Chapter 36: Xiao Li

After catching his breath on the ground, Liu Jun climbed back up and resumed his practice of the "Tai Xuan Heart Sutra" given to him by Brother Dog with even greater focus. Surely, anything provided by an ancient divine beast couldn't be inferior.

After practicing for a while, he felt a bit tired, but he didn't stop. He picked up his talismans and began practicing the art of drawing them. Don't ask why he was so diligent—he simply didn't want to get beaten up every time he caught a ghost.

In the blink of an eye, dawn arrived. Just as Liu Jun and Fatty were packing their things, the man in the suit walked in, carrying a bag.

"Master, this is the two-hundred-thousand-yuan bonus from the authorities for your help last time." My goodness, two hundred thousand! I've never seen so much money in my life, Liu Jun marveled.

"Oh, you're too kind, really. If there's anything else in the future, just let me know." See, this is why he loved how generous these departments were. Liu Jun excitedly pulled Fatty aside to count the cash. If you asked him what made him happy in this world, it was definitely making money. If you asked him what made him even happier, it was counting it.

"Um, Master, there is actually a matter that requires your trouble. An office building is haunted. Our team investigated, and there are indeed supernatural occurrences. I wonder if you have the time?" Since the last incident, the man in the suit had been much more polite to Liu Jun.

"No time," Liu Jun replied without even lifting his head. Don't disturb my money-counting.

"Although it's not as much this time, there is a thirty-thousand-yuan bonus."

"Where? Subduing demons and eliminating spirits is the duty of us Taoist disciples!" Liu Jun immediately stood up and said righteously, looking at the man in the suit.

"Xiangshang Building. Shall I come to pick you up tonight?" the man in the suit asked.

"No need. Nine o'clock tonight, we'll meet at the entrance of Xiangshang Building," Liu Jun replied before returning to his money. Just kidding, why wouldn't he take a job that pays?

After finishing the count, he tossed one hundred thousand to Fatty. Although Liu Jun loved money, he was by no means as stingy as that old geezer.

"Brother Liu, what are you doing? I don't want this. I can't even repay you for saving my life," Fatty said, pushing the money back.

"Don't be such a pretentious idiot. I saved you because you're my brother. Giving you money is just keeping our accounts clear between brothers. Take it, or if you really don't want it, set it on fire," Liu Jun said indignantly. This guy—offering him money and he refuses. If it were him, he’d definitely snatch it up without a second thought.

"Brother Liu, how about this? I spend money recklessly. Since you're my brother, I'd feel safer if you kept it for me," Fatty suggested after a moment of contemplation.

"Fine. I'll get you a separate card later. You can take it whenever you need money." Liu Jun didn't dwell on it further; no matter how it was kept, the money belonged to Fatty.

Liu Jun and Fatty locked up the shop and went to the bank. With this much cash, leaving it at home would just invite thieves. Upon arriving, they took a number and began waiting in line.

"Brother Liu, tell me, how can I earn an annual income of a million?" Fatty asked.

"If you deposit fifty million in the bank, the interest alone will be a million," Liu Jun replied.

"If I had fifty million to deposit, would I be asking you?"

"I have a way to make fifty million, too."

"What way?"

"Deposit three billion."

"Brother Liu, you're going to lose me if you keep this up."

About half an hour later, it was finally their turn. It was quite a sight; out of seven windows, only two were open—were the others busy counting money in the back? Liu Jun approached the window and placed his bag, which usually held his talismans, against the glass.

"Hello, what business would you like to conduct?" the teller asked.

"I'd like to open a card and deposit some money." The teller handed over a form for Liu Jun to fill out. While he was writing, Fatty tapped on the glass.

"Miss, is this glass bulletproof?" Fatty asked.

"Yes, it is."

"Is it bombproof?" The teller’s face changed instantly. She glanced at the bag Liu Jun had placed by the glass and slowly reached her hand under the counter, ready to trigger the silent alarm. Damn it, this dead Fatty.

"Miss, don't panic. My friend has a screw loose; don't mind him." Liu Jun quickly handed over the completed form and his ID. Only after checking them did the teller’s guard drop slightly.

They opened two cards. One was for Fatty with one hundred thousand, and the other was for Liu Jun, with ninety-five thousand deposited.

"Brother Liu, why did you keep five thousand?" Fatty asked.

"If I don't keep some cash, what are we going to eat? Besides, I need to buy some treats for Brother Dog. He’s helped us a lot, and it wouldn't be right to make money and not think of him."

"Buy treats for Brother Dog? Do you even know what he eats?"

"Nonsense. Look at him—it's obviously dog food and dog snacks," Liu Jun said confidently.

"Brother Liu, I have a feeling you are courting death," Fatty said hesitantly.

They got in the car, went to the mall to buy some food that dogs supposedly loved, and headed home to sleep.

Liu Jun woke up at eight o'clock. There was enough time, so he took the goods to the shop first.

"Brother Liu, you go on up. I'm too heavy, it's not convenient for me to climb the stairs." Liu Jun didn't mind and headed to the second floor with the goods.

He opened a bag of milk-flavored dog food—not cheap, costing about fifteen or sixteen yuan a pound—and grabbed a handful to offer Brother Dog. Brother Dog had been napping, but upon smelling the milky aroma, he instantly opened his eyes. Seeing Liu Jun fawning over him with the goods, Brother Dog didn't hesitate and began munching away. After eating for a while, he caught a glimpse of the packaging, and his entire body stiffened.

"What are you feeding me?" Brother Dog asked, trembling in disbelief.

"Dog food," Liu Jun replied matter-of-factly. It was only natural for a dog to eat dog food. But perhaps his brain had water in it; although Brother Dog was in the form of a dog, he was the assistant to the Fire God—a genuine divine beast.

With a loud "boom," Liu Jun was swatted down to the first floor by Brother Dog. Not to mention, the "Tai Xuan Heart Sutra" and the Millennium Taisui were quite useful; his body was much more resilient now. He climbed up and nonchalantly brushed the dust off his clothes.

"Brother, what happened? Is Brother Dog angry?" Fatty asked, peering cautiously toward the second floor.

"No, Brother Dog was enjoying it, just got a bit excited," Liu Jun replied calmly. Suddenly, another roar came from the second floor, sending him and Fatty scrambling out the door in a panic.

They got into the car, and Fatty slammed on the gas, rushing toward the Xiangshang Building. They were terrified that if they were too slow, Brother Dog would turn them into meat patties along with the car.

When they arrived at the entrance of the Xiangshang Building, the man in the suit was already waiting. Liu Jun had actually been here before. Once, when he came to handle some business, the elevator broke down, and he had to climb twenty-six flights of stairs, panting. And then, damn it, the elevator started working again!

"Master, let me explain the sequence of events," the man in the suit said, walking over.

Xiao Li and A-Ming were a couple working as planners for an advertising firm on the eighteenth floor of the Xiangshang Building. Xiao Li was beautiful and more educated than A-Ming; naturally, her ability and salary were higher, too. But she had never looked down on him.

The boss of this advertising company was Dong Daming—bald, obese, and lecherous. From the moment Xiao Li joined, Dong Daming had set his sights on her, only held back by A-Ming's presence.

That was until an oversight by A-Ming caused a project to fail.

"A-Ming, I trusted you so much, and yet you made such a low-level error, causing the company a loss of hundreds of thousands. Now, you not only have to pay for the damages, but your job might not be safe either," Dong Daming said, looking at A-Ming.

"Boss, is there any way to make up for this? I've only been here for half a year; I can't afford to pay that," A-Ming pleaded anxiously.

"The project can't be saved. If you can't pay, you'll have to go to jail."

"Boss, please, I don't want to go to jail. Please, help me," A-Ming begged.

"There is a way, but you'll have to come over here so I can tell you." Dong Daming whispered something to A-Ming.

One might say A-Ming wasn't a good person either, as he actually agreed.

That night, Dong Daming kept Xiao Li late under the pretext of saving A-Ming's project. A-Ming handed Xiao Li a cup of milk tea, hypocritically telling her not to work too hard.

After finishing the tea, Xiao Li felt weak and drowsy. As her eyes began to close, she saw Dong Daming walking toward her with a lecherous grin. She struggled to look for her boyfriend, A-Ming, but found he was already gone. In that instant, she understood.

When Xiao Li woke up, she was lying naked on the cold office floor. She slowly stood up, put on her clothes, and walked into the elevator. She pressed the button for the top floor. Upon arrival, without a shred of hesitation or regret, she jumped.

The next day, the news reported that an employee of an advertising company had committed suicide by jumping off a building due to extreme pressure.

From that day on, people in the Xiangshang Building often heard a girl crying at night. Dong Daming was so terrified he didn't dare return to the office.

One day, A-Ming was delayed by some errands and entered the elevator after nine o'clock at night. After pressing the button for the first floor and the doors closed, he realized in horror that the elevator was going up. Ding-dong. The elevator stopped at the top floor, and the doors opened.

Standing at the entrance was a female ghost in blood-stained clothes, tears of blood streaming from her eyes. It was Xiao Li.

"Why did you harm me? Why did you harm me!"

The next day, A-Ming’s body was discovered on the roof, his eyes wide open in sheer terror.