She's a Passerby, But Can See the Protagonist's Halo-Chapter 93
Jingshan Park was remarkably small, with a hill that wasn’t particularly high either. When Yan, Zhu Jue, and Chu Shen reached Wanchun Pavilion, Chu Shen glanced around in surprise.
“Huh? We’re already here? That was way too easy.”
He blinked. “I thought the spot to see the Forbidden City’s panoramic view would be much higher. I even prepared myself for a long hike.”
Chu Shen found it hard to believe. They hadn’t walked particularly fast, yet it felt like they’d reached the top in just a few minutes. With no other tourists around, even though the streetlights were lit, there was an eerie quietness to the place.
“This is the ‘First Scenic Spot of the Capital’—the highest point along Beijing’s central axis,” Yan explained.
“Wow!” Chu Shen was still thrilled. Before this, he’d only seen the layout of the capital’s central axis in textbooks. Now, he could see the real thing—and without anyone else crowding the view!
Strolling leisurely to admire the scenery, free from bustling crowds, felt like the ideal way to travel.
“I feel like it’s warmer today than the past few days,” Chu Shen muttered.
Even though the sun was setting and they were still on the hill, the cold didn’t seem as biting.
“It is warmer. The weather around New Year’s is usually milder,” Zhu Jue chimed in.
“Chu Shen, the views are different in each direction here. To the north, you see the Forbidden City. To the south, you can spot the Drum Tower. The CBD is visible to the east and west.”
Yan pointed as she introduced the sights to Chu Shen, a first-time visitor.
By now, the sky was painted with a dazzling sunset, golden hues bleeding into the clouds in layers.
Chu Shen watched as the setting sun cast its glow over the White Pagoda, the interplay of light and shadow mesmerizing. They circled the pavilion, taking in the vastly different views of Ning City from all four sides.
Standing atop Wanchun Pavilion, a single turn of the body revealed the intertwining of past and present—on one side, the towering skyscrapers of the CBD; on the other, the solemn grandeur of the centuries-old imperial palace. For a fleeting moment, it felt like time itself had folded.
“Ning City feels so different from Bin City,” Chu Shen remarked.
The three took turns snapping photos, racing against the sunset as the fiery sky served as the perfect backdrop.
They squeezed together for a close-up selfie, though Yan insisted she’d need to edit it before posting it online.
By 5:30 p.m., the sun had nearly vanished, but the hill’s lights had all flickered on. Below, the Forbidden City’s golden glazed tiles shimmered under the illumination, the Meridian Gate glowing resplendently as the central axis glittered with lights.
“It suddenly lit up—almost like someone still lives in the Forbidden City,” Chu Shen joked.
“Living there now would be way too uncomfortable,” Yan said, shaking her head.
The scenery, whether lit or unlit, held its own charm. The trio took even more photos against the nightscape.
“Alright, time to go! This year’s last hike, last scenic view, last sunset!” Yan counted them off on her fingers.
“Let’s head home and make dumplings!”
Every year, after watching the final sunset from Jingshan Park, she and Zhu Jue felt a sense of closure, as if the year had truly come to an end.
Chu Shen followed them with light steps, ready to celebrate the New Year.
As they descended, the park’s lights had fully come to life. Yan couldn’t help but muse aloud.
“There’s really no one here this year. Is it because it’s too cold? I don’t think it’s that bad. But hey, works in our favor.”
Just then, Chu Shen noticed the eerie lights hidden among the trees. His foot nearly slipped, sending him stumbling toward the couple.
Yan and Zhu Jue both reached out, each grabbing an arm to steady him.
“Was there ice? You okay?”
Chu Shen, now upright thanks to the couple’s quick reflexes, let out a shaky breath.
He’d slipped on the Great Wall just the other day, landing hard on his backside. A fall during the New Year would’ve been terrible luck.
“I’m fine, thanks to you two.” He exhaled in relief. Sliding around for fun wasn’t his thing—winter was dangerous, and even bundled up, a bad fall could mean bruises or worse.
Now steady on his feet, Chu Shen focused on the steps ahead, resisting the urge to glance at the unsettling lighting again. Still, he couldn’t help but complain.
“The streetlights up here and the pavilion lights are normal, but who designed the lights for the plants? They’re downright creepy! This would scare people to death at night!”
Yan and Zhu Jue followed his gaze and nodded in agreement.
Amid the pine trees, crimson and ghostly green lights bathed the trunks, with occasional blue glows that flickered like cheap horror movie effects.
Yan joined in the criticism. “People have been complaining about these lights for ages, but since nighttime visitors are rare, the park never changed them. Zhu Jue and I have gotten used to them after seeing them for years. At first, they startled us too, but now we just ignore them.”
“Seriously, it’s like a budget haunted house,” Chu Shen added, searching for the right words.
The night deepened as they descended the steps, flanked by the unsettling red and green glows. With only their footsteps and voices breaking the silence, Chu Shen shivered.
Why did he suddenly feel a chill down his spine?
“I’ll take the lead with my flashlight,” he offered, pulling out his phone and switching on the torch. Stepping ahead of the couple, the bright white beam lit the path, and Chu Shen immediately felt braver.
“Are you two visiting relatives tomorrow for New Year’s greetings?” he asked, eager to fill the quiet.
The silence of Jingshan Park was unnerving, making his skin prickle with unease.
“Our parents will go, but we’ll only visit a few homes. Most families stay in on New Year’s Day for gatherings, and with all the kids back, it’s awkward to linger. We’ll just stop by briefly and head back,” Yan explained.
Growing up alongside Da Bao and Xiao Bao, the celebrated genius twins, Yan and Zhu Jue had been swept into their whirlwind of lessons. Under the principle of “one sheep or two, it’s all the same herding,” the adults had them study everything from music and chess to astronomy and martial arts alongside the twins.
They weren’t the only ones, though. The compound had other kids their age, with nearly a dozen children within a few years of each other. But most couldn’t handle the constant comparisons to Da Bao and Xiao Bao, especially the older ones, whose pride took heavy blows.
Yan still remembered one particular class—elementary school math olympics, maybe? Over a dozen kids had crammed into Uncle Sun’s makeshift classroom, some even sent by friends who’d heard about the free lessons from Ning University professors. But day by day, the numbers dwindled, until only Yan and Zhu Jue remained, sticking it out with the twins till the end.
After all, the ones who taught them back then were mostly retirees from over a decade ago. Now they are even older; some elders have either been dispatched to other places for work, or have been taken away by their children after retirement, while others have moved to warmer climates to enjoy their later years, and some have even passed away. Otherwise, Yan and Zhu Jue would have had more places to visit during the New Year.
"You can sleep in a bit tomorrow; just stay in my room. Play games or watch shows, whatever you want. We'll go watch a movie together when we get back," Zhu Jue said.
Chu Shen scratched his head. Spending the New Year at someone else's house was one thing, but to sleep while the hosts were out visiting others was just too much.
He switched hands to hold his phone, and as he held it out in front of him, it emitted a loud shout.
"Whoa!"
"Ghost!!!"
His phone slipped from his hand and was about to roll down the steps.
In that instant, Chu Shen, startled by the "ghost" and feeling weak, saw a pale-faced woman with a bloody noose around her neck, her hair disheveled and dressed in a blood-red wedding gown, swiftly float past him.
She even casually reached out and caught his phone.
Chu Shen was completely stunned.
What the heck? This ghost is picking up his phone for him?
Is she really that human-like?
Wait, this is Jing Mountain; what era is this ghost from?
For some reason, Chu Shen felt that his shout of "Whoa!" had startled the ghost in front of him as well.
His thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, and the ghost had already floated behind him. He stiffened and suddenly turned around, only to see Yan and Zhu Jue staring wide-eyed at the ghost as it drifted away, their expressions nearly twisted in fear.
The ghost was clearly wearing a blood-colored wedding gown, but in that brief moment of sight, illuminated by the bizarre multicolored lights around, it looked even more terrifying.
It was completely like a ghost bride from a Chinese horror movie! Chu Shen felt his entire body freeze.
"Zhu Ge, help me out here." Chu Shen felt a bit weak in the knees; he thought that if he moved even slightly, he might just collapse.
The couple reached out again to steady Chu Shen.
Yan and Zhu Jue had originally been looking down at the steps illuminated by Chu Shen’s flashlight, holding hands as they walked down. Hearing his earth-shattering shout, they instantly looked up.
Then—
Yan saw a familiar golden halo.
【Girl's Dress-Up Game】
OMG!
Why did Yuan Ye suddenly appear here?
Wait, did Chu Shen just say "ghost"?
In an instant, Yan recalled a scene from a few months ago on the school path.
Why was Yuan Ye dressed as a ghost again? And in the same outfit as a few months ago!
Why does every encounter feel so rushed? Why is Yuan Ye always in such a hurry?
Yan had a lot of little questions in her heart, but at that moment, she understood why Yuan Ye had been uncertain about his work in Ning City these days.
He must be planning something big on New Year's Eve at Jing Mountain!
Holding hands with Zhu Jue, she just wrote a stroke of "factory" in his palm, and Zhu Jue squeezed her hand, already understanding that the ghost they had just seen was Yuan Ye!
The three of them steadied themselves on the steps, with Chu Shen still feeling a bit dazed.
"I can't be seeing this wrong; that was a hanging ghost, right? A female ghost? This is too thrilling for New Year’s!"
"I knew there was a hanging gatekeeper here, but I didn’t know there was a female ghost hanging too!"
...
Yuan Ye was also in a state of collapse.
"@#￥％ stupid system, I knew this task would have a huge pit!"
Yuan Ye thought he could quietly play the role of a hanging ghost in Jing Mountain Park for a few minutes and complete the task smoothly.
But he never expected to run into his roommate here.
No, more accurately, he first encountered a group of people who seemed to be engaged in some kind of metaphysical practices, and then while running away from them with a peach wood sword and yellow talismans, he met the couple, who were also practitioners, along with Chu Shen.
The capital city is just not meant for him! Yuan Ye wanted to cry; why is his life so hard?
In the novels he used to read, the male protagonists who got systems always ended up on top of the world, but he was sinking to the depths of social death!
Originally, he was just quietly dressed as a hanging ghost, hanging from a crooked tree, and he was anxiously waiting for the system to see if it would send out a final boss to fight.
He quietly timed himself for five minutes, thinking that once the hanging ghost disguise was confirmed, the task would be complete.
Yuan Ye watched the system countdown, and when no other hanging ghost appeared to challenge him, he felt a bit pleased, thinking the task was not so bad.
But unexpectedly, the system really threw him a big one!
Just as his task time ended, the "hanging ghost" disguise automatically activated a hanging ghost BUFF.
Before Yuan Ye could take off the disguise, as he was removing the rope from his neck and just coming down from the crooked tree, those strange practitioners with peach wood swords and various odd items had just arrived.
In that moment, they were only about ten meters away from Yuan Ye.
"Why is there suddenly a hanging ghost at Jing Mountain? Who's taking care of it? Is this a test task?" Yuan Ye heard someone ask.
"System, are you trying to kill me?!!! You have to explain this to me today!" Yuan Ye screamed in his mind, feeling desperate.
Why were there metaphysical practitioners having a team-building event here today?!
He had no time to think further and immediately bolted, floating away as those people chased after him.
He had scouted the Jing Mountain Park before, and it wasn’t very big. The road down the mountain was blocked, and once he dashed down, he would likely scare the passersby and be caught on camera. It would be hard to hide to remove the BUFF. Considering that there were almost no people when he came to Jing Mountain today, Yuan Ye's first reaction was to rush up the mountain.
But the hanging ghost BUFF had a rope around his neck, binding him, and he couldn't float up quickly. Yuan Ye quickly pulled out the red-clothed ghost BUFF he had stashed away, which allowed him to run fast!
Yuan Ye dashed up, hoping that the couple, who were also practitioners, would recognize him and help him out.
Meanwhile, Yan and Zhu Jue were leading a still unsettled Chu Shen down the mountain.
On their way down, they encountered Ding Ling and a group of familiar faces.
Chu Shen was completely dumbfounded. What day is it today?
He was still unsure whether to mention the incident with the female ghost earlier—what if he had just mistaken someone in loose clothing, running a bit faster, for cosplay?
Ding Ling froze when she saw the trio, especially the young couple. Her eyes flickered with sudden understanding, as if everything had clicked into place. Still, she asked, "What brings you all here?"
"We came to see the last sunset of the year and the night view from Jingshan. We just finished taking photos and are heading back," Chu Shen explained.
"Ding Ling, are you coming over later? Join us for dumplings at my place?" Yan chimed in.
The Ghost King… Thinking back to Yuan Ye’s frantic sprinting and this group of clearly extraordinary people, Yan silently mourned for Yuan Ye in his heart.
Brother Ye, Brother Ye, what kind of luck is this? How did you manage to stumble into this?
Ding Ling hesitated, then shook her head. "No, I need to stay with the team. Happy New Year’s Eve," she said with a faint smile.
"Happy New Year’s Eve," the three replied, bidding farewell to Ding Ling, Da He, and the rest of the group before quickening their pace down the mountain and hailing a taxi home.
In the cab, with the driver present, Chu Shen avoided discussing the earlier events. Instead, he remarked to Yan and Zhu Jue, "Ding Ling’s mentor team seems a bit unreasonable, making them come to Jingshan at this hour on New Year’s Eve."
"Probably hard to coordinate schedules," Yan said.
On their way down, they spotted the "Closed" sign at the entrance and were taken aback.
"True, Jingshan Park is open year-round, but it’s practically empty during the holidays. Still, with so few ancient structures here, why insist on this timing?" Chu Shen couldn’t shake the feeling that Ding Ling’s mentor team was exploiting their students. Couldn’t they arrange a different time?
They arrived home, wished the driver an early Happy New Year, and refrained from further discussion about the mountain, hurrying inside.
Meanwhile, the entire Jingshan Park—small as it was—had been thoroughly combed by the Ascension Assembly’s practitioners, yet there was no trace of the hanged ghost.
"Just vanished? Even the divination signs are gone. Could there be some hidden spiritual realm here?"
"At first glance, it was definitely a hanged ghost, but as we chased, it turned into a red-robed female ghost."
"Is this an impromptu test? None of us caught it, and the divination shows nothing. We’re probably not getting points—might even lose some."
Whispers spread among the young prodigies of the Ascension Assembly trailing behind Ding Ling.
They had come today with a special purpose, but before the appointed hour, they’d encountered a ghost!
"Tsk, the capital’s team really knows how to play. Looks like none of us passed this bonus round."
Beside Ding Ling, the team leader observed the visibly dejected examinees.
"Ding Ling, you were the first to react and chase, but then you stopped. Did you realize it was a local setup?" the leader asked.
Ding Ling neither confirmed nor denied, only turning to the leader. "Are you sure it was arranged locally? Not by the one who’s entered the Dao?"
The Bin City Special Case Team leader stiffened at her words.
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As the supervising authority, they were usually informed of the Ascension Assembly’s daily arrangements in the morning. But the sudden appearance of the female ghost on Jingshan was entirely unexpected.
Given the location and today’s purpose, it had to be a last-minute addition by the organizers. Yet, it seemed none of the participants had performed well.
"An expert who’s entered the Dao… Ding Ling, you make a valid point. Only someone at that level could so effortlessly manifest a ghostly form and leave no trace behind."
"Was it 'shifting flowers to graft onto trees' or 'shifting shadows and shapes'?" the leader murmured.
Ding Ling shook her head. "I don’t know."
She truly didn’t. At first, she’d chased with the others because she hadn’t recognized it. But when the hanged ghost transformed into a red-robed bride in a blood-stained wedding dress, she stopped.
It reminded her of the female ghost that had appeared at Bin University—also clad in a bloodied bridal gown. According to Shen Hui’s account, it was the same one.
She’d assumed Yan had already obliterated that ghost, scattering its spirit to the wind. So when she recognized the red-robed ghost, Ding Ling immediately thought of the leader’s mention of an expert who’d entered the Dao.
She’d already been speculating about who that expert might be.
And when the hanged ghost became the red-robed vengeful spirit, Ding Ling knew.
It was Yan. No doubt about it.
Yan, the expert who’d entered the Dao, had quietly come to Jingshan to test the Ascension Assembly’s participants with a surprise.
Later, while chasing the ghost with the team, Ding Ling ran into Yan and the others. Everything became clear.
Though Chu Shen claimed they’d come for the night view, the deeper reason was obvious—they were here for the Ascension Assembly!
Ding Ling admired Yan deeply. The Dao of Cause and Effect was enigmatic, yet Yan could weave past events into future plans seamlessly. What seemed like a casual trip with Chu Shen—from the Great Wall to Jingshan—was actually a covert observation of the Ascension Assembly.
And when Yan said they were leaving, followed by the ghost’s complete disappearance, Ding Ling understood perfectly.
Yan had concluded her assessment of the young practitioners, and the red-robed ghost had been recalled.
Her "Happy New Year’s Eve" farewell was a reminder for them to enjoy the night.
As the night deepened, Ding Ling reached Wanchun Pavilion. Gazing at the panorama of Ning City, her phone buzzed—a photo from Yan.
[Yan]: [photo.jpg] This angle’s great. You should try it.
The photo showed the young couple and Chu Shen, with the illuminated Forbidden City in the background.
Ding Ling smiled and replied, "Okay."
In her current state, she could appear in photos if she wished, though she rarely did.
The signal on Jingshan remained strong. With time to spare, some pulled out tablets, while others huddled around phones streaming the Spring Festival Gala, half-watching, half-complaining about how dull it was.
The mountain wind grew colder. Ding Ling’s eyes fixed on the night sky, seeing what ordinary people couldn’t.
The year’s end and beginning intertwined—old energies receding, new ones emerging.
Yet even among the Ascension Assembly’s prodigies, few could seize this moment to enter a state of enlightenment.
In Ding Ling’s bag were two bells. She’d brought them to help clear the minds of the Assembly’s participants, guiding them toward sudden realization.
As the hour approached midnight, the examiners who had been watching the Spring Festival Gala on the mountaintop turned off their phones. Some sat cross-legged on the ground, while others had brought their own cushions, their eyes either open or closed, the scene utterly silent.
Ding Ling held the Qingning Bell in her hand, standing facing the direction of the Forbidden City. She gazed at the swirling qi of heaven and earth in the night sky, while the countdown on her phone, placed atop a pillar, inched closer to zero.
In her heart, she recited silently, and the bell in her hand began to sway gently.
The chime of bronze rang out—
Her heart was as still as water.
Free of distractions, Ding Ling watched as the qi of the new year violently overtook that of the old, the energies of heaven and earth exchanging in a fierce dance.
And along the central axis of the Forbidden City before her, she saw the joyous qi of the mortal world converging from all directions, as if drawn toward this very spot.
This was…
The turning of the year’s fortune. She stared in awe as the qi of the mortal realm merged seamlessly with the celestial qi above.
And at this very moment, this unique fusion of qi descended—
It was falling precisely where she stood!
The energies intertwined, the qi of humanity and heaven and earth instantly drawn into her, then distributed among the disciples behind her.
The exchange of heavenly and earthly qi occurred only once a year, and for it to merge with mortal qi was an exceedingly rare phenomenon.
Ding Ling lowered her head slightly, studying her position.
This exact spot, where that extraordinary qi had descended, was the very "location" Yan had sent her in the photo.
Yan, is there anything you haven’t arranged?
