Striving for Science C53

Hu Ming knew he was going to die, but he hadn't expected the world he saw before death to be so beautiful. Multicolored lights swirled around his body, as if a miracle had descended.

But he knew deep down that the person who wanted him dead wouldn't give him a chance to warn anyone. That attack wasn't just meant to kill him, it was meant to destroy his very soul.

He, Hu Ming, had been blessed with exceptional talent and striking beauty, attracting countless male and female yaos who were infatuated with him. Yet, he died such a pitiful death, not only losing his soul but also denied even a proper burial.

His consciousness grew increasingly hazy, his vision blurring. The only thing he could see were the colorful specks of light, gathering and enveloping his entire body.

Was this his soul, about to dissipate?

"That fox is so beautiful, and it's a Class II protected animal. It must be very happy in the zoo, probably even gained some weight…"

Who was speaking in his ear? It sounded like Shen Chang'an, that green tea man.

The icy water had vanished. Perhaps it wasn't the water that disappeared, but his senses, gradually fading with the approach of death. He could no longer feel the pain or the cold.

But he seemed to hear the sound of wind, and... the chatter of voices?

"Mommy, why is the fox yellow? The ones on TV are white."

"Daddy, can we buy a fox to keep at home?"

"Honey, maybe we should ask for something your dad can actually do."

He hadn't fallen into a cold pool. Why were there so many people talking? The sacred grounds of the yao tribe, the forbidden zone, were sealed by the Kirin god before its demise. Humans had no way of entering.

Could it be those unscrupulous human developers, digging tunnels everywhere, and somehow managed to burrow their way in from underground?

Are these people ants? They can squeeze into any space! Now they've barged in, what else can they do besides die? How did these parents' brains work? They actually brought their kids to such a dangerous wilderness?

What are they trying to achieve? Just to have the whole family together, even in death?

"Ah!" A piercing scream tore through his eardrums. Hu Ming began to regret his decision to embark on the path of cultivation. He should have focused on accumulating merit. Yaos with deep merit tend to have better luck, even in death, they can die peacefully. Unlike him, facing death, he was still subjected to the torment of children's voices.

"Mommy, there's a doggy here, covered in blood!"

Go to hell, I'm a fox, a white fox!

"Quick, call someone, this dog is still breathing."

Kids have no eyes, and adults have no vision either? I'm a white fox! High in looks, high in intelligence, a charming white fox!

Your whole family is a dog!

"Everyone, please make way, the vet is here."

"It's a fox…"

Hearing the word "fox," Hu Ming felt he could finally rest in peace. At least before dying, he wasn't mistaken for a dog by those foolish humans.

***

"Sir, Hu Ming's aura is faint, but he's at the zoo." Liu Mao, seeing Dao Nian's languid and unmotivated demeanor, asked in confusion, "You want to summon him?"

"No need, just let him stay in the zoo, behaving himself."

Liu Mao: "..."

How much does the master dislike Hu Ming to make him, a yao who has gained sentience, stay in the zoo?

"Arrange Chang'an's trip to the Imperial Capital properly."

"The Imperial Capital has abundant qi, with countless yao cultivators gathering there. Will you receive their greetings?"

"No."

"Okay." Liu Mao was not surprised at all. It would be strange if the master actually met those gods and monsters.

***

There was only one flight from Wuming City to the Imperial Capital each day, and it took off in the middle of the night. Shen Chang'an compared the tickets on the app for a long time before deciding to give up on flying and take the train instead. To take care of Dao Nian's health, he specifically asked Liu Mao for everyone's ID numbers and bought five sleeper tickets.

To better care for Dao Nian, Liu Mao, Shen Tu, and Uncle Zhao would all be traveling together this time.

After getting on the train, Shen Chang'an noticed that some passengers kept staring at Dao Nian. He didn't know if they were admiring Dao Nian's appearance or looking at the wheelchair he was sitting in, but those overly direct gazes made him feel uncomfortable. So he walked in front of Dao Nian, blocking the curious stares.

After finding their seats, Shen Chang'an carried Dao Nian horizontally onto the bed and covered him with a blanket he brought: "It's about a ten-hour train ride. Do you want to rest for a while, or should we play some games?"

Whether it was because there were fewer people on this route or because it was the off-season, there weren't many passengers in the sleeper compartment, making the entire carriage feel a bit deserted.

The train had wifi, charging ports, and good noise reduction. The only downside was that the tickets were a bit expensive. Fortunately, there weren't many passengers in the carriage, which he was worried about because Dao Nian might not be used to this environment.

Glancing at Dao Nian's handsome, fair face, Shen Chang'an inexplicably felt a sense of guilt. He felt that someone like Dao Nian, who always traveled by private jet, deserved better. It was his fault that he could only provide Dao Nian with such travel conditions.

"What are you looking at?" Dao Nian saw Shen Chang'an's expression changing, and he didn't know what was going on in his mind. Anyway, the thoughts of young human cubs were always strange and unpredictable, and he could accept it.

"Nothing, it's just that you're being wronged." Shen Chang'an helped Dao Nian tuck in the blanket at his feet. "I'll work hard in the future and try to save more money."

This scene of a filial son vowing to earn more money to support his parents made a lady sitting next to them feel compelled to praise: "You two brothers have such a good relationship. My own son doesn't take care of me this well." After saying that, she couldn't help but glance at Shen Chang'an, seemingly regretting that he wasn't her son.

"Sister, you've got it wrong. We're friends, not brothers." Shen Chang'an finally noticed that there was a woman in her forties lying on the upper bunk across from them. She had been pulling the curtain down, so he didn't know there was someone there. "But even though we're not real brothers, we're like brothers."

"It's good to be loyal." The lady sat up against the wall. Maybe it was because the journey was a bit boring and it was still early, so she wasn't sleepy and wanted to chat with someone. A young boy like Shen Chang'an, who was good-looking and likable and willing to call her sister, was naturally her first choice for a conversation partner.

"Are you getting off at the final stop in the Imperial Capital, or are you getting off somewhere in between?"

"Imperial Capital."

"That's a coincidence, me too. But have you noticed that there are very few passengers on this train?"

Shen Chang'an saw that the lady's face was full of "I have gossip, come ask me" expression, so he cooperated and asked: "Why?"

"That's because..." The lady lowered her voice, "Because this train is haunted."

As soon as she finished speaking, the lights in the carriage flickered, the rumbling sound of the wheels echoed, and the carriage, which had been filled with whispers, instantly fell silent.

Click, click, click.

The carriage door opened, and a conductor in uniform pushed a cart inside. Seeing everyone in the carriage staring at her, she paused for a moment and asked softly, "Anyone want any drinks or snacks?"

Shen Chang'an bought a few bags of snacks, giving half to Liu Mao and the others. He then squeezed himself into Dao Nian's small bed, shamelessly, peeling peanuts and listening to the older sister tell ghost stories.

"It's said that shortly after this train line opened, someone died on this train. Perhaps because the person died unwillingly, they would mingle among the passengers every evening, looking for a scapegoat." The older sister's storytelling skills weren't great, but her ability to create atmosphere was strong. Her vivid expressions successfully caught the attention of all the passengers in the carriage.

There were about twenty passengers in this carriage. Besides Shen Chang'an and his four friends, there was a couple, a married couple, and a middle-aged man who didn't seem very approachable.

Shen Chang'an noticed that even the middle-aged man had stopped playing with his phone and was waiting for the older sister to continue.

"Later, there were several more accidents on this train. People would suddenly have heart attacks or faint, and in the worst cases, they would even die suddenly." The older sister took a deep breath. "I'm telling you, just a few days ago, someone died on this train. Even some paranormal forums online are discussing this."

"Sister, you even browse paranormal forums?" the girl in the affectionate couple, who looked rather delicate, said. "No wonder you're so well-informed."

"Gotta keep up with the times, you know," the older sister said with a chuckle. "You young people play with all these Weibo, WeChat, forums, I play them too. Forty years old is nothing, I'm still young."

Shen Chang'an saw the older sister chatting with the young couple. He took out his phone and searched for rumors about this train.

This older sister wasn't lying. Some forums did have spooky rumors about this train. However, the accounts varied, lacking a unified narrative, clearly just hearsay and embellishments spread online.

"Not afraid." Dao Nian took the peanuts Shen Chang'an had peeled into a small box. "There are no ghosts in the world."

"I'm not afraid." Shen Chang'an glanced at Dao Nian taking the peanuts, maybe ghosts are more afraid of him.

Noticing Shen Chang'an's gaze, Dao Nian hesitated for a moment, then gave him half of the peanuts.

Shen Chang'an continued to peel peanuts, occasionally listening to the older sister and the young couple chat and brag. The sky outside the window gradually darkened. He put away his trash bag and climbed down from Dao Nian's bed: "It's getting dark, you sleep for a while, I'll go up and sleep."

His bed was above Dao Nian's. He was tall with long limbs, and he easily climbed up.

The older sister and the young couple saw Shen Chang'an and the others preparing to sleep, and they all quieted down. The entire carriage fell into a strange silence. Two hours later, Uncle Zhao brought out the prepared food for everyone to have a simple meal. The other passengers ate their unappetizing boxed meals, casting envious glances at Shen Chang'an and his group of five.

Feeling full and sleepy, Shen Chang'an woke up from a nap and felt the urge to use the restroom. He grabbed his phone and checked the time, it was already past eleven at night. He pulled back the curtain and saw the snack vendor pushing a cart, standing by Dao Nian's bed. Without thinking, he jumped down: "Is there something you need?"

"No, no." The vendor took a step back, startled by Shen Chang'an's sudden jump. "No, do you need a midnight snack?"

"No, thank you." Shen Chang'an stood still, not moving.

The flight attendant pushed the cart, slowly leaving.

"I'm awake." Dao Nian pulled back the curtain and said to Shen Chang'an, who was clutching his stomach, "Don't worry about me."

"Then you go ahead and sleep, I'll go to the bathroom." Seeing that Dao Nian was wide awake and didn't seem tired, Shen Chang'an quickly ran to the bathroom to take care of his business.

Coming out of the bathroom, Shen Chang'an's drowsiness had subsided. Seeing that Dao Nian was still awake, he sat beside him on the bed: "Can't sleep?" He regretted it a little. He should have booked the late-night flight, at least Dao Nian could have rested earlier after arriving in the capital.

"Brother, do you have any tissues?" The middle-aged man, who didn't seem very approachable, walked over to them, his eyes fixed on Dao Nian. "Can I borrow some?"

Shen Chang'an was about to reach into his pocket for a tissue when he noticed the man's hand behind him, grabbing Dao Nian's hands tightly: "No, go away!"

The middle-aged man, though quite burly, was somewhat afraid of Shen Chang'an. Hearing him say this, he quickly moved aside.

"No one is lending you anything tonight." Shen Chang'an said with a stern face, "Go back to your own seat."

The middle-aged man's shoulders trembled, he hesitated in place for a while, then silently returned to his bed. The young couple closest to them heard the commotion from Shen Chang'an's side, but neither of them spoke.

Shen Chang'an turned to look at Dao Nian, seeing him staring at him, he didn't know how to explain, his mind went blank for a few seconds: "What I mean is, that big brother doesn't look like a good person, we're out and about, we can't just talk to strangers, right?"

Ghosts borrowing things from living people is never a good sign, but he couldn't just tell Dao Nian directly that the man wasn't human, he was a ghost, could he?

"And I heard from the elders when I was little that if you meet someone acting strangely and asking to borrow something, you absolutely cannot lend it to them," Shen Chang'an whispered. "Who knows what they're borrowing?"

"Don't be superstitious." Dao Nian looked down at their hands still clasped together. "If you say no borrowing, then no borrowing."

Chang'an probably didn't go out much, so he was so nervous. He lowered his eyelids, hiding the indifference in his eyes. If Chang'an hadn't stopped the ghost from reaching out to him, he might have been the first to leave.

If you dare to borrow something from Heavenly Dao, you can only repay it with the most valuable thing.

For example... a soul.

"So you two are like that?" The older sister across from them poked her head out from behind the curtain. Seeing Shen Chang'an and Dao Nian holding hands, she suddenly realized and then lowered her voice, "It's okay, I understand. Love is equal."

After saying this, she retracted her head back into the curtain.

Shen Chang'an blinked in confusion. What was this older sister talking about?