Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Inviting a God is Easy, Sending One Away is Hard

Shengming Ru Ge explained honestly, “My boss is a celebrity. To ensure her career went smoothly all these years, she… she acquired a Spiritual Child.”

“The Spiritual Child was always very well-behaved. We always provided it with the best offerings, and there were never any incidents.”

“But recently, for some unknown reason, the Spiritual Child suddenly started causing trouble. I can’t go into the specifics, lest people start connecting the dots. And because of an accident… one of our staff members died.”

“So, we’ve been trying to get rid of the Spiritual Child.”

“But it’s easier to invite a god than to send one away. We’ve hired several masters, but none of them could get rid of it. Lately, the Spiritual Child has been acting up even more. The dead staff member’s vengeful spirit also shows up at night. We know you’re very capable, which is why we wanted to ask for your help.”

[A female celebrity? Raising a Spiritual Child! No wonder she was so reluctant to talk earlier. The story is explosive!]

[She’d stop at nothing to get famous. Well, look what happened. The karma’s hitting back now, huh? Serves her right!]

[Is it that celebrity whose name starts with an L? Rumor has it she’s been keeping a Spiritual Child for a while.]

[I think it’s more like that female celebrity whose name starts with an S. She was kind of a nobody for years, then a few of her short series blew up and she became an internet sensation overnight.]

Shengming Ru Ge saw the comments in the chat and panicked. “Stop guessing, all of you!” she said hurriedly. “You’re all wrong. Streamer, please say something! Can you take this case or not?”

Shen Zhiyao made a quick calculation with her fingers, then replied coolly, “I’ll take it.”

Shengming Ru Ge let out a sigh of relief. “I’ll send you the address, then. Let me know when you can come over in the next day or two. The sooner the better!”

Shen Zhiyao didn’t like to drag things out once she’d agreed to them. “Tomorrow at noon,” she said.

Once everything was settled, Shengming Ru Ge hurriedly logged off, terrified that if she waited a moment longer, the viewers would dox her.

But before she logged off, she sent the streamer six Carnivals.

The moment the gifts were sent, Shen Zhiyao kicked Shengming Ru Ge from the stream.

Because Shen Zhiyao had said before: no Carnivals allowed on her stream!

[Hahahaha, Shengming Ru Ge got kicked out! I’m dying! I still remember the night Reckless Young Master Jin sent the streamer 1,314 Carnivals!]

[LMAO, that was hilarious. It was the first time I ever saw the will to live just drain from the streamer’s face! But what I really want to know is, who’s the celebrity?]

[What am I gonna do? Now every female celebrity I see looks like she’s keeping a Spiritual Child!]

[It’s definitely just a few isolated cases. Don’t spread baseless rumors; it’s not fair to tarnish other celebrities’ reputations.]

[Streamer! After you meet with her tomorrow, can you come back and give us some tea?]

[This gossip has me so hooked I can’t think straight. Streamer, all I’m asking for is an update on the Spiritual Child!]

Shen Zhiyao said, “This is a private matter, so I hope everyone will be respectful. Okay, we’re going to pause the call-ins for now. Ziyou has arrived at Chen Family Village.”

…

Meng Man was still watching Shen Zhiyao’s livestream when a local courier delivered the talisman from Shen Zhiyao.

By the time she reached the cemetery, it was exactly midnight. The area was deathly still, without another soul in sight.

There were only rows of cold graves and a sinister night breeze. The atmosphere was unnerving.

But Meng Man wasn’t afraid in the slightest. She walked quickly to her husband’s grave.

The gravestone was covered in a thin layer of dust. She wiped it clean, her movements exceptionally gentle.

After cleaning the headstone, she took out the talisman Shen Zhiyao had given her and lit it.

She mumbled to herself, as if she weren’t facing a cold tombstone, but a living, breathing person.

As the talisman burned, a red flame rose. The flame lingered in the air, slowly coalescing into a spectral figure.

The sight of his face brought tears to Meng Man’s eyes.

“Honey, I’m so sorry! I’m sorry, I’m really, really sorry!”

“Honey, I’m sorry… It’s all my fault I couldn’t save you. That’s why you had to leave so soon…”

“You’re still mad at me, aren’t you? Is that why you haven’t come to me in my dreams all these years? You won’t even let me see your face in a dream… *sob*…”

A pair of ethereal hands reached for her face, wanting to wipe away her tears. His eyes, full of heartache, gazed at her.

“Sigh…” A long sigh echoed, crossing the veil between life and death, and fading into the cold night.

“Don’t cry, honey.”

Meng Man struggled to see him clearly, but her vision was blurred by tears she couldn’t seem to wipe away.

The man tried again and again to wipe her tears away, but his spectral hands passed right through her cheeks each time.

“I never blamed you. Not once.”

“Rather than spending years suffering in a vegetative state, only to die without any dignity, I was much happier to go quickly.”

Tears still streamed silently down her face, but her sobs had begun to quiet. “Really?”

His smile faded, replaced by regret. “I’m the one who should be sorry. I promised I’d take you traveling after I retired, but I broke that promise. I’m so sorry, honey. You have to live a good life. Don’t keep dwelling on me…”

His form dissolved back into a wisp of red light. A gust of wind blew, and he vanished without a trace.

“Honey…”

She lunged forward to embrace him, but her arms closed around empty air.

The greatest distance in the world is the one between life and death…

The chasm of death is wider than a thousand mountains and rivers.

He was still in her heart, yet she could never see him again.

[Meng Man has sent a Douyin Number One.]

[Meng Man: Thank you for the talisman, Streamer. I saw my husband, and he doesn’t blame me.]

After sending the message, Meng Man left the stream as well.

Ziyou’s call connected. He and his friend had successfully made it to Number 401, Chen Family Village.

In front of the large, red door hung two big, white lanterns. Inside them, eerie green flames flickered.

Though it was August, a slight breeze raised goosebumps on their skin.

The handsome roommate was getting scared. He grabbed Ziyou’s arm and said with a tremor in his voice, “Little Feng, maybe we should just go back!”

Ziyou shook his head. “No!”

He raised his hand and knocked on the door.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK—

The dull thuds sounded exceptionally lonely in the desolate village.

A few minutes later, the door creaked open.

A stooped old woman appeared before them. Her cloudy eyes stared at them as she asked in an ancient voice, “Who are you?”

“I… I-I… We’re Mu Bao’s friends…” the handsome roommate stammered nervously.

Ziyou spoke up. “We’re looking for Mu Bao!”

The old woman’s body trembled, and for an instant, she seemed to stand up straighter. She studied the two boys before her, then nodded with a sense of relief. “Good… good boys… so good…”

Tears welled in her eyes. She raised a sleeve to wipe them away, her expression full of sorrow.

The handsome roommate found the old woman’s reaction strange. “Is Mu Bao here?” he asked.

The old woman smiled in response. “Yes… yes, she is. She’s my daughter…”

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