Chapter 57: Offering Incense

“That little girl’s mom is coming.” Chen Ji ended the video call, rose to his feet, and carefully surveyed the Mountain Lord Temple. Moments later, he called out, “Mimi—!”

There was no response from outside. Chen Ji paid it no mind and stepped out to find White Tiger lounging in the courtyard, basking in the sun. Its azure-blue eyes stared off into the distance, lost in thought. Chen Ji called again. “Mimi?”

White Tiger instinctively glanced back at Chen Ji before looking left and right. Chen Ji walked over and patted its thigh. “Mimi?”

White Tiger went rigid for an instant before remembering that “Mimi” had become its name. Chen Ji wasn’t calling anyone else—he was calling it.

Chen Ji’s fingertips trailed upward along its sleek fur, following the spine. White Tiger’s muscles twitched sensitively at the touch, and only then did Chen Ji press down with all five fingers, giving it a vigorous ruffle. “Mimi, could you do me a favor…”

White Tiger tilted its head to look at him, as if to say: What mischief are you plotting now?

Chen Ji lowered his eyelids in a pitiful expression. “I don’t plot that often…”

White Tiger fell silent. Satisfied with his little act, Chen Ji looked up and said, “Yesterday, a young man fell to his death right here, didn’t he? His mom’s coming up the mountain soon, and I’m worried she might meet with an accident.”

White Tiger cocked its head, looking puzzled.

Chen Ji stroked its neck, drawing an involuntary, low rumble from deep in its throat. He continued, “Think about it. The young man’s family is loaded, and he dies all of a sudden on this mountain—right next to me, the only witness. Folks are already suspicious. If her mom tumbles off the mountain too… I’m finished. They’d peg me for murder and robbery—a total bandit. They’d drag me off and shoot me.”

White Tiger’s azure-blue eyes fixed on Chen Ji, clear and pristine as a limpid pool. Unable to resist, Chen Ji wrapped his arms around its neck and buried his face in its fur, inhaling deeply. “Please? Just shadow her for a while. Keep any monsters from charging out and ripping her apart.”

White Tiger tried to pull away, but Chen Ji clung on tight. Unless it wanted to fling him off, it had no choice but to let him hold on. His warm breaths ghosted over its fur, filtering through the fine undercoat to its skin, which grew exquisitely sensitive to every exhale.

It nodded to show it understood, then gave a slight turn of its head, prompting Chen Ji to release it.

Chen Ji let go but planted a firm kiss on its neck before standing. He smiled warmly. “Thanks for the help, Xiangxiang.”

…Right. That was its name too.

White Tiger rose and headed out the door. In the blink of an eye, it vanished from Chen Ji’s sight.

With Xiangxiang watching over things, Chen Ji felt at ease. As he’d said, If the young man’s mother ended up dead in the mountains too, he wouldn’t be able to clear his name even with ten mouths to speak. Evidence or no, they’d let him go only to keep him under a microscope forever after.

—And besides, he wasn’t entirely innocent himself.

Take modding that high-voltage electric baton to hit a hundred thousand volts, slapping scissors on the drone to turn it into a flying blood dropper, or deleting the safety protocols from the electric saw… Strictly speaking, he had some skeletons. If they dug deep, he’d be sipping tea in an interrogation room for sure.

Chen Ji grabbed a broom and leisurely swept up the fallen leaves. It was already half past nine. From the town to Shangyang Village, then up the mountain—it would take until afternoon at the earliest. No need to cook lunch for them. He’d offered to meet in the village, but she’d insisted on coming up… Fine, whatever.

He should still tidy up the temple. No sense letting it look filthy.

Chen Ji glanced back at the main hall. Its central doors stood wide open, with bright yellow silk draped steadily over the statue. The sunlight, filtered through the latticed windows, dimmed even that vivid hue. It didn’t look like a cover to keep dust off the god—it seemed more like a veil over some ineffable beast of prey.

Beast of prey…?

Chen Ji paused, struck by his own instinctive comparison. Something flickered in his mind. He stepped inside to light incense. “Grandpa Mountain Lord, we have a visitor today—the mother of the young person who fell yesterday. She’ll probably wail up a storm, and I don’t want her disturbing your peace, so I won’t lift your silk cover.”

A sudden gust swept in, billowing the silk and exposing a mottled corner of the statue beneath.

Chen Ji knelt before the statue, beaming up at it. He was about to insert the incense into the censer when all three sticks snapped clean in his palm. He ignored it, simply lowering his hand to plant them firmly in the ash.

He took up the moon blocks next. “When the time comes, I’ll bring her in to kowtow and pay her respects… What would you like for lunch? Yesterday, coming back from town, I picked up some fine liquor. Care to try it?”

The blocks landed: two yin sides up—a no. The deity refused, and it was angry.

Chen Ji blinked. “Not a fan? How about milk tea? Extra syrup?”

Another toss: two yin.

“…Neither? What’s gotten into you today?” Chen Ji looked up at the statue curiously, almost to himself. “Is it because I didn’t lift the silk?”

He tossed the blocks: one yin, one yang—a holy block. Yes, that was the reason for the anger.

Chen Ji gazed down at the blocks, then sighed helplessly. “…All right, all right. Truth be told, I have a selfish motive. I don’t want outsiders seeing you like this… Hard to put into words, but Grandpa Mountain Lord always feels so close to me. I keep remembering what you looked like when I was little… It’s my fault. I haven’t come back all these years, letting you fall into this state.”

The mountain wind turned furious in an instant, nearly ripping the silk away entirely.

Chen Ji lifted his eyes in pious adoration. “I’ve bought all sorts of expensive paints, just waiting for the temple repairs to finish… Once that’s done, I can regild and repaint you. Once your statue’s restored… I don’t want anyone else seeing you as you are now.”

“Will you wait just a little longer, Grandpa Mountain Lord?” Chen Ji murmured softly.

The wind gradually died down, and the silk settled back over the statue.

Chen Ji tossed the blocks once more: one yin, one yang—a holy block. The deity had agreed to his request.

Only then did Chen Ji smile. He scooped up the blocks. “So, what would you like today? Cherry cola? I’ve only got two bottles left—they’re all yours…”

…

Chen Ji was in the kitchen preparing lunch when a distant rumbling reached his ears.

He paused, then chuckled to himself. All right then. He’d fretted over possible dangers on her trek up the mountain and sent Xiangxiang ahead to scout, but here she came in a helicopter.

Fortunately, the temple’s central courtyard was spacious enough for the chopper to land right there. The prop wash whipped Chen Ji’s hair into a frenzy; he casually tied it back. The helicopter touched down. Two bodyguards emerged first, followed by the black-suited woman from the video call, her assistant, and two more bodyguards.

Zhou Yunfan, lingering outside the temple door, noticed the commotion too. He stared fixedly at the helicopter until the woman stepped out. Then he couldn’t hold back. 【Mom—! Mom, I’m right here—!】

He tried to rush into the Mountain Lord Temple, but an invisible barrier halted him at the threshold. He pounded frantically at the unseen wall. 【Mom! Let me in! Mom, I’m here!】

The woman couldn’t hear him—would never hear him. She strode up to Chen Ji and extended her hand. “Hello, Mr. Chen. I’m Zhou Yunfan’s mother, Zhou Xiaohai.”

“Lady Zhou, hello.” Chen Ji gestured around. “Shall we talk here?”

It was an odd request, but Zhou Xiaohai nodded. She even added, “Could we take a look outside as well?”

She turned her face toward the temple doors, her gaze locking with Zhou Yunfan’s in that instant.

Zhou Yunfan’s shout died in his throat. He clapped a hand over his mouth as fat tears rolled down his cheeks. Seeing this, Chen Ji said, “Of course. Please, go ahead.”

Zhou Xiaohai nodded and headed out the door even more briskly. She descended the steps before turning back to scrutinize every detail of the entrance. She crouched to run her hand over the steps—the very spot where Zhou Yunfan had sat playing games in her dream.

Tears glistened in her eyes, but she blinked them away swiftly. Chen Ji glanced at Zhou Yunfan hovering beside her, desperate to touch her but holding back. “Is something the matter here, Lady Zhou?”

Zhou Xiaohai gripped a pillar and stood. “…Nothing at all. Forgive me, Mr. Chen… Yesterday, I dreamed of Yunfan sitting right here. It got to me a bit.”

[It’s a wondrous mother-child bond,] the System Cat said. [Even back home with us, no one can pin down the mechanism. Perhaps relatives share similar magnetic fields—strong enough to span the entire Earth, even cross interstellar distances, letting them sense one another.]

Chen Ji merely smiled. “Who knows? Maybe it’s real.”

Zhou Yunfan had indeed spent the previous night grinding King’s Canyon right there.

【Mom! I’m right here!】

The others just figured Chen Ji was offering condolences and paid it no mind. Zhou Xiaohai said nothing, her eyes fixed on those steps, lost in thought. Suddenly, Zhou Yunfan remembered something. He lunged toward Chen Ji, but the air ripped open with a tear. A massive White Tiger burst forth, roaring at Zhou Yunfan.

Zhou Yunfan froze on the spot, not daring to lay a finger on Chen Ji. He paced in frantic circles. 【Hey! You can see me, can’t you? Tell my mom! My family’s loaded—name your price! Whatever you want, as long as she can see me, she’ll pay up! You’ll be set for life—no more rotting in this dump of a temple…】

A chill mountain breeze whispered through, carrying the eerie prickle of a colossal predator’s gaze. Zhou Yunfan rubbed his arms, but his longing to reach his mother overrode his fear. 【Please! We’re seriously rich! Name it—anything! Just help me out!】

Chen Ji raised a hand to soothe White Tiger. The three bodyguards all noticed the gesture, which looked for all the world like he was stroking thin air. “Is there anything else Lady Zhou would like to know?” Chen Ji asked.

Zhou Xiaohai nodded. “Could you… take me to see the place where Yunfan met his end?”

She paused, as if sensing something. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t like this before… It feels like Yunfan is right here…”

A whimpering voice from the System Cat echoed in Chen Ji’s mind: [Chen Ji, just help ’em out… They’re so pitiful… Too pitiful…]

Chen Ji’s expression remained utterly serene, betraying no hint of pity. “That spot is extremely dangerous. The place where he fell is a sheer cliff—ordinary people can’t even reach it.”

Zhou Xiaohai replied, “But I want to see it. I’ll give you a reward you’ll be satisfied with, Mr. Chen.”

“It’s not about the reward.” Chen Ji paused, then added abruptly, “Since you’ve come all this way, Lady Zhou, why not go inside and offer a stick of incense before you leave?”