With the vicious ghost captured, Bai Ting, who was crouched on the bed with her legs gone weak, was carried out by the police who had rushed upstairs.
The instant she saw the police, Bai Ting finally burst into tears, crying as she shouted, "Help me, Officer! There's a ghost!"
When the livestream viewers heard the police had arrived, they flooded the chat with congratulations and comments about how hard it had been.
The officer in front carried her downstairs, quilt and all, while the young policewoman following him smoothly took the phone from Bai Ting's hand.
A face brimming with righteousness suddenly appeared on the livestream, the police uniform particularly striking.
The chat changed direction with swift, unspoken unanimity.
[Good evening, officer! We're law-abiding citizens!]
[Good evenin', officer! We're law-abiding citizens!]
[Prosperity and democracy! Civility and harmony!]
[Freedom and equality! Justice and the rule of law!]
Qu Nanzhu copied the chat, putting on an innocent expression. "Miss, we're good, law-abiding citizens."
Just as he finished, and the young policewoman was about to make a few points before ending the stream, Huo Sili suddenly sent ten Carnival gifts.
Huo Sili: [Cute.]
Huo Sili: [Please go on, officer.]
The policewoman: "..."
The chat: [Wait, wasn't our guy here just a career fan?]
In the end, the policewoman briefly stressed that everyone should believe in science and reject feudal superstition, then left the livestream amid a sea of "Got it!" and "Okay, officer!"
Daoming slowly inspected his surroundings all the way upstairs. He had not wanted to come in, but his master had told him to, saying there might be traces of a magical battle left behind.
So he went inside with a video call running.
A lump of something black was suddenly tossed in front of him. Following its trajectory with his gaze, he looked up to find Number Ten and Little Eighteen staring at him ominously.
It was that vicious ghost.
The vicious ghost could already speak human language. Having just been beaten up by the two paper figures, it was now very well-behaved and even addressed people as "Lord Celestial Master."
Daoming's response was that he was unworthy of the title and dared not accept it!
His master had not activated his Heavenly Eye and could not see what was happening, so he asked from the other end why Daoming had stopped.
Daoming hurriedly aimed the camera at the two paper figures and explained, "Master, they tossed the vicious ghost to me. It looks like they want us to deal with it!"
His master was incredulous. "How are you supposed to deal with it?! Don't let it escape!"
Was that the point?!!
Daoming held up his phone, gritting his teeth, when a notification caught his attention. It was from Daoist Priest Fuchen.
A screenshot.
It showed a message from Qu Nanzhu asking them to deal with the vicious ghost, adding that the paper figures would help deliver it back for them.
Daoming was so touched he wanted to kowtow to Qu Nanzhu!
How was this asking them to deal with a vicious ghost? He was clearly giving them an opportunity to train! With the paper figures powerful enough to utterly crush that vicious ghost, did they need them to handle it at all?!
Master Qu Nanzhu was truly righteous! A model for them all!!
That model, Qu Nanzhu, put down his phone and shared a few bits of knowledge with the viewers.
Many viewers had said his livestream was frightening. They had not believed in ghosts before, but now that they did, they were terrified there might be ghosts in their homes.
Qu Nanzhu gave a brief explanation on the subject. For instance, under ordinary circumstances, ghosts could not enter a living person's home without an invitation from its owner.
Someone in the chat asked: [What about extraordinary circumstances?]
Qu Nanzhu said, "You ordinarily won't encounter extraordinary circumstances."
[?]
[666]
Meanwhile, Bai Ting had been taken to the hospital in a police car. Although she had been rescued, her mental state was still very poor, and she could not bear to be alone. Her parents were both overseas and would not be able to return until the following day.
Fortunately, Bai Ting's parents had asked her uncles to hurry over. The two grown men entered the ward with reddened eyes, took hold of the girl, and checked her all over. Only after confirming she was all right did they thank the police profusely.
The officer helped them up and relayed what Daoming had said before leaving. "The master said the girl was frightened so badly that her soul has become unstable. Any fright now could cause her soul to leave her body, and she's also prone to encounters with ghosts. He recommends taking her to a Buddhist temple or a Daoist temple to recuperate for a few months."
The two uncles nodded like chickens pecking grain.
After hurriedly settling Bai Ting's situation, Qu Nanzhu began his three readings for the day.
Yes, three readings.
The chat asked why there were still three. Hadn't that just been one?
Qu Nanzhu shook his head. "That one didn't count. We were lucky enough to save that little girl, so consider it my good deed for the day."
The chat cheered. Hooray! Their chances of being picked had gone up by another one in ten thousand!
The call began. This time, a middle-aged man with a careworn face came on. He knew the rules well and sent Qu Nanzhu three thousand in gifts.
But Qu Nanzhu did not even give him a chance to speak. He used his mouse to refund the money. "I won't do your reading. I'm returning the fee. A human life passes in the blink of an eye. Don't force what cannot be; let your heart be free."
Hearing this, the man, who had wanted to ask whether his father would survive chemotherapy, immediately dissolved into tears.
The livestream viewers did not know what had happened, but the man's tears were so genuine that his emotions spread to everyone, and they all posted words of comfort in the chat.
Qu Nanzhu remained silent. The man's face showed that he would lose his father in middle age, but Qu Nanzhu did not want to say it, nor did he want to take his money. Better to let him keep it to care for his father.
The man cried on the livestream for several minutes. After taking a moment to recover, he still felt a little embarrassed. He forced a bitter smile onto his tear-streaked face, thanked the master for his guidance, and disconnected.
Qu Nanzhu did not respond. Instead, he lowered his head, avoiding the camera.
Huo Sili sent him a WeChat message, and Qu Nanzhu opened it.
The man was comforting him.
Huo: [Don't be sad. It isn't your fault.]
Qu Nanzhu: [I know. I just feel sorry for him. He lost his mother in childhood and will lose his father in middle age. He'll spend his whole life without a wife or children, yet he's a good man.]
Huo: [So are you. If you're willing, give me his details. I can provide financial assistance to him and his father through a charitable organization.]
Qu Nanzhu's fingers paused over the keyboard. He was surprised. After all, in the future he had seen, the man spent his entire life impoverished and destitute, without a single relative to turn to. No benefactor had appeared.
Huo Sili actually had the ability to intervene in other people's destinies. This was what it meant to possess uniquely blessed fortune.
Qu Nanzhu: [Okay. You're a good person too.]
Turning his gaze back to the camera, Qu Nanzhu began drawing for the three readings again.
Still three readings.
He had been streaming for nearly an hour without completing a single reading. Even Qu Nanzhu found it a little funny.
He opened the call. It was a sweet-looking young woman who wanted to ask whether she should follow her family's arrangements and study abroad or stay at a university in the country with her boyfriend.
When she mentioned her boyfriend, she could not help looking shy.
Qu Nanzhu tapped the desk thoughtfully. "Your boyfriend is actually a year younger than you, isn't he?"
The girl hesitated, then nodded. "He said I should go to the university we agreed on first, and he'd join me there."
Qu Nanzhu said, "Young lady, you shouldn't readily believe what men say. Let me point you toward a way out: run. Hoist that plane onto your shoulders and run."
The girl clearly did not appreciate his words. She had joined the call to hear what she wanted to hear, not to have Qu Nanzhu break up her relationship.
Her little face scrunched up, and she disconnected without a word.
The move left the livestream viewers utterly dumbfounded.
[Wait, what was that supposed to mean?]
[Obviously she doesn't believe him. She trusts her precious boyfriend more.]
[Isn't trusting your own boyfriend what a normal person would do? There's something wrong with people who start doubting him just because of a few words from someone else. Is that fair to everything her boyfriend has done for her?]
[Is the person above the boyfriend himself? Let me ask, what exactly has he done? Said a few words to make a girl give up a bright future for him?]
[If anyone else said that, I'd tell them to get lost. But if Qu Bao said it, I'd tell my boyfriend to get lost.]
[After watching all this, if I still didn't believe Master Qu, I'd really be clueless. The fact that the platform bans people from sharing clips of his livestreams but doesn't ban his streams tells you he's the real deal.]
[I'm honestly impressed by this girl. Did she spend three thousand just to buy a few nice words? Why waste one of Qu Bao's readings? Come to me. I can praise him for ten minutes from different angles, in different ways and different languages, without repeating myself.]
Qu Nanzhu had not expected her to disconnect on him either. He blinked, taking a moment to process it, then started the second reading's call, looking rather unhappy. "Since the client has left, let's begin the second reading."
Someone in the chat asked whether something was wrong with that young woman's boyfriend. Qu Nanzhu did not answer. He would not do something so unprofessional, and he interrupted the viewers' eager questioning. "That's her private business. I won't disclose it. Let's connect the second reading."
What could be wrong? He was just another phoenix man, except this one had been after the girl's family money from the very beginning, and the girl was love-brained.
All one could say was that good advice could not save someone bent on doom. It was just a pity about the girl's parents, who could not steel themselves to make their daughter leave that man and ultimately ended up with no one to rely on in their old age.