Chapter 983: I Can Still Save It (Part 2)

## Chapter 5: What to Do If You Accidentally Kill a Ghost Messenger

If Ning Feng's soul hadn't transmigrated, and if these events hadn't happened, then normally, the original "Ning Feng" would have committed suicide, been discovered, rushed to the hospital, and died despite resuscitation efforts. On that day, the soul-reaper would have arrived to escort "Ning Feng" to the Underworld. If Ning Feng remembered correctly, the soul-reaper had mentioned they were under the jurisdiction of the City God of Lihua Prefecture.

However, perhaps due to Ning Feng's transmigration, the original owner's soul was no longer present. Now, with the Underworld's reapers coming for the soul, Ning Feng naturally refused to die. Furthermore, Ning Feng was unaware of his body's inherent abilities, and a series of coincidences led to the current situation.

In any legal system, assaulting a police officer or public official is a serious crime. Ning Feng didn't believe that attacking a soul-reaper would be taken lightly, especially since he might have killed one.

‘I'm doomed… I'm utterly doomed… Nine lives wouldn't be enough!’

Indeed, Ning Feng understood that he might have inherited some of the original owner's special abilities, meaning he was no longer strictly an ordinary person. But he wasn't the Great Sage Equal to Heaven; how could he dare to confront the Underworld? Murderers pay with their lives, debtors repay their debts. What happens if you kill a ghost messenger? He might truly be annihilated, body and soul!

Ning Feng's mind was a mess, unable to see any way out. He was terrified that the Underworld's agents would come looking for him any moment, and he certainly didn't dare to sleep. What was even stranger was that despite the huge commotion earlier, no one else in the hospital had reacted.

He remained restless and anxious until dawn, when the nurse came for rounds. The sky hadn't fully brightened yet. A nurse checked each room, mostly just glancing inside and leaving if everything seemed fine. Soon, she reached Ning Feng's room, 304. Just opening the door, the sight before her startled the young nurse immensely.

"Ah! What happened?!"

The nurse's sharp voice made the feigning Ning Feng even more awake. She frantically ran out to call for help, then hurried back to Ning Feng's bedside and gently shook him.

"Mr. Ning, Mr. Ning, are you alright?"

Ning Feng pretended to wake up groggily. "Huh?" Then, as if only now noticing the disarray in the room out of the corner of his eye. "Ah! What's wrong with this room? Nurse, was there an earthquake last night?"

"I don't know either. Mr. Ning, do you feel any discomfort?" the nurse asked while lifting Ning Feng's thin blanket to check for any injuries on him, and incidentally, to see if the bandage on his left wrist was secure.

"No, no, I'm fine. How about we leave here first…?"

"Right, right, I'll help you!"

The two quickly left the room. By then, other hospital staff had arrived, and some ambulatory patients and their families came out into the hallway to see what was happening. It genuinely seemed none of them had felt the commotion from the previous night.

With such an incident, the hospital naturally had to call the police. The police arrived at the hospital quickly. As the only patient in that room, Ning Feng naturally underwent police questioning.

In a newly assigned room, the doctor performed another physical examination on Ning Feng, confirming he was fine. Afterward, a nurse brought him rice porridge for breakfast. About fifteen minutes after he finished eating, two police officers approached Ning Feng's bed.

"Mr. Ning Feng, my surname is Liu, and this is my colleague, Xiao Li. Sorry to disturb your rest, but we have a few questions about Room 304."

Officer Liu appeared to be middle-aged, while Xiao Li was very young. Ning Feng seemed very cooperative.

"Of course, of course. I'm still feeling a bit scared myself. Just ask whatever you need; I'll tell you everything!"

Officer Liu nodded and sat on a stool beside the bed, so Ning Feng wouldn't have to look up continuously. Xiao Li stood behind him, holding recording equipment and a notepad.

"Mr. Ning, we understand you were the only patient in Room 304 last night. Did you see or hear anything?"

Ning Feng patted his chest, appearing somewhat fearful, though in reality, his fear wasn't entirely feigned. "I was scared to death! The most terrifying thing is that I didn't hear anything at all; I just slept until morning. Officer, you've seen Room 304, right? It looks like an earthquake hit it, and that bed… If I had been less lucky… Oh dear…"

Officer Liu frowned, looking at Ning Feng. "Alright, so you didn't sense anything happening. Is that correct, Mr. Ning?"

"Yes, otherwise, how could I have dared to sleep until morning?!"

"Hmm." Officer Liu took out his notepad, flipped through a few pages, then suddenly looked up at Ning Feng again. "May I be so bold as to ask, Mr. Ning, were you hospitalized due to a suicide attempt?" His gaze swept to Ning Feng's bandaged left wrist. "Would you mind telling us what led you to consider ending your life?"

Ning Feng gave a self-deprecating laugh, looking at his left wrist. In that moment, he realized he actually had quite a talent for acting. "No inconvenience at all; I've come to terms with it… Officer Liu, I'm an orphan. My parents passed away many years ago, and that changed my whole life. I've lived in constant anxiety, fear, and depression, often having nightmares, which also made me somewhat afraid of sleeping…"

Officer Xiao Li couldn't help but scrutinize Ning Feng's face upon hearing this. His extreme appearance certainly didn't suggest a good night's sleep; he could scare people to death if he went out at night.

"So… I've actually wanted to commit suicide many times, and this time… I almost truly died…"

Although Officer Liu couldn't empathize directly, he knew the immense impact of losing both parents on a child at that age. "Mr. Ning, I know I might not be qualified to say this, but some things are in the past. Please try to look forward…"

"Heh heh… It's alright, Officer Liu. One truly understands the preciousness of life only after touching death. After this incident, I've come to terms with it. I will live well…"

‘Well, that's assuming they let me live!’

They discussed other topics, but the two officers couldn't get any useful information from Ning Feng. After a while, seeing Ning Feng appear tired, they decided to leave. Officer Liu stood up, and Xiao Li, behind him, put away his notepad.

"Alright, thank you for your cooperation. If you remember anything else, please don't hesitate to contact us directly. We won't disturb your rest any further!"

"Okay, okay, please take care!"

Officer Liu nodded, stood up, and left the room with Xiao Li, remembering to close the door behind them.

"Phew…" Ning Feng gently exhaled, but this was just dealing with a minor issue; the real big problem hadn't arrived yet.

‘City God of Lihua Prefecture…’

Lihua Prefecture was the large city where Ning Feng currently was. From his previous quick research, he knew the area was divided into prefectures, counties, and towns, which likely corresponded to a provincial and municipal system. Ning Feng's eyes flickered. Given this, perhaps City Gods had jurisdictions?

After resting for about half an hour, mainly to confirm the police had left, he got out of bed. This world didn't seem to have a widespread smartphone market yet; his phone couldn't even connect to the internet. To look up some things, he needed to find a computer. His first priority was to be discharged! He wasn't seriously ill; with a bit of caution, he'd be fine. In any case, he dared not stay in the hospital anymore.

Ning Feng quickly put his plan into action. The hospital naturally wanted Ning Feng to stay for a few days of observation, but Ning Feng had a very valid reason: he was too unsettled by what happened last night and absolutely refused to stay hospitalized any longer. After all, not staying wasn't a major issue, and since Ning Feng insisted, the hospital agreed.

When he was discharged, Ning Feng's biggest concern—not having enough money—didn't materialize. He actually got several hundred back from the thousand yuan he had prepaid. Ning Feng was discharged wearing his "blood-stained clothes," which the hospital staff had washed and dried after his admission. Of course, there were no bloodstains on them now.

Since he had subtly extracted the address of his residence during a previous conversation with Brother Lu, Ning Feng simply hailed a cab and went back. People he met in the community looked at Ning Feng strangely. Ning Feng didn't mind; it was normal to attract some stares after a suicide attempt. Little did he know, it was actually his ghastly appearance that was chilling people.

When he arrived home, there was no sound from next door, probably meaning no one was home. Ning Feng took out his wallet and tried each of the keys on his keychain one by one. As the second key slid smoothly into the lock and turned, there was a click, and the door opened.

## Chapter 6: Escape!

The door opened, revealing a strong, lingering smell of blood within, and the room was still as messy as he had left it. To be honest, this house had left a considerable psychological shadow on Ning Feng, especially waking up in the bathtub in the bathroom. However, now was not the time to dwell on such things.

Ning Feng entered, closed the door, quickly went to the desk in the room, and began to search for information more thoroughly on the computer. Demons and monsters… immortals, Buddhas, and gods… Lihua Prefecture… City God…

Ning Feng searched for such information, but the most common results and entries he found online could be summarized by four words he was exceptionally familiar with: feudal superstition! Aside from some worship customs and scenic spot introductions, Ning Feng found no direct descriptions of gods or Buddhas, nor any authoritative eyewitness accounts. They were mostly described as ancient myths and legends fabricated by people, now just religious customs.

Although there were some sensational articles like ghost story shares or personal experiences, they were all for entertainment. At least, Ning Feng couldn't find any useful information. Essentially, Ning Feng concluded that this world's view on ghosts and monsters was largely similar to Earth in his previous life: most people didn't believe in spirits or gods, but there were still folk customs and religious beliefs.

What now? He couldn't just go worship at a famous temple, could he? Even if it worked, not to mention if it didn't, what if they were part of the same system? Would going there to pray be like walking straight into a trap?

"City God of Lihua Prefecture… City God of Lihua Prefecture… That's it!" A flash of inspiration struck Ning Feng as he mumbled to himself, and his hands began clattering on the keyboard, searching again. New pieces of information refreshed the page.

"It's just as I thought!" Ning Feng's voice held a hint of excitement. This time, his search approach was different, yielding the expected results. He discovered that almost all prefecture- and county-level cities in Huaxia had City God Temples that had been passed down from ancient times. Some were well-preserved historical sites, while others had been protectively renovated or rebuilt by local authorities.

These places were also important venues for Huaxia temple fairs and must-visit attractions for tourists, as each local City God had its own historical stories and myths. Naturally, as temples, the City God Temples everywhere still maintained their basic function of worshiping gods and burning incense.

Ning Feng's heart rate slightly increased, and his thoughts raced rapidly. When he searched for information about City Gods, online encyclopedias described their duties, which were quite similar to those of City Gods on Earth in his previous life. So, were the City Gods in various places actually performing their Underworld duties without ordinary people knowing? Could it then be assumed that the City God's office, like ancient or modern officials, had its own jurisdiction?

Thinking of this, Ning Feng couldn't help but murmur to himself. "So, what if I escape Lihua Prefecture, or even Jizhou?"

He had barely arrived in this world and already brushed with death twice. To die so inexplicably, and then to discover that ghosts truly existed here, only to risk his soul being scattered – who would be willing to accept that? At least Ning Feng wasn't willing! He also wasn't going to test whether the City God of Lihua Prefecture would show him mercy. With one of his subordinates killed, that possibility seemed slim.

So Ning Feng gritted his teeth and made a decision. Escape! Flee immediately!

***

Ning Feng began rummaging through the house, packing some clothes, and checking drawers and bedside tables for any hidden money. His biggest dilemma now was that he had gained some painful memories from the original owner's body, but no other "valuable" information. Ning Feng still didn't know what valuables the original "Ning Feng" possessed, nor the PIN for his bank card.

Finally, Ning Feng spent half an hour organizing what he needed to take. He packed a backpack with a laptop, two sets of clothes, and all the identifiable documents he could find in his wallet. In total, he had over 1,400 yuan in cash, plus a mobile phone. After much hesitation, he also took three bottles of a stimulant called "Rejuvenation Spirit" and several cans of drinks similar to Red Bull.

Ning Feng finally changed out of his clothes and shoes, found a hat to wear, locked the door, and set off. He still hadn't figured out whether the house belonged to the original owner or was rented. There was no landlord marked in the contacts, nor could he find a property deed immediately, but locking the door was still necessary. Of course, before leaving, he drained the bloody water from the bathtub and gave the bathroom a quick rinse with the showerhead.

As he passed the corridor, he paused at his neighbor's door. The life-saving kindness could only be repaid later, provided he had a future.

‘Damn, why do I feel like a wanted criminal?!’

He had always been a law-abiding young man; this was truly hellish!

A few minutes' walk from the community exit led to a busy street with constant traffic. This world was very modern, with essentially nothing missing. Ning Feng looked at the continuous flow of cars and people, the various shops and billboards lining the streets, and the men and women dressed in formal or casual attire. He had a strange sensation as if he were still in his true hometown.

He shook his head; the most important thing now was to escape for his life. An empty taxi drove by, and Ning Feng quickly waved.

"Taxi!!"

The vehicle slowly decelerated, coming from a distance, and stopped by the roadside. Ning Feng quickly walked over.

"Whoa!!!" The driver flinched in fright as soon as he saw Ning Feng's appearance under the hat.

"Where to?"

"Sir, is there a high-speed rail station here?"

"What are you talking about? Our Lihua Prefecture is a second-tier city; how could it not have a high-speed rail station? Get in!"

"Alright, alright!" Indeed, there was a high-speed rail. Ning Feng quickly got into the back seat. He was somewhat aware of his current appearance, having even scared himself, so he was afraid of distracting the driver if he sat in front.

The taxi drove smoothly but quickly. The driver glanced at the passenger several times in the rearview mirror, finally unable to resist speaking. "Say, young man, you really need to eat more and rest more…"

"Hahaha, I know, driver. Did I scare you just now?"

Hearing the passenger's lighthearted and humorous tone, the driver relaxed. "You bet! I was really startled just now. In our line of work, we've seen all sorts of people, so for you to scare me, that's saying something!"

"Hahahaha…" Ning Feng's laughter was a bit awkward.

About thirty minutes later, the taxi arrived at Lihua Prefecture's high-speed rail station. The fare was only twelve yuan, which made Ning Feng slightly curious about the purchasing power of currency here. There was no developed mobile payment system here; transactions were primarily done with paper money. The denominations of banknotes and coins were also similar to China in his previous life: larger denominations were yellowish, smaller ones were bluish. There were no portraits on them, only landscapes.

The high-speed rail station had many easy-to-understand signs. Ning Feng took a little time to find the electronic ticket office and bought a ticket to another prefecture for the earliest available time. Ning Feng checked and saw that a second-class high-speed rail ticket from Lihua Prefecture in Jizhou to Ningze Prefecture in Dingzhou, over a thousand kilometers away, cost only eighty-two yuan—not even a hundred. It seemed the purchasing power of the currency here was indeed very strong.

Later, a bowl of beef noodles Ning Feng ate at the station also confirmed this. Including a small dish of honey-glazed tofu knots he ordered, the total only came to four yuan. Ning Feng felt it was a very good deal for lunch, especially at a high-speed rail station. Sitting on a chair after finishing his meal, Ning Feng couldn't help but look at his wallet. Besides various cards, it still contained over 1,300 yuan in cash.

‘Carrying so much cash, could this guy actually be rich?’

## Chapter 7: Indeed, a Scumbag

The original "Ning Feng" had long been an orphan with few contacts in his phone, so by all accounts, he should have been a destitute and pitiful person. However, counting the several hundred yuan spent at the hospital, he had over two thousand yuan in cash on him, not to mention possibly more that Ning Feng hadn't found in his hasty search. In terms of purchasing power, this was probably equivalent to tens of thousands of yuan in cash in his previous life, and likely more.

It wasn't as if he didn't have bank cards, yet he carried so much cash. No wonder Ning Feng suspected the original body owner might have been quite wealthy. This made him even more curious about the balance on the bank cards.

At the same time, Ning Feng felt a pang of guilt. After all, when he was rummaging through the house earlier, he had thought the original body owner was a pervert, and in his frustration, he had cursed him with countless unpleasant words. Now that he thought about it, perhaps he was a good kid who suffered from a "hidden illness," yet was self-reliant, strove to get rich, bravely fought against his fate, and ultimately committed suicide when he reached a mental breakdown!

"What a pity!" Ning Feng took a sip of his noodle soup, couldn't help but sigh softly. Such a person should have had ideals, ambitions, and the ability to execute, capable of