city to work. For the past two years, they have been working on a large real estate development called "Zengguangtiancai". It is a community with more than 20 buildings. Thirteen buildings have been completed so far. However, the problem lies in the thirteenth building. Strange things have been happening since the construction began. First, when the foundation was being laid, an electrical box leaked electricity. A worker was electrocuted when he pulled the switch. At that time, in order not to cause a greater impact, the developer gave the family a large sum of money and went to the relevant departments to win gifts and bribes, which finally suppressed the matter.
Then, when the building reached the fifth floor, a steelworker accidentally fell from the roof and died. The exhausted boss had to spend more money to settle the matter and hired a master to take another look. The master buried some protective objects around the thirteenth building before construction resumed. Perhaps the master was truly capable, because in the following six months, the building was successfully built to the eleventh floor. However, six months later, when six workers were leaving get off work in the evening, they took the freight elevator from the eleventh floor to go home. Unexpectedly, the elevator malfunctioned and fell from the elevator shaft, dozens of meters high. Except for one worker who was lucky enough to survive but was seriously injured, the other five died on the spot. Construction on the building was halted from then on, and the contractor was fined into bankruptcy for failing to ensure construction safety. Last month, a big boss from Zhejiang and Hangzhou took over the project again and hired a master from the south. The master and his apprentice performed a ritual for three days and three nights before construction resumed.
Because of psychological trauma, most of the veteran workers were unwilling to work on Building 13, so they had to find some temporary workers. Veteran employees who were willing to go would receive an extra 100 yuan per day. Liu Jianhui and Gao Yong were veteran employees, and they joined in order to earn more money. At first, nothing happened, but in the last few days, strange things started happening again. The workers either had their legs broken by steel bars or fell down the stairs because the workers preferred to walk on the stairs rather than take the elevator where the accident had occurred.
Yesterday, Lao Cui, who was from the same hometown as the two men, was hit on the head by a piece of brick that fell from somewhere while he was working on the construction site. Fortunately, the safety helmet he was wearing protected him from most of the damage, but the sturdy helmet was also smashed. Lao Cui's head was bleeding profusely, so the two men decided not to go to work at Building 13 today.
The two finished recounting what had happened, one after the other. The steamed buns on the table were almost gone, and Chen Cheng had a clear idea of what had happened. So, he paid the bill and the two said goodbye and left.
Since the two of them could have breakfast here, it meant that the construction site was not too far away. Chen Cheng drove around the area and soon saw rows of unfinished buildings on another street. The walls of the courtyards along the street had an advertising slogan that read: "Lake view villas with water features and gardens, located in the city's financial center, adding luster to the community, making you more radiant in Zengcheng."
This is it. Chen Cheng drove around for a while. It was almost eight o'clock. Workers were starting to enter through the gate one after another. After watching for a while, he had a general plan in mind. So he found a hotel of moderate size nearby, checked in, washed up, and then lay down on the bed and fell fast asleep.
I slept until 2 p.m. before getting up. I went out to eat something first, and then drove straight to the Zengguangtiancai sales office. A sweet-looking saleswoman immediately came up to me.
"Hello sir, welcome. What type of apartment would you like to see?"
What types of apartments are available?
"Sir, please take a look at the model first, and I will explain it to you in detail."
Chen Cheng nodded and followed the saleswoman to a large model in the middle of the sales office lobby, where a dozen or so people were viewing the model with the saleswoman's explanation.
"Sir, what is your surname?"
"My surname is Chen."
"Hello Mr. Chen, this is Jiajia from the sales department, my surname is Du. Let me introduce you to our company's brand new concept apartments, which come in five different layouts..."
Du Jiajia explained carefully, and Chen Cheng pretended to listen, but his eyes were fixed on Building No. 13 in the model. It was an eleven-story building with good ventilation from north to south and two units per floor. According to the scale on the model, the distance between buildings and the lighting were excellent.
A few minutes later, Du Jiajia gave a presentation on all the apartment layouts in the complex, and then asked, "Mr. Chen, would you like to take a look at the existing apartments?"
This was exactly what Chen Cheng wanted to hear, so he nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll have to trouble Miss Du."
"Haha, you're too kind. It's my pleasure to serve you."
Du Jiajia fetched two safety helmets, handed one to Chen Cheng, and then took some forms and led Chen Cheng into the residential area.
"Mr. Chen, the community is still under construction. The landscaping can only be done when the ground is paved, so it looks bare right now."
Walking into the residential area and seeing the messy construction site, Du Jiajia smiled and said something to ease the client's mind.
"Hmm, that's understandable!"
"Mr. Chen, which building would you like to see?"
"Let's go take a look at number 12. I think that building has the best natural light."
"Haha, Mr. Chen, you have excellent taste! You spotted the best building in our complex at a glance. After the company finishes painting the exterior, we'll use this building as a model home!"
"Yes, I've always had good taste. Otherwise, how could I have chosen such a beautiful lady as my guide?"
Chen Cheng knew that Du Jiajia was using their company's tactics. If Chen Cheng said he had his eye on Building No. 8, she would say that Building No. 8 was the king of buildings.
"Haha, Mr. Chen is not only handsome, but also very humorous!"
The two chatted and laughed as they arrived at Building 12. On the way, he expressed his preference for higher floors, so Du Jiajia took him directly to the 11th floor by elevator.
Entering one of the unfinished rooms, Chen Cheng pretended to look around before going to the balcony. From there, he could see the entire 13th building. He squinted slightly, staring at the opposite building. In his eyes, the building was shrouded in darkness, exuding a strong ghostly aura. He knew from Liu Jianhui and Gao Yong that there must be ghost cultivators here. Ordinary ghosts cannot make any moves during the day, but ghost cultivators can appear in the shadows even during the day, as long as they are not exposed to sunlight.
"Mr. Chen, what do you think of this apartment layout? Are you satisfied?"
"Hmm, not bad. Is the layout of apartment number 13 across the street the same as this building?"
Upon hearing this, Du Jiajia's face turned deathly pale.
"Mr. Chen, the apartment layouts here are all quite good. Well, the ones in Building 13 are not as good as the ones in this building."
Du Jiajia knew that Building 13 was haunted. Even if an unsuspecting customer asked to go to Building 13, all the saleswomen would politely refuse. Just kidding, this was a taboo that everyone inside knew. In their minds, Building 13 was a terrifying haunted building!
Even if the boss finds a master to resolve this issue in the future, it will leave a lingering shadow in everyone's hearts!
"Oh, really? Looks like I have a really good eye!"
Chen Cheng took it as a joke, but he still decided to come to Building Thirteen to explore. He had gained a lot of Heavenly Dao power after the mine incident, the Lü Xiachan incident, and the weasel incident. He was confident that even if he encountered the thousand-year-old ghost cultivator from the mine last time, he could still put up a fight!Chapter 69 You didn't even ask the price?
Back at the sales office entrance, Chen Cheng said, "Thank you, beautiful Ms. Du, for accompanying me to see the property. I'll think about it and will definitely come back to you if I need anything!"
"Yes, Mr. Chen, don't worry. As long as you like our house, I will serve you well!" After saying that, she extended her slender hand.
Chen Cheng politely shook her hand lightly, then released it and said, "Okay, goodbye!"
"Okay, I'll wait for your call!"
Du Jiajia made a gesture of sticking her thumb and little finger up to her ears.
The two had already exchanged phone numbers on the way.
Chen Cheng smiled and nodded at her, then got into the car, rolled down the window, waved, and drove off.
He had decided to go to the funeral home again tonight and return to Fengjiang tomorrow morning. If he wanted to try his luck at Building Thirteen, he needed to go home and prepare properly. Now he had gained some experience with talismans and could easily draw blue talismans with a success rate of seven or eight out of ten. He had also tried to draw purple talismans, but he hadn't been able to draw even one out of ten. Fortunately, he could draw one out of twenty. He had already accumulated two purple talismans and eight blue talismans. After returning home tomorrow, he would have to draw a few more. There was also a golden talisman given to him by Master Jingyang to help Zhang Qian change her fate and overcome obstacles. He would have to use it if necessary. If necessary, he could always shamelessly bring two bottles of good wine and ask for another one.
"Have you gone back to Fengjiang?"
As soon as I got into the hotel and lay down on the bed, Zhang Qian sent me a message.
"I'm planning to go back tomorrow. How's the case going?"
"We've got a lead, but we still need to investigate. How was last night? Did you encounter any danger?"
"Who is your husband? He's only dangerous around you, nothing else matters!" (laughing).
"Pah, who wants you as my husband? And how are you dangerous around me? I'm the one who should be saying it's dangerous!" (Evil grin)
"Haven't you heard the saying? There are only oxen that die from exhaustion, not land that gets ruined from plowing!" (A wicked grin)
"Pah! You big pervert, you scoundrel! You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth!" (Anger)
"If I don't text you, you won't text me back. You trust me that much?" I feel wronged.
"I was just worried about interfering with your work."
"Excuses? I don't care. I haven't eaten well these past few days. Come to the police station tomorrow night and bring me some roasted lamb leg!" Mischievous.
"Little sister Sisi, you made me drive over a hundred kilometers just to bring you some roasted lamb leg?"
"Yeah, I don't want the lamb leg, I want your attitude!" (Smirking)
"I think you don't want to eat the lamb leg, you want to eat me!" (Laughs loudly)
"Pervert, scoundrel..."
The two bickered on WeChat for a while before Zhang Qian reluctantly went to work.
Turning off his phone, Chen Cheng smiled slightly. Having such a silly and innocent girlfriend was a great blessing in life.
At night, Chen Cheng returned to the spot where he had parked the previous night and walked in through the collapsed area again. If those three paranormal bloggers had been more careful and looked around more closely, they wouldn't have had to go through so much trouble climbing over the wall to get in and out.
Chen Cheng was still meditating in the courtyard, while Lü Xiachan went into the funeral home to absorb the Yin energy and search for ghosts, which were very nourishing for her!
The night was quite quiet, without any of the lively scenes from the previous night.
Around 4 a.m., Lü Xiachan, having absorbed enough Yin energy, returned to Chen Cheng's pendant. It had devoured another ghost that night, and now it felt that its strength had almost recovered by half.
Around 8 a.m., Chen Cheng returned to the old teahouse, where the diligent Lao Zhang was already cleaning.
"Xiao Cheng, are you done with your work?"
"Yes, that's about it. Uncle Zhang, is everything alright at home?"
"No, by the way, Jiang Shuang came yesterday, helped you wash your clothes and things and then left."
"oh".
Chen Cheng had a headache. He returned to the back hall, first offered incense and kowtowed to the ancestral master, and then went back to his room to prepare to draw talismans. This time, he might be facing a powerful ghost cultivator, but as long as it didn't possess a person, the peach wood sword could still cause it great damage.
He spent the whole morning engrossed in drawing talismans, and his hard work paid off; he had already drawn three blue talismans before lunch.
After finishing my meal and resting for a while, I drove to Xijing City. I originally planned to draw a purple talisman in the afternoon, but my mind was not at peace. I knew that drawing it would be pointless. Alas, my emotions have affected my Daoist heart!
As evening approached, Chen Cheng had already packed up the golden-brown, tender roasted lamb leg and drove to the street opposite the police station. Shortly after, he received a message from Zhang Qian:
"You little rascal, are you here yet?" (A mischievous expression.)
"Oh dear, I was so busy that I forgot about this. What should I do?"
"Hehe, your trick didn't work, I've already seen our car."
Chen Cheng hurriedly looked outside and saw a beautiful figure standing in front of a window on the sixth floor of the police station. Who else could it be but Zhang Qian?
"You saw me and still asked?"
"I guessed you were just kidding me, so I tried it, and it actually happened!" (smiley face)
"What they said is absolutely true; when your mind and body are in harmony, you'll have a telepathic connection!" (Playful)
"Pah, you pervert..." she said with a shy expression.
"I'm coming down, wait for me."
Chen Cheng smiled and put down his phone. This once innocent policewoman could now understand his flirtatious words.
A dozen minutes later, Zhang Qian, who had changed into casual clothes, jogged over, sat in the passenger seat, and hugged and kissed Chen Cheng without a second thought.
"Hey, you just came up and kissed her without even asking the price?"
Chen Cheng said with a grin.
Zhang Qian lightly slapped him: "I can kiss my own man whenever I want. It's not like I'm buying a dog or cat at a pet market. Why do I need to ask the price?"
The phrase "my own man" was spoken so tenderly and sweetly that it ignited a fire in Chen Cheng's heart.
"Brother Cheng, I forgot to tell you, my dad wants to see you. Captain He gave me special leave tonight, so you'll have to eat the lamb leg you brought another day."
"What? Your dad? My father-in-law wants to see me?"
This time, Zhang Qian didn't refute, but instead shyly hummed in agreement.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner? I would have had time to get ready. Look at what I'm wearing..."
"It's okay, this outfit is fine too. I bought it all for you."
"But I didn't bring any gifts. If I just show up like this, will my father-in-law set his dogs on me?"
"I'll bite you, you big-headed devil!"
Zhang Qian rolled her eyes at him: "I've prepared the gift for you. It's in my car. We can go in and get it to your car in a bit."
"Hehe, the woman in your own home is always the most considerate!"
Chen Cheng used her words to tease her.
"Pah, you little rascal."
Although Zhang Qian appeared a little angry, she was actually quite pleased with herself.
At that moment, both of their phones rang almost simultaneously.
"Hello, Brother Bai."
"Chen Cheng, where are you?"
"In Xijing, what about you, Brother Bai?"
"Coincidentally, I am also in Xijing. This time, I was ordered to cooperate with the Security Department to protect an important person who came to Xijing for inspection. He is Mao Qingguo, the great benefactor who did everything he could to find out the truth and clear your name when you were framed last time. Old Mao."
"Wow, such a high-ranking official!"
"Such a high-ranking official knows you. He specifically asked to see you. Also, he and your master are old acquaintances!"
"Huh? See me? I'm just an ordinary citizen, why would you want to see me?"
"Foolish! So many people are desperate to catch his eye. What are you still hesitating for? Come over now. It's at the provincial guesthouse. Call me when you get to the door. If I don't come to pick you up, you won't be able to get in!"