CG - Chapter 25
Chapter 25
Just now, Wu Gu had been so focused on beating the man in the dark that she hadn't noticed Ma Zhenshan's transformation. Only when Wei Jinzhi asked did she look down. Wu Yong had already turned on his flashlight, and on the ground, Ma Zhenshan was aging rapidly. She froze for a second, then forced her eyes wide open. Sure enough, she could see life force scattering into the darkness. She quickly pulled out her Small Jade Pot, drew a talisman over its mouth, and then swept it through the air in a wide arc.
"It looks like Miss Han's and Zhou Mao's life force was all with him." Wu Gu circled the man on the ground, gathering as much of the stray life force as she could into the jade pot. "Miss Han can be saved."
Wei Jinzhi said, "That small black bead hanging from his white jade was shattered by you."
Wu Gu handed the jade pot to Wu Yong, telling him to hold it up toward the sky. She then crouched down to inspect the broken bead. It was a deep black, its material unidentifiable. She sniffed it, then infused it with a bit of spiritual energy to probe it. The shattered bead felt like an abyss, giving her a sense of infinite depth. She gathered as many of the fragments from the ground as she could and held them out to Wei Jinzhi. "The life force must have been stored in this bead."
Wei Jinzhi surveyed the scene. There were seven people down and one wrecked car. If they just left, they would probably end up on a crime show the next day. She took out her phone, called the police, and then dialed 120 for an ambulance. Aside from her, who was perfectly unharmed, everyone else needed to go to the hospital for a check-up—especially Wu Gu. Wei Jinzhi was worried the fall had caused some serious injury.
Their flight that evening was delayed. Wei Jinzhi called her family, concealing the truth and saying only that they had been in a car accident due to bad road conditions. Mr. Wei was very concerned and told her to go to the hospital first. She hadn't told the truth because the incident felt too coincidental, too strange, and she didn't want to alert the culprit. She asked her family to apply for a flight path for the next morning. As for dealing with the police here, she secretly asked the Han Family for help.
That night, Wei Jinzhi sat by the hospital bed, peeling an apple for Wu Gu's late-night snack. Seeing her clumsy technique made Wu Gu's heart tremble. She reached out, took the apple, and bit right into it. "It's fine after a wash, you don't have to peel it."
Wei Jinzhi pressed her lips together and put down the fruit knife. She hadn't expected it to be so difficult. She changed the subject to cover her embarrassment. "The doctor said you have a mild concussion and multiple soft tissue contusions. You need to stay for a few days of observation."
"No need. These are just common injuries from a fight." Wu Gu swallowed a piece of apple and asked, "Is Brother Xiao Wu okay?"
Wei Jinzhi replied, a bit annoyed, "He has a few knife wounds. He also said it's all perfectly normal."
Wu Gu chuckled. "Brother Xiao Wu and I are used to getting knocked around. A few scratches like this will heal on their own in a few days."
Wei Jinzhi opened her mouth, wanting to ask if she had been injured the other times as well, but then thought better of it. Why ask something she already knew? She said, "There's a mole in the Wei family. I need to go back tomorrow to deal with it."
Wu Gu nodded. "I didn't know how to bring it up with you before, but casting a curse isn't as simple as just picking a target. The more powerful the curse, the fresher the blood required. Besides the basic birth date and time, you also have to be within the range of the altar."
Wu Gu's words confirmed that there was a traitor in the Wei family. Wei Jinzhi lowered her eyes, lost in thought. There were many in the Wei family who wished her ill, but she couldn't immediately think of anyone who would be so ruthless.
Wu Gu waited for Wei Jinzhi to return from her thoughts before handing her the Small Jade Pot. "Take this to Master Han. He'll know how to save Miss Han."
Wei Jinzhi took the pot and thought for a moment. "You should stay here and rest for a few more days. I'll be back soon, and we can return together, okay?"
Wu Gu nodded obediently. "Okay." The word had barely left her lips when a sudden, bone-chilling cold washed over them. Her eyes darted from side to side. "Where is Ma Zhenshan's room?"
"Just downstairs."
The moment Wei Jinzhi finished speaking, Wu Gu threw off the covers and bolted out the door in her canvas shoes. Wei Jinzhi didn't hesitate, following right behind her. Waiting for the elevator for just one floor would be a waste of time. Wu Gu headed straight for the stairwell, taking the steps three at a time. Wei Jinzhi was nowhere near as fast; she could only grip the handrail and do her best to keep up. In that moment, she even found herself thinking that she really needed to hire a few more personal trainers when she got back.
Ghost Messenger Liu and Ghost Messenger Wang had just reaped Ma Zhenshan's soul and were walking out of his room when they saw two women sprinting toward them from down the hall. As the figures drew closer, Ghost Messenger Liu's brow furrowed deeper. Before the newcomer had even skidded to a halt, he asked, "Little Tianshi, are you here to negotiate again?"
Wu Gu shook her head, and Ghost Messenger Liu let out a sigh of relief. He could tell that Wu Gu's cultivation had improved again. Although there had been extenuating circumstances for his dereliction of duty last time, being coerced into a deal by a Tianshi had earned them a vicious scolding from the Judge back in the Underworld. He'd said they had brought shame upon the entire realm. Ghost Messenger Wang had only made things worse by enthusiastically praising how powerful Wu Gu was, which made the Judge's hands tremble with rage as he called them both useless hacks.
Ghost Messenger Liu adopted a milder tone and asked politely, "Then what brings the Little Tianshi to stop us this time?"
Wu Gu pointed at Ma Zhenshan's soul. "I want to report him."
Ghost Messenger Wang's interest was immediately piqued. "Report him? Go on, go on! I knew there was something strange about this man. His lifespan was clearly up, so why did the Book of Life and Death never show it?"
"Because he's the one who stole Miss Han's life force, and he didn't even spare his own disciple, Zhou Mao, who has already gone to the Underworld. Also, this man has a venomous heart. More than a decade ago, he placed a Ghost King curse on Sister Wei to try and take her life. Oh, and that strange barrier that appeared in the mortal realm last time? I'm sure he was behind it. Many Tianshi were injured then. He must be plotting something big."
Ma Zhenshan shrieked, "Lord Ghost Messengers, don't listen to her nonsense! She's spouting malicious slander!"
Ghost Messenger Wang casually tugged the soul-reaping chain in his hand. Ma Zhenshan's soul trembled, and he was immediately struck speechless with pain. Wang shot him a sideways glance. "Did I say you could speak?"
Wu Gu held out the fragments of the black bead. "I have evidence right here."
Ghost Messenger Liu took the bead fragments and gasped in shock. "This is a Soul Pearl, an artifact of the Underworld. Rest assured, Little Tianshi, we will report this matter to our superiors upon our return."
Ghost Messenger Wang rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming. "It's been a while since I've seen someone boiled in oil. I'm definitely applying to carry out the sentence this time." Liu nudged him, and he quickly composed his face into a serious expression. "Please be at ease, Little Tianshi. His Lordship King Yama will certainly see that justice is served in the mortal realm."
With the official pleasantries out of the way, Ghost Messenger Liu bid Wu Gu farewell. "Little Tianshi, we must be going. We can't be late." With a wave of his hand, a white mist rose from the floor. As Ghost Messenger Wang vanished, he was still waving. "Bye-bye, Little Tianshi."
Wu Gu smiled and politely saw them off. "Take care, you two Lord Ghost Messengers." As soon as they disappeared, the white mist in the hallway dissipated. She turned, took Wei Jinzhi's hand, and started walking back, saying smugly, "That's what he gets for daring to harm you. I hope he gets a tour of all eighteen levels of hell." Wei Jinzhi tightened her grip on their clasped hands and, walking behind her, smiled softly to herself.
The next day, Wei Jinzhi left early. Upon returning to North City, she immediately began to handle the affairs of the Wei family. Her actions were swift and direct. Wei Feng was forcibly dragged out of his office. Her suspicion of Wei Feng had begun almost at the same time she had started to trust Wu Gu. Without even informing her own father, Mr. Wei, she quickly had Wei Feng and his family of three detained.
Wei Feng knelt at her feet, his face bruised and swollen, snot and tears mixed with flecks of blood. Wei Jinzhi leaned back on the long sofa, holding a report on the loss-making projects Wei Feng had managed. Her expression was calm, her eyes not even lifting as she listened impassively to his tearful cries and denials. Her younger uncle also had injuries on his face and was being held down on the floor, unable to move. Only her younger aunt was in better shape; though her face was sallow, she was still sitting properly on a single armchair.
After a long while, Wei Jinzhi put down the documents and curled her lip. "Did you think I would go to all this trouble over a little money, disregarding my kinship with my uncle? Wei Feng, if you don't tell the truth now, I can't guarantee your mother will remain seated for much longer."
Wei Feng's eyes turned red with panic. "Wei Jinzhi, you're insane! No matter what, my parents are your elders! I want to see my uncle!"
Wei Jinzhi sneered. "Do you think my dad would help the person who nearly killed his daughter? Of course, if you want to see my dad, I can make the call for you. Let him also hear how you conspired with Ma Zhenshan to harm me."
Wei Feng had never imagined this day would come. He had been young at the time, merely following Ma Zhenshan's instigation to lead Wei Jinzhi to a certain place. He felt he hadn't done anything himself, so it would be impossible to trace it back to him. He was convinced Wei Jinzhi was bluffing and continued to argue. "What are you talking about? What Ma Zhenshan? Wasn't he the master Auntie specifically hired for you?"
Wei Jinzhi couldn't be bothered to waste any more words on him. She threw the brocade box from the table onto the floor, and the white jade inside rolled out. "Remember this? A gift from Ma Zhenshan?"
Ma Zhenshan had indeed asked Wei Feng to give the jade to Wei Jinzhi, but he would never admit it. "I don't know what you're talking about. I bought that for you. If you don't like it, that's one thing, but why would you baselessly question my good intentions?"
Wei Jinzhi rubbed her temples in annoyance. She wanted to resolve these disputes quickly so she could go back to Wu Gu, but Wei Feng's stubbornness was infuriating. Just then, her phone rang. It was Mr. Wei. The incident of Wei Feng being publicly dragged from the company was escalating, and Mr. Wei had finally tracked his daughter down. Wei Jinzhi answered, gave him an address, and hung up.
When Mr. Wei arrived, he too was stunned by the scene. Before he could ask his daughter what was going on, his brother, still pinned to the floor, started shouting, "Big brother, look at the fine daughter you've raised! Look at how she's treating her own uncle!" Before he could finish his tirade, his wife also began her tearful performance.
Mr. Wei sat down beside Wei Jinzhi and said calmly, "I know the daughter I raised best. She wouldn't do something so outrageous without a reason. I want to ask you what on earth you did to push her to this point."
Wei Feng's family of three instantly fell silent. Wei Jinzhi laughed at their reaction. "I told you. Why would my father side with outsiders? If you're not smart, you shouldn't get involved in conspiracies."
Mr. Wei first looked at his daughter and noticed her complexion was much better than before. Reassured, he asked, "What exactly happened?"
"Ma Zhenshan is dead. The curse on me was placed by Wei Feng in collusion with Ma Zhenshan. I haven't had time to find out Ma Zhenshan's motive, but Wei Feng was probably after Dad's fortune."
Mr. Wei happened to be holding his phone. Without a second thought, he hurled it at his brother, roaring, "You really raised a fine son!"
"Big brother, how can you just listen to Jinzhi's side of the story? A-Feng said he didn't do it. Couldn't Jinzhi be mistaken?" Her uncle hardened his heart and pressed on, "Couldn't it be that Jinzhi is jealous of A-Feng's prestige in the company?"
Wei Jinzhi laughed out loud. "Dad, I have to make a trip to the Han family. I'll leave this to you." As she left, she didn't forget to leave her uncle with a parting shot. "If you're stupid, you should use your brain less."
When Wei Jinzhi arrived at the Han residence, the head of the family and his wife came out to greet her together. After some pleasantries, she handed over the Small Jade Pot. "Wu Gu said that Master Han would know how to use what's inside this pot to save Yeshuang."
The Han family head was taken aback. He quickly took the pot and said, "Miss Wei, please excuse me for a moment."
Mrs. Han sat with Wei Jinzhi on the sofa downstairs to wait for news. She was wringing her hands, clearly very nervous. Not wanting to neglect her guest, she searched for something to say. "How did you obtain this jade pot?"
Wei Jinzhi smiled faintly. "It belongs to Wu Gu."
Mrs. Han nodded numbly, then asked cautiously, "Is Yeshuang's life force inside?"
Wei Jinzhi shook her head. "I don't know, but Wu Gu said it could save Yeshuang."
They spoke on and off, then eventually fell into silence. After a long while, the sound of footsteps finally came from the direction of the stairs. Mrs. Han stood up anxiously and looked toward the landing, her expression filled with anticipation. Master Han appeared. His face was paler than before, but his spirits were high. He first gave his wife a reassuring look. Before he could reach them, Mrs. Han turned and grasped Wei Jinzhi's hands, saying emotionally, "The Han family will forever remember this great debt of gratitude to you and Wu Xiaoyou."
Wei Jinzhi said, "Mrs. Han, you're too kind." She then asked Master Han as he approached, "Has Yeshuang woken up?"
"She hasn't woken up yet, but please rest assured, Miss Wei, Yeshuang is out of danger. Words cannot express our gratitude. In the future, if you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to ask."
"I'm just glad Yeshuang is all right. I'll come see her when she wakes up."
It wasn't until evening that Wei Jinzhi returned to the Changshan Villa. The moment she stepped inside, Mrs. Wei pulled her into a hug. "It's all my fault," she said, holding her daughter tightly. "I trusted the wrong person for so many years and nearly got my baby killed." Mrs. Wei was heartbroken and couldn't help but weep. "Don't you worry, baby, your dad has already dealt with Wei Feng. Thank goodness my baby is blessed with good fortune, otherwise what would your mother do?"
Held in her mother's embrace, Wei Jinzhi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She shot a look at Mr. Wei, who was watching TV, pleading for help. Mr. Wei just shook his head. She gave him a glare and decided to rescue herself. "It's not that I'm blessed with good fortune. I had a benefactor helping me."
"Where is this benefactor? I'll go thank them right now."
"You've met her, Mom. It's Wu Gu."
Mrs. Wei released her and stared into her eyes, unconvinced. "Her?"
"Yes, her."
Seeing that she wasn't joking, Mrs. Wei said, "Then tomorrow, I'll contact her school first to set up a special scholarship for her. Then I'll find a time to thank her in person." Wei Jinzhi nodded with extreme seriousness, showing her full approval. Mr. Wei, watching TV from the couch, tried to hold it in for a moment but ultimately couldn't suppress his laughter.
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