Chapter 12: The Low-Priced Master (Patreon)

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It seemed like an eternity had passed when a beam of sunlight rose from the east, dispersing the terror of the night, and Jiang Zhenzhen, disoriented and bewildered, only then regained her senses.

Ever since she was jolted awake by the nightmare, she hadn't slept again. Instead, she sat motionless on the bed, as if stupefied, or as if her soul had been scared out of her, resembling the tales of being soul-shaken.

Upon awakening, she found the blanket still covering her, untouched on the floor, indicating that the terrifying scenes were merely a dream, a nightmare.

Although it was just a dream, it had nearly scared her soul out of her. She felt a mix of fear, helplessness, and a sense of injustice. Who had she offended to deserve this? Why would she have such a nightmare? The more she thought about it, the more perplexed and distressed she became. Eventually, unable to contain herself, she burst into tears, clutching the blanket tightly.

She cried for a long time until the alarm clock rang, finally silencing her sobs.

Despite the frightening nightmares, she still had to go to work. She had only recently found this job, and losing it would be a pity. Moreover, she needed the money for her life.

However, having nightmares two nights in a row, both featuring the same old lady, made her think. She couldn't help but feel that it was more than just a simple nightmare.

That day, Jiang Zhenzhen's work was still busy, but she couldn't put the nightmares aside like the day before. She was mentally absent, with the image of the old lady from the nightmare occasionally surfacing in her mind, evoking fear deep within her.

Due to her poor mental state, her work naturally suffered. At the end of the day, she was reprimanded, scolded harshly by the store manager.

In response, Jiang Zhenzhen apologized profusely and made assurances, without saying much else. She knew that if she were to explain the situation, the manager would not only think she was making excuses but might also suspect her of being mentally unstable.

She didn't think many would believe her if she spoke out. Most would likely think she had just had a nightmare and frightened herself.

In a way, she had indeed only had a nightmare. The frightening old lady had only appeared in her dreams, not in reality. So, did that count as seeing a ghost?

Jiang Zhenzhen didn't understand this aspect well and wasn't a professional, so she couldn't be sure if she had really encountered a ghost. However, this didn't diminish her inner fear.

With her inner fear and a hint of luck, she returned to her rented apartment in the evening. This time, there was no novelty in returning home, no joy of moving into a new place, nor the extreme sleepiness she had felt the night before, wanting nothing more than to sleep.

Although she was exhausted, more so than the night before, she dared not close her eyes, not even for a moment. She feared that if she did, the terrifying old lady would appear again.

She didn't eat dinner because she couldn't stomach anything, nor did she have the mood to cook. She curled up in bed, covering herself with the blanket, trembling with fear and helplessness.

After who knows how long, the extreme exhaustion took its toll on her spirit, and she collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep.

As expected, she had another nightmare that night. The old lady, rotting all over, appeared in her dream again, constantly hurling insults at her, demanding she leave the house, claiming it belonged to her. She once again reached out to strangle her, as if trying to choke her to death. Just as she felt she was about to suffocate to death, she woke up drenched in sweat, just like the previous two nights.

As with the previous two nights, upon being awakened, Jiang Zhenzhen dared not go back to sleep. She curled up in bed, trembling with fear, unsure of what to do, and once again burst into tears, filled with fear and despair.

As dawn broke, she dragged her exhausted body to work again. Her appearance startled the other staff members. With dark circles under her eyes and a haggard face, she looked like someone who wouldn't live for a few more days, nothing like the youthful and lively person on her first day at work.

"Are you on drugs?" the manager confronted her, the first words out of his mouth. Jiang Zhenzhen didn't immediately respond. Instead, she burst into tears, hugging the manager, which puzzled the other staff members who gathered around, asking what was wrong.

Among these staff members, some were genuinely concerned about Jiang Zhenzhen's heart-wrenching tears, as she appeared quite young, and working alone in a foreign place wasn't easy.

On the other hand, some of the staff members who asked questions were merely curious, wanting to gossip and see if this cute girl had been mistreated by a man, perhaps played with and then dumped.

The store manager had initially intended to scold Jiang Zhenzhen and inform her that if her work performance didn't improve, she could leave. However, he was taken aback when Jiang Zhenzhen burst into tears after just one question.

As someone capable enough to be a store manager, he remained composed upon seeing Jiang Zhenzhen crying so suddenly. He continued with a serious expression, asking, "You're not actually doing drugs, are you?"

Jiang Zhenzhen naturally shook her head. Relieved to see her response, the manager then asked her what was wrong.

The other staff members also focused their attention on Jiang Zhenzhen, listening intently, wanting to know what was going on.

This time, Jiang Zhenzhen didn't hide anything. She recounted the nightmares she had been having for the past few nights. She didn't care whether others believed her or how they viewed her. Feeling utterly broken inside, she just wanted to pour out her fears and alleviate some of the terror in her heart.

After hearing Jiang Zhenzhen's story, the expressions of the staff members, including the manager, varied. Some seemed genuinely frightened, while others sneered, thinking Jiang Zhenzhen was overreacting to a simple nightmare.

As for the manager, he didn't show any signs of amusement. Instead, he comforted Jiang Zhenzhen earnestly. Once her emotions stabilized, he solemnly explained to her that there were no ghosts in the world. The so-called ghosts were just figments of her imagination, likely exacerbated by stress and the unfamiliar environment.

The manager's explanation was well-reasoned, and he even found some evidence online to support his claims. Although Jiang Zhenzhen didn't fully believe him, her fear lessened somewhat because of his explanation.

After Jiang Zhenzhen explained her situation, the manager knew her mental state was poor. So, he allowed her to work only in the morning and instructed her to rest in the afternoon. He made this decision out of kindness and also out of concern that something might happen to her if she continued working in such a state.

Jiang Zhenzhen didn't refuse. She thanked the manager and didn't work in the afternoon. Before leaving, a colleague approached her.

"Jingjing, I believe what you said this morning. I think you might have encountered a ghost. Your house isn't clean," the female colleague said mysteriously.

Instead of comforting Jiang Zhenzhen, her words sent a shiver down her spine.

"Is what you're saying true?" Jiang Zhenzhen asked uncertainly.

Actually, Jiang Zhenzhen herself knew deep down that she had probably encountered a ghost. However, having lived up to this point without experiencing such things, she found it difficult to accept.

"Of course, it's true! It can't be faked!" The female colleague's tone was firm. She continued, "Think about it. In this world, many people face stress, and many frequently change their living environments for work. Why haven't they reacted like you? Don't you think there's a problem?"

Jiang Zhenzhen shrank back, feeling a chill run down her spine. She didn't answer; she didn't know what to say.

"Let me tell you, when you encounter such things, I think you need to find a master to help you deal with it. Otherwise, you won't get through it," the female colleague suggested.

"A master?" Jiang Zhenzhen was taken aback, then smiled wryly. "I don't know any masters. Where would I even find one? Go to a temple?"

In Lecheng, there were many temples large and small, each dedicated to different deities. Jiang Zhenzhen was referring to these temples.

"The people in temples charge quite a lot. I don't recommend you go to them. For ordinary folks like us, asking someone from a temple for help is like going to a hospital. No matter how much money you have, it's never enough," the female colleague shook her head.

"What do you mean then?" Jiang Zhenzhen asked.

"I'll introduce you to a master. He charges low fees and is very capable. My family hired him when we moved into our new house," the female colleague said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhenzhen felt immense relief. Without hesitation, she agreed and thanked her colleague profusely.

Since her colleague didn't have the master's contact information, she provided Jiang Zhenzhen with his address, instructing her to visit him.

Yes, the master her colleague mentioned was none other than Yang Haoran, the fraudster.

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Next Chapter ->Chapter 13: The Power of Red Packets