chapter 20

The Spirit Medium is an indispensable part of Soul Summoning.

So we have to find a woman to help us.

“Boss Meng, how about asking your wife?”

I looked at Meng Yifan, not joking at all.

For something like this, you can only ask someone close to you for help.

Meng Yifan’s girlfriend is called Tao Xiaoyu. They’re not married yet, but have been living together for over a year.

That girl is very pretty and fashionable. Each of her bags costs ten or twenty thousand, and a dress is several thousand at least. Of course, all these things were bought by Meng Yifan.

Although I felt Tao Xiaoyu was unlikely to help us, I really couldn’t think of anyone else.

“Don’t even start, you know what she’s like.”

Meng Yifan’s face was gloomy. “She won’t even wash a few shirts for me. You think she’d do something like this?”

I was speechless. “You really should find a new girlfriend.”

Meng Yifan said, “How about trying Fang Man?”

Hearing that name, I couldn’t help but blush.

Fang Man also works at our shop. She’s a recent college graduate, and… she’s my girlfriend. Strictly speaking, not officially yet, since we’re still in the ambiguous stage.

It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but I’m already twenty-six and have never been in a relationship.

Because my grandfather forbade me from dating, saying I’m destined to bring misfortune to my wife, and that I should just muddle through life alone so I don’t harm anyone.

But I’m a normal man, full of youthful energy. I can listen to my elders about anything, but not about this.

If I don’t date, I might as well become a monk.

“Fang Man went back to her hometown, you know that.”

“Her grandmother passed away, so she went back for the funeral. She won’t be back for a couple of days.”

Seventh Master said it’s best not to delay, and that we should go to the scene tonight to invite Li Xiumei’s Ghost.

Now we were stuck. Without someone to act as the Spirit Medium, we couldn’t successfully perform Soul Summoning.

For something like this, even money might not be enough to get someone to help.

Meng Yifan and I mulled it over all afternoon, and it was almost dark.

With no other choice, I called Seventh Master and explained the situation. Meng Yifan and I wanted to see if Seventh Master could help us find someone to be the Spirit Medium. We could give that person a generous red envelope.

On the phone, Seventh Master was silent for a few seconds before saying, “I can find you a professional Spirit Medium, but they charge a lot. After all, being possessed by a Ghost harms your yang energy. At the very least, they’ll charge you ten thousand. Can you accept that?”

I said yes, of course.

These days, paying ten thousand for someone to do something is pretty reasonable.

I immediately transferred ten thousand yuan to Seventh Master and agreed to meet at the entrance of the neighborhood at Zi Hour tonight.

…

Around ten thirty that night.

Meng Yifan and I were already waiting at the entrance of the neighborhood.

Meng Yifan is usually cheerful and optimistic, but these past few days, I haven’t seen him smile once.

“That Mr. Hu has already filed a lawsuit. The court called me today.” Meng Yifan squatted by the roadside, smoking, looking very depressed.

He has connections at the court. Today, one of them told him that Mr. Hu has already sued our shop, but the court hasn’t officially filed the case yet.

This acquaintance asked Meng Yifan if he wanted to try mediation. If so, we’d just pay some money and settle it. After all, once a lawsuit starts, win or lose, it’s bad for the shop’s reputation.

The competitors would smell blood and come to kick us while we’re down.

Of course Meng Yifan wanted to mediate, but Mr. Hu insisted on us paying two hundred thousand, not a cent less.
So this lawsuit is definitely going to happen in the end.

Once the lawsuit starts, business will plummet, and we’ll surely have to close one of the stores.

“It’s fine, don’t be so pessimistic.” I patted Meng Yifan on the shoulder to comfort him.

If things get really tough, I’ll sell my car-no matter what, I have to keep the store.

Meng Yifan is so young, and it’s really not easy for him to get the store up and running.

After a while.

It was already ten fifty.

A car stopped in front of us. I recognized it at a glance-it was Seventh Master’s car.

There was a girl sitting in the passenger seat. She was very young, probably just in her early twenties, with delicate features, but her face was extremely pale, almost like Lin Daiyu-fragile and dainty.

Seventh Master said something to the girl in the car. After he finished, he got out first, but the girl stayed inside.

Meng Yifan and I quickly got up to greet Seventh Master.

“I’ve found the person for you. Her name is Xiao Qing, and she’s a professional Spirit Medium.”

“Xiao Qing?”

Meng Yifan was curious: “So what’s her real name? It’d be nice to know how to address her.”

Seventh Master looked very serious: “That’s exactly what I need to remind you tonight. When we get to the room where it happened, you can’t call the Spirit Medium by her real name, or the Ghost will latch onto her. Just call her Xiao Qing.”

“And the same goes for me-you can’t call me by my name. Names like Seventh Master, Old Zhao, Lao Qi, or anything similar are off-limits too.”

I was shocked. I hadn’t expected so many rules and customs in this circle.

I asked, “Then how should we address you later?”

Seventh Master thought for a moment and said, “Just call me Yanzu.”

I barely managed not to laugh out loud.

Meng Yifan was thoroughly amused.

“Seventh Master, what’s Master Xiao Qing doing in the car?” Meng Yifan asked curiously.

Seventh Master replied, “She’s getting ready in the car. I’ve already negotiated the price for you-it’s the lowest, just ten thousand yuan. Usually, wealthy clients pay her at least fifty thousand, sometimes much more.”

I asked Seventh Master, “Is there really a profession for letting ghosts possess you? Didn’t you say being possessed by a ghost is very damaging to your yang energy?”

Seventh Master nodded, “You haven’t been exposed to this circle, so you wouldn’t know. But wherever there’s demand, a profession will emerge to meet it.”

“Being possessed by a ghost is indeed very harmful to your yang energy, but this young woman has a hard fate-she’s destined to die young, always sick, and won’t live past thirty. But she’s married and has two children to support, so she can only work as a professional Spirit Medium to earn some money. After she’s gone, at least her two kids won’t suffer.”

Meng Yifan and I felt a bit sad and sorry for her.

Xiao Qing looked even younger than us, and yet someone so young wouldn’t live past thirty…

Just now I thought she resembled Lin Daiyu, and come to think of it, Lin Daiyu herself had a short life.

It’s truly pitiful.

Meng Yifan and I discussed it and decided to give Xiao Qing an extra five thousand yuan.

After all, she’s earning money with her life.

Soon, Xiao Qing got out of the car. Up close, her aura really was just like Lin Daiyu’s.

Meng Yifan quickly scanned the code and transferred fifteen thousand yuan to her.

She was stunned when she saw we’d given her an extra five thousand, and gratefully said, “Thank you both.”

Meng Yifan and I quickly returned the gesture, “We should be the ones thanking you. Tonight, we’ll be relying on Master Xiao Qing.”

She didn’t say anything more. Suddenly, she took out two Jade Tablets from her shoulder bag and handed them to us: “These are my personal gifts to you both. You’d better wear them, or you might not make it through tonight…”