After the Goddess’s Tragic Death, I Drew My Sword to Slay Ghosts

I felt helpless.

Who would have thought the first person I’d encounter would be a drunkard? Then again, maybe a drunkard was a good choice-lacking the capacity for rational thought, he probably wouldn’t call me crazy.

Once he finished vomiting, I approached him and asked sincerely, “Hey man, do you see me as a human or a ghost?”

The man lifted his head, his eyes bleary, and said, “A human… hic… human or ghost? Let me see…”

He leaned in closer, scrutinizing me. Then he affirmed, “You’re human! Definitely human!”

Not the answer I was hoping for, but at least he didn’t call me a lunatic. I pressed on, “Look again, more carefully. Am I human or a ghost?”

I waved the Substitute Doll in front of him. The man furrowed his brow, hiccupped, and stared at me again. After several seconds, he confirmed once more, “You’re human!”

I was getting frustrated. “Look again, am I human or a ghost?”

“You’re human!”

“Look again…”

And so it went, back and forth, for what felt like dozens of rounds. This guy was steadfast in declaring me human. With dawn approaching, I was getting desperate. I shook the man’s shoulders, unable to hold back my frustration, “For crying out loud! Look again, am I human or a ghost?”

The man, irritated, shoved me away and said, “You’re nuts! My eyes are getting blurry… hic… let me look again…”

He widened his eyes, staring intently at me. His eyes were bloodshot from drinking, and as he focused on me, they seemed ready to pop out of their sockets.

Suddenly, something felt off. His eye sockets bulged, and to my horror, his bloodshot eyes actually popped out, dangling by elastic tendons like bouncy balls, bouncing against his face…

I nearly wet myself in fright. What the hell… He’s the ghost!

In the next moment, those eyes stuck to my face, too quick to dodge. The cold, slimy spheres slid across my face, down my cheek, jaw, and neck, before snapping back into his sockets. He adjusted them with his fingers, flipping them back into place.

Then, while I stood frozen, he pointed at me and said, “I see it now! Hic… You’re not human, you’re a ghost! Just like me, you’re a Drowned Ghost.”

With that, he turned and staggered away. This time, I didn’t stop him. I watched as the drunken man stumbled to the bridge, leaned over the railing, and vomited. But he lost his balance, tumbling over the edge.

“Plop!”

The dull sound of a body hitting water echoed. I realized how he had died-a hapless worker, drunk after work, accidentally falling into the water.

Shaken, I quickly remembered Uncle Ma’s instructions. I blew on the Substitute Doll in my hand and tossed it away. A bizarre scene unfolded. The doll hit the ground and began to grow, transforming into a replica of me. But this ‘me’ was swaying drunkenly, hiccupping and cursing a boss, just like the drunkard had. As it leaned over the railing to vomit, it too fell into the water with a ‘plop.’

Silence returned. I realized I had successfully found a substitute. The Red-Dressed Female Ghost would now believe I had drowned.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I sat on the sidewalk, feeling the weight of survival lift from my shoulders. Thank goodness I met Uncle Ma tonight. I needed to go back and ask him about Ye Manman.

But when I checked my phone, it was already 5 AM. Uncle Ma had been up all night; he was probably resting. I hadn’t slept well for two days either, so I decided to catch some sleep and visit him in the afternoon.

Back at the rental apartment, Fatty was still asleep. In the shower, I noticed the ghostly face mark on my chest had vanished. Relaxed, I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I woke up at 3 PM, feeling refreshed. After tidying up, I took a bus to East Lake Park. Uncle Ma had mentioned he spent most of his time selling roasted sweet potatoes there. It didn’t take long to find him, busy with customers and doing well.

I waited until the customers left before approaching, placing two packs of Zhonghua Cigarettes¹ and two bottles of Wuliangye² in his tricycle. Uncle Ma protested, “What’s this for?”

I insisted, “Please accept it. You saved my life. I don’t have much to offer, but I can at least give you some cigarettes and liquor. You must take them!”

Hearing this, Uncle Ma relented, saying, “I didn’t help you much. Avoiding Lu Xiaona’s pursuit isn’t hard; the challenge is figuring out why you keep seeing ghosts.”

He looked worried and a bit guilty. Uncle Ma had mentioned this before, saying normal people couldn’t see ghosts. My frequent encounters suggested something was wrong with me. Without resolving this, another Lu Xiaona might appear.

But I couldn’t dwell on that now. I told Uncle Ma, “Uncle, I came to ask about something else today.”

He asked what it was, and I explained Ye Manman’s situation. Uncle Ma’s expression turned serious as he said, “That’s a ‘Ghost Realm.’ Such places usually form in mass graves, ancient battlefields, or execution grounds, created by strong evil energy and numerous ghosts. You can think of it as a ‘mini Underworld.’ Your classmate, after dying tragically in Northern Myanmar, was controlled by evil spirits there. For her, the Ghost Realm is like an Underworld district in Northern Myanmar.”

Recalling her exposed attire and pained expression, I clenched my teeth. “Uncle Ma, what can I do?”

He chuckled wryly, “You’re just an ordinary person. What can you do? Even a spirit sender like me would avoid a Ghost Realm. Xiao Zhou, I understand your desire to help her, but this is beyond us.”

I wanted to argue, but new customers arrived. Uncle Ma focused on them, ignoring me. Realizing he truly couldn’t help, I decided to think of another way.

Leaving East Lake Park, I bought some groceries and a KFC meal. I also picked up incense candles and joss paper. The Young Security Guard had saved me once, and I planned to pay my respects and thank him.

I waited until nightfall, when the area was quiet, before heading to the security booth with my offerings.

Footnote:

Zhonghua Cigarettes(中华香烟): Zhonghua is a premium brand of cigarettes in China, known for its high quality and often associated with status and luxury.
Wuliangye(五粮液):Wuliangye is a renowned Chinese baijiu (a type of distilled liquor) made from five different grains: sorghum, rice, glutinous rice, wheat, and corn.