Chapter 24 Gilded Baby Corpse 06
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The ancient town in Q City, located near Longdao [lit: Dragon Knife] Ridge of Jiangjing [lit: River View] Gate, was a renowned film and TV shooting location in the country.
That night, they rented a house in the ancient town. The town’s tourism industry was well-developed, with the inns looking like unique guesthouses. Chen Yang and Zhang Qiudao shared a room, while He Tianna and Gao Tianliang lived on neighboring sides.
The two of them competed to stay in the room next to Chen Yang. As Chen Yang and Zhang Qiudao were He Tianna’s bodyguards, it was understandable for He Tianna to live next door. Gao Tianliang, who had been pursuing He Tianna, also found it reasonable to live in a room close to her.
Hence, the room allocation didn’t strike anyone as peculiar, except for Celestial Master Cao and his two disciples.
In the evening, Chen Yang and Zhang Qiudao were dining downstairs when Celestial Master Cao and his two disciples approached them.
“Are you also taking Miss He’s order, fellow Daoist?”
Chen Yang raised his gaze and noticed that Celestial Master Cao’s words were directed at Zhang Qiudao. He glanced at the Alliance Authority plaque hanging from Zhang Qiudao’s waist and quietly withdrew his gaze. Without a plaque, it was no wonder Celestial Master Cao didn’t pay him any attention.
Zhang Qiudao shook his head. “We are bodyguards.” Ensuring He Tianna’s safety was their shared purpose. The difference in titles was insignificant to cultivators who disregarded vanity.
Celestial Master Cao was momentarily caught off guard and sneered, “Remember what you said, fellow Daoist. Don’t come to snatch business when the time comes.”
“We guarantee our employer’s safety. You shouldn’t attempt to snatch business from us,” Zhang Qiudao replied expressionlessly while sipping his porridge.
Celestial Master Cao almost burst out in anger. What was the difference?
His two disciples approached, grabbing Celestial Master Cao and said, “Too much talking only breeds ill will. How about a friendly competition? If we win, you give up this business. If we lose, we’ll pack up and leave without a second thought.”
Celestial Master Cao: “What do you say?”
Zhang Qiudao shook his head. It was Chen Yang who responded, “Agreed. We won’t go back on our word.”
Celestial Master Cao glanced at Chen Yang, regarding him as Zhang Qiudao’s disciple—an unranked Daoist who couldn’t even be called Celestial Master, acting impulsively and blindly confident in his master.
Zhang Qiudao opened his mouth but ultimately remained silent, choosing to go along with it.
Chen Yang asked with a smiling face, “What shall we compete in?”
Celestial Master Cao: “Have you ever heard the folk song ‘The sound of gongs and drums echoes through Jiangjing Gate, as dead people are buried on Longdao Ridge’?”
“No, I haven’t heard it. But could the Jiangjing Gate and Longdao Ridge mentioned in the song refer to the Longdao Ridge near the ancient town where we are now?”
“Exactly. Jiangjing Gate is one of the city gates of Longdao Ridge. Q City has been a strategic military location since ancient times, so wars often broke out here. During the late Ming Dynasty, a general attacked Q City and ordered the massacre of the city. The bodies piled up outside Jiangjing Gate, while tigers and wolves in the mountains would feed on the corpses. Longdao Ridge has been a chaotic burial ground since ancient times, covered in countless white bones and plagued by chilling winds. The road from Jiangjing Gate to Longdao Ridge is flanked by high mountains on both sides. In the middle, it forks into two paths, winding through the flat land, creating a shape resembling a dragon knife]. This formation is known as the ‘Longdao Peril,’ where accidents and injuries often happen there.”
The term “longdao” referred to scissors. Since ancient times, scissors had also been called dragon knives. Longdao Peril looked like a pair of scissors, so it was also known as the Scissors Peril. It was said that accidents and injuries happen on roads shaped like scissors or near houses located at the intersection of two roads. This might be one reason why Longdao Ridge had been used as a burial ground for a long time.
“What do you propose?”
“I’ve heard that the open space in front of Longdao Ridge is set to be developed into a commercial area. However, since the development began, strange incidents have occurred, and many workers have encountered ghosts. Even the presence of eminent monks chanting sutras for deliverance has been futile. The construction has been halted for over a month now. Let’s compare and see who can solve this strange occurrence.”
Chen Yang shook his head and refused.
Celestial Master Cao grew displeased. “Daoist Zhang, your disciple is quick with his mouth, but you haven’t expressed your stance.”
Zhang Qiuda: “His words reflect my thoughts.”
“According to what you’ve said, Longdao Ridge has been a chaotic burial ground since ancient times, likely becoming a ghostly place. To resolve this, we either need to collect and piece together all the centuries-old accumulated white bones, reconstructing each complete skeleton, and give them a proper burial. Then, invite forty-nine eminent monks to chant sutras for eighty-one days to deliver them. While it’s not difficult to invite the eminent monks for deliverance, how can you guarantee that every single skeletal remains will be pieced together? This is an enormous undertaking. Of course, there’s an alternative option—you can choose to close the Ghost Portal.”
“Nonsense! How could the Ghost Portal be closed?”
“Negotiate with the underworld,”
“You shameless braggart!”
Celestial Master Cao regarded Chen Yang even more as a novice. How could a celestial master say such an absurd statement?
Having read the report and knowing how Chen Yang had openly bribed a ghost envoy before, Zhang Qiudao chose to remain silent while eating. After all, he was now an esteemed celestial master with a disciple who could speak on his behalf.
“Are you avoiding the competition on purpose?”
Chen Yang: “We’re not refusing to compete, but if even esteemed monks were unable to resolve the peculiar occurrences at Longdao Ridge, how do you propose tackling this situation?”
Longdao Ridge had both the Longdao Peril and the Ghost Portal. Either one was very troublesome to deal with. The Longdao Peril was somewhat manageable, but the Ghost Portal was difficult to resolve. Even if it were closed, countless skeletons would not be able to reincarnate.
“I have my own method. Celestial Master Zhang, just say the word, are we going to compete or not?”
“Let’s compete.” Zhang Qiudao raised his hand. “Excuse me, bring another plate of braised fish.”
Chen Yang: “Also, bring me Mapo tofu and spicy chicken. Make them extra spicy.”
The final remark caught the attention of the three present individuals. It was truly remarkable that someone in Q City dared to request extra spiciness. One must understand that people in Q City had a famous saying nationwide: “Trust me, it’s not spicy.”
“My partner loves spicy food,” Chen Yang explained.
“Your partner is coming?” Zhang Qiudao asked.
“Just received a message. Said he’ll arrive tonight. I’ll take the dishes upstairs and wait for him.”
Zhang Qiudao hesitated and suggested, “Should I go and book more rooms now?”
“No need. Our room has two extra bedrooms, right? I’ll just share a bedroom with my partner.”
Zhang Qiudao wasn’t concerned about that. His worry was more about the poor sound insulation. It might be a bit awkward for everyone.
“Starting tomorrow, we’ll set a period of seven days.” Celestial Master Cao stood up. “Farewell.”
With those words, he turned around and left.
Zhang Qiudao: “What’s his ulterior motive?”
“He definitely has ulterior motives,” Chen Yang replied. He then requested another basket from the waiter and packed the food into it. “If he can resolve the strange occurrences at Longdao Ridge, do you think he would still care about the four million from He Tianna?”
The construction at Longdao Ridge had been halted for a month, resulting in losses of tens of millions. If someone could solve the mysterious incidents and ensure the project resumed as scheduled, they would gladly pay millions or even tens of millions.
“Then why is he actively persuading us? What could his true purpose be?”
“Let’s investigate tomorrow. I’ll go upstairs now. By the way, publicly, I’m still just a novice disciple without a Celestial Master rank. Don’t expose me. Also, make sure to inform Gao Tianliang and He Tianna to be cautious.”
“Okay.”
Chen Yang pushed the door open and entered, spotting Du Shuo sitting by the table with his back towards the door. As he approached and took the food out of the basket, Chen Yang asked, “How did you manage to handle the complex tasks so quickly this time?”
Du Shuo glanced at him and replied, “I haven’t. They’re still piled up on the desk, waiting for approval.”
“Is your boss willing to let you off the hook?” Chen Yang handed him a pair of chopsticks. “I specifically asked the chef to make it extra spicy. Give it a try.”
“I am my own boss.” Du Shuo took the chopsticks and tasted a piece of tofu, his expression indifferent. “It’s not as delicious as what you made.”
“Is that so? This is a signature dish of the ancient town.” Chen Yang disregarded Du Shuo’s previous comment. Men were always like that, showing off in front of their partners, even if it meant exaggerating.
Du Shuo placed the chopsticks down and motioned for him to come closer.
“What’s the matter?” Chen Yang asked as he walked towards him.
Without warning, Du Shuo stood up and passionately sealed Chen Yang’s mouth with his own. A unique and subtle scent of sandalwood engulfed Chen Yang’s nose and mouth.
After a while, Du Shuo stepped back and asked, “How was it?”
Chen Yang: “I-it’s… alright.”
Du Shuo remained unfazed and said, “That’s why I said you made it better.”
Chen Yang snorted, “Oh.” He then curled up on the sofa, hugging a pillow to cover his flushed cheeks, and whispered, “You should be more reserved. It’s not good for appearances.”
“We’re an old married couple. Can we still worry about appearances?”
Chen Yang held his breath and said, “Brother Du, you’ve been acting indecent lately. You never used to say such things before.”
In the past, Du Shuo was calm, not speaking too much nonsense in bed or out of it. He didn’t behave indecently. He was more like a big brother or father, taking care of and guiding Chen Yang.
“Do you dislike it?”
“…I don’t dislike it,” Chen Yang replied, though he wasn’t accustomed to it.
“Do you find it intriguing?”
“Intriguing.”
“That’s good then.” Du Shuo placed the chopsticks back in the basket, carried it to the door, and handed it to a waiter. He returned, picked up Chen Yang, and walked towards the bedroom. “When will Zhang Qiudao be back?”
“After finishing his meal.”
“How’s the soundproofing in the room?”
Chen Yang obediently nestled into Du Shuo’s arms, fully aware of his intentions but offering no resistance. He behaved as meekly as a submissive wife. “I don’t know, we just moved in.”
Du Shuo pondered for a moment and thought it didn’t matter. As he closed the bedroom door, he quietly cast a silencing spell without informing Chen Yang, mischievously intending to keep him from making any sound. Throughout the entire time, Chen Yang had to cover his mouth, crying silently, fearing that Zhang Qiudao, who was returning, might hear him.
Seeing his submissive wife crying silently while covering his mouth made the Great Emperor of the Northern Yin even more inclined to bully him. Consequently, he applied force, almost pushing his submissive wife to the point of collapse.
Afterwards, Chen Yang lay exhausted on the bed, glancing at the time and realizing it was late at night. Du Shuo carried him to the bathroom, bathed him attentively, and placed him back on the bed before lying down himself.
Chen Yang leaned closer to Du Shuo and bit his neck forcefully, expressing his grievances. “You bullied me.”
His voice was hoarse, and his whole body felt weak, his complaint more like a spoiled act.
Du Shuo allowed him to vent, and when Chen Yang drifted into sleep in a daze, Du Shuo bit his ear and spoke in a deep, low voice, “It keeps the sense of novelty.”
The next day, Chen Yang woke up to find an empty space beside him. If it weren’t for the slight indentation that proved someone had slept there, he would have thought Du Shuo’s return was just a dream. Chen Yang got up, feeling refreshed. Apart from some soreness in his waist and a slight discomfort in certain intimate areas, he adapted quite well.
Chen Yang walked out and saw Zhang Qiudao sitting on the sofa, using his laptop to search for information while taking notes. Chen Yang casually poured a glass of cold water and approached, pretending to ask nonchalantly, “Did you hear any noises last night?”
Zhang Qiudao didn’t lift his head. “No.”
Chen Yang breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, he had covered his mouth last night and didn’t make any sound. Otherwise, it would have been awkward when they met this morning.
Zhang Qiudao glanced up but didn’t tell Chen Yang that he had gotten up in the middle of the night to drink water and had seen Du Shuo doing the same. There was a fresh bite mark on his neck. He also heard Chen Yang complain in a hoarse voice after drinking the warm water brought in by Du Shuo, scolding Du Shuo for his lack of self-control.
After giving it some thought, Zhang Qiudao decided not to mention it. Judging by Chen Yang’s thin skin, it was better not to remind him to avoid embarrassment.
“Brother Chen, I looked into the matter of Longdao Ridge. It turns out that it has been haunted since ancient times and has never been peaceful. Several developers have changed, none of them believing in ghosts and spirits. But they all died in accidents. The most recent developer is from Hong Kong and believes strongly in ghosts and spirits. They invited a high-ranking monk from Baima Temple to perform rituals, but still, people died. Just two weeks ago, a worker h*nged himself in the building in the middle of the night. Another worker accidentally slipped and fell into a water pit. When he was found, his face was swollen even though the water in the pit didn’t even reach his ankles. The worker wasn’t even intoxicated.”
“So strange, isn’t it”
Chen Yang approached, and Zhang Qiudao moved the laptop screen in front of him. On it were the notes he had taken. “Furthermore, for the past week, the developers of Longdao Ridge have been spending a lot of money to gather celestial masters ranging from the seventh to fourth rank, even though they know they can’t resolve the issue. I can’t figure out what they’re planning to do.”
Chen Yang made a record of all the notes and then opened up the historical overview of Longdao Ridge.
“As a Ghost Portal Longdao Ridge is inherently ominous. However, there must be objects nearby to ward off malevolent energy, preventing the alternating destruction of the spiritual essence of the land caused by grudges, evil spirits, and Yin energy. But as a Ghost Portal, Longdao Ridge should not have houses or be developed into a commercial area. Otherwise, great disasters are bound to occur.”
The so-called Ghost Portal was a place where ten entered, but only nine returned. Those who dared to live near a Ghost Portal would not survive. Therefore, Longdao Ridge absolutely could not have houses or be developed into a commercial area.
“So, do we still need to compete with Celestial Master Cao?”
Chen Yang shook his head. “There was never any mention of competing with him. Just by listening to him, we can tell he’s scheming against us. Ghost Portals are filled with intense malevolent energy, which will surely affect people. However, with the warding objects present, it shouldn’t be so sinister. Two people dying in just two weeks is too unsettling.”
“Are you suggesting that they may have dug up the warding objects and are possibly disrupting… Could it be that they are urgently seeking an alternative method of warding off evil?”
“It’s not impossible.” Chen Yang handed the laptop back to Zhang Qiudao. “I’ll leave this matter for you to investigate. I’ll go to the film set with He Tianna.”
“Alright.”
Zhang Qiudao closed the laptop, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and prepared to leave. As he reached the entrance, he turned back. “Brother Chen, I shared several document files in the WeChat group. You can download them yourself.”
“What kind of documents?”
“The scriptures that celestial masters must memorize for their promotions. Keep up the good work, Brother Chen. When your partner left this morning, he specifically asked me to remind you to review them.”
Chen Yang: “…”
Chen Yang also packed up some things and followed He Tianna to the film set. While on the set, he encountered Gao Tianliang, but didn’t see Celestial Master Cao. Instead, he saw one of his two disciples.
Gao Tianliang had a dark and weary look on his face. “Master, do you have any way to drive away that baby spirit?”
“What happened?”
“It entered my dreams last night, crying with a horrifying and mournful sound that gave me a headache. It even bit me in the dream, causing me to bleed profusely. I almost couldn’t wake up.”
“It bit you? Where did it bite you?”
Gao Tianliang hesitated and said, “It first bit my neck, and then my stomach…” As he spoke of it, he wore a face filled with unbearable pain. “Just thinking about it now gives me chills all over.”
Chen Yang casually placed his left hand on Gao Tianliang’s shoulder, but that simple touch rendered Gao Tianliang motionless.
“Wh-What’s wrong?”
Chen Yang gently pinched the collar of Gao Tianliang’s clothes with his index and middle fingers and discreetly opened it, revealing horrifyingly dark bite marks underneath, as if they had been gnawed by a wild beast. Strangely, Gao Tianliang hadn’t noticed at all. He didn’t even feel any pain.
“It’s nothing.” Chen Yang released his grip. “What about the talisman that Celestial Master Zhang gave you yesterday?”
“I kept it in my pocket. I carry it with me.” Gao Tianliang attempted to retrieve the talisman from his pocket but only pulled out a handful of dust. His face instantly turned pale. At this moment, even a fool could sense something suspicious about last night’s dream. Without this talisman, he might have died in a daze while asleep.
“M-Master, what should I do?”
“Take it easy.” He lowered his head and took out a yellow talisman from his backpack, handing it to Gao Tianliang. “It’s on the house, part of the service package.”
Thankfully, he had spent the previous evenings drawing talismans with Mao Xiaoli before coming here, so he could share a bit of the money with her later.
“What does that mean? Master, aren’t you going to help me transcend that baby spirit?”
“We don’t have the conditions for transcendence right now, so don’t worry. This talisman will support you for about ten days or half a month. When you run out, come find me. I’ll have a box delivered to you.”
“…The main issue is that I can’t sleep due to the disturbance,” Gao Tianliang said, wearing a pained expression.
“I see.” Chen Yang pondered for a moment. “Have you heard of the Night Cryer?”
Gao Tianliang nodded.
The Night Cryer referred to children who cried incessantly during the night. There were also rumors that they heard eerie sounds at night, which frightened them and caused them to cry without end. As a result, there was a folk remedy to stop the Night Cryer’s crying: ‘The heavens are restless, and the earth is restless. In my home resides a Night Cryer. Recite this three times, and sleep until the break of day.”
“Cut seven pieces of red paper and write this sentence. Stick them in the bustling area and don’t look back, just keep moving forward.”
“Will it work?”
“It will.”
Gao Tianliang nodded, immediately got up, and had seven pieces of red paper cut. He wrote the sentence on them, went out, and stuck them in the bustling area without looking back. That night, he indeed didn’t hear the crying of the infant spirit, although he found another talisman ruined when he woke up the next day.
He didn’t notice the black handprints of baby all over his back, but Chen Yang did. He was more tolerant of stillborn babies. At night, while Gao Tianliang was fast asleep, he called out to the baby spirit and told him about Gao Tianliang’s act of lighting a lamp for him to pray for blessings and accumulate virtue. He also burned toys for him to comfort him.
Only then did the baby spirit give up the thought of killing Gao Tianliang. He happily played with the toys. Later, he saved Gao Tianliang’s life, which made Gao Tianliang feel grateful and sincerely accumulate virtue for him.
As for what happened afterward, let’s not discuss it for now.
At this time, He Tianna was filming. A realistic toy gun was pressed against her temple. She was supposed to stay still, but when her hand touched her pocket, she was suddenly burned. She cried out and dodged to the side. The toy gun fired a bullet that grazed He Tianna’s neck, drawing blood.
On the ground, a bullet hole appeared. The set became eerily quiet. The person holding the toy gun first froze, then screamed. He took a step back, accidentally slipped, and hit the ground, unable to get up for a while.
When others approached, they found the person with wide-open eyes and fresh blood seeping from the back of his head. He had already passed away.
At this moment, chaos erupted among the crew.
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