Ning Caichen?
Su Qiubai was distracted for a moment. Why is this name so familiar?
"Where are you going?" He asked the pale scholar through the window while pondering.
Carrying a wooden carton on his back, Ning Caichen was dazed and bemused. But he quickly responded after hearing Su Qiubai's question. "Lan Ruo Temple."
Lan Ruo Temple?
That place sounds familiar as well!
Su Qiubai felt that something was wrong, however, he hadn't been able to get a single pa.s.senger even after driving for the whole day.
Besides, he could obtain a growth point if he picked up the pa.s.sengers sent by the navigation system and completed the given task!
So without any further hesitation, Su Qiubai alighted the car and helped Ning Caichen to place the wooden carton into the trunk. He then opened the door for Ning Caichen.
Having gained some experience from his earlier experience with Wu Song, Su Qiubai was quite skillful in helping the pale scholar.
The navigation system sounded again after everything was set.
"Navigation started. Locating Lan Ruo Temple…"
Su Qiubai was about to leave after shifting the gear and loosening the clutch. However, he stopped the car almost immediately.
"What was your name again?" He looked back and asked once more, fl.u.s.tered, his breathing gradually quickening.
"My name is…Ning Caichen."
Ning Caichen replied, shocked by Su Qiubai's sudden expression, his voice filled with bafflement.
Ning Caichen… Lan Ruo Temple… Nie Xiaoqian… The Chinese Ghost Story!
If Su Qiubai still hadn't been able to figure out why the names Ning Caichen and Lan Ruo Temple seemed familiar, then he really would have been finished.
"Hey… Brother Ning, could you get off the taxi and just wait for the next ride? I've suddenly gotten a stomach ache and have to rush home."
Su Qiubai looked at Ning Caichen sadly and almost cried.
Please let me go… This is not fetching a pa.s.senger at all. It's simply voluntary suicide!
You want me to travel through time and s.p.a.ce to meet ghosts on such a long night? And there's even more than one ghost!
If he recalled correctly, Ning Caichen was a scholar who met a female ghost named Nie Xiaoqian and her evil grandmother at Lan Ruo Temple.
Unfortunately, the navigation system sounded as soon as Su Qiubai finished speaking, before Ning Caichen could even utter a reply.
"If you give up on this task, the s.p.a.ce-time channel will freeze for two months, all growth points will be cleared for six months, and 12 points will deducted from your driver's license, which will be revoked!"
The last few words about his driver license being revoked were said with no mercy, stunning Su Qiubai.
Darn it, I'm just giving up on a single business opportunity! Yet it actually wants to revoke my driver's license!
The old driver's heart broke as he stared at the confused Ning Caichen!
He decided to go to the Lan Ruo Temple after hesitating for nearly ten minutes. Anyway, he just had to wait for Ning Caichen to alight the taxi before he could return immediately!
There should be no danger that way! The loss would be too huge if his driver's license was really revoked.
"Brother Ning, please have a seat. If you feel uncomfortable, just let me know. After meeting your wife, Nie Xiaoqian, at the temple later, you must tell her that I'm a good person, a really good man! I don't want any gold or silver treasure, just letting me go is fine..."
Su Qiubai mumbled along the way as he followed the navigation system. Ning Caichen was suffering from motion sickness in the backseat. He felt even dizzier after hearing Su Qiubai's baffling words, so he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
"You've reached Lan Ruo Temple…"
Su Qiubai finally let out a sigh of relief after hearing those words from the navigation system, but was immediately alarmed.
It was pitch black out there but he could see the forest nearby and the corner of the ancient temple when he looked through the window.
He dared not look any longer, so he turned around to wake Ning Caichen up.
At that moment, the navigation system suddenly sounded again.
"Displaying the driver's lucky mission: Accompany Ning Caichen into Lan Ruo Temple and escort Nie Xiaoqian and Ning Caichen away safely. You will gain one hundred growth points and five evolutionary points!"
Su Qiubai's mind went blank upon hearing the instruction from the navigation system.
Is this a lucky mission? You must be joking! No… It simply asked him to dig a hole and bury himself alive in it!
"Reject. I give up." He immediately responded to the navigation system without any hesitation.
"Abandoning this lucky task will cause the s.p.a.ce-time channel to freeze immediately. Please be prepared."
Once again, it was the merciless voice that spoke. Su Qiubai almost cried.
Dear G.o.d, does this mean I'm staying here if it freezes right now? It's obviously forcing me to do something terrible… Hey! It's an impossible challenge that's just backing me into a wall!
"Forget it, I accept."
Su Qiubai said dejectedly as he leaned heavily back on the seat and sighed.
"The mission has been accepted. Good luck."
The car fell into silence after the navigation system left with that final sentence.
"Brother… Where are we now?"
Ning Caichen woke up just as Su Qiubai was contemplating what he should do.
"Lan Ruo Temple. We've arrived… Get off the taxi. Let's go in together." Su Qiubai replied in a weak voice as he got off the car.
Seeing that Ning Caichen had picked up his wooden carton, Su Qiubai locked the taxi He followed behind, his mobile phone in hand, as they walked to the old temple.
The barren mountain ridge was pitch black. Although it was just a few hundred meters away, Su Qiubai walked with much difficulty. Fortunately, he was still able to keep up with Ning Caichen.
When they arrived at the temple, he turned on the flashlight on his phone and read the sign before him. It was indeed the Lan Ruo Temple.
There was no longer any hope left in him. Nie Xiaoqian and the darned evil grandmother were coming soon… Oh no, we are dead for sure!
The two of them lit up a bonfire after entering the temple. Ning Caichen didn't chat with Su Qiubai, taking a book out from his wooden carton to read. Su Qiubai's heart was beating rapidly, like a wild horse running freely.
I'm dying here but you're still taking your own sweet time to study!
But I have no choice. To us, pa.s.sengers are like G.o.ds. What can I do about it?
Su Qiubai sat on the other side of the bonfire and waited anxiously, planning what he would do later on.
The old driver suddenly heard a laugh which scared him to the point that he jumped.
Sure enough, a girl appeared at the door.
Frankly, she was an extremely beautiful lady, wearing a light and soft silk dress. Her arms were smooth, resembling jade, and she was elegant and graceful. Her legs were as pretty as lotus flowers, and her face was fair and delicate, encompa.s.sing a fairy tale-like beauty.
That was Nie Xiaoqian, a female ghost who had remained famous throughout history.
Before Su Qiubai could even respond, Ning Caichen was already mesmerized by her!
He sighed, wondering what had he got himself into. When he looked up once again, Ning Caichen had already walked towards the girl.
"Young lady… I wonder if you would…"
Before he could finish his sentence, Scholar Ning was interrupted by the rude driver.
"Stop talking nonsense! You are Nie Xiaoqian, right? His name is Ning Caichen. I know that you don't know him now. He doesn't know you too! But it doesn't matter. Anyway, both of you will get married. You will have the chance to speak with him slowly next time. This place is not suitable to stay and chat for a long time! I'm the messenger sent by G.o.d to save your love! Follow me quickly… I will send both of you home!"
Su Qiubai finished saying that in a single breath. He spoke so fast that he started to pant.
Yet the man and the ghost who stood opposite of him, just looked at him as if he was a dumb person.
"I know that both of you don't understand me but it doesn't matter. But the most important thing to do right now is to get out of here!"
Not allowing a single excuse, Su Qiubai pulled the two of them by their arms and ran out of the temple.
This is not a joke. Her evil grandmother is coming. It will be impossible for anyone to leave by then. Therefore, I should send them away immediately since nothing has happened yet. Then, the task will be completed. Great!
The more he thought about it, the happier he felt. He didn't care about what was in the minds of Ning Caichen and Nie Xiaoqian. Su Qiubai dragged them straight to the taxi.
Without any explanation, Su Qiubai went in and fastened his seat belt after stuffing the two of them into the car.
However, at that moment, he realized he had left his phone in the temple.
He was so excited when he saw Nie Xiaoqian earlier that he had chucked his phone beside the bonfire and then forgot about it!
What should I do?
Initially, he wanted to just leave it but there were a lot of photos in it that he was reluctant to lose. He hesitated for a long time then decided to retrieve it.
"The both of you, stay here and don't run away. Wait for me to come back. I will be quick!"
After warning Ning Caichen and Nie Xiaoqian, he didn't even bother about their reaction! Su Qiubai jumped out of the car then ran back to the temple.
The path back was pitch black. After stumbling his way to the temple, the fire had not been extinguished, and his mobile phone was on the stone platform next to it.
He let out a sigh of relief and ran over to pick up the phone. Then, Su Qiubai planned to leave.
As soon as he looked up, he saw an old woman stood at the door!
She wore velvet and laced silk. Although she looked a bit old, she had an affable smile.
"Young brother, it is barren here. I just pa.s.sed by this place, can I come in and rest?"
The old woman walked in with a smile, completely ignoring the old driver who stood opposite her, with sweat running down his face profusely
"Don't mention it. You can rest as long as you want. No worries, you can even sleep until the New Year. But I may not be able to accompany you. I have an eighty-year-old mother at home to take care of and a three-year-old child waiting to be fed. So, I… will leave first."
Su Qiubai didn't know what he was talking about. He was just afraid of what would happen later on. He had been so worried about encountering the evil grandmother and there she was!
"Young brother, you're really amusing!" The old woman smiled slyly and looked into Su Qiubai's eyes deeply.
However, that gaze gave Su Qiubai goose b.u.mps.
He forced a smile that he thought was charmingly naive. The old driver's teeth chattered as he responded, "Grandma, you're joking. I'm not funny at all. You are the funniest! Hehe… So, you rest well. I'll be leaving. If anything happens, just give me a call. As the saying goes, having good teeth leads to good appet.i.te. Having a good appet.i.te in turn brings good health…"
Having said those last few words, Su Qiubai turned to escape. He felt as if his soul had just left his body.
That was too scary! I will not accept this kind of task again in the future!
He sighed quietly. Taking a chance, he turned to have a peak at the old woman. Noticing that she didn't follow him, Su Qiubai finally felt at ease.
He ran straight to the taxi with a single breath but was dumbfounded when he arrived!
There was no one in the taxi!