Chapter 180: Ghost Dregs

Chapter 180: Ghost Dregs

After finding Ning Qingying hiding in the duty room to avoid trouble, Siyuan turned to look at Ning Qingyuan who had come with him. The scene of these two sisters meeting was indescribably awkward, as if they were natural opponents. Though they were sisters, their relationship seemed even less familiar than their connections with Siyuan, an outsider.

“You are quite famous now,” Sister Ning said, folding her arms as she looked at her weary younger sister. “Go out. Someone outside will handle the situation.”

Siyuan stroked his chin. “What about the female celebrity?”

“She was moved to the intensive care unit,” the younger Ning sister said weakly, resting her head on the table. “I haven’t eaten anything since last night. I’m so hungry.”

“Aren’t female celebrities good at starving themselves and not eating?”

Even as he said this, he took out several roasted chicken legs and a large box of still-warm takeout from his backpack, along with a bottle of salt soda.

Normally, such things would never catch the famous star’s eye. But today, she was truly starving. Upon seeing what Siyuan brought, her stomach growled continuously. She picked up the takeout box and started eating. Since she felt there were no outsiders present, her table manners were far from elegant. She held a chicken leg in one hand while shoveling rice into her mouth with the other. She even grabbed the cola and drank from it with her greasy lips.

Sister Ning stood by, completely stunned. She had never seen Ning Qingying like this before. This girl’s pickiness had hardly changed since childhood—she wouldn’t eat spicy food, greasy food, anything that seemed unclean, or anything not natural. Because Old Ning doted excessively on this posthumous child of his dear brother, to the point of spoiling her, she had eventually reached a stage where she had to have red wine with meals, snacks had to be from France, and she avoided cola and soft drinks entirely. Even during family New Year dinners, she would scowl at leftover dishes served again.

But now, it seemed as if overnight, she was no longer so refined. She had become so rough that she chugged half a bottle of junk food like cola in one go. This made Ning Qingyuan feel as if the world was about to end.

“What did you do to her?”

“Me? What could I have done?”

Faced with Sister Ning’s question, Siyuan was utterly baffled and had no idea how to respond. He really hadn’t done anything to the delicate younger Ning sister. It was just that Ning Qingyuan, as the elder sister, probably never realized how stubborn and strong-willed her younger sister was deep down.

“Then how did she become like this? She would never eat these things.”

“Because she’s hungry,” Siyuan said with a laugh. “She knows I won’t take her for lavish meals, so… you get it. Once people have no other choices, they naturally accept what comes.”

This statement was somewhat interesting. However, she didn’t look like she was merely accepting her fate—she was clearly enjoying the meal. The way she kept eating despite breathing heavily from the spiciness—no one would recognize her as the goddess Ning Qingying.

“It’s delicious!” Ning Qingying suddenly looked up and blurted out. “So takeout can be this tasty! Back when I was on set, they always ordered separately from hotels for me. So bland and dull.”

“From now on, you won’t have a choice. In a while, I plan to take you to the mountains.”

“To do what?”

“What are you going to do?”

The two sisters spoke in unison. Ning Qingying’s tone held anticipation mixed with joy, while Ning Qingyuan’s was filled with shock and confusion.

“Cultivation,” Siyuan chuckled. “You wanted to learn spellcraft, right? You can’t avoid hardship.”

“What! You’re going to teach her?”

Sister Ning questioned loudly, as if Siyuan had committed some outrageous act. But before Siyuan could reply, the younger Ning sister frowned and retorted, “Can’t I learn?”

“Such a big decision—why didn’t you discuss it with Dad and me?”

“I’m not a child anymore. Why should I discuss it with you? Can’t I decide for myself?”

Seeing that the sisters’ argument was about to involve him, Siyuan quickly stepped in. “Actually, her talent is quite good. It’s fine for her to learn a little.”

“No! Uncle stated in his will that she must not learn these things.” Ning Qingyuan refused sternly. “So she cannot learn.”

“I refuse!” Ning Qingying stood up, gritting her teeth and glaring at her sister. “Do you think you can control me?”

“Can’t I? I’m your sister; I’m responsible for you!”

“You call yourself my sister? Originally, your position should have been mine. Is it meaningful for you to say such high-sounding words now?”

Seeing her speak more and more harshly, angering Ning Qingyuan until her nose turned red, Siyuan quickly slammed his hand on the table and shouted, “Enough! Shut up!”

The previously defiant Ning Qingying’s temper was doused by Siyuan’s loud command. She obediently sat back down and continued eating, though she muttered while chewing, “Anyway, what I decide, none of you can stop me.”

Ning Qingyuan was furious. Her younger sister had really been spoiled rotten. Now, it seemed she wouldn’t listen to anyone except Siyuan. Everything in the world has its match; even their shrewd father couldn’t tame this little demon, yet a plain and uninteresting guy like Siyuan easily managed her. It was truly sigh-worthy.

But now was not the time to deal with family matters. Regarding Ning Qingying’s choice, as her elder sister, she had no better option than to report truthfully to their father, hoping he could persuade this willful young lady.

“Alright, I’m full. What should we do now?”

After finishing her meal, Ning Qingying stood up and walked briskly to Siyuan’s side. Her eyes were full of determination, and at a glance, she seemed quite serious, with no trace of her usual delicacy.

“Now you can go back, take a good shower, and get some sleep. Come to my office tomorrow. If you can’t find the address, then don’t bother coming.”

“Okay!”

She followed Siyuan’s words unconditionally. Although this girl wasn’t very likable, her mind was sharp. She didn’t dare show off in front of Siyuan now; the memories from last night hadn’t faded. So, she would do as he said. Moreover, Ning Qingying seemed to have suddenly found her life’s purpose. Compared to subduing demons and monsters, being a celebrity seemed utterly lame.

“This afternoon, I’ll have my company hold a press conference to announce my decision to retire from the entertainment industry.” Before leaving, Ning Qingying said earnestly to Siyuan, “Please take care of me from now on.”

She even bowed deeply to Siyuan, which made him feel slightly awkward.

“You’re just going along with her like that?”

“She said it herself—she’s not a child.” Siyuan turned to look at the sulking Sister Ning. “When someone you love makes a dangerous decision, as long as your conscience is clear, don’t stop them. No matter how worried you are, don’t stand in their way. Life is given by heaven; whether it’s fate or calamity, don’t calculate it. Otherwise, you’ll soon lose them.”

“Hey… did you really say that? It feels like you’ve changed completely since I last saw you.”

“Yeah, changed…” Siyuan smiled faintly at Sister Ning, his tone somewhat melancholy. “I’ve seen too many things recently. There’s nothing more to say. Can the people outside take her out safely?”

“Yes, no problem. The police have dispersed the crowd.”

“That’s good. Are you hungry? I’ll take you somewhere. We can eat and talk.”

“Oh? I grew up in Hong Kong, and you’re going to take me out to eat?”

“Why not?”

“Sure, of course. I want to see what your taste is like.”

Siyuan’s taste was rather ordinary. In his opinion, the best food here was Uncle Kun’s soy sauce soup with fried rice, so naturally, he took Ning Qingyuan there.

When they arrived, Uncle Kun had just opened. It was 4:30 in the afternoon, time for preparations, and Siyuan was his first customer.

Entering the small shop, Uncle Kun was behind the counter watching his young apprentice chop vegetables and wash rice, his expression serious and meticulous, as if completing a fine piece of art.

“Uncle Kun, we have customers.” Siyuan called out and sat in his usual spot these past few days. “Shrimp dumplings, fried rice, rice noodle rolls, and the secret pickles! You have to make them yourself! I brought someone, don’t ruin your reputation.”

“That much? Can you finish it?”

Facing Ning Qingyuan’s doubt, Siyuan chuckled mysteriously. “You’ll see if we can soon enough.”

Just then, Uncle Kun walked out of the kitchen, wiping his hands. He looked Ning Qingyuan up and down, then nodded. “Girlfriend?”

“Good friend,” Siyuan clarified quickly.

“Potential girlfriend,” Ning Qingyuan asserted firmly.

“Young people’s world—I can’t understand it anymore.” Uncle Kun shook his head. “Wait a moment, I’ll prepare it.”

While waiting for the food, Ning Qingyuan sat opposite Siyuan, staring straight at him without blinking. Her expression made Siyuan blush, and he eventually covered his face with his hands.

“What are you doing…”

“I always knew you were a magical person.”

“Magical? Don’t joke.” Siyuan burst out laughing. “I never had a relationship before I was twenty-three. At twenty-four, I finally had a first love—an online romance. Online romance was one thing, but when we met, it turned out to be a man. A man was one thing… but he asked me to get a room as soon as we met. At twenty-five, I confessed to someone and invited her boating. The boat was a duck pedal boat. The girl took one look and ran off. It wasn’t until twenty-six that I had a proper girlfriend. You say I’m magical? I suppose I am… cursed.”

Upon hearing this, Ning Qingyuan laughed until she gasped for breath. “Really? That pitiful?”

“Don’t mention pitiful. The Xiao Hong I had a crush on as a child is now a mother of two. The girl whose legs I secretly admired in college—when I went to Dongguan on business recently, I found her number was 871. I almost thought I was destined to be alone forever.”

Siyuan spread his hands, full of resignation. “The first half of my life was just a tragedy… no, a comedy. Simply meant to entertain the masses.”

After saying this, he sighed and stopped recounting his sad stories. He took two cola bottles from his bag and placed them on the table. “Check the traces of this Little Ghost.”

“Here?” Ning Qingyuan looked around, then toward Uncle Kun busy in the kitchen. “Is this appropriate?”

Just as she spoke, Uncle Kun came out carrying two bowls of soy sauce soup. He spotted the Little Ghost on the table at once and pursed his lips. “Young man, where did you get these things again?”

“Uncle Kun, do you recognize it?” Siyuan shook his head. “I really don’t know enough about this area.”

Ignoring Ning Qingyuan’s surprised look, Uncle Kun picked up a cola bottle, unscrewed the cap, and stuck his finger inside. Instantly, the previously calm Little Ghost became agitated, rolling and surging wildly, biting at Uncle Kun’s finger. Uncle Kun frowned, sensing something, then nodded. “An ordinary Little Ghost, but…”

“Hmm?”

Uncle Kun screwed the cap back on, his expression grave. “This method of Ghost Refining is rare nowadays. And these are just dregs.”

“What? What does that mean?”

Ning Qingyuan was quite knowledgeable about talisman ghosts. Hearing Uncle Kun’s words, she immediately sensed something strange, and her thoughts drifted toward that case.

“Well, this Ghost Refining technique was brought here with the Persian Zoroastrianism during the late Yuan dynasty.” Uncle Kun took a handful of rice from his pocket and rubbed it on his injured finger. In no time, the sinister poison was completely drawn out. “During the turmoil at the end of the Yuan dynasty, Wandering Ghosts were everywhere. The person who invented this spell collected a large number of Souls but had no way to handle them all at once. So, on a whim, they sealed these ghosts in a jar and chanted scriptures to release them outside. But because the seal was too strong, the Souls couldn’t ascend from the jar. Instead, the scriptures incited their ferocity, and they began tearing and devouring each other inside. In the end, they created an invincible Ghost King that wreaked havoc. It’s said that Zhang Sanfeng had to destroy his own spirit to defeat it.”

“Zhang Sanfeng? The one who practiced Tai Chi?”

“Any problem?” Uncle Kun looked at Siyuan and smiled. “Under heaven, all things can follow the Dao. Didn’t I start from a bowl of fried rice?”

“Sorry… I’m being amateurish.” Siyuan scratched his head sheepishly. “And then?”

“Though many capable people at the time tried hard to prevent this method from spreading among the people, it was eventually taken out. They found that ghosts refined this way were very effective and extremely powerful. One thousand Living Souls refined into one Ghost King, and the remaining Fragment Souls from the nine hundred ninety-nine devoured were fiercer than ordinary Little Ghosts. Apart from being highly prone to losing control, they were almost a favorite of Ghost Refiners. However, I haven’t heard of any reputable orthodox schools using it.”

“Mhm.” Ning Qingyuan nodded. “Ghosts are lives too; harming them goes against heaven’s harmony.”

Siyuan’s eyes darted around, and he suddenly proposed a speculation. “What if… these Little Ghosts are the dregs left after children’s souls were refined?”

“If that’s the case…”

Uncle Kun’s face changed drastically. “Not good! When children die young, their resentment is already intense. If they were tortured and killed… a Ghost King refined like that…”

“What then?”

“It would startle heaven and earth, and make ghosts and gods weep!”