Chapter 8, Amulet

Go on, go on. Ten thousand miles agree. Who has nothing better to do than to provoke filth!

Xiaoxia lay on the bed that still retained Ruan Zhan's warmth, feeling a sense of safety. As he began to doodle on his forehead, he only felt a tickling sensation, and then, without any warning, he fell into a deep sleep

"Rest assured, I will not say anything no matter what. Whether you believe it or not is up to you." Xia Xia wanted to express her gratitude to Ruan Zhan, but his cold and reluctant attitude hurt her pride, making her feel somewhat angry

Then consider it a request from me. We have been friends for many years, Ah Zhan, you wouldn't really ignore me, would you

"Perhaps this is her way of warding off potential harassers," Ruan Zhan joked casually, but he had a clear understanding in his heart. He walked over to the still slumbering Xia and reached out towards her chest.

This means that I am helping her once for your sake; if she provokes other spirits again, it will no longer concern me

Is it all my fault then? So—will you help me?

"Yes. This situation still makes her feel uneasy, is it because of my case?"

"Please do not misunderstand." Wanli understood what he was thinking and explained, "I admit that I have slightly more feelings for her than for an ordinary friend, but it has not reached the level of love. She—" Wanli looked at Xiaoxia's sleeping face, a trace of sadness welled up in his heart, "is just like Nana."

Ruan Zhan was taken aback for a moment, "Nana has been dead for ten years; this is just psychological compensation, it is of no use. Besides, she doesn't resemble Tu Shu at all; you must be seeing things."

Ruan Zhan was awakened from his bed at six o'clock in the morning by someone.

What does this mean

Seeing Ruan Zhan's outburst of "dirty" along with his emotional loss of control, Wan Li immediately realized that his old friend's stance had softened. He quickly seized the opportunity, saying, "Forget it, forget it, insult me however you like. You wouldn't really stand by and do nothing, would you, Ah Zhan?"

Oh?

Should she swear? Wan Li interjected

Are you willing to help me

At this time every day, he had just finished cleaning the bar and had only recently gone to bed, so he went downstairs to open the door bare-chested and barefoot, wearing only a pair of jeans. He knew it was his only friend Wan Li, but he did not expect that he was accompanied by Yue Xiao Xia, who was only wearing pajama pants.

Wan Li pondered for a moment. "She mentioned that during a trip to Wuhu, Anhui, an old monk told her that she had a connection to Buddhism and a wise nature, and thus gifted her something. She did not like wearing things around her neck, so she gave it to her grandmother, who was a devout Buddhist. Three years ago, her grandmother passed away, and she might have missed her dearly, which is why she started wearing this and has never taken it off since."

"Take her inside first, I will go pay the fare." Without a word, Wan Li directly pushed Xiao Xia into Ruan Zhan's arms. It was then that Ruan Zhan realized that the silent female lawyer could hardly stand without support.

This has nothing to do with me. As Ruan Zhan spoke, he drew symbols on Xiaoxia's forehead, helping her to gradually awaken. Then, before she was fully awake, he began to inquire about what had happened last night, his meticulousness leading Xiaoxia to believe that if he studied law, he would become the most astute lawyer.

I do not know what Xiao Xia experienced last night. When we took a taxi this morning, she did not say anything to me. All I know is that I encountered a strange phenomenon yesterday, which sought to separate me from Xiao Xia. Moreover, we also encountered strange occurrences at the hospital before.

I am helping him. However, I hope you will not mention this matter afterwards; consider it as the reward I desire, is that acceptable

Oh?

"Will you let me go if I refuse to help you?" Ruan Zhan finally resigned himself to his fate, "But let me be clear from the outset, I will only help you, not her"

Oh?

This matter must not be disclosed to her, otherwise she will act without restraint

Conversely, it is important to understand that an excessive presence of ghostly energy can contaminate this treasure, much like how air pollution can harm the human body

"Now, can you tell me what happened last night and why it was so chaotic?" Despite a myriad of reluctances, as there was nowhere else to sleep, Ruan Zhan had no choice but to inquire about the situation, at least to understand what he was up against.

"Don't be silly, there really are ghosts that want to harm people. You must help me."

Ruan Zhan remained silent; although he felt a deep resentment in his heart, he still complied with the instructions. The second floor, in addition to the two separated rooms, was also used as a storage area. The stairs were quite steep, which made it difficult for him to carry the books and materials, so he had to half-hug and half-support Xia Xia to ensure her safe arrival. He then adopted a laissez-faire attitude, watching Wan Li, who was familiar with the surroundings, busily moving about. In the end, he even allowed Xia Xia to sleep in his bed

Take another look. Although it seems closely related to the massacre case, this is not about dealing with people, and one cannot think in conventional terms

No need. Didn't someone swear an oath, yet still betray me?

I seem to be engaging in coercive buying and selling. Wan Li smiled wryly

Ruan Zhan's words made Wan Li unable to help but laugh. "I must say, you two are truly kindred spirits! Having only met once, you've already analyzed each other's shortcomings thoroughly, yet you fail to see the strengths. I must admit, it does have a bit of a 'frenemies' vibe to it."

Ruan Zhan ignored him and gently picked up the jade pendant around Xia Xia's neck. "I am certain that thing wants to harm her, at the very least, it wants to possess her. But why is she unharmed?" He lowered his head to examine the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva amulet closely. "Do you know where she obtained this treasure?"

This means that she will be fine

I fail to see why I must "certainly" help you

He detailed Xiaoxia's nightmare and the murder case to Ruan Zhan, then spoke of the events that occurred at Xiaoxia's home. "Around 10 o'clock, when I woke her up to take her medicine, she was still fine. After that, I fell asleep on the sofa in the living room. At around one o'clock, I heard her calling me very loudly, her voice was almost hoarse. Such a loud sound would definitely carry far at night, yet strangely, no neighbors heard it. I was extremely anxious at that moment, but no matter what, I couldn't find the door to her room. After that, I could no longer hear any sound, as if I were in a vacuum. Such a loud sound would definitely carry far at night, yet strangely, no neighbors heard it. I was extremely anxious at that moment, but no matter what, I couldn't find the door to her room. After that, I could no longer hear any sound, as if I were in a vacuum. I recited the Qingming incantation using the method you taught me, then pushed aside everything with some texture in one direction, but I could only run from the living room to outside the door, still unable to find Xiaoxia's room door, and I couldn't even get through on the phone. When I broke the door open at dawn, she had already fainted for an unknown amount of time. I need to clarify that the door was locked from the inside, but Xiaoxia would never do that."

You treacherous bastard, how dare you smile at me!

I see. "Ruan Zhan put the Jade Guanyin back. Do you know about the Wuhu's Xiao Jiu Hua Guang Ji Temple? It enshrines the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, which was likely given to her by an enlightened person, and it possesses great spiritual power. Moreover, there is a strong intention associated with it; I believe her grandmother must have loved her very much. This sincere wish has transformed into a powerful protective force, which is truly rare. Now I understand why she encountered such an event; the yang fire can weaken but not extinguish." Additionally, there is a strong intention associated with it; I believe her grandmother must have loved her very much. This sincere wish has transformed into a powerful protective force, which is truly rare. Now I understand why she encountered such an event; the yang fire can weaken but not extinguish.

"Why are you indifferent to everything?" This is what she said. Wanli pointed at the sleeping Xiaoxia.

I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. However, if given the choice again, I would still make the same decision

"It is essential for us to have a conversation." He walked over, unable to contain his frustration, and drew a few characters on the forehead of the astonished Xia.

I am left with no choice

His question made Wanli serious, which also made Ruan Zhan realize that the issue was not simple. Wanli had gone through life and death with him twice, so he would not be alarmed by a minor anomaly.

Her personality is like this, and her current situation is also like this, so I do not want to make a mistake again

"What else can you do besides causing me trouble?" Ruan Zhan scolded, his usually carefully maintained calm and elegance completely shattered. "You know I am unwilling to use that ability, yet you revealed it to outsiders. You know I never allow women to come here, yet you let her brazenly occupy my bed. Is there such a friend in the world?"

"What do you want from me?" Ruan Zhan elongated his voice with a profound meaning

Stop deceiving me! This person lacks patience in handling matters, is unable to lower their pride when asking for help, is both sensitive and willful. In what way do they resemble Nana? Are they just a do-gooder or simply timid?

"It said you are the sixth?" asked Ruan Zhan

He could not help but feel extremely frustrated, knowing that this trouble had come knocking at his door, and it seemed he could not escape it.

What are you doing standing there? Didn't you see she's about to faint? Go upstairs, go upstairs." Wan Li turned around and locked the door, speaking to the two people standing by the bar with a tone that was so impolite it might lead one to misunderstand that this was his home

Wanli blocked his way, "So you want to become a werewolf!"

You possess a keen self-awareness. You have perfected the art of being unreasonable with acquaintances to an extraordinary degree, and you have also broken your promises