Chapter 127: The Peculiar Passenger

"Damn it, I never thought it would actually start. A long-distance driver’s life is different from others. Especially when you’re constantly driving at night, you have to keep some incense and spirit money on hand. This profession is filled with all sorts of superstitions."

Master Cui nodded silently. Regardless of whether it was a coincidence, the car had finally started. Perhaps it truly was the protection of the Mountain God.

Not far ahead lay Xingfeng Town, its buildings scattered on both sides of the highway. The night was deep; the streets were deserted, illuminated only by a few flickering lights. Having traveled a long distance today, Cui Yue felt a wave of fatigue and couldn't stop yawning.

"Brother Wu, how much further after we pass through Xingfeng Town?"

"Almost there, almost there. Just two more ridges to cross and we'll be there. If the car hadn't broken down earlier, we would have already arrived."

Driver Old Wu, certain that there would be no one on the streets of Xingfeng at this hour, kept his foot on the accelerator, speeding forward. Suddenly, a figure darted out from behind a bus stop sign by the side of the road, waving frantically at the speeding vehicle.

"Brother Wu, someone's there!"

Old Wu hesitated for a moment, not wanting to stop, but gritted his teeth and slammed on the brakes. The car came to a lonely halt on the highway. Cui Yue stumbled, nearly hitting his head on the seat.

"Hard to believe someone is flagging down a ride this late," Old Wu sighed softly. "It’s just luck that we happened to be in town. Otherwise, I wouldn't have picked him up on the open road. In this pitch-black darkness, who knows what kind of thing you might be picking up?"

Cui Yue was stunned. The rules of this trade were truly numerous. "It can't be that mysterious, can it?"

"Hmph, you’ll know once you’ve experienced it yourself," Old Wu said with a cryptic smile. "There really are people who will pay you in spirit money once they board!"

Cui Yue felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively turned to look at the person outside. The man was tall and thin, draped in a black raincoat, dragging a large red leather suitcase. He was struggling to make his way toward the bus door. Cui Yue hurried to open it, helping the man heave the suitcase onto the bus. To his surprise, the case was incredibly heavy, weighing at least a hundred pounds.

"Mister, your suitcase is quite heavy. Must be a struggle for you to carry it alone."

The tall man stepped onto the bus. As he looked up, his gaze met Cui Yue’s. Behind a pair of flat-rimmed glasses lay a pair of cold, indifferent eyes. He offered a slight nod but said nothing, instead making his way to the back row, his expression unreadable. Cui Yue felt a sense of unease and glanced back at the man again, thinking to himself what a strange character he was.

"So, mister, where are you headed this late at night?"

Old Wu closed the door and began to pull away. The tall man spat out a few words, his voice as cold as if it had just come from an ice cellar: "Wang Family Village, Houchuan Town."

Not a single word more. Old Wu glanced at him in the rearview mirror, thinking the guy was incredibly rude, and already regretting his decision to stop. Throughout the rest of the journey, while Cui Yue and the driver chatted, the tall man remained completely silent, as if he didn't exist at all.

Cui Yue glanced at him several times out of the corner of his eye. The man was bizarre—it wasn't raining, yet he wore that black raincoat, huddled deep within it, his body swallowed by the darkness at the back of the bus. The red suitcase at his feet was even more peculiar; some kind of liquid was occasionally dripping from its seams.

The back of the carriage was pitch black. Cui Yue couldn't see clearly and, just as he rubbed his eyes and leaned in closer, the tall man seemed to notice. He reached a sleeve out from under his raincoat and nonchalantly wiped at the seams of the suitcase. Cui Yue felt something off about the man's gaze and quickly turned back, grumbling to himself, but deciding it was better not to stir up trouble.

Cui Yue leaned toward Old Wu and whispered teasingly, "Brother Wu, I don't think that guy is quite right. You’d better check carefully later—don't end up taking spirit money."

Old Wu glared at him. "Pah! Watch your mouth, don't curse me! Besides, don't worry—the talisman Master Huo wrote for me is still there. Ordinary filth can't get on my bus."

Just as they cleared a ridge, Old Wu began humming a tune again. In a little while, they would reach Houchuan Town, and he could finally rest. The dim headlights flickered over the mountain road, and as far as the eye could see, everything was shrouded in darkness, save for the willow trees on either side that danced like ghosts in the wind.

Suddenly, a figure stood in the road, three meters in front of the car.

The car sped forward!

"Watch out!"

A loud, jarring crash echoed. Old Wu’s tune was cut short as the front of the car struck something, followed immediately by a sharp, screeching brake that echoed across the ridge.

"Ouch!" Cui Yue was caught off guard, hitting his head against the handle of the seat in front and seeing stars. Old Wu was deathly pale, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, his wide eyes fixed on the road ahead.

Cui Yue rubbed the bump on his head and asked in a hurry, "Brother Wu, what happened?"

"I... I think I hit someone!"

Drawing on years of experience, Old Wu’s first reaction was that something terrible had happened. The engine continued to rumble, causing the whole carriage to vibrate, yet inside, it was deathly silent. After a long moment, Cui Yue broke the quiet.

"Brother Wu, open the door! I'll go down and check."

"Huh? What?" Old Wu was terrified, his voice trembling as he mechanically pressed the door button.

With a *clatter*, the door swung open. As soon as Cui Yue stepped one foot out, the mountain wind whistled, nearly knocking him over. He cautiously made his way to the front of the car, poked his head out, and squinted.

Huh? What was going on?

The dim headlights flickered with the rhythm of the engine, casting shadows under the front bumper. And yet... there was nothing there. Not a soul. Cui Yue, unwilling to give up, crawled on the ground and stared under the chassis for a long time, but found absolutely nothing. The bumper was as clean as new, without even a scratch.

This was bizarre! He had clearly seen a figure get hit!

Cui Yue circled the minibus three times, but still found nothing. Old Wu, not daring to poke his head out, shouted with a trembling voice, "Little brother, h-how is it? What, what's the situation?"

"It's nothing! There isn't even a shadow under the car!"

"What?!" Old Wu’s jaw dropped, thinking his ears were failing him. He had been convinced he’d caused a catastrophe and killed someone, but now Cui Yue was telling him there was nothing there at all!

Old Wu scrambled out of the car, rushing around it several times. Just as Cui Yue had said, there was absolutely nothing to be found.