Yin Shou Shu

Chapter 340 A Wife-Stricken Man
A light morning mist enveloped the tree-lined path leading to the headless road.

The damp dew clung to the grass and stems along the roadside.

In the distance, along the pristine forest path, mist gathers into a sea of ​​clouds below the mountain, creating a breathtaking and ethereal scene.

However, the atmosphere along this tree-lined road overlooking the sea of ​​clouds was eerie and the air was deathly still.

The little girl inside the tent was fast asleep, hugging her cute doll.

But everyone outside the tent stood frozen in silence.

What should have been a touching scene of a loving couple reuniting turned into something rather strange.

The dazed and confused middle-aged man nervously gripped Ran Qing's hand, shrinking behind her with a look of fear, avoiding the gaze of his beautiful wife.

His terrified expression really looked like he was hiding from a demon.

The three, including Ran Qing, who were completely unprepared, froze on the spot, staring at the woman in front of them in disbelief.

This stepmother, named Luo Xuefang, is Ran Qing's stepmother...

A ghost...this woman is a ghost?!

A chill ran through Ran Qing's heart.

But the next second, his rationality quickly returned, telling him that this was absolutely nonsense.

As a spirit medium, he has an extremely keen sense for ghosts.

No matter how many ghosts appeared in front of him, he could feel their chilling aura as soon as they got within a certain range.

This beautiful stepmother has already met Ran Qing face-to-face many times.

She also gave birth to a daughter for Ran Jianfei. She was considerate and polite in her speech and actions. When Ran Jianfei was injured and hospitalized, she was able to take care of his daily life and look after her young daughter.

How could such a vibrant, living person be a ghost?
Ran Qing's reason told him that it was impossible.

but……

Why is the mentally challenged Ran Jianfei so afraid of his wife?

Ran Qing hesitated, unsure of what to say.

Luo Xuefang, her eyes reddening, took a soft breath. Despite her husband's fear, she remained remarkably calm, seemingly unsurprised.

With patience, Luo Xuefang walked up to Ran Qing and said softly, "...Jianfei, let's go home. Don't bother Ran Qing anymore."

“He’s about to start school and will be very busy. If you stay with him, he won’t be able to take care of you.”

"Come home with me, I'll buy you something delicious, okay?"

The middle-aged woman spoke softly, as if coaxing a child, to her mentally challenged husband.

But it must be said that this communication method, which is like coaxing a child, actually worked.

Ran Jianfei, who was initially terrified, paused for a moment after hearing his wife's soft words, and his expression softened with a hint of attraction.

But soon, he shook his head rapidly, shaking it like a rattle drum.

"No! I won't go with you! You're a ghost! You're a ghost!"

Ran Jianfei became increasingly frightened as he spoke, and to avoid his wife, he even hid behind Mo Li.

This unusual situation made the atmosphere at the scene even more awkward and strange.

Why is Ran Jianfei, who has become mentally impaired, so afraid of his wife?

Their relationship as a couple is clearly very good...

Ran Qing suddenly said, "Auntie, why don't you take your sister home first? He can stay at my place for a couple of days. There won't be any problems. Once his lost soul is found, he'll be back to normal."

Ran Qing said, "I can find his soul in the next two days. If I really can't find it, I'll send him to you before the start of the semester."

Ran Qing suddenly spoke up, actually wanting to take Ran Jianfei back to Park Road.

This was somewhat unexpected by Mo Li and Long Zongshu. Luo Xuefang was also a little surprised.

Everyone present knew about the conflict between the father and son, and Ran Qing's aversion to his father.

Luo Xuefang looked at Ran Qing in surprise, and finally sighed softly, saying, "Then I'll have to trouble you..."

And so, Ran Jianfei happily got on Long Zongshu's motorcycle, and together with Ran Qing and the other two, they left Kantou Road and headed back to Gongyuan Road.

"Why do you think Uncle Ran is afraid of Aunt Luo?"

Back at the cement house on Park Road, Mo Li sat by the door, watching Ran Jianfei happily watching TV inside, and asked Ran Qing, "Aunt Luo seems so gentle... Could it be that Aunt Luo is actually quite fierce in private?"

The midday sun shone down on the concrete building.

Ran Qing, Mo Li, and Zong Shu sat at the door of the cement house, listening to the television inside.

Ran Jianfei, who had become mentally impaired, really acted like a child, happily watching the TV and not caring about anything else.

The only difference between him and other children is that he doesn't like watching cartoons.

The television was showing an animal documentary, with a bloody scene of a cheetah hunting an antelope, the flesh torn apart, a rather cruel sight.

But Ran Jianfei watched with great excitement: "Bite its neck! Yes! Bite its neck!"

Seeing Ran Jianfei like this, Ran Qing's eyes were filled with complex emotions.

He said slowly, "Whatever the reason, since he doesn't dare to go back, then we shouldn't let him go back."

"Although he has become mentally impaired, he still remembers some things and knows fear."

"Since he's afraid of his wife, let him stay here for a few days."

Ran Qing didn't believe Ran Jianfei's claim that Luo Xuefang was a ghost.

If Luo Xuefang is a ghost, such a vivid ghost... this would overturn people's understanding of ghosts throughout history.

But since Ran Jianfei is afraid of his wife, perhaps Ran Qing's stepmother might pose some kind of danger?
Or perhaps her identity is special?
Just like Ran Jianfei, who appears to be just a government employee, he is actually the successor of the Ran family's corpse-refining technique.

Perhaps Ran Qing, this stepmother, is also a person of the Yin-Yang path.

After all, if Luo Xuefang really had the inheritance of unorthodox cultivation techniques, Ran Qing wouldn't be too surprised if she could be with Ran Jianfei, who was involved in corpse refining.

However, Ran Qing was neither concerned with nor intended to investigate their love story.

For him at this moment, the most important thing is to catch the last ghost, find the Ghost King's Coffin, and then find the soul of his mother that was taken away by the Ghost King's Coffin.

"I need to catch another ghost. We failed to catch one this time, so we need to catch another ghost as soon as possible."

"We'll set off tonight, heading straight to Slaughterhouse 857."

Ran Qing calmly uttered the terrifying words.

Having just emerged from a dangerous ghost town, I have no intention of resting; tonight I'm heading straight to another haunted place.

But both Mo Li and Zong Shu expressed their support.

"Indeed, we need to hurry. If we're too late, we don't know if we'll be able to find Auntie again."

The reason why the Ghost King's Coffin took away Ran Qing's mother's soul remains incomprehensible to this day.

It's unknown how long Ran Qing's mother's spirit will remain after it's been taken away.

At such a critical juncture, the faster the action, the better, and no delay is allowed.

Therefore, the previously abandoned option—the 857 Slaughterhouse—became Ran Qing's first choice.

After a brief discussion, Zong Shu and Ran Qing, who were extremely tired, went inside to sleep.

Even Ran Qing, a spirit medium, was exhausted after staying up all night.

Only Mo Li stayed outside, while Ran Jianfei watched TV at home, as if he were looking after a child.

(End of this chapter)