“What's wrong with being a passerby? In Wuxia novels, the most powerful masters are often the unknown sweepers,” Shen Chang’an coughed, interrupting the two Daoist masters’ argument. “According to national regulations, no one is allowed to enter another person's private property without permission. Furthermore, while we respect religious beliefs, public places are prohibited to preach. The two Daoists can discuss any issues you have in private."
They could even duel behind closed doors, as long as they didn't drag him into it.
“Young man, I see that you possess extraordinary qualities. Are you interested in studying Taoism with me?” The old man quickly changed his tune, shifting from religious to academic discussion. “Daoism is also a branch of philosophy. We could explore life philosophy and the meaning of life together.”
Shen Changan: "Thank you, but I may not have the talent to become a philosopher."
The old man seemed unwilling to let go of the idea of discussing philosophy with Shen Chang’an and continued to persuade him, “Come with us, I can offer you a high salary…”
“Cut it out, your rundown Daoist temple barely sees any visitors all year round. It's only through the association's support that it manages to survive.” The Daoist in the yellow robe glanced at the car parked by the roadside. “I suggest you head back soon. Every extra hour means an extra rental fee."
“Right, wasn't it because of a one-hour rental fee that you almost got into a fight when you rented a car to pick up business?” His embarrassing situation was exposed by his own disciple, the old man retorted with some awkwardness, “If it weren't for the help of those good-for-nothing brothers and sisters in your mouth, you would've been beaten black and blue by the rental car driver.”
General Manager Wang stared blankly at the scene. He just wanted to call the police and get the troublemaking Daoist arrested. How did things escalate to the point where the old Daoist priest wanted to take Mr. Shen as his disciple? He turned to look at Mr. Shen, whose face was full of bewilderment, obviously also confused by the sudden turn of events.
“Mr. Shen?” Manager Wang walked to Shen Chang’an. "There are people coming and going outside, how about we go in and talk about it?"
Hearing the word "inside," the yellow-robed Daoist's eyes lit up. He stared at Shen Changan with burning eyes, as if he would press Shen Changan's head to agree if he disagreed.
Pretending not to see the look in the yellow-robed Daoist's eyes, Shen Chang’an nodded. "Alright."
Manager Wang breathed a sigh of relief. The police car and officers were standing at the main entrance. If someone with malicious intentions took photos and claimed that their company employees were involved in some incident, it would negatively impact the entire company.
The group entered the reception room. The Daoist in the yellow robe took the opportunity to take out a compass hidden in his sleeve, but the pointer on the compass didn't move at all. His face grew increasingly unsightly, and he didn't even hear the police officer asking him to put the compass away.
How could this be?
There was no trace of ghostly energy in this building. It was completely clean.
"Impossible, this is impossible…" The yellow-robed Daoist shook the compass in his hand. "This thing must be broken."
Entering the reception room, the old man glanced at the yellow-robed Daoist priest who was still fiddling with the compass. "I thought you would have made some progress after running outside for all these years. I didn't expect you to be just as clueless. You've been making a scene at the entrance of this company for so long, haven't you noticed that there's no ghostly energy here at all?"
The yellow-robed Daoist was stunned. He looked up at the old man. "Have you seen it already?"
But why was that senior so certain that there is an evil spirit here, and as long as I took this evil ghost into custody, I will receive countless merits?
Over the past few years, the old man had given him guidance countless times and never made a mistake. Why was there such an obvious mistake this time?
"In the past few years, you have become more and more famous outside, but your skills have not improved. I don't know what you've encountered, and I don't want to pry. Considering our past master-disciple relationship, let me offer you a piece of advice—those who are too paranoid will not end well in the end.”
"You are certainly not paranoid, burning paper money for those pitiful ghosts." The Daoist in the yellow robe, already mentally unstable, couldn't help but retort upon hearing the old man's words. "Have all these years of tolerance and gentleness brought you wealth and prosperity?"
"That's all." The old man sighed, "We have nothing more to say to each other. You can walk your own path from now on. I hope that the next time I hear about you, it won't be bad news."
Silence fell upon the reception room. Sitting in a corner, Shen Chang’an got some information from the conversation between the master and disciple. The aptitude of the Daoist in the yellow robe couldn't be considered particularly good, otherwise his master wouldn't have spoken to him like that.
However, in this yellow-robed Daoist, he saw the arrogance of a cultivator towards ordinary people. Perhaps in his eyes, ordinary people weren't even worth a second glance, and even cultivators whose abilities paled in comparison to his were objects of his contempt.
Such a person, after experiencing a period of inferiority and then achieving success, would become exceedingly arrogant.
"Daoist masters, it seems that today's events were all a misunderstanding." Shen Changan showed a harmless smile, "We have already investigated the cause of the rumors of the company being haunted. It was just a Trojan horse planted in the computer system. After patching the system vulnerabilities, all those ghostly phenomena disappeared. This Daoist master probably believed those online rumors."
"Nowadays, some unscrupulous media outlets love to sensationalize things to attract public attention and discussion." Shen Chang’an glanced at Manager Wang, who was sitting next to him. "Daoist master, your constant appearances at the company's entrance, claiming that it's haunted, will greatly impact the company's reputation. The person in charge of the company has the right to sue you for defamation and seek financial compensation."
The yellow-robed Daoist glanced at Shen Chang’an from the corner of his eye but remained silent.
"But as a cultivator, how could the Daoist Master swear with such certainty that there are ghosts here just because of some online rumors?" Shen Changan shook his head and sighed, "Although you might have had good intentions, there are too many rumors about hauntings online. If you believe every single one of them, won't you..."
Shen Chang’an didn't finish his sentence, but the yellow-robed Daoist felt that he was calling himself a fool.
"Are you mocking me?" The anger in the Daoist's heart was like a spark hitting oil, flaring up instantly. "Do you think I'm one of those brainless fools?!"
Manager Wang silently nodded beside him, thinking that not only was this Daoist a fool, but he was also a bit neurotic.
"What do you know, I have..."
Shen Changan pretended not to care about the answer, but the other party swallowed back his words halfway through. He was a little disappointed inwardly, it seemed that there was indeed someone else behind this Daoist priest, and this person also knew that Chen Yuan's soul was still lingering in this company.
If he hadn't come to this company a few days ago, only Zhang Gu would have come to collect the ghost. Would Chen Yuan have been taken away by Zhang Gu, or would his resentment have suddenly erupted, turning him into a vengeful ghost that would injure Zhang Gu?
"When did this Daoist master start coming here to cause a scene?" Shen Changan asked Manager Wang in a low voice.
"It's infuriating to even mention it. In the early morning of the night you helped us identify the system vulnerability, he told our security guard that there were ghosts here. After the security guard chased him away, he came back every single day to make a scene." Speaking of this, Manager Wang couldn't help but feel a lingering fear. Fortunately, Mr. Shen had identified and resolved the company's problem that day, otherwise, he might have actually believed the Daoist's claims.
He came on the very night that Zhang Gu and I left with that otaku ghost Chen Yuan?
Was it a coincidence, or a calculated move?
"That night was when the evil spirit awakened, and you guys delayed me from catching the ghost ......"
"Daoist master, please be sober. There are no ghosts in our company." Manager Wang couldn't bear it any longer and retorted, "Have you told so many lies that you've started believing them yourself?"
The yellow-robed Daoist wanted to scold the other party for his ignorance, but when he thought there was indeed no ghostly energy in this company, his face turned green and white, and he said only after a long time, "Maybe the ghost fled in advance after sensing someone was coming to catch it."
He felt a little uncertain about his own words. For a ghost who died unjustly to become a vengeful spirit that could harm people, the timing, location, and people involved all had to be perfect. If even one aspect wasn't right, it wouldn't be able to transform into a vengeful spirit.
If that ghost left this company, the possibility of it becoming a vengeful spirit would be greatly reduced. But who took the ghost away?
He didn't believe that the senior would lie to him, so something must have happened.
"Has any other master visited your company in the past few days?" He looked at Manager Wang, still not giving up.
"No, there hasn't been anyone." Manager Wang was fed up with him, so he stood up and said to the two police officers, "Comrade police officers, I still have some work to take care of. Our staff will be here to handle the situation."
"Alright." The two police officers also sympathized with the company manager. Moreover, this branch company was brought in through investment, providing job opportunities for local residents, so they didn't want to make things too difficult for him.
Seeing Manager Wang leaving, the yellow-robed Daoist suddenly stopped making a fuss. He turned to look at Shen Chang’an. "Could it be you?"
"Yes, it's me." Shen Chang’an nodded. Just as the Daoist was about to lose his temper, he continued, "Didn't I just tell you that I was the one who found the system problem in this company?"
"That's not what I'm talking about." The yellow-robed Daoist suddenly remembered that although his master was useless, he would never deliberately praise a passerby just to strike him down. "Did you take the ghost away?"
"Daoist master, please don't joke about such things." Facing the scrutinizing gazes of the two police officers, Shen Chang’an put on a shocked expression. "What ghosts? What era is this? Where in the world would there be ghosts?"
Seeing Shen Chang’an's helpless expression, the two police officers had no choice but to say, "This is a staff member of the Civil Affairs Bureau." The work of their department usually involved debunking superstitions and promoting science to the public. How could they possibly be involved with talk of ghosts and deities.
In the end, the Daoist priest in the yellow robe was taken away by the police. Due to his terrible attitude and refusal to admit his mistake, he was detained for seven days and fined 1,500 yuan. This incident even made it into the local news.
Soon, a rumor spread throughout the city, claiming that there was a fake Daoist going around swindling people. He would take out a talisman and have people smell it, causing them to lose consciousness and willingly hand over all their valuables.
This rumor spread like wildfire, especially among the middle-aged and elderly population, becoming a hot topic of conversation. Real Daoist priests were troubled by this rumor. Those with accounts on online platforms stepped forward to educate netizens on "how to spot a fake Daoist priest" and "what to do when encountering a fake Daoist priest," essentially working tirelessly to address the recent rumors.
Shen Chang’an didn't pay much attention to these online matters. After returning home, he discussed the situation with Grandpa Zhang and Yan Yin. Both of them were well-connected in the world of metaphysics, so it would definitely be easier for them to investigate the background of the Daoist priest in the yellow robe than it would be for him.
"Sigh." Grandpa Zhang looked at the otaku ghost who was sitting on the sofa, munching on his food, and couldn't imagine what he would look like as a vengeful spirit.
Sensing Grandpa Zhang's gaze, the shut-in ghost looked up and smiled at him.
Grandpa Zhang: "..."
"Let's make an analogy, let's say the person behind the Daoist priest calculated that Chen Yuan might become a vengeful spirit, so they sent the Daoist priest to capture him. But did they ever consider that perhaps the Daoist priest was no match for Chen Yuan at all and might even become nourishment for him?" Zhang Gu thought for a while. "No matter how you look at it, I think that person has bad intentions."
"Maybe they wanted the Daoist priest to become nourishment in the first place." Shen Chang’an frowned. "I have a feeling that the person behind all of this actually wants Chen Yuan to become a vengeful spirit."
"What good would it do for them if Chen Yuan became a vengeful spirit?" Old man Zhang (Grandpa Zhang) asked. "It can't be eaten or drunk, and it can't be used as a servant ghost. A ghost like Chen Yuan, with such a special birth date, would only bring endless trouble if he became a vengeful spirit. If the underworld officials couldn't handle it in time, who knows how many people in the world of metaphysics would have to sacrifice themselves to subdue him."
"However, according to the Book of Life and Death, his lifespan in the mortal world hasn't ended yet. If he truly transforms into a vengeful spirit…" The underworld officials definitely wouldn't be able to discover it in time. By the time the situation escalated, it would probably be too late for Yin messengers to rush over. Thinking of this, Zhang Gu's expression turned extremely grim. The person behind all of this was so vicious.
"Doing such a harmful deed that benefits no one, not only damages one's hidden virtue but also incurs karma. What is that person trying to do?"
"Normal people can never guess the thoughts of a madman." Shen Chang’an turned to Yan Yin, who had been silent all this while. "Master, what are you thinking?"
"This humble monk was just thinking that if benefactor Shen hadn't brought back benefactor Chen's soul that day, that person's plan might have already succeeded." Yan Yin looked at Shen Chang’an with fervent eyes. "Benefactor Shen truly possesses the destiny of a savior. You are truly…"
"Not interested, thank you." Shen Chang’an decisively refused. Grilled skewers were so delicious, late-night snacks stalls were so lively, and hotpot was so delicious. Becoming a monk was out of the question. He would never do such a thing, even if you beat him to death.
"That's all." Yan Yin felt a little regretful, "Then I'll ask you again next time."
Shen Chang’an, "Master, even if you ask me countless times, my answer will not change. Don't Buddhist teachings emphasize that a monk should keep the six roots pure and not be attached to everything? You are obsessed with this."
"That's right." Hearing Shen Chang’an's words, Yan Yin replied matter-of-factly, "That's why I haven't become a Buddha after practicing for so many years. Maybe after you, Benfector Shen, convert to Buddhism, I can achieve enlightenment and become a Buddha."
Shen Chang’an: "..."
Got it, I'm better off keeping this mouth shut.
"I wonder if the City God has found out anything yet." Shen Chang’an counted the days. It had been three or four days, and the City God had neither appeared in his dreams nor manifested his divine body before him. Could it be that he couldn't find the truth and was too embarrassed to face him?
Upon hearing the words "City God," both Yan Yin and Old Man Zhang's expressions turned a little strange. Old Man Zhang couldn't help but say, "Xiao Shen, since you're not interested in Buddhism, how about considering Daoism? Our Daoist sect doesn't have that many rules. If that doesn't work, you can just be a registered disciple. You can eat and drink as you please, and you can still learn Taoism. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?"
"I usually also like eating braised beef." Shen Chang’an politely declined.
"Food and wine are but fleeting pleasures, while the Dao resides in the heart." Old Man Zhang coughed awkwardly. "Just don't eat it in front of me."
"Amitabha." Yan Yin was astonished. He never expected that Fellow Daoist Zhang would lower his standards to such an extent just to bring Shen Chang’an into the world of metaphysics. Fortunately, only the three of them knew about Shen Chang’an's ability to summon deities. If word of this spread to their circle, the drama of 10,000 people begging Shen Chang’an in letters written in their own blood to cultivate would have been staged outside Shen Chang’an's door.
"Grandpa Zhang…" Shen Chang’an smiled awkwardly and finally decided to be honest. "I'm sorry, but I'm not really interested in talismans and spells. Besides, to me, there isn't much difference between ghosts and humans. Whether I learn these arts or not doesn't seem to have much of an impact."
Old Man Zhang fell into a strange silence. After a long while, he said, "Right, I almost forgot that you can catch a Plague Ghost with your bare hands. Why do you even need to learn any Daoist arts?"
"What Plague Ghost?" Shen Chang’an was puzzled. "When did I ever catch a Plague Ghost?"
"That night on Halloween, didn't you catch a thug?"
"Oh, right." Shen Chang’an still had some impression of that person. After all, it wasn't every day that he encountered someone who made themselves look so disgusting.
"That… was the Plague Ghost." Old Man Zhang watched as Shen Chang’an's eyes widened in disbelief, and slowly dropped another bombshell. "In order to capture that Plague Ghost, we dispatched many cultivators, but he still managed to escape."
"So, you're saying…" The man he had beaten up with a few punches was the Plague Ghost that the entire cultivation world couldn't catch?
Although Old Man Zhang and Yan Yin were reluctant to admit it, they still nodded silently.
"No wonder when I just caught a thug, not only did they give me an award but they even gave bonuses to our entire department." Shen Chang’an suddenly realized. "I was wondering why I never got any more bonuses after catching thieves or criminals later. So that's what happened."
Thinking back to that day, he couldn't believe that the seemingly mentally unstable man was the Plague Ghost. After all, he was simply… too weak.
"Could it be that the yang energy in the human world is too strong, which is why I was able to catch him so easily?" In order to save face for the masters of the cultivation world, Shen Chang’an offered an explanation. "After all, everyone is vaccinated now, and vaccines are his weakness. That's why he became so weak as soon as he came to the human world."
"Impossible…"
Old Man Zhang's words were interrupted by the ringing of a phone. It was Shen Chang’an's phone.
"Brother Liu?"
"Right now?" Shen Chang’an glanced at Old Man Zhang and the others. "Okay, give me ten minutes."
After hanging up the phone, Shen Chang’an took a few bags of snacks and bottles of cola for the shut-in ghost and apologized to Old Man Zhang with a smile. "Sorry, my friend invited me out for a late-night snack. I'll be going now."
Thinking of Shen Chang’an's mysterious and generous friend, Old Man Zhang nodded in silence.
As Shen Chang’an ran downstairs, he saw Liu Mao's car parked outside the community. He reached out to open the car door and got in. "Brother Liu, why did Dao Nian suddenly want to have a barbecue?"
"Just now, Sir remembered that you like barbecue, but he was worried about the hygiene of food outside, so he asked Old Zhao to set up a barbecue grill and prepare the skewers, waiting for you to come over and eat." Liu Mao waited for Shen Chang’an to fasten his seatbelt before starting the car. "Old Zhao may not be good at other things, but his cooking skills are definitely top-notch."
The topic unknowingly shifted from whether or not to go to Dao Nian's house for a late-night snack to what to eat tonight. As they passed by a fruit store, Shen Changan found that there were fried chestnuts for sale in front of the shop and hurriedly got out of the car to buy two portions.
"Mr. Shen, what did you buy those for?"
"Dao Nian likes to eat them."
Liu Mao was stunned. How could Master like something? However, when he saw in the rearview mirror that Shen Chang’an had taken off his jacket and wrapped it around the roasted chestnuts to prevent them from getting cold too quickly, he fell silent again.
Maybe Master don't like the roasted chestnuts themselves, but the thoughtfulness behind taking off the jacket to keep them warm and ensure the taste of the fried chestnuts."
As the car stopped at a red light, Shen Chang’an saw an old lady slowly crossing the crosswalk. The old lady looked somewhat familiar.
Shen Chang’an glanced at the traffic light, which had only two or three seconds left. He sighed, opened the car door, and got out.
Walking up to the old lady, Shen Chang’an bent down and said, "Grandma, why are you alone again this time?"
The old lady looked at him carefully for a long time before saying in a frail voice, "You're the young man who carried me across the street last time?"
"You still remember me?" Shen Chang’an picked up the old lady and quickly walked towards the sidewalk. "It's cold at night in winter, and the roads are dark. You should try to go out as little as possible."
The old lady leaned against his back and said with a smile, "I can't. I had to go out today."
"Then next time you need to cross the street, try to do it when there are more people around." After crossing the crosswalk, Shen Chang’an put the old lady down. "Grandma, be careful on your way. I'm going back to the car."
"Wait." The old lady suddenly grabbed Shen Chang’an's hand. "Young man, you're such a kind person. Good deeds should be rewarded."
"I'm a staff member of the Civil Affairs Bureau. It's my duty to serve the people." Shen Chang’an smiled, turned around and was ready to rush back.
"Remember, never trust anyone easily." The old lady stood there, watching his retreating figure, her voice hoarse. "You must be careful, don't let..."
"Don't let what?" When Shen Chang’an turned around to look again, the old lady was smiling at him as if she hadn't said anything at all.
"Mr. Shen." Liu Mao, who had gotten out of the car at some point, waved to Shen Chang’an. "It's cold outside, and you're not wearing a jacket. Hurry up and get in the car."
"Coming right away." Shen Chang’an waved to the old lady and quickly ran towards Liu Mao.
Liu Mao turned around and met the old lady's gaze. He nodded slightly at her. The old lady took a step back, her eyes filled with complex emotions as she watched Shen Chang’an get into the car and then slowly disappear into the night.
She slowly turned to face the crosswalk, waiting for the next car to pass by before slowly hobbling across the street.
One car after another drove past her. Some drivers yelled at her, telling her that she shouldn't be obstructing traffic at her age.
No one stopped for her, helped her, or carried her across the sparsely populated street.
"Mr. Shen, do you know that old lady?" Liu Mao asked.
"I don't know her. I met her crossing the street when I was on my way back from Dao Nian's house last time. There was a lot of traffic that day, and some drivers were impatient and kept honking their horns. I was afraid she might fall, so I got out of the car and carried her across."
"Aren't you afraid she might try to scam you?"
"There are security cameras everywhere. Besides, I'm so poor. What could she possibly scam me for?" Shen Chang’an chuckled. "I just want peace of mind."
Author's Note: This is a friendly reminder from Chang’an: I am the male protagonist, and I have a special physique. However, everyone should prioritize safety and avoid getting scammed ah.