After the Goddess's Tragic Death, I Drew My Sword to Slay Ghosts - Chapter 9 - A Path to Survival

The dilapidated security booth was riddled with rust, dust, and scattered leaves.

I found a broom in the nearby sanitation room and gave the booth a quick cleaning, sweeping away the debris and dust. Then, I took off my jacket and wiped down the table and chairs until they looked somewhat presentable.

Next, I lit incense and burned joss paper. I arranged the offerings-KFC, spicy strips, ham sausage, cola, and the like-on the table.

As I burned the paper, I bowed my head repeatedly, murmuring:

“Young man, I don’t know if you can receive the joss paper and offerings. You saved my life the other night, and I don’t have much to thank you with, so please accept these humble gifts. If you ever need anything, you can send me a dream, and I’ll burn it for you.

But, uh, nothing too expensive, okay? I’ve got debts to pay every month, and my salary doesn’t leave me much to spare.

Also, I heard you were a hero who saved lives while you were alive. I don’t know why you haven’t reported to the Underworld yet, but I hope you can reincarnate soon.”

I rambled on, and when I looked up, I saw a pair of feet on the ground before me.

The feet were clad in black tactical boots.

Following the legs upward, I saw a pair of straight, well-fitted black security pants.

And then, there he was-the Young Security Guard from last night!

But he didn’t look as aloof as he had then.

At this moment, he was holding a cola in one hand and a spicy chicken sandwich in the other, devouring them like there was no tomorrow.

I stared in stunned silence.

The Young Security Guard didn’t say a word or even glance at me. He finished the KFC meal and moved on to the ham sausage.

Only after he had polished off all the offerings did he finally lick his lips and say, “Next time, I want barbecue. Bring some beer-chilled.”

“Uh… sure,” I stammered.

The Young Security Guard chuckled, sizing me up. “The Yin Energy that woman left on you is gone. Looks like you found a way to shake her off.”

I replied, “I met a master selling sweet potatoes. He taught me a trick using a Substitute Doll to fool her.”

He raised an eyebrow. “A master selling sweet potatoes? You mean Old Ma?”

I was taken aback. “You know him?”

The Young Security Guard scoffed. “Him? A master? Back in the day, he tried to get rid of me, but I chased him off.”

I froze, recalling how Uncle Ma’s expression had seemed a bit off when I mentioned the Young Security Guard during our conversation.

Still skeptical, I asked, “You’re saying you’re stronger than Uncle Ma?”

He snorted. “His sweet potatoes are decent, but his spirit-sending skills? Mediocre at best. If he were any good, he would’ve noticed that you’re missing something.”

“Come on, I’ve got all my limbs. I’m not missing anything,” I retorted instinctively.

The Young Security Guard smirked. “You’re a living person who’s been mingling with us Underworld folks every night. You really think you’re not missing anything?”

I immediately grasped his implication: I was missing something, and that’s why I’d been encountering ghosts so frequently.

I quickly asked him for guidance, desperate to know what I was missing.

He explained, “Your Yang Fire is intact, and your body is fine. But you’ve lost a piece of your soul. Haven’t you noticed?”

Soul loss?

It sounded absurd.

How could I lose a piece of my soul when I felt perfectly fine?

Before I could voice my doubts, he asked, “What’s your name?”

“Zhou Yi,” I replied.

“And where’s your hometown?”

“Qingyuan City, Baoshan County, Lingyun Town, Zhoujiagouzi.”

The Young Security Guard’s face twitched. “From now on, if a ghost asks for your name or address, don’t answer.”

I chuckled nervously. “I know. But you’re not some random ghost, right?”

Unlike the Red-Dressed Female Ghost, the Young Security Guard felt entirely human to me.

Besides, he had saved me.

At this moment, I felt no fear toward him whatsoever.

He rolled his eyes. “You’re awfully chummy for someone who’s just met me. Let me ask you this: Can you remember what your family looks like?”

The question struck me as ridiculous.

Who wouldn’t remember their family’s faces?

But then, I froze.

Because I realized-I couldn’t remember what my grandmother looked like.

I was an abandoned baby, and she had taken me in.

At the time, I had a strange illness, barely breathing.

She brought me home and, on a whim, sought out the village herbalist, who used folk remedies to treat me.

Miraculously, she saved me from the brink of death.

She was my only family, the person I relied on the most.

She passed away during my second year of high school, leaving me alone in the world.

But now, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t recall her face.

Not only that-I realized I couldn’t remember the faces of many people.

Neighbors from the village, classmates from high school-they all blurred into indistinct shapes.

What was happening?

I stared at the Young Security Guard in shock. “I can’t remember… I can’t recall their faces. What’s wrong with me? Why am I like this?”

He gave me a knowing look. “You’ve lost a piece of your soul. Of course, your memories are fuzzy.

A body missing part of its soul is a prime target for Yin Entities.

That’s why some malevolent ghosts see you as easy prey.

Take me, for example. If I wanted to, I could possess your body right now.”

The Young Security Guard leaned in, his tone chilling.

I processed the new information and wiped my face. “Could you not possess my body? That’s way too intimate, man.”

His sinister expression faltered, and he stepped back as if he’d just swallowed something foul. “I should’ve ignored you. You should focus on figuring out where you lost your soul.

When people lose their soul, it’s usually due to a fright. Think back-when was the last time you were scared?”

The last time I was scared?

I wracked my brain, trying to recall any recent moments of terror.

Before encountering ghosts, had anything frightened me enough to cause soul loss?

I thought hard but came up empty.

Honestly, life for ordinary folks like me is pretty monotonous.

Work, home, meals, sleep-that’s it.

The only excitement comes from scrolling through my phone before bed.

Fear? Not so much.

Frustration, though-that’s a daily occurrence.

After a while, I shook my head. “I can’t remember.”

The Young Security Guard frowned. “You’ve only been targeted by Yin Entities in the past couple of days, and your Yang Fire is still strong.

That means your soul loss happened recently-within the last two weeks. How can you not remember?”

I laughed bitterly. “Forget two weeks-I’ve thought back over the past six months. The biggest scare I’ve had was an overdue delivery.”

He sighed. “Then I can’t help you… Looks like I won’t be getting that barbecue after all. You probably won’t live long enough to bring it.”

He pointed to the security booth and flashed a welcoming smile. “Zhou Yi, don’t say I’m heartless. If you die and become a ghost, you can come work for me.

You take the day shift; I’ll handle the night shift.”

I nearly choked.

Even as a ghost, I’d have to work?

And he wanted me to take the day shift?

For a moment, I was utterly devastated.