Rumors

Liu Xiaoke couldn't help saying irritably when she heard Wang Yi's words,

"Wasn't I asking for your sake? And you're actually taking pleasure in my misfortune."

"Not at all. I just wanted to tell Sister Xiaoke that even if something unclean really comes over, I'll protect you. I told you, I'm a professional."

Wang Yi said encouragingly, and Liu Xiaoke's expression eased somewhat. She then unlocked the door and crooked a finger at him.

"Come in. The news I heard today was really exciting. I guarantee you'll be interested."

Seeing that traces of fear still lingered on Liu Xiaoke's face, yet she was already showing a hint of excitement, Wang Yi found it rather amusing.

Sure enough, girls liked this kind of mystical stuff. They were scared stiff but still loved playing with it.

She was probably asking him inside mostly because she was scared herself.

Entering the small room he had once rented, Wang Yi caught the same familiar scent inside. Without ceremony, he sat down on her new bed and watched the girl change into slippers and start boiling water.

Only after she was done did she kick off her shoes, sit cross-legged on the bed barefoot, and tuck her feet beneath her.

Her oversized T-shirt covered her denim shorts, exposing her smooth, long legs. Quite a pleasant sight.

Liu Xiaoke was usually rather guarded, but for some reason, she had always felt an inexplicable sense of trust toward Wang Yi.

Once she got into the mood, she again lowered her voice mysteriously.

"I'm telling you, there may really be unclean things in this world."

Liu Xiaoke herself was an outstanding student. Although she had been frightened by mystical things before, she had generally remained a materialist.

But what she had experienced today while investigating things for her neighboring little brother had nearly shattered her worldview...

"Didn't that Film Crew fire me before? Before I was fired, an actress from the Film Crew next door died last week. She was the third female lead. It was a period drama, and the wire rig suddenly snapped during a stunt. They say there may have been human involvement, and it's still under investigation..."

Liu Xiaoke first explained how it had started.

"But the Film Crew has a lot of influence. Although the investigation is still ongoing, they've suppressed the news in the media, and they've issued a gag order within the crew. I only managed to find out after a lot of effort."

Liu Xiaoke was pretty, and her overall impression of people was excellent. Even though she had been fired for talking back to the Director, she had no trouble going to the Film Crew next door to ask around for bits and pieces of information.

They called it a gag order, but how could they possibly silence everyone?

"The one who died was a young actress who had only recently started gaining popularity. She was very pretty—the Lin Shiqin whom the internet had hyped up as a beauty seen only once in five thousand years. Her popularity was still building, and she was bound to enter a period of rapid rise, but she died here this time."

As Liu Xiaoke said this, her face was full of regret. She could not help empathizing a little.

Lin Shiqin had some scandalous rumors around her, and there might have been some unsavory aspects to how she got her resources. Liu Xiaoke did not approve of that.

But at the very least, Lin Shiqin was dedicated. She had not used a stunt double for wire work and had done it herself. She had also worked hard to improve her acting, held herself to high standards, and took her work seriously. Those qualities alone were enough to outclass many stars who had been famous for years.

Yet this young actress, who had relied on her own natural assets and hard work, had only just started to rise. Just when she was about to soar, she died like this. It truly made Liu Xiaoke sigh.

"But that isn't even the most important part. Since Lin Shiqin's accident, strange things have been happening one after another in their Film Crew..."

Liu Xiaoke's pretty face tightened, and even her pupils contracted slightly.

"Although the Film Crew stopped working before the investigation was finished because of what happened, some staff members responsible for guarding the equipment have been hearing strange noises every night. Sometimes it's crying, and sometimes it's cursing.

"One person said that while he was moving equipment, he saw Lin Shiqin at a corner, smiling miserably at him. He got so scared that he smashed the equipment. He's still in the hospital and hasn't been discharged yet.

"And the strange incidents are getting worse and worse. They're almost impossible to suppress now.

"At first, the Film Crew thought the staff were trying to pin blame on something else after damaging equipment. But gradually, more and more people claimed they had seen Lin Shiqin's figure, and more and more people fell ill. And when I went over there, I really could feel that the temperature around their Film Crew was inexplicably much lower, like walking into a basement. I also saw that they seemed to have invited a Taoist priest and a monk..."

With all those mysterious rumors, combined with what she had personally felt, Liu Xiaoke truly believed much of it now.

But after hearing her description, Wang Yi could confirm that it really was a Resentful Spirit!

It was even a highly "gifted" Resentful Spirit. Lin Shiqin's obsession with becoming famous was probably extremely deep. Only then could one possibly take shape in an environment where magic was so dormant.

She had not been dead long, yet she could already begin creating illusions and influencing others. Her potential was genuinely impressive. Perhaps that location was also a magic hollow where magic was relatively more active.

In an otherworldly environment, she could very well have become an Undead Pure Land and claimed a mountain as her domain.

She was an exceptionally fine target. If used as the core of "Artificial Intelligence," its functions would become much stronger.

It was decided. She would do!

"Don't worry. I'm genuinely good at this sort of thing. I'll go solve the problem right now."

Wang Yi's words immediately froze Liu Xiaoke's expression.

She had not returned particularly early. The sun was already setting, and if Wang Yi went to the Film Studio now, it would most likely be dark by the time he got there.

Even when she had merely walked around there during the daytime, she had clearly felt that eerie atmosphere. And he was going at night?

"Hey, hey, even the Film Crew doesn't dare have anyone moving around there at night anymore. Don't mess around. I'm serious."

"What I said is serious too. Just wait here and relax."

As Wang Yi walked out of the room, he happened to see Ma Dong returning, exhausted from head to toe.

Wang Yi's brow lifted slightly at the sight of Ma Dong, then he asked,

"Brother Ma, did you go to that troubled Film Crew today too?"

Ma Dong had been trudging weakly up the stairs. Only after hearing Wang Yi's words did he look up and see him, replying in surprise,

"Huh? You really do have some skills, kid. But that place is creepy as hell. Damn, I actually kind of believe in this stuff now."

Ma Dong had previously acted as if he did not care at all. He had only gone to specifically look into it because Wang Yi asked him to.

It so happened that the Film Crew had invited a Taoist priest and a monk over during the day to perform a ritual. The Taoist priest said he needed robust men brimming with vitality to help out, and Ma Dong had immediately been picked out because of his build.

Ma Dong had been happy to do the Director a favor. Without asking for any payment, he had thumped his chest and agreed...

"...You have no idea. After I followed that Taoist priest into the main hall, it was at least ten degrees colder than outside. And there wasn't any air conditioning! Then the Taoist priest had me and five other guys take off our shirts, sit in a circle, and kept using some icy-cold ink and a talisman brush to write things on us.

"It was clearly noon, but I was shivering from the cold. They kept the ritual going all afternoon before letting me come back. If I'd known, I wouldn't have helped. I'm exhausted, and I haven't even had dinner yet. I was originally planning to get some beef bones today, but now I just want to go home and collapse into bed."

Ma Dong looked thoroughly unlucky. He had never believed in ghosts and spirits before, but this time, he truly believed a little. That thing was vicious.

He had once thought that even if such unclean things really existed, a vigorous man like him would not be afraid at all.

But today, he had truly been scared stiff.

"Don't sleep. You really need to get some beef bones in you first, or you'll get sick. That thing is indeed pretty vicious. I told you, I have some tricks up my sleeve in this area. Listen to me."

That Taoist priest apparently did have a few minor tricks. Wang Yi did not know what method he had used to stimulate Ma Dong's vital energy until it loosened and dispersed. If it had been an ordinary Resentful Spirit, one like Li Yao, the vital energy of several strong men would have scattered it directly.

But Lin Shiqin's obsession was likely extraordinarily deep. Wang Yi could sense from Ma Dong that she had instead treated them as supplements.

This was simply a battle between amateurs. It was unbearable to watch.

For now, the amateur Resentful Spirit had the upper hand.

No time like the present. He would go tonight...

Two updates complete...

A reminder once again: this is merely an interlude that fills out the worldbuilding from the side~

This chapter has actually already made it clear—"a battle between amateurs." Later, the "principles" will be briefly explained to make the logic consistent.