Lu Ming's Dubious Explanations

Wen Ning and Gong Kai took a cab and arrived at Gong Kai's place fifteen minutes later.

The residential complex looked pretty nice, with decent landscaping too.

Gong Kai led the way to a building and pressed the button for the eighth floor in the elevator.

The elevator carried them up, and soon they were standing outside Gong Kai's apartment.

"Come on in."

Gong Kai stepped aside to let Wen Ning enter. He stayed at the doorway, took a deep breath, and mentally braced himself before following him inside.

He switched on all the lights in the living room.

Standing in the middle of the living room, Wen Ning looked around.

It was a two-bedroom apartment. The living room was small but genuinely clean, clearly kept that way with care.

Based on what Wen Ning knew of Gong Kai from their four years at college, the guy wouldn't wash his socks even if mushrooms started growing on them. There was no way he had done this.

Yet the warm mass of energy from the Five Thunder Righteous Method in his dantian remained quiet.

There were no unusual fluctuations at all, which was strange.

Lu Ming had said during their earlier chat that the Five Thunder Righteous Method would definitely react to an evil presence. This didn't add up.

Wen Ning checked every room, including the bathroom and balcony. Everything was normal—utterly, completely normal.

"Well? Did you find anything?"

Gong Kai stood in the middle of the living room, not daring to move around. Even his voice was quiet, as though he was afraid someone might hear him.

"Not yet. And speak up. This is your home. What are you being such a chicken for?"

Wen Ning said it straight to Gong Kai.

Gong Kai's face fell, and he flopped onto the sofa in a boneless sprawl. The springs groaned. That poor sofa bore the brunt of it all.

"I know it's my home. I'm just scared, okay?"

Ignoring him, Wen Ning walked over to the corner by the living room window and ran a finger over it.

He checked his finger. Whoever was doing this was a bit of a clean freak—even the dust in a spot like this had been wiped away.

Wen Ning took out his phone and snapped a photo of the camera. This mysterious housekeeping fairy cleaned the apartment every day, yet had never touched the camera.

"It knows you installed a camera, but it hasn't removed it."

Wen Ning turned to look at Gong Kai.

"That means it isn't afraid of you seeing it. It just doesn't want to be seen."

Gong Kai's face grew even more strained. His body, which had just begun to relax, stiffened again.

Seeing this, Wen Ning figured he probably wasn't going to get anywhere on his own. He took out his phone and opened the Heavenly Court Work Group.

The chat history was still sitting on the three messages from Lu Ming's last round of posts.

One was a welcome message for Wen Ning.

Another was a work notice from some Heavenly Official.

The third was another message from Lu Ming.

It was a selfie sticker of him making a peace sign with his antlers, captioned: The air on Mount Tai is so sweet!

Nobody had replied. The message had been sitting there all alone for days.

Wen Ning typed a line: Seniors, I'd like to ask about something. There's a rental apartment in the mortal world.

Every day, between four and five in the afternoon, someone cleans it spotless. A camera was installed, but it stops working during that time.

The person living there hasn't lost anything or been harmed. He just comes home every day to find the apartment tidied up.

What usually causes something like this? How should I handle it?

After sending the messages, Wen Ning thought he might have to wait a while.

After all, time flowed differently in the Heavenly Court and the mortal world. Yet he had barely sent them before someone replied.

Lu Ming: Wen Ning, you finally showed up! I thought you'd muted the group.

Lu Ming: That's a great question, and a very typical case. Let me give you a detailed breakdown.

Lu Ming: First, according to volume three, chapter seven of the Comprehensive Classification of Anomalous Phenomena in the Mortal World, revised edition:

Recurring anomalous phenomena in mortal residences are classified along two axes: temporal regularity and spatial consistency.

Over eighty percent of phenomena that occur at a fixed time and place every day are caused by spirit monsters.

These spirit monsters are characterized by a strong attachment to a particular space and highly rigid behavioral patterns. They are usually nonaggressive but extremely difficult to drive away.

Lu Ming: Second, let's analyze it in terms of animal behavior.

Cleaning is a classic example of territorial maintenance.

This means it considers the apartment its own territory.

It's tending to its own turf.

Lu Ming: Third, the camera malfunction is a crucial point.

Do you know why the camera stops working?

Because the spiritual energy of spirit monsters interferes with the normal operation of electronic devices.

Lu Ming: Also, also, did you notice the time?

Four to five in the afternoon.

That's the beginning of sunset.

Yang energy begins to weaken, and yin energy starts to rise.

That's when mountain spirits and wild monsters start coming out. It didn't pick that time at random. Personally, that's when I like going out to play.

Lu Ming: In conclusion, I personally think it's probably a Screw Spirit or a Broom Spirit.

Thirty percent chance of a Screw Spirit, seventy percent chance of a Broom Spirit.

Screw Spirits are generally mild-tempered. Broom Spirits have worse tempers, so watch your tone.

Lu Ming: Oh, Wen Ning, want me to send you a digital copy of the Comprehensive Classification of Anomalous Phenomena in the Mortal World? Reading it might give you a brain.

It's a bit big, though. A little over thirty thousand pages, around seven hundred gigs. Does your phone have enough storage?

Wen Ning stared at the flood of messages, the corner of his mouth twitching.

He remembered how Lu Ming had sat beside him on interview day, passionately reciting the appendices.

This little deer really could talk. And were his fingers seriously that fast?

He could type all that in a minute or two. With that kind of speed, why didn't he go write novels?

Wen Ning was just about to type a polite reply.

Then another message popped up.

Bai Lu: Wen Ning, how long did you say your friend has lived there?

Wen Ning typed back: A little over a month. It happens every day.

Bai Lu: Over a month, nothing missing, no injuries, just someone helping with the cleaning.

Bai Lu: Then don't worry about what it is. It means no harm.

Bai Lu: Go wait in the apartment after four tomorrow afternoon and talk to it face-to-face. If you can communicate, do that. If you can't, we'll figure it out then.

Bai Lu's avatar dimmed, and she didn't say another word.

Wen Ning looked at her messages. Now that was more like it.

The little deer's explanations were far too convoluted. Besides, his phone couldn't download that seven-hundred-gig encyclopedia anyway.

But thinking about it, the camera had been malfunctioning for over a month, and the apartment was cleaned every day.

If that thing really wanted to hurt someone, Wen Ning would be back in Gong Kai's hometown marking the fourth week after his death by now. Gong Kai would never have had the chance to come looking for him.

Lu Ming posted again: Bai Lu, why do you always do this? I was explaining things! Wen Ning, let me finish. Volume three, chapter eight is really important too.

Wen Ning chuckled. This little deer was quite a character.

He typed: Lu Ming, stop flooding the chat. Watch out, or the admin will mute you.

That instantly interrupted Lu Ming's barrage, as though his spell had been cut short.

He cautiously offered an explanation in the group: Hehe, I was just explaining things to Wen Ning, wasn't I? Don't mute me.

Wen Ning put his phone back in his pocket and turned to Gong Kai, who was curled up on the sofa.

Gong Kai was clutching a cushion and staring fixedly at him. Seeing him finish the call, he immediately stood up.

"Well? What did your friend who knows about this stuff say?"

"My friend said..."

Wen Ning considered his wording.

"You've lived here for over a month without anything happening, so it probably means no harm. She told me to come wait here tomorrow afternoon and talk to it face-to-face."

Gong Kai's eyes went perfectly round. His expression bounced between You're joking, right? and Are you serious? several times.

Finally, he dropped back onto the sofa and clutched the cushion even tighter.

"Talk? Talk to who? The thing that scrubs my toilet every day?"

"It's cleaned your apartment for a whole month, and you haven't even thanked it."

Wen Ning patted Gong Kai on the shoulder as he spoke.

"You'll be at work tomorrow. I'll come take a look then. Give me your key."

Gong Kai looked at Wen Ning, then handed over the key anyway.

"Wen, are you serious? You're really going to do this alone? Want me to come keep you company?"

"No need. Leave it to me. It hasn't hurt anyone."

Wen Ning took the key and waved a hand at Gong Kai.

"Don't rush home after work tomorrow. Wait for my call before coming back. If everything goes smoothly, you won't have to live in fear anymore."

Gong Kai stared at him for several seconds, with the heartbroken look of a man watching his best buddy start driving a Range Rover.

"Wen."

Gong Kai's voice grew a little subdued.

"I feel like you've changed."

Wen Ning was about to head home, but his steps paused at those words. Had Gong Kai noticed something? Surely not.

"How have I changed?"

"Can't quite put my finger on it."

Gong Kai thought it over carefully.

"You just seem more confident than before. Did you win the lottery? Have you struck it rich? Don't forget me when you're rolling in money, sugar daddy."

Standing at the door, Wen Ning nearly lost his balance. Sure enough, this was still the same ridiculous guy from college.

"What riches? If I were rich, I'd treat you to the second floor of a private club."

As Wen Ning left, he heard Gong Kai mutter quietly inside the apartment.

"I swear that bastard's gotten rich behind my back. If we go to the second floor, I'm booking ten girls."