False evidence

Chapter 274 Illusory Image (1)

Xiao Shen San said that at that time he only wanted to protect his master with his life. He never expected that after entering the gray mountain, he would not be eaten by rats. Instead, he saw that there was another person in the "mountain belly".

The person had their back to him the whole time, so he couldn't see their face clearly. They were short, like a child, with their hair tied up in a bun and wearing a gray robe.

As soon as Shen San entered, the man said to him, "You don't need to panic. With such loyalty to your master, my son will never harm you."

He then added, "To be honest, the reason Gray Mountain is opening its gates this time is not because of a famine, but because we have a favor to ask."

Shen San was incredibly clever, and being a native of Northeast China, he could roughly figure out what was going on just from those two sentences.

The short, gray-clad figure in front of me is most likely the legendary Gray Immortal!
Shen San hurriedly knelt down on the ground: "Please give your orders, Immortal."

The man in gray said, “There is a woman who died in the mountains. She was kind to my son, and I don’t want her to become a wandering ghost in the mountains. Therefore, I ask you to help me take her out of the mountains and send her home.”

Shen San dared not refuse. "I will obey the immortal's command, but I wonder what precautions I should take along the way?"

The man in gray said, “There are no such rules. Just remember that my Gray family will not accept favors for nothing. If you handle this matter well, I will guarantee you thirty-six years of peace and safety. But you must deliver that woman to the place I designate. There is one more thing: after thirty-six years, you must never travel alone in the mountains, or you will surely lose your life.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the man in gray disappeared, and the mountain of rats scattered and fled into the forest.

Shen San carried Master Tang onto the carriage. Before they could exchange more than a few words, they noticed that there was an extra set of red paper clothes in the carriage!
Shen San told Master Tang everything about what Hui Xian had entrusted to him, and Master Tang was also impressed but didn't understand.

The pit they fell into earlier was newly dug without any human traces, and it had a strong smell of rat droppings... Could it be that the Gray Fairy deliberately ordered the rats to dig it, in order to intercept the group and entrust them with this matter?

……

I said, "The Gray family's actions are not entirely aboveboard."

Xiao Shen sighed, "But repaying kindness is something many people can't do. It's just a pity that I ultimately forgot the Gray Fairy's instructions."

I realized what he meant: "You mean the thirty-six-year period?"

"Yes, looking back now, it was right after the deadline. I was restless for several days, feeling that something bad was going to happen. In the end, I traveled alone through the night to visit my two sons at the mortuary, which was twenty miles away. As a result, I fell into a mule's egg (a natural pitfall unique to the local mountains) and died in the mountains."

I changed the subject: "So you sent that female ghost home later?"

Xiao Shen stuck out his tongue: "That's for sure, but at that time it was only because I was entrusted by the immortals and dared not disobey. Later, when I opened a funeral shop and thought back on this matter, I realized that if I hadn't followed the gray immortal's instructions and sent that female ghost home, both Master Tang and I might have died."

I couldn't help but frown slightly: "How come the immortals really would retaliate against you?"

Xiao Shen chuckled dryly: "It was revenge, but not from the immortals, but from a ghost who hitched a ride! People have to pay for hitchhiking, and ghosts do too. For the next thirty-six years, every time I went into the mountains, I was safe and sound. That was the reward that the gray fairy paid for the female ghost."

"Once I've received the payment, I can't return it; I must be loyal to my master. If I don't deliver the female ghost to her destination, I'll be deceiving the gods and ghosts. And if the female ghost becomes resentful, won't she kill me? Sanqi, do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

“I understand.” I nodded. “You’ve gone through all this trouble just to say that since I’ve collected the fare for two trips, I have to come back here to pick it up tomorrow, just like that guy said.”

"That's right, you can default on debts owed to people, but you can't escape debts owed to ghosts forever."

Xiao Shen finished the rest of his drink, grinned, and said, "Don't overthink it. That guy just wants a ride. You've already charged him for two trips, so just give him another one tomorrow. But remember, once you get him to his destination tomorrow, don't charge him again under any circumstances."

When I got home, I didn't tell Pidan about it.

The next morning, I drove to the clinic again.

Just like last night, after parking on the roadside for a short while, the same voice came from the radio again, saying, "I couldn't find the person I was looking for."

I glanced at the clinic's closed doors and refrained from asking any further questions.

After a while, the voice said again, "Please help me, take me to the Women and Children's Hospital." Just before the car arrived at the hospital, I muttered to myself, "It's almost Chinese New Year, I'm not doing this anymore."

When I arrived at the hospital, I stopped at the entrance for a while. The radio was working normally again. Just as I was about to drive off, I noticed that there were several more joss paper bills on the passenger seat!

"Damn it! They're really sticking to me like this!" I was really angry. "Fine, you're going to cheat me, I'll play along!"

I drove straight to the parking lot. When I arrived at the ward, the same three women from yesterday were there: Gao He, Yan Fengwei, and Zhu Wanlin.

Gao He gestured towards Zhu Wanlin with his lip and whispered to me, "I didn't notice him when I came yesterday, do you remember this guy?"

"I recognized him as soon as we met."

Gao He said, "This kid is acting strangely. I just deliberately brought up the drugging incident with Yan Fengwei again, explaining it very clearly. But he didn't react at all, as if he didn't remember it at all."

"How could he not remember? He's just afraid to admit it in front of his wife."

I said that, but I had my doubts.

The fare I picked up yesterday was from the hospital to Shuangshan Road, and the ghost who hitched a ride was also going to Shuangshan Road. This shouldn't be a coincidence.

Could it be that Zhu Wanlin was the one who booked the ride, and the one who got a ride was a ghost?

With the Lunar New Year approaching, this upsetting incident was infuriating. I immediately went up to Zhu Wanlin and asked, "Do you still recognize me?"

Just like yesterday, Zhu Wanlin was staring blankly at his wife when he heard this. He looked up and asked, "You...didn't you come here yesterday?"

"Heh, you really are a forgetful bastard." I sneered. "Didn't Captain Gao just mention the drugging incident? Don't tell me you've forgotten about that too. I'm the one you forced to drink that beverage."

Zhu Wanlin stared at me blankly, then suddenly buried his head in his hands, clutching his hair tightly: "I'm crazy, crazy... I'm really crazy!"

I wanted to ask about the ride-hailing service, and also wanted to get back at him, but before I could say anything more, he suddenly looked up and said to his wife:
"Let's get a divorce. We'll get a divorce after the baby is born!"

"What are you saying?" Meng Zhen suddenly sat up straight. "Your wife is about to give birth, and you're saying you want a divorce now?"

Zhu Wanlin pulled at his hair again, his face full of pain, and said:

"I know it was wrong of me, but I also know that I've fallen in love with that woman! I can't forget her, I can't live without her! I must find her!"

The woman stared at him for a moment, then sighed, "Let's get a divorce. I only want the company in my name and the two children."

After that, what could anyone else say?

The woman said to Zhu Wanlin, "As husband and wife, I still want to give you some advice. That woman is just a phantom. Even if she really exists, you have no idea where she is. You didn't even take a picture, so you can't even post a missing person notice..."

Zhu Wanlin suddenly stood up and said, "I have my own way! I will cash out all my assets and then go find her. Even if I have to travel the whole world, I will find her!"

After saying that, he ignored his wife and strode out.

Gao He and I looked at each other, all a little bewildered.

The woman stared blankly at the doorway, then sighed again, turned to us, and said with a wry smile:

"Do you believe it? He said the woman he fell in love with was just a mirage?"

(End of this chapter)