Chapter 173: "My Brother in Life and Death"

Thinking about it carefully, all of Yusheng's experiences at Longshu Temple had been recounted from his perspective alone.

Everyone at Longshu Temple back then had either died or turned into ghosts. There were no survivors left to corroborate his story.

The strangest detail involved the starving ghosts inside the giant Buddha. Jiang Yang had asked them if they knew a little monk named Yusheng. At the time, they said they had no memory of him.

Why wouldn't the starving ghosts remember Yusheng?

And during that thousand-year cycle of reincarnation at Longshu Temple, what exactly had Yusheng been doing?

If he ever had the chance to visit the Inner World, he definitely needed to stop by Longshu Temple to see Yusheng and have a chat.

He just didn't know if he would ever walk out of the Living Apartment again for the rest of his life.

Gao Tian slowly unlocked his mobile phone. It had been a long time since any ghost had spoken in the Galan Society Chat Group.

Not Living Apartment, Ghost Infant, or Ghost Cave.

They might never come online again.

Should he just leave the group?

Gao Tian considered it for two seconds before dropping the idea.

There was no harm in staying. Those ghost accounts might actually prove useful later.

Right then, his mobile phone suddenly rang. It was an unknown number.

Seeing it, Gao Tian's face twisted into a mask of pain.

He didn't even need to answer to know who was calling.

Ye Jiu, that relentless pest.

To be honest, Gao Tian deeply despised the guy. During the great battle in Minghai City, Ye Jiu had fled as if his soles were greased, not hesitating for a single second. While Old Man Sun and Xu Yuan were fighting so fiercely they nearly shattered reality, this kid had hidden in some safe corner of Minghai City, hunkering down until the barrier finally vanished.

During the post-disaster reconstruction, Ye Jiu scurried back out. Since everyone else in the Minghai Supernatural Disaster Bureau had died, he suddenly held the most seniority. In safe environments, Ye Jiu was actually quite brave, putting a lot of effort into helping contain the Woman in the Rain incident.

Lately, he had been pestering Gao Tian like a lingering ghost, insisting they have a proper chat. He wanted to know exactly what Gao Tian had seen, how he had survived, and if he had any intel on the Smiling Man.

The leaders and master ghost hunters over at the Shunjin City Supernatural Disaster Bureau were also highly interested in Gao Tian as a survivor of Minghai City. They had repeatedly used Ye Jiu as a middleman to invite Gao Tian over to Shunjin City for a chat, even offering him quite a few lucrative conditions.

Gao Tian couldn't even be bothered to bat an eye at the offers.

What big leaders? Did they have a higher status than Xu Yuan, the King of All Ghosts?

Gao Tian wasn't blowing hot air. Back then, he had only laughed three times, and it terrified the majestic King of All Ghosts so badly that Xu Yuan nearly wet his pants. The guy had practically knelt down and begged Gao Tian not to die. He had already blocked countless numbers from Ye Jiu, yet a new one would ring in every so often. And the moment he answered, he'd be met with that same annoying, faux-deep voice.

It seemed that if he didn't answer today, the guy absolutely wouldn't let him off.

Gao Tian connected the call on his mobile phone, deciding to put an end to it right then and there. "What is it? Say it quickly so I can hang up."

Ye Jiu clearly hadn't expected Gao Tian to actually answer. Sounding somewhat panicked, he spoke at breakneck speed, "Hey, don't hang up, don't hang up! Brother, whatever you do, please don't hang up!

"We were comrades fighting side by side that night, brothers who shared life and death and entrusted our lives to each other! Could you please stop blocking me?"

Gao Tian couldn't help but laugh out of sheer exasperation. "Who the fuck shared life and death with you?

"You ran away the exact second you showed up that night, hiding from start to finish! Not even the King of All Ghosts or the Smiling Man could dig you out of whatever gutter you crawled into!

"Ye Jiu, you really shouldn't be a ghost hunter. If there were a world championship for hide-and-seek, you'd definitely take first place."

Ye Jiu's skin was incredibly thick. He pretended not to hear the mocking tone in Gao Tian's voice. "That's all in the past, so let's just let it go.

"That punk, the King of All Ghosts, didn't dare face the two of us brothers in a fair fight. He actually ran away and bullied a ninety-year-old man instead. It seems he knew exactly how terrifying it would be if we joined forces!

"Hmph, anyway, I won't talk about it anymore. Next time I see him, I'll beat him up on sight. What trash, bullying an eighty-nine-year-old man!

"Where are you right now? I'll come over and visit my best brother, Gao Tian."

Gao Tian rattled off the address for the Living Apartment. "This is a haunted apartment. Do you still want to come over?

"I'm just afraid that once you step inside, you'll never be able to leave. You'll have to complete supernatural tasks with us. If you refuse to go, or if you fail the task, you die.

"The good news is that the Living Apartment is normally quite safe. If you move in, you won't need to scurry around hiding like a rat anymore."

Over the mobile phone, he heard Ye Jiu suck in a sharp breath. "The Living Apartment?"

It seemed the existence of the Living Apartment was documented in the files of the Supernatural Disaster Bureau.

They likely had a rough understanding of its operational mechanics as well.

However, because the Living Apartment didn't cause massive, widespread destruction, those ghost hunters turned a blind eye to it and avoided direct interference.

Ye Jiu immediately changed his tune. "Well, I'm not feeling too well today. I'll definitely drop by for a visit another day.

"A friend of mine—a friend from Shunjin City who has quite a bit of status and connections—asked me to ask if you'd be interested in making a trip down to Shunjin City to meet her.

"Just a casual chat, like friends. Nothing major."

Gao Tian grew impatient. "I told you, I don't know anything about the Smiling Man.

"Stop bothering me about this every other day.

"If they really have an issue with me, they can come to the Living Apartment and we can talk face-to-face. That is, assuming those big leaders don't mind becoming part of this place once they arrive."

Ye Jiu said, "Old Gao, you're misunderstanding. Don't get so worked up.

"Asking you to come to Shunjin City actually has something to do with Old Man Sun."

Gao Tian froze. "What is it?"

Ye Jiu explained, "Well, about three hours before the battle broke out, Old Man Sun hastily drew up a will.

"Don't let his tattered clothes and miserable appearance fool you. That old man had business dealings with tycoons and elites both domestically and abroad. The cash in his accounts alone has more than nine zeros.

"In his will, Old Man Sun left an eight-figure sum to you, even though you two only met once. Furthermore, he left a very important item for you.

"But regarding this item, Old Man Sun specifically mandated that you must personally go to Shunjin City. Specially arranged personnel will escort you and hand the item directly to you.

"If you don't go to Shunjin City in person, you won't be able to receive it."

Listening to Ye Jiu over the mobile phone, Gao Tian was bewildered.

Old Man Sun had left him a mysterious item?

Gao Tian didn't care too much about the money. But what exactly was this item? For it to be so secretive that it required him to collect it in person, it had to be some sort of Supernatural Item.

Old Man Sun had indeed promised that once the great battle in Minghai City was over, he would personally teach Gao Tian a few things.

It was a pity that after that world-shaking battle, a grandmaster of his generation had passed away right then and there. As for the future... there was no future anymore.

It seemed the eccentric old man had spoken casually about whipping Xu Yuan like a spinning top, but secretly, he had already made arrangements for his own aftermath.

Of course, this was all just Gao Tian's speculation. Until he went to Shunjin City and personally received the item, no one would know Old Man Sun's true intentions.

On the other end of the line, Ye Jiu sensed the hesitation in Gao Tian's silence. Striking while the iron was hot, he added, "I promise I won't hound you about the Smiling Man anymore.

"If you say you don't know, then you don't know. I have one hundred percent faith in my brother who I've shared life and death with.

"Since you have to make a trip to Shunjin City anyway, why not meet my friend while you're at it?

"Her connections and status in the supernatural circle are truly extensive. Just meet her—it will only benefit your future. There's no downside.

"Young man, seize the opportunity! The chance to skip ten years of hard struggle is right in front of you. Don't be so stubborn."

Gao Tian listened quietly.

If it was an inheritance left to him by Old Man Sun, he definitely had to go take a look.

However, not right now.

The Smiling Man was still inside his body and hadn't acted up in a long time, but Gao Tian was terrified that the moment he stepped foot out of the apartment, that twisted smile would instantly surface on his face, and it would be too late to retreat back inside.

He spoke calmly into the mobile phone, cutting off the still-chattering Ye Jiu. "Another time. When I have the chance in the future, I will definitely take a trip to Shunjin City to bring back the inheritance Old Man Sun left me.

"When the time is right, I'll contact you.

"That's all for now. I'm hanging up."

Gao Tian wasn't the least bit interested in this supposedly all-powerful friend Ye Jiu spoke of.

Ye Jiu's voice faltered in shock; he had never expected that even bringing up Old Man Sun's inheritance wouldn't be enough to sway Gao Tian immediately.

Gao Tian didn't give Ye Jiu any opportunity to continue bickering. He hung up the mobile phone and immediately blocked the number.

But before one wave could settle, another rose.

Right after he brushed off Ye Jiu, the sound of the glass door being pushed open echoed through the lobby of the Living Apartment. A stumbling figure tumbled inside, wobbling as if completely drunk.

Gao Tian raised an eyebrow but didn't pay it much mind. Xia Ta, Jiang Yang, and the others weren't the only ones in the Living Apartment.

Though they were gone, there were still many other residents on the second floor who had been entering and exiting the apartment normally long after the great battle ended, continuing to execute their tasks.

These second-floor residents had actually scored a massive advantage during the Minghai City incident. While the residents inside the apartment had been terrified out of their minds, listening to what sounded like firecrackers all night, absolutely nothing had happened to them.

The survival rate of the apartment's second-floor residents had reached one hundred percent, making it the safest location in all of Minghai City.

Just then, the figure who had stumbled into the apartment leaned against the bar counter to stand up—and immediately vomited all over the floor. Smelling the nauseating stench, Gao Tian stood up to walk away, only to look up and see the intruder's true face. "Lan Zhu?

"You're back?"

Lan Zhu clung to the bar, heaving through another bout of vomiting. Only after she finished throwing up and felt a bit better did she slowly turn her head, whining, "My brain. My brain...

"I can't find my brain."

Gao Tian consoled her, "Your brain was broken to begin with. Losing it might actually be a good thing.

"By the way, where have you been these past few months? That night in Shanghai City, I thought you died out there. I didn't expect you to still be alive."

Lan Zhu flopped limply onto the carpet like someone whose bones had been pulled out. "I originally wanted to jump into the estuary and swim to Mingsui Island to escape that disaster.

"While I was at the bottom of the river, I hit something. I was washed up on the shore and stayed unconscious for a while.

"And it was that collision that made me remember a few things.

"Very, very strange things. Even with my brilliant intellect, I still can't figure out the reason behind them."

This Lan Zhu actually had pretty good luck.

When those two big shots were fighting, Xu Yuan had suggested taking the battle to Mingsui Island to avoid completely destroying Minghai City. However, Old Man Sun had ignored him and attacked directly.

Otherwise, there was a high probability that Lan Zhu would already be dead by now.