When they returned to the hotel, Jing Jiujiu repeatedly confirmed with Bai Yuhuai: "Has the blood really been suppressed?"
Bai Yuhuai patiently replied, "Yes."
Jing Jiujiu let out a big sigh of relief: "Please don't scare me like that again."
Jing Jiujiu wasn't as afraid of death now, but he certainly didn't want to be scalded to death by Bai Yuhuai's blood!
"Mm," Bai Yuhuai responded again, his gaze fixed on Jing Jiujiu's face for a couple of seconds.
The young man's face was beautiful, his brow slightly furrowed, as if he was genuinely worried (afraid of dying) for him.
The youth was completely unaware of the affection that Bai Yuhuai was struggling to contain.
He had been pampered since childhood, and then died in the castle at the age when he should have been falling in love.
How could he understand these things?
But it didn't matter.
I can teach him little by little.
The never-dated Bai, the film emperor, thought confidently.
On the third day of arriving in Jiang City, the entire crew boarded a vehicle and headed to Wuni Town.
In the car, Ji Meng looked left and right, unable to contain himself, and asked, "Brother Bai, the person who was with you yesterday, isn't he coming with us to the filming location today?"
Bai Yuhuai looked up, his gaze slightly cold.
Compared to the last time in the castle, there was a noticeable change.
The film emperor really dislikes me.
Ji Meng received this realization, his heart constricting, wanting to explain himself but unable to find the words.
What else could he say? Could he say that he truly had no intentions towards that ghost-like young man?
Bai Yuhuai: "He's taking his own car there."
Upon hearing this, the director hurriedly said, "Is that young master not used to riding in such small buses? If we had known earlier, we could have made arrangements for him."
The director was currently extremely grateful to Bai Yuhuai, and of course, he was eager to take care of even these small matters for him.
Bai Yuhuai: "No need."
In fact, if one looked carefully at this moment, they would notice that Bai Yuhuai's gaze inadvertently focused on a certain point.
Jing Jiujiu was standing right there.
Jing Jiujiu's gaze swept across the entire cabin, and he said softly, "Why didn't they save a seat for me?"
Bai Yuhuai's gaze shifted, and he took out his phone to type something.
Seeing his action, Jing Jiujiu immediately cooperated and leaned in—
[Because you're a ghost]
Jing Jiujiu sighed softly.
Well, okay.
Who said ghosts have ghost rights?
Jing Jiujiu asked again, "Then where should I sit?"
Bai Yuhuai lowered his gaze without speaking, but there was a hint of suggestion in his manner.
Jing Jiujiu also lowered his gaze, then obediently sat on Bai Yuhuai's lap. After all, he had done it many times before, and Bai Yuhuai was used to it.
It definitely wouldn't work with other people.
If he sat on someone else even once, their yang energy might be weakened by the next day!
The minibus drove for three hours straight.
The director couldn't help but laugh and say, "This really feels like we're going down to the countryside..."
The guest star who had finally managed to join them was already frowning. His name was Jian Suifan, and his TV drama was currently popular, so he was quite famous at the moment.
"We're here! We're here!" Jian Suifan's assistant called out.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Ji Meng, without thinking, instinctively turned his head to look at Bai Yuhuai again. Then he saw the man make a particularly strange gesture.
Bai Yuhuai vaguely raised his hand, as if pressing on someone's waist, and then that person stood up. Bai Yuhuai's lips curved imperceptibly, and he lowered his head to smooth out the wrinkles in his clothes.
Seeing this, Ji Meng's heart suddenly started racing.
That young man!
Could it be that he was in the cabin right now, just invisible to everyone?
With this suspicion, Ji Meng remained in a daze until they got off the bus.
Meanwhile, the director and the always-looking-down-on-everyone Jian Suifan were both greeting someone in the same direction: "Mr. Yin!" "Hello, Mr. Yin!"
Jian Suifan even smiled and said, "Ding Hanbing, you're here too..."
Ji Meng suddenly remembered a piece of gossip, saying that back when Jian Suifan and Ding Hanbing were in the same company, they almost debuted as a group. But Jian Suifan kicked Ding Hanbing out, adamantly refusing to work with him. Who would have thought that Ding Hanbing would later become incredibly popular?
This story had become a regular inspirational short tale on marketing accounts and in "Zhiyin" magazine.
Both Ding Hanbing and Yin Mo had arrived on their own. Yin Mo was still politely exchanging pleasantries with the director, while Ding Hanbing had lost interest in being courteous. There was a hint of agitation on his face.
As soon as Bai Yuhuai approached, he couldn't help but lower his voice and ask, "Where is he?"
"Find him yourself."
Ding Hanbing couldn't find a ghost even if he tried.
He could only suppress his anger.
No way, they wouldn't just be able to see Bai Yuhuai during the show, right? If that were the case, what was the point of him even being here? He might as well just gouge out his own eyes.
Yin Mo, on the other hand, spotted Jing Jiujiu immediately.
Jing Jiujiu was standing under Bai Yuhuai's parasol, a sliver of sunlight penetrating his body and shining onto the ground. It was at this moment that Yin Mo truly felt the reality of him being a ghost.
Yin Mo walked closer.
"Is it because of the umbrella? Can the umbrella block the sunlight for him, allowing him to become like this and move freely?" Yin Mo asked.
Bai Yuhuai: "Mm."
Yin Mo reached out and grasped the umbrella handle: "Let me do it. It must be tiring for you to always hold it, Mr. Bai."
Bai Yuhuai didn't let go.
"I'd like to have a word with Jiujiu. Could you step aside for a moment, Mr. Bai?" Yin Mo smiled.
Bai Yuhuai didn't budge an inch: "Say it right here."
At this moment, Jing Jiujiu was still tugging at the string in his hand, pulling down a string of little ghosts from the roof of the minibus, causing them to crash to the ground with a clatter.
Jing Jiujiu: "Mm, go ahead. What is it? Is it about Master Tingyi?"
Yin Mo took a deep breath, suppressing the jealousy in his heart: "I just wanted to tell you to be careful of Bai Yuhuai."
Bai Yuhuai: "..."
Speaking ill of someone to their face, once you start, it's hard to stop. Yin Mo found it quite satisfying, so he immediately continued: "It's too coincidental that he discovered you in the castle and brought you out. He seems to know a lot, but he's just an ordinary person. Don't you find him hard to figure out?"
As he spoke, Yin Mo repeated: "Jiujiu, be careful of Bai Yuhuai." "Don't get too close to him."
Jing Jiujiu felt guilty but couldn't say it out loud.
I followed Bai Yuhuai on my own.
I rode on his neck to get out.
Before Jing Jiujiu could come up with a suitable excuse, Bai Yuhuai had already spoken: "You believe the words of a bald monk?"
Yin Mo: ?
Yin Mo: "Who's a bald monk?"
Jing Jiujiu was slightly confused.
How did they start attacking each other like this?
The director, watching from afar, was also dumbfounded: "What's... going on?"
Jian Suifan raised an eyebrow in surprise and said: "Fighting... over an umbrella?"
Ding Hanbing, who was feeling dejected at the moment, said irritably: "What's the big deal? They might even start fighting in a bit."
Director: ??
Ding Hanbing casually said: "Oh, you don't know yet? He and Bai Yuhuai are enemies, mortal enemies. It wouldn't be surprising if there's bloodshed during the show..."
The director believed him after hearing this and became deeply worried.
Only Jian Suifan knew he was talking nonsense and secretly sneered. Making up stories about the film emperor and Mr. Yin so casually, Ding Hanbing was going to be in trouble.
Fearing that something might really go wrong, the director hurriedly called everyone to buy some supplies in the town. After making some preparations, they organized to enter the mine.
The town was desolate, with the big supermarket long abandoned. The most common sight was small shops with old shelves.
On one side, MC asked: "Should we buy matches?"
"How many cups of instant noodles should we buy? What's this... Kangshifu?"
On the other side, Yin Mo and Bai Yuhuai were still holding onto the same umbrella, with Jing Jiujiu sandwiched between them.
As Ding Hanbing passed by them, he was about to curse and call them crazy for sharing an umbrella, when he heard Yin Mo speaking softly.
Ding Hanbing paused, keenly sensing that something was off, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was.
From any angle, it looked like these two had a problem.
It wasn't until everyone had finished purchasing supplies and entered the mountain that Ding Hanbing finally realized.
Damn.
Had Jiujiu turned into a ghost form? Was he the only one who couldn't see him?
The mine was just behind the small town, with a faint view of an abandoned factory on the mountainside. Half of the factory's wall had collapsed, revealing half of the red bricks. From a distance, it looked half black and half red, giving off an indescribable eerie feeling.
The director said: "The cameras have all been set up. I'll just escort you all to this point. If anything happens after this, feel free to contact the production team at any time..."
By this point, Jian Suifan was already starting to regret his decision.
What kind of ghostly place is this? It's even worse than that old castle from last time!
But it was too late for regrets now. The guests put on their GoPros and microphones themselves, while also holding a camera in their hands. A few cameramen followed at a distance behind them.
The group made their way up the mountain like this.
"It's now 8:13 PM..." Jian Suifan spoke into his camera, "We've just arrived at the factory on the mountainside of the mine. It's said that this place once made a fortune from mineral resources, but as the resources were depleted, it gradually fell into decline. Large areas of houses were left vacant, unfinished buildings piled up... and the factory owners disappeared without a trace..."
He was focused on recording, giving off quite the horror livestream vibe.
Meanwhile, the other MCs were busy helping to build a campfire.
"Although there aren't many trees around here, we still need to be careful of wild animals at night..." Yin Mo spoke up.
He was the main force behind building the fire.
Jing Jiujiu walked around the area: "...It smells a bit... fragrant?"
Bai Yuhuai's gaze shifted as he took out his phone and typed: [Do you like it here?]
Jing Jiujiu: "Of course not. This place looks so desolate."
Bai Yuhuai: [We can't find Chaos for now, so we came here to pick out a body for you]
Just as Bai Yuhuai finished typing, a beam from a flashlight swept over them.
"Who are you people?!" The newcomer shouted angrily. From his voice, he sounded like he was in his forties or fifties.
Jing Jiujiu turned to look.
It was a lame, blind man. His hair was sparse and graying, his face much older than his voice suggested, with wrinkles around his eyes so deep they looked like they could trap flies.
Jing Jiujiu: ?
Jing Jiujiu: "Is this the body you want to pick for me?"
Bai Yuhuai: "..."
Bai Yuhuai: "Of course not!"
"Oh." Jing Jiujiu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Well, that's a relief then.
"Bai-ge, who are you talking to?" MC Yun Xin asked timidly.
The others were more concerned about the lame, blind man. His left leg was lame, his right eye blind, and he held a stick that served as his cane. The cane was covered in rust. As he got closer, everyone could see that half of the stick was semicircular, while the other half had a sharp blade edge.
Looking at the very bottom of the stick, it was sharpened to a point, able to be stuck into the loose ground when planted.
Everyone was startled.
The cameraman hurriedly went forward to explain to him, saying in essence that they were here to record a show, that they had approval from the relevant local authorities, that all the paperwork was in order. They had also prepared a medical team, ambulances, rescue personnel, and so on. They were fully prepared and wouldn't trouble the local people.
"Medical team?" The man sneered coldly, then said no more.
Jing Jiujiu said in a low voice: "How strange, how did he end up like this?"
Bai Yuhuai: "Hm?"
Jing Jiujiu: "He's a very wealthy person. The civilized stick he's holding is made from burl wood, with a ruby set in the head. Even if the gem isn't considered valuable, the stick itself certainly is. Many rich people particularly appreciate the unique, diseased patterns of burl wood. They keep it as a collectible to admire. If he sold this, he could exchange it for a good life somewhere else... Why doesn't he leave?"
Why are there so many vacant properties here?
Simply put, it's due to the lack of supporting facilities.
When there are no hospitals, schools, supermarkets, transportation... these basic facilities that people rely on to survive, naturally no one is willing to live here anymore.
Let alone this completely abandoned mine?
Bai Yuhuai: "You're right."
He paused, then said calmly: "He's the caretaker here. He can't leave."
Jing Jiujiu: "Huh? What's left here worth guarding?"
The man, having finished speaking, quietly left leaning on his stick.
Meanwhile, Jian Suifan suddenly stumbled and fell in shock.
"Was that old man here to set up these things?" Jian Suifan was still shaken.
Hearing the commotion, the others hurriedly shone their flashlights around. Only then did they discover that the withered tree branches were hung with numerous white paper cutouts in human shapes, and wooden dolls either carved or assembled, covering everything... Even the factory gates were full of them.
Jing Jiujiu suddenly understood: "...Are these the bodies you want me to choose from?"
Bai Yuhuai: "Yes."
It had been a long time since anyone had come here, but a backpacker insisted on exploring this place and accidentally discovered these things hanging on the mountainside. He tumbled down the mountain in a panic and started looking for masters everywhere. He found Master Zhou and another figure with some renown in occult circles.
After learning about this from Master Zhou, Bai Yuhuai directly intercepted the news and prevented it from spreading further.
Bai Yuhuai: [The practice of making human-shaped objects here has a history of over a decade. Over time, the things made have naturally gained a spirit and are no longer mere objects]
Meanwhile, Jian Suifan hurriedly walked towards Bai Yuhuai and the others, but he accidentally kicked something.
Jian Suifan looked down.
"Fuck."
It was a clay figurine.
Besides that, there were also stone-polished ones, all placed on the ground.
Jing Jiujiu glanced in his direction and said: "I see. They started with mud, then gradually changed to stone, then to wood and paper figures... The shapes also became more refined over time, from rough to detailed."
Bai Yuhuai: "That's right."
"Why would they do this?" Jing Jiujiu asked curiously.
"One possibility is to house the souls of relatives. Because this mine has been completely excavated, there's nowhere left to bury the dead. After cremation, some superstitious people believe that if the remains aren't buried in the ground, the soul can't rest and can't enter the underworld to reincarnate."
Jing Jiujiu paused: "That's not it."
Bai Yuhuai: "Oh?"
Jing Jiujiu: "It shouldn't be like that."
At this moment, Jian Suifan, still shaken, sat down next to Bai Yuhuai and forced a smile: "Bai-ge seems completely unfazed by scenes like this."
He had watched that episode of the show and initially thought it was just a persona crafted by the production team to flatter Bai Yuhuai.
But now it seemed that wasn't the case?
Bai Yuhuai, interrupted by him, frowned imperceptibly and responded coldly with a sound.
Jing Jiujiu: "..."
Jing Jiujiu: "He's sitting on my foot."
Jian Suifan shuddered: "It's a bit cold, why don't we just go inside the factory? If we're looking for clues, we can't possibly search the entire mountain... We could also shelter from the wind inside."
Jing Jiujiu withdrew his foot.
Jian Suifan suddenly leaned forward, his face changing dramatically: "Did you feel something?"
The others hurried over to comfort him.
Yin Mo came over at this time and said in a low voice: "The yin energy is very strong here. When we came up the mountain in the afternoon, we didn't feel anything." "What about Jiujiu?"
"Gone to choose a body."
"Damn, why didn't I think of that..." Yin Mo quickly turned his head to look at the paper figures and wooden dolls.
Meanwhile, Jian Suifan gradually calmed down with everyone's comfort.
He turned his head to look in Bai Yuhuai's direction, feeling disappointed.
Neither Yin-zong nor Bai-yingdi had paid any attention to him.
However, after being startled like this, everyone decided to enter the factory.
"No one has really seen a ghost, this is just a show. Our main purpose is still to find clues..." Jian Suifan said, leading the way into the factory.
They set up their tents, campfire, and barbecue grill again, huddling against the few walls that hadn't collapsed yet.
With the shelter of the building, everyone felt much more at ease.
Outside the factory.
Little ghosts climbed onto the branches, howling and pointing at the paper figures and wooden dolls, making a ruckus. As they called out, they even started fighting among themselves.
Jing Jiujiu: ?
How bizarre.
Jing Jiujiu casually chose a paper figure that looked relatively clean, closed his eyes, and using his will, slipped inside.
When he opened his eyes again, his world suddenly became much broader.
Jing Jiujiu took uneven steps towards the factory.
The little ghosts were left outside, still arguing about which one looked better and which one to give to the big ghost.
Although it was just a paper body, Jing Jiujiu gradually began to feel the chill. The wind made him rustle loudly, as if there was a bellows installed in his skull.
The feeling was particularly strange.
It was just too much effort to walk.
Jing Jiujiu wrinkled his nose, thought for a moment, and simply decided to float forward using the wind.
But at this moment, the wind direction changed.
"Whoosh—"
Jing Jiujiu floated lightly and landed on a tree.
Jing Jiujiu: ???
Looking back at the factory, it had already become a tiny dot in his view.
Jing Jiujiu was so nervous that his legs curled up.
I must be at least 123... 3 kilometers away from Bai Yuhuai now? I'm going to be pulled back!
But after swaying on the treetop for a while, Jing Jiujiu didn't experience anything.
Huh?
Am I not going to be pulled back?
Jing Jiujiu made an effort to jump down from the tree.
Could it be that if he's inhabiting a body, he's no longer considered a ghost? No wonder Bai Yuhuai always said he needed to find him a body. Did Bai Yuhuai know all along that he would be pulled back to the castle?
Jing Jiujiu pondered as he slowly climbed up the mountain.
Who knows how many days it will take to climb...
Just then, another gust of wind blew.
It sent Jing Jiujiu flying up the mountain, crashing headfirst into the factory's main gate.
Seeing this, the little ghosts howled and quickly rolled down from the trees, scrambling to help Jing Jiujiu up.
They all climbed so fast, as if afraid of falling behind and offending the big ghost.
It was quite reminiscent of the little eunuchs from ancient times.
Then they chased after each other, all crashing into the main gate together.
The people inside the factory heard a "boom".
"Bang bang bang".
Several consecutive sounds hit the door with a crackling noise, startling them and giving them goosebumps.
Jian Suifan was also very scared at first, but when he turned his head and saw Ding Hanbing's face turn even paler, he actually calmed down a bit.
So... Ding Hanbing is afraid of ghosts.
"It's getting late, why don't we all rest?" Yin Mo suggested.
Jiujiu is kind-hearted.
If he enters the wooden puppet or paper figure, he might be afraid of scaring them and not dare to come in.
The others quickly agreed with Yin Mo's suggestion and scrambled into their tents.
The factory gradually quieted down, and Yin Mo got up and took out a charm, tossing it to Ding Hanbing.
"What's this?" Ding Hanbing frowned.
"Something my master gave to Jiujiu, and Jiujiu shared with you and me." At this point, Yin Mo's tone became a bit sour, "It's a protective charm, ordinary little ghosts can't get near you."
Ding Hanbing reluctantly touched it, then threw it back.
Yin Mo: ?
Yin Mo: "Have you had a change of heart?" That would be great.
Although Ding Hanbing couldn't see a single ghost, he said, "You don't understand a thing. I want Jiujiu to be close to me..."
Yin Mo: "..."
Yin Mo: "This thing only wards off little ghosts, not big ones. Jiujiu is a big ghost."
As soon as Yin Mo finished speaking, Ding Hanbing quickly picked up the protective charm again, happily holding it to his chest: "Jiujiu is so good to me!"
Yin Mo: "..."
What thick skin.
Meanwhile, Jing Jiujiu had struggled to cross the threshold and was inching forward step by step.
The little ghosts, seeing his intention, hurriedly scrambled over again, tossing Jing Jiujiu onto their backs and quickly crawling towards Bai Yuhuai.
When they were about a meter away from Bai Yuhuai, they stopped fearfully, then threw Jing Jiujiu towards him.
Bai Yuhuai, sitting in the tent, only felt an itch on his neck.
As if something light had brushed past.
Of course, it couldn't be a ghost.
Except for Jing Jiujiu, no ghost would dare touch him like that.
"Jiujiu?" Bai Yuhuai called out softly.
Jing Jiujiu was almost frozen to death.
Having a body doesn't seem much better than being a ghost, wuwu...
Without a second thought, Jing Jiujiu grabbed onto Bai Yuhuai's collar, using his soft little hands to lift a gap, and burrowed his way in, seeking the warmest spot...
There was no choice.
He was now a paper figure, and couldn't warm himself by a fire.
If he did, he'd be gone in an instant!
Bai Yuhuai's body was extremely warm, and Jing Jiujiu twisted and turned inside, climbing left and right, trying to find a good place to settle.
Bai Yuhuai: ?
Bai Yuhuai's expression gradually became strange, and he couldn't help but slightly open his collar, lowering his voice even more: "Jing Jiujiu?"
As the clothes were pulled open,
Jing Jiujiu's feet slipped, and he slid down.
He stomped his feet, stood there looking around in confusion, grabbed onto a string, and tugged at it.
Bai Yuhuai spoke again, this time his voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth: "...Jing. Jiu. Jiu."
"Don't pull at my pants."