Chapter Five: Private Counsel

"This information is crucial! When did this happen?" Upon hearing this, Yan Xue immediately pressed for details.

"The day Xu Wenrui died. That morning, the old lady took her grandson to see the so-called 'immortal.' That very night, Xu Wenrui died. So, it's almost certain that the yellow talisman paper and ashes found in Xu Wenrui's stomach are connected to this 'immortal.'"

"That's just like her—she goes to consult some charlatan in the morning, meddles with all that superstitious nonsense, and by nightfall, her grandson is dead. According to what you said earlier, she must have suspected a connection and been afraid. But if she was so scared, why didn't she mention any of this to Xu Wenrui's parents?" Yan Xue couldn't quite wrap her head around it.

"Old people, you know," Kang Ge shrugged. "As they age, they become almost like children—when they're scared or nervous, reason goes out the window. Xu Wenrui’s mother is known to be very domineering at home. Apparently, she treats her in-laws like children, criticizing them whenever she’s dissatisfied with anything. The old couple have always been afraid of their daughter-in-law, terrified of her temper. Even breaking a plate at home would get them a dressing down, let alone dabbling in the superstitions she’s always despised. And then, after the old lady took her grandson to do all that, he died the same night!

Imagine what would happen if the old lady had told the truth. How do you think Xu Wenrui's mother would react, especially under the crushing blow of losing her child? She could do anything in a fit of grief. So, while the elderly couple's actions are wrong in every sense, from their perspective and at their age, it's not exactly surprising, is it?"

"That's true. People often say old folks are like children—they become unreasonable as they age." Yan Xue agreed with Kang Ge’s assessment, having seen similar things in her own family. "But why did Xu Wenrui’s grandmother think he was possessed? And why would a young man in his twenties agree to an exorcism?"

"According to what Xu Wenrui's grandparents said, he was always a perfectly normal, lively guy, doing well at school, rarely coming home. Suddenly, he came back and started acting strange—not just the insomnia his mother mentioned, but much worse. The old lady said she’s got a weak heart and sometimes needs to get up for medicine at night. One night, she passed by Xu Wenrui’s room and heard him crying—not the kind of wailing you’d expect, but a muffled, terrified sobbing, as if he was too scared to make any noise.

Worried, she went in to check and found Xu Wenrui curled up in the corner, arms around his head, trembling all over. The sight frightened her, so she ran to wake her son and daughter-in-law. They found Xu Wenrui looking as pale as death, eyes empty, muttering over and over, 'Don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me,' without a single coherent sentence. It took quite a while before he suddenly seemed to snap out of it, claiming it was just a nightmare. His parents, seeing nothing else wrong, didn’t take it seriously."

"What’s going on? Xu Wenrui’s parents didn’t mention any of this earlier. Do you think he had some kind of mental health issue that they were embarrassed to talk about?" Yan Xue speculated.

Her suspicion stemmed from her earlier conversation with Xu Wenrui’s mother, who seemed to instinctively reject any less-than-positive comment about her son. In such situations, it wouldn’t be surprising to cover up something unflattering.

"It’s hard to say if Xu Wenrui had psychological issues—at least his grandparents and aunt had no idea. His grandmother said that the next day, seeing he was still in low spirits, she asked him what was wrong. Xu Wenrui was always close to her, so, unlike with his mother, he felt no pressure and confided in her. He said he couldn’t sleep, kept hearing strange noises at night, felt watched, and even saw odd shadows.

His grandmother, who’s always been superstitious, was frightened by this and thought he must have offended something unclean. She said they needed to find a solution. Xu Wenrui, perhaps desperate for help, agreed."

"But you said his grandmother was too scared to tell anyone else about this. How did you get her to open up to you?" Yan Xue was curious—how had Kang Ge managed to get an old woman, who was afraid to confide even in her family, to spill everything after being called out of the meeting room?

"Well, people are always more willing to confide in someone they see as their own kind. So, I drew on all my skills and played the part of a die-hard believer in the supernatural! I recited every bizarre tale I’ve ever heard, really sold the performance. By the end, she nearly saw me as her confidant!" Kang Ge spread his hands in mock helplessness. "Alas, my acting skills have nowhere to go!"

Even though she was used to Kang Ge’s garrulous ways, Yan Xue couldn’t help but shiver at his words.

"So, was this 'immortal' someone Xu Wenrui’s grandmother knew, or was he introduced by someone else?" Yan Xue had no patience for banter now; she pressed on.

"He was recommended. Xu Wenrui’s grandmother asked around her circle of elderly friends, and through introductions, this well-known 'immortal' agreed to help."

Yan Xue rubbed her forehead. "There’s a 'circle' for this?"

"See, that’s your prejudice! Any group with common interests is a circle. People who like stocks and funds have finance circles; fans of celebrities have their fandoms. So those who dabble in the supernatural have their own 'superstition circle.' Nothing unusual about that, right?" Kang Ge grinned.

"Right, you have a point! So who exactly is this 'immortal'? What did you find out? We should go see him at once! He must be connected to Xu Wenrui’s death!" Yan Xue, known for her impatience, could barely sit still with a new lead in hand.

"Not so fast! Even if you’re eager, we can’t rush in blindly." Though he’d never worked directly with Yan Xue before, Kang Ge wasn’t surprised by her reaction and calmly signaled her to wait. "The old lady told me everything she knew about this 'immortal.' Finding him isn’t hard. The difficulty is, have you heard of a charlatan who not only swindles people but also issues receipts and invoices? Such a swindler would never have a business license!

Here’s the problem: Xu Wenrui’s grandmother said this Master Baili Jiufang only accepts clients recommended by acquaintances. He lives in a remote area, only receives people by appointment, and never lets clients overlap—always one-on-one. So, even if we rush over and catch him off guard, if he denies ever meeting Xu Wenrui, how can we prove the old lady’s word, especially with no evidence?"

Yan Xue paused mid-movement, realizing the issue. Though impatient by nature, she was quick-witted and immediately understood the crux of the matter.

"So, what’s our plan? Who’s playing the possessed, and who’s the family member?" She sat back down.

Kang Ge smiled, satisfied. "Obviously, I’ll play the possessed, and you’ll be the accompanying relative. This so-called Master Baili Jiufang, who stitched together two compound surnames for his stage name, is a man in his fifties.

We don’t know how long it’ll take to bring him in; we’re not sure what his exorcism process entails, or if there’s any physical contact, so it’s safer for me to play the role."

"Fine. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll follow your script!" Yan Xue agreed without hesitation.

"You trust me that much?" Kang Ge seemed surprised by her straightforwardness.

Yan Xue had no intention of hiding her true thoughts; she was always direct and valued honesty above all else. "We’ve only worked together outside of official business, but you’re close with Ji Yuan and Xia Qing, and I know what kind of people they are. Birds of a feather flock together, so you can’t be too bad. As for your professional abilities, from what I’ve seen today, you handled both Xu Wenrui’s mother and grandmother with skill—plenty of cunning, but effective. There’s no reason not to trust you!"

"Alright, then I’ll lay out my idea, and we can discuss the details." Clearly pleased by the compliment, Kang Ge’s smile grew even brighter. "Judging by his usual behavior, this Master Baili Jiufang is extremely suspicious by nature—or perhaps he’s just cultivating an air of mystery as part of his act.

Either way, based on what Xu Wenrui’s grandmother said, he doesn’t help just anyone, so we’ll need to gain his trust and bait the hook well.

After all, if we suspect he’s involved in Xu Wenrui’s death, and that death was part of his plan, mentioning Xu Wenrui directly would set off alarm bells.

So, what’s our next move?" Yan Xue found Kang Ge’s reasoning thorough and convincing.

With a sly smile, Kang Ge beckoned her closer. "Lean in—let me give you a few tips, master to apprentice!"