Speaking of Science in a Supernatural Livestream 16

Chapter 16: Linking Up with Encounter

Seeing there was still some time, Sang Jing brought over scissors, yellow paper, and some pigments.

“Come here.”

Xie Yu heard her speak, glanced at the motionless Hei Wuchang behind the counter, then looked at Sang Jing. So, was the reserved person calling her?

The little paper effigy floated over to Sang Jing.

“Stand still, don’t wobble,” Sang Jing said, holding up a sheet of yellow paper and measuring it against the effigy.

Xie Yu watched her actions and said in a low voice, “This paper effigy is too light. A gust of wind would blow it away.”

“What are you doing?”

Sang Jing finished measuring, put pen to paper, and soon, a prototype took shape.

Xie Yu was surprised. “Clothes? For me?”

Sang Jing cut the paper with scissors and said, “Didn’t you say something was missing during the day? Wasn’t it clothes? What color do you like?”

“Blue, I guess. But what I said then wasn’t clothes, it was a face. You didn’t draw a face for me,” Xie Yu said, moving closer to Sang Jing’s eyes. “Can you draw one for me?”

For some reason, Sang Jing thought of the avatar of the last person she had linked with on the livestream last night—that line-drawn smiley face.

Her pen moved with her thoughts. The tip of the brush, dipped in blue dye, landed on the small paper effigy’s round head. Three strokes and a hook, and a smiley face was drawn.

“Done.”

“Let me see, let me see,” Xie Yu turned her head, saw a mirror on a shelf, and floated straight towards it.

A mirror? Where did a mirror come from on the first floor?

Suddenly, Sang Jing’s brush paused, and she looked up abruptly.

Oh no!

The only mirror in the shop was that Bagua mirror. Xie Yu had malevolence in her; how could she look into that mirror!

“New ghosts are so bold, daring to look into any mirror in this shop,” Hei Wuchang said, holding the paper effigy and looking at the dark circles she had developed over the past few days in the Bagua mirror.

Sang Jing immediately let out a sigh of relief. She walked over, took the paper effigy from Hei Wuchang’s hand, and flicked its head with her finger. “If you want to die, don’t die in the shop.”

After a long moment without hearing Xie Yu speak, Sang Jing laid the paper effigy on her palm and saw that one of its hands was mangled.

Putting the paper effigy down, Sang Jing went to get some incense ash and talisman water and began to repair the effigy’s mangled hand.

Hei Wuchang watched from the side and suddenly asked, “Xiao Jing, your teacher isn’t a Ghost Master, so why haven’t I seen you learn the art of raising ghosts from her? If you raised a little ghost, it could help you with things.”

Sang Jing placed the repaired paper effigy aside and started making clothes for it. “I’m more comfortable alone. I’d rather spend the time it takes to raise a little ghost drawing a few more talismans.”

Hei Wuchang watched her silently, smiling without a word.

“It’s almost time,” Hei Wuchang reminded her. “Take Xie Yu with you too.”

Sang Jing was puzzled. “Why take her?”

Hei Wuchang: “When the matter of her death is resolved, she will also have to walk the Yellow Springs Road. Consider it as familiarizing herself with the process in advance.”

Sang Jing thought for a moment and nodded. “Alright.”

A while later, Xie Yu woke up. Sang Jing led her out of the small paper effigy. This time, she could clearly see the face Sang Jing had drawn for her—three curved lines, a very bright smile.

“Meow—”

A cat’s cry came from outside the incense shop, the end of the sound drawn out and very sad.

Hei Wuchang looked at Sang Jing. “Go on.”

Sang Jing’s eyelashes drooped. She took the Wuchang warrant and went out with Xie Yu.

As soon as the door opened, the black cat circled around Sang Jing’s feet, then walked into the alley, as if leading the way.

The human and the ghost followed behind the black cat, the journey very quiet.

This road became more and more familiar. Xie Yu secretly glanced at Sang Jing and saw that her eyes seemed a little red.

The black cat led them to Granny Lin’s house, looked up at Sang Jing, and meowed. Sang Jing squatted down and stroked its head. “I will send her off.”

The black cat nudged Sang Jing’s palm, then turned and squeezed through the crack in the door.

So, Lin Shu was the name of that old woman.

Granny Lin wouldn’t close her door tightly at night. She was afraid Meow Meow wouldn’t be able to open the door and come home, so she always left a crack.

Sang Jing took a deep breath and pushed the door open. The old courtyard was lush with flowers and plants; the owner had taken good care of them. Passing through the courtyard and entering the main hall, Sang Jing saw the old woman sitting quietly there.

The old woman had a kind smile on her face, facing the main door, as if waiting for someone.

She had passed away peacefully, without any pain.

“Meow—” The black cat cried out at the empty air.

Sang Jing put two fingers together and swiped them across her eyes.

“Xiao Jing,” an old, aged voice sounded.

Sang Jing looked up and saw Granny Lin’s soul standing beside her corpse, her body glowing with a faint golden light. This was all merit.

“Granny Lin, I’ve come to send you off,” Sang Jing said, her voice choked with emotion, her eyes completely red.

Granny Lin smiled and nodded, then looked at the black cat, stroking it one last time. “Meow Meow, Granny is leaving.”

After speaking, Granny Lin looked at Sang Jing. “Xiao Jing, can I trouble you to take good care of Meow Meow in the future?”

Sang Jing nodded. “I will.”

Granny Lin stood up, with no more attachments.

Sang Jing held the Wuchang warrant and silently chanted an incantation.

Soon, a Wuchang ghost emissary holding a soul-reaping chain walked out of the darkness.

Sang Jing took out some merit and handed it to the ghost emissary. The ghost emissary raised an eyebrow. “Bribing in public? So bold.”

Sang Jing looked at the soul-reaping chain in her hand. “Please, my lord, do not use this soul-reaping chain on this journey.”

Wuchang ghosts reaped souls regardless of good or evil, and all had to be bound by the soul-reaping chain. Sang Jing didn’t know what it felt like to have that thing locked onto a soul, but anything with a suppressing effect wouldn’t be pleasant.

The Wuchang ghost emissary pushed her hand back, put the soul-reaping chain back on his waist, and raised his hand to open the Ghost Gate. “Tonight is a special permission from the Big Boss Hei. I will naturally turn a blind eye.”

“Thank you.”

The Ghost Gate opened and closed. One human and three ghosts stepped onto the Yin Road, heading towards the Yellow Springs.

The ghost emissary walked alongside Granny Lin, while Sang Jing and Xie Yu walked together.

After walking for a while, the ghost emissary in front suddenly turned back, glanced at Sang Jing, then at Xie Yu, and laughed.

Sang Jing looked over in confusion.

The ghost emissary said faintly, “As expected of Zhi Zhi’s student, you’ve truly inherited her ways.”

Sang Jing wasn’t surprised that this ghost emissary knew her teacher. After all, her teacher’s wife was a ghost official in the underworld, so it was normal for her teacher to be familiar with ghost emissaries. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have found Sister Hei and Sister Shu to look after the shop.

What puzzled her was the way this ghost emissary looked at her and Xie Yu, and her ambiguous words.

The ghost emissary didn’t say anything more after that, and Sang Jing didn’t ask. She observed the movements on the Yin Road to prevent any rogue ghosts from trying to snatch the soul.

The journey was safe, and they were about to step onto the Yellow Springs Road.

The ghost emissary stopped. “Alright, this is as far as you go. You are a living person and cannot stay down here for long. Go back early.”

Sang Jing nodded and looked at Granny Lin. “Granny Lin, goodbye.”

After crossing the Yellow Springs and the Bridge of Helplessness, and drinking Meng Po’s soup, she would be reincarnated. The next time they met, they would be strangers.

Granny Lin raised her hand and stroked Sang Jing’s head, just like she would stroke Meow Meow. “Good child.”

Xie Yu watched them, feeling that the relationship between Sang Jing and Granny Lin was not just a simple neighborly one. Sang Jing’s attitude towards Granny Lin was more like… family.

After watching the ghost emissary lead Granny Lin onto the Yellow Springs Road, Sang Jing stood there for a long time before turning to walk back.

“Actually, you can talk to me. You don’t have to keep it all in. Who was Granny Lin to you?”

Living up to the name of ‘reserved person’ that Xie Yu had given her, Sang Jing glanced at Xie Yu and said nothing.

There were many forks on the Yin Road. Sang Jing could only tell which way to go with Hei Wuchang’s Wuchang warrant.

After turning a corner, she ran into a ‘walking Wuchang’ leading a soul to the Yellow Springs Road.

Among Xuan Masters, there were talented individuals who could descend to the Yin Road, their souls leaving their bodies to perform the duties of a Wuchang, reaping souls. Such people were called ‘walking Wuchang’.

The walking Wuchang was surprised when she saw Sang Jing, as if she hadn’t expected to see a living person on the Yin Road below.

Her gaze then turned to Xie Yu’s face, and she froze on the spot, her eyes fixed on Xie Yu.

Sang Jing saw her lips move, saying, “How could it be her…”

She knows Xie Yu?

Sang Jing didn’t hesitate and walked towards her. The walking Wuchang came back to her senses, lowered her head, and walked away quickly, disappearing around a corner of the Yin Road.

Xie Yu caught up, and Sang Jing turned to look at her. “Do you remember that person just now?”

Xie Yu shook her head. Her memories were almost all from after her death.

“Let’s go, let’s go back quickly,” Sang Jing said, grabbing Xie Yu’s wrist and starting to run.

Xie Yu looked down at the hand on her wrist, a little surprised at how much Sang Jing cared about her affairs.

The reserved person is really a very responsible person.

Returning to the incense shop, Sang Jing walked up to Hei Wuchang in a few steps. “Sister Hei, do you have a list of walking Wuchang?”

Hei Wuchang took back the Wuchang warrant. “Of course, I do. What do you need it for?”

“To find someone,” Sang Jing explained. “We just ran into a walking Wuchang. It’s very likely she knows Xie Yu. If we find her, we can find out Xie Yu’s identity.”

“Alright,” Hei Wuchang agreed readily. “I’ll have my subordinate ghost emissaries compile it and bring it to you.”

“It’s almost eleven. Are you still livestreaming tonight?” Hei Wuchang asked.

Sang Jing thought for a moment. “I will.”

Livestreaming in the early stages was helpful for building popularity. It wasn’t good to take a break.

At 11:30, Sang Jing set up her equipment and started the stream.

There had been a lot of trending topics these past few days, and many people were waiting for her stream.

【The streamer really knows how to pick a time. This time is so atmospheric.】

【(raises hand) I’m new here. I heard you can see ghosts here. Is it true?】

【Wen Ying reposted a clip of the streamer’s livestream today! So what the streamer said last night was all true!?】

【Sang Sang! Sang Sang baby! (cheers) (cheers) (cheers)】

【Let’s guess, will the streamer start selling products in the future? After all, metaphysics is a lucrative business. Once you make a name for yourself, a single talisman can sell for thousands or tens of thousands.】

Sang Jing looked at the bullet comments and replied to one, very on-topic, “You can’t see ghosts here. In this new era, everyone should believe in science.”

【Saying ‘believe in science’ with a straight face, like reciting a script.】

【Sang Sang, if someone is forcing you, just blink.】

【Okay, okay, believe in science. So when is the streamer going to catch another assistant for us to see?】

【Yes! Believe in science! The streamer doesn’t catch ghosts, she only catches assistants!】

Sang Jing cleared her throat. “Alright, let’s begin. It’s the same as today, three readings as fate dictates.”

The number of viewers in the livestreaming room surged. In just a few minutes, it was almost five thousand.

She started to link up with the first person.

This time, Sang Jing saw the familiar line-drawn smiley face avatar again. But unlike last time, this one had a yellow badge.

A thought flickered in Sang Jing’s mind, and she clicked to accept the link-up.

The bullet comments instantly exploded—

【Encounter! Is this Encounter!??? Was her account hacked?】

【Didn’t Encounter just make a comeback today!?】

【Wife, I love you!!!】

【If Wen Ying was used by Deep Space Entertainment to promote the streamer, surely Encounter isn’t too, right? Encounter is famous for being indifferent to fame and fortune.】

【If it’s really Encounter, will this be her first time showing her face?】

【Don’t even think about it. Impossible. Encounter never shows her face.】

Encounter didn’t show her face.

“Hello, streamer.”

A strange sense of familiarity made Sang Jing involuntarily glance at Xie Yu.

This Encounter’s voice, why does it sound so much like Xie Yu’s?