According to Tao Chen, one of the people who replied was a wicked person in this shopping mall.
While marveling that even ghosts could go online, Lu Mingran wandered around the mall and opened the famous ghost story forum that Xiao Fa had mentioned.
In order to lure out the evil spirit, Lu Mingran also started a thread with a title similar to that of the young man.
Soon after, people replied, mostly in jokes, with some saying that it's no fun here now that there are no red cars.
As Lu Mingran looked at the replies, she noticed one in particular.
John: "Hehe, I happen to be right here. Do you want to come find me in the parking lot?"
Lu Mingran sat lazily in a restaurant and replied, "Okay, but I want to look around first. I'll be right there."
Tao Chen was also looking at this post.
He saw Lu Mingran constantly replying to posts, taking photos and updating her location, from the third floor to the second floor, and then to the milk tea shop. Gradually, fog rolled in in the parking lot, and Tao Chen could see a red car appear opposite his. Besides that, ahead, a young man wearing a baseball cap was standing there, seemingly waiting for someone.
Tao Chen tensed up. He knew the surroundings had changed. As soon as Lu Mingran entered the parking lot, that evil spirit would pounce on her.
And at this moment...
The main post of this thread has been updated:
"Sorry, my phone is out of battery. I'll go find a data cable and update the post later."
...
John: "So, where are you now, OP?"
"Hey, OP, say something! I'm waiting for you!"
So, the fog in the parking lot receded a little, only to reluctantly rush back in.
After much deliberation, the evil spirit seemed to decide to wait for the original poster to update, saying that he had already exited the elevator on the parking lot floor.
At the same time, Tao Chen received a message from Lu Mingran:
"Have I lured out the evil spirit? You can go now."
Tao Chen glanced at the figure of the evil spirit and replied:
"Yes, it seems he's waiting for a thread starter, or a data cable."
Chapter 81 Want to study philosophy? No way (8)
In Tao Chen's imagination, Lu Mingran should be walking out and being chased by evil spirits. In the chaos, he should be using his wisdom and courage to run to the female ghost's red car and forcefully open the car door.
However, the imagined chase scene did not occur; everything was eerily calm. Tao Chen silently tucked the keys into his pocket and walked towards the dusty red car.
This is a dreamlike scene of someone with both wisdom and courage hitchhiking on the roadside.
The woman in the driver's seat saw Tao Chen and grinned maliciously through the car window. At the same time, the red color in the car turned even more crimson, and even on the car door, human eyes opened and stared at Tao Chen.
The ghost knew that the man would be trapped outside and killed by evil spirits.
But before her mouth could even stretch to her ears, the crisp sound of a key turning in the car door rang out.
He opened the door, sat down, and closed it. *Thud*—As Tao Chen sat down, the seat behind him sank in, while the woman in front remained gazing outside, only turning her head after a long while.
The whole world fell silent instantly.
Changgui: ...What was I supposed to be doing?
Wait, who got in my car!
Tao Chen knew exactly what he was going to do. He bent down and started rummaging through the old snake wine under the seat. When he looked up, the first thing he saw was a "young man" wearing a baseball cap standing outside the car.
The young man raised his hand to pull the car door open, then lowered it. He raised it again, lowered it, and repeated this several times before standing still.
Although I couldn't hear him or see him clearly through the car window, somehow...
Tao Chen clearly sensed the ghost's confusion and breakdown.
————————
Having dealt with them before, Tao Chen quickly finished the battle this time. After getting out of the car, he lowered his head and stroked the human bone ring on his left wrist, feeling a sense of unease.
The gatekeeper said that there are no ghosts in this world. Then what was that that vanished before his eyes just now? Was it a monster imagined by people, or merely a hallucination?
Tao Chen fell into his usual deep thought again, until he accidentally turned on his phone and saw that Lu Mingran had updated the main post:
My phone is fully charged! Can I update now?
Tao Chen was thus pulled back to reality. Honestly, what's the point of thinking so much? If he hadn't overthought things back then, none of this would have happened.
Whether we live or die, the great secrets are ultimately not for insignificant humans.
So when Lu Mingran finished eating and strolled out of the elevator, he saw Tao Chen leaning against the red car they had rented, giving him a relaxed and smiling look, almost as if he was about to whistle.
"Tsk, so sleazy."
After a slight expression of disdain, Lu Mingran went over and opened the car door, and Tao Chen returned to his driver's seat.
The evil spirits were banished, and the malevolent spirits were dealt with. On the way, Tao Chen glanced at the bottle of snake wine and asked:
How should I give it to him?
In the past, Tao Chen personally delivered the items to Song Gaishui to gain her trust. The situation is different now; Song Gaishui doesn't know who they are, so of course she won't rashly accept the snake wine and drink it.
Lu Mingran picked up the bottle and looked at the note attached to it. She felt that the probability of Song Gaishui drinking this bottle of wine had dropped by several percentage points.
A piece of paper was taped to the glass bottle, which read: "For external use only. Do not ingest."
Inside the bottle, a tiny snake coiled in the liquor, looking as if it might come to life at any moment.
Lu Mingran couldn't stand this, so she looked away and said, "I can't stand this. I'll look straight ahead."
"Then we'll have to rely on dreams. By the way, Ji Huan..."
————————
Ji Huan has always seemed to have a deeper connection with those paranormal events. Compared to Tao Chen's indifferent attitude, Ji Huan is much more enthusiastic, eager to get involved in the ghost-catching business, and even wants to become the sect leader.
Unfortunately, Ji Huan is not the male lead; he is the kind of supporting male character who tries his best to compete with the male lead for things but ends up with nothing.
In many works, this kind of person is most likely to become the villain, shouting at the male protagonist in the final episode: "Why are you better than me in everything! Why does everyone else like you!"
Fortunately, Ji Huan didn't take that route. She wasn't without resentment and grievances, but there's nothing that can't be solved by beating up the male lead. On the day her position as sect leader was stolen, Ji Huan invited Tao Chen out that night, and the next day Tao Chen went to the ceremony to take over as sect leader with a bruise on his forehead.
As for Ji Huan, he went down the mountain and continued his ordinary life, which was sometimes normal and sometimes chaotic due to the supernatural.
Upon hearing Lu Mingran mention Ji Huan, Tao Chen paused abruptly and said, "I know where he is."
Lu Mingran thought to herself, "Of course you know where Ji Huan went and what she did afterward. You know it all clearly every day."
Tao Chen initially seized the position of sect leader because he foresaw immense danger ahead. Later, to protect his friend, he completely intervened in his life, resolutely preventing him from dealing with any supernatural events. Eventually, Ji Huan discovered this and, in a fit of rage, beat Tao Chen up twice.
In other words, he was protecting Ji Huan. In the original story, Tao Chen didn't think this was overstepping boundaries or that there was anything wrong with it. But now, he sensed something was amiss.
What kind of friend is it to control others under the guise of doing what's best for them?
Ji Huan is currently following an old woman to perform spirit mediumship.
The location was a residential house in a suburban area. As soon as Tao Chen and Lu Mingran got out of the car, they heard the sound of someone being brutally beaten and howling coming from the end of the alley.
Later, a few thugs rushed out, clutching their heads. Behind them, a man with dyed yellow hair, laughing heartlessly, slowly walked over and glanced at Lu Mingran.
"You've come to see Yun Tai?"
Even though Tao Chen was standing next to Lu Mingran, Ji Huan didn't recognize him, perhaps because of the world's automatic correction function.
Lu Mingran didn't turn around; he guessed that Tao Chen's expression must be very complicated at that moment.
On the way to find Yun Tai, Ji Huan laughed self-deprecatingly:
"Don't get me wrong, it's just that lately there have been people following me suspiciously, and they've even been plotting loudly in front of me. I can't stand it anymore."
Tao Chen then realized that Ji Huan already knew who had ordered these things.
Tao Chen said, "I think you should find the mastermind behind this and beat him up."
Upon hearing this, Lu Mingran was stunned.
...Tao Chen, are you really hoping your past self will get beaten up? Does the male protagonist in this parallel world even bully himself?
By this time, they had arrived at Yun Tai's house.
Lu Mingran said, "We want to go down to find an old man and ask him to pass on a message to his descendants."
——————————
What happened during the day was somewhat complicated...
The ancestor they were looking for was an uncle of Song Gaishui who had died not long ago.
Song Gaishui's family guarded a secret due to their unique circumstances; members of the family who died had no souls. Therefore, Lu Mingran and her group only found this uncle, who knew that Song Gaishui had been poisoned.
The old man's first reaction was:
"Why make things so complicated? Wouldn't it be better to just tie him up, knock him unconscious, and force-feed him the medicated wine?"
Lu Mingran: "...Understood."
"Should we hit it with a stick or put it in a sack?"
"Should we apply more pressure?"
Seeing Lu Mingran taking notes so diligently, her uncle suddenly regretted it.
——————
That night, Song Gaishui really had a dream.
In his dream, his distant uncle invited him to dinner. After sitting down at the small square table, his uncle sighed and said, "Xiao Shui, someone will be coming to see you soon. There's something I need to tell you."
Then the scene shifts, and Song Gaishui sees an office building in front of her.
A window was opened, and his uncle leaned out, holding a piece of white paper and looking at him.
Two words were written on the white paper:
"Run!"