The Ghost Seeker

Chapter 4: Gotta Find a Way to Get It Out

Sometimes, your body parts betray your brain.

Like knowing that gas station hot dog has been spinning under the heat lamp for way too long, but before you know it, you're holding the greasy wrapper. Mouth betrayals are especially frequent and uncontrollable. Otherwise, why would there be so many scenes in prime-time soap operas where the male lead looks at the heroine like he could spin sugar from his gaze, but what comes out of his mouth is, "I could never like you in a million years"?

The point of all this rambling: Xu xiao regretted it.

It wasn't quite at the level of "loose lips sink ships," but the lure of money had definitely clouded his judgment, leading him to agree to help solve someone's problem. Now, with the adrenaline faded, the stark realization of the trouble he'd invited in hit him like a ton of bricks. He slumped on his sofa, sighing dramatically.

He watched a single strand of black cat hair drift through the air, his eyes radiating utter desolation.

That morning, he’d first been at Division Three of the National Supernatural Containment Bureau, drawing a warding sign for a new colleague. No sooner had he finished than he was off to meet Li Fang at the agreed spot. The hour-long walk back had drained his stamina bar completely, and then he’d impulsively done a spirit sigil reading for that drunkard.

Reading palms and channeling energy through talismans took a toll too. Right now, Xu xiao was running on empty – both mana and stamina.

It was 11 PM. By his usual routine, he should be fast asleep by now.

But life had other plans.

Xie Jing's voice came from the guest room: "Boss, I've settled my things. Sorry for the intrusion tonight."

Xu xiao took a deep breath.

-- Under normal circumstances, Xu xiao would never bring someone he'd known for less than half an hour back to his apartment.

About two hours prior, after agreeing to help Xie Jing deal with the haunting, Xu xiao noticed how late it was and suggested Xie Jing not go home, but stay somewhere else for the night.

Going back was definitely unsafe. That entity had already shown hostile intent. Returning would be suicidal.

He proposed finding Xie Jing a place to stay while he set up a temporary warding circle for protection. They'd need to assess the situation at Xie Jing's place tomorrow.

Xie Jing agreed without hesitation. They headed to a hotel near Xu xiao's apartment.

The hotel was relatively new. Back during its construction, Xu xiao's master, Zhang Daoquan, had been the one to arrange its geomantic layout. As soon as they entered the lobby, the manager, who recognized Xu xiao, greeted them with a smile. After understanding the situation, he started processing the check-in.

It should have been straightforward. The weird part was the check-in system mysteriously freezing up repeatedly.

Xu xiao yawned nearly twenty times on the lobby sofa, practically falling asleep, before the manager finally approached, looking deeply apologetic: the system had crashed completely. No rooms available.

This one didn't work? Fine, try another. They tried three different hotels. One had a system failure, another had keycards that inexplicably deactivated and wouldn't open doors... problem after problem.

It was so bizarre that Xu xiao briefly suspected the entity from under the overpass had followed them.

Utterly exhausted, Xu xiao finally said to Xie Jing, "How about crashing at my place tonight?" Xie Jing, also looking worn out by the ordeal, asked politely, "Won't I be a bother?" Getting a negative answer, he readily agreed.

Hence, the current situation – Xie Jing stood at the door of the guest room, now dressed in Xu xiao's grey cotton pajamas, looking at Xu xiao on the sofa.

Xu xiao cradled a black lion cat in his arms. Hearing the sound, the cat lifted its head from Xu xiao's chest, its golden vertical pupils fixed intently on the space behind Xu xiao.

Xie Jing met the cat's gaze for a second, asking casually, "Boss, where are the other two cats?"

Xu xiao: "The white ones are shy. Strangers scare them; they hide." He splayed his hand, preemptively covering the cat's face just as it flattened its ears and prepared to hiss. "This black one? Bold as brass and mean. Bites even me."

Xu xiao had assumed bringing Xie Jing home would be the end of the weirdness. He was wrong. The moment he opened the door, all three cats, alerted by the sound, were waiting. They puffed up instantly. Two white furballs arched their backs and shot away like springs, leaving a trail of shed fur. The remaining black one stared fixedly at Xie Jing, crouched low in an attack stance.

Xu xiao quickly scooped up the black lion cat and spent ages soothing it. It still refused to get down.

Xie Jing chuckled softly. "Is that so? But seeing it cling to you like this, Boss, it doesn't look like your average biter."

Xu xiao squeezed the soft head. "Apart from my master, no one really comes over. These cats grew up not seeing many people."

Xie Jing: "So, I'm the first person you've invited to your home?"

Xie Jing had brought nothing. The pajamas were naturally Xu xiao's. Even though Xu xiao bought a loose-fitting size, they looked almost fitted on Xie Jing. The grey cotton fabric clearly outlined the contours of his chest and abdominal muscles, and even his arms showed defined, lean lines – not overly bulky, but undeniably powerful. It was the kind of physique Xu xiao couldn't help but sneak a few glances at.

He wanted it. Just thinking about the effort required to get it made him tired.

Xu xiao, with what he thought was a subtly envious glance, looked a few times before finally tearing his eyes away. "Yeah, you're the first."

He didn't know which word hit the happy spot for the guy with abs, but Xie Jing's eyes curved into a genuinely pleased smile. "I'm honored."

Xu xiao felt a pang of inexplicable guilt looking at that smile.

Hah. Actually, Song Lianzhou had been here.

Not just Song Lianzhou, Zhang Daoquan's old buddies occasionally dropped by too. They'd even played poker on that sofa.

But the cats' reactions then were nowhere near this extreme. This was special.

Xu xiao guessed it was probably due to the residual shadow essence clinging to Xie Jing. He'd drawn out most of it, but some stubborn wisps remained hidden within. Explaining this was complicated and would just cause unnecessary alarm, so he kept it to himself.

"Don't call me Boss. Call me Xu xiao." Xu xiao changed the subject, gesturing towards the bathroom. "I put disposable toiletries in the bathroom. Have a shower and get some rest early."

The new houseguest was surprisingly compliant. He called him "Xu xiao," said "Goodnight," and headed for the bathroom.

Xu xiao held the cat, listening to the soft patter of water from the shower for a few minutes, before finally dislodging the black cat from his lap and getting up.

Zhang Daoquan's old house had been acquired by the government. This condo was compensation. While just a regular apartment building with an elevator, it was enough for Zhang Daoquan to marvel that he, at his age, got to live in such a "high-rise."

Never divine for fame. Never divine for personal gain. Never divine for oneself.

Only unravel the confusion of the sincere. Only aid those whose troubles he chooses to resolve.

With Xu xiao's master Zhang Daoquan and his "absolutely no soliciting, everything is fate" approach, their lives were never flush. It was only in the last couple of years – the government acquisition payout, Zhang Daoquan qualifying for Social Security benefits, and Xu xiao picking up part-time jobs – that they finally escaped the days of splitting a single loaf of bread for two meals.

Before he vanished, Old Man Zhang hadn't practiced divination in a while. He spent his days at home humming tunes to an old radio, thoroughly enjoying his early retirement. Xu xiao thought the old man would just coast along like that. Unexpectedly, on the very day Xu xiao graduated university, Zhang Daoquan vanished into thin air.

Xu xiao turned the knob to his bedroom door, walked in, and closed the window that was half open.

No one knew where Zhang Daoquan – the man who had raised him from childhood – had gone.

As he pondered, Xu xiao bent down and pulled a glass jar, about the size of his palm, from the bedside table drawer.

A yellow talisman paper with red characters was pasted over the jar's mouth. Peering closely, one could see a faint, translucent wisp of black vapor sealed within the transparent bottom.

This was shadow essence Xu xiao had extracted from previous clients. This particular essence was very weak, almost imperceptible without close inspection.

In contrast...

Xu xiao tried to gather the essence with his fingers, but found the stubborn wisp had retreated... to his abdomen?

Xu xiao: "?"

He frowned.

That is not a place you belong.

His eyes darkened. He spoke into the empty room, his voice low: "Come out yourself, or I'll find a way to get you out."

Silence hung for three, four seconds. Then, a faint rustling sound. A snowy white cat head peeked out from behind the curtain.

Xu xiao: "..."

When did this one sneak into his room? And now it was basically confessing without being accused.

Ignoring the cat shrinking into the corner, Xu xiao pressed his fingers together, exerting a bit more force. Soon, a thicker, denser coil of black vapor wrapped around his fingertip. It writhed and pulsed irregularly, trying to inch closer to Xu xiao but blocked by an unseen barrier, held firmly in place.

With his other hand, Xu xiao peeled off the yellow talisman sealing the glass jar, intending to stuff the rebellious black vapor inside. But the shadow essence on his finger reacted violently, resisting fiercely against entering the jar.

Meanwhile, the faint wisp inside the jar had already retreated to the farthest corner, practically trying to erase its own existence.

Xu xiao glared at the writhing, defiant mass on his finger, his voice edged with threat. "Get. In."

The black vapor nudged against his palm. The meaning was clear: No.

This was the first time Xu xiao had encountered shadow essence, separated from its host for so long, that still possessed such a strong sense of self.

He was just about to apply some more... persuasive force to cram the thing into the jar when it suddenly twisted with unnatural agility! Using some trick, it slipped free from his grasp!

The glass jar was knocked over in the process. It didn't shatter, but the clatter startled the white cat behind the curtain. It panicked, scrambling wildly and knocking several books off the nightstand in a loud cascade of noise.

-- Xu xiao felt a headache coming on.

Meanwhile, Xie Jing, freshly showered and stepping out of the bathroom, heard the commotion from Xu xiao's room. He absently wiped water droplets from his damp hair and looked up, meeting a gaze that hadn't left him since he walked through the door.

They say cats are perceptive, their eyes seeing more than humans, especially sensitive to unclean things.

As Xie Jing walked towards where the black cat was stationed, the cat's body grew tenser. Just as it bared its teeth, a low hiss building in its throat, ready to strike, Xie Jing slowly raised his hand. He placed his index finger vertically against his lips.

"Shhh."

The black cat froze. Instantly rigid, it toppled over onto its back with a soft thump, legs stiffly pointing upwards. Only its wide, round golden eyes remained mobile, darting around in shock.

A faint smile touched Xie Jing's lips. He crouched down before the prone cat and gently scratched its chin with two fingers.

The fierce, aggressive creature of moments ago lay utterly still, unresisting.

Fingers slightly cooler than average stroked along the cat's spine, following the vertebrae down to its tail. Then, with a hint of mischief, Xie Jing flipped the cat onto its back and began kneading the soft, warm expanse of its belly.

His fingers trailed lower, pausing briefly to lightly touch the two distinct orbs of the cat's "bells." Only then did he stop, his smile deepening.

He leaned closer to the utterly immobilized black lion cat, its legs still sticking stiffly in the air, and murmured, his voice barely audible:

"Your owner... feels soft to the touch too."

The Black Lion Cat: "？？！！？！！！"