Chapter 9

Wang Junhui alternated between saying my grandfather was a great man and revealing his real name and former nickname, which made me inwardly startled.

Wang Junhui knew so much about my grandfather; could it be that he knew about my grandfather's past? If so, would he know about my parents' affairs?

I was about to ask Wang Junhui, but he suddenly spoke again: "From your expression, I can tell I was right. My master has long told me about Senior Li and that he was in seclusion in the county, but I never had the chance to visit him."

As he spoke, Wang Junhui walked over to me, patted my shoulder, and said, "I never expected to meet Senior Li's descendant in such a way today. My master said that Senior Li has done a great favor for our school, and if we ever meet him or his descendants, we should treat them with gratitude."

"Ah!?" Did I just get a good deal?

I looked at Wang Junhui with some surprise, and he continued, "It's a pity that Senior Li is gone; otherwise, I could have met him in person."

Seeing that Wang Junhui didn't seem like a bad person, I was about to tell him that my grandfather was still alive, but before I could speak, he suddenly asked, "Are you the only one left in your family? What about your parents?"

Since Wang Junhui asked about my parents, it meant he didn't know the cause of their death. My hope of getting information from him was dashed.

After a moment of hesitation, I told Wang Junhui, "When I was seven, they committed suicide. I've been living with my grandfather ever since."

Hearing this, Wang Junhui was also taken aback. He then said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I didn't know. Life is so unpredictable; please take care of yourself."

Wang Junhui wasn't very good at comforting people.

I managed a weak smile and said, "It's okay."

Then Wang Junhui asked about my future plans. I told him about my intention to open a fortune-telling shop.

After listening to me, he shook his head and said, "You are Senior Li's grandson, the descendant of our benefactor, and you have considerable skills. Opening a small fortune-telling shop here is a waste of talent. How about this: come work with me. Help me with cases, and I promise I won't treat you unfairly. You'll definitely earn more than running a small shop."

Working with Wang Junhui, what would I be doing? Would I be telling fortunes for ghosts?

Seeing my confusion, Wang Junhui explained that he wanted me to help him solve cases. My skills in physiognomy and divination could save him a lot of time and improve his efficiency.

However, my grandfather had asked me to maintain the family property, which included the house and the shop. I had already closed the shop on my own, but I couldn't abandon the house. Wang Junhui said I would earn more with him, which made me hesitant.

Wang Junhui didn't push me. Instead, he sat back down, took a sip of tea, and said, "Of course, the final decision is yours. Think about it. Write down my phone number. If you ever need help, you can come to me."

I nodded.

After about an hour, Ning Haoyu brought a middle-aged couple over. As soon as they entered, Ning Haoyu shouted, "Chuyi, I've brought them."

The couple looked to be around 28 years old, a bit younger than Wang Junhui. The man had an average face but a good "brother palace," indicating he got along well with his siblings. The woman had a better face, with clear features and a bright "official palace," suggesting she had a stable job.

After introducing them, I learned that the man was named Chengguo, the youngest son of the ghost in the house, and the woman was named Baijing, Chengguo's wife.

After the introductions, Chengguo asked what had happened and if his father was really there. I recounted the entire situation, believing that Ning Haoyu had already given him a brief overview.

After hearing my story, Chengguo looked sad and said, "If I had known, I wouldn't have listened to you and sold that table..."

Chengguo glanced at Baijing, who looked guilty and pulled his arm, saying, "I did it for you. That desk was always causing strange phenomena, and you were always talking nonsense. I was afraid something would happen to you."

Only then did we learn that the ghost had once possessed Chengguo. According to Baijing, when the desk was in their home, every night it would make a sound, and Chengguo would run to it, standing in the dark, eyes closed, writing and drawing.

Chengguo's writing and drawing were always chaotic, just random scribbles.

After several nights of this, Baijing decided to get rid of the desk. At that time, Ning Haoyu happened to be collecting furniture, so the desk ended up with him.

After Baijing finished her story, Chengguo still blamed her: "You don't understand. At least I could dream about my father back then..."

Before Chengguo could finish, Wang Junhui stood up and interrupted him, "You weren't dreaming about your father; he was possessing you. Your father's possession indicates that his unfulfilled wish is related to you. If your wife hadn't gotten rid of the desk, you might have fallen seriously ill, or even lost your life."

Chengguo looked disbelieving and said, "How could that be? My relationship with my father was the best. He wouldn't harm me."

Wang Junhui sighed and said, "He didn't mean to harm you. He just wanted to complete some wishes through you, and in doing so, he inadvertently harmed you. Many ghosts harm their family members unintentionally, leading to tragic outcomes."

Chengguo fell silent, and Baijing comforted him by holding his arm.

Wang Junhui didn't ask them any more questions but led them to my shop. Ning Haoyu and I followed closely behind.

At the shop door, Wang Junhui asked me to open it but didn't let Ning Haoyu and me go inside. He said it was a family matter and that we should wait outside.

Curious about the exorcism, I asked Wang Junhui if I could watch without speaking. He firmly replied, "No!"

Ning Haoyu and I had no choice but to stay outside.

Wang Junhui led Chengguo and Baijing into the shop, closed the door, and lit some candles. I heard him chanting a spell, then he said, "I have opened your eyes. You can communicate with your father soon. Remember to ask him what he wants quickly and don't hesitate or say too much. Otherwise, you might create new attachments, making it harder to send him away. If that happens, your father will linger in the mortal world, unable to reincarnate, bringing bad luck to your family."

Chengguo and Baijing both nodded.

Ning Haoyu and I pressed our ears to the door to listen.

Soon, we heard Chengguo start crying, followed by Baijing. After a while, Chengguo said, "Father, rest assured. I will do as you said. Go in peace. I will burn paper money for you on every festival. If you need anything, let me know in a dream..."

Chengguo and Baijing cried for a while, and then Wang Junhui started chanting again. A few moments later, the room fell silent.

A short while later, Chengguo asked Wang Junhui, "Master Wang, my father..."

Wang Junhui replied, "He's gone. It seems he trusts you. Follow his instructions, and your family will no longer experience strange events. If you have any more questions, you can ask Li Chuyi outside. He is a master of physiognomy and divination."

Ah, Wang Junhui was introducing me to business. As he said, he would take care of the descendant of his school's benefactor, which was me.

Ning Haoyu nudged me, probably wondering when I had connected with Wang Junhui.

I gave him a sidelong glance and didn't say anything.

Wang Junhui, Chengguo, and Baijing stayed in my shop for a while before coming out. Ning Haoyu and I quickly stepped back.

When they came out, I saw that Chengguo and Baijing's eyes were red from crying. Wang Junhui looked regretful, but Ning Haoyu and I hadn't heard what the ghost had said to them.

I invited them back to my house, made them some tea, and said to Chengguo and Baijing, "Take care."

Wang Junhui added, "The matter is resolved, but it's late. I won't go back to the city tonight. I'll stay here for the night."

Since Chengguo's father had just been sent away, I felt uneasy if Wang Junhui left immediately. It was best if he stayed for a day.

So I quickly nodded in agreement.

Chengguo was silent for a moment, then exchanged a look with Baijing. Baijing stood up and said, "We've caused you trouble with my father-in-law. Here is some money as a token of our gratitude. Thank you for not letting Master Wang harm him."

Baijing took out a stack of money, probably a few thousand yuan.

I really wanted to accept the money, but Wang Junhui suddenly stood up and pushed the money back, saying, "We can't accept this. Take it back. It's late, so you should go home. If you stay too late, you might not be able to fulfill your father's wish tonight."

Chengguo and Baijing nodded and hurriedly left, turning to thank me before they went.

After they left, I couldn't help but ask Wang Junhui what the old ghost's wish was. Wang Junhui sighed and said, "It's either about material things or emotions. Don't worry; you'll find out when the couple comes back. I'm tired today, so let's go to sleep. I'll sleep in the next room."

The next room was my grandfather's.

The matter was temporarily resolved, but I was disappointed that I hadn't seen Wang Junhui's entire exorcism process.

Wang Junhui seemed to understand my thoughts and said as he went to the next room, "Don't worry, you'll have a chance to see my entire exorcism process. Good night."

However, I didn't realize that a greater danger was approaching me.