TRYMBPIETM 40: Mirror, Night, Snow Peak (3)

Chi Qingzhou blinked his eyes, becoming even more curious.

His friend Ah Ting was an experienced Corpse retriever. He had been learning how to herd coprses from his adoptive father since he was young. By the time he was fourteen, he was already able to handle things on his own. He had been doing this for fifteen years now.

In Chi Qingzhou’s memory, unless the body was particularly special, Ah Ting had never encountered any problems.

Chi Qingzhou asked, “Are you sure it was an ordinary person’s body that was lost?”

Ah Ting grunted, and his dry voice grew heavier and more muffled as he spoke.

“Yes, it was an ordinary person.”

“His hometown is in Shaoqiu City, and he was working in Mo Du before the accident.”

“His birth date and time of death were normal, except that he drowned in a lake, which can be considered a tragic death.”

Chi Qingzhou understood: “I see.”

Shaoqiu City was in the western part of Yuntian Province, where several ethnic minorities lived alongside the Han Chinese. Even some of the city’s residents still kept unique customs.

For example, they believed that those who died unexpectedly held stronger resentment, and their bodies couldn’t be returned home in the usual manner.

Only when an expert performs a ritual and accompanies the body back can the resentment be eased, and only then can the deceased rest in peace when buried.

In other words, while Ah Ting’s profession was still called corpse-herding, it was different from the legendary figure in the stories.

After all, with today’s technology and regulations, they could no longer handle corpses as they did in the past.

Their role was now more focused on spiritual peace, following rules that were different from the legends.

Ah Ting added, “The lost body belongs to Sheng Yihang. Both of his parents are ordinary people. His grandfather was a local shaman, and his family believes in these traditional customs, so they asked someone to contact me to handle this matter.”

Sheng Yihang’s grandfather wasn’t particularly famous locally, but he had always been a good man, and many elderly people still remembered him.

Ah Ting had other corpse-herding tasks to do, but when he heard that the deceased was a descendant of the old shaman, he turned down a few other requests—including an official request from the Paranormal Control Bureau—to ensure he could return Sheng Yihang’s body to his home as soon as possible.

Ah Ting continued, “His family understands the rules of this trade well, and they applied to the relevant departments for approval.”

Ah Ting himself didn’t leave out any paperwork and confirmed everything was in order before setting off.

Chi Qingzhou furrowed his brow and asked with some doubt, “Did you only bring back his body this time?”

Ah Ting replied, “Three. The other two were on the way, and they were both taoists, so I took them along too.”

Chi Qingzhou’s eyes flashed. “Where exactly did he go missing?”

Ah Ting responded, “Near his home. To avoid being seen by too many people, I was taking the mountain road to send him back. When we were about to enter the Shaoqiu City area, he disappeared.”

It had been nighttime, and another body in Ah Ting’s group had been tripped by a branch and fallen near a big tree.

Worried that this body might turn into an undead, Ah Ting stopped the group and went to place a few talismans.

After putting up the talismans, he looked up and realized Sheng Yihang was gone.

Chi Qingzhou asked, “How many days has he been missing?”

Ah Ting replied, “Almost three weeks. I’ve tried all the methods I know, and I’ve asked all the old experts I could. It’s no use. We can’t find him.”

This made him even more puzzled.

If an ordinary person had stolen Sheng Yihang’s body, there was nothing valuable on him. What would the thief want with him?

If someone from the Xuanxu world had stolen it, that would be even stranger.

Why would they leave two corpses of taoists and steal the body of an ordinary person? It made no sense.

Of course, the strangest thing was that, with Ah Ting’s skill and experience, he shouldn’t be so helpless after losing the body.

Chi Qingzhou thought for a moment but couldn’t come up with a solution.

He called Xing Shuangzhan and asked if he had ever encountered a similar situation.

After thinking for a while, Xing Shuangzhan said, “I’ve never seen anything like this. As far as I know, in similar cases, the dead weren’t really ordinary at all.”

He asked meaningfully, “Is this person really ordinary?”

Chi Qingzhou certainly trusted Xing Shuangzhan’s judgment, but Ah Ting, as the person involved, was very sure that Sheng Yihang had no special traits.

“He didn’t even inherit any talent for cultivaion.” Ah Ting said. “If there’s anything unusual about him, it’s that he had good grades in school, especially in high school.”

But good students were everywhere, so what did that really prove?

Chi Qingzhou didn’t argue with Ah Ting, just asking, “What does he look like?”

Ah Ting described, “He was on the thin side, not very tall—about 1.7 meters. When I prepared his body, I changed him into the shirt and jeans his parents had sent him, and I also put on a prayer amulet they sent.”

Chi Qingzhou asked more about Sheng Yihang’s appearance, confirming there was nothing unusual, then told Ah Ting he would keep an eye out.

Ah Ting thanked him and then asked, “Do you have work in the entertainment industry next? Will this affect your regular work?”

At that moment, Chi Qingzhou’s newly purchased work phone rang. He unlocked it and smiled.

“No. The production team just notified me that our next filming location is in Yuntian Province. I remember that Yuexiling is near Shaoqiu City, right?”

Ah Ting replied, “Yes. It’s just a 30-minute bus ride from Shaoqiu City.”

Chi Qingzhou’s lips curved slightly as he turned his head.

His reflection was faintly visible on the window, and the distant sunset glowed like a burning fire, making his smile seem particularly cold.

“Isn’t that perfect?”

…

Due to the strong reaction from the previous episode, many celebrities had their eyes on the position of the special guests for the upcoming episode of Scenery Along the Way.

However, most of these celebrities were not particularly well-known. The top-tier stars, considering the dangerous situation that had occurred in the last episode, were still in a wait-and-see mode.

Director Hu, after careful selection, chose two artists who seemed stable and generally didn’t stir up trouble.

About two days ago, he and the producer went to their homes with the contracts and also brought risk statements and liability waivers.

After the two celebrities reviewed the specific circumstances, they signed their names without hesitation, regardless of whether their managers agreed or not.

Among the two, one was already anouter disciple of the Xuanxu Sect and currently an obscure third-tier artist, while the other had once been famous but was tarnished by her ex-husband’s false accusations. Though she had cleared her name, she had already faded from the spotlight.

The former had seen the edited version of the last episode and didn’t take the danger seriously. In a few frames, he saw his fellow members from the Xuanxu Sect and thought the issue was handled by the sect, so he didn’t think it could be dangerous.

The latter was eager to make her ex-husband pay and desperately needed a comeback. Knowing the risks, she was still willing to take a chance.

She used to have a good temper, but her scumbag ex-husband nearly ruined her career, and she couldn’t just let him continue living carefree.

Among the two, the first one seemed more troublesome, but he wasn’t the type to cause trouble, so Director Hu found him acceptable.

However, today, Xue Jinshi, the current top star from Dingsheng Entertainment, intervened and snatched the special guest spot from the second artist.

The female artist was, of course, unwilling, but her company had already signed a resource exchange agreement with Dingsheng, so they simply arranged a separate travel variety show for her to placate her.

She was furious but couldn’t change her company’s decision and was filled with resentment toward both her company and Xue Jinshi.

Xue Jinshi heard about the female artist’s reaction but didn’t take it to heart.

He casually commented, “This is how the industry works. What’s the point of her resenting me? Who told her to not be famous?”

The manager couldn’t be bothered to argue with him and simply enrolled him in a few acting classes to help him refine his character.

Chi Qingzhou had just hung up the phone with Ah Ting when the system quickly reported this matter to him.

Chi Qingzhou pressed his lips together, showing a “nobody understands better than me” expression.

“I knew he was going to come. This person must be related to my younger brother, right?”

The system checked and surprisingly found information on Xue Jinshi in its database.

It was startled and quickly informed Chi Qingzhou.

“Host, Xue Jinshi was saved by Chi Qingning!”

“He debuted as a singer-dancer. Two years ago, while participating in a variety show, someone poisoned his drink with a substance that could ruin his voice. It was Chi Qingning who noticed the strange color of the water and quickly overturned the bottle, saving him.”

“At that time, he was already showing signs of becoming famous. The higher-ups at Dingsheng Entertainment were furious and spent a lot of effort investigating the incident but found nothing.”

“Later, it was only when Chi Qingning and Xue Jinshi worked together on a show that they managed to expose the culprit.”

Since then, Xue Jinshi had held Chi Qingning in high regard and often fought on his behalf.

Chi Qingzhou, uninterested, simply asked, “Does he have anyone around him related to my brother Su?”

The system hesitated. “Uh… not sure about that…”

Chi Qingzhou replied, “Then he’s useless.”

He thought expressionlessly. Since Xue Jinshi couldn’t provide any clues to help Xing Shuangzhan find his ghost energy, he really wasn’t much use.

Xing Shuangzhan couldn’t help but laugh.

Ever since signing the contract with Chi Qingzhou, he had been happier every day.

The feeling of being cared for was simply too good.

Chi Qingzhou, however, wasn’t as happy. He snorted, stepped on his shadow, and picked up his work phone.

…

Due to the sudden notice from the production team, the group chat for Scenery Along the Way Season 2 became lively quickly.

【Liang Daji, who has a precious baby at home: Can we start preparing to leave? Let me check the specifics.】

【Liang Daji, who has a precious baby at home: ?? Only two days to prepare this time? Director Hu, something’s off!】

【Don’t want to dance anymore: Is the destination Yuexiling? Another mountain place. Does Director Hu have a special liking for forests and high mountains?】

【Zhong Lingshu: … Director Hu, come out, why did you choose this place?】

【I’m the second handsome: What’s going on? Sister Zhong, what’s wrong with Shaoqiu City?】

【Don’t want to dance anymore: Is that Tang Ge above? Tang Ge, why did you suddenly change your name, and why are you second handsome?】

【I’m the second handsome: Because the first handsome is Xiao Chi, what else?】

【Don’t want to dance anymore: Makes sense.】

【Zhong Lingshu: Stop messing around. Director Hu, come out. Didn’t you say there were four backup locations? Why did you choose this one?】

【Zhong Lingshu: Don’t pretend to be dead, come out and speak!】

The director looked at the messages in the group, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and sighed.

“What am I supposed to say?”

The assistant director and Lu Man patted his shoulders sympathetically, unsure of how to respond.

The production team had indeed prepared four backup locations initially, and Director Hu’s top choice wasn’t even Shaoqiu City.

However, just like Xue Jinshi’s unexpected entry, a few days ago, he received a call from the Paranormal Control Bureau, who suggested that he select Shaoqiu City.

Director Hu didn’t understand why this location was chosen, and the Paranormal Control Bureau didn’t explain either. They just said that if he didn’t want the show to be canceled due to superstition, he’d better choose Shaoqiu City.

Tears were almost in Director Hu’s eyes. “This must be a warning! I’m not stupid. I’ve finally got a show with some popularity. How could I let it fail!”

But he couldn’t tell the guests that!

Even if the Paranormal Control Bureau didn’t ask him to keep it a secret, could he say it? No!

He could only bitterly reply in the group: 【Well, I consulted a master, and he said this was the best choice.】

Zhong Lingshu clearly didn’t believe this explanation and kept pressing in the group. Director Hu had no choice but to private message her.

Soon, Zhong Lingshu returned to the group chat, casually replying to the other guests’ questions, then @-ing Chi Qingzhou.

【Zhong Lingshu: Director Hu is unreliable. If anything happens, we still need to rely on Xiao Chi.】

This statement quickly gained everyone’s approval.

Chi Qingzhou joined the group chat a little later. After reading the previous messages, he raised an eyebrow.

It seemed like Sister Zhong knew something.

He opened Zhong Lingshu’s chat box and asked her about the situation in Shaoqiu City.

Zhong Lingshu quickly replied.

【I heard from a friend. The official has not released any announcements yet, so I shouldn’t be talking about it in the group. But since you asked, Xiao Chi, I’ll give you a rough idea.】

Shaoqiu City is home to many different ethnicities, but they live in harmony and rarely have conflicts.

This place is scenic, and the pace of life is slow. It has always been a peaceful and livable place.

However, recently, a tragedy occurred in Shaoqiu City.

Zhong Lingshu: 【A family of three, the parents with their high school-aged daughter, were killed in their home by someone breaking in in the middle of the night.】

Zhong Lingshu: 【The crime scene was very bloody. The person reporting the crime woke up in the morning, saw that the neighbor’s door was open, and curiously looked inside, only to find the house covered in blood.】

Zhong Lingshu: 【The three victims had wounds all over their bodies, with almost no good flesh left. The floor was stained red, possibly due to blood loss.】

Zhong Lingshu: 【My friend lives in Shaoqiu City, and after this incident, the entire city is in panic.】

Zhong Lingshu: 【The police have started investigating, but it’s still too early, and they haven’t found anything yet.】

Chi Qingzhou pondered for a moment.

Zhong Lingshu had a complex history and had seen all kinds of things, so if she was this concerned, the case was definitely more than just a simple murder.

Sure enough, after sending these messages, Zhong Lingshu briefly paused, then quickly sent a voice message.

Chi Qingzhou clicked on it. Zhong Lingshu’s voice was trembling.

“My friend’s husband is a police officer, and he’s been involved with this case,” she said, her voice shaking. “They sent the three bodies for an autopsy, trying to confirm some details, but that night, the bodies disappeared.”

“My friend said they checked the surveillance footage, and they found that the three bodies stood up on their own and walked out!”

“They’ve been studying it for days, but they still can’t figure out how the bodies avoided the police guarding them and left the criminal police unit. This case… it’s just…”

Zhong Lingshu couldn’t continue. The voice message stopped here.

She sent a text message: 【Xiao Chi, did you finish listening? I’ll withdraw it once you’re done.】

Chi Qing Zhou: 【I’m done listening.】

Zhong Ling Shu quickly withdrew the voice message.

Chi Qing Zhou thought for a moment and typed: 【Teacher Zhong, do you know the name of the victims?】

Zhong Ling Shu: 【I don’t know the exact name, but I heard it’s probably someone with the surname Luo. The family also has a son who works outside and managed to escape.】

Chi Qing Zhou: 【Are they all named Luo?】

Zhong Ling Shu: 【The male and the children are named Luo, but the female’s surname is Xiao. Their son seems to be working in Shenzhen, but the police haven’t contacted him yet.】

Luo and Xiao?

Chi Qing Zhou lowered his eyes. It seemed like they weren’t Sheng Yihang’s family.

But it didn’t matter, he was going to Shaoqiu City in two days and could take a closer look then.

Zhong Ling Shu was worried: 【I feel like the program team chose this location poorly, but Lao Hu said other places were even worse, so this is the best of the worst.】

【I’m not sure if the filming will go smoothly this time. I just hope nothing else goes wrong.】

Chi Qing Zhou smiled slightly, his hazy peach blossom eyes deep.

【It will be fine.】 He replied.

After all, they were going to Yuexi Ridge, which was near Jingming Mountain.

Chi Qing Zhou put down his phone, curved his lips, kicked off his slippers, and lightly stepped on Xing Shuang Zhan.

“Su Ge, doesn’t this count as going back to your hometown?”

Xing Shuang Zhan also smiled.

He stepped out of the shadows, propped Chi Qing Zhou up, placing him on the desk, then grabbed his foot that was randomly stepping around, his eyes carrying a hint of meaning.

“You want to go back to my hometown with me? Then guess, will we make it there?”