Chapter 103: Zhang Quanbiao

Is it really feasible to stop Ling Feng from leaving? At some unknown moment, a female ghost had appeared beside him! In broad daylight, this was truly a rare and uncanny sight.

Unlike Zhao Yun, this ghost was not a vengeful spirit; on the contrary, she appeared extremely weak, as if her soul might dissipate at any moment.

She wasn’t surprised that Yang Meng could see her. Instead, she bowed deeply and called out his name: “Master Yang, I came specifically to find you!”

“Hm?” Yang Meng frowned slightly. “You know me?”

The ghost nodded. “I know Zhao Yun. I knew her before death, and I know her after.”

Yang Meng’s brows furrowed. “Speak plainly. Why have you come to me? Are you lost and unable to move on, hoping I’ll perform a rite to release you?”

Suddenly, the ghost knelt down, her body beginning to fade into an ethereal mist. “Master Yang, I beg you, please save my husband and child…”

Seeing her fragile state, Yang Meng quickly chanted a spell to stabilize her soul, preserving her spectral existence.

“Why go through such trouble? You could have come to me at night. Why risk appearing in broad daylight and putting yourself at risk? You’re not a fierce ghost like Zhao Yun; you might just vanish like this,” Yang Meng asked, puzzled.

The ghost didn’t immediately answer but first expressed her gratitude: “Thank you, Master Yang, for helping me. I was truly helpless. Your profound cultivation means that if I approach you while you sleep, the black flames around you attack me. I had no choice but to wait for an opportunity. Now I have none left but to come to you like this. Master Yang, I beg you—the only one who can save my husband and child now is you!”

Yang Meng sighed helplessly. “You want me to save your husband and child? Then I need to know who they are.”

She nodded urgently. “Master Yang, you already know my husband—his name is Zhang Quanbiao! I haven’t introduced myself; I am his wife, Lu Liling.”

Yang Meng thought for a moment. “Oh, so it’s him! I remember him—the one at the police station who was caught stiffing a restaurant bill, right? I was just telling a friend about him earlier. But wait, wasn’t he supposed to have become like this because his wife and daughter died in a car accident? Why do you say you want me to save his daughter?”

Lu Liling hurriedly explained, “Master Yang, my daughter and I didn’t die in a car accident. We were murdered! Someone took my daughter away!”

“You said your daughter died. How could she have been taken away?” Yang Meng asked, confused.

“They took her soul,” Lu Liling said anxiously.

“Hm?” Yang Meng was stunned. “What did you say?”

Lu Liling’s revelation shocked him: “There are sorcerers who raise minor ghosts for people. I want to bring her back, but that sorcerer’s powers are too strong. I’m powerless.”

Yang Meng frowned. “You’re saying this sorcerer is here among us, raising these ghosts?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

Yang Meng took a deep breath. “Alright, I’ll take on this karmic burden. But you can’t stay here long. I…” He rummaged in his pocket. “Here are my car keys. Possess them for now! My friend will be back soon, and it would be hard to explain your presence otherwise. Tell me everything carefully.”

Lu Liling gratefully accepted and possessed the car keys. Only then did Yang Meng notice that the man arguing with the library staff wasn’t anyone else but Zhang Quanbiao himself.

Well, the world really is small.

After Lu Liling possessed the keys and told Yang Meng all she knew, his anger only grew. This matter couldn’t be ignored any longer. As he pondered what to do next, a dark object suddenly flew toward his face. Yang Meng reached out and caught it—huh? A sweat towel?

He tilted his head to see Ling Feng looking at him with a smirk. “You just sent me off and now you’re spacing out here? By the way, you’re getting quicker—caught that, huh?”

Yang Meng stashed the towel in his backpack. “Of course. You trying to sneak attack me? Not gonna work.”

Ling Feng sighed. “Alright, can we go now? I didn’t drag you into the mountains to run errands.”

Yang Meng chuckled. “Almost done. Wait for me.”

“What now?” Ling Feng asked, confused.

Yang Meng strode over to the crowd and pushed his way inside. “Brother Biao! Do you remember me?”

Zhang Quanbiao, hearing his name, recognized Yang Meng after a moment. “Of course I remember you—we were in the same police station lockup!”

Yang Meng grimaced as people around shot him strange looks.

Clearing his throat, he asked, “Brother Biao, what are you doing here?”

Zhang Quanbiao pointed at a library staff member. “I was trying to borrow some reference books for my daughter, but they wouldn’t lend me any! My daughter’s about to start elementary school—I need to lay a strong foundation for her! You don’t understand; I’ve suffered my entire life from lack of education. I won’t let my child suffer the same.”

Yang Meng gave a thumbs-up. “Good point.”

Zhang Quanbiao beamed proudly. “Of course. Just because I’m uneducated doesn’t mean I lack vision. Look at those rich people who say ‘education is useless’—and those poor ones who believe it! Which rich parent doesn’t give their child the best education? If you believe that nonsense, you’re doomed. Little brother, when I was alone, I cared only for myself. Now, with wife and child, I want to give my daughter a good environment to grow up in. She’s smart and beautiful! I’ll bring you to meet her someday.”

Hearing him, onlookers who knew his history felt a pang of sadness. Especially an older policeman nearby who sighed heavily.

Zhang Quanbiao wasn’t always a good man—once notorious for fighting, gambling, and loan sharking, with a police record to match. The cops had long been exasperated by him.

But since marrying and having a child, he changed completely—from a troublemaker to a model husband and father.

Though words like “a prodigal son’s return” or “turning over a new leaf” hardly cover the gravity of his past misdeeds, culturally there’s a tendency to be lenient with the wicked once they reform, and harsh on the good for a single misstep.

Someone who did wrong all their life but repents once is seen as not so bad; someone who did good but errs once faces harsh judgment.

In any case, Zhang Quanbiao had truly transformed, abandoning illegal enterprises and running a small community convenience store. He didn’t make much but wasn’t poor, and greeted everyone cheerfully, becoming a ‘model neighbor.’

But all this changed due to a sudden tragedy. After the incident, Zhang Quanbiao’s mental state deteriorated.

Yang Meng smiled. “Brother Biao, how about this? Let me meet your daughter sometime. What does she like? I’ll bring her some gifts!”

Upon hearing this, the crowd’s eyes darkened. Many knew Zhang Quanbiao’s background and wondered what Yang Meng was up to—mocking the poor man in his misery?

How could anyone joke about someone in such a state?

Zhang Quanbiao froze at Yang Meng’s words, then suddenly clutched his head and knelt, face twisted in agony. “They’re dead… dead… my wife and child… ah! My head hurts so much!”

He screamed, rolled his eyes back, and fainted.

“What are you trying to do?” An older policeman shouted at Yang Meng, furious that Zhang Quanbiao had collapsed. He had dealt with Zhang many times and had once been angry at his actions, but now felt deep sympathy.

Yang Meng blinked. “Officer, don’t misunderstand. I’m trying to help him.”

“You a doctor?” the officer asked.

“No, not a doctor, but I think I can fix his problem.”

The officer growled. “You’re not a doctor, so don’t mess things up! How are we supposed to handle this now? Come with us to the station. If anything happens to Zhang Junbiao, his family can hold you responsible! Xiao Li, call an ambulance—get Zhang Junbiao to the hospital.”

Yang Meng sighed helplessly and gestured to Ling Feng. “Madman, explain this for me.”

Ling Feng looked baffled. “Explain what? What are you up to now?”

“Don’t bother questioning it. I won’t harm him.”

Ling Feng reluctantly greeted the officer. He had already introduced himself earlier: “Brother, this is my friend. He wouldn’t harm Zhang.”

The officer glanced at Ling Feng. “Zhang Quanbiao is like this, and you say you won’t harm him?”

Ling Feng gave a wry smile at Yang Meng, equally confused about what he was planning.

Yang Meng gave up on Ling Feng and said, “I know your district chief, Jin Junde. Let him vouch for me.”

Last time, he had done Jin Junde a favor by giving police credit for an accomplishment. They exchanged numbers, which now came in handy.

Sure enough, Jin Junde’s call quickly dispersed the crowd, leaving only the unconscious Zhang Quanbiao beside Yang Meng.

“Meng Meng, what now?” Ling Feng asked.

“What else? Find a hotel, toss him in, and let him sleep for twenty-four hours.”

“Ah?”