“I died soon after.” Zhang Chen continued, “I was walking home once, after working overtime. I met a robber. He was angered because I resisted, hence he used his knife to slit my throat. If you had watched the news, you should remember the homicide case at Pudong’s new area half a year ago.”
Li Xianyu replied awkwardly, “No impression at all.”
Zhang Chen said, “It’s alright. After I died, my spirit floated around aimlessly for a while. I saw my mother bawl her eyes out, my father carrying my ashes as he trembled uncontrollably. I saw my girlfriend consoling my parents for a while, before she proceeded to totally forget about me. I became a briefly mentioned topic amongst my colleagues and friends. The news about me on the internet… It was forgotten after a while as well. People carried on with their lives, other than my parents. I was just a passer-by to them.”
“Until I thought of my dog. I then came here…”
If ghosts could cry, Zhang Chen would have been in tears by now. Li Xianyu saw the overwhelming sorrow in his eyes.
“It’s still here, waiting for me. Just like how it waited for me under the bridge that year.”
“He reverted back to his old dirty state, but this time, the person he was waiting for won’t ever appear again,” Zhang Chen lowered his head in guilt and continued, “These few months, I came here daily to visit him. I saw him starving, shivering in the cold. I saw him looking in the direction where I left. He had remembered me all along. He was waiting for me all along.”
“However, I can’t do anything. He can’t see no hear me. We can only pass the days through these kinds of interactions.”
A dog abandoned by its owner, and an owner consumed by guilt. They were separated in different dimensions, watching over and praying for each other.
“I have one question.” Li Xianyu raised his hand and said, “Why can’t it see you? The book said that dogs can see things that humans can’t… By the way, I’m not saying that you’re dirty,” he explained quickly.
Great-Grandma started to fill the gap in Li Xianyu’s knowledge. “This species cannot see supernatural bodies. After the ancient demons, humans became the ruling species. However, even they could not see spirits. If demon descendants wanted to see spirits, they could only do so either by innate ability, or by practising qi to purify their eyes. The latter required a long period of time before the effects showed. The other way was for me to open your third eye.”
This meant that I had been cheated by the goddamn books again?
Great-Grandma looked at Zhang Chen and said, “Do you want to see him, or do you want him to see you?”
Zhang Chen replied excitedly, “Is that possible?”
Great-Grandma said, “Yes, but my great-grandson must agree.”
Li Xianyu patted his chest. “No problem.”
Great-Grandma warned, “It requires essence.”
Li Xianyu replied, “Let me think about that.”
San Wu stepped out of her jurisdiction and took responsibility by saying, “I have essence, I’ll lend it to you.”
Great-Grandma rolled her eyes in a hostile manner. “I only take my great-grandson’s essence.”
As she finished her words, she pouted her mouth and took a gasp of air.
The colour on Li Xianyu’s face drained away. “Chottomatte, I didn’t agree…”
The next moment, an overwhelming sense of fatigue rushed over him. He held his waist as his legs trembled and his face turned pale.
Two red spots started to appear on Great-Grandma’s cheeks, which had been nourished. She took a step forward and used her fingertip to tap on the dog’s head. The Samoyed dog gritted its teeth and assumed an attacking posture. When she released her fingertip, it stepped back immediately.
It looked around in confusion, searching for familiar faces. When it saw Zhang Chen, it stood rigid before barking excitedly, throwing itself at him. However, it passed through his body.
The dog was evidently unable to comprehend this phenomenon. It circled around Zhang Chen in panic, barking non-stop.
Zhang Chen pulled his hands back, disappointed. After all, he was dead.
“I’m here.” Zhang Chen squatted down and patted his head. “Sorry I’m late.”
The dog stuck out his tongue and licked his hand, but to no avail.
“I’m not a good owner. I was selfish and self-centered to abandon you. Custard, thank you for your company when I was at my loneliest. I know the fear that loneliness can bring. However, despite my fear, I left you here. Don’t wait for me anymore. Go, your future doesn’t belong to me.”
“This time, it’s goodbye for real.”
“I’m sorry, please forgive me, please forgive me…”
Zhang Chen’s body started to disintegrate as he became increasingly transparent.
Spirits existed because of stubborn notions. Once these notions disappeared, they would disappear as well.
Li Xianyu held his waist and remarked emotionally, “You treated him as a passer-by in your life, but he regarded you as his world. You had your girlfriend, but he had only you. It’s too late to regret. Treat your dog better in your next life, if that exists.”
Alas, there was no such thing as the netherworld in this world. There was no such thing as reincarnation. Once someone died, he was really dead.
Zhang Chen turned around and gave Li Xianyu a smile of gratitude before his spirit disintegrated.
His existence in this world was about to be wiped out.
His body dissolved into the mud as his spirit returned to the heavens, blending amongst the clouds.
The dog barked loudly, non-stop, seemingly wanting its owner to stay.
Li Xianyu, not caring about whether the dog understood its words, went over and said, “He’s long dead. You should change your owner. Why not follow me?”
The dog turned around and bit out at Li Xianyu’s outstretched hand. It growled fiercely at him, preparing to attack.
“Psh, you can’t recognize a good man,” Li Xianyu took a few steps back. “I’ll be back tomorrow. Wait here if you want.”
After he reached home, Li Xianyu prepared a report according to the template that he was given, then mailed it to the Missions Department.
The case of Shaxian Delicacies’s boss was finally closed. The verdict was that a supernatural being went around and caused harm to people. In the report, he described the exact details of the case, and gave a guarantee that the spirit had disintegrated.
The whole report was only about 100 words long. It was simplified. Firstly, it was a small case. Secondly, the report was supposed to be entirely objective and no emotions were allowed to be in it. Otherwise, Li Xianyu could have written more than 20,000 words to criticize the boss, saying that he deserved it. Then, he could have expressed his regrets about the dog and its owner who were never meant to be despite loving each other.
According to San Wu, he would receive the points in three days. Although five points were not a lot, it could be converted to $5,000 cash. Earning $5,000 in one day, wow. That was good.
However, when he thought further, he realized that it was useless converting these points to cash. He did not have to worry about palatables or rent. His only significant expense was his monthly rent. Although the prospect of eating abalone was tempting, he could not bear to do that. Great-Grandma would surely spend all his cash.
Not worth it.
He decided to keep the points. Once he had accumulated enough, he would buy a mythical sword or a divine weapon, and flaunt it.
Great-Grandma had a mouthful of “ambrosial” in her mouth, a good Greek yoghurt. She had bought it on the journey back home. Once Li Xianyu had finished the report, she gave him a charming smile before saying, “Li Xianyu, you’re done with the report!”
Li Xianyu, upon hearing her tone, felt that she was up to something. “What do you want?”
Great-Grandma replied, “Old Master Qin said that points could be exchanged for money, right?”
Li Xianyu retorted in anger, “Baoze Group is so miserly. I braved death, yet they only gave me five points. I can only exchange that for $50.”
Great-Grandma frowned. “How dare they swindle my good grandson?!”
San Wu replied coldly, “It’s $5,000, not $50.”
Great-Grandma said, “You lied to me.”
“So what if I did?” Li Xianyu gave her a side eye. Great-Grandma looked at him and pouted. Li Xianyu felt the area around his waist tightened. He changed his tone and said, “Yes, I remembered wrongly. I remembered wrongly.”
Great-Grandma patted his head and remarked frankly, “Let’s buy a VR gaming helmet then.”
Li Xianyu said, “No, I’m not doing that. Even if you suck away my soul.”
Great-Grandma, seeing the situation, knew that her great-grandson was determined this time. She picked up a fruit knife and held it to her throat, all while shouting and crying, “I served your dad for a few decades and raised you up too. Alas, I raised an ingrate. Heaven is unfair. I don’t want to be angered to death by you. I’ll kill myself first, then atone for my sins to your dad in the nether world.”
Crazy lunatic.
Li Xianyu’s eyelid twitched. This was a familiar line from a certain drama. Wasn’t that the scene yesterday night in the old drama, where the old mother threatened to die in front of her son to get what she wanted?
“Rest in peace.” Li XIanyu was unmoved, turning around to go to the toilet.
Great-Grandma put down her knife and scratched her head. “Eh, this trick doesn’t work on him?”
She looked at San Wu, who remained emotionless. “What solutions do you have if a child is disobedient?”
San Wu replied coldly and took out a brick from her bag. “Beat him up?”
Great-Grandma slumped onto the sofa and sighed. “This great-grandson is different from the rest.”
She waited for a while, but San Wu remained silent. She continued, “The other grandsons desired my power so greatly. They respected me unconditionally. Only he dares to be so rude to me.”
San Wu said, “He is under your control.”
Great-Grandma squinted and chuckled. “Hey, lass. Practicing qi to the required level is already unfathomable. The secret to do so lies with me. My family is left with its sole descendant. I cannot risk it. What if my family line ends here?”
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