Chapter 57: The Young Master Summons You
Who are these people, going to such lengths to dig up dirt on me?
The bodyguards looked slightly embarrassed at his words, but since their young master had ordered it, they had no choice. "No matter what kind of photos they are, could Young Master Mu please come with us?" Most normal people wouldn’t be meditating outside at night, let alone with a faint silver glow around them, it looked downright eerie.
"May I ask what I’ve done wrong?" Mu Lichuan was no fool. Even if he had three heads and six arms, he wouldn’t pick a fight with these bodyguards. "Besides, I have school. If you keep harassing me, I’ll report you."
[三头六臂 (sān tóu liù bì): lit. three heads and six arms; fig. possessing extraordinary abilities.]
His age was his advantage. If they dared to force him, he wouldn’t hold back.
Sure enough, the bodyguards hesitated. The photo clearly showed the boy engaged in something suspicious - either dark rituals or brainwashing, but they couldn’t actually do anything to him. If this escalated to the police, their young master would be the one in trouble.
"Young Master Mu, our young master requests your presence," one of them said with exaggerated politeness.
Mu Lichuan’s mind raced before he replied, "Is your young master some kind of crown prince, summoning people at will? If he’s sincere, he should come himself. Move aside, I’m going to school."
The bodyguards instinctively stepped back. By the time they snapped out of it, the boy was already gone. They exchanged uneasy glances, had they just been controlled somehow? A chill ran down their spines.
Though they despised unscientific phenomena - especially given their employer’s stance, this felt undeniably eerie.
Well, better report back to the young master.
Mu Lichuan had been attending school for a while now, but he hadn’t made any friends. His aloof demeanor kept others at bay, and in this elite institution, most students looked down on everyone anyway. As for him? His clothes were cheap knockoffs, marking him as bottom-tier in their brand-obsessed world.
"Classmate Mu, are you signing up for the sports meet?" Class Monitor Xie Dong approached him eagerly. "You can choose the 800-meter or 10,000-meter run. The prize money is generous."
No one in their class wanted to participate in sweaty activities, so as monitor, he had to recruit "those in need."
Mu Lichuan was organizing his textbooks when he heard the question. He paused before replying flatly, "No, thanks." What was the point of such a trivial event? School was just a cover for him anyway.
"Classmate Mu, participating boosts your reputation with the school. It helps with your final grades, and the top three winners get cash prizes," Xie Dong coaxed. To him, this transfer student who was poorly dressed and antisocial was just a bookworm.
"Exactly. These events are perfect for poor students like you," another male student chimed in, his voice dripping with mockery.
Before Mu Lichuan could respond, a girl snapped, "Ouyang Xing, watch your mouth!"
Ouyang Xing smirked. "What? Am I wrong? If he’s lucky enough to win, he could—"
"Not interested," Mu Lichuan cut him off. His tone was indifferent, but he knew this class was all about status, not academics.
He’d essentially "bought" his way into this class, so of course it was the worst one. The teachers didn’t even bother teaching properly, knowing these rich kids wouldn’t care.
Xie Dong was taken aback by the blunt refusal. "You really won’t join? It’s a great chance to bond with classmates." His voice now carried irritation.
Everyone else had signed up, except those he couldn’t pressure.
"No." Mu Lichuan stood, gathering his books. "Excuse me."
Xie Dong’s face darkened. Coming from a well-off family, he wasn’t used to being brushed off like this.
"Tsk. Seems Classmate Mu isn’t as broke as he looks," Ouyang Xing mused, amused. The top prize was 10,000 yuan, it was a fortune for the poor.
No one else spoke up, but their smirks said enough.
Mu Lichuan forgot about the incident immediately. Cultivating was far more important than some silly sports meet.
But as he left school that day, a Rolls-Royce pulled up in front of him, drawing stares from other students.
His expression soured, the car had nearly hit him. He’d dodged just in time.
The window rolled down, revealing a cold face. "Classmate Mu, I’d like to discuss something with you."
"Busy." Mu Lichuan ignored him and walked around the car.
Mi Shen’s face darkened. "Do you want me to drag you back?" He’d swallowed his pride to come here, yet this brat still acted high and mighty.
"On what grounds? Because of a photo? That’s a stretch. Can’t I sleep outside if I want?" Mu Lichuan shot back, his youthful face full of scorn.
Mi Shen had no rebuttal. "Then... let me invite you to see my study."
Mu Lichuan’s eyes gleamed with amusement. Wasn’t this guy the poster child for anti-superstition? Why was he asking for help now? Or was this a trap?
"Fine. But pay me for yesterday first." He’d only helped because the ghost disgusted him, but if money was on the table, why refuse?
Mi Shen’s jaw tightened. This kid was shameless.
"What? Can’t the great ‘Young Master’ afford it?" Mu Lichuan smirked.
"How much?" Mi Shen asked through gritted teeth.
"That depends on how much your life is worth."
Mi Shen fell silent before offering, "I’ll give you something better than money."
Against his better judgment, Mu Lichuan got in the car.
Sitting inside, he frowned. Why had he agreed? He wasn’t some naive 15-year-old, he’d lived 30 years in his past life! He should’ve outsmarted this guy easily.
"Don’t—don’t touch me!" When Mi Shen reached out, Mu Lichuan scrambled to the far side of the seat, pressing against the window.
Mi Shen’s hand hovered midair before he grabbed a water bottle from the back. "You’re overestimating yourself. Thirsty?"
His politeness had been misread, and for some reason, that irked him.
He hated supernatural nonsense, but after inexplicably collapsing (with doctors finding nothing wrong), he’d felt lighter today - as if some invisible weight had lifted.
Mu Lichuan shook his head, eyeing Mi Shen warily, "unprovoked kindness is either sneaky or thieving." This man was the last person to trust.
[无事献殷勤，非奸即盗 (wú shì xiàn yīn qín, fēi jiān jí dào): lit. Unprovoked kindness is either sneaky or thieving; fig. Unsolicited favors always hide ulterior motives.]
"Tell me what happened yesterday," Mi Shen finally asked as the car stopped.
Mu Lichuan answered bluntly, "A malicious ghost was gnawing at you. Without me, you’d still be comatose, easy prey for enemies." The last part was pure embellishment.
"You know we live in a scientific era," Mi Shen said, though his gaze flickered uncertainly.
Mu Lichuan rolled his eyes. "If you don’t believe me, why ask? Why bring me to check your study for ‘problems’?"
"Superstition threatens national stability. It gives opportunists leverage," Mi Shen said sternly. "Take the 1960s Aijia Village incident, do you know how the government handled it?"
Mu Lichuan shook his head.
"They sealed off the entire village until everyone inside died," Mi Shen said softly, a chilling edge to his voice. "The state doesn’t tolerate ghosts, zombies, or any other anomalies."
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