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墨書 Inktalez
At the bottom of the original Ghost-Collecting Gourd was a coin used for slaying ghosts and subduing evil, but the cracked gourd before him lacked this coin.
The Ghost-Slaying and Evil-Subduing Coin exuded a strong murderous aura, deterring ordinary spirits from approaching it. Thus, Ye Chenfeng concluded that the earlier commotion was indeed caused by Sun Xianger.
Ye Chenfeng was certain that Sun Xianger had stolen the Ghost-Collecting Gourd, and he decided to take action.
This action was quite risky.
If he were not careful and fell too deep into it, even Little Monk Shen Binghan would not be able to rescue him.
However, once Ye Chenfeng made up his mind, he would not easily change it.
He prepared everything and then sat cross-legged in the living room. He formed hand seals and chanted incantations. Soon, his body felt light as his soul detached from his physical form and headed straight for the bedroom.
In the bedroom, Sun Xianger was sound asleep.
Ye Chenfeng focused intently on her as he approached step by step. Just as he was about to get close, a strange force emanating from Sun Xianger suddenly repelled him with a loud bang.
What is this?
Ye Chenfeng was astonished. Without time to think further, he quickly attempted again.
As he lunged toward Sun Xianger's sleeping form once more, that force struck back fiercely again. Ye Chenfeng was violently thrown against the wall; even his soul could feel pain. Wincing in agony, he managed to get back on his feet just as Sun Xianger unexpectedly sat up. A strange smile curled at the corners of her lips before she slumped down like a lifeless wooden post.
This scene startled Ye Chenfeng as well.
Sun Xianger couldn't possibly have a split personality, could she?
If he couldn't invade her consciousness and dreams, he wouldn't be able to uncover her secrets.
Ye Chenfeng had failed twice in a row; he didn't dare take any more risks and had to retreat to rethink his strategy.
Little Monk Shen Binghan was on break? Damn it, why was he ignoring his summons!
Feeling frustrated, Ye Chenfeng returned to his original form and walked to the window. Outside, the stars twinkled, and a layer of dawn light appeared on the horizon.
When had it rained? The roads and low rooftops were all wet.
The sky soon brightened. Ye Chenfeng pretended that nothing was wrong as he made breakfast and bought steamed buns. When he returned, Sun Xianger was already up, rinsing her mouth in the bathroom.
“Chenfeng Brother, did you sleep well last night?”
This question should have been posed by Ye Chenfeng to Sun Xianger, asking if she had slept well.
Unexpectedly, Sun Xianger seemed in good spirits and took the initiative to greet Ye Chenfeng first.
“Yeah, good.” Ye Chenfeng thought to himself; good for you, but what on earth are you? He looked at Sun Xianger, unable to detect any flaws.
Sun Xianger had learned to savor her food slowly, putting on an air of modesty and elegance. This annoyed Ye Chenfeng, who turned away and quickly finished his porridge and buns. He then said to Sun Xianger, “Let’s go to University Road today.”
Upon hearing that they were going to University Road, Sun Xianger paused for a moment, tearing off a piece of steamed bun and stuffing it into her mouth. Her cheeks puffed up as she chewed, then she said, "Chenfeng Brother, will you come with me to the supermarket?"
"I don't have time; I have work to do. Why don't you go to the supermarket by yourself?" Ye Chenfeng replied as he cleaned up the dishes.
Sun Xianger quickly interjected, "I'll do it, just let me tidy up afterward."
Ye Chenfeng allowed her to take care of it and went to his bedroom, closing the door behind him. He searched through the room but couldn't find the Ghost-Collecting Gourd.
Not finding the Ghost-Collecting Gourd, he had no choice but to tuck The Ghost-Quaking Scripture into his waistband. After waiting for Sun Xianger to finish everything, they both headed out.
"Chenfeng Brother, I want to see Ye Dad," Sun Xianger suddenly requested as they stepped outside.
"No way, I've been too busy lately; I don't have time to go."
"Alright!" Sun Xianger didn't press further and silently followed Ye Chenfeng out of the community.
"Chenfeng Brother, are you really not planning to take me to the supermarket?" Xiang'er said with a pitiful look.
This made Ye Chenfeng feel a bit guilty. He deliberately turned his head away and said, "I really have things to do. How about having Qin Ge and the others accompany you?"
"Okay."
Ye Chenfeng called Qin Keqing and the others to keep Xiang'er company while he headed to the hospital.
In the hospital room where Ding Li had been staying, another patient had already moved in.
Ye Chenfeng walked in abruptly and then apologized, saying he had entered the wrong place.
Inside the room, Xiong Qisheng quietly followed Ye Chenfeng out as he exited.
The two of them—one living, one ghost—walked together toward a secluded area. They stopped and nodded at each other. Ye Chenfeng said apologetically, "I searched around, but no one seems to know your son, Xiong Biao."
Xiong Qisheng replied, "It's no wonder; I never told you what he looks like. How could you find him?"
"Can you tell me how long you've been in the hospital, when you died, and when was the last time you saw your son?"
Xiong Qisheng nodded and said, "I can. The last time I saw him was in 2014. He was tall and strong, with a scar on his forehead from a childhood fight. He has a slight tendency towards paranoia."
"Can you also tell me what he was like as a child?" Ye Chenfeng wanted to know if there was any special connection between the Xiong Biao he was looking for and the child Xiong Biao had once been.
Xiong Qisheng appeared lost in thought as he reminisced.
After a long pause, he began to recount stories about his son, Xiong Biao.
As for Xiong Biao—
Xiong Qisheng had married late, likely due to his family's circumstances, which delayed his marriage until he was forty when he finally had his son, Xiong Biao.
People are realistic; without money, no matter what you do, you won't attract the attention of the opposite sex.
Xiong Qisheng also had someone he liked, but unfortunately, his family background was poor, and she wouldn't even glance at him.
In the end, he reluctantly married a divorced woman and had a son named Xiong Biao.
As the saying goes: the more a man marries, the more fearful he becomes; for women, the more they marry, the bolder they get. This woman was on her fourth marriage, while Xiong Qisheng was still a genuine virgin.
Unfortunate events constantly followed Xiong Qisheng.
Marrying late and having children late is considered a blessing amidst misfortune, but unexpectedly, their son was born with mild cerebral palsy.
At three years old, he struggled to walk steadily, drooled, and was slow to respond when speaking.
Xiong Qisheng lamented his fate but did not give up on treating his son. The doctor told him that this was all due to marrying late and that the woman had been involved with various men before their marriage and had contracted illnesses, which led to the child's defects.
With a child who had defects, the mother lost hope and ran away one dark night with another man, leaving no trace of where she went.
At that moment, Xiong Qisheng felt as if the sky had fallen on him.
Fortunately, although Xiong Biao had cerebral palsy, he was still alive—his biological son.
On the doctor's advice, Xiong Qisheng took Xiong Biao everywhere seeking treatment. Finally, before Xiong Biao turned five, they managed to alleviate some of his symptoms of cerebral palsy. He could call him "Dad" and recognize simple words.
In the days that followed, Xiong Qisheng continued to seek medical treatment for his son, consolidating his condition and seeing improvements.
Xiong Biao was able to recognize more characters and could read now.
While Xiong Qisheng felt immensely relieved, he also worked overtime to earn money.
He worked, collected garbage, made three rounds, and planned to learn other skills that could earn him money.
Thus, Xiong Qisheng raised Xiong Biao through thick and thin.
However, as Xiong Biao grew up, he began to cause trouble. He got into fights with groups of people, and a knife cut opened a gash on his forehead, resulting in a hefty medical bill. That incident nearly drained all of Xiong Qisheng's savings. Afterward, it seemed that Xiong Biao had toned down a bit and started thinking about ways to make money.
Xiong Biao hadn't studied much but made quite a few dubious friends in society.
He heard that a university campus was going to be built on Nanxin Road and prepared some money, intending to open an internet café near University Road.
Xiong Biao came home asking for money.
Xiong Qisheng said he had no money; he needed to save some for his burial expenses and couldn't give everything to this unruly kid.
Xiong Qisheng recounted that after that one time, Xiong Biao rushed out of the house and never returned.
It had been several years since 2014; it wouldn't be easy to find him! Ye Chenfeng further inquired, "Do you have his phone number?"
Xiong Qisheng shook his head and said, "No, but I heard from an old friend that Xiong Biao has a woman he likes named Marin."
"Is Marin also on University Road?"
"Marin is not on University Road; she’s in New District. Her family sells Tofu Pudding."
"Oh."
Xiong Qisheng sighed, "If I had known this earlier, I wouldn't have gotten married. I'm getting old and still messing around. Sigh! It's all the women's fault. My mother pressured me to get married to carry on the family line and have descendants to send me off in my old age. In the end, when I die, he won't even take a look at me."
As Xiong Qisheng spoke about his sorrow, tears streamed down his face.
Ye Chenfeng pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and set it aside. He said to Xiong Qisheng, "Don't cry, old man. Have a smoke to clear your mind."
"Not being sad would be a lie. This child has never given me peace of mind. When he was little, I was afraid of him crying; now that he's grown up, I'm afraid of what he might say. And now that I'm old, it's hard to even see him once."
"Don't worry, old man. I'll help you find him."
Ye Chenfeng firmly remembered the name Marin and left the hospital for New District, heading towards Home Alley.
From a distance, he heard a crisp voice calling out, "Tofu Pudding, hot and fresh!" An elderly woman with graying hair was fanning herself with a hand fan while keeping her eyes on the pedestrians walking by. She continuously shouted, "Tofu Pudding, hot and fresh!"
This was the only place selling Tofu Pudding around here. Ye Chenfeng confirmed his target and walked over to see a pot of steaming tofu. He took out some money and said, "I'll have a bowl of Tofu Pudding."
"Alright." The woman quickly picked up a wooden spatula, scooped a thin layer into a bowl, added cilantro, sweet sauce, peas, and sesame oil, then handed him a pair of packaged wooden chopsticks with both hands, saying, "Enjoy your meal."
Tofu Pudding was delicate and melted in the mouth. Ye Chenfeng felt quite comfortable after finishing a bowl of Tofu Pudding, warm and satisfying.
"Auntie, your Tofu Pudding is really delicious," Ye Chenfeng started to chat casually with the woman.
"Thank you! If it's good, come often. Don't forget to bring your girlfriend along; Auntie will treat you both," the middle-aged woman said cheerfully.
"Thank you, Auntie. My girlfriend would definitely love it, but she's not here right now. So I wanted to ask your surname for future visits to enjoy Tofu Pudding."
"Oh! You can just call me Aunt Ma."
"Aunt Ma?"
"Yes, what's wrong?"
"Do you know Marin?"
Upon hearing Ye Chenfeng call out the name directly, the woman was taken aback, her expression darkening as she questioned, "Who are you? What do you want with Marin?"
"You're not Marin?"
The woman was momentarily stunned and replied, "Of course not. There are many people with the same surname, and there are also those with identical names." She was clearly feeling uneasy; without knowing Ye Chenfeng's background and intentions, she would not reveal the truth.
Ye Chenfeng was certain that this woman was the one Xiong Biao liked, but he never expected that Xiong Biao's woman would be so old.
With a smile, Ye Chenfeng said, "Aunt Ma, actually I'm here to find you. I have something urgent to discuss."
Upon hearing this, the other party's expression darkened even more. She straightened her face and said, "I'm sorry, but I have to close up now. I'm not the Marin you're looking for; you've got the wrong person." As she spoke, Aunt Ma began to pack up and prepare to leave.
Ye Chenfeng stopped her, maintaining a smile as he said, "Aunt Ma, don't misunderstand. I'm not a bad person; I've been entrusted to find someone."
"You've been entrusted? Who? Who are you looking for?"
"Xiong Qisheng. I'm looking for his son, Xiong Biao..."
"I don't know Xiong Biao. You've really got the wrong person." Aunt Ma firmly denied it and then threatened, "If you keep blocking me, I'll call the police and say you're a bad person."
"Aunt Ma, do I look like a bad person?" The more she reacted this way, the more Ye Chenfeng was convinced that she was indeed Marin.
Clearly, Aunt Ma didn't dare to shout for help. At her age, who would believe that a young man like Ye Chenfeng would come to flirt with her?
Aunt Ma couldn't be someone who valued appearances; she was too afraid to cry out.
Ye Chenfeng's attitude was resolute; he insisted on getting some answers. Left with no choice, Aunt Ma quietly said to him, "Let's close up. Help me out a bit and say you didn't see me."
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