Chapter Fifteen: Zhang Shengnan

The male ghost spoke as he drew a glowing white mass from his chest—this, undoubtedly, was Lin Xue’s soul.

Fang You opened the oil-paper umbrella, and the soul slipped in of its own accord.

"You see, I’ve returned the soul, and this whole affair was orchestrated by my family—I wasn’t entirely aware of it myself. So, this must all be a misunderstanding! Please, Master, don’t be angry!" The male ghost no longer bore any of his previous fierceness; instead, he pleaded earnestly.

Indeed, people fear the wicked, and so do ghosts; when gentle persuasion fails, one must resort to more forceful means to earn respect.

"Let’s put this behind us. In the days left to your ghostly existence, remember to keep yourself in check, or you’ll only bring more punishment upon yourself," Fang You admonished. With that, he turned to leave. Having witnessed Fang You's power, the ghost dared not make trouble and could only bow repeatedly in agreement.

Lin Qiu, too, watched Fang You’s retreating figure and offered a deep word of thanks.

Fang You didn’t dare linger. He hurriedly crossed the street, hailed another cab, and returned to Qingshui Street.

At House 32 on Qingshui Street, he entered Lin Xue’s room once more, opened the oil-paper umbrella, and placed a talisman in his mouth, chanting an incantation. In an instant, the white soul was drawn out and attached itself to the talisman.

"The living have souls, the living have spirits—three souls and seven spirits, all return to their rightful bearer!"

With a swift motion, Fang You placed the talisman on Lin Xue’s body. As the talisman burned, the white soul entered through her mouth.

"That should do it." Fang You, feeling the fatigue from a sleepless night, wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

Suddenly, Lin Xue croaked, "My throat hurts… water, give me water!"

"Right away!" Fang You quickly grabbed her thermos from the floor and poured a full cup of hot water.

"Here… water!" He brought the cup to her lips. In her dazed state, Lin Xue took a sip and winced, "It’s too hot!"

Only then did Fang You, never much good at caring for others, realize the water was scalding. In a fluster, he blew on the cup, then took a small sip to test the heat.

At that instant, Lin Xue pressed her lips to his, drawing the water from his mouth and swallowing it, before collapsing back onto the bed in a faint.

Fang You was deeply shaken. This was his first time so close to a girl—his very first kiss. Though his relationship with his junior Lin Xiaoyue in Maoshan had been good, it had never gone beyond holding hands. Now, this intimate contact stirred his desires.

Looking at Lin Xue’s frail figure, her white face, and her chest rising like snowy peaks, Fang You found it hard to restrain himself. He reached out his right hand, but as soon as his fingers brushed her, he suddenly came to his senses and turned away.

"What a sin, what a sin… Desire is like a wild beast—once released, it’s impossible to control. Fang You, after all these years of cultivation, how could you almost lose your discipline over this?" He chastised himself.

Just then, the door burst open and two police officers entered. The fierce-looking woman brandished her pistol at Fang You. "I am Zhang Shengnan of the Ninth Unit, Spiritual Cases Division. This is my mentor, Zhou Shen. We received a report of an intruder unlawfully confining a lone female student… So, what is your relationship to the young woman on the bed?"

Zhang Shengnan eyed the girl on the bed, then the young man in Taoist robes. He didn’t look dangerous—in fact, he seemed quite gentle.

Behind the officers, an older woman peered in and whispered, "That apartment’s rented by a female college student. That oddly dressed man seems to have knocked her out—I saw him fussing over her, maybe he drugged her?"

Zhou Shen, the male officer, approached the girl, checked her breathing, and pressed her chest. "Her condition isn’t serious; let’s get her to the hospital quickly," he said.

"Yes, sir!" Zhang Shengnan replied, pulling out her radio. "Ambulance needed at House 32, Qingshui Street. Thank you!"

Fang You was at a loss—this was his first time encountering the police outside his training, and unlike dealing with spirits, violence here would be a grave crime. The best course was to comply.

"I asked you a question—what’s your relationship with this girl? You didn’t do anything to her, did you?" Zhang Shengnan pressed.

"I…" Fang You looked at Lin Xue, recalling their recent encounter. Desire stirred in him again, but he fought to suppress it.

"Not talking? Fine! Let’s discuss this at the station," Zhang Shengnan said, attempting to cuff him.

"Zhang Shengnan," Zhou Shen intervened, "why do you always reach for the cuffs? Assess the situation first—decide if there’s real danger. You can’t just cuff anyone you like. For questioning, just bring him in for a statement. You’re a police officer, but that doesn’t mean you can misuse your authority. Understand?"

"Sorry, I just do errands all day—it finally felt like something important, I got carried away." Zhang Shengnan sheepishly lowered the cuffs.

Zhou Shen regarded Fang You with a friendly gaze. "You seem to be a Taoist priest. Our department holds respect for your order; though our paths differ, we can still get along, can’t we?"

"That’s right," Fang You replied, relaxing under Zhou Shen’s kind manner. "I found the girl fainted at the door and came in to help. That’s all."

He made up this story to avoid further trouble.

"Oh, is that so?" Zhang Shengnan raised her chin, feigning contemplation.

"Alright, bring the young priest in for a statement, then let him go. As for the girl, she probably just fainted from anemia. No apparent injuries and her breathing’s normal. She’s in a shallow coma, but if this priest meant harm, she wouldn’t be unharmed."

"Yes, sir—wise as always!"