Chapter 29
Chapter 29
With time running out, Yun Jianyue grabbed Fang Lin’an, and the three humans and one ghost set off for Chongguang Mountain.
To save time, they drove there themselves. Since Zhou Benxin was practically cursed with bad luck, Yun Jianyue and Fang Lin’an took turns behind the wheel.
“What are we going to Chongguang Mountain for?” Lu Changxue asked earnestly, adhering to the principle that if she didn’t understand something, she should ask.
Fang Lin’an replied, “We’re going to find his Doppelganger and see if we can resolve this with a ritual. If we can’t, or if the Doppelganger has escaped, then we’re in serious trouble.”
Zhou Benxin was stunned. “The Doppelganger can escape? Isn’t it just a block of wood?”
“It may look like a block of wood, but there’s actually a young ghost inside it. The one truly protecting you from misfortune and calamity is the young ghost imprisoned within the Doppelganger,” Fang Lin’an said with a cold snort.
In fact, a few decades ago, and even as far back as ancient times, it had been common practice to procure a Doppelganger to shield a child from disaster. But as times changed, few practitioners of the mystic arts were willing to help people obtain one anymore.
After all, young ghosts had rights too. They were captured simply because they had been unlucky, forced to become Doppelgangers and suffer someone else’s misfortunes, only to be denied reincarnation themselves.
Because of the restrictions placed on them, the young ghosts inside the Doppelgangers would forget what they were. In their dreams, they would live through a life identical to that of the original person.
Once the original person passed their second zodiac year, the Doppelganger would fall permanently dormant inside the wooden statue, warding off every calamity on their behalf.
But if the Doppelganger encountered the original person before that second zodiac year, the restrictions would disappear.
Once the Doppelganger realized what it truly was, it would do everything in its power to take revenge on the original and make the curse rebound upon them. Some especially malevolent Doppelgangers would even replace their originals and masquerade as ordinary humans.
After learning the truth about the Doppelganger, Zhou Benxin went deathly pale. “But I didn’t see my Doppelganger when I went to Chongguang Mountain.”
“Just because you didn’t see it doesn’t mean it didn’t see you. Like I said, the Doppelganger lives through your life in its dreams, making it believe it is you so that it willingly bears the calamities meant for you.
“But you went to Chongguang Mountain, and it was there too. It might have seen you in its dream.” Fang Lin’an gave Zhou Benxin a long, meaningful look.
Lu Changxue hugged her arms and rubbed them. “That’s terrifying. I’m getting goose bumps.”
Fang Lin’an rolled his eyes at her. “You’re a ghost. How can you get goose bumps?”
“Darling, he’s picking on me!” Lu Changxue threw herself into Yun Jianyue’s arms and whined. She looked nothing like a ghost and everything like a toy poodle that had lost a fight and run home to complain to its owner.
Yun Jianyue patted Lu Changxue on the back and said solemnly, “But you are a ghost. What did he say that was wrong?”
“You don’t love me anymore! Hmph!” Lu Changxue huffed angrily before retreating into the jade pendant to nourish her soul, refusing to say another word.
The group soon arrived at Chongguang Mountain.
Their car couldn’t make it up the mountain, and due to Chongguang Mountain’s location, a cableway had never been built. The three of them had no choice but to continue up on foot.
By the time the Chongguang Mountain Daoist Temple came into view, dusk had already begun to fall.
“Damn, we’re finally almost there.” Fang Lin’an was panting heavily from the climb. “Thank goodness the Lingxi Sect isn’t on a mountain this high. Otherwise, I would’ve refused to become a Daoist even if it killed me.”
Yun Jianyue’s heart wasn’t racing, and she wasn’t even out of breath. It was as though she hadn’t just climbed two thousand meters up a mountain at all.
“It’s almost dark. Why is someone still standing outside the temple? Is he cosplaying?” Zhou Benxin was in excellent shape as well, unlike Fang Lin’an, who was exhausted beyond belief. From a distance, he saw a short-haired man in a black robe standing at the temple entrance. His instincts told him the man was handsome.
Yun Jianyue stared at the man’s back, finding him strangely familiar.
As if sensing her gaze, he slowly turned around, revealing an incomparably handsome face.
Their eyes met for a split second, and Yun Jianyue immediately pulled out the chainsaw she carried with her.
The next instant, the man teleported in front of her and seized her wrist with one hand, successfully stopping her from starting the chainsaw and hacking him apart.
“Long time no see, my bride.” Mo Chen eyed the chainsaw with a mocking half smile, as if to say, You really thought the same trick would work twice?
Zhou Benxin was dumbfounded. “Teleportation? Superpowers?!”
Fang Lin’an instantly went on high alert. He couldn’t tell what this man was, but one thing was certain: he was definitely not human! Fang Lin’an couldn’t sense the slightest fluctuation of energy from him, yet his instincts screamed that this man was both dangerous and immensely powerful.
“Hubby, long time no see! You look handsome with short hair too!” Yun Jianyue flashed him a brilliant smile, as though she hadn’t just pulled out a chainsaw to butcher him.
She secretly exerted more strength, but Mo Chen’s grip was even stronger, leaving her unable to move.
She had no doubt that he wanted to crush her wrist, especially after she complimented his new short hairstyle.
Mo Chen gave her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “All thanks to you.”
Lu Changxue furtively poked her head out of the jade pendant. “Since when did you have a husband?”
The moment she saw Mo Chen’s face, Lu Changxue exclaimed, “Not bad. I think he’s worthy of you.”
Fang Lin’an was falling apart inside. This wasn’t about whether he was worthy of her! The problem was that Yun Jianyue seemed to be completely at this man’s mercy!
“Could you let go first? It kinda hurts.” Mo Chen had already squeezed Yun Jianyue’s wrist black and blue, yet there wasn’t a trace of pain on her face.
Still wearing that insincere smile, Mo Chen asked, “If I let go, will you try to cut me down?”
Yun Jianyue replied, “Of course not! You’re my hubby!”
They stared into each other’s eyes. After a long moment, Mo Chen slowly released her.
The next second, Yun Jianyue revved the chainsaw and viciously swung it at his neck.
Mo Chen, having anticipated this, dodged in a flash and reappeared behind her. He wrapped his arms around her from behind in an extremely intimate embrace, grabbing both her wrists.
“Damn it, he saw that coming.” Yun Jianyue wiggled her butt, shamelessly rubbing it against Mo Chen’s abs. “Nice body, Hubby!”
Mo Chen’s expression darkened for a moment. Without a word, he put a little more distance between them. “You really are a pervert.”
Yun Jianyue giggled bashfully. “Oh my, you caught me.”
After witnessing the entire exchange, Zhou Benxin and Fang Lin’an were so stunned that they didn’t even know where to begin.
There was so much wrong with this scene that they were at a complete loss for words!
Yun Jianyue, do you even remember you’re a girl?! Could you show a little restraint?!
And you, mister! Who are you trying to scare to death with all that teleporting?!
“Seriously, what is going on here?” Zhou Benxin often felt helpless, but never this helpless. He was even tempted to call the police on behalf of the handsome teleporter and report Yun Jianyue for sexual harassment.
Fang Lin’an stroked his chin and declared solemnly, “I suppose Yun Jianyue has run into an old enemy?”