Within mere two breaths, the figure stood before the Ghost Gate.
"Who are you?"
Recognizing the face before him, Jia Banxian quickly shielded the child behind his back.
Lu Fei studied the newcomer with faint surprise.
The man appeared quite young, barely in his twenties, of average height with a slightly plump figure. His black clothes couldn't conceal the slight bulge of his belly.
The stout youth wiped the sweat from his brow, glanced around, then stepped forward to clasp his hands in respectful greeting toward Jia Banxian.
"Might this be Senior Jia Banxian?"
"And you are?"
Jia Banxian regarded him warily.
"This junior Wu Hei pays respects to the senior." The plump youth exhaled in apparent relief, his round face breaking into an earnest smile. "I was commanded by Granny to await your arrival here, but regrettably arrived late. I beg the senior's forgiveness."
"This Granny of yours... would that be Sang Jinhua, known as Granny Golden Flower?"
"Yes, my mother-in-law is getting old, and now I'm taking over her duties."
"So you're Jinhua's grandson!" Jia Banxian relaxed and looked affectionately at the chubby boy. "I held you when you were a baby. Who would've thought you'd grow so big in the blink of an eye. Lu Fei, this is Xiao Wu - you two are of the same generation. You should get acquainted."
"Xiao Wu, this is Lu Fei, descendant of the Sinisterium Pawnshop. We old-timers have retired. The mystical world will soon belong to you youngsters."
"Hello." Lu Fei shook hands with the chubby boy.
"Hello! Hello!"
The round-faced boy had an inherently kind appearance that suggested a gentle temperament, with a small token hanging at his waist.
Lu Fei found the token particularly intriguing and stole glances at it.
The front of the token bore the character '差' (Chāi), exuding an awe-inspiring aura that seemed to naturally suppress spirits just through its imposing presence.
"Xiao Wu, did something happen today? Why are there no Underworld guards at the Ghost Gate?" Jia Banxian asked curiously.
"Some evil spirits escaped from the Underworld during the chaos. All the ghost officials went to recapture them. I've been running around helping too, and came to assist you seniors as soon as I had a moment." Wu Hei explained.
"What kind of evil spirit could it be, to even mobilize the gatekeeping ghost officers?" Jia Banxian wondered.
"I'm not entirely sure. I've only recently become a ghost officer—just a errand-runner. Important duties don't fall to me." Wu Hei chuckled awkwardly.
"Never mind. This isn't our concern anyway." Jia Banxian waved his hand. Whatever happened, as long as it didn't interfere with the little one's journey to the underworld, it was fine.
Wu Hei smiled and glanced at the confused child beside Jia Banxian. "Senior, this must be the child my mother-in-law mentioned? Rest assured, I'll deliver him safely to the underworld."
"Good, good... Then I'll entrust him to you."
Jia Banxian nodded with a smile but hesitated to hand the child over.
He knelt down and adjusted the child's clothes.
"Little one, listen to Brother Wu Hei on the journey. Don't wander off... Once you arrive, you'll be alone. Take care of yourself..."
Though he had much to say, the words lodged in his throat.
The child tilted his head, staring at him blankly, as if sensing something.
"Senior, it's getting late. You must return..." Wu Hei gently reminded.
"Yes, it's late..."
Only then did Jia Banxian rise and pass the child to Wu Hei.
"Xiao Wu, I'm relying on you. He's still young—please watch over him..."
"Don't worry, Senior! Leave the rest to me. I promise no mishaps will occur."
Wu Hei nodded cheerfully and took the child's hand.
"Good, good..."
Jia Banxian kept nodding but remained rooted in place.
"Banxian." Lu Fei patted his shoulder, forcing him to turn away resolutely.
"Senior, Lu Fei, farewell! Remember—do not look back on your return journey, no matter what." Wu Hei waved at them.
"Thank you for the reminder."
Lu Fei took out all the remaining spirit money and distributed it to the lonely spirits and wandering ghosts. He smiled at them before turning to leave.
The lost souls froze for a moment, then bowed deeply to his retreating figure.
The two followed the soul-guiding chicken, step by step moving forward.
The little creature stared blankly at the direction they had departed, as if suddenly remembering something. Its lips quivered and it began to cry.
"Grandpa! Grandpa!"
The clear child's voice echoed before the Ghost Gate. Jia Banxian's back visibly trembled.
On the Yellow Springs Road, one must not look back.
He paused briefly, then suddenly quickened his pace, almost fleeing forward.
Lu Fei sighed and followed him in silence.
The journey continued without words.
Fortunately, the return journey proceeded smoothly.
Before the rooster's crow.
Both souls returned to their bodies.
Lu Fei opened his eyes again, as Little Black barked and leaped into his arms.
"Boss, you've returned!"
Hu Zi set down the spirit money in his hands and exhaled deeply. Having burned paper offerings all night, his cheeks were flushed red and his clothes soaked with sweat.
"You've worked hard, Hu Zi."
"Don't say that, boss! This is all part of my duty!"
Hu Zi wiped his sweat and looked at Jia Banxian.
"Hey, why isn't Ban Xian moving? Did he not come back?"
Lu Fei turned his head and saw Jia Banxian still sitting motionless, his eyes filled with melancholy and loneliness.
"He did come back, it's just that..." Lu Fei didn't know how to comfort him.
At that moment, the little parrot in the cage began chirping noisily.
"Little thing!"
Jia Banxian's face lit up with surprise and joy, but when he looked up, the happiness in his eyes instantly faded.
From now on, that little parrot would truly remain just an ordinary bird.
With reddened eyes, he silently burned paper offerings.
After burning all the paper effigies, he returned alone to his room, his back noticeably more hunched.
Overnight, the courtyard seemed to grow desolate and quiet.
"Boss, is Ban Xian going to be alright?" Hu Zi asked with concern.
"Nothing serious. He needs time to adjust. He knows sending the little one away was the right choice. Let's not disturb him—he needs to be alone for now."
Lu Fei shook his head. He and Hu Zi cleaned up the courtyard, closed the door for Jia Banxian, and returned to Antique Street.
Rest.
Forage.
Night fell.
Lu Fei took out the damp train ticket.
After helping Jia Banxian, it was time to handle the client's matter.
The ticket felt icy and soggy, crumpled as if soaked in water.
The price displayed on it was 4 yuan.
"What exactly happened to the No. 44 bus back then?"
Lu Fei's knowledge of this bus was limited to news reports about the accident and rumors of hauntings.
He turned on his computer and searched for related information.
The No. 44 bus was a dedicated route from the west district to the suburbs, with infrequent schedules and a relatively long journey.
4 yuan was the fare from the starting point to the terminal.
The bus that plunged into the river was the last night shift vehicle. The location where it plunged was four stops away from the terminal.
There were 15 people on board, including the driver. All fell into the river, but only one passenger's body was recovered. To this day, no trace of the others has been found, dead or alive.
After this accident, the No. 44 bus route was discontinued.
However, some people claimed to have seen the No. 44 bus passing by stops late at night.