AGJN 060: Bai Wu: I’m Having Such a Hard Time

Not only Little Jiang, but the others present also had puzzled expressions…

Little Jiang was utterly desperate, thinking there was hope, but now he was speechless, “No, sorry, then what do you need?”

Whether he was withdrawn or not, at least he should contribute more.

“No, no!” Bai Wu, in a panic, looked like someone refusing a crazy sales pitch. He even felt like he was being underestimated. He had come to prove himself, and quickly wiped away the tears in his eyes, saying, “I have my own powers!”

Little Jiang: “…”

Seeing Bai Wu charging forward but intentionally avoiding him, Little Jiang thought that this Bai Immortal was useless, with no hope, so he took out his phone, muttering to himself, “Sorry, Mr. Li, I must call Mr. Ying now.”

One doesn’t trouble two masters for the same thing. In Mr. Li’s line of work, it was taboo to have two practitioners involved. Some people didn’t mind, but Li Xiangtou was very traditional. Now that Mr. Li was being suppressed, his apprentice was even less capable, and they couldn’t stop Little Jiang from doing what he had to do.

At this point, Little Jiang couldn’t care less about the old rules of the trade. He needed someone to resolve this situation!

When Lan He heard “Mr. Ying,” he thought it might be Ying Shao. Ever since Ying had helped Yu Hangjia, he’d completely opened up the scene in Beijing and had become quite a popular practitioner lately…

At this moment, Jiang Hansheng was still straddling Mr. Li, and Mr. Li’s apprentice and two bodyguards were trying to pry Jiang Hansheng off. The whole situation was tightly packed. When Bai Wu came over, he seemed unsure where to start, moving left and right but getting nowhere.

Once Bai Wu got close, he whispered in a voice as soft as a mosquito, “Could you all step aside, please…”

Who would pay attention to him?

Little Jiang sighed too, feeling that Bai was just wasting time.

Luckily, at that moment, the video call connected, and Ying Shao’s face appeared on the screen. “Hello?”

“Uh, Mr. Ying, hello, this is Jiang Wenxuan. I spoke to you about my father…” Little Jiang began but was immediately interrupted by Ying Shao, “Mr. Jiang, I told you, I can’t do this!”

One of the reasons Ying Shao was famous was that he was quite familiar with the world of spirits. The Jiang family had initially sought him out, but Ying knew right away that Jiang Hansheng had already extended his life twice before. Three strikes and you’re out. This time, it was about deceiving the Underworld, a highly difficult task, and it was extremely harmful to the practitioner. Ying wasn’t the type to sacrifice his life for money.

“No, no, it’s not that. Someone’s already doing the ritual, but something went wrong, and it seems he can’t handle it…” Little Jiang said, shaking his phone slightly, revealing Lan He standing behind him.

Ying Shao: “…”

Lan He: “…”

Ying immediately screamed, “If he can’t do it, then I definitely can’t!!”

Little Jiang, still not fully adjusting his camera, paused for a moment before switching to the rear camera. “You know the Mr. Li I hired? I didn’t tell anyone about this.”

Lan He: “…”

Lan stared at Little Jiang’s phone, prepared to unleash his traditional skills—dying on the spot and strangling Ying Shao—if Ying said the wrong thing!

Luckily, Ying caught on, sweating a bit as he recovered, “I… uh, I calculated it!”

Little Jiang was briefly puzzled. He hadn’t heard that Ying Shao was good at fortune-telling—wasn’t he more about dealing with ghosts and curses? But he didn’t dwell on it. Maybe it was just something he wasn’t aware of. “Then can you come and help? No need to perform a ritual, just dispel the evil spirits. Surely, that’s doable?”

“No, Mr. Jiang, I advise you—it’s not good to deceive the gods!” Ying said hastily before quickly hanging up. He wasn’t sure if Lan He understood the hint but hoped he’d pick up on it.

Little Jiang, now left with a dead phone call, was deeply frustrated. He slammed his fist on the nearby table.

Bai Wu, startled by the noise, jumped and quickly pretended to act calm, folding his arms awkwardly.

Little Jiang: “…”

Everyone: “…”

Is this an immortal? Is an immortal supposed to be this timid?

Even Lan He couldn’t stand watching anymore and called out, “Shi Xuan! Shi Xuan, are you awake yet? Come back!”

Before he could finish, Wang Mao and the others pulled him away.

Bai Wu, however, understood that Lan He was indirectly reminding him. He took a deep breath and once again nudged Mr. Li’s apprentice. “Let me handle this…”

“Step aside, little hedgehog!” The spirit possessing the apprentice, a yellow spirit, replied in a delicate voice. They were all too busy.

Bai Wu thought to himself, it was time to show them what a White Spirit who has endured countless rush-hour crowds could do. He flipped over the apprentice and the two bodyguards in one move.

Say what you will, Bai Wu was using Shi Xuan’s body, and even though she weighed barely over eighty pounds, he flung those three grown men away effortlessly. But he wasn’t done yet. He flipped in the air, landing squarely on Jiang Hansheng’s neck, his knees locking around him so he couldn’t move. Bai Wu’s hands came down hard, slapping the top of Jiang Hansheng’s head!

“Ah!!!” Jiang Hansheng screamed in agony, releasing his grip on Mr. Li and collapsing to his knees, paralyzed and unable to move.

Despite Bai Wu’s fair and delicate hands, the moment they touched his head, everyone saw Jiang Hansheng as if he had been nailed to the ground by Bai Wu.

Indeed, he was nailed down—only the spirits could see it. The other spirits told them that the Bai spirit had clearly stabbed a thorn down, piercing right through Jiang Hansheng’s soul.

Meanwhile, the big men Bai had thrown off still hadn’t gotten up from the floor…

Bai Immortal was skilled in bringing wealth and healing, but in fights, he was usually passive, curling up and letting the attacks come. However, this tearful Bai Immortal had unexpectedly turned his defenses into a weapon, pulling a thorn from his own back to attack. Just watching it made everyone think, how ruthless!

The contrast was so striking that even Mr. Li gasped. His throat was sore, and in a hoarse, barely audible voice, he said to Bai Wu, “Thank you!”

The Bai sect had withered, and with this Bai Immortal being so young and seeming like a wild spirit, Mr. Li hadn’t taken him seriously at first. He never expected that Bai Wu could suppress whatever was possessing Jiang Hansheng and strike it down.

It turned out the Bai sect could be this fierce after all. Though they were the most mournful of the four major sects, they had their own eerie qualities, and now Mr. Li had a newfound respect for them.

What Mr. Li didn’t know was that Bai Wu had undergone a significant revelation after his encounter with Hu Si, leading to rapid improvement.

“Grr—” Jiang Hansheng ground his molars, trying hard to turn his head to glare at Bai Wu.

In a panic, Bai Wu jumped off his neck and, like playing whack-a-mole, frantically smacked Jiang Hansheng’s head, shouting, “Don’t turn around!!”

Everyone: “…”

Just then, there was a knock on the private room door.

“Don’t open it!” Little Jiang said nervously.

“Why is it locked?” came Song Futan’s voice from outside.

Wang Mao said to Little Jiang, “He’s with us, Xuan Guang. If he can’t get in, something might…”

Of course, Little Jiang knew who Xuan Guang was. He glanced at Mr. Li, who nodded, and since Jiang Hansheng had already been restrained, Little Jiang gritted his teeth and said, “…Let him in.”

As soon as Song Futan entered, he saw “Shi Xuan” pinning an old man down, her clothes slightly disheveled. With a blank expression, he said, “For sexual harassment, you should call the police.”

Everyone: “…”

“It’s not like that,” Wang Mao said, sweating nervously. “The situation is complicated. Xuan Guang, come over here.”

Song Futan walked over to Lan He, and the two exchanged a subtle glance.

Wang Mao had initially planned to explain directly but, mindful of Lan He’s feelings, he hesitated. He figured Lan He must be deeply shaken right now, so he asked cautiously, “Are you okay?”

Just as Wang Mao had anticipated, Lan He looked a little lost and confused as he recited his prepared lines: “I’ve heard that when people unleash their potential, it’s often mistaken for supernatural abilities. Some people experience strange symptoms after recovering from serious illness. The potential has always been there, but only a few people can tap into it through certain mediums or guidance. This could be influenced by hypnosis, psychological suggestion, or hallucinogens. Shi Xuan is usually interested in these things, so she might be more susceptible to suggestion than most…”

He sounded particularly nervous, as if he didn’t know whether he was trying to convince others or himself, attempting to rationalize the situation scientifically. And, to some extent, it made sense.

Song Futan: “…”

Wang Mao said affectionately, “It’s okay, I support you, just don’t believe it!”

Everyone joined in, encouraging Lan He, “Don’t believe it, don’t believe it.”

Zhang Qingyou even took out his noise-canceling earplugs. “Maybe you shouldn’t look or listen either…”

“No, I want to keep watching. I believe there’s an explanation,” Lan He stubbornly insisted.

Seeing this, everyone realized they couldn’t let Lan He’s faith be shaken. If their upright and virtuous Lan He was changed, who would protect them? So they all pitched in, some covering his ears and others shielding his eyes, determined to protect him.

Song Futan: “…………”

…

Meanwhile, on the other side.

“Thank you, Bai Immortal. Could you now expel that dirty thing?” Little Jiang was beyond grateful. He hadn’t expected the situation to turn around like this, with Bai Immortal emerging as the most powerful one. He couldn’t gauge Bai’s spiritual level, but the results spoke for themselves. Bai Immortal was beating his father, and yet Little Jiang had to thank him.

However, Bai Wu had only managed to restrain Jiang Hansheng so far. He still needed to drive away the entity that had been entangling him.

“Give me a cup of tea,” Bai Wu said.

Little Jiang immediately handed him a cup, and knowing Bai Immortal’s temperament, he carefully passed it from the side.

Bai Wu dipped his fingers into the tea, and the light yellow liquid quickly turned gray-black, with some dregs settling at the bottom… Before Little Jiang could get a closer look, Bai Wu grabbed Jiang Hansheng’s head and poured the prepared tea straight into his mouth.

Mr. Li’s apprentice remarked, “It won’t work. I’ve already given him furnace medicine…”

Furnace medicine is basically incense ashes, but not just any incense ashes. Though incense is a byproduct of burning incense, furnace medicine is imbued with power and can heal ailments. When placed in water, furnace ashes sink to the bottom, while regular incense ashes float.

Furnace medicine can sometimes be mixed with other herbs for ingestion or external application, but whatever had possessed Jiang Hansheng was long beyond the reach of furnace medicine.

Yet, as soon as this cup of furnace medicine went down, Jiang Hansheng screamed as if his stomach was burning, rolling on the floor and wailing in agony.

Mr. Li and his apprentice were both astonished. Truly, one cannot judge an immortal by their appearance!

Aside from Bai Wu’s own transcendence, the incense ashes he used were from the temple of the Grand Old Lady on the Golden Peak, making them far more potent than regular furnace medicine.

The evil spirit inside Jiang Hansheng could no longer cling on. As soon as Jiang Hansheng opened his mouth, he was about to vomit.

Bai Wu, with his head lowered, dipped his hand in the cinnabar Mr. Li had brought and wiped a symbol across Jiang Hansheng’s mouth, sealing it so he couldn’t throw up. Then he proceeded to seal Jiang Hansheng’s ears, nostrils, and eyes—blocking all seven orifices.

Jiang Hansheng rolled on the ground in agony, screaming, unable to vomit or relieve himself in any way.

Mr. Li’s apprentice, in bewilderment, stammered, “Why are you sealing him? Let him vomit it out!”

Before he could grasp what was happening, he realized that Bai Immortal had sealed all of Jiang Hansheng’s orifices. The reason Lan He hadn’t seen the ghostly figure on Jiang Hansheng was that the spirit had used the ritual to enter through the orifices and was hiding inside his stomach. To expel it, it would have to exit through the same orifices.

Bai Wu remained silent.

Little Jiang, going from joy to worry, began to think the immortal was making demands of him. “…Great Immortal, what are you doing? Do you want incense offerings? Or food?”

Mr. Li, however, had realized something. In his hoarse voice, he said, “The Bai family seeks to restore balance.”

What is chaos? A ghost possessing a person is chaos, and deceiving the underworld to extend one’s life is also chaos. Bai Wu’s plan was to provoke the evil spirit but temporarily prevent it from escaping. His goal was likely to save the real Jiang Hansheng and eliminate both threats at once.

Little Jiang finally understood, his face turning deathly pale. He knelt and clutched Bai Wu’s arm. “Great Immortal, as long as you spare my father, I will serve you as a slave. Whatever you want—money, houses—I’ll give it to you. If Shi Xuan wants to make a movie, I’ll produce it for her—”

Bai Wu, startled, backed away toward the wall, still looking timid. But, just like when he had nailed Jiang Hansheng down, his resolve was firm. “I’ve already notified the Underworld.”

“You…” Little Jiang looked at Mr. Li’s apprentice and said, “But we have a contract!”

“I didn’t see him notify anyone,” the apprentice quickly replied. “There might still be a chance.”

Mr. Li glared at his apprentice, who could only lower his head.

“He has notified them. My patron has been informed,” Bai Wu mumbled. Even though he and Lan He were in the room, Lan He had already sent a message to Song Futan. Old Bai was probably almost there by now.

“You’re not a wild spirit? Are you a household deity or a temple spirit? Which sect are you from?” Mr. Li asked, his throat still sore from speaking too much.

Given Bai Wu’s strength, they hadn’t guessed he was a household deity but rather a temple spirit. It was odd because if he were a temple spirit, he would have been invoked for incense before. Yet, no one had ever heard of such a powerful white spirit in Beijing.

Bai Wu kept his head down, not saying a word.

Incense masters typically had family lineages and affiliations, and temple spirits were organized into associations. The highest-ranking members were the heads of their respective associations, often referred to as the “meeting head.” Mr. Li had been an incense master for a long time and was familiar with all the associations in Beijing, as they all belonged to the four main sects.

That’s why Mr. Li wanted to know which group Bai Wu belonged to.

But Bai Wu’s reaction left Mr. Li uncertain—was it out of modesty, or was he just shy and withdrawn?

And soon, Bai Wu’s words were proven true. A gust of cold wind blew in from the corner of the room as Old Bai entered, dragging chains behind him, accompanied by two uniformed underworld officers. Judging by their attire, they were from the City God Temple.

The spirit possessing Mr. Li saw the underworld officers and lost all interest in questioning Bai Wu further. With a sigh, he said, “They’ve arrived, and there’s no turning back.”

“Master, I can’t see them,” Mr. Li’s apprentice said, now panicked. He could only sense a cold presence but couldn’t actually see the underworld beings.

Mr. Li shot him a glance but said nothing. This signaled that even the spirit possessing his apprentice had begun to abandon him. It was because he had gradually lost his sense of righteousness.

Little Jiang couldn’t see anything either, only hearing their conversation. However, he could see Jiang Hansheng thrashing wildly, his teeth chattering. Although Little Jiang knew it wasn’t truly his father who was afraid, he couldn’t help but throw himself on top of Jiang Hansheng, crying, “No, no! Mr. Li, Miss Shi, please save him! I can pay—just tell me how much!”

Old Bai didn’t even glance at Lan He as he walked straight through Little Jiang’s body, causing Little Jiang to shiver with cold.

Old Bai’s hook reached into Jiang Hansheng’s mouth and pulled out a malicious ghost that had been driven up to his throat by the furnace medicine, along with Jiang Hansheng’s real soul, which had been half-devoured by the ghost. The two were separated, and the ghost was handed over to the City God Temple officers.

Then, Jiang Hansheng, who had been shaking with clenched teeth, suddenly went silent.

Old Bai, playing his role, nodded to both Bai Wu and Mr. Li. “This scoundrel escaped from the City God Temple’s prison, but now both he and Jiang Hansheng are back in custody. I thank you both for your help.”

The spirit possessing Mr. Li nodded in acknowledgment, not daring to take credit. “The primary credit goes to this Bai Immortal.”

He thought to himself, So that’s why the ghost was so dangerous. It had escaped from the City God Temple’s prison, where only local wandering souls who had committed crimes and couldn’t reincarnate were held. Things in Beijing had gotten so chaotic that not even the prison could hold them anymore.

And thinking from another perspective, if it had escaped, no wonder it was so dangerous—even he couldn’t handle it.

Little Jiang, staring at his now motionless father, looked bewildered. He grabbed Mr. Li’s apprentice and said, “What happened? You—do the ritual again, bring my father back!”

The apprentice, his face full of bitterness, couldn’t even sense where the underworld spirits were anymore…

“Mr. Jiang, it’s too late.”

Little Jiang, distraught, grabbed him by the neck. “No! We had a contract, and yesterday it was successful! It worked!”

The apprentice, feeling cold sweat on his face and too frightened to break free, could only feel an inexplicable sense of dread in his heart.

“Hmph!” Old Bai glared at his deceitful apprentice, his deathly pale face full of disgust. He blew a puff of air at him—enough to bring bad luck for three years. Then, he scribbled on the official document, recording everything to be accounted for later when the Underworld did their reckoning.

“Let’s go!” Old Bai called out after finishing his work.

From beginning to end, he hadn’t even looked at Lan He, as if he didn’t recognize him at all.

What a joke—after all, he was Lan He’s partner. Surely, he’d picked up a little acting skill by now!

…

Wang Mao and the others couldn’t see the interaction between the spirits and the Underworld officers. All they saw was “Shi Xuan” beating up the old man, then forcing him to drink some dirty water. After a while, the old man twitched on the ground and stopped breathing.

Wang Mao gasped, and no one bothered to hold Lan He back anymore.

Lan He hesitantly asked, “…What should we do? Should we call an ambulance?”

But no one was in the mood to answer him.

Little Jiang, who had just been venting his anger at the apprentice, stood frozen. After a long pause, his bodyguards helped him up from the floor. He gave a bitter smile and said, “What ambulance? It’s over… it’s too late to save him…”

He had thought this Bai Immortal was his savior, but it turned out to be all for nothing. In a short time, Little Jiang seemed to age ten years, looking at Bai Wu with a mix of resentment and helplessness.

Mr. Li also looked at Bai Wu and quietly asked, “May I ask where your patron resides? Could I meet them? I’d like to thank them in person. To be honest, I’m familiar with most incense masters in Beijing.”

He had come solely to clean up after his apprentice, so he wasn’t too concerned about Jiang Hansheng’s fate. In fact, even his apprentice seemed to be a lost cause at this point. Mr. Li was more interested in this powerful Bai Immortal.

Bai Wu remained silent. Mr. Li, sensing his guess might be right, respectfully continued in a low voice, “Are you working outside the system?”

While most spirits were part of organized systems, there were always those who didn’t follow the rules—those without a formal lineage. These “black incense masters” couldn’t register officially at Miaogan Mountain and weren’t considered legitimate. Most proper incense masters didn’t think highly of them.

But Bai Wu was strong enough that even if he were an unregistered practitioner, Mr. Li still respected him and wanted to recruit him into the formal fold.

However, Bai Wu wasn’t interested. After hearing all these questions, he suddenly shouted, “Don’t ask so many questions! Just remember that the Bai sect is no ordinary sect!”

His shout startled everyone present.

Then, Bai Wu slowly, as if trying to act casual, shifted his body to face away from the others’ gazes.

Mr. Li’s apprentice, despite being emotionally drained, couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. “Pfft…”

Though Bai Immortal was undoubtedly powerful, his actions right now were a bit comical.

Bai Wu’s eyes welled up with tears, but he held them back and scolded, “Did you hear me?!”

Mr. Li hurriedly nodded, “Yes, yes. I will see you in a new light from now on.”

His apprentice, who had been trying to hold back laughter, also lowered his head respectfully, not daring to laugh too openly.

Mr. Li thought to himself, Not only do I see him differently, I’m truly amazed. “But I really just wanted to repay you in some way. I don’t know…”

He truly wanted to express his gratitude and possibly establish a connection with such a powerful spirit. Mr. Li was still curious—what sect did this Bai Immortal belong to?

Bai Wu, eager to be done with Mr. Li’s gratitude and too exhausted from maintaining the façade of a grand immortal, hastily said, “Enough talking! I, Bai Wu, the Great Immortal, just ask that you post 100 gratitude notices for me!”

“Ah??… But!” Mr. Li tried to say more, but Bai Wu had already left, and Shi Xuan’s body slumped weakly to the ground. Mr. Li scratched his head in bewilderment.

Lan He quickly rushed forward to catch Shi Xuan. As an ordinary girl who had been possessed by a spirit, it would take her a while to recover. She was still unconscious.

Little Jiang, having come to his senses, braced himself for what had to be done. He covered Jiang Hansheng’s body with a piece of clothing, then scanned the room. His gaze lingered on Shi Xuan for a moment before he spoke softly, “Everyone, I’d like to discuss today’s events with you. Please, let’s not spread the word and let the dead rest in peace…”

.

Little Jiang used money to keep everyone quiet about his father’s death, and all present agreed never to mention it again. Even Song Futan, who had only seen part of the situation, claimed ignorance and promised to remain silent.

However, Wang Mao led the group in setting one condition: The Jiang family must not take out their anger on Shi Xuan, and Shi Xuan must never be told what happened while she was unconscious. Wang Mao had noticed the unfriendly look Little Jiang had given Shi Xuan earlier.

Little Jiang’s emotions were complicated. He knew that Shi Xuan had only been possessed, but he couldn’t shake the desire to blame her. He felt that if not for Shi Xuan, he might not have encountered this Bai Immortal, and perhaps there would have been a way to turn things around…

These twisted thoughts churned in his mind, but faced with Wang Mao’s request, he could only grit his teeth and agree.

Little Jiang quietly took his father’s body away. When Shi Xuan woke up, she had no idea she had been the one to beat the old man to death. She was only overcome with fear and wept uncontrollably, especially as the thought of Yiping crossed her mind. If it weren’t for saving Yiping back then, she might have broken down completely.

The others, with their own complicated feelings, tried to comfort her, particularly Zhang Qingyou, who was now a bit afraid Yiping might end up attached to him too…

Lan He, also appearing mentally drained from everything that had happened, declined Wang Mao’s offer to send him home and left the restaurant. He really was exhausted… Although he hadn’t expelled any spirits, he had performed quite the lengthy scene today!

As soon as he got into Song Futan’s car, Lan He’s expression changed. Rolling up his sleeves, he said, “Bai Wu did great—I’m glad I gave you this opportunity.”

Today, Lan He had held back from using any excuse to leave his body. Instead, he had only asked Song Futan to notify Old Bai, all so Bai Wu could have a chance to prove himself. Despite a few small hiccups, overall, the result had been excellent.

Bai Wu had been holding it in for so long, but now the tears flowed uncontrollably. “Is there any iron-clad evidence? I keep feeling like they’re laughing at me…”

“No, no, they were clearly intimidated by you, you were fierce,” Lan He said, holding back laughter. “Don’t cry, you’ve improved a lot already. Next time, it’ll be even better. I knew that thorn would come in handy.”

Another “next time”… Bai Wu thought. It’s so hard to bring glory to the Bai sect. Slowly, he slumped down, sobbing, “I’m having such a hard time.”

Lan He glanced over and saw that Old Bai had floated over as well, hanging upside down through the open sunroof, swinging back and forth a bit. It seemed like he had been waiting outside the whole time.

Old Bai said, “How did I do? My acting didn’t embarrass you, did it?”

His tongue also flopped out, wiggling around as he playfully licked the air.

Lan He: “…”

“It was alright,” Lan He teased. “But what’s going on? Why didn’t you solve this yesterday?”

Old Bai looked just as aggrieved. “How was I supposed to know the City God Temple would mess up? They caught me off guard. I was planning to bring my brothers today to handle it, but Xiao Song sent word. The brothers at the City God Temple said the prison was old and falling apart. Lord An has already sent soldiers to repair it.”

Lord An, the master of the City God Temple in Beijing, was someone Lan He had heard of but never met.

“Are there any other ghosts that might have escaped?” Lan He asked, a bit on edge.

“There shouldn’t be. I was about to go ask, but I wanted to give you a heads-up first,” Old Bai said. He glanced at Yiping, who was still barely conscious. “Heh, your little thorn ball is wicked. I heard it from outside, how you got Li to post those gratitude notices for your thorn ball.”

Lan He had no idea what a gratitude notice was. “What’s that?”

Bai Wu weakly explained, “He insisted on repaying me. I was afraid we’d meet again in the future, so I told him to post gratitude notices to settle it. A gratitude notice is like an advertisement for me, printed on three- or four-inch yellow paper, with my title, explaining the miracles of the Great Immortal, and signed by the person showing gratitude.”

“An ad?” Lan He finally understood. In the old days, everything in this line of work was spread by word of mouth. But the Bai family hadn’t had anyone doing temple work for a long time, so Bai Wu was still following the old customs.

Still, something about it didn’t seem quite right.

Just then, Song Futan nonchalantly asked, “Where do you post them?”

Bai Wu replied, “On telephone poles or walls.”

Lan He suddenly realized what was off. “Wait—you’re having Old Man Li post your ads like street graffiti!?”

Bai Wu: “??”

Old Bai burst out in laughter, “Loooool!”

—As it turned out, the ever-diligent Mr. Li did personally go around posting the old-fashioned gratitude notices, only to be caught by the local street cleaners, who gave him a long lecture. The incident became a running joke in the Beijing spiritual community.

…

Some time passed, and Lan He was still dealing with the aftermath—at least, he had to pretend he was.

“Hello? Director Wang… yeah, it’s me,” Lan He said, slumped on his couch, reading a script. “Thanks for checking in. I’m just resting at home, I’m okay…”

These days, Wang Mao had been frequently checking in via WeChat and calls, worried that Lan He had been traumatized by what happened. Even though they had blocked Lan He’s ears during the ordeal, he was still troubled by everything that had happened, from Jiang Hansheng’s death to Shi Xuan’s emotional breakdown after waking up.

Wang Mao was starting to worry that the shock might have been too much and that Lan He, a promising actor, might be permanently affected.

“I’m fine, Director,” Lan He continued. “I’ve actually been watching some documentaries on shamanism. I feel like I’ve got some new ideas now.” He sounded as if he were earnestly searching for a way to explain everything that had happened scientifically. “This psychological contagion, where one person affects others, causing them to exhibit abnormal behavior… mass hysteria has actually been recorded in many places…”

Wang Mao’s head was spinning. “Whatever makes you happy. Just relax, there’s no need to dwell on it.”

He figured Lan He might need to experience a couple more situations like this before changing his perspective.

“Enough about me—how are you, Director? Maybe you should take a break abroad?” Lan He asked with concern.

At that time, *Qingmeng Geometry* was about to air the part where Lan He’s character was diagnosed with a terminal illness. The audience was starting to sense something was off…

Wang Mao sighed, “…Goodbye.”

---

Author’s note:

Bai Wu turned around with his arms spread wide: Fear me!!!