Chapter 146: Do You Think She Can Hear Us?


    p>"I want to give it a try." Qiao Sang said resolutely to the aunt.


    Even though the task issuer seemed to be a difficult person, her purpose in epting the task was to train her beasts'' abilities.


    The temperament of the task issuer didn’t matter to her.


    The aunt shook her head subtly, no longer trying to dissuade her.


    She pointed to the right side, saying, "It''s the room at the very end. You can go ahead, I won’t follow you in."


    "Okay."


    Qiao Sang walked to the designated room.


    The door was slightly ajar, but out of courtesy, she still knocked. There was no response.


    She knocked again, still no answer.


    A third knock.


    "What''s your problem? The door isn’t even closed, and I already told you it’s thest room. Why are you knocking so much?" A strong voice came from inside.


    Qiao Sang: ...


    <em>This task issuer is definitely hard to deal with...</em>


    As she pushed the door open, a strong, unpleasant medicinal smell mixed with the distinct scent of old age hit her.


    Though it was a hot summer day, the room felt damp and chilly.


    By the window, an olddy with silver hair, prominent cheekbones, and a face full of wrinkles was half-lying on the bed.


    Before Qiao Sang could introduce herself, the olddy asked, "Do you have a ghost-type beast?"


    Her eyes were sharp, clearly someone who wasn’t easy to please.


    "Yes, it''s a Treasure-Seeking Ghost." Qiao Sang replied, stepping closer to the bed.


    To protect their privacy, the Beast Center doesn’t disclose detailed information about task issuers or contractors.


    "Xuuuun~"


    As if to prove his existence, Little Treasure appeared above Qiao Sang’s head and let out a sound.


    The olddy stared at the suddenly appearing ghost, momentarily lost in thought, as if recalling something.


    After a brief silence, she took a photo from her bedside and handed it to Qiao Sang.


    Qiao Sang took it and saw a young girl in a floral dress, smiling with dimples. In her arms was a blue,mp-shaped beast, an Incense Ghost Lamp.


    The olddy didn’t say anything after handing her the photo.


    Thinking it would be best to lighten the mood, Qiao Sangmented, "The girl in this picture is really beautiful. Who is she?"


    Under normal circumstances, a photo like this usually depicts the person themselves.


    The girl in the picture had such a sweet smile,pletely different from the difficult olddy before her.


    But people change as they age. It’s not hard to imagine that the olddy was once this girl.


    And since she was holding the Incense Ghost Lamp, it wasn''t hard to guess that the girl in the photo was the olddy herself.


    Qiao Sang silently praised herself for her cleverness.


    By pretending not to know who was in the picture, the olddy would be pleased by thepliment. Women, after all, love hearing they look good, no matter their age.


    Then, the olddy would proudly reveal that the girl in the photo was indeed herself.


    Qiao Sang could then feign surprise and throw in a few morepliments.<em>With the olddy feeling satisfied, it would be easier to secure a good review, right?</em>


    "That''s my granddaughter."


    Qiao Sang: ???


    <em>Wait, what?! That’s not how this was supposed to go!</em>


    "Last month, my granddaughter took the Incense Ghost Lamp out to y. Neither of them came back." The olddy’s voice became sad.


    "Now my granddaughter is gone, and the Incense Ghost Lamp is gone too."


    Qiao Sang''s heart sank.<em>The granddaughter is gone?!</em>


    <em>Was she implying...?</em>


    Carefully, Qiao Sang asked, "Did the police find any clues?"


    The olddy snorted.


    "Those useless fools. If they had, why would I need to issue this task?"


    A heavy feeling settled in Qiao Sang''s chest.<em>This task was now more than just about a missing beast...</em>


    It was understandable for the Incense Ghost Lamp to go missing, it’s a ghost-type beast, known for its elusive nature.


    <em>But a person going missing with no trace? That wasn’t a simple case of getting lost.</em>


    In today’s world, with surveince everywhere, people can’t just disappear without a trace.


    <em>Unless...</em>


    A ringing phone pulled Qiao Sang out of her thoughts.


    It was the olddy''s phone.


    "Hello, Nannan... I took the medicine, don’t worry, Grandma’s fine..."


    Due to the quietness of the room, Qiao Sang could faintly hear the voice on the other end. It sounded like a young girl, probably around the same age as the girl in the photo.


    After the olddy hung up, Qiao Sang hesitated before asking, "Was that your granddaughter?"


    "Yes."


    "May I ask... how many granddaughters do you have?"


    "Just one."


    Qiao Sang fell silent. After a couple of seconds, she asked, "Then when you said your granddaughter is<em>gone</em>earlier, what did you mean?"


    The olddy shot her a sharp look.


    "She moved with her parents to the Lanke District. What were you thinking?"


    Qiao Sang: ...


    <em>She wanted to switch tasks now...</em>


    "..."


    "The right-handmpstand of my Incense Ghost Lamp is missing a piece. It broke when it saved me at the age of 28. There’s also a red nail-sized mark on its head, left behind from some cheap dye I used on it when I was younger, and..."


    The rest of the conversation went rtively smoothly.


    During the chat, Qiao Sang noticed that Little Treasure often floated near the olddy, as if something about her attracted him. Perhaps he was because the olddy had contracted a ghost-type beast before.


    ---


    Qiao Sang stepped out of the room and put her shoes on at the entrance.


    The aunt, who had been waiting in the living room, approached and, after eyeing Qiao Sang for a moment, whispered, "I really think you should take on a different task."


    Qiao Sang looked up, puzzled. "Why?"


    From their earlier conversation, she knew this aunt was hired to care for the olddy and wasn’t a rtive.


    <em>But even so, without any special reason, wouldn’t the aunt usually side with her employer?</em>


    The aunt nced towards the room and lowered her voice even further.


    "The olddy doesn’t have much time left. Even if you find the Incense Ghost Lamp, it won’t be of any use. I’m just giving you a heads-up because you''re still young."


    Qiao Sang was stunned. Even though the olddy looked very old, her voice was strong, and she seemed full of energy.


    Her sharp eyes didn’t seem like those of someone with little time left.


    Besides, earlier, when Qiao Sang had knocked, the olddy clearly overheard the conversation between her and the aunt in the living room.


    <em>Would someone near death have such sharp hearing?</em>


    <em>Even though her room smelled strongly of medicine, still...</em>


    <em>Wait...</em>


    Qiao Sang suddenly realized something was off.


    The olddy’s room was at the far end, quite a distance from the living room, and the aunt had spoken in a fairly low voice. The door had only been slightly ajar, with a barely noticeable gap.


    When the aunt went to check with the olddy earlier, Qiao Sang hadn’t heard any of their conversation, showing the room was soundproof enough.


    <em>But why was it that the olddy could hear their conversation while she couldn’t?</em>


    Taking a deep breath, Qiao Sang asked slowly, "Do you think she can hear us talking now?"


    The aunt paused.


    "How could she?"


    Meanwhile, the olddy, now lying in bed, pulled the covers over herself from head to toe.


    A faint voice came from under the nket.


    "You think I want to hear everything..."