Sunlight spread over the ruins, a sharp difference from the battlefield when Lin Yuan and the others first came. The air reeked of smoke and lingering ghostly aura. The once eerie shadows had vanished, and the enemies who'd lurked in the dark were either dead or subdued.
Evil ghost cultivators, Dao Lords, Celestial Masters, police, bodyguards, and even the Celestial Masters' disciples—all now sat or lay exhausted.
The only one still standing was Lin Yuan.
He stood silently beside Pan Jie, his gaze sweeping the chaotic ruins with a heavy heart.
"Teacher Lin, were you a hotheaded person before you passed?" Pan Jie interrupted the silence, her tone laced with curiosity and uncertainty.
Lin Yuan froze, about to speak, when Su Nian's weak, hoarse voice piped up:
"Wait… Teacher Lin you're talking about… is that Teacher Lin Yuan?"
Pan Jie nodded. "Yeah. He investigated his own death and ended up finding you by accident."
Su Nian froze, her eyes reddening as tears rolled down her cheeks. All the fear, pain, and despair seemed to burst through her emotional defenses in a flood.
She lowered her head, clutching her clothes and sobbing uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, the police and rescue teams began clearing the scene. Cops dragged a badly hurt evil ghost cultivator, covered in talismans and unable to move, into a police car. Rescue workers carried off a dozen bodies wrapped in white cloth. One worker frowned and said:
"Five of these masked men's bodies are incomplete."
"Yeah, these terrorists played with bombs so much, they probably blew themselves up."
"But… those Taoist-looking people and the talismans… could bombs really do that?"
"Shut up and work. Don't gossip about things you shouldn't," a medical team leader snapped, cutting off the speculative chatter.
Pan Jie and Lin Yuan shared a glance.
"I think you should take up Taoism," Lin Yuan blurted out.
Pan Jie stared at him, perplexed.
He added, "I've already removed the black mark on your neck."
"What? Why'd you do that?" Pan Jie's eyes widened.
Lin Yuan paused, then smiled. "I'm leaving, sister. I'm a ghost, after all."
Pan Jie stiffened, her expression conflicted. "Oh… Will we meet again?"
Lin Yuan sighed, gazing at the sky. "Hard to say. Would you believe me if I told you I'm going back to my original world?"
Pan Jie nodded seriously. "I get it, you mean the Ghost Realm? Gonna be a Ghost King or something?"
Lin Yuan: …
Too lazy to explain, he just smiled and stayed silent.
Lin Yuan bid farewell to Zhang Luo, the Dao Lords, and Celestial Masters one by one. Arranged by Uncle Wei, he and Pan Jie traveled to enjoy peace, temporarily away from battles and troubles.
At night, he turned into a ghostly figure and appeared in Su Nian's hospital room.
"Teacher… I'm sorry…" Su Nian murmured, her gaze heavy with guilt.
Lin Yuan smiled. "What for? This is my fate, not yours."
In his head, Jiuchong scoffed, "Host, have you forgotten you were never really her teacher? Cut out the act!"
Ignoring the sarcasm, Lin Yuan went on, "Be a good person from now on. Also…" His eyes flickered as he studied Su Nian's face. "Your birth chart… is unusual."
Su Nian blinked. "What do you mean?"
He smiled. "You can learn Taoism with Pan Jie. Ask Uncle Wei to help you guys get started."
Su Nian hesitated, unsure how to respond.
Lin Yuan didn't press further. He stood, turned, and stepped into the night.
"…I'm off."
"Thanks, Teacher…" Su Nian called out to his back.
He would leave, but this world would go on as before.
=================
阳光洒落在废墟之上,这片战场,早已与林远他们最初到来时截然不同.空气中弥漫着硝烟和残留的鬼气,曾经诡谲的阴影如今化作虚无,曾站在黑暗中的敌人,要么死去,要么被制服.
无论是邪鬼修,道尊,天师,警察,保镖,还是那些天师的弟子,此刻全都或坐或躺,疲惫不堪.
唯一还站着的,只有林远.
他静静地站在潘洁身边,目光扫过这片狼藉的废墟,心中感慨万千.
"林教师,你生前是个暴力狂吧?" 潘洁打破沉默,语气有些复杂.
林远一愣,正想开口,却听到旁边虚弱的苏念沙哑着声音问道:
"你说的... 林教师,是林远林教师么?"
潘洁点头:"是啊,他为了调查自己的死因,才阴差阳错找到你的."
苏念愣住了,眼眶顿时红了,泪水滑落脸颊.
这一刻,所有的恐惧,痛苦,绝望,仿佛都化作了情绪的洪流,冲垮了她的心理防线.
她低下头,双手紧握着衣角,泣不成声.
另一边,警方与救援队也在收尾战场.
警察们将一个浑身布满符箓,被镇压得无法动弹的重伤邪鬼修,押上警车,同时,救援队员们正抬着十几具被白布盖住的尸体,一名救援人员皱眉道:
"这里有五具黑衣人的尸体不全."
"是啊,这些恐怖分子,之前一直玩炸弹,现在自己把自己给炸了吧."
"但... 那些道士打扮的人,还有那些符箓... 真的只是炸弹造成的吗?"
"嘘,干活就干活,不该说的别乱讲." 一名医疗队领班冷声喝道,终止了那些猜疑的议论.
潘洁和林远站在一旁,对视了一眼.
"我觉得你应该去修道." 林远忽然说道.
"..." 潘洁愣了一下,不明所以.
林远接着道:"我已经帮你解除你颈部的黑色印记了."
"啥?你解掉干嘛?" 潘洁瞪大了眼睛.
林远沉默了一会儿,随后笑道:"我要离开了,我可是一只鬼啊,大姐."
潘洁微微一愣,神色有些复杂:"哦... 那我们以后还能再见吗?"
林远轻叹一口气,目光望向天空:"难说.如果我告诉你,我要回去我原本的世界了,你相信吗?"
潘洁顿时认真地点了点头:"我懂,你是说鬼界吧?你要回去当个鬼王之类的?"
林远:...
他实在懒得解释,只是笑了笑,没再多说.
林远和张洛,各位道尊,天师们一一告别,在伟叔的安排下,和潘洁游山玩水,暂时远离战斗和一切的烦恼,享受片刻宁静.
夜晚,他化作鬼影,在医院显现身形,来到苏念病房,与她交谈.
"老师... 对不起..." 苏念轻声唤道,目光复杂,带着几分愧疚.
林远笑了笑:"对不起什么?这是我的命数,与你无关."
脑海里,九重忍不住吐槽:"宿主,你是不是忘了,你根本没当过她的老师?装什么装啊?"
林远无视九重的吐槽,继续说道:"将来做个好人.还有啊..."
他目光微微闪烁,看着苏念的脸色,似乎察觉到了什么:"你的八字... 有点特别."
苏念一愣:"什么意思?"
林远微微一笑:"你可以和潘洁一起去修道.让伟叔帮你们牵线吧."
苏念的眼神动摇了一瞬,似乎不知该如何回答.
林远没有再多说,只是站起身,转身离开,踏入夜色之中.
"... 我走啦."
"谢谢你,老师..." ,苏念回到.
他终将离开,而这个世界,将继续运转.