Chapter 18 Let's Go Ghost Hunting
Back home, Chu Tianqing pasted the talisman in the living room. Then he invited more than a dozen young and strong relatives and friends, thinking that more people meant more yang energy, which would also bolster his courage. So he held a family gathering at home. When everyone was half-drunk, they slept fully clothed on the sofa or the floor. It was summer, so they weren't cold. The couple didn't dare go back to the bedroom, so they made do and slept in the living room.
In the middle of the night, Liu Mengjie was awakened by a chill, which grew colder and colder. She snuggled closer to her husband, only to find him even colder. She groggily opened her eyes and found the room completely dark, with only a faint light coming in from outside. The person in front of her was not her husband, but a woman with dark eyes and a deathly pale face, who was smiling eerily at her. Then, the woman stretched out her long-fingered hand and pinched her neck. Instantly, she felt like she couldn't breathe. She wanted to scream but couldn't make a sound, and she couldn't move. The fear in her heart made her feel like she was on the verge of death.
Just then, the talisman that protected the house in the living room suddenly burst into flames without any wind. A shrill scream was heard, and Liu Mengjie immediately found it easier to breathe. She sat up abruptly, panting heavily. At the same time, Chu Tianqing also sat up and gasped for breath, startling them both.
At this moment, the living room lights came back on, and seeing that more than a dozen relatives and friends were still sleeping as usual, with occasional snoring sounds, the two finally calmed down from their shock.
When Liu Mengjie told Chu Tianqing that she had just had a nightmare, Chu Tianqing, in a panic, told her about his dream first. The two of them had the same nightmare at the same time. Looking at the burnt-out talisman, they realized that it was this talisman that had saved them, which was why they had rushed to this old teahouse today.
After listening to their account, Chen Cheng smiled faintly and said, "What Liu Ruhai said is correct. It was the porcelain bottle you bought that caused the trouble. In ancient times, there was a method of killing an enemy, grinding their bones into clay, and adding some incantations. The person's soul would then become one with the object, forever imprisoned inside. You must have accidentally helped her break the seal with your blood. She had been imprisoned in the porcelain bottle for over a thousand years, and her resentment was extremely strong. Fortunately, she has just seen the light of day again and hasn't fully adapted yet. Once her ferocity is unleashed, it will be you and your husband first, and then many more people will die at her hands!"
Chu Tianqing gasped and said, "Master Chen, do you have a way? If you can help us get through this crisis, I'll give you 100,000, no, 200,000 in incense money!"
"Money doesn't matter, but this thousand-year-old vengeful ghost is extraordinary. I need to make proper preparations. I'll go with you tomorrow, and you can find a hotel in Fengjiang tonight."
"Master Chen, could you please give us another talisman? My wife and I have tried it, and strange things happen to us no matter where we live, even when we're not at home!"
Chu Tianqing pleaded.
"Okay, here's a talisman to ward off evil spirits. Just stick it in front of your bed to make sure you're safe tonight. Tomorrow I'll go to your house and catch that evil spirit, and then you can rest easy like before!"
Chu Tianqing and his wife were overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly, accepting the talisman from Chen Cheng with both hands.
After seeing the couple off, Chen Cheng went into the backyard, first to the living room, where he respectfully kowtowed three times to the ancestral master, lit three incense sticks and placed them in the incense burner, and then bowed three more times before returning to his room to ponder tomorrow's plans.
Just then, his phone beeped with a notification. He picked it up and saw it was a WeChat friend request, with the contact name "XiXi". Chen Cheng's lips curled up as he recalled Zhang Qian's angry "Add your sister!" She still added him after all.
After the verification was completed, Zhang Qian immediately sent a voice message: "You miser, have you arrived in Fengjiang yet?"
Chen Cheng thought for a moment and replied, "We've arrived. What, you already miss me after we just parted?" He added a smiley face.
"Pah, you self-deluded fool, I wish I could bite you to death!" He added with an angry expression.
"So free, don't you have to handle cases?"
"The case has been transferred to the procuratorate, and Captain He gave us a few days off in batches. I was in the first batch, hehe."
"You're on vacation, so what about my bonus?"
"Calling you a miser is no exaggeration; all you ever talk about is money, humph!" Accompanied by a disdainful emoji.
"If we're not talking about money, what are we talking about? Love? You live a life of luxury, with no worries about anything, and you don't even know how I manage on my own." (A smiley face is included.)
"Pah, you can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth. I didn't rely on my family; I made it all myself, okay? Let me tell you, Captain He has already given me your bonus. When I give it to you depends entirely on my mood. You still owe me a seafood feast last time. I'll give it to you whenever you make it up to me, hehe!" (Smug expression)
"This is extortion! You call yourself a police officer? Fine, I have something to take care of tomorrow. I'll treat you to dinner in Xi'an after I'm done, and I'll also pick up my bonus." (Looking aggrieved.)
"What are you doing? Are you interrogating a ghost? Or catching a ghost?"
Zhang Qian immediately became interested and quickly asked via voice message.
"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask. Okay, I'll stop chatting with you now, I have important business to attend to."
"Hey, what's up?"
"You miser, tell me!"
"Chen Cheng, you bastard, how dare you not reply to my messages!"
Looking at the message Zhang Qian sent, Chen Cheng smiled wryly. He really had something to do. He hadn't eaten lunch yet, and he needed to buy some cinnabar and yellow paper in the afternoon. His stock of various talismans was running low. In his line of work, he couldn't do without these magical artifacts.
I had a simple lunch made by Lao Zhang. In the afternoon, I went to an incense and paper-mounting shop and bought some supplies for making talismans. After returning home, I locked myself in my room and worked on them until evening. Then I ate something, washed up, and went to bed to sleep.
The next morning, Chu Tianqing and his wife arrived at the old teahouse before seven o'clock, but it wasn't open yet. They didn't dare to knock, so they sat in the car and waited. The talisman that Chen Cheng had given them the night before had really worked. They finally got a good night's sleep. When they woke up, they found that the talisman had changed from red to a light color. They guessed that Chen Cheng had used the talisman to protect them from the evil ghost's attack once again, and they couldn't help but trust and look forward to Chen Cheng even more.
It wasn't until 7:30 that Lao Zhang opened the door, and Chen Cheng came out. He packed his things into a cloth bag and was about to go out to get in the car with Chu Tianqing when a speeding SUV turned onto the road and stopped right next to Chu Tianqing's car. A stylishly dressed woman wearing sunglasses got out, but unfortunately, her left arm was strapped, which detracted from her overall appearance.
The person who came was Zhang Qian. He Wenhui gave her a few days off to rest at home. She guessed from chatting with Chen Cheng yesterday that he was going to catch ghosts again today. Just thinking about it was exciting. So, she, who was both bad at games and loved to have fun, asked Chen Cheng's colleague who had visited him before for his address. She got ready early in the morning and drove more than 100 kilometers with one hand to find Chen Cheng. By sheer coincidence, she arrived just in time.
Looking at Zhang Qian's charming smile, Chen Cheng was speechless, thinking to himself that this girl really lived a carefree life.
"Why are you here?"
Chen Cheng said with a frown.
"Why can't I come? I want to go ghost hunting with you!"
Zhang Qian leaned closer to Chen Cheng and whispered.