Chapter 96.2

Yin Meng and Runsheng were still in special training—it wasn’t even certain they could join this operation in time. And in Li Zhuiyuan’s plan, it was vital that they complete the training uninterrupted if they were to play more significant roles in future Shade-walking missions.

Interrupting the training now and restarting it later would mean subjecting Uncle Qin and Aunt Liu to a second round of karmic backlash—double the price, not worth it.

Tang Qiuying feared him. During the last sand-table writing, she hadn’t even dared to touch his hand, so he couldn’t wear the shoes himself.

As for Lin Shuyou—that guy was a complete nonstarter. Who knew if slipping those shoes on would activate his vertical pupils?

After weighing every option, only Tan Wenbin could handle this task.

“Xiaoyuan-ge… now?”

“Mm.”

“Then… can I wash my feet first?”

“Sure.”

Tan Wenbin gave the high heels on the desk a cheeky grin. “See that, Auntie Tang? I’m good to you, right?”

The high heels gave a slight shake in response.

Changing into slippers and grabbing a bar of soap, Tan Wenbin went to wash up. When he returned, he sat on the bed and began drying his feet.

Li Zhuiyuan brought the high heels over and set them in front of him.

“Yo, Xiaoyuan-ge, you’re really spoiling me.”

Once he’d dried thoroughly, Tan Wenbin slipped his feet into the shoes.

“Huh? Xiaoyuan-ge, these feel a bit tight. Can’t get them on. Pass me the carving knife from the desk—I’m gonna trim my feet to fit.”

“Smack!”

The knife landed on his bed with a thud.

Tan Wenbin picked it up, disbelieving. “Wait, bro, you serious? You want me to actually carve my feet?”

“You asked for it.”

“I was joking! I’m not one of Cinderella’s stepsisters.”

“Just step on the shoes. That’ll do.”

“Oh, okay then.”

Li Zhuiyuan handed him a newspaper.

“Xiaoyuan-ge, the newspaper is for…”

“It’s broad daylight and the dorm’s crowded. You planning to strut around in heels?”

“Oh—right, right!”

Tan Wenbin quickly bent down, wrapping the newspaper around his calves and the shoes, then secured it all with tape.

Looked weird, sure—but at least not perverted.

Li Zhuiyuan threw the yellow paper with Tang Qiuying’s name and birth date into the incense burner, then used a compass to calculate, selecting three incense sticks and placing them at the burner’s corners.

Finally, he took a cardboard box, cut a hole in the top with the carving knife, placed the incense burner inside, and handed it to Tan Wenbin.

“Xiaoyuan-ge, you think of everything.”

“Binbin-ge, I’m going to unseal the heels now. Don’t resist—let her possess you.”

“No worries, bro. I doubt resisting would change anything.”

“Being fully possessed by a malevolent spirit is different from just having your hand seized like last time—it will harm your fortune and your body.

But I can help dispel the effects from full possession. As for the hand-writing case… just eat more. That’ll fix it.

Oh, and one more thing: this might increase your sensitivity to the occult. Meaning, higher success rates for Shade-walking.”

Tan Wenbin lit up. “Seriously? That’s actually a perk!”

“All right, let’s begin.”

“I’m ready.”

Li Zhuiyuan broke the seal.

The smoke rising through the box’s hole turned from white to black.

Tan Wenbin felt a chilling surge shoot from his soles straight to the back of his head. His mouth fell open involuntarily.

“Thunk…”

He shrank slightly.

Where before he’d just stepped on the shoes, now the ill-fitting heels had adjusted themselves, letting his feet slip inside.

Li Zhuiyuan wasn’t surprised. Last time, even that burly Northeasterner Lu Yi had managed to wear them.

The lines of Tan Wenbin’s face softened.

His expression slowly changed, taking on a different tone.

He gave a little twist of the neck, then spoke:

“Naughty little brother… call me senior. Senior! Senior!”

She was thrilled Tan Wenbin had washed his feet—but she hadn’t forgotten her grudge over the “Auntie” insult.

Still, compared to when she possessed Lu Yi, Tang Qiuying now clearly had more awareness and autonomy—likely because Li Zhuiyuan had included her full identity in the incense.

“Tang Qiuying, go find your remains.”

At the command, her playful expression twisted into one of hatred.

Li Zhuiyuan said calmly, “Go crazy and I’ll destroy you right now. End the karma.”

Tan Wenbin flinched, the hatred vanishing, replaced by fear and grievance.

She had been personally suppressed by this youth. She knew he could easily kill her.

“Do you remember who killed you?”

“I only remember who I am… and where my body is. The rest, I don’t know. My head feels empty… but I know that once I find my body, I’ll remember who did it. I don’t know why—but I’m certain.”

“Fine. Go then.”

Li Zhuiyuan picked up a plastic bag, put Tan Wenbin’s sneakers inside, and opened the dorm door.

Tan Wenbin walked out, hugging the cardboard box. Knock knock knock echoed with each step.

Li Zhuiyuan followed after closing the door.

As they came down the stairs and approached the dorm entrance, they ran into Lu Yi—book in one hand, a takeout meal from the canteen in the other.

“Binbin, just finished class. Got lunch for Ayou, then I’ll hit the store. Got time to skip the afternoon session, gonna restock a bit.”

Tan Wenbin smiled at him.

Lu Yi blinked. “Dude… why are your legs all wrapped up?”

Tan Wenbin: “Your guitar playing is beautiful. I love listening.”

Lu Yi’s face shifted from confusion to horror—he stumbled backward and fell.

The book flew from his hand, but he managed to save the food bag.

That voice—it matched a recurring nightmare he’d had lately. In the dream, a girl kept praising his guitar playing.

Tan Wenbin turned to Li Zhuiyuan, pleading, “Can I hear him play one more time?”

Li Zhuiyuan didn’t even look up. “Say the word if you want to die.”

Tan Wenbin’s face puckered. He dared not retort—just shot one last wistful glance at Lu Yi and walked out, clutching the box.

Lu Yi sat there on the ground, lips twitching, trying to form the word “ghost.”

“Lu Yi.”

Li Zhuiyuan’s voice steadied him slightly. He remembered their trip to the General’s Temple—he knew this prodigy had some kind of gift.

“Prodigy-ge… Binbin, he…”

“It’s fine. Just bring the food upstairs.”

With that, Li Zhuiyuan followed them out.

Lu Yi picked up his book and slowly climbed the stairs.

Yes, that feeling just now—it was her. It was her.

His eyes brimmed with tears.

Tan Wenbin led the way, Li Zhuiyuan close behind. They left the dorm courtyard and headed down a tree-lined path behind the dormitory.

Few people came this way—mostly just students heading to P.E. class.

Phoenix trees lined the narrow lane. They weren’t that old.

Tan Wenbin stopped at the tallest, thickest one.

He knelt and started clawing at the ground.

“Stop. I’ll get someone to dig.”

But Tan Wenbin didn’t stop. He dug faster, more furiously.

“I’m in there—I’m in there—I’m in there!”

Li Zhuiyuan took a calming talisman from his pocket and pressed it to Tan Wenbin’s forehead.

His body jolted. The newspaper rustled as the high heels popped off, landing on the ground.

“Xiaoyuan-ge… I’m cold… do we have any padded coats in the dorm?”

“Sit here and warm up in the sun. You’ll be fine.”

“Oh.”

Tan Wenbin sat under the tree, hugging his arms, rubbing for warmth, shivering and huffing breath.

Li Zhuiyuan peeled the talisman off his forehead—it had turned black.

Ah Li’s talismans were truly effective. Not like his own, which only changed color.

After a while, when Tan Wenbin seemed more stable, Li Zhuiyuan handed him the plastic bag with his shoes.

“Xiaoyuan-ge, you’re so thoughtful.”

Tan Wenbin happily slipped them on, hopping and twisting to loosen his joints. His body creaked—stiff from possession.

“Binbin-ge, go check if your dad’s here.”

“Okay.”

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