Chapter Twenty-One: Identity

“Ran has another identity?” Fan Beixiao and Guo Ting were instantly puzzled. Did Lin Ran really have another identity?

“My other identity?” Lin Ran also looked at Third Aunt with a face full of confusion, but he sensed there was a reason for her words.

“Child, none of this has happened by chance! It is all destined for you,” Third Aunt said, looking at Lin Ran with a gentle smile.

“Third Aunt, do you mean…” Lin Ran looked at her, a guess forming in his heart.

She nodded, then glanced at Fan Beixiao and Guo Ting, who were standing to the side.

Fan Beixiao and Guo Ting immediately understood what she meant. If Third Aunt was hesitating to speak, it must be something important meant only for Lin Ran to hear. Understanding this, they said nothing more and quietly walked away.

“Third Aunt, if you have something to say, please just say it,” Lin Ran said, looking at her.

“Child, do you know why, ever since you were young, you’ve always attracted things that aren’t clean?” Third Aunt’s expression turned grave as she looked at Lin Ran.

Lin Ran shook his head. All he knew was that he had always been frail and sickly, and strange things had happened to him for as long as he could remember. Sometimes he even wondered how he’d managed to survive.

“That’s because your other identity is that of a soul warden of the underworld,” Third Aunt said, dropping her words like a thunderclap.

“A soul warden?” Lin Ran was stunned, staring at her with a frown. He might have believed in ghosts, but the underworld itself sounded far too far-fetched.

“Yes, exactly—a soul warden,” Third Aunt nodded.

“Third Aunt, do these things really exist?” Lin Ran searched her face for any trace of jest but found none.

“All of this was told to me by the spirit who possesses me. She once said that you were a very powerful soul warden in the underworld, but for some unknown reason, you angered your superior. That’s why you were cast into the cycle of reincarnation, to live this life as a human,” Third Aunt explained.

She fell silent, simply gazing at Lin Ran. This was all too sudden for him to take in.

“Third Aunt, did the one possessing you ever say exactly what mistake I made to be sent into reincarnation?” Although Lin Ran found this tale incredible, his instincts as a criminal investigator compelled him to ask.

“No. After all, each department has its own superiors, and it’s not easy to ask about such matters directly,” Third Aunt shook her head.

Lin Ran’s face showed no particular surprise. What she said closely matched what he’d guessed; most charlatans followed a similar script.

“Third Aunt, can you tell me the true identity of the spirit possessing you?” Lin Ran looked at her with a hint of amusement.

Hearing this, Third Aunt’s expression changed, growing dark and cloudy. Lin Ran watched her with a playful gaze, thinking, Let’s see how you spin this. For a moment, he had almost believed her story.

He had expected to see her embarrassed, but to his surprise, after several moments of shifting expressions, she did not get angry.

“Forget it. I know what kind of child you are; I watched you grow up. Let me just show you—but you mustn’t make a sound,” Third Aunt said with a wry smile and a sigh.

She took out her phone, searched for something, and handed it to Lin Ran.

Puzzled, Lin Ran took the phone, wondering what secret it could hold. On the screen was a picture.

He was not unfamiliar with what he saw: the animal on the screen was a weasel, a creature he’d often seen as a child. He’d heard many stories about weasels becoming spirits—taboo tales whispered among the people. No wonder Third Aunt had been reluctant to speak plainly.

Lin Ran looked at Third Aunt in surprise, just as she smiled at him. Suddenly, her face seemed to shift into that of a weasel, startling him so much he broke out in a cold sweat.

“Third Aunt, what…” Lin Ran wiped his brow, staring at her in astonishment.

She chuckled softly. “Child, some things cannot be explained.”

“Ran! If we don’t leave now, we’ll really be late!” Fan Beixiao and Guo Ting called anxiously from outside.

“Third Aunt, I’ll have to trouble you with this matter,” Lin Ran said, turning to her.

“Come with me,” she nodded.

“All right!” Lin Ran was curious to see whether Third Aunt’s claims would hold up—soon, the truth would reveal itself.

“Third Aunt, don’t you need to prepare anything?” Lin Ran asked.

She simply smiled and shook her head.

Seeing this, Lin Ran said no more. The group left the hospital, hailed a cab, and headed straight to the villa.