Chapter 9: The Colleague's Mysterious Death

Everyone, take a look at how many people are at work today. Is it true that everyone is staying overnight at the office? Did we overlook anyone when we gathered just now?" Shi Ren felt that the truth of the matter was becoming increasingly unclear

"It is not that I do not want to tell you, but rather that I have not figured out how to convey it to you. I never intended to keep it from you in the first place." After a moment of silence, Shi Guoquan finally spoke. He then poured himself a full glass of wine and downed it in one gulp. Shi Ren remained silent, waiting for his father to continue. I knew that his father would get straight to the point next.

"Mom and Dad, I am back." Upon entering the house, Shi Ren greeted his father. Overall, Shi Ren felt that this trip had fulfilled his aspirations, and he was quite satisfied, thus he greeted his parents with a beaming smile.

I have always told you that working at the crematorium is also a job. Haven't I been doing it for so many years? It has similarly supported you and your brother. Now that such an incident has occurred, everyone is talking about it being the work of ghosts and spirits. How can I be at ease with you going to work? If you resign, then what was the point of my insistence on you working at the crematorium in the first place? Isn't that just talk without substance? How can I be at ease with you going to work? If you resign, then what was the point of my insistence on you working at the crematorium in the first place? Isn't that just talk without substance?

Upon hearing this, Shi Ren's expression gradually became serious. He did not expect that such an incident would occur just as he had made a slight improvement in his magical abilities.

It is merely a talisman to subdue evil spirits, which is far too easy for Shiren now. During the month in Nanjing, he has mastered this item the best. The nine characters "Le, Ling, Shen, Jiang, Zhan, Gui, Da, Sha, Gang" are inscribed on a piece of talisman paper, completed in one breath. This signifies the command for the celestial deities to descend and assist mortals in subduing demons and eliminating evil.

Shi Guoquan's expression was quite troubled, and he downed another glass of white liquor in one go. His capacity for alcohol was rather average, and it was rare to see him so drunk. Shi Ren understood that his father's inner turmoil had no outlet, and today, with his return, he had finally found a means to vent.

Mom and Dad, please stop arguing. I agreed to work in that kind of place myself. So this cannot be blamed on anyone; one must bear the consequences of their own choices

Although Li Dexuan did not present substantial and useful evidence, he undoubtedly provided an effective direction for collective brainstorming among the attendees

After so many years of living together, Shi Ren understood that whenever his father exhibited such behavior, it meant he was facing particularly difficult issues or was feeling very down, and would resort to alcohol to drown his sorrows

"You heartless wretch, I repeatedly tried to stop my son from working at that place, but you insisted on agreeing to it. And now look what has happened. If that evil spirit comes knocking at our door, I wonder how you will handle it. A hundred deaths would not absolve you of this guilt." At this moment, Shi's mother began to shout, roaring like thunder at Shi Guoquan.

Later, haha

Shi Ren had no choice but to recount the details of his outing to his parents. Regardless of how he explained, his parents remained uneasy. In the end, Shi Ren had to take out a cinnabar red pen and draw a talisman on a piece of spirit paper. Only then did his father and mother reluctantly agree to let him go

"Don't say anything, Kuan. I already have a general understanding of what happened." As Shi Ren walked into the crematorium last night, he was spotted by A Kuan, who was just coming out of the cafeteria. The excitement in A Kuan's emotions made him unable to finish his sentence, but Shi Ren interrupted him.

Brother Kuan, please call all the colleagues over immediately. Everyone should share with me what has happened in the past month, and let's discuss together to see if we can find any clues

Let me put it this way, www.hetushu.com. Mom and Dad, what do you think I went out to do on this trip? I went to learn magic from an old Taoist priest, specifically spells for subduing demons and capturing ghosts. Otherwise, do you really think I am not afraid of death? Knowing that I cannot defeat that thing, why would I provoke it?

Shi Ren did not answer A Kuan's question, but instead glanced at everyone and said: "The extinguishing of the light just now was clearly abnormal. In the future, if anyone encounters such ghostly or supernatural occurrences again, just silently recite these nine characters. This is the nine-character mantra for subduing demons and calming spirits, which is very effective and can ensure everyone's safety"

Upon hearing that Shi Ren was planning to go to the crematorium overnight, Shi's mother immediately stood up and said: "Xiao Ren, what are you doing? You must not go. I beg you, two people have already died. I am not at ease if you go again, especially at night. I have already decided that tomorrow, your father and I will go to your workplace to help you with your resignation."

"Who?" A Kuan called out again, and at that moment, everyone turned their heads towards the window

Just as Shi Ren's mother was about to say a word, he was abruptly silenced by a shout from his father. Colleague? What does that mean? Could it be that something has happened to a colleague? Upon returning home, Shi Ren heard this strange matter, feeling that something was amiss. When things are out of the ordinary, there must be something unusual going on. It seems he needs to ask his parents thoroughly.

More than half a month later, on the morning of the seventeenth day, your other colleague, Aunt Lan, did not come to work. Li Dexuan went to her room to call her, only to find her dead in the same manner as Ding Wei. The crime scene left no evidence, and there were no fatal wounds found on the deceased's body. The situation was identical to that of Ding Wei, who also died from sudden cardiac arrest due to excessive fright. The crime scene left no evidence, and there were no fatal wounds found on the deceased's body. The situation was identical to that of Ding Wei, who also died from sudden cardiac arrest due to excessive fright

"Mr. Xuan, you have the most seniority and experience here, so please go ahead and speak first," Shi Ren said to Li Dexuan, knowing that he would surely find clues from Li Dexuan's words.

There are several people in the entire unit, and I believe you know better than we do, as you have been here for a month. Aside from the station chief, who comes to work and goes home to sleep every day, the rest are all present. Li Dexuan's words are undoubtedly the most straightforward.

In Shiren's personal dormitory, it was filled with seven or eight people, including the cleaning staff and the cafeteria cooks. Originally, there were not many personnel from the crematorium, totaling only about ten individuals. Now, with the sudden death of two, the atmosphere has become even more desolate. Amidst this desolation, a hint of eeriness permeates, leaving one feeling anxious and on edge

I understand. Please everyone recite with me: "Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Zai, Qian." Everyone recite it with me five times

Ah

It is truly amazing; how is it that the light just turned on while we were reading? I said, "Shiren, how is it that after this trip, you have become so inscrutable to all of us?"

What consequences do you think I am unaware of? When it comes down to it, it is just that your father is being very arbitrary in insisting that you go to work. And dealing with the dead is not necessarily a bad thing..." At this moment, Mother Shi is emotionally agitated, spitting as she scolds Shi Guoquan. Her two sons are the apple of her eye; the elder son is working in another city, and only the younger son is at home, constantly surrounding her. How can she not be worried?

While everyone was brainstorming together, the lights in the room suddenly went out. Someone, startled, let out a scream, causing everyone in the room to become tense and on edge

Shi Ren can now be certain that this is definitely a supernatural case, and ordinary police officers will surely be unable to find any clues

With a heavy heart, Shi Ren returned to his hometown of Xiangyang. Before leaving, his master imparted teachings, which made Shi Ren acutely aware of the increasing weight of responsibility on his shoulders. He made a decision: upon returning, he would resign from his current job and seek a position with a more relaxed schedule, allowing him to practice his skills while working. Once he had achieved a certain level of mastery, he would begin to wander the world.

Shiren's father's name is Shi Guoquan, and he used to be an old worker at the crematorium. When he heard his son ask this question, he was not particularly surprised; he just paused for a moment.

A few days after you left, a colleague named Ding Wei from your crematorium died under mysterious circumstances. He was found dead in the dormitory of the crematorium, with a particularly terrifying expression. His eyes were dark with a hint of purple and filled with blood vessels. The forensic expert concluded that there were no fatal injuries on his body, ultimately determining that he died of fright

Shiren, you have finally returned. Do you know what has happened in our unit recently

Then what happened next? Did the police have no clues at all? When Shi Ren heard his father's words, he immediately sensed that this was not a normal death case, but rather a supernatural event

"Mom and Dad, you go ahead and eat, I will check at the office first." With this remark, Shi Ren left and walked towards his room to pack his things, planning to go over in the evening. After all, arriving a bit earlier might provide his colleagues with an extra layer of safety. Although he might not be able to subdue this malevolent spirit, at least understanding the cause would be beneficial, preventing him from acting blindly without direction.

"Mom and Dad, now you can tell me the things you didn't finish saying before, right?" During dinner time, the family sat together, and Shi Ren decided to ask straightforwardly.

With a heart full of unease, Shi Ren returned to his room and tidied up his belongings. He sat down to recall the conversation he had just overheard between his parents. It was evident that a colleague from the crematorium must have encountered a significant issue; otherwise, his parents would not have concealed it from him.

Shi Ren was deep in thought about the cause of his colleague's death, when he suddenly heard his father, Shi Guoquan, making a defense. While this made Shi Ren feel warm and happy, he also sensed his father's stubbornness and inner turmoil regarding his pride

The situation is extremely urgent, leaving no room for discussion. Shi Ren immediately issued orders.

Mom, I must go. I am determined to seek justice for my colleague

Xiao Ren, going out once makes a difference. It seems that your father's decision last time was correct. You need to go out for a walk and clear your mind. Otherwise, it would not be good to end up like your colleague who lost their life.

Li Dexuan fell silent upon hearing Shi Renzhi call his name. He lit a cigarette and took a few deep puffs, organizing his thoughts. "There is something I have always wanted to say but have never dared to. Those who often walk by the river will inevitably get their feet wet. We deal with the dead every day, and I know that one day something will go wrong."

He stood up, walked to the wall cabinet, took a bottle of sealed wine, sat down, poured himself a full glass, drank it in one gulp, and then fell into deep thought

After Li Dexuan finished this statement, he gave a wry smile, glanced at a few colleagues around him, and felt that everyone agreed with his words before continuing: "From these two cases, I personally believe that it is absolutely not a homicide or suicide; it must be a supernatural event. However, so much time has passed, and we have been unable to find any clues, not knowing where the unclean things have attached themselves. We work in the crematorium every day, and the only thing we encounter is the dead. Yet, so much time has passed, and we still cannot find any clues, not knowing where the unclean things have attached themselves. We work in the crematorium every day, and the only thing we encounter is the dead. If we are to speak of the dead, we can only start exploring from the dead that we have cremated ourselves in the crematorium."

I saw a person outside the window, and upon seeing me, they immediately ran away

"You should be quiet; if you can't speak, then don't. No one considers you a mute."

"Xiao Ren, listen to your mother." Shi Guoquan finally managed to lift his head and uttered these words. It seemed that it was incredibly difficult for him to say this, but now he had no choice but to articulate it word by word