Since the ghost that had been haunting Lawyer Zhou Guang was devoured by his ghost husband, Bai Lixin didn’t pursue the matter any further.
Lawyer Zhou Guang had come to S City to resolve the compensation issue, and now that the issue was successfully resolved, there was no need for him to stay any longer.
After two days in bed, Lawyer Zhou Guang was transferred to a hospital in B City.
Coincidentally, it was the same hospital where Doctor Dijia worked.
On the way back, Zhou Zhirui’s face was full of unhappiness.
Bai Lixin: “What’s wrong?”
Zhou Zhirui: “Teacher Bai Lixin, could you get me one more day off tomorrow?”
Before Bai Lixin could say anything, Lin Jue, who was driving in the front seat, refused outright, “Mr. Zhou already said that you must attend school tomorrow.”
Zhou Zhirui shouted in frustration, clutching his head with a pained expression, “Why does it have to be like this? Tomorrow’s the monthly exam! I don’t want to take it!”
“Heh,” Lin Jue sneered cruelly, “Mr. Zhou knew that the monthly exam was tomorrow, so he insisted you go back to school. Trying to skip school to avoid exams? Keep dreaming, brat.”
Zhou Zhirui shot a fierce glare at Lin Jue in the front, then turned away, curling up like a ball and sulking.
They were traveling separately.
Lawyer Zhou Guang had pins in his leg, and couldn’t walk normally yet.
A caregiver accompanied Lawyer Zhou Guang in the ambulance in front, while they followed behind.
The car made a turn in S City, winding through a less bustling suburban area.
There were still advertisements for Sun Real Estate on a blue metal wall which hadn’t been dismantled yet.
Bai Lixin: “Is this the land where they found Marquis Haitian’s tomb?”
Lin Jue: “Yes.”
Looking out at the leveled ground inside, Bai Lixin saw a conspicuous yellow caution tape enclosing an area.
There were many steel rods around a big pit, and beside it was a row of temporary shelters, where a group of people in caps and uniformed gray vests was bustling around.
They must be from the archaeological team.
It was said that ever since the discovery of Marquis Haitian’s tomb, the team had been stationed here, excavating round the clock.
Back then, when Sun Real Estate stumbled upon the ancient tomb, Bai Lixin had researched the life and deeds of Marquis Haitian.
There wasn’t much about this nobleman in official records, but the unofficial records were abundant.
Marquis Haitian was a vassal king with a different surname of the Dayan Dynasty two thousand years ago, a general who had made significant contributions to Dayan’s unification of the Central Plains.
*“Yi Xing Fan Wang/Vassal king with a different surname” means he was not from the royal family but was elevated to noble status.
The emperor of Dayan bestowed this great general the title of Yi Xing Fan Wang, conferring him as Marquis Haitian and granting him a fiefdom. This brought him unparalleled glory for a time.
S City had once been his fiefdom.
Yet, scholars later analyzed the emperor’s actions as somewhat intriguing.
It seemed like an honor, in truth, it was like a suppression.
Though S City was prosperous today, a thousand years ago, it was merely a barren frontier.
The region bordered the sea and consisted of saltpans where crops barely survived, forcing people to rely on fishing.
In that era, grain could be stored for winter, but preserving meat was difficult, leaving people cold and hungry in the winter months.
It was essentially a place of exile.
After Marquis Haitian went to his fiefdom, he never returned to the capital until his death.
Scholars speculated that the Dayan emperor was wary of the marquis’s power, thus granting him a nominal title and effectively banishing him to a remote wasteland.
However, no historical records could verify the events, leaving what happened back then unknown to future generations.
That was the official record.
Unofficial records, though, painted a much more colorful picture.
The most talked-about part is the BE romance between Marquis Haitian and the Dayan emperor.
Official accounts may have been scarce, but unofficial records spread like autumn weeds.
They claimed that Marquis Haitian and the Dayan emperor were, in fact, a pair of “broken sleeves”.
Palace attendants often saw the marquis visiting the emperor’s palace deep into the night, talking together until dawn and unwilling to part.
On one occasion, someone even spotted the emperor disheveled as he exited the marquis’s military tent.
The emperor of Dayan ruled diligently, while Marquis Haitian was brave and handsome. Both remained unmarried till death. The emperor, after much opposition, appointed a princess born to a royal prince as his successor, while the marquis gave away his wealth.
Unofficial records are filled with stories and gossip about them, so much that they resembled an ancient gossip mill obsessively shipping CP.
Two thousand years have passed, and fan fiction about the emperor of Dayan and Marquis Haitian is flying everywhere. The BE of the two has always been a source of regret in the pure love circle.
While archaeologists had long discovered the Dayan emperor’s tomb, Marquis Haitian’s tomb had remained elusive.
For a while, people even thought the “Marquis of Haitian” was merely a fictional character.
The Dayan Dynasty, as the first dynasty to unify the nation in H Country’s history, had an indelible and profound impact on the later historical development of H Country.
This vassal king left a remarkable legacy in history but was only briefly mentioned only in records, with not even his name left behind.
It wasn’t until recently, with the excavation of Marquis Haitian’s tomb, that the archaeology and history communities were shaken, and they flocked to this site in droves.
Who exactly was Marquis Haitian?
What was his name?
What truly transpired between him and the Dayan emperor?
What feats had he accomplished?
There were so many mysteries about him that people were eager to uncover.
A muffled sound echoed from the construction site.
Bai Lixin looked over and saw plumes of dust billowing from the pit.
The workers around it hurriedly pulled at the ropes, and three fully armed workers climbed out from the thick smoke.
They removed their masks as others gathered around them, talking anxiously with tense expressions and exaggerated gestures. They seemed very excited.
“Marquis Haitian…” Bai Lixin whispered the name to himself.
A warm sensation touched his neck.
His ghost husband seemed unusually restless.
Though his ghost husband usually stayed by his side, they had an agreement: it wouldn’t touch him during the day.
Today, however, it seemed out of control, wrapping around him with such strength it felt as if it wanted to merge with him.
Bai Lixin frowned and let out a muffled groan.
He subconsciously glanced at Zhou Zhirui.
The child, who had just been lively moments ago, had somehow fallen asleep, and his peaceful face was reflected in the car window.
Lin Jue was focused on following the ambulance ahead, seemingly unaware of any abnormalities on his side.
Bai Lixin didn’t dare to make a sound, and could only lean back subtly, trying to suppress the other party’s movements.
But it was all in vain.
He felt an invisible force wrapping around his wrists, instantly binding his hands behind him.
His waist was gripped tightly.
Bai Lixin glanced down, but his clothes remained perfectly intact, without any visible movement.
First, it was his waist, then his legs, his chest, and finally his neck and face.
It was as if he were trapped in a swamp and sinking. He wanted to call out for help, but the muddy and oppressive feeling around him was too heavy.
It was unbearable, he couldn’t breathe.
Bai Lixin frowned in pain and turned to look at the car window.
Reflected in the window was a mass of black mist.
The mist wrapped around him tightly like a cocoon, becoming denser and more overwhelming, eventually blocking his vision and enveloping his head.
Bai Lixin’s sight began to blur, and the suffocating sensation of impending death washed over him.
He opened his mouth, desperate for air, but it felt like something was clogging his throat and leaving him unable to breathe.
Just when he thought he was going to die, the black mist stopped abruptly,then withdrew from his body as if it had been electrocuted.
Bai Lixin looked toward the window weakly, only to see the mist fleeing in panic.
The air surged back into his lungs, and Bai Lixin breathed deeply, savoring the new lease on life.
Turning his head, he saw that the black mist was no longer reflected in the glass.
Two days after returning to B City, Bai Lixin began to panic.
Initially, he thought the mist’s departure that day was temporary, but it had been two days, and it had not returned.
To make sure it wasn’t just his imagination, he specifically sought out Song Yuantian to see if he could see the ghost husband.
Upon seeing him, Song Yuantian asked directly, “Did you two have a fight?”
Fight? What fight?
That day, he was almost killed by the ghost husband!
“Your feeling is correct. It’s indeed not with you,” Song Yuantian’s gaze swept over Bai Lixin. “Don’t worry too much; that glittering guy is still around.”
Bai Lixin was puzzled. “What glittering guy?”
“Oh, you can’t see it,” Song Yuantian explained. “It’s that doctor who took you back that day. He can also help you sustain your life.”
Once again, the same statement.
Bai Lixin ignored it before, but now he had to take it seriously. “What would he have to do to help sustain my life?”
Song Yuantian: “Do with him what you did with the ghost husband. You’re running out of time; the ghost husband didn’t leave you with much yang energy.”
So, he was supposed to do what he did with the ghost husband, with the holy and pure Dr. Dijia?
Wouldn’t that turn him into some kind of monster that feeds on people’s essence? How could he go through with that?
Bai Lixin felt his head throbbing painfully. “Can you help me find my ghost husband?”
Song Yuantian hesitated for a few seconds. “It’s not impossible. Do you know his name?”
Bai Lixin was speechless: …
He actually didn’t know.
He had always just called him the ghost husband.
Song Yuantian: “Then what about his birth date and time?”
Bai Lixin: “I’ll have to go home and check.”
That ghost marriage had been arranged a decade ago, and the only thing he did back then was accompany his mother to see the shaman. How could he remember the ghost husband’s birth details?
Song Yuantian: “Then bring me his birth date and time when you find it. I’ll see if I can track him down for you. Haven’t you tried summoning him yourself?”
Bai Lixin sighed, “I called for him. I’ve been calling him every night for the past two days, but he hasn’t shown up.”
Who knew why he had suddenly vanished?
Zhou Guang still needed to remain in the hospital for observation due to multiple fractures from the accident, and he had steel pins placed all over his body.
Unable to go home in the near future, Lawyer Zhou transferred an additional 100,000 yuan to Bai Lixin, asking him to stay longer at the Zhou household.
Bai Lixin swore, he truly enjoyed being a live-in tutor and male mother; it had nothing to do with the money.
After chatting with Song Yuantian, Bai Lixin went home briefly. Xia Chi had gone to school, leaving his mother alone to do housework.
Seeing Bai Lixin rummaging around, his mother asked, “What are you looking for?”
Bai Lixin: “Mom, do you remember the red booklet from when you arranged that ghost marriage for me? I think we put it in the storage room.”
“Ghost marriage? What ghost marriage?” His mother, having suffered from schizophrenia over the years, had fragmented memories, and it seemed she had forgotten about arranging the ghost marriage.
“Oh, nothing. I must’ve remembered wrong,” Bai Lixin said, diving back into his search.
After searching for a long time and nearly turning the storage room upside down, Mother Bai Lixin finally murmured, “Xin Xin, I seem to remember something… Was it when you were ten years old?”
Bai Lixin noticed a shift in her expression and shook his head. “Mom, don’t think about it.”
But Mother Bai Lixin clutched her head with a pained expression. “I remember… When you were ten, I took you to the shaman to arrange a ghost marriage.”
“A couple of years ago, I came to my senses and realized what a ridiculous thing I’d done, so I took your birth information to her, hoping she’d help dissolve the ghost marriage.”
Bai Lixin was stunned.
‘Was a ghost marriage something that could be arranged one moment and dissolved the next?’
‘Did ghosts not care about face?’
Bai Lixin: “And then?”
Mother Bai Lixin rubbed her temples. “Then… the shaman seemed to have contacted me and told me to go see her, but I don’t think I went.”
Bai Lixin: “So, was it dissolved or not?”
She frowned and shook her head. “I don’t remember.”
Bai Lixin: “Then do you still remember the birth information of the one I was paired with in the ghost marriage?”
His mother shook her head again. “The birth information is with the shaman; I can’t recall it.”
Seeing her worsening state, Bai Lixin didn’t press further. He helped her to bed and gave her some medicine.
After his mother drifted off to sleep, Bai Lixin decided to go find the shaman directly.
He had been to her house with his mother a few times before. In B City, she was quite a respected shaman.
The place was a bit out of the way, but not hard to find.
Guided by memory, Bai Lixin told the taxi driver the address.
The driver hesitated upon hearing the location, but eventually started the car.
On the way, the driver struck up a conversation. “Young man, what are you going to do in that place?”
Bai Lixin: “I’m looking for someone.”
Driver: “The shaman?”
“You know her?”
The driver: “A few years ago, she was rumored to have some skill. I went to ask for wealth. But these past couple of years, not so much.”
Bai Lixin: “Oh?”
The driver: “Two years ago, she went mad, it’s said she had revealed too many secrets and was punished by the gods. Since then, she’s been crazy.”
Feeling a growing anxiety, Bai Lixin asked, “So, she no longer does readings?”
The driver: “How could she? The woman’s gone mad. Young man, do you still want to go there?”
Bai Lixin suppressed his irritability, “Yes.”
Half an hour later, the driver stopped at the destination.
It was a dark alleyway.
Buildings were packed tightly together, leaving only a narrow passage in between.
The dense buildings blocked out the sunlight above, leaving the place dim and gloomy despite it being midday.
Old, cramped, and dark.
It was just like the feeling he had the first time he visited here.
The shaman lived in a courtyard at the end of the alley. No matter how much he didn’t want to, if he wanted to meet her, he had to cross this alley.
Bai Lixin took a deep breath and walked in.
This was the old district of B City, and was part of a planned area. Most of the residents had already moved out, leaving only a few behind.
Before, there would still be one or two households here. Now, all the houses were shut tight, with broken windows. It was clearly already abandoned.
Bai Lixin walked all the way to the inner courtyard. The gate was slightly ajar and not locked.
Inside, there were faint sounds of movement.
He gathered his courage and pushed the gate open. As soon as he did, a dark figure suddenly lunged at him.
Bai Lixin was startled and he took two steps back. When he looked closely, je saw what appeared to be a disheveled and dirty old woman.
Her hair was streaked with black and white, her face pale and sunken, but her eyes were as dark as ink.
After staring at her for a moment, he was certain she was the shaman who had arranged his ghost marriage.
Around her neck hung several strings of beads, and talismans were tied around her waist. A glance around the courtyard revealed talismans plastered all over the walls and door.
The shaman glared at him with intense eyes and barked, “Who are you looking for?”
Bai Lixin took a steady breath. “I’m here for you, shaman.”
Blocking the entrance, the shaman eyed him warily. “What do you want?”
Bai Lixin explained, “Two years ago, my mother left something with you. You called her to come retrieve it, but she never did.”
The shaman’s eyes widened, and she shrieked, “Ah! It’s you!!!”
With lightning speed, she reached out, grabbed his wrist and yanked him into the courtyard.
With a loud bang, the courtyard gate slammed shut and she pulled him inside with a firm grip.
Looking around at the talisman-covered courtyard, Bai Lixin felt a chill run down his spine.
“I suffered greatly because of you and your mother.” She dragged him into the room, pushed him onto a cushion, then began rummaging through drawers.
Bai Lixin glanced around.
The inside was just like outside, covered in talismans.
The driver had said she was crazy, but from their exchange, he thought she seemed quite sane.
After a few moments of searching, she finally pulled out a red booklet embossed with gold characters.
Bai Lixin recognized it at once as his ghost marriage certificate.
The shaman tossed it onto the cushion in front of him, her tone sharp. “Finally, you’ve come. Take this thing and leave! And don’t come back!”
Bai Lixin picked up the booklet. “So, is my ghost marriage dissolved?”
At his words, the shaman let out a sudden shriek and looked around fearfully.
After a moment, she breathed a sigh of relief and warned him in a low voice, “Don’t ever think of ending this marriage again. Just live well with this Lord for the rest of your life.”
Bai Lixin: “Then I…”
The shaman interrupted him, “And don’t even think about remarrying!! Absolutely not!!!”
Bai Lixin fell silent. He lowered his head and opened the faded red booklet. The paper inside was already yellowed.
On it was the birth information of both parties, his ghost husband’s on the left, and his own on the right.
Judging by the shaman’s demeanor, it was clear the marriage had not been dissolved.
He took a photo and sent the ghost husband’s birth information to Song Yuantian.
Just as he prepared to leave, the shaman suddenly said, “Huh?”
“What’s wrong with your soul?!” Her voice became sharp as she stared at him intently. “It’s tattered, yet it’s still in your body.”
“Strange, so strange indeed.”
Bai Lixin paused. “Everyone says you’re crazy.”
The shaman sneered. “What do you think?”
Bai Lixin: “I think you’re quite sane.”
The shaman: “If I didn’t act crazy, how could I evade the wrath of that one? I should never have been soft hearted and helped your mother arrange that ghost marriage; otherwise, none of these troubles would have followed.”
Bai Lixin watched her in silence.
He could tell the shaman hadn’t spoken to anyone in a long time.
Her urge to share was so strong that even if he didn’t ask, she would reveal things to him.
Sure enough, after a few moments, she shot him a glare.
“Your mother regretted it later and didn’t want her son tangled with a ghost, so she insisted I help dissolve the marriage.”
“But the moment I took on that task, I was harassed by that one.”
“He nearly tore my place apart. I shouldn’t have taken on any work without considering the consequences!”
Muttering under her breath, she added, “If I hadn’t pretended to be crazy, I’d already be dead by his hand.”
“Bai Lixin, that one refuses to end things with you. He’s clinging to you.”
Just then, a message arrived from Song Yuantian.
Song Yuantian: [No luck, no response; I can’t summon him.]
The last shred of hope gone, Bai Lixin pocketed the booklet reluctantly and stood up. “You’re wrong, he’s not after me anymore.”
He ran off, and who knows where he ran to.
The shaman stared at Bai Lixin’s departing figure in disbelief, muttering to herself, “How is that possible? It can’t be, he was supposed to…”
After leaving the alley with the marriage booklet, Bai Lixin found that the taxi driver was still waiting.
The driver rolled down the window and greeted him cheerfully, “You’re finally done? I was waiting for you.”
Bai Lixin: “I don’t recall asking you to wait.”
The driver chuckled. “I figured I’d wait. This place is remote, and I wouldn’t get a fare back otherwise. It’s better to wait for you and head back to the city together.”
The place was indeed remote.
Bai Lixin got into the car absentmindedly, and casually mentioned Q University.
The driver: “Are you a student at Q University?”
Bai Lixin lowered his head and flipped through the red marriage certificate in his hand, rubbing his fingertips on the gold-plated font on it: “Yes.”
The driver: “Q University is great, the best university in B City. You must have very good grades to be accepted there, right?”
Bai Lixin felt a bit tired and really didn’t have the energy to engage with the driver’s enthusiasm, so he said, “Driver, I have a headache. I’ll rest for a bit,” then closed his eyes, effectively cutting off the conversation.
The driver stopped talking as well, and the only sound in the car was from the radio.
The world finally quieted down, but Bai Lixin did not feel like resting.
He could feel that his body was not doing well.
After more than two days without the nourishment from his ghost husband, his spirits were deteriorating.
If this continued, he would really die.
Did he have to do as Song Yuantian said and go find Doctor Dijia?
A gentle, elegant face slowly surfaced in his mind.
—Live.
A deep voice suddenly drilled into his mind.
Bai Lixin suddenly opened his eyes.
Live, he had to live.
“Driver, let’s not go to Q University anymore. Let’s go to X Hospital.”
He wanted to live; that wasn’t shameful. He just wanted to live.
“Ah, changing places?” The driver stepped on the gas and turned the wheel, “Alright! You can go wherever you want.”
Half an hour later, the driver stopped in front of X Hospital.
Bai Lixin scanned the QR code in the car and transferred the money, not forgetting to say “Thank you” to the driver before getting out.
The driver seemed not to hear him, only looking up at the rearview mirror.
Bai Lixin already felt a chill throughout his body. Without hesitation, he got out of the car and rushed to the hospital entrance.
