DT |Chapter 15: Xiyi Five (Revised)

National Security Group 7 was commended for their successful case handling. Although such special case commendation ceremonies cannot be held publicly, a private celebration was organized for them. The evidence department, interrogation department, and aftermath department involved in the case were all invited. Humans and ghosts mingled, eating and drinking together without any sense of discord.

Following this was an unexpected long vacation. Sheng Feng, who had been working non-stop for nearly a week, suddenly felt like a tightly wound string that had snapped.

For an entire week, he either whimsically checked in at National Security or lay around at home. Even Shen Yan, a ghost with nothing much to do, had the Xiyi Realm to manage, while Sheng Feng was so idle he felt like he might grow mushrooms.

As usual, Sheng Feng slept until late morning. Half-awake, he scrolled through his phone and accidentally stumbled upon various unresolved doubts from the Nineteen Coffins case in his photo album. He suddenly remembered Chu Xiao mentioning Zhulong Slope, and his sleepiness vanished instantly.

He searched the internet for this place and found that Zhulong Slope was actually a long stretch of land. In ancient times, it was a remote area of the Mengliang Kingdom, known for being a dumping ground for condemned prisoners.

It was said that a child once found half a human head while playing with mud on the slope. The child was so frightened that he fell ill with a high fever and only recovered after a shaman was called to summon his soul back.

There were various versions of the legend about Zhulong Slope online, all emphasizing that it was a forbidden place. In summary: don’t wander around Zhulong Slope without reason, or you might attract something unclean.

Sheng Feng quickly browsed through the bizarre articles on the forum. His fingers suddenly paused on a page with a particularly eye-catching headline: “I keep hearing strange noises outside my old family house. Looking for a team to explore the haunted house at night. Interested parties, please join.”

Below was a line of small text: No. 444, Wine Dregs Alley, north of Zhulong Slope, Tan Village. It was accompanied by a scenic photo of Zhulong Slope in Tan Village.

Sheng Feng was immediately intrigued, but it wasn’t the so-called “haunted house” that attracted him. It was Zhulong Slope itself, a place of scenic beauty with a southern location and architecture that exuded the leisurely charm of Jiangnan.

Since Sheng Feng had nothing to do and was thinking of traveling, this remote village with few people and fresh air seemed like a great place to relax. He could also see how this group planned to explore the haunted house at night.

Sheng Feng absentmindedly played with the jade Chu Xiao had given him. He wasn’t an expert in jade, nor had he learned any skills in antique appraisal, but he had been forced to read many ancient books in the past. If his judgment was correct, just from the form of the jade, it was a priceless blood jade.

Blood jade is not suitable for wearing. It is jade infused with blood, carrying heavy yin energy. Sheng Feng leaned towards the idea that it was more likely infused with human blood. There were many on the market, most of which were artificially made or used dog blood instead of human blood.

Corpse-Wrapping Array was so concerned about this item, it might just be a piece of jade infused with human blood.

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the door. Sheng Feng quickly hid the blood jade in his pocket and pretended to look at his phone nonchalantly.

These days, Shen Yan had been staying at Sheng Feng’s house. The Underworld had negotiated with him to work together peacefully. To show sincerity, the judge had pulled a rotten radish from who knows where to temporarily create a physical body for Shen Yan, ensuring he could touch things in the human world.

However, when it came to housing, the judge said not to even think about it. With the rising cost of living and high housing prices, they couldn’t give Shen Yan the treatment of an Underworld civil servant just because he was a Ghost King, especially since he was only a temporary worker.

But from Sheng Feng’s observation, Shen Yan was so happy with this physical body that he could fly to the sky. He went to the Underworld to pick up his body before dawn and even asked Sheng Feng for a key before leaving. This time, he returned by opening the door.

“You say I can’t walk through walls anymore, and suddenly switching to knocking on doors, I’m still not used to it,” Shen Yan muttered to the air. “Hmm… but I should get used to it after a while. So now, I guess I’m half a person?”

Sheng Feng was munching on a bag of chips, not paying attention to his ramblings.

Noticing that he was being ignored, Shen Yan snatched the chips from Sheng Feng’s hand and said, “Stop eating. All you do is eat, eat, eat. I’m asking you something. Do you think I’m half a person now?”

“Do you really want to be human that much?” Sheng Feng impatiently pulled his chips back from Shen Yan’s arms.

Shen Yan shrugged indifferently, “If you had been a ghost for over two thousand years, you’d want to become human too!”

Over two thousand years as a ghost. Sheng Feng initially wanted to retort, but seeing Shen Yan wandering aimlessly in the Xiyi Realm for so many years without any memory, he felt a bit sorry for him, so he swallowed his words.

“I’m going out tomorrow, maybe for a week or two. You’ll have to handle lunch yourself,” Sheng Feng said naturally, brushing off the chip crumbs from his hands.

Shen Yan’s ears perked up immediately, and he asked, “Where are you going? A week or two? What am I supposed to eat?”

“Why do you care where I’m going? Can’t I go out to relax? I’ll give you money. You can order takeout or eat out, whatever you want. Can’t a grown man take care of himself?” Sheng Feng tossed the crumpled plastic bag into the trash and went to wash his hands.

Shen Yan looked like a large abandoned dog, seemingly caught off guard by something he had never experienced before. He said, “Wherever you’re going, I’ll go with you. I haven’t interacted with people much. The people I knew before, some are dead, some have reincarnated. I don’t understand human affairs.”

Sheng Feng looked at him in surprise, thinking how could a ghost with such a sharp tongue and ruthless methods be afraid of people? Was it a hallucination when he tried to strangle me back then?

“Aren’t you talking to me just fine now? Just because you have a new body, you can’t interact with people?” Sheng Feng questioned.

Shen Yan waved his hands vigorously, “That’s… that’s different! You have yin-yang eyes, you know the difference between interacting with humans and ghosts, but I… I haven’t been in the human world for a very long time…”

“This is my first time being human, even though I’m not a complete person yet. Can you teach me?”

Unlike his previous aggressive attitude, Shen Yan’s plea was unmistakable this time. His new body was modeled after himself, and his overly striking appearance looked pitiful when he was aggrieved.

“Don’t look at me like that, making it seem like I’m bullying you.”

“You are bullying me. Are you really going to leave me alone in this sunless house, ignoring me?” Shen Yan’s eyes were teary. “I was alone in the Xiyi Realm, and I didn’t expect to be alone in the human world too…”

Sheng Feng had always been soft-hearted. Seeing Shen Yan’s pitiful look, his original resolve crumbled completely. He couldn’t bear to see Shen Yan like this, so he reluctantly agreed.

However, as soon as he agreed, Shen Yan immediately revealed his true colors. His sly look told Sheng Feng that his earlier act of playing the victim was all a show!

He casually and theatrically wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with a tissue.

“I’ll go pack my things first. We’ll leave tomorrow.”

Sheng Feng was left clenching his fists in frustration, having to swallow his anger.

And so, Shen Yan happily packed his small bundle and joined Sheng Feng on the bus for a joyful trip. Sheng Feng not only had to buy an extra ticket but also had to teach him some basic knowledge of modern society.

However, Sheng Feng miscalculated. He thought Zhulong Slope was close, but in reality, it was a long journey. The small village had only half-finished roads, and the place that seemed just over a mountain was unreachable by car. So they had to take a detour, switching from a bus to a car, then to an ox cart, and finally walking.

This uncomfortable journey taught Sheng Feng one thing: the territory of the ancient Mengliang Kingdom was truly vast. No wonder the northern border tribes were willing to travel long distances to conquer it.

When they arrived at their destination, Tan Village was drizzling. The Jiangnan-style architecture blended into the picturesque rain and mist, and the long alleys paved with bluestone were deserted.

It was said that there were no significant changes in the weather here throughout the year. In recent years, tourism had developed, and despite the difficult roads, many tourists came to experience this idyllic place, just like Sheng Feng.

Sheng Feng was surprised that the village, despite its unfinished roads, had decent hotels. Although the conditions couldn’t compare to big cities, they were clean and tidy. Sheng Feng paid for a standard room and settled in.

“I thought you were going to some bustling place, but it’s just a small village,” Shen Yan said, finding it far from what he had imagined.

Sheng Feng peeled peanuts, gazing out the window, leaning against the bed listening to the rain. “The Xiyi Realm is bustling, yet you don’t want to go back? If you want to leave, no one will stop you.”

“I’m not leaving. Following Leader Sheng, I won’t miss out on any good things,” Shen Yan grinned shamelessly, his beautiful eyes having already attracted the attention of many local girls.

With Shen Yan around, there was no chance for a moment of peace.

“The rain here is indeed beautiful, but it doesn’t compare to where I lived before,” Shen Yan said thoughtfully.

This caught Sheng Feng’s attention. He turned back, “Didn’t you say you have no memories of your past life?”

Shen Yan shook his head, his voice softening. “I don’t, but sometimes I dream of fragmented scenes. It rained often there too. Lying down, I could hear the rain hitting the stone steps, the sound on paper umbrellas, mixed with the voices of children studying. When the rain got heavier, the voices became faint.”

Shen Yan paused, confidently saying, “That private school wasn’t just for anyone, so I must have been a young master from a wealthy family in my past life! With endless money to spend!”

The atmosphere Sheng Feng had just built up collapsed instantly.

This behavior indeed resembled a young master who only knew how to indulge in pleasures.

Gradually, the two stopped talking. Shen Yan fell asleep listening to the rain, while Sheng Feng remained awake, thinking about the “haunted house” mentioned on the forum.

Shen Yan initially slept soundly, but later seemed to have a nightmare, tossing and turning, muttering something.

Sheng Feng intended to go downstairs while Shen Yan slept to inquire about the location of No. 444, Wine Dregs Alley. But passing by Shen Yan, he couldn’t help but adjust his pillow and tuck him in.

Out of curiosity, he bent down, leaning close to listen to Shen Yan’s sleep talk.

Unexpectedly, Shen Yan, perhaps having indulged too much in the Xiyi Realm, sensed someone approaching in such an intimate manner even in his sleep. He skillfully wrapped his arm around Sheng Feng’s waist, causing the latter to freeze, blushing furiously.

At that moment, Sheng Feng clearly heard Shen Yan muttering something, and confusion swept over his mind.

Sheng Feng pried Shen Yan’s hand off his waist and fled downstairs.