Chapter 7, The Malevolent Vehicle

After about ten minutes, A began to regain consciousness. At first, she was still unsteady on her feet and unable to speak, but she could recognize her family. Qin Yiheng came over to take a look and said that resting would be sufficient, and that she should try to get more sunlight every day, and everything would be fine

I asked him, are you saying that what is attached to A is not filth, but a deity

He smiled and said, "No." After saying this, he glanced at the group of people smoking and remarked, "Among this group, there are shadow soldiers. Do you believe it?"

After inquiring about the situation, I learned that they had also sought the help of several local so-called masters, who employed various methods, yet none proved effective. Even individuals claiming to possess certain powers associated with three specific characters came, but there was no improvement. Now, A can only be restrained at home by them; they are reluctant to send A to a psychiatric hospital, and keeping A tied up at home is not a viable solution.

When it got dark, Qin Yiheng went to find A and chatted for quite a while, this time he didn't even let me in. When he finally came out after finishing, his complexion was quite poor, looking particularly tired.

After listening to Qin Yiheng's words, I quickly scanned the room with my eyes. Indeed, there were four people who were not smoking, but most of them were women, with only one man among them. I couldn't help but focus my attention on that man, but after observing for a long time, I found nothing unusual about him.

I was taken aback by the question, does it mean that A is about to attain immortality? Is this how ancient people achieved immortality through cultivation?

Qin Yiheng did not dare to help with this matter, as it could easily bring trouble upon himself. However, according to him: "As long as vinegar is poured from the four corners of the foundation during the hours when the negative energy is at its peak, it might be effective, but no one can verify this. In the end, that house was still demolished; it is unknown what kind of expert the contractor found."

The cause of the incident is quite simple, similar to many other notorious vehicles, it was just a car accident. Let us refer to the relative of this old friend as A. A was also in the vehicle that met with the accident, and they collided head-on with a heavy truck carrying goods. They were driving only a small car, and the outcome was predictable. However, A was fortunate to escape unharmed, while the driver was pierced in the neck, splattering A's face with blood

After leaving, Qin Yiheng was still very excited, saying that such occurrences are rare and cannot be sought after. He pondered for a moment and concluded that it must have been when A was in a state of extreme fright, causing him to lose his soul. There are many such sayings in folklore, and it just so happened that at the moment the driver died, his soul left his body and inadvertently entered A's body. Now, A's soul is probably still in that fatal vehicle. The ghost or spirit that came today is likely here to collect the driver's soul, but since the body and soul do not match, it is also very difficult for him to act.

He said: "From the words of Family A, it is merely a matter of a ghost possessing someone, which should not be a big deal. However, if it were truly that simple, the few deities they invited should be able to resolve it. Unless those deities are all frauds, it seems that the situation is indeed somewhat suspicious."

I walked over and took a glance, and indeed, there was something on her face that resembled a birthmark. Qin Yiheng circled around the room, took a stick of incense, lit it, and placed it in a bowl filled with rice. Then he asked all of us to leave the bedroom, saying that we should not disturb A and let her sleep well. This matter would have to be dealt with in the evening

Now I am even more confused. I looked at A's family and counted, and there were exactly ten people. Among these ten people, are there any ghostly soldiers? Little ghosts? In broad daylight? And they are casually gathered together like normal people, smoking? They can even chat about stocks and such? To be honest, I don't believe it

Next, according to the previous plan, A's family members entered A's room one by one. After everyone had visited once, Qin Yiheng and I went in again, and A was already asleep. Qin Yiheng reached out to check and felt A's breath, so he quickly went out to call A's family to take them to the car involved in the incident.

Strangely, since A woke up in the hospital, she has consistently insisted that she is not A, but rather the driver who was behind the wheel at that time. More importantly, A's face began to develop a birthmark that resembled the bloodstain from that incident. However, the frightening aspect of the situation does not end there. This family, located at the border between Hebei Province and Liaoning Province, believed that she had developed a mental disorder due to excessive stimulation and planned to take her to a major hospital in the provincial capital. They needed to drive through the gate of Shanhaiguan, but A adamantly claimed that she could not pass through, stating that there were ghostly soldiers guarding the city gate, preventing her from crossing. Ultimately, in desperation, they learned that I was involved in the business of selling haunted houses and, with no other options, hoped that I could take my friends to take a look.

Now he no longer kept it a secret, and in a husky voice said: "What I just ordered is a stick of tribute incense, very expensive! Look at them, who hasn't smoked? Those who haven't are probably just smelling the tribute incense."

A's family expressed their profound gratitude, almost to the point of kneeling before us. After staying for another day, Qin Yiheng and I began our journey back. By this time, A was able to walk and speak normally, though she appeared somewhat weak, had poor memory, and the birthmark-like marks on her face remained unchanged. However, it no longer mattered to her; having been given a second chance at life, she was indifferent to these concerns.

After that, Qin Yiheng and I took a break for nearly a month. During this time, there were some reports about haunted houses, but either the homeowners were asking too much, or the locations were simply too far, and we both were too lazy to make the effort. Additionally, the real estate market was particularly sluggish during that period, and many properties began to decrease in price, which at one point made me reconsider my decision to continue in this line of work. However, as people are, we are always momentarily indifferent, then momentarily driven by fame and fortune, and the desire is something we can never truly escape. In the meantime, we also took on quite a few small jobs. Although the earnings were not substantial, they were easy to handle, with many tasks requiring only a few instructions from Qin Yiheng over the phone to get done. Among these was a matter related to demolition; although we were unable to resolve it for the client, we still received compensation.

Later, there were many fresh stories regarding such demolitions, most of which involved one or two houses that could not be torn down when the demolition began, and these were often old residences. There are many reasons for the inability to demolish, such as machinery suddenly malfunctioning, the main operator falling ill unexpectedly, or even developers receiving prophetic dreams, among others. Qin Yiheng always said that we should keep our distance from such money; no matter how much the other party offers, it cannot be earned. Moreover, the news from Yuan Zhen about providing residences became increasingly frequent, and we became thoroughly busy, continuing to focus on acquiring the properties.

After listening to his words, I felt a bit nervous. However, upon reflection, even if it were a ghost, it should be serving as a public servant, so it should pose no threat to humans

After listening to Qin Yiheng's words, I wasn't worried at all; after all, I couldn't be of any help, so I might as well just enjoy the spectacle. With that, the two of us went to bed early. The next morning, we went directly to A's house. A's family was already waiting for us. Upon entering the inner bedroom, we saw A tied to a single bed, and we couldn't tell if he was asleep; in any case, he was slumped softly on the bed.

I stayed with Qin Yiheng for a while longer, feeling that it was not very convenient to talk in the room, so I made an excuse to say I was going to get something to eat, and then I came out. A's family insisted on keeping us, wanting to take us to try some famous local dishes, but we declined.

This old friend is a classmate from my middle school. Although we have not been in contact for a long time, we have never completely lost touch. He has heard from others that I have recently been spending time with a friend who understands the art of divination, and he approached me for help with a sense of trying his luck. His relative has encountered a significant problem, which, although not related to a haunted house, is nonetheless quite extraordinary, as the source of the trouble turns out to be a cursed vehicle

The theory he mentioned is quite amusing, and I wonder if those who work in the underworld are all so petty-minded. In any case, it seems that the matter has been resolved quite simply.

A's family surrounded the bed, unsure whether to take action or just watch helplessly, all looking at the two of us with pleading eyes. Qin Yiheng instructed them to leave, leaving only the three of us in the room. He leaned down and whispered something in A's ear, and by the time he straightened up, A was already in tears. Once A had cried enough, Qin Yiheng nodded at her, then pulled me outside, telling A's family waiting outside: "When it gets completely dark, each of you can go in one at a time to touch her forehead with your hand; only one person can enter at a time; one must exit before another can enter." Once A had cried enough, Qin Yiheng nodded at her, then pulled me outside, telling A's family waiting outside: "When it gets completely dark, each of you can go in one at a time to touch her forehead with your hand; only one person can enter at a time; one must exit before another can enter."

I asked Qin Yiheng, and he told me: "This is to give that ghost soldier the opportunity to take the soul away. I persuaded the driver, and he is willing to be reincarnated, but we cannot let the ghost soldier swagger around taking the soul away. Although others may not see it, he definitely knows that I can see it. After all, I still have to give him face and provide the ghost soldier with a way out.

This is a foreman introduced to us by a relative of A, who encountered a tricky situation. An old house is to be demolished, which has been repaired many times, and logically, it should be easy to tear down. However, the machinery fails every time. He came to seek help from Qin Yiheng, promising a considerable reward regardless of success or failure. Qin Yiheng went to take a look and returned to tell me that the house that could not be demolished had an ancient tortoise buried in its foundation, which was shaking the house and could withstand even an earthquake. I found it quite intriguing; some things truly defy explanation. Although technology has advanced significantly, buildings today may not be as sturdy as the old houses of the past.

I quietly asked Qin Yiheng, saying: "Just tell me honestly, I can't figure out who I am. Logically speaking, they are all relatives, and they should definitely understand each other. If someone is not normal, they should be able to notice it when they gather together."

A set off with a group of people, and the vehicle involved in the accident is still parked in the traffic police accident team's parking lot. On the way, Qin Yiheng picked a willow branch from a park. When he reached the side of the vehicle, Qin Yiheng asked A's family who among them had the best relationship with A. He then handed the willow branch to that person, instructing them to draw a circle on the ground while calling out A's name. The remaining men had to stand back a bit, and a group of people watched from a distance of about thirty to forty meters.

After sending off A's family, I chatted with Qin Yiheng in the hotel

Although I consider myself quite a mercenary person, I am still willing to lend a helping hand to my friends' requests. Moreover, I do not have much of a significant role; I merely act as a facilitator in connecting the dots. Thus, I persuaded Qin Yiheng to look into A's situation

When I was about to return, my old friend insisted on giving me money. I declined for a long time, but eventually had no choice but to accept it. Although the amount was not large, it was already a substantial sum for the expenses of this trip

Qin Yiheng is also very loyal and is quite willing to help, so we simply packed our belongings and set off for Shanhaiguan the next day. Although the journey was tiring, we treated it as a trip and found it quite refreshing. There is no need to elaborate on the events during the journey. Upon arriving at Shanhaiguan, A's family came to the train station to greet the two of us, showing exceptional warmth. They arranged for us to stay at the best local hotel, clearly treating us as their saviors.

When asked again, Qin Yiheng merely curled his lips and said that he only felt there was such an object in this room, but he was not sure whether it was attached to a person or hiding somewhere. Lighting that incense just now could be considered a form of bribery, a little gesture, which would do us no harm

Although A's family did not understand, they all nodded in agreement. I also do not know what method Qin Yiheng is using, as it sounds as if it is a farewell for the deceased

I strolled around the ancient city of Shanhaiguan with Qin Yiheng, had lunch, and in the afternoon returned to A's home. By this time, A had already woken up and was making a fuss in bed, continuously shouting to his family not to let him take me away. Since Qin Yiheng had explained it to me earlier, I immediately understood that the 'he' A was referring to was actually the little ghost who came to collect souls

Hearing his explanation, I also began to understand a bit. I remember when I was a child, whenever I was startled by something, the elders would call my soul back. It was not simply a matter of calling out; it had to be combined with various factors such as position and direction, and it was necessary to call out several times depending on the situation.

A's family quickly retreated to the living room, gathering together to smoke. Qin Yiheng pulled me to a corner and whispered to me, "This is interesting, have you ever seen a deity?"